Dear Ivymount Families,
Ivymount Staff were pleased to see so many of you during our virtual Back to School Night (B2SN). We appreciate that so many parents and caregivers were able to attend when you are also juggling the demands of educating, working, and caregiving all at home. We hope you enjoyed hearing from the teams who are working with your student, got a glimpse of what will be happening throughout the school year, and enjoyed seeing fellow parents online. Here are just a few screenshots of the evening.
We hope you can once again take an hour this coming week to attend our mental health department's virtual session about self-care and compassion. These concepts are proving increasingly important as the pandemic has stretched into many months. See more details and the meeting link below. We hope to see you there.
Another way to take care is to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation about flu shots: "Getting a flu vaccine is more important than ever during 2020-2021 to protect yourself, your family and your community from flu," according to the CDC. "A flu vaccine this season can also help reduce the burden on our healthcare systems responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and save medical resources for care of COVID-19 patients. September and October are good times to get a flu vaccine."
Finally, a reminder that there is no school for students tomorrow, Monday, September 28. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Sincerely,
Susan Holt
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Upcoming Events
Monday, September 28
Non-Instructional Day
No School for students
Wednesday, September 30
Mental Health
Information Session
Friday, October 2
Community Partners Celebration
Saturday, October 3
Outreach Fall Festival
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Here's another way that your everyday spending can also help Ivymount.
Earn A+ School rewards with each purchase made using a Giant BONUSCARD.
Click on SIGN IN or REGISTER. Enter in Ivymount School ID# 00754.
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Mental Health Info Session
This Thursday
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Self-Care During COVID-19
Presented by Michael Stromberg
Ivymount Mental Health
Wednesday, September 30
7 - 8 pm
Parents and guardians of children with special needs face significant parenting challenges in normal times, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only heightened those challenges. This presentation will provide strategies to increase self-care while also promoting a sense of self-compassion, with the ultimate goal to help parents and guardians be better able to address the specific challenges in their lives and care for loved ones.
Please join us for the latest in Ivymount's Parent Training Series - a presentation by Michael Stromberg, Ivymount's Mental Health Lead. It will be followed by a question and answer session. If you have specific questions you would like addressed, reply to this email.
Use the link below to join the meeting.
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MLN Celebrates
Hispanic Heritage Month
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Did you know that September 15 to October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month? Students in the MLN program are recognizing and celebrating this theme in a variety of ways.
During MLN’s Elementary Middle School read aloud class, Ms. Miranda read Be Bold! Be Brave! by Naibe Reynoso. It focuses on 11 Latina women who made U.S. history. The students learned and discussed the characters’ journeys of education, hard work and determination which lead them to success. Some of the women included in the read aloud were Rita Moreno (a Puerto Rican actress), Lisa Fernandez (a Puerto Rican Olympian), Ellen Ochoa (the first Hispanic woman to go to space), Sonia Sotomayor (the first Hispanic and Latina member of the Supreme Court), and Antonia Novello (the first woman and first Hispanic to become Surgeon General of the U.S.).
An Ivymount parent also shared this resource, created by a group of educators, for students who would like to know more about Hispanic and Latinx cultures.
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Davis Construction Chooses Ivymount for Major Donation |
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Rockville-based Davis Construction recently chose the Ivymount Foundation as a beneficiary of its fall golf tournament fundraiser. Last weekend, the company presented Ivymount with a donation of $25,000. "We are honored to be able to support the incredible work done by Ivymount School and Outreach Programs. Thank you, Ivymount, for continuing to lead the way in special education," the company posted on its Facebook page.
Davis Construction first became a supporter of Ivymount approximately 18 months ago. At last week's Ivymount Foundation Board meeting, Board President Rick Gerstein thanked its leaders and praised the company for its growing involvement.
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Outreach Clubs and Events
Register by Sept. 30
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Virtual After-School Clubs
Virtual after-school clubs provide a space for students to stay social, practice new skills and have fun. Groups are led by Ivymount’s highly-trained staff and are designed for participants of all abilities ages 6 - young adult. Each session will run for 5 weeks. First session dates are the week of October 5th - November 6th. Cost is $50 per session (5 classes total) Minimum number of participants required for group to run.
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Choose from the following clubs:
Cooking Club participants will practice basic cooking skills such as following recipes, measuring, using kitchen tools and more while preparing an after-school snack. Each week will have a different theme and Chef Valeria will be cooking up a surprise every session that you will not want to miss! Cooking Club will run on Tuesdays from 4-4:45.
IvyMoves Club will feature a mix of stretches, beginner’s yoga, and fitness exercises along with music to get you moving and shaking. Iymount’s own Adapted Physical Education teacher Mr.M will be leading the fun! Each class participants will engage in upper body, lower body, cardio or strength training movements. Fitness challenges and rewards will be celebrated throughout the session. IvyMoves Club will run on Thursdays from 4-4:45
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Join the Fun!
Join us for another onsite event on October 3rd at 2 pm in the Ivymount parking lot . We will be hosting a Family Fall Festival for the Ivymount community. Participants will be provided with their own supplies to complete fall activities, crafts, and games. Masks required.
Spaces are limited and registration closes September 30th, so please sign up early. You must register to attend. Throughout the event participants must stay in designated locations and be accompanied by an adult in close proximity at all times. Cost is $20 per family.
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PTA Goals for 2020-21 School Year |
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Continued support for faculty and staff.
- Monthly Staff Raffle
- Staff Appreciation Events
- Equipment Donations
- Coordination of Room Parents
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Create a sense of community by planning inclusive family events and encouraging parent involvement.
- Monthly Parent/Caregiver Hangouts
- PTA Family Virtual Events (currently being planned)
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Save These PTA Dates
The PTA will be hosting monthly Parent/Caregiver Hangouts so that Ivynount families can continue to share and support one another.
Also, all Ivymount families are welcomed and encouraged to join us for our upcoming PTA meeting.
Zoom links will be sent shortly. In the meantime, mark your calendars.
October Parent/Caregiver Hangout
Wednesday, October 14
7 - 8pm
PTA Meeting
Wednesday, October 28
7 - 8 pm
November Parent/Caregiver Hangout
Monday, November 9
7 - 8 pm
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PTA Board Vacancy
We are currently looking to fill the position of PTA secretary. This is the perfect position for a parent who is looking to get more involved with the PTA in a role that does not involve a major commitment of time. The main role of the PTA secretary is to take notes/minutes during PTA and Board meetings. As both meetings are currently being held virtually, the secretary’s job can be done completely remotely. If you are interested or would like to get more information, please email Cindy Gottfried at [email protected]
Thank you, from the Ivymount PTA!
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Ivymount
School & Programs
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