The IMS Connection

Greetings,

Wishing you a Happy New Year as we welcome in 2020. We are already two decades into this century and it seems like 1999 was just last year. A time when social media didn’t even exist and this newsletter was mailed out to each child’s home. Fast forward twenty years and you can learn all about Islip Middle School on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The second semester will begin in just a few days. Children should be aware of their current achievement and grades. Viewing the Parent Portal and Gradebook once a week is a great way to be informed on your child’s progress.

It is important to note that most interscholastic games begin at 4:00 P.M. Students cannot remain in the school unsupervised from 2:30-4:00 P.M. Children can take the 3:15 P.M. and 5:00 P.M. late bus only when participating in a supervised club or activity.

Each January we begin the budget and scheduling processes for the next school year. Parents should be on the lookout for important literature in regard to Middle School and 9th grade High School courses.

As in the past, we will not be accepting teacher or team requests. Such correspondence places students, parents, and teachers in precarious situations; however, we welcome a discussion about your child’s educational needs and any information that can help your child be successful at Islip Middle School. Please send any written correspondence directly to me. Letters are not retained from year to year, so any pertinent information/requests must be sent each year. This year’s deadline is Friday, January 31, 2019.

As always, if you have a desire for a parent conference simply call our guidance office at 631-650-8550. We look forward to the year ahead and wish our Islip Middle School learning community all the best in the New Year.

We want to wish everyone a happy new year!

Remember to keep studying and character always counts! It’s beginning to look a lot like a Renaissance Rally, everywhere you go!!! The gifts have been purchased, the planning is well underway! We will be celebrating our 1st quarter Renaissance card holders January 17th. Keep up your commitment and dedication; hard work pays off!

It seems like the first day of school was just yesterday but somehow 2020 has snuck up on us. As we move into the new year there is often much talk of “new year’s resolutions.” Some of us will take on a new year’s resolution as a challenge, whether it be to start a fitness program or begin a new hobby, while others will try to and improve their performance in school or at work. Regardless of what you choose, I’d like to challenge you to find out what it would take for you to be the best version of yourself and go get it.

In the new year IMS will continue to strive to be the best version of itself. To do this we need your help; around the third week of January we will be asking our students to complete a survey. Shortly following the student survey, we will be sending out the parent version. We take these surveys seriously and need the feedback to help make IMS the best it can be. Also, in January we have arranged a cuisine committee that will meet with our food service staff to sample items and provide feedback and suggestions on ways we can enhance our dining room offerings.

So, as you can see, we are working hard to be the best we can be, think about what you will need to do to be the best you can be in 2020. We look forward to being a part of that with you.

Happy Holiday and a Healthy New Year!

Responsibility/Perseverance… With a new year here, what steps can we take to achieve our goals? Even when things are looking bleak, “You must keep at it, someday soon your perseverance will reap rewards.” (Domenico Mazza, How to Find Your Passion)

Please re-check the district calendar prior to an event to ensure you have the

most up-to-date information

1-3 Winter Recess

6 Students return from Winter Recess

9 HS Curriculum Night, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m., HS Cafeteria

13 MS PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m., MS Library

14 BOE Meeting 7:30 p.m., MS Auditorium & Library

20 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, District Closed

23 MS Musical "Frozen Jr." 7:00 p.m., MS Auditorium

24 MS Musical "Frozen Jr." 7:00 p.m., MS Auditorium

25 MS Musical "Frozen Jr." 2:00 p.m., MS Auditorium

28 BOE Meeting 7:30 p.m., CRES

29 2nd Marking Period Ends

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

Please re-check the district calendar prior to an event to ensure you have

the most up-to-date information.

3 Booster Club Meeting, 7:00 p.m., HS Faculty Room

7 Report Cards Posted to Portal

7 SEPTA Sweetheart Dance 6:30 p.m., MS

11 BOE Meeting 7:30 p.m., MS Library

12 District Art Show 6:30 p.m., HS

14 Happy Valentine’s Day

14 (Snow Date) SEPTA Sweetheart Dance

17 - 21 School Closed—Mid Winter Recess

24 IDEA Coalition Task Force, 7:00 p.m., HS Community Room

25 Budget Workshop/BOE Mtg. 7:30 p.m., MS Auditorium & Library

27 Barnes & Noble Book Fair, 3:00 - 6:00 p.m.

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

Our team continues to be focused on the pillars of good character with a focus on personal responsibility. To that end, in a kind and caring way, we encourage our students to take ownership of the decisions they make. After all, life consists of making choices and assessing the outcomes of those choices.

In all of our classes, whether it's through the novels they read, the history they learn, the math problems they solve, the world language they study, or the science issues they explore, our students are taught to think and take ownership of their thinking and subsequent work.

The students have been able to enjoy and develop a passion for outdoor learning by wandering with wonder with Mrs. Mills in Science, and with Ms. Bloch they gain a deeper understanding of all aspects of our earth and atmosphere.

Relevant movies in English and World Languages help our students get a better understanding for the people of our world, and in social studies the history of our past is used to understand the interconnection between then and now.

The math class is carefully constructed with lessons and activities to help ensure success on the 9th grade Regents. Rest assured that all the teachers on 8 purple are working to make your children, our students, ready to fly in high school.

The Physical Education Department was thrilled to start the year off with our Adventure Education Unit. Our 8th Graders had the opportunity to challenge themselves through a series of activities that focused on team cooperation, trust, communication skills, and problem-solving skills. Teamwork was developed by working, playing, and accomplishing goals together. Students were encouraged to participate in adventure-based learning experiences, potentially leading to group and personal growth. Opportunities for reflective processing throughout the experiences were offered to provide insightful learning that could be applied to everyday life far beyond the activities themselves. An approach known as “Challenge by Choice” was upheld whereby students chose to what extent and to what capacity they participated in the activities offered. The culminating activities revolved around the Islip students climbing all the high and low elements in the middle school gymnasium. It was amazing to witness so many students climb the cargo net, rock walls and the pamper pole. Hopefully, this experience created lasting memories that will encourage our student body to explore other outdoor adventure based experiences.

Throughout the fall months, the 6th and 7th grades participated in a variety of activities. During our Frisbee unit, we introduced a Can Jam tournament as well as offering Frisbee Golf and Ultimate Frisbee to the students. The Can Jam tournament was a big hit! Prior to the tournament, students developed and honed their skills by attending mini clinics focusing on throwing accuracy and catching as well as competitive Frisbee challenges. Following skill development, the students were divided into competitive partnerships to begin game play. Each class period, partners participated in two or three games in order to accumulate wins to help increase their chances in the tournament seeding. Teams were ranked and each team started their journey on the “Road to the Final Four!” The tournament was filled with many upsets and bracket busters. Eventually, each class crowned a Can Jam champion and the winning partners were awarded certificates. The PE staff was very impressed by the effort put forth throughout the tournament, but more importantly, completely blown away by the sportsmanship and class exhibited on the court.

Lastly, the middle school physical education department would like to remind all students, parents, and community members that the Hoops for Heart fundraiser is coming. For one special week during January, the middle school gymnasium will be overflowing with excitement as the students participate in a very special community service program to raise funds for the American Heart Association. Hoops for Heart is a fun and effective way to teach heart healthy living. It exposes the students to the importance of regular physical activity, good health, nutrition, and volunteerism. Each student will be given a sponsor sheet during the week of December 9th. This allows students to raise funds over the holiday vacation. Students will collect funds strictly on a volunteer basis. If your child chooses to participate, please remind your child not to go door to door for fundraising. All monies will be due back to your child's Physical Education teacher no later than January 31st. All checks should be made payable to the American Heart Association.

Sincerely,

The Islip Middle School Physical Education Staff

We are continuing our travels in ELA and Social Studies through writing our Feature Articles about Ancient Egypt. Our next stop will be Ancient China. Put on your hiking boots as we travel towards the Great Wall of China.

In Math, students have been actively involved with the study of Fractions and Decimals. At this time, mastering math facts is important. Flash cards are a great study tool!

In Science, we are completing our study on the Human Body Systems. We’ll be moving into our Earth Science unit.

The children will be taking Mid Term exams in Social Studies and Science at the end of the second quarter. Keep working hard!

As we move towards the second half of the year, we look forward to continued parent support. Please continue to review and sign the planner daily as it continues to be an important source of communication.

• If students wish to participate in outside recess, it is their responsibility to dress appropriately; once outside, students are not permitted back inside until the end of the period.

• Parents are asked not to bring fast food to school during their child's lunch period.

• Birthday parties or other celebrations are not appropriate to have in the dining room; these must be pre-arranged and supervised by a staff member in a classroom.

• Students should not bring trays of food or oversized beverages into school as it causes a disruption to the dining room.

• Students should not be taken out of school during their lunch period if it can be helped.

• Beverages (Red Bull, Monster, coffee, hot drinks etc.) and glass bottles are not permitted in school.

• If you have a known food allergy, the nurse should be notified immediately!

During the month of December, the School Counseling department did presentations on career exploration in the 6th grade science classes. Career development is a continuous process, and although there are many years before your child has to make a career choice, it is never too early to start looking for clues! The sooner your child begins to consider their options, the better prepared they will be for a successful career.

Students gained insight into the world of work and the six distinct personality types as developed by John Holland, an expert in psychology and career education. These personality types are as follows:

1. Realistic (Doer)

2. Investigative (Thinker)

3. Artistic (Creative)

4. Social (Helper)

5. Conventional (organizer)

6. Enterprising (Persuader)

Students then divided into groups of two to practice interviewing their peers, and worked on creating their own unique business cards. Interview questions helped students gain insight into which personality type they identify with most.

SEPTA is looking forward to the fun times in 2020!

Please add the following dates to your calendar.

January 15, 2020

Challenger Wrestling Demo HS GYM 5:15 p.m.

SEPTA/HS PTSA joint meeting, 7:00 PM HS Community Room

February 2, 2020

Sweetheart Dance, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. IMS

Please keep an eye out for our Sign up Genius.

We are in need of donations of food and raffle baskets for our Sweetheart Dance.

Warm regards,

Fred Henning

Septa VP

Should the opening of school be delayed, school canceled, or students dismissed early, families may expect a timely announcement to that effect via automated telephone message and on the following television, radio stations, and websites:

TV NEWS CHANNEL 12

FIOS 1 News

97.5 FM

WALK – 1370 AM

WHLI – B103 FM

WBAB – 102.3 FM

WBLI – 106.1 FM

www.cancellations.com

www.islipufsd.org

Reminder: If school is closed or dismissed early, all after-school activities are canceled.

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