SHARE:  
Irvington High School

IHS Weekly Blast 4/17/20
Principal's Message 

Dear Irvington Students and Families,

Thank you for your ongoing strength and partnership. It is difficult being away, but I continue to be proud of our commitment to remaining connected. This week we enjoyed a virtual Spirit Week sponsored by our Student Council and their advisors, Mr. Berkowitz and Ms. Cutignola, which many of us enjoyed following on Instagram throughout the week! Below you will see some images from this week along with a message related to the Irvies, which we are working to bring to your homes in a new way later this spring!

Our teachers and staff continue to work hard and continue to adapt to the needs of our students and changes related to distance learning, while managing all of the same challenges that so many of us face during these difficult times. 

We will continue to work together as we make this transition to Phase 3 of distance learning on Monday. Like many transitions, there will be many questions and challenges. I ask all of us to continue to be patient, flexible and united at this time.  Communication remains key. I will continue to communicate as we learn more and understand what it means for us.  

As you know from Dr. Harrison’s message earlier today, Governor Cuomo announced that the NY "pause" has been extended to at least May 15th. This means that schools c annot reopen before that date and can potentially be closed for a longer period of time. This new information clearly impacts us at the high school, and I will continue to communicate with you regarding what this means for us related to all aspects of student life.  

I also wanted to highlight that we sent a blast related to AP Exams earlier today that I invite you to revisit.

In just a few minutes, Ms. Colman and I will be sending a separate, VERY IMPORTANT blast related soley to course scheduling for next year and
it invites action on the part of students and/or guardians.   

As we look ahead, I would like to remind you of a number of items below:

Phase 3 of Distance Learning for Monday


Also, please take note of the following Google Meet/Google Hangout "Norms": We expect students to act as if they are in a real classroom while engaging in a video conference. This includes appropriate behavior as per our code of conduct . As expected, our students have been awesome in this regard since the start. While many of our teachers have set up specific guidelines and norms, the following are standard for our school: 

  • Mute your mic upon entrance if it’s not already muted
  • Students should set up in a common area of their home and wear school appropriate clothes.
  • Students may not record any other student or faculty member while connecting virtually. 
  • Use school appropriate language 
  • Exhibit school appropriate behavior
  • Ensure you follow all class rules 
  • Be sure you are respectful of your teacher, your classmates and yourself
  • Try to create a quiet work space where you can limit distractions as much as possible. Turn your phone off or leave it in another room. 

A full list of expectations for this setting can be found by reviewing the Distance Learning Guidelines for Live Classes that are available on the District website.
 
Quarter 4 Grading:
Quarter 4 grades will continue to follow our guiding philosophy of “Do No Harm”. If a significant majority of the quarter consists of distance learning then final Quarter 4 grades will be as follows: Pass, Fail or Pass with Distinction. If school was to physically reopen prior to the end of the school year, we will consider potential modifications to this method. IHS, along with other high schools in the region, will continue to consider options for the calculation of final grades and GPAs. Please note this approach to grading is being commonly employed across the nation and colleges will understand the methodology that is being implemented. To support students’ applications to college, IHS, like other schools, will develop a supplement to the school profile that will outline how our grading practices were adapted as a result of this international crisis.

Ongoing Student Support:
Our student support team remains available if you are experiencing a need for social or emotional support. Our School counselors, psychologists ( Kelly Murphy / Noreen Sabia ), our Student Assistance Counselor ( Danielle Gamar ) and our district Social Worker ( Gina Menendez ) continue to be accessible via email during this time. 

Attendance:
 With regard to attendance and active engagement and participation, as a reminder, if your child experiences an illness that limits his or her ability to engage in school work, please contact Julie Orlando (our attendance clerk) via email at julia.orlando@irvingtonschools.org . Ms. Orlando will then notify teachers, your child’s School Counselor and Ms. Basha, our school nurse, of your child’s “absence” so that flexibility can be applied to ongoing remote learning expectations.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for all of your support.
 
Be well,
 
Juliet

Student Council Corner
The Irvies & Spirit Week
Tonight would have been the Second Annual Irvington Choice awards. While social distancing and distance learning may have required the rescheduling of our event, it will not stop the wave of community the Irvies bring. We will dive forward!! 

Our new timeline begins today. Nomination forms are live on the students' class pages to recognize those who embody the qualities we value as Bulldogs. If any students need to be added to their grade level student council pages, they should reach out to their class representatives. 
Please click below to see a list of your Student Council Representatives:
Spirit Week: Mr. Berkowitz and Ms. Cutignola worked with students to compile these highlights from IHS Student Cou ncil’s first Virtual Spirit Week. Student shared their spirit through the Student Council Instagram account. Themed days included:

• Selfie Timer Day
• Pajama Day
• Picture with your Pet Day
• Positive Poster Day
• Green and White Day
A Letter from the New York State of Health
Meal Distribution Update & Additional Support
Meal distribution continues to be available at the Main Street School parking lot from 9am - 10am. Food will then be distributed in the Tarrytown Crossing/Tallyrand parking lot near the playground from 10:15-11:15am. Both breakfast and lunch are available for a “Grab and Go” pickup. Parents, neighbors, and/or friends may pick up food for students.  Additionally, every Friday we are distributing meals for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Food is available for free for all Irvington UFSD students and can be picked up by family members, friends and/or neighbors. This means that no child or family will be identified as being eligible for Free or Reduced Lunch when going to receive food. Students and families are asked to pick up the day’s food and return home and maintain social -distancing. Please contact your school counselor if you have any questions or concerns related to meal pick-up.

Please know that the Irvington School District is here to support all families during these challenging days. Please take a moment and complete this survey. Doing so will help our district social worker, Gina Menendez , connect with families that may be in need of support to secure food and other resources. 


Parenting for Prevention
A Message from Ms. Gamar, our Student Assistance Counselor
Please click on the flyer below and contact Ms. Gamar for support during this time:
June Regents Exams are Canceled
 
As you know, the NY State Department of Education recently announced that all June Regents exams are cancelled. This decision is consistent with the cancellation of the NY State Math, ELA and Science exams at the elementary and middle levels.  

While there are several types of situations in which students are exempt from the Regents, most of our students fall into one two categories: Students who are currently enrolled in classes ending in Regents exams and who pass those classes in June are exempt from the exam. In addition, students who are currently preparing to take an exam for a class in which they are not enrolled and for which they have previously earned credit are also exempt from the exam. 
 
As you know, many of Irvington High School’s classes cultimate with the Regents exam serving as the final assessment. We are now working to determine how student learning will be assessed in the absence of these exams. Please refer to the email blast from 4/8/20 entitled "June Regents Exams are Canceled" for more information.

Senior Corner
As a reminder, we have adjusted deadlines so that students will not be submitting anything to mentors until early May, as opposed to early April. Each senior should receive an email from their teacher mentor on or before April 30th. If such an email is not received, please email Ms. GM .

In addition to working with the District administration to determine the format for Senior Internships, work is continuing with our District-level team to consider all other Senior Activities including Prom, Senior Dinner, and Graduation.  Please email Ms. Ippolito or your senior class officers with ideas you may have.


Girl Talk: Give-19
Give-19 is a movement that encourages our Irvington community to unite as one during a time of uncertainty and isolation to support one another! Please click on the flyer below to learn more and get involved!

Wellness Corner

Resources from our extraordinary IHS Counseling Team:

RELAX
Jen Monness, of Meditation lab, is offering meditation sessions for Irvington families. Just like you did at school, you can participate in mediation at home! To access these meditation videos, please  follow this link  and enter the password "SpringMedLab". You can use the videos as many times as you would like.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has  guided meditation videos  with jellyfish, turtles, and other relaxing critters.

The Center for Healthy Minds (connected with the University of Wisconsin) is now sharing their  Healthy Minds Program App for free .

THE ARTS
Take a free MOMA (Museum of Modern Art) online class!  Click here  to view the many courses available.

The Met is releasing live recordings of operas from past years for free.

Broadwayworld.com  is broadcasting "living room concerts" - big-time Broadway performers singing from their homes, often accompanying themselves. You can sign up on their website to receive alerts when new ones drop.

Do you know about  Kanopy ? LA Library's film catalog. Watch great indies, foreign films, and more for free. All you need is your library card!

Want to feel like a kid again?  Check out these crafts  that will get your hands dirty while making your mind clear!

Not sure what craft is right for you? HGTV has an online quiz that can help you decide what your next project should be!  Check it out here !

STAY ACTIVE
Active by POPSUGAR  is offering Free at-home workout tutorials. There’s no excuse now!

NIKE is now offering their subscription service for no charge . This service includes studio-style streaming workouts, progressive training programs and expert tips from our elite Nike Master Trainers.

READ A NEW BOOK
Need some musical inspiration?  Here’s a list of 100 songs to lift your spirits !

Want to listen to a new heartwarming story every day? Check out  Storycorps’ catalogue  of uplifting true tales. StoryCorps’ mission is to preserve and share humanity’s stories in order to build connections between people and create a more just and compassionate world.

Need a new podcast? Here are some to look into:

LEARN (OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL WORK)
National Parks are offering  virtual tours of many of their breathtaking parks .

The San Diego Zoo offers  live cams on many of their animals . See what the baboons are up to while we’re all stuck in our homes.


If you like the idea of learning, take any one (or more) completely free classes at Coursera. Thousands of courses in Arts & Humanities, IT, Literature, Languages, etc.

Here is a list of 450 Ivy League courses that you can take online for  FREE .

Not tired of learning?  TED Talks are free and amazing .

Take up your own STEAM project.  MIT hosts a site of projects  that may give you some inspiration.

Disney Imagineering fans, get ready! If you’ve ever been one of many guests who’s visited a Disney theme park and found yourself inspired to dream, build and create, there’s a  FREE online program  you just can’t miss! 

PLAY
Want a new game to play?  This article  lists some of the highest rated family focused games currently available! Test your knowledge! Take a trivia quiz here:  http://quizfreak.net/

For more Wellness Resources from some of our incredible students at IHS, please click on the sheet below:
Irvington High School
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link at the bottom of every email