It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Island Trees Memorial Middle School website. We hope you will find these pages to be a great resource and an informative tool. Please check the website regularly as we will be updating information about building-wide programs, announcements, bulletins, and activities.

Research has proven that the middle-level years are some of the most challenging times in a person's life. The staff at Island Trees Memorial Middle School understands the importance of balancing a challenging academic program with addressing the emotional and self-esteem needs of the students. As a true middle-school program, we are extremely committed to implementing programs that afford children the opportunity to grow academically, socially, emotionally, behaviorally, morally, and ethically.

As a grade 5-8 configuration, we are extremely proud of the awards and honors that have been bestowed upon the school. Our advisor/advisee model has won acclaim and has been the model for other schools looking to adopt a GOAL program. The Student Support Center has been recognized for laying the foundation for developmental counseling and character education programs. The middle school music department is highly respected among the New York State School Music Association and each year many of our students are bestowed with All-County honors.

As a middle school, we recognize that each child brings their own strengths, talents, capacities, and callings to Island Trees Memorial every day. The opportunities to display these characteristics are important in the development of the whole-child. With over thirty clubs and after-school activities, as well as a full interscholastic sports program for students in grades 7 and 8, pupils are afforded opportunities to excel outside the classroom setting.

It has been proven that during the middle school experience, students may want increased responsibilities and freedom at home, may spend a great amount of time socializing with friends (on the computer as well), may let schoolwork slide at times, may seek private time and space, may become preoccupied with physical appearance, and may have difficulty balancing their lives. It has become even more important for middle school parents to become involved in the lives of their child. We encourage parents to join our extremely supportive and active Island Trees Parent-Teacher-Student-Association, to regularly dialogue with the staff, and to become involved in the culture of the building.

As we begin the 2007-2008 year, we are excited at the possibilities for new beginnings and to continue the traditions that have long connected the community of Island Trees with the middle school. I look forward to meeting and working with all of you this year as we strive to continue to flourish as an exemplary middle school program.