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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 22 - 26, 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.
MESSAGE FROM SEAN MADDEN, ISM BOARD SECRETARY: The ISM Board thanks the many parents who attended the first session of the annual State of the School report by Prashant Gupta, ISM Board Chair, on Thursday evening, 5/25/06. These parents represented 87 of the 231 families holding enrollment spots for next year (38 percent). Upon signing out at the end of the presentation, they further confirmed their intent to fill 124 of the 328 student spaces for 2006-2007 (again 38 percent). The ISM Board looks forward to seeing the remaining 62 percent of ISM families represented by at least one parent/guardian at the second and final session of this mandatory meeting to hear the State of the School report on Tuesday, May 30th from 7:00-7:45 p.m. in the Multiuse Room at the school. The State of the School report covers the charter renewal process, school site, mandatory family hours, and school funding. Following the meeting, parents/guardians of students will need to sign an attendance 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 email at maddenworks@gmail.com . Thank you!
Please note that in the coming days, we will be hosting a number of special visitors representing the Charter Schools Development Center (CSDC), Everyday Math, and Classroom Management specialist. The CSDC is an organization that "provides experienced and expert technical assistance, training, and resources to charter schools" and we are pleased to have their involvement - beginning tomorrow morning - to review our CIS/WASC accreditation documentation. The CSDC staffers will also be conducting a quality review while at ISM and may be very interested to talk with parents tomorrow afternoon, so anyone available to stay after 3:20 p.m. is encouraged to do so; we'll put you in contact with Laurie Gardner and the other representatives from CSDC.
* In addition, Lynn Cowart, a nationally-known math consultant will be lending her expertise to review our Everyday math program implementation, lead math lessons in several classrooms, and discuss differentiation of math instruction for
mixed-ability classrooms. Lynn will be arriving tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Many thanks to the Butler-Bell family from Grade 2, as well as Everyday Math, for arranging this gratis consultation visit.
* We are also pleased to have Lee Canter visit the ISM campus on Wednesday. Lee, together with his wife Marlene, have developed a "common sense, easy-to-learn approach to help teachers" with successful classroom management. This is an area that even seasoned classroom teachers can further enhance their "toolbox" of skills. If possible, we are hoping to coordinate an effective staff training with Lee for this coming Fall.
Please note the following change, effective today, 5/22/06: The MPUSD Board of Trustees will now give consideration to ISM's Charter Renewal Petition during their Monday, June 19th Board meeting scheduled for 7:00 p.m. At this time, we are anticipating that the Board's formal decision regarding our charter renewal application for Grades K-8 for 2006-2011 will, ultimately, be approved. 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 certainly realize that this latest meeting date is now scheduled during our Summer hiatus; however, we still look forward to seeing some of you at this meeting for support.
Mark your calendars now for this end-of-year celebratory event featuring game booths and a cake walk activity, a 50/50 drawing and wonderful prize drawings, tasty international foods (supported by chicken donated by Curly's BBQ in Seaside), and a full day's lineup of entertainment, including jam sessions by our Miss Peggy, her husband Scott and friends, Glen Baker's ultimate Jazz Band, Taiko drummers, and Master Dan's Taekwondo students!
A flyer on the cakewalk / cake decorating contest will be forwarded out to students tomorrow detailing this fun element of the day. This is one of the most popular International Festival events, and to make it successful once again, we are asking for your help to provide a fun selection of interesting cakes to fill our booth. To add further excitement, we are holding a cake-decorating contest, complete with up to $25 in prize money! The categories are: Creative Kid Creations, International Flavor, and Walk on the Wild Side. Both home-baked (for consideration in the Cake Contest) and pre-purchased donated cakes can be dropped off at ISM on Friday, June 2nd after 3:30 p.m. or on Saturday, June 3rd by 10 a.m.
Offered again this year will be a 50/50 drawing with the winner sharing 50% of the proceeds with ISM! Returning from a year hiatus is also the chance to win a variety of drawing prizes, ranging from Lisa Wichael Loomis' homemade jam to a PE birthday party hosted by Julie Livingston to a chance to be "Principal for a Day" to a two-night stay at the Reno Hilton. Be sure to visit the multiuse room for all of this "chance fun"! We are still gathering items for the drawing prizes to enhance the variety and excitement of the prizes available. If any community members have items to donate, please contact Lisa Wichael-Loomis at lwloomis@ismonterey.org to arrange for a donation. Thank you!
Business Administrator Lisa Griffin Burns will be intensifying the outreach this week to secure the necessary team of volunteers to fully support this memorable day. Thank you to those of you who have offered up your services to date and I continue to look forward to hearing "yes" from others of you as I approach with the question "Would you like to help with the International Festival?"
Tonight at 5:00 p.m., we will be conducting our last and final lottery for the coming school year. At this lottery, we will be processing those applications for all grades received between March 11th and May 11th. This information is provided here so that current families have the correct information to dispense when asked by interested members of the Peninsula community about ISM's registration process for the coming year. We will be drawing only waiting list positions at this lottery as we filled all of our Kindergarten through 8th grade positions during our first lottery back in late January.
Here's the status: For Kindergarten, we will be drawing waiting list (WL) numbers 76 - 83; for Grade 1, WL numbers 51 - 56; for Grade 2, WL numbers 45 - 49; for Grade 3, WL number 31; for Grade 4, WL number 28; for Grade 5, WL numbers 29 - 34; for Grade 6, WL numbers 37 - 38; for Grade 7, WL numbers 24 - 26; and for Grade 8, WL numbers 5 - 7. Please note that we are no longer accepting applications for 2006-07. The first enrollment window for the 2007-08 academic year will be Wednesday, November 1st, 2006 through Tuesday, January 16th, 2007 with an Open House for prospective families scheduled for Saturday, January 20th from 2-4 p.m.
A. ISM 6TH GRADER TAKES PART IN CA STATE SCIENCE FAIR: We wish 6th grader, Victoria Hutchins, the best of luck at the California State Science Fair being held today and tomorrow in Los Angeles. This event, hosted by the California Science Center (formerly, the California Museum of Science and Industry), is the culminating science fair for this academic year and attracts students in Grades 6 - 12 from throughout the state. Victoria's project focuses on the phases of Venus and had previously won 1st Place, the Physics and Astronomy and Naval Sciences Award as well as the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge Award at the Monterey County Science Fair this past April. We are hoping to receive feedback from Victoria over the coming days to share her impressions of the competition and the projects represented. Good luck, Victoria!
B. GRADE 5 SCIENCE: Mr. Spedding, ISM 5th grade Science teacher writes: "I am awed by this class! I put before them the challenge of designing a strategy for powering a neutral buoyant helium balloons across the Multi-Purpose Room, using a variety of batteries, switches, motors, and propellers. Their collective response has been remarkable for the level of insight and clever use of materials. Many groups have seized upon the idea of a three-way switch, and the use of a tether line. They have leapt right into the task, challenged by its complexities, quickly exceeding my expectations for the activity.
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 ý ONLY 2 SPOTS LEFT, 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.
:
A. 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.
B. GRADE 3 / DVORAK & SIGMAN: CARPOOL FIELDTRIP TO THE MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM: TUESDAY, MAY 23rd, full day
C. GRADE 4 / WHARTON: OVERNIGHT CAMPING TRIP TO SAN LUIS RESERVOIR: THURSDAY, MAY 25th to FRIDAY, MAY 26th
D. 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.
E. GRADE 4 / ST. GERMAIN: OVERNIGHT CAMPING TRIP TO VETERAN'S MEMORIAL PARK (OPTIONAL / AFTERSCHOOL HOURS): MONDAY, JUNE 5th (6:00 p.m.) to TUESDAY, JUNE 6th, morning time
F. GRADE 4 / ST. GERMAIN: FIELDTRIP TO SANTA CRUZ BEACH BOARDWALK: TUESDAY, JUNE 6th, 8:00 a.m. - 3:20 p.m.
:
A. MANDATORY PARENT MEETING: Wednesday, May 24th, 7:00 a.m. - 7:45 p.m., ISM multiuse room See Item #1 above.
B. STUDENT GOVERNMENT GRADE 3 - 6 DANCE AND VIDEO: Friday, May 26th, 6:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m., multiuse room and library 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 .
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 - 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.:
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 cost of this year's book is $30 per book and orders will be accepted until this Wednesday, May 24th -- not until Friday as incorrectly mentioned in an end-of-week email sent out late afternoon last Friday.
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 Day to order years // 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
Once again, 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 .
: Listed below are a few things desired by community members:
1) Host Families Needed - Updated:
A. AFS: Barbara Bannan, mother of 4th grader Ian, writes: "I would like to inform ISM families about opportunities for sponsoring some great high school students next term through AFS. AFS has two girls that have applied and who are interested in coming to Monterey County and need host families. I have attached their information. The contact person is Patrician Jones (email: Patricia_Jones@AFSOnline.org ) and her phone number is 419-5818. More information regarding the AFS organization is available online at , they can find it on line at www.usa.afs.org
B. Youth for Understanding (YFU): 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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