Principal's weekly letter 1/17/25
Dear Families,
I hope all is well! I want to thank the families who spoke to their child(ren) about the importance of adhering to the school uniform policy, wearing their school ID and coming to school on time. We did see more students in uniforms, wearing id and coming to school on time, but we can do better. Parents and Guardians I am asking for your continued 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.
The Safer Access Doors have been installed and are operational in both buildings. Beginning on Tuesday 1/21 we will use the doors as intended.
Here is the schedule:
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7:00 AM to 8:30 AM
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Doors will be unlocked
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8:30 AM to 2:00 PM
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Door will be locked
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2:00 PM to 2:45 PM
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Doors will be unlocked
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2:45 PM to 8:00 PM
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Door will be locked
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To enter either building during the hours when the doors are locked, please press the red button on the keypad located on the brick wall.
School Safety will buzz everyone in. Visitors that are not IS 230 Staff will report to the School Safety Desk.
The only door that will unlock in the main building: the second door from the brick wall.
The only door that will unlock in the annex: the door closest to the brick wall.
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.
I want to congratulate our debate team once again for doing a phenomenal job at this past weekend's virtual debate tournament. The topic was: This house would pass a constitutional amendment to limit congressional terms. Here is a list of the award winners:
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Speaker Awards
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Team Awards
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- Amina Sabur
- Radhika Roy
- Side Thasar
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- Arifa Uddin, Amina Sabur, Anish Roy
- Michelle Bazan, Tajmin Habib, Shaira Matul
- Fatima Samantha, Shaan Ali, Odhiti Das
- Syed Rahman, Ryan Shah, Lamia Anzum
- Radhika Roy, Cynthia Afreen
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We completed I-Ready ELA Mid Year testing this week. Starting the week of January 20th, we will start to conduct our Mid Year I-Ready 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:
Math: 1/21/25-1/24/25
ELA Computer Based Simulation Testing: 1/27/25-1/31/25
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.
Tuesday, January 21st is our next Family Virtual Workshop at 6:00 p.m. The focus of this workshop is “Does my Child qualify for OPWDD services?” For more information about the workshop please reach out to Mr. Salazar our parent coordinator and or visit our website.
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. We held an information meeting on Tuesday, January 14th and we had a nice turnout. The club will officially start on February 4, 2025. The GSA Club will meet every Tuesday from 2:30-3:30 pm. Interested students can get a permission slip from the deans in the cafeteria, during lunch, or from Ms. Epstein.
IS230 Basketball Update
Our boys team played MS 321. Our boys team played well but ended up coming up short with a final score of 36-5. Our boys team now holds a record of 1-5. Our girls team played MS 321 and suffered their first loss of the season with a final score of 28-17. Our girls team is 4-1. 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
January is Self-Care Awareness Month. Self-care is often neglected in our everyday lives. However, taking care of ourselves is essential for our personal well-being and for taking care of others. We cannot fill an empty cup from our own empty vessel. That's why self-care is not selfish. By taking the time to meet our own needs, we are able to be there for others. While getting a massage or taking a walk are beautiful examples of taking time for our well-being, self-care can also include paying attention to how you feel in each moment, speaking up for yourself, saying yes or no - guilt free, and adding helpful habits to your routine. On January 23rd in the Annex and January 24th in the Main Building, students will have the opportunity to examine their own self-care, learn about ways they can care for their well-being, and create a self-care plan, focusing on habits they would like to start and/or stop. Students will have access to a Habits Tracker to help them reach their goals toward caring for themselves, and ultimately for others. Those who participate may enter the raffle to win a gift basket to help them continue on their self-care journey.
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 20, 2025- School Closed for MLK Day
January 21, 2025- I-Ready Math M.O.Y
January 21, 2025- Virtual Family Workshop @ 6:00 p.m
January 22, 2025- I-Ready Math M.O.Y; 7th grade Trip to Finance Park
January 23, 2025- I-Ready Math M.O.Y; 7th grade trip to Finance Park; CR-SE Celebration Annex Lunch Periods
January 24, 2025- I-Ready Math M.O.Y; 7th grade trip to Finance Park; CR-SE Celebration Main Lunch Periods
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
