Dear IACS Community,
Starting this school year, all public schools in the state of Massachusetts were mandated to conduct verbal drug use interviews, targeting students in two different grades. (This program is called “SBIRT”) I was initially skeptical about this process, unsure if this would be a valuable use of student and staff time. My concerns proved to be unfounded and I quickly realized the benefit of creating opportunities for individual “touch points” with students. Most students showed openness and seemed to embrace this forum to share, discuss, and ask questions. I think Nancy Tripp, LICSW, captures our experience with these screenings well:
“The anticipatory anxiety surrounding implementing a required initiative such as the SBIRT screenings quickly evaporated once the screening process began and I was interacting with students. Overwhelmingly, students were curious, cooperative and thoughtful in their responses. Aside from some much appreciated comic relief, reactions and responses from students came across as authentic and reliable.”
Without exposing or implicating our students in any way, here are two recent articles that I think you may find helpful in continuing the discussion at home: US Teens often ride with impaired drivers and Schools Confront Sudden Increase in Easily Concealed Vaping Devices. These issues are not specific or unique to our students, but rather nationwide trends that every parent should be aware of. Please consider reading these articles and asking your students about their level of knowledge or experience navigating these waters.
In the meantime, IACS looks forward to continuing to work collaboratively with the parent community in helping our students make healthy decisions.
Gayle Nutile-Pimm
Director of Health and Wellness
Casino Night is Tonight!
We will be drawing the $10,000 cash raffle prize winner tonight at Casino Night at the UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center at 50 Warren Street in Lowell. Hope to see you there. Dress is business casual and should be a lot of fun.
A heartfelt thank you to all of our students who sold tickets for the Cash Raffle. Special Congratulations to our top ticket seller Melanie Bouzan, with a grand total of 79 tickets.
The following top 9 students received Honorable Mention Status:
Keira Hulbert
Lucas Adams
Greer Ballam
Aaron Negga
Alexa Palladino
Aiden Vierella
Matthew Brown
Abigail Brown
Brayden Anderson – Theriault
Red Cross Blood Drive: Did you know that every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood? Although an estimated 38 percent of the U.S. population is eligible to donate blood at any given time, less than 10 percent of that eligible population actually do each year. (source: www.redcrossblood.org) On Wednesday, May 2nd the American Red Cross will be holding a Blood Drive in our cafeteria. The event will begin at 2 pm and will end at 7 pm. If you are over the age of 18, please consider donating
IACS School Nutrition Program: The April Breakfast and Lunch Menu is posted here. Contact Karen Drake kdrake@innovationcharter.org if have any questions about the School Nutrition Program.
We are looking forward to summer and 3 weeks of Performing Arts Camp that are open to the Community of and outside IACS! Camps are open to any students finishing grades 4 through 12. Camp begins at 8:30am and finishes at 3:30pm daily.
July 9-13: GLEE CAMP with free, public performance of the students’ work on Friday, July 13 at 5pm! For an additional cost, the first 10 students entering grades 9 and up who sign up will have the option of traveling into New York City to see the matinee show of Phantom of the Opera on Broadway on Thursday, July 12!
July 16-20: HAMILPROV WEEK where students will spend 1/2 the day learning about the Broadway sensation Hamilton, and 1/2 the day working on Improvisational games, activities & skills. Free, public performance of the students’ work on Friday, July 20 at 5pm! For an additional cost, the first 10 students entering grades 9 and up who sign up will have the option of traveling into New York City to see Hamilton on Wednesday, July 18!
July 23-27: DRAMA CAMP! Where we will learn the play THE GOOD DOCTOR which we will perform at a theater, right off Broadway (RIGHT next to Kinky Boots!!!) on Tuesday, July 31!
For more information please check out innovationcharter.org/theater/ and sign up at about camp, May show auditions, Phantom of the Opera Auditions, and all else that is coming up!
BURRITOS, ANYONE?: Or tacos, or salads, if you’re hankering for Mexican on a school night, be sure to come to Chipotle in Billerica on Tuesday, April 10th. This fantastic fundraiser has been rescheduled due to last month’s snow, and generates 50% of proceeds from every guest with a flyer. See you there!
Innovation Academy Charter School