Dec. 12, 2017 e-Newsletter
PORTRAITS OF LINCOLN
Entitled "Lincoln Portrait," the latest collection of artwork in the Fasick Gallery depicts portraits of President Abraham Lincoln created by our Early Childhood II, second-, fourth- and fifth-grade students in conjunction with Independence's Newark Symphony Orchestra partnership.
After completion, Mrs. Rispoli discussed President Lincoln's contributions to our country with her students and explained how the art display echoes his vision: when the individual pieces are united, it creates a stronger presence.
The NSO then performed Aaron Copland's "Lincoln Portrait" during its Symphony Series concert on Dec. 10 in our very own Gore Auditorium. It was certainly another great collaboration of the arts between Indy and the NSO!
Please click here for a gallery of the artwork.
ON OUR WEBSITE
- Watch "My Indy Story" with Pooja D.
- IPA Holiday Festival (photo gallery)
- "Indy Insights" blog: Gaining Cultural Competency and Empathy through Local and Global Engagement (by Bernadette Gilmore, Director of Academics & Curriculum)
- Eighth grader Reaghan Jones-Press selected to 2nd-straight Jr. All-State Chorus
REMINDERS
Lost & Found
Misplaced items will be on display in the rotunda until this Friday, Dec. 15. Anything left after that will be donated to Goodwill.
Picking up gift cards
If you purchased gift cards through the IPA fundraiser and have yet to pick them up, you may do so in the Development Office between the hours of 8 a.m.-4 p.m. from Monday through Friday. Thanks!
Click the graphic above for a special preview of this Wednesday's Band & Orchestra Concert.
| |
Our lofty goal for this year is 90% parent participation in the Annual Fund, which would be a 13% increase from last year. Money raised from the Annual Fund benefits all of our students, as it supports a lot of the "extras" that make the Independence experience truly exceptional.
As we near the end of the tax year, please consider joining the many Independence parents who have already made a tax-deductible gift to the Annual Fund by clicking here or by mailing a check (Attn: Development Office).
On behalf of all of our students and faculty, THANK YOU!
UPCOMING EVENTS
12/13 - Holiday Band & Orchestra Concert at 7 p.m. (Gore Auditorium)
12/14 - Fifth-grade field trip to Main Street Movies 5 for Wonder
12/14 - Eighth-grade field trip to Delaware Theatre Company for The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [REVISED]
12/15 - ECI-K Holiday Sing-Along at 9:30 a.m. (Gore Auditorium)
12/19 - Fifth- and sixth-grade bowling trip to AMF Price Lanes from noon-2:45 p.m.
12/19 - Seventh- and eighth-grade ice skating trip to UD Fred Rust Ice Arena from noon-2:45 p.m.
12/20-1/2 - School closed for Winter Break (Happy Holidays! Click calendar link below for Extended Day availability)
Click here for the 2017-18 calendar at a glance.
Click here for the full 2017-18 school calendar.
| |
returns for the 2017-18 school year! Registration for our next session on Tuesday, Feb. 13 will be available soon. If you're interested in this FREE program, please click the logo above for details.
| |
Click the logo above to visit the winter sports "Teams & Results" page, where you can stay up-to-date on all the latest news and recaps about Patriot athletics!
| |
THE INDEPENDENCE SCHOOL BLOG
Click the "Indy Insights" logo above for a collection of useful ideas, guidance and resources by members of our faculty, administration and staff.
| |
Did you know that Extended Day offers a variety of special programs throughout the school year? Click here for all the details.
WELCOMING A NEW FACE TO INDEPENDENCE
Independence recently welcomed Margaret Ann Minihan in the new role of Technology Integration Specialist. Mrs. Minihan collaborates with faculty and technical staff to support and optimize the use of instructional software and network resources. She will help to develop innovative teaching techniques within our curriculum and accelerate learning for students. Her office is located in the Innovation Station. We are so excited to have Mrs. Minihan at our school!
| |
Independence School Food Drive
Thursday, Dec. 7-Thursday, Dec. 14, 2017
Help make the season bright for those less fortunate than ourselves. Please bring cans or non-perishable food items. See below for your grade's "assignments," although all donations are welcome. All goods will be donated to the Food Bank of Delaware. This year, we encourage families to bring food goods to our winter concerts, the second of which will take place this Wednesday, Dec. 13. There will be collection bins in the Fasick Gallery.
ECI-II & Kindergarten: pasta and canned sauces
Grades 1-2: canned vegetables and canned meats
Grades 3-4: canned soup, stews, chili, etc.
Grades 5-6: boxed food items (cereal, oatmeal, rice, etc.)
Grades 7-8: canned fruit
| |
COMING ALIVE ON THE STAGE
On Dec. 8, the sixth grade took a field trip to nearby Dickinson High School to view the Chamber Theatre Productions performance of ENCORE!! This play features five classic short stories, as well as Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem "The Raven." During the first trimester, the sixth graders enjoyed learning about the stylistic devices and formal structure of the short story genre, and many wrote their own stories. This trip enabled students to see short stories come alive on the stage, complete with professional actors, elaborate costumes, props, lights and sound effects. The play was based on short stories by illustrious writers such as Poe, Mark Twain, Washington Irving, Guy de Maupassant and W. W. Jacobs. The sixth graders and the English Department wish to thank the IPA for providing the funds to make the field trip possible.
| |
TRAVEL TO COSTA RICA THIS SUMMER!
Current seventh- and eighth-grade Independence students have an exciting opportunity to travel to the Central American country of Costa Rica from Thursday, June 14-Thursday, June 21, 2018!
On this trip, which is organized by Explorica Educational Travel, students will participate in a service project in Los Santos, working with the community to support local initiatives, such as planting, maintenance, reforesting and painting. Additionally, students will explore famous historic sites, discover the rich heritage and diversity of different cultures, and experience the places they've studied in class.
Parents can reserve their child's spot by visiting the Explorica site and clicking "Sign Up" under the "PARENTS" tab. The TourCenter ID is Gilmore-127. The rapidly approaching deadline is next Tuesday, Dec. 19, so don't delay – spots are limited!
For more information or questions, please email Bernadette Gilmore, Director of Academics and Curriculum.
| |
Shop at amazonsmile & support Independence
When you shop at AmazonSmile by clicking the logo above, Amazon will donate 0.5% of qualified purchases to our school.
Upon clicking the link and logging in with your regular Amazon account, "Independence School Inc." will automatically be selected as your charity, and you will receive a confirmation email.
It's that simple!
| |
Have you checked out our official Alumni page? You can keep up with all the latest news on our talented graduates. If you have your own alumni submission, please email Tanya Godsey, Alumni Relations Coordinator.
 |
 |
 |
 |