September 2024

View the full calendar of events at IMSA.edu.

IMPORTANT DATES

September 23-27: Homecoming week activities

September 28: Homecoming

September 28: Family Day

October 4: End of 1st Quarter

October 11: Leon Lederman & Alumni Awards Assembly

October 12: Student Fall Break Begins - Halls Close at 12noon

October 14: State Holiday - Academy Closed

October 20: Halls Open at 3PM

October 21: Classes Resume

October 28 - Nov. 1 - Mental Health Week

2024-2025 CALENDAR

2024-2025 STUDENT AND PARENT HANDBOOK

Homecoming Events:

Monday, September 23, 2024 - Support Girls Volleyball!

Tuesday, September 24, 2024 - Flag Football Game

Thursday, September 26, 2024 - Game Show

Friday, September 27, 2024 - End of Day Pep Rally, Boys Soccer Game

Saturday, September 28, 2024 - Dinner Trip Shuttles, Homecoming Dance

Senior Class Club Merchandise:

Did you purchase merchandise from Senior Class Club’s recent online store? Stop by to pick it up during Family Day on Sept 28, 2024!

DOWNSTATE BUS INTEREST FORM

Student Affairs and PAC will be working together to coordinate the downstate buses this school year. Please complete the downstate bus interest form below on or before Friday, September 6, 2024. The downstate interest form will close end of day Friday, September 6, 2024.

After the interest form submissions are reviewed, you will receive more information the following week. Please look out for emails from mratsamy@imsa.edu.

2024-2025 DOWNSTATE BUS INTEREST FORM

STUDENT SAFETY COMMITTEE

IMSA Parents and Students,

Welcome to the new school year! We are excited to announce the schedule for the Student Safety Committee meetings for the 2024 -2025 school year. Our meeting will take place in IN2 on the second Monday of each month. All students are welcome and encouraged to participant in these important

discussions on school safety. We look forward to your involvement! The safety of the community is the responsibility of Faculty, Staff and Students.

Titans together,

Director Willie M Mayes Sr.

Campus Safety and Security Operations

DROPPING OFF ITEMS TO YOUR STUDENTS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY

Dropping off medication for your student should be hand delivered to the School Nurse. You can do so by entering the main building and letting security know you are dropping medication off to the School Nurse. The School Nurse's hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. If the School Nurse is not available please have Security call Student Affairs to hand deliver to a staff member.

Dropping off packages, groceries, clothing and other items Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. should be dropped off at the dock, door 6. Please be sure all packages have the student's first and last name, residence hall and room number on them. Packages received will be stored in a locker and your student will receive a pick up notification with details on how to retrieve their package. Any packages or items being dropped off after 4:30 p.m. or on weekends can be dropped off to your student's residence hall.

Congratulations to our IMSA girls volleyball team!

The IMSA Girls Volleyball team finished 2nd (out of 12) at the Schaumburg Christian Tournament on Saturday, August 31. Stella Ristic (43 kills), Maya Jimenez (38) and Tyra Church (27) lead the attack with Amani Harrington scoring 20 aces (2nd best in the state!). The team is 4-1.

REQUIRED SOPHOMORE SEMINAR

The Sophomore Seminar aims to introduce and familiarize students with the IMSA campus, environment, and academic life to foster a sense of belonging. It is held during the first semester of a student’s sophomore year and provides resources that support their transition to IMSA. Topics covered include strategies for developing academic success and engaging with peers and staff.

2024-2025 SOPHOMORE SEMINAR SCHEDULE

There are now two weekly fitness opportunities for staff and students in the Multi-Purpose Room!

Every Monday during S & E there will be a Weight Lifting Class that is designed for:

Anyone that wants to learn weight lifting exercises and proper technique in a safe and fun environment.
Anyone that loves working out and weight lifting.
Anyone that doesn't love weight lifting, but wants weekly motivation to do it and get stronger!

Every I-Day at 3pm there will be another Group Fitness Class that will:

Incorporate cardio, strength, and core exercises
Designed to be a full body workout class that challenges you and helps you meet your fitness goals
Make you feel like a Superhero when you are finished

STUDENT SIGN-OUT REMINDERS

IMSA ID & Driver's License must be present during the student's check-out.
If you do not have an IMSA ID, the parent/guardian/visitor must obtain one from the Security Desk in the main building.
During the Academic Day, students must sign out in the Attendance Office from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Typically Monday-Friday, including Wednesday).
After 3:30 p.m. on Academic Days, including Wednesdays, and from 10 a.m. to 12 a.m. on off days (typically Saturday and Sunday), you can sign your student out in the RC office of your student's residence hall.
When signing a student out before the Hall or Attendance Office opens, the parent/guardian must confirm with the RCs that the student has permission to sign out, time of sign-out, time of return, and whom they will be signing out with.
Security does not sign students out.
The RC on duty will always confirm in PowerSchool that the student has permission to sign out with the parent/guardian/approved visitor.

GUIDELINE FOR STUDENT POSTERS IN THE

RESIDENCE HALLS

New bulletin boards have been put up in the residence halls for student posters. Only the following groups may place advertisements in the halls: Student Council Groups, Departmental Student Groups, and RSL/RC Programming/Events.

Students must go to the RC Office of each residence hall to ask for permission to display the poster in the residence hall. Posters can only be displayed on the residence hall bulletin board; no other space in the halls or posters will be taken down.

Welcome Triston Robb,

School Counselor Intern!

A little bit about Triston:

I have grown up all over this suburban area, but I spent most of my time growing up in Yorkville which is where I graduated from high school. I stayed in the area for college, playing tennis and earning my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from North Central College. I am currently finishing up my Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

For the last almost three years now, I have been working for Thresholds, which is a non-profit organization who serves

individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders. I have worked with older adults and now I work with younger adults in my time there. My primary focus there is to help individuals build and maintain independent living skills. IMSA is such a special and unique opportunity for these students which made it seem like the perfect place for me to do my internship and I could not be more excited.

My counseling style depends on the student coming in because every student is unique and has their own goals, but I typically come from a cognitive behavioral lens. This means that I try to help you recognize how your thoughts impact your behaviors. I strive to build a positive therapeutic relationship and work collaboratively with each student to help them achieve their goals.

In my personal life, I like to spend time with my family and friends doing things outside, cooking meals, being active with activities such as pickleball, and watching sports. I also love dogs and have a pug named Howie.

IMSA WELCOME WEEK RECAP

2024 Welcome Week featured a variety of activities aimed at sharing information, developing extracurricular interests, and fostering camaraderie as students transitioned back into the IMSA community. The week included opportunities for students to meet or reconnect with peers and engage intentionally with IMSA staff and faculty. Activities ranged from both on- and off-campus events, such as trips to Cantigny, Phillips Park Zoo, and Downtown Aurora’s Farmers Market, a face painting workshop, an alumni-led dance class, and a dodgeball tournament. Other highlights included a campus-wide scavenger hunt, an outdoor movie, an ice cream social led by the Student Council and Campus Activities Board, and a Council of Campus Equity event showcasing different cultures on campus. The week also featured the IMSA Convocation, a formal gathering that marks the official start of the academic year. Welcome Week concluded with the Carnival, where families joined students for IMSA’s annual celebration.

IMSA DAY OF SERVICE AUGUST 21, 2024

The IMSA school year began with our annual Day of Service event on August 21, 2024. This event provides students with the opportunity to volunteer and serve both the IMSA community and the broader external community alongside their peers, staff, and faculty. A total of 350 students, staff, faculty, and IMSA parents/guardians participated across eight physical locations and four remote projects, resulting in over 1,000 hours of service in a single day. Additionally, 30 hours of service were completed for Carnival preparation, assistance during the event, and cleanup the following Saturday. We extend our gratitude to the following organizations for their involvement in the Day of Service: Edith Farnsworth House, Maddie’s Mitten March, Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry locations, Red Oak Nature Center, Jericho Lake Park, and FermiLab Natural Area.

Class of 2025 Graduation Requirement

Please be cognizant of deadlines coming up for service learning and graduation. Please take the time to log your service hours into Helper Helper as soon as possible. The deadline for senior service learning hours is May 19, 2025. This means service learning hours must be logged in Helper Helper, approved by the site coordinator, AND approved by your RC to transfer them into PowerSchool. Service learning numbers displayed in PowerSchool are the only ones that apply toward graduation, so stay on top of this process. Helper Helper to PowerSchool data transfers will happen 2-3 times 1st semester and monthly 2nd semester. Students and parents/guardians will receive emails with their students' status for graduation throughout the year.

Clash 2025 Service Learning Requirements

Please see below for this year’s Clash 2025 service learning participation requirements! The goal is to ensure that students are on track for graduation while fully enjoying the week of activities. It’s important to plan ahead so that participation in Clash isn’t hindered. If you have any questions about your requirements as we approach Clash, please contact Mrs. Emma at ewilson1@imsa.edu.

Class of 2025: 160 Hours

Class of 2026: 85 Hours

Class of 2027: 35 Hours

LEAD: 1st Semester Information

The LEAD program is a student-facilitated course for sophomore students. At IMSA, we believe that leadership can be learned through discussion and application. Thus, this semester is designed to take an intricate look at various definitions, theories, models, and conceptualizations of leadership. Students are challenged to think critically about leadership during peer-to-peer facilitated class discussions, hands-on exercises, and group work. More information about both semesters of the LEAD program can be found here.

LEAD takes place on Wednesday nights from 8:30-9:30 PM. This is a weekly program unless otherwise noted in the LEAD 24-25 CORE Syllabus. Please pay attention to the attendance, expectation, and engagement policies. Attendance is taken within 5 minutes of every class.

Upcoming LEAD Modules:

September 11, 2024: Community Leadership and Intersectionality

September 18, 2024: Conflict Management

September 25, 2024: Activism in LEADership