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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.
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Welcome to ISM's weekly newsletter for the week of
May 15 - 19, 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.
Interested in hearing the future of ISM? Prashant Gupta, ISM Board Chair, will be reporting on the "State of the School" at two upcoming meetings. The ISM Board of Trustees requires that at least one parent or guardian of each new or returning student holding a space for the 2006-2007 school year attend an Annual Mandatory Parent Meeting. To accommodate parent schedules, two sessions are being held in ISM's multiuse room: Wednesday, May 24th from 7:00-7:45 p.m. and Tuesday, May 30th from 7:00-7:45 p.m. The State of the School report will cover the charter renewal process, school site, mandatory family hours, and school funding. Following the meeting, parents and guardians of students will need to complete a confirmation form. Should you have any questions about this new Annual Mandatory Parent Meeting, please contact Sean Madden, ISM Board Secretary, by phone at 831-241-2193 or by email at maddenworks@gmail.com . Thank you!
A. GOOD LUCK: This coming Friday, May 19th will be the last day of school for Sanka Troia, a departing 5th grader, who has been with us for the past four years. We have enjoyed having Sanka as a student as well as the contributions of her parents, Geraldine and Andy. One such example is three years ago when, Andy, who was serving as the Captain of a Greenpeace expedition, collaborated with Mr. Spedding's 2nd graders to track his location, keep abreast of weather and water current conditions, as well as, conduct a nifty "Message in a Bottle" experiment (dropping messages from the students in bottles in the hopes they would be found ashore) and one bottle was indeed retrieved by a North African youth! We wish the Troia family "Good Luck" in their future endeavors and, as always, invite them to visit us whenever they come back to the Monterey Peninsula area!
B. WELCOME BACK: Join us in welcoming back a former ISM student, Hera Lee, who previously attended ISM several years ago and who will be on campus for the coming two weeks to audit Mr. D's Grade 3 program. We are excited to see her and her mom, Eunji, again and welcome the opportunity to catch up on what Hera has been doing since her departure. We expect that Hera will be on campus beginning either tomorrow or Wednesday.
Please note the following change: The MPUSD Board of Trustees will now give consideration to ISM's Charter Renewal Petition during their Monday, June 5th Board meeting scheduled for 7:00 p.m. At this time, we are anticipating that the Board formal decision regarding our charter renewal application for Grades K-8 for 2006-2011. This meeting will be at the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District's (MPUSD) Board of Trustees' Chambers at the Instructional Materials Center, located at 540 Canyon Del Rey. We look forward to seeing many of you.
This past Saturday, May 13th from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., parents of new students had the opportunity to complete registration paperwork for next school year, mingle with other new students/families, and tour classrooms. Despite the sunny weather and the call of competing priorities related to Mothers' Day weekend, we were pleased that nearly 50 percent of new students are now registered. If, however, you missed Saturday's registration and your child will be starting school with us this coming August, please contact Karen Kushel, Administrative Assistant, or myself, Lisa Griffin Burns, to schedule a time between 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to stop by the office to complete the required forms. Please plan on completing the paperwork onsite and reserving 20-25 minutes for the task.
Note: Registration forms for returning students will be available to complete beginning the first week of August and for the first time, we will only be asking for a select few forms to be completed (e.g., the Emergency Card, a revised Discipline form) versus the full number of forms requested in the past.
A. K-4 SPRING CONCERT: After an instrumental introduction by the band and orchestra, ISM families and friends were entertained by an exuberant "cast of thousands" performing a variety of skits, songs, and steps of, what else, an international flavor! Video recorders hummed and shutters clicked as parents of the junior thespians strove to capture the treasured moments. Such a production would not have been possible without the organizational efforts of Drama instructor Sarah Benbow and Music instructor Natalie Sarrazin plus numerous supporters....so we give kudos to the following: costumers Lisa Wichael-Loomis and Sarah Benbow, refreshment coordinator Janet Melac (who coordinated both concerts!), and many finacial backers - otherwise known in the showbiz industry as 'ANGELS'. Muchas Gracias for a job well done!
B. GRADE 7 AFFINITY PROJECTS: Grade 7 instructor, Sandy Shephard writes: "Each year seventh grade students choose a topic for which they have an affinity, research their chosen field in a variety of ways - to include locating and working with a mentor specializing in their topic, and present their findings to an appreciative audience.
We enjoyed last week's Affinity Projects, and are looking forward to this week's presentations. Presentation topics last week included wolves, the Lahsa Apso, Jazz and Jazz Piano, the tango, Irish dancing, tennis, gladiators, WWII weapons,
constellations, pediatrics, and Taekwondo. Future presentations will take a look at acting, iron ships, cheerleading, tennis, soccer, hip-hop, American Sign
Language, current immigration issues, Martin Luther King, and Mars. These 7th grade presentations are being conducted in ISM's library for those community members interested in viewing a particular topic.
C. LOCKS OF LOVE HAIR DRIVE FOR CANCER - COORDINATED BY GRADE 1: There was a fun excitement level about the campus today as 19 generous and thoughtful members of our community either donated or stepped forward to have ten or more inches of their hair cut by guest stylist Marlena Paredes, owner of Amadeus salon in Pacific Grove and mother of Laura and Jeffrey. All told, 214.5 inches of hair was cut; these beautiful locks of hair will then be donated to Locks of Love, an organization that provides wigs to adults and children battling cancer. Gabrielle Woyce, mother of 1st grader Isabella, has coordinated this effort on our behalf and will be shipping the ponytails to Locks of Love. By observation, everyone involved in this project seemed very enthusiastic knowing that their hair will go to help folks in need and the hairstyles have been quite fetching, as well! Thank you to all the phenomenal students, parents, and staff who made today's event a success!.
The Student Govt.-sponsored Grade 3-6 dance and video game night, originally scheduled for last Friday from 6:00-8:30 p.m. in the ISM Multi-Use Room and Library, has been rescheduled for two weeks until Friday, May 26th (same time, same place). Those students who have already registered and paid for this event will have their registration and $5.00 entrance fee applied to the May 26th event. Any parent who wishes a refund may do so by contacting Dave Brandau, the staff advisor for Student Government, at dbrandau@ismonterey.org .
New flyers for the new May 26th event date will be distributed this coming Tuesday, May 16th, and will be due by 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 23rd.
Join Miss Lisa, Ms. Sigman, Miss Barbara, and Miss Kristen for three weeks of summer fun! The following camps - all offered from 8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. -- are scheduled for June:
(1) Fantastic Fieldtrip Fun Week, June 12th - 16th, at $150** per student: Participants will explore the Monterey Peninsula's favorite kid-friendly hot spots, to include: Dennis the Menace Park, Century Cinema 13, Del Monte Skate, San Carlos Beach, and Roaring Camp Railroad. (**This fee is higher than the other two camp fees as it includes $8 for skating, $9 for the movie, $15 for Roaring Camp, and all other travel fees.)
(2) Survivor: ISM Island, June 19th - 23rd, at $110 per student: Participants will bring the game of "Survivor" to life by putting on their tribal buffs and competing, cooperating, and learning survival skills. The week will wrap up with a hike and campfire at Jack's Peak.
(3) Clowning Around Circus Week, June 26th - 30th, at $110 per student: Participants will learn how to do create balloon animals, juggle, and face paint. They will actually produce their own circus, concluding with a Friday performance for family and friends.
Parents, please note that the minimum and maximum enrollment for each camp is 20 / 30 students, so register now to ensure not only a space for your child, but also that each camp session is a "go"! The registration deadline is Friday, June 2nd by 5:00 p.m. and NO LATE REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED! Refer inquiries to After School/Camp Program Coordinator Lisa Wichael-Loomis at lwloomis@ismonterey.org or at 583-2171 in the library. Registration forms are available in the front office.
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A. GRADE 3 / DVORAK & SIGMAN: CARPOOL FIELDTRIP TO HARTNELL COLLEGE PLANETARIUM: TUESDAY, MAY 16th, 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. 3rd graders will learn about constellations, planets, and tools to learn more about outer space.
B. GRADE 3 / DVORAK & SIGMAN: FIELDTRIP TO TECH MUSEUM IN SAN JOSE: WEDNESDAY, MAY 17th, 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Continuing their study of space, 3rd graders will enjoy viewing an IMAX film about the Mars Rover and visiting other related exhibits.
C. GRADE 2 / AUGUSTINE & SWEENEY: FIELDTRIP TO THE FARM IN SPRECKELS: THURSDAY, MAY 18th, 8:45 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., returning in time for lunch.
D. 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!
E. GRADE 2 / AUGUSTINE & SWEENEY: CARPOOL FIELDTRIP TO UESUGI FARMS IN HOLLISTER: TUESDAY , MAY 23rd, 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Fieldtrip is designed to enhance their unit on "plants". Students will tour the facility and fields to learn more about local crop production. Prepare a bag lunch to eat during the fieldtrip.
F. GRADE 3 / DVORAK & SIGMAN: CARPOOL FIELDTRIP TO THE MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM: TUESDAY , MAY 23rd, full day
G. GRADE 4 / WHARTON: OVERNIGHT CAMPING TRIP TO SAN LUIS RESERVOIR: THURSDAY , MAY 25th to FRIDAY, MAY 26th
H. GRADE 3 / DVORAK & SIGMAN: CARPOOL FIELDTRIP TO THE NASA AMES RESEARCH CENTER AT MOFFETT FIELD: TUESDAY , MAY 30th, full day This is the final fieldtrip for the Grade 3 "Abyss" unit. NASA's Ames Research Center is one of the nation's premier space research labs and plays a critical role in "virtually all NASA missions". Students will tour the facility's Exploration Center.
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A. DLI LANGUAGE DAY: Friday, May 19th, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. DLI's annual Language Day will take place next Friday and we have scheduled buses for K-5, 6th and any remaining 8th graders to attend the event. Buses will arrive at ISM at 9:15, departing at 9:30, and return to ISM by 2:30 p.m.
B. MANDATORY PARENT MEETING: Wednesday, May 24th, 7:00 a.m. - 7:45 p.m. See Item #2 above.
C. MANDATORY PARENT MEETING: Tuesday, May 30th, 7:00 a.m. - 7:45 p.m. See Item #2 above.
D. STUDENT GOVERNMENT GRADE 3 - 6 DANCE AND VIDEO: Friday, May 26th, 6:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. See Item #6 above.
E. RAGING WATER GRADE 6 SPLASH-A-THON: Wednesday, May 30th, Full Day
F. INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL - Saturday, June 3rd, 11 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.: Mark your calendars now for this showcase event featuring game booths and a cake walk activity, a fundraising drawing, tasty international foods, and a full day's lineup of entertainment. Business Administrator Lisa Griffin Burns continues to collect names of community members interested in helping to host this memorable day. Like Field Day, this event is also labor-intensive utilizing 50+ staff and volunteers to fully man the event.
In addition to enthusiastic volunteers for a myriad of roles, we are also looking for community members who are "henna artists" to provide henna painting throughout the afternoon, so step forward and let us know if you have this specific talent. In addition, we will once again have a Cake Decorating Contest to support the ever-popular Cake Walk Event. The bakers among you are encouraged to whip us some tasty confections for the Cake Decorating Contest; categories include "Creative Kid Creations", "International Flavor", and "Walk on the Wild Side" with two each prizes awarded for 1st ($25), 2nd ($15), and 3rd ($10) place in each category. Be on the lookout for an event flyer in the coming days.
G. ELECTION DAY - Tuesday, June 6th: The ISM library will serve as a local polling station (from 6:15 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.) for the upcoming Gubernatorial Primary Election on 6/6/06. Please note on this day, that the ASI program will be relocated into the center of the south pod building.
H. 8TH GRADE GRADUATION CEREMONY - Tuesday, June 6th: ISM's first class of graduating 8th graders will celebrate with a graduation ceremony from 10 to 11 a.m. Reception at ISM and party at Adventures By The Sea to follow. Details currently being finalized.
I. 4th ANNUAL FIELD DAY - Wednesday, June 7th:
The last day of school this year is scheduled for Wednesday, June 7th, 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. Hearty thanks to the bevy of parent volunteers who have stepped forward to assist with this labor-intensive end-of-year event! Once again, 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 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. At this writing, the only time for which Miss Julie still needs volunteers is: from 12:00-2:15 p.m. on the field. Additionally, we are also needing: old pillow cases and a garden hose. If you are able to help with any of these needs, please contact P.E. instructor Julie Livingston directly at jlivingston@ismonterey.org.
The 2005 -2006 yearbook is in the final phases of production and we now need purchasing support from ISM community members! The total number of pages for this year's yearbook has doubled, which consequently influences the cost / purchase price of the book. The cost will be $30/book.
The remaining due dates for the yearbook are as follows:
* 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
Our yearbook staff members are:
* Janice Barker at 384-5524 or barkerjf1@sbcglobal.net ;
* Richard Herbert at 392-1024 or richard@fathomsdeep.com ; and
* Leora Sanchez at 444-8979 or lr.sanchez@sbcglobal.net .
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
: Listed below are a few things desired by community members:
1) 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 .
2) Recycling of Printer Cartridges Yields Payoff: Contribution checks continue to roll in! We just received another check today for $132.00, so this really is a program that is working! The monies we receive can help to offset office products purchasing, which directly supports student learning through availability of photocopy paper, toner, etc. 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!
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