November 21, 2023

Mod21

Members of Mod21, IMSA's student a cappella group, attended the OCAP A Cappella Festival at Oak Creek High School in Wisconsin on Saturday, October 28th. Members attended masterclasses with 13 other high school and college student groups from Illinois and Wisconsin, including UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee. They also had the opportunity to perform "West Coast" by OneRepublic, arranged by IMSA Senior Aditya Prashanth.

It's a wonderful season to spend time with family and offer thanks to those who play a meaningful role during your time at IMSA. Please take a moment to recognize anyone in the IMSA community: friend, family, faculty, staff, mentor or colleague so they can be touched by your Thanksgiving message.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving Break!

We hope this extended break brings rest, relaxation, and the opportunity to reconnect with loved ones. However, we must address the rising number of COVID-19 infections across the entire State of Illinois.

In order to minimize interruptions to on-campus learning, we ask that everyone follow the CDC isolation and guidance protocols. If you or your student experiences any of the symptoms below, we recommend taking an at-home COVID-19 test, which can be found at your local pharmacy.

• cough
• cold
• runny or congested nose
• loss of taste or smell

• headache
• nausea
• vomiting
• or diarrhea

If a student tests positive for Covid-19 during the break or has been exposed to someone who tested positive, please refer to the isolation and exposure calendar to determine if it is safe for your student to return to campus.

Please keep in mind that students should not be returning to campus if they are not able to participate in the full school day, or if they show symptoms such as a fever, diarrhea, or vomiting. If your student falls into this category, we ask parents to contact nurse@imsa.edu and attendance@imsa.edu. Your cooperation is crucial in maintaining a healthy and safe learning environment.

As a reminder, the Main Building will be closed from 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 22 until 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 25 in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday. 

Sophomores - November and December CAC Meetings

The CACs are meeting with all sophomores on November 29 and December 13. Both meetings will be at 10:00 a.m. in the Auditorium. Sophomore CAC meetings include the following topics: identifying personal academic goals, defining academic success, completing a personal 3-year academic plan, exploring college admissions, and getting familiar with using Naviance.

Juniors - College Selection Process

The Junior class will meet with the CACs to discuss the college selection process on Tuesday, December 5, and Thursday, December 7, each at 4:30 p.m. The college selection process is critical to students' educational journey. This process helps students identify colleges that best match their academic goals, interests, aspirations, and preferences. It's more than just choosing a college; it's about finding the right academic, social, and financial fit for students to belong, thrive, and succeed. More information about the meetings and which date you must attend will be sent out through Naviance.

Seniors - FAFSA and CSS Profile

The CACs are actively sending students' college documents through Naviance for regular and rolling decision applications. Meanwhile, the 2024–2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is undergoing its most significant overhaul to date. Traditionally released on October 1, the FAFSA's availability for the 2024-2025 academic year is now expected around mid to late December 2023 or by January 1, 2024.

The 2024-2025 College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile has been available since October 1. The 2024-2025 forms must be submitted if a student is interested in being considered for a financial aid award.

FAFSA information should be sent to all colleges on a student's list. The CSS Profile should be sent to those colleges that require it.

Your student voice is needed to help shape how IMSA designs AI experiences in and out of the classroom, including the design of a new Center for Artificial Intelligence. The purpose of this survey is to understand the level of usage of AI among students.  

Thank you for participating in our survey!

The Little Green Monster Project is based on the motivational children’s book The Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! The goal of this project is to donate books and volunteer-created monster toys to children whose lives have been impacted by cancer. Students can help sew Little Monster Friends, which will be delivered to a local Camp Kesem chapter. No sewing experience is needed! 

In order to make this project happen, we’re looking for fabric donations! If you have any green anti-pill plush fleece, colorful fabric scraps, or filler to donate, you can bring them to Mrs. Emma's office in Student Life after Thanksgiving Break. Extra needles and thread would also be greatly appreciated. Volunteer sign-ups will be sent after Thanksgiving. Please reach out to ehsuan@imsa.edu or Mrs. Emma if you have any questions.

Class of 2026

Your next LEAD elective module will take place on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, from 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Please bring a laptop, notebook, and writing utensils to every LEAD session, and read through the 2023-24 LEAD Syllabus before Wednesday to review the attendance policy and upcoming modules. If you need an excused absence, email LEAD Program Coordinator, Ms. Emma Wilson, by Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

Class of 2024

Please remember to be vigilant about logging your service learning hours and meeting the 200-hour service learning hour grade requirement. If you have received an email from Ms. Emma Wilson about your hours, please schedule a meeting ASAP so you can make a plan to complete your hours! This break is a great opportunity to work with your local food pantry, soup kitchens, and other non-profits!

Questions or concerns? Contact LEAD Program Coordinator Ms. Emma Wilson.

TEDxYouth@IMSA is an IN2 program that gives IMSA students a venue to speak on topics they are passionate about, showcasing their diverse interests. The organizing committee has worked diligently to plan and organize an event on Friday, December 1, 2023, featuring IMSA Student and Faculty speakers. There will be food, soft drinks, games, prizes, and intellectual growth, so please join us!

The event is limited to 100 people, so pre-registration is mandatory.

IMSA’s Titan To Go program will host a pop-up thrift shop for students on December 6 and 7. The shop aims to provide students with a fun, low-cost shopping experience. We are collecting new or gently used clothing, coats and jackets, jewelry and accessories, giftable items, professional clothing for interviews, luggage, backpacks, items needed for intersession travel, books, arts and crafts supplies, dorm decor, and items approved for use in a res hall room (see IMSA Student Parent Handbook page 31). Please drop off your items in the Student Affairs office if you wish to donate. 

Proceeds from the shop will be used to support the senior prom. We want to provide a fun opportunity to shop on campus and to reduce the financial burden that may prevent some of our students from enjoying their senior prom. More details about the shop will be released soon.

For more information on donations, please get in touch with Michelle Bemis, Titan To Go coordinator, at mbemis@imsa.edu.

Yearbook orders are open through January 15, 2024! Order a yearbook for your student so they can enjoy memories of the school year.

Yearbooks are $70 per book. For an additional fee, you can personalize your yearbook with your student's name or purchase a cover protector. 

For more information, contact Joyce Symoniak at jsymoniak@imsa.edu.

City of Aurora Vs. Cancer Basketball Shootout 2024

January 20, 2024

Hosted at Marmion Academy

Cheer on the IMSA Boys and Girls Basketball Teams as they compete against other Aurora schools. Proceeds from this event will go to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation to combat childhood cancer. Come support your Titans for a good cause!

Harlem High School Science Olympiad Invitational

December 2, 2023

8:00 a.m.

Hosted by Harlem High School

Support the Science Olympiad Team as they compete in the Harlem High School Invitational. All are welcome to attend!

Madison Hahamy '19 was one of only 62 students worldwide to be selected as a 2024 recipient of the Rhodes Scholarship. The Rhodes Scholarship is one of the oldest and most prestigious academic scholarships given to graduate students devoted to social change. This scholarship allows graduate students to study at the University of Oxford in a field of their choice.

Madison is currently attending Yale University as an English major. She works as an intern at NBC News Investigations and served as the senior editor for the New Journal at Yale. She has already received the John Hersey Prize in journalism for her responsible reporting on social issues. Madison plans to pursue a Master of Science at Oxford, focusing on refugee and forced migration studies.

Faculty Spotlight

Last week, many IMSA staff and faculty members attended the National Consortium of Specialized Secondary Schools Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. The conference gives colleagues at STEM schools, boarding schools, and some regional day schools an opportunity to connect and share their latest innovations.

Dr. Anita White, Dean of Student Support and Equity, and Paul Gaszak, Dean of Academics and Equity, as well as Biology faculty Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll and Dr. Jessica Amacher, led presentations about their work at IMSA. See a description of their presentations.

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.

Can you be-leaf that on average, a typical school leafs through 2,000 sheets of paper?! Over the course of a complete 160-day school year, this results in a total paper consumption exceeding 320,000 sheets per school. With approximately 100,000 schools in the United States, the collective paper usage by schools amounts to as much as 32 billion sheets annually. Treez Louise!

Luckily, Club Terra is planning our annual Tree-Plenish event, where we offset IMSA’s paper usage by planting dozens of trees both on and off campus! Keep your eye on the lookout for announcements regarding Tree-Plenish—we’ll be advertising it more and more around springtime.

Winter Holiday Friday Fest

Winter Holiday Friday Fest is coming up! We need parents to sign up for food donations as soon as possible to ensure we have enough to feed all the students a hearty holiday meal. Please email fridayfest@imsapac.org with any questions. All donations are welcome!

Pizza Donations

If you want to donate funds to help purchase pizza for the upcoming Finals Study Session, click here. Zelle donations can be sent directly to treasurer@imsapac.org.

Although many students and families have December traditions for providing holiday gifts of thanks to faculty and staff, IMSA employees are subject to the State of Illinois Ethics Act which prohibits them from accepting or soliciting gifts from prohibited sources. Per IMSA’s Ban on Receipts of Gifts Policy, this includes current and prospective parents and students.

While we deeply appreciate the generosity of our IMSA families, we respectfully request you limit any holiday thanks to Faculty and/or Staff to written notes of appreciation only.

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! 

November 22 - 26 - Thanksgiving Break

November 26 - Halls Open at 3:00 p.m.

December 9 - Admissions Tours

December 15 - Shortened Class Schedule

December 15 - Holiday Concert

December 18 - Shortened Class Schedule

December 19 - 21 - Final Exams

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.