Dear International Families,
Returning from the Thanksgiving break, I hope that everyone had an opportunity to spend time with family and to create some wonderful memories. I am continually grateful for the families of International School and all the support that you provide not only to your students but also to the larger IS community. As a small school, we strive to provide excellent service and experiences, and this can be accomplished with everyone’s help.
One characteristic of IS that I so greatly appreciate is the idea of “service.” It is important for our students to have opportunities to focus on others rather than self. An example of this is this week’s schoolwide Snowflake Food Drive. Rather than electing winter royalty based on popularity contests, IS does so through service. Grade levels are bringing in items each day to benefit those in need through a partnership with Renewal Food Bank. Grade level representatives have been elected to promote the collection of goods. Ultimately, our Snowflake Royalty are those who are able to get their classmates to give the most.
This is a fun time of year for our students with socials and music concerts (and some World Cup watching). At the same time, this is also the time of year that inclement weather may affect school. If school is ever delayed or cancelled, the district will notify families. For families new to IS, we sometimes deal with SE 7th Place closed due to flooding resulting in a detour that approaches school from the North (by Wilburton). When that happens, we will notify families through TalkingPoints texts as that is the quickest way to get the word out.
Respectfully,
Russell White
Last Chance to Order Yearbooks
The final sales window for this year’s yearbook closes on Wednesday, November 30. Yearbooks can be purchased through Touchbase for $50 each. For questions, please email Jill Follett, Yearbook Advisor.
Choice School Enrollment Lottery for 2023 – 2022 School Year
International School lottery applications for incoming incoming 6th grade (current 5th grade) students for the 2023-24 school year will be accepted beginning Monday, December 5. The application period will close Friday January 13 at 4:30 pm. After the close of the application period incoming 6th grade (current 5th grade) students that missed the application period may submit a waitlist application to be added to the bottom of a waitlist. Information will be available on our website next week.
Siblings of current International School students must apply by January 13 @ 4:30pm to be enrolled in Autumn 2022.
Upcoming Student Socials and Chaperone Needs
We have social activities coming up for both middle and high school students. For both events, parent chaperones are needed. Please contact ASB Advisor Matt Lyon if you are interested in helping out.
- Middle School Snowflake Social. The Snowflake Social is Friday 12/2 from 7 – 8:30. The theme is A Winter Wonderland. Presale tickets are $12 with an ASB card, and $15 without or at the door. Cash only at the door. No guests from other schools are allowed. We hope to see your students there!
- High School Tolo. The High School Tolo is Saturday 12/10 from 8:00 – 10:00. The theme is Aurora Borealis. Presale tickets are $25 with an ASB card and $30 without an ASB card. The price is $35 at the door. Students who want to bring a guest need to have a completed Guess Pass form turned in by Thursday, December 8 by 3:45pm. This form may be picked up in the front office or in TEAMS. Please remember that the guest pass form MUST include a business card of an administrator from the guest’s school—so plan ahead.
Math Offerings Survey for Students and Families
We are in the process of examining the Math course offerings we offer for our upper grades as a way to ensure that we are meeting the evolving needs of our students as they prepare for their post-secondary experiences. As a small school, we are only able to offer a limited number of options, so the choice would be between two different courses. As part of the process of making the decision, we value the input of students and families of all grades as we know there are vested interests in how we prepare student for the next level of schooling. Course descriptions of the options are attached.
Choice 1: “Mathematical Models” or “Introduction to Data Science”
Either course is designed to be a stand-alone course and is typically a final course that students take as it deviates from the typical vertical progression of our other courses. Students are able to access either course after Pre-Calculus, AP Calculus, or Advanced Calculus.
Choice 2: “Advanced Calculus” or “AP Statistics”
We currently offer Advanced Calculus to our students who accelerate in math. This option would replace this course with AP Statistics. While this offers an area of math that may be useful for many students in their post-secondary plans, it does mean that the highest level of math we offer at the school is AP Calculus AB. Course descripts are below.
To provide feedback on your thoughts, please respond to this survey by Friday, December 2.
ASB Card Reminder
We do encourage all students to purchase an ASB card. Revenue from ASB card purchases is used to fund clubs, activities, and athletics for students at the school. This is especially important for students who are participating in middle school athletics such as badminton (this season) and volleyball (next season) as this covers costs associated with equipment purchases and transportation to games.
Upcoming Dates
- 11/30 Window to purchase yearbook closes
- 12/1 High School Orchestra Concert
- 12/2 Snowflake Social (Middle School)
- 12/6 Middle School Choir Concert
- 12/7 High School Choir Concert
- 12/8 Middle School Orchestra Concert
- 12/10 Tolo Dance (High School)
- 12/12 ISPTSA Winter Market
- 12/13 Middle School Band Concert
- 12/19 – 1/2 Winter Break