SM SEM Plea - KNIT ONE, SAVE ONE

Dear ISM families,

This trimester our SEM is going to knit and crochet caps for a SAVE THE CHILDREN program called: KNIT ONE, SAVE ONE. We would welcome donations of remnants of yarn and also donations of needles. We are looking for worsted weight or sport weight yarn and 7, 8 or 9 size needles. We also would love crochet hooks , size F or H. We do not want anyone to purchase anything - just pass along any of these items which may be sitting around your house, unused. If you would like to make a cap yourself go to the link at Save The Children, or join us Friday afternoon from 2-3 PM. Thanks for your help and support. Please drop off your donations in the front office - marked for KNIT ONE, SAVE ONE SEM.

Sally Burns and Bene Milling

Office Note: SEM starts today, 1/16/09 but we will be accepting these donations for the next 6 weeks, thanks!

Inauguration Viewing at ISM: Tues., Jan. 20, beginning at 7am

Dear Parents / Guardians;

The following preparations are in the works so that ISM students may view the historic Inauguration of Barack Obama on Tuesday morning, January 20th. From our research on the web, it appears that web coverage will begin at 7 a.m. West Coast time (7 a.m. East Coast time).

We will be setting up two viewing locations -- in the multiuse room (MUR) and the computer pod -- that morning so that classes can view the Inaugural proceedings. We will be projecting the festivities onto screens in both locations via a laptop tuned to either CNN.com Live or CBSNEWS.com -- both of which will have a live Webcast of the event on Tuesday morning.

Our intention is that those teachers desiring to show their classes the majority of the Inauguration can do so in the MUR as it is a larger space and potentially more comfortable for more students.

The Pod would be for those teachers who feel that their students would benefit from seeing only specific parts of the ceremony.

The most consistent information is that the webcast and simulcast coverage will begin by 7 a.m. PST. The oath of office will be administered to the President-elect and the Vice President-elect on the steps of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC on January 20, 2009 beginning at 8:30 a.m. PST (11:30 a.m. EST). I have marked this part of the program with "***" below. The Presidential Inauguration Committee has announced the official program for the inaugural swearing-in ceremony as follows:

* Musical Selections by The United States Marine Band & The S.F. Boys Chorus and the S.F. Girls Chorus

* Call to Order and Welcoming Remarks by the The Honorable Dianne Feinstein

* Invocation by Dr. Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA

* Musical Selection by Aretha Franklin

*** Oath of Office Administered to Vice President-elect Joseph R. Biden, Jr. By Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, The Honorable John Paul Stevens

* Musical Selection, John Williams, composer/arranger, Itzhak Perlman (Violin), Yo-Yo Ma (Cello), Gabriela Montero (Piano), Anthony McGill (Clarinet)

*** Oath of Office Administered to President-elect Barack H. Obama By the Chief Justice of the United States, The Honorable John G. Roberts, Jr.

*** Inaugural Address by The President of the United States, The Honorable Barack H. Obama

* Poem by Elizabeth Alexander

* Benediction by The Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery

* The National Anthem by The United States Navy Band "Sea Chanters"

The multi-purpose room will be set up by 7:00 a.m. As students arrive on Tuesday morning, they will enter the MUR and be seated by grade level so that they can begin to watch the proceedings. Associate Head of School Eric Pearlstein will be on hand in the early morning to oversee the students. At 8:15 a.m., homeroom teachers will come to the multi-purpose room to pick up their students or will join their classes at that time.

Other teachers will bring their classes back to their rooms at that time, knowing that the Pod is available for their students to see the portions of the Inauguration festivities that they select.

We realize that some parents may decide to keep their children home to view this historic event as a family. Should you choose this route, please bring your child(ren) to ISM thereafter so that ISM can still claim the maximum possible attendance reporting for Tuesday, January 20th.

Regards,

Lisa Griffin Burns
ISM Operations / HR Manager
Tel: 831-583-2167
Email: lburns@ismonterey.org
Eric Pearlstein
Associate Director

Eric Pearlstein
Associate Director
Tel: 831-583-2169
Email: epearlstein@ismonterey.org

School Site Committee Membership Openings

The ISM School Site Committee is is a group of parents and school personnel charged with the responsibility for surveying and interpreting the ISM school communities' opinions regarding all aspects of the school program. The School Site Committee is also charged with the responsibility for providing input into the development of ISM school programs.

Parents serve 3 year terms of membership on the ISM School Site Committee. There will be three openings for parents to serve on the School Site Committee beginning this month, January of 2009.

If you are interested in serving on the ISM School Site Committee, please contact me immediately.

Eric Pearlstein
Associate Director
(831) 583-2165
epearlstein@ismonterey.org

Free Workshop on Six Traits that Lead to Life Long Success

Free Workshop on
Six Traits that Lead to Life Long Success

When: Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Location: Chartwell School
McMahan Hall Multipurpose Room
2511 Numa Watson Road
Seaside (off Normandy Road)

About the workshop:

In this session, you will review a twenty-year longitudinal study that traces the lives of individuals with learning challenges through adulthood and learn about the six traits that helped these adults’ lead successful lives. Teaching each of the six success attributes - self-awareness, proactivity, perseverance, goal-setting, support systems, and emotional coping strategies - has been shown to greatly improve the success rates of children and adults with learning challenges.

About the presenter:

Steve Henderson, Dean of Student Life for Chartwell's New High School Project, has been working in the field of education for the past 7 years. His experience covers topics as broad ranging as educational policy, history, mathematics, and working with at risk youth. Steve started a community school that had a cross-curricular, project-based approach and he has worked in the capacity of supervising the Monterey County America Reads program.

About Chartwell's Free Workshops:

The Chartwell School Outreach Program is pleased to offer a series of free educational workshops about best practices in literacy, reading, technology and math instruction. Workshops are held at our new LEED Platinum Certified campus in Seaside and are recommended for both parents and educators.

For more information, please contact:
Kristen Atkins
Chartwell School Outreach Director
831.394.3468 x1012
katkins@chartwell.org

Art & Jewelry Afterschool Classes

Parents-

In addition to the Chess and Chinese classes about which we distributed information last week, Art and Jewelry classes will also be accepting registration for classes starting next week.

Please remember to pre-register your child(ren) for these classes by picking up one in the front office, completing the form, and submitting it in to the front office with payment to "ISM" prior to sending your child to any afterschool class.

ISM's Afterschool Jewelry Class
Parent instructor and jewelry maker Nick Trachsel will be offered beginning next Tuesday afternoon, January 13th from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. in the multiuse room;

Express Yourself Art Class
Parent instructor Olia Polovneff will be offered beginning next Thursday, January 15th from 3:45 - 5:00 p.m. in the Art room in the multiuse room.

All students participating in afterschool contractual classes should plan on accompanying their homeroom class down to the front lawn at the end of the school day. Providers will then pick up their students from the lawn area upon their arrival on campus. Please do not instruct your child to go directly to the class location at 3:20 p.m. This poses a safety and liability issue for our students.

Thank you!

Regards,

Lisa Griffin Burns
ISM Operations / HR Manager

2009-10 Intent to Re-enroll

Hello Parent(s):

Our first 2009-10 enrollment window deadline of January 20, 2009 is fast approaching. As in years past, we have already received more applications than available spots. Therefore, we will be having our first enrollment lottery on February 3, 2009 at 5:00 p.m.

As you know, all existing students are automatically insured a space for next year. However, it would be helpful if you would indicate whether your child is expected to return for the 09-10 school year so that we know exactly how many spaces are available at each grade level. Please enter your child(ren)'s name(s) and current grade level, check the appropriate line below and return it to us by January 20, 2009.

This is a separate matter from the "Intent to Re-enroll" form you filled out in October, 2008 for our facilities request, as such, we do need you to indicate your response here and return it to us.

Thank you in advance,

Karen Kushel
Office Administrator
International School of Monterey
1720 Yosemite Street
Seaside, CA 93955
831-583-2165 phone
831-899-7653 fax
kkushel@ismonterey.org

Child's Name: _________________________________ Current Grade: _____

Child's Name: _________________________________ Current Grade: _____

Child's Name: _________________________________ Current Grade: _____

____ My child(ren) will be returning for the 2009-10 school year.

____ My child(ren) will not be returning for the 2009-10 school year.

Parent Letter - 1/11/2009

Dear Grade 4 families,

I hope you all were able to enjoy the beautiful weather we had in the area this weekend. Thank you to the families who came to help with Saturday Work Day. The campus looks brighter and cleaner all around. Thank you to those of you who also helped with the Open House Saturday afternoon at ISM. There were a good number of perspective students and families touring the campus. It was great to meet some of them. Camille and Nikelle were very helpful in touring some of the visitors around our classroom too.

Field trip forms will be going home on Monday. They are all set and ready to go. I was told that the forms usually get misplaced if I send them on Fridays so, I kept them and will get them out to you all tomorrow.

Math Assessment for Unit 5 will be on Tuesday. We will be reviewing math skills on Monday for the test on Tuesday. I will send home a review sheet you can go over with your child on Monday night.

Wednesday is an early dismissal day – 11:30. Please pick up your child then or make arrangements for their care. There is an after school option for childcare at ISM. Please contact Lisa Wichel-Loomis for more information.

Next Monday (1/19) will be a school holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Homework this week:

Monday
Study for math test, Fact Triangles
Sort and write words
20 mins reading. & record in planner

Tuesday
Fact Triangles
Sort and write words
20 mins reading. & record in planner

Wednesday
Study Math Links 6.1
Write words in a sentence
20 mins reading. & record in planner

Thursday
Fact Triangles
Study for math test
20 mins reading. & record in planner
Return fieldtrip form

Have a great week,
Mary Welsh