Independence High School
9/9/2024
Principal's Update
Sixer Community,
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Back To School Night last week. This Friday is the end of the first marking period. Remember that all IHS students are eligible for the Spartan East Side Promise (SESP) if they maintain the minimum requirements of A-G Eligibility (earning a C or higher in college prep courses). More information on SESP can be found through the link under the counseling corner.
Once grades are posted, we will begin reviewing trends and patterns within the data, comparing grades and attendance to celebrate the accomplishments of students doing well and identify students who may need different levels of support.
Now that we have established our normal traffic patterns of pick-up and drop off, please remain mindful about not blocking traffic or our neighbors.
What's Happening This Week
Tuesday, Sept. 10: Fall Counseling Parenting Night | 5:30-6:30pm | The Learning Center (Student Union) *more information in the Counseling Section
CLUB RUSH WEEK - Lunchtime @ Theater Quad
Tues. Sept 10: Cultural & Performance Clubs
Wed. Sept 11: Social // Entertainment + Service // Humanitarian Clubs
Thu. Sept 12: Academic // Performing Arts // ASSETS
Friday Night Lights @ IHS Stadium
Fri. Sept 13th: Sixers Football vs Evergreen Valley Cougars
JV - 4:30pm Varsity - 7:15pmSIXER Shoutout
“Thank you, Rovin Inocencio, for organizing our clubs at a school-wide level. Clubs are an extremely important part of the high school experience. Clubs are a main contributor of campus climate by connecting students to each other and the school. Students experience a supportive campus when they walk through a club fair or see a club on stage. Thank you for your hard work!” ~Dr. LaMontagne, MTSS Implementation
Congratulations to our We Are Engaged School-Wide Lesson drawing winners: Nathan Wong (freshman), Jose Valencia (junior), Daisy Villeda (sophomore)! Thank you for participating in the We Are Engaged School-Wide Lesson!
Our SIXER Values in Action
Here are some ways our Sixers show respect to each other, on campus, and in the community:
“You can show respect in a classroom through listening quietly to others and participating among others with respect.” ~Marcheline Ferm Maglilong, Freshman
“By being kind, greeting, thinking about what you say before you say it, and making sure your actions and words don’t affect others in a wrong way.” ~Keyanni Griffith, Junior
“Don’t make fun of them for small things such as getting a question wrong. You’re just deterring them from success and losing focus from the class just to pick on somebody.” ~Tiffany Nguyen, Freshman
“Em nghĩ là lễ phép và nghe lời thầy để tôn trọng thầy , còn bạn bè thì phải góp ý giải thích ,giúp đỡ.” ~Tuong Vong, Junior
“Showing respect to our campus and community is important because littering is like ruining the environment and just doesn’t make our campus look presentable.” ~Ariana Zarate, Sophomore
“I show respect on campus by respecting staff members and what they do for us students, especially for the hard working janitors by being responsible for trash that I have or see.” ~Helen To, Junior
Sixers are amazing! If you missed the “We Are Respectful” school-wide lesson, and would like to share how you respect others or our community, view it and submit your response HERE!
IHS Counseling Corner
Fall Counseling Parent Night:
IHS Counseling will be hosting our first parent night of the school year on Tuesday, Sept. 10, starting at 5:30 p.m. in the Learning Center (located in the Student Union). We will be covering a wide range of information such as graduation requirements, updates in college requirements, how to support your student, and much more. The presentation will be provided in three languages: English, Spanish and Vietnamese. We hope to see you there!
Classroom Counseling Lesson:
Last week, IHS Counseling completed our first lesson of the year to seniors through their Am. Government/Economics class. Students were given a timeline of senior year, tips on how to prepare for senior year and what to do when they start feeling overwhelmed.
This week’s lesson to freshman students, through their PE 1 class, will be focusing on the transition to high school, what it means to be a SIXER, and how to effectively communicate. Be sure to check in with your freshman to see what they learned!
All lessons and materials will be posted on each grade level page of the counseling website.
Upcoming Dates:
Sept. 10: Fall Counseling Parent Night | 5:30-6:30pm | The Learning Center (Student Union)
Sept. 13: Freshman Counseling Classroom Lesson through PE 1 Class
Sept. 20: Sophomore Counseling Classroom Lesson through PE 2 Class
Sept. 23: ESUHSD College Night | 5-8pm | Large Gym/IHS Theater
Sept. 27: Junior Counseling Classroom Lesson through US History Class
Counselor Caseload:
Due to personnel changes, there has been a shift in counselor caseload. Please make note of your student’s counselor as it may have changed.
Ms. Pham: Last Names A-Chi | 408.928.9680 | phamm@esuhsd.org
Mr. Hennessey: Last Names Chj-Hd | 408.928.9563 | hennesseym@esuhsd.org
Ms. Fernandez: Last Names He-Maq | 408.928.9574 | fernandezf@esuhsd.org
Ms. Huynh: Last Names Mar-Par | 408.928.9567 | huynhtt@esuhsd.org
Ms. Marquez: Last Names Pas-Sq | 408.928.9568 | marquezl@esuhsd.org
Ms. Liang: Last Names Sr-Z | 408.928.9546 | liangb@esuhsd.org
Athletics Updates
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
M. Robinson
Announcements:
Congratulations to our Sixer Girls’ Golf team for opening their season with victory over Gilroy High School.
Sixer Football back in action on Friday, 9/13/24 vs Evergreen Valley @ Lee Evans Stadium. JV @ 4:30 | V @ you 7:15pm. Get your tickets at GoFan.
In order to participate in a sport, you must be registered through www.athleticclearance.com. You can visit our website to learn how to navigate the registration site.
All athletes must have a current physical on file in Athletic Clearance (dated after 6/1/24).
Go6ers!
Week of 9/9/24
Fall Sports
Sixer Football:
Friday, 9/13/24 vs. EVHS, JV @ 4:30, Varsity @ 7:15
Coach Braun (braunj@esuhsd.org)
Sixer Golf (girls):
Sixer Volleyball (girls): Coach Kenny (ng.kenneth02@gmail.com)
Sixer Cross Country (boys & girls):
Sixer Tennis (girls): Coach Scott (rl20ii@yahoo.com)
Sixer Water Polo (boys & girls): Coach Martinez (rodriguez.adrian1821@gmail.com)
Sixer Girls’ Flag Football:
Saturday, 9/14/24 Harbor HS Tournament TBA
Coach Baker (bakerl@esuhsd.org)
Winter Sports
Sixer Basketball (b):
Sixer Basketball (g): Coach Singh (singh@esuhsd.org)
Sixer Soccer (b): Coach Mendez (fmendez888@gmail.com)
Sixer Soccer (g): Coach Kimball (mskimball1997@gmail.com)
Sixer Wrestling: Coach Thompson (njakeg1209@yahoo.com)
Spring Sports
Sixer Badminton: Coach Allen Trinh (atrinh1219@gmail.com)
Sixer Baseball: Coach Fernandes (fernandesp@esuhsd.org)
Sixer Golf: Coach Bartholomew (bartholomewr@esuhsd.org)
Sixer Softball: Coach Yenchik
Sixer Swim: Coach Martinez (martinezad@esuhsd.org)
Sixer Tennis: Coach James (jesse316james@yahoo.com)
Sixer Track and Field
Sixer Volleyball: Coach Nguyen (ng.kenneth02@gmail.com)
Visit Sixer Athletics for up to date information about athletics! Follow us on Instagram: @indyathletics
Visit GoFan.co to purchase tickets
Activities Updates
On a quest to find a new interest, hobby, or friend?
Come out to Club Rush @ Lunch in the Theater Quad by the Student Union
on Tues. Sept 10 - Thu. Sept 12 to check out what our school community has to offer.
School Pictures
It's not too late to order school pictures! You can do so by going to mylifetouch.com click on the button that says Start Using Student ID Enter the city, state and school name, followed by entering the first name, last name and the student ID. The name entered needs to exactly as it appears on the ID card and in the school's data base. All packages will be shipped to the home address, for additional support please call customer service at 1.800.736.4753 Images are only available for 11months after picture day.
Follow us on Instagram:
Stay up to date on all student activities and events at IHS - be sure to follow your ASB accounts:
And, your class account for important information specific to your grade level:
Interested in welcoming the new school year with a show stopping performance?
Safety & Attendance
We are a CLOSED Campus!
This is a friendly reminder to students and parents that we are a closed campus. Students should not be leaving the school grounds during school hours, particularly during break and lunch for safety reasons. The Public Library and Overfelt Gardens are off limits.
Students should not be hanging out in the parking lots during passing periods, break and or lunch. Staff members will ask the students to go back to the main campus.
NO DOORDASH!
Doordash is not allowed. We are a closed campus and we do not want strangers driving onto our campus and delivering food to minors. Students may not walk off campus to get a delivery either. This is a safety issue!
Parents, please do not send food deliveries to your student. ALL students may eat for free at break and lunch.
Dress and Attire
The expectations for clothing are clean, covered and appropriate. This means no clothing that displays explicit or derogatory language, no drug or alcohol references, no sexually explicit images or nudity, and no gang references or symbols.
Any clothing or accessory item that the Administration deems a safety issue will be addressed with the student and we will work with them to find a solution.
Saturday School!
Come to Saturday School this year and recover an unexcused absence or an excused illness absence. A teacher will be there to help you with your academics. Use the time to study or work on missing assignments. Our next Saturday School is 9/21 at 8:45am in the Student Union. We will feed you! Please plan to stay until 12:45pm. Please see Ms. Goltzer or Ms. Andrade in C05 for questions or concerns. Use the form to sign up!
https://forms.gle/YLYgSvMsCKkrNba48
Attendance Matters!
September is Attendance Awareness Month.
Did you know.... Absences can be a sign that a teen is losing interest, struggling with school work, dealing with a bully or facing some other difficulty.
The C-05 office will continue to focus on attendance as we continue to strive towards our mission: Students Engaged in the Classroom. We would like to continue to remind SIXERs the importance of being on time, all day, every day, and that there is a correlation between attendance, grades and graduation. Avoid the truancy process!
Students who are consistently tardy or absent will meet with Ms. Goltzer and/or one of our Parent Community Involvement Specialists or a Student Advisor. We may request a parent meeting as well.
Parents, if you need to report a student’s tardiness or absence, please do so as soon as possible. The Attendance Office is in the Student Union. If you would like to phone instead, use the following phone numbers based on your student’s last name:
Attendance Staff
Short Term Independent Studies
Jennifer Andrade - 408.928.9521
Student last names A - L
Diana Castillo - 408.928.9552
Student last names M-Z
Thao Pham - 408.928.9542
Say Something
Students and Parents,
Our highest priority is safety. If you witness or experience something that makes you feel uncomfortable, unsafe, or that could potentially become a safety issue, please report it. You can do so anonymously. We have a link to the SAY SOMETHING app on our Independence website. Please give the Administration as much information as possible so that we may investigate the issue. You do not have to use your name. I am providing the link here as well. Let’s work together to keep our campus and community safe!
https://www.p3campus.com/tipform.aspx?ID=3000
Parking Permits
Students who park on campus must have a parking permit. Please register your vehicle in C-05 and get your permit. Please display it in your vehicle when you park on campus. We ask that students park in the N1 parking lot (the large parking lot in front of the N1 Administration building).
Please drive safely in our parking lots. They are regularly monitored and any unsafe driving or driving at high speeds will not be tolerated. You may be cited and asked to park on the street in the future if you participate in these behaviors. We are a busy campus and you do not want to cause an accident or injure pedestrians.
You are not permitted to “hang out” in your vehicle during the school day.
Use the following link to register your vehicle. Pick up your permit in C-05.
https://forms.gle/WYhojwBqVvRouXUGA
Parent and Community Specialist Corner
September has arrived, and with it, Attendance Awareness Month! We urge you to discuss with your student the significance of consistent attendance and punctuality for every class. Last year, we achieved our 95% attendance target, and with your continued support and motivation, we can exceed that goal this year.
This week, let's focus on being punctual. Make sure to arrive at school and class on time. Remember, three tardies will be counted as one unexcused absence.
Attendance Matters. On Time. All Day. Every Day.
Coffee with the Principal: Wednesday, September 11, 2024 9am via ZOOM
Parent Workshop - Info Night: Wednesday, September 18, 2024 6pm
Please refer to the flyer below for information on upcoming parent meetings.
For any questions or concerns please contact your Parent & Community Involvement Specialists (PCIS) Ms. Ha phamha@esuhsd.org 408.928.9598 or Ms. Maggie rodriguezm@esuhsd.org 408.928.9541.
Parents: For technology access please see the flyer below. As a reminder your student can share the pairing code for CANVAS.
Please refer to the academic calendar 2024-2025 to support you in the planning of any holiday vacations. As a reminder, vacations are not excuse absences in session days.
COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Sacred Heart Community Service
Second Harvest Food Bank nearest Food pickup
● 988 Crisis and Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Get Help - Behavioral Health Services - County of Santa Clara (sccgov.org); informational flyer for mental health teams (attached)
● Black Youth & Suicide: A guide on suicide risk and mental health support for Black youth in Santa Clara County
● LGBTQ Youth Space (ages 13-25): https://youthspace.org/
● allcove: https://allcove.org/centers/palo-alto/
● Downtown Youth Wellness Center (ages 12-25) – flyer attached; Programs – Alum Rock Counseling Center (alumrockcc.org)
● Santa Clara County Office of Education - Department of Youth Health & Wellness
● Headspace for Teens: https://www.headspace.com/teens
● Crisis Text Line: https://www.crisistextline.org
For any questions or concerns, please get in touch with Ms. Ha phamha@esuhsd.org 408.928.9598 or Ms. Maggie rodriguezm@esuhsd.org 408.928.9541.
Mental Health & Wellness Corner
Services offered at the Wellness Center
The Mental Health and Wellness team includes social workers, interns, and community based organizations (CBO’s) that work together to provide mental health support to IHS students. The Wellness Center team offers referrals to community resources, group counseling, short term individual counseling, crisis intervention and education about mental health and wellness. Visit us in room D-01 to learn more!
How do I submit a referral?
Students, parents, teachers, and community members may submit a referral for any student at Independence by visiting the link below and filling out a Care Team referral. A social worker, intern or other school staff member will follow up with the student.
Care Team Referral form: https://forms.doc-tracking.com/48252/48252/2416
Calming Space: The Calming Space is designed to be a place for students who are experiencing stress in class and need a short break to self-regulate. Before students visit the Calming Space, we ask that they check in with their teacher and request a pass. Students may spend 15 minutes in the Calming Space; if they need more time, a wellness center staff member will check in to discuss additional resources and support. Students who visit the calming space during regular class time are expected to check in with Ms. Johnson, our Wellness Center Clerk, when they arrive and before they return to class. We also ask that students keep their electronics put away and that they do not engage in side conversations with other students.
Welcome Intern Team! This week, the 2024-25 Social Work Intern Cohort joined the Wellness Center. This year,
Community Resources & Events
Santa Clara County Suicide and Crisis Hotline
If you or your student need mental health crisis support outside of school hours, you may call 988 to request support from the Santa Clara County Mobile Crisis Response Team. If your phone number does not begin with a 408, 669 or 650 area code, please call 800-704-0900 and press 1.
Santa Clara County Suicide and Crisis Hotline
Downtown Youth Wellness Center
Address: 725 East Santa Clara Street, Suite 105, San Jose, CA 95112
Phone: 408-961-4645
Email: dywc@hhs.sccgov.org
The Downtown Youth Wellness Center is a Behavioral Health program dedicated to promoting a safe, supportive, and youth-focused environment that provides short term Behavioral Health services, focused on prevention and early intervention for youth ages 12-25. Services include same day access to brief behavioral health support, peer support, workshops, well-being groups, social and educational activities, linkage to services/case management (including medical and longer-term behavioral health services), life skills development, education and career planning, independent living skills, and other related care. The DYWC is a partnership between the Behavioral Health Services Department and Alum Rock Counseling Center.
The DYWC is excited to continue to be part of the community that serves the youth in our community. In an ongoing effort to meet the needs of the youth, the DYWC has shifted the hours of operation to Monday through Friday from 10am-7pm.
Where students find their Passion, Purpose, and Path.
Resource Links
School Vision
Contact us
Email: bergbj@esuhsd.org
Website: https://independence.esuhsd.org/index.html
Location: 617 North Jackson Avenue, San Jose, CA, USA
Phone: 4089289500
Twitter: @IndependenceHS