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This fall, Mrs. Palmer's 6th grade social studies class explored the diverse topography of our very own campus, investigating everything from The Great Barn, to our several creeks and ponds, to the historic remains of Katharine Eastburn's farm - land she generously donated to the school. Back in the classroom, the students built playdough mountains and created contour maps, all leading up to their final World Map project, a beloved 6th grade tradition at Independence!

Every spring, 7th & 8th grade English students engage in what has become a truly unique Independence experience: performing Shakespeare scene studies in the Great Barn. Working in small groups, they diligently learned, memorized, and staged scenes in this picturesque setting

This May, one of Independence's Powerful Partners, Red Tail Restoration, presented to Mrs. Grote's 7th grade science class about the types of plant species around our pond on campus. With a goal of producing long-lasting results, Red Tail Restoration has been working at Indy helping to remove invasive species, promote native diversity, and support healthier streams for two years. We appreciate all of their work and thank the team for visiting with our students!

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?  

Current best practices in education include the execution of student-led conferences in the elementary grades and beyond.  During the spring of 2022, our fifth grade students, as part of their Learning Applications class, were the first to be part of this experience.

How does bioluminescence affect the ocean?, Red Dye 40: Poison or Practical?, and Anabolic Steroids and their Effects on the Body and the Mind. These topics and more were explored by our Class of 2024 for their Capstone Projects, presented this April.

Fostering leadership skills begins early at Independence, with ample opportunities for students to refine their public speaking abilities starting in 1st grade all the way through their 8th grade Capstone projects. Recently, in Ms. Palmer's and Mr. Carrell's 8th grade classes, students embarked on an immersive exploration of the Progressive Era, blending history with hands-on learning and the art of persuasive communication.

This year, Mrs. Marea Kessler, is bringing the practice of mindfulness to our lower school students. Sharing mindfulness with students helps to encourage healthy interactions and a positive classroom climate and supports students’ learning readiness.

This week, instead of Mrs. Slaton hosting the school-wide monthly spirit assembly, five, brave 5th graders took on this responsibility! They led us in the Pledge of Allegiance, provided sports updates, highlighted upcoming events, and introduced Mr. Motta as a faculty speaker who reminded our school community what it means to show integrity. Special shoutout to Teresa who played piano accompaniment for our school song! Well done, Declan, Kayla, Madison, Quinn, and Teresa!

Did you know our middle school students complete community service hours as part of their curriculum? They have the opportunity to choose from a variety of in-school, helpful tasks ranging from recess volunteers to campus cleanup to helping in our early childhood and lower school classrooms.

During the week before winter break, in their Character Development Program (CDP) groups, many of our students chose to use their hour of community service to create handcrafted cards and artwork. Upon completion, their work will be shared with local senior retirement communities and hospitals. This thoughtful project aims to bring joy to residents and patients during the holiday season!