Happy October to our IEYMS families.

It is unbelievable that the first month of school is complete. The IEYMS Scholars started the school year with great energy and excitement. It was such a pleasure to welcome the students back to school. The month of September was all about "Launching the Year for Success." Students participated in activities and orientation meetings designed to build positive classroom and school communities. They spent time getting to know their teachers and classmates. Scholars also spent time learning what it means to be ready to learn, respectful, and responsible which are important values at the Castle. This year, we have so many exciting events designed to increase student engagement and student belonging and increase the ways students learn and grow. We want our learning community to be a place where students truly feel part of the school environment.

We hope that you enjoy our newly designed newsletter. Please continue to read below to learn more about "Castle Life" for September and moving into October. If you are viewing the newsletter from your Smartphone, you can change the language by clicking on the person in the black circle at the bottom of the screen. You can also change the language options if viewing on a lap top or desk top computer.

In middle school, academic success is crucial to a student's overall sense of accomplishment and confidence. Research shows that academic success is strongly correlated to long-term positive outcomes for students. Tutor.com is free to all New Rochelle City School District students. Students have 24-hour, 7-day-a-week access to real-time tutors. The tutors provide support and instruction in all subject areas. All tutors must pass a rigorous application process including an extensive background check. Students should sign in using their Class Link accounts. If they have problems, they can see Ms. Martinelli during school hours. They can also email her at lmartinelli@nredlearn.org.

Please view the videos below from Tutor. com to learn more about their services. Remember, the service is free to all students in New Rochelle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q48YM5CGbaA

Helpful Guides

• How it works! http://www.tutor.com/cmspublicfiles/WWW/HIW_Classroom_2021.pdf
• How it works (Spanish) http://www.tutor.com/cmspublicfiles/WWW/HiW_Guide_2019_SPANISH_FORM.pdf

• How to connect with a tutor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAhBo9491AQ
• How to connect with a tutor (Spanish) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs7IyyMsg_E

Interim Progress Reports:

Published to Home Access 10/19/2022

Received home no later than 10/26/22

Please do not hesitate to contact your child's teachers or school counselor to set up a parent-teacher-counselor conference when you receive your child's interim progress report. We encourage you to connect with IEYMS staff if you have concerns regarding your child.

We still have lockers available for students. Please stop by Mr. Trujillo's office to pick up your locker contract and locker assignment. You will need a combination lock.

October is National Anti-Bullying Awareness Month. As part of our school-wide approach to creating and sustaining a welcoming, accepting, and affirming environment where all students feel part of the community, we provide explicit and implicit instruction in anti-bullying. Throughout the year, students will engage in a variety of learning activities designed to teach students what bullying is, the negative impacts it has on the community and students, and how we can create a bully-aware environment. On, September 30, 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students were treated to an interactive theatrical performance by Box Out Bullying, a national touring organization that specializes in combining research-based bullying prevention with dynamic live theater.

Pablo Cartaya, an internationally acclaimed author, screenwriter, speaker, and educator will visit IEYMS. Mr. Cartaya led writing exercises with students while also teaching them the art of storytelling. Book lovers, future writers, storytellers, poets, and those interested in learning more about an author's life signed up to attend learning and listening sessions with Mr. Cartaya through their ELA teacher. Pictures to come in a future edition!

Mr. Cartaya's work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, NBC, and on Oprah’s Booklist. Pablo has worked with Disney, Apple+, and Sesame Street on projects adapted from television series and movies. In 2021, he served as a judge for the National Book Award in Young People's Literature and has taught creative writing workshops and spoken at various universities and conferences throughout the world. He calls Miami home and Cuban-American his culture. Novels include: The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora, Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish, Each Tiny Spark, and the upcoming climate dystopia The Last Beekeeper. He also contributed to the collection of essays Hope Wins published in 2022. Notable Awards and Honors include the 2020 Schneider Family Book Award Honor, 2019 ALSC Notable Book, 2018 American Library Association’s Pura Belpré Honor, 2018 Audie Award Finalist, and 2018 E.B. White Read Aloud Book Award Finalist.

Thank you to our IEYMS PTA for the wonderful and first IEYMS Color Run. Over 200 families from IEYMS and Trinity Elementary School joined together in a celebration of fun, family, and back to school. We look forward to upcoming PTA-sponsored events where students, staff, and parents come together as a community to celebrate and have fun! That's what it means to build a school community!

Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15-October 15. IEYMS students are engaging in a variety of curriculum-based and standards-aligned learning activities. Students are exploring and understanding stories, histories, and works (people, achievements, events) that contribute to history. Curricular-based learning will occur across all content areas including art, music, dance, ELA, and social studies classes.

Essential Questions include:

• What does Hispanic/Latinx Heritage mean?
• What are the origins of Hispanic Heritage Month?
• How can I celebrate Hispanic/ Latinx culture and heritage?
• How might sharing and understanding cultural and identity stories shape how we live and relate with one another?
• Why is it important to represent diverse and contemporary Hispanic/Latinx voices and perspectives in the content we learn from in school and the community?
• How do Hispanic/Latinx Americans contribute to the intricate legacy of the U.S.?

Click on the links below for resources you can explore with your children and families at home.

¡Vamos a Celebrar! Celebrating Hispanic Heritage through the arts

Hispanic Heritage Month - Origins & Facts - HISTORY

National Endowment for the Humanities Virtual Bookshelf: Hispanic Heritage Month

Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino

Meet Latino Changemaker

Check out ReadWorks.org Honoring Hispanic Heritage Additional Resources. Students will need to log in as a student to access the ReadWorks materials. They should use their class link accounts.

• Grade 6

• Grade 7

• Grade 8

Red Ribbon Week is a national week dedicated to bringing awareness to living a drug-free, alcohol-free, and healthy lifestyle. IEYMS will join the national awareness campaign by offering a series of educational activities designed to increase awareness about the harms caused by drug and alcohol use. IEYMS is committed to promoting healthy lifestyles, developing a positive self-image, building the self-esteem of our scholars, and empowering them to make responsible decisions.

My name is Ms. Loaiza and I am the new Student Assistance Counselor at Isaac E Young Middle School!

I grew up in New Rochelle, and early into my high school years knew that I wanted to be in the helping profession. I am an Isaac E Young Alum! I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Iona College and then went on to NYU to receive my Master’s in Social Work. Currently, I am a Licensed Master's Social Worker. I have several years of experience working with youth in different settings including being a therapist and I was previously the Student Assistance Counselor at Peekskill Middle School. One of my favorite things about being a social worker is having the opportunity to foster meaningful connections with teens and serve as additional support for them to lean on during times of need.

My role as a Student Assistance Counselor is to be a pillar of support for your children and for you and to provide your children with skills to combat any issues related to school, peers, family, and substance use. I provide school-wide activities and lessons in the classrooms around healthy decision-making, mental health, and substance use. Likewise, I meet with students individually, in groups, and as part of an after-school club. Any information that is shared with me will remain confidential; this pertains to both students and parents. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. My phone number is 914-576-4360 extension 21693.

I look forward to connecting further and I’m excited to be part of the Isaac E Young community!

Schools closed on October 10

Half day for students on October 19

In addition to Hispanic Heritage Month, Anti-Bullying Awareness, and Red Ribbon Week, October is full of other important holidays and events that recognize, honor, and memorialize important historical and social moments, cultures, and events.

Indigenous Peoples Day: October 10

The first seed of Indigenous Peoples Day was started at a United Nations international conference on discrimination in 1977. The first state to recognize the day was South Dakota in 1989. 14 US states and more than 130 cities officially recognize Indigenous Peoples Day. Indigenous Peoples' Day honors the legacy, past, present, and future of Native peoples throughout the US. "The holiday gives time for us to celebrate the cultures, contributions, and resilience of contemporary Native peoples". This year, indigenous Peoples Day will be observed on October 10. Taken from Nationaltoday.org

Columbus Day: October 10

Columbus Day is a United States holiday also celebrated on October 10. Columbus Day memorializes the landing of Christopher Columbus in America in 1492.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month: October 1-31

Breast Cancer Awareness month is an annual campaign to raise awareness about the impact of breast cancer. This year's theme is Together We Rise! Wear your pink to support this worthy cause.

Join the IEYMS school community as we recognize and celebrate the historical and societal significance of each of these national events.