The IMS Connection

Greetings Islip Middle School Families,

The days are becoming notably brighter and longer and the eagerness to get outside and take full advantage of the changing season is upon us. Especially when we consider where we were a year ago. We are all ready to reopen and get back to where we were before this all began. While we are not quite there yet, we will begin to return children to five day a week instruction. I am aware of the many mixed emotions with this process, but we continue to have health and safety in the forefront of our decision making. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate this process in the best interest of all who enter the halls of Islip Middle School.

Here are some pointers as we phase in the reopening…

• Grade levels are planned to return…
• 6th grade, March 4 (Phase 1)
• It is our hope that with a healthy and successful transition into and through Phase I that we will be able to transition into Phase II and Phase III of our “Re-Reopening Plan”. Phase II and III plan to welcome the students of the Class of 2025 (8th Grade) and the Class of 2026 (7th Grade) to return to five days of in-person instruction, joining their fellow schoolmates in grade 6.
  
• Hybrid instruction will end. Students are either full in person attendance or full remote.​

• In regard to full in person attendance, students will be marked absent when not present. Only quarantine students can learn remotely.​
• Though the practice of maintaining 6 feet of social distance within all instructional spaces will not be possible during this transition, we are committed to ensuring that, when possible, we will continue to enforce 6 feet of social distance and implement additional health and safety barriers in certain instructional and non-instructional spaces.​
• Contact tracing will continue and close contacts will be quarantined as applicable.​
• Masks and temperature checks will be enforced for all students and staff upon entering.​
• Zero period Band, Orchestra, & Chorus will meet as full ensembles in current locations as each grade level returns. In the meantime, students should follow their cohort schedule. ​
• Morning arrival will continue through the current grade specified entrances for temperature checks.​
• Upon entering​
• Team 6 Silver goes to lockers upon arrival​
• Team 6 Orange goes to period 1, then to lockers after first period​
• 7th & 8th grade students will go to their lockers and then directly to period 1. ​
• It is important students do not congregate at their locker, in an effort to maintain social distancing. The plan is to continue this locker privilege, so cooperation is essential. ​
• Students can use lockers during their team scheduled locker times only.​
• At this time, gym lockers will not be assigned.​
• Students and staff will continue to use up or down stairwell between classes.​
• Students will report to their assigned dining room and have the opportunity to choose their seat during the first week. After the first week, seating charts will be completed and students will remain in their chosen seat for the remainder of the year. ​
• Dismissal times for the day…
• 1st floor dismissal 2:24 p.m.
• 2nd floor dismissal 2:25 p.m.
• 3rd floor dismissal 2:26​ p.m.

If the number of cases increase markedly. Our first priority is always the health and safety of all. Depending on the numbers, we may need to close buildings for ten days, and have all students learn remotely.

We look forward to seeing all of our students TOGETHER as soon as possible.

Remember to Look Good, Feel Good, and Do Good as you stay healthy and well.

Warm Regards,

Timothy P. Martin

Principal

Congratulations to all the Renaissance Card Holders who participated in our First Renaissance Raffle recognizing your Quarter 1 success! We had a great time celebrating and winning prizes! ALL Card Holders are entered in the raffle (In-Person, Hybrid, & Fully Remote).

We look forward to celebrating with you again and recognizing everyone for the achievements earned in Quarter 2! Be on the lookout for our next Raffle!! Keep up the hard work and dedication!

The halls of IMS will once again be filled with the laughter of our youngsters. We could not be more excited as we welcome students back to Islip Middle School over the next few weeks.

New York State Department of Education has just announced that they will be moving forward with grades 3-8 testing.

New York State Grades 3 – 8 Testing Dates

NYS ELA Exam – April 19th - 26th

NYS Math Exam May 4th - 6th

As we move ahead through the next couple of months, we will be preparing and finalizing a schedule for students to sit for the NYS Math and ELA exams. As these dates get closer, a more detailed schedule will be shared.

Please check us out on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to view photos, videos, and news about amazing things going on at IMS. Our eBoard has up-to-date info on everything you need to navigate your time at IMS, but if any questions do arise, I invite you to reach out to me via e-mail at jcohen@islipufsd.org or call me directly at (631) 650-8515.

Regards,

Jason M. Cohen

Assistant Principal

Respect...

This comes in all shapes and sizes. There can never be too much respect displayed to people in our schools, our families, or our community. Please share with your children how respect can go a long way towards making our world a better place.

Please re-check the district calendar prior to an event to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.

1- C.A.R.E. Club - Pennies for Patients begins

2- Budget Workshop/BOE Meeting 7:30* p.m., Zoom

8 - 3rd Qtr. Five Week Progress Period Ends

16 - Budget Workshop/BOE Meeting 7:30* p.m., Zoom

17 - 3rd Qtr. Progress Reports Posted to Portal

29 - April 2 School Closed - Spring Recess

*Unless otherwise noted, all Board of Education meetings will begin with an Executive Session at 6:45 PM. The public business meeting portion will begin at approximately 7:30 PM.

Please re-check the district calendar prior to an event to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.

1-2 School Closed - Spring Recess

5 - School Open - (Three Snow Days Used)

6 - Budget Workshop/BOE Meeting 7:30* p.m., Zoom

14 - 3rd Qtr. Marking Period Ends

14 - C.A.R.E Club - Animal Shelter Collection begins

20 - Budget Workshop/BOE Meeting 7:30* p.m., Zoom

23 - 3rd.Qtr. Report Cards Posted to Portal

*Unless otherwise noted, all Board of Education meetings will begin with an Executive Session at 6:45 PM. The public business meeting portion will begin at approximately 7:30 PM.

Hello, the 8th grade computer classes have explored the world of Microsoft Word with letterheads, tables, posters, and hyperlinking. They are currently getting ready to present their PowerPoint presentations on the amusement park of their dreams. They are presenting their park to get it voted into the top 10 theme parks in the world. Not only will the students show off their PowerPoint skills, but they will be learning how to stand up in front of their peers and give a presentation. We will then be moving into the world of Excel with charts, formulas and data driven reports.

8 Green English students are working hard at exploring theme in literature! Through an examination of the timeless story "Flowers for Algernon" by Daniel Keyes, students are focusing on selecting evidence to support their theme statements. Also, we always find a balance and have been engaging in creative writing to have some fun and express ourselves through writing.

8 Green students are busy acquiring more and more Spanish every day. They are reading comprehensible input novels for free voluntary reading and working on “leveling up” their sentences each week. Students are getting ready to vote for their favorite Spanish songs in the March Madness of Music tournament, where they will not only hear the music, but learn about musicians from different Spanish speaking countries.

In algebra, we have been learning all about a family of functions. Students have been working on graphing and analyzing multiple types of functions. They are able to identify parent function equations, identify their shapes, and graph their transformations. Students will continue graphing by exploring linear functions and identifying their key features. Use of a graphing calculator or a graphing calculator APP is essential for success in these current units. All students should be using them daily.

In social studies, students are continuing to learn about American foreign policy in the twentieth century, while building document analysis skills. We will begin learning about American involvement in World War I and the impact our government’s foreign policy had on Americans here at home. We also continue to focus on organizing our resources by keeping our class materials tidy in our binders.

Earth science students are learning how topographic maps can be used to develop designs for buildings and infrastructure, and to prepare for coastal flooding. In general science, we are using concepts of genetics and evolution to understand the coronavirus and its emerging variants.

NYSSMA Festival Registration:

Registration for the 2020-2021 NYSSMA Solo & Ensemble festival is open now through Thursday, April 1st. Please see your school music teacher for information and a registration form. The Islip-East Islip Virtual Festival begins on Thursday, April 9, 2021.

Chorus: Mr. Magale

What a challenge the year has been! The chorus is meeting every morning in the gym and doing their best to sing as a group while maintaining social distancing guidelines. While this is no easy task for anyone to undertake, the students are successfully meeting the challenge. We are singing various styles of music that fall within the difficulty range of levels II & III in the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Manual.

General Music: Mr. Magale

Students in seventh grade are learning about the history of Rock and Roll music, listening to and analyzing music from the 1950’s to the 1980’s.

Students in the eighth grade are learning to play the guitar by reading chord charts and various strumming patterns. They learn some of the “oldies” guitar classics to music from the pop charts of the current day.

Orchestra: Mrs. Shaiman/Mr. Butterfield

The orchestras are practicing various styles of music, from classical to tango to popular.

We continue to work on skills such as scales and sight-reading new pieces. Mrs. Shaiman and Mr. Butterfield are enjoying sharing the conducting and playing along with the kids in rehearsals.

All the students are currently working on an etude (exercise) and a solo, with the help of

Smart Music. Some of the students are preparing NYSSMA solos for this year’s festival.

Band: Ms. Jeanes/Mr. Feldman (interim band director)

Mr. Feldman is extremely excited to be working with and getting to know the students. We are having an absolute blast in rehearsals and lessons. In band, we have been given the opportunity to rehearse in the auditorium. This provides us a large space to maintain a safe distance for instrument playing, and to take advantage of the room's size to experiment with different styles of music, including the fanfare variety of coliseum music.

In lessons, we are continuing to develop our instrument proficiencies by reviewing the necessary techniques that are relative to each instrument. In addition to preparing students for this year's virtual NYSSMA Festival, we are working to compare the concepts found within our music to that of popular music. This is a great way to develop one's musicianship; ultimately preparing the students for a life filled with music making.

Suffolk County Music Educators Association (SCMEA)

Congratulations to the following IMS students that have been selected for the SCMEA

All-County Honor Ensembles! The students will participate in a virtual event on March 13th.

Division 1

Band- Jasmin Fields-Robinson, Connor Ancipink, Jaydn Zink, Ali Guzman,

Katerina Mennecke, Nicholas Gulick, Brady Reinhart

Chorus- Addison DeFalco, Lucas Jordan, Juliana Sclafani, Conner Clifford,

Bridget Slattery, Sofia Marra, Vaughan Gerrard, Olivia Pacifico

Orchestra- Avery Roche, Ryan Nieves, Fallan Rao, Isabella Conzo

Division 2

Band- Olivia Johnson, Jake Mulholland

Chorus- Annalee Thorn, Lauren Wade

Orchestra- Emily Flora, John Oggeri

We are excited to announce that our 2020-2021 All-County students will have access to virtual musical workshop experiences. Professionals will be joining us from the musical field to share their instrument-specific knowledge and career experiences. Workshops will be taking place on Saturday, March 13th.

SEPTA has been working hard to help support parents and students in the Islip District throughout these unprecedented times.

We were able to donate an iPad to the Middle School in order to help support student learning. SEPTA has also held two parent workshops during their meetings so far and looks forward to working with the MS PTA soon. Our next meeting will be on March 15th, time TBD.

SEPTA would also like to thank the Islip Community for their overwhelming support with our Sweet Heart Raffle. This has helped us raise money for our HS scholarships as well as a donation to the Wing Sensory Garden.

Please feel free to contact us at IslipSEPTA@gmail.com

President: Marissa Peterson, Vice President: Fred Henning

Secretary: Kristy Evans, Treasure: Michelle Ruiz

Please Join US for our next PTA Meeting

March 8th

7:00 pm via Zoom

IMS Yearbook Sales are going on until March 31st- please click here to order a Yearbook.

Enter school code 067720

President: Nicole Muschenick, VP: Denise Nash

Treasurer: Kathy Hofmann, Secretary: Lauren Jones

If you have any questions or would like to be an IMS PTA volunteer,

please feel free to contact us at IslipMiddleSchoolPTA@gmail.com

Islip Arts and Music Parents (IAMP) is a non-for-profit 501(c)(3) District-wide (K-12) parent organization. IAMP values the visual and performing arts in Islip. We believe students who have experiences within the arts community develop life-long skills, an increased appreciation for the arts, and an enhanced involvement in community and society.

IAMP supports the goals of the Fine and Performing Arts Department in Islip schools. Through fundraising, parent volunteers and support, IAMP will provide programs, performance/art showcase opportunities, student/parent resources, recognition awards, and scholarships.

For further information about IAMP or to join please visit their website at www.islipamp.org.

Website: islipufsd.org
Location: 211 Main Street, Islip, NY, United States
Phone: 631-650-8500
Facebook: facebook.com/IslipMS
Twitter: @IslipMS