Upcoming Meeting Date
Reflections
Bond Information
Legislation
Fundraising
Issaquah Schools Foundation
Senior Celebration
SAT/ACT Preparedness
Volunteers
National PTA Resources
Dates of Interest
Upcoming Meeting Date
Please join us for our monthly
board and general meetings on November 18th. We'll start at 9:00 with coffee and
treats, and then begin the meeting at 9:30 sharp.
In the meantime, we encourage you to
learn more about Issaquah High PTSA by visiting our website at www.issaquahhighptsa.org. You'll
find a treasure trove of inforamtion! And, if you have any questions or
comments,
please don't hesitate to
contact us at
president@issaquahhighptsa.org.
Reflections
Please turn in your
entries to the office on the morning of November 7th. Any questions,
please contact
Wendy Logan and Kathleen Schneider, Reflections Chairs. Complete details
about the Reflections Program, each category and entry form can be found at the
Washington State PTA
Reflections webpage.
Bond Information
Passing the
Issaquah School District Bond
What Does It
Take?
The Issaquah School District (ISD) bond package will be on the ballot April 17,
2012. Passing this bond is all
about numbers: 70% and 50%.
70% is the number of ISD residents that do not have students in
K-12. That means only 30% of the district
residents have a personal stake in passing this bond.
The 70% needs to be educated and informed on why passing the bond will
benefit all ISD residents.
50% of ISD parents are currently registered to vote.
There are roughly 25,000 parents in the Issaquah School District, so this
leaves only 12,500 that can vote on Election Day.
The other 12,500 need to register to vote as soon as possible.
How can you ensure that this bond passes?
Endorse the bond. Donate money to the
campaign. Sign up to help with the
campaign when asked. Talk to your friends
and neighbors about the benefits of passing the bond, and make sure they are all
registered to vote. For more information
about the bond package go to
www.issaquah.wednet.edu/district/bond/. To register to vote go to:
www.kingcounty.gov/elections/registration.
For more information on VIS (Volunteers for Issaquah Schools – the
campaign committee), to donate to the campaign, and to volunteer to help go to:
www.visvote.org.
Legislation
Every two
years, Washington State PTA chooses a legislative priority platform. We continue
to support all of our
legislative principles as well as National PTA’s
public policy agenda,
but we focus on the priorities. In year two of this cycle (like this year) we
consider adding priorities as “also supported” and we consider amendments. The
following is our updated platform for this next legislative session.
Washington State PTA’s 2011-12 legislative platform
1.
Following
up on reforms of 2009 and 2010 (Basic education finance/HB 2261 and education
reform/SB 6696)
2.
Math and
science instruction
3.
Literacy
screening and instruction
4.
Reduction
in force/layoff policies
5.
Fund
education first in the state budget process
6.
New,
research-based model for teacher compensation that emphasizes rewarding teacher
effectiveness in improving student learning.
Also supported (listed
alphabetically):
·
Achievement gaps and educational opportunities*
·
Charter
schools*
·
Early
learning*
·
Highly
capable*
·
Improve
food quality in breakfast and lunch programs
·
Juvenile
justice*
·
Make
physical education/health a core subject
·
School-zone signage*
*Adopted
at 2011 legislative assembly
For
detailed information about the 2011-12 legislative platform,
please
click here.
Fundraising
Exciting
news – The fantastic parents of Issaquah High responded generously to our fall
“pass the hat” campaign, and we can’t thank you enough! The state budget and school building resources will be tight again, so
it’s very meaningful to have funding available now for grant requests. Your donations will make a visible difference at our school this year. Issaquah High PTSA is a 501(c)(3)
organization, and donations (including $25 membership fee) are tax deductible.
And good
news on Corporate Matching: Carol
Jongejan is our Matching Gifts chair, and she’s
ready to go. If your employer
participates in corporate matching, please note our Tax ID# 91-1268016 so you
can maximize your gift to IH PTSA programs and grants.
Contact Carol at
corporate_matching@issaquahhighptsa.org with any questions.
Already these parents have submitted their requests for corporate matching:
Lisa and Scott Clawson, Susan Gellatly,
Jakob Hansen, Partha
Sarathi Kundu, Emily
Freet, and Margo Lindberg. Many thanks to them and their
companies, Microsoft,
Boeing and Bank of America. We look forward to notifying you when your
matching
gifts are received by PTSA.
Innisbrook
The holidays are quickly approaching! Shop Innisbrook for your holiday
gift wrap, chocolates and gifts - 80% of which is manufactured in the USA.
Forty percent of your purchase helps support the 2012 IHS Senior class events.
Click on
Innisbrook
to shop. Thank you for your support!
Issaquah Schools Foundation (ISF)
All in for
Kids Campaign Update
Calling nights (& a morning) for the
All in for Kids Campaign Annual Fund Campaign are
drawing near. More than 300 high
school students will take to the phones on November 16, 17 & 19 to seek
donations from District families. You can help lighten their load by visiting
www.isfdn.org
to make your donation by Friday, November 4.
Your name will be removed the calling list and added to the
All in for Kids Thank You ad in the
Issaquah Press.
To
those who have already given—Thank You!
If you haven’t made your donation yet, now is the time. Give what you can
with the knowledge that your gift will make a difference to every student in
every classroom, every school.
Help for High School Job Seekers
It is a
notoriously difficult time for high school students to find a job. The Youth Job
Skills Fair is designed to help. On Saturday, November 12, job seekers ages 16
to 24 will receive step-by information on everything from conducting a job
search to keeping a job once you have it. Participants will also have the
opportunity to meet with a local business leader in a career field of their
choice for the inside story about how to meet their career goals.
The Youth
Job Skills Fair is produced by the Issaquah Family Network and sponsored in part
by the Issaquah Schools Foundation. Attendance is capped at 200. For more
information and to register, go to
Youth Job Skills Fair.
Thanks
Runners!
Teams from across the District ran and walked in the October 2 Issaquah Rotary
Run and pushed participation to 2,560—the highest ever. Congrats to Pacific
Cascade Middle School for fielding the largest ISD team (51) and to Issaquah
High School for raising $375 over and above race fees. We couldn’t be prouder of
our Issaquah School District community. Look for information on the amount
runners helped raise for ISF in future editions.
Grants Gone
Live
Online applications for
Academic Enrichment Grants go live on November 1. Teachers and staff may apply
for projects that reflect creativity and innovation in education and/or support
school needs not currently covered by building or district budgets. Grants are
awarded in two categories: Classroom Enrichment for projects that cost less than
$1,000 and Kateri Brow Big Idea/Biggest Need for
projects in the $1,000 - $10,000 range. Helpful hints and detailed information
on the grant process will be discussed at a November 8 Grant Workshop.
Applications are due January 12. Click Here
for more information.
Amazon for the
Holidays
If a stop on the Amazon site
in on your holiday shopping list, please use the ISF site to take you there.
Visit www.isfdn.org and click on the Amazon logo in the top left corner.
You’ll be taken to the Amazon site. Once there, add the link to your bookmarks.
Then shop as usual and with no further effort on your part, up to 8% of your
total purchase will be donated to the Foundation. Happy shopping.
Great Local
Deals
Don’t forget to visit the
Foundation’s Business Partner page to find great local deals that benefit you
and our schools.
Elements Massage
is offering a special price on massages on November 21 and 22 and donating 15%
of proceeds to the Foundation. Visit
http://www.issaquahschoolsfoundation.org/supporters/partners.htm
to view specials from each of our Business Partners.
Senior Celebration
More than
116 seniors have already registered for Senior Celebration!!
If your student is not among them, please
register
now! Senior Celebration
is an all night party following the graduation ceremony, June 2012. Know your
Grad is safe, chaperoned, well fed and having a BLAST! This is an annual event
sponsored by the IH PTSA and is the last chance for the Class of 2012 to
celebrate together. Grad Night tickets will be on a first come, first served
basis – order yours ASAP.
It takes many hands to create this amazing event, if you would like to volunteer
for fundraising, publicity, registration or as a chaperone, please let us know
at
senior_celebration@issaquahhighptsa.org.
We will also be grateful for donations to our scholarship fund and/or
prizes for the event.
SAT/ACT Preparedness
Last Chance for a Great Deal on SAT Prep Classes! Sign up now for
the winter (February/March) session of the SAT prep classes. These are the last
classes the PTSA will offer this school year - and the early sessions are
filling up fast. Each class is an opportunity to brush up on SAT
test-taking skills at a great price. If you shop around you will find that the
best deal for SAT prep classes is conveniently located right here at IHS.
Math is
offered on Mondays (2:45 - 4:45 PM for the early session and 5:00 - 7:00 PM for
the late session) and is taught by Ms. Baxter (Crain) at a cost of $85. Verbal is offered on Thursdays (same time ranges as math) and is taught
by Ms. Dean and Ms. Jarvinen. Cost is $100 (or
$175 for both math and verbal). The
cost includes The Official SAT Study Guide - 2nd Edition which is published by
The College Board. Please go
online
for more class information and to register. Contact Tina Weber,
sat_classes@issaquahhighptsa.org,
if you have any questions.
Time to Sign-up for the Mock
SAT and Mock ACT Exams.
The PTSA
offers Mock
SAT and a Mock ACT exams.
These “mock” exams are an opportunity to take a practice exam and get
score results without it counting.
If your student cannot come on the exam day, a take-home option is available.
Mock ACT Exam Saturday,
January 28, 2012
8am to 1pm
Mock SAT Exam
Saturday, February 4, 2012
8am to 1pm
A
feedback session where the student receives test scores and information about
Kaplan Testing will be held for both tests on Thursday, February 9th,
from 7-8pm. Cost is $25/exam.
Register
online. Please note the Mock SAT offered by the PTSA is different from
the PSAT that is offered by The College Board and taken by
Sophomores and Juniors at IHS in October.
Volunteers
Attention parents of sophomores and juniors! Please pay it forward—we need chaperones for our 2012 all-night Senior
Celebration which follows graduation. To learn more please
contact Senior Celebration co-chairs Teri Reineke
and Wendy Romanow at
senior_celebration@issaquahhighptsa.org
National PTA Resources
Academic achievement has always been paramount. But, in today’s changing economy
the need for advanced skills and technical knowledge is growing. Showing our
children that we value learning and education is important and will pay off in
the long run as they mature. When parents are involved in their children's
educations, student achievement improves.
Student academic achievement starts with you helping your child succeed by
providing a home that encourages learning and supports your child’s physical,
mental, and emotional development. Use these
parent resources
to help your child achieve success in school.
Dates of Interest
November 11
Veterans Day—No school
November 18
IH PTSA
Meeting--IHS Main
Office
9:00 am
Coffee and Conversation
9:30 am
Meeting Begins
November 24,
25
Thanksgiving Holiday—No school
