I hope your family has enjoyed the new school year so far! The Cultural Bridges program is so grateful to get support from the Issaquah Schools Foundation donors over the past nine years. We will continue to be the bridge between schools, communities, and families by providing a variety of information and resources, as well as increasing our reach to offer it to all the families within the Issaquah School District community.
In our family, we now have a freshman in high school and a 5th grader. High school is a totally new experience. We are excited that she is starting a new chapter, but at the same time, we are facing some challenges. One of the challenges, which is the same as many parents who never attended secondary school in the United States, is how to participate in high school sports and activities, including registration, cost, and physical requirements, etc. (page 4). Since my daughter joined the high school Drill Dance team, I have had the chance to experience the entire process of successfully joining the team. Other students who do not participate in athletics can join different after-school clubs. These clubs provide the opportunity to socialize and learn different things outside of the school’s academic requirements (page 6). Make sure to check the school’s website for club information because different schools offer different clubs.
For my 5th grader, even though it’s her last year in elementary school, she will start learning the new literacy curriculum that the District adopted in May (page 11). With the new curriculum, I hope she will have a smooth transition to middle school next year because middle school is an important stage for students to learn critical skills and explore different coursework (page 15).
This year, the District is asking the community to approve a $642.3 million bond to upgrade and complete different projects district-wide (page 8), which will benefit every ISD student in the next few years. Meanwhile, as always, our schools’ teachers, staff, the Issaquah School Foundation, and PTA/PTSA volunteers keep working together endlessly to make sure our students experience high-quality education.
We also have amazing community organizations like Influence the Choice, the Garage, and the Circle, which are all easily reachable and continuously support our school community.
Here is to another successful school year!
Laura Ni Cultural Bridges Manager laura@isfdn.org
Scan Me!
Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank 22 Our Cultures
To read/download all Cultural Bridges publications in Arabic, Chinese, English, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Spanish or Vietnamese, visit: http://isfdn.org/cultural-bridges-magazine/
Issaquah Schools Foundation
LAURA NI Manager
CHRISTIANA SCHUMANN English Editor
CLAUDIA ROMO Spanish Editor
DIYORA SADIKOVA
Russian Editor
NANA TSUJINO Japanese Editor
SEONGEUN YUN
Korean Editor
SHAIMA MANSOUR
Arabic Editor
TRAM PHAM
Vietnamese Editor
Vivian Khoang Cover Designer
YINGCHEN PHOTOGRAPHY Cover Photographer
YINGYING CUI
Chinese Editor
JIYOUNG LEE & MENGNA LI Proofreading Helpers
Dear Issaquah School District Parents and Families,
Welcome back to another school year! I am thrilled to introduce myself as the new Executive Director of the Issaquah Schools Foundation. After serving six years on our Board of Trustees, including two years as President, I couldn’t be more excited to step into this role and to partner with our incredible staff, Board, administration, and community.
We have hit the ground running this Fall, distributing nearly 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies at the ISD Resource Fair so our ISD students could start the school year with everything they needed. After a productive and inspiring session with the Superintendent and her leadership team, we’ve identified our priorities for the year and have begun funding programs across our schools that will provide students with essential supports and enriching opportunities. You can see more details by visiting our website.
I hope you had a chance to connect with us at one of our end-of-summer Community Ice Cream Socials, but if not, we’ll have many more opportunities. Mark your calendars for Saturday, Oct. 26, and join us for our 4th annual Monster Mash 5K. This is a fun family activity that brings together our entire community, and it’s something you don’t want to miss!
As a parent of an ISD student myself, I love meeting other parents in the community, and I’m always available to discuss the work we do and how you can be involved. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of our students, from pre-K through graduation, and make every school a remarkable one.
Sincerely,
Trisha Marshall Executive Director T.Marshall@isfdn.org
Athletics and Activities Opportunities
At Issaquah School District, the Athletics and Activities Department provides transformational education-based athletics and activities programs where students have positive experiences, build meaningful relationships, and develop skills for life. Last year, throughout the district, out of 11,058 secondary students, there were over 4,900 students who participated in 160 athletic programs, and over 3,500 students who participated in more than 300 clubs & activities.
The sports that the district offers (* offered at middle school as well as the high school)
• Girls Badminton
• Boys/Girls Basketball*
• Girls Flag Football
• Boys/Girls Soccer*
• Track & Field*
• Volleyball*
• Baseball
• Cross Country *
• Boys/Girls Golf
• Fastpitch
• Football
• Special Olympics
• Boys/Girls Swim & Dive
• Boys/Girls Tennis
• Unified Sports
• Boys/Girls Wrestling*
The clubs/activities examples (Student-led Clubs & Performing Arts):
• Career and Technical Education: DECA, Sports Med, FCCLA, Robotics, Woodshop, Engineering, Game Design
• Interest-Based: Neuroscience, Sandy Hook Promise, Sustainability, Fighting Hunger, Baking, Be Bold Girls, Literature
• Cultural: Black Student Union, Indian Culture, Latinx, Korean
• Cheerleading
• Dance/Drill
When students enter middle school, one term that families keep hearing is ASB. What is ASB? ASB stands for Associated Student Body, which means it is a collection of all students in the school. ASB is the official representative of students at each school. The state requires ASB to exist to ensure student money is managed by and for students. The student body government at each school makes decisions for all activities such as clubs and sports that are outside of the classroom.
Students in the school are ASB members automatically by enrolling in school. However, to get full membership, there’s a fee required to pay annually. The full membership means when a student pays $60 in high school or $35 at middle school, he/she gains all the benefits of ASB membership. This includes the ability to join a sports team or a club/activity, free admission to all home sports games and select events, and discounted admissions at away sports games and events. The ASB fee supports student clubs and student sports teams, upgrades to student facilities and school improvements, and any cost of running programs (referees, game workers, league dues).
Athletics/Sports
For high school students or parents, if they want to know anything about how to get involved in any athletics sports that are offered by the school, the
school’s athletic/activity coordinator or school secretary in the main school office can help answer the general questions, register, and connect online. Each high school also has an Athletics Director who oversees the entire Athletic program at that school. Middle school students can contact the Assistant Principal for any sports information.
To be able to participate in a sport, there are three steps that need to be taken:
1. Sign up on FinalForms to register: https://issaquahwa.finalforms.com/. Registration for all sports opens on May 15th each school year. Check each sport registration date here: https://www.isd411. org/programs-services/athletics-and-activities/ registration. Parents/caregivers and students must login to FinalForms and sign forms. Every student who has a Skyward account automatically has a FinalForms account. Parents need to create a password to login. All the forms are required and must be fully completed (green) before students can attend tryouts/turnouts. The forms give coaches and athletic staff important safety information and give permission for students to participate fully in sports. Contact the athletic department at the school for questions or help with forms.
2. Have a current physical assessment form on file. Each physical assessment form is valid for two years. The form must indicate “fully cleared for participation in athletics” for the school to accept it. Physicals can be dated at any time during the year but must cover the entire sports season. Parents need to take the ISD Physical form to a doctor to get it completed. The form is available to download/print on FinalForms. Ask the school nurse if the family has trouble finding a provider.
3. All fees must be paid before the first day of practice/ tryouts. Students must have an ASB membership to play sports in schools. The sports fee in high school will be $200 each and $50 each in middle school. If a student participates in three sports (Fall, Winter, Spring), they do not have to pay for the third sport. There might be some program costs that may vary by programs depending on what equipment is necessary or if field trips are taken. The head coach will provide this information. There is financial assistance available for the students in need. Contact the school ASB Bookkeeper, counselor or principal/assistant principal for the support.
There are some general expectations for all the sports that students need to follow:
• Attend all practices and games during the season
• Accept coaches’ decisions on playing time, game planning, and in-game decisions.
• Commit time in the summer and “offseason” to continue developing for the season (High school specific).
The District provides transportation to most away games. In some instances, the team may decide to selftransport, which the coach will clearly communicate in advance. If the parent drives the student home, they must “check-out” with the coach so that they know the student is being safely transported. If somebody else is taking the student home, the parents must sign an authorization form that is available in the athletics office. After-school activity buses are available for middle school sports.
Athletic program contact information for each school:
• Gibson Ek: Students compete/participate at their home school
• Issaquah High School: https://issaquahhigh.isd411. org/student-life/athletics/whos-who-contact-us
• Liberty High School: https://www.isd411.org/fs/ pages/1320
• Skyline High School: https://www.isd411.org/fs/ pages/1357
• Beaver Lake Middle School: https://beaverlake. isd411.org/student-life/athletics
• Pine Lake Middle School: https://pinelake.isd411. org/student-life/athletics
Clubs & Activities
If a high school student is interested in participating in any school club or activity, contact the school’s athletics/activities coordinator who can answer general questions. Middle school students can contact the Assistant Principal with any questions. Again, students must purchase an ASB membership to participate in the clubs & activities every year.
There are two ways to participate in clubs:
1. Students can join an existing club simply by attending the club meeting. Schools have information in the “Activities” section of their website. There will also be postings on social media, and/or flyers on bulletin boards.
2. Students can start their own club for ANYTHING! Each school has a slightly different process. But overall, students must find at least 5 other interested students, an advisor and complete paperwork. There are deadlines for applying to start the club. Contact the school activity coordinator or ASB advisor for the exact process at the school.
Other than the regular clubs, the high school also has cheerleading and Drill/Dance teams, which operate like sports teams but runs year long. They have competitions at the local, state, and national levels. Both activities are cut programs. Students interested may participate in the sideline program to support school assemblies, games, and events and/or in the competition program to compete against other schools while engaging in high-level skills. Students don’t need to pay a $200 sports fee, but they must purchase an ASB membership to participate and the program fees vary school by school.
There are after-school buses available for some clubs and activities, parents/student can check the activity bus schedule here: https://www.isd411.org/ programs-services/buses/eda-routes-extended-dayactivity-routes
Clubs/Activities contact information for each school and the list of clubs/activities:
• Pine Lake Middle School: https://pinelake.isd411. org/student-life/activities
Sports terms and definitions:
• Varsity: The highest level of sports competition
• JV (Junior Varsity): A moderate level of sports competition, to prepare for Varsity.
• C-team: A developmental team, to grow skills and prepare for JV/Varsity.
• Cuts sports/programs: Sports/programs where students may be “cut/eliminated” from the team after a tryout.
• Intramurals: Sports focused on participation and development.
• Tryouts: Students must demonstrate skills during a defined time.
• Turnouts: Students must attend but will not be cut.
Model United Nations Club in Middle/High School
BY Zihan He Student at Skyline High School
Everyone has an activity or community that they love and has been a great influence on who they are. For me, that activity and community has been Model UN.
I first became a part of the Model United Nations (Model UN/MUN) community at the end of 7th grade, when someone else at Pine Lake Middle School (PLMS) wanted to start a Model UN club so we could meet every week and practice together to prepare for competitions. I joined on with the mentality that it would just be a fun new hobby. The next year, I was appointed as co-director of PLMS Model UN, and I’ve stayed on this extracurricular rollercoaster ever since.
People always ask me what Model UN is when I tell them about my experiences in the activity. Simply put, Model UN simulates the debate and meeting style of the reallife United Nations. The activity began in the 1920s in colleges (which simulated the League of Nations when it was still around, making MUN 20-something years older than the actual UN) and trickled into high schools around the world in the following decades.
In MUN, participants are called delegates. This has become kind of a ‘community name’ for those who do MUN now. Competitions are called conferences since committee debate is more like a massive discussion (or what the students call a Socratic seminar) than the traditional debate we’re used to. Conference topics are chosen by student staffers (judges or moderators) and posted 2-3 weeks before registration opens.
Most delegates practice as part of a school club or team, but many participate as a part of non-school clubs (such as the MUN club I founded, Sammamish Youth Model United Nations) or by themselves. Delegates sign up for each conference either as a group (delegation) or as an individual (independent), then choose the specific sub-group (committee) and specific country they want to represent. Even though delegates often sign up in groups, they represent different countries individually.
As for MUN debate, there’s three key parts: moderated caucuses (mods), a set time for delegates to speak on a specific subtopic of the chosen topic; unmoderated caucuses (unmods), a set time when delegates can get up to talk with other delegates and network; and procedural motions and points, which push debate forward when delegates aren’t speaking – they’re how delegates give formal suggestions on what to do or voice any concerns they have. If you want to learn more in-depth about these rules, many sites like Bestdelegate provide great detailed guides and other resources on Model UN rules used in the US or UNA-USA MUN.
A common misconception by students who do not participate in MUN is that the activity is very serious. That’s actually not the case – despite all of us having to maintain a formal tone while speaking. Outside of the ‘we’re here to do a job’ speaking and negotiating and resolution writing, there’s plenty of space for memes and jokes, too.
In the four conferences I’ve attended, I’ve personally seen delegates argue about using manga as a form of public outreach and education for the UN (thanks, KINGMUN 2024) and also experienced a joke Crisis committee with the topic of “What would happen if Santa’s workshop in the North Pole got burned down?” (PACMUN 2023, it turns out the elves did it; the poor Russian delegate (me) was framed four times.)
Zihan He is a sophomore at Skyline High School. She has been a dedicated MUN delegate for two years as the former co-director of PLMS MUN and the founder and current president of Sammamish Youth MUN.
(contact sammamishyouthmun@ outlook.com if you are interested in joining).
So, the point is that delegates do MUN because it’s fun, and they love the friends they make along the way. I personally have a 5-page-long doc on my phone as a ‘Model UN quotes hall of fame.’
Model UN greatly improved a lot of the soft skills I learned from debate. Before MUN, I was very reliant on word-for-word scripts for speeches, but participating in conferences taught me to improvise and use lists and summaries. Another valuable skill I learned from MUN was how to research more efficiently in online databases, which not only helped in committee prep but also in researching for essays. UN digital archives are notorious for being user-unfriendly, so thanks, Boolean operators. In addition to that, I’ve also made many new friends. After being in the MUN community, you start forming a little family with delegates that you meet in committee. I have a dozen people in my contacts named as countries. It feels weird at first, but you get used to it eventually.
The biggest challenge I faced on my Model UN journey was definitely getting used to working on a time crunch and trying to find a good support system. For the first one, it comes from an unspoken rule that you shouldn’t
start researching until the Dais team (moderators) publish the background guide for your committee –but they typically don’t do that until less than a week before position papers (which is a document detailing your country’s past actions and current viewpoint on the topic) are due. You need to submit a position paper if you want an award, so writing a position paper soon becomes an extreme speedrun as all delegates, including you, are trying to get it in on time (some people just give up at this point). The second one comes from the fact that Model UN isn’t a very well-known activity at Pine Lake Middle School or Skyline High School. I couldn’t find other delegates to practice with, and many of the ones I did find either quickly quit or never went to conferences. That led me to start SYMUN so I could provide a ‘practice group’ for both myself and other delegates.
As for why I stuck with Model UN, I continued because I found it really fun (yep, it’s that simple). Before MUN, I had done around three years of debate, but high school debate felt too intense for me. MUN struck that perfect balance between confrontation and negotiation. Another reason was because I had developed an interest in international relations during COVID times, and Model UN was a way to channel that interest and answer some of the questions I had (for example, how exactly countries came together to negotiate treaties).
As a humanities and social sciences student in a very STEM-focused district, I hope that Model UN gains more publicity, especially in schools. Delegates need a
community to improve together, and school groups can help do just that. This can help prospective delegates find a place to start, as navigating the world of MUN as an independent delegate can be scary (as someone who did that myself).
I also hope, and am working towards destigmatizing Model UN as a ‘rich kid extracurricular’ because the reality isn’t like that at all – with passion, perseverance, and the right support, anyone can start their MUN journey and stand out in conferences. Many of the delegates I’ve met in conferences are from areas with less available educational resources, like Oregon or Idaho.
I want to end off with a quote from Jackson Browne: “The future’s there for anyone to change.” If you really think MUN is your thing, you can become a Model UN delegate at any point of your journey – you just have to take the first step into that future.
ISF FY24 High School Club Funding
The Issaquah Schools Foundation provides funding for high school clubs that create opportunities for future career paths at the District’s three comprehensive high schools. For the 2023-24 school year, we provided $30,000 to 22 high school clubs that impacted nearly 1,500 students. The funded clubs cover a wide range of activities, from STEM, like Rocketry and Engineering, to community service through the Key Club. Financial support for competition costs and materials at clubs like DECA, Sports Medicine, and Robotics Clubs help to expand opportunities for students to pursue their interests and build community. Speaking about the Junior States of America Club, an IHS student said, “I’ve gained so many valuable life experiences, and I can’t think of a single club that has a better community. With the grant, we’ve been able to put together several scholarships and allowed so many people to experience this amazing community.” This year, the Foundation is continuing to support high school clubs to broaden student access in exploring various interests and career opportunities.
What is in the Issaquah School District 2024 Bond? Facts & Information
Don't forget to vote by November 5th!
Proposition 1 on the November 5, 2024 Ballot
Issaquah School District is asking the community to consider a $642.3 million school modernization and construction bond in the Nov. 5, 2024 election.
What is a School Bond?
School bonds specifically provide funding for building and maintenance – renovating and building new schools, acquiring property, and repairing facilities and systems within buildings. Bond funds provide for excellent learning environments and help ensure that space is adequate for reasonable class sizes. The State of Washington provides minimal funding for the regular building or maintenance of public schools. Instead, local voters must approve school bonds to be used for this purpose. State law mandates that bond dollars be used only for building and maintenance, not classroom operations or salaries, and require a supermajority (60%) of voter approval to pass. Similar to a mortgage, bonds may be paid for over 20 years, helping to keep annual costs lower for taxpayers.
What is in the 2024 Bond?
Safety and Security Updates: Ensure all students and staff have a safe learning environment.
• Update intercom systems, visitor and building monitoring systems
• Replace approximately 1600 outdated security cameras districtwide
• Install anti-intruder window coverings
• Improve perimeter security, including gates & fencing, where needed
• Continue to upgrade or replace fire alarm systems, where needed
• Cost: $17,900,000
Building Modernization & Energy Efficiency: Extend the life of our buildings and save on operational costs.
• Replace or repair aging roofs at 27 sites
• Repair or Update:
* Heating and cooling systems at 26 sites
* Plumbing, exterior walls, and windows to extend the life of our buildings
* Audio and visual technology systems to support modern learning
* Kitchen areas and equipment at 20 sites
• Upgrade and install lighting and control systems to improve cost efficiency and sustainability at 25 sites
• Cost: $317,045,000
Student Support, Well-Being & Athletics: Provide inclusive, accessible, safe and well-maintained spaces.
• Make safety & accessibility enhancements at elementary school play areas by replacing surfaces, drains, and old equipment to support inclusive environments for all students
• Add or upgrade accessibility features for students with disabilities, which may include sensory spaces, assistive technology, learning spaces, and playgrounds
• Update lighting at 3 middle school sports fields to increase safety and community access
• Replace synthetic turf and resurface tracks at 2 high schools and 3 middle schools
• Cost: $46,100,000
High School Capacity & Program Expansion: Create adequate space and innovative opportunities for students.
• Remodel all high schools to expand career preparation and real-world learning, including health sciences, design, manufacturing, engineering, and more
• Construct a new high school to reduce overcrowding, improve student learning experiences, and support mental health and well-being
• Add space district-wide to develop new programs and expand access to specialized training such as certifications, internships, and work experiences
• Cost: $261,300,000
How was this Bond package developed?
The Bond Advisory Committee met for three months to evaluate facility needs and cost data in order to recommend a bond proposal to the superintendent. The committee was made up of more than 60 volunteers, including students, staff, parents, alumni, and community members. Many of the volunteers fit more than one of those categories; while some had previously served on district committees, others were new to the process.
How will the 2024 Bond Impact Taxes?
The bond is estimated to cost 29 cents per $1000 of assessed property value. This is about $24/month (or $290/year) for a home with an assessed value of $1,000,000. If the bond is approved, the total combined rate of all existing local school levies and bonds is estimated to be $3.42 per $1,000 of assessed property value, compared to the previous 20-year average tax rate of $3.91.
How can you help?
If you can register to vote, please do so! Every vote counts! Please share bond facts and information with your families, friends and others who have questions. If you would like to be involved with the campaign to help pass this bond measure, please contact Volunteers for Issaquah Schools (VIS). VIS is a non-profit 501(c)4 citizens committee that shares information to educate voters about what the bond pays for in our Issaquah schools. Do you have questions or need more information? Contact Volunteers for Issaquah Schools at www.visvote.org.
Giving Gifts To Teachers For the Holidays
BY Lorna Gilmore Issaquah School District Equity and Family Partnership Specialist
As the holiday season approaches, parent friends often ask me for suggestions for gifts for teachers or staff The main takeaway is that there is no expectation for a gift during the holidays. A heartfelt note or card from the student are often the favorite gifts. Many teachers save all those notes or post them in the workspace as reminders of the difference they are making with students. Gifts from students during the holidays or Teacher Appreciation Day in May is a way for students and families to show gratitude and appreciation for the care and support from teachers. There is never an expectation that teachers will get a gift or the dollar value of the gift. Gifts can range from homemade items, candy, snack mix, or baked goods. Small storebought gifts such as candy bars or box, stuffed animals, mugs, tea, lotions and candles are also common.
Giving a gift to a teacher does not have any expectation attached to teacher behavior; no favoritism or additional time spent with the student is to be expected or intended. It is simply a show of appreciation and gratitude during the holiday season. Gifts or gift cards range from $1 to $20 for elementary school teachers. For middle and high school teachers (since there are many), the range is usually lower – from $1 to $10 each. Gift cards for $5 so the teachers can buy themselves a treat is very common. Students often don’t want to give middle and high school teachers a gift, so it is very much dependent on the student. Office staff and building administrators are also recognized and shown appreciation if the family worked much with the school counselor or other staff. In elementary schools, a class parent will often organize a class gift, and parents can contribute what they are comfortable donating. Elementary, middle, and high school PTSAs may also organize gifts or other ways to show staff their appreciation – breakfast buffet or lunch, snacks, etc. Parents can donate treats or other items for those staff parties.
Do you know…
National Principals Month: October
National Education Support Professionals Day: Wednesday, November 20th, 2024
School Counseling Week: Monday, February 3rd – Friday, February 7th, 2025
Paraprofessional Appreciation Day: Wednesday, April 3rd, 2025
Teacher Appreciation Week: Monday, May 5th – Friday, May 9th, 2025
Issaquah School District’s New Elementary Literacy Curriculum
On March 28, 2024, the Issaquah School District Comprehensive Literacy Adoption Committee met and voted with 100% consensus to recommend Benchmark Advance (Benchmark Adelante for Dual Language) curriculum and materials for reading comprehension, writing, language and grammar, kindergarten through fifth grade, as the new Elementary Literacy curriculum. All the Issaquah School District Elementary schools start using this new curriculum this fall.
Benchmark Advance is a content-based literacy program that is intentional, purposeful, and integrated. It is designed to build knowledge through purposeful scope and sequence, explicit teacher modeling, guided practice with spiral review [of past learning], and embedded multisensory learning.
The District’s previous reading curriculum, “Making Meaning,” and writing curriculum, “Units of Study,” do not include a grammar component or an explicit vocabulary component, two aspects that teachers are looking forward to in Benchmark Advance. They are also separate curricula; the new literacy curriculum integrates reading and writing, which is advantageous for students and teachers. Teachers are also excited to see our students’ growth after the new curriculum is fully incorporated with the existing foundational skills curriculum.
Benchmark Advance offers a more rigorous, integrated experience for students. Benchmark Advance is a curriculum focused on:
1. Building knowledge with texts, vocabulary, and tasks.
2. Utilizing quality and complex texts that align with standards.
3. Supporting responsive teaching to reach each learner.
It encourages students to be active learners and collaborators. Students spiral through skills and strategies to prepare for lifelong learning.
Anytime a student engages with a new curriculum, there are different expectations that the student must contend with. Benchmark Advance provides students with the opportunity to engage with rigorous gradelevel text and increases the amount of prompt-based writing. Teachers will provide embedded support for students as they practice these important skills.
Families should expect that the teacher will send home regular classroom communications that provide what most parents need to support learning at home. If parents have questions specific to their student, reach
ISSAQUAH SCHOOL DISTRICT
out to the teacher. The student's teacher can be more specific about skills to work on and available resources for the student's needs.
Learning at home is best when it is natural and fun: playing games, having conversations, reading together, and learning about interesting new topics together. Students learn the most when they talk and play with adults!
Here are a few things field testers (teachers who used the curriculum in their classes as part of a pilot project) had to say about the preferred curriculum:
• Second-grade teacher: “Benchmark has so much to offer, giving multiple options for reaching learners at all levels, while still being rigorous. Having choices and flexibility is huge.”
• Third-grade teacher: “Benchmark was aligned with the science of reading and had the necessary resources to support a diverse group of learners.”
• Fourth-grade teacher: “[Benchmark Advance] was more engaging, easier to follow, and it better supports student needs through scaffolding, small group instruction, and differentiation. Also, it allows for student choice, has more time for independent reading and writing, and the data from the online assessments was super helpful in tracking my students' progress so I could better differentiate to meet their needs.”
• Fifth-grade teacher: “Benchmark provided engaging texts and topics for students to help build background knowledge and vocabulary. It was easy to use and provided teachers with small group materials, including texts, to build knowledge for all readers, reader's theaters, fluency practice, built-in grammar, and phonics instruction. I liked the quick units…I also think the texts were interesting, on a variety of topics, and had authentic authors. I think the scaffolds for [MultiLingual] students and aligned curriculum is essential when our goal is to have standard knowledge base and vocabulary for all students to engage in.”
Students from the pilot classrooms also had feedback to share regarding Benchmark Advance:
• Third-grade student: “I think Benchmark has really good books, and it teaches you how to make good decisions and about good people.”
• Fourth-grade student: “I would recommend Benchmark because the lessons are easier to follow and more fun. The lessons are also more challenging...The topics in Benchmark are also more diverse, which makes it more interesting. The goals are also less repetitive and easier to follow...”
• Fifth-grade student: “As a student, I recommend Benchmark because I think future 5th graders would rather learn the information that Benchmark provided than what Wit & Wisdom did. I not only prefer Benchmark because the information that we learned from it but the format of the program. I liked the creative assignments, and the lessons didn't feel too long. I appreciate you dedicating your time so many future 5th graders could have a positive learning experience.”
• Kindergarten student: “I like Benchmark because it is very cool, and I love it because it’s very, very, VERY cool. And I love it.”
Oct. 29: Cross Country Finals at Lake Sammamish State Park, 3:30pm
Nov. 25: Middle School First Trimester Ends
Nov. 26: Grading Day, Trimester Report Card
Writing – Early Release at 10:55am
Beaver Lake
Oct. 15: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Beaver
Lake Middle School
Oct. 15: Cross Country Meet at Cougar Mountain Middle School
Oct. 15: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Beaver
Lake Middle School
Oct. 17: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Issaquah
Middle School
Oct. 17: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Issaquah
Middle School
Oct. 22: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Pacific
Cascade Middle School
Oct. 22: Cross Country Meet at Beaver Lake
Middle School
Oct. 22: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Pacific
Cascade Middle School
Oct. 24: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Beaver
Lake Middle School
Oct. 24: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Beaver
Lake Middle School
Nov. 7: Picture Re-Take Day
Nov. 20: Trimester 1 Art Show, 5pm
Dec. 20: Winterfest Social
Jan. 8-9: iReady Assessment
Cougar Mountain
Oct. 15: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Beaver
Lake Middle School
Oct. 15: Cross Country Meet at Cougar Mountain
Middle School
Oct. 15: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Beaver
Lake Middle School
Oct. 17: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Cougar
Mountain Middle School
Oct. 17: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Cougar
Mountain Middle School
Oct. 22: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Cougar
Mountain Middle School
Oct. 22: Cross Country Meet at Issaquah
Middle School
Oct. 22: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Cougar
Mountain Middle School
Oct. 24: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Pacific
Cascade Middle School
Oct. 24: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Pacific
Cascade Middle School
Oct. 25: Picture Re-Take Day
Oct. 25: PTSA General Membership Meeting, 10am
Nov. 22: PTSA General Membership Meeting, 10am
Issaquah
Oct. 15: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Issaquah
Middle School
Oct. 15: Cross Country Meet at Maywood
Middle School
Oct. 15: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Issaquah
Middle School
Oct. 16: PTSA General Meeting, 6:30pm
Oct. 17: Chorus Concert at Commons, 6:30pm
Oct. 17: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Issaquah
Middle School
Oct. 17: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Issaquah
Middle School
Oct. 22: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Cougar
Mountain Middle School
Oct. 22: Cross Country Meet at Issaquah
Middle School
Oct. 22: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Cougar
Mountain Middle School
Oct. 24: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Pine
Lake Middle School
Oct. 24: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Pine Lake Middle School
Oct. 25: Monster Mash Bingo, 6:30pm
Oct. 28: WEB-tivity, 2:45pm
Nov. 4-5: Vision and Hearing, 7th grade
Nov. 13: PTSA General Meeting, 6:30pm
Nov. 14: 7th and 8th Grade Orchestra Concert
Nov. 18: WEB-tivity, 2:45pm
Nov. 21: 7th and 8th Grade Band Concert
Dec. 3: Beginning Band and Orchestra Concert, 6:30pm
Dec. 6: 8th Grade Class Picture
Dec. 12: Chorus Concert, 6:30pm
Dec. 16-20: Winterfest Spirit Week
Maywood
Oct. 15-17: Fall Book Fair
Oct. 15: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Issaquah
Middle School
Oct. 15: Cross Country Meet at Maywood
Middle School
Oct. 15: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Issaquah
Middle School
Oct. 16: Fall Staff Appreciation
Oct. 17: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Maywood
Middle School
Oct. 17: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Maywood
Middle School
Oct. 22: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Maywood Middle School
Oct. 22: Cross Country Meet at Pine Lake
Middle School
Oct. 22: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Maywood
Middle School
Oct. 24: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Beaver Lake Middle School
Oct. 24: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Beaver Lake Middle School
Nov. 5: Hearing and Vision Screening for 7th grade
Nov. 7: Picture Re-Take During Lunch
Nov. 22: Thanksgiving Food Drive
Dec. 11: Cookie Swap Staff Appreciation
Jan. 6: Staff Appreciation
Pacific Cascade
Oct. 15: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Pine Lake Middle School
Oct. 15: Cross Country Meet at Pacific Cascade Middle School
Oct. 15: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Pine Lake Middle School
Oct. 17: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Maywood
Middle School
Oct. 17: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Maywood
Middle School
Oct. 22: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Pacific
Cascade Middle School
Oct. 22: Cross Country Meet at Beaver Lake Middle School
Oct. 22: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Pacific Cascade Middle School
Oct. 24: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Pacific Cascade Middle School
Oct. 24: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Pacific Cascade Middle School
Oct. 28: PTSA Spooky Bingo, 6pm
Oct. 30: School Picture Re-Take Day, 12pm – 2pm
Pine Lake
Oct. 15: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Pine Lake Middle School
Oct. 15: Cross Country Meet at Pacific Cascade Middle School
Oct. 15: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Pine Lake Middle School
Oct. 17: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Cougar Mountain Middle School
Oct. 17: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Cougar Mountain Middle School
Oct. 22: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Maywood Middle School
Oct. 22: Cross Country Meet at Pine Lake Middle School
Oct. 22: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Maywood
Middle School
Oct. 24: Boys Soccer Game – Varsity/JV at Pine Lake Middle School
Oct. 24: Volleyball Match – Varsity/JV at Pine Lake Middle School
Nov. 18: Orchestra Fall Concert, 6:30pm HIGH SCHOOLS
Oct. 31: First Quarter Ends
Gibson Ek
Oct. 21: Picture Re-Take Day
Issaquah
Oct. 23: PSAT – Adjusted Schedule to 10th and 11th grade students.
Oct. 25: Last Home Varsity Football Game, 7pm
Oct. 30: Monthly Staff Appreciation Breakfast
Nov. 20: Monthly Staff Appreciation Breakfast
Nov. 20: PTSA General Membership Meeting, 7pm
Dec. 18: Monthly Staff Appreciation Breakfast
Jan. 11: ACT Practice Exam, 8:30am
Liberty Oct. 18: Homecoming Football Game
Oct. 19: Homecoming Dance
Skyline
Oct. 17: Picture Re-Take Day, 10am – 1pm
Oct. 23: PSAT for 10th and 11th Grades
Family Events 2024-2025
The District's Family Partnership organizes these events in collaboration with Cultural Bridges. All families with students in the District are welcome to attend.
All sessions are in English, Spanish, and Mandarin. Interpreters in other languages are available upon request. If you need an interpreter in another language, contact Lorna Gilmour at: gilmourl@issaquah.wednet.edu. If you would like to participate in helping at any of these events, contact Laura Ni at: laura@isfdn.org
For more information, visit: https://www.isd411.org/programs-services/equity/parent-events-and-workshops
Tips for Parent-Teacher Conferences: Elementary School ONLY (K-5)
October 15, 6:30pm – 8:30pm on Zoom
Tips to make the most of the Parent-Teacher conferences (meeting) in November. Ideas and suggestions on how to make the best use of your Parent-Teacher conference time slot. Suggestions of questions to ask and how to prepare for the meeting. Register link: https://forms.office.com/r/ujbEAYYfni
Family Connections Question and Answer Sessions – In person
October 23, two sessions: 10:30am to 12pm and 6:30pm to 8pm, at ISD Administration Building, 5150 220th Ave. SE, Issaquah, WA 98029
No formal presentation provided. Space for parents to ask questions about the school – who to contact, policies, procedures, how to navigate, etc. Register link: https://forms.office.com/r/Lu1i7TYMR3
College Financial Aid Information Night (For High School seniors and parents only) (In person)
November 6 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Issaquah School District Administration Building, 5150 220th Ave SE, Issaquah
ISD staff will be available to help the parent and child complete WASFA or FASFA forms or to answer questions on the forms. Please check the registration form for paperwork and items needed at the help session. Registration link will be available in mid-October
Student Supports available for Students (Zoom)
November 13, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Information for families on student supports available at schools - school counselors, 504 plan including health plans, mental health supports, etc.
CALENDAR
Issaquah King County Library Events
Mandarin Story Time – Online event
Every Thursday, 11:30am – 12pm
Enjoy stories, music, movement, and rhymes! Help develop your child’s early literacy skills in Mandarin. Please register to get zoom link the day of the event: https://kcls.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0ucurrTwoEt1s-S7P9fu4AY_qiv735GLB#/registration
Spanish Story Times – Online Event
Every Tuesday, 4:30pm – 5pm
Enjoy stories, music, movement, and rhymes that develop your child’s early literacy skills. All ages welcome with adult. Please register: https://kcls.bibliocommons.com/ events/66b0e4fe3849bf4100c52f1e. You will be sent the Zoom link. The same link will be used each week for Spanish Story Times.
Talk Time: English Conversation – at Issaquah King County Library
Every Thursday, 3pm – 5pm
Practice speaking with other English language learners! Learn about American culture and meet people from around the world in a fun and friendly environment. Registration not required.
Vietnamese Family Story Time – Online event
Every Wednesday, 6:30pm – 7pm
Enjoy stories, music, movement, and rhymes that develop your child’s early literacy skills. All ages welcome with adult. Registration required: https://kcls.bibliocommons.com/ events/6511d485c0db8d2800d2275a. You will receive a Zoom link via email at least one hour prior to the event.
Arabic Story Time – Online event
Every Thursday, 5pm – 5:30pm
Enjoy stories, music, movement and rhymes in Arabic that develop your child’s early literacy skills. All ages welcome with adult. Please register online: https://kcls.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrcGpqD8qE9WKdpsu4v9iHMZGtjyCPjK8. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing the program's Zoom link. The same link will be used each week for Arabic Story Time.
To check more events happening at the Issaquah King County Library or in other locations, please visit https://kcls.bibliocommons.com/v2/locations
Cultural Events
Día de Muertos Festival Seattle
October 26-27, 2024 at Seattle Center [305 Harrison St, Seattle WA]
The festival offers performances, elaborate altars, colorful face-painting, sugar skull workshops, visual art, and more!
Diwali: Lights of India
November 2, 2024 at Seattle Center
[305 Harrison St, Seattle WA]
This year’s virtual festival features music, dance, visual art, martial arts, a cooking demonstration and more.
Seattle Hmong New Year
November 9, 2024 at Seattle Center [305 Harrison St, Seattle WA]
The festival celebrates the end of the harvest season with intricate clothing, dance, food, and more.
Middle School Matters
Middle school is a critical stage that parents can’t afford to ignore. These years of rapid change offer a low-stakes training ground to teach kids the key skills they’ll need to thrive. These include making good friend choices, negotiating conflict, regulating their own emotions, being their own advocates, and more. To answer parents’ most common questions and struggles, ParentWiser invited Phyllis Fagell LCPC to give our ISD families a speech regarding a student’s time in middle school.
Fagell started with the 12 skills that can be considered essential for middle schoolers to navigate the middle school years. She encouraged parents to learn these skills alongside the kids, providing a foundation for understanding and navigating the complexities of adolescence.
• Super Flexibility: The ability to handle change and uncertainty is crucial during the phase of rapid physical and emotional changes, especially in a world filled with uncertainty
• Super Belonging: Recognizing the importance of friendship for middle schoolers who are starting to pull away from their families. Despite developing social skills, they still seek a solidified sense of belonging.
• Super Sight: Developing the ability to anticipate and make plans, considering how current actions may impact the future. This skill is particularly challenging during puberty when emotions are intense and life experience is limited.
• Super Bounce: Embracing the idea that mistakes are fixable. Middle schoolers need to understand that they can recover from errors and possibly emerge stronger from the experience.
• Super Agency: Cultivating a sense of empowerment, allowing middle schoolers to feel they can make a positive difference in their communities, schools, and the world.
• Super Force Field: Establishing healthy boundaries, especially in a culture that often emphasizes kindness to everyone. Teaching kids to communicate their needs, even if it means stepping back from certain situations.
• Super Security: Developing a healthy identity, recognizing that anything making them stand out can contribute to their uniqueness. This includes factors like family structure, socioeconomic status, or cultural differences.
• Super Healing: Identifying emotions and employing appropriate coping strategies. This skill is crucial at an age when adolescents may struggle to understand their internal experiences and may hesitate to ask for help.
• Super Vulnerability: Teaching kids when, how, and whom to ask for help. Encouraging openness about seeking assistance during challenging times.
• Super Daring: Encouraging risk-taking, even when fear of embarrassment is prevalent. Acknowledging that taking risks is part of personal growth during adolescence.
• Super Balance: Managing various aspects of life, such as schoolwork, social interactions, and personal time. Striving for balance in a world that bombards middle schoolers with social and academic expectations.
• Super Optimism: Retaining hope and humor in the face of challenges. Encouraging a positive outlook even when things seem tough and fostering resilience.
Then, Fagell focused on talking about “Super Belonging,” which is crucial as it forms the foundation for a child’s ability to resolve conflicts, take risks, and feel accepted. A strong sense of belonging is foundational for children's overall well-being and development.
How to help kids manage friendships & social sensitivity?
1. Play the Maybe Game:
• Encourage kids to think flexibly about social situations. When faced with a negative scenario, have them come up with three alternative, more benign explanations.
2. Address Meanness, Bullying, or Emotional Discomfort:
• Distinguish between meanness, emotional discomfort, and true bullying. Meanness is a one-off
comment or disagreement; emotional discomfort often involves awkward social situations. True bullying involves purpose, pattern, and power imbalances – 3Ps. For meanness and emotional discomfort, empower kids to handle the situation themselves; for bullying, consider adult intervention.
3. Don't Interview for Pain; Mind for Misery:
• Avoid immediately jumping to the worst-case scenario when discussing your child's day. Ask neutral questions about their day, allowing them to share positive or funny experiences. If they bring up negative situations, offer to listen or help without pressuring them.
4. Understanding and Managing Drama:
• Recognize that drama often arises from uncomfortable situations rather than intentional malice. Teach kids to differentiate between situations that genuinely hurt them and those that are merely uncomfortable. Encourage them to express their feelings without dwelling on negativity.
5. Define Friendships and Acquaintances:
• Help kids understand the difference between friends, acquaintances, and strangers. Clarify that not being invited to a party by someone they consider an acquaintance might not be as hurtful as they think. Emphasize the importance of building stronger connections if they desire closer friendships.
6. Challenge the Concept of "Best Friends":
• Discourage overreliance on the concept of a "best friend" in fifth and sixth grade. Having a single best friend can have both positive and negative aspects. While a close, deep friendship can provide emotional support and companionship, there are potential downsides to relying exclusively on one person for social connection. Being a "floater" who can interact with various people enhances social skills and emotional well-being.
These strategies aim to foster resilience, flexibility, and positive social skills in children, helping them navigate the complexities of friendships and social dynamics during the challenging middle school years.
There are additional ways Fagell mentioned that can also help middle schoolers manage friendships, focusing on aspects like understanding and addressing peer pressure, conflict resolution strategies, concrete social skills training, playdates, compliments as social connectors, diverse social networks for some kids, and social media literacy.
At the end of the lecture, Fagell shared her favorite communication lines to emphasize parents or caregivers communicating consistently with care:
• “I’m guessing you did that because…”
• “Do you think you were your best self?”
• “I bet it felt awful when…”
• “I also would be embarrassed if…”
• “I wonder” or “I’ve noticed…”
• “Would you like my help, or do you just want me to listen?”
To view the full length of Fagell’s lecture, please visit https://parentwiser.org. To know more about Phyllis Fagell, visit her website: www.phyllisfagell.com.
Phyllis Fagell, the author of “Middle School Matters,” is a licensed clinical professional counselor, certified professional school counselor, journalist, and a mom of three. She currently works full-time as a school counselor in Washington, D.C., and provides therapy to children, teens, and adults in her private practice. She is also a frequent contributor to several well-known publications, including the Washington Post.
Meet our Staff: Mayumi Johnson
Issaquah School District’s New Language Access Coordinator
Cultural Bridges (CB): Tell us about your position and why the Issaquah School District added this position?
Mayumi Johnson (MJ):
My name is Mayumi Johnson, and my position is known as the Language Access Coordinator. In this role, I am tasked with planning, designing, and implementing a comprehensive language access support model for families within the school district. This involves serving as the primary point of contact for families, community members, district staff, and other relevant organizations concerning language access needs. Other duties include providing training for district staff, collecting, managing, and reporting data to the state on behalf of the district, and ensuring compliance with state regulations.
The creation of the Language Access Coordinator position was in response to a state mandate requiring each school district to have dedicated personnel to address the language access needs of diverse communities.
While the Equity department previously provided language support services, the decision to house the Language Access Coordinator within the Communications department reflects a strategic alignment with our district's communication goals. I view the Language Access Plan as a vital communication tool that fosters stronger connections between school employees, students, and families, ultimately reducing barriers and promoting greater engagement in our educational community.
CB: Why did you choose to work as the Issaquah School District Language Access Coordinator?
MJ: My decision to become the district Language Access Coordinator stems from both personal and professional experiences. Growing up in Japan, I encountered challenges when my children began school in the U.S., navigating a system that differed from what I was accustomed to. This firsthand experience ignited my desire to address and improve the communication barriers faced by Limited English Proficiency (LEP) families. With an educational background in the Public Health Program, along with professional experiences as a translator and an ESL instructor, I acquired the necessary skills and knowledge for this role. Ultimately, my passion for languages and commitment to assisting
the community were crucial factors in my decision to pursue this career path.
CB: Any exciting news you have done so far that you would like to share with the community?
MJ: One exciting initiative I've undertaken is the creation of the Language Access Advisory Committee. This committee serves as a platform for gathering ideas and feedback from various stakeholders in the community, including parents, students, local cultural organizations, and district staff. Through our committee meetings, I discovered many people were unaware of the existence of the Language Access Plan. In response, I developed the Language Access Plan Guide, which is now available on the district website to provide clear information and guidance for language services. Moving forward, I am collaborating with student volunteers to further enhance our efforts in reaching out to LEP families and ensuring they are aware of the language services available to them through the district. Additionally, I am providing training for district staff to emphasize the importance of language services and how to effectively provide them. This training and professional development serve as a refresher course for staff and provide updated guidance on language access protocols.
CB: What is your biggest challenge as the Language Access Coordinator?
MJ: As of now, I haven't encountered any significant challenges in my role as the Language Access Coordinator. I've been fortunate to work with incredibly supportive staff members throughout the district. Additionally, I receive support from outside of my work, including students, parents, community organizations, and Language Access Coordinators from other school districts. While I haven't faced major challenges yet, I understand that they may arise as I continue to grow in this role. I'm eager to face and overcome any challenges that come my way.
CB: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself outside your work?
MJ: I am a wife and mother to two human boys and two goldendoodle girls. Whenever I have time, I enjoy activities like paddleboarding, walking, hiking, and playing pickleball and volleyball. I’m grateful for the love and support of my wonderful family and friends.
Influence the Choice, Screenagers
BY: Marnie Maraldo Executive Director of Influence the Choice
Over the past two decades, technology has permeated every aspect of our lives, profoundly affecting the way we and our children live, work, and interact. The Digital Revolution, characterized by the rapid advancement and widespread adoption of digital technology, has transformed our daily routines. Whether in restaurants, movie theaters, or parks, it’s common to see people engrossed in their phones rather than engaging with those around them. Even within families, technology often creates barriers, as members may be physically present but mentally absorbed in their digital worlds, leading to a sense of isolation despite being together.
In the Issaquah School District, there has been a notable increase in the number of students reporting three or more hours of screen time on an average school day. According to the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey, this percentage has risen from 45% of 12th-graders in 2016 to 72% in 2023. Such extensive use of cell phones and other electronic devices is linked to various risks for students. The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary and Trends Report 2013-2023 (https:// www.cdc.gov/yrbs/dstr/), released in August, indicates that 77% of high school students use social media multiple times a day. This high level of social media use is concerning because, as U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, highlighted in his public advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health (https:// www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-healthsocial-media-advisory.pdf ) earlier this year, “adolescents who spend more than 3 hours per day on social media face double the risk of experiencing poor mental health outcomes including symptoms of depression and anxiety.”
These troubling outcomes are connected to factors such as poor sleep, body image issues, low self-esteem, online harassment, problematic usage patterns, and exposure to harmful content. Among the most alarming of these exposures is access to recreational, illicit, and potentially deadly drugs. This concern is the central theme of Screenagers: Under the Influence, the third installment in the Screenagers series by writer and director Delaney Ruston. The film addresses teen vaping, alcohol use, and other substance use and explores how the pervasive presence of technology has facilitated easier access to these substances. Influence the Choice, a local nonprofit committed to preventing and reducing youth substance use in the Issaquah School District, recently hosted a screening of the film for parents. Screenagers: Under the Influence delves into the role
of social media in promoting nicotine, alcohol, marijuana, and other addictive substances. The film features teens candidly discussing their experiences with substance use and how social media has made access to these substances alarmingly easy.
However, the film also emphasizes that there are proactive steps parents can take to support their children:
Open Communication: Create an environment where your child feels safe discussing any topic, including sensitive issues like drugs and alcohol. Regularly talk about the dangers of substance use and encourage open dialogue. Make sure your child knows they can approach you without fear of judgment.
Set Clear Expectations and Consequences: Clearly define your family’s rules regarding drug and alcohol use and explain the consequences of breaking these rules. Ensure your child understands why these guidelines are in place and the potential risks associated with substance use.
Be Involved in Their Lives: Stay actively engaged in your child’s daily activities. Know their friends, where they are, and what they’re doing. Encourage participation in positive, healthy activities that serve as alternatives to substance use.
• Model Healthy Behavior: Demonstrate responsible behavior when it comes to alcohol and medications in your own life. Your actions set a powerful example, so be mindful of the behavior and attitudes you display toward substances.
• Educate and Empower: Provide your child with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions. Educate them about the risks of drug and alcohol use and empower them with strategies to resist peer pressure, such as rehearsing how to say "no" in different situations.
By adopting these strategies, parents can play a critical role in guiding their children toward healthy, substance-free lives. The film Screenagers: Under the Influence not only sheds light on the growing challenges of substance use in the digital age but also offers a path forward for families seeking to navigate these issues together. Through informed and engaged parenting, we can help our children thrive in a world increasingly dominated by technology.
Influence the Choice is a nonprofit, community-based, grassroots organization dedicated to preventing youth substance use and promoting the mental, physical, and social wellness of our youth in the Issaquah School District. (www.influencethechoice.org)
have higher levels of psychological well-being than those who don't. Social interactions not only give families opportunities to get to know new people and combat feelings of isolation and loneliness but also help us to understand the resources that are available to us, tackle cross-cultural challenges, and eventually, not only get to feel included and welcome but at home.
BY Alicia Spinner
The Executive Director of the Circle
Leaving behind your family and friends to move or immigrate to a different place can be a very stressful experience. And most of us are not prepared for how stressful settling into a new culture is. I moved to the USA twenty-five years ago, and I still remember those first days very clearly. During this time, I have learned that we all deal with it differently, according to our own experiences, age, reason for moving, and the most significant, in my opinion, social support.
As the founder of the non-profit The Circle, I have the honor to welcome many of the families that are arriving in our communities. I see that those who participate right away in social activities tend to
The Circle’s mission is to provide a safe space where individuals and families are empowered to gain knowledge, celebrate their cultures, and engage with their communities. We want everyone to be part of a circle. Come to have coffee or tea with us, take a class, create art as a family, spend some time volunteering at an event, meet new people, and join The Circle! Everything is free, and everyone is welcome.
ARE YOU NEW TO OUR COMMUNITY?
Do you need help?
Contact us if you have questions about services like food, rent, utilities, Internet, phone, clothing, childcare, insurance, English classes, etc.
HOW TO CONTACT THE CIRCLE?
PHONE/TEXT: 425-414-4999
EMAIL: CONTACT@THECIRCLE-WA.ORG
ADDRESS: 160 NW GILMAN BOULEVARD, SUITE 326, ISSAQUAH, WA 98029
FACEBOOK: THECIRCLEWA
INSTAGRAM: @THECIRCLEWA
RESOURCES
You Don’t Have to be an Artist to be a Great Art Docent!
BY Laurelle Graves Issaquah PTSA Council Art Docent Chair
Issaquah is designated as a creative district, so it comes as no surprise that hundreds of parents, caretakers, and community members volunteer thousands of hours every year to teach art education in our elementary schools. The art docent program, which is fully funded by each individual elementary school PTA/ PTSA, ensures that every student receives an art education grounded in the elements of art and principles of design and backed by the National Art Standards.
The art docent program is often the largest volunteer program in each elementary school. It offers the opportunity for families and community members to share their culture. Our school district is a vibrant melting pot of families from all over the world. Often, docents will create a lesson that focuses on artwork specific from their country of origin, even bringing in art from home. Our students benefit from these unique experiences by receiving real-world connections to cultures, customs, and heritages from every corner of the world.
Volunteerism is yet another added value brought to our district by the art docent program. Many parents love to volunteer in their child's school. As kids grow older, the opportunities available dwindle. While some kindergarten classes may have daily volunteer needs, by 5th grade, being an art docent might be the only way to volunteer for the class.
Community engagement increases through the docent program as well. Issaquah Schools Foundation is a long-standing supporter of the arts, and its website hosts a vast array of lessons that docents can use for their entire year of lesson planning. Even volunteers with little to no art experience can feel confident teaching elementary-aged lessons with these carefully selected and well-crafted lessons. Many schools receive grants from the City of Issaquah Arts Commission to help run their programs. Every year, Issaquah PTSA Council Arts Chairs hold an Art Docent Conference that teaches lessons to art docents to take back to their schools. Teachers are local artists and previous docent chairs. The conference is a huge event every year and is generously funded by Wise Camps, an educational STEAM-based camp offering summer camps and educational experiences throughout the year.
The docent program is so vital to our students because most students only engage with art while at school. Many students report that they don't have art supplies at home. Their eyes light up when a paintbrush is put in their tiny hand. The joy that is emitted from the art room fills the air when clay is sculpted into bowls or monsters or wacky birds. The docent program also serves to expose students to new mediums that most probably wouldn’t experience at home, such as glass, clay, metal embossing, sculpture, fiber arts, and much more.
The art docent program in the Issaquah School District is a vibrant community. To find out how you can become involved, contact your local PTA/PTSA or email artdocent@issaquahptsa.org
The Importance of Art Education in Elementary School
Art education is an essential part of elementary school education. It helps children develop their creativity, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking skills. Art education also helps children learn about different cultures and express themselves.
Creativity
Art education helps children develop their creativity by encouraging them to think outside the box and come up with new ideas. Creative thinking is a skill that is needed in nearly every career. An early education in art helps kids think creatively in other academic subjects as well.
Problem-Solving Skills
Art education helps children develop their problem-solving skills by challenging them to find creative solutions to problems.
Critical Thinking Skills
Art education helps children develop their critical thinking skills by encouraging them to analyze and evaluate different works of art.
Cultural Awareness
Art education helps children learn about different cultures by exposing them to art from around the world. This can help children develop a greater understanding of other cultures and to appreciate the diversity of human expression.
Self-Expression
Art education helps children express themselves by providing them with a safe and supportive environment in which to create. This can help children develop a sense of self-confidence and to communicate their thoughts and feelings in a creative way.
Perseverance
Creating art teaches children how to persist in doing something despite the difficulty or delay in achieving success. This is a great example of the Growth Mindset.
Stephanie Norton-Bredl, New Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank Executive
My name is Stephanie Norton-Bredl, and I am the Executive Director of Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank. I joined the team in March of 2023 after nearly 20 years of non-profit management with the YMCA, most recently as the Executive Director of the Snoqualmie Valley YMCA. Much of my prior work was in developing community partnerships and assisting families in accessing much-needed wellness and education programs. When I’m not working, I enjoy hiking, biking, running, and spending time with my family, especially my two little granddaughters.
I was drawn to the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank because the vision of a connected, supportive community where everyone has an opportunity to thrive as this vision aligns with my hopes and dreams for our community. I feel honored to collaborate with an amazing team of service-oriented staff and volunteers and am immensely thankful to our partners and supporters. Together we work to fulfill our mission of uniting our community in nourishing and nurturing individuals by removing barriers to healthy food, vital resources and connections to essential services.
My first year with Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank saw immense growth across all programs. To share a few examples, in 2023 the Food Bank Market and Emergency Food Services grew by 35%, as compared to 2022, seeing an average of 770 household each month. The Groceries to Go program grew by 22%, increasing our households to 290. Power Packs saw a 16% growth in the number of students served, while Summer Lunch saw a 12% growth in families served.
2024 shows no sign of slowing down as we continue to see an increase in individuals and families accessing our food and case management services. With this growing need, we are bursting at the seams in our current facility. Although our team has done an amazing job of adapting to our current space, it’s becoming imperative to have additional space for growth and better efficiencies. For years, the food bank has explored a variety of expansion options. Over the past year and a half, we’ve determined that our current location is ideal and have done our due diligence to overcome potential barriers to development on our current site. We are working with the City of Issaquah and hope to know by the end of the year if we can proceed with our dream of building a two-story building on our current site. In the meantime, we’ve also hired a consultant company to help us with a feasibility study for a capital campaign. If you would like to learn more about this project and how you can support our expansion, please feel free to reach out to me.
It’s such a pleasure to work on the Eastside with so many amazing partners and supporters. Our team welcomes the opportunity to host individuals or groups for a tour of our facility or food warehouse, and we encourage you to get involved by volunteering or participating in a food drive. Thank you for your support!
The Issaquah Food Bank provides gift cards in December so families can choose the perfect gifts for their children. A new requirement for 2024: any family participating in the Holiday Gift program must have accessed a food service in the last 12 months. This can be regular market shopping or any of our other food programs, like Summer Lunch or Lunch for the Break.
Shop at the food bank for kid-friendly breakfast, lunch, and snack items, including fresh, healthy options, during the week-long breaks from school. Primarily serving school-age children in the Issaquah School district.
Grocery delivery every other week for those who are unable to shop in our food bank due to transportation, health, aging, or other challenges. Delivery is available for qualifying clients in Zip codes: 98027, 98029, 98059, 98074, 98075.
For more info on food bank programs & resources, visit issaquahfoodbank.org.
Getting to know Your Community Raising Bilingual Kids
BY Irina Brindeyeva Issaquah School District Parent russian2tor.com
Most families coming from different cultures face a similar situation at some point in life: their kids don’t want to (or are not able to) speak their native language anymore. This trend saddens me a lot. I want to share how our family handles it, and what is working and what’s not.
My first language is Russian. I have two kids in the Issaquah School District. My daughter is a 5th grader at Endeavour Elementary, and my son is entering Skyline High this fall. We relocated from Russia in 2012. When our kids were of preschool age, the Russian language was a natural choice. We used it at home; our friends and their children spoke only Russian, too. Both of my kids attended a Russian-speaking preschool from a very young age. They learned how to read and write in Russian before English. That’s pretty common for bilingual families with small kids.
Then, it was time to go to school, and everything changed.
Young minds quickly absorb a new language, immersed in an English-speaking environment for at least half a day. Soon enough, you might notice your kids pausing before answering in Russian. They will start stumbling and struggling for words while speaking their first language. Your home library with hundreds of children’s books in the Russian language? It does not attract them anymore, though they are still eager readers.
That’s when the struggle begins. As a parent, it is essential for me to be able to share my cultural identity with the kids. And it’s often impossible without them knowing the intricacies of the language — without feeling it as native speakers do. So, what could we do? And should we?
I asked the parents of my students, whom I tutor in Russian and Math, why preserving the language in their children is so important to them. The most common answers were:
• “To be able to share our cultural background with them.”
• “Kids need the language to talk to parents and grandparents.”
• “For them to get the best of two cultures”
• “Being bilingual is good for your brain”
Some families don’t even know where they will be in a few years, so dropping their mother tongue is not an option at all.
As with any good habit you want to introduce – lead by example!
During the school year 2023-24, I led the Issaquah-based Russian Circle. My kids were my helpers. They essentially became role models for younger children who came to our meetings to play and learn. We had a rule to try to speak only Russian, and it worked pretty well.
I aimed to create a fun and educational mix of activities for each 90-minute class. Including (but not limited to):
• Reading, speaking, and other language skills-related tasks
• STEM projects
Russian Circle
• Crafts
• Games: both strategic and physical education
• Teambuilding challenges, Talent shows, and whatnot
At some point, my kids even demonstrated parkour tricks they had learned at the Dynasty Fitness gym!
During the winter break, we organized the Beaver Lake Treasure hunt. About 30 Russianspeaking kids and their families showed up on the unusually sunny day of December 23. We had to split into three groups for the orienteering session in the woods. Then, we enjoyed the traditional hot tea and snacks by the fire in the Beaver Lake Pavilion.
During the last two years, despite what was happening in the world (or maybe because of that), I signed up to host a Russia table at the Heritage Nights in my kids’ schools. I am not a fan of the cancel culture phenomenon and did my part to tell our story of ordinary people’s lives. Again, my kids were my helpers, and they learned there is no shame in being Russian or speaking the Russian language.
I am also a Russian-speaking mentor in the VOICE program of the Issaquah School District.
So, that’s my experience and my advice for the parents who are raising bilingual kids:
• Keep working on their passive vocabulary
• Let them practice speaking
• Share your cultural background
In other circumstances, I would encourage kids to visit the country we came from and/or to communicate with grandparents often. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work for us anymore…
Of course, reading is a huge part of enriching the vocabulary: you’d be surprised how far even 5 minutes a day could take your child. Consistency is the key!
Make the learning process enjoyable! Keep it light and casual. For instance, don’t delve too deep into grammar if your children are not fluent speakers yet. The difficulty level will increase naturally over time.
Give kids the purpose and the opportunity to learn and use their mother tongue. Eventually, they will thrive, and you’ll be glad you didn’t give up. Good luck!
Russian Circle
Russian Circle
Beaver Lake Treasure hunt
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