LISD School Newsletter

As we approach the Thanksgiving break, it's a good time to think about the origins of this holiday. When I was a child, we dressed up as pilgrims and Indians, and acted out the "first Thanksgiving" for our parents...all about these two groups of folks sharing a wonderful meal together in celebration of a successful harvest. When I became a teacher (a looooooong time ago!), schools hadn't evolved much in this area. I knew enough not to put construction paper headbands and feathers on my second graders, but we still didn't talk about colonization and the theft of native land. Old school history textbooks are notorious for leaving out some crucial truths.

Knowing what we now know can make Thanksgiving awkward to celebrate, even when we are simultaneously excited about a great meal, excellent leftovers, see friends and family, and maybe a couple vacation days. Holding these two tensions is so very human. Grappling with how to teach children to both love the world and seek the truth is the work of parents and educators. Let's give thanks for the privilege of this worthy challenge, fill our hearts with gratitude for the people we love, and acknowledge that we gather upon the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish Peoples.

Since next Thursday and Friday are holidays, we have a 2:00 early dismissal for students on Wednesday. This will be our last school newsletter before Thanksgiving. I sincerely hope you all enjoy the holiday.

All my best,

Martha

Nov 18: Youth Leadership Summit
Nov 23-24: Thanksgiving Holiday Break (2 pm dismissal on Nov 22)
Nov 24: Village Tree Lighting Ceremony - starts at 4:30. MMPACT will perform

Nov 29: K-12 music assembly 12:45 in the school gym

Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Youth are getting together to learn how to lead communities in creating better health and connection all while preventing misuse of substances. This is a great opportunity for students between 6 - 12th grade.

Nigel Wrangham and Lopez graduate Alexander Cook will bring exciting and rich content about leadership, inclusion, connection, and being your authentic self. The day will be one filled with activities and creating experiences that help San Juan Youth be the leaders their communities need.

Saturday, November 18, 10 am to 3 pm
Lopez Island Multipurpose Room
Snacks & Lunch provided

The school's Music Production and Performance Artist Collective for Teens (MPPACT) will be performing at the Village Tree Lighting Ceremony on Friday, November 24th in the Lopez Village Park. These musicians will be performing holiday hits for all to enjoy. The event kicks off at 4:30 and festivities will begin immediately afterward

Did you know...in Spanish, there are only five vowel sounds, compared to the significantly larger number of twenty vowel sounds in English? This substantial difference in vowel sounds is one of the reasons why learning English is often considered challenging.

This week's edition of "Qué Onda" takes a deeper dive into the the vowel sounds of the Spanish language, the history of ceviche, and more. Check it out here.

This year’s middle school basketball team has been a lot of fun for coach Isaac Berg. The Lopez group of mostly eighth-graders has grown immensely as athletes and team players, developing a lot of chemistry together on the court. While the teams they play against can have over 100 students per grade, the Lopez group has matched up with opponents well and had competitive games.

Yesterday, the Lopez boys played in front of a packed arena at Allen School before their student fans were dismissed for the bus. According to Coach Isaac, it was one of the best quarters he's seen a middle school group play, and the team collectively adjusted on defense to shut down the best player in the league in front of the home crowd.

Come cheer this group on in their remaining home games!

• Monday, November 20 at 2:15 pm
• Wednesday, November 29 at 2:15 pm
• Thursday, November 30 at 2:15 pm
  
  

HS Basketball for boys and girls games start in December. All Lopez games for all sports can be found on the school's sports calendar here.

Get those knives sharpened before your big feast! School chef has availability on Wednesday, Nov 22. The cost is $10 per person +$2/in per knife. So if you bring in three knives that are 6in long it would be $46 total.

Email jshaw@lopezislandschool.org to get the next available slot.

Martha Martin, Interim Superintendent & K-12 Principal

The Lopez Island School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employee(s) has been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator, and Title IX Coordinator Martha Martin; HR Specialist, Beth Stanford; Section 504, Mary Fordham. OR contact by phone, 360-468-2202, OR mail to 86 School Rd, Lopez Island, WA 98261.