Mon. Sept 23: ESUHSD College Night | 5-8pm | IHS Large Gym/IHS Theater - see counseling section for more information

Assignments, tasks, and real world experiences that push us to practice being innovative set us up to be creative problem solvers and game-changers! Being a problem-solver is one of the key values in the East Side Union High School District Graduate Profile. Here, a few Sixers share how our teachers have fostered innovation in the classroom.

• “My teacher Mr Garcia had us do a spreadsheet project for our amazing accounting class. It pushed me to be creative with all the different journals you have to plug numbers into where you have to fit all the numbers kind of like a puzzle. Mr G taught us very well, teaching us everything we needed to succeed in the later stages of college and in life.” ~Ethan Gualberto, Junior

• “In Ms.Thanh-Làm she had an activity that made groups of 4 stack cups with strings attached to a rubber band, only allowing the rubber band to touch the cups. Each student would use a string, and the activity allowed laughter and teamwork between students.” ~Braxton Pham, Freshman

• “My freshman year, I was pushed to be innovative by being given a final in my guitar class all about creating my own song. After learning all about scales, chords, and melodies, Mr. B took it upon himself to have his students create their own melody on the guitar. I remember feeling so proud of myself not only for the good grade, but also because it gave me a deeper understanding and appreciation for music.” ~Elena Palacios, Senior

• “Mrs. Hinchey encouraged me to be innovative with many creative projects in AP Environmental Science. My favorite project was the eco-column, where I selected my own seeds and insects to create a miniature terrarium. This experience pushed me to develop new techniques for sustainability and think more creatively.” ~Kamil Matuszewski, Senior

• “In freshman year, I had to make some kind of story including elements from a real life experience I had. For example, I wrote a story about my very first time in kindergarten. Innovation took place when I thought of describing what it felt like and including some imagery into the story. Being innovative allowed me to achieve a high grade on the assignment.” ~Anthony Lee, Senior

Classroom Counseling Lesson:

This week, IHS Counseling will be rounding out our first lesson to each grade level with juniors through their US History class on Friday, September 27. We will review graduation and A-G requirements as well as help students check their graduation inventories.

As a reminder, all lessons are posted on each respective grade level page of the counseling website. See what your student learned and engage them in a conversation about it.

ESUHSD College Night:

East Side Union High School District will be hosting our annual college night on TONIGHT, Monday, September 23 from 5-8pm here at Independence! We will have over 100 representatives from colleges and resources present to answer all your questions! There will also be informational presentations for parents and students to attend. We hope to see you there!

Upcoming Dates:

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:

Please make note of your student’s counselor.

• 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
  

“Courage is not knowing where the finish line is, and pushing hard to the end anyway.”

• Bill Self

Announcements:

Congratulations to our Sixer Football team on their stunning come from behind victory over Mt. Pleasant on Friday. Sixer Football back in action on Friday, 9/26/24 @ Prospect High @ JV @ 4:30 | V @ you 7:15pm.

Winter Sports are closer than they appear. On-campus Athletic Physicals will take place on 10/18/24 at 3:30 in M-34 ($25 cash). Athletes/families should begin the cleaning process through Athletic Clearance. More details on our website.

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 9/23/24

Fall Sports

Sixer Football:

9/26/24 @ Prospect JV @ 4:30 | V @ 7:15

Coach Braun (braunj@esuhsd.org)

Sixer Golf (girls):

9/24/24 vs Sobrato @ San Jose Municipal GC @ 4:15

9/26/24 vs Sobrato @ Los Lagos @ 4:15

Coach Richard Lee (rlee@fusdk12.net)

Sixer Volleyball (girls):

9/24/24 vs James Lick JV 5:30 | V 7pm

9/26/24 @ Mt Pleasant JV 5:30 | V 7pm

Coach Kenny (ng.kenneth02@gmail.com)

Sixer Cross Country (boys & girls):

Off

Coach Kevin (ckwang91@gmail.com)

Sixer Tennis (girls):

9/24/24 vs Santa Teresa @ 4pm

9/26/24 @ Oak Grove @ 4pm

Coach Scott (rl20ii@yahoo.com)

Sixer Water Polo (boys & girls):

9/24/24 vs Santa Teresa Girls @ 6pm | Boys @ 5pm

9/26/24 @ Yerba Buena Girls @ 5pm | Boys @ 6pm

Coach Martinez (rodriguez.adrian1821@gmail.com)

Sixer Girls’ Flag Football:

9/24/24 @ Pioneer @ 7pm

9/26/24 vs Lincoln @ 7pm

Coach Baker (bakerl@esuhsd.org)

Winter Sports

Sixer Basketball (b):

Sixer Basketball (g):

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:

Sixer Swim:Coach Martinez (rodriguez.adrian1821@gmail.com)

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

Homecoming Dance Tickets are on sale in-person & online!

Link for purchase: https://ihs.myschoolcentral.com

Seniors! Check out the special Senior Button in this Newsletter for all things relevant to you and graduation!

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:

• https://www.instagram.com/indyactivities/

• https://www.instagram.com/indyathletics/

• https://www.instagram.com/indyperformingarts/

And, your class account for important information specific to your grade level:

• https://www.instagram.com/ihs_co2027/

• https://www.instagram.com/ihsco2026/

• https://www.instagram.com/ihs.co2025/

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.

Parents, Cookies is a marijuana reference. Cookies clothing or accessories are not permitted. Parents, please partner with us on this!

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 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

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 concentrate on scheduling any non-urgent medical appointments after school or during school vacation days.

Remember, three tardies will be counted as one unexcused absence.

Attendance Matters. On Time. All Day. Every Day.

The California Department of Education is requiring all school districts in California to distribute the following housing survey to all of our families. Please help us by taking a few minutes to answer the questions on this survey (CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY). All information will be kept confidential and the data will be used only to determine additional resources and support for families that meet the criteria for services. The deadline to complete the survey is September 30th.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email ozunab@esuhsd.org,

gutierrezan@esuhsd.org or call all 408-347-5331.

The Santa Clara County Office of Education (SCCOE) Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) program is hosting two engaging and informative evenings, packed with tips on talking to teens about vaping, cannabis, and tobacco. They are available in both English and Spanish!

Thursday, October 24 | 6-7:30 PM
1290 Ridder Park San Jose, CA 95131
(English: Oak Grove Room | Spanish: Milpitas Room)

Registration: sccoe.to/parentsRP

Tuesday, October 29 | 6-7:30 PM
South County Annex Gilroy, CA 95020
(English: Conference Room | Spanish: Multi-Purpose Room)

Registration: sccoe.to/parentSCA

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.