Volunteers needed for Fund Drive

Hello all, I am writing today as I am looking for your help any day or days next week to help get the message out regarding our current financial situation at ISM. The goals for the week is to raise $15,000.00 and to educate as many families about their need to help fund their child's education. I will need people from 7:30-8:30 every morning next week, handing out flyers and talking with folks. The flyer will be simple and created by The Foundation outlining how money comes into ISM and how it is spent and what happens when there is not enough... the consequences. This flyer will also be in English and Spanish. We will also pass out donuts to folks that give. Can you help? Please e-mail me the day or days you may be available to help.

I look forward to raising $15,000 in needed funds and to getting as many folks educated regarding the cost of an ISM education.


Ellen Gaucher
2060 Baldwin Court
Seaside, CA 93955
831-394-1395 voice
831-393-2858 fax
elgaucher@sbcglobal.net

Holiday Fund Drive

To continue giving our students the gift of an ISM education, we need your help.

December 8-12, 2008, Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.

By now you should have received both an email and a printed copy of the letter from Sean Madden, Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Despite increased Foundation efforts, family contributions to the ISM Foundation are down this year and the economic reality of State funding cuts has hit home. Join us in raising enough money to save our vital programs!

Next week, at morning drop-off, there will be volunteers eager to accept your donations or answer any questions that you have about the importance of those donations. In exchange for your Family Share donation or pledge, we'll have fresh Red's Donuts ready for you. Curbside service compliments of the ISM volunteers. If you've already sent in your gift, many thanks and please join us, too!

It's easy and fun – and important. Thank you for your support.

Download and Print Donation Form

A special thank you to Red's Donuts of Seaside for their generous support of our holiday fund drive.

19 Mile Walk Route

Did you know you could meet up with Mr. Pearlstein along his walking route on Saturday? You can! And you could even make some construction paper pompons to cheer him on as he goes by (or walk with him)! His walk will end at ISM for a brown bag dinner (5:30pm, you bring your dinner) and the opening of the Safari Book Fair. Only our ISM Community could host such a cool event. :) C

The information below was sent by the front office before break, but here's a reminder:

Join our brave guide, Mr. Pearlstein, Associate Head of School, as he journeys through Monterey County for a total of 19 miles. He must make this trek due to the amazing job the students of ISM did during the Read-a-thon. Mr. Pearlstein pledged to take a step for every minute read, which was an astonishing grand total of 103,435 minutes!

He will set out in the early morning hours of Saturday, December 6th at 6:00am at the recreation trail at Beach Road in Marina. He will walk along the Recreation Trail for most of this adventure all the way to Lovers Point, reverse course to lower Broadway then back to ISM, ending at our ISM Library at 5:30pm to launch the opening of our Jungle Safari themed Book Fair.

Since a 19 mile walk can be lonely and grueling, we are inviting the ISM community to join Mr. Pearlstein for a portion of his trek. You may join up with him at one of the "cheering stations" listed below. Please check the ISM website tomorrow for a route map marked with the specific cheering station locations and approximate times he will be arriving at each.

• Starbucks Sand City, in the Target shopping center
• Back side of Adventures by the Sea building, (adjacent to the kayak place at Windows on the Bay)
• Top of the Coast Guard Pier (by the snack store)
• Lovers Point (next to the restrooms)
• Back side of Adventures by the Sea building, (adjacent to the kayak place at Windows on the Bay)
• Starbucks at the corner of Del Monte Blvd. and Canyon Del Rey
• ISM

Not up for walking? Please join us in welcoming Mr. Pearlstein to the end of his journey at the doorstep of our Jungle Safari Book Fair!

Bring a brown bag dinner and join us in the multi-use room to read with some of our most exciting characters such as Morgan le Fay from the Magic Tree house, Madeline and Teacher from the Black Lagoon.

If you have any questions, please contact coordinators Janice Barker at 831-384-5524 or Yvette Satchell at 831-372-7063.

Helping Children To Do Their Best Work

At our last meeting of ISM team leaders we discussed non-academic reasons that prevent children from doing their best work in school. Being in school on time is very important to a child's success. In the primary and intermediate grades the first 15-20 minutes of school are used to get students settled and organized for the day. During this time children turn in homework and projects, and teachers ask individual children specific questions that are directed to meeting the needs of each child.

In the middle school grades, attendance is taken and then students are in their first period class, learning within the first five minutes of the school day. Primary, intermediate or middle school students who regularly arrive late do not receive the same quality education as do the students who are in class on time everyday. Children cannot do their best work if they are always trying to catch-up. Their teachers cannot provide the best for your children if they are always trying to help them catch up. Please make every effort to get your children to school on time.

Following the ISM Uniform Policy is also important to a child's success. When ISM was Founded, the decision to initiate a uniform policy was made to help students focus on their learning. By having students wear uniforms peer pressure is lessened and children gain a sense of belonging to the school. At our team meeting it was decided that instead of sending a student who is out of uniform to the office, the teacher will have the student call home from the classroom. If parents cannot bring appropriate uniform attire to the school, the child will then be sent to the office to find appropriate uniform attire. I will then contact parents to request that an extra uniform be kept in school. If you have any questions please call me at 583-2169.


Eric Pearlstein
Associate Director
(831) 583-2169
epearlstein@ismonterey.org

Parent Letter 11/30/2008

Dear Parents,

I trust you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving and a restful Thanksgiving holiday break. We have so much to be thankful for. I am grateful for the opportunity to be with your children and share the joy of learning with them. They are an amazing group of people. Thank you all for your continued support of your child's education and myself.

Many thanks to Barbara Okamura for her help with our "thanksgiving feast" last Tuesday. She made tortillas and butter with the students followed by "Pilgrim Hat" cookies. Thank you also to Sonia Perez for jumping in and preparing all of the tortillas for pressing. It was a great treat which we shared with the other 4th grade class and they prepared a wonderful tasty compliment which we all enjoyed. Muchas gracias!

We have completed our first trimester and on Monday begin the second trimester of 4th grade.
Report cards will be going out around December 9th. Winter break will be in three weeks
beginning December 20th.

Spelling: This week we will have spelling back again as usual. Look for the student's words to come home and study.

Math: We will have a Unit 4 math assessment on Thursday. I will send home a study guide for Wednesday night study.

Reading: We will begin a new set of book clubs this week. The book club groups will choose a new book from a selection I provide. We will spend the next several weeks on these books.

Science: As we work on finishing our Earth's Changing Surfaces unit, we will also begin a unit on Coastal Ecosystems. In January, we will take advantage of low tides to explore the tidepools and beaches as well as go on a field trip to the aquarium. It should be a lot of fun.

Homework:

Math: Monday - Study Links Monday: 4.9, Tuesday: 4.10 Wednesday: Study for test
Work with fact triangles for 5-10 minutes each night
Spelling: Study words each night, test on Friday Read 20 minutes each night, record in planner.

Best wishes to all,
Mary Welsh