January 13, 2020
 
Welcome to the start of the winter season!  School is canceled today due to bad weather, and there’s more snow on the horizon, so make sure you’re set up to receive up-to-the-minute status updates from the Issaquah School District: 
  • School closures and delays are announced early in the morning, usually between 6:00 and 6:30 a.m.
  • Make sure you are receiving District E News.  Sign up on the ISD website. Weather delay notifications will NOT be sent via individual school E-News.
  • Check the ISD homepage at wednet.edu.
  • Subscribe to receive weather delay and closure texts or emails from the transportation department at FlashAlert. Please note this is for weather emergencies only.
  • Check the recorded messages at (425) 837- 7000.
 
There’s a lot going on at IMS this month, so make sure your calendar is up-to-date.  Here’s a rundown of the important information you’ll need in the coming weeks. 
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES
1/14-?
School Play Auditions – Little Mermaid Jr.
1/16
New Family Ambassador Meet & Greet
1/20
MLK Day – No School
1/22
PTSA General Membership Meeting
ParentWiser Presentation on Cultural Competence
1/23
WalkAbout Training @7:00 pm
1/27
Teacher Work Day – No School
1/31
Binder Bootcamp
2/17-21
Second Winter Break

AUDITIONS FOR THE LITTLE MERMAID JR. – 1/14-?
 
Auditions for the IMS production of The Little Mermaid Jr. were originally planned to be held after school on January 13 and 14.  Be watching for updates from the school about adjustments to the audition schedule due to school cancellation today.  Interested students should have a prepared song selection or comedic monologue for “The Little Mermaid Jr.”  Your song should be one minute long, and preferably from a musical, though any song that tells a story will work.  For those interested in dancing, Dance Calls will be held on January 16.
NEXT NEW FAMILY AMBASSADOR MEET & GREET – 1/16
 
January’s IMS New Family Ambassador Program Meet and Greet will be held Thursday, January 16th from 9:30 am to 11:00 am at the Starbucks located at 1460 NW Gilman Blvd, Issaquah WA 98027.  Hope to see you there! Questions?  Contact us at familyambassadors@issaquahmiddleptsa.org.
 
PARENTWISER PRESENTATION ON CULTURAL COMPETENCE – 2/22 
 
Are your kids exposed to racially or culturally-charged comments? ParentWiser hosts Dr. Caprice Hollins for a paradigm-shifting talk to help parents engage in courageous conversations with our children and learn How to Be a Culturally Competent Family in 2020, Jan 22nd from 7:00-8:30 pm at Liberty High School.  Participants will increase their understanding of equity vs equality, privilege, and implicit bias to develop a community where everyone benefits through inclusivity and the honoring of differences. For parents of K-12.  Register at http://ParentWiser.org/events.
FINAL WALKABOUT TRAINING – 1/23
 
If you missed the first WalkAbout Training session in the fall, the second (and final) WalkAbout Training session for the 2019-20 school year will take place on Jan. 23rd from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm at IMS.  This training session is mandatory if you’ve never been trained before.  Questions?  Contact us at walkabout@issaquahmiddleptsa.org.
 
Remember that only volunteers who (1) have been approved as volunteers by the Issaquah School District; AND (2) have completed WalkAbout Training this year or in a prior year may volunteer.
CALLING VOLUNTEERS FOR BINDER BOOTCAMP – 1/31
 
Our next Binder Bootcamp of the year is just around the corner on Friday, Jan. 31st, and we need your help to bring a little order to our corner of the universe.  Binder Bootcamp is an ongoing initiative organized by IMPTSA and supported by Issaquah Schools Foundation to help students who are struggling with organization which can lead to missed homework, misplaced homework, and general angst!
 
Our volunteers work one-on-one with students who are referred by teachers, counselors, and parents. If you can recognize a tidy, organized binder and can offer common-sense suggestions for keeping homework together, then you have all the skills required to work with students. We provide a brief training and all the supplies needed to help students organize their binders.
 
The number of students we are able to help depends upon the number of volunteers.  Please consider helping with this gratifying (and fun) activity and feel free to sign up for any of our five one-hour shifts.  Click HERE to sign up today!
 
Our school counselors and teachers are very good at identifying and referring students in need of organization help, but if you believe your child’s performance is being negatively impacted by poor organization, you may request that your child be included on the 31st. If you have any questions, email us at BinderBootcamp@IssaquahMiddlePTSA.Org
TELL YOUR STORY AT IMS ANNUAL CAREER DAY – 2/7
 
IMS is looking for parents, guardians and community members to give a short presentation about their current or past career and pathway.  Please share this with family and friends who have interesting or unusual careers or have a unique story of how they ended up there. We need a wide variety of professionals to make this a well-rounded event for students to learn about something they might like to pursue in the future. Everyone is welcome to come and share.  Please contact IMS Counselor Oracio Valdez at valdezo@issaquah.wednet.edu for more information or to sign up.
BECOME A PTSA MEMBER TODAY!
 
Even if you don’t want to volunteer at the school, becoming a PTSA member makes a lot of sense!
(1) Up-to-Date Info:  First, you get access to up-to-date information about what’s going on at IMS.  In addition to our weekly E-news, you can hear the principal personally provide updates on issues of importance to you and your child and answer questions at every monthly PTSA meeting.
(2) Get Access to the Student Directory: As a PTSA member, you get exclusive access to the online PTSA Student Directory. 
(3) Retail Benefits: Members can take advantage of discounts at state and national companies like Great Wolf Lodge, Wild Waves, Office Depot, and car rental companies including Avis, Hertz, and Budget.
(4) Your $ Support Programs for Your Child: Your membership fee and your donations help support a wide variety of PTSA programs that support and enrich our students, families, and staff members.
 
It’s easy to join online today – CLICK HERE! 
VOLUNTEERING AT IMS
 
We would love to have you consider volunteering at IMS.  All volunteers must complete the District’s online registration and be approved before they can volunteer at school.  If you were approved to volunteer last year, you still need to sign in to the District’s online system, complete the training, and update the required information.  Please remember there is a delay between completing the volunteer application and getting approval, so don’t wait till the last minute to start the process.  Click here to sign in.
ISD RENEWAL LEVY WILL BE ON THE FEBRUARY 2020 BALLOT – 2/11/20
 
The Issaquah School District will be asking voters to approve the renewal of the EP&O levy in February which allows the district to continue to support the programs and services funded by the previous two-year levy which is expiring in 2020.  Like a subscription, local school levies must be renewed, or the funding will be lost.
 
The 2020 EP&O Levy Renewal Levy continues support for:
  • Career & Technical Education
  • Mental Health Counselors
  • Special Education
  • Safety & Security
  • Dual Language Program
  • Early Childhood Learning & Preschool Opportunities
  • Highly Capable Program
  • Professional Development for Teachers
  • Expanded High School Schedules (7 periods instead of 6) at Issaquah and Skyline High Schools
The Issaquah School District is asking for less than it is legally allowed to collect. This maintains its current programs, while remaining fiscally responsible and sensitive to the overall tax rate. This is NOT a new tax. The proposed two-year levy replaces the expiring 2018 levy at a lower overall tax rate.
 
Please remember to VOTE and if you have a student who will be 18 by the next election, please have them register to vote!
 
Click here for more information
Click here to download a fact sheet with details
Click here to register to vote
 
Thank you!
 
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Issaquah Middle PTSA 2.6.35
600 2nd Ave. SE
Issaquah, WA  98027
issaquahmiddleptsa.org
 
 
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