The IHS

Independence High School

1776 Declaration Way
Thompson’s Station, TN 37179
Declaration
Student Services 615-472-4605 September 8, 2021
Parent Services 615-472-4627
Counseling 615-472-4606

Headline News
Late Start Days
Our next late start day will be Monday, September 13th. Please Click Here for a list of all late start days for the
2021/2022 school year. Please note that some late start days will be on a Tuesday. 1st period begins at 8:25 on
these dates.

Homecoming Details
Homecoming is next week, September 13th-17th, with Homecoming Day festivities occurring on Friday,
September 17th. Our theme is cartoons (Flintstones, Looney Tunes, Peanuts, Tom and Jerry). We will be having
a parade that will loop around Indy at approximately 11am. If you have a child on Homecoming Court, they
should already be aware of this and have all the information. Float building will take place at specific locations
chosen by the grade level students each night next week. If you are looking to help at one of the sites, please
reach out to any Student Council member or angela.burrell@wcs.edu for site addresses. On Homecoming
Day, we will have activities including the parade, dodgeball, karaoke, Family Feud competitions, chess
tournaments, food sales in the Commons, and a pep rally to finish out our day beginning at 2:10pm. Parents are
welcome for the parade and the pep rally; however, you may not remain on campus between the two events.
Homecoming Court will be presented during halftime of the football game the evening of the
17th. Homecoming Queen will be announced at this time. There will be no Homecoming Dance this year, as
voted on by Student Council members, due to conflicting events.

Food Drive
Next week, September 12th-17th Independence will collect cans and money before school in the commons for
the Drive Away hunger Food Drive. We will have a school-wide competition between grade levels. The
competition is based on the weigh of food donated, and $1 donations=5 pounds of food. All food and money
will be donated to our local food pantry, One Generation Away. The winning grade level will get 500 points
added to their homecoming competition total. Also, the Williamson County high school that donates the most
weight in food/money will receive $1250. One Gen Away’s wish list: (in addition to cash donations), peanut
butter, spaghetti sauce (not tomato Sauce), canned corn, canned green beans, canned soups, mac &
cheese, canned tuna/chicken, and cereal.

T-shirt Packs
T-shirt Spirit Packs have been delivered to the school! We will begin distributing those in the Commons on
Thursday, September 9th during all lunches. Please encourage your students to come to the table in the
Commons to retrieve them during their lunch or SOAR time. We will make announcements in the cafeteria as
well, but sometimes students do not know that t-shirts have been purchased in their name. If you have
questions about this process, please reach out to angela.burrell@wcs.edu.

PSAT
It is now time for your student to sign up for the PSAT that will be administered on Tuesday, October 26th. The
PSAT is open for all 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students. Participating in this exam has numerous advantages listed
below:
1. Great practice for the ACT/SAT.
2. Connect to colleges and resources to help you plan for college and career.
3. For 11th grade students: access to possible scholarships, i.e. National Merit Scholarship Program.
4. Assess your skills and college readiness.
5. Learn strategies to improve your academic readiness for college. Payment and registration are now live on
our online payment portal. You or your student can also pay by cash or check in the counseling office with Mrs.
McCombs. Checks should be made out to “IHS”, and the cost is $19. Once payment is received either online
or in-person, your student will be registered for the exam. If you register, and your student currently receives
testing accommodations, please reach out to your school counselor for assistance. Accommodations must be
reported by Friday, August 20th. The registration deadline is this Friday, September 10th. For any questions,
please reach out to your grade-level AP or your student’s school counselor. Link for online payment: PSAT
PAYMENT LINK

Attendance
Absences: If your student is going to be absent for the day, please send an email as soon as possible that
morning to only one of the attendance secretaries – Katherine.bert@wcs.edu OR Danielle.Burtch@wcs.edu.
Please include Student’s Full Name, Grade, Dates and Time of Absence, Reason for Absence and Parent’s
Name. Emails must be from the Parent/Guardian email address that is listed in your Skyward Family Account to
be excused. Medical appointments, College Visits, Court Appearances will require official letters from those
institutions to excuse these types of absences. The official notes and letters can be scanned or photographed
and emailed to Katherine.bert@wcs.edu OR Danielle.Burtch@wcs.edu when the student returns to school.

Early Dismissals or Partial Day Absences

If your student needs to leave school early an email must be sent no later than 7:40 AM that morning to only
one of the attendance secretaries – Katherine.bert@wcs.edu OR Danielle.Burtch@wcs.edu or a
parent/guardian/emergency contact will need to come to school to sign the student out. The student will then
be given permission to report to Student Services and sign out at the time of the dismissal. Please include:
Student’s Full Name, Grade, Dates and Time of Absence, Reason for Absence and Parent’s Name. Emails must
be from the Parent/Guardian email address that is listed in your Skyward Family Account. Medical
appointments, College Visits, Court Appearances will require official letters from those institutions in order to
excuse these types of absences. The official letters can be scanned or photographed and emailed when the
student returns to school. All other early dismissals are excused following the Williamson County School Board
attendance policy 6.200. NO DISMISSALS AFTER 2:15PM.

Message from the school nurse

Greetings IHS families and students. This is Nurse Hope. If your student has an illness, please refer to the current
illness guidelines before sending them to school. Click Here Just a reminder, if your student needs medication to
be kept at school or has any allergies/asthma these forms can be found on the WCS school website to be filled
out and returned for the new school year. Click Here. You may turn in your forms and medications to me during
normal school hours. Feel free to email me at stephanie.page@wcs.edu or call me at 615-472-4611 with any
questions or concerns. For the current illness guidelines please Click Here.

Dance Team Fundraiser

The Dance Team will be having a Culver’s Spirit Night on September 21st from 5-8 pm. Please come show your
support!

Earn Money for Indy and Save

Get your Holiday shopping done early and earn some money for the school at the same time. Make a
purchase on Adidas.com/us and Adidas will donate 10% of the proceeds to Independence. How can you
save? Use code: ADP19INDHS and get free shipping and 15% off.

Class Fees
Many classes have fees that allow teachers to enrich students’ learning experience. If you have any questions
about how a particular class fee will be used, please contact your teacher. Class fees are now live and can be
paid here Click Here .
Bus Routes
For information on your student’s bus route and all transportation information, please Click Here. For information
on how to download and use the stopfinder ap please Click Here.

Bus Notes
We are asking parents to limit bus note requests to only essential after school childcare needs and emergency
situations during the school year.

Late Bus
A late bus is available for our students staying after school for academic reasons. Students must sign up for it
each day by 2:00 using this link Late Bus Sign-Up (also located in Student Services). The late bus leaves IHS at
5:00pm.

Parking Pass
Your student’s pass from last year is no longer valid. A pass needs to be purchased at the beginning of each
school year to park at school. We have begun ticketing. To purchase a parking pass for the 21-22 school year,
you must have a valid Driver’s License and have taken the Checkpoint Training class. You only need to take
the checkpoint training once. Please complete the Parking Pass application Here. Please only complete the
application one time. Once you complete the application you MUST pay the $15 payment for the pass. This will
be paid through the Online Fee Payment Portal. Students will be called to student services once they have
completed Checkpoints, paid the fee, and filled out the application.

Driver’s Permit
If you are planning to schedule your Driver's Permit Test, you will need to request a Compulsory Attendance
Letter. To access the google request form CLICK HERE . Please do not make the request the day of your
appointment. Forms are only good for 30 days from the request date so please make your appointment
before you request your letter. Letters cannot be emailed or faxed. We will not fax a letter to the Driver’s
License Facility.

Checkpoints Driving 2021-22

Williamson County Schools requires that all NEW drivers attend and complete the Checkpoints Driving
course PRIOR to driving on campus. The purpose of this course is to inform parents/students of ways to prevent
distracting behaviors while driving and reduce the risk of accidents. To register for a checkpoints course, please
click the link below. Registration for each date will close 24 hours prior to the start of the class. A Zoom meeting
link will be emailed to registered participants, along with other meeting information, the morning of the
meeting. If you have any questions, please contact melissa.dufrechou@wcs.edu. Please Click Here to register.

Student Meals at No Cost

As part of the U.S Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) meal program, students will receive meals (one breakfast
and one lunch) at no cost for the 2021-2022 school year. Although meals will be provided to students at no
cost, it is still important to submit a free and reduced-price school meals application. Filling out the application
may help provide but is not limited to: Discounts for fees associated with School Aged Child Care (SACC),
Discounts for fees associated with college application processes, Scholarship opportunities and discounted fees
for ACT registration and AP tests, Monthly internet service discounts. Please click here to complete an
application: https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application. Application information is completely confidential.
Only one application per household is needed. If you have any questions, please contact the Food Services
Department at (615) 472-4990.

Lunch Accounts
For information regarding lunch accounts and how to set up your MySchoolBucks account, please Click Here.

InFocus
Subscribe today to receive InFocus, Williamson County Schools weekly e-newsletter. Complete with videos,
articles and photos galleries, InFocus is your main source for Williamson County Schools information. Just go to
https://www.wcs.edu/infocus/subscribe/ to sign up.

Mobile App
Stay on top of the latest news, calendar events and district information by downloading our free Williamson
County Schools mobile app. The app gives users access to school menus, meal payments and contact
information all in one convenient location. Visit the App Store or Google Play to download the app for free!

US Flag Subscription Service

US Flag Subscription Service - All year long in your front yard! Sign up anytime and get a flag placed in your
yard for the next five patriotic holidays. Sign Up Here.

JROTC
One of the biggest Labor Day events in Franklin Tennessee for more than twenty years is the Franklin Classic 10k
and 5k Fundraising Event. Mercy Community Healthcare provides medical care for more than 10,000 patients
annual. This non-profit organization cares for all who need physical and emotional help even if they are
uninsured. Every Labor Day, the Franklin Classic attracts thousands of participants, volunteers, and spectators.
This year, the Independence High School JROTC once again provided two Color Guard teams to support the
Opening ceremonies. Laila Bradley, Mia Elias-Perez, Jena Farris, Henry Mezera, and Cohen Wiggins proudly
represented Independence by presenting our Nation’s Colors while enjoying the festivities between
ceremonies. Please congratulate them on their dedication to supporting our community.

Tutoring Schedule
Please Click Here for our academic tutoring schedule.

Senior Act Day

IHS seniors will take the ACT in school on Tuesday, Oct 5. Because it is an in-school test, seniors are already
registered for it and do not need to register online. All seniors are required to take the ACT on that day. More
information regarding testing times and locations will be available closer to test day. We are offering lots of
opportunities for Seniors to prepare for the upcoming ACT, including strategy lessons in homeroom, ACT
practice during SOAR, and ACT math help on late starts. Please encourage your student to set a growth goal
and spend time preparing for the Oct ACT.

Free ACT - Free Tutoring - Free Gifts and Rewards for Seniors
Want to know how to earn $16,000 with just 3 hours of work? Seniors can do just that on Tuesday, October 5th
when they take the free ACT test here at IHS. A score of 21 earns the $16K HOPE scholarship. Practice makes
perfect. Tutoring takes place Tuesdays and Thursdays in the library during C Lunch. Practice tests with answers
keys are available in the Counseling Center. ACT Math practice is available every Late Start Monday at 7:30 in
room H108. Students who attend tutoring are entered into drawings for gift cards, and Dr. Patton will award a
multi-use Priority Dismissal Pass to ANY SENIOR whose score improves from the last time they took the ACT. What
is your senior doing to prepare?

AP Exams
Don’t forget, payments for AP exams are due on September 17th! Is your student taking an AP exam this year?
The cost of the exam is $96. Payments can be made at Online School Payments. If you need financial
assistance, please contact your child’s counselor or Teresa McCombs at teresam@wcs.edu.

College Application and Exploration Month

The month of September is College Application and Exploration Month! Our office has a goal of 100% of seniors
completing the TN Promise application and applying to at least one post-secondary institution. The focus of this
month is for you to explore colleges and scholarships and get all your questions answered (9-12th)! Be sure to
wear your college t shirts or masks during the month to celebrate. Every senior who shows proof that
they applied for TN Promise and at least one post-secondary institution will be entered into our grand prize raffle
and will receive a coupon for a free treat at Chick Fil A! Please review the calendar attached so you know
what is happening when this month. Seniors, you will need to have your Social Security Number available to
complete your TN Promise application. We can't wait to celebrate with you!
College and Financial Aid Presentation
Thursday, September 9 @ 5:30 pm over zoom. Counselors will go over important college application
information (how to send transcripts, how to send test scores, the different types of applications, etc.) TSAC
representative, Annie Trout, will go over all things financial aid! Zoom link: https://wcs.zoom.us/j/81286968932

Youth Leadership Franklin

Youth Leadership Franklin is now accepting applications. This opportunity is open to 10-12th graders and would
be a great resume builder as well as enrichment opportunity. The deadline to be RECEIVED is Monday,
9/20/2021 at 4pm. Applications can be found in the updates on the IHS Counseling Schoology group.

Williamson County College Fair

The Annual Fall Williamson County College Fair will be Tuesday, September 14th at the AG EXPO Center from
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. This is an in-person event, but a virtual option is in the works. More information will be
provided as it becomes available. Over 100 representatives from colleges, universities, tech programs, and
military branches will attend. It's a great time to get your questions answered about admissions, scholarship
opportunities, and programs. All grade levels are encouraged to attend.

College/Military Visits at IHS

• Wednesday Sept 15 Vanderbilt University Zoom meeting 11:15
• Monday Sept 20 University of Mississippi
• Tuesday Sept 21 Army National Guard
• Wednesday Sept 22 US Marines
• Tuesday Sept 22 SCAD Lunch Visit
• Thursday Sept 23 Tennessee Tech University
• Thursday Sept 23 Grand Canyon University
• Tuesday Sept 28 UT Knoxville
• Thursday Sept 30 Austin Peay State University
• Monday Oct 4 Heilelberg University Lunch Visit
• Tuesday Oct 05 University of Alabama in Huntsville Lunch Visit
• Monday Oct 18 University of Alabama at Birmingham Lunch Visit
University of Memphis Lunch Visit
• Wednesday Oct 20 Samford University
• Monday Nov 8 Mississippi State University Lunch Visit

Vanderbilt University Admission Info Meeting

Vanderbilt University will be hosting a zoom meeting to offer admission and scholarship information on
Wednesday, September 15th from 11:15am-12:00pm. Click Here to register. Once the student registers to
attend, they will receive the Zoom link.

Graduation Fees
Graduating seniors are to pay a $75 fee that covers the cost of the cap and gown, as well as costs associated
with the graduation ceremony. This fee may be paid online by Clicking Here.

Senior Yard Signs

Senior yard signs may be ordered and paid for until March 11th. Signs are $25 and the fee may be paid online
or in the front office. To pay online Click Here.

Senior Adds
The Talon staff is currently working on producing the 2022 yearbook. If you would like to purchase a senior ad
for your son or daughter, you can do so now. This is a chance to congratulate your senior on his or her
graduation and other accomplishments. If you are interested in purchasing a senior ad in The Talon
yearbook, please visit yearbookordercenter.com by Friday, January 28, 2022, to design and upload your
senior ad. Payment, pictures and message for all ads are due by Friday, January 28, 2022. If you have any
questions, please feel free to contact me at laura.kim@wcs.edu.

Senior Pictures
This year Lifetouch will be contacting Senior parents directly regarding Senior portraits. For more
information, please contact Lifetouch at 800-736-4775 or by email at rheanne.walker@lifetouch.com.
Please note that they have changed locations. They are now located at Prestige Photography, 325 Seaboard
Lane, Suite 110 Franklin, TN 37067.

POGS
There's still time to sign-up for Class of 2022 POGS. Membership is $55 for the entire school year - register and pay
HERE. The deadline to receive a shirt with your membership is September 23rd. The next POGS lunch is
scheduled for Friday, September 24th. Students who signed up after August 26th will be able to pick-up their
POGS cards at that lunch. If you have any questions regarding POGS or your student's registration, please
email IHSPTSOPOGS@gmail.com.

Sports Season Pass

To purchase the Student ONLY All-Sports Season Pass ($325+ value for as low as $100), download the GoFan
app and select Independence High School (Thompson’s Station) as your favorite school. New this year, Adult
Sport Specific Season passes will be sold. The price varies per sport based on the number of expected home
games and will be available for sale for a minimum of 2 weeks prior to the start of each season.

NFHS Membership
Gain access to all IHS streamed events (home and away)! Gain access to ALL events nationwide with an NFHS
membership. $65 for one year! Membership is good for ONE calendar year from first date of access. To
purchase Click Here. Include an email in the purchase notes to receive NFHS membership code.

Football
Congrats to the team for beating Centennial last Friday! Please see the upcoming football schedule by
Clicking Here. The Homecoming game will be September 17th.

Volleyball
Volleyball DEFEATED Columbia 3-0. Please Click Here for this season’s schedule.

Girls’ Soccer
Please Click Here for the Girls’ Soccer schedule.

Golf
Please Click Here for the Golf Schedule.

Cross Country
XC competed in Knoxville over weekend. Boys finished 3rd; girls finished 4th.

Tennis
Tryouts for the Independence Tennis team will take place on September 27th & 28th starting at 3:15 PM at the
courts. You must have an up to date Physical (After April 15) to participate. Please see Coach Balzer in Room
F185 or email him at mattb@wcs.edu if you have any questions.

Indy Girls Lacrosse Club

Independence Girls Lacrosse would like to invite any girl that is interested in giving lacrosse a try to join us for fall
workouts. The season officially begins in January but fall and winter workouts are a great way to learn the rules
and stick skills. Indy Girls LAX practices on Monday’s from 5:30-6:45 and Saturdays from 9-11 on the multipurpose
field at Indy. The fee for fall is $125. Please make the check out to IAC (Independence Athletic Committee) and
turn it into the front office. NO EXPERENCE NECESSARY! If you have any questions, please contact Catherine
Farrar at indygirlslaxadmin@googlegroups.com.

September
September 17th Homecoming Football Game
September 28th Picture Day

October
October 5th Senior ACT Day
October 22nd Report Cards
October 26th PSAT (Universal Day)
October 27th Picture Re-Take Day