Community Letter

Dear LISD Families,

Today, as you know, was a day off for students, but a professional development day for staff. Our paraprofessionals gathered together to review best practices for behavior de-escalation strategies, including prevention. The rest of the staff spent the morning in a gender-inclusive schools training and the afternoon in team meetings and data analysis. Anyone who missed the gender-inclusive schools training will receive it the next few weeks. This is an important topic of learning and discussion in service of supporting our LGBTQ+ community (students, families, and staff). In the training, we focused on data about LGBTQ+ youth, gender-inclusive language and vocabulary, Washington state standards on self-identity and healthy relationships, and our own gender-inclusive schools policy. We truly appreciate the LISD staff for approaching these discussions with open minds and hearts and the commitment to create a more inclusive school culture.

We hope you enjoy the weekend and we look forward to seeing all our students on Monday morning.

All our best to you and your family,

Mary and Martha

Will Sanford has been a nurse for 9 years. Before moving to Lopez, he worked on the medical-surgical floor of the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, UT. Since moving to Lopez in 2016, he has been a part-time nurse at the Lopez Medical Clinic, and continues to cover some shifts there in addition to working at the school. Will's daughter, Maisie, is in Kindergarten this year, and his wife Malia works at the Lopez Island Library. Prior to his days as an RN, Will worked as a long term substitute teacher at public schools in Oakland and Richmond, California, and he is excited to be back working with students and families.

The garden class has been cooking "Nettle Pesto" this week. It's easy and tasty. Many kids told me that they want to try it at home. So here is the video how to make nettle pesto?

Recipe:

- 2/3 Cup blanched & cut Stinging Nettle Leaves - 1 to 3 small cloves of garlic - 6 Tablespoons of finely grated Hard Cheese (4 for blending and 2 for adding with lemon, so you have more texture) I use Parmesan - 1/3 cup Walnut halves - 4 to 8 tablespoons (depending on consistency you want) of Olive Oil, your favorite quality, local variety - Salt - Juice of 1 Lemon or Orange if you prefer some sweetness

The mushrooms that we "planted" in the toilet rolls are coming up! You can see how big they are in the photos as well!

Thank you.

Tuoya Deach

The LIFE Garden team would like to give a HUGE shout out to our dedicated volunteers for countless hours helping with our program. Thank you Aliza Finley for helping reach out to seed companies for spring seed donations. Thank you Karen & Mark Eames for showing up consistently and for building, fixing, repairing, seeding, weeding, digging and so much more! Thank you to Janett Warner for your plant donations and help with pruning, seeding and weeding. Also, thanks to Sara Wysocki for work on our website and SM plan. Thanks to LIPTSA for organizing bi-annual work parties. Thank you Matilda Twigg for your help creating a new bed and moving perennials. If you'd like to join our list of volunteers, show up any Saturday from 10-12 in the garden or contact Sara Jones by email sjones@lopezislandschool.org or by phone 360.468.2202 x2300.

-Sara Jones

Administrative Assistant

LIFE Garden Coordinator

Parent volunteers start working with students in the garden this week. Students will start seedlings to transplant to their own garden bed. Thank you to Territorial Seeds, Uprising Seeds and High Mowing Seeds for your donations!

What clubs/athletics/extracurriculars have you been involved in? I'm in 4H (market beef), and I've played basketball, soccer, track, and baseball.

What is one positive memory from your time here that you’ll carry with you forever? I remember when we beat Neah Bay by one point when I was a freshman. They’re a bigger school that usually beats us in sports. They thought they had in the bag.

Finish this sentence: “I cannot live without…….”: The time to work on cars. I enjoy anything to do with chainsaws and logging.

What is the most creative excuse you have ever used to get out of school work? I just tell teachers, “I didn’t do it.”

What is one piece of advice you have for incoming high school students? Learn as many life skills outside of school as you can. Find a reason to go to school. For me, it was basketball, and now I’m just focusing on graduating.

What is the most meaningful assignment ever given to you by a teacher? I got to build a fishing pole cabinet in woodshop.

What’s the most important quality in a friendship? Why? Being able to call up a friend and say, “Dude, I’m buried to the axels. Can you come help?”

In 10 years, I will be…: Being a lineman has been my goal since 5th grade.

Who/what do you find inspiring? Successful people…..people that get things done…like my friend, Avery, who has an excavation business at 19!

What are your plans after high school? I'm going to lineman school in Montana. I’ll either start this fall or next spring.

The mission of the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library- Washington Expansion Project is to increase literacy by ensuring all young children across the state may participate in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. This is a free book gifting program for children ages 0–5. The goal is to provide support to current affiliates and launch new affiliates so all children in Washington have access.

https://www.imaginationlibrarywashington.org/

We are grateful for LITPSA's contributions to the school. If you can't make it, be sure to let them know you appreciate them and their efforts!

The Tuesday, March 22 golf match against Orcas has been canceled.

Lobos track team had their first high school meet on Wednesday, March 16th. Coach Marina was very impressed with her athletes. Some shout outs from Coach were Malachi, who won the 100 meter dash and had a personal PR, and also PR in the Javelin with a throw of 134 ft. Lobos also had three boys (Ethan, Rowdy, and Rafa) who got a PR in the mile each beating their time by over 20 seconds. Freshman Anna F. took 3rd in the 800 and 4th in the 400, an awesome showing for our young athlete. Go Lobos!

Here is a follow up photo of the golf clinic that was offered to the students. Doesn't this look like fun?

This week was the start of "no mask required" in the school. People could have an option to wear one if desired.

We will still need to wear them in the Health Room.

Everyone seems to be adjusting well to seeing everyone's entire face!

Be aware that since we are going maskless, the ugly flu bug is laying in wait. Remember to stay home if you are feeling sick, wash your hands OFTEN, and cover your cough with the inside of your elbow.

Karen Hattman, R.N.

Secondary conferences will be held on Wednesday, March 30 from 2:15 to 7:00pm. Students will be released that day at 2:00. Families can sign up for conferences now through Qmlativ.

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, Secondary Spring Conferences. The Conference Scheduler displays options to select staff and a time slot as well as your conference schedule.

We hope this will provide a chance for you to meet with your student’s teachers in a structured way to discuss academic progress, and families that cannot schedule on this day can contact their teachers to meet at another time.

Spring Conferences are coming up. Please take note that elementary students will be dismissed at 2:00 all week Monday, March 28 - Friday, April 1. Elementary families may arrange a conference time by contacting the classroom teacher.

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: 96 School Road, Lopez Island, WA, USA
Phone: 360-468-2202