MONDAY MESSENGER

September 16, 2019

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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.

PTSA NEWS

RAISE THE TORCH FOR ANNUAL IS RETREATS WITH A DONATION TO THE FALL FUNDRAISER! 

 

Did your student attend the 6th Grade or High School Retreat? What great opportunities for memories, bonds, and friendships to be created and strengthened. Did you know that each year an ISPTSA grant subsidizes the expenses of these long-standing traditions at IS to minimize the cost for all families, pay for faculty to attend, and enrich the experience through customized activities throughout? Again, this year, nearly $10,000 has been granted to the school to help cover those costs. School just started, and the ISPTSA is already putting your generous donations to work.  

The annual retreats are just one example of how your donation to the ISPTSA comes to life through meaningful student experiences at IS! All donations you give to the Fall Fundraiser today are tax-deductible, and 100% goes back to the IS community. To see a more robust list, please check out What Your Donation Supports.

 

We invite all families to participate in this campaign, because your contribution—no matter the amount—makes a difference!  We ALL benefit from the community, academic excellence, and reputation our students were fortunate to join. This is our chance to give back and benefit from that legacy.  

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 this donation form and mail it back to the ISPTSA. 

 

Questions?  Please contact  [email protected] .  

Thanks for your consideration! 

Go Titans!

JOIN OUR SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY WITH PTSA MEMBERSHIP

Thank you to the over 300 parents and guardians who have either become members or renewed their memberships for 2019-2020 school year—WOW! We are over 50% of the way to our goal of full school membership—586 PTSA members. Check out our roster of supportive members.  

Dual membership of two adults of $35 supports two students. Single membership of one adult of $20 supports one student. Membership scholarships are easily available. 

We want you to be a part of our community!



You can become a member online by clicking here , or you can stop by our membership table in the next three 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].

DISCOUNT ON SAT TEST PREP FOR IS STUDENTS—SPONSORED BY ISPTSA

There's a short registration deadline, so hurry. You don’t want to miss out on this discounted event sponsored by your ISPTSA! (We're so excited to get you this HUGE discount!)

 

PrepNorthwest SAT Course: Prepping for the December 7 SAT Test

 

Registration

 

Payment

 

Questions

Check out FAQ page or contact either PrepNorthwest at  [email protected] / 425-825-0702, or International School Contact Renuka Getchell at  [email protected].  

HAVE YOU VERIFIED YOUR DATA?

BSD's Online Student Data Verification process for the 2019–20 school year has begun. 

The ISPTSA gets updated data from the district in early October. Please note that if you chose to be exempt from inclusion in directory listings, your data will not be included in the ISPTSA directory, DirectorySpot . 

Click here for info on how to verify your student(s) data.

GRADE 7 & 9 PARENTS & GUARDIANS—GRADE-LEVEL REPRESENTATIVES STILL NEEDED!

If you are interested in getting to know other parents from your child(ren)'s grade, this is a perfect volunteer opportunity! Grade-Level Representatives plan grade-level parent/guardian social events, organize parents to support staff appreciation, and act as another channel of information in support of ISPTSA.

A detailed list of the responsibilities for each grade level can be  found here.

Please  sign up here  , or contact   [email protected]   to apply!

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO JOINED US FOR THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TAILGATE EVENTS

It was wonderful to see so many of you—new and old friends. It's great to share our stories, exchange ideas, and just enjoy the conversations. Thank you for coming and making our events successful! We are looking forward to seeing you all again at future social events organized by parents and guardians throughout the school year.

2019–20 UPDATED BUS INFO

The updated BSD bus information for the 2019–20 school year should be here, but it's not (as of this mailing, BSD is still posting info for the last school year).

Here's a document with this year's bus info that you can use until the BSD site gets updated.

DON'T DRIVE EVERY DAY! HERE ARE SOME OTHER TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS:

CARPOOLING

We are looking for families who are interested in forming carpools with other IS families in their home area. If you are interested, contact Meribeth ( [email protected])  with “carpooling request” in the subject line. Please provide your name, your student(s) name(s), grade(s), and the area from which you would like to carpool. ISPTSA provides this as a service to families, and once we receive requests, we will forward information to interested parties.

We currently have families from Tam O’Shanter, Medina, Clyde Hill, Lake Hills, and afternoon sports transportation to BHS looking for carpool partners.

BUS

The BSD recently changed their bus policy to allow IS students to get an ORCA card if they live "outside of a one mile walking or riding distance from their school.” Does your student travel to or from school by car when he or she could take a bus? Have your student stop by the office to pick up an ORCA card today.

NEW TO INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL TECH INFO NIGHT

Thursday, October 3, 5:30–6:30 PM in the Library

 

Please bring your student(s) and their laptop(s) to learn about the technology used at IS.

 

Note : If your student can’t attend, please bring their school laptop, username, and password, so you can interact during the event!

DON'T BE LEFT WITHOUT A YEARBOOK!

Did you know that yearbooks need to be ordered now for delivery in June 2020? That's right. You definitely don't want June to arrive and then realize you never placed your order!

Orders are due by the end of September 2019 , and you will NOT be able to purchase a yearbook past this deadline— especially NOT in June 2020 !

Order NOW via BSD's online payment system!

It's your last chance!

ATTENTION: CLASS OF 2020!

Class of 2020, please submit the following by  Monday, September 23 :

If you would like to purchase a Grad Ad, please pay online. These are due  Monday, November 18 .

A document with all the details may be found here:  19-20 yearbook dates.

SCHOOL CLUBS!

Are you and your students curious about the clubs at International? Here's link to the school's club webpage . The clubs are run by students, and many are not organized and set up yet—new officers are being elected and decisions are being made—so this page will be updated for this new school year shortly.

If you see a club listed that you believe would be a good fit for your students, remind them to listen to announcements or suggest they go talk to the club advisor during tutorial to find out more.

BE IN THE KNOW!

Some communication is sent to students and parents via Naviance. High school parents: please ask your student to log into Naviance and add your email address to the contact info.

ATTENTION: JUNIORS AND SENIORS

60+ colleges have signed up to meet with you between September 16 and November 7 ! Please log into Naviance and register for up to 5 visits. 

Remember, you MUST sign up at least two days in advance and get permission from your teacher.

NOTES FROM THE IS SAFETY TEAM:

The International School hosted members of our district Safety Department for a 6–8th grade school safety assembly on Thursday, and a 9–12th grade safety assembly on Friday at High School Retreat. Our speakers were Nick Jacobson and Shane Williams—two of the district’s Emergency Management Program Coordinators.

The information Nick and Shane shared with students focused on teaching the mindset for decision-making during an emergency and empowering them as leaders to act. Students were taught the critical importance of stopping to assess the environment before making decisions about how to proceed safely in the event of any emergency. 

If you have questions about the assembly or would like to learn more about district-wide safety initiatives, please visit the Safety Department's website:  https://bsd405.org/departments/security/ . 

Nick and Shane also welcome questions and conversation from families. Please do not hesitate to reach out to them via email at  [email protected]  and  [email protected] .

STUDENT NEWS & COMMUNITY EVENTS

CAMP KINDNESS COUNTS FAMILY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

At Camp Kindness Counts, we empower and inspire kids to be the catalyst for positive change with their curiosity, courage, and kindness. Kids in our programs practice service learning, collaboration, mindfulness, building positive character virtues, and ultimately make a positive difference in themselves and those around them. 

Come join Camp Kindness Counts as we spread kindness and community-building throughout the year! We host a Family Community Service Day the first weekend of every month (alternating Saturday/Sunday). Our events range from family + community building, multicultural events, and community service projects. Check out our upcoming events and sign up here.

September Event:

Caring for Creatures! 

September 14, 10:00–11:30 AM

Pasado's Safe Haven 

10131 Woods Lake Road

Monroe, WA

Come join us in caring for the chickens who reside at the sanctuary by decorating their yards and providing them with extra enrichment! Help care for the incredible animals that deserve love, healing, and a second chance. 

​

Space is limited. All ages are welcome!

STUDENT SPORTS & OPPORTUNITIES

ULTIMATE FRISBEE

The boys Ultimate frisbee team lost to Lakeside High School, 12–7, on Tuesday, September 10.  The score was tight until Lakeside went on a run of four points to pull away. The game on Thursday, September, 12, had the team prevail over Mercer Island High School, 11–8, and both teams played with great spirit! We’re 1-1 on the season. 

 

Our next home game will be played Tuesday, September 17, 4:30 PM, against Eastside Catholic High School at North Robinswood Sports Field (150th Ave SE and SE 20th St). 

For more information on Bellevue's High School Ultimate Frisbee program, go to  http://bellevueultimate.org .

The co-ed team will form in November 2019 for the winter season, and the girls team will play in Spring 2020. We'll update everyone as we get closer! 

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OFFERS HOMEWORK ASSISTANCE AND MORE

Parents, are you looking for a safe after-school place for your students? The (non-profit) Bellevue Boys & Girls Club offers a daily after-school homework assistance program at their Lake Hills location— Club 6/7/8   for middle school students and   BE GREAT: Graduate  for high school students. Mentors/tutors are on site each day to work with students and stay in contact with their schools. The positive, supportive atmosphere helps students stay on track and succeed.

Students also have access to  The Club Teen Center . Staffed by professionals, The Club  offers programs in a state-of-the-art technology lab, audio recording studio, art room, teaching kitchen, and a bicycle repair/building lab.  The Club  space also has recreation available: a ping pong table, a pool table, a foosball table, a board games table, video games, and a sport court for basketball, volleyball, and badminton. For teens who want to get involved in leadership,  The Keystone Advisory  provides guidance and opportunities.

All Boys & Girls Club programs are free, and transportation is provided from school. Snacks are available every day, and a Teen Feed dinner is offered every Thursday. 

For more information, please visit the  Boys and Girls Club website  , or call: 425-429-3203.

NEWPORT GIRLS SELECT BASKETBALL

Does your athlete love competitive basketball? The Newport Girls Select Basketball program exists to promote the development of girl basketball players for high school play. We emphasize dedication to basketball, superior coaching, and topflight competition as a means of honoring each girl's individual and team playing skills. 

Our coaches strive to develop each player through teaching the fundamentals and skills of the game, while also providing a team-first system for players to develop within. 

Tryouts for all teams (4th–8th grade) are Tuesday, September 17, and Wednesday, September 18. We highly encourage athletes to attend both days, if possible. We will consider competitive 3rd-grade girls as well. 

Please visit our website to learn more about the program and register for tryouts today! No cost to tryout. Looking forward to seeing you out on the court!