March 3, 2025

Dear Island Trees Memorial Middle School Families,

As we step into another bustling week at Island Trees Memorial Middle School, we want to take a moment to recognize the incredible collaboration that exists between our school and each of you. Your ongoing support is integral to fostering an environment where our students can thrive both academically and personally.

We have a variety of exciting events lined up that highlight the many opportunities available for our students. Don’t forget to join us for the PTSA Meeting on Tuesday, March 4th, at 7:00 PM, where we will discuss important school initiatives. Following the meeting, at 7:15 PM, we invite you to participate in a Book Talk & Overview of "The Anxious Generation," which will guide us in understanding the unique challenges our children face today. The following day, our 8th graders will experience the power of live theater with a trip to see "The Outsiders" on Broadway. Finally, our 7th graders will enjoy a special matinee of “Mamma Mia” at the high school on Thursday, March 6th.

This week, we are also excited to celebrate Middle Level Education Month. This is an important time for us to reflect on and advocate for the unique needs of our middle school students. As a school community, we can play a key role in supporting their growth, fostering their talents, and advocating for their needs. Let’s work together to uplift our adolescent learners and ensure they receive the best possible education during these critical years.

Additionally, remember that Interim Reports will be posted to the Parent Portal on Friday, March 7th, giving each of you the chance to check in on the progress of your children. And we’re proud to announce that on Saturday, March 8th, our students will showcase their skills at the Science Olympiad at Kellenberg High School, followed by the Lego Robotics Competition at Hicksville High School on Sunday, March 9th. These events exemplify the dedication and talent our students bring to the community.

Thank you for your continued partnership, respect, and belief in our staff and students. Together, we can and will continue to accomplish remarkable things!

For those observing Ramadan, we wish you and your family a blessed Ramadan filled with happiness and togetherness.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!

Warm Regards,

Mr. Keegan & Ms. Steele

On February 28th, the 7th grade girls basketball team from Island Trees Memorial Middle School delivered a performance that truly captured the spirit of resilience and teamwork. It was an afternoon of high emotions and unforgettable moments, culminating in a dramatic game-winning, buzzer-beating 3-point shot by the talented Elena Jewett.

As many gathered to celebrate this thrilling win, it's important to reflect on the deeper narrative that aligns perfectly with the Stonecutter's Credo. In a game that saw them face a daunting 6-point deficit in overtime, with less than two minutes remaining on the clock, the squad could have easily lost hope. Instead, they drew upon their well of perseverance, demonstrating remarkable grit and unity. Every player stepped up, rallying together not just for themselves, but for one another. Their refusal to back down, to give in to pressure, speaks volumes about their character and dedication.

Coach Valiando has played an instrumental role in shaping this team’s spirit, nurturing their skills while instilling the belief that together, they can overcome any challenge. His unwavering support and guidance provided the foundation for this victory, reinforcing the notion that success is built on small, consistent efforts over time.

When Elena launched that final 3-pointer, the culmination of the team’s hard work, perseverance, and belief in each other was realized. The roar of the crowd was not just for one incredible moment, but for every drop of sweat and every ounce of effort that had come before it.

This victory stands as a powerful reminder of the lessons learned through persistence and teamwork. It’s more than just a win; it exemplifies the Bulldog Spirit that we hold dear at Island Trees. May this triumph inspire us all to keep hammering away at our own challenges, knowing that each effort counts, and that success is often the result of many small steps taken with courage and determination.

Congratulations to our amazing team! We are so proud of you!

Out of hundreds of writing entries, six ITMMS students secured winning writing selections in the Nassau Reading Council’s Young Authors’ Contest 2025. These talented students will be honored by the Nassau Reading Council in April, and each student will read their piece to an audience of families and peers.

We are so proud of these wonderful students. We thank Mrs. Friedman and our talented staff for their support.

On Saturday, February 18th, the Island Trees Robodawgs Lego Robotics team competed at the First Robotics Qualifier at William Floyd High School. The three teams placed 2nd, 4th, and 5th out of over 30 teams in Robot Performance. The team of Ryan McNally, Jackson Smith, John Harvey, Cyrene Bunkley, Sean Mahoney, and Kyler Alfredsson advanced to the Regional competition, which will be held on March 9th. Great job Robodawgs!"

Dear 8th Grade Families,

The deadline to register your child for the 8th grade trip to Washington, DC (May 7-9) is February 28th. If you are still interested in having your child attend the trip, please see the online registration instructions below. Information on roommate selections and medical paperwork will be going out shortly after the deadline. Please reach out to Mrs. Azar or Ms. Aponte with any questions.

Student Registration
1. Visit our website at: https://www.etadventures.com

Click the green text in the top section of the screen that says: "Login"

Trip Code: island25
Password: wastrip25

2. Click on the Red Button that says "Make a new reservation"
3. Complete the information and continue to follow the instructions to complete your registration.
4. Once you have completed your reservation, you will come to a page with tabs at the top, click on the "Passengers" tab.
5. On the Passengers tab, click on the "Waiver Incomplete View/Edit" button.
6. Completed all required information in the Waiver. You can log out and log back in to finish the waiver at a later date using the reservation information emailed to you.

Thanks for your support!

This year's spelling bee at ITMMS had a wild and fantastic finish, going over the planned time and into a second day. After an astonishing 34 rounds, 8th grader Gianna Pisciotta was the victor by spelling both psychometry and aesthetic correctly to win the bee. Logan Crespin, a 5th grader, went head-to-head with Gianna until the bitter end, leading to an incredible 2nd place finish. Honorable mention, Matthew Calmenson finished in third place, making his own record as the only student to appear in the bee for all four years at the middle school. An amazing job was done by all participants, who faced both spelling and vocabulary rounds this year!

Special thanks to Mrs. Benajamin for her amazing leadership, Mrs. Villano for helping plan and organize the bee, and Mrs. Friedman for helping to run the bee and coordinate within our school.

Each year, nearly 68,800 students in sixth through eighth grades enter the VFW’s Patriot’s Pen Youth Essay Contest for a chance to win their share of nearly $1 million in state and national awards. Each first place state winner receives a minimum of $500 at the national level, and the national first place winner wins $5,000!

This weekend, we were notified that Cole Yee, a 7th grade student at Island Trees Memorial Middle School, was named the winner of District 10, Post 9592's competition. Additionally, Cole received 4th place honors in the New York State competition. Please join us in congratulating Cole on his outstanding work and his well-deserved honors.

Please also join me in thanking our Social Studies Department for their commitment to this important initiative.

As your principal, I watch with admiration how the students and staff of ITMMS have risen to the challenges of the school year. They have shown a commitment to one another, to our school, and to our community. As we just begun quarter 3 of our school year, and with a week off from school beginning on February 15th, I would ask that you work with your child during our upcoming break to make-up any assignment, projects, or school work that has not been completed and can still be submitted. This is an excellent opportunity for your child to show his/her dedication and commitment to go the extra mile to improve grades for the 3rd quarter.

Please know that our teachers use PowerSchool to post grades to an online grade book. As parents/guardians, you have access to these grades on the PowerSchool Parent Portal. If you are not a regular Parent Portal user, you may find the resources included below helpful.

Accessing Grades & the Parent Portal

To gain access to your child's report card, parents must log-into our parent portal.

The technology department has created two videos to help our parents:

1. The first video guides parents step by step to create a Parent Portal account - see below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYY3BfILSj8&t=10s

2. The second video shows parents the various Parent Portal features, including test grades, attendance, and report cards - see the video below:

https://youtu.be/vulOlWfL9pc

Please be reminded that the large majority of our teachers use Google Classroom as a platform for the posting of class assignments, resources, and notes. I would strongly encourage you to reach out to your child's teachers for access as a parent member of the classroom's group. You can also view all classroom resources, assignments, and messages by asking your child to walk you through each Google Classroom.

Finally, if you have questions about assignments not completed, your child's grades, or work that can be made up, please ask your child to see his/her teachers or contact each teacher directly.

Again, this upcoming break provides a great opportunity for your children to begin the 3rd quarter with great academic energy.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if I can be of any assistance.

Dear 5th & 6th Grade Families,

Our 5th and 6th grade math series (EnVision/Savvas) has recently come out with a new resource, Family Engagement. This gives parents the ability to see an overview of all lessons, ideas for math help at home, and offers a home activity suggestion. Parents can easily access the Visual Learning Videos and Take Another Look videos for each lesson.

Use the links below to access this great resource:

5th Grade

https://media.pk12ls.com/curriculum/math/family_engage/g05_welcome_en.html

6th Grade

https://media.pk12ls.com/curriculum/math/family_engage/g06_welcome_en.html

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or could use additional support.

Best,

Mr. Keegan

Dear Parents,,

As we embark on another exciting week at Island Trees Memorial Middle School, it's a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the vital role that reading plays in our students' academic success and lifelong learning. We know that reading is foundational, but the impact may be even more substantial than we realize.

Research consistently highlights that the amount of time students dedicate to reading can significantly shape their literacy skills and overall academic performance. Let’s consider some compelling statistics that illustrate this:

• A student who reads for just 20 minutes each day can accumulate about 3,600 minutes of reading in a school year—a staggering 1.8 million words read placing them in the 90th percentile of students! By the end of 6th grade, this dedicated reader has effectively absorbed the equivalent of 60 whole school days worth of reading.

• In contrast, a student who reads 5 minutes a day will log about **900 minutes in a school year, amounting to around 282,000 words putting them in the 50th percentile—a significant difference. This student has invested only about 2 school days in reading.

• Finally, even a student who reads for 1 minute daily will have only read 180 minutes across the entire school year, resulting in a mere 8,000 words. This places them in the 10th percentile, possibly hindering their overall academic growth

These statistics speak volumes about the power of daily reading. When students engage with reading materials regularly, they enhance their vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking skills. More importantly, these skills are transferable across all subjects, culminating in greater academic success and self-confidence.

Moreover, the benefits of reading extend beyond the classroom. Daily reading fosters imagination, empathy, and creativity—traits that are celebrated in our school and that will provide students with the tools to navigate their futures. Encouraging a daily reading habit at home can set the stage for lifelong learning and curiosity.

As parents, you play an indispensable role in nurturing a love for reading. Here are some simple yet effective strategies to encourage more reading at home:

1. Set a Routine: Dedicate a specific time for reading each day, creating a comfortable environment where your child can immerse themselves in a book.

2. Introducing Variety: Provide access to a range of genres—fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and even comic books. The more variety, the more likely your child will find something they enjoy.

3. Make it a Family Affair: Read together! Share your favorite books and discuss them. Engaging in conversations about what you've read can enhance understanding and retention.

4. Incorporate Technology: Utilize e-readers and audiobooks that can make reading more accessible and enjoyable.

5. Join the Library: Encourage your child to become a regular visitor to the local library. Libraries offer a wealth of resources and programs that can ignite a love for reading.

Together, we can empower our students to thrive in their academic journeys and beyond. Thank you for being our partners in education and for fostering a culture of reading in your home. Let’s make the rest of our year at Island Trees Memorial Middle School one filled with exploration, imagination, and discovery through the power of reading!

Happy Reading!

Mr. Keegan

I do hope you take some time to review the resources on grit. The middle school years provide so many opportunities for a students to be challenged and face obstacles. While making a sports team, achieving honor roll status, or winning a part in the school musical are achievements worthy of praise, so too is persevering in the face of challenges and obstacles.

Angela Duckworth is the world’s leading expert on “grit,” the much-hyped ingredient in personal success. As Duckworth defines it, grit is passion and sustained persistence applied toward long-term achievement, with no particular concern for rewards or recognition along the way. It combines resilience, ambition, and self-control in the pursuit of goals that take months, years, or even decades.

How can we work together to develop grittier students?

We could not be more proud of this year's PTSA Reflections Contest winners. These students showed great skill and creativity, and all of us at ITMMS took a moment today to honor their awesome accomplishments. Kudos to our supportive teachers who guided our kids throughout.

Ryan McMally - Literature

Nicholas Natale- Literature

Hailey D'Agostino - Visual Arts

Morgan Stollow- Visual Arts

Logan Crespin - Literature

Haneen Siddiqui - Literature

A huge shout out to our National Junior Honor Society for their awesome fundraising efforts. Due to their collaboration and strong work ethic, NJHS will be donating $1K to Tunnels to Towers and $1K to Leashes of Valor. Special thanks to our NJHS officers and their advisors.

As Mrs. Roemer previously shared, New York State has transitioned to computer-based testing in many areas of our schools. This year, state assessments in grades 3-8 will be administered through a computer-based platform. On January 30th, our ITMMS students will participate in a simulation in the areas of science (Grade 5), math (Grades 6 & 7), and ELA (Grade 8). These simulations are short versions of the assessments and do not have scores associated with your children or our school. These simulations are designed to help our school assess our tech readiness and to help our kids grow a greater comfort with the platform.

We are excited to announce that over 400 students at ITMMS have qualified for the Regional Competition of the National History Bee. Special thanks to Mrs. Azar and our Social Studies Department for coordinating this competition at ITMMS. If you have not yet been notified, your child's social studies teacher will be reaching out to you if your child has qualified. If your child has qualified, our school is hosting the History Bee Regional Competition on Saturday, March 22nd. Wishing you great success!

Please join us in congratulating the 5th & 6th Grade winners of the 12 Days of Math Challenges Competition at ITMMS. Awesome work!!! Special thanks to Mrs. Clarke and our math teachers for leading this fun and impactful learning experience.

Dear Island Trees Families,

It is that time of year again for the National History Bee! This year's competition will be conducted completely digitally as we did last year. All students will take an online qualifying exam directly through the International Academic Competition's website to see if they qualify among others in the region for the next round of competition.

We will be conducting these online qualifying exams in social studies classes on Monday, 1/6 and Tuesday, 1/7. These scores will not count towards your child's social studies grade, but rather determine if they move on to the next round of the competition which is the Regional Competition to be held on March 22nd at ITTMMS. Qualifying scores will be based on the scores received in each grade level within each region. Once we receive scores back from IAC, we will communicate to students and families who have qualified for the next round along with information on how to register for the regional competition.

Below are links for practice questions and study guides if your child would like to prepare.

Please reach out with any questions you may have. Good luck to all!

Mrs. Azar

Social Studies Department Chairperson

Students in Mrs. Benjamin's 8th grade enrichment classes participated in a nationwide Fright Club writing competition. Each student had to create a horror story with a limit of no more than 100-words. This was no easy feat! Sixteen of the stories were selected by the organizers to be published. They are also going on to a final selection competition where three overall winners will be selected in April.

Congratulations go out to Mrs. Benjamin and her talented students:

Kyler Alfredsson

Vardah Ali Isabelle Bag

Seerat Bhatti

Evan Browne

Mary Carrieri

Matthew Chan

Grace Dromm

Brielle Jackson

Mackenzie O'Connor

Jacob Oliva

Alexis Rivinius

Ellie Schmidt

Ella Shaw

Chantel Wassef

Madison White

Do You Know

Do you know that we have a homework club that meets 4x/week?

Do you know that all teachers provide extra help during the week?

Do you know that we have morning library starts on Monday, Tuesday, Thurs. & Fri. at 7:15?

Do you know that we have an Academic Study Center for our students on Tues. and Fri. mornings?

Do you know our morning breakfast program starts each day at 7:30 AM.

If you have any additional ideas on how we might best support your child's progress, please do not hesitate to reach out to school leadership or your child's teachers.

It is as obvious to me today as it was in my first year of teaching that a dominant trait of adolescents is their desire to belong to peer group as a means to gain social stature. To this end, young adolescents often experiment with new behaviors and activities as they seek social position and personal identity. AT ITMMS, we see this each day in our classrooms, on our playing fields, and on stages and rehearsal rooms. Our children are trying new musical instruments, challenging themselves with advanced academic programs, joining new clubs with classmates who have like interests, trying out for sports, and signing up to perform in school plays and talent shows. This level of "experimentation" is what middle school is all about, and we are so proud that we are able to offer such a robust and well-rounded school program.

Our adolescent students are also experimenting in other ways--trying out new behaviors, mannerisms, fashions, and expressions to see how this new version of self is received by the world. In so many ways, our kids are seeking the approval of others and feedback on the new version of self. During this time, many of our adolescent students will make both small and very serious mistakes in their attempt to fit in, grow their popularity, or seek a connection with someone else. These mistakes, if addressed properly, can become learning experiences that will help a child to grow and mature.

Like most schools, we are called upon to address language and behavior in our school that have been deemed to be disrespectful and unkind in nature. And while our school's response to these behaviors recognizes the age and maturity of our students, it is disappointing to find that some of our students use excuses like "I was only joking" or "But he is my friend" as a means to justify the actions. These excuses are not acceptable, and we do ask that our students take ownership for the impact of their words and actions.

As your child's principal, I will continue to work with our school's staff to further develop specific lessons to be integrated in our classrooms on ways to promote empathy for others; respect for each student’s diverse qualities and characteristics; and protocols for reporting incidents of bullying and harassment. In doing so, we will seek to ensure that the experiences of all students are valued and recognized. After the break, we will begin a school-wide campaign titled We Don't Talk Like That, which will allow our students to grow as upstanders—those willing to stand up to language and behaviors that are hurtful to others.

Please note that the behaviors referenced above are not only concerns at ITMMS. I belong to professional organizations that are centered in middle-level education. When I speak to other teachers and administrators—both locally and throughout the state, they are also seeking ways to address the impact that negative and harmful words and behaviors have on their schools. And while some schools may simply write it off to the age group, I know our school community is always ready and willing to do the heavy lifting to help our kids grow into respectful and responsible citizens. I will lean on all of you for support, and I will continue to seek your consistent follow-up at home.

As always, thank you for your support!

Dignity Act at ITMMS

Dear ITMMS Families,

We are appreciative of the support our students provide their classmates during inter-scholastic events. However, there have been recent reports of students being dropped off at Stokes for sporting events and not being picked up until long after the competition. Additionally, there have been reports of student behaviors, while attending events away from the middle school, that do not live up to the Bulldog Way. As a result, ITMMS students wishing to attend sporting events this winter at Stokes must be accompanied by a parent/guardian or they will not be permitted to stay.

Thank you for your support.

Mr. Keegan

From the Mid-Island Times (10/24/24)

Sana Gupta is active volunteer with Hope for Triumph and participated in Hope for Triumph's breast cancer awareness annual event- Pink Stride Fashion Show which was a beautiful tribute to the strength of cancer survivors, promoting awareness and hope for breast cancer and were also awarded Presidential Volunteer Service Award for her hard work with Hope for Triumph.

Around 25 student volunteers from 18 different Long Island schools participated, all dressed in pink, walking the runway in solidarity. We were honored to have Senator Martins as one of our dignitaries to award the Presidential Volunteer Service Award.

Hope for Triumph marked Breast Cancer Awareness Month with its Annual Pink Stride Fashion Show, a powerful and moving tribute to breast cancer survivors and a resounding call to action. Held at 80 E Barclay St, the event gathered a community united in honoring survivors, raising awareness, and celebrating hope for a cancer-free future.

The event featured 25 student volunteers from 18 Long Island schools who took to the runway dressed in pink, standing in solidarity with survivors. Their presence highlighted the importance of youth involvement in this crucial cause. Senator Jack Martins attended as a distinguished guest, presenting the prestigious Presidential Volunteer Service Awards (PVSA) to several dedicated volunteers. He also honored them with certificates of recognition from his office.

In addition to the fashion show, 14 students were recognized with PVSA awards for their exceptional contributions to the cause. The honorees included Ananya Kavi, Angel Shah, Nimisha Devjani, Saanvi Mehta, Tanush Devjani, Himani Patel, Himani Pandey, Saanvi Gawde, Neal Patel, Shivani Pandey, Yashshwini Malhotra, Sia Gupta, and Sana Gupta.

Dear 5th & 6th Grade Families,

Our 5th and 6th grade math series (EnVision/Savvas) has recently come out with a new resource, Family Engagement. This gives parents the ability to see an overview of all lessons, ideas for math help at home, and offers a home activity suggestion. Parents can easily access the Visual Learning Videos and Take Another Look videos for each lesson.

Use the links below to access this great resource:

5th Grade

https://media.pk12ls.com/curriculum/math/family_engage/g05_welcome_en.html

6th Grade

https://media.pk12ls.com/curriculum/math/family_engage/g06_welcome_en.html

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or could use additional support.

Best,

Mr. Keegan

How Do We Define Success?

Is a 98 average the clearest indicator of a student's success?

Is it success when a student earns an 84 Q2 average after finishing with a 77 in Q1?

Is it success when a students takes a chance and tries out for the school’s Talent Show?

Is it success when a student gets charged up about science due to his work in the lab even though he still might struggle on exams?

Is it success when an 8th grader develops stronger time management and organizational skills to meet the challenges of an advanced program?

Is it success when a child gets a 94% in English 7A even though she decided not to try out for basketball due to concerns about the academic workload?

Is it success when a family finds 30 minutes at night to sit together at the table to review homework, study, and talk through the family schedule?

I pose these questions as an exercise to help us all remember the many factors that go into our understanding and discussions around the word success. These questions also provide a reminder that success for each of us is defined differently.

Our adolescent learners are provided with so many different experiences during their middle school years. Whether it is studying a second language, participating in a school musical, playing lacrosse for the first time, participating in a community service initiative, joining our Robotics Club, or deeply diving into family and community-based activities outside of ITMMS, our children are presented with such a great variety of experiences and opportunities during this stage of their lives. It is my hope that our children will use these many experiences to grow, to discover what makes them tick, and to see pathways by which they can positively impact the world.

May we move through the school year committed to helping our students find great success—however it may be defined. May we work together to help our students reach for stars, while knowing that the process is often slow and incremental. And may we keep the lines of communication open so that our children know that we are all on the same team with only one goal—to help our kids become the best versions of themselves.

We had a great time meeting Raphael and his service dog Ben during today's K9s for Warriors assembly. Thank you for your service--both in Iraq and at home. Special thanks to the Elie family for keeping our warriors front and center! ⁦

A big shoutout to Owen on being honored by the Courage and Sacrifice organization for his great volunteerism and community service. Owen raised over $200 dollars this summer in support of K9s for Warriors! Awesome work, Owen!

Beginning in just a few short weeks, our students will have access to our morning library program on Mondays, Tuesday, Thursdays, and Fridays. Morning library begins at 7:20 AM, providing a relaxing and enjoyable start to the school day. Our start date for our morning library program will be shared during the first weeks of September.

It is the mission of the School Library Media Center to ensure that students develop the skills necessary to become independent, capable, competent information users and lifelong learners. These skills include the ability to locate, access, evaluate, organize, integrate, use and communicate information and ideas from a wide variety of sources and formats. Instruction, therefore, integrates information skills into curriculum units rather than teaching them in isolation. Student-centered research projects are developed and coordinated through a cooperative effort with classroom teachers.

I am also pleased to announce our 2024-2025 Annual Student Safety Contest. This year we challenge students to submit a safety message/slogan or drawing for customized socks. Winning entries at the Elementary, Middle, and High School level will be used to design S.O.C.K.S. for distribution.

Learn more about the School Safety S.O.C.K.S. contest!

In August 2019, New York State became the 37th state to sign Erin’s Law into legislation. Erin's Law requires public schools to teach child sexual abuse and exploitation prevention classes to students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Erin's Law is named for Erin Merryn, an abuse survivor and activist against child sexual abuse who has advocated for similar laws nationwide for over a decade. Erin’s Law is intended to help children, teachers, and parents in New York State schools identify sexual abuse, and to provide awareness, assistance, referral, or resource information for children and families who are victims of child sexual abuse.

In Summer 2020, work was completed with organizations that researched, developed age-appropriate grade bands, and found multiple resources to help school districts develop curriculum and useful lesson plans to implement Erin’s Law.

At island Trees Memorial Middle School, our SEL teachers in grades 5 & 6 support our Erin's Law initiatives, and in grades 7 & 8 our health teachers lead our efforts.

Please be sure to reach out to our staff or me if you have any questions.

Please be sure to review the notes below as they relate to drop off and pick up at Island Trees Memorial Middle School in 2024-2025.

Bus Transportation

The Transportation Office will send home information regarding your child's bus stops and times. Typically, our buses arrive to our school between 7:55-8:05. This allows students to get to their lockers and then to their morning Advisory.

Walkers & Family Drop Off

• Students who walk to school and students who are dropped off at our school are expected to arrive between 7:50-8:05.
• Because the back of our school building is the location for bus drop offs, we encourage parents and guardians to use our school's front circle for drop off.
• If you are dropping off at our school's back door, please be advised that this door is not open for student drop-off before 7:50.
• When dropping off at our school's front circle, please be sure to move as far into the circle as possible so as to avoid a backup on Wantagh Avenue.
• When your child exits your car, please make sure that he/she exits on the sidewalk side of your car, and please ensure that doors on the driver's side do not open.
• To ensure the safety of our students, a crossing guard will be stationed at Straight Lane and Wantagh Avenue during arrival and dismissal times. All students who walk to and from school are expected to cross at this location. Please remind your child(ren) of this important responsibility.
  

Dismissal

Our last class ends at 2:34. Students are dismissed at this time for family pick up, to walk home, and to get to a bus. Because our buses receive students in the back of our school, families are strongly encouraged to pick up their children in the front of our school.

We hope you are all having a nice summer. We have spent considerable time over the past several years studying the issues that are associated with children carrying heavy backpacks. We have spoken with many of our students and families to learn about these concerns while exploring ways to best support our students.

With the ongoing success of our 1:1 Chromebook model, our teachers have collaborated to create supply lists that will limit the amount of binders and paper being carried by students this school year. By making this conscientious change in our supply lists, we believe the weight carried by our students throughout the school day will be significantly reduced.

Please note that lockers will be assigned in the first weeks of school. Our teachers and staff will work with your children to ensure that they are supported and guided throughout this process.

Additionally, we ask that you remind your child(ren) that Chromebooks must be kept in the school-issued case when not in the classroom. This requirement will help to prevent damage to this learning device and promote hallway safety and efficient hallway movement.

We are asking parents/guardians to join in our efforts to ensure that student backpacks remain light, manageable, and safe. As always, we continue to encourage our students to use their lockers to help decrease the amount of items they carry during the school day. Additionally, we will have routine notebook and locker inventories, which will allow students the opportunity to clean out binders and backpacks.

Please feel free to contact the Main Office if you have any questions. We hope you all continue to have a great summer.

Sincerely,

Mr. Daniel Keegan

Principal

Please be reminded that our school's daily announcements are posted on our website. These announcements come from teachers, coaches, and club advisors. Please be sure to review these announcements by selecting the "Daily Bulletin" link on our school's website.

Did you know that our Daily Bulletin is also posted within the Parent Portal. Please take a look at this helpful resource.

Our teachers work hard to keep families connected to their classroom by posting homework to our website. These teacher websites and links will be updated in early September. Please be sure that your children are making the review of these sites a regular part of their day.

If you do not want your child's photo used on social media, school publications, and our school's website, please send an e-mail to dkeegan@islandtrees.org expressing this wish. Thank you.

We cannot wait to get our young musicians back to school next week. I will communicate dates, time, and performance groups during the first two weeks of September. We are looking forward to a great year!

Our after-school Homework Club is offered to students in need of a quiet environment and organized scheduling. A certified middle school teacher on our staff will supervise and assist the students during this period under the following guidelines:

1. The Homework Club will take place Monday-Thursday after school from dismissal until 3:20.

2. Students must sign in and out each day they attend.

3. Parents/teachers may request students to attend on a daily, weekly, or full-time basis.

4. Students may attend on their own initiative.

5. Students must come with their work and all necessary supplies.

Homework Club will likely begin during the third week of September. Please stay tuned for an announcement.