LISD School Newsletter

I have some really good news. Our district has been selected to be part of a Mastery Based learning Cohort. This means that we will get $100,000 over a two year period to implement culturally responsive and sustained mastery learning based learning K-12. With these funds, we can pay for books and other resources, professional development for teachers (off-site and on-site), stipends for those interested in putting in extra time to lead this work. Mastery based learning is one of the goals in our strategic plan, and it's a really big K-12 shift, so I'm excited that we will be getting lots of help and support as we navigate this transition.

This is what mastery based learning will mean for our students:

1. Students advance upon demonstrated mastery of content.
2. Competencies include explicit, measurable, transferable learning objectives that empower students. In other words, teachers are very clear about what students need to learn and students are very clear about what it will mean to demonstrate mastery.
3. Assessments are meaningful and a positive learning experience for students.
4. Students receive rapid, differentiated support based on their individual learning needs.
5. Learning outcomes emphasize competencies that include application and creation of knowledge along with the development of important skills and dispositions.
   
   

I'll keep you posted on our journey toward implementation of these practices, but for now, I just wanted to share the great news. Many thanks to Mary Fordham and Malia Sanford for all their hard work on the grant proposal.

Have a wonderful weekend! I hope to see you at the Little Winter Market on Saturday for another great MPPACT performance AND Winter Arts Night on Monday evening. I love these opportunities to gather and celebrate our students.

All my best,

Martha

The superintendent search committee has conducted initial interviews and are happy to announce that two candidates are coming to Lopez Island to interview with our school board and meet with staff, families, and community on Tuesday, December 12.

All community members are invited to meet the candidates and ask them questions from 3:15-5:00 in the school Library Media Center on Tuesday. There will be two 45 minute sessions, one with each candidate.

The LISD Winter Arts Night is coming up on Monday!

• Arts walk through the secondary school from 5:30-6:00 PM to take in amazing creative wonders produced by our student artists.
• Elementary musicians start at 6 PM in the MPR. Our music instructor, Naomi Vliet will be showcasing our student musicians who will be performing pieces they have been working on in their music classes.
• MPPACT will take the stage at 6:30 to rock the MPR with their holiday song selections.
  
  

Don't miss out on the fun and celebration of the arts at our school!

The annual Lions Club Christmas ship is coming to Odlin Park on Saturday, December 9th, at 3:30 pm. Santa will be there. Hot chocolate and cookies will be provided. All are welcome and it is a free event. Please note that this is a change of day from previous years (Sunday changed to Saturday). Contact Jerry or Diana Hancock if you have any questions. 360-468-3871.

Learn more about Las Posadas, a traditional Mexican celebration that intertwines indigenous and Christian practices in this week's edition of "Qué Onda".

The fourth graders put on their running shoes and zipped around the track on this chilly Friday as part of their fundraising for their Olympia trip. Please help support this worthwhile trip. For more info, contact Lorri Swanson, lswanson@lopezislandschool.org.

The Community Technology Advisory Committee is reaching out to parents, students, and staff for feedback on technology at Lopez Island School District. We plan to use this information to inform our district-wide technology plan moving forward for the years to come. We are very fortunate that our Lopez Island community has approved a 4-year recurring technology levy at high approval rates over the last 8 years. Our current levy cycle ends in 2024 and it is up to us to propose a levy renewal plan that is the best option for our students, staff, parents, and community. Parents, students, and staff should keep an eye out for a survey coming to them via email and Parent/Student Square.

Hello, parents! I want to tell you about food insecurity. It’s a very bad thing that affects a lot of people including children right here in the US. I want to help stop this problem, so I'm running a food drive to donate to the Food Share. I have placed collection boxes outside of the Elementary Office, the Secondary Office, and Ms. Rose’s classroom. From December 11 - 15 I will collect: Quinoa, lentils, organic snacks for students, granola, soups, full boxes of cereal, shelf stable juices and milk boxes, and canned goods. All donations will then be taken to the Food Share the following week during donation times by the Community Class. Thank you so much for helping me fight food insecurity here on Lopez!

Thank you,

Grayson Schiller

Come see an original musical play written by secondary teacher Richard Carter and support our local community members in the performance. Winds in the Morning will feature our very own principal and interim superintendent Martha Martin along with Lopez students and other familiar community members. Come sing along with carols and sea shanties in this heartwarming holiday musical!

Tickets are on sale via the LCCA website and at Paper Scissors: $20 for adults, $15 for youth 12 and under. There are 130 ticketed seats available, plus additional seating or standing room will be sold at the door. Doors open at 6:30pm and 1:30pm respectively.

If you would like to catch MPPACT and their holiday/winter setlist you can find them at the Little Winter Market on December 9th from 10-2. They are also playing at the LISD Winter Arts night on December 11 at the school.

Lopez Island School District is hiring for a School Nurse. More details about this position and others on our website.

LISD Human Resources Page

Martha Martin, Interim Superintendent & 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 Martha Martin; 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.