January 30, 2024

Boys Swim and Dive

Congratulations to the IMSA/YHS Boys Swim and Dive team for taking first place at the IMSA Invitational last weekend!

The team triumphed over Morris, West Aurora, and Notre Dame College Prep to take the top spot.

Chess Sectionals

The IMSA Chess team had a remarkable performance at their sectional competition this weekend. They secured first place and remained undefeated throughout the day. Congratulations to the winning team, which included Sadkrith Malladi '25, Aarav Shah '26, Himani Musku '25, Jacob Plotnick '26, William Cahill '25, Aarav Lala '26, Nikhil Kodali '25, Zhuoer Cai '25, and Jeanmyung Yu '25.

Speech Team

The Speech Team competed at their final regular season tournament before heading to IHSA Regionals! Special congratulations to the following students for placing in their events:

Sai Ganbote '26, 5th place, Original Oratory

Rishima Mukherjee '26, 6th place, Poetry

Kavya Uppal '25, 3rd place, Poetry

2:00 pm - 3:00 p.m. Math, English, World Languages, and Fine Arts

3:00 pm - 3:15 p.m. Break/Transition Time

3:15 pm - 4:15 p.m. Science, History/Social Science, Music, and Wellness

Please note that Sophomores and Juniors are required to attend the Course Selection Fair unless they have an SIR/Internship.

The final exam schedule for Spring 2024 has been posted. As a reminder, final exams must be taken during the assigned time slots If a student has two or more exams during the same time slot, please contact the Principal’s Office. If a student has three or more exams on the same day, the student can send a request to the Principal’s Office to take one or more of the exams on a different date.

Please note that changes to this schedule may occur.

IMSA is excited to welcome parents and families to Virtual Family Day. Families will receive their students' schedules this week via email. The schedule will help families find the correct times to meet with faculty and contain individual Zoom links specific to those meetings.

Dr. Angela Rowley will begin the day in the Main Zoom Room. Families will also have an opportunity to hear from President Evan Glazer, meet faculty, hear from our College & Academic Counseling team, and learn more about Student Inquiry and Research (SIR). IMSA staff will be available in the Main Zoom Room throughout the day if there are any questions or technical difficulties. If you have any questions, please contact the Principal's Office at prinoffc@imsa.edu.

The CAC Office is excited to announce an incredible opportunity for sophomores and juniors to expand their academic horizons and dive into a world of innovation and culture this summer! Westlake University in Hangzhou, China, invites IMSA students to be part of its prestigious 2024 Pre-College Summer Program.

The two-and-a-half-week program offers a unique blend of academic learning and cultural immersion. Mornings will be filled with hands-on lab work in a chosen field, and afternoons will be dedicated to enriching lectures, visits to tech companies, and cultural experiences, including calligraphy and city tours.

The deadline to apply is Sunday, February 4, at 11:59 p.m.

Please contact Mr. Donelson in the CAC Office with any questions.

"This was a unique and amazing opportunity to experience scientific research and lifestyle in China! I made many friends and met numerous scientists, both American and Chinese." - Joshua Mu '25

Resource Workshop

Thursday, February 1, 2-24

S&E Period

Ac Pit

Start the second semester off on the right foot with a Resource Workshop! During this session, Ms. Keck will go over time management strategies and discuss academic resources for the Spring Semester.

Writing Center Hours

The Writing Center (Room A109a) will open for the second semester this Wednesday, January 31. Stop by to see a tutor if you need help constructing, writing, or proofreading your assignments.

Weekly Hours

A Day: 9:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

B Day: 9:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

I Day: 10:45 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

C Day: 9:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.

D Day: 9:00 a.m. - 4:20 p.m.

Workout Wednesdays

Every Wednesday

3:15 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Multipurpose Room

Are you looking for ways to stay active, decrease stress, and boost your mood this winter? Join Workout Wednesdays! Workout Wednesday is a 45-minute group exercise class that will include strength, cardio, agility, and core exercises. Also, look for strength training classes coming soon during the S&E period this semester!

Spring Sports Meeting

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

7:00 a.m.

Ac Pit

This will be the LAST makeup session offered.

Boys Tennis

Sunday, February 25, 2024

5:00 p.m.

Room E121

This meeting is mandatory if you are interested in participating in Boys Tennis

AI Tools to Enrich Education Part 2

Learn about AI over your lunch hour! For the first 30 minutes, participants will be introduced to Canva AI Design features, Quizlet, and Perplexity (and the UIUC AI education), and then we'll move into a hands-on session with Canva's AI Magic Design. 

All skill levels are welcome!

At IMSA, we desire to transform lives by transcending educational boundaries through inquiry and innovation. Essential to the IMSA experience is residential life. Students around the state can be part of this special community because they can live here. Unfortunately, IMSA's residence halls have approximately nine years of usable life remaining. They were built in the late 80s with non-durable materials, and we have to think about future residential plans.

Our first approach is to establish a vision about what type of residential life experience will support our students' needs in every regard outside of the academic day. A team of IMSA staff gathered input from students and colleagues during the fall semester, analyzed needs, and visited other residential institutions to propose our residential priorities. These priorities include connection, curiosity, and care. You can read more about their approach to investigating the needs, potential programs, and spaces we would develop, as well as proposed outcomes, in a white paper that we shared with the Board of Trustees earlier this month. I invite you to offer feedback on what you like, and other aspects that require consideration.

Rebuilding the residence halls will take a large sum of money that will require fundraising and government support, as well as tremendous advocacy across our community and the State of Illinois. As we pursue that funding, we will also try new ideas to improve the residential life experience so students and RCs can benefit now. For example, an innovation grant was awarded to implement a new student life management system, REACH, that digitizes student engagement processes, enhances customer service for parents, and increases operational efficiency for students and staff. In addition, funding has been provided to enhance weekend learning experiences, promoting student connection and fostering planned and spontaneous

learning outside the academic setting. While a new facility is many years away, we can move towards supporting the themes of connection, curiosity, and care with your students in the days ahead.

Please don't hesitate to reach me at eglazer@imsa.edu if you have thoughts on this topic or wish that I discuss others.

Shrishant Hattarki '25 is a student and member of IMSA's FTC Robotics Team, TITANS #17576, who spends his free time mentoring and coaching other robotics teams. Most recently, Shri worked with FIRST LEGO League Robotics team, Low Battery, on creating, designing, and building their LEGO robot. The team took first place at Regionals, and Shri was honored with the Coaches and Mentors Award. The team went on to their Sectional competition, where they won the Rising Star Award, and now they are headed to the State Competition. Congratulations to Shri and Team Low Battery! Way to inspire the next generation of STEM explorers!

Ms. Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll and Ms. Desirae Klimek took ten students on an Intersession trip to the Yucatan region of Mexico. During their trip, they studied water samples in the cenotes (deep water wells) of Popol Vuh and Verde Lucero for chemical and bacterial contamination. The group also visited the Mayan Ruins of Tulum, toured the underground river and cavern system of Rio Secreto (pictured below), snorkeled in Akumal and Puerto Morelos, visited the Mayan Museum of Cancun, and were given a special lecture and tour of the Yucatan Scientific Research Center.

Please complete the Spotlight Submission Form if you have been recently recognized in your field, celebrated for your academic or professional achievements, or are working on a project you'd like to share. If you have any questions, please contact Alex Johnson at ajohnson2@imsa.edu.

Students must meet service hours eligibility requirements by the beginning of Clash week (February 12, 2024) to participate in events and performances. All students must be approved on Helper Helper to be eligible.

Please see below for requirements based on grade level:

Please remember that all service hours must be submitted by May 21, 2024, to meet the graduation requirement. Seniors should take the time to log their service hours into Helper Helper as soon as possible so the hours can be approved by the site coordinator and entered into PowerSchool. The number of service hours displayed in PowerSchool is what has been earned toward your graduation requirement, so please be sure to check those hours regularly to make sure they match your records.

Mrs. Emma is scheduling trips every Wednesday morning to the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry until the end of the year. Be on the lookout for Helper Helper postings. Before signing up, please ensure you have no mandatory meetings that may conflict. Seniors have priority for these trips to help them meet their graduation requirements.

Check out the new search engine from the Illinois of Gifted Children for local STEM enrichment opportunities for all ages. This search engine was developed by IMSA Senior, Michael Meng '24!

Titan To Go is a resource for students to discreetly order basic toiletries when they cannot replace them before a trip home. Students may select from the following items:



• Shampoo and Conditioner
• Toothpaste and Toothbrushes 
• Dental Floss 
• Deodorant 
• Menstrual products
• Hand soap 
• Body lotion 
• Facial tissues
• Lip balm  
• Contact lens cases

Requests are confidential and can be made by clicking on the button above. Requests received by 8:00 a.m. will be processed daily, Monday through Friday. You will pick up your items in a Smart Locker once you receive a notification that your package has been scanned in.

For more information, contact Michelle Bemis, Volunteer Coordinator for Titan To Go at mbemis@imsa.edu.

Mark Your Calendars! 

February 3 - Virtual Parent Day

February 12 - 16 - Clash of the Halls

February 17 - Halls close at 1:00 p.m.

February 17 - 21 - Extended Weekend (President's Day Weekend)

ILLINOIS MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE ACADEMY



1500 Sullivan Rd., Aurora, IL 60506-1000 |  630.907.5000 |  imsa.edu

To ignite and nurture creative, ethical, scientific

minds that advance the human condition.