Principal's Corner

September 5, 2024

Welcome to the 2024-2025 School Year!

It is a privilege to be serving the Woodside Community as Principal of IS 125Q and working in collaboration with the students, families, and staff of this great school.

Our goal for the school year to is challenge your children academically with our core instructional programs: HMH: Into Literature, enVisions Mathematics, Amplify Science, and Passport to Social Studies/Generation Citizen. Our teachers have been preparing to develop lessons and classwork that will bring out the best in your children.

Our school community is rooted in working with your children using restorative practices as our foundation and using the NYC Public School Discipline Code appropriately. IS 125Q will continue to have a support system for students as they learn to navigate the responsibilities of being a responsible Middle School student. We will continue working with the Office of Safety and Youth Development (OSYD) to train staff and develop social-emotional skills with our students.

IS 125Q is a Yondr school. Students will receive pouches to store their cell phones and air pods/ear buds/headphones/smart watches while they are engaged in their schoolwork. The focus for our students will be for them to be actively engaged in their schoolwork and to work in collaboration with their classmates. Cell phones pull students away from achieving those goals.

Safety is always our priority. All visitors must bring ID to enter the building and sign in with our School Safety Agents. Over the course of the school year, we will be participating in a minimum of 8 Evacuation/Fire Drills and 4 Lockdown Drills. Lockdown drills will be announced to the school community with at least one week’s notice. Additionally, all NYC Public Schools are subject to unannounced NYPD scanning.

IS 125Q is a drug-free community. We are well aware that there are businesses in the Woodside/Sunnyside neighborhoods that sell products that should not be in the possession of minors. We will work, as a school community and with you, to ensure that those products do not enter the building.

Our 6^th Grade students will line up in the schoolyard for the first 2 school days (September 5^th & 6^th). This will allow our staff to make sure that your children are in the correct homeroom.

Supply lists will be distributed on September 5^th and September 6^th.

We are planning for a successful and safe school year. We will do this by working together to meet the needs of your children.

With appreciation,

Matthew Borelli

Principal