LISD School Newsletter

This week, I'm shining the light on experiential learning. Experiential learning can take many forms, some of which can happen inside classrooms and other places on campus. When we do experiments in science, bring in community experts, create budgets in personal finance class, use the school garden for learning about growing food, we are engaging in experiential learning. Perhaps the most obvious example of experiential learning is fieldwork...off campus trips near and far that have a strong connection to curriculum, character, and/or community. We have lots of great examples of this in both our elementary and secondary schools. In fact, the 5th grade crew is currently at Islandwood and the 4th grade crew will be off for their annual trip to Olympia week after next.

In secondary this year, high school English students visited Sperry Peninsula, students in Marine Biology have been making low tide marine observations at a number of Lopez Island beaches, and every Career and Technical Education (CTE) class is inherently based on real world jobs (Marine Bio, Culinary, Sustainable Agriculture Practices, and Woodshop) The first week in April, secondary students will be engaging in a week of intensives. This gives our students an opportunity to take a break from regular classes and choose something for the sheer joy of learning. Options this year include:

• Team Sports
• Outdoor Cooking and Lawn Games
• Asian Cooking and Culture
• Glass Class
• Board Games....the Long Ones
• Hiking and Biking
• Fins, Furs, and Ferries

We are so grateful for the Lopez Island Education Foundation and the Lopez Island Family Resource Center for providing funding for some of the intensives and to Kelly O'Dell and Raven Skyriver for opening their hotshop and instructing in glass blowing for two days of Glass Class. Without help, the options would be much more limited.

Experiential learning activities and trips are the "special sauce" of school. They take extra time and energy to plan and facilitate, but they provide such great opportunities for us to engage with our students in meaningful ways. Sometimes, we see knowledge, skills and dispositions surface that we don't always get to see in a traditional learning situation. Those moments help us better understand our students and what lights them up.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

All my best,

Martha

• March 20 - 22: Noon Dismissal for all secondary students. Secondary student/teacher conferences on March 20 & 21.
• March 23: LIPTSA Talent Show
• March 25: Middle School Track Starts
• April 1 - 5: Elementary Conferences. Noon dismissal for all elementary students

School Based Sealant Program

Community Health Center of Snohomish County dental team is coming back to our schools to offer hygiene services and provide sealants (a thin coating on the back molars that prevents 80% of cavities) for children wanting to be seen. Upcoming school dental clinic dates are Wed May 8 and Thurs May 9.

Please fill out the online form to have your child seen by the dental team at their school. Check out the County Dental site for more information on oral health and upcoming dental clinics.

Elementary Garden class is working hard preparing the garden for planting! They’ve been planning their beds and picking out seeds, learning about when and how and where. The sixth graders showcased their math and problem solving skills figuring out how to mark the individual beds, and are now in charge of that process. Everyone is energized about “spring cleaning” the garden and making it the best it can be.

As the weather (hopefully) improves, we should be outside more than inside, so garden friendly clothes are recommended!

A few weeks ago, Joe Behnke took his 10 grade biology class to Seattle to visit the Seattle Children's Discovery Lab. Students learned about careers and pathways in molecular biology and were led through a DNA fingerprinting lab using gel electrophoresis. This was a really great field trip!

We have two orchestras this year, where students learn to play violin, viola, cello, or double bass. The high school orchestra has the widest range of playing experience of any of our music classes, with students who have played for 6+ years sitting next to students who just started learning their instruments in January. Students in 5th-8th grade have the option to take orchestra as a zero-period class. These committed students show up at 7:15 three days a week. We only started in January, but they are making fast progress!

We're on the lookout for our next great PE teacher! Also - ongoing staff needs include Special Services Coordinator, Paraeducators, and many substitute opportunities including maintenance, school bus drivers, and certificated teachers.

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

The San Juan Preservation trust will award a $4000 scholarship to two graduating high school seniors. Deadline is April 19. More information here.

If you are starting seeds for your own garden this year, will you start some seeds for the school's garden program?

The Lopez Garden Club and the School LIFE Garden partner every year on a Spring Plant Sale. This fundraiser is one of the biggest events for both organizations and helps support education of students in the classroom as well as guest speakers and other garden-related programming.

This year's plant sale will be the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend, May 11th from 10 am to 1 pm. We are looking for all types of plants- annuals, perennials, houseplants, succulents, flowers & veggies.

If you can help, please contact Sara Jones at sjones@lopezislandschool.org.

If your student has a talent they want to showcase now is the time to sign up! Also, get your tickets now. We have a set amount of tickets available and we will not be able to sell additional tickets after we reach our limit. Purchasing online is the only way to guarantee your seat. Kids are free but still need to sign up for ticket online.

Talent Sign Up

Ticket Purchase (All kids are FREE!)

Volunteer Sign up

The LISD yearbook club is looking for local business sponsors to purchase ad space in this year's annual. This year, every student K-12 gets a yearbook unless they opt out so it is a better time than ever to get exposure for your business and to also support our school's yearbook club. A full-page 8.5 x 11 ad is $200, a half-page is $100, and a quarter-page is $75. All ads are in full color. If you would like to purchase an ad, please send your graphic as a high-resolution jpg or png file to jhammond@lopezislandschool.org and our expert team will take care of the rest. All ads and payments are due by March 31st. Payments must be made by cash or check to the LISD District Office.

Contact lopezaligns@gmail.com

Contact lopezaligns@gmail.com

Baseball practices start March 25. T-ball starts April 15. Sign up online here: Baseball sign up form

What clubs/athletics/extracurriculars have you been involved in? I was the GSA president and I have been a student EMT for two years..

What is one positive memory from your time here that you’ll carry with you forever? It’s not really a school memory but it is connected. It felt like it was part of school because there were people from school involved. I’ve taken drama from Mr. Carter and he asked me to be the stage manager for his Community Shakespeare musical last December. It was something new that I’ve never done. I had a sense of authority and got to act on that authority, and I’ve never really had that before.

What is the best piece of advice you have received from a teacher? From, Ali…”It’s all temporary. It’ll get better.” And it did get a little better. I will, as they say, get over it.

Finish this sentence: “I cannot live without…….” I cannot live without my dog, Rosie.

What is the most creative excuse you have ever used to get out of school work? “Sorry, I had to go get a tattoo.”

What is one piece of advice you have for incoming high school students. It sucks for a while because it can take a while to get used to things, but your experience is what you make of it. Find your people.

What is the most meaningful assignment ever given to you by a teacher? In English 10, we read To Kill a Mockingbird. I recreated the tea party and everybody loved it. I was really into it.

What’s the most important quality in a friendship? Why?: Loyalty and honesty make or break a friendship. The closer you get to somebody, the more you see the truth, so it’s better to be honest up front.

In 10 years, I will be… I want to be an RN….caring for people and running my own adult family home facility.

Who/what do you find inspiring? I love strong and independent women. I’ve also always looked up to Mr. Carter since 8th grade.

What song summarizes your feelings about graduating from high school? Homesick by Noah Kahn. It’s very Lopezey because it’s about a small town, coming home, and realizing that maybe you didn’t appreciate it enough when you were a kid.

What are your plans after high school? I’m planning to become an RN, first probably going to Everett Community College.

Is there anything else you want people to know about you? I care more than I let on.

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.