January 22, 2023

A Note from the Director

Dear families,

January is moving quickly and so are we! We're very excited to have a lot going on at Ivymount School - so much activity and creativity by our students and staff.

A reminder that we have student photos this week, a great chance to once again capture your student's school year photo. If you're interested in Spring educational programs, now is the time to sign up. Scroll down for information.

Next Saturday, we invite you to bring the whole family to Ivymount for our super fun and lively IvyMoves community event. And we hope you will participate in the upcoming PTA meeting onsite and the next PTA hangout.

Let's keep moving forward together!

Sincerely,

Susan Holt

NEWS YOU NEED RIGHT NOW!

Ivymount School

Dates to Remember

This Week

Classroom and Student Photos

January 28

IvyMoves ZamDance Family Event

10 am - 11 am

Onsite at Ivymount

February 20

President's Day

No School for Students

Say Cheese!

Tell your student to smile for the camera this week. School pictures are back. Each classroom will be scheduled for a class photo as well as individual photos.

You should have received information about the date for your student's class and individual photos as well as order forms from your classroom teacher.

Last Chance to Order Valentine's Day Cards

Order student-made Valentine's Cards by tomorrow, Monday, January 23.

Click to download and complete an order form
Send your form and cash (no checks) in an envelope in your student's backpack
Each card is handmade by our high school students, comes packaged with an envelope, and is $1.00 per card.

Register Now for Spring Educational Programs

Group programs led by Ivymount's expert teachers and therapists

Unstuck and On Target!

Registration Ends 1/27

Unstuck and OnTarget! is a research based intervention developed at the Ivymount School to promote problem solving in students who struggle with executive function deficits.

Applied Unstuck

Registration Ends 1/27

This group offers students who have gone through the basic Unstuck and On Target program hands on opportunities to apply their new skills. Students will work together to generalize the skills they have learned by practicing how to be flexible and make plans to complete activities.

Click here for more information or to apply to an Unstuck program

Self-Advocacy Program

Registration Ends 2/15

Using a program piloted at the Ivymount School, students will develop self-advocacy skills through a variety of activities. By the end of the course, students will have identified their strengths, interests and challenges. The program is designed for transition aged students 14-18 years old.

Click here for more information or to apply to the Self-Advocacy Program

Almost There for IvyMoves Steps Goal!

The countdown is on to 1 million steps and Ivymount School students are so close! Our in-school IvyMoves step challenge has students "Stepping Out of this World" to reach 1 million steps in PE classes, recorded on provided pedometers. So far, students have reached a total of 828,916 steps.

IvyMoves Activities in the Classroom

Ivymount's goal this month is to improve the community’s overall health and wellness by discussing positive lifelong habits that support physical, emotional, and mental health. Students in the Aspire School Program have been learning about exercise, healthy eating, and how moving helps our mental health. This week, they began their Student vs Staff Step Challenge (separate from the PE challenge). Students and staff are tracking their steps throughout the school day with pedometers and fitness trackers. At the end of the month, if Aspire program students take more steps than staff, they will earn a special assembly. The student with the highest steps from each classroom will get to choose a teacher to pie in the face! If the teachers win, they will earn bragging rights. In 4 days, students have taken 330,314 steps. We can’t wait to see how many more steps we can take!

Students also completed IvyMoves Bingo created by the SMART team. During Bingo, students looked around the building for movement stations, and if they completed 3 stations in a row, they could collect a prize. Following Bingo they discussed how exercising, and other physical activities can help their mental health.

Join the IvyMoves Community Event

Saturday, January 28

10 am - 11 am at Ivymount

Wrap up IvyMoves Month with a community event at Ivymount. Current families, alumni, and Outreach families are invited to join a one-hour ZamDance session that combines fitness moves with basic dance moves, set to high-energy music. Bring your sneakers, water bottle, and a move you want to show off during Shine Time. Designed for children and adults of all abilities!

PTA NEWS AND UPDATES

Attend the Next PTA Meeting

Wednesday, February 1

9:30 -10:30 am

Onsite at Ivymount School

This will be our first in-person PTA meeting since the start of the pandemic! We hope you are able to attend to share ideas and meet other parents. All Ivymount parents and guardians are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Plan the Spring Family Event

We are looking for two parents willing to coordinate our spring event. If you are interested in helping out, all planning can be done remotely. We're seeing a huge positive impact on our amazing Ivymount community when we bring families together for social events. Help us plan an event you would love to attend! If you are interested please email, Cindy Gottfried - ckgottfried@gmail.com