December 2009
In this
issue….
Volunteers for Issaquah Schools
Upcoming Teacher Contract Negotiations
Senior Grad Night Scholarship Fund
The next meeting of the IH PTSA is Friday December 11, 9:30 AM, rm. C-5 (Career/Counseling Center). Join us for an
informative meeting and enjoy treats donated by Panera!
One of the
goals of our PTSA is to achieve 100% membership, meaning we have one member for
every student at our school. We are currently at 1,038, which is 260 members
short of the 1,297 we need to achieve our goal. To help us meet our target, please consider joining the
PTSA. If just one parent has
joined and the other parent would like to join, the cost is only $8 (Click here for membership form.) Additionally, community members, grandparents and other IHS
supporters can join as a Supporting Member (Click here for Supporter Membership Form.)
If you have
questions regarding membership, contact Karen Knitter at mindydog3@comcast.net
Support our students at no cost to you: Save Time and
Money this Holiday Season by Shopping Online Today!
Shop Now at the eScrip
Online Mall, where more than 1,000 stores support Issaquah High PTSA!
If you're registered with eScrip and shop with
your registered credit cards, a portion of your purchases through participating
retailers will be rebated to Issaquah High PTSA. Nordstrom, for instance,
contributes a WHOPPING 6% of your online purchase to IH PTSA!
Even if you don't shop online, remember to register with eScrip if you shop at Safeway, or Albertsons directly, if you shop
there. Both stores support our students with every purchase you make!
We can all breathe a sigh of relief that Initiative
1033 was soundly defeated at the polls -- thanks to all who voted!
Congratulations also to Marnie Maraldo
and Chad Magendanz on their election to the Issaquah
School Board!
Mark your calendars for FOCUS DAY 2010, aka Party
in Olympia! Washington State PTA’s annual Focus Day has a slightly
different wrinkle this year. Because it’s scheduled on a day (the
Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday) that schools are closed, our planning team is
encouraging you to bring your children so they can see their government first
hand, learn about how legislation is made, and also have some
fun. At the same time, their presence will help reinforce our
message to legislators that all of Washington’s children
should be the focus of their efforts. Plan now to come to Olympia
and join hundreds of PTA members from all across the state. E-mail me if
you'd like to carpool/caravan:
The Issaquah High Site Council is comprised of
staff, parents, students, and community representatives who meet to address
issues that impact student learning. Areas in which we are focusing our efforts
this year include monitoring progress of the Optimal High School Experience
task force, the School construction project, preparing for transition into the
new buildings and the return of freshman to our campus. The next meeting
is scheduled for January 27 at 2:30 pm. Karin Allen is the PTSA liaison. Please
contact her at kallen@allen-marketing.com if you have any issues you'd like her to raise on behalf of the
PTSA community.
Volunteers
for Issaquah Schools (VIS)
We need approximately 9,908
YES votes on each of the three levies on the February 9 ballot – make
sure you vote YES on all of them!
X Yes ___No M & O: Basic general classroom and operational needs –
teachers and classified staff
X Yes ___No Capital: Technology and critical repairs
X Yes ___No Transportation: 41 new safe, clean, and efficient buses
Did you know that…
…65% of Issaquah School District residents DO NOT have
kids in K-12?
…only 50% of parents in the ISD
are currently registered to vote?
…only 35% of those registered
to vote will actually vote?
…it costs VIS $70,000 to run
the campaign?
…it costs the ISD $250,000 to
get the levies on the King County ballot?
If people don’t vote and the levies don’t pass, not only
will our students suffer from the loss of what the levies provide, but also the
District loses money and has to run the campaign again. That’s $250,000 that could have gone
into the classrooms.
These are considered renewal levies – they
will renew existing and expiring levies.
The passing of these levies will not raise the local schools tax that is
part of your property tax. The
average homeowner will pay the same or lower taxes over the lifetime of these
levies (4 years.)
So get the word out to all your neighbors, friends, and
family – Vote YES in January for the THREE Issaquah School District
LEVIES!
If you have any questions about the upcoming Levy
election, please contact Anne Moore (annemoore5@comcast.net), IH
PTSA Volunteers for Issaquah Schools Representative.
Upcoming Teacher Contract
Negotiations
If You Were At the Bargaining Table,
What Would You Say?
In February,
the Issaquah School District and the Issaquah Education Association, the union
that represents ISD teachers, will begin bargaining for a new contract. The
current contract expires at the end of August 2010. As with the last contract,
the bargaining team has granted the Issaquah PTSA Council the opportunity to
present a “community values” paper to them during the pre-bargaining phase. As
many issues, such as the school calendar, parent-teacher conferences, gradebook system inputs, and teacher training
opportunities, are decided through the contract bargaining process, we believe
it is important that the voice of our students and parents is heard in the
hopes that the final contract will reflect the values that are most important
to our children and families.
The Issaquah PTSA
Council is working with our local school PTSAs and
the Issaquah Chapter of Stand for Children to gather input from our ISD
families. What is most important to you and your children in terms of the
education they receive in our district? What do you value most about the
instruction time your children receive in our schools? What would you change?
What would you like to see more of? Less of? Please email your thoughts –
no particular format required – to Jody Mull at jodymull@comcast.net, no later than Monday, December 14. The
Issaquah PTSA Council will compile the input in a community values paper that
will be presented to the bargaining team at the beginning of February.
The Parent Education
Committee invites you to attend the following presentation:
"What Teens are Really
Doing Today"
January 12 at Issaquah High School, 7
pm
January 21, Skyline
January 27, Liberty
Can you honestly say you know for sure? And do
you fully understand the extent of the legal consequences - to them and to you
- of their exposure to alcohol, drugs, and teenage driving? All three high
school PTSAs have teamed with their local police
officers for three evening discussions. Middle school parents are encouraged
to attend, too. This panel discussion is based on the booklet, “Parents
and Teen Survival Guide”.
Reflections 2009-2010,
Issaquah High and PCFC
I
would like to congratulate our winners in the PTA National Reflections Art
Program. We had many entries and were able to send many along from our winners
to the next level, which is the District competition.
Photography
1st place - Loren Wang for
“Distortions”; 2nd place - Loren Wang for “Beauty is Contrast”; 3rd
place - Phillip Logan for “Equilibrium”; 4th place - Chloe Warren
for “Unseen”
Visual Arts
1st place - Adam Schneider
for “A Life Well Lived”
Literature
1st
place - Areesa Somani for
“Beauty is Diversity”; 2nd place - Miranda Hansen for “Fall”; 3rd place - Emily Repp
for “Red”; 4th place - Karthik Palaninppan for “Uni”
All
other entries received Honorable Mention.
Thank
you to all of the students for your entries, it was incredible to see so much
talent. I hope that next year even more students will participate in this
wonderful national program.
Wendy
Logan, Reflections Chair 2009-2010
Senior All Night Grad Party Scholarship
Fund
Let’s make sure all seniors can attend
this once in a lifetime event! The All Night Grad Party is for all
seniors. Please visit www.sallyfoster.com, group #932129 to
order gift-wrap, paper goods and gifts. 50% of your order goes to
the Senior All Night Grad Party scholarship fund. Of course, you can make a
donation directly to the scholarship fund, too. For more information
contact Colleen Volk ncvolk@comcast.net or visit http://www.issaquahhighptsa.org/Forms/Senior%20Celebration%20Registration-Release.pdf
It is not too early to start thinking about the
SAT Readiness opportunities that will be available early 2010.
SAT Prep Classes
Math and Verbal SAT Prep classes will be offered
again beginning the week of February 1, 2010. Math will be offered on
Mondays (2:45 - 4:45 early session and 5:00 - 7:00 late session) and Verbal
will be offered on Thursdays (2:45 - 4:45 early session and 5:00 - 7:00 late
session). There are 6 weeks of classes (skipping the week of mid-winter
break when there are no classes). These are a great opportunity to brush
up on your SAT skills just in time for the spring SAT testing season. The math classes are taught by Ms. Crain; and Ms. Dean and
Ms. Jarvinen teach the verbal classes. I don't
believe that you will find more economical SAT Prep classes offered anywhere
else and these are conveniently offered right here at school. Cost is $85
for math, $100 for verbal and $150 for both classes. The textbook is the Collegeboard SAT prep book. Classes were scheduled to
try to make the most of the short time between winter and spring sports.
Even if you can't make every class, it is still a great deal! The next
opportunity to take these classes offered at Issaquah HS will be Fall 2010.
Mock Exams
We will be offering two Mock exams to prepare you
for the spring testing season. The Mock SAT will be offered on Saturday,
January 30 (8:00 - 1:00) and the Mock ACT will be offered on Saturday, February
6 (8:00 - 1:00). Cost is $25/test. The tests are administered by
Kaplan and are a great opportunity to take a risk-free test before you take the
real one. We will also offer take home exams for those students that
can't make the test date. The score feedback session for both tests will
be on Thursday, February 11 at 7 pm.
Mock SAT: For those who
took the PSAT in October and are wondering what is the difference between the
PSAT and the Mock SAT: The mock SAT is great practice for the real SAT
because the mock test is the same length as the SAT and includes the writing
section. The PSAT is a shorter exam and does not include the essay.
I have often heard it said that the SAT is an endurance test and the mock SAT
is the best way to practice for the real full-length exam. Check out the
SAT question of the day at www.collegeboard.com.
Mock ACT: Many students
perform better on the ACT than on the SAT and it is worthwhile to give the ACT
a try. The ACT test is different from the SAT and is said to measure
better what students actually learn in school and it is also supposed to be
less "tricky" than the SAT. If you want to get a sense of how
you might do on the ACT, then take this risk-free mock exam and see for
yourself. Check out sample problems at www.actstudent.org.
Take home exams: For those
students that are not available on the Mock Exam dates, we will offer the take
home option again. You can take the test at your leisure and return it to
Kaplan for grading. Sign up online for the take home option. The
test will be made available for pick up in the counseling office after the Mock
exam date for you to pick up and return to Kaplan.
You can sign up and pay online for the SAT Prep
classes and the Mock Exams at www.issaquahhighptsa.org. Hard copies of the registration will be available in January
2010 at the website and in the counselors’ office.
If you have any questions, please call Blythe Meigs at 425-401-1508 or e-mail SATReadyIHS@hotmail.com
Issaquah High School’s Associated
Student Body and Senior Class Auction
December 8, 2009
6:00 pm @ Pickering Barn
Free Admission
Please join us for our 2nd annual
Issaquah High School ASB and Senior Class Auction. All proceeds from the
auction will go directly to Issaquah's Associated Student Body which helps fund
student sports, clubs and activities and the Senior Class which is raising
funds for Senior Prom. Issaquah parents, students and community are all
welcome at this fun evening of dessert, live music from members of Issaquah’s
Jazz Band, and auctioning. For more information please contact Emily Carl
at carle@issaquah.wednet.edu
. We look forward to seeing you there!
Issaquah High School’s 2nd Annual
December Dash 5k Fun Run
Who: All ages
welcome.
When: December 5
at 9:00 am (race starts at 9:00, check-in starts at 8:15).
Where: Lake
Sammamish State Park off of West Lake Sammamish Pkwy.
2000 NW Sammamish Rd, Issaquah
Why: All
proceeds go to the Preston Food Bank
What: To sign up:
Email your name, age, shirt size and phone number to Emily Carl at carle@issaquah.wednet.edu or sign up
in the main office at Issaquah High School. The cost for pre-registration by
Dec. 2 is $15.00 (if signed-up by Dec. 2, may pay $15 at event) and the cost
for registration at the event is $20.
LINK Holiday Cards
LINK is selling holiday cards
starting December 7. LINK is an organization that connects new students
to the community of Issaquah High School. Holiday cards will include
pictures of various Issaquah students’ artwork. Cards are $10 for a pack
of 12. Cards will be available for purchase in D-8 and the front office
December 7-18.
Issaquah Varsity Sports Calendar
Going on Sale in December!!!
All proceeds go to Issaquah High’s
Associated Student Body
Eastside Domestic Violence Gift
Drive and Treehouse’s Fostering Tunes
December 7-18
For this year’s holiday season,
Issaquah will be donating gifts to Eastside Domestic Violence and raising money
and collecting instruments for Treehouse’s Fostering
Tunes.
Eastside Domestic Violence’s goals
are to provide services to women and children who have
experienced physical, emotional or sexual abuse and to prevent domestic
violence through advocacy, education and support. Each holiday-wish-tag represents the wish of a woman or
child who is healing from abuse and would very much like to feel a part of the
holiday festivities.
Fostering Tunes is a fundraiser
that provides musical instruments and funds for music lessons for foster
children in King County. Fostering Tunes' goal is to provide equal
opportunities for artistic expression, happy childhoods, and brighter futures
for foster kids.
Please Come to D-8 to pick-up a
holiday-wish-tag or tunes donation from the Giving Garland or email Emily Carl
at: carle@issaquah.wednet.edu. Please turn in all un-wrapped
gifts, instruments and monetary donations by Dec. 18 at 9:00 am in room D-8.
Further
information about Fostering Tunes from an IHS Student…
The IHS Art Appreciation Association is hosting a
charity called Fostering Tunes. We are collecting new and used musical
instruments (from recorders to trombones to guitars to violins and all other
instruments) as well as donations to provide music lessons for foster children
in King County. The proceeds go to “Treehouse”, which
is a non-profit organization that provides services for foster children in King
County, including summer camps, professional education services, and the many
other things that nurture a bright childhood.
(www.treehouse4kids.org)
Treehouse's motto is "Giving
foster kids a childhood and a future," and Fostering Tunes' motto is
"Giving the gift of music to every child." Many students in middle
and high school participate in a school orchestra or band and through such
school involvement, foster children can develop a passion for something that
they otherwise may never discover. Participating in the school band for foster
children costs $102, piano lessons cost $120, and they don't have any way to
obtain that money. According to a nationwide survey by the Gallup organization
in 2003, 95 percent of Americans believe music is essential in a child's
well-rounded education (http://www.amc-music.org/news/pressreleases/gallup2003.htm). Fostering Tunes' goal is to provide equal opportunities for
artistic expression, happy childhoods, and brighter futures for foster kids. So
give the gift of music to a foster child this Christmas.
If you have musical instruments you would like to donate,
please contact Erin Kim at 425-301-9339 or erinkim93@yahoo.com.
On many days, I wish I were a student at
Issaquah High! In the past several weeks, Moroccan wood and metal artists
visited to show off their skills, the jazz band sold out a concert in a
prestigious club in downtown Seattle, major political figures spoke to Social
Studies classes, students interested in construction trades got a backstage
tour of the new Issaquah High building site, a sign-language class went to
Central Washington to communicate with chimpanzees…
Luckily, my camera and I often get to tag along,
and I hope the photos and videos on the District Web site
give everyone a small sense of the excitement and learning that’s happening on
campus every day.
To make sure that we’re continuing to expand such
high-quality educational opportunities, the District is focused on several
ongoing and significant projects. First, a thank you to every parent and
student who filled out a math survey and/or came to the “math experience” night
at Issaquah High in late October. We have a resulting database with almost
10,000 responses, which will help us shape programs to better serve all
students. The data will also be a critical component as we continue with our
geometry and algebra adoption process. All of the results will be posted online in early
December so check them out.
Secondly, Paula Phelps has been working closely
with her principal colleagues on the Optimal High School Experience project; last year, they undertook a close examination of the current
cultures and systems at our high schools, and this year they will investigate
new initiatives, with a specific focus on flexible scheduling.
Finally, we’re working hard to spread the facts about our three renewal levies that will be on the ballot in February. This is relevant to taxpayers,
and we want them to be fully informed. If approved, the levies will provide 20
cents of every operational dollar as well as all technology, critical-repair,
and bus purchases during the next four years. Thanks to a citizens’ committee
that finely tuned the levy packages based on necessity, the amount of money the
average homeowner pays for local-school taxes will actually stay the same or
decrease if the three levies are approved.
December means everyone’s full-steam-ahead toward
break, but please make sure to review your Emergency Transportation Bulletin now before you wake one morning to snow or ice. Last year,
Transportation employees were on the road at about 3 a.m. to make decisions
about closures and delays almost 20 times. We’re hoping for a much
warmer, non-windy season in 2009-10!
When in doubt about what’s happening, check the District’s homepage or call your school’s main phone number before your student leaves
for school.
One last thing to be grateful for during this
time of thanks: All of the people who stepped up to run in the November school board
race. Chad Magendanz and Marnie
Maraldo will be seated this month for their new
terms. Like all of our board members, they will put in a considerable
amount of time and hard work on behalf of the children in the District. A
thanks to them (and their families, for sharing them.)
—Sara Niegowski,
Executive Director of Communication