May 30, 2025

8th Grade Promotion: Important

Any families planning on taking their son or daughter home after the promotion will need to sign out at the front doors with Mrs. Kennedy. Please bring your driver's license to expedite the process. Unfortunately, friends' parents will not be permitted to take other people's children home with them.

To help speed up this process, you can use the link listed below beforehand.

Student Signout Link

8th Grade Promotion Schedule:

8:30am: Doors Open (Auditorium parking lot)

8:45-10am: Breakfast with Slideshow

10:00-11:15am: Promotion Ceremony

11:15-11:30am: Clapout

Last Day of School

There will be an early release for the last day of school on Tuesday, June 3rd, at 1:30 p.m. Buses will run the same routes, just an hour earlier. Please plan accordingly.

School Supplies for the 2025-26 School Year

IMS is once again partnering with locally-owned company 1st Day School Supplies to provide parents the option of purchasing school supplies prior to the start of the school year. Supply kits will be delivered directly to the school in August. The deadline to purchase your child's kit is June 30th.

LINK to order Supplies

State Testing Results

We wanted to inform you that the spring state test scores for Math and ELA (all grades) and Science (grades 5 and 8) have been released. You can now view your child's results through their ProgressBook account.

Official family score reports will be sent home once they are provided by the state.

To view your child's scores online, please follow these simple steps:

Log in to your child’s ProgressBook account.
Select Menu
Click on Assessment Scores
Choose the appropriate assessment:

You will also see an option to view Older Scores if you'd like to look at previous years' results.

If you need help logging in or have any questions about the scores, feel free to reach out to the school office!

IMS PTO

Dear Independence Middle School Families,

The IMS PTO Executive Board wants to hear from you!

As we plan for the upcoming school year, your feedback and ideas are essential in helping us better serve our students, staff, and school community.

We’ve created an online survey to gather your thoughts on what’s working well, what could be improved, and what new initiatives you’d like to see from the PTO. Whether you’re a regular volunteer or haven’t had the chance to get involved yet, your voice is important.

Why take the survey?

Help shape future PTO events and programs
Share your experiences and suggestions
Let us know how we can better support you and your child

It only takes about 10 minutes, and your input will directly impact the direction of our PTO efforts. Click the "Take Survey" link below to take the online survey!

Thank you for being a vital part of the IMS community. We truly appreciate your time and support!

Your IMS PTO Executive Board

Vy Mancini, President

Felicia Buntura, Vice President

Natalie McAllister, Treasurer

Sara Dlugolinski, Corresponding Secretary

Melissa Knezevic, Recording Secretary

Nikita Schmiedel, Ways & Means

PTO Survey

Device Collection

All grades will have school-issued device collection on Monday, June 2nd. This includes the Chromebook and Charger.

Lost and Found

Recognize any of these items? If so, your son or daughter has left one or more things behind that need to be claimed. Please know that once school is over, we will donate all unclaimed items to a local Goodwill.

Locker Clean Out

Starting next week, all grades will arrange for locker cleanouts. Please discuss with your son or daughter to start bringing non-essential items and decorations home to avoid being disposed of of in the trash.

IHS Volleyball

IHS Girls Volleyball team will be meeting on Monday June 2nd at 3pm in the High School Cafeteria. For those that are unable to attend, please email Coach Messina at coachpopztm4@yahoo.com or Coach Kilner at gina.kilner@yahoo.com for information on summer open gyms and workouts.

Thank you,

Brett Diehl

Athletic Director

***Important Dates for Next Year’s WEB LEADERS***

Mark your calendars for WEB Leader Training and 5th Grade Orientation!

Just a reminder to mark your calendars for the following dates:

Tuesday, August 12, 2025 8:00am - 3:00pm (WEB Leader Training Date)
Thursday, August 14, 2025 8:15 am - 12:00 pm (5th Grade Orientation, 5th graders will arrive at 9:00am)

What else you need to know: A reminder will be sent over the summer, with these dates, to the parent’s/guardian’s primary email address in ProgressBook. Students will also receive a reminder on the Remind App and in their school email.

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at rpietrzak@independence.k12.oh.us

8th-Grade Parents

Dear Parents and Students,

I am sending along some information for summer service hours, if interested. Eighth graders attending IHS can start earning service hours for graduation the day after they graduate from IMS. Forms can be turned in to me in the fall, or emailed to me over the summer. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact the person listed directly. If you have an event/organization that is looking for volunteers you can email me at kwhitacre@independence.k12.oh.us

Thank you,

Mrs. Whitacre

Community Service Coordinator

iCan Bike Cleveland

iCan Bike Cleveland is looking for volunteers June 9th-June 13th in the Independence Field House. If interested, please Rob Fellinger at robfellinger@yahoo.com

See attached flyers.

Cornerstone of Hope

Ongoing

Gift Shop Brightening: any day of the week before 4:00pm: GIFT SHOP BRIGHTENING

Baking for our support groups: BAKING!

You can apply to be a Cornerstone of Hope Youth Volunteer at this link: Youth Volunteer Application and Sue will contact you or your parents for opportunities to volunteer at our bereavement center where our mission and goal is “Never Grieve Alone”. To find out more about our organization, please go to Cornerstone of Hope. For questions, call Sue Mackovjak, Volunteer Coordinator, at Cornerstone of Hope: (216) 524-4673 EXT 234.

Summer Playground Volunteers Needed

This six week program is a great way to give back to your community and ensure children (and you!) have a fantastic summer! Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays: June 17-July 24 (8:30AM-2:30PM). Training June 9th, 10th, & 16th. Contact Erin Spencer at spencere@independenceohio.org for additional information.

Senior Resident Assistance Senior residents in the City of Independence are often looking for hig

school students to help with tasks in their yard or around their house.

Hours will be awarded only for service for which a student is NOT paid.

Some of the tasks you may apply for are listed below:

Car Washing

Cleaning Gutters

Decorating for the Holidays

Dog Walking

Hedge Trimming

Lawn Mowing

Leaf Raking

Moving Boxes/Objects

Residents are responsible for providing equipment for task completion

Your information will be given to the resident requesting assistance with the tasks with which you indicated an interest in helping.

The resident will contact you to discuss the task and to make arrangements for task completion.

You will complete the task and ask the resident to sign your Community Service Form.

If interested, contact: Jennifer Zisk-Vitron zisk-vitronj@independenceohio.org

Independence Library:

Play the Summer Reading Game: Color My World

June 2- July 31st

Teen Stop-Motion Animation 2 Day Program Ages 11-18

Wednesday & Thursday June 11^th & 12th: 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Age group: Teens Grade 6-12

Create your own movie using Stop Motion for iPad during this 2-day workshop! Bring a flash drive or we can email your video to you. Bring your own figures to animate or use the ones we have on hand. Registration required.

VolunTeens - Ages 11-18

Tuesdays, June 17th July 22^nd and Wednesday August 6th : 7:00pm - 8:00pm

Age group: Ages 11-18

Volunteer at the library, earn service hours. We will work on a project benefiting the library or for a need in the community. Please register.

Teen Screen Printing 2-day workshop - Ages 11-18

Wednesday, July 30 & Thursday July 31^st : 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Age group: Teens (Grade 6-12)

Learn the creative process of screen printing. 2-day workshop. Bring your own plain T-shirts or use a tote bag that we provide. July 30th creating the stencil and July 31st printing day.

Registration required and opens on Sunday, June 1 2025 at 9:00am

Make crepes! - Grades 6-12

Saturday, August 09: 2:00pm - 4:00pm

Age group: Teens (Grade 6-12)

Crêpes are light, flexible pancakes just waiting for you to dress them up with tasty fillings. Join us to learn the art of cooking, flipping and filling these French classics. Bon appétit! Registration required and opens on Sunday, June 1 2025 at 9:00am

Independence Branch of Cuyahoga County Public library

www.cuyahogalibrary.org

6361 Selig Dr. Independence Ohio 44131

216.447.0160

Dottie Louis

BSL I Teen

Cuyahoga County Public Library

Independence Branch

6361 Selig Dr. / Independence OH 44131-4926

p 216.447.0160 / f 216.447.1371

cuyahogalibrary.org

Important Dates/Events

June:

2: 8th grade promotion

3: Last Day of School- Day ends at 1:30

3: End of 4th quarter

Safe Schools Helpline

This Helpline has been developed for you and other students, parents, and staff members to help maintain your safety and the most positive school environment possible. The purpose of the Safe School Helpline is to promote school safety and report wrongdoings or illegal activity. Any type of information involving a threatening situation to students, the school, or staff should be reported. Examples include thoughts of suicide or self-harm, violence, weapons, bullying, drugs and alcohol, and theft.

Access Link: https://www.safeschoolhelpline.com/

800-4-1-VOICE ext. 359

800-418-6423/ Text:66746, TIPS

Independence Local Schools | www.independence.k12.oh.us