The IMS Connection

Greetings,

Winter has certainly swooped in with February. Even though winter has arrived, we will do our best to get the students outside for morning arrival and recess when warmer days pop up. While the weather has been mild, there is the possibility of snow in the future. 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 120-minute delay schedule is posted on the middle school eBoard.

I have to believe, a year ago we may have thought the restrictions brought on by the pandemic would be long gone. Even though we are in a far better place than last year, we are still reminded each day that the pandemic is lurking around.

In an effort to get an understanding of parent perceptions about Islip Middle School, we are sending out a climate and culture survey for our parents to provide feedback. This is an anonymous survey to help us to continue to strive to make Islip Middle School the best it can be. Please click this link to complete the survey.

Click here for English Click here for Spanish

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 did not receive a reply letter from me, please resubmit.

Extending healthy thoughts from a friendly distance,

Timothy P. Martin

tmartin@islipufsd.org

Please arrive to school each day by 8:15 am.

Arrival after 8:18 am will result in students' attendance being marked late.

Thank you

We had a VERY successful Renaissance Raffle to celebrate our 1st Quarter Successes!! The students were excited and enjoyed choosing the prizes. We had a variety of prizes: From Local Restaurants etc... gift cards to Amazon Gift Cards! It was awesome to see their faces as they collected their goodie bags, chose the prize boxes, and collected their winnings! We look forward continuing to celebrate successes throughout the building! Stay tuned for our Quarter 2 Renaissance Raffle. Keep up the Excellent Work! Look GOOD, Feel GOOD, Do GOOD!!

It’s hard to believe we are already approaching the halfway point of the year. I’m excited to share some of the great things happening here at IMS as we turn the corner for the second semester.

First, our initiative to enhance student climate and culture continues. In the coming weeks several of our 8th grade students will participate in their first meeting of the Buccaneer Roundtable. These students will sit down with members of our Student Culture Committee as well as Dr. Martin and me. We will listen to the students’ points of view on such diverse topics as new games for recess, school rules and procedures, and cyber-drama. We look forward to meeting periodically and using student feedback to drive enhancements at IMS. In addition, we’re also launching a new online parent survey. If you have not had the opportunity to complete it yet the links are above in Dr. Martin's message.

This month’s advisory theme is kindness and compassion. With so much technology and social media it’s easy to be bombarded with the negative and believe that kindness and compassion are lost. I can assure you that this is not the case. Every day and every single interaction you have you can choose whether or not to be kind and compassionate. I urge you to choose kindness and compassion. I am certain you will feel a greater sense of fulfillment. Parents: we hope you will join us in speaking about the value of kindness and compassion.

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

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

8 MS/HS Report Cards posted to Portal

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

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

21-25 District Closed for Mid-Winter Recess

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

the most up-to-date information.

3 District Art Show, 5:00-7:00 p.m., MS

3 District String Festival, 7:00 p.m., MS auditorium

6 Islip St. Patrick's Day Parade

10 MS/HS Progress Period Ends

11 World Language Immersion Day, MS

14 MS PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.

21 MS/HS Progress Reports Posted to Portal

28 MS Spring Sports Begin

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.

We have been off to a great start this year! Our Team has participated in 2 Team Days to enhance the educational experience for all students. We watched Percy Jackson and A Christmas Carol and participated in corresponding activities. These Team Days were an excellent way for us to reflect on what we learned in class as well as the IMS Advisory Theme of the month. Most importantly, we were able to work together as a team. We continue to encourage our students and work together with students, parents, and each other to ensure academic and social emotional success!

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Welcome to the dark days and freezing temperatures of winter. Though the weather outside is cold, it’s still a good idea to bundle the kids up and get them outside for fresh air! It’s healthy to get out and play. However, remember it’s the dark days, so make sure to use reflective or bright outer clothing.

In Health class, we finished the first half of the year with great success. The 7th graders completed units in Bullying and Drugs. They discussed hazing, fighting, bullying, and strong feelings. In 8th grade, we learned about stress and stress prevention techniques. We also discussed the dangers of prescription medications, heroin, and the deaths that go along with them.

I hope you have a wonderful spring, and make sure to get out and support the Bucs Spring teams!

Be Healthy,

Collin Smith

The Family and Consumer Science department has found a variety of ways to make lessons engaging and fun for students despite the challenging times of the “new normal.” Mrs. Sauer, Mrs. DeSena, and Mrs. Mills are excited to have our students back in the foods lab cooking and bringing those delicious smells back to the hallways of IMS. Although the labs are set up differently, the aroma of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, snicker doodles, corn bread, cheddar bay biscuits, and apple spiced muffins are the same-mouthwatering! The students are also working hard to earn the Golden Spoon Award. This is an incentive for groups to strive for excellence in cooperation, teamwork, and time management. One group in each class will receive a certificate and be recognized as an award recipient along with a picture displayed in the classroom.

We began the year with the sewing unit and students enjoyed this hands-on, peaceful, and relaxing atmosphere learning the four hand sewing stitches and how to sew a button. A teddy bear was sewn in the 6th grade, whereas the 7th grade students designed and sewed a pillow. There was a feeling and sense of accomplishment once the projects were complete to take home and show off.

The 6th grade Nutrition unit incorporated some fun lessons on nutrients, food digestion, healthy food choices, affects sugar has on the body, and how to properly read a food label. They also enjoyed a fun lesson on nutrients that allowed them to get up out of their seats to unscramble nutrient riddles.

The 7th grade students started to think about the future. As part of the 7th grade curriculum, the students choose a career to research using results from personality assessments. The students researched a chosen career and prepared Google Slides on their chosen career to present to their classmates. Their presentations included a variety of information from salary, duties of the career, as well as certifications, education, training, and licenses needed. For some students it was the first time using Google Slides. Students learned how to navigate the software and incorporate pictures, transitions, and animations into their presentations and then presented them to the class.