The IMS Connection

Dear Parents and Guardians:

Wow, we began the New Year with a blast, a snow blast. As of now, May 24th and 25th will be school days. 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 60, 90, and 120 minute delay schedules are posted on the middle school eBoard.

As the first two quarters have been completed, cumulative averages are being tallied. 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 grades, attendance, and behavior, which form the foundation of the programs and 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.

Lastly, 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.

Congratulations to all of our first quarter card holders. They seem to have had a ball! We are starting a new quarter, which gives everyone a fresh start. Please remember to refer to the table for the criteria for being part of Renaissance, which is in the planner.

As we hit the midpoint of the 2017-18 school year, we continue to focus on enhancing the parent experience at Islip Middle School by improving our communication systems, access to resources and support, and opportunities for parent involvement. We hope that through the combination of our Blackboard Connect messaging system, Facebook and Twitter pages, online parent portal, and school/teacher eBoards, you can see the wonderful things happening in our school and have access to what you need to best support your child.

Our goal is for every student and parent to feel a little bit of #islippride every day. Dr. Martin and I welcome any suggestions or feedback on how we might improve your experience as a parent in our school. (Click here to view the presentation Dr. Martin and I made to the PTA on the parent experience in January.)

This month’s advisory theme is kindness and compassion. Students: it’s easy to look at the things happening in the world and conclude that kindness and compassion are lost arts. But in every interaction we have on every single day, we can choose to whether or not to be kind and compassionate. We never know what another student may be experiencing or dealing with in their personal lives; a little bit of kindness and understanding can go a long way. Parents: we hope you will join us in speaking about the value of kindness and compassion.

Enjoy the winter break as a time to relax and recharge as we prepare to head into spring!

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.

RETHINK - STOP CYBERBULLYING is a tool created by a teen girl that sets out to stop cyberbullying before it starts. Users download and enable it as a keyboard option. Then, when users type in any app on the device, a pop-up will appear if they type profanity or words that have been pre-identified as abusive, hateful, or otherwise hurtful. The pop-up message changes with each appearance; one example is, "Would you like to re-word this? Remember, you are what you type!" Users can then tap "clear" to delete the hateful word or phrase or tap "OK" to let the words stand. Common Sense Media calls this app a “game-changer”! Click here for more information

1 Report Cards Posted to Portal

2 SEPTA Sweetheart Dance 6:30-8:30 PM

3 IDEA Task Force Coalition 7:00 PM - HS

7 Booster Club Mtg. 7:00 PM - HS

13 BOE Meeting 7:30 PM* - CRES

14 Happy Valentine’s Day

16 (Snow Date) SEPTA Sweetheart Dance

19 - 23 School Closed—Mid Winter Recess

27 Budget Workshop/BOE Mtg. 7:30 PM* - MS

1 Friends of the Arts/IMAP Meeting, 7:30 PM, HS Comm. room

5 MS Progress Period Ends

7 District String Festival, 7:00 PM, MS Auditorium

8 MS Progress Reports Posted to Portal

12 Booster Club Meeting, 7:00 PM, HS Faculty Room

13 Budget Workshop/ BOE Meeting 7:30* PM, MS

15 Disney Peter Pan Jr. Musical, 7:00 PM, MS Auditorium

16 Disney Peter Pan Jr. Musical, 7:00 PM, MS Auditorium

20 SEPTA Meeting 6:00 PM, Islip Public Library

23 Purple & Gold Dinner 7:00 - 11:00 PM, (TBD)

26 MS Spring Sports Begin

26 PTA Meeting, 7:00 PM, MS Library ( 5th Grade Parents Welcome)

27 Budget Workshop/ BOE Meeting 7:30* PM, MS

30 Schools 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.

Islip Special Education PTA

Annual Sweetheart Dance

February 2, 2018

6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

Middle School

It has been another busy year for the Family & Consumer Science department. What is still confusing to some, though, is the name. For those of you still confused, FACS is the old “Home Economics” with a 21st-century twist.

One way that teaching has changed with the times is that the teachers incorporate video demonstrations into the lesson for students to view at school or at home. This is an essential tool for extra help at home for a particular lesson, an absence, or to provide more valuable “hands on” learning experiences while at school.

Currently, Mrs. Sauer’s 7th grade class is in the cooking unit and are responsible for the delicious smells throughout the hallways along with their competition with Mrs. DeSena’s classes. They just prepared or will be preparing chocolate chip blondies, cinnamon buns, and banana bread, as well as pretzels and pizza. Not to mention - all from scratch!

In the consumerism unit, students had the opportunity to taste test different brands of food comparing name brand versus store brand. It was a fun and tasteful lesson liked by all. Mrs. Sauer’s 6th grade classes had a relaxing, fun experience learning how to hand sew and how to sew a button. Students felt a sense of accomplishment once the projects were complete to take home and show off. They were so proud of their work and even prouder was the teacher. The nutrition unit followed and taught the importance of making healthy food choices as well as reading and understanding food labels. The teacher culminated the unit by demonstrating strawberry spinach salad and nutritious blueberry muffins that were liked by all.

Mrs. DeSena’s 6th graders participated in a simulation “Egg Baby” parenting project. Students cared for and documented their experiences as the eggs’ “parents” for three days! Throughout the unit, students learned about various caretaker skills, toy safety recommendations for children, child proofing, and even how to make Play-Doh from common household ingredients!

In the 7th grade, students took a sneak peek into their futures by participating in a career research project. Students utilized technology by thoroughly researching their careers and then created a final presentation on PowerPoint. As a culminating activity, students partook in a creative writing assignment and wrote “retirement speeches” from their career. During the in-class “retirement party,” students read their speeches in which they reflected on their successes and plans for the future.

Team 7 Purple is striving to foster their students’ growth academically, personally, and socially. In this pivotal year, the teachers have been placing 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 exploring students’ roles and responsibilities as citizens. 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 and literary elements. Otherwise, we mostly focus on strengthening students’ abilities to read, write, listen, and speak the English language.

English is not the only language of the team, as we have both Spanish and Italian. These classes have been learning vocabulary, language structure, conversation, and culture. Spanish students learned about Mexico's Day of the Dead celebrations; on the other hand, Italian students will learn about how Carnevale (Mardi Gras) is celebrated in different Italian cities.

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 them.

In the math classes the common core standards are integrated into daily lessons. The students are being challenged to not only answer but also justify results. Throughout the year, there will be an emphasis on vocabulary and testing strategies. The goal this year is to empower his students to be the best they can be.

Lastly, we are a co-teach team in math, science, English, and social studies. The collaboration between Ms. McHale, Ms. Minicozzi, 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 check out E-Boards and the Parent Portal for updates in classes. As always, we would like to thank the parents and guardians of our students for their ongoing support.

Welcome to the dark days 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! Sicknesses seem to be present in winter because everyone is cooped up in confined spaces. 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 worked on class projects in First Aid and Safety and 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

IMS School Code: RNXHHN

Great information to know!!

Homework Help is available from 2:00 - 11:00 pm every day except holidays with a valid library card barcode number. Using the following link: http://main.suffolk.ny.brainfuse.com/authenticate.asp?.

features include:

• Homework Help Interact with live tutors in math, science, reading/writing, social studies, PSAT/SAT, ACT, AP and state standardized tests.
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• Personalized eLearning Tools My File Sharing, My Session Replay, My Tutoring Archive, My Tests Archive, and more!
• 24-Hour Writing Lab Submit essays and other forms of writing for constructive feedback.
• Homework Send Question Submit homework questions for expert guidance.
• Adult Learning Center Access a library of rich adult learning content (GED) and live, professional assistance in resume/cover letter writing, U.S. citizenship prep, MS Office Essential Skills Series, and more!
• Foreign Language Lab /Spanish-Speaking Support
• Multiple Ways to Learn Multiple, research-based tools to accommodate all types of learners.
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Our first College Shirt Day was a success! Students participated in a college scavenger hunt to learn more about their teachers' college experiences, and competed against one another in college trivia.

It's all about starting a conversation and dreaming big early! Every child's road will be different, but we want all students to know the opportunities available to them from a young age.

Our first broadcast of the new season was a smash hit. Thank you to Mr. Ackermann, Mr. Pedersen, and our all-star crew. Tune in again soon!

President – Denise Nash Vice President – Renee Ferrera

Secretary – Tina Hardekopf Treasurer – Diane Bennett

We are almost half way through our school year! Our yearbook committee has been working so hard. They came to school during lunch periods to photograph the eighth graders for our “photo booth” pages in the yearbook. There were a lot of laughs and the kids had a lot of fun! Thanks so much to our volunteers.

We are looking forward to our end of the year barbeques. These require many volunteers to help them run smoothly. If you are interested in helping out, please email IslipMiddleSchoolPTA@gmail.com.

Our next meeting is March 26, 2018

7 PM Middle School Library

Please join us!

Please like our Facebook page – Islip Middle School PTA

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

ISLIP MIDDLE SCHOOL PTA 2017 - 2018 MEMBERSHIP

CHECK ONE: ___ $10 INDIVIDUAL ___ $15 FAMILY (2 CARDS)

PARENT/GUARDIAN NAME(S)______________________________________

CHILD’S NAME____________________________________________

ADVISORY TEACHER_______________________________________

TEACHER/STAFF NAME_____________________________________

COMMUNITY MEMBER NAME_______________________________

E MAIL ADDRESS_______________________________pta cash/check#____

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

http://www.cancellations.com/

http://www.islipufsd.org/

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

The IMS C.A.R.E. Club is collecting Box Tops for Education coupons. Hundreds of products have Box Top coupons, so keep us in mind when you do your shopping. Coupons can be left in the Main Office, Library, or brought to the Health Office.

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