Dear Parents/Guardians,
The success we had last year with our "soft opening" the first two days for school is one that we are planning on returning for the 2021-22 school year. The plan is to stagger days allowing staff to answer questions and concerns in smaller groupings and times. This is a great way to establish relationships in smaller groups with the students and staff. We will stagger days alphabetically by last names listed below.
Wednesday, August 25:
School only for last names starting A-L (No school for M-Z)
Thursday, August 26:
School only for last names M-Z (No school for A-L)
Friday, August 27:
ALL students/grades regular day
Please feel free to call me at 216-642-5865 ext 1300 with any questions or concerns regarding the start of the school year. We look forward to seeing you in the coming weeks and are excited about what is sure to be a successful school year for your child.
Go Blue Devils!
Sincerely,
Jamie Vanek, Principal
Independence Middle School
jvanek@independence.k12.oh.us
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5th Grade Orientation
All fifth-grade students and new students to IMS are invited to a Where Everybody Belongs (WEB) orientation on August 19. Students will have the opportunity to meet with IMS eighth-grade students prior to school starting. Students sessions are from 9 a.m. - noon. Upon pickup, parents are permitted to bring their son/daughter's school supplies to be placed in the locker. Masks are recommended during the time spent in the building.
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Packet Pickup
Packet Pick-up is next Thursday, August 19 from noon - 2 p.m. for 6th - 8th graders and from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Friday, August 20 for any student still needing information.
*Convenience changes for schedules cannot be made at this time as we are trying to balance classes very best of our abilities to not overload rooms. Any major issues or errors, please contact Mrs. McClain.
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EMA, Student Information and Enrollment Forms
For the past five years, the district has used OneView for the annual medical and student information forms. This year, we are transitioning to a program called FinalForms. If you currently have a child or children enrolled in our schools, you should have received an email from FinalForms on July 1, 2021 with directions to access the system.
Final Forms will pull current information from our systems into the new forms. This means you do not have to re-type all of your information. Although there will be pre-populated information, please carefully look through all contact information to ensure it is accurate.
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Technology and Communication
1 to 1 Device for Students:
This year IMS will be a full 1 to 1 Google Chromebook school. Each student in grades 5-8 will receive their individual Chromebook within the first week of school. These devices will need to be taken home nightly for ALL students to be charged for the next work day.
Email Communication:
In order to help streamline email communication with our community, ILS is transitioning to Constant Contact. While no product can guarantee 100% delivery of emails, Constant Contact has one of the best percentages. We are hopeful this will correct the current issue of some individuals not receiving email updates even though they are on our email listservs.
Please visit http://www.ilsk12.org/ to sign up for district communication. This information is also shown as an alert on our district webpage and will be pushed via social media. The goal is to transition our communication to Constant Contact ASAP, given the fluid nature of guidelines and back-to-school information for this fall. You MUST sign up if you would like to continue to receive email updates from the district administration.
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Drama Club and Production
IMS Drama (grades 6-8) will be putting on a show from Musical Theater International. All Together Now! - A Global Event Celebrating Local Theatre is an opportunity for schools and theaters around the world to locally produce and perform an exclusive musical revue featuring songs from MTI's beloved shows.
Every theater licensing this show is required to perform it on the same weekend November 12-13, 2021 - so we will be a part of a worldwide event! Over 3800 performances are scheduled in 1600 schools or theaters in 36 countries and all 50 states!
This musical has been chosen because it is FREE to perform - acting as a fundraiser to get our drama program back on its feet! There are 15 songs in the show with plenty of opportunities for solo and choral singers, dancers, and actors to shine! Many opportunities for students who like to create props and work on the stage crew or tech crew as well!
The audition process is still being finalized, but interested 6th, 7th and 8th graders should plan on auditions within the first 2 weeks of school!
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Important Dates/Events
August:
17: PTO mtg @ 5:30 p.m.
19: 5th grade student orientation
24: Open House for Parents-Details to follow
25: First day of classes
September:
3: IMS night for IHS football game
6: Labor Day-No School
7-10: Spirit week
10: Kona Ice Truck
21: PTO mtg @5:30 p.m.
24: All-Pro Parent breakfast (5th grade) @7:15 a.m.
27: Waiver Day: No school for students
October:
8: NEOEA Day: No School
19: PTO mtg @5:30 p.m.
21: Parent/Teacher conferences
29: End of 1st quarter
29: Halloween Event
November:
5: All-Pro Parent Breakfast (6th grade) @7:15 a.m.
12: Waiver Day: No school for students
16: PTO mtg @5:30 p.m.
23: Grandparents Day
24-26: Thanksgiving Break: No school
December:
17: All-Pro Parent breakfast (7th grade) @7:15 a.m.
20-31: Winter Break: No school
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We will have 2 crews for the 2021 - 2022 school year. Our first semester crew will begin on Thursday, September 2, 2021, and conclude on Thursday, January 20, 2022. Parents and students, please check the email that was sent on August 5th, to see which crew you have been assigned to. Parents of first semester crew members, beginning on Thursday, September 2, please drop your child off at the main entrance at 7:15 am. They will be let into the building by me, a monitor, or Mrs. Wise. They may need to ring the intercom if no one is in the hallway to let them in. Students will report to the newsroom at this time. If students arrive prior to 7:15 am they may be asked to wait in the lobby or outside until 7:15 am. If for any reason you have changed your mind about being in our crew, please let me know as soon as possible. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I am so excited to put your creativity to work. If you have any questions, please let me know via email at rpietrzak@independence.k12.oh.us
Thank you,
Mrs. Pietrzak
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