UPCOMING DATES AND EVENTS |
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THIS WEEK
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Wednesday, 6/9 • COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at Odle Middle School*
NEXT WEEK:
LOOKING AHEAD:
* More information included in message below
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Hard to believe, but at the end of next week, we will Graduate our 2021 Senior Class. IS Senior year traditions involve the WHOLE International School community. For many years now, receptions following Senior Celebration and Graduation were hosted by the parents of the classes below them. To learn more about IS Graduation traditions, please follow this link. Due to the pandemic, plans for this year’s Seniors were in a constant state of flux, but we are grateful that we can now have our traditional ceremonies in person this year. Senior Celebration, a parent-organized celebration highlighting each Senior with a personal accolade, will be held on the evening of June 17th. Graduation, put on by the International school staff and administration, will be held on the evening of June 18th.
In this unprecedented year, we are not able to have our traditional celebration receptions, BUT we do invite the International School Community as a whole to participate and visit our sign-up genius to contribute to needs we still have during graduation week. Please consider contributing to this year’s Senior class. It would be a great way to continue our traditions as a COMMUNITY school, even in the face of adversity. Families from all grades are encouraged to contribute.
For questions, please email Renuka. |
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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 PTSA EXECUTIVE BOARD
Congratulations to the following people who were elected to the 2021–2022 PTSA Executive Board at the June 3rd General Membership Meeting. Thank you for stepping up and leading the efforts in building our learning community.
- President—Emilie Castle
- President Elect—Zena Heywood
- Secretary—Meribeth Nordloef-Pedersen
- Treasurer—Li Lu
- VP of Community—Melissa Richardson
- VP of Outreach—Hudong Wang
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 Community—This position has one candidate looking for an additional candidate. This positions oversees the grade level parent support, Staff appreciation luncheons( hopefully that will start up next year), 5th grade Parent BBQ, spirit wear, Campus Improvement.
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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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ISPTSA SCHOLARSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS
Congratulations to the recipients of the 2021 ISPTSA Scholarship Awards!
- Allison Follett
- Cece Hildreth
- Tessa Pedersen
- Jessie Xu
We thank all the applicants for their submissions. The Scholarship Committee carefully reviewed and discussed each application based on the following criteria:
- Strong impact on the International School community and/or broader community
- Clear articulation of future educational and/or career goals
- Demonstration of outstanding academic achievement throughout the high school years
We are proud of the tremendous achievement and contributions of each of our applicants. While we celebrate the scholarship award winners, let’s also congratulate the IS Senior Class for their success. Thank you to the IS community for the financial support of this scholarship.
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ISPTSA GOLDEN ACORN AWARD RECIPIENTS
Congratulations to Julie Molinari and Meribeth Nordloef-Pedersen, our new ISPTSA Golden Acorn recipients!
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Julie Molinari diligently created the weekly ISPTSA newsletter Monday Messenger for almost three years. With this weekly commitment, she was the most consistent, dedicated, and important volunteer behind the scenes. It’s easy to overlook the hours of steady work and organizations she put in every week. She brought her wit, sense of humor, and keen eye for aesthetics in creating this key resource for our community. Due to her tireless efforts, the Monday Messenger has earned two prestigious awards from the Washington State PTA: the Gold Award for Outstanding E-blast (2018–19), and the Silver Award for Outstanding Newsletter (2019–20). Besides the weekly commitment of Monday Messenger, Julie also volunteered every year at the Scholastic book fair, campus improvement day, and staff appreciations. We recognize and are grateful for Julie’s contributions to the IS community.
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Meribeth Nordloef-Pedersen has been involved with the ISPTSA for many years. She has served as the ISPTSA President, President-Elect, VP of Outreach, Membership Chair, and on the Graduation Committee. As Membership Chair, she worked tirelessly to achieve 100% Membership (every IS student is supported by an ISPTSA member), earning this distinguished award for ISPTSA from Washington State PTA twice under her leadership. She advocated for the establishment of the ISPTSA Scholarship Award, pushed for the adaptation of DirectorySpot, ran or helped run Scholastic book fairs, and ran the auction fundraiser in 2018. She has published all of the band programs for both the high school and middle school bands since she became an IS parent 7 years ago. She also published the programs for Bite of IS. Meribeth has also been a tireless advocate for equity in our educational system, and all of our students have been the beneficiaries of her passion. After this long list, we are probably overlooking some things, but we appreciate all the contributions Meribeth has made to our community.
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WA STATE PTA REFLECTIONS COMPETITION WINNER
Congratulations to 9th grader Aiden Van Lith for winning the WA State PTA Reflections Competition for "Outstanding Interpretation" in the category of "Special Artists, Photography." Here is his submittal, “River at Dusk.” To see this year's Reflections Finalists, click here.
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NATIONAL PTA VIRTUAL CONVENTION
Thursday, June 17–Saturday, June 26
Connect with PTA leaders, educators and parents to ignite your outreach and impact in your school community—and make a difference for every child—at the 2021 National PTA Virtual Convention! This is your time to get inspired by mission-minded peers and experts, stay informed on trends and issues affecting our children, transform your leadership and membership approach through our workshop series, and celebrate our standout members and students. Keynote speakers include #1 New York Times bestselling author John C. Maxwell and Golden Globe nominee and Emmy winner Sarah Michelle Gellar.
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STATE PTA CONVENTION NEWS &
OUTSTANDING ADVOCATE
SUSAN BAIRD-JOSHI
The 108th Annual State PTA Convention was held May 18–23 as a virtual event. Several of our ISPTSA board members attended and took part in classes like PTA and the Law. Congratulations to Nancy Chamberlain for being elected as the new Washington State PTA President.
Congratulations also to Susan Baird-Joshi for being awarded the WSPTSA Outstanding Advocate Award! The WSPTA Outstanding Advocate Award recognizes an individual for their statewide advocacy and commitment in helping to create strong policies relating to the health, welfare, safety and education of children and youth as well as for their work in furthering WSPTA’s policy positions (legislative principles, resolutions, and legislative issues). WSPTA recognizes Susan Baird-Joshi for her work advocating for the health and well-being of every child, not just in Washington but nationwide. She has served over four years on the WSPTSA Resolutions and Advocacy Committees. In 2020, she introduced the legislative issue on Mitigating the Adverse Impacts of Climate Change. Her presentation on climate change at the National PTA LegCon in March 2021 brought awareness of how air quality impacts school attendance. Thank you, Susan, for being a voice for children!
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SECOND SEMESTER GRADES
Second semester ends 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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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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COVID-19 VACCINATIONS
THIS Wednesday, June 9 at Odle Middle School
All individuals 12 years of age and older are now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Bellevue School District, in collaboration with Safeway/ Albertsons, is hosting follow-up clinics Wednesday, June 9 at Odle Middle School for those needing their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. We will offer Johnson & Johnson at these clinics as well for people aged 18+, and doses of both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for people seeking their second shot.
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SUMMER MEAL KITS AVAILABLE THURSDAYS, BEGINNING JULY 1
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 pre-order form will open at 8 PM 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 June 22.
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ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Robin Moore, Assistant Principal at IS for a number of years, has been on leave since October and recently announced her resignation. We thank Robin Moore for her years of service at International School. Transitioning into next year, Traci Sullivan has been given the opportunity to continue as the Assistant Principal at IS. We are excited that she will be able to continue in this role next year.
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
Secondary In-Person Students
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. 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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TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS COLLECTION FOR ALL STUDENTS
Hybrid: Due by THIS Friday, June 11
Virtual: Wednesday, June 16, 12:30–3:00 PM
House A and B: You will need to return textbooks, instruments, and materials for House A and House B to teachers in class by June 11th before materials turn into fines (if you need to keep books longer please contact your teacher).
Virtual Online Students: We will be collecting virtual student library books, textbooks, and instruments on Wednesday, June 16, 12:30–3:00 PM outside.
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SENIOR MATERIALS COLLECTION
As the school year comes to a close and before graduation, we would like to retrieve the district items seniors have been using during the school year. Textbooks, musical instruments, library books and other material will be collected by teachers THIS week, June 7–11. If materials need to be kept longer, please contact your teacher who will be keeping a list. For Virtual Only Senior Students, Ellen Stone will be available THIS Wednesday, June 9 between 1–3 PM to return materials.
Laptop collection will be in the front of the building where bus pickup is located. We ask that you look for the following items and backup your laptop in preparation (you will have 60 days to access Microsoft Office 365 after graduation):
- Laptop
- Laptop Bag
- Charger
- Stylus
- Hot spot (if applicable)
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MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETICS AND ACTIVITIES
Registration for middle school sports and activities for the 2021–22 school year will open in mid-August. However, we encourage all middle school families to complete or update forms on FinalForms before the end of this school year to ensure your student can participate in sports, activities, and field trips in 2021–22. FinalForms is the Bellevue School District Athletics and Activities online forms system that helps manage student sports and activities and boosts compliance and safety.
Helpful links:
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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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AP EXAMS
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Test schedule for International School students includes the time to report/check-in.
- Specific scheduling needs:
- Do you need to cancel your exam? Notify Jill Follett ASAP to get it cancelled and begin the refund process.
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Emergency or conflict on test day? Request a makeup (subject to approval) by signing into MyAP. Click "Place Request" under "Request Makeup" for the appropriate course. Then click "Request a Makeup" from the pop-up window.
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June 20 is the last day to request a free score report to indicated colleges and programs through MyAP.
- Go to My AP Profile
- Click the Score Send tab
- Select and save the college, university, or scholarship program.
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STUDENT NEWS & OPPORTUNITIES |
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"NO MORE UNDER" CALL FOR TEEN VOLUNTEERS
Are you a teen looking for a volunteering opportunity to earn up to 15 community service hours this summer? An opportunity to meet new people, create social media campaigns, and help out at local beaches? Look no further! No More Under, a 501(c)3, www.nomoreunder.org, is seeking volunteers to help spread the word about water safety and drowning prevention. Partner organizations include the YMCA, Bellevue Parks and Rec, Rainier Athletes, and Pediatric Clinics in Seattle, Bellevue, and Mercer Island. The goal is to provide life jackets, water watcher badges, and swimming lessons to those most in need.
The 2021 kickoff for NMU Teen Ambassadors will be via Zoom on Monday, June 14 at 7 PM. Please email admin@nomoreunder.org for the Zoom link. You will learn more about NMU and the opportunities to help Bellevue have a safer summer. For questions, contact No More Under at admin@nomoreunder.org.
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GIRLS IN SCIENCE VIRTUAL CAREER CAFE |
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Join local scientists and the Burke Ornithology team for a FREE two-part program exploring Washington careers in STEM and the 21st century skills needed to pursue these career paths.
THIS Tuesday, June 8, 4 PM
Meet Medical Physicist Dr. Jess Fagerstom and Environmental Software Engineer Gracie Ermi to see how creativity, teamwork, and problem solving skills help them provide cancer therapy and save wildlife.
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THIS Wednesday, June 9, 4 PM
Meet Microsoft Program Manager Bea Mendez-Gandica and UW Grad Student Alyssa Sargent to see how technology, ingenuity, and observation skills help them manage cyber security and study hummingbirds.
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SAMMAMISH HIGH SCHOOL GOODWILL COLLECTION FUNDRAISER
THIS Saturday, June 12, 9 AM - Noon
Bring your Spring Cleaning Goodwill donations to Sammamish Saturday morning, June 12th. Donations benefit the Sammamish Class of 2022. Click here for the flyer.
Where: Sammamish High School front parking lot, 100 140th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA 98005
What: You can bring (al)most anything, provided it's no larger than an end table. Sorry, no mattresses, hazardous waste or items in need of repair.
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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
Support ISPTSA every time you shop on Amazon! When you shop with AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added benefit that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to Bellevue International School PTSA. There is no additional cost to you. Simply link your Amazon.com account, and our students benefit!
Here is how:
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Go to smile.amazon.com/ch/91-1530521 and sign into your Amazon account.
- Choose Bellevue International School PTSA as the ‘charitable organization.'
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If you have Amazon bookmarked in your browser, change your bookmark to https://smile.amazon.com/. This link allows you to shop as you normally would on Amazon while helping to support your ISPTSA. You can also activate AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app on your iOS or Android phone within the Settings or Programs & Features menu.
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FEATURED SPIRIT WEAR: INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL ESSENTIAL T— ONLY $10!
A year-round essential, the International School Essential T is made of high quality 6.1 ounce, 100% soft spun cotton. This best-selling t-shirt has been voted “most popular” by groups, teams, clubs and schools across America.
All International School Spirit Wear are available online for delivery or for pickup from Winner's Sportswear in Bellevue. Proceeds benefit ISPTSA.
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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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