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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 29 - June 2, 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 on Tuesday, May 30th from 7:00-7:45 p.m. to hear the State of the School report in the Multiuse Room at the school. This report covers the charter renewal process (also refer to Item #2 below), 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 the following change: 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.
We look forward to seeing many of you at 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 (Brown), her husband Scott and friends from 11 - 11:45 a.m., ISM student Taiko drummers from 11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (be prepared for audience participation!), Master Dan's Taekwondo students and a belly dance performance by the mother-daughter pair of Tracy Healey and Dakota Matthews (Gr. 3), beginning at 12:30 p.m., and the Glen Baker Jazz Band, a sure crowd-pleaser, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Newly added to this line-up is the world premiere of two films: Grade six instructor, Mr. Tod Spedding, and ISM Films will proudly present Snow White and the Seven Buckaroos and It's Oh So Quiet. The films will be featured hourly from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. Over two years in production, Snow White and the Seven Buckaroos is a retelling of the traditional fairy tale with a western flair set to the music of U2. The film features the debut of talented fourth graders in the lead roles of Snow White and the Evil Step Mother. It's Oh So Quiet, inspired by the Bjork song and music video of the same title, features ISM students from kindergarten through eighth grade!
A flyer on the cakewalk / cake decorating contest was forwarded out to students 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!
All proceeds from this event benefit ISM, so volunteer, donate a cake or prize item, and/or come and enjoy the day's activities. This is truly a community event designed for all of us to enjoy!
A. 6TH GRADER BRINGS HOME 2ND PLACE RIBBON IN STATE SCIENCE FAIR: Victoria Hutchins, an ISM 6th grader, took part last week in the State Science Fair competition held in Los Angeles, having earned a spot through local Monterey County competition. Her project title was: "Navigating the Sky with My Telescope: Do the Planets Revolve Around the Earth or the Sun?" Victoria did extremely well and received special recognition from fifteen judges, ultimately earning 2nd place in the Junior Physics/Astronomy Category, outperforming more than fifty other students. In order to secure this title, she gave fifteen overall presentations to panels of judges and sponsors for a total of three hours! This is a first for an ISM student and we are extremely proud of Victoria's accomplishments and the amazing support she receives from her parents!
A. CHARLOTTE CHUEN, GRADE 3, ISM'S TOP SPELLER: Beating out a field of 20 fellow competitors, 3rd grader, Charlotte Chuen, emerged as our champion speller last Friday in the final round of ISM's annual Spelling Bee for Kindergarteners through 8th graders! She earned her top ranking with the correct spelling of "abbreviate", a word from the 8th grade list - a full five grades above her own! Her second place challenger and fellow third grader, Anisha Dangoria, was then presented with "picturesque", incorrectly spelled this 8th grade word, and Charlotte then nailed her winning status by also spelling this word properly. All of the finalists in Friday's competition had previously participated in preliminary rounds, either in their respective classrooms (K-4) or during the 5-8 morning assembly. Look for Charlotte's newly-added name on ISM's Spelling Bee plaque (located in the front office) upon our return to school next Fall! Congratulations, Charlotte!
B. ISM's FIRST 8TH GRADE CLASS GRADUATING!: The day before school lets out, our first graduating class of 8th graders will be participating in an important rite of passage: graduation! The ceremony will be taking place by invitation only on Tuesday, June 6th from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. in ISM's multiuse room. We are pleased to announce that Mr. Chris Hasegawa, father to graduating 8th grader Lesley Hasegawa, current ISM Board of Trustees Vice-Chair, and founding Board member influential in developing and marketing ISM's original charter document to interested local school districts 6+ years ago, will serve as the keynote speaker. Executive Director Chrissie Jahn will emcee the event and various members of the ISM faculty and staff, particularly Mr. David Brandau and Mrs. Sally Burns, will provide wise "words of wisdom" to our rising 9th graders. A short reception on the patio outside Mr. Dvorak's room will immediately follow the ceremony. Rounding out the celebration for the eighth graders and their chaperones will be a beach party at Monterey Beach, thanks to the generosity of 8th grade parent, Janet Melac! All students will return to ISM by 3:20 p.m., however, in time for the standard afternoon pick-up procedure. Huge kudos to Denise Hasegawa for serving as the primary parent coordinator for the 8th grade graduation event!
The last dance of the year is also planned to be a last fling for our departing 8th graders! Please refer to Item #7C below for more details.
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 PROGRAM NOW FULL!, 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 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.
B. RAGING WATER GRADE 6 SPLASH-A-THON: WEDNESDAY, May 31st, 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Cost to participate: $17.00 per student and chaperone.
C. 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
D. GRADE 4 / ST. GERMAIN: FIELDTRIP TO SANTA CRUZ BEACH BOARDWALK: TUESDAY, JUNE 6th, 8:00 a.m. - 3:20 p.m.
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A. MANDATORY PARENT MEETING: Tuesday, May 30th, 7:00 a.m. - 7:45 p.m. See Item #1 above.
B. INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL - Saturday, June 3rd, 11 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.: See Item #3 above.
C. MASQUERADE BALL - Saturday, June 3rd, 7 - 10:00 p.m.: ISM will be hosting the last dance of the year in the Multi-Use room for grades 6th - 8th. We are having a themed dance in honor of our 8th grade graduates and this year's theme is a "Masquerade Ball"! Attire is Semi-Formal to Formal and masks are required! Refreshments will be available. The ticket prices are: $7 single, $10 per couple. Contact "Ball Coordinators" Ms. Livingston or Ms. Sarah to purchase tickets in advance.
D. 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.
E. 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 fieldtrip/beach party to follow. Details currently being finalized.
F. 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.
G. LAST DAY OF SCHOOL / FINAL Q4 REPORT CARD DISTRIBUTION - Wednesday, June 7th: All students who have returned ISM textbooks and library books, and who have resolved all financial obligations to the school will be receiving their final Q4 report card for the 2005-06 school year on the last day of school. For those who do not meet this requirement, their report cards will be delayed. Those families of 7th and 8th graders who still need to submit final payment for the Retreat program held earlier this year, please contact Business Administrator Lisa Griffin Burns immediately to resolve this issue. Thank you!
Last Wednesday was the final day to order a 2005-06 yearbook. The yearbook is currently in the hands of the printer, Abrego Printing, and editors are striving toward a delivery date of Monday, June 5th to allow time for plenty of autograph signing! Based on a final proof I conducted this past weekend, the yearbook is excellent and elicited quite the memories as I perused all the wonderful pictures!
Thanks to all of you who contributed a page layout, including instructors Michael Dvorak and Carrie Turner, parents Toni Deoudes, Pam Hopkins, Dakota Sanchez, sister of 8th grader Roland Sanchez, Sally Stock, Venus Watson, Jennifer Wrighton, and others! Your work is not only appreciated, but also so necessary to document memories in an annual yearbook. Once the book is published next week, please also extend a warm hug and "thank you" to the editorial team of Janice Barker, Richard Herbert, and Leora Sanchez, without whose coordination and dedication this year's book would not have been completed!
: Listed below are a few things desired by community members:
1) Portable Pool Needed for Grade 6 ROV Project: Mr. Spedding and his 6th graders are looking to borrow an easy to set-up, portable backyard pool, one with sides of several feet in height. We would like to test our fleet of nine ROVs (underwater robots) on school grounds so other classes can come and see them in action. Contact Mr. Spedding at tspeddding@sbcglobal.net .
2) 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 .
3) Recycling of Printer Cartridges Yields Payoff: Contribution checks continue to roll in! We just received another check recently 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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