Independence High School
8/5/2024
Principal's Update
Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! We welcome all students back to campus on Thursday and start a 180-day journey. This year is not just about academic learning, but also about reconnecting with old friends, making new ones, and setting intentions for personal growth.
Staying connected is vital throughout the school year. While we have many online platforms, nothing can replace the importance of daily classroom attendance and interactions with the lessons crafted by our teachers. Staying current in class and understanding that learning is a process for which there is support is vital. Canvas is our district-sponsored Learning Management system, and all students and parents are to have access to online grade books through it. Parents and Guardians can become "observers" for students. Students can generate a temporary observer code for their guardians to link their accounts. If you need any help with this, our counseling, PCIS, and Administrative team can help provide you with this information.
Our staff is here to make this year a success for all of our students. Please remember that we are always here to help. Allow me to introduce the IHS Administrative team:
Ms. Goltzer - Associate Principal of Administrative Services. Her C-05 office oversees our safety, discipline, facilities, and attendance teams. If you have questions about going on Short Term Independent Studies or safety concerns, please visit Ms. G and the C-05 team.
Mr. Landshof - Associate Principal of Educational Development. His office is in the new student union with our Counseling team. Mr Landshof oversees our counseling team and all scheduling.
Mr. Salgado - Associate Principal of Tiered Supports. His office is in the Student Union, where he supervises our MTSS TOSA, PCIS, and Mental Health & Wellness Team. Mr. Salgado oversees our tiers of support for students on campus, both in and out of the classroom.
SIXER Student Guides
What's Happening This Week
Wednesday, August 7, 2024 - First day for staff (No school for students)
Thursday, August 8, 2024 - First Day of school! Staff Meeting Schedule
Friday, August 9, 2024 - Staff Meeting Schedule
It is important that you please complete the Income Eligibility Form upon enrollment. The Income Eligibility Form only counts when completed during the first year a student is enrolled at this school. The State of California provides funding to schools based on Income Determinations, Foster Youth enrollment, McKinney Vento Youth enrollment, English Language Learner enrollment, Justice Engaged Youth enrollment, and Migrant Youth enrollment.
East Side uses this funding to provide vital services to students, families, and staff at this school and across the district. Some of the services provided are:
Academic Counseling for each student
Mental Health Services for students including counseling and wellness centers
$5 Advanced Placement Exams to qualifying students
Tutoring services for students
Classroom bilingual Para Educators in classes
Summer School
College and financial aid workshops for students and parents
Field Trips
Credit Recovery Classes
Parent support and assistance
Smaller class sizes for our English Language Development classes
Primary language support for our limited English speaking students and parents
Resources, supplies and equipment for schools and classes
Thank you in advance for completing the Income Eligibility Form and helping us maintain and increase the services we can provide to students, families and staff. Use this QR code to go directly to the online application.
SIXER Shoutout
A Sixer Shoutout to our IHS Leadership students, Honorary Eagles, and all of our clubs that participated in New Student Orientation on Friday, August 2nd! New students were able to tour the campus, learn about clubs and other ways to be engaged at IHS! What an exciting time for our new students and you made it a reality. Bravo! ~Dr. LaMontagne, MTSS Implementation
Our SIXER Values in Action
At Independence High School, we strive to be Spirited, Innovative, eXtraordinary, Engaged, and Respectful. These are our SIXER Values. This Friday, we will be discussing these values in each class throughout the day. Students, you will be learning about and sharing how you understand and see these values in your life. Parents and guardians, please encourage your student to participate in the discussions and share their thoughts with each lesson via the Google forms provided by their teachers.
Over the next few weeks, this newsletter will highlight student voices that come from these lessons. Our community will get to know each other through our Sixer Values. Stay tuned! Our students are amazing and we can’t wait to share their voices with you!
Join us on Instagram at: @wearesixers
IHS Counseling Corner
Welcome back, Sixer community! We are excited to start working with students to help guide them towards their goals during and beyond high school! Our counseling website has a ton of resources to get students and families started. School Counselors are also available before school, after school and during break or lunch to assist students. We encourage parents to make appointments to meet with counselors so we can allot time for the meeting.
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
Viewing Student’s Schedule and Requesting a Change:
Students are encouraged to log into Infinite Campus to view their class schedule for the 24-25 school year. If students need a printed copy of their schedule, they may come to the Learning Center to have their schedule printed. Please note: schedules will not be printed beforehand and will only be printed by request.
Students can submit a schedule change request at www.tinyurl.com/ihschedulechange2024. Requests made via email will not be accepted.
Please keep in mind:
Making a schedule change may require a change to several classes
Students should attend their current schedule and do their best in case a change is not made
You must be logged into your school email account to request a change
At this time, we are only making the following changes:
Class needed for graduation/A-G
Wrong class (i.e. Common Core Math 3 instead of Common Core Math 2)
Computer error (i.e. the same class twice, missing a class, an open period)
Already passed class and need to be moved to the next level
Discretionary changes will only be made if possible
We will do our best to make changes as quickly as possible. We thank you for your patience and understanding.
Athletics Updates
“Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses.” ~Kobe Bryant
If you are planning on playing a sport next year:
Registration in Athletic Clearance begins on 6/3/24.
All athletes MUST get a new physical after 6/1/24.
SIXER Teams
Fall Sports-
Sixer Football: Coach Braun (braunj@esuhsd.org)
Sixer Girls’ Flag Football
Sixer Golf (girls)
Sixer Volleyball (girls)
Sixer Cross Country (boys & girls)
Sixer Tennis (girls)
Sixer Water Polo (boys & girls)
Winter Sports -
Sixer Basketball (b)
Sixer Basketball (g)
Sixer Soccer (b)
Sixer Soccer (g)
Sixer Wrestling
Spring Sports -
Sixer Badminton
Sixer Baseball
Sixer Softball
Sixer Track and Field
Sixer Golf
Sixer Swim
Sixer Tennis
Sixer Volleyball
Visit Sixer Athletics for up to date information about athletics! Follow us on Instagram: @indyathletics
Visit GoFan.co to purchase tickets
Activities Updates
Follow us on Instagram:
Stay up to date on all student activities and events at IHS - be sure to follow your ASB accounts:
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.
Attendance Matters!
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 N1 building. 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-Chavez - 408.928.9521
Student last names A - L
Diana Castillo - 408.928.9552
Student last names M-Z
Thao Pham - 408.928.9542
Reporting Line - SaySomething
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
Parent and Community Specialist Corner
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. We are located in what we are calling the "Sixer Community Center" located in D207. Please call us for an appointment as summer hours may vary.
Please ensure we have your email so you are able to receive Parent Meetings and school updates. We offer a variety of support services for our school community. Please complete the Parent Survey by using this link https://forms.gle/mY7aQo6c37KW5S64A to get your feedback regarding Parent Workshops.
As a reminder 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 in D-05
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.
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 form. 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. We ask that students always check in with an adult when they arrive and before they leave the Calming Space, keep their phones away, and that they try at least one station in the space. Stop by to take a look!
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