Click here to view the District 2021–2022 calendar for families.

* More information included in the message below

Parents and Guardians of IS middle schoolers, we're looking for chaperones to oversee the middle school social! It will be held THIS Friday, December 3, and we need your help to run the event with food, movies, and games. We need adults to distribute food and oversee various areas of the school. Without you, we won't be able to make this event happen, so thank you for considering helping us out. Please contact ASB Advisor, Matthew Lyon, at lyonm@bsd405.org to sign up to help at the social.

Please email the ISPTSA Board to learn more and sign up. Thank you!

Please note that your PTSA membership must be renewed every school year to be active. Visit www.isptsa.org and join ISPTSA today! Any questions, please contact membership@isptsa.org.

We did it! We filled two trucks. Many thanks to our fabulous volunteers and to the people who donated items. If you left without a receipt, please email president@isptsa.org to have it emailed to you.

THIS Friday, December 3, 7–9 PM

Tickets are $15 or $12 with an ASB card. Cash only at the door. See you there! Questions? Contact ASB Advisor, Matthew Lyon.

THIS Tuesday, November 30, 10:30 AM–2:30 PM

Thank you for supporting the IS 2022 class through this Poinsettia and Wreath Fundraiser. We sold 508 poinsettias and 122 wreaths! Drive through and pick up your orders this Tuesday from 10:30 AM–2:30 PM at International School. Since this is the only official pick-up time, please be sure to mask up and be there! One person can pick up multiple orders. Click here for important pick-up and safety logistics as well as information on gift tags/cards. If you have questions, please contact kayokoprice@comcast.net.  

If you missed the window to buy a yearbook, you're in luck! This "last chance" opportunity opens TODAY and runs through Thursday, December 16. Purchase through your student account in Touchbase. Not sure if you already purchased a book? Check your payment history in TouchBase.

Outstanding high school music students from across Washington have received top honors by being selected to participate in one of the 2022 WMEA All-State performing groups. These musicians were selected through auditions to participate in this outstanding event, which is sponsored by the Washington Music Educators Association. Please congratulate the International School band, orchestra, and choir students listed HERE for receiving this honor! For questions, email our Band Director, Orchestra Director, or Choir Director, .

Due to overwhelming community requests, the Family Engagement office in partnership with BSD Counseling, Mental Health Assistance Teams, and community mental-health partners will offer families an additional opportunity to support the well-being of their students. Read more here, or visit the BSD Counseling webpage for more information.

Watch this video interview that features International School Junior, Noah Garcia! Learn about how the Eastside Native American Education Program helps support Native students both academically and culturally. Read more here, or email questions to the Eastside Native American Education Program.

In this video interview, BSD Director of Nutrition, Wendy Weyer, shares how the Nutrition Services team has worked to serve over 850,000 free meals to students throughout the pandemic despite supply chain challenges. Read more here, or email questions to BSD Nutrition Services.

Learn about our monthly Safety Academy training, offered by BSD’s Safety & Security team to prepare staff to respond to critical incidents. Watch this video to hear from Director of Security, Doug James, and Sammamish High School Assistant Principal, Kurt Cohrs, as they discuss the training and why it’s important. Read more here, or contact BSD Safety & Security with questions.

Register by Wednesday, December 8

For middle school students interested in math, consider registering for the AMC 8! The AMC 8 is a challenging 40-minute multiple-choice test that tens of thousands of middle school students worldwide take each year. International School will be hosting the AMC 8 on Wednesday, January 19 from 1:45–2:30 PM. To register, pay the $5 fee on Touchbase by navigating to “ASB Activities/Clubs.” Payments will be accepted until Wednesday, December 8 at 11:59 PM. Questions? Please contact Mary Chu at chum@bsd405.org.

We are excited to announce that we will be able to continue our partnership with Jubilee Reach to offer middle school sports to our students. Trent Stauffer, our existing General School Assistant, has recently expanded his role to serve as our Jubilee Reach Site Coach in the afternoons. He has already begun flag football, although that activity is full. If you have any questions about Jubilee Reach activities in the future, feel free to reach Trent Stauffer at stauffert@bsd405.org.

Badminton for our middle school students began last week after school. We are fortunate that a couple of our parents, Mindy and Mitch Leffler, stepped up to supervise this activity along with high school students, Maple Dang and Sophia Zhang, who will be coaching. Students who signed up through Final Forms have been notified that practices are Mondays and Tuesdays. If your kid came to badminton without registering, they are still welcome, but you will need to sign up officially on Final Forms. For questions, please email Mindy Leffler, MS Badminton Supervisor.

425 Kids Chess is offering free online chess lessons for students of all ages! We have taught over 100 students from basic to advanced strategies. Chess helps students improve concentration, creativity, critical thinking, and more! Sign up for 1-on-1 lessons tailored to your student's level throughout the week, or group lessons to learn with peers during the weekend. For more information, check out our webpage, or email 425 Kids Chess.

THIS Wednesday, December 1, 5 PM via Zoom

Join Bellevue Schools Foundation and Bellevue School District’s Deputy Superintendent for Financial Services and Operations, Melissa deVita, for a discussion about the funding model for all 29 public schools within Bellevue. Invitation to RSVP coming soon. Click here for more information, or email Bellevue Schools Foundation with questions.

THIS Friday, December 3, 10:30 AM–5 PM

Interlake is the place to find the best student-grown plant material on the Eastside. In addition to poinsettias and wreaths, there will be indoor plants, floral arrangements, and other gift items for purchase.

Students spend November creating evergreen wreaths. They work with local vendors to purchase beautiful poinsettias and propagate numerous indoor plants. Stop by and enjoy this festive and long-standing tradition! Questions? Please email interlakehort@gmail.com.

Seattle Infinity Math Circle will host their annual Mock MATHCOUNTS Competition online on Sunday, December 19 at 9 AM. It’s a great opportunity for students to practice for the MATHCOUNTS competition. Register for this free event here.

If you're trying to find the perfect math camp, join Seattle Infinity Math Circle’s student panel on math camps. It will be held online on Sunday, December 19 at 6 PM. Student leaders will share their experiences with many math camps, including Idea Math, Awesome Math, USA/Canada MathCamp, MathILy, PROMYS, and MOP! Register here!

Questions? Contact Seattle Infinity Math Circle.

This January, UW Youth & Teen Programs is offering these exciting online courses for middle and high school students:

Classes fill up quickly. Registration for winter 2022 ends Friday, December 23. Learn more here. If you have questions, please contact us. 

Notes from the Backpack is a National PTA podcast designed for millions of parents and the decision-makers they influence. Through the unique combination of expert, parent, and educator guests, each episode features engaging conversations that offer real-life advice and ideas on how to support children’s learning and development—all in parent-friendly language. Subscribe on your favorite podcast platform! Email National PTA with questions.

ISPTSA has partnered with Smith Brothers Farms to raise money for our organization! Simply use our code InterPTSA at checkout when you set up a new account for Home Grocery Delivery. YOU get $15 off your first delivery order and the International School PTSA will receive a gift of $50! Enjoy fresh dairy and hand-selected products delivered straight to your door and help us raise much-needed funds for our kids! You'll get the iconic porch box with your first delivery! Click here to download the flyer. Please email Emilie, ISPTSA President, if you have questions.

This high-quality 1/4-zip collared sweatshirt features double-needle cover-stitching on the armholes and waistband and 8-ounce pill-resistant fleece. 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.