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: pginolfi@ipsk12.net
Website: www.ipsk12.net

Instagram: ipswichmstigers
Location: 130 High Street, Ipswich, MA
Phone: (978)356-3535

Here is a brief look into some of our classes to jump start those conversations about what happened at school. This week there are pictures of 6th graders learning about solar energy in their Science classes, 7th Graders getting used to some exciting new technology called zSpace in their Science classes (find out more about zSpace here), and 8th graders constructing ofrendas honoring past greats from Spanish-speaking countries as they learn more about cultures in their Spanish classes.

Each month the teachers in each Cluster, RAs, and Guidance nominate a student who exemplifies our TIGER acronym - Truthful, Inclusive, Gracious, Engaged, Respectful.

Front Row (L to R): Anna Trudeau, Sophia Hinckley, Caleb Chapman, and Maggie Winter

Back Row (L to R): Assistant Principal Sean Fitzgerald, Maeve McGinley, Chester Fraser, Wes Whitmore, Emmett Latorella, and Principal Peter Ginolfi (not pictured - Ari Rubin)

Congratulations to our IMS Cross Country team on a very successful season. It was a season filled with domination in the course (boys ended 5-1 and girls 4-2), personal bests, great sportsmanship and lots of laughs.

Special congratulations to Mia Dugdale, Sage Bendel, Julia Belford, Sibley Whitaker, Amaya Dackert, Paloma Capone, Sam Lacolla and Ben Uluc who attended the very competitive State Championship this weekend. Mia medaled with an impressive 6th place finish in a pool of 169 runners. Sage was right behind her with a 17th place finish. All runners finished strong and were very proud of their race.

On Thursday in his Physical Education class 7th grader Mason Dos Santos ran 136 laps on the fitness gram pacer test which measures cardiovascular stamina. The old record of 131 laps stood for eight years. Mason is also a strong member of the Cross Country team who are pictured above making their best "funny faces". Congratulations on this amazing achievement Mason!

As many families already know on Saturday, November 1, 2025, SNAP benefits (formerly known as Food Stamps) were temporarily paused due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. We know this interruption may create challenges for some families, and we want to reassure our community that Ipswich Public Schools will continue to provide free, nutritious breakfast and lunch for all students every school day. No student should ever go hungry, and we remain committed to ensuring that every child has access to healthy meals while they are in school.

The Ipswich Community Food Pantry (00 Southern Heights, Ipswich) will be offering “Quick Trips”—basic grocery supply distributions—Wednesday and Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Quick Trips are also available at The Open Door’s Gloucester site Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for anyone in need of emergency grocery supplies.

Families new to The Open Door can also register for an online grocery ordering account that allows weekly custom grocery orders by visiting FOODPANTRY.org/newshopper. We encourage any family experiencing food insecurity to take advantage of these local resources. Our school community stands ready to support one another—no one should have to navigate these challenges alone. For a comprehensive list of available resources, please click on this link. If you are having difficulty connecting to resources or could use more support please reach out to me or your child's counselor.

Today attendance letters were mailed to families of students who have accumulated more than five absences so far this school year. We understand that some of these absences may have been due to illness or other unavoidable circumstances. However, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education considers any student who misses 18 or more days in a school year to be chronically absent—regardless of the reason.

Consistent attendance is one of the strongest predictors of student success. Research shows that students who attend school regularly perform better academically, build stronger relationships with peers and teachers, and feel more connected to their school community. We ask that families make every effort to ensure their child is present whenever possible so that they can fully benefit from all that Ipswich Public Schools has to offer.

If you are experiencing challenges that make it difficult for your child to attend school consistently, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our school counselor or main office—we’re here to help.

As we are now in November, the weather has definitely made a turn toward winter. Many students are headed to lunch and recess in shorts and t-shirts. Please encourage your children to bring warm clothes with them to school and to wear out to recess. We will continue to head outside each day unless it is extremely cold (below 20 degrees) or raining.

The Teen Center has become free to all students, they just need to be registered. Please use the QR code below to register. Also check out some of the great activities planned for next week.

Monday, November 10th - Restorative Circle Day #3

Tuesday, November 11th - No school, Veterans Day

Tuesday, November 18th - School Council Meeting, 5:30 in the 6th grade pod

Wednesday, November 26th - 11:20 dismissal

Wednesday, November 26th - End of Trimester 1

Thursday, November 27th - No school, Thanksgiving Break

Friday, November 28th - No school, Thanksgiving Break

This week we are recognizing our Spanish teachers Senoras Harvey and Reed. They always have an engaging interactive lesson planned for their students and this week was no different as the 8th graders created ofrendas that honored famous Spanish speakers such as Roberto Clemente, Celia Cruz, and others. The ofrenda is an important part of the Latin American culture and is displayed on November 1st - La dia de los muertos. Buen trabajo Professoras!