IMES Updates
April 2022
Building Community
Our Increase Miller motto Kind, Responsible, and Safe continues to bring our school together with common language and goals. It’s important that as a school community, we continually reaffirm our commitment to providing a positive, safe and supportive learning environment where students are free from bullying, harassment and discrimination.
This year, we planned and implemented various activities and discussions with our faculty and students, focusing on Kind, Responsible, and Safe, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Social Emotional Learning. Through morning meetings, literature, classroom lessons, and school announcements students examined their identities, learned about others identities, strengthened relationship skills, and learned to use tools to manage strong emotions.
There are times when clinicians and administrators work with grade levels, small groups, and individuals to respond to specific incidents that require our intervention. During these teachable moments, our role is to outline school expectations and values, teach effective communication skills, and promote reflection. Listening, empathizing, turn-taking, and perspective-taking are all important skills to help children learn and grow.
As a staff, we continue to discuss approaches and examine resources to further integrate themes of diversity, acceptance, and social justice into our curriculum and school culture. Through our partnership with you, we embrace the important task of teaching and nurturing these values together. Included here are some resources to support our collective efforts towards an inclusive, caring, respectful, and positive community. We encourage you to use them to guide your family conversations.
APA Resource: Talking to Children About Discrimination
Family Guide: Teaching for Justice
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Four holidays are being celebrated in April: Ramadan, Easter, Passover, and Vaisakhi. A short video was created to help students understand each holiday, how our religions and cultures are part of our identities, and how others celebrate and acknowledge each holiday in our school community and greater community.
Feel free to watch it!
In recognition of Earth Day and Sustainability ...
- During lunch periods on Thursday, all our K-5 students had an opportunity to plant seeds, either pea seeds (K-2) or bean seeds (3-5). Please see the brief video for IM students and their families.
Video: How to care for your seedling at home
- Check out THIS feature story about our fourth graders and JJHS Environmental Physics students. Fourth graders are studying energy as part of the science curriculum.
- Check out the video below about our wind turbines made by fourth graders from Mrs. Emig's class. The video was shared with the whole school on the school announcements! https://ensemble.lhric.org/Watch/s6G8TfY
Social Emotional Learning Resource
Calendar Updates
Tuesday, April 26 Grades 3, 4, and 5 Math Assessment
Tuesday, April 26 Superintendent's Learning Cafe at 7pm
Wednesday, April 27 Grades 3, 4, and 5 Math Assessment
Wednesday, April 27 Grade 5 Parent Orientation at JJMS 7 pm
Wednesday, May 4 IMES PTO Meeting at 9:30 am (Budget Presentation)
Friday, May 6 IMES PTO Family Fun Night
Thursday, May 12 IMES Grade 5 Play for Grade 5 Families 7 pm
Thursday, May 26 Pasta Night hosted by Grade 5
Monday, May 30 Memorial Day: Schools Closed
Monday, June 6 NY State Grade 4 Science Written Test
Tuesday, June 7 Elementary Concert for Grades 4 & 5/Grade 4 6 pm and Grade 5 7:30 pm
Wednesday, June 8 IMES PTO Meeting at 9:30 am
Tuesday, June 14 Grade 2 Flag Day
Thursday, June 16. Field Day (raindate June 17)
Friday, June 17 12:15 pm Dismissal for all students
Monday, June 20 Juneteenth Observed: Schools Closed
Tuesday, June 21 12:15 Dismissal for all students
Wednesday, June 22 12:15 Dismissal for all students
Thursday, June 23 Grade 5 Moving Up at 9:45 am at JJMS
Thursday, June 23 12:15 Dismissal for all students
Friday, June 24 Last Day of School / 10:45 am Dismissal for all students
Health & Safety
Shout Outs!
Thank you to our Garden Committee who organized the planting event, including Ms. Fahy who made the video for how to care for your seedling at home!
Thank you to our Sustainability parent volunteers who talked to the children about recycling and composting during the lunch periods!
Thank you to Mr. Zoeller and Mrs. Emig for planning learning opportunities for JJHS students and our fourth graders !