What a wonderful turnout we had for the PTA's first annual back to school festival! Thank you to the PTA for organizing an event where the Ivymount community could have fun and get to know one another outside of the classroom. A special thanks to the many parent and staff volunteers who helped with set-up, games, food, and clean up.
See below for a few photos of the event. We'll post additional photos later in the week on the PTA page of the website.
We hope you enjoyed a beautiful weekend and wish you a productive week ahead.
Susan Holt,
School Director
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Monday, September 30
Non-Instructional Day
No School for students and staff
Friday, October 4
Professional Day
No School for students
Wednesday, October 9
Non-Instructional Day
No School for students and staff
Wednesday, November 27
to Friday, November 29
No School for students and staff
Thanksgiving holiday
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Turn Empty Bottles into Ivymount Artwork
Ivymount art teacher Kim Prati needs 1 liter and 2 liter bottles as materials for an upcoming art project. Any donations are appreciated. Please drop off bottles at the front office or send in your student's backpack. Thank you!
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Families Enjoy PTA Festival
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Blue skies and temperatures almost in the 90's made it feel more like summer than a Fall event, but it was a fantastic day for the PTA's first annual Back to School Family Festival. More than 220 students, parents, staff, and family members gathered at the Ivymount playground for the celebration.
Vehicles were a main feature, with trackless train rides through the parking lot, and a chance to explore a Montgomery County fire truck as well as the Ivymount bus.
There was plenty of music and dancing, shooting hoops on the blacktop, bean bag toss, and water games. "I was hoping for families to come and enjoy the playground and see their friends in an environment where they can be themselves. People loved the train and the snow cones," said Cindy Gottfried, PTA President.
"Thank you to everyone who participated in any way, such as setting up, manning the food and games, and even moving vans at night so we could use the parking lot for the train. It was a real group effort."
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New Sport Court
A Place to Develop Play Skills
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Ivymount and Maddux School Students now have another new area in which to exercise and practice play and social skills.
Our new Early Childhood Sport Court was installed in August. It features a shock absorbent surface, basketball hoops, and areas designed specifically for teaching hopscotch, four square, and other games that are often played at neighborhood parks and area schools.
"When we go outside and get to play, kids are energized," says Occupational Therapist Amy Greenberg. "They wake up. They get input throughout their body that then helps them to be calm and focused and alert in the classroom for learning."
The Sport Court was made possible through donations to the Maddux School 2019 Fund-a-Cause. With this new specialized surface, students are able to expand their abilities on and off the court.
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Watch our short video to see how the Fund-a-Cause transformed a patch of blacktop into a space for movement and learning.
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MAP Practices the Art of Discussion
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Part of maturing as a student is learning to analyze information and articulate a viewpoint. When MAP Middle School and High School English and History teacher Caitlin Callahan recognized this was difficult for some students, she created an innovative approach to foster a collaborative community within her classes by systematically teaching students how to have interactive academic conversations.
Through clearly stated expectations, opportunities to role play, and checklists, students are learning to have academic conversations where they
listen
to each other’s perspective,
respect
each other’s opinion, and
challenge
each other’s viewpoint critically and appropriately for a classroom setting.
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Pick of the Season
for Community Outing
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High school students in the Autism Program recently enjoyed a trip to Butler’s Orchard for apple picking. Through our community sampling programs, students practice lessons related to community safety, plan and carry out errands, and take part in recreational activities.
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Social Connections Program
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Register by October 1 for Best Buddies
Students in Ivymount's MLN – High School, PHS, MAP-High School and Secondary Autism Program are invited to join the
2019-2020 High School Best Buddies program
.
Best Buddies provides the opportunity for social connections between individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability and their non-disabled peers. Please note that even if you applied last year, you will need to re-apply this year. Once you have completed your online application, please notify Lydia Neher at
lneher@ivymount.org
for a list of the proposed dates for the group events.
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We've almost reached our goal of having a room parent in each classroom. This role facilitates communication and community in the class, and can be done remotely via email. You can also share the role with another parent.
The classrooms still without room parents are: 204, 206, 237, and 241.
This is a small time commitment with a significant positive impact. Click on the button below for more information on being a room parent and to volunteer:
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Keep Clipping Box Tops
You can still clip box tops and send them in to raise money for the PTA. The class that collects the most Box Tops will earn a $25 gift card for the teacher to buy something for the class. Please send in your clipped Box Tops in a plastic bag with your student's name and classroom number.
If you want to learn more about the new app for collecting and scanning Box Tops, click this link:
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PTA Donation Drive Underway
Donations of any amount are very much appreciated and help the PTA fund family events such as yesterday's Back to School Festival, plus staff appreciation activities throughout the school year. Our goal is to have 100% participation from parents and guardians.
You may have recently received a flyer and envelope in your student's backpack, which you can return via backpack, attention PTA. Or
Click Here
to print out the PTA Donation Drive form listed in the right sidebar of the Ivymount PTA page. Thank you!
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Monday - Friday
9:05 - 9:30 a.m.
Friday
11:45 a.m. - 1 p.m
(Closed Friday)
Monday - Friday
2 - 2:45 p.m.
Gator Lunch Shop
Monday
11:45 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Tuesday lunch delivery
(See updated menu.)
Opens late September
Ice Cream Business
Wednesday 12:15 p.m.
Friday 2:45 p.m.
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Check out our social media pages for all things Ivymount. Click on the icons below and follow us now!
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Ivymount
School & Programs
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