UPPER CAMPUS NEWS
Friday, August 12, 2022
Imagine School at North Port
2757 Sycamore Street
North Port, Florida 34289
John B. Halcomb, Principal
john.halcomb@imagineschools.org
(941) 426-2050 extension 706
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Hello ISNP Students and Families,
It was very exciting to see everyone last week and to welcome back our returning students and those new to us this school year! Thank you for your part in helping the arrival and dismissal process of our first three days of school go smoothly. It is quite impressive that the morning car line was nearly empty each day by 8:15 a.m., and the afternoon car line was completed each day by 3:50 p.m. That kind of efficiency is very rare for the first week of school! Please continue to follow the car line procedures, so we can keep all of our students and staff safe during arrival and dismissal.
Thank you to all the parents and students who experienced schedule conflicts for patiently cooperating with our guidance department as they made corrections. Most schedule issues involving missing or duplicate classes have been rectified. Counselors will be working on request for schedule changes throughout next week. If your child needs to submit a schedule change request form, he or she can pick those forms up in the office. The forms must be signed by a parent and returned to the front office for processing. Due to class sizes, not all requests may be honored.
Chromebooks will be distributed to students on Monday, August 15 during advisory class. They will be provided only to those students who have a signed Technology User Agreement on file. If your child has not previously submitted the agreement signature page to his or her 4th period advisory teacher, please ensure he or she does so on Monday. These forms were sent home earlier this week, and you may find a copy HERE as well. For questions regarding Chromebook distribution, please contact Ms. Robyn Bombenger at Robyn.bombenger@imagineschools.org, or Mr. Matt Dalton at Matt.dalton@imagineschools.org.
Last week I provided a great deal of information in the newsletter to assist everyone in having a successful start to the new school year. I have attached that information to the bottom of this newsletter for your convenience and for the benefit of those families that are new to us this week. Additionally, you will find links to that information in the Informational Links section of every weekly newsletter.
Thank you for choosing Imagine School at North Port. We look forward to the year ahead!
John B. Halcomb
Principal, ISNP Upper Campus
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Mark Your Calendars
Monday, August 15
- Young Marines Archery Drill, 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m., Athletic Field
- Booster Club Meeting, 4:30 p.m., Rm 702
- Band & Choir Parent Meeting, 6:00 p.m., Cafeteria
Tuesday, August 16
- Senior Meeting, High School Lunch, Rm 205
- Symphonic Band Brass 7th Graders, 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Rm 501
- ASAP, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Rm 501
- Music Department Fundraiser Night, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m., Chipotle in North Port
- Tentative Governing Board Meeting, TBA., Virtual
Wednesday August 17
- 8th Grade Team Meeting, 1st period
- Middle School Flag Football Tryouts and Practice, 3:45 - 5:00 p.m., Athletic Field
- ASAP, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Rm 501
Thursday, August 18
- Jazz Band Rehearsal, 7:30 a.m., Rm 805
- Symphonic Band Woodwinds 7th Graders, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., Rm 805
- ASAP, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Rm 501
Friday, August 19
- High School Meeting, Lunch., Rm 501
- Student Government Meeting, 3:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m., Rm 702
- ASAP, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., Rm 501
- Speech & Debate Team Interest Meeting, 3:45 p.m. - 4:15 p.m., Rm 403
Upcoming Events:
Access the Upper Campus School Calendar HERE
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Meet Our New Staff Members |
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Ms. Julie Buckler - HS Art Teacher
Ms. Buckler has been a professional artist for the past 10 years. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art. Her skill set ranges from vocal performance art and stage acting to the studio arts: drawing, painting, sculpture, graphic design, and ceramics. She enjoys outreach and public art. One of her artworks, a mermaid sculpture named "Annabelle" is currently displayed in downtown Venice.
Mrs. Buckler is most known for her portrait artistry, graphic design, and commercial murals. When asked about joining ISNP, she said, “I am so excited to be a part of the Imagine School team of educators and to teach high school art for years to come!”
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Mr. Roman Derhaliuk - 6th Grade ELA
Roman Derhaliuk is no stranger to our campus. He began substituting at Imagine last school year and is a friendly and familiar face to many! Students refer to him as Mr. Roman in the classroom. Mr. Derhaliuk is native to Ukraine, where he taught English at the university for nearly three decades. He met his Ukrainian-born American wife in Seattle. They married seven years ago and Seattle became his first U.S. home. After five years teaching in a private school in Washington State and several vacations to the Venice area, he and his wife relocated to North Port in the fall of 2020. Mr. Derhaliuk is very passionate about “helping students grow and become good citizens.”
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Mr. Delvis Rodriguez - 6th Grade History
Mr. Rodriguez teaches 6th Grade World History, Advanced World History, and Geography at ISNP. He was born and raised in Cuba and moved to New Jersey when he was 19 years old. He lived there for 16 years and moved to Florida a year ago. He enjoys the warm weather, the sun, and all the outdoor activities the state offers. He is married and has two kids, and spends most of his time with his family when he is not working. He loves soccer and cars. His dream is to go to Spain and watch a soccer match of his favorite soccer team, FC Barcelona. He loves teaching, history, and interacting with students!
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Mrs. Milany Sosa - PE Teacher
"Hi, Coach Q here! I was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Florida when I was 14 years old. I have a Bachelor of Science Degree in Exercise Science from the University of South Florida. Sports have pretty much been part of my life since I was 5 years old. I ranked second in the state in weightlifting and held a few records in my former high school. I am a CrossFit level 1 trainer and have been doing it for “fun” since 2016. My hobbies are traveling, reading, and spending time with my doggie, Nino."
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Mr. Jamal Turner - PE Teacher/Girl's Head Basketball Coach
Mr. Turner earned his Bachelor Degree in Sports, Fitness and Recreation from Concordia Chicago University. He has taught physical education and coached basketball for the last four years.
He is from Houston, TX, and says that he has always wanted to live in Florida. He got a chance last year when he accepted a job at Academic Prep Center for Education in St. Petersburg, FL and now looks forward to teaching PE at ISNP and coaching the ISNP Girls Varsity Basketball team.
He states, "My goal for the Lady Sharks Basketball program is to develop young people into student athletes and students of the game. In my classes and on the court, I want to teach all students the basics of the game and of life. When they understand those, their confidence as a player and a person will grow.
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Lori Lorenz - High School Math
Mrs. Lori Lorenz was born in Pittsburgh, PA and found her way to USF via a full athletic scholarship where she achieved Scholar Athlete of the Year – no small feat! She recieved a bachelor’s degree in education, continued to earn her Master of Education in Administration and is currently working on her PhD.
She has over 15 years of teaching experience and also spent seven years in school administration. She served as a teacher and administrator at the Hillsborough County Juvenile Department and worked at Port Charlotte High School teaching high school math. Her time away from teaching was spent as a Real Estate Coordinator.
Her husband is also in education, working for Charlotte County Public Schools. Her son is getting married in September, and she says, “her other “kids” are small, medium, and large, of the canine orientation. Oliver is a small Chihuahua; Radar is a medium size Chihuahua; and Chance is the large dog that is mostly Callao Leopard Hound.” She is a fanatic about ALL sports!
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Mrs. Donna Boreni - Middle School Art
"I'm so excited to be teaching art, photography and design and to share my passion with the students at ISNP! I studied fine arts at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a focus in photography, printmaking and graphic design.
While attending school, I also worked at a community art center for thirteen years furthering my passion for creativity. In 2020 I moved to Florida and gained experience working at Sarasota Art Museum, a small scale contemporary art museum.
I'm so thrilled to be here to teach art and to inspire the same passion with the ISNP students! I have a border collie named Shelby and a tabby cat named Noelle. My family loves outings to the beach and having cookouts with friends."
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On June 24th, Madison Atwood competed in the USA Weightlifting Youth National Championship. She qualified by earning the title of Florida State Champion the month prior, and she was ranked #1 in the nation going into the event. Her performance at the Youth National Championship resulted in a first place spot on the podium in Clean & Jerk and Total, along with a silver medal in Snatch. It is going to be an exciting year as Madison and the rest of her team are positioned to be the ones to beat for district, regional and state titles.
Congratulations Madison and Go Sharks!
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Young Marines Lend a Helping Hand to Teachers |
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2022-2023 COVID-19 Information
The following guidelines have been developed in collaboration with the Sarasota Department of Health (SDOH) and are aligned with the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) guidelines for COVID in schools:
- The Sarasota Department of Health (SDOH) will not be conducting contact tracing for COVID cases in Sarasota County Schools.
- As such, we will not be tracking positive COVID cases and will no longer be updating the COVID dashboard on the website.
- The SDOH will not request a quarantine period for any student or staff who are exposed to COVID.
- If a student or staff member tests positive for COVID, the SDOH recommends that they stay home for five days and are symptom free (fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication) before they return to work or school. We cannot force people to isolate from work or school.
- COVID will be treated like any other illness. If you are sick you should stay home from work/school.
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Information From Last Week |
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Student and Family Handbook
To set the stage for school success, it is important to know the expectations! Important information regarding ISNP rules and procedures can be found in the 2022-2023 ISNP Student and Family Handbook. You may access it HERE. Please be sure to read the handbook thoroughly, and review it with your child. Signature pages will be sent home the first week of school and must be signed and returned by August 15. You may also access the handbook signature page Handbook Signature Page, print and sign it, and have your child return it to his or her 4th period advisory teachers.
School Hours and Attendance
School hours for the Upper Campus (grades 6-12) are 8:20am-3:30pm. This is the same as last year. Attendance and punctuality make a major difference in a student's success at school. It is important that students are in class, seated, and ready to learn by 8:20 a.m. Information regarding the ISNP Upper Campus Attendance Policy is available Upper Campus Attendance Policy and in the 2022 ISNP Student and Family Handbook. Also, additional information about building good habits for attendance can be found HERE.
Student Uniforms
Information regarding school uniforms was sent earlier. It is available on our website and linked HERE for your convenience. Also, you will find the ISNP Upper Campus Dress Code Policy on pages 13-14 of the Family and Student Handbook. If you have any questions regarding uniforms, please contact Mr. Graham, Assistant Principal, at 941-426-2050, ext. 713, or you can email him at Tony.graham@imagineschools.org.
Early Release Dates and General School Calendar
The bell schedules, along with the dates for early release days, are available here: Middle School Bell Schedule, High School Bell Schedule. Please download, print, or save a copy for your reference. ISNP Upper Campus will have five early release days this school year. The dates are September 9, 2022, November 18, 2022, February 10, 2023, April 6, 2023, and May 5, 2023. Please mark your calendars accordingly, and plan to pick up your student at 1:30 p.m. on those days.
You may access a copy of the 2022-2023 ISNP School Calendar HERE. The last day of school for students this year is May 26, 2023. Please review this calendar for the dates of holidays, school breaks, and other days students have off from school and plan accordingly.
School Calendar of Events
The ISNP School Calendar of Events is available on our website and linked HERE for your convenience. This calendar is updated frequently, so please visit it often to obtain the most recent and available information regarding school events. For questions regarding the school calendar or school events, please contact Ms. Robyn Bombenger in the front office at Robyn.bombenger@imagineschools.org. or by calling 941-426-2050.
Chromebook Distribution
A Google Chromebook will be assigned to all ISNP students in grades 6-12. Distribution to students will begin on August 15 during 4th period advisory class. Every student is required to have a signed Technology User Agreement on file prior to receiving a school-issued Chromebook. Thus, it is important that parents read the user agreement, sign the signature page, and have their child return the signature page to his or her 4th period advisory teacher by August 15.
You may access the agreement HERE. After reading the agreement, please click HERE to access and print the required signature page. Also, hard copies of the signature page will be sent home with your student during the first week of school. It is very important that you ensure a signed copy has been submitted by August 15, so there is no delay in your child receiving a Chromebook.
For questions regarding Chromebook distribution, please contact Ms. Robyn Bombenger at Robyn.bombenger@imagineschools.org, or Mr. Matt Dalton at Matt.dalton@imagineschools.org.
Arrival and Dismissal
Arrival
The ISNP Upper Campus arrival (morning) and dismissal (afternoon) car lines will be the same as last year. Parents and children must remain in car line and inside their vehicle at all times. Please do not park and walk your student onto the campus or into the buildings. You can access a copy of the map for the morning car line by clicking HERE. Gates between the cafeteria and 400 building are opened at 7:00 a.m. and parents may begin dropping off their students inside the gates at that time.
Students who eat a school provided breakfast will report directly to the cafeteria upon arrival. Students who arrive at, or after, 8:15 will report directly to their first period class.
Dismissal
Student dismissal will begin at 3:30 p.m. All students will be dismissed at this time. You can access a copy of the dismissal car line map by clicking HERE. There are two dismissal car lines, the cafeteria car line, and the gymnasium car line. The only students who may be picked up at the gymnasium are all 6th grade students and students who have their last class of the day in the gymnasium.
Parents will line up along Sycamore Street approaching from Plantation Boulevard. If you have a qualifying student for gym pick up, you will turn left into the gym parking lot at the gate closest to the athletic field. After picking up their student, you will continue to follow the flow of traffic out of the parking lot making a right hand turn onto Sycamore Street.
If you do not have a sixth grade student or a student who has eighth period class at the gym, you will follow traffic through the cafeteria car line. Parents will pick up students in grades 7 through 12 via this route if their student(s) have their last class of the day in the 200, 400, 500, 600, 700 or portable buildings. Please remember that traffic on Sycamore Street from the gym to the front office building is one way only.
Car line traffic is usually heaviest during the first few weeks of school, so please be patient and allow everyone to get used to the process. Expect afternoon pick up to take a little longer during the first few weeks. Please contact Mr. Tony Graham, Assistant Principal, for any questions regarding our arrival and dismissal procedures.
Student Drivers
All student drivers, regardless of their schedule, must park in the gym parking lot. Student parking passes must be displayed in all student vehicles while parked on school grounds. Parking passes are $20.00 each and may be purchased from Mr. Robert Stetter, Transportation Director, during lunches at his office located in the back of the cafeteria. Student vehicles parked in the front office parking lot and near (or on) the construction site adjacent to the office parking lot will be towed.
Bus Transportation
ISNP bus transportation is provided for students in Kindergarten through grade 12 who live more than 2 miles from school. However, your child must be registered online to ride, and students who rode a bus during the 2021-2022 school year must be re-registered if they plan to ride again this year. To register, you will need to submit an online Student Transportation Request Form. The form can be found by clicking HERE.
Bus registration has reopened and seats will be granted as available in the order in which registrations are recieved.
Students are required to hand a copy of their registration ticket to the bus driver on the first day that they ride the bus. Students without a ticket will not be allowed on a bus. Please keep in mind that routes may change each year. Our current bus routes can be found HERE.
Breakfast and Lunch
On Tuesday, July 19, the Sarasota County School Board approved the 2022-2023 meal prices. The district is no longer able to offer free meals for all students because the state waivers were not extended this year. Thus, the district will be returning to the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Meal prices are as follows: middle school and high school breakfast is available for $2.00; middle school lunch is $3.00 and high school lunch is 3.25. Families who feel they will need assistance for meals are encouraged to apply for meal benefits. Please see the flyer attached above or visit Sarasota County Schools/Homepage for details on how to apply.
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SEE SOMETHING SUSPICIOUS?
REPORT IT!
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Fortify FL is an anonymous tip hotline, and ISNP has installed access to it on every school-issued Chromebook. An app is also available for downloading to your mobile device.
This is a valuable resource and is in place to address real issues of danger or threat to an individual or to the school as a whole. Please recognize it as such, respect its purpose, and do not abuse it by making false claims or reports.
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Shop our online store for
All spirit wear shirts can be worn on Fridays. Only jeans or uniform bottoms allowed on dress down days and Fridays.
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