Ipswich Middle School
November 4, 2022
Ipswich Middle School
Sean Fitzgerald, Assistant Principal
Our mission is to create a nurturing community where students are encouraged to develop confidence as lifelong learners with the awareness and flexibility necessary to adapt to a changing world. We strive to bring out the best in every student and adult in our learning community.
Email: kmcmahon@ipsk12.net
Website: www.ipsk12.net
Location: 130 High Street, Ipswich, MA
Phone: (978)356-3535
November has Arrived
This month, IMS transitions from our spring sports to intramural basketball and other activities. Basketball intramurals began this week. We have over 50 students playing!
On Monday, 11/7, students in grades 6 and 7 will transition to their next set of Related Arts classes.
A reminder to change your clocks this Sunday and that there is no school on Friday, 11/11 in observance of Veterans Day.
November is also the month of giving, kicking off two important food drives. Students Evan and Owen MacKinley are collecting food items for the USO. Student Leadership Senate is organizing the school's annual food drive for Open Pantry. This is a great point of pride for our school. Please help our community by donating to these two very important causes. More information for each drive is included below.
Halloween Fun
Grade 7 Probability Fair
Kindness Club and T-Shirts
Our new Kindness shirts have arrived and were distributed at each grade level. All students and staff members are invited to wear them this Monday, 11/7.
Thanksgiving Food Drive
Hello IMS Families,
With Thanksgiving and winter holidays on the horizon, Student Leadership Senate is once again preparing to hold our annual food drive to support the mission of The Open Door, the area's leading hunger-relief organization.
Last year, The Open Door distributed 1.83 MILLION pounds of food--that's approximately 1.5 MILLION meals--to 8,516 people.
This year, we are collecting all NON-PERISHABLE ITEMS to refill food pantry shelves and help with Thanksgiving baskets:
- peanut butter
- canned tuna/chicken
- healthy snacks (non-perishable)
- 100% juice/juice boxes
- breakfast cereal
- hearty soups
- canned vegetables and fruits
- spaghetti sauce (NO glass jars!!)
- macaroni and cheese
- rice, noodles, and pasta
- cake, muffin, and pancake mix
- gravy cans/mixes
- stuffing mix
- canned cranberry sauce
- cornbread mix
No glass jars, please!!
Between Monday, November 7th - Tuesday, November 22nd, students should leave their donations in the designated box in their grade level pod. Each donated item is a point for their grade level. The grade with the most points at the end of the food drive will win a prize.
To find out more about what they do and the many wrap-around nutrition programs they provide, visit FOODPANTRY.org.
Thank you for your support!!
Grade 6 Ecology School Information Night
Grade 6 has a long standing tradition of taking students on an overnight trip to The Ecology School in Maine (formerly called Ferry Beach). This year, the trip is planned for April 25 - 28, 2023. An alternative option of local trips for those who are not comfortable with an overnight trip will be available.
In order to help you make a decision on which trip is best for your child, Mrs. Colby and Mrs. Senechal will be hosting an parent information night on Wednesday, November 16, 2022 at 6 PM.
You can also find information on the Ecology School by visiting their website at:
Safety Protocols
No Place For Hate Initiative
Student Leadership Opportunity - This year, as part of our ongoing work to make the Ipswich Public Schools more inclusive, we are participating in "No Place for Hate," a program supported by the Anti-Defamation League. This is a climate-improvement program that builds student leadership through engaging students and staff at all levels in age-appropriate projects and discussions around different forms of bias so that we continue to build a sense of belonging for all. It will support us in our efforts to provide a positive school climate for all learners, and to support diversity, equity and inclusion in all our schools.
To become a No Place For Hate School, the middle school based DEI team will be asking all students and staff to sign the No Place For Hate Pledge and engage in three school-wide initiatives aimed at engaging students in dialogue around the topics of identity, anti-bullying, diversity, equity and inclusion. Signing the pledge is not required but encouraged as we strive to spread the message regarding No Place For Hate. Up to this point, Mr. Fitz and Ms. Stewart have been working with a small group of eighth grade students, laying the groundwork for this year-long project. We are now in search of students at all grade levels to join our committee and assist in the planning and leadership of this initiative. If your child is interested in joining the committee, please fill out this quick Google Form to indicate your interest, we will also include this message in the morning announcements and students can sign up in the main office. No Place For Hate Sign Up
If you would like to learn more about the No Place For Hate program or read the pledge, please explore the links below: No Place For Hate Video and No Place For Hate Pledge
Cross Country Team
Ipswich High School Girls' Hockey Team
The high school athletic department applied for and received an 8th grader waiver for girls ice hockey, along with Beverly and Danvers. Beverly is the host school, so participating student-athletes would be a member of the Beverly team for the upcoming winter season. Registration for high school winter sports is now open through this link HS Winter Registration.
All registrations must be received no later than November 22nd if a student-athlete plans to participate. There will be no late registrations. Should you have any questions, please reach out to the High School's Athletic Director, Tom Gallagher, at tgallagher@ipsk12.net Please note this waiver is for girls ice hockey only, there are no other winter 8th grade waivers in place at this time.
USO Collection
In honor of Veteran's Day, IMS students Owen and Evan MacKinley are showing their Tiger stripes by organizing a drive for active duty military personnel and veterans. All next week, Nov. 7-11, they will be collecting the following items and will then deliver the items to three USO locations in Massachusetts. Students can place the items in the collection boxes in each grade level pod.
What: individually wrapped snacks such as protein bars, goldfish crackers, cereal bars, cookies, chips as well as beverages such as Gatorade, water, sodas and ready-to-eat meals like mac & cheese, Ramen, chef boyardee, etc.
Please support Owen's and Evan's goal to honor our military personnel and veterans.
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Energy Drinks
Many of the staff have noticed that students are purchasing and bringing energy drinks with caffeine to school. Mrs. Reed has included info from the CDC regarding teens and energy drink consumption. Please talk to your child about the danger of these drinks and do not allow them to be brought to school.
Katie Greer Visits Ipswich Schools
The Ipswich Public Schools is pleased to host Katie Greer, nationally recognized digital safety expert, speaker and advisory board member for The Internet Keep Safe Coalition, on Tuesday, November 15th to educate students and parents about Internet safety. During the school day, Greer will hold a presentation for all of our middle school students in grades 6-8.
That evening, a parent/guardian presentation will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center. This talk is for Ipswich parents and guardians to help navigate the digital waters and share what’s new, what’s now, and what’s next when it comes to your children and technology. No registration is required. For more information go to www.klgreer.com
Topics she’ll be covering include:
Social networking: The AWESOME, the "eh" and the ugly. How to effectively utilize social media to work FOR you.
Privacy settings: What do they mean? How do they work? Is our info really private?
Technology tattoos—what you put out there stays out there—and how to be proud of what you post
Breaking down conflict versus cyberbullying
Going viral through kindness
Her presentation directly connects to the 2016 Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science standards that were released in 2016. Below is a list of the standards (grades 6-8) that are relevant to her presentation around internet safety. Digital Literacy: Computing and Society Strand (Grades 6-8):
- Describe how cyberbullying can be prevented and managed.
Explain the connection between the persistence of data on the Internet, personal online identity, and personal privacy.
Describe and use safe, appropriate, and responsible practices (netiquette) when participating in online communities (e.g., discussion groups, blogs, social networking sites).
Differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate content on the Internet.
Ipswich SEPAC
The Ipswich SEPAC will hold a basic rights workshop for parents in conjunction with our District team in Ipswich & FCSN/MassPAC.
Tuesday, November 29, 6-8:00pm
Basic Rights: Evaluation & Eligibility
This presentation is a comprehensive introduction into special education laws and procedures.
We will delve into the purpose of the law, referrals, evaluations, and the team meeting process including determining eligibility. Further discussion will focus on services, placement, and what to do when you receive a proposed IEP.
Host: Ipswich Public Schools & The Ipswich SEPAC
Registration Link: https://fcsn-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpcOuoqTsvH9dOOcUXfbkBbjXLukiKX7Uu
Upcoming Important Dates
Sunday, 11/6, Daylight Savings
Tuesday, 11/8, 6:30, School Council Meeting
Monday, 11/7, Related Arts Rotation for Grades 6 and 7
Friday, 11/11, No School, Veteran's Day
Tuesday, 11/15 at 6:30, Katie Greer presentation
Wednesday, 11/16 at 6:00, Grade 6 pod, Grade 6 Ecology School Parent Information Meeting
11/18, 11/19, and 11/20, IMS presents Shrek
Tuesday, 11/22, Author Norah Dooley visits IMS
Wednesday, 11/23, 11:20 Dismissal, Thanksgiving Break
Thursday, 11/24 and Friday 11/25, No School, Thanksgiving Break