Dear Stakeholders,

Recently, I had the opportunity

to present at the National

Alternative Education

Association Conference in

Dallas, TX. I was honored to

present alongside Mr. LaKenji

Hastings, FCS Assessment

Specialist and loved being able

to do a little bragging about

Independence to a group of

colleagues from across the

country. An unexpected benefit

of preparing for this event was

that it gave me a reason to

focus on the details, the many

things we do here every day

that make our school so special.

Studying the data allowed me

to share that we have a

wonderfully diverse student

population and the lowest

Student/Teacher Ratio for a

north Fulton County public

school. We are a Georgia Top

Quartile Performer for Student

Growth and Progress (2015,

2016) and received the highest

rating for progress in

Achievement Gap Closure on

the College and Career Ready

Index (2015, 2016). We

received a 4 out of 5 rating for

maintaining a safe and

substance-free learning

environment on the Georgia

School Climate Survey (2015,

2016) and were recognized by

the Greater North Fulton

Chamber of Commerce for

having our community partners

named as the School-Business

Partnerships of the Year (2016-

2017). Our most recent

accolade came when we were

named a 2016-2017 Beating the

Odds School, having a higher

CCRPI than similar schools

serving similar students in the

state (Georgia Department of

Education).

These accomplishments are

made possible by faculty and

staff who are committed to

helping each student achieve

his/her educational goals and

by encouraging our students to

remain focused on graduation.

Another component of our

success is the support we

receive from the Fulton County

Board of Education.

March 13-17 has been

designated as School Board

Appreciation Week, and I

would like to take this

opportunity to thank all the

Board members for the work

they do, not only on behalf of

Independence High School’s

students, but those attending

all the other schools in Fulton

County as well. Our special

thanks go out to Ms. Katie

Reeves, our district’s

representative, for her belief in

our mission and her

unwavering support of our

students.

I am excited to begin this

fourth mini-semester with you

and your students as we

continue to strive for “Success

for All Students.”

Sincerely,

Tabatha Taylor, Principal

“One Vision, One Mission,

One Goal: Success For All

Students”

CTE &

Science

2

Staff

Highlights

3

Math 3

Student

Services

4

Student

Recognition

5

Graduates’

Reflections

6

AP Approach 7

Extra-

curricular

8

INSIDE

THIS ISSUE

VOLUME 7, ISSUE 3 March , 2017

P A G E 2

Gwinnett

Technical College

Career and Technical Education

I N D E P E N D E N C E I N S I G H T S

February was National Career and

Technical Education month with the

2017 theme of, “Celebrate Today,

Own Tomorrow.” In recognition of

this event, Dr. Steven Robinson and

Ms. Ashley Ellis hosted guest

speakers who spoke to their students

about entrepreneurship and personal

finance.

We would like to thank Mr. Daryl

Battles of Camp of Champions,

Inc. and Mr. Jamal Cornelious of

Delta Credit Union for giving their

time and sharing their expertise to

benefit our students as they plan for

their futures.

Dr. Robinson, Yulissa,

Ms. T. Ellis and

Mr. Battles

Mr. Jamal Cornelious

During CTE Month, IHS students had the

opportunity to visit Georgia Gwinnett College

in Lawrenceville, GA. GGC opened its doors in

2006 as the first four-year college founded in

Georgia in more than 100 years, and the first

four-year, public college created in the U.S. in the

21st century. Georgia Gwinnett College is a

member of the University System of Georgia and

currently offers 15 majors with more than 40

areas of concentration.

Dr. Robinson with CTE students at

Georgia Gwinnett College

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Science Space Can be a “Charmin” Place

In order to visualize the vastness of space in a

more manageable setting, students in

Ms. Erica Carrillo’s Earth Systems A

classes built scale models of the solar

system...using rolls of toilet paper. This STEM

activity allowed the students to map out the

planets and asteroid belt using a table of

distances provided by Ms. Sara Allegood.

They found that the project required 100

sheets of paper and stretched almost 42 feet in

length.

Staff Highlights

P A G E 3 V O L U M E 7 , I S S U E 3

Speaking honestly, Mathematics is not often described as “all fun and games;” however, that was the case

recently in Ms. Anna Holub-Standish’s Advanced Mathematics Decision Making class. Her students were

finishing a unit on Probability and Ms. Holub-Standish employed a carnival games project to reinforce the concept of Expected Value.

Students needed to calculate the theoretical probability of winning games and use that information to manage a game booth. Students were

tasked with preparing reports, one element of which was Experimental Probability and designing a carnival game. Class members then

played the games to collect data to support or negate the hypothesis.

The Independence administration,

faculty and staff are proud of our

school , our students and the unique

opportunities we are able to offer to

those who are seeking a non-

traditional setting in which to achieve

their educational goals. While our

school has been serving this

community for 25 years, we are not

as well known as one might expect. It

is especially exciting, then, to be able

to shine a spotlight on Independence

at state and national conferences ,

opportunities recently presented to

Principal Tabatha Taylor and

Ms. Singh, Chairperson of the

Science Department. Ms. Singh

was asked to present the topic,

“Personalize Learning Using Data

Driven Assessments” at the Georgia

Science Teachers Association

Conference in Stone Mountain, GA in

February. The session shared

instructional strategies, assessment,

technology and presentation tools

to personalize learning.

Our Principal, Mrs. Taylor, was

invited to speak at the 23rd Annual

Conference on Alternative Education

in Dallas, TX, March 8-11. She

partnered

with

Mr. LaKenji

Hastings,

FCS

Assessment

Specialist on

the topic of,

“Alternative

Education

Leadership:

What’s Growth Got To Do With It?”

Mr. John Chase Campbell, IHS Art

Teacher, is among those FCS

teachers whose art work will be on

exhibit at the Aviation Community

Cultural Center Contemporary Gallery

March 31, 2017 to April 28, 2017. The

Center is located at 3900 Aviation

Circle, NW Atlanta, GA 30336. The

public is invited to attend the opening

reception on Friday, March 31, 2017

6:30pm to 8:00pm. The show,

“Beyond the Glass Ceiling”, will allow

viewers a glimpse into the professional

and artistic minds of the educators

Fulton County Schools employ to

groom and guide the skills of the

students who study under them;

offering the students hope and the will

to strive

“beyond the

glass ceiling”

artistically.

For more information visit the website

http://www.fultonarts.org/index.php/art-centers/aviation-community-cultural-

center or contact at

Tisha.smith@fultoncountyga.gov. If there are any questions, call 404.612.8603.

Ms. Gaganjot Singh

Mathematics

Title: A Moment Pastel on Painted Paper Artist J. Chase Campbell © 2014 Physically or digital reproduction without permission of owner is strictly prohibited.

P A GE 4

News From

The Office of Student Services welcomed more than

30 visitors to the “Spotlight on Independence” event in February. It was a

morning set aside to share with students, staff members and interested

parents from other area high schools an overview of what makes IHS unique

and sets us apart from the traditional educational setting. The mini-semester

format and its benefits were detailed along

with the attendance policy and the application process. Visitors heard personal

testimonies from student ambassadors and were given a tour of the facility,

culminating in a question and answer session.

To learn more about Independence and what it has to offer, please visit our website at

www.independencehighschool.org.

Independence in the Spotlight

Dates to Remember

April 3—7—Spring Break

May 19—Graduating Seniors’ Rehearsal

and Cook-Out

May 23—1:00 p.m.—Graduation

Ceremony

May 25—Last Day of School

Lunch and Learn Events

March 2—Georgia Highlands College

March 30—Valdosta State University

April 13—U.S. Army

April 27—Gwinnett Technical College

Post Secondary Acceptances

Yemi Mabiaku—Western Carolina University

Octavius Johnson—U.S. Naval Reserves

Matanel Rabinowitz—U.S. Marine Corps

Jennifer Murphy—College of Coastal Georgia and East

Georgia State College

Christopher Partin—American InterContinental University

IHS Student Services

(@IHS_SS) | Twitter

Young Women’s Empowerment Group

New to Independence this year, the YWEG will be meeting monthly

during the lunch period. This is a peer mentoring group whose goal

is to instill and support confidence and self-esteem in its participants.

Please see Ms. Burrell for more information.

V O L U M E 7 , I S S U E 3 P A G E 5

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Congratulations to the Mini-Semester III Star Students! Nominated by their

teachers for academic success, dedication to their studies and admirable

character, these shining stars were joined by family and friends during a

ceremony and reception in their honor on February 28:

Holly Burks

Johana Cebrales

Jetta Childs

Colin Davis

Lauren Diehl

Jocelyn Hernandez

Javier Jimenez

Megan Martinez

Alex Montepeque

Edwin Ortiz

Jokevia Parks

Anilut Renteria

Elexius Sam

Andrea Samaniego (2)

Brandon Scott

Quantina Simms

Independence Graduates’

Reflections “My experience at Independence

was wonderful”

Peter, 2017

“ I’ve had a great experience

with all the teachers and

staff. Everyone was helpful

and encouraging.”

Shirley, 2017

“My experience at Independence

High School was great. I learned to

value school a lot. As well, I

learned how to become more inde-

pendent. The teachers here were

great. I can say that they all helped

me grow as a person.”

Guadalupe, 2017

P A GE 6

“Life-Changing

Experience.”

Dylan, 2017

“My time at

Independence was a one

-time life experience.

I’m very thankful to

those teachers who did

everything to help me

comprehend the

material I was being

taught. I’m glad I can

take the new tools I’ve

learned here into my

daily life!.”

Jocelyn, 2017

“While attending Independence,

you quickly realize everybody

(Staff-wise) is all on the same

page and all the students there

are people with lives outside of

school just trying to make it

through.”

Colton, 2017

“One of the best experiences I’ve

had because the people here are

more real than my old school”

Diante, 2017

“Independence HS has

taught me so much about

being independent and

knowing what is needed

for a successful future.”

Matthew, 2017 “I love it!” Samuel, 2017

VOLUME 7, ISSUE 3 PAGE 7

Two Easy Ways to Support IHS

If you do your grocery shopping at Publix, please pick up a Publix Partners card in our Main Office and have it

scanned at check-out each time you visit the store. Publix will donate a percentage of those sales back to the

school.

If you happen to be a Kroger customer, please register your Kroger Plus card online at the Kroger website

and indicate that you would like the Community Rewards points to go to Independence HS. This must be

done annually.

Thank You!

The AP Approach

As the world continues to change, our students must be prepared to become life-long learners. As we work to incorporate

Personalized Learning, we strive to create independent thinkers who take responsibility for their learning and utilize the

necessary tools to accomplish their goals.

American Association for Curriculum Development

Student Engagement: Key to Personalized Learning

by Larry Ferrlazo

"Understanding the world as it is" means being realistic. And if we're realistic, we'll know that even when a particular

instructional method has been studied under controlled conditions, found to be effective, and labeled "best practice," none of

that matters if students won't do the work. Teachers in the real world recognize that although personalization has the potential

to improve learning, our first job in applying any approach is to engage students in the learning process. And engagement is not

about baiting a hook. It's about helping students find their spark and make their own fire.

Researchers have identified four key elements that help develop this kind of student engagement (Ryan & Deci, 2000):

Autonomy is the amount of power students have to determine what they're doing and how they're doing it. Typically,

the more autonomy students have, the higher their level of intrinsic motivation.

Competence, or self-efficacy, occurs when a student has the necessary skills to complete the assigned task successfully.

"Growth mindset" notwithstanding, our students are not endowed with magical powers they can substitute for an

adequate skill set. They won't be energized by banging their heads against a wall if they have no hope of breaking through.

Relatedness is created when students' actions result in developing closer relationships with those whom they like and/

or respect. In the classroom context, this is often about achieving high-quality relationships with teachers, as well as

connecting with their classmates.

Relevance means that students perceive the things we ask them to do as being in their own self -interest. Do the learning

activities relate to topics that students are genuinely curious about? Do students believe that accomplishing the task or

reaching the learning target will help them achieve a short-term or long-term goal?

As we strive to create personalized-learning environments for our students, it's essential that we keep these four elements of

intrinsic motivation in mind.

*Stay tuned for more about Personalized Learning!

Gwendolyn Harris

Assistant Principal

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 5

Congratulations to Our Honorees!

Ms. Kerry Shorr, ELA Teacher and Department Chairperson, is

the Independence High School Teacher of the Year

and

Ms. Detra Miles-Burrell, Graduation Coach, is the IHS

Support Professional of the Year.

It is the policy of the Fulton County School System not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, or disability in any employment practice, educational program, or any other program, activity, or service. If you wish to make a complaint or request accommodation or modification due to discrimination in any program, activity, or service, contact Chief Compliance Officer, Ron Wade, 6201 Powers Ferry Rd, Atlanta, Georgia 30339, or phone 470-254-3600. TTY 1-800-255-013

Extracurricular News

Interact Club Recognized

at Relay for Life

The IHS Interact Club received an award for

being the Top Team Per Capita at the North

Fulton Relay for Life Kick-Off Event on

January 24, 2017. Club members raised $692

to donate to the cause. This recognition was

based on the ratio of the number of

participants to the amount of money raised.

Habitat for Humanity

This summer, Mr. Ahmad

Eidizadeh, IHS Math teacher

and faculty sponsor of the Habitat for

Humanity Club, will be participating in an

overseas trip with Global Village, the

international branch of Habitat for

Humanity. What will make this trip

unique is that Francis Cronley, a

December graduate of Independence, will be

joining the team going to Thailand. Mr. Eidizadeh

shared, “Francis was the president of the H for H

last year and did some volunteer work with me for

a local project in North Georgia. When I told him

about the international segment of Habitat for

Humanity and a build that we were doing in

Thailand, he did not hesitate and decided to join

the build. This will be my 6th overseas trip with

Global Village , but I have never had a student as

incredibly dedicated to a cause as is Francis. He

will be the first student from Habitat Club who has

participated in a Global Village build. I am really

proud of Francis for giving a great deal of time and

effort toward a cause as worthy as Habitat for

Humanity.”

Ongoing/Upcoming Projects:

Clothing Drive for American Kidney

Services

May 13—North Fulton Relay for Life

April 15—LifeSouth Blood Drive

May 15—Pennies for Patients