• June 17-19 - Student Personal Items, Yearbook, and Medication Pickup Continues
• June 19 - Last Day of ISD Meal Services, 5th Grade Virtual Promotion 1:00 p.m.
• June 22 - 5th Grade Drive and Wave
• June 23 - Last Day of School, Report Cards viewable on Family Access after 5:00 p.m.
• June 23-25 - Laptop and Hotspot Return: Curbside drop off from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• July 1-5 - Family Access Unavailable
• August 7-13 - Electronic Enrollment Verification Process (EVP) Opens
  

• VIDEO: A Message from Mr. Thatcher
• VIDEO: A Message from Ms. Martin and Mrs. McD
• Safety Patrol Application for Incoming 5th Graders
• Virtual Field Day Photos!
• Report Cards and Family Access Down Time
• Details for Student Laptop Return Next Week
• Student Personal Item Pickup Continues This Week
• A Message to 5th Grade Parents from Ms. Martin
• 5th Grade Promotion and Drive and Wave Details
• Last Weekly Specialist Update
  
• News from the Issaquah School District
  
• Briarwood PTA News
  
• News from the Issaquah Schools Foundation

As the year comes to a close, I am grateful for the opportunity to say goodbye to each of our students and introduce them to our fantastic new principal, Ms. Kleinkopf. Please take a moment to watch this video message as we prepare to wrap up the 2019-20 school year.

Briarwood is looking for incoming 5th grade students who are interested in joining the Safety Patrol team next year! The patrols are an extremely important part of our school. We are looking for students who are responsible, dependable and reliable. This is a year long commitment.

Please review the attached information with your parents and fill out the online Safety Patrol Application form.

Thank you to the families that submitted photos! Click here to enjoy the pictures!

• Report cards will be available to view after 5 p.m. on June 23rd
• Family Access will be disabled from July 1-5 and will reopen on July 6 with Report Cards and Test Scores for active students

• If you are leaving the Issaquah School District, this is a reminder to view and print your report cards before 4pm on Friday June 26th, 2020. After 4 pm you will no longer have access to Family Access
  
• Active students may view their teacher assignments on August 28th, 2020 after 4pm.
  

Did you check out a district laptop or wifi hotspot? The I.T. Department will accept returns of those devices at the original distribution sites.

When: June 23-25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where:

• Briarwood Elementary: 17020 SE 134th St, Renton, WA
• Newcastle Elementary: 8400 136th Ave SE, Newcastle, WA
• Issaquah Middle School: 600 2nd Ave. SE, Issaquah, WA
• Issaquah Valley Elementary: 555 NW Holly St, Issaquah, WA
• Grand Ridge Elementary: 1739 NE Park Dr, Issaquah, WA
• Endeavour Elementary: 26205 SE, Issaquah Fall City Rd, Issaquah, WA

How: Drive-up/curbside drop-off return at the orange canopy and then pull forward to the blue canopy for your receipt. Please ensure all power cords are returned with the laptops and hot spots.

Staff accepting your returns will be wearing PPE (masks).

Pick up:

• Student personal items (school boxes, desk supplies, etc.)
• Student art docent projects
• Previously ordered yearbooks
• 5th Grade promotion material (Maywood bag, etc.) and have an in-car photo op
• Student medication

Return:

• Classroom books and other classroom items (bagged and marked with teacher name)
• Library books

Your family has been assigned to a pick-up day based on your STUDENT'S last name. On your assigned day, you can come between 8-11 a.m. or 12-3 p.m. Please download the instructions and car tab below. Medication pickup options have been communicated directly by email to affected families by Nurse Haroldson. Please note, that this is not the time to return district laptops. Laptop and hotspot return will be conducted next week, June 23-25.

Dear 5th grade parents,

The transition from elementary years to middle school can be overwhelming, especially if it is your first experience with your oldest/only child. I created a list of tips & resources about Maywood Middle School and middle school transition to help you and your child for a smooth transition.

I visited all 5th grade classes recently for this big transition. We did an activity where they reflected on their elementary years and talked about middle school years. They shared their thoughts and feelings about this transition. We also played a scavenger hunt game to learn about Maywood Middle School. It was a lot of fun to connect with them one more time before they leave Briarwood! We will miss all of them!!

https://wakelet.com/wake/sBON5E10SC6as_yq2kgcm

Belma Martin

School Counselor

We will be celebrating our 5th graders three ways: first, during material pickup (above) 5th graders will receive a PTA-donated promotion car flag and Maywood bag as well as a through-the-window photo of each 5th grader; second, a virtual Zoom promotion on June 19th (below); and third, and a 5th grade Drive and Wave on June 22nd (below). We are so proud of you and wish you much success in middle school!

Virtual Zoom Promotion this Friday, June 19th!

We will have a Zoom video promotion celebration on Friday, June 19th from 1:00-1:30, which will include brief speeches from the teachers, a student from each class, Mr. Thatcher, and Ms. McKee, Maywood principal. A link was emailed to our 5th Grade families.

5th grade Drive and Wave on Monday, June 22nd!

11:00-11:20 Horvath

11:20-11:40 Kollasch

11:40-12:00 Ellenberg

12:00-12:20 Rossiter

12:20-12:40 Sci-Tech

Please join us for a Social-Distanced 5th Grade Drive and Wave to celebrate and honor our 5th graders being promoted to middle school! All 5th grade families are welcome to drive through our parent pick up lane during the specified time frame below to wave, show your homemade sign, cheer and send verbal greetings to one another. Staff members who may be present will be following Social Distancing and CDC guidelines (wearing face masks, staying 6 feet apart on the sidewalks, etc.). 5th Grade Families are asked to keep cars moving and will not be allowed to stop or drop anything off during this time frame. Any items or materials needing to be dropped off should take place during your Student Materials Pick Up time frame (6/15-6/19). Feel free to drive through as many times as you'd like!

As we work with staff and state agencies to plan for the start of the 2020-21 school year this fall, we are considering several possible back-to-school scenarios. We want to know what our families think.

Please take a short survey to help us better understand your preferences, concerns and needs as we continue our planning process.

Take the survey here.

Earlier this month, our Superintendent and School Board sent a message addressing the current racism and injustice we had all witnessed. While their message spoke to what has happened recently, it also acknowledged that racism and injustice are not a current event for our black community. The myth behind racism and injustice is that they are things that can be singularly defined and connected. Defined simply as overt hate and connected to only hearts and minds. Racism and injustice are so much more complex than that. Yes, it can look like overt hate, but it can also look like access, apathy, privilege, and ignorance. It exists in every institution, including education, even when those places are filled with good people who strive to do right by others. Believing that being a good person eliminates the possibility for racism to show up where we live and work, misses the complexity at play. When we look at racism and injustice through more than just a singular definition and perspective, its powerful. It brings to light the truth of how insidious they are within our culture, despite us liking it or not.

As a school district, we ourselves have contributed to racism and injustice through silence, through a curriculum that tells a single story and perspective, through apathy, and through our educational systems. We are good people and we also acknowledge the role our institution has played. Holding the good of who we are in tandem with the wrongs we have committed allows us to dismantle polarized thinking . You can be both good, and acknowledge that you have caused harm. Action and not just words, is needed and coming on the part our district. Our Equity website is ever changing to better capture the work we have been doing and will continue to do in the district. Our commitment to eradicate racism and injustice comes from a place of reconciliation. This message is not aimed at some “other,” it is aimed at us, and we do not fear the opportunity to do better.

In the vein of doing better, we would like to highlight that this coming Friday is Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. This is a day our black community has traditionally celebrated and recognized, but is a day that is relatively unknown, talked about, or celebrated by others. As a school district, we would like to take a small step of hope and solidarity by recognizing and celebrating Juneteenth. We will use this day as a day of reflection and engagement by offering resources, documentaries, and providing space to talk not only about this important day, but also about racism and injustice. We hope as a community you will join us in this reflection and engagement. We have provided resources on our Equity Web Page. Feel free to use these resources or whatever you see as the best fit for your family.

Thank you,

Alaina Sivadasan
Executive Director of Equity

• June 19: Last day of meal service for 2019-2020 school year
• June 23: Last day of school

For more info on dates and events, check the events listings on the right side of the ISD homepage.

Thank you to the more than 3,000 individuals who participated in our recent Thought Exchange. We launched this exchange to learn from our community about what went well and what could be improved with our roll out of At Home Learning and Remote Teaching. The valuable insights we have gained have been immensely informative and helpful as we continue to plan and revise our strategy for distance learning.

Click on the link below for results of the recent "Thought Exchange"

Due to the state’s stay-at-home orders, the Issaquah School District is postponing Exceptional Placement testing. The current plan is to offer multiple testing opportunities in August for families who are interested in an additional acceleration option for students who are ready to skip both CC6 and CC 7/8 and begin middle school in CC 8/Algebra 1. Interested students must demonstrate sufficient mastery of CC 7/8 concepts and skills on a district-administered assessment.

IMPORTANT: This test is not required for your student to skip CC6 and enroll in CC 7/8. It is a test to see if your student already knows most middle school math content and is prepared to skip both CC6 and CC 7/8 and take CC8/Algebra 1 instead. Historically, only 1-2% of ISD students demonstrate sufficient mastery for this three-year acceleration of content.

If you wish for your child to take the test, please wait for information in ENews to register for the test in August.

Do you need extra grocery help for your kids this summer? The Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank will offer its summer lunch program again this year, beginning Friday, June 26.

Register online today at www.issaguahfoodbank.org/summer-lunch-program. Registration is important to ensure we have the right amount of food each week to serve all families. We serve all K-12 children living in these zip codes: 98027, 98029, 98059, 98075.

Pick up will be available every two weeks, and we will provide breakfast, lunch and snack options for about two weeks. We will have a rotating selection of fresh fruit, veggies, bread, dairy and deli options each distribution week. Pick up will be available from noon to 4 p.m. on these Fridays:

• June 26
• July 10
• July 24
• August 7
• August 21

Due to COVID-19 safety protocol, we will offer drive-up service only. Drive up to either entrance of the food bank and volunteers will help load up your car. You do not need to leave your vehicle. Per King County Public Health guidelines, we ask that everyone in the vehicle wear a mask.

If you need additional food assistance, you can also register for our regular distribution services. Learn more at our website.

For questions or help registering, call or email Erin at 425-392-4123 x16 or erin@issaquahfoodbank.org.

Briarwood Elementary PTA offers the EduKit program as a convenient option for busy families to order school supplies for the 2020/2021 year. EduKits include the supplies approved by our school. Please see information on grade level pricing here. Go to www.edukitinc.com by June 15, 2020 for best pricing and free shipping. Order HERE now! Your student’s order will be at a Back to School event in August.

Extended ordering is available June 16 – July 30. Last Chance orders are subject to a $20 per child additional fee and will be delivered to your home shortly before school begins.

We received some clarification from Edukit...orders purchased will be sent to school in August as planned. Super Ki will receive the order if PTA is not allowed in the building. Kits will be distributed to students when they return to school. If school does not return in person, we will coordinate a way to have you pick up the kits. The second option is you can order now, and if we receive more information about school opening, etc you cancel your order and receive a refund before July 30. This a firm date from Edukit, we have no wiggle room to extend the refund time.

Tools4School is partnership between the Issaquah Schools Foundation and Issaquah Food & Clothing bank to provide new backpacks filled with basic school supplies for Issaquah School District K-12 students who need financial support.

Registration info:

Tools4School is set for August 18, 2020 from 1:00 – 7:00 pm. Distribution this year will be via curb side pickup at Clark elementary. Participants will be asked to que up and check in at the Issaquah Community Center parking lot and then will be directed up to Clark to pick out their backpack of choice and get a supply pack applicable to their grade. Participants need to register at isfdn.org/tools-for-school-registration.

For more information, download the flyer below.

• Briarwood Website
• Pay Online
• Briarwood PTA Website
• ISD Website
  
• Issaquah Schools Foundation
• Pre-Arranged Absence Form