CALENDAR OF EVENTS
2006-07 SCHOOL CALENDAR 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.

BI-WEEKLY NEWS BRIEF FOR
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2007

Welcome to ISM's 2006-07 bi-weekly newsletter covering Monday, February 5th - Friday, February 16th, 2007! 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.

1. MANDATORY PARENT/GUARDIAN MEETING! Please mark your calendars for a mandatory meeting scheduled by the ISM Board of Trustees for Monday, February 12th from 6:45 - 7:30 p.m. in the multiuse room. Per the Parent Contract that each ISM parent or guardian signed at the beginning of the 2006-07 academic year, at least one parent or guardian of each current ISM student must attend this mandatory meeting.

As he did last Spring, Prashant Gupta, Chairperson of the ISM Board of Trustees, will once again lead this important meeting. He will discuss recent successes, such as our new five-year facilities lease and continued student achievement; positive initiatives planned for the coming months, including the search for a new Executive Director and strategic planning efforts; and progress toward a sustainable financial business model supported by the Family Fair Share campaign.

Should community members have any questions regarding this meeting, please email ISM Board trustee John Tilley at jtilley@ismonterey.org

2. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31ST LAST DAY FOR MUSIC INSTRUCTOR / GRADE 2 INSTRUCTIONAL AIDE LAURA ALLEN Staff and students, especially those in Miss Baxter's 2nd grade for whom Laura Allen served as the class' Instructional Aide, wished Miss Allen "goodbye and good luck" last Wednesday, January 31st, which was her last day here at ISM. Miss Allen is stepping down to begin her maternity leave and prepare for the birth of her first child due next month. We have enthusiastically reminded her to include us on her speed dial for easy and swift notification once her son is born and we eagerly look forward to meeting him once she is able to bring him back to campus. Laura, thank you for your wonderful contributions over the past six months! We shall miss you!

3. WELCOME TO NEW STUDENT AND NEW STAFFERS Please join us in welcoming Jasmine Flores, a new 5th grader who is transferring to ISM, beginning today. She is replacing outgoing 5th grader Austin Renteria who has transferred to Monterey Bay Charter School in Pacific Grove, although his two older siblings remain students at ISM. Jasmine is perhaps more familiar than many incoming students with ISM, as she has cousins in 5th and 8th grade who are already attending school here. Jasmine will be joining Mr. Riquelme's homeroom class and she is excited to be making the switch, even though it is a mid-year move.

In addition, we welcome two new staff members to the ISM team - part-time Music Instructor Sherry Porter and part-time Instructional Aide (Grade 2) Sunny Scollan. These two ladies are newly hired at this time of year due to the departure of Laura Allen last week. As of last Thursday, Ms. Porter formally took over music instruction from Ms. Allen; this trimester students in Kindergarten and Grades 6, 7, 8 are currently receiving music instruction and are sure to benefit from Ms. Porter's 18 years of experience in elementary music. She did also have the opportunity to shadow Ms. Allen during the beginning of last week to meet the students as well as discuss lesson plans and curriculum topics with Ms. Allen. We are pleased to have someone of Ms. Porter's caliber taking over the music program here at ISM and wish her the best!

As of tomorrow, Tuesday, February 6th, the new face in Ms. Baxter's second grade classroom will be Sunny Scollan. She will be serving part-time in this capacity Tuesday through Thursday each workweek. Ms. Scollan brings with her ten years as a pre-school teacher and is currently completing her multiple subject teaching credential through Chapman University. She also has a long-standing relationship with ISM as she was involved with ISM's original Director, Mr. Robert Landau, in ISM's infancy and she has continued to remain interested in our unique program. Welcome, Sunny!

4. VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION BREAKFAST / LIBRARY GRAND OPENING: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH, 7:30 - 9:00 A.M. The staff of ISM cordially invites you to join us this coming Wednesday, February 7th from 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. for a VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION BREAKFAST! Staff will be donning their aprons and cooking up some of our favorite home-cooked recipes for your enjoyment. Breakfast will be served in the multiuse room during this time, complete with coffee, juice, bagels, coffee cake, pancake creations, quiche, sausage, and fruit, just to name a few tasty items. We hope that you will come, allow us to spoil you a bit while singing your praises, and "mix and mingle" with one another before heading off to work or other responsibilities. We have hosted this event in year's past and it has always been a positive morning for all!

We will also be taking a moment to celebrate the GRAND OPENING of the ISM library, which has recently experienced a "make-over", both in terms of an infusion of thousands of new titles (resulting from super successful Scholastic Book Fairs and this Fall's Read-A-Thon) as well as major decor enhancements. Please also join us for this event!

So, please mark your calendars to attend Wednesday's breakfast, especially those of you who have helped in the following areas:
* Admin Office
* Book Fairs
* Chaperoning
* Classroom Helpers
* Data Entry
* Family Association
* Gala / Fund-raising
* Grant writing
* ISM Board of Trustees
* ISM Foundation
* Library
* Lunch Room and Playground Monitors
* Monthly Saturday Work Days
* Photography & Videography
* Room Parents
* SEM (Schoolwide Enrichment Model) classes
* Technology
* Website Development

As we have also asked homeroom teachers to extend invitations to their "Super Volunteers", community members may be receiving a separate invitation to this Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast. We are excited to be able to thank you all for all your phenomenal efforts. We will see you on Wednesday! Thank you! The ISM staff

5. MONTEREY PENINSULA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD TO PICK FOR VACANCY What follows is an article published Wednesday, January 24th in The Monterey County Herald by Herald Staff Writer Clarissa Aljentera: "Monterey Peninsula Unified School District trustees agreed Monday to appoint a replacement for a vacancy created by the departure of trustee Robert Eggers. On a 5-0 vote, the board chose the appointment option over holding a special election. Applications are available and due Wednesday, February 14th. Interviews for the position are scheduled for Monday, February 26th at a special board meeting. An appointment to the board will be made following the interviews. Eggers' resignation will be effective Tuesday, February 6. A trustee since 1998, his term expires in November. Work-related reasons have forced him to move to the San Francisco Bay Area. Interim Superintendent John Lamb said a special election would cost up to $50,000. The interim trustee will serve through November [2007]. The appointment process is similar to a format used in September 2004, when Alan Haffa was chosen to fill Terri DeBono's spot. District officials are asking anyone interested in the position to submit an application to the superintendent's office. Applicants must be at least 18, a citizen of California and a registered voter within Trustee Area 1, which encompasses Marina and parts of Fort Ord. Applicants cannot be an employee of the school district. Applications are available at the Monterey Peninsula Unified School district office, 700 Pacific St., Monterey. [As listed above,] they are due by Wednesday, February 14th. For information, call 645-1203.

6. SATURDAY WORK DAY THANKS / NEXT WORK DAY SCHEDULED FOR SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH, 9:30 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.: We extend a special "thank you" to the amazing parents who made last month's Saturday Work Day such a success! If you haven't seen our redesigned and redecorated pod, please stop by. On the morning of January 20th, parents painted the K-1 hallway, hung a 9x13 foot world map in the pod, put up bulletin boards, painted shelves, cleaned the office/library/pod areas, picked-up trash, sorted lost-and-found clothing, re-affixed counter tops, labeled library books, hauled waste to the dump, and hung yet another world map in a seventh grade classroom. The school looks great!
For this coming February Saturday Work Day, scheduled for this Saturday, February 10th from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., we will be tackling a variety of variety of unrelated smaller projects which need addressing now that the library and pod areas have received much-needed attention. These projects include re-hanging a whiteboard tray, fixing Kindergarten trike seats, putting up coat hooks in Miss Carrie's dramatic play area, and the like. When coming to this or any Saturday Work Day, please consider bringing useful tools, such as power drills, drill bits, hammers, pliers, nails, levels, painting tools, and, of course, your individual skills and senses of humor.

Saturday Work Days are a great way to satisfy required monthly volunteer hours, while meeting other community members and finalizing necessary site-related tasks. Parent volunteer coordinator Marco Poehner will oversee this month's event. We always have a good time on these days and all involved really feel a sense of accomplishment when the day is done.

7. CELEBRATING SUCCESS:
A. GRADE 4 & 5 MONTEREY COUNTY SPELLING BEE SUCCESS FOR ISM STUDENTS This past Saturday, February 3rd, ISM students Anisha Dangoria (Grade 4) and Preston Evers (Grade 5) represented the International School of Monterey at the 23rd annual Monterey County Spelling Bee sponsored by the Lyceum and held at San Benancio Middle School in Salinas. Anisha and Preston emerged as the top two finalists of the ISM Spelling Bee for 4th and 5th graders, which was held on January 18th during the ISM morning assembly for 3rd - 5th graders. In addition, the two alternates of Daniel Kanak (Grade 5) and Cameron Mann (Grade 4) were also identified that morning, both of whom were on hand on Saturday to participate, if needed, and to cheer on their classmates. Also enthusiastically watching from the sidelines were instructors Sally Burns (Grade 5) and Caryn St. Germain (Grade 4).
We are pleased to announce that fourth-grader Anisha Dangoria ultimately took 3rd place in this Countywide competition, which began over a month ago in schools throughout the Monterey County! We are thrilled with Anisha's winning performance and also congratulate Preston for his efforts on Saturday. Both students well represented ISM in this competition! Thank you also goes to Ms. Sally Burns for serving as ISM's Spelling Bee Coordinator.

B. ISM WEBSITE UNDERGOING INCREDIBLE TRANSFORMATION! Due to the phenomenal efforts of parent volunteers / technology gurus Carry Bretz, Laura Dippold, and Dave Shifflett, the ISM website has been completely overhauled, to include the updating of photos, revision of counseling, curriculum, and fundraising text for greater accuracy of information, as well as creation of brand new areas of the website. We are receiving more and more compliments on the website on a daily basis and the thanks really goes to Carrie, Laura, and Dave. Please take a moment to view their work, and especially take the time to congratulate them all when you see them. This has been a long-standing area of improvement that through their efforts is resulting in a stellar website, rather than one too often neglected. Thank you!

7. FRESH MEAL PROGRAM NOTES
Starting last month, fresh lunch menus became available on our ISM website at www.ismonterey.org/lunchASI.html. This is a great resource for families who have a challenging time picking up forms from school or receiving information via their child(ren). Please remember that lunch orders for next week are due by Wednesday, February 7th . Please submit orders directly to Coordinator Lisa Wichael-Loomis' box. Thank you!

8. UPCOMING CLASSROOM FIELDTRIPS:
A. KINDERGARTEN: MISS KIM, MS. CARRIE & MISS MAREN: CARPOOL FIELDTRIP TO PACIFIC GROVE BUTTERFLY GROVE (GEORGE WASHINGTON PARK), THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8TH, 10:15 a.m. - 1:00ish p.m. In celebration of their IPC unit on "Insects and Flowers", Kindergartners will be visiting Pacific Grove's one-of-a-kind Butterfly Sanctuary. The timing is important as the butterflies are currently mating and are expected to migrate away within the coming week. Staff and students will be away from campus from 10:15 a.m. until approximately 1:00 p.m. The entire Kindergarten team will be leading this fieldtrip and parent volunteers will be providing carpool transportation.

B. GRADE 3: SIGMAN / DVORAK: PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FIELDTRIP TO MONTEREY'S MARITIME MUSEUM, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH (SIGMAN) & THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH (DVORAK), 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Related to their current IPC unit on the "History of Fishing in the Monterey Bay", third graders in both Ms. Sigman and Mr. D's classes will have the opportunity to travel by MST public transportation to downtown Monterey to learn more about the critical impact of the fishing industry on the development of the Monterey Peninsula. The cost of the bus is $2.00, which students need to have available on the above dates. Along with Instructional Aide Miss Bene, students will be away from campus between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on this day.

C. GRADE 1: BASU / TOURYAN: 1ST GRADERS ATTEND W.O.L.F. SCHOOL SCIENCE CAMP, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21ST - FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD

D. GRADE 8: BRANDAU: FIELDTRIP TO DOROTHY'S PLACE IN SALINAS, TUESDAY, MARCH 6TH & THURSDAY, MARCH 8TH, 10:00 A.M. - 1:45 P.M. As part of ISM's community service goal, 8th graders will visit Dorothy's Place in Salinas to assist with lunch meal preparation and serving to homeless and disadvantaged individuals who rely on rely so greatly on this non-profit agency. Half of the students will go on Tuesday, March 6th and the other half will go on Thursday, March 8th. Spanish instructors as well as Curriculum Coordinator Carol Evans and Business Administrator Lisa Griffin Burns will serve as chaperones for these outings. Prior to the trip, will be further exposed to the topic of "Homelessness" by means of a knowledgeable speaker in the field. More details to follow.

E. GRADES 3 - 5: BUS FIELDTRIP TO ANDES MANTA PRESENTATION @ CSUMB: FRIDAY, MAY 4TH, 10:30 - 11:30 A.M. ISM 3rd through 5th graders will have the opportunity to travel by bus - courtesy of CSUMB -- to experience ANDES MANTA, an Ecuadorian folk music program at CSUMB.

9. MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR.......:
A. ENROLLMENT WINDOW #1 LOTTERY FOR 2007-08: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH, 5:00 p.m.: The first lottery for the 2007-08 academic year will be held on Tuesday, February 6th at 5:00 p.m. in the multiuse room. This is a public lottery held to process all the 2007-08 applications received between November 1, 2006 and January 23, 2007 by 5:00 p.m. At this writing, ISM staff will most likely only draw for one Kindergarten class, due to space availability for the coming academic year. Any applications received after January 23rd will be applied to the second enrollment window. Letters of notification following the lottery will be distributed by Monday, February 12th.

B. VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION BREAKFAST: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH, 7:30 - 9:00 A.M.: Come one, come all! We would love to see our many wonderful volunteers Wednesday morning as a small token of our appreciation! See item #4 above.

C. K-2 MOVIE NIGHT: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. The ISM Student Council would like to invite all Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd graders to a viewing of "Cars" on Friday, February 9th from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. in the Multi-Use Room. Sign-up forms were sent home to students last Wednesday, January 31st. Registration forms will be due in Mr. David Brandau's mailbox by Wednesday, February 7th at 12 noon. The entrance fee for this event is $5.00 per student. The Student Council Special Events Committee is asking for chaperone support for this event; one admin rep, one staff member, and one parent are needed to help chaperone. If available to help, please email interest to Misha at isspecialevents@yahoo.com . Thank you!

D. FEBRUARY SAT WORK DAY: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH, 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.: See item #6 above.

E. SATURDAY JUST RUN WITH MR. ROBBY: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10TH, 9:00 a.m. AT LOVERS POINT: Mr. Robby is continuing to host the Saturday morning Just Run group every Saturday, so join fellow ISM'ers to maintain your New Year's resolution to be more fit. Mr. Robby is also training for a marathon and Saturday morning runners will help to support him in this challenging goal.

F. VALENTINE'S DANCE FOR 6TH - 8TH GRADERS: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. The ISM Student Council would like to invite all 6th, 7th, and 8th graders and their guests to a Valentine's Dance to be held on Friday, February 16th in the Multi-Use Room. Music will be provided by DNA DJ's, a DJ service that has successfully - and appropriately -- "spun the tunes" several times last year. Refreshments will also be available. More details to come!
The Student Council Special Events Committee is asking for chaperone support for this event; one admin rep, one staff member, and one parent are needed to help chaperone. If available to help, please email interest to Misha at isspecialevents@yahoo.com . Thank you!

G. PRESIDENTS' DAY HOLIDAY: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH: NO SCHOOL IN SESSION!

H. FAMILY ASSOCIATION MEETING: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22ND, 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!

I. FREE DRESS & PIZZA LUNCH FRIDAY: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23RD:

J. ISM VIDEO COMPETITION: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23RDThe ISM Student Council would like to announce the first annual ISM Video Game Competition to be held on Friday, February 23rd. Stay tuned! More details to follow!

K. MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE FAIR: MONDAY, MARCH 12TH, 5:00 - 7:00 P.M. ISM 7th - 8th graders will have an opportunity to showcase their varied science projects at the ISM Middle School Science Fair which will be held on Monday, March 12th in the ISM Multi-Use Room. The tentative schedule for the afternoon is as follows: 3-4 p.m. - ISM community members invited to view student displays; 4-5 p.m. - students interviewed by judges about their projects; 5-6 p.m. - judges meet to determine awards; 6-7 p.m. - celebration of student projects. Please mark your calendar for this event and support scientific inquiry at ISM!
The Monterey County Science Fair will be held the following weekend on Friday, March 16th through Sunday, March 18th at California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB). All 8th graders are required to submit projects in the county competition, while 7th graders are highly encouraged to participate. Please wish all participating students good luck!!! Stay tuned for more details!

L. MANDATED CA S.T.A.R. TESTING PERIOD: MONDAY, MAY 7TH THROUGH WEDNESDAY, MAY 15TH, 2007

10. AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING: 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 : Late registration is still be accepted for Session #4 of Chess, which began last Wednesday, January 24th and continues through Wednesday, February 21st. 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. INTRO TO PIANO AT ISM WITH KATHERINE SAGE: THIS IS A NEW OFFERING!: By popular request, Katherine Sage is offering group piano instruction for beginning learners, ages 7 and up. The first session was to begin last Wednesday, January 10th at 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. The registration fee is $160 per session due before the start of class. Please complete a piano registration flyer, available on the information credenza in the admin office, include a check made payable to "Katherine Sage, and forward them both to Katherine directly in the music room on Monday, Wednesday, or Fridays between 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. The registration fee includes information sheets and starter books at the first class. The maximum enrollment for this new class is limited to 20 students, so sign up early!
C. JEWELRY CLASSES OFFERED BY NICK TRACHSEL : Nick Trachsel's third session, January 16th - March 6th, 2007, of his popular 8-week long jewelry class is full; however, registrations are being accepted for Session #4, which runs from Tuesday, April 10th - Tuesday, May 29th at a cost of $90. This Afterschool jewelry class is designed for students ages 9 and up as well as adults. It is held on Tuesday afternoons from 3:45 - 5:00 p.m. in Sally Burns' Portable 2. 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. 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. Students will learn simple Chinese characters and everyday phrases, sing Chinese songs, learn Chinese folk dance, as well as play games in Chinese. The February session dates are: February 1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 22 and 26 at a cost of $10 per class or $70 per session for each student. Flyers are always available on the credenza in the front admin office. Please return registration forms and fees directly to the ISM office. Questions can be directed to Yu Chuen at 224-6470 or www.mandarinorange.org/index.htm . Space is limited to 10 students per class.
E. TAIKO DRUMMING AT ISM: ISM's multiuse room continues to rumble on Monday afternoon, greeting the week with wholesome energy and good vibes! The current session of Taiko drumming costs $50 and is offered January 22 - February 26. Registration flyers are available in the admin office. 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 .

F. 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 multiuse 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 .

New: Mr. Rogers is also offering a Summer Day Camp for all ages the first week following the end of school from Monday, June 18th - Friday, June 22nd, 2007, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. daily at a cost of $489 per student, which covers all lunches, snacks and drinks, and breaking boards. Registration pamphlets for this as well as the school year Taekwondo program are both available on the information credenza in the front office.

11. LOOKING FOR..... : Listed below are a few things desired by community members:
1) FOREIGN LANGUAGE CHILDREN'S BOOKS FOR THE ISM LIBRARY: Recent cataloging efforts revealed that we have children's books in our library printed in 15 different languages. What fun if, in honor of World Book Day on March 1st, we could add a lot more! Right now there are children's books in Greek, Russian, Japanese, Italian, German, Norwegian, Korean, Portuguese, French, Spanish, Swedish, Danish. Estonian, Dutch, and English. If you have another language to add to our International Book Collection, please drop your contributions by the library or Curriculum Coordinator Carol Evans' office. Thank you!

2) DANCERS WANTED TO CLASS TAUGHT BY ISM'S DRAMA TEACHER, SARAH BENBOW: Hello, everyone! I just wanted to let everyone know that starting tomorrow, Tuesday, February 6th, I will be teaching a new line dancing class at Shall We Dance in Pacific Grove. The class, offered from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. is designed to be: easy, very, very fun, energetic, and a great workout! The cost to participate is only $12 for the class or if you pay for five classes in advance, it is less than $10 a class. Any and all support from the ISM community is definitely welcome and it would be great to see some if not many familiar faces there in the audience. Novices welcome; no dance experience necessary. Thanks so much! Email Miss Sarah at sbenbow@ismonterey.org if you have any questions regarding this fun class.

3) RECYCLED PRINTER CARTRIDGES: To date, this program has been extremely successful, so we definitely encourage the ISM community to continue to support it by turning in your used printer cartridges to the front office. The monies we receive from this program help to offset office products purchasing, which directly supports student learning through availability of photocopy paper, toner, etc. So, please spread the word to family members, colleagues, neighbors, and forward your used cartridges to us! 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!

 

ISM School Fund Raising News

This section is for news from the ISM Foundation and our Director of Advancement Lorraine Williby.
1. FAMILY FAIR SHARE PROGRAM UPDATE: ISM has once again received fabulous news from Carrie Miles, Treasurer for the ISM Foundation. Ms. Miles last reported a year-to-date total raised by the Foundation's Family Fair Share Program of $177,000. ISM has learned from Carrie Miles that our parents have now donated a total of $185,000 to date. ISM is so grateful to the Foundation for their efforts to raise funds on behalf of ISM. Kudos to those parents who have contributed their Fair Share! Remember, these funds help fill the gap between State funding and our ability to provide a unique and challenging educational experience to our students.

2. REBATE REVENUE UPDATE: Just last week, Business Administrator Lisa Griffin Burns received and deposited two rebate checks from Albertsons and Box Tops for Education alone totaling $535.57. Since the beginning of this academic year, rebate revenue collectively received from Albertsons, Empties4Cash, eScrip, Lands End, Office Depot, Raleys/Nob Hill, and Target is over $1700, which helps to fund one more student's education here at ISM. Please continue to support these rebate programs by turning in your printer cartridges (see above), signing up for eScrip listing ISM as the beneficiary, and shopping at the vendors listed above, being sure to target rebate dollars our way. For more information on how you can help, please contact Business Administrator Lisa Griffin Burns at lburns@ismonterey.org.

3. WORLD NEIGHBORHOOD GALA 2007: From Laura Alladeen, Coordinator of Gala Solicitation : The International School of Monterey's 4th Annual World Neighborhood Gala is fast approaching, on Saturday, April 14th, 2007 at the Monterey Hyatt, revised from the previous Gala venue of the Pebble Beach Beach and Tennis Club. Save the Date and bring your dancing shoes! The night's festivities will revolve around a Mardi Gras theme!

For this event to be the greatest success it can be, ISM community help is definitely needed! To date we have approximately 47 items donated, which represents about 20% of what we have collected in the past. This Gala is to benefit our school; hence, every parent should be involved in one way or another. Our Gala is only 12 weeks away and will be here before you know it! Time is of the essence, so please help!
So, if you own or operate a business or service, please complete a Donation Value form and forward to either Laura Alladeen or Carrie Miles as soon as possible. The forms are available to download on our website at www.ismonterey.org . If you are employed with an organization or have a business that has a product that is not suitable as a donation, please consider a cash donation to help underwrite some of the Gala expenses.
If you helped solicit auction items last year, can you please step up to the plate again this year and contact those businesses that helped support us in the past? Solicitation letters were mailed in November 2006 and follow up calls need to be made. We have a list of past donors and could use some help in contacting them via phone calls, fax, and email or if you would like to team up and help canvas some of the local areas, please let me know. It is important to keep us posted so that we do not duplicate our efforts and contact the same businesses more than once, or to businesses that have already been contacted and declined to contribute.

With that in mind, the following businesses have donated so far:
A Taste of Monterey, Adventures by the Sea, Bargetto Winery, Black Bear Diner, Bonfante Gardens, California Rodeo, Carmel Art Association, Carmel Valley Athletic Club, Chamisal Tennis & Fitness Membership, Del Rey Car Wash, Disneyland Resort, Eagle Ridge Golf Club, Embassy Suites, Fire Trucks 4 Hire, First Awakenings, Flaherty's Seafood & Grill, Hearst Castle, Highland's Inn, Park Hyatt Carmel, Hilton Garden Inn, Justin Vineyard, Katy's Place, Laguna Seca Golf Ranch, Main Event Transportation, Monterey Bay Kayaks, Montrio Bistro, National Steinbeck Center, Old Fisherman's Grotto, Pacific Repertory Theater, Pebble Beach Company, Pepe's Little Napoli Bistro, Redwood Empire Ice Arena, San Jose Sharks, Sandbar & Grill, Shane's Irish Pub, Synergy Body Studio, The Breakfast Club, The Mucky Duck, Tolosa Winery, Toro Petroleum, Ventana Vineyards, Ventana Inn & Spa, Whole Foods and Wild Things.

Some helpful tips: Remember: "It is not what you know, but rather who you know." All you have to do is ask. "If you do not ask, you do not get..." Also, no item is too big or small. We gladly take them all.

Thank you for your time, cooperation and support! Let's work together to make our 4th Annual World Neighborhood Gala a rousing success once again! "Together We Can Make a Difference!" Please contact Laura Alladeen per phone at 455-9686 or by email at lsalladeen@sbcglobal.net .

4. WORLD NEIGHBORHOOD GALA 2007 - INSTANT WINE CELLAR: A highlight of our live auction has always been the "Instant Wine Cellar", created by the parents of ISM. It consists of over 100 eclectic bottles of wine moderately priced between $10 - $15 per bottle. This one item typically brings in $1500. We are asking each family to contribute one or two bottles of wine in this price range. For your convenience, there will be a "wine drop-off" on Friday, March 2nd before and after school. There will be someone in the parking lot to take your donation. You may also bring your donation to school and leave it in the office anytime. IMPORTANT: Please do not have your child carry wine onto the campus!

We are also looking for volunteers to help collect the wine bottles at the "wine drop-off" on March 2. If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to collect bottles please contact Tim Rougeot at trougeot@gmail.com or 235-2744. Thank-you for your help.

5. WORLD NEIGHBORHOOD GALA 2007 - 50/50 DRAWING TICKET SALES: Report from Coordinator Lynn Richardson: As of last week, participating families had sold 85 tickets at a value of $740.00. Mr. D's third grade class is currently leading ticket sales within the Kindergarten-Grade 4 group with 25 tickets sold. Meanwhile, Ms. Burns' fifth grade class has sold 18 tickets, leading the upper grade class sales.
To increase ticket sales, Lynn suggests keeping tickets handy to have as you go about your normal routines, remembering to mention the 50/50 fundraiser to colleagues at your workplace, fellow attendees at a workshop or conference, vendors that you routinely frequent (i.e., the hairdresser, barber, store clerk, etc.) These type of sales are easier than you might imagine. Just as Laura Alladeen mentioned above, "If you do not ask, they will not buy" so feel empowered to ask....and let's increase the value of the 50/50 pot. Thank you!

6. PARENT FUNDRAISER PROGRAMS:
A. NEW VENDOR: WWW.ANCLIMOUSINES.COM TO BENEFIT ISM: ISM parent Jose Rodriguez has started a limousine service in the area and is interested in marketing his new business, while also donating a percentage back to ISM. If you are in need of this type of service for a wedding, prom, or other special occasion, please give consideration to Jose's business. He is available for further information at 236-6038.
B. MARY KAY COSMETIC SALES TO BENEFIT ISM: Independent Mary Kay Beauty Consultant Gabriella Perez, mother of two ISM students, Giovanni (Grade 3) and Isabella Giuliana(K), is donating 25% of the proceeds of all of her ISM-related sales back to ISM. Consider calling Gabriella at 277-3732 to schedule a Mary Kay facial, makeover, or presentation. Catalogues are available in the office, or you can shop online at www.marykay.com/gaperez.
C. PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGING SERVICE: Leora Sanchez, parent of Lauren (Gr. 3) and annual yearbook chairperson, has now created a "photographic imaging" service and is generously donating 10% of her fee to ISM. Examples of her work include transforming classic or digital photos into a digital photo album, crafting video "thank you cards", and preserving standard format pictures and negatives to digital format. Contact Leora at 247-4822 or via email at Lr.sanchez@sbcglobal.net for more information or a free estimate; mention promotion code 91913 when calling!
D. HAWAII ONLINE VACATIONS: Hawaii Travel Agent and ISM parent Cynthia Duvall, mother of 4th grader Chloe Estes, announces the following:
Aloha all! Cynthia Duvall and Hawaii Online Vacations continues to support ISM with a donation of 10 percent of her commission on vacation packages booked by ISM families and referrals! Now is a perfect time to book a vacation to the Hawaiian Islands, Disneyland, Disney World, etc. It is also not too early to begin planning Spring Break excursions as well! Hawaii Online Vacations specializes in Hawaiian vacation packages, Disneyland, Disney Cruise, Disney World, Globus escorted worldwide vacation packages, hotels and car rentals and much more! Cynthia has planned "smooth-as-glass" professional trips for numerous ISM clients for the past several years and is happy to provide references for her services. She looks forward to hearing from many of you regarding your vacation needs! She can be reached per phone at 384-6921 or by email at cynthia@hawaiionlinevacations.com.

ISM Community Message Board

This section is for non-ISM activities and events of interest to our school community. If you have an activity that you are supporting and wish to share with the ISM Community, please submit details on the news item to Lorraine by the Thursday prior to the week when you would like to see the item appear. You can bring your items into the office in hard copy, or you can email them to Lorraine Williby at lwilliby@ismonterey.org.

1. CHARTWELL SCHOOL FREE WORKSHOP ON "PSYCHO-EDUCTIONAL MODEL: STUDENT CENTERED EDUCATIONAL PLANNING": WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7TH, 6:30 - 8:30 P.M., MCMAHAN HALL MULTIPURPOSE ROOM: Kristen Atkins, Chartwell's Outreach Director will be discussing the following: Understanding the psycho-educational model is important for individuals who work with children with learning differences. In this workshop, participants will learn about types of testing that can be used to assist parents and teachers to better understand the outcomes of testing, the WISC-IV, achievement testing and practical strategies and recommendations that psychologists make to better inform parents and schools how to help children reach their academic potential. For more information, please contact Kristen directly at 394-3468, extension 1012 or by email at katkins@chartwell.org .

2. HOMEWORK HELP THROUGH THE CITY OF MONTEREY LIBRARY: For live homework help, click on the Monterey Library's Kids page at www.monterey.org/library and then click on the Live Homework Help logo to connect to a tutor who will help 4th through 12th graders with their Math, Social Studies, English and Science homework. Tutoring in English is offered daily from 1:00 - 10:00 p.m., while assistance in Spanish is available Sunday through Thursday from 1:00 - 7:00 p.m.