The IMS Connection

Greetings,

The New Year is off to an exciting beginning at Islip Middle School. There are lots of clubs and activities for children to get involved in during the winter months, just click our website and see for yourself. Don't let the cold keep children from getting involved. We are doing our best to get the students outside for morning arrival and recess when warmer days pop up. Please send children to school with cold weather attire. 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 2 hour delay schedule is here.

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 have submitted a request and did not receive a reply letter from me, please resubmit your request.

As always, feel free to contact me at tmartin@islipufsd.org.

Extending positive thoughts from a friendly middle school,

Dr. Timothy Martin

Principal

631-650-8505

IMS Families,

I hope your winter is going well. We have officially made the turn. The second semester begins, February 1st. Please make it a practice to regularly review your students grades on the Infinite Campus portal. Interaction and engagement lead to discussion and reflection, as well as, success. For extracurricular enrichment, our clubs continue to roll through these winter months. Also, our winter sports: girls’ basketball, and wrestling, are officially underway.

The state assessments are on the horizon and will be April 8th and 9th, ELA

April 29th and 30th, Math

May 6th, Science

February’s advisory will be focusing on Kindness & Compassion, the Seventh Habit of Highly Effective People, Be Proactive and Synergize. This celebration and recognition of kindness in our day-to-day lives will be facilitated through a multitude of advisory activities. The activities include the creating and sharing of motivational and kind messages. These messages will be recorded and displayed on the IMS bulletin board outside the guidance office for all to enjoy and be inspired.

Another activity includes the viewing of a video for P.S. I Love You Day: February 10th. The video is accompanied by discussion questions… What does kindness mean to you? How do you show kindness to yourself? To others? Are you happy with the way you treat others? Why/Why not? And You never truly know what a person is going through. What can you do to brighten someone’s day? Student will discuss, develop awareness, reflect, and offer feedback.

Lastly , IMS will engage a our own “Kindness Spirit Week”

• Monday, Dream of Kindness, Wear Comfy Clothes
• Tuesday, Team Kindness, Wear a sports t-shirt, jersey, or hat
• Wednesday, Kindness is a Superpower, Dress like a super hero
• Thursday, Hats off to kindness, wear a hat
• Friday, P.S. I Love You Day, Wear purple clothes and/or accessories

“Remember, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end.” —Scott Adams

“Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference. They bless the one who receives them, and they bless you, the giver.” —Barbara De Angelis

“What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?” —Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Islip is full of people who are kind, generous, and thoughtful of others. I thank you for sending your children to spend the day with us, the Islip Middle School.

Entirely grateful,

Curt Juengerkes

Islip Middle School

Assistant Principal

631-850-8515

cjuengerkes@islipufsd.org

RENAISSANCE!! We're halfway there!! We are very proud of our IMS student's progress and accomplishments. February marks the beginning of the 3rd quarter. There are always new opportunities to grow academically and socially. It also brings another Renaissance Raffle! We are looking forward to celebrating all of the amazing things our IMS community is doing and our 2nd quarter accomplishments! Continue to do great things! Keep working hard and trying your best. Please check your planner for our Renaissance Guidelines. Replacement cards can be purchased in the AP office for $5. Remember our IMS motto: LOOK GOOD! FEEL GOOD! DO GOOD!!

Believe it or not, scheduling for the 2025-2026 school year has already begun! As we prepare for the upcoming year, we want to keep you informed about key milestones for our students.

For 6th Graders:
At this point, students should have selected their world language for next year. If your child has not yet made their choice, please contact your school counselor as soon as possible to finalize the selection. Any student who does not have a selection submitted by February 7th will automatically be placed in Spanish.

For 8th Graders:
The transition to high school is just around the corner! Your child’s school counselor has started presentations to guide students through the process of selecting high school courses. Parents should have received communication via parent square regarding the course selection process last week. When your child’s course request form comes home, please take time to review the selections carefully to ensure that the courses align with their strengths and abilities. Course request forms are due back to the middle school guidance office by February 10th. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Comiskey for guidance.

All 8th grade students and parents are encouraged to attend Islip High School’s Curriculum Night on March 25th. This event is a fantastic opportunity to explore the variety of courses and programs available to high school students.

Team 7 Purple is striving to foster student growth academically, personally, and socially. In this pivotal year, the teachers place 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. We accomplish our goals together with experiences in and outside of our classrooms. We have had and will continue to have Team Days and Field Trips.

In Social Studies, the students are tracing the exciting development of our nation and will examine the structure of the U.S. Government. 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 using all its elements. We focus on strengthening students’ abilities to read, write, listen, and speak the English language. We have been enjoying short stories, myths, and novels!

English is not the only language of the team, 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 objects and the energies that are behind those forces.

In Math the students are challenged to not only answer but also justify results. Throughout the year, there is continuous emphasis on how math is used in the real world, vocabulary, and test taking strategies. Please encourage your child to attend extra help as needed.

Lastly, we are a co-teach team in math, science, English, and social studies. The collaboration between Mrs. Lupo & Mr. Flores 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 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.

Mrs. Sauer, Mrs. DeSena, Mr. Hulse and Mrs. Mills continue to find ways to make lessons engaging and fun for the Family and Consumer Science students. In FACS, we cover more than just cooking and sewing! Our students learn skills that will be used throughout their life, including nutritional information for their health, decision making, choices for their future, basic laundry skills, reading and following recipe directions and working as a team for success in the labs. The 6th graders enjoyed learning how to hand sew stitches and sew a button that were used on the Emoji project. The 7th graders pillow contest was a success. Students designed their pillows, cut the designs out from felt and then used the hand sewing stitches taught in class to sew them onto their pillows. The contest motivated the students even more and they went above and beyond our expectations. Congratulations to all our students for putting in 100% effort!! The Golden Spoon award is another incentive used during the foods lab unit in FACS. Groups strive for excellence in cooperation, teamwork, time management, reading and following directions, as well as clean up. This is a well-known challenge around the school and groups work together to earn this award and recognition. As the semester ends, we are saying goodbye to our fall semester students and preparing to welcome our spring semester students. We encourage them all to use the life skills they are taught because they are not only important, but useful, in real world situations.

Mrs. Sauer's Pillow Contest Winners: (photos above)

Kristiansen, Parker Snyder, Julissa Argueta, Michaela Martinez, and Gianelle Sifuentes.

Mrs. Sauer's 6th Grade Golden Spoon Winners: (photos above)

Katrina Peterson, Emily Louer, Ava Muschenick, Aliyah Pazmino, Ella Henriksen, Michael Monahan, Lyla Addeo, Gemma Mormile, Alina Giambo, Zoe Huang, Owen Nano, Gavin Kirchner, Sarai Aviles, Adrian Sanchez, Andrew Naranjo, Ella Green (Missing: Alisha Alptekin)

Mrs. DeSena's Pillow Contest Winners: (photos above)

Charlotte Cole, Ruth Soriano, Sebastian Villanueva, David Halliday, and Jayleen Cordova.

Mrs. DeSena’s Golden Spoon Winners: (photos above)

Quinn Dobson, Giselle Gil, Penelope Becker, Lisbeth Alcantara, Mario Rodriguez Dominguez, Zara Shaik, Anna Mukhtar, Anna Pollizotto (not pictured), Jayleen Cordova, Jacobo Ruiz Montes, Colten Grace, Mariajose Milanes, Emersyn Breslin, Ralph Alvarez, Nai’lah Farrell, Octavian Gulinello, Jefte Guzman, Chelsea Cooper, Daniela Pepitone, Chloe Ward, and Kaitlyn Castro Guzman.

Hello, Islip Middle School!

My name is Mr. Mullins, and this is my first year teaching Health Education here at IMS!

Islip holds a special place in my heart. It’s where I was born and raised, attended school, and made lifelong friends. It’s where I have learned and grown, and now, I get to live out my dream—not just of being a teacher, but of doing so in the very place that shaped me into who I am today. Now, I have the privilege of helping to shape our current and future Islip students, just as my former teachers—now my colleagues—did for me.

Our Health Education program at Islip Middle School is designed to teach the positive behaviors, skills, and attitudes necessary for developing a healthy and safe lifestyle. The topics we cover in Health class are rooted in real-life experiences, ensuring that our students gain the knowledge they need to lead happy, healthy, and safe lives throughout their time in Islip and beyond.

In 7th grade, students learn about the Health Triangle and how our physical, mental, and social health are interconnected. We explore ways to create a positive and welcoming school environment that stands against bullying, hazing, fighting, and school violence. Students also learn about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco, vaping, and other drugs.

In 8th grade, students review the Health Triangle and dive deeper into nutrition, stress management, and anxiety. They learn how to respond to various emergencies and provide aid to victims of shock, choking, and seizures. Our students also practice CPR and learn about the importance of AEDs.

We strive to create an engaging, hands-on learning environment. For example, our 7th graders experienced the effects of impaired motor skills by attempting tasks like walking through cones and catching a ball while wearing goggles that simulate being under the influence of alcohol. Meanwhile, our 8th graders took turns practicing hands-only CPR on training dummies, developing crucial lifesaving skills.

The time has quickly come and gone with my first ever group of students as we enter the second half of the school year. It was a terrific first half of the school year filled with learning experiences and challenges, but not without fun and laughs along the way. Best of luck to those students, and I can’t wait to get to work with our new crew coming in!

The students in Mrs. Ryder's Library Research classes recently created pixelated self portraits using KidOyo.

Please re-check the district calendar prior to an event to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.

7- SEPTA Sweetheart Dance, 6pm, MS

10- BOE Meeting, 7:30pm, HS Auditorium

13- IAMP Talent Show, 7pm, MS

17-21- Schools Closed- Mid-Winter Recess

24- 100th Day of School

28- SEPTA Sweetheart Dance (snow date)

28- World Language Immersion Day, MS

*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.

3-PTA Meeting, 7pm, MS

11- MS/HS Progress Period Ends

31- Superintendent's Conference Day, No School for Students

*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.

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

Instagram: @IslipMS