December 2023

View the full calendar of events at IMSA.edu.

Introducing Titan Thrift!

The Student Union will be closed Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday so that we may bring you the Titan Thrift Shop.

Titan Thrift is bringing sustainable shopping to campus. Shopping will begin with a Students-only preview night in the Student Union on Wednesday, December 6 from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Faculty and Staff may shop on Thursday from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

We have cold-weather clothing that will help keep you warm on your walks to and from the halls, gifts for IMSA Dads and IMSA Moms, gifts for your roommate or bestie, and an assortment of Vintage IMSA items. There may even be a couple of silent auction items. Who knows what you may find - that’s the joy of thrifting!

Purchases may be made with cash, credit, or debit cards. There will be a small service charge for each credit or debit transaction.

For more information on donations, please get in touch with Michelle Bemis, Titan To Go coordinator, at mbemis@imsa.edu.

December Break Information

We are a few weeks from the December break. Here are a few reminders:

Academic Schedule: On Monday, December 18, a modified shortened class schedule ends at 12:45 p.m. Students will have the remainder of the academic school day to study and receive support in preparation for finals.
Finals begin December 19 and go through December 21. Please review the finals schedule and talk to your student so you know their schedule for that week.
Students can stay on campus for up to 24 hours after their last final unless they are taking the downstate bus. A Residence Life Area Coordinator/Supervisor must approve all other exceptions.
Students have been informed to sign up for a check-out time with their RC. When the time that the student has signed up for arrives, the student must have their check-out responsibilities completed (their portion of the room cleaned, wing clean assignment completed) and ready to be checked—the items they take with them outside the room or that are already packed in your vehicle.
Student ID proxy cards and room keys will be collected.
Residence halls close at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 21, 2023. Families will be charged a $25 late fee for every 5 minutes late.

Permissions

Parents can update their student sign-out permissions via their PowerSchool account.

Log in
Click FORMS
Update PARENT PERMISSIONS: SIGNOUTS
Submit

This form only gives sign-out permissions for those who frequently sign your student during the school year. If you would like to provide temporary sign-out permission, please call or email your student's RC or call your student's respective hall.

NOTE: All temporary permissions should be directed to the attendance office on academic school days.

Residence Hall	Phone	Email
1501	630.907.5101	01staff@imsa.edu
1502	630.907.5201	02staff@imsa.edu
1503	630.907.5301	03staff@imsa.edu
1504	630.907.5401	04staff@imsa.edu
1505	630.907.5501	05staff@imsa.edu
1506	630.907.5601	06staff@imsa.edu
1507	630.907.5701	07staff@imsa.edu

Visitor Access

As a reminder, if you had your picture taken for a parent ID before today, you can go to the security desk to pick it up. If you are the parent or guardian of an upperclassman, you do not have to get a new parent ID printed with your student's current housing assignment.

All visitors, parents, and guardians must have either a parent ID or an IMSA visitor badge to enter the academy buildings (including the residence halls). To check out your student, you must show your parent ID or IMSA visitor's pass and your driver's license. The Residence Life staff will then check that the person checking out your student has documented permission in Powerschool. The Residence Life staff will not release your student without checking permissions and confirming that the person has a parent ID or IMSA visitor badge. We thank you in advance for your patience.

If you need a parent ID, you can request one at the security desk.

Access Road

During the school year and after students move in, the access road will not be accessible to parents Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. On Friday and Sunday evenings from 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., the access gate will be locked in the open position for students going home for the weekend and returning on Sunday evenings. Parents can enter the access road on Saturday mornings at 10:00 a.m.

If you need to pick up your student before 4:30 p.m., your parking options are to park in the east parking lot or utilize Circle Drive. The RC office opens at 3:00 p.m.; student sign-outs on academic days, Monday-Friday from 7:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. are in the attendance office.

On Thursday, December 21, 2023, the gate will remain open.

ATC Shuttles

If your student is taking any of the shuttles, a parent must contact the attendance office and/or the RC office to give their student permission to sign out to take the IMSA shuttle to the ATC to go home for winter break.

Metra Train Schedule

Departs IMSA	Train (Drop-off)	Train Departure Time(ATC/METRA)
Friday, 12/15/23	4:40 p.m.	5:04 p.m.
Saturday,12/16/23	10:40 a.m.	11:20 a.m.
Sunday, 12/17/23	3:40 p.m.	4:20 p.m.
Monday,12/18/23	4:40 p.m.	5:04 p.m.
Tuesday,12/19/23	4:40 p.m.	5:04 p.m.
Wednesday,12/20/23	4:40 p.m.	5:04 p.m.

Thursday, December 21, 2023 Shuttles

Departs IMSA	Train (Drop-off)
1:40 p.m.	2:04 p.m.
2:40 p.m.	3:04 p.m.
3:40 p.m.	4:07 p.m.

Ted Brattin Award

Recently, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Associate Mr. Rodrigo Sanchez and Mrs. Emma Wilson Parker worked together to nominate a couple of students from our community for the Ted Brattin Youth Service Award. These annual awards recognize Fox Valley youth, fourteen to nineteen years of age, who exhibit qualities of citizenship, service, and leadership as demonstrated through school, church, or community activities and are hosted by the Rotary Club of Aurora United.

This year, we proudly announce that Jaden Blakenship, Class of 25, was awarded the Ted Brattin Award. This honor, which includes a $100 award and a Certificate of Recognition, was presented to him on Monday, December 4, 2023, at the Annual Pearl Harbor Day Luncheon in Batavia, IL, amongst several WW11 and Korean War Veterans, Captain Craig T. Mattingly of the US Navy, veterans of several branches, police department representatives, and community members. The sponsors for this annual event are the Navy League of the United States – Aurora Council, Aurora University, and the Rotary Club of Aurora United.

Leadership Education and Development (LEAD)

Hey Sophomores! Thank you for a great semester of LEAD! Your next LEAD elective module will occur on Wednesday, January 31, 2024, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. All classroom and elective assignments will be allocated after Winter Break. Please note that while you rank your elective choices, you may receive your second choice, and that's okay! If you have any questions or concerns, contact LEAD program coordinator Emma Wilson (ewilson1@imsa.edu). See you after Winter Break!

LEAD students, please ensure that you are watching your attendance points for LEAD. Just to remind you, a student will fail to complete LEAD if they accumulate 12 attendance points OR reach five total absences, excused or unexcused, over the school year. Students (and their parent/guardians) with over six attendance points and or more than two absences will receive an email from Mrs. Emma informing them of their total absences. In addition to an email, a meeting will be held with the student to discuss attendance.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

Student Leadership Exchange (SLX)

*Mandatory for all Class of 26 Students

April 24, 2023

Safe Medication Usage

The Health Office is working to educate students on safe medication usage and practice, including prescription, over-the-counter medications, vitamins, herbs, and supplements. Each month, I will put a few medication safety tips in the newsletter for you to use in conversations with your students. The goal is to help students understand the importance of medication safety and encourage them to be independent in their health care.

Tip # 5 - Go the Distance (Finish Prescriptions) -There is a specific reason why a medication is given for a particular length of time. Feeling better may be a direct result of taking the medication. In order for the effectiveness to last, the full prescription must be taken. Some chronic conditions require ongoing medications in order to keep you feeling good. Trying to save medications for late use can result in expiration and ineffectiveness or a return of previous symptoms.

Tip# 6 - More is not always better (Toxicity) - Increasing the recommended dosage can be dangerous. Your healthcare provider takes your full, overall health into consideration when prescribing medication to you. The same is true for over-the-counter medications.

December Extended

The Health Office will transition to a new electronic medical record starting January 1, 2024. In preparation for this cross-over, we will send all prescription medications home with your students when they leave campus for winter break. Medication should be transferred from adult to adult. Meds will be given to students riding the downstate bus or train. Upon return, the parent/guardian should give prescription medications to the RC working in the office.

Please send a message to nurse@imsa.edu letting us know what day your student will be leaving campus.

We will have medications packaged and ready to hand to the parent/guardian.

Parents can pick up medications in the Health Office before 3:00 p.m. or in the RC office after 3:00 p.m.
Medications will be given to students riding the downstate bus while loading the bus.
Students taking the train should let the nurse know when they will be departing.

As a reminder, all prescription medications need a physician's order to be administered on campus. When turning in a new prescription, we also need three empty labeled bottles for each prescription. There is no need to send these bottles after the first time.

Cold Weather and Illness

The colder weather will soon be upon us. Cold weather and spending more time indoors brings respiratory illnesses and colds.

Please send your student Kleenex, cough drops, hand sanitizer, masks, and your preference for cold medication.

Students should also have a warm winter jacket, gloves, and hat.

According to the student-parent handbook (page 44), Students will dress in clothing, including covering arms, legs, and feet when outside in weather 32ᴼ or below (with or without wind chill). Shoes should be worn at all times except in their room. Blankets are not considered clothing and are not allowed in the main building.

Thank you to everyone who has donated supplies for The Little Green Monster Project! This project would not be possible without your donations and the volunteers to create the unique monsters. Helper Helper is currently up to date with any sign-ups connected to this project. We will continue this project after winter break as well!"

"Student's please take winter break to look at your hours and volunteer for external organizations and be vigilant about logging your hours. Senior students (and their guardians) will receive an email with their updated service hour count, however service learning hours can always be viewed in PowerSchool.