Community Connection

Please view the video below to see a brief performance of the IHS Band at last week's Veterans Day parade.

Dear Families,

We feel it is important to regularly communicate with and remind our families of the various emergency operation plans we have in place, which have been designed with the assistance of local law enforcement, emergency management, and public health officials. The plans, which are regularly reviewed and updated, include procedures to respond to a variety of crisis incidents. School district personnel and students practice drills associated with specific emergencies on a regular basis.

As a reminder, parents and guardians can and should review our emergency preparedness plans, which are located on the school district’s website under the “Students & Parents” link under “School Safety.” You may also access this information directly by going to www.iasd.cc/apps/pages/emergency.

While we hope that a natural disaster or other serious incidents never occur, our goal is to be as prepared as possible for any potential emergency. Our priority at all times is to protect all students and staff from harm. That means incident-specific communication with families in an emergency may be delayed until safety is ensured, but families being aware of the action steps that will be taken is the first step in that critical communication pipeline.

As soon as possible following an emergency, once it is safe to do so, we will use all means necessary and appropriate to communicate with our families. These could include phone calls, emails, text messages and social media.

We remain committed to taking proactive measures to protect our students and staff and hope you will, likewise, take the time to review our emergency operation plans.

The Education Day Game will take place on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 as the IUP Crimson Hawks host Rosemont College. Admission is free for all school attendees. The game will be played at The Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex (KCAC) on the IUP campus and tip-off is set for 11:00 AM. The Educational Activities will take place during half-time of the game. Everything will wrap up in plenty of time for the students to arrive back at school.

Please reach out to your child(ren)'s school if you have any questions!

IASD is partnering up with Hopeful Hearts of Indiana to ask families to consider wearing BLUE on November 17th as part of Children's Grief Awareness Day. Created in 2008 by the Highmark Caring Place, A Center for Grieving Children, Adolescents and Their Families, and since recognized by organizations around the world, Children's Grief Awareness Day is observed every year on the third Thursday in November (the Thursday before the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving). This time of year is a particularly appropriate time to support grieving children because the holiday season is often an especially difficult time.

Children's Grief Awareness Day seeks to bring attention to the fact that often support can make all the difference in the life of a grieving child. It provides an opportunity for all of us to raise awareness of the painful impact that the death of a loved one has in the life of a child, an opportunity to make sure that these children receive the support they need.

The United Way of Indiana County, Indiana Area School District, and ARIN Intermediate Unit are pleased to announce that the county’s collection of youth mental health services will soon get a new addition thanks to the leadership and support issued by the Armstrong-Indiana Behavioral and Developmental Health Program (AIBDHP).

This partnership aims to implement a Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) program for high school students in the participating schools. All Indiana County school districts were invited to meet and discuss the program and to gauge whether or not they would like to participate in a systematic county-wide approach. During the various meetings, the school officials and stakeholders recognized that the past several years have been especially tough on our students. The participating schools spent time discussing the need for greater mental health services for youth in Indiana County and are hopeful that the program will provide one more tool that teens can use to improve their own well-being and help others in need, as well.

Teen Mental Health First Aid is an evidence-based training course that teaches participants how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental health concerns, mental illnesses, and substance use disorders like anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and addictions. Participants learn about local mental health resources, support groups, and online tools and gain the skills needed to reach out and provide help to someone who is experiencing a crisis or may be developing a mental health or substance use problem.

Data from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing demonstrates that the need for youth mental health support and early intervention extends nationwide. In the U.S. alone:

• 1 in 5 teens has had a serious mental health disorder at some point in their life;

• 50% of all mental illnesses begin by age 14, 75% by the mid-20s; and

• Suicide is the second leading cause of death for 15-24 year-olds.

This collaborative effort between the United Way of Indiana County, Armstrong-Indiana Behavioral and Developmental Health Program, ARIN IU, and IASD has the potential to act as the catalyst to reduce emergency room and hospital visits for mental health care as well as provide young adults with the education and knowledge needed to take care of their own mental health and those around them. The school districts are incredibly grateful to the leadership of Ms. Tammy Calderone for making this program available to students in Indiana County.

IHS Aviation Club enjoyed another informative, educational, career oriented field trip this time to PIA (Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics) next to Allegheny County Airport along with Advanced Aircraft at Rostraver Airport on Thursday November 3, 2022.

The IHS Aviation Club students gained knowledge and information about PIA's FAA approved instruction and certification within the high demand Aviation industry careers in aeronautical maintenance and electronics.

Under the guidance of PIA's Mr. John Feretti, IHS Aviation Club students had the opportunity to experience firsthand industry grade instruction that PIA offers students at it's over 100,000 square feet of classrooms, shops, labs, and hangar space specifically designed for the most effective hands-on training environment. Find more information on PIA at www.pia.org

The field trip paused for lunch at the infamous Primantis before continuing on to Rostraver Airport where a visit to Advanced Aircraft's hangar and workshop allowed the students to see the high quality aircraft paint jobs done for domestic and international clients. A bonus visit was then undertaken next door at Uniflight which finishes off refurbished small aircraft as well as upgrades interiors and flight systems on small aircraft including medical and luxury helicopters. Find out more about Advanced Aircraft at https://www.advancedaircraftmaintenance.com and more about Uniflight at https://uniflight.com

IHS Aviation Club members who were able to attend the field trip included IHS students Eli Aiken, Brian Ashe, Andrew Levendowski, and Justin Swanik. Other IHS Aviation Club members unable to attend include IHS students AJ Lamantia, Camden Dean, and Chris Roth.

The IHS Aviation Club is sponsored by IHS teacher Mr. Erik Puskar and led by IHS and IASD community member, IHS alumni, and aviation enthusiast Mr. Nathanael Arthurs.

Congratulations to the Colonial Motor Mart and Indiana Chamber of Commerce Excellence in Education - Student of the Month Award, Sophie Runge. Congratulations to an incredible young lady who represents our school and community in the best possible way!

Please visit the Excellence in Education - Student Award webpage to discover more about the program and to complete an online Nominate a Student form. We appreciate your attention and consideration to recognize our students.

Website: www.iasd.cc
Location: 501 East Pike Road, Indiana, PA, USA
Phone: (724) 463-8713
Facebook: facebook.com/IndianaAreaSchoolDistrict
Twitter: @IndianaAreaSD