Community Letter

Dear LISD Families,

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we feel this is a great time to share how much we appreciate our students, staff, and families. The following quote (and we read a LOT of quotes about love!) summarizes our shared vision of our school community at it's best.

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” - Maya Angelou

We are always full of love for this community and hope for the future of our school district.

Happy Valentine's Day!

With Lobo Love,

Mary and Martha

This will be our last community newsletter in the month of February. Next Friday is early dismissal (1:55 for elementary and 2:00 for secondary) since it's the day before mid-winter break. Look our next newsletter on March 3. Enjoy the break!

We are aware of significant social media content debating Lopez Island School District and

discussions about new instructional models and concerns about the budget in 2023-2024 and

beyond. Those apprehensions were evident during the board work session on February 8, 2023,

with significant representation of the community and staff in both the media center and virtually

on Zoom. Because this was a work session and not a regular board meeting, there was no

opportunity for public comment during the meeting. As a reminder, we will have our standard

public comment period during the regular board meeting on February 15, 2023. There is an

opportunity to share comments (limited to 3 minutes) in person or via Zoom.

We attempted to clarify some crucial issues at Wednesday night’s board work session. Many of

the fundamental changes we are considering are driven by the recently approved strategic plan

and its specific initiatives designed to better support our students, our staff, and our fiscal well-

being. The strategic plan approved by the school board is available for review on the district

website. The work session agenda included a discussion of the Next Education Workforce

(NEW) model, which would provide deeper and more personalized learning for students,

increase the number of adults working with each student, and create more flexible learning

environments within the limits of our existing facilities. After meeting with staff on Tuesday

afternoon, it is clear that the NEW model requires additional research and dialogue before

considering implementation in our schools. Future conversations with staff and the broader

community will help us determine our direction for creating a sustainable learning environment

that better supports the needs of every individual student we serve.

We are facing a significant financial issue in 2023-2024 and beyond if we do not begin to rethink

the way we do business. As presented in the board work session, we must find a way to reduce

expenditures while still serving our students effectively and supporting our staff in their work.

The exact steps we will take are still in development, but the information will be shared as we

clarify each step in our process. Budget Advisory Committee (B.A.C.) meetings will begin on

Saturday, March 4, 2023. Anyone interested in serving on the B.A.C. is welcome to join us that

morning from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the school’s multi-purpose room. The B.A.C. will meet

twice each month from March through May.

Based on projections in our last budget cycle for the 2022-2023 school year, we have some

wiggle room in the 2023-2024 school year budget. Beyond that, we must have a more secure and

stable financial foundation that will provide an excellent learning environment for students and

desirable working conditions for staff. In this budget cycle, decisions regarding achieving this

goal need to be made, even if they need to be phased in over two to three years.

In the board work session, we also discussed the creation of a calendar committee to begin work

on school calendars for the future. We have a grant that will support our exploration of a

modified balanced school year calendar without requiring us to adopt such a calendar. We will

ask the calendar committee to develop multiple calendar options (traditional and modified) for

consideration by staff and the community. Based on the feedback we receive from our

stakeholders, we will identify the best calendar options to present to the board for approval at the

May board meeting.

Finally, while we do not follow discussion threads or make comments on social media, we are

concerned by the willingness of others to speak in this format without completing the necessary

due diligence to ensure they are commenting on facts rather than rumors or conjecture. The

district office is the best source for accurate information about district plans for the future. We

appreciate the several local community members and groups who have taken the time to reach

out this week and meet to discuss the things we are working on. From this point forward, we will

prioritize weekly updates in this newsletter. We will also work to improve the information and its

ease of access on the district website and through social media posts. If any community member

has specific questions about what we are doing as a district, please email the superintendent at

emurray@lopezislandschool.org or the school board at board@lopezislandschool.org. We are

stronger as a team working together and moving in a common direction. We are free to disagree,

but we must use those disagreements as stimuli for collaboration and a mandate for finding

common ground that will help us move forward in service to our mission and vision.

This year we will be offering both a K-12 hardcover yearbook and an elementary paperback yearbook as well as custom Lopez Lobo sharpies for signing. The yearbook club has been working hard every week to pull together a fantastic K-12 annual to celebrate our students, our staff, and our school with over 80 pages of glossy, full-color highlights. Our elementary book is a more affordable paperback but with the same level of quality and care put into celebrating our amazing K-5 kiddos.

We will not be ordering extra yearbooks this year. We will be ordering just enough to fulfill orders so please use the order form and submit your order by February 17th. Invoices will be sent out shortly thereafter. All cash and checks must be paid ahead of time to the District Office. We may do a second run of prints in June if there is more demand but those yearbooks would not arrive until mid-summer.

This year's annual is already shaping up beautifully with the contribution of student talent, art, and spirit. It will certainly be one that shouldn't be missed.

Please fill out this form to order your 2022-2023 LISD yearbooks.

Please follow this link for the yearbook order form in Spanish.

Friday fun day! The third grade class watches a movie and enjoys some popcorn.

Kristen Ryan and her shop classes repurposed the wood from the covid-era outdoor school desks made by the PTSA. 3rd graders are using that wood to make sailboats for our STEM Fair Project this year.

Today, we used heavy grit sandpaper to remove material from the basic shape of a boat hull. We will continue on Friday and into next week. We will be creating masts, sails and rigging to power the boats and maybe keels to keep them afloat.

The fun will culminate in our Rain Gutter Regatta Races. We plan to line up three 10 foot long rain gutters at knee height filled with water, three racers will each use kid-generated wind power to push their boat, through various races and playoffs, we will determine which designs and sailors are the fastest.

Our Engineering Problem

Which hull design and finish, mast and sail plan will produce the slipperiest boat? We will study wood boat shapes and sail plans. Kids will name their boats and create their own custom finishes. FUN FUN FUN in the shop, Huge thank you to Kristen Ryan!!

B

• Today marks mid-term 3. Grades will be updated in Canvas by Tuesday night at midnight.
• We are offering intensives again in the secondary wing...April 3-7! Intensives are a departure from regular classes for a week and an opportunity to explore a topic of interest. Attendance is required because we are still in school. Students have had the chance to choose between some very compelling options including Asian Cooking and Other Culinary Adventures, Team Sports, Pottery, Hiking and Biking, Crafting, Auto Mechanics, and a Washington College Tour. We have not yet announced the intensive groups but we asked students to complete a survey with a first, second, and third choice. This helps us narrow the options and begin the planning. We are excited!

The high school basketball season is over. We celebrated our athletes on Tuesday with an end-of-season pep rally. Each player ran through a gauntlet of elementary cheerleaders, ASB officers and cheerleaders taught the student body some Lobo cheers, and our basketball players divided into co-ed teams and played each other in a first-to-15 game. See pics below!

Congratulations to all the athletes and to our wonderful coaches, Karrie Warner and Shane Patrick. Also, big thanks to the Lobo Pack, especially fearless leader, Samantha Olsen. Our athletic program benefits so much from the Pack and we appreciate all the support and enthusiasm. Go Lobos!

High school spring sports begin on February 27 when we return from the mid-winter break.

Middle School basketball practice began this week. Watch for information on upcoming home games so you can come out to support more Lobo basketball.

What’s your earliest memory at LISD? My first day on first grade…Lily got picked up after me and I was seated in the row behind her. She asked me if I knew a Jenny and then “Are you Jenny?” I didn’t speak any English but I was so surprised that she already knew who I was since it was my first day.

What clubs/athletics/extracurriculars have you been involved in? I’m the president of the Spanish Club.

What is one positive memory from your time here that you’ll carry with you forever? There used to be a buddy bench when I was in elementary. I used to sit there a lot during recess. Students from my class would come over and ask me to play all the time, but I just sat there. I was shy and didn’t speak English.

Finish this sentence: “I cannot live without…….” Probably my closet. I’m a big fan of clothes. It takes me a long time to get ready for school.

What is the most creative excuse you have ever used to get out of school work? Today in Mr. Torres’ class. I was taking the ASVAB on Monday so I didn’t do that reading that’s due today. Not really an excuse because it’s true, but I have a hard time making excuses. I just do the work.

What is one piece of advice you have for incoming high school students? Jamás dejes que una calificación define quien eres tu. It means “never let a grade define who you are.”

What is the most meaningful assignment ever given to you by a teacher? The recent one from Heritage Spanish. “Quien Soy Yo.” You’ve had similar assignments but this time I wasn’t the only one telling a story about living in a hispanic household and it’s okay to say it and not feel like it’s wrong.

What’s the most important quality in a friendship? Why? Being there for each other no matter what.

In 10 years, I will be… In ten years, I’ll probably be married and have kids. And hopefully I’ll decide to finish college and not give up halfway.

Who/what do you find inspiring? My mom because she had a tough childhood and had me when she was 17. Then she had my sister and has to spend so much time in the hospital. She did all this alone and she is so strong.

What song summarizes your feelings about graduating from high school? No. I don’t even know how to feel about graduation. I kind of don’t believe it!

What are your plans after high school? I’m planning to move to New Mexico and attend San Juan College to become a dental assistant. First I’ll take a gap year to work on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in New Mexico.

Is there anything else you want people to know about you? I will be the first person in my family to graduate from high school, and then my sisters will follow me.

Become a Lopez Island School Employee!!!

Short-term, Long-term, part-time, full-time, daily, weekly... whatever you want, there is a position here for you!!!!!

Many of these positions qualify for Medical, Dental, Vision, & Retirement benefits, plus EAP and paid leave time (personal, sick, & vacation). Allocations are based on hourly commitment and classification.

Classified:

· Elementary Custodian - perfect for you if you like to work independently! This position helps to clean and maintain the Lopez Island school buildings. It is a daily position with flexibility in actual working hours (up to 7 per day) and schedule, starting in late January 2023.

· Literacy Interventionist - multiple positions are available fill the newly created position of Elementary Literacy Interventionist, working one-on-one or with small groups of students in grades 1, 2, and 3 to practice the fundamentals of literacy. This contract position runs for two 10-12 week sessions during the school year.

· 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