August 1, 2023

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We are so excited to welcome our new students, returning students, and staff for the 2023-24 school year. There are so many great and memorable activities planned for the entire IMS community in the weeks and months ahead. Listed below is important information to hopefully lessen the stress as the first day of school gets closer.

Please feel free to call me at 216-642-5865 ext 1300 with any questions or concerns regarding the start of the school year. We look forward to seeing you in the coming weeks and are excited about what is sure to be a successful school year for your child.

Go Blue Devils!

Sincerely,

Jamie Vanek, Principal

Independence Middle School

jvanek@independence.k12.oh.us

5th Grade/New to the District Orientation

All fifth-grade students and new students to IMS are invited to a Where Everybody Belongs (WEB) orientation on August 17. Students will have the opportunity to meet with IMS eighth-grade students prior to school starting. Student sessions are from 9 a.m. - noon. Upon pickup, parents are permitted to bring their son/daughter's school supplies to be placed in the locker.

Packet Pickup

Packet Pick-up is Friday, August 18 from 8:00-2:00PM for 6th - 8th graders.

*Convenience changes for schedules cannot be made at this time as we are trying to balance classes to the very best of our abilities to not overload rooms. Any major issues or errors, please contact Mrs. McClain.

EMA, Student Information, and Enrollment Forms

The district and building are continuing to use a program called FinalForms. This is for any child currently enrolled in our schools. All of these forms will need to be up to date for the 2023-24 school year.

Final Forms (Link)

Technology and Communication

1 to 1 Device for Students:

IMS is a full 1 to 1 Google Chromebook school. Each student in grades 5-8 will receive their individual Chromebook within the first week of school. These devices will need to be taken home nightly for ALL students to be charged for the next work day.

Email Communication:

All large group communication with our IMS community will continue to use Constant Contact this year. While no product can guarantee 100% delivery of emails, Constant Contact has one of the best percentages. If you know of anyone not receiving information please have them notify me personally or visit the website listed below to ensure they are up to date on all content.

Please visit http://www.ilsk12.org/ to sign up for district communication.