LISD School Newsletter

Hello LISD Families,

Thanks to everyone who attended the Elementary Open House on Wednesday evening, and to those who attended the first varsity home games and tailgate parties last Saturday (volleyball) and today (soccer). Lobo spirit is high and it's fun to share it!

Today marks mid-term 1 in middle and high school....already! Secondary teachers will have all grades updated in Canvas by Tuesday at midnight. Checking your student's Canvas page is easy if you have an account. Here is where you can sign up for access. Canvas is a super helpful tool for both students and parents.

As the school year progresses, we'll be sure to let you know about dates, events, initiatives, and opportunities. If you read the newsletter and any Parent Square messages that come your way, you won't miss anything!

Have a great weekend!

All my best,

Martha

• September 20: HS Boys Soccer, 4 pm
• September 25: School Board Meeting, 6 pm
• September 27: No School!
• September 30: HS Volleyball, 4 pm
• October 9: School Picture Day
• October 11 - 13: Lopez Island Farm Tour

• October 12: HS Volleyball, 2 pm

• October 12: Special Dinner Event , 3:30 - 7 pm, School LIFE Program & Partners (see article below)

Upcoming home games for all sports teams will be featured in this list each week. The sports calendar on our website has complete details on ALL games - home and away.

To all families: PLEASE SUBMIT school lunch forms if you have not done so this year. Even if you don't qualify for free and reduced lunch, these forms help the school get additional funding for scholarships and other federal funds. The more accurate data we have about our school community, the better chances we have to get more funding.

All forms in English and Spanish can be found on our website.

Everything on the form is strictly confidential. Any questions please contact Laurie Jardine at ljardine@lopezislandschool.org

We have lots of student athletes this year - and our teams are stacked! Thank you to our amazing coaches, our fantastic Athletic Director Ginger Plum, and The PACK for all stepping up and ensuring that team sports at Lopez are a great experience for our students.

Coach Karrie is very excited about our 2024 season. Our girls got off to a bit of slow start with injuries and some athletes playing new positions, but she feels like this team is going to do great things. With 5 returners we should finish strong in the postseason.

Our 2024 season is shaping up to be incredibly thrilling. We have six talented seniors in the starting lineup and four juniors -- students who’ve been playing together for years now. The energy on the field is electric and we are so excited to see where the momentum takes us.

This is Lopez Island’s first ever girls soccer team; it’s a long time coming and we are so excited to see what happens! We’re proud to have strong upperclassmen leadership and are hoping that the unique experience of playing on a coed team up until this year takes them a long way. This team is in a lot of ways starting from the ground up, so everything you see this year out on that field is a result of their dedication and hard work.

Information meeting for students will be Monday, Sept. 23rd during Advisory

Applications due Tuesday, October 8th

Japanese Connections is a one-year course that includes a grant funded two-week study tour in Japan. This course and study tour is offered on a competitive basis to students from Lopez Island and Orcas Island High Schools. The travel portion of the 2024/25 course will be scheduled for 12 or 13 days between April 7 – 22, 2025. (Exact dates to be decided.) Japanese Connections Director Patricia Burleson, Language/Culture specialist Hugh Burleson, Orcas Island Teacher Val Hellar, and Lopez Island Teacher Joe Behnke will lead eight students through the preparation course and in Japan for the Study Tour.

Starting October 2024, students will meet after school, including some evenings and weekends, to complete course requirements. Students will be required to complete reading and writing assignments, participate in discussions, and do presentations prior to and after traveling to Japan.

Students must be enrolled as a sophomore, junior or senior at Orcas Island or Lopez Island High School for the 2024/25 school year and be attending classes on campus. Students should be at least 16 years old by April 1, 2025.

As you know, we are working on the implementation of mastery based learning practices. District-wide, all teachers are working on the alignment of standards and assessments, common classroom expectations for staff and students, learning outcomes for every course and discipline, and designing a "portrait of a graduate" for LISD which will be aligned to the mastery of standards AND our habits of character. K-8 teachers are all working on consistent and robust morning meetings. Elementary teachers are working on a new mastery-based report card and standards progression documents for both ELA and math. Secondary teachers are working on the alignment of grading practices...assignments, assessments, homework, participation, re-dos, re-takes, and more!

Some of this work is underway and some will get started later in the year. We are so lucky to be part of the Washington State Mastery Based Learning Cohort II, learning with and from other schools who are implementing these practices, and receiving grant funding to make it happen.

LISD Mastery Based Learning Team Members: Kim Phillips, Lorri Swanson, Al Torres, Kathy Booth, Ariella Adams, Tuoya Deach, Kristen Maker, and Martha Martin.

A University of Washington admissions representative will visit Lopez Island School October 9th. The representative will speak to 11th and 12th grade students during our advisory period and be available during lunch to answer questions. We also will be having a college visit to UW and Everett Community College on November 6th. Priority for getting a spot will go by grade but there may be spots for 9th and 10th grade students. Talk to Mr. Ellis for more details.

All home varsity sports games will now have an entrance fee. The fees go back to the athletics program and help pay for coaches stipends. The fees are as follows:

• Adults: $5
• Students grades 7-12 without ASB Membership: $5
• Students grades 7-12 with ASB Membership: Free
• Students grade 1-6: Free
• Seniors over 65: Free
• Volunteers who help at the game (admissions, score keeping, etc.): Free

ASB Membership is $25. Middle School ASB is $20. To pay your students ASB membership fee--along with other sports and school fees--you can mail a check into the District Office. To find out what fees your family owes, please log into your family Qmlativ account here. If you don't know your password, you can reset it using the same email that the school uses to reach out out to you.

If you would like to pay all your fees online, you may do so here. If your family qualifies for Free & Reduced lunch, you may get your High School ASB fee waived, but you must submit this additional form.

Helmut Fischer is our newest bus driver and we are so glad to have him! When asked why he wanted to work at LISD, he shared he was attracted to the idea of being more connected to the school where his daughters spend so much of their time.

A fun fact about Helmut: His first car was a 1963 VW bus that he rebuilt and drove during high school, college, and then on Lopez as well. So you could say he's been driving buses since he got his driver's license...which makes it seem like he was always meant to end up here!

The district safety committee has revised the LISD Emergency Procedures Handbook, which includes evacuations, earthquakes, lockdowns, shelter in place, and hazardous materials. The staff will be receiving training on all emergency procedures, and we will be practicing any related drills as well as bus evacuation drills with our students. We practice drills with the entire school community on a monthly basis.

Part of the San Juan Islands Farm Tours - Celebrating Farms, Food, & Community

There is something for everyone during Farm Tours of the San Juans. From educational presentations and delicious foods, to free kids activities, pressing cider, and lots of farm animals! Lopez Island dates are October 11 - 13. More info about all the Lopez Island events here.

Special event on October 12 at the Lopez Island School:

Enjoy a school garden story tour and appetizers at 3:30pm, followed by a showing of the new Island Grown Film. Island foods community meal at 5pm includes special guest speaker from PNW Slow Foods honoring Barn Owl Farm and Bakery. A collaboration of the Lopez Island Locavores, LIFE School Garden, Island Grown, SJI Makers Guild, and Slow Foods. Advance tickets required as a LIFE Garden fundraiser $65. Registration and tickets: Vegetarian Dinner or Non-Vegetarian Dinner

In the picture, are two types of curry for lunch, along with homemade apple sauce and salad - both from the school garden. Next week, school chef John Shaw will be serving a special meal for "Eat Local Day" on 9/23/24

If your student has food allergies or dietary concerns, please reach out to school chef John Shaw to discuss accommodations. jshaw@lopezislandschool.org

School chef John Shaw is offering knife sharpening service again 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 6in 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 book a slot.

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, Mary Fordham. OR contact by phone, 360-468-2202, OR mail to 86 School Rd, Lopez Island, WA 98261.