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Opening Note
Our Spirit in Action
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This issue of Spirit features news of Foundation for the Future, a campaign to support educational excellence—and much more.
As I reflect on the past year at Independence and the start of our 45th anniversary year, I am very excited for our entire school community. Two seemingly unrelated developments come to mind. One is our capital campaign, the school’s first since 2003 and the focus of this Spirit magazine’s feature story. The other is the debut this year of “Soar,” the bald eagle, as our first official school mascot.
These two stories may seem unrelated, but I see a connection. Both are examples of how the Independence community continues to build and sustain spirit by coalescing around a shared goal, a shared idea, or simply the joy exhibited by children when they are encountering a happy and friendly bald eagle! When you see our students, especially the youngest ones, light up with excitement as they first encounter Soar, you realize the power that this kind of symbol has to energize and connect us. And, when you step onto our campus today, you see the power of our community working together on innovations and improvements.
We are enthusiastic and connected. Our campaign, Foundation for the Future, is gaining momentum, with $2.3 million of our $3 million goal raised by the start of the 2022–23 school year. This is the impact of that energy in action. Our alumni, parents, and friends support Independence because they feel united as part of this community, they feel pride in our excellence, and they feel a commitment to our shared mission.
The Independence School and our students are indeed soaring. We selected the bald eagle as a mascot for Independence because it symbolizes both patriotism and the natural world, both relevant here at Indy. And “Soar” is a perfect name for Indy’s eagle, as it is inspired by our “Give Me Independence. Watch Me Soar” marketing campaign, celebrating our students’ talent and potential.
As a new year of learning, growth, and progress is underway at Independence, I thank you for your role in our community and for helping us to soar together!
With Spirit,
Victoria C. Yatzus Head of School
