Greetings, Falcon Families!
We had an amazing Back-to-School Night last Monday - we are so grateful that IHS parents and families are supportive and enthusiastic about helping students achieve success. A special thanks, also, for those of you who voted for our Parent Representative positions on the IHS School Site Council. Congratulations to Teresa Arellanes and Yeny Sandoval for earning the two spots, and thank you to everyone who ran - we have some truly incredible parents at Independence!
As we move into the first full month of the school year, we are excited to bring you a variety of services, events, and activities to help your student flourish. For instance, after-school tutoring in English, Math, ELD, Science, and Social Studies begins on Tuesday, September 5 in the cafeteria. A 5:30 late bus will be available for students in the bus loading zone. Please see the tutoring schedule here for more details.
Independence works hard to create a safe and supportive environment for all students - we have already reviewed our high expectations with athletic groups, but will now address each grade level regarding the issues of bullying and harassment. Often, those words are either over- or mis-used; we want to help students understand how to recognize and report harmful behavior to help all Falcons feel safe and respected. Assemblies for each grade level will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions about these presentations.
We’d also like to remind you that LifeTouch will be on campus this Friday (September 8) for school photos. Your student will receive an order form if you’d like to purchase photos. Please note: these photos are only for freshmen through juniors; seniors are required to take their senior portraits through In-Motion Pro.
As mentioned at Back-to-School Night, we receive valuable funding from state and federal resources based on our completion of the “Alternative Income Form,” sometimes referred to as a “lunch application.” By completing this simple online form, you can help IHS maintain funding we depend on for critical student resources.
Please join us at our second volleyball home game this Tuesday against Arvin, and we’d love to see you at South High School on Thursday as our Frosh/Soph and Varsity football teams square off against the Spartans! Coaches Parviainen and Lara will be hard at work, along with our amazing Cross Country athletes, at the annual Falcon Run on Saturday, September 9! And, of course, stay tuned as we start ramping up for this year’s Homecoming!
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns - we are always grateful for your ongoing support and involvement at IHS.
Sincerely,
Guillermo Alvarado, Ed.D
Principal, Independence High School
