Community Letter

Dear LISD Families,

Spring conferences are next week. Being prepared to meet with teachers can help to make conferences run smoothly for families and students. Below are some tips for parent/guardians:

Before the Conference:

• Ask your child if there is anything that they want you to talk about with their teacher.

• Make a list of questions/topics that you want to ask your child’s teacher.

• Bring your student to the conference.

During the Conference:

• Be respectful by arriving on time and recognize that you have a specified amount of time to meet. Other parents will probably have a conference after yours.

• Remember to check in with special education and EL teachers, if your student is receiving special services.

• Ask teachers to define and explain any educational terms that you may not be familiar with.

• Ask your child’s teachers for ways that you can help them at home.

After the Conference:

• Review the conference with your child.

• Talk about the positive points mentioned in their conference.

• Create a plan to address any concerns, if any, brought up during the conference

We look forward to seeing you at conferences next week!

All our best to you and your family,

Mary and Martha

On Thursday, March 16, 2023, our Leader Launchpad Team (LLT) for the Next Education Workforce (NEW) participated in the first of six virtual sessions to explore the elements of the NEW model and determine whether or not this model might be a solution that could serve our students and staff in the future. The primary focus of this initial session revolved around identifying our “why” for considering the NEW model. The LLT is comprised of our two building administrators, one elementary teacher, one secondary teacher, and myself.

In our discussion during this meeting, we identified the following as some of our reasons for

considering NEW:

• Utilize distributed expertise.
• Account for variances in student readiness.
• Social/Emotional concerns.
• Help adults in the school feel more empowered and more agency about addressing complex issues like maturity and academic gaps, behavioral concerns, etc.
• A more comprehensive and collective-progress monitoring process for students.
• More authentic staff collaboration around student needs.
• Students are held by a group of concerned adults in a way that addresses maturity and academic gaps.
• Institutional restructuring for more cost-effective and productive practices.
• Teachers feel less isolated and more supported in working with students academically and socially/emotionally, with individual teacher decisions not being made in a vacuum.
• Increased teacher autonomy and empowerment.

In our next session, we will look at a vision for deeper and more personalized learning and consider how team-based models could enhance this opportunity.

If you have questions, please contact me (emurray@lopezislandschool.org). Thank you, and have

a great weekend!

Please fill out the google form if your student would like a sack lunch for March 28 nd 29.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1nO551Ekwo2u0Xz5YfCL7ipMbiRet04skOjA4Q3gdHh8/edit?usp=sharing_eil_se_dm&ts=641b32c7

The 6th and 7th graders are taking a trip to Spencer Spit on Tuesday, March 28. We still have a few students who have not yet turned in a permission slip. If you need a new one, Ronda can make you a copy.

The secondary staff could use some volunteers the week of April 3-7 for the following intensives:

• Asian Cooking and Culture - Tuoya Deach and Kathryrn Kester
• Pottery - Jaimie Terada, Wendy Stephenson
• Hiking and Biking - Kristen Ryan and Joe Behnke
• Junk Journaling - Rose Prust
• Auto Mechanics Basics - Al Torres
• Fandom Creations (for a one day field trip) - Trisha Elliot-Napier

If you can help, please reach out to me or to the facilitating teacher. Thank you! We hope you'll consider helping making this an awesome week for our students.

Elementary spring conferences are March 27-31. There is a noon dismissal every day that week and teachers will be reaching out to parents to schedule afternoon conferences. If you have a particular concern, please contact your child's teacher to make sure we schedule a conference at a time that works for your family.

Spring conferences will be held in person at school on Wednesday, March 29. Each conference will be 15 minutes with 5-minutes passing time. There will be a noon dismissal on March 28 and March 29 for secondary students.

Families can sign up in Qmlativ and scheduling will close on March 27 at 10:00pm.

Here are the steps:

Go to lopezislandschool.org. Sign in to Qmlativ with your username and password.

In Family Access select the tile with the green banner, Spring Conferences. The Conference Scheduler displays options to select staff and a time slot to build your conference schedule.

We encourage both elementary and secondary families to bring your child/teenager to the conference.

Great news! We have a generous community member, Larry McMurchie, who would like to use his strengths in math and science to offer some free tutoring. We are offering this to middle school students on Mondays from 3:30-5:00 in Tuoya Deach's room. Our secondary math teachers, Kathryn and Tuoya, will be reaching out to the families of students who may benefit from some extra help in math. Tutoring will start on Monday, March 27.

What’s your earliest memory at LISD? I came here in 8th grade and one thing I remember is doing something with a string in Mrs. Kester’s class. It was a bonding activity on the first day of school.

What clubs/athletics/extracurriculars have you been involved in? I’ve tried basketball and track, but I’ve been in volleyball throughout high school. I am also the 12th grade rep in ASB this year.

What is one positive memory from your time here that you’ll carry with you forever? During a volleyball game, the ref was getting super angry. He was talking to Marina and took out his dentures.

Finish this sentence: “I cannot live without…….” Spicy food. I love anything spicy like hot sauce.

What is the most creative excuse you have ever used to get out of school work? I’m bad at lying.

What is one piece of advice you have for incoming high school students? Get all your credits done early if you can. You’ll hate your life but future you will thank you very much. That way you don’t have a heavy class load in your senior year.

What is the most meaningful assignment ever given to you by a teacher? The autobiography I had to write in 9th grade is helping me now with the personal essay in my portfolio.

What’s the most important quality in a friendship? Why? Same sense of humor, because I like to laugh. It’s good to laugh because it keeps you young.

In 10 years, I will be…: Living a good life somewhere sunny.

Who/what do you find inspiring? My sister, Leah, because she a person who will give you a dollar if she only has a dollar. She puts other people’s needs before her own, and I think that’s really cool.

What are your plans after high school? I’m going to work a full year, save up my money, and try to find an apartment.

What is one important life lesson you learned in kindergarten? I don’t remember much from kindergarten but I do remember having to stay after school to learn about the monetary system. Also, I peed my pants in kindergarten. I was too nervous to ask to go to the bathroom.

Is there a book or movie that has changed your life? The Notebook. He literally built her a house!

Is there anything else you want people to know about you? I don’t give good advice but I do like to hear about other people’s problems.

Do you have elementary age children that might be interested in playing soccer this fall? If so, please fill out the attached form, this will help us gauge interest.

Also, there is an ongoing elementary community soccer hour at the gym, 4-5 on most Sundays. All elementary youth are welcome. Please reach out with any questions to serinaadams@gmail.com.

https://forms.gle/u94eiB7eAt5x6LXTA

¿Tiene niños en edad de primaria que podrían estar interesados en jugar fútbol este otoño? Si es así, complete el formulario adjunto, esto nos ayudará a medir el interés.

Además, hay una hora de fútbol comunitario de primaria en curso en el gimnasio, de 4 a 5 la mayoría de los domingos. Todos los jóvenes de primaria son bienvenidos. Comuníquese con cualquier pregunta a serinaadams@gmail.com.

https://forms.gle/ueQwLzy9AmRsNdfo8

High school spring sports have begun. Golf has a home match and our track team is headed off island for competition this week. Go Lobos!

Middle school track practice will begin after spring break on Monday, April 17. There is a sign-up sheet on the window of Coach Berg's office.

What a fun evening of Lobo students and community talent. A big thanks to all our community support! The evening was a huge success.

Lopez Island Cheerleaders are hosting their spring fundraiser with hanging basket sales! Baskets come in sun or shade-loving varieties and are 12" premium flora and fauna ready for spring. $40 each with all proceeds going towards the growing cheer program.

Click here to order...and thank you for supporting the Lobo Cheer Squad:

https://forms.gle/immLXucxAUf4jPPC7

Many of these positions qualify for Medical, Dental, Vision, & Retirement benefits, plus paid leave time (personal, sick, & vacation days).

Classified:

· *NEW* Bilingual Paraeducator - Are you fluent in both Spanish and English? We would love to have you work with our secondary students in their classrooms as a Bilingual Paraeducator! This is a daily position starting ASAP.

· Elementary Custodian - perfect for you if you like to work independently! This position helps to clean and maintain the Lopez Island school buildings. This is a 7 hours daily position starting ASAP.

· Paraeducators - Interested in working with students individually, in small groups, and/or in general classrooms and helping assist teachers in modifying student behavior? Then Paraeducator is your dream job, and we have positions available!

· Special Needs Behavior Technician- If you have been thinking about being a Special Needs Behavior Technician for Lopez Island School District...well you are in luck!!!! We are looking for a Special Needs Behavior Technician to hire for this school year!! Behavior technicians are responsible for assisting behavior specialists and the Special Education department to implement behavior reduction and skill acquisition treatment plans. The candidate will assist students with day to day activities, monitor their behavior, record and collect data on students’ progress, and communicate with the team.

· Van Driver - Want to get out and see the island? This transportation position drives a wheelchair van (or another vehicle) to transport student(s) with special needs to and from school. This 3.5 hour per day, Monday through Friday.

- Stipend:

· HI CAP - providing leadership of the Special Service Program for Highly Capable (HC) students, grades K-12, in the Lopez Island School District.

- Substitutes:

· Certificated Teachers

· Paraeducators

· Bus Drivers

· Cooks

You can see full postings on our website! Just go to District Info and then to HR and Employment for more details.

We look forward to working with you!!!

Ed Murray, Superintendent

Martha Martin, Secondary Principal

Mary Fordham, Elementary 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, Ed Murray – emurray@lopezislandschool.org; Title IX Coordinator, HR Specialist, Summer Hagge – shagge@lopezislandschool.org; Section 504, Mary Fordham – mfordham@lopezislandschool.org; OR contact by phone, 360-468-2202, OR mail to 86 School Rd, Lopez Island, WA 98261.

Website: lopezislandschool.org
Location: 86 School Road, Lopez Island, WA, USA
Phone: 360-468-2202