Archived Posts

Truman Singers Hit High Note in Columbia

Last updated: May 7, 2015

Truman High School Choir students made beautiful music and were rewarded for their vocal feats during the MSHSAA State Music Festival in Columbia. Truman singers performed in 20 events- bringing home an impressive 15 I (Superior) Ratings- the highest given- and five II (Excellent) ratings. “The day was filled with many wonderful musical moments and […]

ISD Teacher Nominated for National Teacher of the Year Award

Last updated: May 5, 2015

Charlene Burns, Bingham Middle School teacher, is one of just two Missouri winners of the Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award by the National History Day organization. She is now eligible for the National Patricia Behring Teacher of the Year Award June 18- an award given to two educators along with a check for […]

District Receives MSBA Governance Team Award

Last updated: May 5, 2015

Missouri school leaders honored the ISD with the Missouri School Boards’ Association (MSBA) 2015 Governance Team Award- an award given to just 22 of Missouri’s 520 public school districts. ISD leaders will be formally recognized during the MSBA Leadership Summit Saturday, June 13 in Osage Beach. Criteria for the award includes outstanding commitment by the […]

Truman’s First-Ever Latino Dance Enlightens, Educates

Last updated: May 4, 2015

More than 100 Truman students representing many ethnicities came to the school’s first-ever Latino Dance, benefiting the school’s English Language Learners (ELL) program. Using the theme Banderas Latinas (Latin Flags) to represent the variety of Latino cultures represented in Truman’s ELL, students danced for more than two hours and sampled foods from Mexican, Central American […]

ISD Looking for School Bus Drivers for 2015-16 School Year

Last updated: May 4, 2015

The Independence School District is hiring bus drivers for the 2015-16 school year. Employees receive great wages, plus benefits- including employer paid health insurance, available dental and vision insurance and access to district facilities including pool, gym and health clinic. Applicants must be 21 years of age- no experience necessary.  Drivers receive paid training and […]

Don’t “RUN” Out of Time, Sign Up for the L.I.N.K. 5K Run/Walk June 13

Last updated: May 1, 2015

Runners and walkers alike will be ‘hoofing’ it for a good cause Saturday, June 13 for the 17th annual L.I.N.K. (Linking Independence Neighborhood Kids) 5K Run/Walk beginning at 8 a.m. at Independence Academy, 600 W. Mechanic in Independence. Proceeds support ISD Student Wellness and the ISD Foundation. To register, click here. Registration includes a race-day […]

ISD Robotics Takes on The World

Last updated: April 30, 2015

Calling it a “breakthrough” performance, the FIRST Bots of Independence (FBI) Robotics Team excelled during the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics World Championship in St. Louis, finishing in the top 100 out of nearly 3,000 robotics teams worldwide! FBI, featuring students from all three district high schools, was ranked as […]

ISD Students Go “Career Shopping”

Last updated: December 18, 2015

More than 1,000 ISD freshman took their first steps down the path to their future, visiting leaders from more than 60 area businesses during the district’s first-ever Career Skills Fair at MCC’s Business and Technology Center. The fair was the culmination of the ISD’s year-long Freshman Academy class where students begin to choose what career […]

Congressman Visits Bridger Middle School

Last updated: April 28, 2015

They may not be old enough to vote, but that did not stop U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver II from responding to some of his youngest constituents. Cleaver visited Jeff Weary’s sixth-grade social studies class, prompted by a class letter-writing project. Students began studying the Middle East last fall, learning about the region’s geography and oftentimes […]

Chrisman Special Olympics Athletes Win Gold Medals at Metro Track Meet

Last updated: April 27, 2015

Several William Chrisman special athletes won gold medals at the Kansas City Metro Area Special Olympics Track Meet at Lee’s Summit North High School and advanced to the State Summer Games at Missouri State University in Springfield May 29-31. Earning gold medals were: Shaquana Hobbs, Victoria Pineda, Christopher Crane and Ben Kettlewell- 100 meter dash […]

Chrisman Industrial Technology Department Named Program of the Year, Students Win 17 Awards

Last updated: April 23, 2015

William Chrisman’s industrial technology students earned 17 ‘Grand’ Awards (the highest possible) and the department, under the direction of teacher Scott Engelmann, was named Program of the Year during the district Technology Education Association of Missouri (T.E.A.M.) competition at the Metropolitan Community College (MCC) Business and Technology Center. Creating everything from a picnic table to […]

Van Horn Cadets Team With Elementary School Runners to Prepare for 5K Race

Last updated: April 22, 2015

With encouragement and coaching from Van Horn JROTC cadets, nearly 30 fourth- and fifth-grade runners from Fairmount Elementary completed a practice 5K in preparation for a sanctioned 5K run in May. Cadets have been working with Fairmount students for the past several weeks, preparing the boys for the Independence Park Run Saturday, May 2 and […]

Truman High School Hosts Prestigious Reagan Debate

Last updated: April 22, 2015

Students from eight western Missouri high schools competed for more than $50,000 in scholarship money at the regional Ronald Reagan Great Communicator Debate sponsored by the Ronald Reagan Foundation and the Reagan Library and held at Truman High School. Three Truman students- Ethan Williams, Lorinda Ruz, Karly Kinsey- finished fourth in the competition. Truman High […]

For the Missouri Mavericks, the ‘Goal’ is Character Development

Last updated: April 22, 2015

For the ECHL’s Missouri Mavericks, scoring goals are no problem. But off the ice, goals are important too. That’s why Mavs players regularly visit ISD schools and speak to students about character and character development. Each month during the school year, every ISD school inspires lives of integrity by choosing a staff and student of […]

Special Thanks from Dr. Herl to ISD Voters

Last updated: April 17, 2015

By a nearly two to one margin, Independence voters approved a 24 cent tax levy increase for the Independence School District. The levy increase, passed by nearly 65 percent of the voters, will generate an additional $2 million annually for teacher hiring and retention, professional development for the newly-announced Career Academies program and HVAC and […]

William Chrisman Duo Qualifies For Rare Double

Last updated: April 16, 2015

When William Chrisman’s Sarah Daniel and Tim Paxton took first place in Business Ethics at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) State Contest in Springfield, it qualified them for their second national final this school year. Not only will the seniors participate in the FBLA nationals, the duo also earned a trip earlier this […]

Time is Running Out to Sign Up for Summer School

Last updated: April 15, 2015

Online enrollment for Summer Success, the ISD’s summer school program, closes Friday, April 17. For more information about Summer Success, go to the district website and click on the ‘Summer School’ dropdown in the top right-hand corner of the district homepage. Summer Success is open to students in grades K-12. How much of a difference […]

Truman Music Students Go Nine for Nine at State Music Festival

Last updated: April 13, 2015

It is not uncommon for Truman High School music students to earn ‘1’ ratings in state music competitions, but what Truman’s musicians and vocalists did during the MSHSAA State Festival in Lee’s Summit was virtually unheard of. Every Truman large ensemble- nine in all- received a ‘1’ rating. “In my 21 years here at Truman […]

“The K” Plays Host to ISD Baseball

Last updated: April 13, 2015

For a day, Van Horn and William Chrisman baseball players made it to ‘The Show.’ Instead of Eric Hosmer, Alex Gordon, Lorenzo Cain and the rest of the American League Champion Royals taking the field at Kauffman Stadium, it was the Falcons and Bears. The teams were given the unique opportunity to play their April […]

William Chrisman ‘King’ Loved by His Subjects

Last updated: April 13, 2015

Senior Prom is always a memorable night, but for William Chrisman’s Alec Belk, it was an evening he will never forget. Belk has a disorder similar to autism and ADHD, but he does not let that stop him from being a major positive force in the school. Because of that, his classmates honored him by […]

Send-Off Party for State Youth of the Year Finalist

Last updated: April 10, 2015

A send-off ice cream social inside the Independence branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City was the final stop for William Chrisman’s Courtney Calhoun before heading to Jefferson City for the Boys & Girls Clubs State Youth of the Year competition. More than 100 Boys & Girls Club members and supporters […]

Truman Student Finalist in Avila University Video Contest

Last updated: April 13, 2015

Truman High School sophomore Jazzmine Matchett is a finalist in the 2nd Annual MAKE IT! high school film/video competition. The Film & Digital Media Department at Avila University will hold a screening of the top selections and announce the winners Saturday, April 11. Matchett, who is also President of the student organization Stomping Out Depression, […]

Truman Brings Home 73 Awards, Chrisman 53 at J-Day

Last updated: April 13, 2015

William Chrisman and Truman journalism students hauled home more than 120 awards during the 46th annual Missouri Interscholastic Press Association’s Journalism Day (J-Day) at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Truman’s journalism and broadcast students walked away with 73 awards, Chrisman won 53- including eight All-Missouri awards, the top award given. Truman also brought home eight All-Missouri […]

ISD Middle School Students Discovering the Old West

Last updated: April 9, 2015

Reading from actual ‘trail diaries’ locked away in boxes for decades, eighth-grade students at Bingham Middle School are learning about the westward expansion of the United States. Using the original words of pioneers traveling through Independence more than 150 years ago, students read from the diaries and share their interpretations during social studies class. The […]

Thanks ISD Voters!

Last updated: April 7, 2015

By a nearly two to one margin, Independence voters approved a 24 cent tax levy increase for the Independence School District. The levy increase, passed by nearly 65 percent of the voters, will generate an additional $2 million annually for teacher hiring and retention, professional development for the newly-announced Career Academies program and HVAC and […]
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