August 13, 2024

Titan Tuesday is a weekly newsletter sent to students, parents, faculty, and staff throughout the school year. Its purpose is to consolidate updates and reminders in one place, making important information easy to access. Each edition will also spotlight different students and celebrate the accomplishments of our Titan Community.

These newsletters are packed with valuable information. Depending on your email settings, you may need to click 'View Entire Message' at the bottom to read the full content of Titan Tuesday. We look forward to sharing important updates with you each week and encourage you to reach out if you have questions or topics you'd like us to include.

We are so excited to welcome students and their families back to campus! Here are some details to help streamline the check-in and move-in processes.

Parking

Please start your day by parking in the west parking lot (the parking lot near the track, closest to Edgelawn Blvd). See the map below for reference.

Check-In

Once you have parked, students and parents should enter the building through Door #12 (Near the West Gym entrance) to receive your check sheet at the check-in table. Your check sheet will indicate if you need to stop at any stations to complete registration. You'll need to complete all steps before moving into the residence halls. If you have already completed the steps online, this will be a quick process. When everything on your check-in sheet is marked "complete," you will receive your parking pass to access the parking area closest to your residence hall. 

Move-In

Your parking pass will give you access to parking spaces closer to your residence hall. Security will be there to help direct you. Once you have parked, you will meet your Resident Counselor in the residence hall. They will give you your access fob and room key, and direct you to your room. Some important things to note:

• Don't lose your parking pass/clearance card: You will not be able to your hall or room without it!
• Label your items: Student leaders will be there to help move your belongings. Putting your name and room number on your items will help them take them to the right place.
• Parking by the residence hall is limited: It is important to empty your belongings from your vehicle, and then have a family member move your car to the main parking lot to make space for the next family moving in.

You can find the complete 12-month calendar on the webpage listed below, along with other helpful information about various mod schedules. Please refer to these calendars for important dates and special class schedules throughout the year.

We have so many fun activities to help our students start off the new year. Please take some time to review the Welcome Week schedule. Please note, some of the times and locations may change, especially as we get more accurate weather forecasts for outdoor events. These schedules will be updated if changes occur.

The Convocation ceremony is an IMSA tradition that marks the beginning of the school year and welcomes all students and staff to a community of scholars. This tradition expresses the spirit of a dynamic learning community by establishing a formal celebration that sets the tone for the upcoming year.

This special event will include an address from Deputy Governor Martin Torres and a keynote speech by IMSA faculty member and charter class alumnus, Dr. Michael Hancock '89.

The attire for this event is business casual. If you do not have business casual attire, please contact Ms. Michelle Bemis in Student Affairs.

IMSA is proud to announce its first-ever Summer Symposium! This event highlights the achievements of our experiential learning programs over the summer. Nearly 100 students will showcase their work from the SIR, SRELO, and Internship programs, covering topics from engineering to art, and from medicine to computer science. Students have synthesized new compounds, optimized computer code, analyzed large datasets, and even discovered new minerals!

All students will attend the Summer Symposium presentations right after Convocation. The full schedule, including room assignments, will be released later this week. 

IMSA invites all students, staff, and their families to the annual IMSA Carnival! Join us on campus for a day filled with rides, games, food, and more!

We rely on the support of our amazing parents and staff to make this event possible. We're seeking volunteers to assist IMSA staff with running games, serving food, and other activities. If you are interested in volunteering, please sign up below.

I'm really excited to welcome our new and returning students back to campus this week and launch the school year on Friday, August 16 at Convocation. This first day of school is always my favorite because it's filled with aspirations and tremendous energy for the year ahead. Students wear their best attire to demonstrate the importance of the launch of the school year, and the mood is quite celebratory. This year, Illinois Deputy Governor Martin Torres will be making some opening remarks. IMSA alumnus and faculty member, Dr. Michael Hancock will share words of wisdom and ring in the official start of the school year.

Following the opening bell, this year we are expanding Convocation to include a summer symposium, an opportunity for students to share their projects from the summer. Our students engaged in research and internship experiences all around them, so this will be a wonderful time to share what they learned while it's fresh in their minds. Along with a program at IMSA, over 70 students engaged with research professionals at Western Illinois, Southern Illinois, the University of Illinois - Chicago, the Kane County Forest Preserve, and Discovery Partners Institute (a University of Illinois affiliate). The symposium will be a great way to celebrate learning at the kickoff of the year, as well as provide inspiration about what's possible in the year ahead.

Students and mentors from the research cohort at Western Illinois University

Please email me at eglazer@imsa.edu if you have thoughts on this topic or would like me to discuss it in a future Titan Tuesday.

In the Student Spotlight section of Titan Tuesday, we shine a light on the remarkable achievements and contributions of our students. Whether excelling in academics, sports, arts, community service, or any other area, these students embody the Titan spirit. Each week, we will feature students, sharing their unique stories, talents, and the impact they're making both in and out of the classroom. If you would like to nominate someone, or yourself, for an upcoming student spotlight, please complete the form below.

LiveSafe allows IMSA to connect with students directly in cases of emergency situations such as severe weather, school closures, safety drills, and more. This safety tool also allows community members to report incidents and emergencies.

Other important safety and security resources are available including SafeWalk, a feature in which users can invite contacts to virtually follow their progress on a walk to ensure they reach their destination safely. This app is a primary means of relaying important communication to our IMSA community.

The LiveSafe app is available in the Apple Store or Google Play.

The online Titan Spirit Wear store is back for a limited time! Order your new Titan merch today! All proceeds will go to Senior Class Club to help offset the student cost of Prom.

Mark Your Calendars! 

August 14 - Sophomore Move-In

August 15 - Junior and Senior Move-In

August 16 - Convocation and Summer Symposium

August 19 - First Day of Classes

August 21 - Day of Service

August 24 - Carnival

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.