CONGRATS, IS GRADS!
Congratulations to the Class of 2021 graduates of International School! We are so proud of you, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavors.
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UPCOMING DATES AND EVENTS |
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THIS WEEK
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Tuesday, 6/22 • Last Day of 2020–21 School Year
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Tuesday, 6/22 • IS Monday Messenger Newsletter Breaks for Summer
LOOKING AHEAD:
* More information included in message below
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MM BREAKS FOR THE SUMMER
This is our last issue of the Monday Messenger this 2020-2021 school year before we break for the summer. We will be in touch again in August. In the meantime, IS Community, we wish you a healthy and wonderful summer vacation!
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MEMBERSHIP CHAIR VOLUNTEER
Membership at ISPTSA is awesome, and our school is the only high school in the state to reach 100% (100% means every student is supported by a member). ISPTSA is a tight community of parents, guardians, teachers and staff all supporting our students. This year's membership chair, Meribeth, will be serving in a PTSA board position next year, so we need a new membership chair. This position is responsible for encouraging membership in PTSA and recording membership data in MemberPlanet. Typically, communication for membership is done through the Monday Messenger newsletter, Facebook posts and in-person grade level parent events. Pulling together a committee makes this an easier job, and a group of friends makes a great committee too. This position takes about 10–15 hours a month to do. Training is provided. Sign up now, and have the summer to plan your strategy before school begins.
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2021–2022 PTSA EXECUTIVE BOARD
These positions are still OPEN for the 2021–2022 school year:
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Co-VP of Communications—This position oversees communication with our community and updates the board on our online presence from the chairs from these commitees (Facebook, Monday Messenger, website, DirectorySpot).
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Co-VP of Fundraising— This position oversees and plans the fundraising efforts; The fall fundraising drive (main focus is getting information into MM weekly, keeping track of donations, the spring fundraiser (usually an auction) and the library book fair (run by a separate committee). This position does not have to be the auction chair.
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Co-VP of Outreach—This position has one candidate looking for an additional candidate. This position oversees the Membership chair, Reflections chair, WASPTA Game Competition, Volunteer Coordinator, Advocacy Chair, BSF Ambassador, PTSA Council Liaison, ISPTSA Student Scholarship
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2022 GRADUATION VOLUNTEER ASK
2022 PARENTS, it is IS tradition that senior parents plan all of the graduation events, and we could really use your help! Please sign up HERE to see what jobs are available for next year’s festivities. It may seem like a long ways off, but it’ll be here before we know it. There is a lot to do throughout the year, and if you sign up now, you can job shadow to make things easier next spring. Together we can bring back the best IS graduation traditions, and add in some new favorites too.
Please contact Candice Soderquist, Jennifer LaMoria and Katie Artz from the 2022 Grad Committee for more information at kirkandcandice@comcast.net.
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2021–2022 REFLECTIONS
Hey, Artists! The 2021–2022 Reflections theme is "I Will Change the World By…" This is a great opportunity to work on your art this summer for submittal in late November. Students submit their completed works of art in one or all of the available arts categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography and Visual Arts.
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LAPTOP UPDATES FOR THE END OF 2020–2021 SCHOOL YEAR
Good news! All current BSD K–11 students will be able to keep their district devices this summer. This ensures every student can continue to learn, connect, innovate, communicate, collaborate and more.
Reminders for using student devices over the summer:
- The terms of the Technology Responsible Use Pledge still apply.
- Students are responsible for the care of their device.
- Devices will still have their web traffic filtered.
- Students are responsible for bringing their device back on the first day of school in good working condition and charged.
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SECOND SEMESTER GRADES
Second semester ends THIS Tuesday, June 22, and students/families have some grading options to consider. Students have been in hybrid/virtual learning since the start of the year, and for many this instructional model has impacted their academic achievement. Given the range of circumstances, Bellevue School District is providing students in high school credited courses with the option to convert B, C or D letter grades to a P for Pass for 2nd semester. The “P” grade will earn credit, but will not be calculated in the GPA.
Teachers will survey students with a “B” or “C” grade if they wish to accept a “P” instead. All “D” grades will automatically be converted to “P” grades. Students are encouraged to look through the Grade Change Considerations document: English | Español | 简体中文
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SUMMER MEAL KITS AVAILABLE THURSDAYS, BEGINNING JULY 1
Preorder To provide continued food support for children in our community, Nutrition Services will offer families a five-day meal kit to be picked up one day per week throughout the summer. The kit will contain five breakfast entrees, five lunch entrees, fruits, vegetables and milk for each child.
To ensure enough kits are prepared each week, meal kits will be available through a pre-order system. The preorder form will open at 8 PM THIS Thursday, June 24, and close at 8 AM Monday, June 28 for the July 1 pick up. For future weeks, the pre-order form will follow the same pattern of opening at 8 PM on Thursday, and closing at 8 AM on Monday for that Thursday pick up. The pre-order form can be found on the Meals2Go webpage beginning THIS Thursday, June 22.
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REMINDER: CHECK STUDENT FEES AND FINES
Be sure to check your student account for fees or fines that need to be taken care of. Click here to visit Touchbase, our district's online payment site, to access your account and make payments. Need help with Touchbase? Contact posalerts@bsd405.org.
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SENIOR GRADUATION
The Senior Graduation consists of a series of traditional events that occurs each year at International School. There are three major events; the Senior Celebration (formerly Baccalaureate) , Commencement on Friday, June 18, and after graduation party with a morning sunrise watching.
Due to Statewide and BSD COVID-19 restrictions, planning for the 2021 Senior Graduation was challenging from the start and changed almost weekly. As the vaccine became more widely available, restrictions eased, and the changes in plans went right up to the last minute as the committees were discussing new venues. It all came together, and we were able to provide an event that celebrates the uniqueness of each student, showcasing their talents and making a memorable ending to their senior year.
The amount of work put into these events is tremendous with planning that started in the spring of the previous year. With 74 seniors graduating, we had almost enough volunteers to equal more than 30% of our senior class. A large undertaking it was, but done with pleasure. Thank you to all those who contributed to the success of this event!
Co-Chairs leading the Senior Graduation were Sylvia Abrahamsson and Renuka Getchell. Treasurer, Linda Lee. Fundraising/Flower Committee, Petra Sixl. Underclass Volunteer Coordinator Susan Kim and Meary Ky. Senior/Staff Social Ericka Marini and Andrea Wohlan. Senior Celebration Sylvia Abrahamsson, Renuka Getchell, Lori Hunt, Dori Kelleran and Li Wu. Commencement Linda Hildreth. Appreciations and Gratitude Renuka Getchell. Grad Night Party Lori Hunt and Meribeth Nordloef-Pedersen. Additional Volunteers (not in any order): Xiaozhen Li, Sheila Ferry, Galen Hunt, Daniel Kihanya, Jill Follett, Kishore Karanam, Allen Zhang, Linda Parrish, Katie Moran, Natalya Shestakova, Jennifer Wasierski, Laura Baumgartner, Alison Parish, Linda Teh, Qiong Chen, Judy Soong, Kerry Hill, Marrene Franich, Dena Voth, Thuy Shimizu, Kayoko Price, Haydeh Sharifi, Shaimaa Aly and Joanie Chang
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IS BAND AND ORCHESTRA END OF YEAR CONCERTS
Typically in June, the band and orchestra have concerts that finish up the year and highlight the seniors' last concert. This year, the concerts were done virtually, and very impressive they were! Andy Rubesch, Band Director, and Anna Silarski, Orchestra Director, provided the virtual performance videos for the End of Year Concert. These videos combine the students' individually recorded performances using the UpBeat app. Andy and Anna combined these recordings into one musical piece. Senior Band awards are traditionally presented at our year end concert and are included in this concert presentation.
Congratulations to the following award recipients!
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Grace Baumgartner—Director's Award for Band
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Jacob Kelleran—Louis Armstrong Jazz Award
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Jonathan Mio—John Philip Sousa Award
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Jonathan Whang—Orchestral Award
Here is the link to the band presentation:
Enter your guest password: ISBand2021
Here is the link to the orchestra presentation provided by Anna Silarski, Orchestra Director, combining Hybrid A and B houses:
Enter your guest password: ISOrchestra
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WHAT TO READ DURING SUMMER BREAK?
Our digital library, with more than 500 popular and freshly published eBooks & audiobooks, is open 24/7 all summer long. You can check out your favorite titles at any time.
If you need any assistance, feel free to contact Ms. Dang at dangt@bsd405.org, or send a message through Teams.
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
Secondary In-Person Students
THIS Monday, June 21, will be a regular in-person half day for students in House A. Students in House A will go to all 7 periods on Monday during this half day schedule. THIS Tuesday, June 22, will be a regular in-person half day for House B students. Students in House B will go to all 7 periods on Tuesday during this half day schedule. Transportation will run on the typical schedule for the last two days of school and the regular grab-and-go lunches will be provided.
Secondary Virtual Students
Secondary virtual students will continue to align with the House A and B schedules on the last two days of school.
For questions, contact BSD at pubinfo@bsd405.org or contact our IS Office at 425-456-6500.
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AP EXAMS
- Scores for Admin 1 & 2 available beginning July 21
- Scores for Admin 3 & 4 available beginning August 16
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STUDENT NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES |
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INSPIRED HACKS
Register by THIS Thursday, June 24
With the constant innovation of technology, coding has become a foundation to many of today’s exciting careers as well as being a way to invent tools beneficial to communities around the world. Mission InspirEd is hosting a virtual hackathon to address the theme: Empowering Communities through Education!
InspirEd Hacks is a nationwide initiative organized by the student-for-student nonprofit, Mission InspirEd, challenging students ages 12-18 to synthesize their creativity and coding experience into a product beneficial to the educational community. The competition will span from June 25 through June 27. Students can work in a team of 1-4 people to create a coding project that showcases their creativity and skills with the chance to win a prize of $1000.
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BHS WOLVERINE GUARD PROGRAM 2021-2022
Congratulations, 8th graders, on your graduation from middle school! This announcement is for those students who will be attending Bellevue High in the fall.
The BHS Wolverine Guard (WG) program recognizes students who perform 100 or more hours of community service for the period from May 1st to April 30th of each year. Students who report their approved hours will earn a WG certificate. Students who earn WG for two years during their high school careers can choose to receive an honor cord at graduation. Students who earn WG for all four years of high school will be honored with special recognition.
Summer vacation is a great time to volunteer because schedules are lighter and many charitable organizations need extra help to run their summer programs. To learn about the guidelines, rules and required forms for the WG award, please go to the BHS PTSA website, and look under BHS PTSA Programs. The documentation for the 2021-2022 school year is currently being updated. Keep checking back.
Please note: The BHS PTSA WG program is separate from the Bellevue School District's volunteer hours requirement for graduation. However, hours that are earned to meet graduation requirements may also be used to meet WG requirements. WG hours are submitted at wolverineguard@bellevuehighptsa.com, and BSD hours are submitted via Naviance/x2Vol.
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LOCAL POP-UP COVID-19 VACCINE CLINICS
As part of a county effort to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to more people, a Bellevue Fire Department mobile vaccination team is opening pop-up clinics at busy locations in Bellevue and neighboring cities that pay the department for services. Pop-ups are open for walk-ups. Moderna first or second shots and Johnson & Johnson shots are available for everyone 18 and older. Children aged 12 and older can receive Pfizer first or second shots.
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BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION—
EASY FUNDS FOR OUR SCHOOL
Remember diligently clipping and collecting Box Top Stamps from soup cans, cereal boxes and other groceries? These stamps were mailed in to receive money for our PTSA. The Box Tops program hasn't ended, but it's now improved and easier than ever. With the new Box Top for Education app, you scan grocery or office supply store receipts, and any qualifying products will be instantly credited to our school. Scan your receipt and earn for school, it's quick and adds up fast!
Download the Box Tops for Education app from Apple Store or Google Play on your phone, and select International School (easier to search by zip code, 98005) as your school. Visit Box Tops for Education for more information. Any questions, email vpfundraising@isptsa.org.
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SUPPORT ISPTSA WITH YOUR AMAZON PURCHASES
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FEATURED SPIRIT WEAR: INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL CHAMPION FLEECE HOODIE
Throw on this Champion IS hoodie on a breezy evening by the lake. These hoodies are a comfortable year-round essential in any wardrobe.
- Front pouch pockets with bartacks for durability
- Two-ply hood with matching drawstrings
- Quality double-needle stitching
- 9 oz. 50% cotton/50% polyester
All orders are available for delivery or for free pickup from Winner's Sportswear in Bellevue. Proceeds benefit ISPTSA. Email Melissa at sam_mel@yahoo.com with questions.
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MASTHEAD / DIRECTORY / LINKS |
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President
Secretary
Treasurer 1
Treasurer 2
VP of Communications
OPEN
VP of Community
VP of Fundraising
OPEN
VPs of Outreach
Membership
Grants
Advocacy
Monday Messenger
Website
IS Staff Liaison
Marrene Franich & Wesley Hung
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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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, PO Box 221, Bellevue WA 98009
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If you were forwarded this ISPTSA Monday Messenger email and you would like to receive it regularly, subscribe here!
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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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MONDAY MESSENGER
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
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Please submit articles by THURSDAY at 5:00 PM to news@isptsa.org.
- Please include contact information for questions from readers.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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International School PTSA
P.O. Box 221
Bellevue, WA 98009-0221
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