BI-WEEKLY NEWS BRIEF FOR
MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2007

Welcome to ISM's 2006-07 bi-weekly newsletter covering Monday, March 12th - Friday, April 6th, 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. PICK UP / PARKING LOT ETIQUETTE

As Daylight Savings time is now here, and the days are warmer and longer, so too might tempers "heat" up unexpectedly. Therefore, it is timely to take a moment to remind parents of some pick up / parking lot etiquette, so that we can minimize end-of-day frustrations.

First off, it is important to recap that Kindergartners end their day at 2:50 p.m., while 1st through 8th graders get out of school at 3:20 p.m. So, for those parents picking up students at 3:20 p.m. or later and using the convenient curbside pick-up procedure at day's end, please be aware that Kindergarten parents may also be trying to leave the lower parking lot in which they parked prior to 2:50 p.m. Please be courteous and let the Kindergarten parent or guardian reverse out of their parking space and leave the campus smoothly. We also want to remind community members not to lose their tempers to the point of using inappropriate language, especially when there are young children present in cars, on the sidewalk, etc.

Please also be patient with new or infrequent visitors to our campus who come to pick up youngsters during the afternoon pick-up procedure. Often times they are not aware of the need to loop around the lower parking lot and are inadvertently, not intentionally, cutting in line. Admin staff working this rotation in the afternoon informs all newcomers of the correct procedure, so that they are in the loop on follow-up visits. Thank you for your attention and courtesy to this!

2. SCHOOLWIDE ENRICHMENT MODEL (SEM) SESSION #3: CALL FOR INSTRUCTORS From Curriculum Coordinator Carol Evans: Dear ISM Community, Our third SEM session ended on Friday, March 2nd, so it is now time to think about class offerings for Session #4! The next Schoolwide Enrichment Model will be seven weeks in length, beginning after the Break on Friday, April 13th through Friday, May 25th; each class is offered on Friday afternoons from 2:00 - 3:10 p.m.

We are interested in finding parent or community volunteers who can make a commitment to present a workshop on their personal area of expertise, hobby, or passion. We have student requests for sessions centering on sports, hands-on science, computers, photography, crafts and woodshop. If you are willing to lead a SEM class, please contact Carol Evans at cevans@ismonterey.org and provide the following information by Wednesday, March 14th: your name, class title, desired grade range (from Grade 1 - 8), maximum class size, phone number, email address, and the anticipated expenses related to your class. Please note: A small budget is available for SEM (below $100). We ask you to estimate your proposed expenditures and, if approved, request reimbursement by the last session. Thank you!

3. CELEBRATING SUCCESS:
A. 5TH GRADERS BRING HOME TOP PRIZES AT MONTEREY COUNTY HISTORY DAY COMPETITION This year's History Day competition featuring a theme of "Triumph and Tragedy in History" was coordinated by the Lyceum of Monterey County and the Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) and is also sponsored by the AT&T Pebble Beach Charities. The competition was held this weekend at Marina's Los Arboles Middle School and many of ISM's 5th graders excelled in the Youth Poster division (open to 4th and 5th graders from throughout Monterey County), taking home the majority of the special awards donated by local individuals, organizations, and businesses as well as the Lyceum/MCOE awards!

Packing their bags to go to the California State Finals in Long Beach, CA the weekend of April 26th - 29th will be the top winning team of 5th graders: Reece Gagnon, Sumner Healey, Andrew Miles, and Justice Post! Their topic focused on the 1944 D-Day Operation on Omaha Beach, part of "Operation Overlord". Accompanying them to Long Beach will also be the 2nd Place Finalist team of: Sean Burns, Suraya Essi, Reeve Grobecker, and Taylor Hobbs, whose project concerned the 1960 - 1962 exodus of Cuban children via "Operation Pedro Pan". Receiving an Honorable Mention for their analysis of "Princess Diana" and her untimely death is the team of Zoe Deoudes, Camille Fuentes, Izzie Leahy, and Ari Meininger. CONGRATULATIONS!

As mentioned above, ISM's 5th graders walked off with numerous special awards granted by a variety of businesses and specialist groups. We would like to especially highlight the team of: Preston Evers, Bennett Parrish, and James Welsh who were frankly unable to sit down for most of the awards ceremony, due to the fact that they won multiple special awards.

Feedback from History Day judges was particularly complimentary this year as many shared that our students' exhibits were far better than any of the Junior (Grades 6 - 8) exhibits and even some of the Senior (Grades 9 - 12) ones. In addition, our students were professionally dressed in dresses and skirts for the girls and shirts, ties, and even some suits for the boys. The students were excited about their work and eager to share their knowledge with the judges in the interviews conducted Saturday morning. Their collective maturity and strength of understanding shown through this weekend. We congratulate all of the participating students, the award winners, and also the 5th grade families who supported the students over the past several months and who greatly contributed to this year's super successful outcome. Grade 5 instructor and History Day Coordinator Ms. Sally Burns deserves a HUGE "thank you" for her outstanding commitment to her students and the phenomenal job she did preparing all for this weekend's competition!

B. 8TH GRADER SHINES AT MONTEREY COUNTY SPELLING BEE 8th grader Catrina Fuentes competed against 44 other students in Sunday's 12th annual countywide Spelling Bee, held at Hartnell College's Western Stage Main Theater in Salinas. With a determined spirit, Catrina completed the competition in fine fashion out spelling 39 other youngsters to win 4th place! Way to go, Catrina!

The overall winner of this year's competition was Kyle Rogacion from York School who was also the 2005 Countywide Spelling Bee winner. We also wanted to recognize third place winner Dylan Freedman, who is an 8th grader from Carmel Middle School and sibling of ISM 3rd grader Ari. Congratulations, Dylan!

C. 2nd GRADE ART SHOW AT PACIFIC GROVE BAGEL BAKERY Artwork by 2nd graders in both Ms. Baxter's and Ms. Sweeney's classes is now being featured at the Pacific Grove Bagel Bakery, located at 1132 Forest Avenue! The Dinoscapes and Mono-prints highlighted in this show were created in Ms. Karen Welch's art class and will be available for viewing for the remainder of the month of March, so please stop by and see them! We would like to extend an enormous thank you to ISM parent Christine Colon for securing this exhibit space, and also for hanging the exhibit. For more information, contact Karen Welch directly at saltgreensea@hotmail.com .

5. BIG SUR SCHOOLS 5K: Thank you to the 113 ISM community members who registered to take part in this year's Big Sur Schools 5K! The event is just one of many held as part of the Big Sur International Marathon; it will take place on Sunday, April 29th, beginning bright and early at 7:40 a.m. at the Carmel Crossroads. This year's ISM deadline to register was Thursday, March 7th by 4 p.m. so that the forms could be finalized in the database and the necessary "tallying" completed prior to being forwarded to the Monterey County Office of Education (M.C.O.E.) by the March 8th deadline. We were able to meet this timetable with support of the following parent volunteers: (1) Menka Panchal who conducted outreach phone calls to previous participants as well as early database work; (2) Elissa McLaurin who put in hours finalizing the database on March 6th & 7th; and (3) Esther Hobbs who delivered the forms to M.C.O.E. in Salinas and worked with Schools 5K staff to ensure accuracy of our packet.

Although the ISM team is smaller (as a percentage of our enrollment) this year than in year's past, we are still well placed to compete for one of the various Participation awards given out by the Big Sur Marathon organization. In addition, it is exciting to see so many people (both students and parents) return year after year to take part in this event! It really is a great opportunity to bond with one another as community members and family members, while supporting ISM and getting exercise, fresh air, and rejuvenation! Thank you again for all who are participating and we will see you on the track on Sunday, April 29th.

Please note that ISM will also be serving as a community partner with the Big Sur International Marathon on Sunday, April 29th, so for those members who do not want to walk in the Schools 5K, please consider signing up to work this event and help to generate another ISM volunteer check based on total volunteer hours! The previous check resulting from ISM volunteer drivers for the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February 2007 generated a handsome check in the amount of $2205! Please contact Jennifer Stone at jenstone723@sbcglobal.net to register your interest in helping on April 29th.

4. 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 are due EACH Wednesday for the coming week. No exceptions will be made as shopping is conducted on Thursdays and Fridays based on the final lunch counts done each Wednesday. Please submit orders directly to Coordinator Lisa Wichael-Loomis' box in the admin office. Thank you!

5. ISM SPRING BREAK CAMPS ARE A GO! ISM's two Spring Break Camps will be the exciting International Explorers and Movie Making Madness camps! Registration for both camps has now closed and NO LATE REGISTRATIONS ARE BEING ACCEPTED AT THIS TIME. For questions, please contact Lisa Wichael Loomis, Program Coordinator at lwloomis@ismonterey.org .
* Week 1 - International Explorers Week will be led by ASI Program Coordinator Miss Lisa, Drama Instructor Miss Sarah, and ASI Leader Miss Kristin. Registrants will enjoy a fun-filled week of international games, food, and adventure! Each day, students will travel to a different land and learn about the various countries' cultures and customs. This week will also include fieldtrips to a neighborhood French Bakery and a local family-owned Mexican restaurant. Week #1 will be offered Monday, March 19th through Friday, March 23rd, 2007 from 8:00 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. daily. The cost for this week is $135 per student, which includes fieldtrip expenses.

* Week 2 - Movie Making Madness Week will be offered by Grade 5 Instructional Aide Miss Barbara and Drama Instructor Miss Sarah. Working together, students will create their own ISM video film to share with family and friends. Camp will be offered daily from 8:00 a.m. - 5:15 p.m. Monday, March 26th through Friday, 30th, 2007. The cost for this camp is $125 per student.

6. UPCOMING CLASSROOM FIELDTRIPS:
A. GRADE 5: BURNS / RIQUELME: WALKING FIELDTRIP TO WATER TREATMENT FACILITY, TUESDAY, MARCH 13TH, 9:30 A.M. - 12:00 NOON Following up to a previous in-class presentation about water and waste treatment, both 5th grade classes will walk to the nearby water treatment plant located in Seaside at the top of Ord Grove. Ms. Burns, Mr. Riquelme, and Miss Barbara will be leading this fieldtrip.

B. GRADE 4: ST. GERMAIN: CARPOOL FIELDTRIP TO THE LIFE LAB GARDEN, UNIV. OF CA SANTA CRUZ (UCSC), THURSDAY, MARCH 15TH, 9:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. The current IPC unit of study is "Survival by Soil" and Mrs. St. Germain's 4th graders are studying that all living things are "interdependent upon other living things for survival". Students will be traveling by parent carpool to the Life Lab Garden located at the University of CA, Santa Cruz (UCSC). Additionally, this trip is also associated with ISM's piloting of the Healthy Eating Living Principles (H.E.L.P.) program, which Life Lab supports. 4th graders will miss Drama and Spanish classes on this day. Departure time will be 9:00 a.m. and students will return by 3:00 p.m.

C. GRADE 3: DVORAK / SIGMAN: CARPOOL FIELDTRIP TO PT. LOBOS & CARMEL MISSION, THURSDAY, MARCH 15TH, 9:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. As part of their current IPC unit entitled "History of Fishing in Monterey Bay", both 3rd grade classes will be traveling to Point Lobos to see first-hand a spot that was important to the Chinese, Japanese, and Portuguese immigrant fishing communities of this area. Departure time will be 9:00 a.m. and students will return by 3:00 p.m.

D. GRADE 5: BURNS / RIQUELME: FIELDTRIP TO SAN JOSE TECH MUSEUM, THURSDAY, APRIL 5TH, 7:45 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. Continuing their varied investigation of science, both 5th grade classes will travel by carpool to the Tech Museum in San Jose for a hands-on outing. Ms. Burns, Mr. Riquelme, and Miss Barbara will be leading this fieldtrip.

E. GRADE 5: BURNS / RIQUELME: FIELDTRIP TO CAMP OCEAN PINES, TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, MAY 1ST - MAY 3RD Fifth graders will spend several days at Camp Ocean Pines in Cambria, enjoying the marine and forest life that abounds on the thirteen acre camp where Monterey Pine forest meets the Pacific Ocean. Ms. Burns, Mr. Riquelme, and Miss Barbara will be leading this adventure! More details to follow.

F. 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.

7. MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR.......:
A. 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!

B. NO SCHOOL DUE TO STUDENT-LED CONFERENCES: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14TH: Please note that Trimester 2 concludes on Friday, March 2nd and we will be holding student-led conferences on Wednesday, March 14th throughout the school day. Individual homeroom teachers will be organizing and communicating to parents their specific conference schedule, so please contact your child(ren)'s teacher for details. No childcare will be available on this day.

C. MARCH FREE DRESS, FAMILY ASSOCIATION MORNING COFFEE & PIZZA LUNCH FRIDAY: FRIDAY, MARCH 16TH

D. MARCH FREE DRESS, FAMILY ASSOCIATION MORNING COFFEE & "EVERYBODY PLAYS" FRIDAY FAREWELL LUNCH FOR PE INSTRUCTOR JULIE LIVINGSTON: FRIDAY, MARCH 16TH All parents, relatives, and siblings were invited via a flyer distributed several weeks ago to visit ISM during your child's lunch hour and recess time on Friday, March 16th. On that day, we will be celebrating P.E. instructor Julie Livingston's last day as she will be leaving us to begin her maternity leave for the rest of the year. In addition, all proceeds from this luncheon will directly offset the cost of new SCREAMIN' GREEN recess equipment! We thank those community members who ordered additional lunches prior to the March 7th deadline and who plan on joining us this Friday. It should be a fun afternoon and a great way to send Miss Julie off on her maternity leave!

E. SATURDAY JUST RUN WITH MR. ROBBY: OFFICIALLY CANCELLED

F. SPRING BREAK: MONDAY, MARCH 19TH - FRIDAY, MARCH 30TH: NO SCHOOL IN SESSION!

G. AN EVENING OF LEARNING AT ISM - A SEMINAR SERIES FOR PARENTS: This newly offered seminar series hosted by the ISM Family Association is designed for ISM parents and guardians to better understand the four central ideas governing teaching and learning at ISM, which are: Understanding, Intelligence, Inquiry, and Internationalism. Each seminar in the five-part series is designed to be engaging, interactive, and for adults only, with an emphasis on classroom applications. Please note that childcare will not be provided. For more information, please contact series coordinator Ellen Gaucher at elgaucher@sbcglobal.net .

SESSION 3: HOW AM I SMART? ON THE DOMAINS OF INTELLIGENCE, PRESENTED BY TOD SPEDDING, ISM GRADE 6 INSTRUCTOR, TUESDAY, APRIL 10TH, 6:30 P.M., MULTIUSE ROOM

* Session #4: "Reaching Beyond the Question Mark: On the Sound of Inquiry", presented by Grade 6 Instructor Tod Spedding, Tuesday, April 24th, 6:30 p.m., Multiuse Room; and
* Session #5: "Where Is The Internationalism in an International School?", presented by Grade 6 Instructor Tod Spedding, Tuesday, May 15th, 6:30 p.m., Multiuse Room.

Please note that childcare will not be provided. For more information, please contact series coordinator Ellen Gaucher at elgaucher@sbcglobal.net .

H. APRIL SAT WORK DAY: SATURDAY, APRIL 14TH, 9:30 A.M. - 1 p.m.

I. WORLD NEIGHBORHOOD GALA 2007: SATURDAY, APRIL 14TH, 6:30 p.m. HYATT REGENCY MONTEREY: This is a premier annual fundraising event hosted by the International School of Monterey Foundation on behalf of the International School of Monterey. Proceeds from this event help to bridge the funding gap between the actual cost of educating each ISM student and the financial support provided by the State of California. The highlights of the evening will be the silent and live auctions.

J. FAMILY ASSOCIATION MEETING: THURSDAY, APRIL 19TH, 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!

K. BIG SUR INTERNATIONAL MARATHON - SCHOOLS 5K: SUNDAY, APRIL 29TH, 7:40 A.M., CARMEL CROSSROADS: ISM community members will once again gather at the Carmel Crossroads early in the morning on Sunday, April 29th to partake in the Schools 5K walk/race for the sixth consecutive year. The route is a 3.2 mile course winding down Highway 1, through Carmel neighborhoods to a path along the Pacific Ocean and back up Highway 1. This event is a great way to incorporate fun, fitness, friendship, and fundraising into one experience. Each year, the ISM team has won a participation award and we are hoping for the same outcome this year! Registration forms are available from homeroom teachers as well as in the front admin office. The deadline to register is Wednesday, March 7th by 4 p.m., so please register now, if interested. Contact Coordinator Lisa Griffin Burns at 521-4900 or by email at lburns@ismonterey.org.

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

8. NEW AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM: FIRST TEE OF MONTEREY COUNTY GOLF PROGRAM: The First Tee of Monterey County and The International School of Monterey are pleased to announce the formation of a NEW Golf and Life Skills class! All ISM students 7 years of age and older are eligible for this class. The lessons will be held at the Laguna Seca Golf Ranch on Tuesday afternoons beginning at 3:45 - 5:15 p.m. The first class will be Tuesday, April 3rd, 2007; classes will continue until December 31st, 2007.
These golf classes are FREE, based upon paying a $35 First Tee (TFT) membership fee. All members will then receive a TFT Hat and t-shirt as well as discounted green fees and range balls at Twin Creeks Golf Course, located in Salinas. Memberships will be renewable, effective January 1st, 2008.
To sign up for this class, please complete the membership contract, which was sent home last week with students. Copies are also available in the front office. No payments are due at this time; just submit the registration form to Miss Lisa's box in the admin office. In order for the class to "go", a minimum of 13 students must be enrolled and at this writing, 4 have already registered! For any other questions, please email Lisa Wichael-Loomis at lwloomis@ismonterey.org or call The First Tee of Monterey County at (831) 442-6980.

9. ISM 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 : Registration is STILL being accepted for Session #5 of Chess, which began on Wednesday, February 28th through April 25th (Note: the last week is a make-up class for a missed class during Session #4). The program is offered on Wednesday afternoons 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 session and classes are now being held in Mr. Dvorak's Room #1. Chess participants must accompany their classes down to the front lawn for afternoon pick-up and Mr. Lev will gather 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. JEWELRY CLASSES OFFERED BY NICK TRACHSEL : Jewelry-maker Nick Trachsel will begin his fourth session of this popular afternoon jewelry class following the Spring Break. Session #4 dates are: Tuesday, April 10th - Tuesday, May 29th. The cost is $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.

C. 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 March dates are still available at a cost of $10 per class per 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.

D. TAIKO DRUMMING AT ISM: ISM's multiuse room continues to rumble on Monday afternoon, greeting the week with wholesome energy and good vibes! 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 .

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 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. This fee covers all lunches, snacks and drinks as well as 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.

10. LOOKING FOR..... : Listed below are a few things desired by community members:
1) GRADE 5 INSTRUCTOR RICARDO RIQUELME LOOKING FOR A CD PLAYER: The ever talented and adorable Mr. Riquelme is requesting that if any community members do some Spring cleaning over the upcoming Break and are interested in donating a CD boom box, he would gladly use it for his classroom. Please contact him directly at rriquelme@ismonterey.org or via Curriculum Director Carol Evans or Business Administrator Lisa Griffin Burns.

2) Empties 4 Cash RECYCLED PRINTER CARTRIDGES: UPDATED INFORMATION: To date, this program has been extremely successful, we just hit the $1,000.00 mark, so we definitely encourage the ISM community to continue to support it by turning in your used printer cartridges to the front office. Alternately, we do have postage paid mailing envelopes available at the front desk so you can forward your cartridges to Empties 4 Cash directly if that is more convenient.  Please spread the word to family members, colleagues, neighbors, and forward their used inkjet cartridges to ISM! 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!

This section is for news from the ISM Foundation and our Director of Advancement Lorraine Williby.
1. FAMILY FAIR SHARE PROGRAM UPDATE: SAME AS 2/26/07 NEWSBRIEF: ISM has learned from Carrie Miles, the ISM Foundation Treasurer, that our parents have now donated a total of $216,000 this academic year, which represents more than 70 percent of the parent community! We expect that following the presentations by ISM Board of Trustees Chairperson, Prashant Gupta, and ISM Foundation Chair, David Awerbuck, during the recent Mandatory Parent Meeting, parent and guardian contributions to the Family Fair Share program will continue to rise as more and more parents understand the "message of responsible giving" that is inherent to financing our unique international public charter school curriculum.

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. WORLD NEIGHBORHOOD GALA 2007: The International School of Monterey's 4th Annual World Neighborhood Gala is fast approaching on Saturday, April 14th, 2007 at the Monterey Hyatt Regency. Invitations have now been mailed out to the ISM parent community for this Mardi Gras-themed fundraising gala, so fill out the RSVP card now and plan on attending! For more information or if you did not receive an invitation, please contact Carrie Miles at clmiles33@aol.com .

From Gala Chair Laura Alladeen: Greetings Everyone! Count down to our Fourth Annual World Neighborhood Gala is fast approaching. We now have just four short weeks to go! Yikes….

Important: All class basket and art projects are due by this Friday, March 16th. PLEASE INCLUDE A DONATION FORM WITH EACH DONATION TO INCLUDE CONTENTS AND VALUE. If you do not have a form, please visit the ISM website at www.ismonterey.org and download a form for your convenience. Copies of the donation form are also provided in the white binder in the front admin office.

We are still accepting donations, so please do not stop contributing! We can always add them on! We are also still seeking sponsors to help underwrite some of the auction expenses. Perhaps your business or company can help?

I am also looking for anyone that has Frequent Flyer Miles that they are willing to donate. This would be a great add on to any number of our already-donated travel packages. If you can help, please contact Laura Alladeen at 905-6754 (cell phone) or per email at lsalladeen@sbcglobal.net .

We do have some wonderful auction items in store for you at the Gala on April 14th! Here is just a sampling of what we have to offer:
A beach party with Mr. D & Mr. Robby complete with surfboards for 6!
A pair of Beautiful Diamond Earrings!
A Tea Party for 12 with your favorite teacher!
An afternoon sailing adventure for 4!
A year's worth of Car washes!
A Diamond heart pendant!
Fire truck Birthday Party for 8 with a real fire truck!
Gift baskets, fine dining, wine, art and so much more!
Round of Golf for 4 at Pasadera!
Trips to France, SunRiver Resort and Seascape, just to name a few!
A Two night stay at Ventana Inn & Spa, including dinner for two!
You and 19 or your friends can learn the game of Bocce Ball while enjoying some wine & cheese!

Please don't forget to sell those 50-50 cash draw tickets. Last year's winner received $6850.00. You could be the next winner!?! (Please note: You do not need to be present to win!).

Finally, if you have not already done so, please send in your RSVP cards as soon as possible. We need to give a head count to the Hyatt Regency as well as finalize our table assignments for the Gala, so please send in your RSVP today. You can also drop them off in the front office. Your cooperation, participation and support are greatly appreciated.

4. WORLD NEIGHBORHOOD GALA 2007 - 50/50 DRAWING TICKET SALES: Advice to students and families: Take a break from schoolwork over the Spring hiatus but not from selling 50/50 drawing tickets! Lynn Richardson and Denise LaFontaine, co-coordinators for the Gala tickets sales, report that to date nearly $5000 in tickets have been sold! They are cheering the ISM community on to sell $10,000 more in the month remaining until the Gala! That is an achievable goal, but we all need to be willing to ask our colleagues, friends, neighbors, relatives, hair dressers, mechanics, etc.! Just remember, "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.

In the class competition for 50/50 ticket sales, Mr. D's third grade class is currently in the lead within the Kindergarten-Grade 4 group with over $1000.00 worth of tickets sold. Meanwhile, Mr. Brandau's eighth grade class is holding strong in the 5th – 8th grade contest.

5. 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 is pleased to announce the 2007 Hotdeals Program featuring Hawaii's hottest deals! The package code is Hotdeals covering the travel dates of January 1 – December 31, 2007. Air is required and all airlines are included as are all departure cities. A 3-night stay minimum is also required as part of this package.

* OFFER #1 is valid from January 1 – June 7, 2007 and includes a discount on land components plus one $5 Activity Credit per room/per booking;
     * OFFER #2 is valid from June 8 – September 19, 2007 and includes 50% Discount on children's airfare (valid for one child per adult--max 2 children);
* OFFER #3 is valid from September 20 – December 31, 2007 and includes a $100 discount per booking.

Cynthia generously donates 10 percent of her commission on vacation packages booked by ISM families and referrals! 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.

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.