Independence High School

Dear SIXER Families,

Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year! I welcome you to a year filled with new learnings and exciting experiences for our students as we help them discover their passion, purpose, and path from high school into college and careers.

I invite all new students and new student families to an orientation on Thursday, August 4th, from 9 am - 12 pm. Please arrive by 8:45 am to check-in. At this event, students will receive their class schedule and school issued Chromebooks. Additionally students will be greeted, assigned a student-mentor, receive a walking tour of campus, and learn about the different opportunities for involvement through clubs, athletics, and performing arts groups. Lastly, students can purchase PE clothes, receive order forms for school portraits, and reserve a yearbook for $65 at this event. If you are a new student, please bring this letter to the event to speed up the process for checking out your Chromebook.

For our returning students, we welcome you to campus to receive your schedules at the following times. Seniors can receive their schedules on Wednesday, August 3rd, from 9 am through 12 pm. Juniors can receive their schedules from 1 pm through 3 pm on the 3rd. Sophomores can receive their schedules on Thursday, August 4th, from 1 pm through 3 pm.

Respectfully,

Bjorn Berg

Principal

Starting in the fall of 2022, Independence will be using Canvas as our Learning Management System. Course information, work, and communication with instructors, in addition to grades, will be visible through the Canvas portal.

Student can access their Canvas accounts by signing in through ECARMS at https://ecarms.esuhsd.org.

Parent instructions on viewing your student accounts are available at - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KdcDHHewX1Ttxq6jP4pOQlybYIljQ5qmuuGBnavCeG8/edit?usp=sharing

The health and safety of our students are vital to a positive community. Independence participates in the SaySomething program through Sandy Hook Promise. We encourage students to share concerns with a trusted adult on campus. If a student, or community member, has information they need to submit, they can call 1-844-5-SayNow, through the app, or through the following website.

https://www.p3campus.com/tipform.aspx?ID=3000&HF=1&Logo=0&X=1&H=0

Students interested in accessing mental health support on campus and in the community can visit the Mental Health and Wellness Center in room D-05. We are open every school day from 8:15 to 4:00 pm. At the Wellness Center, students can access the calming Space, talk to a social worker or an intern about ongoing mental health needs, receive crisis support, attend a support group, or request information about services available in the community. In Fall 2022, we plan to host the following groups: Art Therapy, Ujima, and a general support group. Students and families with questions about the Wellness Center can contact Ilse Ruiz, School Social Worker, at 408-928-9937 or email ruizilse@esuhsd.org.

If you would like to refer a student, please visit the following website: https://forms.doc-tracking.com/48252/48252/2416.

Students are NOT ALLOWED to leave campus during their school day. Students caught leaving or returning will have their items confiscated and be assigned to Saturday School. Students are not allowed to order outside food and have it delivered to them during school hours. Students are to park in the larger lot north of the stadium by the gym and pool. The parking lots are off-limits during breaks and lunch. Don’t use a car as a locker. Students, do not park in staff parking near the Theater. In addition, all visitors need to check in at the main office in N-01.

PE clothes will be available for purchase during our new student orientation. They will be $20 for the uniform set or $10 for each item. We will sell one set per student for the beginning of the year. Sales will be open during the first week of school for all students, and following that, uniform items can be purchased from the staff in the girl’s locker room office.

To earn a diploma from the East Side Union High School District, students must pass 220 credits in the areas shown below.

• Graduation credits are earned by achieving a grade of a D or higher at the Semester marking periods. Each Semester includes two marking period grades, which are mailed home. Grades can be seen through an online grade book maintained by the teacher.

ESUHSD Graduation Requirements (220 credits)

English - 40 credits - 4 years of English

Social Science - 30 credits - 1 year of World History, 1 year of US History, 1 semester of Economics, & 1 semester of American Government

Mathematics - 20 credits - 1 year of CCSS Math 1 or Algebra 1, 1 year of CCSS Math 2 or Geometry (or higher level courses)

Science - 20 credits - 1 year of a life science, & 1 year of a physical science

Fine Art or World Language - 10 credits - 1 year of a Fine Art or 1 year of a World Language

Physical Education - 20 credits - 2 years of Physical Education

Electives - 80 credits

As students at Independence, our students are eligible to apply to the Spartan East Side Promise for admission to San Jose State University.

Established in 2016, the Spartan East Side Promise (SESP) began as a collaboration between San José State University and East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD) with the goal of offering guaranteed admission to qualified students who graduate from a qualifying school. Through a variety of interactive programming, the SESP provides a pathway to admission at SJSU by clearly specifying the admission requirements and sharing information about resources for academic success with students and families in the district.

In 2019, the Promise began to expand into a program within SOAR that focuses on helping incoming ESUHSD students transition to SJSU, build connections, and navigate the University.

Our Vision is to collaborate with the campus community on interactive, intentional programming to foster academic, personal, and professional development and a college-going mindset in ESUHSD students.

To do this, we have three objectives:

1. Help students become part of a larger campus community

2. Serve as a support system for ESUHSD students and their families

3. Decrease the percentage of academic probation and disqualification in a cohort

For more information, please visit - https://www.sjsu.edu/soar/spartaneastsidepromise/index.php

Email: bergbj@esuhsd.org
Website: https://independence.esuhsd.org/index.html
Location: 617 North Jackson Avenue, San Jose, CA, USA
Phone: 4089289500