The IMS Connection

Season’s Greetings Parents/Guardians:

As we ring in 2022, I am optimistic about a brighter future for all. When I reflect on this past year, I can’t help but think of the positive strides made by our Islip Middle School children. I do believe a lot of the good the children have done has been overshadowed by the events of the world around us, yet they still drive forward. They truly have persevered in the most challenging times, and I am confident this will make them better people. While we continue to navigate the weeks ahead, let’s take a moment to think about how far we have come, and what we can do to make tomorrow even better.

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

Each January we begin the budget and scheduling processes for the next school year. Parents should be on the lookout for important literature regarding the 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, February 4, 2022.

As always, if you have a desire for a parent conference simply call our guidance office at 631-650-8550. We can meet via the internet or by phone.

We look forward to the year ahead and wish our Islip Middle School learning community the best of health in the New Year.

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

Kind Regards,

Timothy P. Martin

Greetings IMS Families,

As we enter into 2022, the air is filled with talk of “New Year’s Resolutions.” Some will look to embark on a healthier lifestyle with cleaner eating and exercise habits, some may look to try new hobbies, and others may look to improve their performance in school or at work. Whatever your resolution may be, focus on and set realistic short and long-term attainable goals to increase your success.

At this time, I’d like to challenge the students of IMS to commit to a new year’s resolution of their own. Is there anything you’ve wanted to try but have shied away from? There is no time like the present to get started. If it’s a sport or joining a club, IMS has so much to offer, and this would be a great time to get involved. Maybe your goal is academic, and you have not been putting in the effort you should, or you want to reach another milestone academically. Now is the time to set those goals and put in the effort.

If you accept this challenge and set a resolution, don’t expect perfection. To help you be successful, set realistic and attainable short and long term goals, write them down, take a picture and save it on all of your devices, so they are a constant reminder to keep you focused. Evaluate your progress regularly, modify and keep pursuing your goals, and most importantly, if you slip up, refocus, and get back on track.

Please check us out on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to view photos, videos, and news about amazing things going on at IMS. Our new Google Site 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

The Holiday Season is upon us! We are excited to continue Renaissance Excitement & Celebration of Excellence in the building!

Renaissance has been busy so far this year! On behalf of Renaissance, every student in the building received a pair of ear buds (AND a couple of replacements), a string bag to bring home their laptop, the Trick-Or-Treat Event, and we had our FIRST Renaissance Raffle of the year!

We can't wait to celebrate our First Quarter Achievements with another Raffle! Stay tuned for important dates.

Keep up the excellent work and behavior! Continue to positively add to our learning community!

Please review the Renaissance Guidelines in your planner.

Renaissance is not only about academics, but CHARACTER! Look GOOD, Feel GOOD, Do GOOD!

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.

3 Students return from Winter Recess

5 Joint CRES/SES/SEPTA meeting, Islip Public Library - All Parents invited, Time TBD

11 BOE Meeting, 7:30 p.m., HS Auditorium

17 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, District Closed

24 PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.

24 Late Winter Sports Begin

25 BOE Meeting, 7:30 p.m., HS Auditorium

27 Broadway Bound, 7:00 p.m., HS Auditorium

28 2nd Marking Period Ends

29 IMS 6th Grade Winter Concert 2:00 p.m., HS Gym, (6th Grade Band, Chorus, and Orchestra), IMS 7th & 8th Grade Winter Concert, 4:00 p.m., HS Gym

Unless otherwise noted, all Board of Education meetings will begin with an Executive Session at 6:30 p.m. 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.

3 Community Book Read Discussion, 7:00 p.m., HS Cafeteria

4 SEPTA Sweetheart Dance, 6:00-8:00 p.m., MS

8 MS/HS Report Cards posted to Portal

9 BOE Meeting, 6:30 p.m., HS Auditorium

11 SEPTA Sweetheart Dance, 6:00-8:00 p.m., MS (snow date)

14 100TH DAY OF SCHOOL, PS I Love You Day

21-25 District Closed for Mid-Winter Recess

Welcome to a new year of new adventures and new learning.

In ELA, students have completed writing their narratives in third person. The writer retold an experience from an outside character’s point of view. Throughout sixth grade, student writers discovered life lessons, gained insight into various writing techniques, the structure and organization of an essay, and learned to use Google Documents to publish their piece. Next on their writing journey, students will apply their writing skills to compose perfect paragraphs and write their own feature article about Ancient Egypt.

Put on your hiking boots and be ready to scale The Great Pyramid of Giza during Social Studies class. Students are traveling back in time to Ancient Egypt. They will learn all about Egyptian geography, culture, religion, social structure, and accomplishments.

Our mathematicians have conquered the concepts of arithmetic operations, ratios, and rates! The brainpower utilized during these modules was outstanding! Our students have explored the understanding of the four operations as they studied the division of whole numbers, dividing by a fraction and operations in multi-digit decimals. This expanded understanding will help tackle our third module of rational numbers.

Sixth Grade Scientists have been studying human body systems: Skeletal, Respiratory, Circulatory, Digestive, and Muscular. Next, they will be digging into our planet to explore Earth Science.

Be on the lookout…mid-term exams are quickly approaching. They occur at the end of the second quarter. Keeping up with homework, class work, and reviewing concepts each night will help students be well prepared for these assessments.

Team 8 Silver is ready to welcome winter!

The Social Studies classes are completing their unit on the Progressive Era. The students continue to employ analyzing skills to reveal the author’s point of view for historical events.

In Math, students are working furiously on solving equations. They are building their “problem solving skills” in a mathematical setting.

Science students are wrapping up their Fish Kill Mystery. They are looking forward to their first dissection after the holidays.

For ELA, the students have read a Native American short story titled “The Medicine Bag” as part of their unit on culture and belonging. Each student is writing a short response paragraph about the medicine bag’s symbolic meaning.

World Language classes continue to build skills for Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing. The students are enjoying the face-to-face interaction and communication as they describe their friends, pets, and family members.

The Middle School Physical Education Department was thrilled to return to in-person instruction and started the year off with a host of outdoor activities. We capitalized on the beautiful weather and conducted all classes outdoors until the middle of November. Students were able to enjoy the fresh air while working on cardiovascular endurance coupled with backyard games and team sports. Each class took part in the Fitness-Gram, Frisbee Golf, Frisbee Fitness Game, Soccer, Can-Jam, and Corn-Hole.

After the temperature dropped and it was too cold to remain out on the fields, classes jumped right into our Net Games Unit. We started with our annual volleyball tournament. Prior to the tournament, students developed and honed their skills by attending mini clinics focusing on the bump and set passes as well as the skill of serving. Following skill development, the students were divided into competitive teams to begin game play. Each class period, teams played two or three games 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 champion, and our tournament was a remarkable success. The Physical Education staff was extremely impressed by the effort put forth throughout the tournament, but more importantly, completely blown away by the sportsmanship and class shown on the court. Moving forward, students will have the opportunities to experience Pickle Ball, Newcomb, and Badminton.

The modified Late Winter season begins at the middle school on January 18, 2022. Student athletes in grades seventh and eighth can take part in Girls’ Basketball and Wrestling. The sign-up books will be available on the tables found by both Physical Education offices. Please make sure your child signs the book, completes Final Forms/Physical and attends sport meetings prior to tryouts/first practice. Final Forms can be found at: FinalForms - Islip Union Free Schools. Fortunately, all home games will be live streamed on the Islip Athletics channel on YouTube.

Lastly, the Physical Education Department would like to wish you all the best in the new year!

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