The IMS Connection

Greetings,

Happy Valentine's Day! February has swooped in rather fast, and with it a full compliment of winter activities. Please check our website for all the wonderful opportunities at Islip Middle School. We are doing our best to get the students outside for morning arrival and recess when warmer days pop up. Please send children to school with cold weather attire. This is a good time for a reminder . . . when a delayed opening has been called, there is no Period 0 (band, orchestra, chorus, early physical education, extra help, or computer lab class). The 2 hour delay schedule is posted on the middle school eBoard.

Cumulative averages are being tallied now that the first semester has been completed. National Junior Honor Society and Renaissance criteria are posted in the student planner, which should answer a number of questions. Please note, all students are considered; however, the criteria includes attendance, grades, and behavior, all of which form the foundation of the programs. Not all students are eligible at the end of each quarter or year. In an effort to monitor the integrity of the programs, the criteria set forth will be what we use to determine eligibility.

By this time, I should have received all educational requests for next year’s placements. These requests are not a requirement, as all students will be placed based on the most appropriate program meeting their needs. If you have submitted a request and did not receive a reply letter from me, please resubmit your request.

As always, feel free to contact me at tmartin@islipufsd.org.

Extending healthy thoughts from a friendly distance,

Dr. Timothy Martin

Principal

631-650-8505

IMS Families,

I hope your winter is going well. We have officially made the turn. The second semester began, January 31st. Please make it a practice to regularly review your students grades on the Infinite Campus portal. Interaction and engagement lead to discussion and reflection, as well as, success. For extracurricular enrichment, our clubs continue to roll through these winter months. Also, our winter sports: girls’ basketball, and wrestling, are officially underway. The state assessments are on the horizon and will begin April 30th and run into May.

February’s advisory will be focusing on Kindness & Compassion, the Seventh Habit of Highly Effective People, Be Proactive and Synergize. This celebration and recognition of kindness in our day-to-day lives will be facilitated through a multitude of advisory activities. The activities include the creating and sharing of motivational and kind messages. These messages will be recorded on a heart and displayed on the IMS bulletin board outside the guidance office for all to enjoy and be inspired. Another activity includes the viewing of a video for P.S. I Love You Day: February 10th. The video is accompanied by discussion questions… What does kindness mean to you? How do you show kindness to yourself? To others? Are you happy with the way you treat others? Why/Why not? And You never truly know what a person is going through. What can you do to brighten someone’s day? Student will discuss, develop awareness, reflect, and offer feedback.

Lastly , IMS will engage a our own “Kindness Spirit Week”

• Monday, Dream of Kindness, Wear Comfy Clothes
• Tuesday, Team Kindness, Wear a sports t-shirt, jersey, or hat
• Wednesday, Kindness is a Superpower, Dress like a super hero
• Thursday, Hats off to kindness, wear a hat
• Friday, P.S. I Love You Day, Wear purple clothes and/or accessories
• 
  

“Remember, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” —Scott Adams

“Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.” —Barbara De Angelis

“What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?” —Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Islip is full of people who are kind, generous, and thoughtful of others. I thank you for sending your children to spend the day with us, the Islip Middle School.

Entirely grateful,

Curt Juengerkes

Islip Middle School

Assistant Principal

631-850-8515

cjuengerkes@islipufsd.org

Happy February IMS Family and Happy New Year to our families that celebrate Lunar New Year!

I can’t believe we are officially at the half-way point of the school year. In the month of February our advisories celebrate Kindness and Compassion as well as P.S. I Love You Day. Here at the middle school we do our best to support students and embrace each other’s differences by being respectful each and every day. One of my favorite actors once said, “Not only do I think being nice and kind is easy, but being kind, in my opinion, is important” (Dwayne Johnson). And that is something we need to remember each and every day. Our words and actions can make a difference. Use them wisely.

Just a reminder, cell phone use is NOT allowed during school hours here at IMS; that includes during classes, in the hallways, cafeterias, and locker rooms. We appreciate your support in this policy, as we want to embrace a community where students talk to one another and interact in healthy ways. We continue to remind students that information, photos, and videos posted to social media or sent digitally will forever be there for the world to see, so click “post” or “send” carefully.

I hope that everyone is staying warm, safe, and healthy and I look forward to a wonderful second half of the school year.

Let’s make this a great year!

Jamie Wright

Dean of Students

631-850-8530

jmariewright@islipufsd.org

Kindness and Compassion… We continue to share character traits that express qualities we all like to see in our community. Parents are encouraged to discuss and demonstrate how kindness and compassion benefit all.

New Year, New Beginnings, Fresh Start! We are very excited to watch our IMS students grow academically and socially as the year progresses. Your prizes are waiting! Our raffle for the 2nd quarter grades will be held on Thursday, February 1st! We will be validating cards for a week before the raffle. Please check the lists posted in the hallways, dining rooms, & outside of the AP office. As always, please check your planner for the Rules and Regulations of Renaissance. Replacement cards can be purchased for $5. Keep working hard and getting better every day! LOOK GOOD! FEEL GOOD! DO GOOD!

Team 7 Purple is striving to foster student growth academically, personally, and socially. The teachers on 7 Purple place much emphasis on the importance of kindness, responsibility, respect, and leadership. Collaboratively, the teachers hope to teach the students to be their own advocates and, most importantly, to believe in their self-worth.

In Social Studies, the students are tracing the exciting development of our nation, and will examine the structure of the U.S. Government. They will also engage in challenging readings and closely analyze primary sources, in addition to developing organizational skills and study techniques.

As for English class, the students are reading and analyzing multiple genres of literature using all its elements. We focus on strengthening students’ abilities to read, write, listen, and speak the English language. We have been enjoying short stories, poems, and novels!

English is not the only language of the team. We have both Spanish and Italian. These classes have been learning vocabulary and language structure, while also building their proficiency through interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational communication. Culture is embedded in both courses. This February, Italian students will learn about how Carnevale (Mardi Gras) is celebrated in different Italian cities, while students taking Spanish will learn about celebrations of Carnaval in different Spanish-speaking countries.

In Science, students continue to apply the science skills that they learned in the first quarter of the year. Students are either continuing with their study of matter in its most basic form or are learning to measure the physical properties that make up all forms of matter. Throughout the rest of the year, students will study the forces that interact with all objects and the energies that are behind those forces.

In Math the new Next Generation Standards are integrated into daily lessons. The students are being challenged to not only answer but also justify results. Throughout the year, there is a continuous emphasis on vocabulary and test taking strategies. Students that are completing classwork, homework, and attending extra help when necessary will be successful. Please encourage your child to attend extra help as needed.

Lastly, we are a co-teach team in math, science, English, and social studies. The collaboration between Mrs. Lupo, Mr. Flores, and the team teachers is a wonderful asset to all students on Team 7 Purple.

Team 7 Purple looks forward to continuing a successful school year. Thus far, it has been our complete pleasure. We encourage both parents and students to log into Infinite Campus for grades and assignments in all classes. As always, we would like to thank the parents and guardians of our students for their ongoing support.

Mrs. Sauer, Mrs. DeSena, and Mr. Hulse continue to find ways to make lessons engaging and fun for the Family and Consumer Science students. In FACS, we cover more than just cooking and sewing! Our students learn skills that will be used throughout their life, including nutritional information for their health, decision making, choices for their future, basic laundry skills, reading and following recipe directions, working as a team for success in the labs. The 6th grade enjoyed the opportunity to learn how to hand sew stitches and how to sew a button that were then used on a hand sewing project. The 7th grade pillow contest was a success. Students designed their pillows, cut the designs out from felt and then used the hand sewing stitches taught in class to sew them onto their pillows. The contest motivated the students even more and they went above and beyond our expectations. Congratulations to all our students for putting in 100% effort!! The Golden Spoon award is another incentive used during the food unit in FACS. Groups strive for excellence in cooperation, teamwork, time management, reading and following directions as well as clean up. This is a well-known challenge around the school and groups work together to earn this award and recognition. Mrs. Sauer’s winners have yet to be announced but Mrs. DeSena recently awarded her students, and the winners are pictured below. As the semester ends, we are saying goodbye to our fall semester students and preparing to welcome our spring semester students. We encourage them all to use the life skills they are taught because they are not only important, but useful, in real world situations.

Mrs. Sauer’s Pillow Contest Winners: Matthew Ralda, Divine English, Grace Jimenez, Jordyn Widecki, Caroline Lettieri, Tillie Ancipink, Max Tarello

Mrs. DeSena’s Pillow Contest Winners: Cole Chalifoux, Rebecka Gonzalez, Anthony Imbriale, Logan Steffenson, Aiden James, Teagen Caroselli, Sammie Weill, Mariana Morcillo

Mrs. DeSena’s Golden Spoon Winners: Yareld Rosero, Teagan Caroselli, Chloe Weiss, Sammie Weill, Anna Pollizotto, Brianne Moon, Sofia Domena, Ryann Lowry, Nicole Quinteros, Anthony Imbriale, Mariana Morcillo, Aiden James, Murphy Wallace, Alannys Hidalgo Plzarro, Sophia Aparicio, Anthony Matulich, Angel Guerrero, Mariam Javed, Emersyn Breslin, Kylie Winn, Gabriella Valdiviezo, Livia Sosnicki

Welcome to the second half of the year. Longer and warmer days are on the way. As we begin the third quarter, our health classes will be working on combined curricular tasks. We will start the quarter in both seventh and eighth grade with a topic choice essay. Students will be learning to use our virtual reference center for articles on their topic.

Following this, our seventh graders will engage in lessons regarding violence and injury prevention. We will be discussing topics including bullying, hazing, and fights. At the same time, our eighth graders will be engaged in our mental health unit. During this time, they will learn about stress and anxiety. We’ll discuss positive and negative ways in dealing with our stress and anxiety as well as measures to deal with them.

Have a wonderful and healthy Spring!

January was a very future-driven month at Islip Middle School! Counselors have begun the process of scheduling for next year. By now, 6th graders should have chosen their world language. Students have a choice of taking either Spanish or Italian. If you have not yet submitted your world language choice, please reach out to your counselor to do so.

8th graders, can you believe it’s already time to start thinking about high school?! Students were visited by their counselor and discussed, all the differences between middle school and high school, and well as what they can expect as they enter a new building! Students also made choices regarding what classes they would like to take. Parents, you will receive your child’s choices via the Parent Portal in the upcoming weeks to see what they have chosen! Students, if you have any questions about your choices, or you’d like to make a change, please reach out to Ms. DeMarco in the counseling office.

National School Counseling Week is February 5 – 9, 2024. Your counselors want to remind you that we are here for whatever you need to talk about! We can help you with scheduling, grades, conflict resolution, stress management, troubles with friends – we do it all! We especially love when you tell us good news! Stop by any time to say hello, we’d love to see you! And remember: the world is a better place with you in it!

2- SEPTA Sweetheart Dance, 6:30-8:30pm, MS

9- SEPTA Sweetheart Dance, snow date

12- 100th Day of School

12- BOE Meetings, 7:30pm, HS Auditorium

19-23- Mid Winter 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.

5- Islip Multi-Cultural Family Night, 6pm, HS

8- MS/HS Progress Period Ends

14- No School For Students

15- World Language Immersion Day

25- MS PTA Meeting, 7pm, MS Library

28- School Closed If No Snow Days Used

29-1- District 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.

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