Parent Connection

Parent

September 22, 2011

Connection

Breaking News

Fine Tuning the Healthy Lunch Program

Mr. Dean has been having ongoing conversations with parents, teachers and students and has come up with some improvements we think you’ll all like: • Portions for middle and high school students are larger; • Meat has been added as a choice to most entrées (ground turkey or chicken breast); • Beginning in October, turkey dogs will be replaced with chickenvegetable or vegetable stir fry; • Pizza will be supplemented with vegetable or chicken-vegetable; soup as a second entrée choice.

• Starting in October, entrées will shift around somewhat to provide more variety for the MWF students.

The Elementary Garden is providing some wonderful herbs for our soups, dressings and sauces. If you have extra in your garden, Mr. Dean would love to accept your organically grown lemons, limes, basil, green onions, cilantro, parsley, lettuce & salad greens, chives, green beans, radishes, Chinese peas and whatever you think our students would love. Your suggestions and comments are always welcome.

Volunteers Needed for XCountry Next Week

Come on out and assist at the Cross Country meet, hosted by Island School, on Thursday, Sept. 29. You need to be here by 3:30 and should be finished by 6:00 p.m. Duties include manning water stations, being course marshals, etc. Please contact

Jen Pomroy if you can help: jenp@ ischool.org. Be aware that, due to the many visitors anticipated for the cross country meet on Sept. 29, traffic will be directed at the entrance by security beginning at 4:30 p.m. The date of this meet was changed from Saturday, Oct. 1, to Thursday to avoid conflicting with SAT testing that is scheduled here that morning.

Lei For Sale

The Island School hula halau is fundraising to attend Merrie Monarch by making lei for sale. If you need a lei please contact Kumu Kauka. sabra@ ischool.org.

Fall Round-Up Tomorrow Yeeeeeee Haaaaaaaaaaaw! It’s time to kick up yer heels and bring the family to the Parent Association’s annual Fall Round-Up! Plenty of food booths and free activities for everyone. Join in the line-dancing cake walk and karaoke singing. There will be a petting zoo, face and tattoo painting and more.

Come early for the horse rides. See attached flyer for details. The fun starts at 5:30! Y’all be there!

Coaches Introduced at Gathering Last Week

The Booster Club hosted the 2011-12 roster of coaches at a social gathering last Thursday in the Wilcox Gym. Many thanks to the following people for making huge contributions to our athletics program: Air Rifle - Sean Magoun; boys XC - Eric Wortmann, Mary Castelanelli; girls V VB - Rikki

Click on the Calendar tab on our website.

Garma, Brad Sato; girls JV VB - Paul Pomroy, Noelani Pomroy, Brad Sato, Jen Pomroy; boys V BB - Guy Higa, Stephen Pascua, James Dingus; girls JV BB - Cheryl Claypoole; boys V Soccer - Sean Magoun; girls JV Soccer - Mary Castelanelli; Swimming - Meghan Sims; boys V VB - Kaipo Kealalio, Lehia Pomroy, Ehren Edwards, Benjamin Napoleon; boys JV VB - Kaipo Kealalio; Tennis - Ernie Blachowiak; Golf - Alan King, Sam Pratt; Track & Field - Kaipo Kealalio, Eric Wortmann.

Cheerleading Camp

Rachelle Allayvilla is offering a Cheer Camp during Fall Break for students aged 5-11 years. The cost is $115 for the week, from 8:00 a.m. - noon.

Come join the fun and learn the fundamentals of cheerleading, as well as jumps, Island School cheers, dances and team bonding activities.

Contact the Office to register or email Rachelle for more information: rachelle@ischool.org.

The New Logo Shop is Open!

Located in the former Aloha Room next to the front desk in the Office.

Caps, visors, jackets, T-shirts on display. Come on in and shop.

Gift Wrap Sale Nets Over 7.5k The overall gross sales was $19k, netting each participating class 40% of their earnings. This is the most ever earned from this fund raiser. Great job, everyone!

To contact the publisher of Island School’s Parent Connection, email peggy@ischool.org

I.S. Chronicles BIOLOGY – Last week, the students in Ms. Mink’s Honors Biology class did the time-honored project of making a model of the cell. The models were excellent, complete and well-labeled. Several were innovative as well, using carved foam and food as media. Congratulations to all for a successful and fun lesson.

Honors Biology students with their cell models.

are urged to return the commitment form and the required $25 deposit to Mr. Steinbacher before September 29, in order to reserve their spot at the festival.

FIRST GRADE – Students worked on the letter this week and will continue learning cursive letters through the end of the alphabet. Each day they practice writing all the letters with the goal of being prepared for writing in cursive in second grade.

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HULA –Members of Island School’s halau participated in a “soft” blessing of the old County Building yesterday, now that it is ready for the County Council to move back in after extensive renovation. Our students gave a chant at the ceremony. A more formal grand opening is planned in May, 2012.

STUDENT COUNCIL – Elementary students voted for officers on Student Council last Friday. After an exciting runoff, the winners were announced.

President- Benjamin Griep Vice- Dominic LaFratta Secretary- Jordan Roberts Public Relations- Corah Callahan and Sophia Sherrer Congratulations to all students who ran for office and gave such impressive speeches. The 5th grade does not lack in Hula students, with Kumu Kauka at the leaders! Next week they will plan their Historical County Building: Ally Pascual, first Spirit Week. It will be the week after Moeko Fukada, Christy Jo Williams, Fall break, October 10 - 14.

Kathleen Bissell, Ava Zebzda CHORUS – Members of the Island School Alaka‘i Chorus will be participating in the Ho’olokahi Festival, the 2012 Hawai’i All-State High School choral festival on O‘ahu. The festival, organized by the Hawai‘i Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association gives Hawai‘i high school singers an opportunity to prepare challenging music with a top notch clinician and then present it in a major public concert. Over 350 high school singers from across the state will join together for three days to rehearse and present a free concert in Honolulu on January 22, 2012. This year’s guest conductor, Dr. Karen Kennedy, currently holds the position of Director of Choirs at Towson University, and is recognized internationally as a choral clinician and conductor. High school chorus members

NA PUA KEIKI – Our PK students have planted their garden in planter boxes on the Keiki Playground. They are using the Farm to Preschool Curriculum, developed by the Kaua‘i School Garden Network.

The program is designed to influence early childhood eating habits and increase

PK students planted various types of lettuce in their new garden this week.

Connor Tavares and his grandma cut up fruit on last Friday’s Rainbow/Grandparents’ Day. the availability of local fresh fruits and vegetables in school meals and snacks, both crucial to maintaining a healthy weight and preventing childhood obesity.

There is a healthy food of the month each month. This month is “lettuce.”

ELEMENTARY CLUBS – Last week, students in K-5 began attending their Wednesday Clubs. This trimester’s offerings include: Drawing, Spanish/Science, Cheerleading, Doodling, Hula/Tahitian, Dance Workout, Soccer, Legos, Melting Beads, Mad Scientist and Arts & Crafts.

Ask your keiki which Club he or she is in.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION – Tomorrow, Elementary students will have Morning Circle in the Wilcox Gymnasium and show off the line dances they’ve been learning in class. This is all in preparation for the Fall Round-Up, where they’ll be dancing up a storm in the Courtyard.

In celebration, tomorrow is Bandana Day for elementary students. All are invited to wear their favorite bandanas to school.

2nd graders are all smiles : Zeke Gamby, Spencer Summerhays, Josh, Dobashi (kneeling), Dwight Apao, Ava Walsh (behind), Ema-Lani Ebesu and Max King.

Parent Page Mahalo to

Parent Association

Save the Date October 13, 6 p.m.

The Parent Association’s first Parent Forum of the Year

Facebook 101

Everything You Want to Know About Facebook.

Presented by IT Kaua‘i.

Pupus will be served and child care will be available.

Mark your calendars now!

Classified Ads FOR SALE - CHORUS T-SHIRTS: Last year’s chorus T-shirts, which won’t be used in concerts, but are OK to wear as school uniform. $5.00 OBO. Proceeds support HS chorus trip to O’ahu.

Sizes: YM and Adult L, XL. Contact philip@ ischool.org.

WANTED TO BORROW: for HS play - an hourglass, frog figurine, beaded curtain, battered suitcase (no wheels), turban, remote control, TV Guide, fake skull. Contact Peggy at peggy@ ischool.org

TV FOR SALE: 55” Samsung plasma TV, 3 years old from Costco.

Great condition, selling to get something smaller.

Includes surround sound speakers and all cables. Please call Nena at (619) 929-7050 for more information.

REFRIGERATOR WANTED: The Science Department’s fridge has died.

If you can donate an old but working household fridge(with freezer) it would be DEEPLY appreciated. Transportation can be arranged.

Please contact james@ ischool.org or kate. mink@ischool.org, or 652-7996.

♥♥♥

♥ ♥ ♥ Lorena and Stacey Wong who again this

year made a generous gift to the Booster Club. And to Charlene Steuri for organizing last week’s Booster Club Social.

♥ ♥ ♥ Laura Evans, Lisa Splittstoesser, and Alison

Wendler for helping coordinate the purchase and distribution of chorus t-shirts for Island School Keiki Chorus and Island School ‘Opio Chorus, and to Jodi Eberly, Martha Hills, Lucky Dog Productions Inc., Irene Macatombas, Susie Massaro, Philip Steinbacher, and Anita Victorn, for contributions to the Alaka’i Chorus.

♥ ♥ ♥ the following generous donors to the Annual Giving Campaign: John & Crystal Contrades, Lisa & Bodhi Downer, Resh DuPuis, Wayne & Sharon Inanod, Titus Kanehe & Sandra Nishek, Daniel & Keana Oliveira, Melissa Riopta, Ken Sakai & Family, Glenn & Jane Sanacora, Drs. Robert Teichman & Geri Young, S&S Business Machines and Callie Yavinsky & family. ♥ ♥ ♥ Leah Curl for her donation to the LRC. ♥ ♥ ♥ Damarys & Steven Baptiste for donating lots of

games, puzzles and a puppet theatre to the Pre-K.

♥ ♥ ♥ Kathleen Dahill for working with our high school

musicians on music for their production, “It’s About Time.”

♥ ♥ ♥ Renato & Marjorie DeSouza, Ehren & Leah

Edwards, Suzanne Hanchett, Mike & Liz Hubbard, Chris & Leilani Kurz, Andy & Sonja Kass, Sean & Katie Magoun, Daniel & Keana Oliveira, Glenn & Jane Sanacora, Joy Stedman and The Parker Group for donations to support the purchase of iPads for the first grade classroom; and to Renato & Marjorie DeSouza for an additional contribution to the first grade Koke’e camping trip.

♥ ♥ ♥ Monica King and her crew: Debra DeBusca,

Leilani Kurz, Kori King, Leslie Kilcoyne, Sandy Catlin and Keana Oliviera, for collecting and tallying all the money from the Gift Wrap sale.

♥ ♥ ♥ the following ladies who decorated the Courtyard

for Fall Round-Up: Bridgette Orsatelle, Kori King, Susan Wender, Christine Ing, Amy Sherrer, Marian Keg, Leslie Kilcoyne, Claudia Trask, Sandy Catlin, Nausheen Juma and Lynn MacDonald.

Test Anxiety –

Not Always a Bad Thing

Midterms are next week for students in middle and high school. Parent might notice something called Test Anxiety in their children. Below are excerpts of an article by Mark Carey, of Kaulele Education Services on this familiar topic.

“Test Anxiety” is not a formal diagnosis. It is a functional description of what most students experience from time to time. A related formal diagnosis is “General Anxiety Disorder,” and test anxiety might be one of many ways that disorder manifests itself. If a student exhibits elevated anxiety in a variety of different situations, a clinical psychologist, not an educator, might determine such a diagnosis. However, when most students experience this feeling, there is no evidence of a broader anxiety problem, and there is much that can be done to change the situation.

“Test Anxiety” in itself is not a bad thing; in fact, it is important that a student not lack all traces of this. An elevated level of concern is appropriate when you are being tested, when you are competing, and when you are performing. That concern shows recognition of the importance of the task and an investment in a positive outcome. For many, a modest amount of anxiety can increase motivation and performance level.

Test anxiety should not be crippling, but when those uncomfortable feelings are not managed, it becomes so.

Strong emotion hijacks much of our thinking power, so excess test anxiety actually causes lower test performance.

You cannot think clearly when you are distressed, and memory/recall is particularly taxed. The result can be a snowballing of anxiety and inability to effectively focus on the task at hand.

There is much a student can do to keep test anxiety from developing. Being prepared for the test is critical.

When you are not feeling well-prepared, you are at a disadvantage both in actual knowledge and in the likelihood of potential interference from anxiety. In many classes—math and foreign languages in particular—daily homework is key to preparation. Students can take an active approach to reducing test anxiety by participating actively in class and by keeping current with their homework assignments.

It is common for students to perceive homework as a list of the concrete, assigned tasks and neglect to include “studying.” A student who employs active study strategies along with the specific homework assignments is likely to master material much more easily than one who will save studying for a single event prior to a test. When a test is coming up on a Friday, for example, a student might do better to assign herself 15 minutes of study homework on Monday - Thursday, rather than trying to “cram” it all in the night before.

If the household policy is that a student must work until homework is completed each day, it creates an incentive to finish the homework faster and may reinforce superficial effort. Students with a prescribed minimum amount of homework time per day may have more incentive to give the concrete tasks better effort and will be more inclined to apply the “daily study” habit rather than the “cram for tomorrow’s test” approach.

Students can be proactive in reducing anxiety. Relaxing before and during a test may also be useful and result in better performance. A variety of techniques can be applied, such as meditation, yoga and breathing exercises.

Asking the teacher for a change of seating, extended time and asking for clarification of directions are all appropriate requests and can be helpful in reducing anxiety.

Test anxiety frequently is exaggerated when time constraints exist. Students with slow reading or processing The entire article is available on RenWeb in the Resource speed are especially prone to this compounding factor.

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Island School 3-1875 Kaumuali`i Hwy Lihu`e, Kaua`i, Hawai`i, 96766

September 22, 2011 A weekly publication We’re on the web at www.ischool.org