Families,
We are staying with the two hour delay today. Therefore, school will be in session today, Thursday, December 5.
If you did not get a phone call from me this morning, please contact your child's school to ensure your phone number is in the system.
As a reminder, AM Preschool is canceled.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we make sure our students and staff are safe.
Thank you,
Kelli Cogan
Superintendent
Independence Local Schools are on a two hour delay due to inclement weather conditions. This is a two hour delay and at this time is not a full day closure. Decisions for the rest of the day will be made within the next hour or two. If you are a bus rider, your pick up time will be two hours later than normal...same thing if you are dropping off your student...two hours later than the regular time. AM Preschool is canceled as well. Thank you and be safe.
🎉✨ The IMS PTO's Homemade Holiday Shop is BACK! ✨🎉
🎁 Get ready for the season of giving! The annual Holiday Shop is returning tomorrow and Friday, and we can’t wait to see our students finding the perfect gifts for their loved ones. This is a fantastic opportunity for them to shop from amazing local vendors offering unique, handcrafted items. 🛍️✨
We’re so excited to have incredible returning vendors like Cutie Pie Yarn, Java Momma with Sally Valenti - Coffee, Tea & Cocoa, Allison's Handmade Creations, Just A Wink, Opal Rose Creative Studio, and Crooked River Naturals. As well as new vendors BAD Wood Creations, Meant to Bead By Erin, plus many more!
Let’s make this year’s Homemade Holiday Shop the best one yet! 🎄❤️
Due to unforeseen staff shortages caused by illness and injury, we regret to inform you that bus schedules will be affected this afternoon. To ensure all routes are covered, we will need to consolidate services.
High school and middle school students who ride Bus 7 will be dismissed early at 2:20 p.m. and are expected to arrive home approximately 20 minutes earlier than usual.
Students on Bus 8 may experience delays of 10 to 20 minutes.
Primary school students who ride Bus 7 will likely arrive home about 30 minutes later than their normal schedule.
We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.
Parents who prefer to pick up their children directly from school are welcome to do so.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we work through these challenges.
🍁 From our school family to yours, we wish you a Thanksgiving filled with warmth, laughter, and cherished moments. 🍽️ Enjoy the holiday! 🦃
Builders Club recently hosted the annual IMS Canned Food Drive to support the local Yuletide Hunger Program in Independence. Students and staff at IMS brought in cans🥫and cash💰each day to support those in need. As an incentive, students had a chance to pie a teacher or play in a student staff volleyball game. IMS brought in 549 cans and $634 to help those in need!!!
Congratulations to 6th graders - Charlie Hill and Nora Krysiak - who were the school's top contributors and were able to coach the student/staff volleyball game! 🏐 Huge shout-out to our Pie A Teacher winners - Ms. Bloam, Mrs. Frate, and Mr. Durny - who bravely took pies to face and clothes! Our pie a teacher contest raised over $200 towards our drive 🥧 Over 20 students who brought in 5 cans or more won the raffle to play in the student/staff volleyball game, and although the staff won, everyone had a great time celebrating all the things we are grateful for! 💙💛
IMS- we are extending the canned food drive until Monday!🥫Bring in your cans and cash to the lobby and check in with Mrs. Koussa. $1 or 2 cans gets you into the student/staff volleyball game 🏐 and pie a teacher event 🥧, and 5 cans gets you an entry to play in the game! Let’s help those in need and can hunger! 💙💛
Opening night!! 🎭 The kids did such an amazing job! Make sure to put tomorrow night's performance on your calendar - 7pm at IMS, tickets available at the door 🎟️
It's opening night for our IMS production of Haphazardly Ever After! Break a leg kids! 🎭
Get all the details about this and more in this week's IMS News Update💙💛
https://conta.cc/40U5wdH
Internet safety parent and community presentation has been very informative. A big thank you to the ICAC team for taking the time for this much needed topic discussion and presentation.!
Don’t miss out! Our annual canned food drive ends Friday! Bring your cans and cash to the lobby each morning and check in with Mrs. Koussa. Not only are you helping those in need right here in Independence, but you also score a chance to attend and play in the student/staff volleyball game! Together we can 🥫hunger! Let’s do this IMS! 💙💛
In honor of the Browns' Thursday night game, IMS will be having a special spirit day tomorrow! Show your support by wearing your Browns gear or brown & orange ! 🤎🧡
Hope you've all had a great weekend! Here's a look at what's on the horizon from this week's IMS News Update:
https://conta.cc/4ew1ADa
Today, 8th grade students had the exciting opportunity to step back in time and experience the American Revolution in a unique and interactive way. Mr. Mike McNamara presented a variety of replicated artifacts from the Revolutionary War era. Artifacts included clothing, cooking utensils, games, weapons, flags, and more. His engaging presentation brought history to life, offering students a deeper understanding of the everyday lives of people during this time period in American history.
The hands-on experience of examining these artifacts allowed students to connect with history in a tangible way, enhancing their understanding of life during the American Revolution. By engaging with these items, students not only learned about the past but also developed a greater appreciation of those who lived through this time in American history.
A special thank you to Mr. McNamara for sharing his knowledge and collection of artifacts with our students! 💙💛
Hope you've all had a great weekend! Here's a look at what's on the horizon from this week's IMS News Update:
https://conta.cc/3UG7gn3
🚌 Did You Know? 🛠️
The unsung hero of Independence Local Schools is our bus mechanic, Al DiGiandomenico! 👨🔧
In October, the State Highway Patrol came to inspect our school buses, and guess what? 🚨 They all passed with flying colors! 💯
That's all thanks to Al's hard work and dedication. 💪 As the only mechanic for our entire fleet of 17 buses, he's constantly inspecting, repairing, and maintaining our buses to ensure the safety of our students and drivers. 🚎
Al is always 'in, out, under the bus and hood,' making sure every vehicle is in top shape. 🔧 He never fails an inspection, and we're so grateful for his incredible efforts! 👏
Let's give a big shout-out to Al, our MVP bus mechanic at Independence Local Schools! 🏆
Our IMS PTO book fairies were hard at work setting up for the return of our Scholastic Book Fair!! 📚 Students and teachers will be able to shop in-person Thursday, November 7th - Friday, November 8th 🎉 You can start exploring (and shopping) together and set up your eWallet here: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/independencemiddleschool1
Anyone who sets up an eWallet will be entered into a raffle for a gift card to use at the book fair! 🎟️ Huge shoutout to Vy Mancini, Jessie Bechlem, and Jaime Grassian (and their kiddos) for bringing the magic of the book fair back to IMS!! 💙💛
Our 8th grade Spanish I students had the opportunity to make "Bread of the Dead" in honor of the Day of the Dead celebrated on November 1st. They were excited to share the sweet breads they made with their classmates and IMS staff! 💙💛
Hope you've all had a great weekend! Here's a look at what's on the horizon from this week's IMS News Update:
https://conta.cc/3Yy9wNY
This morning our 8th graders had a unique opportunity to participate in a program called "From Court to Classroom." This initiative is a collaboration between the Cuyahoga County Judicial System and our school, designed to provide students with an engaging, hands-on understanding of the judicial process.
Students were able to witness a court case, presided over by Judge Deborah Turner, allowing them to see the entire legal process from start to finish. This immersive experience provided insights into how proceedings occur and the roles of various professionals within the system, including judges, defense attorneys, prosecutors, and sheriff deputies.
Thank you to all of our distinguished visitors for not only providing our students with this opportunity, but for conducting a lively Q&A session at the conclusion to discuss career pathways in the judicial system! 💙💛
