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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 Monday, November 20th - Friday, December 1st, 2006! This is a change from previous years' communications, which were available each Monday. 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.
Following recent departures of two military families, we would like to welcome two new students to ISM. Vincent Lao, sibling of 5th grader Harvey, joined Miss Sweeney's Grade 2 class last Thursday, November 16th, while incoming Kindergartner Jacob Matiyevsky will transfer to Miss Carrie's class next Monday, November 27th. Both students are somewhat familiar with ISM due to having either a sibling already enrolled in our program or having taken some time in previous weeks to "shadow" in our classrooms to assist in making a mid-year move. Welcome to both of these students, as well as their parents!
We will be hosting our Fall Arts Program this evening, Monday, November 20th to celebrate the great art, drama, and music work of our talented 1st through 8th graders under the direction of arts instructors Miss Laura Allen, Music, Miss Sarah Benbow, Drama, and Miss Karen Welch, Art! Please plan on stopping by to enjoy the evening's activities as follows: at 6:30 p.m., Miss Laura will rev things up with 1st and 2nd grade music performances, followed by intermission at 7:30 p.m. During that time, parents can then enjoy 3rd - 5th grade art displays and meet / greet Miss Karen. Drama performances by our ever entertaining 6th - 8th graders under the direction of Ms. Sarah will then round out the evening's fun. Unlike many public schools in the area, ISM is able to offer on-going arts instruction to augment our internationally-focused curriculum and we thank all of you for your enthusiastic support of the arts at ISM through reinforcing quality student work in this area, direct supply donations to these classrooms, Family Fair Share donations, volunteer support, and attendance at Arts evenings!
Before, during, or after the Fall Arts Program, we also invite parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends to visit the Scholastic Book Fair located across from the multiuse room in the ISM library. Under the enthusiastic leadership of parent co-chairs Janice Barker and Yvette Satchell, a wonderful team of library volunteers, not to mention great support by the ISM community, the Book Fair has already garnered over $2000 in sales, which ultimately benefits the library and classroom book acquisition. The Book Fair will be open until tomorrow and will then be packed up on Wednesday, November 22nd.
Last Friday, November 17th marked the official end to Trimester 1 of the 06-07 school year; however, the specialist classes will remain on their Trimester 1 schedule for today, Monday, November 20th. Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 21st, all students except Kindergartners will switch to their new schedules: 1st and 2nd graders will focus on Art with Miss Karen Welch, 3rd through 5th graders on Drama with Miss Sarah Benbow, and 6th through 8th graders on Music with Miss Laura Allen. This schedule will remain in effect until the conclusion of Trimester 2 on Friday, March 2nd, 2007. Once again, students will then switch specialist classes for Trimester 3 with Miss Sarah providing Grades 1 & 2 drama instruction, Miss Laura providing Grades 3-5 music instruction, and Miss Karen providing Grades 6-8 Art instruction.
Report cards will be distributed on Tuesday morning, November 28th in advance of student-led conferences on Wednesday, November 29th. For the first time in an academic year, we are conducting student and parent conferences during the school day, and as such students will not be attending school on Wednesday, except for individual conference times. Please make childcare accommodations as needed for that day!
Each staff member at the various grade levels will be communicating to parents regarding their individual conference formats for Wednesday, November 29th. If you have not yet received information from your child(ren)'s teacher, do not hesitate to inquire with them directly.
Miss Shephard and Mr. Brandau have scheduled 7th & 8th grade student-led portfolio conferences between 8:15 - 10:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. in ISM's multiuse room on Wednesday, November 29th. Parents do not need to pre-arrange a specific appointment time. Plan to come in with your child during the above listed times to view your child's student-led portfolio conference. Both homeroom instructors, Miss Shephard and Mr. Brandau, will be available in the multi-use room during those times to assist with and/or participate the conferences. Other specialist teachers will also be available on that day.
: The ISM SSC is still accepting nominations for two open parent spots on the council. In short, the SSC is an elected group of teachers, parents, and classified employees who work with the Director / Head of School to develop, review, evaluate, and allocate funds for school improvement programs (SIP). Except for the director, each council member must be chosen by his or her peer group for a three-year term. To that end, we will be holding elections the week of December 12th with the position beginning with our first meeting in January 2007. If you are interested in joining Kenley Butler (father of 3rd grader Simon & Kindergartener Nora), Murali Tummala (father of 5th grader Neeli) and Kim Campbell (father of 6th grader Conor) as parent representatives, throw your hat into the ring by writing or emailing Mrs. Jahn (cjahn@ismonterey.org) by Friday, December 1st. Staff will be conducting a similar process to fill their one open spot, joining Barbara Peters (I.A. 5th grade), Caryn St. Germain (Grade 4) and Alicia Wharton (Grade 4).
: The ISM adult co-ed volleyball team put forth a valiant effort, but was still defeated in the Intermediate league playoffs last Tuesday, November 15th. After a brief hiatus over the holidays, the Spiking Dolphins will return for league play on Monday, January 8th, 2007.
A. AFTERSCHOOL INTERNATIONAL (ASI):
Per an earlier email from Karen Kushel, ISM's Administrative Assistant, please keep the following information handy if you need to contact the ASI staff in the afternoon's, especially after 3:30 p.m. daily.
To reach Lisa Wichael-Loomis, the ASI & Fresh Lunch Programs Coordinator, the best method is via her email at lwloomis@ismonterey.org as she does check it throughout the day. If you would like to reach her by phone, her direct line is 583-2170 and she does have voicemail on that extension. She does only check voicemail about once a day, so if you have an urgent question, please consider communicating by email.
Most importantly, if you need to reach the Afterschool program between the hours of 3:30 - 6:00 p.m. daily, please use the direct line of 583-2171. The ASI leaders in the library will be monitoring this line during ASI operational hours. The ISM front line of 583-2165 is not routinely answered after 4:00 p.m. each afternoon once Karen Kushel departs for the day. We hope this information will help to clarify the best way to contact Lisa Wichael-Loomis or the ASI program providers.
Parents, please remember to mark your calendars for Student-led conferences on Wednesday, November 29th and to make appropriate childcare arrangements for this day. There will be no school for students on that day, nor will there be any scheduled ASI day camp offered.
B. FRESH MEAL PROGRAM: Due to the upcoming Thanksgiving Break, please remember that forms will be due this Wednesday, November 22nd in order for students to receive lunch the following Friday, December 1st. Yes, we will already be in December! Hardcopy December menus were distributed last week and they are available online at http://www.ismonterey.org/lunchASI.html , so please complete one by Wednesday. Thank you!
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A. GRADE 6: SPEDDING: ARCHEOLOGY FIELDTRIPS -- CAPITOLA BEACH (Piliocene fossil site), TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28th, 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Rescheduled from earlier this month
B. GRADE 6: SPEDDING: ARCHEOLOGY FIELDTRIPS -- JACK'S PEAK / TORO ROAD (the Monterey Formation), TUESDAY, DECEMBER 5th, 10:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Rescheduled from earlier this month.
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A. THANKSGIVING RECESS: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23RD & FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24TH
B. STUDENT-LED CONFERENCES: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS - WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29TH, ALL DAY! Instructors will be available by appointment on this day for student-led conferences. Please make specific arrangements with your child(ren)'s teacher(s) for a conference time. Per item #8A, please also make the necessary childcare arrangements as we will not be holding school that day.
C. ANTICIPATED DELIVERY DATE FOR STUDENT PHOTO PACKAGES - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH Per phone with photographer Wei Chang today, he will deliver pre-ordered photo packages next week on Thursday, November 30th. Once we receive them, they will be distributed to families via each child's homeroom teachers. Please direct any questions regarding photo quality, requests for retakes, and the like to Wei Chang directly at 375-3478.
D. FAMILY ASSOCIATION MEETING - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30TH, 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!
D. STUDENT COUNCIL WINTER DANCE FOR 6TH - 8TH GRADERS: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1ST, 6:30 - 8:30 P.M., MULTIUSE ROOM More details to follow!
E. FREE SATURDAY RUN GROUP - SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2ND, 9:00 a.m.: More and more ISM families continue to join Mr. Robby's free Saturday morning run program at Lover's Point in Pacific Grove! He is thrilled to help initiate new members to this supportive morning walk/run group! As a reminder, youngsters who participate in this Saturday morning running club are eligible to earn double "Just Run" points if they come with a parent. Once again, this group is open to all ISM families, staff, and friends interested in supporting one another's fitness goals through running. Come and help build a new tradition for our wonderful school!
F. NEXT SAT WORK DAY - SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9TH, 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.: Following the Thanksgiving Break, mark your calendars for December 9th and come to the December Work Day, which will be generously chaired by parent Steve Moore. Projects on the line-up already include: several library projects (painting the back wall of the library, setting up a magazine rack, making other furniture modifications), packing up musical instruments in the Art room for safe storing, and possibly moving donated items from King School to ISM.
I am still hoping to recruit additional Work Day Chairpersons like Steve Moore to rotate responsibility throughout the remaining months of 06-07! If interested in helping on December 9th or to discuss chairing a Saturday Work Day, please contact Business Administrator Lisa Griffin Burns at lburns@ismonterey.org. Thanks so much!
G. FREE DRESS DAY FOR DECEMBER: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15TH, 8:20 - 3:20 P.M.
H. STUDENT COUNCIL 3-5 MOVIE NIGHT: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15TH, 6:30 - 8:00 P.M. The student council would like to invite all 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders to a Movie Night on Friday, December 15th from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. in the multi-use room; cost is $5.00 per student. Event Flyers and entry forms will be distributed shortly. Entry Forms and payment must be submitted on time for entry to the Movie Night. No exceptions!
I. 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, December 8th, 2007 to resume the 2007 school year.
: 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 started last Wednesday, November 15th. Late registrations are still being accepted for this session, which runs until January 17th, 2007, excluding November 22nd, 29th, and 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. 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 November session (Nov. 2nd - 30th) 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.
C. JEWELRY CLASSES OFFERED BY NICK TRACHSEL : Nick Trachsel's jewelry class has proven to be very successful for Sessions 1 and 2, which concludes Wednesday, December 19th! Registrations are being accepted for Session 3, which begins following the Winter Break on Wednesday, 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. TAIKO DRUMMING AT ISM: ISM's multiuse room continues to rumble on Monday afternoon, greeting the week with wholesome energy and good vibes! Currently, students are concluding Session #2 (Oct. 30th - Nov. 20th) at a cost of $40. 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 .
E. 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) RECYCLED HALLOWEEN COSTUMES: Wondering what to do with your child's Halloween costumes from this and previous years? Are they clogging up precious storage space in your closets. Well, consider recycling them to the ISM Drama program. Miss Sarah would welcome any and all contributions of old costumes. Contact her at sbenbow@ismonterey.org for more information or to donate. Thank you!
2) STUDENTS WHO NEED A GOOD TUTOR: PRIVATE TUTORING LESSON OFFERED: CA Certified Teacher and ISM staff member, Miss Chantel Touryan, offers private tutoring lessons in all subjects for students in Grades K-5. Her specialization is in reading instruction. Her rates are: $30 per hour, discounts are available for multiple kids. Hours of availability are 4 - 8 p.m., weekdays, and 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. on weekends. Contact Miss Touryan via her email at ctouryan@ismonterey.org for more information.
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