Skip to main content
District

January Newsletter

Posted Date: 01/30/26 (03:30 PM)


January SEL Newsletter

Southampton Intermediate School

Theme of the Month: Perseverance

As we welcomed the new year, Southampton Intermediate School focused on our January Theme of the Month: Perseverance. This theme connected perfectly with the idea of setting goals, overcoming challenges, and starting fresh in the new year. Throughout the month, students and staff embraced perseverance through assemblies, classroom lessons, celebrations, and schoolwide activities.

🎉 Welcome Back Assembly
To kick off January, SIS welcomed Southampton Village Mayor Bill Manger on January 9 for our Welcome Back 2026 Kickoff Assembly. During the assembly, school administrators reviewed expectations, celebrated previous Students of the Month, and spoke with students about the importance of perseverance both in and out of the classroom.

✨ Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. Day
On Friday, January 16, our school honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a meaningful, schoolwide celebration.
  • A gallery walk was created in the C Wing hallway, stretching from the lobby to the gym.
  • Each grade level was assigned a bulletin board to showcase student work connected to MLK Day.
  • Grade-specific lessons were developed around a unifying theme and delivered in classrooms.
Grade-Level Themes:
  • Grade 5: Our Dreams for Our School
  • Grade 6: Everyday Acts of Courage
  • Grade 7: Justice: Words That Matter
  • Grade 8: Carrying the Legacy Forward
Students proudly displayed their completed activities on the bulletin boards as part of the gallery walk, allowing the entire school community to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy.
Additionally, students participated in Talking Circle prompts during 10th period, encouraging thoughtful discussion and reflection.

🤝 Day of Service Sign-Ups
During recess periods on MLK Day, students had the opportunity to sign up for an upcoming Spring “Day of Service.” During this experience, students will take field trips into the community to participate in service projects such as:
  • Beach cleanups
  • Assisting the fire department and ambulance corps
  • Visiting nursing homes
  • Cleaning village parks
  • Visiting the elementary school
We are excited to see our students giving back and making a positive impact in the Southampton community.

🎶 HMEA Music Festival
Last weekend, SIS students proudly represented our school at the Hamptons Music Educators Association (HMEA) Festival on January 10, 16, and 17, 2026. Students performed in band, chorus, orchestra, and world drumming ensembles.
This festival is unique to the East End of Long Island, and we are incredibly proud of our talented musicians. A special thank you goes to our dedicated music directors for supporting students on their musical journeys:
  • Mr. Benaburger
  • Mrs. Mandato
  • Ms. Schulman

🐝 Spelling Bee Success
We hosted our annual Spelling Bee on January 22, and it was an exciting competition from start to finish!
  • 🏆 Winner: Cole Collins, Grade 8
  • 🥈 Runner-Up: Santi Dios, Grade 7
Both students went back and forth in an impressive final round. Congratulations to Cole and Santi on a hard-fought and successful spelling bee!
Special Shout Outs go to:
-Mrs. Zukosky, for organizing the event.
-Mr. Stipanov, for being our host and reading all the words and definitions.
-Mrs. Antonucci, Mrs. Tanner and Mr. Wendt for being our spelling bee judges.

🏀❄️ Winter Sports Update
January wrapped up our first winter sports season, including:
  • Boys Basketball
  • Girls Volleyball
Congratulations to all athletes and coaches on a successful season!
Our second winter sports season began on January 27, featuring:
  • Boys Volleyball
  • Girls Basketball
Best of luck to all our student-athletes!

💙 IMPACT Team Launch
January also marked the first meeting of our SIS IMPACT Team!
IMPACT stands for:
Initiative for
Making
Positive
Actions that
Change
Tomorrow
The goal of the IMPACT Team is to spread kindness around our school in quiet, meaningful ways. For their first initiative, students created “Passing Positivity” clothespins with uplifting messages and distributed them silently to students and staff throughout the building—spreading joy and kindness across SIS.
The IMPACT Team is open to all students and meets monthly during Friday 10th period.


January was a month full of learning, reflection, creativity, and perseverance. Thank you to our students, staff, and families for continuing to make Southampton Intermediate School a supportive and inspiring place to learn!

🌟 Students of the Month

This month, we proudly honored our Students of the Month—staff-nominated students who demonstrated perseverance both inside and outside the classroom. These students serve as excellent role models for our school community, and we are proud to celebrate their efforts.

Ryan Sisco

Ryan has been nominated by staff members as student of the month because he is always a leader in class and is constantly helping others. Ryan is always working hard and sets a great example for his peers.

Kevin Alvarez Rivadeniera

Kevin has been nominated by his teachers because they say he has been doing a great job participating, keeping up with class notes, getting his work done and helping classmates. Great job Kevin!

Kerly Lojano Velecela

Kerly has been nominated as student of the month because of her remarkable perseverance. Her dedication to improving her reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills is inspiring. No matter the challenges or time it takes, Kerly's determination never wavers. Her ability to push through difficulties and maintain her focus is truly inspiring and aligns perfectly with our theme of the month.

Jade Kalish

Jade is such a hard worker and always asks questions to better understand the lesson being taught. If there is a math problem she gets wrong, she will erase it and start over. She is a great example of trying again until she gets it right! Keep up the great work Jade!

Indigo Solano

Indigo is a brilliant mathematician who has continued to put 100% into her work. Algebra is not easy and she continues to challenge herself and persevere through the material. Indigo is a perfect example of not giving up and putting in the effort to be successful! Keep up the great work Indigo!

Katherine Dupree

Katherine has shown constant perseverance in her classes. She has shown incredible perseverance by pushing through obstacles and maintaining a strong work ethic. When faced with challenges, she seeks help, practices, and keeps going until she succeeds. Her determination is inspiring and well deserving of recognition.

Elvis Guevara Gutierrez

Elvis demonstrates perseverance every day by staying focused and positive, even when learning feels challenging. This year he has done a great job of not giving up when faced with difficult tasks. Through consistent effort and determination, he continues to grow both academically and personally. He has done such a great job working hard inside and outside the classroom this school year.

Vincent Delzatto

Vincent has shown such incredible perseverance in Spanish class. He has worked so hard to raise his grades, and in Spanish class, he practices his speaking tasks until he can nail it! He is working hard every day and his hard work is well deserving of recognition for Student of the Month. Keep up the great work Vincent!

Jayce Ward

Jayce has earned this award by consistently showing perseverance in all he does. He tackles challenges head-on and remains determined. Through patience and persistence, he continues to grow and improve. His strong work ethic extends beyond the classroom and is noticed by both peers and teachers.

Vada Ruiz

Vada has shown outstanding perseverance. She works hard to overcome challenges and consistently strives to do her best. Her perseverance is evident in her schoolwork and activities outside the classroom. This award recognizes her resilience and strong work ethic.