Click here to view the District 2022–2023 calendar for families.

*More information in the message below

It is not too late to join us! The 2023-2024 Board is still looking for a Co-VP of Community and a Co-Secretary.

A Co position means you will work with someone else, not by yourself. If you are worried about not knowing something, don't be, because many of the current board members are returning and you will not be alone. International has a very strong, involved PTSA and we would love to have you join us in supporting our children, our teachers, and our school. Meet new people, make new friends, and discover what is happening at our school and in our district. Join the 2023-2024 International School PTSA Board and be an active participant in shaping our community!

Co-Presidents: Emilie Castle & Qiong Chen

Treasurer 1: Amanda Johnson

Treasurer 2: Fenghua Shen

Secretary: Judy Cam

VP of Communications: Jennifer Li

VP of Community: Maggie Lo

Co-VPs of Fundraising: Phil Bloch & Gang Chen

VP of Outreach: Melissa Richardson

Position descriptions can be found here and here. If you are interested in Co-VP of Community or Co-Secretary please send nominations to nominations@isptsa.org. You can self-nominate or nominate someone you believe in! Questions? Contact the Nominations Committee.

The ISPTSA General Meeting will be Thursday, June 1, 6:30–8:30 PM. Please join us for the final general meeting of the year and a free catered dinner. We will be voting on next year's slate of board members and budget, plus more! Please save the date and plan to be there to help us make some very important decisions and to eat some good food.

Questions? Contact President@isptsa.org.

These are some of our past Golden Acorn recipients, nominated by parents, teachers, and friends. Do you know someone who works for the success of our IS students and community? Golden Acorn is a high honor awarded annually by the ISPTSA since 1994 to a school or community volunteer in recognition of their dedication and service to children and youth. Please take a moment to nominate a parent or teacher for this award by sending an email to golden-acorn-nomination@isptsa.org.

The committee will be accepting nominations until Wednesday, May 24. Questions? Email the Golden Acorn Committee. 

The 2023 Washington State PTA Spring Conference Award Ceremony took place on Sunday, May 7. The ISPTSA won three awards: 100% Membership, 100% Staff Membership, and a Bronze Outstanding Newsletter. We want to thank Honglian Gao, Meribeth Nordloef-Pedersen, and Stephen Miller for all their hard work on membership drives. We would also like to thank all of our PTSA members for supporting us and our school by joining! Questions? Email ISPTSA.

We are thrilled to express our heartfelt appreciation for the fantastic support you provided during our Staff Appreciation Week! Thanks to the incredible generosity of our IS parents, we were able to collect a significant number of gift cards that we will be distributing to our staff members. Your support for this initiative is deeply appreciated and will go a long way in showing our staff members how much we value and appreciate them. Questions? Contact Anna Luan, Staff Appreciation Chair.

The ISPTSA reserved a block of tickets for IS students and families to attend a Mariners game and watch our wonderful Middle School Choir sing the National Anthem. They were amazing! Fun was had by all, especially when multiple IS families ended up on the Jumbotron! Questions? Email ISPTSA.

The Bellevue PTSA Council is hosting an internet safety workshop for grades 4-7 on Tuesday, May 30th at 6:30 pm at International School. Topics covered include creating safe passwords, watching out for Internet hoaxes, dealing with cyber bullying and more. Sign up here for this FREE event. Questions? Email Emilie Castle.

This year's Reflection Finalists and the 2023 WSPTA Student Program Winners were honored virtually on April 26 and April 27. You can view recordings of both events and check out all of the winners here. International had some winners in the game competition, so be sure to check it out! Questions? Email support@wastatepta.org.

Hi everyone! It’s AAPI Heritage Month in which we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage. The month commemorates the resilience and legacy, traditions, and culture of Asians, Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders across the United States. To celebrate at IS, our SOAR (Students Organized Against Racism) team came up with a fun and interactive way to share and learn about AAPI traditions and recipes. Come join our celebration virtually through Padlet! Here is the link to a Padlet, in which you can add your own traditional family recipes, or even just scroll through and try some of them for yourself! Thank you! Questions? Contact Arty Christianto.

CLASS OF 2023 ALL-NIGHT GRAD PARTY – TICKETS ON SALE NOW

The party is funded through ticket sales and fundraisers by the Class of 2023 Parent Graduation Committee. Tickets cost $275 per student, and scholarships are available! Contact Colleen Courtney at courtneyn@bsd405.org. All information is confidential. Don't miss out - ticket sales end June 1!

New this year: each senior will receive a beautiful hydrangea to decorate the stage at Senior Celebration and Graduation, then take home to plant. Questions? Email Patti McKnight.

Congratulations to all students who participated in Le Grand Concours (French Contest) on March 15. The results are in! International School is proud to announce that several of our students have ranked in the highest scores and received an award this year!

All students who took part in the contest, regardless of score, will receive a printed certificate of participation. Thank you to all and félicitations! Questions? Contact Gwen Geslin.

The city of Bellevue is looking for youth candidates (high schoolers) to participate in the Bellevue Youth Link Board. Applications are due TODAY, Monday, May 15.

This is a great advocacy opportunity for our students! The Youth Link Board promotes diversity, unity, and equity for high school youth in Bellevue. Current board work focuses on priorities such as youth mental health, transitional support, youth financial education and employment equity, environmental sustainability, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. More information can be found here. Questions? Email palina@bellevuewa.gov.

SPLASHFORWARD HIGH SCHOOL LIFEGUARD TRAINING

Would you like to learn a skill that could save lives for FREE?

Our region is in short supply of lifeguards. SPLASHForward is sponsoring lifeguard training for high school students. We cover the cost of your certification (a $250 value) and provide you with resources to find a job. If you are unsure of your swim skills, we are happy to work with you so you can practice or acquire the skills. You can specify this when you sign up. You must be 15yrs old by the last day of the lifeguard training course. Sign up is on a first come first serve basis. Find out more here. Questions? Email info@splashforward.org.

BHS DANCE TEAM 2023–2024 TRYOUTS

May 30 and June 1 at 4–7 PM

Come join the BHS Dance Team! No experience is needed. Open to all current 8th-11th graders zoned for Bellevue High School.

Who: 5th-8th grade students

When: Saturday, June 17, 8:30 AM – 2:30 PM

Where: Odle Middle School

Buzz Bowl--a cool Jeopardy-style buzzer game to make learning science and math fun for 5th-8th graders. Buzz Bowl is ideal for all 5th-8th graders interested in learning science and math. We welcome beginners, science whizzes, and everyone in between. Teams will compete based on the kids' level of knowledge. Beginners will not be competing against science whizzes! You can only reserve seats as a team of 3 to 4 students. To reserve seats, go to https://goo.gl/WqSJML.

Proceeds from the event go to Bellevue Schools Foundation. Questions? Email Kosha.

Questions? Contact Irene Endow.

Questions? Email Nicole Barber.

SPECIAL EDUCATION FAMILY RESOURCE SESSION: SENSORY PROCESSING – STRATEGIES FOR HOME & SCHOOL

RSVP: To attend in-person, you MUST RSVP to this event here.

Please join us in this family-focused session where attendees will learn about sensory processing strategies both at home & at school. Our sensory systems are vital in taking in and processing all the information about the world around us. Find out more info here. Questions? Contact specialedfamilyres@bsd405.org.

The Bellevue School District is currently conducting a research study to learn from the reflections, insights, and experiences of our recent graduates. Find out more info here. Questions? Contact BSD.

The Bellevue School Board of Directors is made up of five community members, one from each geographic region of the district. Districts 1,2 and 4 are open for election in 2023.

Candidates who are interested in running for a school board position must file a Declaration of Candidacy with the King County Elections office during the filing period. The filing period this year is TODAY, May 15 through June 2. There is no filing fee for school board positions. For step-by-step instructions, please refer to King County’s Candidate Manual. Qualifications and additional resources can be found on the district’s Become a Board Member webpage.

Questions? Contact pubinfo@bsd405.org.

Come explore vehicles while interacting with community helpers to discover how they keep our city safe, clean, and FUN-ctioning!! The event is free. Food trucks, bouncy houses, balloon artists, and face painting will be available for the kids! Find out more info here. Questions? Call (425) 295-0500.

The program will include helmet fittings, helmet giveaways, a bicycle skills course and bicycle safety checks. To participate, please fill out and bring the completed waiver form found here. Find out more info here.

If you'd like to volunteer at this event or have any questions, please contact us at KentBikeRodeo@gmail.com. 

Explore Bellevue's hidden treasures and award-winning parks by bike in the 10th annual Lake to Lake Bike Ride, presented by the City of Bellevue, Crossroads Bellevue, and Overlake Medical Center & Clinics.

The non-competitive ride, utilizes low-traffic roads, bike lanes, and part of the Lake to Lake trail (non-technical gravel) and traverses much of the city. Find out more info and register here. Questions? Contact BikeRide@bellevuewa.gov.

Want to participate in theatre this summer? The Bellevue Youth Theatre provides inclusive recreational programs for youth ages 5-19, with a focus on teen participants. Persons with disabilities, families, and older adults are encouraged to participate. The emphasis of the theatre is to build self-esteem, teamwork, and confidence in youth while performing in a supportive environment. Find out more info about the program and auditions here. Questions? Email BYT@bellevuewa.gov.

More info here. Questions? Email nbells@bellevuewa.gov.

More info here. Questions? Contact Courtney Tucker.

Check out our wide variety of International School spiritwear! Hoodies, T-shirts, bags, and more, order now! You can pick up your order from Winner's Sportswear in Bellevue or have it delivered. Questions? Email Melissa Richardson, VP of Outreach.

Start 2023 off with some stress relief for yourself! Signup for Smith Brothers Farms Home Grocery Delivery and when you do, you'll receive $15 off your 1st delivery & ISPTSA receives a $50 gift donation from SBF! It's a win-win! You get the iconic Porch Box with your 1st order & it can be filled each week with milk that is 2-days-fresh from the farm, eggs that are 3-days-fresh, fresh produce, almond & oat milk, and hundreds of grocery items that are primarily from local PNW companies!

Delivery is free with just a $10 order & there are no monthly fees, no contract. Give it a try - we get the donation if you get one delivery or remain a customer for years. Questions? Contact Smith Brothers Farms.