November 2, 2020
MONDAY MESSENGER
UPCOMING DATES AND EVENTS
THIS WEEK:
  • Wednesday, 11/4 • Virtual Veterans Day Assembly
  • Thursday, 11/5, 9:00 AM • Virtual Principal Coffee (more info below)
  • Thursday, 11/5, 12:00–1:00 PM • 6th Grade Virtual Grade-Level Parent Meet-Up (more info below)
  • Thursday, 11/5 • Poinsettia & Wreath Orders Due (more info below)
  • Friday, 11/6, 12:00–1:00 PM • 12th Grade Virtual Grade-Level Parent Meet-Up (more info below)

NEXT WEEK:
  • Monday, 11/9 • End of First Quarter
  • Monday, 11/9, 12:00–1:00 PM • 7th Grade Virtual Grade-Level Parent Meet-Up (more info below)
  • Monday, 11/9, 7:00–8:00 PM • 8th Grade Virtual Grade-Level Parent Meet-Up (more info below)
  • Tuesday, 11/10, 12:00–1:00 PM • 9th Grade Virtual Grade-Level Parent Meet-Up (more info below)
  • Tuesday, 11/10, 6:30–7:30 PM • 10th Grade Parent Night (more info below)
  • Tuesday, 11/10, 7:30–8:30 PM • 10th Grade Virtual Grade-Level Parent Meet-Up (more info below)
  • Wednesday, 11/11 • NO SCHOOL—Veterans Day
  • Thursday, 11/12, 12:00–1:00 PM • 11th Grade Virtual Grade-Level Parent Meet-Up (more info below)
  • Friday, 11/13 • PTSA Reflections Entries Due

LOOKING AHEAD:
  • Thursday, 11/19, 6:00–7:00 PM • BSD Parent Accessibility Technology Training (more info below)
  • Thursday–Friday, 11/26–27 • NO SCHOOL—Thanksgiving
  • Monday, 11/30 • Second Window to Purchase 2020–21 Yearbooks Opens (through 12/18/20)
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
THESE POSITIONS NEED YOU!

IS and the ISPTSA are currently seeking the following volunteers:

  • ISPTSA President, current school year
  • ISPTSA President Elect, current school year
  • ISPTSA VP Communications, current school year
  • Grade-Level Representatives, current school year
  • Monday Messenger Editor, current school year

Please email board@isptsa.org to learn more and sign up. Thank you!
PTSA NEWS
MISSED THE ISPTSA GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING? YOU CAN CHECK IT OUT NOW!

Did you have to miss the General Assembly Meeting last Wednesday?
UH-OH! YOU REALLY DID FORGET!
  
A big THANK YOU to all the parents, teachers, staff, and students who have signed up to be PTSA members this year. We are at the magical number of...205!

Not too bad, but last year at this time we had 456 members. 

Let’s remember:
  • PTSA membership means community for all IS families.
  • PTSA membership means financial support to the school.
  • PTSA membership means leverage of our legislative platform to the state legislature.
  • PTSA membership shows support of what we are doing to the administration.
  • PTSA membership supports 1-1 coverage of each and every student at International School.
 
VIRTUAL GRADE-LEVEL PARENT MEET-UPS!

Get to know other parents and family members of students in your child's grade at International. These meet-ups are a great way to connect, especially during such an unusual school year.

Mark your calendar—Zoom meeting links below...

6th Grade—Thursday, November 5, 12:00–1:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 930 7928 1902
Passcode: 1kF4gW

12th Grade—Friday, November 6, 12:00–1:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 931 7610 8467
Passcode: 6S7cGT

7th Grade—Monday, November 9, 12:00–1:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 925 9983 1053
Passcode: 3ek6R8

8th Grade—Monday, November 9, 7:00–8:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 952 3032 2154
Passcode: 6CtpcH

9th Grade—Tuesday, November 10, 12:00–1:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 925 0715 2797
Passcode: 5kggCJ

10th Grade—Tuesday, November 10, 7:30–8:30 PM
(Will take place right after 10th Grade Parent Night.)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 954 1515 2363
Passcode: 7uXHe7

11th Grade—Thursday, November 12, 12:00–1:00 PM
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 919 8782 4234
Passcode: 4c6PBW
WASHINGTON STATE PTA LEGISLATIVE PLATFORM FOR 2020–21

The 42nd Annual PTA legislative Assembly was held October 24–25, 2020. This was a virtual assembly and well attended. The results of this meeting are the 2020-21 legislative platform.  
 
The WA PTA Legislative Platform for 2020–21:
The Washington State PTA legislative platform is a two-year platform to mirror the Washington state legislative cycle. On the even-numbered years, the new platform is voted on by members at the legislative assembly in the fall. The top five issues become our short-term platform and consist of our priority issues when advocating throughout the year. Other issues are placed on an “also supported” list. During the odd-numbered years, members vote to amend current issues or to add new, emerging issues to the also supported list. 
To see the full list and supporting text, please click here.

2020-21 Legislative Priorities:
  • Increase Access to Nursing, Mental Health, and Social Emotional Learning Staff
  • Support Students and Preserve Education Funding
  • Increasing Educational Equity by Closing the Digital Divide
  • Supports and Funding for Students with Disabilities and Their Families
  • Prevent and Reduce Gun Violence and Suicide
REMEMBER TO STAY CONNECTED!

Stay connected with the IS Community through one of the following links to International School Facebook groups. Share ideas and ask questions. Keep up-to-date on school, district, and community events and information.
SCHOOL NEWS
VIRTUAL PRINCIPAL COFFEE WITH PRINCIPAL RUSSEL WHITE

Thursday, July 5, 9:00–10:00 AM

International School families are invited to this year’s first Principal Coffee. This will be an informal conversation with an update on the start of the school year, as well as a beginning preview for what is ahead. This will be a fully open event to provide everyone the opportunity to speak if desired. Prior to the event, the link below will take you to a “lobby” that will open up shortly before the meeting begins. It will be recorded for those who are unable to join. Join on your computer or mobile app.
CLASS OF 2023: SAVE THE DATE!

10th Grade Parent Night is Tuesday, November 10, at 6:30 PM. 

Meet IS's new high school counselor, Colleen Courtney, and learn ways to support your student during this live virtual event. Links for the event and to submit questions in advance will be sent via email.
IS PARAEDUCATOR MARY CHU WINS GEM AWARD

The Bellevue Association of Education Office Professionals (BAEOP) hosted their annual awards for BSD employees last week, and IS paraeducator Mary Chu won thee GEM “Going the Extra Mile” award for Special Education.

Mary works very closely with her students in an effort for them to achieve maximum success. This has been a particularly challenging year for her students in special education due to school closures in March as a result of the COVID19 pandemic. Mary worked on a student support team from March through June and succeeded in drastically reducing the number of students at risk of not achieving academic success. In addition to that, she worked very closely with families to get them the help they required both socially and emotionally. Mary has shown tremendous flexibility in her role as paraeducator. She also managed to meet her newly adopted State training requirements for her role as a paraeducator, attending all classes willingly, and adopting new practices in her daily life as a paraeducator.
 
Mary is acutely observant and analytical. She sees well beyond the surface of what may be a difficult situation for the student. She adopts a holistic approach to working collaboratively with her students and coaches them in a kind, careful, and respectful manner. Mary always drills down beneath the surface in a gentle way to identify the best course of action in order for her students to achieve success. She is responsible, reliable, hardworking, and has a very kind heart. Mary is well liked and well respected for the value she brings to International School. She is a very valuable member of our team at International School. Congratulations Mary! 

Additional congratulations to International staff members Ellen Stone, Mary Pyrah, and Jill Follett, who received their National Association of Education Office Professionals-Professional Standards Program Certificates during the past 18 months.

BSD PARENT ACCESSIBILITY TECHNOLOGY TRAINING

Thursday, November 19, 6:00–7:00 PM

Join Research Technology Specialists Tara Jones and Maria Pickering to learn about accessibility tools for your students (such as immersive reader, dictation tools, translator features) and some other technology tips.
 
Join Live Teams Link: http://bit.ly/BSDParentTech2

The presentation and video link will be posted here after the presentation.

Check out the following video to learn how to navigate a Live Event:
 
MESSAGE FROM IS LIBRARY SPECIALIST:

Dear Students and Parents,
In order to support our students’ classroom reading projects, our library will start to checkout physical books through curbside pickup every Wednesday from 12:30–2:30 PM or by appointment. Please use the “Hold” function in our library page to reserve your book(s). Besides our physical books, our students can also explore more than 500 eBooks (with many hot new releases) in our Destiny Discover and Sora digital collections. 
Please feel free to contact me for any requests or assistance.
Library Specialist
ASB SEEKING VETERANS DAY ASSEMBLY SUBMISSIONS

International School will be celebrating Veterans Day with our annual assembly during this remote learning period by sending a recording of our presentation on Monday November 9 for students and families to enjoy, honor, and remember together. We would like to honor your family members who are currently active duty or are veterans by including their pictures on a slide show during our assembly. You may submit for more than one person. Please scan your photos and include the following information:
  • Name of Veteran or Active Duty Member
  • Branch of Military 
  • Relationship to the Student
  • Name of the Student
If you would like us to reuse a picture and information from our Veterans Day Assembly last school year, please let Arty know. Veteran’s Day Photos are due by Friday November 6. Please submit them to christiantoa@bsd405.org.
IS CLASS OF 2021 POINSETTIA & WREATH SALE 
For all IS families

ATTENTION:
ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT TO ORDER! PLEASE SUPPORT IS SENIOR CLASS!

LAST-MINUTE ORDERING CHANGE:
You can now bring orders & checks to the school this Wednesday, November 4, from 6:00–8:00 PM. There will be two parents onsite to take care of them!

Deadline for orders: THIS Thursday, November 5 (the sooner the better)

It’s that time of year again! The leaves are falling, and the holidays are around the corner. It’s time for our ANNUAL SENIOR CLASS POINSETTIA & WREATH FUNDRAISER!

Poinsettias from Squak Mountain Nursery in Issaquah come in red, white or shades of pink for $15 each. Click here for poinsettia order form.

Wreaths, also from Squak Mountain, are 24 inches with ornamental pine cones and sell for $25 each. Click here for wreath order form.

These beautiful plants make perfect holiday gifts for friends, neighbors, and co-workers! They serve as festive holiday decor—especially this year, when most of us will stay at home for the holidays. 

You may also order a poinsettia for a teacher or staff member as a holiday gift! What better way to show your appreciation for all that they do for our IS students every school year? We’ll make sure that all the teachers receive their beautiful plants. If you would like to add a thank you note to your order, you can print this template and send it to us with your order form.

We need your participation! All proceeds go to the IS Senior Class of 2021 and will help with the costs of Graduation activities!
 
Pickup: Tuesday, November 24 (time to be announced), at IS (pickup will be organized as a drive-through with safety measures in place)

The Class of 2021 thanks you all for your support!!!

Please email Petra Sixl at Petra.Sixl@gmail.com with questions.
DISTRICT NEWS
COMMUNITY EVENTS & INFORMATION
SAMMAMISH HIGH SCHOOL PARENT EDUCATION EVENT

How To Raise Successful Kids Without Overparenting by Guest Speaker, Julie Lythcott-Haims

Wednesday, November 18, 2020 7:00–8:15 PM, ONLINE

Presented by Sammamish High School PTSA

Drawing on research; on conversations with educators, admissions officers, and employers; and on her own insights as a mother and former student dean at Stanford University, Julie highlights the ways in which overparenting harms children, their stressed-out parents, and society at large.

While empathizing with the parental hopes and, especially, fears that lead to overhelping, Julie offers practical strategies that underline the importance of allowing children to make their own mistakes and develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary for success.

Please REGISTER early. First 30 registrants are free. Thereafter, registrants will be asked to pay a suggested $10 donation. You will receive a conference link 24 hours prior to the event.
"PANDEMIC PRESSURE: CALM PARENTING IN TIMES OF CRISIS" BY DR. LAURA KASTNER

Bellevue High School PTSA sponsored a parent education lecture by Dr. Laura Kastner, Ph.D., titled “Pandemic Pressure: Parenting in Times of Crisis.” The live event was recorded and can be viewed here.
MASTHEAD / DIRECTORY / LINKS
President
Azfar Moazzam/OPEN 
Secretary
Ann Ross-Clarke
Treasurer 1
Tony Wang
Treasurer 2
Zena Heywood
VP of Communications
OPEN
VP of Community
Melissa Richardson
VP of Fundraising
Emilie Castle
VPs of Outreach
Beverly Ni & Hao Sun
Membership
Meribeth Nordloef-Pedersen
Advocacy
OPEN
Monday Messenger
Julie Molinari/OPEN
Website
Li Zhang
IS Staff Liaison
Marrene Franich & Wesley Hung
PTSA
Website: www.isptsa.org
Newsletter Submissions: news@isptsa.org
SHOP FOR THE BELLEVUE SCHOOLS FOUNDATION
Enter Amazon.com through this link and Amazon will donate 8% of every purchase you make to support Bellevue students, including those at IS! Share the link and spread the word to family and friends anywhere.
SCHOOL DIRECTORY & LINKS

Attendance 425-456-6545
Main Office 425-456-6500 
MS Counseling 425-456-6546
HS Counseling 425-456-6542 
Registrar 425-456-6535 
SUPPORT YOUR PTSA
Donate Anytime

Write your check to the International School PTSA and send it to:
ISPTSA
445 128th Ave. SE
Bellevue, WA 98005
Or, even easier, donate
via PayPal.
Visit the International School PTSA Store. Proceeds benefit the International School PTSA.
CONFUSED ABOUT SOMETHING?
The ISPTSA is always here to help answer your IS questions.

Email us here, and we'll help you find the answers you need.
MONDAY MESSENGER
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
  • Please submit articles by FRIDAY at 12:00 PM (noon) to news@isptsa.org.
  • We encourage submissions that align with our mission.
  • Submissions are subject to review by the ISPTSA and may be accepted, rejected, or edited.
  • Please use a separate email for each article submitted.
  • Documents in plain text are preferred, however, you are welcome to include an image or icon as a separate attachment—please do not include them in the body of your email or document.
  • If you need to link to a registration form or document, send us either the address of the link or a pdf copy of the document.
  • If you would like your article to repeat in successive Monday Messenger editions, please resubmit it for each edition in which you would like it to appear. If you do not resubmit it, it will not be republished.
  • Note: you will receive an automatic confirmation email response once you submit material to the Monday Messenger.