Congrats to IPS Preschool for achieving the prestigious Step Up to Quality Gold Award! This recognition highlights the program’s dedication to providing high-quality early childhood education. A banner will be displayed at the IPS preschool entrance to celebrate this achievement.
School counselors are more than advisors—they're mentors, advocates, and champions for student success. We appreciate your dedication Brooke, Natalie, Connie and Kyle, to nurturing our students' academic, personal, and emotional growth! #SchoolCounselingWeek
Students at IHS demonstrated strong results in recent End-of-Course (EOC) exams, particularly in government. The data will be used to inform future instruction and help students achieve academic success.
Independence Primary, Middle and High School will now experience enhanced security with the newly installed visitor management systems. Guests will register using their driver’s license and receive a printed badge for identification while inside the building.
Our first graders were given the challenge to create something that represents them! From favorite activities to beloved characters, their creativity truly shined through. 🌟💡 We love seeing their unique personalities and passions come to life in their creations! ❤️
The Ohio Music Education Association Professional Development Conference is this weekend at the Cleveland Convention Center. Three days of networking, over 30 ensembles performing and nearly 300 sessions presented by nationally recognized master teachers demonstrating research-based, best practices in the field of music education- it’s one of the largest state music conferences in the country.
Members of our Independence community are performing at this prestigious conference! IPS Music teacher, Shannon Jakubczak, is performing as a member of the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus!
Choral accompanist, Nada Montgomery, is performing as a member of the Cleveland Winds!
IHS Junior, Tillie Averre, is performing as a member of the 2025 Ohio All State Choir at 2pm on Friday February 7.
Please wish these talented women well as they represent Independence and these distinguished ensembles.
Congrats to our Power of the Pen writers!
First Place 7th-Grade Team award!
Seventh-grade individual awards:
Cam Bauman - 12th Place
Scarlett Lewis - 10th Place
Aubrey Volk - 3rd Place
Freddie Averre - 2nd Place
Eighth-grade:
Nicole Mehosky - 12th Place
There were 14 teams and 144 writers total! Proud of our Blue Devil writers!
Good luck to our 7th- and 8th-grade Power of the Pen teams as they compete at the Roxboro creative writing tournament today!
Join our team! Independence Local Schools is hiring substitute cafeteria workers! Interested or know someone who might be the perfect fit? Contact Francine Kane at fkane@independence.k12.oh.us. or 216/642-5853
Oh, how the times have changed! Yearbooks are like little time capsules from the past! 🕰️💙 #TBT #Classof1961 #Seniors
25 talented 3rd & 4th-grade IPS students from the English language arts enrichment program have been selected for publication in "Young Writers USA Scary Tales: The Witching Hour," a national youth writing competition.
"Our students have demonstrated extraordinary creativity and discipline by crafting compelling 100-word mini sagas. This achievement showcases the exceptional writing talent within our ELA program," says Principal TJ Ebert.
The student writers faced a challenging prompt: create an original, suspenseful story within strict word count limitations. The publication will come out in the spring.
Shout out to IPS Gifted/Intervention Specialist Michele Crum who led the lesson!
Where in the world is Kana? After graduating from IHS in 2020, Kana Wisniewski went to Ohio University, originally for pre-medicine. Board member Ron Bernstein received a letter from Kana around the holidays. She is living in Taiwan and teaching grades 3-6. She is doing a lot of translation, revolving around English!
Kana was a member of the IHS Drama Club, choir, National Honor Society, Yearbook Club, Student Council, and Academic Challenge. She was the president of Biology Society and was the senior class secretary.
We are proud of you, Kana! Continue making a difference and carrying on a legacy of excellence.
At the January 21 Board of Education meeting, Independence Local Schools accepted two generous donations totaling $20,000.
Playhouse Square donated lighting fixtures and equipment worth approximately $10,000, which will be distributed between the middle and high school auditoriums. The district extended special thanks to alumnus Dave Synek for facilitating the donation.
Additionally, the district received $10,000 from the estate of an avid supporter of the arts in education, Dr. Sluberski. This gift will help support the schools' mission of providing support programming enhancements for the arts.
Treasurer Jennifer Knapp expressed gratitude for the contributions, emphasizing their positive impact on students and the community.
Our 5-8 grade students just rocked their iReady Winter Diagnostics! All grades showed impressive growth, reflecting our students' and teachers' incredible dedication. We're now creating targeted learning groups and launching small-group interventions to support every student's success. Growth mindset in action! 💡
Calling all athletes and club members! What activities did you join during your time at #IHS? 🏈🧑⚖️ #ThrowbackThursday #HighSchoolAthlete #HighSchoolClubs
🎉 January is Board of Education Recognition Month! We are incredibly grateful for the dedication, leadership, and hard work of our Independence Local Schools Board of Education members. Their commitment to our students, staff, and community ensures that we can provide exceptional educational opportunities every day. To show our appreciation, our amazing primary school students made a special video to thank our board members. Be sure to check it out! 👏💙💛 https://youtu.be/xX4ZugxSZQ4
Give Your Child the Best Start! The Integrated Preschool Program at Independence Primary School is now accepting applications for the 2025-26 school year.
✔️ Open to Independence residents
✔️ Designed for children ages 3–5
✔️ A nurturing environment to grow, learn, and thrive
⏳ Deadline: Friday, January 24, 2025
📅 Screening Date: Friday, February 7, 2025
Learn more and apply today! Spaces are limited.
👉 Click below for details and the application process.
📞 Questions? Contact Lauren Salcer at 216-642-5870 ext. 1408 or lsalcer@independence.k12.oh.us.
Due to extremely cold temperatures, we are canceling school for Tuesday and Wednesday this week. All school activities, including athletic events and practices, are also canceled for these two days. The Board of Ed meeting tomorrow at 6 pm will still be occurring. Please stay safe and warm during this time. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we prioritize the safety of our students and staff.
Thank you, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Thursday.
"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically." - MLK Jr.
Proud to see our students embracing these principles every day as they grow into thoughtful, engaged citizens. 🎓
Congratulations to our JustWrite team...grand champions! Our Blue Devils scored the highest out of 16 schools!
