Volume 1 | Week 6: September 15, 2019

Your weekly news & updates

Hello Phoenix Family, We have a lot going on this week at Innovation Middle School. Our students have been working hard and our teachers have been doing a great job in planning for instruction that supports academic success. Progress reports will be coming home this week. If there are areas in which your student may need a little extra support, please be sure to reach out to your student’s teacher to see what resources are available.   In athletics, our boys and girls Phoenix Soccer players will take on Walker Middle School at home on Monday and are away Wednesday to play Freedom Middle School. Last week we added student/player benches for our soccer field and refinished our gym floor. We are excited to continue with the enhancements so our Phoenixes can have the opportunity to compete in top-notch facilities.   The book fair is this week and will take place in our library.  Reading is critical to student success and by allowing your student to make a purchase at our fair, it not only supports your student’s growth, but also our school. A portion of the proceeds is given back to our school, so make sure to check it out! Our school came together to support others in need. This week our students and families raised money and donated hundreds of items to be sent to the Bahamas for those affected by Hurricane Dorian. Seeing how quickly our students, staff, and families came together is a great example of how amazing our school is and why I am proud to be a Phoenix!   It is truly great to be an Innovation Middle School Phoenix! Sincerely, Andrew Nelson Proud Phoenix Principal

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Hello! My name is Joshua Agee and this will be my third year at Innovation Middle School as the AVID Coordinator and the 6 th -8 th Grade AVID Elective Teacher. Before transferring to Innovation Middle School, I taught for two years at Lake Nona Middle School, where I was also the AVID Coordinator and the 6 th -8 th Grade AVID Elective Teacher. Prior to graduating from UCF in the fall of 2015 and accepting a teaching position at Lake Nona Middle School in January of 2016, I spent two and a half years as an AVID Tutor at Freedom Middle School. I am originally from Richmond, Kentucky, a small town, or what used to be a small town, in South Central Kentucky. Prior to moving to Central Florida at the age of 19 in 2009, I had called Central Kentucky home for the previous 18 years. Throughout middle school and high school, you could find me doing what I loved the most – on the soccer field or kicking a field goal for my high school football team. Before beginning my college experience at Eastern Kentucky University in the fall of 2008, I graduated from Madison Southern High School in Berea, Kentucky in the spring of 2008. My partner, Taylor, is a Clinical Operations Supervisor for Turning Point Healthcare Solutions in Lake Mary. Outside of teaching, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I also enjoy going to Disney and to the beach. In my spare time, I also enjoy traveling and investing my time in politics (i.e. volunteering for campaigns, attending rallies and events, etc.). This year I am really looking forward to building and growing the AVID Site Team and strengthening the implementation of the AVID System at our innovative school! #ProudtobeaPhoenix

Hurricane Dorian Support

Help for the Bahamas! Innovation Middle School supporting our neighbors to the east in the Bahamas, as many teachers, students, and families in the community generously donated money, items, and their time to help those in need. Pictured here is our 8th Grade Guidance Counselor Shirley Hernandez and Counselor intern Robbie Haynes

Thank you for your patience with the new Skyward program. Some of our parents have been having difficulties so we wanted to share with you the link to our skyward communications and support documents. Link to OCPS Skyward communication and support site

Bell Schedule

Did you Know?

You can do some simple things to teach your child coping skills and help them put these skills into action. It’s never too early or too late to learn how to do this. It’s a good skill for life! Taking an active time-out from something that is causing distress is a great way to refocus thoughts and energy. If your child is having difficulty coping, let them know that taking it easy from time to time isn’t being lazy; it’s actually very healthy, especially if they’ve been experiencing a hard time.

Innovation Cafe Menu

Physical Education

PE Uniforms are for sale online. Click here to go to school pay and order online

Athletics

Please consider helping to raise funds for the Innovation Phoenix Athletic department. The only means for generating revenue for our athletic teams is ticket sales. This money goes towards covering the costs of the game officials for the sports. Any amount will go a long way towards helping our student-athletes and coaches. Thank you! #phoenixriseup https://www.snap-raise.com/fundraisers/innovation-middle-school-athletics-2019  Make sure to follow all of the Phoenix Athletic News on Facebook @innovationmiddleathletics.

Intramural Sports   INNOVATION MIDDLE SCHOOL INTRAMURALS (START TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH)                                                     When:  Tuesday and Thursday Time:  8 am – 9 am Activities:  Volleyball (month of September) All intramural activities are open to boys and girls     No paperwork or physical is needed to participate in intramurals. You will be required to sign in upon arrival ·     Please contact Coach Holt by email (Joshua.holt@ocps.net) or in person with any questions.

Phoenix Reading If your student is in a reading class, please make sure that they bring earbuds to class everyday and complete 45 minutes of iReady lessons per week.