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

* More information in the message below

At Interlake High School, they have a theme this year “You Belong Here” This resonated with me for many reasons but I think it can particularly apply to International School. As so many of our kids are pulled like threads from all over Bellevue to the hub of International School, we need to emphasize to our kids that they do indeed belong at IS and we know they will be successful here. It may be a simple phrase but our kids' threads are made up of LGBTQ, IEPs, 504’s, gifted, athletes, musicians, mathematicians, artists and I can go on but the emphasis should always be that you belong at IS. Welcome to a great year with our community.

ISPTSA President 2022–2023

Kelsey Creek Park parking lot, 410 130th Place SE, Bellevue

As we start the school year at International School, ISPTSA welcomes our high school parents and guardians to meet at the nearby Kelsey Creek Park parking lot right after drop-off on Wednesday, September 14, 8:15–9:30 AM. Enjoy coffee and treats and take this great opportunity to meet other families before heading off to your day. For questions, email Qiong Chen, VP of Community.

Click here to register. Register by Wednesday, September 21.

The ISPTSA, in conjunction with Princeton Review, is offering online practice SAT and ACT tests on Saturday, September 24 at 9 AM. These practice tests are open to students from any school or school district, and they’re a great way to prepare for Super Wednesday. Here is how it works:

To register, click here. Questions? Email Melissa Richardson, VP of Outreach.

A great big thank you to all 220 members who joined or renewed their annual IS PTSA memberships for this 2022–2023 school year! We are proud to be the only high school in Washington to reach 100% membership for multiple years! Let’s make this a yearly tradition to support each and every IS student for success! We are inviting everyone in our community to join ISPTSA! Please sign in to renew or click to join today! Questions? Please email Honglian Gao, Membership Chair.

Learn more about these positions here. Please email board@isptsa.org if you have questions or if you're interested in signing up. Thank you!

THIS Friday, September 9, 7:45–10:00 AM

The state-mandated vision and hearing screening at International has been scheduled for this Friday from 7:45 AM to 10 AM. The UW audiologists will be here in the morning. We need 4–6 volunteers to help out. If you're interested in helping out, sign up here. Questions? Email Elizabeth Williams, IS Nurse.

Warm Beach Camp, Stanwood, WA

This overnight trip is only possible with your support. We need your participation for a successful retreat and require male and female chaperones who can stay overnight. Chaperones attend free of charge. Please contact IS Teachers, Tamara Truax or Lee Holt, to join the fun!

Warm Beach Camp, Stanwood, WA

We invite volunteers to share Middle East or North African traditions in dance, art, craft, language, sport, etc. or examine challenges facing Middle Eastern or North African societies. Sessions are 45 minutes and repeat 6 times on Wednesday, September 14. An IS teacher will assist you! You are free to leave the retreat at the end of the sessions. Email IS Teachers, Tamara Truax or Lee Holt, for more details or to volunteer.

Our middle school fall sports at International School will be Girls Basketball, Girls Golf, and Boys Soccer. Parents register their students on Final Forms. The season is from September 19 to November 2. Practices take place on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, 3:45–4:45 PM. Game days are Wednesdays, 2:30–5:00 PM. If you can volunteer or if you have questions about fall sports, email Trent Stauffer, Club Jubilee Advisor.

Welcome back to school, International School Community! See our daily schedule. Click here to download the Wednesday schedule with even/odd days. Questions? Email the IS Main Office.

I’m so excited to welcome all of you to our library! New titles are being regularly added to our book collections. Please stop by the library to explore our September Back to School collection. Our library is open from 12:15–4:30 PM on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. On Wednesdays, the library is open 10 AM–2 PM. If you need any assistance or have questions, please feel free to contact me at dangt@bsd405.org.

Have a great school year!

Michele Dang

Library Specialist

You can now order your 2022–2023 yearbooks online on Touchbase until Thursday, September 8. Books will be distributed in June 2023.

For parents of seniors, Grad Ads are also available for purchase. $40 for full-page ads. $30 for half-page ads. These are popular! Reserve your ad today. For questions, email Jill Follett, Counseling Secretary.

Warm Beach Camp, Stanwood, WA

High School Retreat helps build the foundation for a strong and caring learning community. This year’s focus is on the Middle East & North Africa. See this flyer for more information. Prepare now for the High School Retreat:

Questions? Please email IS Teachers, Tamara Truax or Lee Holt.

Principal Russell White sent an email on August 25 from internationalschooloffice@bsd405.org to all current IS families. It includes great information to start the new school year. If you haven't seen it, check your spam/junk folder. Questions? Email the International School Main Office.

For questions, email the IS Main Office.

FLL Interest Meeting: THIS Thursday, September 8, 6–7 PM in Room 118

FRC Interest Meeting: Tuesday, September 20 during lunch in Room 209

First Lego League (FLL) is a middle school robotics program where small teams of students learn basic stem skills and create competitive Lego robots. Our FLL interest meeting will be held THIS Thursday, September 8, 6–7 PM, International School Art Room 118. All 6–8th grade students and parents are welcome!

FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is a high school robotics program where students work alongside mentors from industry to design, build, and program competitive human-size robots in six weeks. The FRC interest meeting will be Tuesday, September 20 during lunch in Lee Holt’s room (209). All 9–12th grade students are welcome!

For questions, email Titan Robotics.

Meet Drew O’Connell, BSD’s new Director of Student Life. The Director of Student Life is a new position, created to support BSD students by working with staff, families, and the community to center and amplify our students’ voices, concerns, needs, and strengths. Read more here. Questions? Email BSD.

On August 5, 2022, the Washington State Department of Health released updated requirements and guidance to mitigate COVID-19 transmission in K-12 schools and child care. BSD will continue to follow the guidance from WA DOH in the 2022-23 school year. Read more here. Questions? Email BSD.

Nutrition Services uses PayPAMS for online payments for school meals.  If your PayPAMS account has been deactivated due to inactivity over the past school year, please register here by selecting "Sign Up Now." You will need to re-add your student to your new account. Please note your student's account balance is still available at the school cafeteria. Once the student is added to your account, the account balance will display in PayPAMS within 1–2 school days.

For questions, click here to email or chat with PayPAMS Customer Support, or email the BSD Nutrition Services Department.

Registration for high school sports and activities is open. Check your neighborhood high school’s Athletics and Activities website for requirements, registration, and contact information. For questions, email your neighborhood high school athletic director or email Jeff Lowell, District Director.

BSD is still in search of Kitchen Assistants! Click here to see a flyer or visit BSD Jobs to learn more and apply. For questions, email BSD Human Resources or email Wendy Weyer, Director of Nutrition Services.

A recently approved Washington State measure will allow youth ages 18 and under to ride public transit for free by showing one of the following:

Any questions regarding ORCA cards can be emailed to BSD Metro Card.

Click here for the flyer. Register here.

Just in time for the BSD School-Day SAT on Wednesday, October 12, the Sammamish PTSA is sponsoring a fall session ACT/SAT Prep Course including sections in verbal and math skills. The science skills section will not be offered this year. Students may register for one or both sections that will meet once per week over 4 weeks at SHS. Classes include worksheets of sample questions, test-taking strategies, and practice exams. Cost is $50 for one subject or $90 for both sessions. For more information and to learn how to register, see the SHS PTSA website. Questions? Email Sammamish PTSA.

Bellevue Girls Select Basketball Program (BGSB) will be hosting tryouts for 4th–8th grade girls for the upcoming 2022–2023 season.

Email BGSB with questions.

Kick off a new school year by diving deeper into a favorite passion or discovering a new interest. Try programming, better your writing, or explore architecture. Learn more about UW Youth & Teen Programs. Fall registration deadline is September 20. For questions, email UW Youth & Teen Programs.

Have your purchases help International School! To order with AmazonSmile, simply go to smile.amazon.com on your web browser. You can also activate AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app on your iOS or Android phone by doing the following:

Set it and forget it. 0.5% of your purchases will be donated to International PTSA. Thank you!!! Email Paul Bloch, VP of Fundraising, with questions.

Made with quality finishes like double-needle stitching and bartack reinforcements for the front pockets, this International School Champion Fleece Hoodie will have you covered this school year. Click here to shop for this and more! Orders can be picked up from Winner's Sportswear Bellevue for free or delivered. Proceeds benefit ISPTSA. Email Melissa, VP of Community, with questions.

Raise funds for ISPTSA with the Box Tops for Education app. By scanning your grocery and office supply store receipts, qualifying products will be instantly credited to our school. It's easy and adds up fast! Download the app on your phone, and select IS by searching zip code 98005. Questions? Email ISPTSA Fundraising.