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Hello Interested IVA Family!

The 2024-2025 IVA Application was open from December 5, 2023 through March 15, 2024. All families who completed an application before the March 15th deadline will be included in our public lottery on April 12th, 2024. Applications received after March 15 will not be included in the lottery; instead, these applications will be added to the waitlist in the order they were received. 

La Solicitud de IVA para el año 2024-2025 estuvo abierta desde el 5 de diciembre de 2023 hasta el 15 de marzo de 2024. Todas las familias que completaron una solicitud antes del plazo del 15 de marzo serán incluidas en nuestra lotería del 12 de abril. Las solicitudes recibidas después del 15 de marzo no serán incluidas en la lotería; en cambio, estas solicitudes se agregarán a la lista de espera en el orden en que se recibieron. 

 

Current School Year - 2023-2024 ::

Enrollment is closed for the 2023-2024 School Year. Any applications received after our deadline were placed on our waitlist.

Final Day for Semester Assignments

The semester ends on Thursday, January 25th and with two weeks left teachers need to focus only on final assignments. Any late, missing, or past deadline assignments will not be able to count for credit after this date. 

Lunch Order Form

Spirit Wear

Fit-A-Thon t-shirts are currently available! Download the order form PDF below and return information and payment to the PTA box in the IVA office. Orders must be received by Thursday, March 29th (right before the start of Spring Break)

IVAOrderForm2018FitAThon2up.pdf

TDAP Vaccination Requirements

More About Vaccinations in California

Under a new law known as SB 277, beginning January 1, 2016 exemptions based on personal beliefs, including religious beliefs, will no longer be an option for the vaccines that are currently required for entry into child care or school in California. Most families will not be affected by the new law because their children have received all required vaccinations. Personal beliefs exemptions on file for a child already attending child care or school will remain valid until the child reaches the next immunization checkpoint at kindergarten (including transitional kindergarten) or 7th grade.

For more information about SB 277, please see the Frequently Asked Questions available at: http://www.shotsforschool.org/laws/sb277faq/.

For more information about school immunization requirements and resources, please visit the California Department of Public Health’s website at www.shotsforschool.org, or contact your local health department or county office of education.

Thank you for helping us to keep our children and community healthy.

**NOTE to current 6th grade students (2016-2017). The TDAP booster is required for 7th grade. Please submit evidence of your TDAP booster by May 1, 2017.

 *Note to current IVA 6th grade students with a personal beliefs exemption. Due to the change to the law as explained above, you will need to meet all requirements for children ages 7-17. In other words you will need to "catch up" on vaccinations. See #13 from the FAQs below:

13. What will happen in future years when children with a prior personal beliefs exemption enter their next grade span in primary or secondary school (typically kindergarten or 7th grade)?

Children with a valid personal beliefs exemption filed before 2016 who enter a new grade span will have to meet all age-appropriate immunization requirements for admission into primary or secondary school (K-12th grade) (see www.shotsforschool.org/k-12/) or be enrolled in an independent study program with no classroom-based instruction or in a home-based private school (see question #3).

In addition, all immunization requirements for age and grade will need to be met before entering 7^th grade.

Therefore, in order to begin 7th grade, children who had a valid personal beliefs exemption filed before 2016 upon entry between kindergarten and 6th grade need to meet all requirements for children 7-17 years old listed at www.shotsforschool.org/k-12/ (e.g., polio, MMR, chickenpox and primary series for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis), including the 7th grade requirements for Tdap and 2 doses of MMR.

Thank you!

Thank you for supporting IVA Middle School. Your participation means so much to our school—staff, faculty, and teachers!

 You can keep track of our Annual Family Fund
progress on the banners in the Foxes' corner!

You Found Us!

 Look at you! Enjoying a beverage and maybe some 'zza, playing card games, and supporting a local business, Dutch's Brewhouse! Make sure to say "Hi" to Jason, Adrian, or whoever is pouring your drinks...

We are Intellectual Virtues Academy (IVA), and we're responsible for leaving behind this card deck. We're located right up the street from Dutch's and we are a free, public, charter middle school, serving all students in grades 6 through 8. If you're interested in a tight-knit middle school experience that aims to develop deep critical thinking, hit us up. We can't wait to hear from you! 

What students are saying

IVA_2016-2017_Mid-Year_Student_Survey_Results.pdf

Alumni Feedback - Founding Class of 2016 Alumni Survey Results

Alumni_Survey_Class_of_2016.pdf

 Hannah Wells at IVA's 2016 Gala

 Comments from an Annual Student Survey:

“IVA does a wonderful job of pushing students to move past their struggle.” 


“I think IVA lets students interact really well. I like that classroom instruction isn't just teachers talking, but mostly interactive and fun. I like how there's a really good environment and I feel safe here.”

“I think IVA creates a great environment for learning and being able to admit mistakes and learn to learn without pressure and fear of getting questions wrong.”

“The staff treats the students how they treat each other.”

“I think that IVA does a good job of helping us dig deeper and understand why.”

“I think that IVA does very well in helping student express themselves even when they might feel embarrassed. IVA makes it so that making a mistake in class will NOT make a student less popular or make them feel stupid because they say that mistakes can be helpful.”

“We have a safe place here and I'm excited to go to school everyday.”

“IVA, I believe from my experience does well at making everyone comfortable and have confidence when admitting when you need help or when you don't understand. They also build up your confidence. Before I came to IVA I would never raise my hand because I was scared but now I don't care.”

“I can have a good relationship with the teachers unlike my elementary school, where I was pretty much afraid of all my teachers.”

“I think that IVA pushes the students and keeps hope in them very well.”

“IVA helps us be ourselves.”

“I think IVA teaches students to understand why they're learning what they're learning.”

"The way I have thought this year is flabbergasting!!! I have never been so curious in why Bilbo Baggins doesn't tell Thorin about a stone or if Greeks are true democrats and I never ever thought that i could run a negative split which I just did an hour ago. This school is incredibly challenging, curiosity enthused, so open to new ideas, and the great part is we don't have to be embarrassed to ask questions or wear something crazy or want to do something that no one has ever thought … The school doesn't shut us down or laugh they encourage us to be ourselves.”

“I think that IVA is great at providing students with learning opportunities and having the kids learn with a deeper understanding rather than shoving facts down kids' throats and forcing them to regurgitate it onto a test paper.”

"Students are able to be some kind of their own 'teacher' in the class, meaning new ideas can be formed and lessons taught by kids as well as adults. Sometimes I see IVA as a giant Socratic Seminar where everyone can pitch in their voice so agreements and disagreements can be formed."

What parents are saying ...

Parent_Survey_LCAP_2016-2017.pdf

Comment from families learning more about IVA:

• A quick and heartfelt thanks from the three of us for a wonderful tour of IVA today. My kids and I were completely blown away by what you have talked about and shown us in the classrooms. The school's philosophy of education resonates with me greatly, and it was so heartwarming to hear you put in words the qualities we all want for our children to develop as lifelong learners.

  I was becoming familiar with IVA by visiting your amazingly informative website, but the whole school became "alive" in the minds of my children. They had actually arrived somewhat skeptical this morning, but by the end of the tour, they were impressed and left with a desire to enroll immediately. We understand the enrollment process will require some luck and patience, but our disposition is positive and optimistic. Thank you for your warm welcome, and for creating a culture of inquiry, openness and acceptance within the whole school.

Comment from families making a decision to come to IVA mid-year:

• "Our daughter transferred into IVA in November. She was immediately welcomed by students and faculty who made her transition really smooth."
• "Last December, six months after my twins began middle school, we received a call from IVA to say that they had a space for my son. We had been on the wait-list for such a long time, had given up, but were told that there was an available spot unexpectedly. As a family of twins, we entered the lottery as a family unit and so both siblings were allowed to enter. My son was excited but not my daughter. With 24 hours to decide, we discussed it together and decided to make the move. And even with my daughter's hesitations, we have never looked back... IVA has proved to be a way better fit for both of my children. They have both adjusted and thrived in the new environment." 

Comments from our Annual Parent Survey:

• “Teachers communicate their excitement over learning through their enthusiasm and engagement. Students are encouraged and supported. The overall environment is uplifting.”
  
  
• “Teachers and staff are so caring, helpful and have the best interest of the kids at heart at all times. IVA is such a wonderful environment for the kids. Through hearing the kids talk after school they all love IVA and enjoy all the teachers … I truly appreciate the dedication and spirit of all the teachers and staff. Mrs. Bryant is such a leader and her dedication shows through the love the students have for her and the school. I'm around a lot of the students at IVA and I have never heard one student say that they do not like IVA, they all say they love school and all of their teachers and all the staff.
  
  
• “Teachers are thorough in explaining concepts and make sure all students understand. I like the atmosphere of genuine kindness the school demonstrates by example. Also the virtues instilled in students are a strong foundation for the future."
• “My child is developing a good understanding of a growth mindset. At the beginning of the year she would cry about not being good at math and now she has a much healthier view of the issue and is more focused on what she needs to do to get better rather than the ‘just being bad at it’ part. The focus on learning, thinking and sharing in all the classes and in advisory has been excellent.”
  
  
• “I love that the school makes me feel welcome as a parent to talk to them. So many times a teacher or principal at a middle school does not welcome you for conversation about your child's education. I love that the teachers are so knowledgeable about the intellectual virtues. [Our child] has always been a fabulous student, but I had no idea how she could excel in every subject until she had wonderful teachers at IVA.”
  
  
• “The teachers are available and caring. They seem to know the students … The afterschool clubs are a great way to introduce the students to a variety of subjects and skills. The class size is a plus and I feel like the students definitely will benefit from getting more teacher attention and interaction. The events put on for incoming students are great because it gives students a chance to feel comfortable and meet students ahead of time.”

Email Communication During the School Year: 

• "I had to just stop for a minute to let you know that IVA has blown my expectations for my daughter out of the water. Her life has changed drastically and I have to pinch myself that this is my kid. The kid that comes home loving and talking about math, the kid that was so touched by the Holocaust she did her own research, the kid that came home so stoked to do her Science project, she hyper-focused on it for two days straight to finish it a month early. The kid that feels loved and nurtured and understood. These to me are so priceless. She loves the students, all of her teachers and all of her classes. I hope you understand that your school has greatly enhanced the quality of life of my daughter and because of that, our entire family. I can't express the amount of gratitude I have."

• "Thank you for a very valuable and exhilarating experience during Back-to-School Night. We were thrilled to be exposed to such an academic environment. (It brought us back to our college days.) All of our son’s teachers were professional, articulate and revealed deep knowledge about their disciplines. They were also funny. The activities they provided gave us a taste of what our son’s day must be like. Freedom to explore, to connect and to enjoy learning are rarely seen in middle schools nowadays, but we observed and participated in all of these and more.
  
  We understand that our son will need to form new habits so that he becomes more confident in approaching adults for assistance. We are grateful that the school’s schedule allows for many opportunities to interact with teachers – we love office hours! We are confident that his fixed mindset will be replaced by a growth mindset in such a safe and caring surrounding. Each time we pick up our son from school and ask about his day, his response has been very positive. We get a lump in our throats when we think about how much more IVA will support his growth and it is only the first month of school! Thank you all for your warmth, kindness and care. Our middle schooler appreciates every minute."
  
  
• "Our son took himself to bed early last night just so Tuesday morning and school would come faster. Normally he's the kid that fights with you every night about bedtime, even thought it's the same time every night, and he is asleep 5 minutes after he hits the pillow, but he still puts up a fight. So to want to go to bed just so school would get here faster.... I was speechless, and that doesn't happen often!!!! Last year was a very very hard year. So many things were wrong about it. The worst was seeing this light in our son that he carries around with him, go out. It was so hard to watch, and have no way to fix it. We have already seen the light in him return and we couldn't be more grateful!"

Art in a Minute @ IVA

Advisory in a Minute @ IVA

Physical Education in a Minute @ IVA

Donate Directly to the School

Donate to help support IVA! Thank you for considering a donation directly to the school. 

As a non-profit public school and independent charter school, Intellectual Virtues Academy receives state and local funding to cover most of the school's basic needs. Students at IVA are invited into three formative years of deep care, connection, and growth. This work is possible only with the support of our community. 

HOW DO I CONTRIBUTE?

1. Via Paypal click here

2. Via Venmo click here

3. Check made out to "Intellectual Virtues Academy of Long Beach"

4. Company Gift Match / Estate Plan. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for more details.

WHAT DOES YOUR ANNUAL DONATION DO FOR IVA?

Your annual donation allows our personalized school program to:

• MAINTAIN SMALL CLASS SIZE
  • 26:1 class size in each grade level - 10 fewer students than in local schools
• MAINTAIN OUR FULL TIME COUNSELOR & BEHAVIOR SUPPORT STAFF for personal and ongoing social-emotional support implementing restorative practices.
  • Counselor ratios in local schools are over 600:1.
• TECHNOLOGY 
  • Each student has a chromebook checked out we maintain & support updated technology for teachers.
• CLASSROOMS 
  • Maintain clean and bright classrooms with furniture, paint and light
• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 
  • Innovative and ongoing for teachers, staff and Advisors

• STUDENTS 
  • 234 students who are supported to learn and live well

There are hundreds of reasons to love Intellectual Virtues Academy. Your support helps us create a real, lasting impact in the lives of 234 students who are growing into the adults who engage the world with curiosity and thoughtfulness, know themselves, and live well. 

IVA has provided education to over 1000 students in Long Beach since 2013.