Skip To Main Content

Home

Give Me Independence

Watch Me Soar

 

It All Starts

Here

Independence provides students the foundation to develop the essential skills and confidence for future success and happiness in school, at work, and as members of a global community.

Early Childhood

Preschool - Kindergarten

These young learners are naturally curious and attuned to the wonders of the world around them. They explore their surroundings, discover friendships, and are inspired through play.

Learn More

INSPIRE

Lower School

Grades 1 - 4

Growing continues as students are transformed from little learners to full-fledged students. They are willing and able to apply themselves as they understand that they hold the keys to their accomplishing their dreams.

Learn More

DREAM

Middle School

Grades 5 - 8

Students integrate foundational learning with an emphasis on critical thinking and internal motivation. They become prepared to achieve at the highest levels of their capabilities and are ready to excel in school and in life.

Learn More

ACHIEVE

Inspired Learners.

Confident Leaders.

bird watching over pond

In honor of the 53rd Earth Day (April 22) and in support of our school-wide goal to develop strong environmental stewards, this week we experienced Indy Earth-a-Palooza, a week of earth-centered activities at school. We discovered that conserving energy and being waste-free at school can be hard, but if we all try just a little bit, our school community can make a difference!

Read More about Building Environmental Awareness
Learning to Protect Our Watershed

Through our partnership with Stroud Water Research Center this past summer, middle school science teacher Sarah Ferrell had an opportunity to participate in the WATERS project. The project is part of an overall initiative to develop, test, and implement an innovative water science curriculum for middle school students. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the WATERS project is a collaborative effort by Stroud, The Concord Consortium, and Millersville University. Indy 7th graders have been working with this curriculum this fall using our campus waterways as their laboratory.

Read More about Learning to Protect Our Watershed
Bird walk

Recently, a group of students in Mrs. Sarah Ferrell's 7th grade ornithology class took a morning bird walk on campus with Delaware Nature Society birder Mr. Joe Sebastiani. According to the stats recorded by Mr. Sebastiani on the eBird.org website, the group observed 37 different species of birds during a 40-minute, half-mile walk on our property. 

Read More about Birding On Our Campus
Fitting Study into a Busy Middle School Schedule

Bleary-eyed and sleepy, your middle schooler awakens at 6:30 AM. After stumbling through their morning routine, they arrive at school about an hour later. The rest of the day is a cacophony of activity that includes classes, tests, projects, socializing with friends, in-school sports, and often extracurricular activities. With any luck, they are back in bed around 9:30 that night. So how can a busy middle schooler fit studying into this schedule?  

Read More about Fitting Study into a Busy Middle School Schedule
5th Grade Poetry Books

Our 5th graders are published authors! During their poetry writing unit, each student created 6 different types of poems. They then picked their favorite one (or two favorites) to add to the class book and included an illustration. Each class was also tasked with creating a cover for their book and a dedication page to anyone of their choosing. Mrs. Shockley and Ms. Nelson shipped the final books off to be published and they arrived!

Read More about Fifth Grade Classes Create Published Poetry Books
Katie and Georgie Holding Certificates

Congratulations to Katie and Georgie (6th grade) on placing 1st and 3rd, respectively, in the VFW Post 3420 Patriots Pen essay competition. The theme of this year's competition was "My Pledge to Veterans." Indy 6th grade students submitted essays for the annual competition sponsored by our local VFW district. Winners received certificates and cash awards at a special luncheon and recognition ceremony on Sunday, January 22. Read more for Katie's essay.

Read More about Indy Students Named VFW "Patriots Pen" Essay Winners
The Benefits of Mindfulness in Schools

As a teacher of mindfulness at The Independence School, I often wonder how I can enrich the minds of my students and introduce them to the researched benefits of cultivating a mindfulness practice. Simply put, mindfulness is the art of paying attention to what is happening right now, in the present moment. Think of it as a tool for one to use to calm down and focus on what they are doing. Read more about the benefits of mindfulness practice in school.

Read More about The Benefits of Mindfulness in Schools
ERB Presentation

Members of the Center for Wellness, Innovation and Learning (CWIL) team, Vicky Yatzus, Bernadette Gilmore, and Dr. Dahra Williams, were selected to present at this year’s ERB Conference in New York City on April 24 and 25. Given the overall conference theme of “Connections,” the group from Independence presented the school's work and research in mindfulness, outdoor learning, and social/emotional learning (SEL), all ways of making connections and improving student wellness and interest. Read more to learn details about the presentation. 

Read More about CWIL Presents at ERB Conference
Social Emotional Learning Curriculum at Indy

The topic of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is not new, but over the past 5-10 years, it has been gaining strong traction in education due to increasing evidence that SEL is a critical aspect of learning and connection with others. The Independence School has adopted a PreK through 8th-grade SEL program called Second Step with lessons around empathy, managing emotions, problem solving, valuing friendships, managing relationships and social conflict, and more. 

Read More about Social Emotional Learning Curriculum at Indy
Independence vs. Collaboration

As educators, we often talk about the importance of intentionally developing our students to be independent learners and independent thinkers. Even with the youngest preschool children, we focus daily on working to help them grow their abilities to be independent. But, is this focus on independence in direct opposition with one of the most important 21st-century skills – collaboration?

Read More about Independence vs. Collaboration
Girls Scout Table

The members of Girl Scout Troop 408 have completed their "Take Action" project. After identifying a need for additional outdoor seating at Indy and the problem of plastic waste, the scouts decided to use their troop money to purchase a picnic table made from recycled materials. They partnered with Eco Plastic Products, a nonprofit that recycles plastic into consumer products to eliminate waste.

Read More about Girl Scouts Donate Picnic Table
5th grade reading to Kindergarten

Earlier this spring, 5th graders were asked to create a children's book that taught a lesson or moral. They wrote the story, created a main character, illustrated the pictures, and created two pop-ups in the book. When their books were complete, the older students took a trip down memory lane as they visited their Kindergarten teachers and read their stories to the younger students.

Read More about Reading to Kindergarten
Middle Schoolers Complete 1 in 7B Initiative

After an entire school effort, our goal of supporting the 1 in 7B Foundation with hygiene bags for those experiencing homelessness has been reached! Beginning with an introduction to the 1 in 7B Foundation in December, followed by the SGA's Super Bowl challenge to collect donations for the organization, our 6th - 8th grade students completed the project this week as they created hygiene bags during their in-school community service hour.

Read More about Middle Schoolers Complete 1 in 7B Initiative
4th Grade Class Leads Morning Assembly

This week, instead of Mrs. Yatzus leading us through the school-wide monthly assembly, the 4th grade class was honored and very excited to take on this responsibility! Their creative slideshow presentation included music, photos, and pre-recorded news segments each introduced by hosts Kelsey, Emma, and Ryan. Well done, 4th grade! The bar has certainly been set very high for our March assembly.

Read More about 4th Grade Class Leads Morning Assembly

Signature programs are at the heart of the Independence experience. These research-based initiatives and learning opportunities underscore and support the exceptional outcomes for Independence students.

In Our

Words

Laura

Class of 2022

Laura has attended Independence since she was 4 years old and has taken advantage of every possible opportunity to be involved

I am a

Leader

Darren

Class of 2024

Darren has been playing soccer for as long as he can remember. At Independence he is a team player

I am an

Athlete

Cynthia

Class of 2029

It's not every day that you get to paint on an easel outside. As a budding artist, Cynthia loves painting anywhere, especially in our Funk Outdoor Classroom

I am an

Artist

Stuart

Class of 2026

A passion for writing emerged very early on in Stuart as his favorite area of writing is science fiction

I am a

Writer

Marlise

Class of 2023

Science looks different at Independence because of our expansive campus with a creek and pond for students’ exploration and study. Marlise loves putting on waders to see what she might discover in the creek

I am a

Scientist

Sonia

Class of 2024

Both a saxophone and clarinet player, and a member of the choir, one of Sonia's favorite places on campus is the music wing

I am a

Musician

Learn about the value of an independence education from members of our community as they share their unique perspectives