MONDAY MESSENGER

October 7, 2019

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ISPTSA FAMILY DINNER AND GENERAL MEETING

THIS Thursday , October 10, 6:00–7:30 PM

Please join us for our first General Membership meeting of the school year! It’s a great opportunity for you to connect with your IS community and learn new information about the school.

Principal Gray will share an update on the school—including Focus Week and Senior Project .

6:00–6:30 PM: Free Taco Bar Dinner sponsored by ISPTSA will be provided

6:30–7:30 PM: PTSA General Meeting, Agenda as follows:

– Review and approve  Minutes from June 13 General Meeting

– Review and Approve  Standing Rules for 2019-2020

– Approve 2019-20 Budget and Financial Report

– President's Report to the General Membership

– Principal Tara Gray to address the General Membership and share an update on the school, including Focus Week and Senior Project

– Committee reports:

– Introduction of French Intern to the General Membership

– Any other business

Please RSVP here.

If you can volunteer at this event, we could use your help! Please sign up here.

THIS WEEK:

NEXT WEEK:

LOOKING AHEAD:

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

PLEASE HELP YOUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY!

IS and the ISPTSA are currently seeking the following volunteers:

Click  here to learn more and sign up.

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR ALL CURRENT AND FUTURE VOLUNTEERS—PLEASE READ!

New in 2019–20—Current and prospective BSD volunteers must attend a volunteer orientation at their school site. There will be three orientations in the month of October. These are intended for all current and future volunteers . 

The first orientation is THIS Tuesday, October 8, 10:15–10:45 AM . If you are planning to attend this orientation, please R.S.V.P. by emailing Traci Sullivan at  [email protected] . 

PTSA NEWS

RAISE THE TORCH FOR THE IS COMMUNITY!

 

Going into Curriculum Night last Thursday evening, we were 72% of the way to our $30,000 goal for the Fall Fundraiser. Join the over 100 families who have contributed to our campaign! Let’s keep the donations coming!  

Your participation matters! Your contribution, no matter the amount, makes a difference! All donations to the Fall Fundraiser you give today are tax-deductible and 100% goes back to the IS community. 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.     

Please, DONATE ONLINE NOW!

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

 

Questions?  Please contact  [email protected] .  

Thanks for your consideration! 

Go Titans!

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO RENEW ASAP!

A big thank you to everyone who said hello at our PTSA table at Curriculum Night and for the support of teacher and staff members. We now have over 450 members!

 

Here’s a suggestion of an elevator speech explaining why it is important to be a PTSA member—try it out with your friends: Being a member of a school PTSA shows your support of the parents, teachers, and staff, as well as what PTSA is doing to support your student’s success at school.  

If people view our membership drive as a competition, then it is a competition of one. We are competing with ourselves to show we can provide one-to-one support of our students' success.

You can become a member or renew your membership online by clicking here , or you can stop by our membership table in the next two weeks. ISPTSA membership will be represented at the following events, where we can take cash, credit, or check for you to join the ISPTSA or renew your membership:

Questions? Contact  [email protected].

2019 BELLEVUE SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD CANDIDATES FORUM— TODAY!

Monday, October 7, 12:00–2:00 PM

Wilburten Instructional Services Center, Rainier Room, 12241 Main Street, Bellevue

The Bellevue PTSA Council invites you to the 2019 BSD Board Candidates Forum . The parents, teachers, students, school staffs, and Bellevue residents are all welcome. Hear about each candidate's vision for BSD and issues critical to education. Carolyn Watson , Francine Wiest , and Jane Aras are confirmed speakers.

Please register here and submit questions on issues you are interested in. The PTSA Council will sort all submitted questions and present them to the candidates during the forum.

ADVOCACY SURVEY FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS

Dear ISPTSA Members, 

State legislators will be getting to work soon on bills that will impact our children. You can have a voice! Your responses to this survey will be recorded by your advocacy chair (me) so that I can better represent you at our PTA's legislative assembly this month. I am hoping to take an IS student and teacher as well.  

To complete this, you will need a cup of coffee and to keep the Voter's Guide handy.  

Please click here to link to the survey, o r scan the QR code above to open it.  

If you don't have time for every question, no problem! Just skim and answer the ones that you think are important. I need responses before October 25!

Thank you,  

Krista Hammer 

[email protected]  

DIRECTORYSPOT NOW AVAILABLE!

Thank you to our amazing Registrar Katherine Parkin and School Secretary Ellen Stone for supplying the ISPTSA with data! The 2019-2020 ISPTSA Directory is now available online via DirectorySpot.

Download the app, available for iPhones and Android devices, and you will always have the directory with you. You can also access the directory from your computer at  DirectorySpot.net . For those of you who cannot part with paper, there is an option to self-print a copy of the directory using downloadable PDFs. Please see  this page  for more details.

CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT OPPORTUNITY

Looking for some time to spend outdoors? We have just the opportunity—help with an IS campus Improvement project! We are trimming back the roses in the parking lot so they can bloom next spring and summer. We began the work two weeks ago and decided we could use some help. 

Come on Saturday, October 12, from 10:00 AM–12:00 PM . Bring some hardy gloves (the rose bushes are thorny) and clippers. We will supply the bags. Volunteer hours provided for students. Please contact [email protected] with questions. Thank you!

EDUCATION CONNECTIONS

The Community Engagement Committee (a joint venture of BSF, PTSA, and BSD) is excited to announce our first  Education Connection  of the 2019-2020 school year.

Hear our resident expert, Melissa deVita,   Deputy Superintendent for Finance and Operations of the Bellevue School District, discuss state funding, the impact on the Bellevue School District, and your property taxes.

Two sessions are available for this special program, b oth will take place at the Wilburten Instructional Services Center, Rainier Room, 12241 Main Street, Bellevue.

Thursday, October 10, 11:30 AM–1:00 PM 

A light lunch is offered at this session from 11:30 AM–12:00 PM. The program is from 12:00–1:00 PM. Click here to register for this session.

Monday, October 14, 7:00–8:00 PM

Click here to register for this session.

REFLECTIONS SUBMISSIONS DUE FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15

 

The 2019-2020 theme is  Look Within . Submit original works of art in one or all of the available arts categories: dance choreography, film, literature, music, photography, and visual arts. Only one art submission per category. All International School submissions are  due by Friday, November 15 . 

Students can stop by the Commons Area on Tuesday, October 1, during lunch to pick up registration forms and rules for their artistic endeavors. All forms and rules will be available at the Reflections bulletin board. Please send questions to  [email protected].

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL TITAN PLAYERS PRESENT:

THE LEGEND OF SLEEPY HOLLOW

Show times:

Friday, October 25, 7:00 PM

Saturday, Oct ober 26, 2:00 PM

Saturday, Oct ober 26, 7:00 PM

Buy tickets at the door: $10 students, $12 adults

ATTENTION: MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENTS

If your middle school st udent would like to be paired up with a high school math tutor , please have them fill out this form and turn it in to Regen Lorden. Please email her at [email protected] with questions.

POINSETTIA & WREATH SALES

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 $20 each.  POINSETTIA ORDER FORM

Wreaths, also from Squak Mountain, are 24 inches in diameter with ornamental pine cones and sell for $25 each. Add an optional holiday bow for $2.  WREATH ORDER FORM

These beautiful plants are the perfect holiday gift for friends, neighbors, and co-workers! They also serve as festive holiday decor for your office or home in bunches, or as a table centerpiece to last throughout the holiday season!

You can 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? You may buy one for a designated teacher/staff member, or order for the staff pool and we’ll make sure that all the teachers receive one of these beautiful plants. We need your participation! 

All proceeds go to the IS Senior Class to help with costs of Graduation Festivities!

Deadline for orders: Monday, November 4 (the sooner the better for teacher orders to ensure all staff receive a gift!)

Pickup: Monday, November 25, 3:00–5:00 PM (no need to pick up teacher/staff gifts; we will deliver for you!)

The Class of 2020 thanks you for your support!!!

NOTE: All Senior families are asked to participate in this fundraiser, either by contributing $150 or purchasing/selling 10 plants. Please email Christina Terterov at  [email protected]  or Susan Ryder at  [email protected] with questions.

AP EXAM REGISTRATION IS IN PROCESS!

This year, students are registering online with College Board for exams during their AP courses. 

Does your student want to take an AP exam for a subject not taught at IS? Notify Jill ASAP at  [email protected] .  

Fees are available to pay online through   Touchbase , and exams will be ordered based on payments collected through 11/1. Late orders incur a $40 late fee per exam from College Board. This is three months earlier than in the past, due the College Board’s new exam registration deadline.  

Contact Melinda Breeze at  [email protected]  for information about scholarships by October 15.    

For more information, visit:  AP 2019-20 .

STUDENT NEWS & COMMUNITY EVENTS

BELLEVUE GIFTED ALLIANCE FALL EVENT

Monday, October 7, 2019

6:30–8:00 PM —TONIGHT

Wilburten Instructional Services Center, Rainier Room

12241 Main Street, Bellevue

Dr. Duran will be speaking at BGA's Fall Event:An Update on our Advanced Learning Vision. We will also address: The Dos and Don'ts of How to Help Your Child Succeed in the Bellevue School District.

STUDENT SPORTS & OPPORTUNITIES

WISECAMPS OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS GRADES 3–8

3-2-1 Blastoff!

On Mondays starting October 28, there will be a brand new rocketry camp for students in grades 5-8 at Odle Middle School from 5:00–6:30 PM for 6 weeks (skipping 11/11, since there is no school that day) with the last session taking place on a Saturday at 9:00 AM (Rocket launch day!). The cost is $175, which includes all of the rocket-building supplies. More details and registration at  www.wisecamps.org.

Veterans Day Camp!

On Monday, November 11, there is no school due to Veterans Day. We are offering a fun day of STEM activities at Newport High School for students in grades 3-6 (and have a Red, White & Blue chemistry demonstration to honor Veterans!). The day camp will take place from 8:30 AM–3:30 PM with drop off beginning as early as 7:30 AM and pick up by 4:30 PM. The cost is $150. More details and registration at  www.wisecamps.org .

Click here for flyer.

GIRLS ULTIMATE FRISBEE

Attention Girls!

We are forming Ultimate Frisbee teams for the upcoming Winter and Spring seasons. Practices start next month for the co-ed Winter season. Games begin in the second week of December then take a break over the holidays and resume in January.  

Ultimate is a unique and popular sport. Competition is important, but never over the spirit of fair play and sportsmanship. If you enjoy athletics and want to learn more about an awesome non-contact team sport that is growing fast, find out more at  http://bellevueultimate.org . 

INFO MEETINGS FOR ADOLESCO YOUTH EXCHANGE

Saturday, October 26, 1:00–3:00 PM

Bellevue Public Library, Meeting Room 3

1111 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004

 

Sunday, October 27, 2:00–4:00 PM

Capitol Hill Public Library, Meeting Room

425 Harvard Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102

 

Adolesco Youth Exchange offers a two-way exchange program that gives students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a new language and new culture as well as host a carefully matched exchange partner in turn. The kids are together in each other's country, forging a life-long bi-lingual friendship along the way.

Everyone welcome, please RSVP  [email protected],  and see  www.Adolesco.org  for more information.

 

Start your application at  www.Adolesco.org/pre-application  and get in touch with local mom Marie Meyer, the Adolesco Exchange Coordinator, at 303-913-4845. Applications are due on Friday, November 15, 2019, with matches announced in early January 2020.

PRECALCULUS WITH CODING AND ANIMATION ENRICHMENT COURSE

Remotely taught through chat-based instruction by Dr. Manoj Samanta. Open to high school and advanced middle school students. In this Fall course, students will learn the programming language R and apply it to their learning of precalculus. For details and registration, go to  https://hs.coding4medicine.com.

Feel free to contact us for questions: [email protected] , 425-898-8187.

JAVA CLASSES FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Seattle Advocates for Education, a youth-led nonprofit by high schoolers, is providing java classes for middle school students at a small fee for beginners and intermediate-level students. We have qualified high-school instructors with years of experience and are excited to work with students!

If you’re child is interested in programming and wants a head-start before high school, check our programs at  seattleadvocatesfe.org .