Cultural Bridges Number 19, English version by Issaquah Schools Foundation

Cultural Bridges

NUMBER 19 | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2021

INFORMATION TO HELP FAMILIES NAVIGATE THE ISSAQUAH SCHOOL DISTRICT

Communicating with Teachers How to Report HIB Incidents at Schools With Love to the ISD Community

ENGLISH

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I hope that everyone’s school year is off to a great start. Although I know that returning to the buildings as the pandemic stretches on has sparked anxiety in kids and parents more than usual. As I am writing this note, the COVID-19 Delta variant is spreading fast in King County. If you would like information on where to get vaccinated, please don't hesitate to contact me. At schools, new prevention strategies have been implemented in response to public health guidance and teachers and students alike are adjusting to these. Some kids had not been in a school building since March 2020, so the staff had to take the time to help kids learn basic social skills, especially at the elementary level. This is why, more than ever, good two-way communication between families and teachers is necessary for your students' success. If English is not your first language, go to page 4 to learn about how to communicate with teachers and other school staff. Counselors are also a great resource for families. On page 5, an Issaquah School District counselor explains how the District encourages parents to reach out to them and that the main part of their job is to work with parents by providing support, resources, or even just listening.

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Communicating with Teachers How to Report HIB Incidents? ISD Special Education Calendar of Events Running Start Program COVID-19 Q&A Celebrating Latinx Culture

If you want to learn about what you can do to support youth in developing resilience, go to page 10. It's important to help young people navigate not only the current crisis but also the ones that they might experience going forward. During the pandemic, there was an increase in kids and teens using technology and social media, and that made them more prone to become victims of bullying. Last spring, the District offered workshops for parents who are new to the U.S. public school system or are unfamiliar with the support available for their children when Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying (HIB) incidents occur. To learn about what they shared, go to page 6. Finally, be sure to add to your calendar all the school, family, and community events for this fall! National Hispanic Heritage Month ends on October 15 and on page 20, I share some ideas on how to celebrate it. May this fall bring a harvest of happy times for your family!

Cultural Bridges Issaquah Schools Foundation ALICIA SPINNER

Program Manager

CHRISTIANA SCHUMANN English Editor KELLY BURCH Cover Designer LAURA NI Editorial Assistant MINAL DESAI-MONGA Cover Photographer

Alicia Spinner Cultural Bridges Manager alicia@isfdn.org This magazine is a resource provided through the Cultural Bridges program made possible by the Issaquah Schools Foundation. We are grateful for our donors, who are our readers, parents, and community members like you! To donate, visit: isfdn.org

Like us on Facebook @CBforeducation To read/download all Cultural Bridges publications in Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish or Vietnamese, visit: http://isfdn.org/culturalbridges-magazine/

NANA TSUJINO Japanese Editor NATALIA ARGUTINA Russian Editor NORMA RODRIGUEZ Spanish Editor SARAHI VELA Designer SONG PARK Korean Editor TRAM PHAM Vietnamese Editor YINGYING CUI Chinese Editor

Cultural Bridges Magazine, all rights reserved. Cultural Bridges Magazine is a free community magazine distributed locally and subsidized by Issaquah Schools Foundation. Its mission is to provide our community readers information that will enrich their quality of life covering topics such as education, health, nutrition, current events and the diverse culture in the city of Issaquah. Cultural Bridges for Education does not necessarily endorse or represent the views expressed in articles and advertisements found in the magazine, and is not responsible for the information, products and services that our advertisers published. Some parts of this publication may be a reproduction, translation or reprint where prior authorization is requested.

ISSAQUAH SCHOOLS FOUNDATION

Thank you for taking the time to read our Cultural Bridges magazine. We know a lot has changed over the past few years with the onset of the global pandemic. We hope you will find this information helpful as you navigate your way through the Issaquah School District. Proudly supported by the Issaquah Schools Foundation, the Cultural Bridges program is a valuable resource for parents, guardians, and students in our school communities of Issaquah, Sammamish, Renton, Bellevue, and Newcastle.

At the Issaquah Schools Foundation, we fuel success for students district-wide at ALL 26 schools, funding the gap between what the school district provides and what is needed for an exceptional educational experience for your child. YOU are at the heart of the Foundation! 80% of our funding comes from individual donors like you! Your volunteerism is also what makes our Foundation programs so successful. Thank you for engaging with us! With your help, the Foundation supports vital programs including after-school academic support, basic student needs such as Tools4School backpacks and supplies, snack and lunch support, speakers & workshops, mental & behavioral health support, STEM & robotics clubs, student and teacher grants, and more. Your generosity as a donor to the Foundation makes programs like these possible! The Issaquah Schools Foundation is 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that does fundraising and friend-raising to support all district students. In partnership with the Issaquah School District, we work together with our schools, educators, volunteers, PTSA/PTA, and other community partners to drive resources to help all students achieve the promise of their potential. We strive to be the unifying organization that allows access to exceptional opportunities district-wide.

We wish you all the best for the year ahead. As always, the Foundation puts our students’ needs first, continuously seeking innovative ideas or feedback from you on how we might be able to better serve your student. For over 34 years, we have proven to be resilient, resourceful, and relevant and have adapted to our ever-changing environment. We look forward to brighter days ahead and to meeting you in person this year! Please join our Foundation family by volunteering or donating. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@isfdn.org or visit www.isfdn.org. We would love to hear from you, or better yet stop by our office. We would love to meet you! To every child’s success,

Cornell Atwater Executive Director cornell@isfdn.org

Donate Today • isfdn.org/donate 3

SCHOOL STAFF

COMMUNICATING WITH TEACHERS and other school staff!

BY LORNA GILMOUR Equity and Family Partnerships Specialist ISD

Approximately 26% of people from Issaquah, Newcastle, and Sammamish were not born in the United States. For Bellevue, that number is higher at 36%. As a result, parents who did not attend school in the U.S. have many questions and challenges in navigating through the school system when their children start attending U.S. public schools.

Our schools are very diverse. The Issaquah School District recognizes that to support and ensure the academic and social well-being of our students, we must also make sure that our families feel welcome and safe to reach out to district staff for support. To reduce barriers and ensure that families can navigate the schools in support of their children, the District has several supports. Families new to the schools are encouraged to attend Issaquah School District events to better understand the school system (see page 13). When children start grades 6-12, many families are surprised at the number of options in course selection. In many countries, students don’t have such options. Navigating school systems, including course selection, extracurricular opportunities, absences and attendance, may be a challenge. Attend one of the many events hosted by the District. There are parent workshop events held by Family Partnership district staff and other staff to help families better understand and get answers to questions. In addition to holding monthly parent workshops, the District also has Family Partnership Liaison employees at each school. Liaisons can help families complete the registration process, answer questions about school systems in general, connect with appropriate staff, and learn more about the many district learning management systems such as Clever and Canvas to better support their children.

Parents have a right to access important information and opportunities for their children in their language. The Issaquah School District website and all the schools' websites have the Google translate feature. In addition, the District and elementary schools send out their Enews in a format that can be easily translated using the translate feature.

If English is not your preferred language of communication, please make sure that you mark that on your Enrollment Verification form in August. Teachers and school staff can communicate with you in your preferred language at no cost to you. The District has interpreters available for meeting on the phone, on Zoom calls, or in person. It is important that the staff knows that you have a preferred language other than English so that they can offer you this service. Parent Rights From Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI – Washington State Education Department) You are an important part of your child’s education! The school will communicate with you—in your language— about your child’s education. This often includes translated documents and a language interpreter for meetings and conversations. You have the right to these services even if you speak some English and even if your child can speak or read in English. The school will communicate with you in your language about important information and opportunities for your child. Meetings and conversations with teachers and school employees When you talk with teachers or school employees, the school will offer an interpreter if you need one. This includes parent-teacher conferences, meetings about special education, or any other conversations about your child’s education. The school will use only competent interpreters who are fluent in English and in your language. The school will make sure interpreters understand any terms or concepts that will be used during the meeting. The school will not use students or children as interpreters. The interpreter should be neutral and should communicate everything said during the conversation. They should not omit or add to what anyone says. The school will make sure interpreters understand their role and the need to keep information confidential. The interpreter might be in person or on the phone and might be district staff or an outside contractor. The school will offer an interpreter for any meetings or conversations at school or about your child’s education. You can also ask the school if you need one.

Laura Maserole

SCHOOL STAFF

School Counselor at Pacific Cascade Middle School caregivers over phone or email, teach a lesson on social/emotional issues in a health class, and work with teachers to support students in their classrooms. I also work closely with the administration and our PBSES (Positive Behavior Social Emotional Support) coach as well. Every day is different, as you never know what issues or concerns might walk through the door – despite what might be on my calendar!

Cultural Bridges (CB): Tell me 6 a little about your position and what you do on a day-to-day basis. Why do schools have counselors? Laura Meserole (LM): My role as a school counselor is to be a sounding board and resource for students, parents/caregivers, and staff. My job is to help remove barriers to students being successful in school. Sometimes those barriers are at school, and sometimes they are outside of school. On any given day, I meet with multiple different students, talk with parents/

COUNSELORS

CB: Why did you choose to work as an Issaquah School District Counselor? LM: I grew up in this district and knew I wanted to return once I received my counseling degree. I always knew I wanted to work in a psychology field and help others, and school counseling is the perfect fit. I get to support students, give them a safe space to talk and be heard, while getting to be a part of a fun school community. CB: Are parents allowed to reach out to school counselors to ask for help for students? LM: Absolutely!! It is actually encouraged for parents to reach out to us! Working with parents by providing support, resources, or even just listening, is one of the main parts of our job as a school

Each school has Counseling Services. All students have access to and the right to participate in the school guidance and counseling program. The counseling program is based on specified goals and developmental competencies for all students in support of student achievement. It is planned and coordinated by school counseling teams with consideration of other school, parent or guardian and community representatives. School counselors help students manage emotions, apply interpersonal

counselor. We are often the bridge to connect families with what they might need to help their student thrive. CB: Any story you would like to share? LM: There have been several students I’ve worked with extensively, who were really struggling with their mental health and ability to keep themselves safe. They moved on to high school, and now as juniors and seniors, they are thriving and enjoying their life. Seeing them move out of the challenging places they were in, to be now experiencing happiness and joy, is a hugely rewarding part of my job! CB: Tell me a little bit about yourself outside your work. LM: I met my husband in 7th grade at IMS (Issaquah Middle School) and we have a super silly and fun second-grade son. I also coach cheer at Issaquah High, which takes up most of my time outside of school! If I’m not coaching, I love being on the water with my family and traveling when we have the chance! I’ve also lived in Spain, Italy, and New Zealand prior to returning to Issaquah and look forward to more travels soon!

skills, and plan for postsecondary options. Counselors also deliver classroom lessons, facilitate small psychoeducational groups, offer short-term counseling to students, connect students with outside resources, and collaborate with families, teachers, administrators, community members for student success. To contact your student’s school counselor, visit: https://www.issaquah.wednet.edu/family/ counseling-services/comprehensive-schoolcounseling

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How to Report HIB Incidents at School?

What can I do to help my child if they are experiencing racist remarks, bullying, harassment, and/ or intimidation at school? What do these terms truly mean? What is the difference between the terms? Should I report? Who should I report to? How do I report? What can I expect if I do report?

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Sometimes students face unkind and cruel behavior from other students. Last April, the Issaquah School District Family Partnership Team, School Administrators, and School Counselors offered workshops for parents who are new to the U.S. public school system or are unfamiliar with supports available for their child when incidents like these occur. Here we are sharing some of the information. Incidents such as Harassment, Intimidation, or Bullying (HIB) at school are separate but related behaviors. Each must be addressed appropriately.

Harassment refers to any

malicious act, which causes harm to any person's physical well-being. It can be discriminatory harassment, malicious harassment, or sexual harassment. Intimidation refers to implied or overt threats of physical violence. Bullying refers to unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another student or group of students that involves an observed or perceived power imbalance and is repeated multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may inflict harm on the targeted youth, including physical, or creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment. Bullying can also occur through technology and is called electronic bullying or cyberbullying. It's important to realize that any behavior could fall under a variety of regulations and procedures or overlap within more than one.

SCHOOL STAFF

Whatever the incident may or may not be HIB, report socially unacceptable or negative behavior is essential. In the Issaquah School District, students are taught about the importance of bullying prevention starting in kindergarten. Elementary school counselors deliver a series of class lessons using the “Second Step Bullying Prevention Unit,” which is a Social Emotional Learning curriculum. Students in kindergarten through 3rd grade learn about the 3R’s of bullying prevention: Recognize, Report, and Refuse, as well as the importance of Bystander Power, which teaches and encourages students to be supportive bystanders. Students in 4th and 5th grade build on their existing knowledge of the 3R’s, dive deeper into bystander responsibility, and learn about cyberbullying. In middle school, 6th- and 7th-grade students continue learning from Second Step Curriculum to learn problem-solving and conflict resolution skills that they need when they have difficulties with their peers. Some of these problems may not rise to the level of bullying or harassment but can create conflict between peers and friends.

SCHOOL STAFF

For elementary students, the first thing a parent/caregiver needs to do is to listen with love and understanding. Help gather as much information from your child as possible because the school will ask for details including who, where, when, and how long. This includes the person or people who were doing the bullying, who was being bullied, and any witnesses or bystanders, both adults and peers. Remind the student that bullying is never okay and figure out which trusted adults can help get it to stop at school. Reach out to this trusted adult at school by calling, emailing, or scheduling an appointment. The trusted adults can be the student’s teacher, school counselor, Dean of Students, or the principal. For middle school students, depending on each school’s procedure on reporting, generally report to the Dean of Students, Assistant Principal, or school counselor by filling out a form in the counseling office. Then, depending on what is reported, the student and/or parent may be contacted either by a school counselor or Assistant Principal.

At high school, these reports are generally taken directly by the student’s Assistant Principal. It’s common for high school students to go to a school counselor to feel supported and comfortable making the report. Parents/caregivers need to guide and support them and discuss with them the importance of going to a school counselor or Assistant Principal to get adult support and intervention instead of hiding the truth, as well as report all the details about the behavior and situation that they are aware of. It takes courage to tell the full story and sharing all the details they know, which will allow the school to protect students to the full extent of their ability, take appropriate action, and work to right the situation. Now if students prefer to communicate with school administrators anonymously, the Issaquah School District has an online support system called Issaquah Tip. When sending a tip, submitters select from a dropdown list of common issues they may be facing, such as bullying, fighting, threatening behavior, drug or alcohol abuse, and schoolwork concerns, etc., and then enter the tip message. Administrators in the district office receive the tips and forward them to the school to investigate or take action as appropriate. Students have access to Issaquah Tip 24 hours a day, seven days a week at http:// www.issaquah.wednet.edu/tip. Parent/caregivers can find correct school counselor or Assistant Principal information on the school website or call and ask the school directly or ask a teacher to put in contact with the correct one.

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3R’s Recognize: recognize bullying is when someone is mean on purpose and bullying behavior is repeated or ongoing. Bullying is unfair, has imbalanced power, and is onesided. Report: it’s important to report bullying. It’s everybody’s responsibility to tell a trusted adult when they see, hear, or experience bullying. Refuse: refuse bullying if it’s happening to you, if you see it happening to somebody else, or if your friends/ classmates try to get you to join in. Refuse includes telling someone to stop, moving away from the bullying behavior, not joining in laughter or conversations that are hurtful to other students, and finding a trusted adult to report the bullying behavior to. A bystander is someone who sees or hears about bullying happening to someone else. There’s a difference between passive bystanders and supportive bystanders. A passive bystander is somebody who sees or hears about bullying happening but doesn’t do anything about it. Supportive bystanders report or help report bullying, stand up for somebody who’s being bullied, and refuse bullying behavior. They are respectful and kind; they include everyone.

Resources Home Links is a good resource. These are worksheets with information designed for families to support the bully prevention/bully report learning that takes place in the classroom. It includes a script so that a parent/ caregiver and the child can practice reporting bullying together at home, which helps build the student’s assertiveness, confidence, courage, and advocacy both for themselves and for others. There’s a Home Link for every single lesson in every single grade level. Feel free to reach out to the school counselor for Home Links either by paper or online access. Student Handbooks are available on the school website, which details the expectations of positive student behavior in school to create a safe climate. It provides all of the definitions for what is inappropriate behavior that could result in disciplinary action. It also gives names of people at the district level who a parent/caregiver can contact if a formal complaint needs to be filed.

At home in the community. It’s more than hospitals and clinics. It’s knowing what your family needs. And your first name. It’s getting kids to be active, and young adults through college. Making it easier to live well. It’s creating healthier communities, together.

SWEDISH ISSAQUAH

751 NE Blakely Drive Issaquah, WA 98029 425-313-4000 www.swedish.org/issaquah-kids

ISD Special Education This Q&A is based on a series of short webinars organized by Betsy Grant, chair of the Issaquah PTSA Council Special Education Committee. In the webinars, Dr. Dana Bailey, the Issaquah School District Special Services executive director, and Dr. Stephany King, director of Special Services for the ECE (Early Childhood Education) and elementary LRC1 (Learning Resource Center 1) programs, answered community questions related to the District’s special services.

For IEP meetings, can you describe the experience the Issaquah School District would like parents to have? Could you suggest some steps that could be taken by families or IEP teams to improve the process? The District’s goal is not signing off on the IEP but to work to improve the experience of parents as full partners in IEP development. Here are some suggestions: I would encourage them to ask the team to amend the draft IEP that they have to include all of the parents’ feedback. Sometimes the parents’ feedback doesn’t make it into the IEP. It’s fair and possible to ask to see their feedback represented in this IEP. Another one would be if the parents feel rushed and unfinished when an hour or ninety minutes was given. Parents in the meeting can request to schedule a continuation of this IEP. The team would schedule one so

the parents would feel like they have a full and robust opportunity to participate. These two ideas are about how the personnel can meet you at the table in a full collaboration and to make sure that people don’t feel rushed. In addition to the annual IEP review meeting, what other circumstances would require a formal meeting of a student’s IEP team? How would a parent request an IEP meeting? In addition to each annual IEP review meeting, you may contact the Issaquah School District about scheduling additional IEP meetings about questions regarding reviewing or revising your student’s IEP, determining the setting where your student will receive their services or questions about the special education evaluation or evaluation process. If parents have any questions pertaining to your student’s IEP or service delivery, please reach out to your case manager. If you don’t know who your case manager is, you can reach out to your building leader or general education teacher. You can even reach out to the Special Services department and we will get you connected to the right person. I would also encourage families to review the notice of special education procedural safeguards for students and their families. It’s the document that you’re provided probably at every evaluation and IEP meeting. Thoroughly read

through that document which also provides families with information about their rights and responsibilities around having a student who’s receiving special education services. What are recovery services and compensatory services? Compensatory services, sometimes called Comp Ed, are services that are awarded after a school or a district has failed to deliver something that was expected as part of the student service matrix or part of their school day. For example, if a student was supposed to get physical therapy, and Special Services didn’t provide it because we were never able to hire one. Special Service would then be required to deliver the missed physical therapy in a Comp Ed package or Compensatory Ed package. Those services would be delivered outside of their regularly scheduled school day until the services were delivered in full. This is sometimes a function of a sanction or mediation. Sometimes Special Services offer a Comp Ed package because it’s the right thing to do. We usually offer Comp Ed as a package after a known failure to deliver has been identified. Recovery services for special education are how we’re all going to talk about the community recovering from the impact of COVID. In Special Services, we have a plan or the beginnings of a plan. We have been cautioned from

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our leaders in the state of Washington not to use a formula to try to figure out a child’s individual impact of COVID was. We are encouraged to make individual decisions for individual students through the IEP process. Parents should come to the next IEP meeting or the recovery services invitation for IEP meeting with information about how much home support was provided during the long school closure and how much assistance the student really needed to accomplish the school. We need an honest collection of data about how school really went or how much the student really needed to be successful or even to just participate in school. The team will work together to make an initial plan for recovery services and will be monitored throughout the year and into next school year and into next summer. If you have more questions: send an email to specialeducation@issaquahptsa. org, join their Facebook group by searching “Issaquah Special Education PTSA Committee” or visit: https://www.issaquahptsa. org/programs/specialeducation.

Free Art Workshops every month at The Garage, Teen Café in Downtown Issaquah. For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/ ClubInclusiveIssaquah

RESOURCES

7 Cs of Resilience Another approach to think about is building resilience skills. Kenneth Ginsburg, MD MS, Ed, FAAP developed the 7 Cs of Resilience model to utilize young people’s strengths to support them in their development so they can bend in adversity rather than break.

1. Competence

is to allow young people to experience the struggle within the system and let them recover on their own and learn from it.

2. Confidence

means young people believe in their own abilities. Adults can help young people by recognizing the effort they put in rather than focusing on only the results.

Action Forum for Youth 2021 is hosted by Influence the Choice in partnership with the Issaquah Schools Foundation, the Lake Washington Schools Foundation, and both Issaquah and Lake Washington School Districts. It’s a community event, which is held every two years to coincide with the release of the Healthy Youth Survey Data. Its focus is to join youth and adult community leaders to explore the challenges facing today's youth and create sustainable solutions. This year’s focus is on understanding students’ current mental health needs and finding the solutions to the challenge facing today’s youth. Jerry Blackburn, former Executive Director of Influence the Choice, started explaining the data and resources used today regarding youth experiences and what adults can do to support youth in developing resilience. The goal is to help young people navigate not only the current crisis but also the crisis that they might experience as young people going forward. Therefore, there are two approaches that adults or the community can take to support young people. One approach is the crisis response. Learn to respond to any crisis from a growth mindset standpoint. Appreciate the nature of it as profound, accept the reality, and do everything to access support systems. In the end, develop a community and make connections around it so that people can get to a place where they have the capacity to deal with the next level of adversity, which our young people will experience. This is a skill set that youth will need as they venture out into the world.

3. Connection

is to support close ties and belonging and help young people make connections in the community.

4. Character

is to support value/spiritual development and opportunities to care for others and encourage empathy, acceptance, and inclusion.

Contribution means being of service to others and having the capacity to step away from their own experience and put yourself in the arena of another individual to support them to be successful. 5.

6. Coping is to support/model healthy strategies

by encouraging a growth mindset and letting them make decisions. Adults are really role models for healthy demonstrations of resilience and capacity.

7. Control

means to let young people have a locus of control so that they can develop the skill sets and capacities to believe in their ability to succeed. Show them their power, which might change their experiences and the experiences of others in a healthy way and maintain high expectations. Overall, as adults, our job is to let our young people know that we unconditionally care in these responses whether they fall and get up or continue struggling. What’s most important for adults to know? Our young people are resilient but not everybody is in the same boat. Together we can give young people everything that they need going forward so that they are able to bend rather than break. We want them to be successful. It’s the mission for all of us.

RESOURCES

This year’s Action Forum invited five youth panelists to answer questions and share their experiences. Here are some of the questions and answers:

The Healthy Youth Survey makes it clear that after 8th grade, students are much more likely to tell a friend or peer if they are struggling rather than telling an adult. How can we make it more comfortable for you to ask adults for help? It definitely helps when adults come to you as a friend instead of first trying to fix things. I think it’s normal that we don’t always go to our parents but I’ve noticed a lot of adults have been opening up recently. One of my teachers, he took one of the class periods and got the whole class to have a discussion about what we can do in the next couple of weeks to just make his class better. And that was really awesome to see everybody engaged in that because a lot of kids do have a lot of opinions to say. We are just not always asked about it. We keep it to ourselves a lot of the time. Henry Schriber Skyline High School

It can be said that resilience and gratitude can be found in adversity. What do you think you will take away from your time in isolation and how might that affect your future self? I think most of [the] time for my isolation, it has given me the chance to learn the skills which are needed to overcome pretty much anything that comes my way because I have learned to be more patient and kinder and resilient. The thought of being in quarantine for almost one year and a half makes me feel that it’s a great accomplishment and see if I can learn anything more that I haven’t learned yet. Meskie Blumenthal Former PCMS

What is the number one takeaway that you want us to hear about as we recover from the pandemic and we start to go back into full-time connections and full-time schools and all of these various things? Allow us to enjoy our youth because there are times that it feels like hard to not be able to do anything while you’re young. Thinking out about the future could be pretty sad and down. It will be good if adults, in general, could just let young people make decisions but make them have consequences for it. Cash Mendoza Former PCMS

What was the most surprising thing you learned about yourself during the past year? I learned how easy it is to get burnt out and how hard it is to get back up from that and how hard it is to be resilient in a timely manner. It is super easy to lose all of your motivation and progress.

What can the District or the communities do to help you, and especially the kids who don’t have a lot of good friend circles, create opportunities for you to get together? Is that something you’re interested in or is that something you are already doing? I think it can be really hard to get them to engage. However, what I’ve noticed, though, is if we do things centered around our interests (for example, a field day for people [who] like sports or theater gathering for the theater people), it can be cool to find your social groups and make it a way to express yourself, which I think a lot of us want to express ourselves and express how we’re feeling. It will be cool if we could be put in those circles and have the help of the District to find those circles. Henry Schriber Skyline High School

Sofia VanHuss Liberty High School

How can we help young adults understand that there are resources in our community, such as counseling services, which can intervene prior to someone experiencing an overdose or experiencing something incredible horrific? Emphasize that kids who come in (to counseling) won’t get in trouble. Destigmatize would be the right word. If it’s possible, make it be really casual, maybe even anonymous. Just make it super comfortable. Sofia VanHuss Liberty High School

Just being there to listen instead of providing solutions or telling them that they need help. Emma Krohn Gibson EK High School

TEEN TALKS For teens, by teens speaker-led presentation student-led discussion TAKING CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

Influence the Choice staff Sara Young and TECH (Teens Encouraging Community Health) students hosted their first Teen Talk for Issaquah School District students about taking care of yourself. Mental and physical health are so important! If you missed it and you would like to watch it, visit their page https://www. influencethechoice.org/teentalk. html

CALENDAR

ALL SCHOOLS

Oct. 18: Teacher Work Day, no school for students Nov. 11: Veterans Day Observance, no school for students or staff Nov. 25-26: Thanksgiving holiday, no school for students or staff Dec. 20-31: First Winter Break, no school for students or staff Reflections Art Contest: Calling all Artists! Students are invited to enter the PTA 20212022 Reflections Art Contest! The theme is "I will change the world by . . . " For more information, ask the PTSA/PTA at your school!

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS Dec 1-2: Elementary Conferences, no school for students Apollo Oct. 04-15: Fall Rocket Fuel Fundraising Oct. 04-15: Scholastic Book Fair Oct. 06-07: Vision & Hearing Testing Oct. 13, 7pm: PTA Board Meeting, Zoom Oct. 29: Reflections Entries Due Nov. 12, 6pm-7pm: Reflections Reception Nov. 17, 7pm: PTA Board Meeting, Zoom Dec. 10: Winter Festival, 6pm, Zoom Dec. 11: Math in Action Tournament, Virtual

Briarwood Oct. 10: PTA Board Meeting Nov. 8: PTA General Meeting Cascade Ridge Oct. 5: New Family Connection Oct. 14, 6:30pm: PTSA Meeting Nov. 2: Reflections Entries Due Nov. 4: Reflections Reception Nov. 4-5: Vision/Hearing Screen Nov.: Holiday Gift Barn Collection Dec.1-2: Staff Appreciation Cedar Trails Oct. 6: Picture Day Cougar Ridge Oct. 19: PTSA General Meeting 7pm Oct. 21: Reflections Due Nov. 15, 7pm: PTSA Meeting/Community Connection with Principal Ravenscraft Dec. 14, 7pm: PTSA General Meeting Creekside Oct. 14: MOD Pizza Fundraising Event Oct. 29, 5:30pm: Halloween Bash Dec. 14, 7pm: PTSA Meeting Discovery Oct. 11-15: School Spirit Week Oct. 11-25: Fall Fundraiser Oct. 29: Trick or Treat Drive-Thru Nov. 1: Reflections Entries Due Nov. 7-11: Tutta Bella Pizzeria Fundraiser Nov. 15-16: Hearing and Vision Screenings Nov. 16: PTSA General Meeting Grand Ridge Oct. 4: PTSA Board Meeting 7pm Oct. 21: Reflection Entry Due Date Nov. 1, 7pm: PTSA Board Meeting Nov. 15, 7pm: PTSA General Meeting Dec. 6, 7pm: PTSA Board Meeting

Issaquah Valley Nov. 11: PTA General Meeting Maple Hills Oct. 1: Picture Day Oct. 6, 9:30am: PTA Board Meeting Oct. 26, 6:30pm: PTA Meeting Nov. 3, 9:30am: PTA Board Meeting Nov. 15-19: Fall Book Fair Nov. 16: School Picture retake Dec. 8, 9:30am: PTA Board Meeting Newcastle Dec. 6, 7pm: Meeting & Principal Chat Sunny Hills Oct. 1: PTA Enrichment Grant Application Due Oct. 14, 6:30pm: PTA Meeting Oct. 19: Picture Day Oct. 21-22: Vision & Hearing Screening Oct. 28: Fall Family Event Nov. 8-10: Thanksgiving Food Drive Nov. 8: Reflections Art Submissions Due

Pacific Cascade

Oct. 1: ASB Fundraiser Oct. 7, 12pm: PTSA Meeting Oct. 20: Picture Retake Oct. 22: Reflection Art Contest Entries Due Oct. 28: Vision and Hearing Screening Oct. 29: Halloween Social Dec. 13: All Music Concert Pine Lake Oct. 12, 7pm: PTSA Meeting Nov. 5, 7pm: International Night

HIGH SCHOOLS

Sunset Oct. 5: Picture Day retake Nov. 5: Sunset Elementary Gala Auction

Oct. 7, 6am and Oct. 9, 9am: FLASH and HIV/ AIDS Curriculum Information Sessions for Grades 6-12: Teacher will be teaching the district adopted FLASH (Family Life and Sexual Health) and HIV/AIDS curriculum during this school year. To allow parents an opportunity to examine the instructional materials and view the videos that may be used, there will be 2 public viewings of the materials at the Issaquah School District Administration Center. Presentation lasts about 1.5 hours.

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Issaquah

Dec. 3: Grading Day – Early Dismissal Cougar Mountain Oct. 22, 10AM: PTSA Meeting Nov. 9: In-Person Curriculum Night at New CMMS Building Nov. 19, 10am: PTSA Meeting Issaquah Oct. 2-3: Salmon Days, PTSA Parking Fundraiser Oct. 8-12: Fall Fundraiser Oct. 12, 6:30-8:00pm: Chorus Concert Oct. 14, 8:45-11:30am: Picture Retake Oct. 20, 6pm: PTSA Meeting, Zoom Oct. 25-29: We Are One Week: Disability Awareness Oct. 29: MVP Celebration Oct. 29, 10am-10:45am: Cocoa with Carrie Oct. 29, 1:00-2:00pm: Spirit Day Nov. 5: WEBtivity Nov. 17, 6pm: PTSA Meeting, Zoom Nov. 18, 6:30-8pm: 7/8 Grade Orchestra Concert Nov. 19: MVP Celebration Nov. 19, 10am-10:45am: Cocoa with Carrie Nov. 22-24: Spirit Week Nov. 23, 6:30-8pm: 7/8 Grade Band Concert Nov. 24, 2pm-3:30pm: All School Party Dec. 7, 6:30-8pm: Beginning Band and Orchestra Concert Dec. 9, 6:30-8pm: Chorus Concert Dec. 10: PM Assembly – Spirit and Recognition Dec. 15, 6pm: PTSA Meeting, Zoom Dec. 17: MVP Celebration Dec. 17: Spirit Day Maywood

Oct. 21: Final Day to Order Spirit wear Oct. 21, 10:3am: PTSA Board Meeting Oct. 21, 6:30pm: PTSA Meeting Oct. 26-29: Student Vision and Hearing Testing Nov. 2: Reflection submission due Nov. 9-12: PTSA Fall book fair

Oct. 4, 7, 8: SBAC Testing Oct. 6: Staff Appreciation Breakfast Oct. 6: WCAS Test 12th grade Oct 12: PTSA Membership Meeting Oct. 13: PSAT Oct 13: Family Connection Q&A Support Session Oct 15: Grant Application Due Oct 19, 6:30pm: NFA Capri Cellars Monthly Mixer Oct 20, 6pm: Ask an Academic Advisor Night Oct. 23, 8-11pm: Homecoming Dance Oct. 27: Staff Appreciation Breakfast Oct. 29: All Reflections Due Nov. 3: PTSA Board Meeting Nov. 12, 9:30am: PTSA Meeting Nov. 16, 6:30pm: NFA: Capri Cellars Monthly Mixer Nov. 17: Staff Appreciation Breakfast Dec. 7, 10:30am: NFA Molbaks Home and Garden Tour Dec. 15: Staff Appreciation Breakfast Liberty Oct. 1, 7pm: Varsity Football Game vs. Spanaway Lake, Home Oct. 7: Picture Retake Oct. 8: Varsity Football Game vs. Mercer Island, Home Oct. 12, 6:30pm: PTSA Membership Meeting Oct. 15: Varsity Football Game vs. Bellevue, Away Oct. 25-29: Homecoming Week Oct. 29: Varsity Football Game vs. Lake Washington, Home Oct 29: Class of 2022 Senior Yard Signs on Sale Nov. 5: Reflections Entries Due Nov. 5: AP Exam Registration Skyline Oct 13: PSAT Test Oct 13, 10am-1pm: Picture Retake/Make-Up Day Oct 22: Homecoming Game Oct 23: Homecoming Dance

CALENDAR

Building Resilience and Positive Coping Skills Oct 13, 2021, 7-8:30pm, Zoom Speaker: Dr. Laura Kastner During a pandemic, when many things are outside of our control, it’s what we do as parents with what we can control that will shape our children into cool, kind kids with character. Join nationally recognized author and speaker Dr. Laura Kastner for a discussion about strategies to help our children, our partners, and ourselves find calm in the chaos. Drawing upon research-based best practices from her years of clinical practice and her bestselling “Getting to Calm” book series, Dr. Kastner will share expert tips and tools to manage the pressures and opportunities of parenting during a crisis.

ParentWiser events are FREE for PTA or PTSA members of any school in the Issaquah School District, or $10 donations are requested for nonmembers or guests from other districts. For registration information, visit: https://www.parentwiser.org/events

October 30, October 30,2021 2021- 9-AM 9AM

The District's Family Partnership organizes events in collaboration with our program Cultural Bridges. All families with students in the District are welcome to attend. Sessions are in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. Interpreters in other languages available upon request. If you need an interpreter in another language, contact Lorna Gilmour at: gilmourl@issaquah.wednet.edu. For more information, visit: https://www. issaquah.wednet.edu/family/culturaland-family-partnerships/events OCTOBER October 13th Family Connections Question and Answer session Two sessions - 10:30 am to Noon and 7:00 to 8:30 pm on Zoom Where to get answers or who to ask for help with school questions? NOVEMBER November 3rd from 6:30 to 8:30 pm Zoom Session Tips for Parent-Teacher Conferences (Elementary School only – K-5) Topics will include - Parentteacher conferences, contacting schools, norms, expectations for parent-teacher communications, and questions to ask teachers at conferences DECEMBER December 8th - Family Connections Question and Answer session Two sessions - 10:30 am to Noon and 7:00 to 8:30 pm on Zoom Where to get answers or who to ask for help with school questions?

October 30, 2021 - 9Boat AM Launch Lake Sammamish State Park Sammamish State Park LakeLake Sammamish State Park Boat Launch

Boat Launch

• Virtual race options

• Awardslevels and prizes! -All ages and fitness -Phased start-times -Masking• Masking requirements • Professionally chip-timed requirements isfdn.org/monstermash5k • All ages and fitness levels • Virtual race options -Virtual options 100%race of proceeds go to support students • Phased start-times • Awards and prizes! isfdn.org/monstermash5k via the Issaquah Schools Foundation -Awards and prizes! 100% of proceeds go to support students

isfdn.org

Russian Book Club

Wednesday, October 6, 6:30-8pm. New members always welcome. The discussion will be in Russian. To join, send an email by 5pm the day of the event to russianbookgroup@gmail.com. The Zoom link will be emailed to you.

Family Book Club in Spanish

Oct. 8, Nov. 12 and Dec 10: A reading program in Spanish for children ages 5 to 10. Learn through discussion and fun activities. Analyze stories, learn new vocabulary, and develop critical thinking and comprehension skills in Spanish. Please register by 12:30pm on the day of the Book Club. The Zoom link will be emailed to you.

Spanish Story Times

Every Tuesday, 4-4:30pm. Family program, all ages welcome with adult. Enjoy stories, music, movement, and rhymes that develop your child’s early literacy skills. Please register by 12pm on the day of the event: lacarter@kcls.org. The Zoom link will be emailed to you.

Chinese Book Club

via the Issaquah Schools Foundation

isfdn.org/monstermash5k

Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays, 4-6pm and Saturdays, 3-5pm. Volunteers help students practice reading out loud. Reading Buddies have access to OverDrive eBooks to share on screen. The book selection changes every two weeks. Reading Buddies can focus on: Pronunciation and pacing as students read, reading, and conversation for English language learners and reading comprehension.

Family program, all ages welcome with adult. Enjoy stories, music, movement, and rhymes that develop your child’s early literacy skills in Mandarin. Please register: mplo@kcls.org

• Virtual race options • Masking requirements Lake Sammamish State Park Boat Launch • Awards and prizes! -Professionally chip-timed

100% of proceeds go to support students via the Issaquah Schools Foundation

Reading Buddies

Mandarin Story Time

• Professionally chip-timed • Masking requirements October 30, 2021 - 9 AM • All ages and fitness levels • Professionally chip-timed • Phased start-times • All ages and fitness levels • Phased start-times

The King County libraries offer many wonderful reading programs. For more information: https://kcls.org/

https://www.issaquahturkeytrot.org/

Come for a discussion in Mandarin. Read and discuss books in Chinese - a different title each month. Please register by 12:30pm on the day of the Book Club. The Zoom link will be emailed to you. For information, contact Mie-Mie Wu at ywu@kcls.org.

ISSAQUAH SCHOOL DISTRICT

Our ISD Students Rely on the Stability of These Four Key Partners in Education

1. Taxes & State Funding

Public education funding is a very complicated system. Schools receive funding from the federal government, state government, and local tax levies and bonds. The majority of the District’s operating budget comes from the state and is based on a school district’s enrollment, a per-pupil basis. The District uses the operations budget to fund all programs, services, textbooks, materials, and salaries; in short, everything needed to run the District day to day. However, this does not fully cover the cost of a modern education.

If you are eligible, VOTE! And if you are not, help with the campaigns and explain to other families why this is so important.

Working alongside the District in realizing it mission, the Foundation supports programs that benefit ALL Issaquah School District students. Thanks to generous donors, the Issaquah Schools Foundation is able to provide over a million dollars in programs and grants annually each year to students and teachers in the Issaquah School District. The Cultural Bridges program that publishes this Family Guide is only one example of the work that the Foundation makes possible. There are many ways to get involve with the Foundation! Be a volunteer or an ambassador. And as a donor, you are fueling success for every student at every school.

School bonds specifically provide funding for construction—renovating and building new schools or repairing facilities to ensure students learn in safe, secure and modern classrooms.

3. Issaquah Schools Foundation

This magazine is published by Cultural Bridges, an Issaquah Schools Foundation run program that helps build relationships between families, their children, the Issaquah School District, and the broader Issaquah community through outreach, events, mentoring, and translation services. This magazine is published in Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

2. Bonds & Levies

In their funding formulas, state and federal governments provide little or no resources to pay for school construction or repairs, educational technology, or school bus purchases. Instead, the state allows school districts to run levies and bonds asking local taxpayers to fund these specific items.

School bond elections require a supermajority (60%) of voter approval to pass.

Districts are allowed to ask voters for levies to fund extras. Local voters approve levies every two to four years to make up the difference in what the state pays for and what the District needs to offer a high quality education.

To learn more visit www.isfdn.org

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4. PTSA /PTA

Every school in our District has a PTSA/PTA. Their president and the school principal meet regularly as the PTSA/PTA supports school activities. PTSA/PTA have delegates that attend the WSPTA Legislative Assembly and vote for resolutions and legislative issues. PTSA/PTA offers meaningful volunteer opportunities with the school community for activities such as Picture Days. PTSA/PTA supports students, staff and parents by creating fundraising events like fun runs, auctions and book fairs. With these funds, they provide art supplies, teacher stipends, field trips, library books, STEM and cultural activities, and more. Be a PTSA/PTA member, volunteer in their activities and participate in their events.

Through culturally sensitive support offered either in families’ native language or in English, Cultural Bridges helps parents feel more confident becoming involved in school and supporting their students at home. To read/download our publications: http://isfdn.org/cultural-bridges-magazine/

Cultural Connections

The doctor can

see you now. Really, we mean now.

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Overlake Clinics – Issaquah Urgent Care Every Day, 7 a.m.–11 p.m. Phone: 425.688.5777 5708 E Lake Sammamish Pkwy SE Issaquah, WA 98029

Overlake Clinics – Sammamish

SE 4th St

228th Ave SE

Get in line online at overlakehospital.org/urgentcare

Overlake Clinics – Sammamish Urgent Care Monday–Saturday, Noon–10 p.m. Phone: 425.635.3080 22630 SE 4th St, Suite 300 Sammamish, WA 98074

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Running Start Program

Running Start is a program offered by the Issaquah School District where 11th- and 12th-grade students can take college classes at a community college to complete high school graduation requirements while earning college credits at the same time. This program is available to any high school juniors or seniors in the District. Cultural Bridges invited former Liberty High School student, Anna Anderson, and fresh Issaquah High School graduate, Bradyn Eldridge, to share their Running Start experience with students and parents who might consider this program as one of their options.

6 6

Anna Anderson: For the Running Start program, you can do either part-time or full-time. If you do full-time, you don’t need to go to your high school at all during the school day. You will go to the community college where you are taking the Running Start classes at and take all your classes there. If you do part-time, you would go to your high school to take some of your high school classes and go to the community college for the other classes. Every quarter you meet with your high school counselor and get a form, which you have to turn in to the community college (this is easy). I liked this program a lot and benefitted a lot from it. Bradyn Eldridge: It depends on what you want to do with the Running Start program. Some students take it with the intention of earning their associate’s degree (full-time Running Start) and other kids just take a class or two to start earning college credits. Not many of them actually get their associate’s degree in Running Start because it's a full-time commitment. Basically, the last two years I have only taken one class at IHS, Advanced Sports Medicine. I attended college classes at Bellevue College in the morning and then go to IHS for Sports Medicine at the end of the day. Credits towards high school graduation are different in Running Start. For example, one class of English at Bellevue College is equal to one year of high school English credit. I needed at least 3 years of a foreign language in high school for my college applications. I

took Chinese I and II in my freshman and sophomore year at IHS and only took one quarter of Chinese III at Bellevue College, which equaled a year of high school foreign language class and made up my 3-year of foreign language requirement in a shorter time period. I really liked this program because I had a goal in mind. I set out to earn my associate’s degree. I admittedly had to learn some time management skills, which I didn't learn in high school. I had a difficult professor one quarter and I learned a big lesson about managing my time wisely the hard way! I would rather learn that lesson now!

Benefits of participating AA: You basically get two years of free college (still have to pay for books and other fees but tuition is covered). You get college credit early and can potentially graduate from high school with an associate’s degree. This can also mean that you have more time in the day to do something like having a job. Get away from the high school environment if you don’t thrive there, as well as good practice for going to university if that’s what you want to do. Last, you can have more classes and club options. BE: The state of Washington pays for me to take college classes! In the fall I am attending the University of WisconsinMadison. The cost of attendance is about 60K a year. Since I did the Running Start program in high school and earned my associate’s degree (and some extra college credits on top of that), I will start as a college junior. I am pre-med and that savings alone will be huge with all of the years of learning ahead of me! On top of that, Running Start gives me a literal "running start" for college-level coursework. I think for some students, Running Start gives them a chance to take classes they couldn't take in high school and find areas of interest they never imagined.

Things to consider

AA: Not all colleges accept the college credit (most do, but you have to check with the college you want to go to). Even if you still can participate in high school activities if you want, you get

disconnected from the high school and this is a downside. The different break time between high school and community college can cause problems if you do parttime Running Start program. You need to have your own transportation to the community college by either driving or taking public transportation. Keep in mind that these grades will follow you to the university; so if you don’t do well during your time in Running Start, this could cause problems in the future. BE: If you are really involved in programs at the high school and want a "full" high school experience this may not be the route for you. I was fortunate that the only class I wanted to take at IHS was Advanced Sports Med. Running Start is a commitment but it's also a great "running start" for college-bound students or students who want to earn their associate’s degree and high school diploma at the same time. Steve L. Kent, a previous Running Start program instructor who taught English Composition at Bellevue College, gave us his perspective and provided some useful advice: “Running Start is a great way for students to finish high school and begin college simultaneously, but it has its pitfalls. When I taught English at Bellevue College, I had lots of Running Start students. Many were absolutely ready for college. They studied hard, attended classes, turned in their assignments, and passed with excellent grades. However, there are also many of my Running Start students who treated college the way they treated high school, skipping classes and slugging homework assignments. I had to flunk a few Running Start students every semester because of that. Also, ESL students will need to be able to read and speak proficiently. In my experience, a noticeable percentage of Running Start students bring high school habits like trying to bargain for grades instead of earning them to the program. You may beg for grades at Bellevue College and sometimes you even get them, but those tactics backfire at institutions like the University of Washington."

For more information, visit: w w w . i s s a q u a h .w e d n e t . e d u / district/departments/high-schooleducation/RS.

COVID-19 As we have been learning, in the 2021-22 school year some health and safety protocols have remained, others went away, some got adjusted, and new COVID-19 prevention strategies have been implemented in response to public health guidance. Here we are sharing are some Frequently-Asked Questions: How will families receive timely and accurate data representing numbers of positive cases at each school? Whenever a positive case of COVID-19 is reported within any of our facilities the District will follow guidance provided by Seattle and King County Public Health. All cases will be reported on our COVID-19 dashboard webpage, which is updated once a week on Monday afternoon.

What will happen if a student or staff member in my child's classroom tests positive for COVID-19? There are several scenarios based on specific details at the time of exposure that determine the course of action. The District will be following the COVID-19 Return to Work/School Flow Chart provided by Seattle and King County Public Health: https://kingcounty. gov/depts/health/covid-19/ schools-childcare/~/media/depts/ health/communicable-diseases/ documents/C19/schools-toolkit/Kcovid-19-screening-flow-chart.ashx What happens if a student on a bus tests positive? You will be contacted directly by your school's COVID Supervisor with pertinent information if your student is found to be a close contact. Please make sure your contact information is up to date in Family Access. Will BASC students be notified if there is exposure in their BASC program? BASC students will be notified if they are determined to be a close contact. Families will be contacted directly by the BASC program with pertinent information.

If my student has a cold or the flu can they come to school? Students that are sick should stay home. If my student has symptoms but tests negative, can they return to school with symptoms? Will they need a negative test to return to school? It depends on what the symptoms are, how long the student has the symptoms, and if they were a close contact to someone who tested positive. Please refer to the COVID-19 Return to Work/School Flowchart or contact your school nurse if you have further questions. Will the COVID-19 vaccine be mandatory for staff? In alignment with Governor Inslee's mandate on August 18, the District is actively working to verify the vaccination status of 3000+ employees.They have until October 18, 2021 to verify the vaccination status of our employees. Additionally, their employees have the right to request a religious or medical exemption from this mandate. Their Human Resources department is following legal and OSPI guidance as they process those individual requests, one at a time. Of course, all employees’ vaccination status (or their exemption status) is confidential health information that the District is not at liberty to share with members of the public. Approximately 940 staff took advantage of the free clinic the Issaquah School District hosted last year and they are confident that, like the rest of King County, their staff vaccination rates will be quite high. What is a definition of a close contact? Per Seattle and King County Public Health, close contact includes anyone in one or more of the following categories: 1. Been within three (3) feet of a person with COVID-19 for a combined total of 15 minutes or more within a 24-hour period 2. Live in the same household as a person with COVID-19 3. Cared for a person with COVID-19 4. Been in direct contact with saliva or other body secretions from a person with COVID-19 (for example:

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been coughed on, kissed, shared utensils, etc.) How will I be notified if my student is considered a close contact of someone with COVID-19? You will be contacted directly by your school’s COVID Supervisor with pertinent information. What happens if my student needs to quarantine? Parents can excuse the absence like for any illness through the school’s available channels. Note that middle and high school students who are fully vaccinated and remain asymptomatic will not need to quarantine. How long will my student need to quarantine if exposed? People who were in close contact with a person with confirmed COVID-19 should quarantine at home unless they are fully vaccinated. They should monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days starting from the last day they had contact with the infected person. If they have no symptoms, please check the detailed guidelines and other updated information: https://www.issaquah.wednet.edu/ covid/FAQ21-22/safety-measures If symptoms develop, it is recommended to seek out testing and inform your student’s school immediately if the test is positive for COVID-19. Testing is available at: Bellevue College https://www.solvhealth.com/ book-online/gdZeQA UW Medicine testing sites https://www.uwmedicine.org/ coronavirus/testing And various other locations across King County https://kingcounty.gov/depts/ health/covid-19/testing.aspx

RESOURCES

Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank BY LISA HAYNES Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank Volunteer Manager

Volunteering outside of my children’s school was something I had rarely done before arriving in the US. However, on moving to Issaquah and not knowing anyone, I contacted the food bank to see how I could help. I hoped to make friends, be busy, and do something useful for others. I found all of these! A few weeks after my first shift I met a fellow food bank volunteer at the grocery store. I realized at that moment that there was a place for me in this community. I absolutely loved volunteering at the food bank. The camaraderie of a shared purpose to help others encouraged me to volunteer 2 or 3 times a week. I enjoyed it so much that when I got a job at the Issaquah Schools Foundation, I continued volunteering at the food bank, one shift a week, and was also able to work on some of the partnership programs. When the time came, I knew exactly where I wanted to work next. I’m the Volunteer Manager at the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank. I understand from personal experience the importance of volunteering from the volunteer’s perspective, and I align this with my understanding of the needs of the organization and our shoppers. It’s a big job - I plan the volunteer schedule, recruit and train volunteers, and help manage the

Vision Checks are done at school. Any student

needing further vision help or eyeglasses can contact their school nurse to access low and no cost optometrist appointments and glasses.

Each school building has access to the nurse’s fund to help support basic needs. You can reach out to your school nurse or counselor about this resource.

Many schools have PTSA/PTA Angel or Outreach programs with opportunities for support. Be sure to ask the office staff.

For information on other resources in our area, see the community resource directory at:

https://www.issaquahwa.gov/268/Human-Services.

day-to-day operations. It’s important to me to get to know volunteers so that I can find everyone a spot that matches their interests and skills. I love going out into the community and talking to groups about the work of the food bank and encouraging them to volunteer too. As a part of a passionate and fun staff team, I also help plan donation drives and assist with special programs like the Summer Lunch Program and Tools 4 School. Because the shoppers’ experience is important to me, last year I started a recipe card project. Community members write recipes using a list of foods frequently available at the food bank. With the help of volunteers, we translate these recipes into Mandarin, Spanish, and Russian. If you are interested in helping me with this project or have questions about any other volunteer opportunities, please email me Lisa@issaquahfoodbank.org

Community Resources Presentation During the 2021 Holiday Season, local organizations are supporting Issaquah School District families with gifts, clothes, meals, and other resources. If you would like to learn about all the programs available to our community, join Cultural Bridges Zoom presentation on Friday, November 12th at 6:00 pm. Session in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. Interpreters in other languages available upon request. For details, send us an email to culturalbridges@ isfdn.org, text or call us at: 425 295 4024.

The Garage is a safe space for teens to come hang out with friends, grab a cup of coffee and a snack, play a game, play music, watch TV, talk over homework, and much more. All events, activities, food, and drinks at The Garage are free of charge. Teens develop and produce all events and activities that happen at the Garage under guidance and support from staff. From Open Mic Nights to Movie Marathons. For more information, please visit their website: https://www.issaquahteencafe.org/

One Book One World

OUR CULTURES BY LAURA NI One Book One World Volunteer

"It doesn’t matter how strong your opinions are. If you don’t use your power for positive change, you are indeed part of the problem” – Coretta Scott King When people think of Asian Americans, most people might have the impression that they are a group of people who are diligent and smart but silent. For so many years, Asian Americans seemed to only mind their own business, but did not have a voice that society was able to hear and recognize… until now! While the crimes and violence towards Asian American people increased, we started realizing that we needed change. We are a voice that needs to be heard. We represent a culture with a long history that needs to be respected. We have many contributions that need to be known and recognized. We are an important part of this country! Therefore, in March 2021, a group of Asian American parents in Illinois started a book drive called “One Book One World (OBOW)” to promote and increase the awareness of Asian American culture, history, contributions to the communities and the 6 and entire country. They are raising funds and donating books to local schools and communities. Rapidly, a few other states joined this program including Washington State. Since the end of April 2021, One Book One World in Washington State has donated over 80 books featuring five Asian cultures to more than seven schools in Greater Seattle communities. They have also built up relationships with more than 17 schools in three school districts, including the Issaquah School District, and eight different cities. Even though Asian Americans are still a minority group in the United States today, its population has changed dramatically in the past 20 years as more and more Asian immigrants moved to this country. Talking to kids about race can be hard for some families. The Issaquah School District Equity Department offers a list of great resources and tips to guide and support families. Reading books with your child is a great way to start the conversation about race, injustice, tolerance, and diversity. Building our own self-awareness, knowledge, understanding the perspective of Blacks in the U.S., being curious and open to learning is crucial reducing our own biases, prejudices and racist behavior. Ignoring racism and injustice in the U.S. and avoiding conversations with children about

Self-recognition becomes an increasing concern in the Asian community. How do we help our kids be proud of Asian culture and understand it as an essential part of the diversified cultures in the United States? How can we get more cultural support from our community and be better understood by other community groups? These are the questions/ challenges that many Asian families and their communities are facing today. That’s why when OBOW started in Washington State, it immediately attracted many families and students. The volunteer team has been growing; we have now more than 40 volunteers recruited and 14 of them are students. People want to participate and contribute because they believe this program can help our kids while also helping people of other cultures learn and understand more about our Asian traditions. In the near future, One Book One World will keep synthesizing the results from our pilot projects and presenting Asian cultures to the broader community nationwide. It will keep donating more books to more schools, as well as seeking partnership with school PTSA/PTAs and other community organizations like libraries and community centers by hosting culturalrelated events such as storytime, talks by authors, etc. After all, the ultimate mission of OBOW is to improve cultural competence by strengthening self-awareness, mindfulness of diversity, cultural knowledge, and cross-cultural skills. There is a lot of work to do, but it’s important to keep moving forward. If you would like to support OBOW or learn more about it, please visit: http://mandarinplayground. weebly.com/one-book-one-world.html race will not solve the problems that our country is facing. Kids have the capacity to notice race from a very early age — infants will stare longer at faces of people from races they are unfamiliar with, which tells us they notice difference. Yet difference is a long shot from racism. An awareness of stereotypes and racism doesn't begin to happen until about age 6 (McKown and Weinstein, 2003). For the list of resources, visit: https://www. issaquah.wednet.edu/equity/talking-about-race

OUR CULTURES

Celebrating Latinx Culture BY ALICIA SPINNER Cultural Bridges Manager

I still remember the day when I was first labeled “Latina”. I had just moved to the U.S. and started a new job in Silicon Valley during the dot-com bubble in 1999, and the HR executive very enthusiastically went on and on to explain to me that the group I was going to join was always the one having the loudest meetings while enjoying delicious and spicy food like empanadas, burritos, arepas, pupusas, paella, tostones... The truth is that I did not know half of the dishes he mentioned, and he must have seen the surprise on my face because he asked me: Aren't you excited to join the Latinos group? I quickly responded: Absolutely! And then gave him a big smile while I was still trying to process the fact that he was seeing me as a Latina. Previously, I only thought of myself as a Mexican. But not much time passed before I learned that people were seeing me as an immigrant and continue categorizing me with many labels: Hispanic, Latina, and now Latinx. While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, Hispanic includes people with ancestry from both Spain and Latin American Spanish-speaking countries, while Latino includes people from Latin American countries that were formerly colonized by Spain or Portugal. That is the same case with Latinx but new generations prefer to have an “x” at the end of the word as a gender-neutral or non-binary alternative to Latino or Latina. With time, I have grown to identify myself with all these labels and to understand that ethnic groups are always evolving, so I won’t be surprised if more terms will be needed in the future. Upon arrival in the U.S. in 1999, I was labeled as a Latina and now my daughter labels herself as Latinx. The term Latino first emerged in the Los Angeles Times in the early 1990s. And it was not until 2004 in social media when the “–x” suffix was used to replace the “-o/-a” endings of Latino and Latina that are typical of grammatical gender in Spanish. Almost fifty years ago, the term “Hispanic” was proposed in government statistics. It was during this time that our culture started to be celebrated. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a 1968 bill designating the week of September 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Week. Twenty years later, President Ronald Reagan lengthened the celebration to an entire month. And even if we like to joke that by that time everybody knew how much we like to party, the truth is that it was Representative Esteban Torres of California who

submitted a bill to expand the celebration. Torres said that supporters of the legislation “want the American people to learn of our heritage. We want the public to know that we share a legacy with the rest of the country, a legacy that includes artists, writers, Olympic champions, and leaders in business, government, cinema, and science. The monthlong celebration will allow our Nation to properly observe and coordinate events and activities to celebrate Hispanic culture and achievement.” September 15th was chosen as the starting point for the commemoration, because it is the anniversary of the independence of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition to that, Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16th and Chile on the 18th. Our cultures are very diverse and we still identify ourselves primarily with terms of nationality (Mexican, Argentinian, Cuban) rather than Hispanic, Latino, or Latinx. Now, there is a misunderstanding about Cinco de Mayo. That's an annual celebration held to commemorate the anniversary of Mexico's victory over the French Empire in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Though the celebration has been popularized in the U.S. over the last decade or two, I never, ever celebrated this event growing up in Mexico. We did study it at school but it was only a page in the history book. The most important national celebration in Mexico happens on September 16th and for Mexicans who have immigrated to the U.S., September is the month when we pay tribute to the generations of Hispanic/Latinos/Latinx Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society. Here at Cultural Bridges, we want to take the opportunity to say GRACIAS to all the trailblazers who took the hardest road and made it easier for the rest of us to follow: Latinx families, students, teachers, staff, administrators, and volunteers. In Seattle, the Consulate of Mexico presents the MEXAM Festival to give a space for the voices of the Mexican Community in our state: www.mexamnwfestival.com/ The SEA MAR MUSEUM, the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, presents the overlooked history of Latino/ as from prior waves of migration to the present time. The museum has an amazing collection of artifacts, even some small cabins with furniture, dishes, and other items from 1950s farmworkers in Eastern Washington. For more information, visit https://seamarmuseum.squarespace.com/ There are many ways to celebrate, but I believe that the best way to recognize any culture is by learning about it. Sharing other people’s cultures with your kids helps build their respect and curiosity. And since our Latinx heritage comes from more than 20 countries, there are so many rich traditions! After all of these years here, I think I can say that I have eaten all the dishes that the HR executive mentioned in the meeting, and after learning about all the contributions we have done to the American fabric, I feel very proud to be called Latinx.

THANK YOU THANK YOUTO TOOUR OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS! COMMUNITY THANK YOUPARTNERS! TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS!

Cultural Bridges serves Issaquah School District families to increase Cultural Bridges serves and Issaquah District families to increase parent engagement leadSchool to greater student success.

parent engagement and lead to greater student success.

We provide navigation support, host parent/student events and We provide navigation support, host parent/student events and Cultural Bridges serves Issaquah School District families to increase publish quarterly magazines translated in seven languages. publish quarterly magazines translated in seven languages. parent engagement and lead to greater student success. We provide navigation support, host parent/student events and publish quarterly magazines translated in seven languages.

Cultural Bridges INFORMATION TO HELP FAMILIES NAVIGATE THE ISSAQUAH SCHOOL DISTRICT

Cultural Bridges

ENGLISH

帮助家长了解Issaquah学区的相关信息

Cultural Bridges THÔNG TIN ĐỂ GIÚP CÁC GIA ĐÌNH TÌM HIỂU VỀ KHU TRƯỜNG HỌC ISSAQUAH

CHINESE

Cultural Bridges

VIETNAMESE

학부모들이 이사콰학군에 관련된 정보를 찾는데 도움을 주는 정보

KOREAN

National Junior Honor Society

Pg 9

What kind of children will we leave this world?

乘坐大黄校车第4页

Embrace your culture!

Trang 7

Khung Nhận Dạng của Quý Vị là gì?

第11页

Holi庆祝活动

Pg 21

Trang 18

Tín Ngưỡng Hồi Giáo và Hijab Trang 23

첫 번째 달 6 페이지 제 14호 | 2019년 10월 / 11월 / 12월

SỐ 13 | THÁNG 4 / THÁNG 5 / THÁNG 6 NĂM 2019

第23页

第十二期 2019年 1月/ 2月/ 3月

NUMBER 11 | OCTOBER / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2018

10 Tin Đồn về Trường Cấp 2

为什么警官会出现在学校里呢？

Pg 11

청소년 지도자 되기 9 페이지

라틴계 학생으로 산다는 것은 어떻습니까? 21 페이지

OUR CULTURES

, e v o L h t Wi y t i n u m m o SD C I e h T o T BY NAYDELINE DANIELA GUTIERREZ CRUZ

Former Issaquah High School Student

Last June, in the middle of a worldwide pandemic, I got to be the first one in my family to graduate from high school. I will always be grateful for the experience. I walked to get my diploma wearing my decorated cap with flowers and a message for my mom. She is the main reason I was able to achieve this milestone. But now, with my high school diploma hanging on my wall, I want to share my experience, because I know there are many students just like me. They arrive from all around the world and start their journey here. And I know that there are a lot of things that we could do better for them. So this is for you: Issaquah School District parents, school staff, and community members. To all of you, please be aware that for many students, the journey is a lonely one, even when there are a lot of people nearby. My family came from Guatemala, but the process wasn’t easy. My mom came to the States first, while we stayed back home with an aunt for a couple of years. Kids used to make fun of us; I remember them telling us that our parents did not love us because they were not with us. When I finally reunited with my mom in second grade, I couldn’t remember what she looked like, and I didn’t know anybody here. I wanted to have friends, but even when kids talked to me, I did not understand anything they were saying. So even though my mom was nearby, I still felt lonely. That first year, the ELL (English Language Learner) Program was my safe space at school. Even when we were not able to talk to each other, we felt a part of something. It was my community. Even today, my closest group of friends is from all over. I have learned to recognize that I still feel most comfortable in a diverse environment.

I also know that having the services provided by the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank was very

important to my family. We learned very soon that we were lucky because Issaquah has great local organizations that offer resources to families. Unfortunately, often it was very hard to know what was available and then figure out how to get the help. My mom had many questions about where to get a specific resource and we could never find a phone number to call. I think this could be a great service that the city or other organization could offer. At school, I quickly understood that my mom wasn’t going to be able to help or engage in anything. She was always working; she did not have time to participate at school as other parents often did. And at times, that was very hard. I remember parents bringing lunch to kids or parents coming on field trips. I never saw my mom at school. I kind of got used to it, but it was still hard. I wish the District had a system where all parents can participate once a year, at least. I am sure that if somebody had asked my mom directly, in her own language and ahead of time, she would have participated. When I went to middle school, I was still struggling a little with English and with the fact that my mom wasn’t involved with my education. I started playing my first sport: volleyball! But it was always hard not having the support of my mom there, as the other kids had. It would have made such a difference if parents could cheer for the whole team and not just for their own kids. Then I moved on to high school, and a bunch of things changed, but especially the rules and the extra freedom. I was overwhelmed, and I was assigned to a mentor. I believe that this is the one thing that most students should have, especially if their parents can’t engage in the education of their kids. My mentor helped me a great deal. She came once a week, and we talked a lot. She helped me communicate

better with teachers, made sure I was turning in my assignments, and explained to me the rules and all the procedures. In general, she motivated me to do and be better. That time with her gave me an idea of what other kids feel when their parents are engaged in their education. When I think about her, I remember how special she made me feel just for showing up! I always enjoyed seeing her in the school office waiting for me. Sitting there with her purse, and rushing to greet me as soon as I entered the room. I now know that my mom didn’t do anything wrong. She was working and working very hard. It’s simple, really. Some parents just need extra help so all the students somehow get the same educational experience. I started working at fourteen at a local restaurant to support our family and by the time I graduated, I already had two jobs. The second one is at a supermarket. Now I have graduated, and I am looking for an opportunity to keep learning. I wish there was a local organization that could provide a list of jobs for students, especially jobs that will help us learn professional skills. Around school, I also had to deal with racism. As juniors, we were allowed to go out and have lunch. One day that I went out, I was coming back with a friend who is African American, and the officer at the entrance stopped us to ask us: “What’s in the backpack? Did you guys steal that?” There were other students around walking with food in their backpacks and he had to stop the Latina and the African American and ask us to show him what we had in our bags. I looked around while I explained to him that we just had gone to buy food. We just kind of nervously laughed and did not do anything. But why us? I know this is not ok, and we need to learn to call these situations out so it doesn’t happen to other students.

OUR CULTURES

In a classroom, when teachers talk about a certain culture that you happen to be, all the other students look at you just to see your reaction. Some teachers don’t realize that students feel attacked. When everybody else is looking at you, it does feel like you are being singled out in a negative way. It would be great if students were taught not to do this and if teachers find a way to somehow communicate better with students about the upcoming topics before they present them in class. I remember one day when I was enjoying speaking Spanish with a Latina friend but when a teacher heard us talking she told us: “You have to speak English. We live in America”. I experienced a lot of this in high school. But my group of friends was lucky to have a teacher we could talk to about these issues. We used to go to her office and she always listened to us and even did a video of us sharing our experiences at school. It was a very emotional video that a lot of teachers got to see. She cared, and that will stay with me forever. I wish that all teachers would demonstrate to the students how much they care. I also reflect today on how teachers never made any effort to teach my peers about Guatemala. The only time that I remember the name of my country mentioned was in the class “Foods” that I took in junior year. Students got to do dishes from different places. I was so excited to finally be able to share something about my culture. The teacher did small groups and I

convinced mine to do Guatemalan dishes. I was so proud and happy to see how my peers were interested in learning more. I now understand the importance of cultural events, and I hope new generations will be able to participate in many more of these. I would also like to talk about the pressure parents put on their children with regard to education. To all the parents who are working as hard as my mom, I want to tell you that your kids appreciate how hard you are working, even if they don’t say it much. They are learning from you, and you are their biggest role model. I know parents can’t imagine what students go through in one day. But everything we experience affects us: social issues, racism, namecalling, cultural differences, good teachers, not-so-good teachers… We get home not only physically exhausted but mentally as well. And then, parents are ready to ask about school, school, and school: homework, tests, grades, college applications… it never stops! I wish parents could engage more in how kids are feeling, and not so much on what they are doing. We just want an honest: “How was your day?” or “How are you feeling today?” I also want to ask parents to congratulate your students for their achievements. That helps us more than you could think. Many times when I told my mom about a grade I was so proud of, she did not look that impressed. And I know she was tired, most likely it was a long day of work and she was dealing with major issues. But I know she would

have handled it differently if she knew how important that was for me or how much she could help me just by being happy for me in that moment. When I finally graduated, I had the chance to have a photo session with three of my best friends. One of them has parents from Ethiopia and Congo, the second one is from Mexico, and the third one is an Islander. The person who was taking the pictures asked us if we were going to celebrate together, just as many other students were going to do with their groups of friends. I explained to her that even though we were such a close group of friends, our parents did not know each other. They were always too busy working. So, we did not get to celebrate together and our parents never were able to experience having that “village” of support that other families have. I know PTSAs do events at schools. My mom never came because she did not know anybody. I wish some of these events were strategically planned to create little “villages” for parents so students don’t feel left out. While I finally got to hold my diploma, I felt very honored, but mostly exhausted from the pressure I put on myself to show my mom that her work was worth something. Now, after celebrating together our achievement, I will start learning business and looking for ways to make a difference in my community. This was my very first chance to give back, and I hope you all know that I do it from a place of respect and gratefulness.

Your

donation Since 1987, our makes a difference. community has empowered the Issaquah Schools Foundation to fund programs and resources for students and teachers across our district including every school, every child.

Your support is needed now more than ever to help our students! • Academic Support: After-school homework help and labs, curriculum training & materials, online resources, library and audio books, student & teacher grants • Basic Student Needs: Tools4School backpacks, school supplies, snacks and food aid, funding for the Nurse’s Fund, Cultural Bridges publications, and resources • Mental, Behavioral, & Emotional Support: Student Intervention resources, speakers & workshops for parents and students, Where Everyone Belongs (WEB), and Character Strong programs • Enrichment Programs: STEM, robotics clubs, fine arts support,

Cultural Bridges Number 19, English version

Articles inside

Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank

One Book One World

Action Forum for Youth 2021

With Love, To The ISD Community

Running Start Program

Celebrating Latinx Culture

How to Report HIB Incidents at School?

ISD Special Education

Communicating with Teachers and Other School Staff