Elias Bernstein Intermediate School
Coordinates: 40°31′24″N 74°11′11″W / 40.52333°N 74.18639°W
| Elias Bernstein Intermediate School 7 | |
|---|---|
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| Address | |
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1270 Hugenot Avenue Staten Island, NY 10312 Staten Island, New York USA | |
| Information | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 1965 |
| Principal | Dr. Nora DeRosa |
| Grades | 6-8 |
| Number of students | Approximately 1,200 |
| Mascot | Viking |
| Newspaper | Bernstein Bulletin |
| Yearbook | Beacon |
| Website | is7vikings.org |
Elias Bernstein Intermediate School 7, also known as I.S.7 and nicknamed "Bernstein", is a middle school located in the Huguenot section of Staten Island, New York. The school serves grades 6-8. It has been operating since 1965. Its current rating for the 2014-2015 school year is "A."
I.S.7 has four floors: A basement below the school, hosting the cafeteria, special education departments, and housing for special students from external schools; the first floor, which houses the main and programming offices, gymnasium, auditorium, and majority of 8th grade classrooms; the second floor, which is home to the electives/art & technology classes (Chorus, Band, Drama, Dance, Art, etc.) as well as the 7th grade; the third floor, containing the foreign language department as well as the 6th grade classrooms.
Administration
Dr. Nora De Rosa, the current principal, began at I.S.7 during the 2003-04 school year with major changes. These include the addition of art & tech classes, the closer scrutiny of incoming fifth graders, redesigned English and Math lesson plans.
The current assistant principals are Dina Testa, Joseph Mennella, and . Susan Tronolone, former assistant principal (served uuntil June 2011), pursued the position of Principal in an Intermediate School. Replacing her role is, who was the dean (his position of dean will be served by Avi Gvili). The deans for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade are Mrs. Amtzis, Avi Gvili, and Matthew Scheiper respectively.
IS7's former 6th grade assistant principal, Judy Wilson, is now the present principal of the nearby elementary school, "P.S. 003 THE MARGARET GIOIOSA SCHOOL" IS7'S former 8th grade assistant principal, Susan Tronolone, is now the present principal of a nearby junior high school, "I.S. 61 William A. Morris" The school website is maintained by site administrator and math teacher Bart Kronisch.
Curriculum
Students have at least eight periods of English per week, eight periods of Math each week, five periods of Social Studies each week, five periods of Science each week, four periods of art/tech classes each week, and two periods of foreign language (Spanish or American Sign Language(for 7th graders)) each week (three for honors students). For electives, which are called "Arts/Tech" classes at IS7, students make a selection between band, art, chorus, dance, drama, and health. LEGO-Robotics has been eliminated as of the 2010-2011 school year.
The school also has an "Honors" program for well-performing students. In the 8th grade, the school offers Integrated Algebra, US History, and Living Environment Regents exams to be taken for high school credit for students who make it into the specially designated classes through examination and grades. These students go through a different curriculum from the rest of the grade.
Extracurricular activities
Graduating students in IS7, as well as qualifying 6th and 7th grade students, have the option to participate in the yearly play. Roles include actor/actress, singer, dancer, stage-crew, set crew, etc.
Additionally, students have option to participate in after school sports (known as "UAU"), which include football, track, softball, and volleyball. Note that IS7 does not participate in any teams, only offering a chance for students to learn the game and practice.
Some other extracurricular activities include designing T-shirts and running for a spot in the Student Union, and writing the official school song (8th grade 2011 graduate Bryan Brager).
Team system
I.S.7 features a "team" system; each grade is split into three different teams.
6th Grade
World Team, Dream Team and Starblazers
7th Grade
Pathfinders, Explorers, Vikings
8th Grade
All-Stars, Champions, M.V.P.'s
Each team generally has 4-5 classes.
The team system allows the school to keep things more organized. The classes in a team usually share a similar lineup of teachers.
During the 2010 - 2011 school year, students and faculty have noticed a decline in the usage/relevance of teams. The team system may be discontinued - its future is unknown, but as of now it exists.
Student Organization system
I.S.7 has a "Student Organization" ("S.O."). Each class elects a class president, and then the winner competes against other class presidents from his/her team to become team president. Members of the "Student Organization" come up with ideas, ask students questions, gather information, and help out during special events. This system has been heavily criticized by teachers and students alike, as the presidents have stated to have little to no input to the school in reality.
Budget cuts
I.S.7 has been affected by the recent NYC budget cuts through the removal of yellow bus services. Students are now provided with full or half-fare Student MetroCards. Recently, it was announced that the city would restore these bus services for all three grades in the upcoming 2012-2013 school year.[1]
References
- Notes
- ↑ Spencer, Peter (2010-09-24). "Yellow bus service for Staten Island 7th-, 8th-graders was never in cards". SILive.com. Retrieved 2016-04-16.