Sept. 25, 2018 e-Newsletter
Making Summer Reading Fun!
The summer reading experience doesn't have to end when you close the book. This month, students in grades 4-8 showcased their summer reading knowledge by working on a variety of projects specific to their grade level and teacher.
Ms. Sophrin's eighth-grade class created "Book in a Bag" presentations (pictured above), as students worked collaboratively using a brown paper shopping bag to spotlight important scenes, favorite quotes, plot summaries, settings, characters, conflicts, themes and any important literary techniques. Additionally, five items that represented five different literary elements from the book needed to be collected for inside the bag, and the students then shared them with their peers during class presentations.
Fifth graders, meanwhile, created "Bloom Balls," with each of the figure's 12 sides representing a different comprehension topic related to the books.
REMINDERS
IPA Lunch Volunteers Needed
The IPA is still in need of lunch delivery volunteers, beginning this week. We welcome parents and grandparents to sign up and spread lunchtime cheer to our students.
Extended Day Special Programs
Did you know that Extended Day offers a variety of special programs throughout the school year? Click here for all the details. New offerings have just been added for the fall.
Introducing Technology and Media Literacy
During this time of a changing information landscape, the mission of our Founders' Library has broadened in scope. Today, technology and media should be integral to all learning, and as a result, both skills are now taught together in the library to enable learning across the spectrum.
Thus, Independence students no longer have "library" and "technology education" as separate courses. New this year, Technology and Media Literacy class for grades 1-7 continues to provide opportunities for students to learn about various genres of books, how to locate material, and how to find and evaluate sources of information. They will also continue to work on technology skills, such as coding, keyboarding, responsible use and much more. However, whenever possible, the work will be integrated with other curriculum content. Students will be both consuming and creating content, sometimes alone and sometimes in collaborative groups.
Mrs. Bair and Mrs. Minihan will be working with teachers and students to guide them in their pursuits and help us meet 21st-century library and technology education standards.
(Please note that Movie Making and Intro to JavaScript are both available as technology electives for our eighth graders. More details on those two courses will be included in an upcoming Patriot Page.)
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Founders' Library adds check-in station
Exciting news from the Founders' Library! Students (and faculty) will now be learning how to check in their own library books! Mrs. Bair and Mrs. Minihan have set up a check-in station near the book drop, where patrons will scan the Indy barcode and hear a gratifying chime before dropping their book for reshelving. This new system will give students a feeling of autonomy in the library!
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Independence introduces SafeStudents Online program
Independence has selected SafeStudents Online to help its parents keep their children safe from some of the threats commonly found on social media.
All parents of fifth- through eighth-grade students received detailed information about the program and instructions for signing up during Middle School Back-to-School Night earlier this month. Through SafeStudents, they will be able to monitor their children's social media activity for inappropriate or potentially dangerous posts and will receive alerts to help them take action when necessary.
SafeStudents Online balances protection with privacy to encourage collaboration and communication between parents and children. The advanced technology helps parents keep their children safe from online threats, such as cyberbullying, online predators and damaged reputations. Parents never need to ask for their children's passwords, and the online activity is monitored privately by parents, with Independence having no access to the content.
For more information about SafeStudents Online, please visit www.SafeStudentsOnline.com.
UPCOMING EVENTS
9/26 - Fall Sports Pep Rally for grades 5-8 and Scoreboard Dedication
9/28 - Kindergarten field trip to Milburn Orchards in Elkton, Md.
9/28 - "Family Bingo Night" from 6-8:30 p.m. (gym) - SOLD OUT!
10/5 - In-service day (school closed, Extended Day open)
Click here for the 2018-19 calendar at a glance.
Click here for the full 2018-19 school calendar.
ADMISSION OPEN HOUSE
Our Fall Admission Open House is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 28 from 1-4 p.m. However, if you know of any interested prospective parents, please inform them that they are more than welcome to schedule a tour before then by calling the Admission Office at 302-239-0332 or emailing Donna Sentman, Admission Manager.
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Fall Sports action is now underway! Be sure to click here or on the logo above to visit the "Teams & Results" page, where you can stay up-to-date on all the latest news and recaps about Patriot athletics!
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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 fill out the new form on the page or email Tanya Godsey, Alumni Relations Coordinator.
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