Principal's weekly letter 1/10/25
Dear Families,
I hope all is well! Over the past week we have seen an increase of students coming to school late and not in uniform with school ID. Parents and Guardians, I am asking for your help to remind your children to come directly to school and to continue to adhere to the IS230 Uniform Policy. The Uniform Policy was created and voted on by our SLT and school community. We want to ensure your children’s safety by making sure they are in our building on time and in uniform.
I want to thank all the families who attended our Winter Concerts this week. It was wonderful to see our auditorium packed to see our students and staff hard work on display. If you were not able to make the concerts, please visit our social media pages to watch short videos from both nights. We will post a full-length video of the concerts on our bands Youtube Channel in the near future.
Starting the week of January 13th, we will start to conduct our Mid-Year I-Ready ELA and Math testing. The mid-year test will count as part of your child’s 2nd Marking Period grade. The purpose of the test is to see your child’s growth. All testing will take place during your child’s regularly scheduled class time. The purpose of the mid-year test is to provide students, teachers, and families with a complete picture of our students' performance growth relating to their grade level and national norms. The tests take roughly 2-4 periods to complete. It will be the responsibility of the classroom teachers to ensure students complete the baseline assessment and any make-ups. Families, please encourage your students to complete I-Ready or IXL assignments that are assigned for homework and independent practice to help your child’s growth. The testing dates are below:
ELA: 1/13/25-1/17/25
Math: 1/21/25-1/24/25
Science: 2/3/25-2/7/25
Once all Mid-Year testing has been completed by the mid to late February families will receive two documents from your child’s ELA and Math teachers. The documents are entitled I-Ready Growth Report and I-Ready Growth Diagnostic for Families. These documents will explain to families how to read and understand your child’s ELA and Math I-Ready Data. There is a QR code on the back of the I-Ready Growth Report that translates the document in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese and Spanish. Please take the time to read and sign the documents with your child.
I am excited to announce in partnership with The Office of Safety and Youth Development that IS 230 has a new after school club called The GSA, or Gender and Sexuality Alliance. It is a club for students interested in understanding the LGBTQ+ community. By attending this club your child will learn about important topics such as LGBTQ+ history, make new friends, and have the opportunity to attend some amazing trips. Your child will also develop SEL (Social Emotional Learning) skills such as empathy, allyship, and compassion for others. There will be workshops, guest speakers, and other opportunities as well. The GSA Club will meet every Tuesday from 2:30-3:30 pm. We will hold an information meeting on Tuesday, January 14th. The club will officially start on February 4, 2025, interested students can get a permission slip from the deans in the cafeteria, during lunch, or from Ms. Epstein.
Wednesday, January 15th is our next PTA meeting which will be held at 5:30 p.m. followed by a Parent workshop on New York State English as A Second Language Test by our English New Language Department. To increase Parent and Student turnout at our PTA meetings, parents who bring their IS230 child to the meeting and stay until the end of the meeting their child will receive 2 hours of community service. Community service is a graduation requirement here at IS230. To learn more about our community service requirement click on the link below:
https://www.is230.org/civics
Friday, January 17th is the deadline for the 8th grade dues. After this date the price goes up to $135. The 8th grade dues include Senior Photo Package, Senior Yearbook, Senior T-Shirt, Diploma Case, Cap/Gown/ Tassel 2025, Commemorative Key Ring and Drawstring Book Bag
IS230 Basketball Update
Our boys team played IS126. Our boys team played well but ended up coming up short with a final score of 37-18. Our boys team now holds a record of 1-4. Our girls team played MS 291 and walked away with a victory with a final score of 23-22. Our girls’ team is 4-0. Only parents of the team members are allowed to watch the game based on league rules.
A PTA donation letter was sent home with the students. We are currently asking for your help in donating time and/or money. There is no monetary amount and parents are free to donate whatever they are able to do so. You can bring your donations to the main office located in the main/annex building and place them in the PTA donation box or you can make a deposit.
You can donate in 2 ways:
- Hand deliver a donation to the main office of both buildings, with the envelope addressed to the PTA.
- Or you can mail in a donation to the school @ IS 230Q, Attn: PTA, 73-10 34th Ave, Jackson Heights, NY 11372
If submitting a check donation, please make it payable to: Magnet School for Civics in the Community. Thank you for your time, dedication and investment to I.S. 230Q.
Emergency Preparedness
No drills were completed this week.
Teen Mental Health
NYC Teenspace, an innovative online therapy platform tailored to provide accessible and confidential mental health support for NYC teenagers aged 13-17. This program is funded by the NYC Health Department, powered by Talkspace. NYC Teenspace offers a safe space for teens to connect with licensed therapists through convenient digital channels such as messaging, video sessions, and live chats. The platform aims to empower adolescents, providing them with a platform to discuss their concerns, navigate challenges, and strengthen their mental wellness. To learn more about the program please read the parent we sent home on November 6, 2024, our website and or www.talkspace.com/nyc.
January CRSE Corner
This month we are celebrating Wellness Awareness. Wellness is the act of practicing healthy habits on a daily basis to attain better physical and mental health outcomes, so that instead of just surviving, you're thriving. This month, we will bring awareness to the importance of physical, mental, and emotional wellness. We will hold our monthly celebration on January 23rd in the Annex and January 24th in the Main building.
Restorative Practices
One of our newest and biggest initiatives this year is rolling out Homeroom. Homeroom will take place from 8:00 to 8:20 a.m. every morning. Homeroom is mandatory and part of your child’s school day. The purpose of Homeroom is to provide a space for our staff and students to take attendance, conduct announcements and most importantly an opportunity to connect with their peers in a meaningful way before starting the day. We are utilizing the MorningSide Cultural Affirming Wheel as our framework. To learn more about Restorative Practices and Morningside, please visit the link below.
https://www.morningsidecenter.org/
Important Upcoming Dates
January 13, 2025- I-Ready ELA M.O.Y
January 14, 2025- I-Ready ELA M.O.Y
January 14, 2025- GSA Club Informational Session 2:30-3:30
January 15, 2025- I-Ready ELA M.O.Y
January 15, 2025- P.T.A Meeting @ 5:30 p.m followed a NYSESLAT Workshop
January 16, 2025- I-Ready ELA M.O.Y
January 17, 2025- I-Ready ELA M.O.Y
January 17, 2025- Deadline for 8th grade dues before price increase
We look forward to improving communication and relationships here at IS230.
Please visit our website www.is230.org and our Social Media Handles to get more information and sign up for E-Chalk Notification.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Mr. Ajith Satyanarayana
