It's Already May?!

How in the world is it already almost May? The year is quickly coming to a close, and there's still so much left to do! Finals will be here before we know it (and make sure you know when yours are!) which means move-outs and graduation won't be far behind!!

Similarly to winter break, students will need to leave within 24 hours of their last final. There will also be a similar check-out process, where students will sign-up for a checkout time with their RC, and will have their room checked before they can be free to leave for the summer. RCs also have to take student keys & fobs (for good, this time), as well as having the student & their guardian sign off on the Room Condition Card they filled out at the start of the year. All of this will be sent out in a much more detailed email as we get closer, but I did want to iron out some of the logistics here, for those already starting to wonder. 

But! In the meantime, we still have AP exams, Prom, Senior Recognition, Senior Banquet, Luau, and several other fun events planned before then. I'm also planning several fun and educational programs for us to squeeze in before the year is up, and we kicked that off this past month, with one of my favorite programs: Whiteboard Wishes & Wills. Each student got to sit in front of the whiteboard while their wingmates had two minutes to write all of the wonderful and kind things they think about them! Students were told they weren't allowed to look at the whiteboard while their wingmates wrote, or even after (so that way everything remained anonymous). But, I then took a picture, the board was erased, and students were sent the pictures after the fact! They can set them as their phone or computer background, print it out to keep up on their wall, or just have it on their phone to scroll to when they're having a rough day. With the stresses of class and end-of-the-year looming, I was hoping it would be a fun and relaxing event for everyone -- and thankfully it was! Below are a few examples of some students that haven't had a chance to be featured on the blog yet this year, but are still important and loved members of our wing family....

The students even took some time at the end to let me have a chance to sit in front of the board, and it meant the world to know that they've been appreciative of all of the hard work and effort I've put into this year. I'm so grateful to have had them back on campus, and am looking forward to a strong finish to the end of this crazy year. 

Be on the lookout later this month for emails with end-of-the-year information from me!

-- Robyn

Orange You Glad You Live in 02?

 

1502 cheers on their students during the Senior Game!

March was a month full of fun and excitement across campus, as we hosted our annual CLASH of the Halls event in the middle of the month. Weeks of preparation on various events -- profile pictures, mural, hall movie, drill team dance, t-shirt design, and more -- came to a head at the Pep Rally during the last day of CLASH week. The students did an amazing job in every hall, but I was particularly proud of our 02ers, after seeing all of the hard work they had put in. Below are just a few examples...

Pro Pics:

Hall Mural:

Drill Dance/Pep Rally!

Overall, the hall placed fifth, but we placed top three in six of the ten events, and won two of them! The hall really seemed to bond and become more solidified as a family, which is really what CLASH is even all about. I'm so incredibly proud of how hard everyone worked, and I know they're all proud of themselves too. Especially with this being our first CLASH back on campus since the pandemic started, I think everyone had a wonderful time, and really showcased their hall spirit. I can't wait to see how next year goes!

-- Robyn

Marching Right Along

 

I can hardly believe we're already almost into March! The third quarter ends this month, and it's crazy to think how quickly everything has already happened for the semester so far. We've adapted to new classes and learned a lot through new programs, which has been so great to see. In particular, we finally got to celebrate our Palentine's Day that we were so looking forward to! We had a few roommate games, Palentine making, and a door decorating contest about "What Love Means to Me" and we had a lot of fun! Below are the doors that were the top three participants...

3rd place, Nadia & Andrea

2nd place, Alyssa & Karina

1st place, Gabi & Eileen!

It was a great chance for bonding, and the wing really enjoyed the chance to show their love and appreciation for each other, which also warmed my heart to see. With CLASH of the halls coming up, we've seen more and more wing and hall bonding than ever, so I'm really looking forward to seeing how that will go as well. It will be taking place just before our Spring Break, so be sure to be checking your emails for updates and reminders in regards to how checkout preparations will work. Until next month!

-- Robyn

2021-2022 -- Part 2!

 

Hello again, students and parents of 02A!

We're now fully into the swing of things in our second semester, with a successful virtual Intersession week behind us, and classes now underway. Students of all grade levels have been adjusting to their new class schedules, and are happy to be back on campus after so many weeks away. We've already, within the wing, had some really positive programs about sense of self and being, as well as a wing bonding program where we got know each other a bit better, sort of reuniting as a family again.

Coming up in February, we have another Extended weekend starting on the 17th, just after one of our favorite wing program's, Palentine's Day! I was able to get creative with it while we were virtual, but myself (and the wing!) are all looking forward to being able to celebrate again in person :) Hopefully next month's post will include pictures of all of the fun that we'll have.

Here's hoping second semester continues to go smoothly!

-- Robyn

A December to Remember

Hello again all!

December is fast approaching, and with it comes all sorts of changes; the end of the semester, finals, turning in of late work/assignments, and adjusting to the new weather, to name a few. Here in A wing, we're also planning a few fun and relaxing programs to help people de-stress before the impending doom that the students see as "finals week".

Because finals week is going to have a different setup for check-outs than normal Extended breaks, so please make sure to be communicating, so you know when your last final is, and can be ready to sign-out with your parent or guardian for the four weeks away from campus. Students do need to leave within 24 hours of their last final, and will sign-up for a 15 minute window as a "check-out time" with their individual RC, and will need to be cleared by their RC to leave before they can go.

The final exams schedule can be found here, and any questions regarding the academic schedule can be directed to the principal's office. Any questions regarding checking out of the residence halls, please let me know :)

-- Robyn

Now for November!

 

Hello again, parents & students of 02A!

October seems to have flown by, and I can hardly believe we're already done with Quarter 1! The students have been working hard to not only stay on top of their work, but continue getting back in the swing of things here at IMSA as the weeks have gone on. October certainly kept everyone busy, in more ways than one, but we also tried to make sure that everyone had a bit of fun along the way!

In addition to IMSA's Fall Festivities, including a costume contest, fall fun week with a hypnotist, pumpkin "picking" and decorating, and a haunted house, 1502 had our own fun! We had a door decorating contest within the hall, and a few of our A wing rooms took the chance to participate -- we even had one of our rooms (Kaz & Lucie) tie for first place within the hall! Take a look at the doors for A wing below.

 

Ritu & Vanali (A11)

Rachael & Em (A14)

 

Kaz & Lucie (A15; tied for overall hall winners!)

Karina & Alyssa (A20)

Anisha & Amanda (A22) -- tied for wing winners!

Everyone did a great job, and I was really impressed with the creativity, ideas, artwork, and execution that all of them did. I hope they all had fun taking part, and each pair that participated got a mini-prize, with grand prizes including gift cards to Starbucks or Amazon!

Across campus, halls also participated in "Wing Wars" which is a weeklong event where the wings in the hall compete in friendly competition events, to see which wing is the "best". A wing may not have won the week, but roommates Janelle & Catherine got first place in our roommate wars competition; Jo Jo showcased her incredible voice in our talent show; Kaz & Alyssa got to flaunt their fashions in our fashion show; Rachael was able to contribute her paints & her art skills to our mural; and several other members of the wing worked hard to show their pride and gratitude for living in A wing. I was a very proud "mama" throughout the week, and hope they know that! Major shoutouts to Gabi & Em also, who (as our Hall's Community Coordinator & Diversity Coordinator) put together most of the events themselves! October was a month of fun and bonding, but I can hardly believe how quickly it went by.

Here's to hoping November takes its time a bit more -- though I know everyone is already counting down to Thanksgiving Extended. Just a few more weeks!

-- Robyn

It's Finally Fall!

 

Happy October, everyone! This month in Res Life, we'll be focusing our time on a few different things, from healthy relationship conversation & love languages, to sexual education, to strengthening our bond as a wing during our hall "wing wars" event, and more! The wing has been very respectful and receptive to our programming and wing chats so far, and I've really appreciated the honesty and attentiveness that has been brought by our wing to the programming we've had.

This month, the academy will also wrap up our first quarter with the end of the second week of the month. A lot of students have already been stressing, so I'm sure we may have plenty of parents who are as well -- I can promise it's not worth it to do so. The students are all working very hard, and semester grades are what show up on transcripts, so I encourage students & parents alike not to let the daunting presence of first quarter grades get to them. There is still another two months left for students to improve upon grades, and I'm sure we all know how stressful and difficult the first quarter has been, with so many of our students being new to campus (heck, even our Seniors still feel like Sophomores, being back here!)

I know we'll also have plenty of fun fall events going on throughout the month, including a door decorating contest within 02 for Halloween, which the RCs are really excited to see! These first several weeks seem to have flown by, and while each day can also feel a bit slow, I think having those exciting little things to look forward to can make all the difference. We're already almost to our first Extended, which means that once we return, Thanksgiving Extended will be right around the corner! I know our students are very excited to be able to spend some time with you all again, and I myself am also grateful that they'll get to do so.

If you're interested in being an active part of our hall, we do have a hall wish list, where we post items and ideas for things we'd like to have for use around the hall (https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3N52FTOESRDJJ?ref_=wl_share)! They can be anything from items for programming & bulletin boards, to items for everyday use within the wing, hall, or office, to fun items like movie packs or candy for events like Halloween :) If you have any questions about the wish list, please let me know!

Happy fall!

-- Robyn