MONDAY MESSENGER
May 4, 2020
Please Note: This newsletter may be truncated by your email program. Please click VIEW ENTIRE MESSAGE at the bottom to read the full newsletter.
DISTRICT NEWS
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

The Bellevue School District is committed to keeping our learning community informed. The health and well-being of our students, staff, and community are a top concern.
 All updates from the Bellevue School District on COVID-19 can be found here: https://bsd405.org/corona-virus-covid-19/
PTSA NEWS
DON'T FORGET TO ADD TO YOUR CALENDAR: ISPTSA VIRTUAL GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING—JUNE 11, 7:00 PM

PTSA business must go on...even virtually. At our virtual General Membership meeting on Thursday, June 11, at 7:00 PM, we will
  • Vote in the new ISPTSA board for the 2020-2021 school year
  • Vote on the Interim Budget for the 2020-2021 school year
  • Announce the Golden Acorn recipient for 2020
  • Vote on ISPTSA Standing Rules change
 
Details about the platform for the virtual meeting will be provided closer to the date. We will need a quorum of PTSA members to make sure the voting counts. Please mark your calendars for a "front-row" seat, and contact  [email protected] with questions.
GOLDEN ACORN NOMINATIONS

The Golden Acorn Award is a very prestigious Washington State PTA award that is given out by local PTAs & PTSAs for exemplary and outstanding volunteerism and service to PTA. Honorees who receive this award have volunteer experience at the local PTA level, in the community, and at the school and/or school-district level.  Click here for the nomination form. Please cut and paste the questions and your answers into an email, then send it to [email protected] .
Past Golden Acorn Honorees
2018-2019 Sylvia Abrahamsson
2017-2018 Sue Bentsen & Sally Fouche
2015-2016 Betsy Johnson
2014-2015 Marian McDermott
2013-2014 Elizabeth Badart
2012-2013 Gail Nelson
2011-2012 Linda Reichenbach
2010-2011 Liz Gasper & Tom Stafford
2009-2010 Alison & Glen Mangiantini
2008-2009 Marie Davidson
2007-2008 Sure Sturtevant
2006-2007 Eric & Bonne Matson
2005-2006 Liz Vanderberghe
2004-2005 Rhonda Dafforn
2003-2004 Pat Berry
2002-2003 Gary & Jane Beard
2001-2002 Marybeth Gunson & Barbara Davidoff
2000-2001 Teresa Hunt
1999-2000 Judie Graham
1998-1999 Joyce Olsen
1997-1998 Linda Runion
1996-1997 John Kirschenbaum
1995-1996 Patty Johnson
1994-1995 Luane Rosenfled
1993-1994 Julie Keeney
TAXES ARE A PART OF PTSA

The ISPTSA is a Washington nonprofit corporation, which requires us to submit forms to the IRS and the state. These forms are the 990; tax return for Organization Exempt from Income Tax, and the State Charitable Registration. The ISPTSA is looking for a company that can perform the duty of completing these forms each year in November and May. If you know of a company that would be interested in working with the ISPTSA, please contact Meribeth, [email protected].
SCHOOL NEWS
2019-20 YEARBOOKS ON SALE—NOW THROUGH MAY 22

While supplies last. Sales are first come, first served!
 
Directions to order: 
  1. Visit https://touchbase.bsd405.org/ and sign into your student’s account. User Name is Student ID #; Password is student’s last name starting with a capital letter.
  2. Choose International School and Yearbook then proceed with payment.  
QUICK TIP: OPTIMIZE YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION

There are a few things that all of us can do to improve our connectivity.
  • Use a wired connection or relocate as close to your router/modem as possible.
  • Reboot your router/modem and device frequently—at least weekly!
  • Consider turning off Wi-Fi enabled devices in your home (security cameras, doorbells, TVs, printers, baby monitors, etc.) as well as file-syncing services (Google Drive, DropBox, etc.) when you are not using them. 
BSD TEXT ALERTS

Did you know that you can receive important alerts from the Bellevue School District via text? Just text "Y" or "YES" to BSD's short code number: 67587 to receive text messages.

If you ever want to opt-out, text the same number, or reply to one of our messages, with "Stop." We recommend saving the short code number in your contacts to avoid third-party blocking systems from interfering with your receipt of important messages and updates from the district. The Bellevue School District utilizes SchoolMessenger to deliver text messages.
iJAZZ VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE

For the first two weeks of April, IS's iJazz members compiled a song called "Speak to Me of Love" in a virtual choir format. It was their first attempt at a virtual choir video, so they did work through a few trials and errors, but it all worked out in the end. 

Many thanks to all iJazz members for recording themselves numerous times, and to tech students Isaac Anderson and Hansen Wang for producing the final presentation.

RESOURCES
ONLINE TUTORING

If you are looking for online tutoring for your student, check out Go Peer and Tree Tutors . Both aim to connect college students from very selective institutions to K–12 students in need of online tutoring.
HELP DISTRESSED FAMILIES IN NEED

One of our BSD students is partnering with Bellevue LifeSpring to raise money for displaced families who have lost jobs due to COVID-19. Bellevue LifeSpring is providing emergency nutrition services and rent assistance and has helped provide services to 2,300 children and families while schools are closed.

Please click here to make a donation to this student's drive.  The goal is to raise $1,000 by May 10. 

Thank you!
MASTHEAD / DIRECTORY / LINKS
President
Azfar Moazzam 
Secretary
Zena Heywood
Treasurer 1
Tony Wang
Treasurer 2
Nancy Chung
VP of Communications
Li Wu
VPs of Community
Qiong Chen & Rachel An
VP of Fundraising
Dori Kelleran
VPs of Outreach
Meribeth Nordloef-Pedersen
& Beverly Ni
Membership
OPEN
Advocacy
Krista Hammer
Monday Messenger
Julie Molinari
Website
Li Zhang
IS Staff Liaison
Marrene Franich & Wesley Hung
PTSA
Website: www.isptsa.org
Newsletter Submissions: [email protected]
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.
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.
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 

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
Or, even easier, donate
via PayPal .
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!

Visit the International School PTSA Store . Proceeds benefit the International School PTSA.

MONDAY MESSENGER
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
  • Please submit articles by FRIDAY at 12:00 PM (noon) to [email protected].
  • 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 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.
  • 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.