December 3, 2023

A Note from the Director

Dear Families,

As we wrap up our November IvyCares theme, we plan to continue the spirit of our initiative to nurture a culture of kindness and caring by creating opportunities for students, staff and families to reflect on the positive impact our actions have on others, practice gratitude and kindness, embrace diversity, and expand our circle of care by making positive changes in our community.

We had a variety of activities across the month for students, families, and staff to consider others, practice gratitude and self-care, and to give back to the community. Read about it on the Our Stories page of our website.

Please scroll down to see some of the recent happenings at Ivymount School and download a great resource from the mental health team about mindful parenting to manage stress. Also, make note of upcoming events in December, such as this week's book fair and PTA parent/caregiver hangout, plus the following week's spirit week themes.

Have a good night.

Sincerely,

Susan Holt

NEWS YOU NEED!

Dates to Remember

December 4 - 8

Book Fair

December 11 - 15

Winter Spirit Week

December 18-29

Winter Break

January 3

Students Return

PTA Dates to Remember

December 6

Parent/Caregiver Hangout

9:15 am Bethesda Corner Bakery

January 9

Winter PTA Meeting

March 9

St. Patrick's Dance

Scroll down to the PTA section for more information.

Check Out the Book Fair Dec 4 - 8

The annual Book Fair starts Monday in the Library! Classes are signing up for wishlist visits to check out the titles in person. Families are welcome to visit the book fair on Tuesday from 1:30 to 2:30 pm and from 3:30 to 5 pm. Please come to the front office to sign in before heading to the library.

For those who wish to shop online, visit: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/ivymountschool

Mr. T says "Happy Reading!"

Tips for Mindful Parenting to Manage Stress

As part of November's IvyCares initiative, Ivymount’s Mental Health Lead, Michael Stromberg, LCSW-C, hosted a virtual seminar on managing stress and how to increase effective parenting during difficult situations.

He described what mindfulness is and is not, explained the connection between self-care and mindful parenting, and provided six specific strategies to set the stage for mindful parenting.

Couldn't make it to the session? Don't stress! Download the Presentation Here

Donate Winter Clothing

Our Aspire Post High School has launched its Annual Winter Clothing Drive. They are collecting coats, blankets, and winter clothing for men, women, and children from now until February. Items should be new or gently used but in good condition.

The items will be donated to Bethesda Cares, a community outreach program for people experiencing homelessness. The administrative team at Bethesda Cares has told Ivymount staff that it's very grateful to receive donations, noting that its clients need clothing and other essentials throughout the year.

Students have set up a collection box in the front entrance where you can drop off items.

Endeavors Students Create "This is Me" Stories

During morning meeting, students in 182 have recently begun learning about transition. Topics so far have included self-advocacy and adult services. This week, students were introduced to one of our transition tools called This is Me Stories (TiME). This tool will help students after they graduate share their interests, job experiences, and things that help them be successful with novel job coaches, adult service providers, and companions. Each student was provided an interactive packet that tells them about their This is Me Story and how they will help generate scripts for their own story.

Read more about how Ivymount Speech Language Pathologists created the This is Me self-advocacy tool.

Mark Your Calendars for Spirit Week!

It will soon be time to participate in a Winter Spirit Week to count down to winter break. So get your mismatched clothes, sports teams, winter wear, Ivymount colors, and PJ's ready for one week from now and show some spirit for the week of December 11 - December 15. Let's have some fun!

PTA NEWS AND UPDATES

This Week - Parent/Caregiver Hangout

Corner Bakery Bethesda

Wednesday, December 6 at 9:15 am

We hope you'll join us for this week's Parent/Caregiver hangout at Corner Bakery - 10327 Westlake Drive, Bethesda (Across from Westfield Mall)

This is a great opportunity to meet other Ivymount parents and caregivers in a relaxed and informal setting.

Pizza Fundraiser a Success!

The PTA would like to thank the many parents and staff who supported last week's Ledo Pizza fundraiser. We had a good turnout in the restaurants as well as lots of people ordering online and getting takeout. It was a lot of fun to be together in person with some of the families. Thanks again to the Ivymount School community!

Join the St. Patrick's Day Dance Committee

The Ivymount School PTA is excited to host a St. Patrick's Day Dance on March 9, 2024. This dance is open to all programs and ages across the whole school. We are looking for a few volunteers for the Dance Committee to help with planning and coordination.

If you are interested in volunteering, please email Gillian.Economou@gmail.com

More Upcoming PTA Dates to Remember

Winter PTA Meeting via Zoom

Tuesday, January 9 - 7 to 8 pm

Spring PTA Meeting - In Person at Ivymount School

Friday, April 12 - 9:30 to 10:30 am

Read Ivymount's Six Decades Stories

Board member and former Ivymount School parent Maristela Monteiro has been instrumental in creating a jobsite partnership with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Read all about it in our latest Six Decades Story.