Our vision is to create an inclusive, collaborative, and welcoming community of learners who experience a kind, responsible, and safe environment and a sense of belonging. We believe in creating joyful and meaningful academic, social, and emotional learning opportunities, building a foundation for independence and lifelong learning.

We hope that you had a wonderful time with family and friends during the winter recess and are ready for the start of a wonderful new year!

January

Thursday, January 2: Students return to school

Friday, January 3: School Spirit Day/Sharing Assemblies

Thursday, January 9: PTO STREAM Information Session for Families at 3:45 pm in cafeteria

Thursday, January 9: Grade 5-7 Curriculum Night 6:30 pm at JJMS

Friday, January 10: IMpact Team Meeting at 8:15 am

Thursday, January 16: BOE Meeting @ 7:30 pm

Monday, January 20: Schools Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Wednesday, January 22: PTO Meeting/Principal's Coffee

Friday, January 24: Grades 3, 4, and 5 NYS Testing Simulation

Wednesday, January 29: Schools Closed for Lunar New Year

Thursday, January 30: BOE Meeting @ 7:30 pm

Please save the date for JJMS Curriculum Conversations on 1/9/25 at 6:30pm in the JJMS Theater. At this meeting, JJMS faculty will share important information about the class selection process for your child for 6th grade as well as important information on your child's upcoming experiences at JJMS. (This event is also for middle school parents in grades 7 and 8)

Each month, we will be providing curriculum highlights from each grade level. Please know that these are snapshots and do not reflect all the curriculum and learning in the classroom.

Kindergarten: In reading, students will move towards more conventional reading, meeting Mighty Readers who will inspire them as they start their journey towards becoming Super Readers. Students will focus on two main skills: decoding CVC words through additive and whole-word blending, both in isolation and in continuous text, and beginning to read simple decodable books by orchestrating skills of pointing one-to-one, recognizing familiar high-frequency words, and decoding CVC words. In writing, students will begin writing true stories of their lives and make sure their writing is easy for others to read by writing in more conventional sentences and rereading their work as they write. In math, students will continue classifying and counting data as well as explore a basic understanding of addition. In science, students will be learning about Forces and Motion as they design and build their own pinball machines.

Grade 1: As we kick off the new year, our first graders are setting goals that will help them grow in different aspects of their lives. We are excited to see how each child will blossom this year! During word work, students will be introduced to eight new glued sounds, four ending with -ng and four ending with -nk. In words like hang or bunk, the end sound is welded or glued together. Students will also continue to add the suffix – s to these words. This month readers will begin their study of nonfiction texts to learn about the world around them. Students will develop their curiosity to learn all they can about a topic and understand new words. Students will work on using inferencing, to build knowledge, and read with fluency and expression, to help recall important information. First grade writers are beginning to write topic books. They are becoming experts on a topic and touching and teaching across their pages. In math, children will focus on understanding that the equal sign means that both sides of an equation represent the same value. They will determine whether addition and subtraction equations are true or false and find the missing number in an equation. In science, we will begin our new unit, Light and Sound. Students will take on the role of engineers as they are challenged to design, build, and then project a scene for a puppet show.

Grade 2: In January, we will be reading fiction again. At this time in second grade students are starting to read longer chapter books. We will be practicing word solving skills to help us read these more challenging books. We also kick off our opinion writing unit. Students will be picking things that they think are “awesome” and expressing their opinions about why they feel that way. During Fundations we will be exploring new syllable types like vowel-consonant-e and open syllables. We will combine them with other syllables we’ve learned about to make longer words. In science, we will be learning about erosion and how landforms change over time. We will study a changing cliff and try and figure out if a recreation center is in danger. Lastly, we will continue to study addition and subtraction strategies in math.

Grade 3: January brings a return to fiction as we begin a study of characters. Third grade readers will explore the traits and motivations of characters to identify patterns, make predictions, and develop theories supported by evidence located in the text. In writing, students will write a variety of essays about characters' feelings and traits. Students will learn to write clear, structured essays that center around an idea, or claim, and are supported by text evidence. In math, we will focus on how to solve two-step word problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers. Lastly, we will begin our next science unit, Environments and Survival, in which students assume the role of biomimicry engineers studying a population of grove snails to understand how the snails’ traits influence their survival in a changing environment.

Grade 4: Fourth graders will reflect on their progress and set fresh goals to continue growing and achieving in the new year. Fourth graders will learn how to write well-organized essays that include a clear claim or thesis, supported by detailed evidence and examples. They will practice how to expand their ideas, ensuring their arguments are fully developed and engaging. These essays will be personal and persuasive, allowing students to express their opinions and connect with their audience. Additionally, they will focus on gathering research, crafting strong introductions that capture the reader's attention, and writing conclusions that effectively summarize and reinforce their main points. In math, fourth graders will focus on recognizing and generating equivalent fractions and comparing fractions with different numerators and different denominators. They will then extend this understanding and focus on adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers with like denominators. Finally, fourth graders will continue to explore New York's early history, focusing on European exploration, Native American interactions, and colonial life. Students will examine relationships among Native Americans, fur traders, and settlers, as well as differing views on land use. They will trace New York's shift from the Dutch colony of New Netherland to the English colony of New York, highlighting contributions from many voices and comparing colonial life under Dutch and British rule.

Grade 5: As the new year begins, 5th graders wrap up their work on literary essays and begin the next unit in reading workshop – Tackling Text Complexities. This unit focuses on reading strategies in non-fiction texts. Students will look at using context clues and word parts to determine the meaning of new vocabulary. They will also focus on determining the main idea and supporting details in texts. Looking for text structures – cause and effect, problem and solution, and chronological order will also be part of this work. Math will find students learning to divide decimals. In addition, they will embark on adding and subtracting fractions.

As per our Response to Intervention District Plan mandated by New York State, benchmarks, or screenings, will begin in mid-January for students in grades K-5. The assessments are administered as a whole group and individually, depending on the grade and subject area. The results of the AIMSweb screenings, along with other school data (running record, Math Topic Assessments, etc.) will be reviewed by our RTI Team (Principal, Interventionists, Classroom Teachers). If your child qualifies for services, changes level of services, or exits services based on the criteria outlined across the district, you will receive a parent communication mid-February.

In January, our heritage learning board features Martin Luther King Jr. and at our K-2 and 3-5 Sharing Assemblies and in our classrooms, we will highlight Dr. King's leadership, contributions, and commitment to goodness, justice, perseverance, and forgiveness.

We are also recognizing Lunar New Year! The Chinese Cultural Center is coming back to IMES on January 15 to perform for our K-5 students. We are excited to welcome this organization back. As a reminder, schools will be closed on January 29 in recognition of Lunar New Year:

January is the month of reflections, resolutions, and goal-setting! We are connecting this work to our Kind, Responsible, and Safe behaviors and our January common read this month, Salt In His Shoes by Delores Jordan.

Salt in His Shoes is a picture book written by Delores Jordan (Michael Jordan's mother) and illustrated by Kadir Nelson. It tells the inspiring story of a young Michael Jordan, who dreams of becoming a great basketball player despite feeling insecure about his height.

In the book, Michael is frustrated that he is shorter than many of his peers, and he worries that this will prevent him from succeeding in basketball. His mother, however, offers him wisdom and encouragement. She tells him that if he works hard and keeps practicing, he will grow in more ways than just physically. She also suggests that he put "salt in his shoes," which is a metaphor for patience, perseverance, and belief in himself as he continues to work towards his dreams.

Students from each class will continue to receive Eagle Eye Awards! Students who demonstrate Kind, Responsible, and Safe expectations will be recognized and their group photos will be shared on our digital board! Thank you to Eddie the Eagle for celebrating our students with us. Bringing students together at our school assemblies to share experiences and celebrate each other is just one way we create a sense of belonging at IMES.

Our school lunch monitors will continue to recognize students Kind, Responsible, and Safe behaviors during lunch and recess by giving out Eagle Eyes! Grade levels will continue to be recognized at future sharing assemblies! Meet our IMES Team of Monitors below!

We conducted all necessary drills in 2024 and will continue our safety drills in 2025. We will be conducting a required safety drill in January and you will be notified (as per NYS) the day it occurs.

As a reminder, please be sure your child comes to school in clothing that is appropriate for outdoor play. If the temperature, including the wind chill, is below forty degrees, students should wear the following:

• Warm coats
• Long pants

On snowy days in order to play in the snow (including sledding) students will also need:

• Snow pants
• Boots
• Hats
• Gloves

Please be aware that if a student is not dressed appropriately, he or she will be unable to attend outdoor activities (including recess). If the temperature including the wind chill falls below twenty degrees, the students will stay inside for recess. Dr. Louis A. Corsaro, the school district physician, has advised us in these matters.

Any change of your typical dismissal plan (either bus or pick-up) requires a written communication from a parent or guardian via our Change of Dismissal Form.

Please click on the link below to complete the form. The link is also posted on our IMES school website and will be included in each of our family communications.

Please note that the Change of Dismissal Form must be completed by 12PM on the day of the dismissal change to ensure the information is relayed and followed.

Please contact Eden Ladd in our main office 763-7117 or eladd@klschools.org with any questions.

Thank you to our PTO for supporting our school programs and enrichment opportunities!

Thank you to the PTO's Bulletin Board Team and IMpact committee for creating beautiful boards!

Thank you to all our teachers and staff for continuing to create a sense of belonging and teach our students new concepts, skills, and strategies each and everyday!

Thank you to our families for volunteering at school and at special events and supporting your children with learning at home!

Thank you to our students for demonstrating Kind, Responsible, and Safe behaviors and for working hard each day!