| |
|
The tentative 2006-07 calendar is now available on our ISM website at website. Click the link to view. Our school year will begin Monday, August 14th, 2006 and conclude Friday, June 15th, 2007.
|
|
Welcome to ISM's weekly newsletter for the week of
April 24 - 28, 2006! Please note that the ISM news brief is now available
to ISM families during regular school weeks via our website no later than 7:30 p.m. each Monday (Tuesday, if Monday is a holiday), unless otherwise noted. To request hardcopy notification, please contact Business Administrator / news brief editor Lisa Griffin Burns
at lburns@ismonterey.org
or call at 583-2165.
Please note: Past newsletters can be found
here.
: As part of the annual evaluation of the Executive Director/Head of School, the ISM Board of Trustees welcomes input from parents and students on the following two items:
A. PARENTS: The Executive Director should:
* create opportunities for parents to become actively involved with the
education of their children;
* arrange regular meetings with parents in order to communicate the
goals, curriculum and progress of students.
B. STUDENTS: The Executive Director should:
* develop an effective rapport with the student body, yet maintain
order and discipline:
* provide adequate services to the students in the area of testing;
* encourage the involvement of students in the operations of the school
where matters are of direct relationship to students;
* develop student discipline policies in conjunction with the school's
faculty and communicate them to students, faculty and parents;
· suspend students within school guidelines;
· promote student success and achievements in arts, academics, community
services and other areas;
· develop, implement, and execute effective processes and procedures
related to safety. S/he has conducted periodic tests to assure adequacy.
Please email your responses by TODAY, Monday, April 24th to ISM Board of Trustees member, Chris Hasegawa,
at chris_hasegawa@csumb.edu
With the remarkable coordination efforts of Co-Chairs Janice Barker, Yvette Satchell, and Jennifer Stone and a host of amazingly dedicated library supporters, the Scholastic Spring Book Fair opens its doors today, celebrating "Camp Read-A-Book"! The Book Fair is being held in conjunction with the first (of two) Spring Arts concerts for the 5th - 8th graders, scheduled for Thursday, April 27th at 6:30 p.m. (see Item #3 below). Regular library visitation hours will not be in place during this week.
Co-chairs Janice and Yvette, with judging help from Ms. Livingstone, conducted a Book Fair Classroom Door contest today in which participating classrooms created door designs that highlighted the Book Fair's theme of camping and reading. In the K-4 category, 1st place went to Mr. D's 3rd grade class ($45 award), 2nd place to Ms. Turner's K class ($35 award), and 3rd place to Ms. Augustine's 2nd grade class ($25 award). Due to the diligence in incorporating the reading and camping theme, all of the other classes in this category also received "Honorable Mention" awards equaling $10 prizes! In the upper grades Mr. Spedding's Grade 6 class won first place ($45 award), Mrs. Shephard's 7th grade class took home second place ($35 award), and the ASI youngsters were awarded 3rd place ($25 award). The enthusiastic participation across the school was fabulous!
With critical parent volunteer help, the Book Fair - which is always a nice library book fundraiser - will be open on the following days and times: Monday, 4/24 from 8 to 8:45 a.m. and 3 - 5:45 p.m.; Tuesday, 4/25 8 to 8:45 a.m., 11:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and 3 - 5:45 p.m.; Wednesday, 4/26 from 8 to 8:45 a.m. and 3 - 5:45 p.m.; Thursday, 4/27 from 8 to 8:45 a.m., 3 - 5:45 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. until the end of the Concert; and Friday 4/28 from 8 to 8:45 a.m., 11:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and 3 - 5:45 p.m. followed by the packing up of the fair. For anyone who may be able to help with the close of the Fair on Friday, please contact library volunteers to offer your assistance.
Drama instructor Sarah Benbow and Music instructor Natalie Sarrazin have been planning, creating, redesigning, and rehearsing for months on Thursday's upcoming Springs Arts Concert - Event #1 for our Middleschoolers (Event #2 for the younger students is slated for Thursday, May 11th at 6:30 p.m.). Choreographed to be a sure-fit, entertaining extravaganza, we invite parents, family, and friends of our 5th through 8th graders to join us on this evening, while also planning on saving some shopping time at the Scholastic Book Fair either before or after the concert!
As of last Tuesday, May 18th, each ISM staff member received a copy of the STAR test schedule covering Monday, May 1 - Tuesday, May 9. Although each day and grade is slightly different, essentially students in Grades 2 - 8 will be in "testing mode" until at least 10:30 a.m. most mornings - with just a few exceptions for Grade 5 (11:00) on Wednesday, May 3rd, Grade 7 (11:10) on Thursday, May 4th, and Grade 8 (10:40, 10:50) on Wednesday, May 3rd and Monday, May 8th, respectively. Please note only Grades 2, 3, and 8 will be participating in ongoing testing on Monday, May 8th, while the solitary grade finishing testing on Tuesday, May 9th will be Grade 3. Please help to remind your child to respect other classes still engaged in testing during the final two days of standardized tests. Once again, we highly encourage "healthy" attendance during this time as it is time-consuming and labor intensive to follow up and capture all students for make-up testing during the week of May 8th. During this week (4/24 - 4/28/06) while Curriculum Coordinator Steve Carber is away attending an accreditation team visit in Colombia, please contact either Karen Kushel or Lisa Griffin Burns re: any known absences during the scheduled STAR testing period. We thank you!
A. KUDOS FOR SUCCESSFUL EARTH DAY EVENT: Under the coordinated leadership of Instructional Aides Annalisa Moore and Barbara Peters, Earth Day was celebrated in fine fashion last Friday with students enjoying a four-station schedule of activities throughout the day! Beginning with the Kindergarten through 2nd graders in the morning and the 3rd through 8th graders after lunch, students participated in a native planting station (with plant removal/backhoe help provided by Mr. Gery Paddock of Carmel Valley, seedlings generously donated by the Monterey Peninsula Regional Parks District (MPRPD), and overall coordination by parent Tim Jensen), a leaf art/mural design station hosted by parent volunteer and former Art docent Olia Polovneff and Art instructor Karen Welch, a trash collection outing with the fun "Mr. Robby", and either a presentation by our very talented singer / Grade 2 Instructional Aide, Ms. Peggy Brown, or representatives Laura and Brian from the Surfrider Foundation, an organization dedicated to the "preservation and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves and beaches". In the middle of the day, students enjoyed a potluck picnic luncheon featuring foods donated by Earthbound Farms and extremely generous ISM parents. In an Earth Day appropriate follow-up, the majority of the food remaining from the event was generously donated to Dorothy's Kitchen, a food bank for the homeless located in Salinas. We especially want to thank the eleven super-helpful parent volunteers (Janice B., Mimi B., Marie B., Laura C., Anjana G., Christina H., Khang N., Barbara O., Sonia P., Gabriele W., and especially Merilee K.), all of whom provided much-needed food support last Friday! Thank you to all who made the day a success!
B. SATURDAY TECH COMMITTEE WORKDAYS: We wanted to take a moment to thank those dedicated members of our community who have contributed and continue to support ISM's ongoing technology (computer and phone) needs. First off, Mr. Doug Rodda deserves a special acknowledgement for his incredible efforts in this area for the past several years. Although his professional demands have limited his current contributions, Doug was critical during our move to Manzanita and his ability to interface with MPUSD to ensure that our phone and computer networks were operational last January - at the time we opened our doors at our newly adopted campus. We thank him greatly for all of his significant IT support through this past winter.
We would also like to recognize the current IT team of Mr. Gil Gonzales, and Steve Mann, Darrin Noel, and Dave Shifflett, who have selflessly organized and conducted numerous Tech Saturday Workdays over the past few months. Tackling a full range of technology needs on the campus, these gentlemen have helped to further address ongoing printing, network, phone, and wireless demands of staff and students. We are extremely grateful for their dedication to ISM and their willingness (and Doug's) to address these needs during their weekend "free time". Thanks to all of you!
In keeping with the theme of the Book Fair (camping: Camp Read A Book), the Afterschool International program will be operating away from its normal "home" of the library throughout this week and in the center of the south classroom pod instead -- through Friday. We appreciate everyone's support and flexibility for this week.
:
A. GRADE 1 / BASU & TOURYAN: FIELDTRIP TO SAN FRANCISCO ZOO: THURSDAY , MAY 4th, 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. All 1st graders will be carpooling with chaperones up to the S.F. zoo as a culminating activity to their habitats unit. The classes will be hosting a bake sale to raise funds for the trip (see below).
B. GRADE 5, 7 & 8 / BURNS & SHEPHARD: FIELDTRIP TO SIX FLAGS MARINE WORLD: FRIDAY , MAY 19th, Full Day Outing This trip is open to eligible 5th, 7th, and 8th grade students in good academic and discipline standing as a fun end-of-year outing!
:
A. BAKE SALE DURING REGULARLY SCHEDULED MORNING SNACK BAR -- TO SUPPORT GRADE 1 FIELDTRIP TO S.F. ZOO - Friday, April 28th
B. BIG SUR SCHOOLS 5K - Race Date: Sunday, April 30th & Race Time: Promptly at 7:40 a.m.: ISM students and parent / community supporters have participated in this event since our first year (2001-2002) and we have received prize money based on our participation level each year. This year we have put together another impressive team of 192 participants! What a track record, literally! This event is co-sponsored by KION News 46 and presented by CHOMP, the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. The 5K Walk is an untimed, non-competitive event designed to promote fitness, build school community partnership, and serve as a potential fundraiser for school groups. The starting place for the "race" is Highway 1 at Rio Road adjacent to the Crossroads Shopping Center, Carmel. Plan on arriving at this location by 7:15 a.m. to find parking, which is generally available in the Crossroads itself. REMINDER: NO WHEELS, PETS, OR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE ALLOWED ON THE COURSE. Awards will be given in youth and adult age divisions as well as three cash awards ranging from $1000 to $500 for (1) Highest Number of Participants (for 250 students or more) or (2) Highest Number of Participants as a Percentage of Enrollment (250 students or more). This is the first time that ISM will be competing at this larger enrollment level. Following Sunday's event, plan on staying to view the post-5K show for students and the announcing of the participation awards. We are planning on distributing a "goodie bag" with a t-shirt and event pinney prior to the 30th; however, details are still being finalized as to the exact date. Additionally, all participants will receive a medallion and refreshments following the race. See Lisa Griffin Burns for more information.
C. TAIKO DRUMMING DEMONSTRATION: ISM / MANZANITA: Tuesday, May 9th, 1:00 p.m.: Again this year, we have been invited to join King students to view a demonstration by the Shinsho Mugen Deiko, a Monterey Taiko group, which also offers Taiko drumming at ISM on Monday afternoons (see 11D below). ISM students, together with Upper King Kindergarten and 1st graders, will be viewing the drummers in the King Multiuse room at 1:00 p.m. A later performance at 1:45 p.m. will be available for interested King Middle schoolers and their teachers.
D. INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL - Saturday, June 3th: Mark your calendars now for this showcase event featuring game booths, a fundraising drawing, tasty international foods, and a full day's lineup of entertainment. Contact Business Administrator Lisa Griffin Burns if interested in helping to plan this memorable day.
E. 4th ANNUAL FIELD DAY - Wednesday, June 7th: The last day of school this year is scheduled for Wednesday, 6/7/06, which means - yahoo, Field Day! Once again, over 35 different activities will take place on the fields and blacktops surrounding ISM for a fun-filled last hoorah of the school year! Of course, to make this day a success, we rely on the active participation of our family base to host the day's activities as well as the newly added lunch/potluck for our students and helpers. If you can help with this event, please refer to the flyer sent home with students today (3/27/06) and complete the bottom section of this form and return it to Ms. Livingston, ISM P.E. instructor, no later than Friday, May 5th. Event set-up will be from 8:30 - 9:30 a.m., Field Activities (including clean-up) from 9:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., Water Activities (including clean-up) from 10:30 - 3:00 p.m. If you have a special request for a particular station, please notate that on the form or email Julie directly at jlivingston@ismonterey.org. We certainly appreciate the amazing help we receive from many of you each year to make this day one that our students will never forget!
The 2005 -2006 yearbook is in process of being created! As it is a parent-driven enterprise, volunteers are definitely needed to help with the creation of the yearbook, especially informal page layouts per each grade. We currently have a layout matrix and the formal pages have been completed. The total number of pages for this year's yearbook has doubled, which consequently influences the cost / purchase price of the book. At this writing, the cost is approximately $30/book; however, the final cost will be determined shortly.
The schedule / due dates for the yearbook is as follows:
Friday, 4/28/06: Artwork from Classes are due (memo going out to staff)
Friday, 5/5/06: Final layout pages due to Editor, Richard Herbert (yearbook box)
Friday, 5/5/06: Ads and dedications due to Co-Editor, Janice Barker (in her mailbox)
Monday, 5/22/06: Final layout due to Printer (still to be determined)
Wednesday, 5/24/06: Final Proof due to ISM from Printer
Friday, 6/2/06: Final yearbooks due to ISM from printer
Week of 6/5/06: Anticipated Yearbook Distribution
Anyone interested in yearbook production, please attend our next meeting on Wednesday, April 19th at 2:00 p.m. in the multi use room and/or contact yearbook staff members (Janice Barker at 384-5524 or barkerjf1@sbcglobal.net , Richard Herbert at 392-1024 or richard@fathomsdeep.com , or Leora Sanchez at 444-8979 or lr.sanchez@sbcglobal.net ) as soon as possible.
As per last year, Dedication pages will be available for sale. Parents will once again have the opportunity to send a special dedication to their child(ren) and students may send a dedication to a fellow classmate or teacher. Likewise, teachers may also reserve dedication space for their students or colleagues, or local businesses might want to place an ad in our yearbook. Order forms and ad costs will be available later this week. Thank you! The Talented Yearbook Staff
Chrissie announced at both of last week's assemblies that we are encouraging registration in the MBParent.Com website and that we will be holding a competition to generate excitement to do so. For every ISM student that gets his/her parents to register for the e-newsletter at www.mbparent.com/ContestPhotosMore/Contest.html , s/he will receive one entry into the contest drawing. What is MBParent.Com, you ask? It is an online guide that centralizes resources for families living on the Monterey Bay. For example, if you had been searching for Easter Egg Hunt options this weekend, this website would have been a great resource for parents, grandparents, teachers, and visitors. So, register now for the free Monterey Bay Parent newsletter and stay informed. The contest Grand Prize is a $75 gift certificate at the Three Wise Wives Toy Store at the Crossroads Shopping Center, the three second places prizes are $20 gift certificates, and five third place certificates valued at $10 each. To be eligible for a class Pizza Party at Allegros Pizzeria in the Barnyard, each class must get every parent to register to be eligible for this drawing. When completing the website registration, be sure to put the name of the student and his/her grade and teacher. Information will not be shared with anyone other than mbparent.com. The drawing date will be Monday, May 1st.
:
A. CHESS FOR KIDS : The third and final session for this school year will begin this Wednesday, April 26th through Wednesday, May 31st. Session fees are $60 per session and the class is held in Mr. Brandau's Grade 8 portable on Wednesday afternoons from 3:45 - 4:45 p.m. Registration forms are available in the front office and checks can be made payable to "ISM" with 15% of the fees donated to ISM, following contractor payment.
B. MANDARIN CHINESE LANGUAGE LESSONS AT ISM : For the Winter/Spring sessions, instructor Yu Chuen has added an additional day of class afterschool; this program is now offered on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. The cost is $8.00 per class, per student, payable per session. The April session runs from Monday, April 3rd through the 27th and the total cost is $96 per student. Please return registration and fees directly to the ISM office. Questions can be directed to Yu Chuen at 224-6470.
C. TAEKWONDO PROGRAM : This is an ongoing program offered Tuesdays through Fridays during the school year in ISM's multi-purpose room. Classes start after school and run until 4:45 p.m. Registration flyers are available at the front office. Additional information can be obtained by calling or e-mailing the Instructor, Master Daniel Rogers, at: 641-220-5503 (cell) at MasterR@mac.com
or via his website at www.geocities.com/koryotkd99/> .
D. TAIKO DRUMMING : The next session of taiko starts today, Monday, March 27th. The cost for the remaining session is as follows:
Session 7 ($40) : May 1, 8, 15, 22 (4 weeks)
Please also let Denise Hasegawa know if you are planning to sign yourself or your child up for these sessions... or if you would like to be off of her mailing list. Anyone who has previously been in the class is on the list. Also, is anyone interested in buying a practice drum? The taiko instructor may have one for sale.
: Listed below are a few things desired by community members:
1) Kindergarten Instructor Miss Carrie Desiring One Bedroom Apt.: Miss Carrie writes, "I am looking for a one bedroom apartment in Monterey for $900 or less available at the end of June with laundry facilities. I would prefer something with a deck or balcony and fully or partially furnished." Contact Miss Carrie at cturner @ismonterey.org re: any leads. Thank you!
2) Host Families Needed: Once again, the local representative for Youth for Understanding International Exchange, Ms. Pat Dege, has contacted ISM to let us know that they are looking for families to host an international high school student. If interested, call 1-800-872-0200, ext. 284, call Pat directly at 375-6143, or visit the YFU website at ( www.YouthForUnderstanding.org .
3) Heavy Duty Vacuum Cleaner: Now that many of us have children, homes, pets, and the like, our wish list changes from a nice stereo system to a vacuum cleaner that REALLY works! So, if anyone has upgraded their vacuum and wonders what to do with their less expensive cast-off vacuum, consider donating it to ISM. Contact Lisa Griffin Burns to discuss further.
4) Recycling of Printer Cartridges Yields Payoff: Contribution checks continue to roll in! Keep up the phenomenal effort! We are super enthusiastic to continue this program, so please spread the word to family members, colleagues, etc and forward your used cartridges to the admin office. The empty cartridges that we - as a community - typically throw away can be recycled and remanufactured. ISM will then benefit by getting paid up to $4.00 for each empty inkjet cartridge that has a print head. Acceptable brands include HP, Lexmark, Xerox, Compaq, Brother, Dell, Canon, and Apple; however, Epson print cartridges cannot be accepted as they are produced without a print head. If possible, please submit cartridges either in their original packaging or a Ziploc bag to keep it safe from damages and spills. Thank you!
|
