Irwin Altman Middle School 172

Irwin Altman Middle School 172
81-14 257th Street
Floral Park, New York 11004
Phone: 718-831-4000
Fax: 718-831-4008

Mr. Jeffrey D. Slivko, Principal

Ms. Mary Tully Alarcon, Assistant Principal
Mr. Myles Nash, Assistant Principal
Ms. Maritza Soto, Assistant Principal

Ms. Danielle Giunta
Community Superintendent District 26
District 26.org

2018-2019 Student Handbook

NYC Discipline Code

Free Meals for All

NYC families can use MySchools to apply to public schools from 3-K to high school. Get started by creating an account. Then explore your children’s personalized school options and get guidance on the admissions process from start to finish.

2018-2019 Physical Education Clothing Requirements are as follows:
* All students must wear sneakers.
* Students are required to wear either sports shorts (no shorter than one inch above the knee), sweatpants, or track pants, and either a short-sleeve or long-sleeve t-shirt. These articles of clothing may be any color or brand.
* In the interest of student safety, no article of clothing worn for physical education can have a collar, buttons, zippers, rips, or holes.
* Denim and hoodies are prohibited.



School starts promptly at 8:00 am every morning; the late bell rings at 8:05. Absence and lateness are reported on the high school application.
Please remember, 90% attendance is a promotional criterion.



March 2019

Dear Parents/Guardians:

March is coming in like a thick-coated lamb and we hope that spring-like weather will soon follow and we will see brightly colored crocuses and daffodils and be able to put our winter jackets away .
Speaking of winter jackets-our lost and found is again full of jackets, sweatshirts, lunchboxes and other items which we do donate to charity. If you child is missing an item, please direct him/her to check the Lost and Found in room 132. Announcements are made often.

Parents are again and always reminded that 257 Street is closed every day at 2:20 pm dismissal. Every child's safety is everyone's responsibility!   I must also continue to ask parents to drive very cautiously when dropping off and picking up their children, especially  taking care to never allow your children to exit vehicles unless at the curb. Our aim is always to increase pedestrian and traffic safety for our entire MS172 community

This year's Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences are again all by appointment only through our on-line scheduler, Canyon Creek, which can be accessed through the school website MS172.org from Monday, February 25 ( a letter was send home on the 25th,) through Sunday, March 24. Parent/Teacher Conferences will take place on Tuesday, March 26, from 12:15-2:15 pm and 5:00-8:00 pm. Additionally, parents may make appointments to meet with teachers on other Tuesdays from 2:20-3:00 pm. Alternate days/times can also be arranged. Please contact your child's teacher(s.) If you need an interpreter, please contact Mrs. Hochrad at (718) 831-4000, extension 1461.

Friday, March 8 is MS 172 HOODIE Day. We encourage all of our students, staff and parents to proudly wear their MS172 Grizzly Hoodie. The proceeds of the PTA Hoodie sales help support instruction and after school programs at 172.

Don't forget the MS 172 Science Fair on Tuesday, March 12, 5:30-7:00 pm, when our aspiring microbiologists, geophysicists, organic chemists, engineers and other great scientific minds demonstrate their expertise and ingenuity. Additionally, District 26 will be hosting a STEAM Fair at P.S. 221 on Tuesday, March 19 at 6:00 pm-all are welcome.

MS 172 continues to celebrate its wonderful diversity. March 15 is another Wear Your Flag Day, when all members of our community are again invited to celebrate their national heritage. And then please join the MS 172 PTA on Monday, March 18 at 6:30 pm for the MS 172 PTA Meeting and International Food Festival and Talent Show which will feature presentations by students from their multicultural backgrounds and samplings of food from around the world. This is a free event and has been a favorite MS 172 community evening for several years. Rising Star certificates for February (for Most Improved,) will also be presented.

Grade 7 classes are currently engaged in College Access for All lessons biweekly on Fridays (which are ongoing MS172 College Awareness Days.) In addition to learning about the different types of colleges, their programs and college life, all Grade 7 students will take trips to visit a CUNY, SUNY or private college in May through early June. In order to provide the necessary chaperones for these trips, we will be asking for parent volunteers to accompany their children's classes. Please look for additional information that will be sent home later this month.

For grade 8 students and parents: HS acceptance letters will again be mailed home to all grade 8 students/parents (mid to late March.) Please read the information carefully. Our guidance counselors, Ms. Lavalle and Ms. Grevstad, will be available to address all of your questions and concerns. Information about senior activities and graduation has been sent home (yellow page.) For additional senior activiity information, please call Mr. Nash (and note dates on the monthly calendars.) AIS for Grade 8 Science for all mandated grade 8 students will begin in May. Review classes for the Living Environment Regents and Common Core Algebra Regents are also being planned; more information will be sent home in April. Grade 8 test dates are listed below. We have not yet received the date for Graduation from Queens College - we will let parents know as soon as we do get that date.

Please complete the Parent Learning Environment Survey and return it to the school* (don't send it back in the mail.) Your responses and returned survey support our school in demonstrating the Excellence that is Irwin Altman MS 172 . Thank you for your continued cooperation and support on behalf of our school community.

Sincerely,
Jeffrey D. Slivko, Principal

Please plan your vacations during Spring Recess (April 19-26,) so that your child does not miss any instructional time and in preparation for the later State Tests.

Test Dates:
NYS ELA Test: Tuesday & Wednesday- April 2 & 3
NYS Math Test: Wednesday & Thursday, May 1 & 2 (Grades 6,7 and non-SP/G&T)
NYS Intermediate Science - Grade 8 non-SP: May 23 -Performance/June 3 - Written
NYS Living Environment Regents - June 18 - Gr 8 SP only - 11:15 am-2:15 pm
NYS Algebra 1 Regents - June 19 - Gr. 8 SP - 11:15 am - 2:15 pm
NYC Foreign Language Proficiency - Monday, June 24 (Grade 8 only) 8:30-11:30 am

PupilPath Invitation letters have been sent home to all grade 6 parents and unregistered parents in grades 7 & 8. If you need your registration code, or assistance, please call Ms. Hochrad at (718) 831-4000, x 1461.

Even though lunch is free for all middle school students, every student must have a meal application on file- if you have not yet completed one, please do so immediately. You may be asked to revise an incomplete or incorrect application- please do so and return it to the school immediately.

Please be reminded that all 6th grade students must have the Tdap vaccine by their 11th birthday and 7th grade students must have the Meningococcal Conjugate vaccine when they enter 7th grade (no age requirement.)

Microsoft Office for Free for Students!
Parents and Guardians of students can download Microsoft Office software from https://studentoffice.net/, at no cost, on up to five of their family’s computers and five of their family’s tablets, smart phones, or other mobile devices. Please check out the FAQ and help section before reaching out for help with issues. Microsoft is the direct contact for issues: nycdoeO365@microsoft.com


Statement on Accessibility: We are working to make this website easier to access for people with disabilities, and will follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. If you need assistance with a particular page or document on our current site, please contact hsohn@schools.nyc.gov to request assistance.

PASSWORD IS : grizzly172

CANYON CREEK ONLINE APPOINTMENT SCHEDULING
FOR PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

February 25, 2019

Dear MS 172 Families,

In order to continue to provide greater flexibility in scheduling Parent Teacher Conferences with your child’s teachers, Middle School 172 uses Canyon Creek Online Scheduler available via the internet. Starting on Monday, February 25, and running until midnight on Sunday, March 25, all parents will have the opportunity to access teachers’ conference calendars and schedule convenient conference times for by following the directions below.

All Parent Teacher Conferences for the spring term are scheduled at MS 172 for Tuesday, March 26 from 12:15pm to 2:15pm and 5:00 to 8:00pm. These conferences will be 6 minutes in length. These conferences are by appointment ONLY, unless the teacher has an available time slot.

Should you be unable to arrange a conference with your child’s teacher(s) during the timeframe above, please contact them directly to schedule an alternate meeting date and time. Alternate conferences can take place during Parent Engagement Time every Tuesday from 2:20pm-3:00pm.

You can access the Online Scheduler from any device with internet access. If you do not have internet access at home or work, we welcome you to come in and use one of our school computers to schedule conference appointments. We also welcome you if you need assistance with the process. Please contact our Parent Coordinator, Debbie Hochrad, to set up a time to access the Online Scheduler. Alternatively, you may access the internet via the computers at your local library.

We strongly recommend that your child accompanies you to each of the scheduled conferences in order to involve all students in conversations regarding their progress in school.

Please be sure to take advantage of this opportunity to efficiently schedule your appointments. Remember, the appointments are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Please try NOT to schedule back-to-back appointments as you will need time to travel between classrooms.

Login Instructions for Parents:

1)     Online Scheduler Website at
www.canyoncreeksoftware.com/scheduler/ny/nyc26/index.cfm or just click the icon above labelled Online Scheduler
2)     Select Irwin Altman MS172 and Click “Go”.
3)     Enter the school password: grizzly172
4)     Enter your child’s Student ID # (9 Digit OSIS#. This # is available when you log into PupilPath).*
5)     Verify your child’s Birthday.
6)     Choose the teachers with which you want to schedule conferences.
7)     Choose the conference date(s) and times(s) that are available.
8)     Make sure to click “Submit Times” after you have selected your appointment times (If you don’t click “Submit Times” your appointments will NOT be registered.

*If you have more than one child at MS 172, you can schedule conferences for all teachers at the same time- be sure to log-in for each one of your children. Remember: Try not to schedule appointments back to back. Leave time for travel.

PLEASE NOTE: Teachers will adhere to these appointment schedules. Please be prompt.

If you are late to an appointment or miss your appointment, you will either have a shortened conference or will have to reschedule for another date and/or time. Teachers will only reschedule on the same day if they have unscheduled time on their appointment schedule.

Remember to click “Submit Times” and then to print your appointments.
If you do not click “Submit Times,” your appointments will not be registered/saved.

Sincerely,
Jeffrey D. Slivko, Principal

Congratulations to our seventh grade student Jennifer L. who created the District 26 STEAM Logo.

MS 172
Middle School Kindness Challenge

The month of March was an exciting one in Irwin Altman Middle School 172. Our teachers and students participated in the Middle School Kindness Challenge. It was an amazing experience. Students engaged in kindness activities throughout the day in many of their classes. The activities were designed to develop empathy, foster kindness and express concern for others. At the end of the month, the school’s kindness celebration was to write kindness postcards to each other. The “Grizzly Mailbox” was designed and celebrated by our school’s Kindness Ambassadors. Students wrote kind notes or positive quotes to friends, teachers, administrators and classmates. The cards were dropped off and will be distributed when we return from Spring Break! Looking ahead…April will be “Thank You” month for all members of our school community.

LAST YEARS TOY DRIVE

The Irwin Altman MS 172 Student Organization Holiday Toy Drive was arranged in conjunction with Assemblyman David Weprin to benefit charitable organizations including the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Queens and Heartshare Cuomo First Step Early Childhood Center. During the holidays the primary goal of our toy drive is to deliver, through a new toy, a message of hope to less fortunate youngsters that will assist them in becoming responsible and productive citizens.

MS 172Middle School Kindness Challenge

MS 172
Middle School Kindness Challenge