Signature Events
Back to School Camping Trip
After we complete our beginning of the year diagnostics (to determine just how much was lost over summer) we take a few days to develop school culture. This experience is also designed to integrate new students joining the program.
Thankful Day
We're over a quarter of the way through the school year, the holidays are fast approaching, its a good time to take a break from the grind. On this day we take some time to do some whole school activities, community service, and eat some delicious food. The most celebrated part of the day is our annual pie contest.
Winter-fest
Well.... we liked Thankful Day so much... we did it again. Whole-school activity, share some holiday cheer and eat some more delicious food. Instead of pie contest, we have a cookie contest/exchange. The best part of this day is students delivering warm drinks and cookies to some our valued community members.
Showcase
Showcase is a year long project where students self-select an topic of study/interest and produce something tangible by springtime. Student projects have included: race cars, motorcycles, architecture, animal husbandry, carpentry, music making, etc, etc...
Something Different
Showcase is over, state testing is over, school is not over... but its time to do something different because we're over school. At the end of the year we like to do something different. Some years its a week-long period of Project Based Learning (PBL) others its a trip to somewhere.
8th Grade Trek
At IVA there are no celebrations for getting through the middle school. Instead, students get the unique opportunity to travel the back-country with Mr. Schramel. The 8th Grade Trek is a multi-day backpacking trip that covers approximately 12 miles in mountainous terrain as students hike from Antelope Lake to Taylor Lake.