​Irwin Altman Middle School 172

News & Announcements

• Town Hall Meeting

  CEC26 will be hosting a Town Hall event with Chancellor Kamar H. Samuels on May 11, 2026, at 6:00 PM.

  Please find the attached flyer for distribution. We encourage you to share this information widely within your networks.

  Please register for this event at the following link: learndoe.org/cec 

   

  Town Hall will also be live streamed. Please register for this event at the following link: learndoe.org/cec 

  To help ensure that the topics most important to our community are addressed during the Town Hall, we have created a question and public comment survey where families can share their questions, concerns, and feedback for the Chancellor by April 16, 2026. 

  Please take a moment to submit your questions using the survey link below:

  Survey Link: Community Education Council District 26 – Fill out form

   

  • CEC26THFlyer.pdf

  MS172Q

• Spring Recess

  Good Afternoon Irwin Altman Middle School 172 Families,

   

  On Behalf of our Principal, Dr. DeSimone:

   

  Hello MS 172 Community,

   

  As we head into Spring Recess, I want to take a moment to extend warm wishes to all of our students, families, and staff.

  To those celebrating, I wish you a Happy Passover and a Happy Easter. May these special holidays bring peace, joy, reflection, and meaningful time with loved ones.

  I also want to wish our entire school community a restful, safe, and enjoyable Spring Recess. This is a well-deserved opportunity to relax, recharge, and spend time with family and friends.

  We look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for a strong return after the break.

  Wishing you all a wonderful recess week!

  Warm regards,

  Dr. Paul J. DeSimone

  Principal

  Irwin Altman Middle School 172

  81-14 257 Street

  Floral Park, NY 11004

  Phone: (718) 831-4000

  www.ms172.org

   

  Audrey Geliga

  Parent Coordinator, Irwin Altman Middle School 172

  MS172Q

• Climate Heroes

  Good Afternoon Irwin Altman Middle School 172 Families,

   

  On Behalf of The District Office:

  Calling all climate heroes! Learn all about the Three R’s:  Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle while creating in this Earth Day themed parent/child craft workshop!

   

  Climate Heroes 

  Date: Monday, 

  April 20

  Time: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

  Location: PS 221

  Details and registration link are on the flyers attached to this email

  Please see attached flyers for more details.

   

  Audrey Geliga

  Parent Coordinator, Irwin Altman Middle School 172

  • 39892Chinese_ClimateHeroes.pdf
  • 39892Korean_ClimateHeroes.pdf
  • 39892Spanish_ClimateHeroes.pdf
  • ClimateHeroes.pdf

  MS172Q

• April 2026 NYCPS Family Update Backback Letter

  Good Morning Irwin Altman Middle School 172 Families,

   

  On Behalf of The Chancellor's Office:

   

  This month’s letter features important information about Summer Rising offers, admissions updates, the NYC School Survey, a new automated language assistant, and April events.

  You can click on the link below to access important information.

   April 2026 NYCPS Family Update backpack letter (available in all NYCPS languages) 

   

  Audrey Geliga

  Parent Coordinator, Irwin Altman Middle School 

  MS172Q

• Italy Trip Second Meeting

  Good Morning Irwin Altman Middle School 172 7th Grade Families,

   

  On Behalf of our 7th Grade AP Ms. Soto:

   

  Dear M.S 172 Families,

  We are thrilled to announce that due to exponential amount of interest in our upcoming trip to Italy in Spring 2027, we’re hosting a second meeting for new sign-ups, and you and your child are invited! This life-changing experience will help students build confidence, independence, and global perspective.

  We’re holding our informational meeting at 6:30pm on Thursday, April 23, 2026, to share everything you need to know!

  Please RSVP here to keep up to date on information: https://bit.ly/3MUerY0

  Why attend?

  - Learn how to save $100 with early enrollment.

  - Get first access to limited spots.

  - Learn about what we’ll see and do, academic opportunities, trip cost, and more.

  In the meantime, please visit EF’s website to get answers to common parent questions. EF Tours is our trusted travel partner, and they have 60 years of experience helping students explore the world safely and affordably.

  I hope to see you there and look forward to sharing how this trip can be a powerful and unforgettable chapter in your child’s life!

  Sincerely, 

  Maritza Soto

   

  Audrey Geliga

  Parent Coordinator, Irwin Altman Middle School 172

  MS172Q

• PTA Link for tonight March 30th

  Good Morning Irwin Altman Middle School 172 Families, 

   

  On Behalf of The PTA:

  This month's PTA meeting will be virtual. 

  Here is the link for TONIGHT'S night's PTA meeting.

  https://nycdoe.zoom.us/j/96113388970?pwd=6dAa3QraCmY4HvBVUxSH8oywB7S8Hr.1&from=addon#success

   

  Audrey Geliga

  Parent Coordinator, Irwin Altman Middle School 172

  MS172Q

• Monday's PTA Virtual Meeting (March)

  Good Morning Irwin Altman Middle School 172 Families, 

   

  On Behalf of The PTA:

  This month's PTA meeting will be virtual. 

  Here is the link for Monday night's PTA meeting.

  https://nycdoe.zoom.us/j/96113388970?pwd=6dAa3QraCmY4HvBVUxSH8oywB7S8Hr.1&from=addon#success

   

  Audrey Geliga

  Parent Coordinator, Irwin Altman Middle School 172

  MS172Q

• Evacuation and Lockdown Procedures

  Good Morning Irwin Altman Middle School 172 Families,

   

  This is a gentle reminder about evacuation and lockdown procedures. We will be conducting an evacuation drill next week.

  Thank you.

   

  On Behalf of our Principal, Dr. DeSimone:

  Now that the weather is becoming warmer, our school will resume practicing emergency drills, including evacuation and lockdown procedures. These drills are an important part of keeping our students and staff safe, and we approach them with care and sensitivity. While we may not conduct both types of drills this week, please know that over the next couple of weeks, we will practice multiple drills of each type. We encourage you to speak with your child at home about the importance of these drills so that they understand they are meant to keep everyone safe, not to cause fear. Thank you for your support in helping us create a safe and prepared school environment.

   

  Audrey Geliga

  Parent Coordinator, Irwin Altman Middle School 172

  MS172Q

• New York State ELA and Math Exams

  Good Morning Irwin Altman Middle School Families 172,

   

  On Behalf of our 8th Grade AP and Testing Coordinator, Ms. Devine:

   

  Dear M.S. 172 Families, 

  As mentioned in our previous CBT Family Letter, the M.S. 172 dates for administering the New York State ELA and Math exams are: 

   

  • ELA Day 1: Wednesday, April 15th, 2026

  • ELA Day 2: Thursday, April 16th, 2026

  • Math Day 1: Wednesday, April 29th, 2026

  • Math Day 2: Thursday, April 30th, 2026

  These exams will be administered via your child’s DOE device. Therefore, students will need to bring their charged DOE device and their charger with them on testing days.  If your child’s device is being serviced for repairs, a loaner device will be available to him/her on testing days.  In the event that your child forgets to bring or charge their device and we have exhausted all of the devices and chargers in the building, he/she will be scheduled to take the exam on a make-up day.  

  Please see the attached document for the NYCDOE’s Family Guide to Computer Based Testing.  If you have additional questions or concerns, you can reach out to our Testing Coordinator Ms. Devine at kdevine2@schools.nyc.gov. 

   

  Please see attached letter for further details.

   

  Thank you,

   

  Audrey Geliga

  Parent Coordinator, Irwin Altman Middle School 172

   

  • 2026 NYS Grades 3-8 Exams Student Participation Guide for Families_ENGLISH.pdf

  MS172Q

• Letter from The Chancellor's Office

  Good Morning Irwin Altman Middle School 172 Families,

   

  On Behalf of The Chancellor's Office:

   

  Dear Students, Families, Educators, Leaders, and Community Members,

  As the Chancellor of NYC Public Schools (NYCPS), an educator of more than two decades, and an NYCPS parent, I believe our students deserve schools that are safe and academically strong. Today, that also means learning how to use artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly. 

  For our early learners, elementary, and middle school students, this means developing critical thinking and digital literacy skills. For our high school students, it means preparing for a world where AI is already shaping careers and entire industries. Across all ages, it means partnering with students, educators, leaders, and families to ensure AI is used safely, enhances student learning, and supports, not replaces, educators. AI is here, and our responsibility is to put strong systemwide safeguards in place, use it transparently and responsibly, and in an age-appropriate manner.

  To move this work forward, we have released preliminary guidance on how AI can be used in our schools. This guidance aims to set clear expectations to protect our students, support educators, and keep families informed. 

  Please click on the following link,  family letter (available on our website in all NYCPS languages)  for more information.

   

   

  Audrey Geliga

  Parent Coordinator, Irwin Altman Middle School 172

  MS172Q