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Issaquah High PTSA E-News
October 2008 Newsletter


In this Issue........
  1. Welcome & Meeting Dates
  2. 2008-2009 Goals
  3. Membership Update
  4. Fundraising Update
  5. Your PTSA at Work (Including SAT/ACT Readiness Program Update)
  6. Reflections Art Program
  7. Legislative Update
  8. Issaquah Schools Foundation
  9. Important Issaquah School District News for PTSA Members
  10. Volunteer Opportunities
  11. Community Needs

1. Welcome & Meeting Dates

The leadership of the Issaquah High PTSA would like to welcome all members, students and staff to the 2008-09 school year and hope that each person in the IHS community will have a happy and successful year.  In an effort to increase communication between the school, PTSA and home, the PTSA will be sending monthly e-news to our membership highlighting the work of the PTSA and helpful reminders for important dates and programs such as our popular SAT Prep Program, Reflections Art Program, Parent Education Events and our Multi-Cultural Family Night.  In addition, we would like to increase PTSA members' participation in important IHS and Issaquah School District input opportunities enabling decisions made on behalf of our students to have been made with full consideration of a variety of opinions.
 
The next meeting of the IHS PTSA is Friday October 10th at 9:30 AM in the Career Center (C-5).  PTSA members are welcome and encouraged to attend but not required to. This is a great opportunity to become familiar with the school and to hear updates from Principal Paula Phelps.  The October scheduled program will feature Marianne Kersten who will give us a Legislative update.  There is a lot happening in regards to education in our state and Marianne will update us on the changes.  Don’t miss it!

The next PTSA meeting at Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus will be held on Tuesday, October 7th at 1:00 pm in the PCFC Library.

* The PTSA activities of the PCFC are shared between the PTSA's of Issaquah and Skyline High Schools. There is not a separate PTSA for the campus.


2. 2008-2009 Goals

At the September 12th  meeting, the IH PTSA approved its annual list of goals and the theme, "Building Today for Tomorrow."  The goals center around advocacy, communication and educational program support for IHS students.

IH PTSA 2008-2009 Theme – Building Today For Tomorrow

Goals
  • Support continuity of curriculum and programs during the Issaquah High School rebuild.
  • Achieve 100% membership and increase staff membership.
  • Work with IHS to develop programs designed to address the gap in student achievement. Support, educate and communicate information related to academic goals as identified in the IHS continuous improvement plan.
  • Improve communication links with the parent community by reaching out through multiple modes of communication such as email, website, mailings and enews.  Purposefully encourage all to attend PTSA meetings to remain informed.
  • Participate actively in the decision making processes of the Issaquah School District and the State of Washington that affect IHS through advocacy opportunities, our legislative program and the PTSA Council.  Act on the findings of the Basic Education Finance Joint Task Force.
  • Communicate Issaquah High PTSA’s input to representatives appointed to Issaquah School District committees such as Graduation Requirements and Boundary Review.
Click here to read the mission statement and annual goals of the IHS PTSA.


3. Membership Update

As a member, look for your Student Directory(s) and National PTA Membership card(s) to arrive in the mail this fall. Membership cards carry members only password information that provides access to numerous resources for parents on the National PTA website.
 
Last year, IHS achieved 100% Membership which is a rare milestone for a high school.  The IHS PTSA is one of the largest PTSAs in the area with numerous members and volunteers dedicated to the students and staff at IHS.  To reach 100% membership, one member joins for each student enrolled within the school.  To date, membership is at 1067 and growing but we still have a ways to go as we have 1275 students in our school!  It is one of our goals to achieve this designation which serves to recognize the importance of parental involvement in the lives our children and youth here at IHS.  Please consider joining now!
 
Can you help? Frequently, one adult per household joins the PTSA.  The membership fee is discounted to $7 for the second adult in a household and we are hoping that members wishing to support the 100% membership goal will download the membership form and enroll a second adult at their earliest convenience. If you know of another adult in the community who may wish to join, please access the following link to the PTSA membership form and help prospective members understand that while welcomed, membership does not require attendance at meetings or volunteering-- it simply means that the member supports the work of the PTSA within the school by joining.  
 

4. Fundraising Update

The operations and programs of the Issaquah High PTSA rely on revenue from a variety of sources but to keep things simple, most fundraising is done through our annual Pass the Hat campaign.  To date, $19,338 have been raised, however we are still short of our goal.   A big round of thanks and applause for all Pass the Hat contributors.  Contributions to Pass the Hat are tax-deductible.  A full explanation of how special funding requests were distributed last year at both IHS and PCFC is available on our website.
 

5. Your PTSA at Work - SAT/ACT Readiness Testing Programs/Mock SAT and ACT Exams

Of special note, the popularity of our SAT/ACT Readiness Testing Program is soaring, along with the size of each grade level class, making the logistics and communication more challenging. There are simply too many students involved to place phone calls by our program coordinator in every unique situation.  Providing legible and frequently checked email addresses is the only way to ensure confirmation of registration.   On September 20 we had over 170 students take the Mock SAT test.  Our 2:45 after school SAT Readiness Classes filled quickly and the 5:00 Classes are nearly full.  While our goal is to accommodate all students in our various program sessions, there can be instances of deferred placement or no placement at all based on mail-in submission dates or other factors.  Look for application deadlines to be shortened for future sessions to avoid the last minute registration rush that makes filling class rosters difficult. Apply early!
 
It is easy to confuse the terminology and mis-communicate requests, especially in the case of the PSAT, SAT, and ACT test. The best way to understand the various options for testing and test prep is by reading information provided through the school counseling website and websites such as www.collegeboard.com and www.act.org.  There are many private companies that offer college prep testing, classes and tutoring in our area.
 
Please be aware that while IHS teachers instruct the prep classes and the Counseling Center facilitates the actual PSAT test, the SAT/ACT Readiness Program is an Issaqhah High PTSA program. Registration forms and checks for the SAT/ACT Readiness Program must be mailed to the PTSA P.O. Bbox provided on the forms and not delivered to the school.   Do not mail with other PTSA mailings as there is a specific PO Box just for SAT readiness.
 
Dates for upcoming Mock PSAT and ACT exams will be available soon.  Registration forms will be available on the PTSA website in late December / early January.
 
**SAT/ACT Readiness registration forms for winter/spring dates will be posted to our website January 2009 for classes beginning the week of February 23, 2009.  See the PTSA website at www.issaquahhighptsa.org . 


6. Reflections Art Program

The Reflections Art Program offers IHS and PCFC students the opportunity to create works of art for fun and recognition.  Students are encouraged to create and submit works of art in any of six areas:  dance choreography, film/video, literature, musical composition, photography, and the visual arts (which include art forms such as drawing, painting, print making, and collage).  The theme for the 2008-2009 school year is “WOW”.  Students participate in the Reflections Program by submitting entries to the IH PTSA Reflections chairperson via the IHS office.  The final due date for entries is Tuesday, November 18, 2008.  Entries are then judged and some selected entries go on to the Issaquah PTSA Council level for further evaluation by experts in each area.  Select entries may move beyond to the State PTA and National PTA level.   Local area students have enjoyed evaluation at the State and National levels in recent years. 

Complete details about the Reflections program and each category can be found here.


7. Legislative Update

Education Funding Crisis

The Bellevue teachers strike gives us an opportunity to learn and understand more about how education is funded in this state.  There are three main ways that the school districts receives money, the state gives money, the federal government gives money and local taxes raise money.

Teachers are paid by the state AND local levy dollars pay teachers through something called TRI dollars.   When staff strikes at the local level, no more money comes in. The state doesn't pay more, the federal government doesn't pay more and you can't raise local taxes.  The money is found by cutting back on existing programming.

A common myth is that as your property assessments rise, your school taxes increase, and the school districts get lots more money. This isn't true.
When your school district asks you to vote to support a levy, the levy is a fixed amount.  That fixed amount is how much your school district collects, independent of the assessed value of your house.

Bottom Line - we are in an education funding crisis - there is no extra money to meet the expenses of paying staff the salaries they request, or paying for rising fuel costs or higher programming expectations from the community.

Currently, the Basic Education Task Force is making a bold and likely final attempt to redefine basic education, reform the state funding model, and increase student achievement through equity, transparency, accountability and funding.  The plan will, support an expanded high school day for the new Core 24 graduation requirements, define class size in detail (i.e. AP classes should be more available as minimum class size will be set to a lower number), a new teacher pay structure, improve teacher quality and availability through mentoring, evaluation, and training, eliminate grandfathered levy lid and salary advantages, add common student diagnostic data systems and district accounting systems.  The price tag is likely to raise K-12 spending by about 25% of the current level bringing it back to roughly 50% of general fund spending. With basic education fully funded by the state under the task force definition, local M&O levies will revert back to their original purpose: locally desired, supplemental programming for students. Regional cost of living differences will be addressed for staff at the state level and no longer from back door methods like TRI pay from the M&O levy funds.

After decades of committee study on this subject, the moon and stars have aligned to provide us with the most likely chance of seeing funding reform that is tied to improving student achievement.  It will take contact to legislators from people both within the K-12 community and those who do not have students in school but understand the vital role a quality system imparts on all other state issues.

Did you know?
  • That salaries and benefits for school district staff take up 80+% of the district operating budgets across the state? (most districts are slightly higher then this)
  • That leaves 20% or less of the budget to pay for books, paper, fuel, electricity, printers, and materials.
  • When fuel prices rise, there is no additional money for the school district to find.  The district must make cuts to meet the new costs.
  • When staff receives pay/benefit increases those increases come out of the 20% or less left in the budget?  There is no additional money added.
  • That even though the value of your home may rise, the tax you pay to schools DOES NOT RISE automatically?  (the district levies a fixed amount, XXX million dollars - if the value of your home rises, you do not pay more taxes)
  • Districts are being squeezed financially, there is very little new money, and yet expenses are rising and so are community expectations. We are in an education funding crisis.
Want to help? Vote for education funding advocates.  Contact all your legislators and ask them to support the findings of the Basic Education Task Force. Stay informed.  Talk to your friends and neighbors.

Legislative Assembly Update

Thank you to those of you who responded to our survey last month to guide us in prioritizing the proposed PTA Legislative Issues.  At the Legislative Assembly last weekend, four of the five issues selected by IH PTSA Members were selected for the priority legislative platform for the Washington State PTA:
  1. Basic Education Funding
  2. Strengthening Math and Science Curriculum and Education
  3. Washington State Assessment System Improvements
  4. Support State Board of Education Core 24 Framework
  5. Support Rational Approaches to teacher Compensation
For more information, visit the Legislation page of the Washington State PTA website.


8. Issaquah Schools Foundation

I'd like to introduce myself, my name is Debbie Rossman and I am the Issaquah High School Liaison to the Issaquah Schools Foundation.   One of the Foundation's biggest fundraisers, the Nourish Every Mind luncheon and silent auction is coming up on Thursday, October 16th at 11:30 at the Issaquah Community Center.  This annual fundraising event is a great way to familiarize yourself with the work that ISF does on behalf of our students, socialize with parents from across the district and hear firsthand from ISF grant recipients. You’ll also learn why ISF support has become an integral part of our district’s finances.

I’m hoping that you will join me at Nourish Every Mind and become inspired to make a generous contribution. Luncheon attendees are asked to make a suggested minimum donation of $150 (which can be made at the luncheon or paid in $13 installments over a 12-month period). These gifts will be used to help bridge the gap between dollars the state provides for basic education and the funds our schools need to provide students with an education that prepares them for success in school and life. I would truly like you to be part of this great event by being a guest at our IHS table. Please email Debbie Rossman at todayathome@comcast.net  to accept my invitation.  I’m saving a seat for you!

HOW ISF BENEFITS OUR SCHOOL!
 
Every parent in the Issaquah School District needs to know about the important work that Issaquah Schools Foundation is doing to help support academic excellence at our school. Their mission is to help every student achieve the promise of their academic potential through programs and initiatives that encourage academic achievement, support struggling students and promote professional development. In 2008 alone, ISF's Calling for Kids' spring fundraiser, raised over $150,000 to allow all our teachers the opportunity to get the latest training in research-backed strategies to reach all levels of learners. In addition, ISF provides grants to the school district to fund After-School Homework Labs at our school and every other middle and high school in the District including PCFC. ISF grants fund the district-wide VOICE Mentoring Program and Club 7, an academic support program for struggling 6th, 7th and 8th graders at each middle school. National Board Certification scholarships from ISF ensure that your child’s teacher can afford to pursue this highly regarded program if they choose. With help from ISF, the number of National Board Certified teachers in the District has grown exponentially. 
 
Since 1997 I.H.S. has received $115,276 from ISF in direct grants. These grants have funded the arts, emerging curriculum, language, literacy, science and technology. ISF support has made possible various programs and materials to enhance your child’s learning of science (physics and biology) and ecology. Other equipment/software purchased included a ceramics kiln and pottery wheel, language mastery software, special needs technology and lab equipment including digital microscopes. ISF also helped fund our award-winning Robotics Club. Each of our ISF grants have made tremendous impact on the learning environment at Issaquah High School.
 
In the last three years, IHS programs and purchases funded by ISF include:
  • Guitars for Guitar Lab-Purchase classroom set of 25 acoustic electric guitars for on-going class
  • Funding for the First Robotics Competition (2005 and 2006)-Fund participation in the First Robotics Competition which inspires students to explore science and technology as members of a team.
  • I-Vision:  Television Production-Equipment to update and expand program to offer real-world technology learning opportunities in H.S.  
In addition, this year our school received the following grants:
  • A Less Offensive Approach to Anatomy-The purchase of the most up-to-date software available for teaching anatomy to high schools and college students. 
  • Biotechnology in the Biology Classroom-Biotech equipment to enhance state and district mandated curriculum.
  • Funding the Issaquah High School FIRST Robotics Team-This grant helps us fund the Issaquah Robotics Team's participation in the FIRST Robotics Competition teaching students engineering and programming while building a semi-autonomous robot.
  • Angular Momentum & Wave Theory-The replacement of aging equipment so that students can study inquiry based wave labs. Students (AP) do not have enough rotational mechanics kits.

9. Important Issaquah School District News for PTSA Members

Issaquah High, the district needs your help! The School Board member from your Director District, Mike Winkler, recently vacated his position, and the search is on for a replacement.  If you know any parent or community member with a passion for education and the ability to advocate for children across the District, please urge them to consider applying. The applicant must live in Director District 4, which includes the Issaquah Highlands, downtown corridor, Preston, Mirrormont, Tiger Mountain, and southeast corner of the district. Applications are due October 13, and all materials are online under the “Board” tab on the district homepage.

The Boundary Review Committee reconvenes to ensure its recommendation from last school year still jives with the most current enrollment information; the Committee plans to make a recommendation to the Superintendent for final adoption by the School Board before winter break (more information is online under “Boundary Review” on the District homepage). Currently, high school boundaries remain unchanged. The District has also announced a year delay of the conversion of Pacific Cascade Middle School, which means Issaquah High will not welcome back its freshmen until the year 2010—giving our Capital Projects team a more flexible timeline to rebuild Issaquah High. The winter months are critical in a large construction project because much of the work is so dependent on the weather (so think sunshine!).

Finally, be sure to check out the District’s new Web site, which has been available for a “test drive” throughout September and goes live in October. Hopefully, it is more visually friendly and easily navigable. The District is now mapping its plans to best support school and teacher Web sites.


10. Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers are needed to help with the Saturday, October 18th PSAT exam.  Two jobs are needed; #1 Check-in helpers from 7-8 AM and #2 Classroom Monitors from 7:30- 11:00 am.
If you are interested in helping please contact Jane Lee at janeandalvin@comcast.net or Lisa Gaan at lisagaan@comcast.net .

The IH PTSA is still looking to fill the position of Special Needs Liaison.  Please contact Jody Mull at jodymull@comcast.net or Deed Chase at deedchase@comcast.net


11. Community Needs

AP testing is held in May and due to the remodel will not be held at Issaquah High School.  Wendy Peterson, AP Coordinator/I.H.S. teacher is looking for a site that can hold the AP testing within our eastside community.   Many of the below requirements are dictated by College Board requirements.  The others are meant to create the most positive testing experience for our students.  So far, Pickering Barn, the Hilton Garden Hotel and BCC have all been looked at and Meydenbauer Center is currently being checked out as a possibility.  If you know of any large spaces that would be available, please contact Wendy Peterson at PetersenW@issaquah.wednet.edu  Thanks so much!
  1. We are looking for a space that can accommodate about 130 students max.  That would be our largest group. There are several tests that have fewer students than that – about 100.
  2. We will need tables and chairs for the students – this is something a vendor could provide if necessary
  3. The College Board requires a specific distance between the students.  One student per six foot table, which will affect the size of the room.
  4. Good lighting
  5. Heating/Cooling available
  6. Bathroom facilities close to the testing location
  7. Quiet and free from distraction.  I’ve looked at some of the community centers, but they also have other events going on (exercise class, etc) which could be noisy.
  8. It can be closed to the public during testing
  9. As close to the school as possible
  10. Ample parking
  11. As reasonably priced as possible