It has been a fantastic summer session. It's is hard to believe it is is almost over. Special thanks to our SGA for making the summer fun with their Ice Cream Sales! We plan to have a great final week. See below for a glimpse of some of the exciting things that have been happening.
When school starts back in late August, you will find some security updates to the front office and building. These security enhancements are made possible through grants from the state and county for school safety improvements, which are also being implemented in public school systems.
The most noticeable change will be the reorganization to our reception area. The front desk will be relocated to the opposite wall. You will also find a new visitor management system. Upon entering, you will be asked to present an ID such as a driver’s license, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. Once approved, the system will issue a badge that will identify you, the date, and the purpose of your visit. After this first time, your information will be stored in the system, and you will be able to produce a badge by scanning your ID at the station. We expect that this will simplify check-in and check-out, while also providing additional security. Thank you in advance for your support during these changes.
Be on the look-out for some updates to IvyNotes. Thank you for your comments and suggestions in our reader survey! The next issue will be following the first week back on September 1st.
Finally, thank you for supporting the PTA fundraiser that was held July 30. There are more fundraisers during the month of August if you missed that one and want to join in. We appreciate your support of Ivymount programs.
Have a wonderful week,
Susan Holt,
School Director
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Ivymount Student's Sports Dream Comes True
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An MLN high school student's morning classroom routine was suddenly interrupted last Wednesday with an unexpected surprise - two camera crews, balloons, a contingent of people, and unbelievable news. Student Noah was told that he would be whisked directly from school to the airport to fly to Boston and see his favorite team, the Boston Red Sox. Ivymount students and staff were there to cheer him on as he took in the announcement.
Noah was nominated for a dream sports experience by
Dream On 3 (DO3)
, a nonprofit organization that brings dreams to life by creating customized, personal experiences with a favorite athlete, sporting event, or sports team. The organization serves children ages 5-21 who are living with chronic illnesses, intellectual and developmental disabilities, or life-altering conditions.
As a die-hard fan of the Boston Red Sox, Noah has always wanted to visit Fenway Park. He loves to listen to the three-man commentating crew: “Eck” (Dennis Eckersly), (Dave) “O’Brien”, and Jeremy Remy. Noah attended a Red Sox game on July 31 with a VIP experience at the stadium. Additionally, because he has an interest in broadcasting, he visited Boston’s CBS station.
Noah's journey got off to an enthusiastic start thanks to the cheers of fellow students and Ivymount staff. See below for some of photos, and check out the Dream On 3
photo album
for more images of the whole experience.
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Tomatoes, Lettuce, and Kale…Oh My!!
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Post High School students are growing skills and vegetables in a garden of their design. Every Thursday and Friday afternoon, students tend to the garden, which was first created in May of 2017. Students purchased all the tools and seeds, then took part in the design and building. Two years later, the variety of plants now includes potatoes, green beans, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, onions, cauliflower, eggplants, Brussel sprouts, yellow and green onions, red and green pepper, cucumber, yellow squash, lettuce, kale, rosemary, oregano, and basil.
The garden is a place to strengthen gross motor skills, work on coordination, practice problem solving and communication skills. Students also work on reading, writing and new horticulture vocabulary by recording what they are doing in the garden. Frida Cancino, special education teacher, gave an example of how they use their problem solving skills when things don't go as planned. She explained how invested her students were in finding a solution when wild rabbits began eating the tomatoes and suggested that a fence be placed around the plants. The post high school garden has created opportunities for students to get hands on experience as well as seek a new passion that some students have pursued through post-high school employment.
Every Friday, students use all of the harvested produce to cook delicious meals and learn new recipes. As Kale is one of the most plentiful vegetables, students have learned a variety of Kale themed recipes such as Kale smoothies, Kale Ceaser salad, and Kale Chips. Great food and a chance to learn new skills - as Audrey Hepburn is quoted as saying, “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”
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Save the Date!
Conference Call Meeting for
Ivymount PTA Fall Family Picnic
Tuesday, August 6
10 a.m.
We will be having a committee meeting to begin planning the Fall Family Picnic
via conference call
on Tuesday, August 6th at 10 am. We are looking for parents who have ideas for fun activities as well those who are interested in volunteering at the event.
All Ivymount parents and guardians are welcome to participate. If you are interested in helping to plan our next PTA family event, please email Cindy Gottfried at
ckgottfried@gmail.com
.
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Tuesday, August 6
Conference Call Meeting
PTA Fall Family Picnic
10 a.m.
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Friday, August 9
Last day of summer session for Ivymount students. Full day of instruction.
Wednesday, August 28
Classes resume for Ivymount students
Tuesday, September 10
Back to School Night
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Monday - Friday
9:05 - 9:30 a.m.
Monday - Friday
2 - 2:45 p.m.
Gator Lunch Shop
Monday
11:45 a.m. - 1
p.m.
Tuesday lunch delivery
Closed for the Summer
Friday
11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Summer Ice Cream Business
Wednesday 12:15 p.m.
Friday 2:45 p.m.
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Ivymount School & Programs
301-469-0223
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