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The 2006-07 calendar is now available on our ISM website at website. Click the link to view. Our school year began Monday, August 14th, 2006 and will conclude Friday, June 15th, 2007.
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Welcome to ISM's 2006-07 bi-weekly newsletter covering Tuesday, December 19th, 2006 - Friday, January 12th, 2007! The ISM news brief will now be updated twice a month and available to ISM families on our website no later than 7:30 p.m. each second 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 583-2165 or email at lburns@ismonterey.org . To submit newsbrief contributions, forward them per email by the Wednesday prior to the publication date.
Please note: Past newsletters can be found
here.
It is not uncommon that at the mid-year mark we say adios and welcome to departing and new students. Such is the case this December 2006 as we have had two students depart already this month. They are 7th grader Robin Trumble and 8th grader Enrique Knighton, both of whom will be remaining in the area. On December 21st, we will bid adieu to 1st grader Steven Li and 8th grader Derek Miranda, who will be relocating from the Monterey Peninsula. We wish all of these students and their families the best of luck as they transition to new schools in the coming year.
Coming in to fill the spot vacated by Steven Li will be 1st grader Jack Whilden, who as of Monday, January 8th will join his sister Kathleen, currently a Kindergartener in Miss Carrieís class. Their father, Mike Whilden, has just recently joined the ISM Board of Trustees as the newest board member. We are excited to have both Whilden siblings now attending ISM!
Last Friday, December 15th was the last day of employment for one of our favorite people, Miss Annalisa Moore. Although we are saddened by her departure, we applaud her for her enthusiasm for learning and the exciting several months of professional development, which lay in front of her in the coming months! Following graduation from CSUMB with a degree in Teledramatic Arts, Miss Anna joined the ISM staff in 2004 as a Drama Instructor. She was amazing in this role and desiring a career in teaching, she has since completed a Masterís in International Education. For the past five months, she has assisted Miss Kim and Miss Carrie in Kindergarten and led the Kinders in direct Arts instruction for Art, Music, and Drama. She will be greatly missed by us all and we look forward to hearing about her exploits via email. Good luck, Miss Anna!
: We hope that those of you who ordered student photo packages through Wei Chang Photography have by now received your photos and are pleased with the results. To order additional prints or request retakes of your child, please contact Wei directly at 375-3478. He is happy to schedule retakes at his Lighthouse Avenue studio, most likely following the holiday break.
: Our second SEM session has ended and it is now time to think about Session #3! The next Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) is seven weeks in length, running from January 19th to March 2nd, 2007. During this time period, SEM classes will take place on Friday afternoons from 2:00-3:10 p.m.
We are interested in finding parent or community volunteers who can make a commitment to present a workshop on their personal area of expertise, hobby, or passion. We have student requests for sessions centering on sports, hands-on science, computers, photography, crafts, and woodshop. If you would be willing to lead a SEMS class, please complete a SEM form available in the admin office or send an email by Friday, January 12th detailing your proposal (Class name, desired grade(s), minimum and maximum number of students, and contact information) to Curriculum Coordinator Carol Evans at cevans@ismonterey.org. A small budget is available for SEM (below $100). We ask that you also include an estimate of your proposed expenditures with your SEM proposal, and, if approved, request reimbursement by the last session. Thank you!
: Courtesy of parent volunteer Jennifer Stone, we will be hosting a uniform Dig Day this afternoon. Be on the look out for your child's lost or misplaced clothing and reclaim them! Wayward items will be available for viewing and identification between 3:00 to 5:15 p.m. in the front of the school. Any unclaimed items will be handled as follows:
* Clothing and lunchboxes with students names on them will be returned to homeroom teachers;
* PE Uniform items will be returned to PE Instructor Ms. Livingston;
* Non-uniform items will be donated to Goodwill;
* Following todayís ìDig Dayî, all other clothing that is in good shape will be washed and stored off-site until the next uniform clothing sale;
* The next sale will be held on Thursday, March 1st at 6:30 p.m. during our Trimester 2 Arts Program. If you would like to help, please contact Jennifer Stone at jenstone723@sbcglobal.net.
: ISM Students and their families are well supporting this yearís non-perishable food drive! We will report the final results in the next newsbrief; however, we wanted to take a brief moment to thank everyone for their involvement and contributions. Tomorrow is the last day of the food drive, and students will have their last opportunity to ìscoreî extra points for their respective classes. Coordinator Lisa Wichael-Loomis will award 50 points for the most unusual or unique food items brought in and 25 points for the next four runners up. All contributions will go to benefit the Monterey County Food Bank and those less fortunate in our Monterey Peninsula community.
Library Donations - If you havenít had a chance to see the new look of the ISM Library, please stop on by. Our most recent Saturday Work Day left the library clean, bright, and full of shelving. Donations of used childrenís books and teaching materials can be dropped off in the blue metal cart stationed near the door to the library.
: The AT&T Pro Am has offered the ISM community an opportunity to volunteer during this premier golfing event, which will be held this year from Monday, February 5th - Sunday, February 11th, 2007.. The specific service for which they are recruiting help is driving mini vans from Fort Ord to Pebble Beach and back. The hours are not yet known. In return for providing volunteer support, the AT&T will pay ISM instead of paying commercial drivers. The organization needs to know as soon as possible how many people we can provide. We are hopeful that at least 20-30 ISM community members may be able to help during the week and upwards of 30-60 on the weekend.
Parent volunteers will also receive ISM volunteer hour credit for any time donated to this event, to include travel time. Please note that parents, relatives, and friends can participate in this program on behalf of ISM. Please contact Coordinator Jennifer Stone jenstone723@sbcglobal.net to let her know your interest in volunteering during the week and/or the weekend in four (4) hour shifts between February 5 - 11, 2007. We thank all of you in advance!
: For live homework help, click on the Monterey Libraryís Kids page at www.monterey.org/library and then click on the Live Homework Help logo to connect to a tutor who will help 4th through 12th graders with their Math, Social Studies, English and Science homework. Tutoring in English is offered daily from 1:00 - 10:00 p.m., while assistance in Spanish is available Sunday through Thursday from 1:00 - 7:00 p.m.
A. LIBRARY PROGRESS For those of you who have not yet seen our ìnew and improvedî library, please plan on stopping by to take a look! The industrious parent volunteers who donated their time earlier this month for Saturday Work Day pulled out all the stops to complete a lengthy list of tasks, to include painting, organizing furniture, sprucing up bulletin boards, and shelving new books. All these efforts left our library clean, bright, and full of shelving. Please note that donations of used childrenís books and teaching materials are desired and can be dropped off in the blue metal cart stationed near the door to the library at any time. In light of the success with the library, we are asking for donations of the following:
* Fabric Left-Overs: We are in need of large pieces of fabric that can be used for covering bulletin boards. The paper we have been using tends to fade and diminishes the attractiveness of the bulletin boards throughout the campus;
* Working TV's, VCR's and DVD's: If a new flat screen entertainment system is on your holiday list and Santa complies with your ìwish listî, we would appreciate a donation of one TV, VCR, or DVD in good working condition. Check with either Lisa Griffin Burns, Business Administrator or Carol Evans, Curriculum Coordinator, if interested in donating such equipment. Thanks you so much!
Starting last month, fresh lunch menus became available on our ISM website at www.ismonterey.org/lunchASI.html. This is a great resource for families who have a challenging time picking up forms from school or receiving information via their child(ren). Please remember that lunch orders for the first week following the Winter Break (Monday, January 8 ñ Friday, January 12, 2007) will actually be due Thursday, December 21st as Friday, December 22nd is the first day of break. Please submit orders directly to Coordinator Lisa Wichael-Loomisí box. Thank you!
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A. GRADE 6: SPEDDING: SAFEWAY FIELDTRIP, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19th, 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Related to their IPC/Science inquiry unit, Mr. Spedding and his intrepid 6th graders will depart ISM via public transportation to Safeway and return as well by bus. The students will be wearing colored lenses throughout the fieldtrip to experience first-hand the impact on vision, depth perception, etc.
B. GRADE 2: SWEENEY: MONTEREY FAIRGROUNDS SKATING RINK CARPOOL FIELDTRIP - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21ST, 12:30 P.M. ñ 3 P.M. To help kick off the holidays in true fashion, Miss Sweeneyís 2nd graders will enjoy a holiday party at the skating rink!
C. GRADE 4: WHARTON: GOLD RUSH FIELDTRIP TO COLUMBIA STATE PARK & SUTTER CREEK GOLD MINE - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1ST - FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2ND For their IPC unit on Migration, the fourth graders are focusing on the California Gold Rush and the related migration impact. Miss Whartons class will be departing Thursday morning bright and early at 7:00 a.m. and is expected to return by 5:00 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
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A. WINTER BREAK: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22ND - FRIDAY, JANUARY 5TH Please note that Friday, December 22nd is part of this year's break schedule, so please plan accordingly as we will not be having school that day. Students will be returning on Monday, January 8th, 2007 to resume the 2007 school year.
B. MARTIN LUTHER KING HOLIDAY - MONDAY, JANUARY 15TH , No School!
C. JANUARY SAT WORK DAY: SATURDAY, JANUARY 20TH, 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.:
D. OPEN HOUSE FOR INCOMING 2007-08 STUDENTS: SATURDAY, JANUARY 20TH, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.:
E. PRESENTATION BY MONTEREY HIGH SCHOOL/MONTEREY ACADEMY OF OCEANOGRAPHIC SCIENCE (MAOS): MONDAY, JANUARY 22ND, 6:30 p.m.: Representatives from MAOS are scheduled to provide a presentation to any interested 8th grade parents and students on Monday, January 22nd in the multiuse room. In advance of that date, we will be provided with info flyers to distribute and it is also listed on the Daily Bulletin for PowerSchool.
F. ENROLLMENT WINDOW #1 DEADLINE FOR 2007-08: TUESDAY, JANUARY 23RD, 5:00 p.m.: This is the deadline for individuals to submit applications for the 2007-08 academic year and to be eligible to participate in the associated lottery process on Tuesday, February 6th, 2007. Any applications received after January 23rd will be applied to the second enrollment window. Letters of notification following the lottery will be distributed by Monday, February 12th.
G. FAMILY ASSOCIATION MEETING: THURSDAY, JANUARY 25TH, 6:30 - 8 p.m., ISM library: This organization, headed by parent Ellen Gaucher, assists ISM administrators and staff in coordinating all volunteer efforts on campus as well as ISM special events, ranging from the Welcome Coffees, to holiday celebrations, to Schoolwide evening concerts, and more! The Family Association members are always looking for more parents to get involved in volunteer coordination at this level. Reminder, all ISM families are required to contribute three hours (plus one additional hour for each additional child) per month, so plan on stopping by this monthly meeting to contribute your talents!
H. FREE DRESS & PIZZA LUNCH FRIDAY: FRIDAY, JANUARY 26TH:
I. ISM SKIING & SNOWBOARDING ADVENTURE: FRIDAY, JANUARY 26TH - SUNDAY, JANUARY 28TH: Flyers for this weekend adventure are available on the front office credenza. All 5th - 8th graders in good academic standing are invited to participate. The package includes: tickets for two days of skiing / snowboarding (1st day at Sierra Summit, 2nd day at Kirkwood), transportation by tour bus, two nights of lodging in the Bavarian Condoís located in Tahoe, Saturday and Sunday breakfast, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night dinner. Students will have to pay for lunch on the mountain during daytime skiing. Sign-ups with full payment are due by Thursday, January 11th. Please make checks payable to ISM and submit with a completed flyer form directly to PE instructor Miss Livingston. For more information, email her at jlivingston@ismonterey.org.
: A gentle reminder to parents participating in Afterschool programming at ISM - for the Chess, Chinese, and Jewelry classes in which registrations and checks are collected in the admin office, please only submit payment attached to a registration form. We will not longer accept payment without registration forms. It is too easy to misplace payments received in this manner and we are unable to efficiently track important payment information without a relevant registration form. Thank you for your support. Please do not hesitate to contact Business Administrator Lisa Griffin Burns for more information regarding this registration policy.
A. CHESS FOR KIDS : The third session of ISM's Chess For Kids program is currently underway; however, late registrations are still being accepted for this session, which runs through January 17th, 2007, excluding January 10th, 2007.. The program is offered on Wednesdays from 3:45 - 4:45 p.m. Flyers are always available in the front office and detail all 06-07 sessions. Full session fees are $60 per each 5-week session and classes are now being held in Mr. Dvorak's Room #1. Chess participants accompany their classes down to the front lawn for afternoon pick-up and Mr. Lev will pick them up from there at approximately 3:40 p.m. Please make checks payable to "ISM" and submit to Business Administrator Lisa Griffin Burns. Fifteen percent of each session's fees are donated to ISM.
B. INTRO TO PIANO AT ISM WITH KATHERINE SAGE ñ NEW OFFERING!: By popular request, Katherine Sage is offering group piano instruction for beginning learners, age 7 and up. The first session will begin Wednesday, January 10th at 5:30 ñ 6:30 p.m. The registration fee is $160 per session due before the start of class on the 10th. Please complete a piano flyer, available on the information credenza in the admin office, include a check made payable to ìKatherine Sageî, and forward them both to Katherine in the music room Monday, Wednesday, or Fridays between 3:30 ñ 5:30 p.m. The registration fee includes information sheets and starter books at the first class. The maximum enrollment for this new class is limited to 20 students, so sign up early!
C. JEWELRY CLASSES OFFERED BY NICK TRACHSEL : Nick Trachsel's jewelry class has proven to be a very successful newcomer to the Afterschool programming line-up. Registrations are being accepted for Session 3, which begins following the Winter Break on Tuesday, January 16th and runs for eight weeks through March 6th, 2007. This Afterschool jewelry class is designed for students ages 9 and up as well as adults. It takes place on Tuesday afternoons from 3:45 - 5:00 p.m. in Sally Burns' Portable 2. Participants will need to be pre-registered prior to each session, so sign up now for Session #3; the cost is $90. Nick also generously donates fifteen percent of collected fees to ISM. Please note that a $10 materials fee is included in the price for each session. For further information, contact Nick at 372-7865 or by email at njtrachsel@sbcglobal.net.
D. MANDARIN CHINESE LANGUAGE LESSONS AT ISM : For the 2006-07 sessions, instructor Yu Chuen offers two levels of Chinese instruction : second year students on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:45 - 4:45 p.m. and beginning students on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, also at the same time. The cost for the December session is either $10.00 per class, per student, payable per class or $80 per session. Flyers are always available on the credenza in the front admin office. Return registration forms and fees directly to the ISM office. Questions can be directed to Yu Chuen at 224-6470.
E. TAIKO DRUMMING AT ISM: ISM's multiuse room continues to rumble on Monday afternoon, greeting the week with wholesome energy and good vibes! Registration flyers are available in the admin office for future sessions. Class is held from 3:45 - 4:45 p.m. and under the direction of Sensei Ikuyo Conant who is the founder of Shinsho Mugen Daiko in Monterey and the Artistic Director for Watsonville Taiko. She brings 14 years of Taiko experience to the International School of Monterey program! For any questions regarding this program, please direct them to Grade 4 instructor Caryn St. Germain at 583-2165, ext. 3126 or via email at cstgermain@ismonterey.org .
F. AFTERSCHOOL TAEKWONDO PROGRAM : Master Daniel Rogers of Okada Martial Arts offers a flexible two to four day per week after-school alternative to traditional childcare. Master Rogers teaches a Taekwondo class in the multi-purpose room here on the ISM campus directly after school until 5:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. Students learn the Korean Martial art of Taekwondo along with the traditional values and discipline renown in the study of martial arts. Studies have shown that students who pursue martial arts tend to develop improved self-esteem, character, self-discipline, and higher grades in school! For enrollment options and schedules, please stop by the multi-purpose room after school Tuesdays through Friday...or call Master Rogers' cell phone at: 641-220-5503 or e-mail him at: MasterR@mac.com . Thank you!
: Listed below are a few things desired by community members:
1) BONE MARROW DONORS: An ISM community member is calling for help from potential bone marrow donors to help save the life of a friend's 2-year old son. His name is Harrison and he is suffering from AML, a rare form of leukemia. His mother, Stephanie Isaacson(Email her at: stephanielynnsf@yahoo.com ) is pleading for help: "Harrison is doing well for the moment but the doctors are telling us that his best chance for permanent remission is now a bone marrow or cord blood stem cell
transplant. Finding a match for him is very complicated. His best chance was a full sibling, but [his brother] is not a match. Finding a donor on the national registry is very difficult and further complicated by the fact that he is bi-racial (Filipino and Caucasian). We received word that the National Registry does
not have a match for him so now we are throwing all our resources into
generating potential donors. The test to become a donor is a simple swab of the inside of your cheek. It's painless and easy in this day and age. The process of donating is not easy, but if you were told you might save a life, would you endure some discomfort? Refer to the following website to see recent media, read background information, and get an idea of something you might do to help: www.helpharrison.com . Even if a donor for Harrison is not found, an increase in ethnic minority participation on the bone marrow registry will help others in the same position. At the very least, please forward this information on to someone else. Any aid you might provide would be incredibly appreciated. All the best to you and your families!"
2) RECYCLED PRINTER CARTRIDGES: To date, this program has been extremely successful, so we definitely encourage the ISM community to continue to support it by turning in your used printer cartridges to the front office. The monies we receive from this program help to offset office products purchasing, which directly supports student learning through availability of photocopy paper, toner, etc. So, please spread the word to family members, colleagues, neighbors, and forward your used cartridges to us! 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!
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