LISD School Newsletter

Dear LISD Families,

One my favorite traditions since I became a principal on Lopez is interviewing each member of the senior class during the spring semester, and publishing those interviews in our school newsletter. It is a delight to sit down and have a chat with one student at a time about their experience in school, their hopes and dreams for the future, and their views about friendship. I always hear from both students and adults in our community that these interviews are a real bright spot, and I quite agree. Even for students who have lived on Lopez Island all their lives, we get a chance to see them as young adults, and get a glimpse of what they are thinking about as they leave compulsory schooling and head toward a whole new set of adventures.

This week, I got to visit with Amelia Patino, our ASB president. Thanks to Amelia for agreeing to kick off the 2024 senior interviews. You may know her from sports, MPPACT, or other school activities and events, but I bet you'll learn something new. Read and enjoy!

We'll publish a senior interview in this newsletter nearly every week until June. It is my hope that these will inspire you to attend the LISD High School Graduation Ceremony on Saturday, June 8.

Have a lovely weekend. I hope to see you at the Pack Crab Feed on Saturday, February 10 at the community center.

All my best,

Martha

• Note from the Superintendent that went out via Parent Square
• School Budget FAQs
• State of the School Overview
• LISD Advocacy Website - what YOU can do to help
• Budget Question Form - we continue to welcome your questions about the budget situation and will post a document with all questions and answers soon.

LISD is in need of more para educators on our team. Come support our students in a meaningful way and enhance their overall school and learning experience. This job offers flexible hours, benefits at 20 hours a week and pays between $21 and $25 an hour.

We are also hiring for a Special Services Coordinator as well as many substitute opportunities including maintenance, para educators, school bus drivers, and certificated teachers.

Please see our website for more information and details about how to apply.

• February 10: Lobo PACK Crab Fundraiser
• February 19 - 23: No school - Presidents Day & Mid-winter break.
• February 26: Practices start for HS Golf and HS Track
• March 15 & April 12: Sports Physicals at the Lopez Clinic. See article below.
• March 19: STEAM Fair rescheduled from March 5th
• March 23: Lopez Island PSTA Student Talent Show. Sign ups coming soon!
• March 25: Practice starts for Middle School Track. We still need a coach! With no coach there will be no MS Track Season!

Every student will automatically get a yearbook this year unless that student's family submitted the opt-out form and stated they did not want a yearbook. For students who qualify for free lunch, the yearbook fee will be waived. For students who qualify for reduced lunch, the fee will be reduced by 50%. For all other students, families will be automatically invoiced for the cost of the yearbook in the spring. The cost of the yearbooks is $37 for a K-12 hardcover and $18 for a K-6 elementary paperback. 7-12th grade students will receive the K-12 hardcover and elementary students will receive the K-6 paperback.

The LIPTSA is committed to cover the cost of yearbooks for students' families who qualify for financial assistance. This is one of the school programs that LIPSTA will support with funds raised at the talent show on March 23rd at the LCCA. It's a super fun event for a good cause. We hope to see you there!

Extra yearbooks: If you would like to order extra yearbooks for your family or you are a LISD staff member, please use one of the following order forms. Once again, please do not order a yearbook for your child unless you would like them to have more than one. The due date for extra orders is February 17th.

Yearbook Order Form (English)
Yearbook Order Form (Spanish)

The Lopez Island Clinic is offering two upcoming dates for sports physicals. They are scheduled on days where school is not in session. If your student plays sports - or might play sports in the next year or two - this is a good opportunity to get the sports physical taken care of. Sports physicals are valid for two years and are required to be on file before a student can attend a practice.

Elementary choir started rehearsals this week! It is open to interested students in grades 3-6. Rehearsals are Tuesday before school at 7:45 am and Wednesday after school until 4pm. Students should be able to attend at least one of those times.

If your student is interested in joining, you can sign them up here: Elementary Choir Sign Up Form

Last Friday, the elementary students and staff celebrated our character habit of belonging. We divided into small mixed-age groups, and came up with a list of things we have in common. Sometimes you just don’t know if you have some common ground with somebody until you have a conversation about it!

A candy gram is a message slip attached to a small bag of Mexican candy. The message slips will be on sale for two sizes - sm. bag $2 lg. bag $5 on February 12th and 13th during lunch and after- school. On February 14th during the Learning Lab, the candy grams will be delivered by the Spanish Club.

Another Fundraiser for the Spanish Club will be held this Sat., Feb. 10th at the Little Winter Market. We will be offering Tres Leches cake slices, Bunuelos cookies made fresh Saturday morning and some Mexican hot chocolate. And of course, we will be selling our candy grams for Valentine’s Day! Please bring your own mug to be eco-friendly and receive a token of our appreciation with your choice of a piece of Mexican candy.

On Wednesday of this week, Brady, Deirdre, and Martha visited the Decatur school. Deirdre read stories, Martha taught the students a new game called “Yee-Haw,” and Brady engaged everyone in a game of tag. The Decatur students also taught the adults a new math game that they like to play.

School Chef John Shaw is once again offering knife sharpening service on Fridays. This service is a fundraiser for the school's LIFE (Lopez Island Farm Education) program.

The cost is $10 per person +$2/in per knife. So if you bring in three knives that are 6 in long it would be $46 total.

Sharpening happens on Fridays, ideally you would drop them off in the morning and then John will have them done before 3pm. Email jshaw@lopezislandschool.org to get the next available slot.

What clubs/athletics/extracurriculars have you been involved in? I’ve done volleyball for four years, the golf team for two years, MPPACT for five years, ASB for three years, and Spanish Club for two years! I also went to Japan last year as part of the Japanese Connections Program, and I’ve worked as a tutor for elementary students.

What is one positive memory from your time here that you’ll carry with you forever? Honestly, I have way too many to count. Some of my favorite moments are the times I’ve spent with friends….in the library, at lunch, on field trips. I’ll remember all the compelling conversations and deep connections I’ve made here.

What is the best piece of advice you have received from a teacher? Mr. Tetu’s famous phrase, “challenge authority,” is something I live by. It’s easy to get caught up in patterns of people pleasing or taking the path of least resistance. I believe it’s important to stand up for what you believe in even when it’s difficult, because those uncomfortable moments we have when challenging authority and facing adversity lead to immense growth.

Finish this sentence: “I cannot live without…….” I cannot live without music and laughter, my two biggest passions.

What is the most creative excuse you have ever used to get out of school work? A younger me would often say that I forgot it at home, when it was actually sitting unfinished in my backpack. Now, I get my work in on time for the most part. On the rare occasion that I don’t finish something, I’m pretty good at persuading a teacher to extend a deadline for me.

What is one piece of advice you have for incoming high school students? Remember that grades aren’t everything. Your value is not synonymous with grades on a report card. Also, success is not a linear path, so remember to enjoy the twists and turns.

What is the most meaningful assignment ever given to you by a teacher? Last year, Mr. Torres invited me to participate in the Quien Soy Yo essay even though I wasn’t in his Heritage Spanish class. It gave me the chance to write about my Colombian heritage and my family’s history. In reading my peer’s submissions, I realized just how much representation matters in elevating the under-represented voices in our community.

What’s the most important quality in a friendship? Why? I think the most important quality is authenticity. Too often, we get caught up in notions of what we are supposed to be like, look like, and act like. So my favorite thing in a friendship is when I can be my true authentic self without fear of judgment.

In 10 years, I will be… I will be living somewhere cool, hopefully in a walkable city with a cat, a successful career, and lots of disposable income. We’ll see….that’s the dream!

Who/what do you find inspiring? I’m inspired by my mom. Throughout my life, she’s been my biggest source of consistency amidst all the craziness. She’s the most incredible woman I know. She’s a great role model, incredibly kind, smart, and strong. And she is constantly persevering. I hope to live up to her wonderful example one day.

What song summarizes your feelings about graduating from high school? Life Goes On by BTS. I’m eager to take on the next chapter after high school, but at the same time, the future is so unknown, it terrifies me. As the song says, life goes on whether you want it to or not so we must go on with it.

What are your plans after high school? I plan to enroll in a four year university in the fall and study public policy and/or political science. Somewhere down the line, I’ll do a semester abroad in Spain or Latin America.

Is there anything else you want people to know about you? I’ve lived in many places but I will always treasure my time at Lopez. Here I learned to be a leader, an advocate, a member of the community, a challenger of the status quo, a great friend, and a tolerable golfer! Lopez is my 4th “home town” but definitely my favorite.

Brady Smith, Superintendent

Martha Martin, 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 Brady Smith, 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.