Please Note: This newsletter may be truncated by your email program. Please click VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE at the bottom to read the full newsletter.

ISPTSA FAMILY DINNER AND GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

Wednesday, October 10, 6:30-8:30 PM in The Commons

Come have dinner with us, catch up with other IS parents, and meet new folks! 



We will have a Pasta Bar Dinner  this year, and it's on us—the ISPTSA! This is a great opportunity for new families—of 6th graders as well as upper grades—to get to know the IS community and learn new information about our school. 

Please RSVP for the dinner  here.

The dinner will be followed by the  PTSA General Membership Meeting .

Hope to see you all there!

RAISE THE TORCH FOR TEACHER TRAINING!

Did you know the PTSA just funded $14,000 to the school for teacher training which takes place throughout the year? There are many opportunities for all staff at IS to participate in workshops and/or conferences each year. These venues provide professional growth to our faculty and help bring innovative learning strategies and cutting-edge teaching technology to IS. Every student at IS benefits, including yours!

We’re 73% of the way to our $30,000 goal for the Fall Fundraiser!  Help us reach our goal! Let’s keep the donations coming!

To see a robust list of how your donation is spent, please check out:   What Your Donation Supports .

Choose a support level that works for you:  Gold $500,  Silver $250,  Bronze $100, or define your own amount. For those families who can, we ask you to consider becoming a  Titan Torch supporter with a donation of $1,000 or more. 

DONATE ONLINE NOW!

Prefer to write a check? Fill out and mail this  donation form  to the ISPTSA.  

Questions? Please contact  [email protected] .  

THIS WEEK:



NEXT WEEK:

LOOKING AHEAD:

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

HEAD'S UP!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

IS and the ISPTSA are currently seeking the following volunteers:

Click here to learn more and sign up.

SUPER WEDNESDAY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR PIZZA LUNCH AND PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT—SO FUN!

Wednesday, October 10, 12:30-1:40 PM

The International School and PTSA will provide a pizza lunch for students on October 10, Super Wednesday. A pickleball tournament for students and teachers will be hosted afterward. None of this can be done without your support! 



Please sign up to help out here .

CAN YOU HELP AT THE PTSA FAMILY DINNER?

Wednesday, October 10, between 6:30 and 7:15 PM

We just need to fill a couple more volunteer spots at the PTSA family dinner! Timing is flexible and you will have time to eat as well.

Email  Li Wu  if you can help!

BACKPACK MEALS FOR KIDS SEEKING IS VOLUNTEERS

Backpack Meals for Kids, a volunteer run program supported by donations, provides weekend meal packs for children in the Bellevue School District. Counselors at each school determine which children could be best supported by having extra food over the weekend.

The organization needs volunteers to help get the packs from the district warehouse (12037 NE 5th Street) to the individual schools and does not currently have a delivery driver for International. The packs need to be picked up Thursday mornings at around 9:15 AM and delivered to the school by 11:00 AM. Please note that volunteers are not limited to volunteering at their child's school; delivering to any school is welcome.

If you would like to help with delivery, please visit their sign-up page here .

At the end of the 2017-2018 school year, Backpack Meals for Kids was serving 400 students per week. With a pack cost of about $8 each, they face a large financial responsibility. If you would like to support them, but cannot participate in delivery, financial donations are welcome. Visit their website at: www.backpackmeals.org .

Please contact Maggie Rader, Volunteer Coordinator for Backpack Meals for Kids, with any questions. [email protected]

PTSA NEWS

TLDR? (TOO LONG; DIDN'T READ)

This school year, the IS PTSA, with recommendations from several other Bellevue schools and sports teams, will be implementing an opt-in service via Remind.com to send day-before reminder texts for events. 

Simply sign up  here  and provide your phone number to receive texts. There's no need to download the app, unless you prefer to, and you can leave the service anytime, if you don't find it useful. 

Sample text: "PTSA General Meeting & Pasta Dinner, tomorrow night 10/10 at 6:30pm. See you there!" is scheduled to go out on 10/9 at 11:00 AM.

Concerned about privacy? Click  here .

Questions? Contact Li Wu,  [email protected]

BELLEVUE SCHOOLS FOUNDATION 2018-19 MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL ARTS, ENRICHMENT, AND INNOVATION GRANT DEADLINE

Bellevue Schools Foundation 2018-19 Middle School and High School Arts, Enrichment, and Innovation Grant Deadline is October 10 at 5:00 PM .

For more information or to download the application please click here .

COMMUNICATE WITH (Y)OUR COMMUNITY

The ISPTSA provides an online directory of all families at our school. DirectorySpot can be accessed via its website or an app on your smartphone. This service is free and available to every family at IS (whether you are a PTSA member or not).

Instructions and FAQs can be found on our  website . 

Please note that we get directory information from Bellevue School District's Synergy/ParentVUE system. If we don't have your data, it's likely that either you chose to be exempt from inclusion in directory listings, or you have not completed the  online student data verification process .

Questions? Contact Li Wu at  [email protected] .

SUPER WEDNESDAY TESTING—ONE-HOUR LATE START FOR HIGH SCHOOL

High school students will start one-hour late on Super Wednesday, October 10. More schedule details can be found here.

LETTER OF INTRODUCTION FROM ARTY CHRISTIANTO, MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELOR

Dear Students and Families,

I am so happy and excited to be here at International School, collaborating with every one of you this year. I have been a school counselor for many years, previously working as a college consultant, then at Nelsen Middle School in Renton School District, and most recently at Sammamish High School in Bellevue. 

I strive to assist you in any way I can to maximize your success and your happiness during your stay here at International. I am looking forward to the many learning opportunities we will share together, and I am expecting great things from you. 

Middle school is quite memorable—full of changes, choices, decisions, and more. Keep an open mind, be brave, and always remember to work towards your goals. I am here to help you navigate school and classes, be a listening ear, advocate for your success, meet your needs, share a wealth of information, and create a safe and welcoming environment. You are the reason I am here.

I strongly believe in an open and consistent communication. Please feel free to contact me whenever you have any questions, concerns, or just to say hello. I will try my best to reach out to all of you through individual meetings and/or during school events. 

Best wishes to all of you and have a wonderful and fun year ahead! I look forward to meeting all of you!

Sincerely,

Arty Christianto

Middle School Counselor

[email protected]

REFRESH YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF SCHOOL BUS LAWS

In 2017, the Bellevue School District implemented a pilot stop paddle camera program on two of its buses. The experiment showed an average of three violations a day on just those two buses! This month, the district is installing stop paddle cameras on 20% of its bus fleet. The goal of this program is to improve student safety.

Following installation, there will be a grace period when violators of bus safety laws will receive a warning and not a citation. Once the grace period ends, drivers who illegally pass a school bus will be issued a $419 ticket .

It is fortunate that a student has not been severely hurt—hopefully, putting preventive measures in place to make the public aware of the issue will reduce the likelihood of an accident.

Check out the graphic provided and the  district website  for answers to frequently asked questions and to refresh your knowledge on when it is and is not legal to pass a stopped school bus. 

MIDDLE SCHOOL JAZZ BAND

Calling all Middle School instrumentalists! The International Middle School Jazz Band will begin rehearsing this week. All wind instruments, strings, guitar, bass, and piano fit in this group, and all abilities are welcome! The jazz band meets Tuesdays and Thursdays during tutorial in the Band Room. 



If you have questions, check in with Andy Rubesch: [email protected].

HEALTHY YOUTH SURVEY FOR 6TH, 8TH, 10TH & 12TH GRADES 

October 17 During Community

All 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders will be taking the Healthy Youth Survey on October 17 during Community time. This anonymous survey asks questions about health habits, relationships, and school. The results are used to inform schools and Washington State on how to better serve students. More information can be found in the office and online  here .

POINSETTIA & WREATH FUNDRAISER BENEFITTING CLASS OF 2019

Fall is here and the holiday season approaches. Now is a great time to get your holiday decorating order taken care of, so you don’t have to do it later.  The annual tradition of poinsettia sales is now OPEN . Funds raised are earmarked for the Senior Class' graduation events. 

These high-quality Squak Mountain poinsettias are available in RED, WHITE, or SHADES OF PINK. They come in 6.5" pots and stand about 14-16" tall. They are priced at $15 each!  Click here for the poinsettia order form; more forms are located in the office right next to our Poinsettia Box. 

You may also purchase a festive mixed noble wreath with pinecones, also provided from Squak Mountain, for $25. Wreaths measure 24" in outside diameter with a 12" inner ring. A large bow may be purchased for an additional $2.  Click here for the wreath order form .

Deadline for orders: Thursday, November 1, 2018. 

Poinsettias and Wreaths will be available to be picked up at school on Monday, December 4, from 3:00-5:00 PM.

Please make checks payable to  IS class of 2019 and note "Poinsettia" on memo line. You can send the check & order form to:

Keri Cable 13419 SE 42nd Street, Bellevue WA 98006

Or, come by the IS office and drop the check & order form into the Poinsettia Box. 

If you prefer to support the class with a cash donation in lieu of ordering plants/wreaths, your donations are welcome.

The IS Class of 2019 THANKS YOU for your support!

NOTE: ALL SENIOR FAMILIES are required to participate in this event, either by donating $125 or purchasing 10 plants. Any questions, email Keri Cable at  [email protected] or Jennifer Pascho at  [email protected].

STUDENT NEWS & COMMUNITY EVENTS

USA WATER POLO ANNOUNCES INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AS AN ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN

Congratulations to Jason Hainze , Bellevue High School Water Polo Team Captain and International Senior, who has earned an Outstanding Academic All-American award. To be qualified, Jason has competed in USA Water Polo National Events and has maintained a 4.0 GPA.

SAMMAMISH HIGH SCHOOL VARSITY BOYS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM WINS FIRST PLACE

The Varsity Boys Cross Country team won First Place in the 5,000 Meters Varsity 1B-2A Boys [Limit 7] Race at the 12th Annual Nike Twilight XC Invitational.

Congratulations to International's Kyle Wasierski (10th Grade) and Hale Behan (9th Grade), who are on the Sammamish team!

STUDENT SPORTS & OPPORTUNITIES

STUDENT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

Earn Spooktacular Community Service Hours!

Eastside Heritage Center is partnering with the Crossroads Mall to help host their annual Halloween Trick-or-Treating Event. It’s a three-service-hour commitment for high school volunteers on October 31 from 3:30-6:30 PM to pass out candy. Costumes are encouraged!! 

Interested students, please email  [email protected]  or call 425-450-1049 .

BELLEVUE SKI SCHOOL REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Bellevue Ski School registration is now open. Prices go up on December 1, registration ends December 5.

Bellevue Ski School contributes a portion of each registration fee to students' respective PTSAs. Help your PTSA continue to support you and your classmates while having fun on the slopes!

bellevueskischool.com