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RAISE THE TORCH
FOR RECURRING PROGRAMS SUPPORTED BY THE PTSA!
It was great to see a nice turnout last week at the Annual Pasta Dinner hosted by the PTSA before our first General Meeting of the year. Did you know the PTSA budget just approved by our membership at the meeting includes over $50,000 in recurring programs at International? These include support for programs such as our Baccalaureate & Commencement, Speaker Series, French Intern, Behavioral Health Specialist, Retreats, Senior Board Judges/Advisors, Teacher Training, and more!
Make your commitment today to support these ongoing programs at IS by donating to the Fall Fundraiser! 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.
Prefer to write a check? Fill out and mail this
donation form
to the ISPTSA.
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UPCOMING DATES AND EVENTS
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THIS WEEK:
- Monday, 10/15, 12:00-1:00 PM & 6:30-7:30 PM, Rainier Room, Wilburton Instructional Service Center • Bellevue PTSA Council 2018 Elections Candidate Forum with Representatives from the 41st and 48th Districts (more info below)
- Tuesday, 10/16, During Lunch, Room 107 • Washington DC Focus Week Student Interest Meeting (more info below)
- Wednesday, 10/17, 9:45 AM • Healthy Youth Survey for Grades 6, 8, 10 & 12 (more info below)
- Wednesday, 10/17, 6:30-7:45 PM, Sammamish High School • Teaching & Learning Family Night (more info below)
- Thursday 10/18, During Tutorial, Room 213 • Student Interest Meeting Microsoft Office Certification (more info below)
- Thursday, 10/18, 6:00 PM, Library • Junior ('20) Parent Night
- Friday, 10/19, 7:00-10:00 PM, Resonance at SOMA Towers • Bellevue Schools Foundation's Spark! (more info below)
- Friday-Saturday, 10/19-10/20 • "The Taming of the Shrew" Performances
NEXT WEEK:
- Monday 10/22, 6:30 PM, Sammamish High School • Screening of "Like" Cosponsored by BSF
- Monday-Friday, 10/22-10/26 • Spirit Week
- Tuesday, 10/23, 6:30 PM, IPAC • College Financial Aid Night with Paula Bishop, CPA
- Wednesday, 10/24, 11:45 AM • Staff Appreciation, Hosted by 11th-Grade Families
- Saturday, 10/27, 8:00 PM • Homecoming Dance
LOOKING AHEAD:
- Tuesday, 10/30, 7:00 PM, band room • Disneyland Magic Music Days Focus Week Info Night (more info below)
- Thursday, 11/1 • Last Day to Order Poinsettias and Wreaths
- Friday, 11/2 • End of Quarter
- Wednesday, 11/7, 9:30-10:30 AM • Veteran’s Day Assembly (more info below)
- Wednesday, 11/7, 11:45 AM • Staff Appreciation, Hosted by 8th-Grade Families
- Friday, 11/9 • No School—Professional Development Day
- Monday, 11/12 • No School—Veterans Day
- Thursday-Friday, 11/22-11/23 • No School—Thanksgiving
- Monday-Thursday, 11/26-11/29 • Scholastic Book Fair
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HEAD'S UP!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
IS and the ISPTSA are currently seeking the following volunteers:
- On-call Volunteers (more info below)
- Backpack Meals for Kids, Thursdays throughout school year (more info below)
Click
here
to learn more and sign up.
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ON-CALL VOLUNTEERS
ISPTSA is routinely asked, sometimes last minute, by our school for volunteers to help out at events. To facilitate our response, we have created a new volunteer category called
on-call volunteer. This is not a fixed commitment; we will reach out to you when we have an urgent need to fill, and you can respond if you can help. Having your name on this list does not obligate you to volunteer at any time.
Please consider adding your name to our on-call volunteer list! You can reach our sign-up
here. We ask that you sign in for security reasons, and the "on-call volunteer" choice is the second one from the bottom of the page.
Questions? Contact Volunteer Coordinator Sharon Sidoine, volunteer@isptsa.org
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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.
radermag@comcast.net
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OCTOBER IS NATIONAL PRINCIPALS MONTH
From Dr. Ivan Duran, BSD Superintendent:
We know that great principals are the key to school success. We are fortunate in Bellevue to have hard-working principals who are dedicated to ensuring that each and every one of our students can experience success at all of our schools. As we celebrate National Principals Month, I am proud to honor our principals for all that they do to serve our students each day. I also encourage our educators, staff, families, and members of our community to share their gratitude with our principals. They are one of the many things that make the Bellevue School District a great place to learn and thrive.
Share an encouraging word with our principal,
Tara Gray!
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THE BELLEVUE PTSA COUNCIL INVITES YOU TO THE 2018 ELECTIONS CANDIDATE FORUMS WITH REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE 41ST AND 48TH DISTRICTS
Monday, October 15, noon-1:00 PM and 6:30-7:30 PM in the Rainier Room of the Wilburton Instructional Service Center—12241 Main Street, Bellevue 98005
Come hear about education topics such as funding, advance learning, social emotional learning, closing the gap, and so much more.
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MEMBERSHIP CREATES COMMUNITY -- JOIN US AND SAVE!
Thank you to all the 375+ parents and teachers that have joined or renewed your ISPTSA membership. Our goal is 585 members and we are 60% there, so
join now!
Membership cards had been emailed to PTSA members but PT Avenue, our WA state PTA database, had some technical glitches so we will be resending all the membership cards again this next week. If you have not received your membership card, please first check your junk mail. The email is from Ching Guo Bellevue International School PTSA President - Bellevue International School <PTAvenueEmailSender@pt-avenue.com>. If you still have not found it, please email Sharon Chen at
membership@isptsa.org.
Would your teen like to go to
Fright Fest at Wild Waves? Make sure you use your membership discount. Planning to rent a car over holiday break? Remember to use your membership discount with
Avis or Hertz.
Washington State PTA members can save money through member benefit providers. WSPTA collaborates with businesses and associations that support WSPTA's mission and vision. As part of that relationship, these organizations offer PTA members special discounts. Avis, Hertz, Fed Ex, Great Wolf Lodge are just some of the organizations offering great discounts. Member benefits are offered to all WSPTA members. Be sure to have your electronic member card available when taking advantage of benefits and discounts.
To take advantage of these discounts, click
here. Login using the username and password found in the welcome email to which your membership card was attached.
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TLDR? (TOO LONG; DIDN'T READ)
Day-before reminder texts for events. Sign up
here
and provide your
phone number
to receive texts.
Concerned about privacy? Click
here
.
Questions? Contact
Li Wu
.
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REMINDER FROM SCHOOL OFFICE
International School is a
closed campus
. We do this for your student’s protection. We ask that all visitors, including parents, sign in at the office and wear a visitor’s badge, between 8:15 AM and 3:15 PM on school days.
Thank you very much for helping us!
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ATTENTION: 9TH-GRADE PARENTS!
All 9th grade chemistry students had a lesson in
Naviance and
x2Vol last Thursday. Students’ homework is to update their parents’ email addresses to ensure receipt of communication sent from the Counseling Office via Naviance. Please help your students keep you in the know! 9th graders not in chemistry may contact
Jill Follett or
Melinda Breeze for assistance. An email will be sent to you later this week.
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INTEREST MEETING FOR STUDENTS SEEKING MICROSOFT OFFICE CERTIFICATIONS
Thursday October 18, During Tutorial, Room 213
Jess Albrecht,
Technical Specialist, is
hosting an introduction and interest meeting for students seeking certifications for Microsoft Office programs that qualify them for college credit. All students are welcome to take the certification tests but only high school students can receive college credit.
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MUSIC DEPARTMENT DISNEYLAND TRIP INFO NIGHT
Tuesday, October 30, 7:00 PM
IS band room
The IS Music Department is very excited to continue our every other year tradition of taking groups to Disneyland for the Magic Music Days during Focus Week. This is a combined trip with high school students from Band, Choir and Orchestra.
The performances and workshops on this trip are fantastic experiences for the students!
Please attend the information meeting -- Donna Kehle from Lake City Travel will be present to answer questions in addition to the music directors, Anna Silarski, Joanne Whang and Andy Rubesch.
Note that the travel dates are Wednesday, May 22 to Saturday, May 25 2019. See
packet for more information.
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WASHINGTON DC FOCUS WEEK STUDENT INTEREST MEETING
Tuesday, October 16, During Lunch, Room 107
Does your student like history? Does your student like to travel? If so, your student can join Elysia Galvan and Joe Kheriaty for a wonderful experience to the east coast! This trip is open to 7th, 8th, and 9th graders. At the meeting, students will receive information regarding cost and the trip itself. The trip's hosts promise that this is an event your student won’t want to miss out on!
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VETERAN'S DAY ASSEMBLY
The International School will be celebrating Veteran’s Day with our annual assembly on
Wednesday November 7, 2018 from 9:30am – 10:30am. 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
We would be honored to host you and your veteran or active duty member in person during the assembly. In your e-mail, please also provide the following information:
- Will you be attending?
- If so, how many?
- Do you need any assistance/accommodation as our gym is located below the main level?
Finally, if your student is a scout member or would simply like to participate in the planning of the assembly, please contact me as well.
Please submit your scanned photos, information, and interest by
Friday November 2nd to Arty Christianto at
christiantoa@bsd405.org.
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TRAFFIC UPDATES
from Andrea Olsen, our Attendance Specialist
The construction project around our school is still on track to be completed by mid-November. According to the schedule, it is anticipated that the roadway will be coned down to one lane for curb and gutter construction over the next 3-5 days south of SE 4th.
To help the flow of traffic during this phase, we ask that you continue to access the school from the
south coming from the Lake Hills Connector. In order to ease congestion as cars exit the parking lot, drivers will be permitted to
turn right (not left) during the peak times. Thanks to your feedback the city has made these changes! You can expect to see this traffic configuration during these times:
Morning: 7:30-8:30 AM (M-F)
Afternoon: 3:00-4:00 PM (M, T, TH, F)
Wednesday: 1:30-2:30 PM
Also, please help us ensure student safety during drop-off/pick-up by:
- asking your student exit the car near the far student entrance (past the office main doors). This allows more cars to have access to a longer strip of drop-off curbside.
- refraining from blocking or stopping the flow of traffic to drop-off at the street entrance. We’ve observed an uptick in this over the past several weeks.
- considering making an adjustment to your departure time to allow for extra traffic and wait times
- considering carpooling to reduce traffic volume if possible.
For any attendance related questions, contact
Andrea.
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REFRESH YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF SCHOOL BUS LAWS
Improve student safety and avoid fines --
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.
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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.
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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
.
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PAPERLESS REPORT CARDS
Currently a paper copy of each of your student's report card is mailed to you four times every school year. Other BSD high schools have a good percentage of their school going paperless. Let’s make our community “Go Green” too!
On your computer or tablet, choose the My Account tab, under Auto Notify section click on the "go paperless" statement.
Please note:
both parents or guardians that live at the same address will have to opt out for the system to not generate a paper report card to that address.
Questions? Contact BSD Technology department
here.
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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!
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STUDENT NEWS & COMMUNITY EVENTS
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BELLEVUE SCHOOLS FOUNDATION SPARK!
Friday, October 19, 7:00-10:00 PM,
Resonance at SOMA Towers
Check out Spark! and help raise
funds to support Bellevue Schools Foundation's Arts, Enrichment, and Innovation grants.
Come for an evening of fun, great food from Saffron Grill, Bollywood dancing, a wine pull, and a raise-the-paddle auction event. For more information or to purchase tickets for this event, click
here.
Questions? Contact International School BSF Ambassador
Amy Frei.
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TEACHING & LEARNING FAMILY NIGHTS
BSD Teaching & Learning team is hosting four events from 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. at the following locations and dates:
- Chinook Middle School – Monday, Oct. 15
- Sammamish High School – Wednesday, Oct. 17
- Odle Middle School – Monday, Oct. 22
- Tyee Middle School – Wednesday, Oct. 24
These events are designed to support families who have students in middle and/or high school, however all families are welcome to attend. There will be a general Welcome Session and breakout sessions including:
- Digital Application: Class Policy, OneNote, and Synergy
- Digital Literacy and Citizenship: King County Library and Common Sense Media
- Digital Content: Discovery Math
Feel free to attend any of the events. More info
here.
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CONGRESSIONAL AWARD GOLD MEDALISTS!
Congratulations to International School’s
Emily Mather and
Christina Joo who each received the Congressional Award Gold Medal in Washington, D.C. in June.
According to the Congressional Award website, the award honors, “over 440 of America’s most deserving youth who have dedicated years of goal-setting and determination to earn Congress’ highest honor.”
The program recognizes, “initiative, service, and achievement in young people,” and the Gold Medal is the highest award that can be earned through the program. Participants challenge themselves through setting and meeting goals in four program areas: voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition/exploration.
Learn more about the Congressional Award
here.
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A HIGH SCHOOL PARENT'S GUIDE TO STUDENT SUCCESS IN COLLEGE & BEYOND
On Wednesday, Nov. 7th, from 6:00-7:30pm, KCLS Lake Hills will be hosting a talk for parents of college-bound high school parents. There will be a one-hour presentation, followed by Q&A.
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STUDENT SPORTS & OPPORTUNITIES
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SENIOR PROJECT COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITY
Sarah-Anne Bedrosian, a senior at International, has
a great volunteer opportunity for students in
need of community service hours. F
or her senior project this year, she's assisting with the coordination of a dinner on
the last Saturday of every month that serves the homeless
. Volunteering with her is an
easy
way for students to get
3-4 community service hours
once a month
. Also, volunteers get to eat at the dinner for free!
Volunteers will do one of three jobs:
- Table host: Sit with guests, serve them refreshments, talk, and eat dinner with them.
- Dishwasher: Eat dinner, then wash dishes and help clean up kitchen afterward.
- Greeter: Greet people at the door, help guests find a seat, eat dinner, and clean up afterward.
Volunteer dates so far are Saturday, October 27 &
Saturday, November 24,
5:00-8:00 PM at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Kirkland.
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SAT/ACT PRACTICE TESTS AT BELLEVUE HIGH SCHOOL
Saturday, November 10, 8:30 AM-1:15 PM (exam starts at 9:00 AM)
Princeton Review is offering full practice tests for either SAT or ACT to all Bellevue School District Students in grades 8-12. The test fee is $35.
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WEDNESDAY SNOW SPORTS PROGRAM 2019
The 2019 Wednesday Snow Sports Program starts
Wednesday, January 9, 2019 at Summit Central Ski Area and continues for six or eight consecutive weeks—skipping February 20 and finishing on either February 13 or March 6, unless weather forces postponement. If a cancellation occurs, the program is
automatically extended for the number of trips missed.
The bus loads in the International School parking lot at 1:45 PM and returns at approximately 7:45 PM. Adult chaperones are present on the bus. Classes begin at 3:00 PM and are 2 hours long.
Lessons are taught by
Snow Sports Consulting Service,
with thirty five years of teaching experience in the greater Seattle area.
Registration is limited to the first 35 applicants.
Registration deadline is Tuesday November 20, 2018.
Click
here for registration form.
This program is not sponsored or affiliated in any way with the International School.
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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!
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BASEBALL INFO MEETING
Who: All parents and students interested in playing baseball this spring for Bellevue High School
Date: Wednesday November 14th, 2018
Time: 7pm-9pm
Location: Bellevue High School Library
This meeting is run by the Bellevue Baseball Booster Club and is intended on providing an introduction to the upcoming baseball season. Come meet the coach and other players and parents.
We will share information about pre-season training, a rough calendar of events, and answer questions.
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MASTHEAD / DIRECTORY / LINKS
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President
Ching Guo
Secretary
Zena Heywood
Treasurer 1
Beverly Ni
Treasurer 2
Nancy Chung
VP of Communications
Li Wu
VPs of Community
Liying Tan & Qiong Chen
VP of Fundraising
Dori Kelleran
VP of Outreach
Meribeth Nordloef-Pedersen
Membership
Sharon Chen
Advocacy
OPEN
Monday Messenger
Julie Molinari
Website
Sylvia Abrahamsson
IS Staff Liaison
Taylor Tillotson
PTSA
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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ISPTSA TUMBLER
Support your school community and the environment by buying an ISPTSA Tumbler
These great-looking 14-oz dual-wall insulated stainless-steel tumblers have a swivel lid with drink-thru opening and a plastic-ring seal to stave off spills. With the ISPTSA logo, it will keep your drink hot or cold while you look cool handling the morning commute or afternoon pickup, and your purchase will benefit the International School PTSA!
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MONDAY MESSENGER
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
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- 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.
- If you need to link to a registration form, send us either the address of the link or a pdf copy of the form.
- For the Help Wanted section, feel free to also contact the ISPTSA to ask for support.
- Note: you will receive an automatic confirmation email response once you submit material to the Monday Messenger.
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International School PTSA
445 128th Ave. SE
Bellevue, WA 98005
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