January 27, 2026

• When you are tardy, you must stop in the Attendance/CAC office to get a pass.
• If you feel your attendance record is incorrect, please speak to your teacher or email them and cc attendance@imsa.edu
• If there needs to be a correction, the teacher will contact attendance.
• If you are signed out of your hall and will miss school, you must have your parents call the attendance office.
• While students are on campus, parents can not call a student off for any health reason. Students must go and see the nurse. Only the health office can excuse students for health reasons while they remain on campus.
• If you are off campus for ANY reason (i.e., sick, college visit, or doctor's appointment), you must have your parents call you in. 
• All college visits must be pre-approved by your CAC.
• Any pre-arranged absence that will exceed 3 academic days must have special approval from Mr. Donelson.

2026-2027 Academic Calendar

Please join us via Zoom to meet your students’ teachers, hear from our Parent Association Council (PAC), connect with our Principal and President, and learn more about IMSA’s Experiential Learning, SIR, and Summer Programs.

This event is a great opportunity for sophomores and juniors to explore elective options and connect with faculty to help make informed course selections.

Attendance at the Junior Course Selection Meeting and the Elective Mini-Fair is essential to the course selection process. Be sure to attend and come prepared with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

Silent Auction

Thursday, January 29, 2026

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

2:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

4:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.

6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

CAC Commons

Grand Auction

Thursday, January 29, 2026

6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Auditorium

We are excited to share the 2026 Senior Auction Catalog, now live! With more than 60 featured items, there is truly something for everyone. Highlights include the always-popular Fogel Fudge, two prom tickets (open to any grade!), a signed Taylor Swift CD, White Sox tickets, and even a private limousine ride plus a car on campus.

All proceeds from the Senior Auction directly support the Class of 2026 Prom.

IMSA’s AI Bytes returns on Tuesday, February 3. This session features IMSA alumna Dr. Komal Bajaj '96, MD, MS-HPEd, an internationally recognized physician-leader at the intersection of healthcare, AI, quality improvement, and sustainability.

Dr. Bajaj serves as the Chief Quality Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals and a Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She leads technology-driven, human-centered innovations that improve patient safety and healthcare systems worldwide. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, JAMA, and BMJ, and she has advised the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.

AI Bytes: Big ideas. Real impact. IMSA voices leading the way.

Students will have the opportunity to hear from young professionals and IMSA alumni on why they chose their HBCU and how their HBCU helped them in their current careers.

Moderator

Anita Connors White, Ph.D. - Dean of IMSA Scholars

Panelists

• Justin Alfred - Civil Engineering/Computer Scientist, Lockheed Martin
• Joseph Bertrand ‘20 - Associate Engineer, Caterpillar Inc.
• Jaida Bethell (Lewis) ’15 - Owner, Poised Lips by Jai; Program Coordinator, CVS Health
• Darryl Burrell Jr.- Project Manager, City of Pearland, Texas Engineering and Public Works
• Dr. Garry J. Kennebrew Jr. ‘04 - MAJ, US Army Reserve; Emergency Medicine Physician (Hospitals of Providence & University Medical Center of El Paso)
• Ja’Nae McGee - Mechanical Engineer, DOW Chemical Company
• Joseph Pollard - Product Security & Penetration Tester, Emerson Electric
• Tony Richardson II - Manufacturing Engineer, The Boeing Company
• Austin Spencer - Pharmaceutical Sales Representative
• Jayda Yancey ‘19 - Process Chemist, Eli Lilly and Company 

Peer Tutors will be available in IN2 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. on the following dates to help with a wide range of subjects.

• Tuesday, February 10
• Tuesday, February 25
• Tuesday, March 17
• Tuesday, April 21
• Tuesday, April 28
• Tuesday, May 12

Group Workout Classes

I Days at 3:00 p.m.

Fridays during S&E

Multipurpose Room

Sweat your stress out during the group fitness class led by Counselor Alex Pratt. Classes include cardio, weight training, and core exercises. Beginners welcome!

Email apratt@imsa.edu with questions.

AP Honor Roll

IMSA earned Gold recognition on the 2025 AP School Honor Roll, a national honor celebrating schools where students succeed on AP exams. While IMSA doesn’t offer AP-designated courses, its advanced, hands-on curriculum prepares students to excel on these tests.

Last year, 448 students took 875 AP exams, and their outstanding performances earned Platinum-level results in both College Credit and College Optimization. College Credit measures the percentage of seniors who scored 3 or higher on at least one AP exam, while College Optimization recognizes students who took five or more AP exams, including at least one before their junior year, helping students get a strong start in earning college credit without overloading their later high school years.

Boys Swim

On January 24, 2026, the IMSA Titans swim team dominated the competition at our home pool, winning all but five events and posting numerous season-best times. The strong performances across the board led to decisive victories for both our JV and Varsity squads, making it an outstanding meet from start to finish.  

Congratulations to Olivia Pan '27 and Isaac Lee '27 for advancing to the semi-finals of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Competition!

Their project, H.I.A.L.O. (Head Impact & Activity Level Observer), is a smart headband that helps detect possible concussions. The headband measures the force from head impacts and the user's heart rate, then sends the information to an app. Coaches, trainers, and parents can use the app to track a student’s health during sports. Olivia and Isaac were selected from thousands of students worldwide, making this achievement especially impressive.

Dr. Luke Berryman

Director of Experiential Learning

We congratulate Dr. Luke Berryman, Director of Experiential Learning, on the publication of his book "Resisting Nazism." The book connects powerful stories of resistance across generations, from early artistic opposition to Nazism to courageous efforts to expose the Holocaust.

Through Dr. Berryman's extensive research and in-depth interviews, his work highlights the many ways individuals have stood up to hatred and extremism, whether through extraordinary risk or everyday acts of solidarity.

During Intersession, students warmed up at the North Central College Coffee Lab, where they explored the history and culture of coffee and made connections between coffee and STEM fields. The energizing experience also allowed students to experiment with roasting techniques and develop custom blends while applying engineering principles to new ideas.

One Dream, Many Voices: Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Thank you to the students, staff, and guest speakers whose thoughtful planning and participation brought our community together in reflection and celebration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The program featured impactful student performances, an alumni panel with Dr. Kayla Ingram ’14, Dr. Tavis Reed ’16, Dr. Estefany Guzman ’14, and Mr. Jason Barazza ’17, and a powerful keynote by Alexis R. Thomas, M.B.A., J.D., founder of The ART Group, LLC, and a national leader in strategy, leadership, and social justice.

What's Poppin' on Campus

While students were stuck inside on Friday, Student Affairs provided fresh popcorn during S&E. Students enjoyed a warm snack and some throwback music before finishing out the school week.

The merch store will be accepting orders until February 1 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

Notice of Nondiscrimination: IMSA prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator.