Iroquois Middle School
OCTOBER 2023 NEWSLETTER
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Iroquois Families:
We are so excited to welcome you and your children back for the 2023-24 school year! It is a great honor to serve as the principal of Iroquois School and to work with your children every day. I want to extend a warm welcome to those of you who are new to Iroquois School. We are excited to get to know you and your children and begin to build the kinds of relationships that we know are so important in supporting student learning and achievement. I thank you for your commitment to your children and for sending them to us so prepared to continue their journey as life-long learners.
I would especially like to welcome our newest members of Iroquois — our incoming fourth grade students. Fourth grade is a transition year for our children. Change can sometimes be challenging, but change can be also be rewarding and energizing as we help children grow and embrace new milestones.
Indeed, in order to support students in making a smooth transition from one grade to the next, faculty worked diligently over the summer. Their work included planning and staff development, as well as curriculum writing and alignment. Our School Based Planning Team met to review our student performance data and to set goals for the 2023-2024 school year as well as the action steps we will use to achieve those goals. We continue to focus on ensuring that all students have access to high levels of learning, engagement and rigor and that all students feel welcomed, nurtured and inspired here at Iroquois School.
Our ultimate goal is always to meet the particular needs of each child, challenging our students to set their own goals for achievement and work hard to achieve those outcomes. Every staff member is charged with this over-arching target and each of us works to identify and implement specific instructional strategies that will help us get there. We believe that each child belongs to all of us—and, as such, we will work diligently to ensure that we meet the needs of each and every student.
Thank you, again, for all your continued support as we build lasting relationships to support student learning and achievement here at Iroquois. I look forward to seeing you throughout the school year.
Sincerely,
Christian Zwahlen
IROQUOIS CONTACT INFORMATION
Principal: Mr. Christian Zwahlen | christian_zwahlen@westiron.monroe.edu
Secretary: Ms. Susan Glastonbury | susan_glastonbury@westiron.monroe.edu
Main office: 585-336-0804
Fax: 585-336-3042
Website: https://irq.westirondequoit.org/
Health Office: 585-336-3091
- Nurse: 585-336-0816
Transportation: 585-336-2992 | Transportation website
District Office: 585-342-5500 | District website: westirondequoit.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
OCTOBER
- Oct 4: School Picture Day
- Oct 5: Go Home Early Drill
- Oct 6: NO SCHOOL - SUPERINTENDENT'S CONFERENCE DAY
- Oct 9: NO SCHOOL - INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' DAY
- Oct 13: Iroquois School Movie Night - IHS - 7:00 p.m.
- Oct 20: Iroquois Family Coffee - Iroquois Library - 8:15 a.m.
- Oct 23-27: CARE Week
- Oct 26 & 27: Halloween Obstacle Course
- Oct 26: Parent Curriculum Night - Iroquois - 5:30-7:00 p.m.
NOVEMBER
- Nov 8: School Picture Make Up Day
- Nov 10: NO SCHOOL - VETERANS DAY
- Nov 22-24: NO SCHOOL - THANKSGIVING RECESS
- Nov 29-30: Book Fair - Iroquois
- Nov 30: Book Fair Family Event - Iroquois - 6:00-8:00 p.m.
DECEMBER
- Dec 1: Book Fair @ Iroquois
- Dec 8: NO SCHOOL - PARENT/ TEACHER CONFERENCE DAY
- Dec 13: Concert - 5/6 Gr Orchestra & 5/6 Gr Chorus - IHS - 7:00 p.m.
- Dec 18: Concert - 5 and 6 Gr Band Concert - IHS - 7:00 p.m.
- Dec 25-29: NO SCHOOL - Holiday Recess
GO HOME EARLY DRILL STARTS 4-DAY WEEKEND
The state-mandated Go Home Early safety drill is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 5 - the start of a four-day weekend. All students are released 10 minutes early - at 2:20 p.m. for our school. If you pick up your children at school, please arrive 10 minutes early. Expect students who ride buses to arrive 10 minutes early. The K-6 Extension Childcare Program will open early and remain open until 6 PM. Crossing guard schedules also will accommodate. Note: There is no school on Friday, Oct. 6th (Supt. Conference Day) and Monday, Oct. 9th (Indigenous People’s Day).
CURRICULUM CORNER
Ensuring Youngest Learners Have It All: Humanities & CKLA Reading Instruction
Frederick Douglass said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” At its core, literacy instruction is Diversity Equity and Inclusion work; ensuring all students have access to engaging, rigorous, and research-based literacy instruction is of the utmost importance to fostering the success and growth of every student in West Irondequoit. To this end, our literacy instruction is constructed of three components:
Explicit foundational literacy instruction
Explicit language comprehension instruction
Independent Reading
Over the last two years, we have worked diligently to build this as a vertically aligned structure across grades K-6, and this year, we are excited to see this work come to life in our classrooms.
K-4 students will have two separate opportunities for this instruction. One is a daily Foundational Literacy block informed by the CKLA Reading Program, which is dedicated to direct and systematic literacy instruction aligned with the science of reading instructional approach. In addition, students will also engage in a Humanities block, where they explore novels, build their understanding of the world around them and their place in it, and apply their knowledge and skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening in authentic and relevant experiences.
Students in grades 5-6 will engage in a daily Humanities block. Those incorporate all components of literacy instruction, with a heavier emphasis on strengthening, applying, and expanding literacy skills through direct instruction and novel studies, building academic vocabulary, constructing historical and civic understanding, and engaging in opportunities for reading and writing interventions and extensions.
Additionally, all students will have time and space in their classes dedicated to independent reading. "Even a small amount of independent reading helps increase students’ reading comprehension, vocabulary growth, spelling facility, understanding of grammar, and knowledge of the world,” according to Bernice E. Cullinan, a former professor at Ohio State and New York University who is in the Reading Hall of Fame. Additionally, while LEARNING to read is dependent on systematic and explicit research-based instruction, LOVING to read is fueled by students finding their identity as a reader and connecting with books that ignite their passions and imagination. All together, we are excited to see our youngest eagles soar as readers, writers, and thinkers this year!
5TH GRADE FIELD TRIP TO HELMER NATURE CENTER
Students explored what a macroinvertebrate is and why are they so important. Students learned about these and other animals as they explored the pond with dip nets, performed water tests and identified aquatic animals in order to assess water quality. Students also played a game to record the effects of environmental stressors on aquatic animals.
OCTOBER IS WELLNESS MONTH IN WI
October is National Substance Abuse Prevention Month! During the month of October, we encourage students, staff and community to strengthen their healthy habits by trying new strategies. Your family is encouraged to use the attached Wellness Calendar (or see the graphic below) as a resource to start conversations and increase wellness strategies. Feel free to use the calendar in a way that makes sense for your family! See more at THIS LINK. Look for more from our new Substance Abuse and Prevention Counselor, Nicole Corcimiglia, on district social media channels!
FREE AND REDUCED MEAL DEADLINE APPROACHING
Eligible families must submit Free-and-Reduced Meal applications to West Irondequoit Food Services BEFORE OCT. 20, 2023 so students can continue receiving free meals. Last year's application will expire soon. Please do this ASAP. Learn more and get the application via this link: smore.com/7693x
IPD TO ALTER GUARD STRUCTURE IN WINTER
Families:
We wanted to give you plenty of time to plan for a Crossing Guard schedule change in early 2024 that will impact some families. The Irondequoit Police Dept. has informed us that it will eliminate crossing guards at the following locations from Tuesday, Jan. 2 through Friday, Feb. 16 because of a "low-to-no student count," during that time frame.
St. Paul @ Pattonwood
Lakeshore @ Washington
St. Paul @ Westbourne
Portland @ Coronado
“It is both safer and more practical to have those crossing guards redeployed to other posts where there is a need to cross students," IPD shared with us, adding that shifting those guards to higher traffic areas during that seven-week span, such as in front of Dake Jr. HS and IHS, will enhance student safety.
If you have questions, please email IPD Crossing Guard Coordinator, Mary Beth Egeling, at megeling@irondequoit.gov. If you or anyone you know would want to be a crossing guard, please also email her to obtain more information.
FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENTS AT HNC!
The 41st annual Fall Harvest is Sunday, Oct. 15th at Helmer Nature Center, 154 Pinegrove Ave.! Games, crafts, food, music and pony rides – yes, pony rides! New this year: An inflatable obstacle course. The kids will love it! Entry is free. All-inclusive wristbands are $20! Don’t forget to also check out the 3rd Thursday Series each month. Visit the Helmer Facebook page at this link: facebook.com/HelmerNatureCenter or website: bit.ly/HelmerNC.
PTSA REFLECTIONS CONTEST
CHECK/UPDATE YOUR INFO IN THE PARENT PORTAL, PLEASE
Do you:
Have a new cell phone number or switch carriers recently?
Have a new email address or new work phone number?
Need to update your emergency contacts?
Be sure to keep us informed of any changes to your numbers or emergency contact information. Update it directly on the Infinite Campus Portal, or send in a note with your child.
TO REACH THE PORTAL, Click here
WHY YOUR MOBILE NUMBER IS CRITICAL
You must have your mobile number in the MOBILE NUMBER field. Our system does NOT default even if you have just one field filled out (Home/Work/Mobile). If your mobile number is not in the correct field, you will NOT receive text messages from our school/district for emergencies (such as school closings in winter months).