Homecoming Spirit Week & Festivities

Mon. 9/30: Indy Rush Day- Dress like a Frat Boy/Sorority Sister!

Fear Pong @ Lunch - Senior Stage

Tues. 10/1: Disney Day - Put on any Disney gear, your Mickey ears, or Cosplay your favorite characters!

Airband @ Lunch - Senior Stage

Wed. 10/2: Quad Theme Day - Rep a class of your choice!

c/0 25: Toga Day - c/o 26: Minecraft Day - c/o 27: Love Island Day - c/o 28: Roblox Day

Quad Day @ Lunch - A, B, C, D Quads

Thu. 10/3: Think PINK for Breast Cancer Awareness Day

Try Not to Laugh @ Lunch - Senior Stage

Fri. 10/4: Color Clash Day - Sport your class color!

c/0 25: Red, White, Blue on Black - c/o 26: Purple - c/o 27: Pink - c/o 28: Green

Homecoming Rally @ Main Gym (See Assembly Bell Schedule for Time)

Karaoke @ Lunch - Senior Stage

Homecoming Football Game vs Gilroy High

A Sixer Shoutout to Myles Pagaduan for being nominated as Athlete of the Week for the Bay Area News Group last week! We are proud of you! ~Dr. LaMontagne, MTSS Implementation

A Sixer Shoutout to Joshua Avalos for exemplifying the values of a Sixer. Josh, you’ve been working extremely hard this year, but most of all, you are kind and helpful. I appreciate all that you do for others. ~Dr. LaMontagne, MTSS Implementation

Being eXtraordinary isn’t about being perfect! There will be stumbles along our journey, especially our educational journey here at Independence. Our Sixers share some great advice about having a reflective mindset when learning from mistakes, and then having a plan to move forward.

• “I have always tried to learn from the mistakes I did and because of that I always redo an assignment or try to work my grade up. Like the saying, life is not a race it’s about being there. And not knowing a subject during class is normal and to do that I can just get help from a teacher or a classmate.” ~Brandon Pang, Freshman

• "My approach to recovering from a bad grade is to review my mistakes, seek help from my teacher, and change my study strategy. Consistent effort and staying proactive are essential for improvement." ~Mohammed Kohistani, Sophomore

• “I can ask the teacher if I can retake the test or if I can get some extra credit work. When I don’t understand something I’ll come in during lunch or after school to ask for more support.” ~Gurleen Saini, Sophomore

• “Stay motivated. Believe you can overcome a problem.” ~Ethan Hammil, Junior

• ​​”When receiving a bad test score or grade, it’s not the end of the world, but rather, it’s a sign that I need additional help to get through whatever problem I’m facing. For me, I like to reach out to my teachers and/or fellow classmates to help figure out what I’m doing wrong and what I need to improve on.” ~Rovin Inocenio, Senior

Classroom Counseling Lesson:

As the month of September comes to a close, IHS Counseling has concluded our first classroom lesson for all grade levels. Be sure to check in with your student and discuss with them about what they learned. All lessons are posted on each respective grade level page of the counseling website.

College Application Workshops:

Upcoming Dates:

Oct. 2-3: Senior Counseling Lesson through Am. Gov’t/Economics class

Oct. 3: UC Santa Cruz & PIQ/UC Application Workshop | 8:30-9:15am | The Learning Center

Oct. 14: College Monday | Wear college apparel

Oct. 17: San Jose State University & CSU Apply Application Workshop | 8:30-9:15am | The Learning Center

Oct. 17: University of San Francisco & Common App Workshop | 3-4pm | The Learning Center

Oct. 17: St. Mary’s College & Common App Workshop | 4-5pm | Zoom

Oct. 18: Freshman Counseling Lesson through PE 1 class

Oct. 22: IHS College Information Night | 5:30-6:30pm | The Learning Center

Oct. 25: Sophomore Counseling Lesson through PE 2 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

Shout Outs:

Congratulations to our Sixer Football team on their 27-20 overtime victory over Prospect High last Thursday.

Congratulations to Sixer Girls’ Golf on their 3 and 0 start. Senior Ashely Pang continues to lead the charge as a top senior golfer in the BVAL.

Please welcome Coach Gajardo and Coach Buckner to our Sixer Athletic Program. Coach Buckner will be our new Varsity Girls’ Basketball Coach, and Coach Gajardo will be our new Varsity Boys’ Basketball Coach.

Announcements:

HOMECOMING week!!! Sixer Football will take on the Gilroy Mustangs on Friday, 10/4/24 JV @ 4:30 | V @ you 7:15pm.

Girls’ Basketball meeting on Monday, 9/30/24 at lunch in the large gym.

Boys’ Basketball meeting on Monday, 9/30/24 at lunch in N2.

Last chance Athletic Physicals will be on 10/18/24 in M-34 at 3:00pm. $25 (cash)

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 9/30/24

Fall Sports

Sixer Football:

10/4/24 vs Gilroy JV @ 4:30 | V @ 7:15

Coach Braun (braunj@esuhsd.org)

Sixer Golf (girls):

10/1//24 vs Live Oak @ Gilroy GC @ 3:45

10/3/24 vs Live Oak @ Los Lagos @ 4:15

Coach Richard Lee (rlee@fusdk12.net)

Sixer Volleyball (girls):

10/1/24 vs Overfelt JV 5:30 | V 7pm

10/3/24 @ Oak Grove 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):

10/1/24 vs Sobrato @ 4pm

10/3/24 @ Christopher @ 4pm

Coach Scott (rl20ii@yahoo.com)

Sixer Water Polo (boys & girls):

10/1/24 @ Silver Creek Girls @ 6pm | Boys @ 5pm

10/3/24 @ Christopher Girls @ 5pm | Boys @ 6pm

10/4/ vs Mt. Pleasant 4pm | 5pm

Coach Martinez (rodriguez.adrian1821@gmail.com)

Sixer Girls’ Flag Football:

10/1/24 vs Willow Glen @ 7pm

10/3/24 vs Leland @ 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 was Attendance Awareness Month, and ESUHSD achieved a 95% attendance rate! We encourage you to keep discussing the importance of regular attendance and being on time for every class with your student. With your ongoing support and encouragement, we can help ensure student success and maintain this high attendance rate for the school year!

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.