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

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

Each month teachers in each grade, Related Arts classes, and student support staff nominate students as our Tigers of the Month. To be nominated, students need to exemplify what it means to be a TIGER, which stands for Truthful, Inclusive, Gracious, Engaged, and Respectful. Students are awarded with a certificate and a chromebook sticker and their picture is displayed in the office for the month.

Front row (L to R): Lulu Laguarda, Amelia Linehan, Aubrey Lane, Nora Gove, KK Madden, Faren Harkness, and Will Empey.

Back Row (L to R): Assistant Principal Sean Fitzgerald, Magnolia Kadziela, Phoenix Miller, Caleb Chapman, Emma O'Keefe, Principal Peter Ginolfi.

Calling all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders! Registration is officially open for Intramural Basketball. Whether you're a seasoned player or looking to try something new, come out, join a team, and show your school spirit!

Here is everything you need to know to get signed up and ready to play:

Key Details & Schedule

• Who Can Play: Open to all students in Grades 6–8.

• $75 One time yearly intramural fee. For example, if you already paid for Tennis this year, then Basketball is free! as is any other intramural sport the rest of the year.

• Season Dates: Wednesday, October 28 – Tuesday, November 24.

• Game Days & Times: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays after school from 2:30 to 3:45 PM.

• Format: Games run for 30 minutes. Players will be assigned to either the First Slot (2:30–3:00 PM) or the Second Slot (3:05–3:35 PM) on a set team schedule.

• Detailed Schedules: Team rosters and game schedules will be released on or before October 28. Guidelines and rules will be handed out on the first day.

Registration & Important Deadlines

Basketball is one of our most popular intramural programs, so don't delay!

1. Registration Deadline: All interested players MUST register by 2:30 PM on Wednesday, October 21 to guarantee a spot on a team.

2. Physical Exam Required: An updated physical (completed within the last 13 months) must be on file before playing. Please email your form to Nurse Reed at jreed@ipsk12.net or turn in a hard copy to the main office.

⚠️ Late Registration Policy:

Team rosters and game schedules are built strictly off registrations received by the October 21 deadline. Any registrations received after 2:30 PM on October 21 will be placed on a waitlist in the order received. Waitlisted students will only be added to a team if space opens up or another player drops out—placement is not guaranteed.

To request to be added to the waitlist, please email Katie Henderson at khenderson@ipsk12.net.

Sign up early, submit your physicals, and get ready for a great season on the court!

A reminder that fall sports payments are passed due. If you have not made your payment yet, contact Katie Henderson at khenderson@ipsk12.net. If you have a financial difficulty please reach out to me at pginolfi@ipsk12.net. Students with outstanding payments will not be able to register for intramural basketball.

We are in need of a few parent volunteers to join our school council. While every meeting is open to the public, we are looking for a few more folks to join as a regular member, which would help with month to month consistency. Our first task is to help construct our School Improvement Plan and to develop a policy around AI deep fakes. This year we will update the handbook, discuss issues that arise, and coordinate parent volunteers for school wide activities such as The Walk for Hunger and Teacher Appreciation Week. The meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month from 5:30 until 6:30 in the 6th grade pod. The next meeting is on Tuesday, October 13th. If you are interested or have any questions, please email me at pginolfi@ipsk12.net.

We have noticed a number of students coming to school with open beverages, mainly from Dunkin'. Students are not allowed to bring drinks other than water to classes. As you can imagine, middle school students can have accidents and spills especially when travelling in packs. If water spills we can easily clean it up and the remnants evaporate, while other drinks leave behind a sticky residue. Please make sure that your students are not coming to school with open containers that they are trying to finish in class.

This week the IMS Appreciation Tapestry was passed on to Mrs. DeJoy! Mrs. DeJoy supports IMS students in a wide range of capacities, from teaching reading classes, to a co-taught section of 8th grade ELA, to attending her students' soccer games on weekends! We appreciate Mrs. DeJoy for her kind demeanor and the trusting relationships she builds with her students. Always one to go above and beyond for her students, Mrs. DeJoy stands out due to her making time to continue working with her former 8th grade students over the summer to ensure they were well prepared to take on their next challenge in high school. Thank you, Mrs. DeJoy, for all that you do!

• Monday, October 12th - No School
• Tuesday, October 13th - No School, Staff Professional Development
• Tuesday, October 13th - School Council Meeting, 5:30 PM - 6th grade pod
• Thursday, October 15th - Essex Tech presentation to 8th graders
• Thursday, October 22nd - 6th grade Ecology School parent meeting, 5:30 - 6th grade pod
• Thursday, October 22nd - 8th Grade Washington D.C. parent meeting, 6:00 - 8th grade pod
• Thursday, October 29th - Picture Re-take day