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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, September 11th - Friday, September 22nd, 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.
Since our last newsbrief, three new students have joined ISM - two of whom started today! Please join us in welcoming the following new students: (1) Kindergartner: Sabria Henry; (2) 6th grader Ryan LeBon; and (3) 7th grader Amanda Weber. Sabria jumped into her new environment with gusto today, as she confidently made the transition from an MPUSD dual immersion Kindergarten to ISM, while Ryan bravely set out this morning with fellow middle schoolers for the week-long Camp Jack Hazard retreat (see item #2), having just left Colton Middle School. Meanwhile, Amanda is the veteran of the group as she began class last Tuesday, September 5th. She has another sibling attending ISM and her sister graduated from 8th grade last year. We welcome each of you and look forward to making your ISM experience incredible!
Our current enrollment is 335 students, with one vacancy in Grade 5 still pending. Once full, we will have 336 phenomenal students on campus!
For the second consecutive year, ISM students are returning to Camp Jack Hazard, a YMCA camp located in the Stanislaus National Forest, about 50 miles east of Sonora, CA. The idea of a middle school retreat at the start of a school year is common among international schools worldwide and ISM is no exception. Last year's 5th and 6th graders attended this program, while this year, our 6th - 8th graders will collectively experience the "outdoor leadership and environmental education" focus of CJH. In addition to the curricular benefit of the program, the retreat also fosters valuable student team-building, collaboration, problem solving, and confidence, thereby laying a firm foundation of growth and learning that lasts yearlong. To quote Mr. Spedding, Grade 6 instructor: "The Sonora Pass area of the Stanislaus National Forest, bordered by two wilderness areas, is vast and the vistas are breathtaking. It's the perfect setting for our first fall retreat!"
In yet another example of "we could not do it without parent support", there are 17 parent chaperones, drivers, and / or back-up drivers involved in this retreat experience, who were willing to take time off from work, their homes, and other family members to serve as chaperones and drivers. If we had not had this level of support, the program would have been cancelled. So we are extremely grateful for everyone's help....their generous commitment of time, their willingness to be fingerprinted, show proof of automobile insurance, and generally support ISM's broad-minded, hands-on style of student education! Thank you!
In a departure from previous years in which we have hosted only Scholastic Book Fairs, we will be offering a book sale later this winter featuring Usborne books (view their website at www.UsborneBooksmart.com ). To kick off this event, an exciting "Read-a-Thon" is being held for two weeks from Monday, September 4th and concluding this coming, Friday, September 15th. In short, students are encouraged to solicit pledges in support of their reading efforts during these two weeks. "Who benefits", you ask? Proceeds will directly benefit your child as well as your child's school: 50% of your child's pledges will go towards purchasing Usborne Books for him/herself; 60% will go towards purchasing books for the ISM library and your child's classroom....which equates to a 110% overall return to ISM! Now that's a win-win situation!! So, students keep reading and be prepared to turn in your pledges and wish lists this Friday!
This week I wanted to take a moment to celebrate the success of having nearly 20 parents and 10 youngsters respond to our call for volunteer help for this past Saturday work day! There were many new faces among the crowd, as well as the monthly stalwarts upon whom I so faithfully depend. We had a number of important projects on the line-up this month, to include dismantling and removing 70+ lockers from King Middle School for placement at ISM (done in just over an hour! Power tools and ingenuity were whirling at phenomenal speeds!), prepping and painting a wall in the computer pod, and safety raking wood chips in the upper playground lot. With an incredible amount of teamwork, all tasks were accomplished, except for re-installing the lockers. However, an installation plan was designed, a materials list and purchasing arranged, and a schedule for completing the installation this coming Saturday! A special thank you to parents Peter John Curatolo, Jeff Fichter, Glenn Harrell, and Tina Worley for providing super support on Saturday, and an extra "thank you" to Glenn for renting a trailer to assist in transporting the lockers efficiently. I look forward to working with you all again!
Traditionally, we will welcome parent contributions to this section; please let us know if your child has done something of interest to the community at large, i.e., won an award, pursued a unique hobby, volunteered with a non-profit on a noteworthy project, etc. Email text and photo contributions to editor Lisa Griffin Burns at least 4-5 days prior to an updated newsbrief document.
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A. GRADE 4 CLASS / WHARTON: CARPOOL FIELDTRIP TO SAN LUIS RESERVOIR & DAM, PACHECO WIND FARM: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th, 8:20 a.m. - 3:20 p.m. Related to the 4th graders current IPC Science unit of "Energy", they will be traveling to see first-hand the dually impressive San Luis Dam and Pacheco Wind Farm. This proved to be a popular trip last year, so students are in for an exciting outing!
Miss Wharton's class asks: "DID YOU KNOW?":
* Our class uses 1010.8 gallons of gasoline every time we fill up our gas tanks;
* Each barrel of crude oil holds 42 gallons;
Of that amount, only 19.6 gallons can be refined into gasoline;
* That means that it takes approximately 52 barrels of crude oil to fill our tanks - that is equal to 2,176 gallons or 7.1 metric TONS of crude oil to fill our tanks one time!
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A. FREE SATURDAY RUN GROUP - Saturday, September 16th, 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 and the next meeting will be this coming Saturday, the 16th. For personal family reasons, Mr. Robby will most likely not be in attendance that morning, but we are hoping that folks will still feel free to come....and be oriented to the track by other ISM'ers, to include Administrative Assistant Karen Kushel and/or Caryn St. Germain, Grade 4 instructor. 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 tradition a new tradition for our wonderful school!
B. USBORNE PLEDGES / WISH LISTS DUE - Monday, September 18th, 9:00 a.m.
C. FAMILY ASSOCIATION MEETING - Thursday, September 28th, 6:30 - 8 p.m.: 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 the Back to School night listed above, to holiday celebrations, to Schoolwide evening concert events, and more! Those of you who are new to our school have already seen an example of this group's efforts when you recently completed the "Volunteer Opportunities" form at registration. This group of parents will be reviewing these forms to see how best your individual skills and talents can best serve our campus-wide needs for volunteer support. 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. SEPT SAT WORK DAY - Saturday, October 28th, 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.: The second Saturday of each month is an official "work party" to tackle a few campus-related projects that we simply cannot successfully accomplish during the busy school week. It is also an excellent opportunity for working families to donate volunteer hours to ISM on a monthly basis. For those interested, please come next month, bring your wonderful attitude as well as essential tools, such as a hand drill, hammer, screws, nails, a level, sponges, buckets, and similar items. Chairpersons for this event rotate throughout the months; however, Business Administrator Lisa Griffin Burns is the primary contact for Saturday Work Days. To register interest to serve as chairperson one month or to see how you can help, contact her at lburns@ismonterey.org.
E. NEXT E-WASTE EVENT - Weekend of November 17th: Help to reduce the abundance of electronic waste by dropping off your used and/or outdated TV's, computers, etc. at the next e-waste event at the Monterey Fairgrounds. Stay tuned for more information!
A. FRESH MEAL PROGRAM: ISM is pleased to have its own meal program prepared daily - and freshly - onsite by Program Coordinator Miss Lisa Wichael-Loomis. Menus are designed a month-at-a-glance and are available in our front office. To allow for adequate planning and shopping time, those families opting to take part in the program on either a monthly or a week-by-week basis are required to submit their forms and payment on Wednesdays prior to the menu week. As we are now a school of 330+ students, we simply cannot accommodate last minute submittals. Please bear this in mind when planning your child(ren)'s school meals. In addition, all lunch forms and ASI forms should be put in Lisa's mailbox at the back of the Administrative Offices.
B. SNACK BAR: Also know that students may be hungry prior to their scheduled lunch period and can satisfy their hunger pangs by either: bringing a snack from home to eat safely at recess time -- at adjacent picnic tables or by sitting on the lawn -- OR beginning this Friday, August 18th by visiting the SNACK BAR offered at ISM's multiuse room during morning recess. All items are priced at $1.00 and students may choose from items such as: bottled water, smoothie drinks, apple juice, croissants, trail mix, corn nuts, fruit snacks, and more!
C. AFTERSCHOOL INTERNATIONAL (ASI): Program Coordinator Lisa Wichael-Loomis joins forces with staffers Sarah Benbow (ISM Drama Instructor / Instructional Aide - Grade 4), Robby Fabry (ISM Instructional Aide - Grades 6, 7, & 8), Kristen Carlyle (returning ASI leader), and new leaders Ezequiel Gatica, April Havens, and Tam Truong to provide a daily Afterschool Program from 2:50 p.m. (for Kindergartners) and 3:20 p.m. (for Grades 1 - 8) until 6:00 p.m. daily. The fees to participate in this program depend on the number of hours per day and the number of days per week. For those meeting financial criteria, reduced fees are available. Participation in the program is on a pre-registration basis (preferably) and paperwork is available on the information credenza in the front admin office.
Should you have any questions or need any type of information at all about the Fresh Lunch program or the Afterschool International (ASI) program, it is important that you email Ms. Lisa Wichael-Loomis directly at lwloomis@ismonterey.org
or stop and see her in the library (located at the rear of the admin building). For more efficient handling of your inquiries, we request that parents do not email lunch or ASI questions to the front office via kkushel@ismonterey.org . Thank you so much!
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A. CHESS FOR KIDS : The second session of ISM's Chess For Kids program is scheduled for September 27th through November 8th (no class October 11th and 18th) . The program operates on Wednesdays from 3:45 - 4:45 p.m. and registration is being accepted all skill levels for the next session. If your child cannot wait that long, late registrations will be accepted with fees pro-rated accordingly. Flyers for Lev Frenklakh's Chess class are always available in the front office and detail all 06-07 sessions. Full session fees are $60 per 5-week session and classes are held in Mr. Brandau's Grade 8 portable. 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 has added a Level 2 class for second year students on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:45 - 4:45 p.m. Beginning students may register for class on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, also at the same time. The cost is either $10.00 per class, per student, payable per session or $70 per session. The September sessions began last week; however registrations are still being accepted! Flyers are also 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 success with Session #1 filling quickly and Session #2, beginning October 24th already three-quarters full with 8 registrations. 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. Participants will need to be pre-registered prior to each session, so sign up now for Session #2; 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: Beginning next Monday, September 18th, ISM's multiuse room will once again be reverberating with the drum rhythms of Taiko drumming! Registration is now being accepted for the first three-week session, September 18th - October 2nd. The cost is $30 and registration flyers are available in the admin office. Please return forms no later than Friday, September 15th. 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!
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!
Master Rogers has been providing this program at ISM for the past two years, he is highly qualified not only in the art of Taekwondo, which he studied and promoted to 4th degree master in Seoul Korea, but also possesses a Master's Degree in Educational Psychology, Sport Psychology and Higher Education. 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!
The Boys and Girls Club, located nearby at 1332 LaSalle Avenue in Seaside, provides another Afterschool care possibility for ISM families. The fees are phenomenally reasonable, priced at $10 per year per child. The program operates from 2:30 - 7:00 p.m. daily. Per ISM parent, Reina Romero, the facility is "clean, well supervised, and healthy snacks are provided daily at 3:40 p.m." Registration takes place every Tuesday and participants can chose from: a computer room, science room, homework help, a library room, arts and crafts, and a basketball gym. If 14 or more ISM students are interested in attending the Boys and Girls Club, ISM will qualify for free bus transportation for the Seaside site. For more information, call Reina Romero at 241-4529 or visit the Boys and Girls Club website at www.bgcmc.org .
: Listed below are a few things desired by community members:
1) DONATIONS OF LEVELED READERS: Mr. D's 3rd grade class is in need of leveled reading books. Any members of the ISM community interested in donating books appropriate for 1st to 5th grade reading levels are asked to please bring them by Room #1 or leave them in Mr. D's mailbox in the front office. Thank you!
2) NEW - CARPOOL REQUESTED FOR MORNING PICKUP: Morning carpool needed for student living on the corner of Mingo and Yosemite Streets, 4-5 blocks from school. If able to help, please contact Mr. Michael Dvorak, Grade 3 instructor, at 224-0446 or via email at mdvorak@ismonterey.org . Thank you!
3) Recycling of Printer Cartridges Yields Payoff: This program was extremely successful for us last year, so we are most definitely interested in continuing it again this year. Monthly contributions checks averaged $125+ most months! The monies we receive can then help to offset office products purchasing, which directly supports student learning through availability of photocopy paper, toner, etc. 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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