Finally, we're ready for Finals!

Where did the semester go??

I have no idea how we got to December so quickly, but I'm grateful it's here! I know the students have been working hard all semester, and this month is when they'll get to see it all pay off. The finals schedule was released (and can be found here) and the countdown to winter break has begun -- for the students, and for me! 

In the meantime, we'll still be chugging along, both in classes and in programming, to ensure we're getting the most we can out of the semester. We'll be doing programming focused on improving communication, as well as a few fun ones to help let off steam before finals, like telephone or Jeopardy, over Zoom :)

There's really not a whole lot to this month, except to say that we're really coming down to the end of it. Now's the time to forge ahead, stay focused, and ask those questions when they pop up (regardless of what class you're in, Sophomores through Seniors). I encourage students to take advantage of the times our peer tutors are available over Zoom, which are several hours every Monday through Thursday. Here's all the information, including links to the Zoom call, peer tutoring subjects, dates & times.

Good luck wrapping up the semester, and remember that we're almost there! And this year, we get a three week break, which I know we all really need after the year it's been.

-- Robyn

No way it's November!

It's fall, y'all! I still can't believe we've finished the first Quarter of the school year already, but that means we're a fourth of the way through. November will be a bit of quicker month, with Thanksgiving break at the end of it, so I wanted to leave the important dates for the month below...

Due to the State Holiday on election day, November 3, 2020, and the fact that the Academy will be closed that day, the following changes have been made to the calendar for the week of November 2nd:

 

Monday, November 2 – A day

Tuesday, November 3 – State Holiday (no classes, Academy is closed)

Wednesday, November 4 – D day (formerly an I-day)

Thursday, November 5 – A day

Friday, November 6 – D day

 

Similarly, the week we begin Thanksgiving break will be a bit different....

 

Monday, November 23 – A day

Tuesday, November 24th – D day

Wednesday – Sunday – No classes (Academy is closed)

Monday, November 30th – A day (classes resume)

 

Because the month itself is shorter, we will have fewer programming dates, but we're still going to be having a lot of good conversations with the time we do have. On November 5th, we will be having our Juniors only Diversity programming, and November 12th we'll be having our Seniors only Diversity programming. I promise our Sophomores won't be left out in the cold though, as Gabi & I will be putting on a series of fun social & educational programs for everyone throughout the month. I'm also going to be leaving my personal Zoom link open for a few hours one day a week, for anyone who would like someone to be there to help be a motivator to do work (I myself will be doing work too, so it'll be like a buddy system:) I know we're all counting down until Thanksgiving break, because we could all use another break, but I'm hopeful that we can at least make the weeks leading up to that as fun as possible.

Have a happy, safe & fun Halloween, and feel free to share pictures of your costumes with the rest of the wing if you decide to dress up!

 

— Robyn

It's officially Spooky Season!

Happy October, everyone! This month we'll be focusing our time in Res Life programming on a few different things, from service hour conversations, to the psychology of colors, to learning about our love languages, and more! We've already talked as a wing about a few different types of "quizzes" we'd like to take while we're virtual, to get to know one another better, and while the love language was my idea, we've also tossed around the idea of the Harry Potter House sorting quiz, the Meyers-Briggs personality test, and more. While I try to limit the amount of time we all need to be looking at our screens during programming, realistically there are so many resources online that aren't being used, and I think it would benefit us to try and utilize them.

This month, the academy as a whole will also be participating in a few fun events of their own, including our first virtual Homecoming pep rally at the end of the week. It's everyone's favorite way of finishing off the week, after a few days of friendly competitions among the classes. Our students will also be headed into their first Student Wellness Break (equivalent to an Extended Weekend, for you upperclassmen parents). I know it's something all of our students are really looking forward to, and I'm glad they'll get the chance to relax a bit, and recharge as we head into the end of the first quarter. I know we'll also have plenty of fun fall events going on, culminating in everyone's favorite dress-up day, Halloween!

These first six weeks seem to have flown by, even though as each day goes on, it can seem to drag. Our virtual status may be unusual, and is certainly taking some getting used to, but it makes me that much more hopeful and excited for when I am able to see our students again in person. We have a great wing of students this year, and I can't wait for them all to get to physically meet. Here's to the next month ahead!

-- Robyn 

Virtually Impossible, or Virtually Is Possible?

Hello again, wonderful parents & students of 1502A!

Last month was a bit of a whirlwind, particularly because there was a lot packed into just three short weeks. The RCs were here all of August, doing training and preparing for virtual life with our residents, and while I'm certainly exhausted, I'm also incredibly excited for what the rest of the school year will bring! The biggest downside to that first week of August isn't necessarily coming back from summer; what's hard about that first week is that we're back in "work" mode, but without our residents that we love so much. Particularly when it comes to our Sophomores, we're eager to get to know them and figure out the ways that we can best be there for and support them during their first year here. We may be virtual, but I'm quickly discovering that it is still completely possible for me to get to know all of them, and if anything, it makes me want to build those connections even more.

Amidst the plethora of new and exciting things that all of our students experienced during this year's first few weeks, a few of the events that they had were residential programs. We talked a bit about organization and planning, sending appropriate and professional emails to teachers, and got to know each other a little better. I'm eager for that to continue this month, with the programs that we have set up for the next few weeks. We'll be discussing ways to care for our mental & emotional health, where to find campus resources (both academically and otherwise), and having some serious discussions about bullying, and how that can happen both on-campus and off. We may be virtual, but living in the age that we do, we're all aware that with technology and the influence of the internet, is can be even easier to feel big and powerful behind the safety of a screen. Disrespect is something I don't tolerate in my wing, whether it's a physical space or a virtual one, so I'm hopeful that it will be an educational experience for Sophomores and Upperclassmen alike.

I hope you've all enjoyed and felt proud of the work you've done so far this year! I know I have. Enjoy the three day weekend coming up next week, and take some time to really relax and recharge. Friendly reminder that RCs will also be off on Labor Day, so we will not have the office phone forwarded, or be checking our emails. Thank you!

-- Robyn

Welcome to 150Chew A :)

Hello and welcome to the official wing blog for 1502A. I am your RC, Robyn, but there will periodically be some updates and posts from our wing liaison Gabi as well (she's far more technologically gifted than I am). This is where I'll be putting updates about the programs and activities that we'll be doing for each month, so you'll know a bit of what to expect.

While you're here, here are a few important things for you to know:

Parent & Student Info

• My email: rnorton@imsa.edu
• Attendance office email: attendance@imsa.edu
• Nurse's office email: nurse@imsa.edu
• 1502 RC office phone: (630) 907-5201

Student Specific Info

• 1502 Hall Discord: https://discord.gg/HpHKNbX (you will need to use this specific link; all it requires is your email & a password, that's it!)
• 1502A Weekly Highlights form: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19QjzRZz4FHQ1Lco2n2TOHWoLlCZRU_IOylOmGBf68oc/edit

Here's what we'll be doing this month! In an effort to get to better know your Upperclassmen & RC, we'll be doing an Upperclassmen Advice program, where they can offer their wisdom & tips they wish they'd known when they were Sophomores, as well as an RC in a Fishbowl type of program, where the students can get to know me a bit better. When we're in-person, I usually buy treats for everyone for my birthday (which is this Friday) but since we can't do that, I'm hoping to figure something else fun out for you all :) We'll also be doing a planning & organization program to start off the year right. As the year starts virtually, communication and organization are key to succeeding. In our planning program, occurring on August 27th, you will learn how to write a proper email to your teachers, and learn about the numerous ways to keep track of your hectic school lives. Our wing will be exposed to digital planning with Trello, physical planning, and bullet journals. Using a planner, students can also keep track of their home lives and chores, balancing home and school, while using a bullet journal, students can stay creative and have fun while still working hard. Hopefully it'll help you find a good & productive way to keep track of all of your new IMSA responsibilities, and more.

If you have any questions or would ever like to reach out, feel free to send me an email!

-- Robyn

P.S. Since you may be wondering -- our hall "theme" this year is Out 2 Eat, so I have affectionately started referring to our hall as 150Chew! (If you didn't already think I was an odd one, I'm sure you do now :)

Winter Break & Intersession Highlights

Welcome back from break, 02A parents!

I hope it was as relaxing and fun spending time with your students as it was for me to relax and get to not spend some time with them -- the silence in the wing is odd, but nice. The students all seemed to have positive things to say about their break, and for those I wasn't able to talk to, it was because they immediately went on intersession trips abroad! Seniors Maddy Chow, Valeria Aguirre, Bella Huynh-Pham, Gowri Warikoo, and Katya Romanov all spent their intersession weeks on trips, and were joined by Juniors Mariam Ahmed and Jaden Turner. All seemed to get something positive out of their experience, and I was able to hear about Gowri's experience in India firsthand, and was really impressed by what she learned there. Bella had several pictures of the wildlife and the landscapes from her trip, and was on a high from it for several days after.

Others stayed here at IMSA for intersession, and engaged in a variety of classes, from Hitchcock & his filmmaking, to rock climbing, to balloon sculpting, and more. All of the students seemed to be able to find at least one class that they were really interested in by the end of the week. Even those who felt they didn't have anything as exciting as going abroad to share had their own positive memories from break and Intersession week. Senior Kara Warcup went to see her sister perform in New York City at Carnegie Hall, and Sophomore Madeline Fields Halva hosted a Russian exchange student after returning from break. There's never a dull moment in 02A, and I feel so grateful to have students who are interested in experiencing so many different things. I feel like I almost get to experience their opportunities with them, when I hear them relive them to me.

Here's to a great first week, and several more to come in second semester!
♥ Robyn & the lovely ladies of 02A