LISD School Newsletter
Dear LISD Families,
This week, I'm filled with gratitude, and here is what is in my heart:
- October was Principal Appreciation Month, and the LISD staff gathered one morning this week to surprise me with treats and sweet words. Then other community members responded to a social media post with more encouragement. This has all been so meaningful to me, and I think I'm the one filled with appreciation for my colleagues, our school, and our community.
- We had senior nights for varsity sports this week after home games. Coaches introduced each of the senior athletes, talked about them as players and leaders, and Samantha from the Pack gave them a gift and flowers. These celebrations of kids and their growth and accomplishments leave me feeling so grateful for our coaches. Coaching is truly a labor of love. The coaches each get a small stipend, and spend a very large amount of time and energy in service of our students. Coaches aren't just teaching kids how to play a sport. They are mentoring young people as they transition from teenagers to young adults.
- Thanks to all the families who attended conferences this week and to teachers for coming prepared with important information about each student's academic and social/emotional growth as well as scholarship habits.
- Finally, a big thank you to the Lopez Island PTSA for planning and pulling off another awesome pumpkin carving event this week. Kids of all ages gathered in the multi-purpose room on Monday evening to purchase and carve pumpkins to take home. This is always such a festive and fun event, the pumpkin carving mess happens at school rather than home, and the pumpkin guts end up feeding Lopez livestock. Win, win, win!
I hope you have a great weekend!
All my best,
Martha
Thanks to an amazing school volunteer (and our recent middle school soccer coach!), Matthew Kredell for volunteering at the school weight room every day after school from 3:30 - 4:45. Coach Kredell has extensive fitness and performance training experience and will support and guide students who are interested in increasing their strength, speed, stamina, and self-confidence in a safe and inclusive environment. Everyone is welcome!
Coach Kredell played high school & college football. While in the Military he also played hockey and served as group physical training (PT) leader for daily PT sessions. He also helped the USAF Exercise Science Unit (ESU) to conduct a multi-step research and development process to produce physical fitness tests and standards for specific career fields.
The focus for Lopez students will be to help provide guidance in building an athletic base that can help in sports and overall wellness. This isn’t a program to join, just offering help to those who want to explore other forms and methodologies of exercise. Exercise is important (specifically strength/speed/stamina) to staying injury free and being competitive, and also is key to reducing stress and staying generally healthy overall.
Seventh grade science class planted several native plants on campus last Thursday as part of a restoration ecology project. The restoration site is located between the upper and lower baseball fields amongst the tall grass. Several master gardeners worked with students on the day of planting, showing them how to apply planting techniques such as sheet mulching. Students built fence exclosures to protect the plants from deer and rabbits. Some of the plants include Garry oak, Douglas maple, shore pine, serviceberry, flowering red currant, mock orange, wax myrtle, lupine, columbine, goldenrod, aster, and yarrow. Big thanks to all the volunteers and supporters for making this project possible and the students' hard work digging holes, building fencing, and planting.
"Bus Mama" Leanne has worked at LISD for 11 years. While she has been a bus driver for that entire time, she has also done stints as a para, the health room assistant, and has even subbed in the front desk at the elementary school. These days however she doesn't have time to fill in for any other jobs as she is now the Head Bus Driver and responsible for a broad range of transportation duties. Leanne shared that one of her favorite things about being a bus driver is that she is the first school person that the students engage with in the morning and she loves giving them a good start to their day.
The 3rd and 4th graders just received a batch of eyed Chinook salmon eggs from the Orcas Island Salmon hatchery. Every year we receive eggs and raise them until May. While they are with us students learn about their life cycle, ecological appreciation for them, and their anatomy. In May we take a field trip to Orcas to return them back to the hatchery for release in Eastsound.
Another year, another awesome family pumpkin carving event! Thanks to all of the community who came out, and the volunteers who helped put it on!
A BIG THANK YOU to Sunset Builders Supply and Lopez Village Market for donating all of the pumpkins!! If you'd like to support future PTSA events like this with a donation or volunteer time, please join LIPTSA! Click here to purchase a $15 membership
We are so proud to announce that Vix Raya and Aliyah Shaw have been selected to join a statewide youth advisory council. Students from Washington state schools in the Mastery Based Learning Collaborative (MBLC) come together to learn about culturally responsive mastery based learning practices, share their experiences from school, and connect with peers across the state. Their insights and stories will help shape the collaborative effort to serve and honor students. At the end of the year, youth advisory students will have the opportunity to share key takeaways with teachers and leaders at an in-person gathering of MBLC schools.
Kudos to Vix and Aliyah for stepping into this leadership role and representing LISD!
In related news, Martha Martin has been selected to represent LISD as an Impact Fellow, a program for 20 Washington educators who are already part of the MBLC and are taking on significant mastery based learning projects at their schools. Fellows must also be interested in sharing their knowledge, skill, and experience with other Washington schools seeking to implement mastery based learning practices. Martha is excited about this opportunity to learn more and connect with folks from other schools as we transition to mastery based learning practices at LISD.
Registration is now open for the LIFRC’s K-8th grade After-School Programs:
https://lifrc.org/after-school-program/
We are excited to kick off the K-4 “Camp Huckleberry” on Monday 11/4. See the calendars for our November K-4 and 5-8 program schedules.
Welcome, two new team members: Audrey Oswald joins us as Program Manager, and Jessica Houston as Lead Instructor for K-4’s “Camp Huckleberry.” Both have spent much time on Lopez with family and friends over the years and are now making the island their home. Audrey comes with a background in communications and teaching and is pursuing a teaching certificate in earth sciences. Jessica has a background as a paralegal and has mentored many youth staff when she managed a restaurant on the East Coast. They are excited to create safe, supportive, engaging, and interactive learning environments for our youth.
Lopez Island School District
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 ; Section 504, Steven Dahl. OR contact by phone, 360-468-2202, OR mail to 86 School Rd, Lopez Island, WA 98261.