October 29, 2024

Titan Tuesdays are packed with valuable information. Depending on your email settings, you may need to click "Display Images" to see the full content of Titan Tuesday. If you ever need to refer back to a previous edition, you can find all the information in our Titan Tuesday Archive.

The Academy will be closed on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, in recognition of Election Day, a state holiday. While we will not hold regular classes, our residence halls will remain open and staffed.

Meal services in Lexington will follow the weekend schedule:

Brunch: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Dinner: 4:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Look for next week's Titan Tuesday a day early on Monday, November 4 with more important updates and reminders!

IMSA's counseling team put together helpful tips and resources for supporting students' mental health.

The IMSA eSports team competed against 22 other high schools at IHSEA's LAN tournament, hosted at Normal West, for Super Smash Crew Battles, and took home 1st place! This automatically qualifies the team for the end-of-year playoff tournament. Go, Titans!

Congratulations to Brian Leong '25, William Reynolds '25, Joseph Urbin '25, Andrew Nelson '25, David Garcia '26, Ibrahim Bah '25, Patrick Cahill '25, Xavier Brown '26, and Jaykrish Ganesan '25.

The AI Center (A-148 by the math study area) is excited to announce DAILY hours staffed by our amazing CS faculty and AI Center student interns. Stop in for CS study, AI/CS mentorship, guest speakers, peer collaboration, and career guidance.

A, C, and D Days

Staffed by CS Faculty for AI Study & Project Troubleshooting

9:50 a.m. - 11:35 a.m.

12:30 p.m. - 1:55 p.m.



I Days

Staffed by AI Student Interns and IMSA Staff

9:50 a.m. - 2:55 p.m.

B Days

AI Bytes Student Programming

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

UPCOMING EVENTS

• November 12: AI Bytes Guest Speaker Jake Gerstein '95 from CIBC
• November 19: AI Bytes Guest Speaker Bruce Dembofsky from Avantor

As seniors and their families navigate the financial aid process, remember that some colleges request the FAFSA and the CSS Profile, while others may only ask for the FAFSA.

Not all colleges use the CSS Profile, so it’s important to check your college’s financial aid website to see if it's required. You can also review a list of participating colleges here: CSS Profile Participating Institutions and Programs.

Upcoming Deadlines

• November 1: Most Early Action (EA) and Early Decision (ED) application deadline
• December 1: Anticipated FAFSA opening (the CSS Profile already opened on October 1)

Steps to Get Started with FAFSA:

1. Create an FSA ID: Both students and parents will need an FSA ID to log in. Create a Federal Student Aid Account here. We recommend setting this up early to avoid delays. Parents without a social security number can still create an ID.
2. Login to Federal Student Aid: Please click here for the Federal Student Aid website. Once the FSA ID is set up, we encourage students, parents, and guardians to log in and explore the site. Familiarizing themselves with available resources can help.
3. Complete the FAFSA: Ensure all required fields are filled out and double-check for accuracy. Many schools have priority deadlines for financial aid, so completing the FAFSA early will ensure your student stays on track.

While the FAFSA will be fully available in December, we recommend starting early in December and submitting it as soon as possible. Remember that many schools have priority deadlines (like March 1 for certain institutions), so early submission is critical.

Helpful Links and Resources:

• Start your CSS Profile application
• What Is FAFSA®?
• Information Required To Complete the FAFSA® Form
• How to Fill Out FAFSA®
• The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC): (information about financial aid, including state grants and scholarships and guidance on post-high school education options)
• CAC Financial Aid Webpage

Did you watch the Alumni Awards Assembly? Did you see the three very cool co-hosts? Ellen, Aditya, and Haley are the board members of the Student Committee for IMSA's Advancement (SCIA). SCIA strengthens IMSA's relationship with legislators and alumni by attending and planning networking events, leading guest tours, and advocating for IMSA.

We are looking for students who are passionate about making IMSA better and interested in learning more about SCIA. Here is the link to an interest form.

If you have questions, please reach out to members of the SCIA Executive Board: Ellen Hsuan (ehsuan@imsa.edu), Aditya Tiwari (atiwari@imsa.edu), or Haley Shah (hshah@imsa.edu).

Girls Basketball

*Tonight*

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

4:30 p.m.

Ac Pit

In-person and Virtual PAC Meeting

November 9, 2024

12:30 p.m. (time subject to change)

If you missed the October 22 PAC Meeting, you can view the recording here. Use the passcode 9V#&hX@P to access the recording.

Sophomore

November 13, 2024

6:30 p.m.

Gee Lau, Sophomore Parent Representative, will hold the inaugural PAC meeting for sophomore parents. Email questions to 

sophomore@imsapac.org

Junior

November 12, 2024

7:00 p.m.

Nicole Aranas, Junior Parent Representative, will hold the inaugural PAC meeting for junior parents. Email questions to

 JuniorRep@imsapac.org

Senior

November 19, 2024

6:30 p.m.

Darcy Nendza, Senior Parent Representative, will hold the inaugural PAC meeting for senior parents. Email questions to seniorrep@imsapac.org

PAC is seeking food donations for two upcoming student events. If you are interested and able to donate, please sign up using the links below.

Soul of the Motherland

Monday, November 18, 2024

6:00 p.m.

BSU is seeking food donations from parents to help make Soul of the Motherland a success. If you can contribute, please sign up using the button below.

Food can be dropped off at the front security desk anytime on Monday, November 18. Please inform security that your donation is for BSU's Soul of the Motherland. If you have questions, please contact Tyler Rush or Benicet Konan.

Thank you for helping us create a wonderful event for the students!

Diwali Celebration

Student Show and Potluck

Friday, November 8, 2024

Parent Show

Saturday, November 9, 2024

2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

The Indian Student Association (ISA) has asked the PAC to support the upcoming Diwali celebration.

The student show features a potluck to showcase foods from Indian culture. All parents are invited to attend the parent show on Saturday, November 9, from 2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Please note that there is no potluck following the Parent Show.

It's natural for parents and classmates to understand that a student should be excused from class due to health reasons. Notably, it's difficult to learn when you are sick, and it's important to prevent the spread of germs. Missing class due to mental health reasons is harder to understand, probably because it's more difficult to detect and is not contagious. However, illness is still illness. It's not uncommon for students to catch a cold, and it's not uncommon for students to periodically cope with mental health challenges. When that happens, it's still harder to learn when you are not feeling well.

Over the last decade in my career, I've noticed a positive shift towards recognizing the need to support students when they have mental health needs. I've noticed increases in depression screening, counseling support, and openness to referrals for professional counseling. I've seen students talk more with each other about mental health, and participate in support groups on managing stress, anxiety, and depression. It's quite wonderful, in my opinion, that we can celebrate mental health to not only acknowledge and become more aware of challenges we all face, but also provide specific tools and resources to address them.

The Senior Class Club is pleased to announce the annual Senior Auction. The club is currently seeking contributions for the auction catalog. This event presents an excellent opportunity to share a skill or hobby, offer a holiday gift or service, and connect with the school community, all while supporting the Class Club's fundraising efforts for the senior prom. Many auction items would also make ideal holiday gifts.

Example donations include:

• Physical gifts (food items, handmade crafts, gift baskets, gift cards, etc.)
• Virtual gifts (coupons, e-gift cards, etc.)
• Buying a meal (for an individual, wing dinners, a group of 4)
• Paying for a trip (tickets to a show/game/concert, entertainment attractions)
• Offering lessons (Musical instruments, cooking, knitting, coding, tutoring, etc.)

For those interested in donating, please complete this Google Form by November 18, 2024. Please specify who you are, what you plan to donate, and the quantity of the items or the number of students you are willing to provide for. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact a member of the Senior Class Club or reach out to Ms. Chloe.

How to Support a Friend Who May be Struggling

Friends can sometimes be the biggest support we have, especially when we are living away from home. Sometimes, we notice a friend who may be struggling, but we are unsure how to help. It is not the same for everyone, but here are some tips and tricks for how you can support a friend:

• Ask how you can help—Everyone is unique, and what one person needs may not necessarily be what another needs. Ask them what you can do to help them. Maybe they just need an ear from a friend or want some advice. Whatever it may be, ask them how you can support that would be best for them.
• Don't gossip—Do not tell other people about their struggles. If they are willing to talk to you about what they have going on, it is most likely because you are someone they trust.
• Show your concern—Sometimes, people just need to know someone cares. Showing you are concerned can go a long way. Treat them with respect and empathy as they may be going through a hard time. We all do, and that is okay.
• Help get them additional support (if they want it)—There is help available for everyone, and you can help support them by pointing them in the right direction. Sometimes, people are not quite ready for that, but that is okay. You can continue to support them the best you can.

Three students have been selected to represent IMSA at the Japan Super Science Fair in Kyoto next week. This global event brings together student researchers to collaborate, share ideas, and present their scientific and technological advancements. Participants also have the opportunity to meet peers from around the world, fostering a global community of changemakers in STEM.

We wish the following students the best of luck as they present their SIR projects:

Arnav Patel '25

Enhancing Fracture Detection in Remote Settings: Evaluating the Cell Phone Compatibility of Deep Learning Algorithms for Identifying Fifth Metatarsal Fractures

Robert Mandell '25

Search for Doubly Charged Higgs Boson Production at the CMS Detector

Mikaella Moraga '25

 Exploring the Impact of Ceramide Synthesis Enzymes on Atopic Dermatitis Severity

IMSA Impact Makers

This week's IMSA Impact Maker is Ms. Desirae Klimek from the Science Faculty. Ms. Klimek begins each class by sharing good news and encouraging her students to do the same, creating a welcoming and positive environment. This not only engages students, but also supports their mental well-being by focusing on life’s positives rather than stressors.

Currently, Ms. Klimek's students are involved in Tiny Earth, a project focused on student-sourced antibiotic discovery, as part of her MSI course. Ms. Klimek continuously seeks to enhance her lessons and course structure to best serve her students, and she serves as an inspiring role model. Thank you, Ms. Klimek, for being an IMSA Impact Maker!

Sophomore LEAD Elective Module

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Sophomores should bring their laptops, a notebook, and a writing utensil to every LEAD session. Please review the syllabus for your elective by Wednesday to familiarize yourself with the attendance policy and upcoming modules. Attendance is mandatory. Any absences should be reported via email to LEAD Program Coordinator Emma Wilson Parker by Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

Class of 2025

Please remember to be vigilant in logging your service learning hours into Helper Helper and then following up to make sure they are fully approved. As a reminder, students who do not complete the graduation requirement for service learning, as stated here, will not receive their final transcripts until they have done so. All hours must be submitted and fully approved (present in PowerSchool).

IMSA recently welcomed Collegio San Carlo, an international school from Milan, Italy, to our campus, providing a valuable opportunity for cultural exchange and collaboration. During their visit, students and faculty participated in an interactive workshop focused on student-based research at IMSA, explored classrooms, and connected with the LEAD facilitator team.

Together, the group shared innovative approaches to STEM education and leadership development, creating a dynamic environment for learning from one another’s educational practices. This exchange allowed IMSA and Collegio San Carlo to deepen their understanding of global academic excellence and the challenges facing young leaders today. IMSA and the LEAD team are excited to continue building global relationships, inspiring students to think creatively and collaboratively across borders.

Group Fitness Classes

There are now two weekly group fitness opportunities for staff and students! No registration is required. Just show up with workout clothes, shoes, and water. If you have any questions, email Counselor/Group Fitness Instructor Alex Pratt at apratt@imsa.edu.

Weight Training

Mondays

1:55 p.m. - 2:35 p.m. (S&E Period)

Multipurpose Room

Group Fitness Class

Wednesdays or I-Days

3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Multipurpose Room

Mark Your Calendars! 

October 28 - November 1 - Mental Health Week

November 5 - Election Day (The Academy is closed, but the halls remain open.)

November 9 - Admissions Preview Day

November 11 - Veterans Day Assembly (Special Schedule)

Click below to view the complete 12-month calendar, along with other helpful information about various bell schedules. Please refer to these calendars for important dates and special class schedules throughout the year.

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.