Photos courtesy of Vera Crane
Ribbon-cutting Ceremony and 1st Annual Relay Fundraising Event - A Great Day for IACS!
A BIG "Thank You" to the IACS Community!!!
We would like to thank all the team leaders, volunteers, parents and most importantly the students. They are the ones who obtained the pledges and raffle prizes, who held a yard sale, and bake sales just to name a few. We'd also like to send a huge thank you to the IACS staff for all their help and support during our IACS 1st Annual Relay.
Thanks to all of you we raised over $20,000! The weather was beautiful and we all had a great time! Thank you and see you next year!
1st Annual Relay Co Chairs - Carol Passarelli & Paula Girouard
on behalf of the entire Relay Committee
Heather Rozen, Lynn Smith, Sherri Panneton & Kerri Wellenstein
We would like to thank all the team leaders, volunteers, parents and most importantly the students. They are the ones who obtained the pledges and raffle prizes, who held a yard sale, and bake sales just to name a few. We'd also like to send a huge thank you to the IACS staff for all their help and support during our IACS 1st Annual Relay.
Thanks to all of you we raised over $20,000! The weather was beautiful and we all had a great time! Thank you and see you next year!
1st Annual Relay Co Chairs - Carol Passarelli & Paula Girouard
on behalf of the entire Relay Committee
Heather Rozen, Lynn Smith, Sherri Panneton & Kerri Wellenstein
Text of speech given by IACS Executive Director Walter Landberg
I want to take a moment and congratulate our community as a
whole for this accomplishment. While
there have certainly been some key people who’ve helped us to make this
wonderful and very impressive track and field and science classrooms happen,
these types of things only happen if a community is pulling together
While this track and field is an amazing accomplishment of the highest quality, it is important that you all know that we were very thoughtful about what we spent our money on and decidedly focused on what was most important for the kids – a high quality playing surface for the field and a high quality track that was competition ready. We also wanted to be sure to balance our number one focus on academics with building quality athletic fields – to this end, we have made sure to put aside appropriate funding for science classrooms and art spaces as we expand our campus in the coming year. Among other things – just ask Nolan McKinnon our AD how many things were cut – bleachers were one of those things we knew wouldn’t impact our kids experience and felt could come later.
As many of you are well aware, this community has at least a couple more dreams that we’d like to make into reality. As we move forward, I know our school program will remain strong, I know our students will continue to work hard and the parents will continue to push their students, and us, to do our very best to help our students to achieve the hope so many American families hold dear, that dream to attend college and have options when they graduate to live full and meaningful lives.
While all this is sure to happen, I challenge this community to step up and do whatever it can to make the dream of a campus that has everything a school should have in place – a campus with a gym facility and a campus with well supplied classrooms and a campus that continues to have the very best teachers. In the coming months, you will learn more about our plan and the involvement we will need from our entire community to achieve this dream. I know this community can do it and I look forward to working with you to make it happen.
While this track and field is an amazing accomplishment of the highest quality, it is important that you all know that we were very thoughtful about what we spent our money on and decidedly focused on what was most important for the kids – a high quality playing surface for the field and a high quality track that was competition ready. We also wanted to be sure to balance our number one focus on academics with building quality athletic fields – to this end, we have made sure to put aside appropriate funding for science classrooms and art spaces as we expand our campus in the coming year. Among other things – just ask Nolan McKinnon our AD how many things were cut – bleachers were one of those things we knew wouldn’t impact our kids experience and felt could come later.
As many of you are well aware, this community has at least a couple more dreams that we’d like to make into reality. As we move forward, I know our school program will remain strong, I know our students will continue to work hard and the parents will continue to push their students, and us, to do our very best to help our students to achieve the hope so many American families hold dear, that dream to attend college and have options when they graduate to live full and meaningful lives.
While all this is sure to happen, I challenge this community to step up and do whatever it can to make the dream of a campus that has everything a school should have in place – a campus with a gym facility and a campus with well supplied classrooms and a campus that continues to have the very best teachers. In the coming months, you will learn more about our plan and the involvement we will need from our entire community to achieve this dream. I know this community can do it and I look forward to working with you to make it happen.
Text of speech given by Rick Bourque, IACS Board of Trustees Chair
Good Afternoon,
It is amazing to me that I’m standing here as a part of the Ribbon Cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the track and field as well as the two new middle school science classrooms.
As I considered these recent accomplishments, I began to consider the amazing road of Innovation Academy, from the school’s humble beginnings as a 150 student middle school started by a group of Chelmsford parents, to the development of our high school program, to the school’s purchase of the 200 acre property where we stand now, to this amazing first step of our ambitious master plan and expansion initiative.
As many of you are aware, our work on the campus is not finished and in the very near future, you’ll begin to see work on our new classroom building, slated to be finished for the fall of 2013.
And, following the completion of the building, we’ll begin working on raising the funds needed for the final phase of our plan, which includes a gymnasium and renovated high school classrooms, including an expanded cafeteria, science labs and improved arts spaces.
Of course, none of this happens without a team of committed individuals from all corners of our school community, working together, over time to meet with success.
This work begins with our amazing faculty and staff. These folks truly make the school function at such a high level on a day to day basis and have made our expansion possible by consistently posting strong student test scores, great college acceptance lists and an academic program that has resulted in a waiting list of over 700 families…… twice the size of our current school! Above all else, what is so impressive about Innovation Academy Charter School are the number of happy families, students and success stories the school has achieved through the years. You, the faculty and staff, are at the core of our success and the reason that we are able to do what we’ve done for our campus -- I thank you for your efforts in the past and for those to come.
I’d like to thank my Board of Trustees team, members past and present, for all of their support in making this a reality. Without your thoughtful governance and courage to commit to the dreams of Innovation Academy, we would not be where we are today.
I’d like to say a thank you to John Schneider, who is here today for his work leading up the master planning task force that got us pointed in the right direction and determined that our Track and Field project would be our first step.
I’d like to thank Construction Committee Chair, Adam Baacke and the other volunteer members of the construction committee, Dan St. Jean and Paul Worthington-Berry who have been instrumental in offering their expertise to Walter and Chad and our project managers to make sure that IACS is getting the very best for our students.
As a side note, while I say thank you to Adam, Paul and Dan, please note that your work isn’t done yet!!!
I want to say a thank you to our IACS Families. As you are all likely aware because we keep reminding you in every way possible, most schools do not have to conduct fundraising for facilities and expansion, but as a charter school we do. We gratefully thank all of our IACS families who have and continue to support our fundraising and volunteer efforts as we aim to meet our expansion needs. As we move into the future your support will be necessary more than ever – we’ve got big hopes for our next phase and we will need your support.
Thank you to Century Bank, which has truly become part of our Innovation Community over the past five years. Their support of our school has come in many ways, but their recent gift of $100,000 enabled us to add the electronic scoreboard to our new track and field and demonstrated their commitment to our continued success. Thank you to Century Bank and the Sloane family for their generosity and support of the Innovation Academy mission – we look forward to working with you as we grow IACS in the future.
Thank you to the Innovation Academy Community Association for their gift of $11,000 last year to support the Expansion Initiative and for their continued partnership to support the focus of our school over the next several years as we continue to achieve the Expansion Initiative. If you are a member of IACA, please stand to be acknowledged
Finally… and last but certainly not least, Thank you to our Relay Committee. Would Carol Passerelli and Paula Girouard stand to be acknowledged?
Carol and Paula recruited a talented group of volunteers and inspired us all to get involved. We thank these volunteers for stepping up to envision, plan and execute our First Annual Relay Event that we hope to continue for the next three years. We will launch our school’s first-ever track event, special fundraising event, and true ‘Community Participation’ event today thanks to their efforts.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we thank you all for joining us here today and for supporting this very memorable and festive day.
Rick Bourque, Chair
Board of Trustees
It is amazing to me that I’m standing here as a part of the Ribbon Cutting ceremony to celebrate the opening of the track and field as well as the two new middle school science classrooms.
As I considered these recent accomplishments, I began to consider the amazing road of Innovation Academy, from the school’s humble beginnings as a 150 student middle school started by a group of Chelmsford parents, to the development of our high school program, to the school’s purchase of the 200 acre property where we stand now, to this amazing first step of our ambitious master plan and expansion initiative.
As many of you are aware, our work on the campus is not finished and in the very near future, you’ll begin to see work on our new classroom building, slated to be finished for the fall of 2013.
And, following the completion of the building, we’ll begin working on raising the funds needed for the final phase of our plan, which includes a gymnasium and renovated high school classrooms, including an expanded cafeteria, science labs and improved arts spaces.
Of course, none of this happens without a team of committed individuals from all corners of our school community, working together, over time to meet with success.
This work begins with our amazing faculty and staff. These folks truly make the school function at such a high level on a day to day basis and have made our expansion possible by consistently posting strong student test scores, great college acceptance lists and an academic program that has resulted in a waiting list of over 700 families…… twice the size of our current school! Above all else, what is so impressive about Innovation Academy Charter School are the number of happy families, students and success stories the school has achieved through the years. You, the faculty and staff, are at the core of our success and the reason that we are able to do what we’ve done for our campus -- I thank you for your efforts in the past and for those to come.
I’d like to thank my Board of Trustees team, members past and present, for all of their support in making this a reality. Without your thoughtful governance and courage to commit to the dreams of Innovation Academy, we would not be where we are today.
I’d like to say a thank you to John Schneider, who is here today for his work leading up the master planning task force that got us pointed in the right direction and determined that our Track and Field project would be our first step.
I’d like to thank Construction Committee Chair, Adam Baacke and the other volunteer members of the construction committee, Dan St. Jean and Paul Worthington-Berry who have been instrumental in offering their expertise to Walter and Chad and our project managers to make sure that IACS is getting the very best for our students.
As a side note, while I say thank you to Adam, Paul and Dan, please note that your work isn’t done yet!!!
I want to say a thank you to our IACS Families. As you are all likely aware because we keep reminding you in every way possible, most schools do not have to conduct fundraising for facilities and expansion, but as a charter school we do. We gratefully thank all of our IACS families who have and continue to support our fundraising and volunteer efforts as we aim to meet our expansion needs. As we move into the future your support will be necessary more than ever – we’ve got big hopes for our next phase and we will need your support.
Thank you to Century Bank, which has truly become part of our Innovation Community over the past five years. Their support of our school has come in many ways, but their recent gift of $100,000 enabled us to add the electronic scoreboard to our new track and field and demonstrated their commitment to our continued success. Thank you to Century Bank and the Sloane family for their generosity and support of the Innovation Academy mission – we look forward to working with you as we grow IACS in the future.
Thank you to the Innovation Academy Community Association for their gift of $11,000 last year to support the Expansion Initiative and for their continued partnership to support the focus of our school over the next several years as we continue to achieve the Expansion Initiative. If you are a member of IACA, please stand to be acknowledged
Finally… and last but certainly not least, Thank you to our Relay Committee. Would Carol Passerelli and Paula Girouard stand to be acknowledged?
Carol and Paula recruited a talented group of volunteers and inspired us all to get involved. We thank these volunteers for stepping up to envision, plan and execute our First Annual Relay Event that we hope to continue for the next three years. We will launch our school’s first-ever track event, special fundraising event, and true ‘Community Participation’ event today thanks to their efforts.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we thank you all for joining us here today and for supporting this very memorable and festive day.
Rick Bourque, Chair
Board of Trustees
Text of speech given by Nolan McKinnon, IACS Athletics Director
A continuation rather than a beginning
We are here today to cut the ribbon on a facility that many see as the beginning of something special. As I stand here before you I would say that rather than a beginning of something special this facility represents a continuation of something special. In my time here at innovation academy there have been many evolutions. When I started here nearly 6 years ago there were merely two middle school basketball teams and no athletic facilities what so ever. Now just a short time later Innovation academy boasts an impressive offering of sports to choose from: 4 middle school soccer teams, 2 middle school cross country teams, 1 middle school volleyball team, 2 high school soccer teams, 2 high school cross country teams, 6 middle school basketball teams, 2 middle school cheerleading teams, 4 high school basketball teams, 1 high school cheerleading team, 2 middle school track and field teams, 1 middle school softball team, 1 middle school dance team, 1 middle school baseball team, 2 high school track and field teams, and a high school ultimate Frisbee team. As for facilities, as you all can see we have come a very long way…… From nothing to a state of the art track and field facility that exceeds almost all middle school facilities in the state, matches the best high school facilities in the state, and even rivals some colleges. Simply put this new facility represents the commitment Innovation Academy has to its many students and families. A commitment of not only academic excellence but also a commitment to developing well rounded students ready for all the world has to offer. Athletics is one of many areas that has grown at innovation over the years. With the nurturing and caretaking of the exceptional administration and board of directors… drama, music, and a variety of many other extracurricular activities have begun to blossom at innovation academy. With more expansion set to begin for our academic areas, I would say that rather than this track and field representing a beginning to something it represents a continuation of something very special. A continuation of the commitment that this school has to developing programs to match and exceed all other schools. So that when an Innovation student graduates they can proudly state that they had the best academic program, the best drama program, the best music program, and certainly the best athletic program that the state has to offer. What you see here before you is commitment.
We are here today to cut the ribbon on a facility that many see as the beginning of something special. As I stand here before you I would say that rather than a beginning of something special this facility represents a continuation of something special. In my time here at innovation academy there have been many evolutions. When I started here nearly 6 years ago there were merely two middle school basketball teams and no athletic facilities what so ever. Now just a short time later Innovation academy boasts an impressive offering of sports to choose from: 4 middle school soccer teams, 2 middle school cross country teams, 1 middle school volleyball team, 2 high school soccer teams, 2 high school cross country teams, 6 middle school basketball teams, 2 middle school cheerleading teams, 4 high school basketball teams, 1 high school cheerleading team, 2 middle school track and field teams, 1 middle school softball team, 1 middle school dance team, 1 middle school baseball team, 2 high school track and field teams, and a high school ultimate Frisbee team. As for facilities, as you all can see we have come a very long way…… From nothing to a state of the art track and field facility that exceeds almost all middle school facilities in the state, matches the best high school facilities in the state, and even rivals some colleges. Simply put this new facility represents the commitment Innovation Academy has to its many students and families. A commitment of not only academic excellence but also a commitment to developing well rounded students ready for all the world has to offer. Athletics is one of many areas that has grown at innovation over the years. With the nurturing and caretaking of the exceptional administration and board of directors… drama, music, and a variety of many other extracurricular activities have begun to blossom at innovation academy. With more expansion set to begin for our academic areas, I would say that rather than this track and field representing a beginning to something it represents a continuation of something very special. A continuation of the commitment that this school has to developing programs to match and exceed all other schools. So that when an Innovation student graduates they can proudly state that they had the best academic program, the best drama program, the best music program, and certainly the best athletic program that the state has to offer. What you see here before you is commitment.