December 15, 2024

A Note from the Director

Dear Families,

We're in the pre-winter break spirit and it's the perfect time for Spirit Week, which begins tomorrow with PJ Day. Please see the other spirit day themes in the image below.

There are just a couple of days left to support our Aspire PHS student business, the Garden Grove, by ordering beautiful greenery for your holiday festivities. You also still have time to donate non-perishable food to the Endeavors food drive. Scroll down for more information on these and the many other happenings at Ivymount School!

Finally, the PTA needs a few volunteers to give some time in January to make upcoming family and other events successful. These small planning jobs can be done mostly from home. We hope families will consider pitching in a few minutes of your time to support your PTA!

Have a great evening.

Susan

News you Need!

Dates to Remember

December 23 - January 3

Winter Break

No School for Students

January 6

Professional Day

No School for Students

January 20

MLK Jr. Holiday/ Inauguration Day

No School for Students

January 25

IvyMoves Community Event

featuring ZamDance

PTA News

January 10

Staff Appreciation Committee

Join the online meeting

January 13

St. Patrick's Dance Meeting

Advance planning volunteers needed

Contact Gillian Economou

February 1

Family Movie Night

More info coming soon

Spirit Week Starts Tomorrow!

Tomorrow marks the beginning of Winter Spirit Week to count down to winter break. So, start by wearing some PJ's for Monday. Follow that up by wearing a jersey or hat from your favorite sports team on Tuesday, fun hats for Wednesday, wacky mismatched clothes for Thursday, and Ivymount School branded clothes or school colors on for Friday. Get ready to show some spirit!

Student-Crafted Evergreen Sale!

Order by Noon on Tuesday, December 17

The Garden Grove student business run by Aspire Post High School students invites you to order holiday greenery and plants. The living centerpieces can be customized with your choice of bow color and are crafted from a variety of materials such as pinecones, holly, and evergreen branches. There will also be a selection of house plants available for purchase that students have been cultivating in the classroom over the year.

Place your order by Noon on Tuesday, December 17. All orders will be delivered to classrooms/offices on or before Wednesday, December 18. There will also be a pick up option for anyone wanting to collect their plants/centerpiece from the PHS on December 18 from 9:30 am -12 pm.

Order Your Greenery Here

Endeavors Collecting for Food Drive

Donate through Wednesday, December 18

Endeavors middle/secondary students will collect, sort, and deliver non-perishable food to Manna Food Center a local nonprofit and also one of Ivymount School's community jobsite partners. Donations will be accepted through Wednesday, December 18.

Send non-perishable food donations in with your student or drop them off at the front desk.

grains such as oatmeal, rice and pasta
proteins like canned tuna, beans and nut butters
fruit cups and canned vegetables
cooking oil
shelf-stable milk and infant formula

Thank You for a Successful Book Fair

A big thank you to our families and staff for making this year’s Ivymount Book Fair a huge success! It was wonderful to see so many students excited to explore their favorite stories and discover new ones. We hope everyone enjoys their books and the joy they bring to reading adventures. Your support helps foster a love of learning and reading within our community.

Room 204 Completes Community Service Projects

Students in 204 are showing they care this month by doing community service projects. First, they made dog and cat toys for the Montgomery County Animal Shelter. Then, they went to Calleva and helped on the farm by feeding the animals. We love to see our students lending a helping hand in the community!

Stem2Space Lands in Room 234

Students in the Aspire Social program participated in STEMtoSpace, an outreach program through Space Force. The classroom was assigned a Guardian who came and conducted a question and answers session. Students engaged in discussions about Space Force and their mission, satellites, aircrafts, and so much more!

PHS Winter Clothing Drive Has Started

Donate now through February

The Aspire Post High School is collecting coats, blankets, and winter clothing for men, women, and children from now through February. Items should be new or gently used but in good condition.

The items will be donated to several local charities that serve individuals and families in need or experiencing homelessness. There is now a permanent collection box located in the front entrance where you can drop off items. Please label them "Winter Clothing Drive".

PTA NEWS AND UPDATES

Join the Staff Appreciation Committee

Virtual Meeting Jan 10

Each year, the PTA organizes several events to recognize the work of Ivymount School staff. These include snack bars for professional days, such as the one in February, as well as a week of events for Staff Appreciation Week in May. Many hands make light work. Are you interested in helping?

The PTA’s Staff Appreciation Committee is meeting online at 12 pm on January 10.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/72346956386?pwd=EHkVpIeFdZzkYQvLbxtBCuqpqQVboa.1

Meeting ID: 723 4695 6386

Passcode: d8hK0m

Contact Tamar Levenberg at tamarslevenberg@gmail.com for information.

Volunteers Needed to Plan St. Patrick's Day Dance

Virtual Meeting Jan 13

We need a couple of volunteers in January to help the PTA's VP of Events with the early organizing of the St. Patrick's Day School Dance on March 8.

It will be a celebration for all programs and ages across the entire school with music, laughter, and fantastic vibes. The plan is ready but needs a few hands to get the arrangements underway. Please attend the virtual planning committee meeting on January 13 at 7pm. We will ask for night of volunteers later in our planning.

If you enjoyed last year's dance and can help make this a shamrockin' good time, contact Gillian Economou.

Consider Ivymount this Giving Season

We're partway towards the $1 million dollars that Ivymount raises annually to cover the gap between state-funded tuition and the actual cost of providing our educational and therapeutic services.

Your one-time or recurring donation at any amount will be invested in staff training, professional development, curricula and other initiatives so that every student and staff "CAN" achieve their goals. We hope you will consider Ivymount and share our link to the Annual Fund. Thank you!

onecau.se/supportivymount