Spring/Summer Messenger 2016 by Missoula International School

LaunchingLivesThrough Language and Discovery

Spring/Summer 2016

MISSOULA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

MESSENGER

In this issue: STEAM Successes A School for the 21st Century What Sharing a Planet Looks Like

SPRING/SUMMER MESSENGER 2016 In this issue: Page 4

Alumni Making Their Mark

Page 5

STEAM Successes

Page 6

A School for the 21st Century

Page 9

What Sharing a Planet Looks Like

Page 10

Montana's Classroom

Page 12

MIS Reflections and Mexico Musings

MIS Administ rat ion Julie Lennox, Head of School Jeff Kessler, Assistant Head of School Ben Super, Director of Operations Laura Bovard, Director of Admissions and Marketing 1100 Harrison Street Missoula, MT 59802

Bethany O'Connell, Director of Development and Communications

406.542.9924

Gary Cram, Director of Finance

www.mismt.org

Connie Jette, Bookkeeping Sabine Sriraman, Administrative Assistant

(Below and Cover Photo) MIS 8th grade students share their latest dance moves with students from La Paz, Mexico.

MIS Board of Trust ees 2015/ 2016 Norm Williamson, President Rob Fleming, Past President Emily Richardson, Vice President Doug Webber, Treasurer

OUR MISSION Missoula International School inspires principled global citizens and lifelong learners through a challenging bilingual education from preschool to eighth grade.

MIS OFFERS...

Jason Kiely, Secretary

Julie Osborn, PA Council President

Ray Aten Betsy Maier Jennifer Marrow

Mary Surber Susan Beck

Dave Rosulek Mike Vetter

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an independent preschool through eighth grade educational choice to the greater Missoula community inquiry based learning environment that inspires creativity and critical thinking as the flagship PYP International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in the Northwest a full language immersion environment which research proves increases cognitive development, literacy, cultural understanding and self-confidence a 21st century education using a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) based teaching approach a safe and nurturing environment that promotes freedom of expression and a culture of collaboration in a multiage setting class sizes that allow for more individual attention and deeper relationships within the school community an academic culture that promotes individual responsibility and equips students to take action as locally and globally-minded citizens a learning environment that encourages academic and artistic risks to develop confidence and foster a well-rounded individual a multicultural environment that connects students with people of diverse and international perspectives preparation for MIS graduates who consistently excel at upper level academic high school and college classes, travel the world and communicate in multiple languages, and contribute to their community in multiple ways.

MIS Alumni Out Making Their Mark People often ask how the MIS experience shapes its alumni students as they begin to grow up and branch out in the world. We gathered a few updates from our alumni and their accomplishments: MIS alumna, Ingrid Biehl (MIS Class of 2013), received a Rotary award scholarship to study abroad in France this year. Ingrid sent her gratitude to MIS: "I have MISto thank for helpingme become the trilingual speaker I am today. While a student at MIS, I wastaught the importance of beinga world citizen. The teachershelped me understand diversity and why we need to understand others. The PYP profile wordsare so important. I am very proud to have learned through the MISphilosophy." Lia Erving (MIS Class of 2013) was selected to go to Spain as part of a program through the School for International Training. Lia, pictured far right in 2014, with MIS alumnae Kristen Cram, Georgia and Ava Kazemi.

Kristen Cram (MIS class of 2012) will be graduating from Hellgate High School and the IB Diploma Program this year. A member of the National Honor Society, Kristen was awarded a Premier Scholarship from MSU and will study in the pre-med program.

Otis Peterson graduated from MIS in 2014. He?s a talented actor and performer, who recently attended the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. Otis will be assisting with the MIS Summer Technology Camps in July and working for Ecology Project International . Lorraine and Mabel Gardner (MIS class of 2014) have summer adventures ahead. Lorraine is going to be teaching English in Peru and Mabel will be working with elephants on a nature preserve in Thailand . Also from the class of 2014, Gabriella Stokstad will be joining a group of volunteers to help build homes in Mexico.

Gabriella Stokstad, Lorraine and Mabel Gardner, and Otis Peterson stand with their former MIS preschool teacher, Jenny Gomez, during a recent visit to MIS.

Congrat ul at ions Graduat es! Stay in Touch... MIS 6th graders attended a presentation given by Big Sky High School IB Diploma students at the Roxy Theatre in May. The full day conference on the indigenous peoples?movements in Latin America included SKYPE conversations with leaders and activists, even an interview with Noam Chomsky. MIS?s 2/3 multiage teacher, Patricia Cano, was one of the judges. MIS students enjoyed seeing many MIS alumni who were involved in the project.

Are you a former student or graduate of Missoula International School? We want to hear from you! Send us your photos and news! office@mismt.org Join the Missoula International School alumni Facebook page and reconnect!

Successes in STEAM Learning So Many Firsts at the FLL World Festival!

For it's second year, MIS worked with two dedicated parent volunteers, Dari Quirk and William Bain, as well as technology teacher William Knight, to prepare a team of students in the 4th-8th grade for the FIRST® LEGO® State Tournament. The students learned to work together as a team and program robots to complete tasks related to this year's theme, "Trash Trek." This year's MIS team, MT Recycles, put MIS on the map with their MT State Championship win and were invited to represent Montana at the FIRST® LEGO® League World Festival in St. Louis!

Student Receives Award for Essay

MIS 8th Grader Will Erving placed second in the state of Montana for his essay on improvements in mining regulations in the state of Montana. He was recognized with a cash award of $250. Montana Mining Magazine will be printing his essay and photo and publishing it on the Montana Mining Association website. Will was also invited to present his essay at the Montana Mining Association?s Annual Meeting at Fairmont Hot Springs .

Students Host LEGO® Robotics and Animation Fair Students in the K/1 multiage classrooms hosted a "Robotics and Animation Fair" in April, demonstrating their impressive knowledge of coding, robotics, and designing animated stories in Spanish.

We followed their progress and success here: https://misfirstinspires.org/ (Photos by Ericka Schenck)

A Day at The Museum

Middle school teachers Jen Gebo and Gillian Kessler attended a collaborative planning workshop for MYP teachers at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City in April. They created an interdisciplinary unit plan to guide student learning next year. 5 SPRING/SUMMER MESSENGER 2016

Science Fair Projects Entered in National Competition

MIS had a strong showing at this year's state science fair, walking away with 17 gold medals. Three students, Sage Brooks, Avery Maxwell, and Birch Banks, were invited to submit their science fair projects into the Broadcom MASTERS® national middle school science competition. Their nomination is a great honor? only 10% of science fair projects nationwide are nominated. Ultimately MIS could receive a $1,000 award for STEM programs if their projects reach the final round of 30 students. Now in its fifth year, the Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering for Rising Stars) inspires middle school students from all walks of life to pursue math and science throughout high school and college, opening career choices in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

ST A SCHOOL FOR THE 21

CENTURY... AND BEYOND

We use every square inch of space, and it?s not enough. Our hallways are office and learning spaces; old locker rooms serve as art and music classrooms.

By Julie Lennox, Head of School MIS celebrates its 20th birthday this year! In 1995, the Missoula International School (MIS) opened in a small house in the center of Missoula. In attendance was a small group of twelve tiny pioneers, aged 3 to 6, who learned French in the morning and Spanish in the afternoon.

Within a few years, word got out to parents that something wonderfully different was going on for young children in Missoula. And our innovative little school grew? explosively. Now, 20 years later, MIS is an accredited preschool through eighth grade program that offers a unique choice and challenging educational opportunities for almost 200 students in the greater Missoula area. MIS has achieved authorization with the International Baccalaureate Organization as an IB World School, accreditation with the Northwest Association of Independent Schools (NWAIS), and membership in the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). 7 SPRING/SUMMER MESSENGER 2016

We?ve earned an enviable reputation through our ambitious educational vision and we have influenced the landscape of learning in Missoula and beyond. MIS students engage in inquiry-based learning; exploring educational materials in small groups, one-on-one with a teacher, on the floor in a circle or in a quiet corner to read and reflect. Our teachers are rarely in the front of the group writing on a whiteboard. Instead, they guide student learning through interactions and experiences. Our students collaborate and create as they learn. They are critical thinkers and they communicate in two languages. They are prepared for the world ahead of them. For 20 years MIS

has blazed the trail for innovation in education, while envisioning a future for Missoula?s children rich with choice and boundless opportunities. But today we are bursting at the seams in the historic Prescott School building with a student body of almost 200. We use every square inch of space, and it?s not enough. Our hallways are office and learning spaces; old locker rooms serve as art and music classrooms. Every classroom is used for at least two purposes and all office space is shared by at least two school staff members. As the school strives to reach its potential at all grade levels, we need to greatly increase the academic, athletic, and arts spaces to allow our program to thrive.

While MIS offers an educational experience for 21st Century learners, our current building is almost 70 years old with outmoded classrooms off a central hallway. It was built to meet the needs of education in the industrial age, with classrooms designed to hold desks in straight rows and a teacher at the front of the classroom at a blackboard. This stand and deliver form of education is as antiquated as the Prescott School Building. We need a building that will not only meet the space requirements for the school to fully fulfill its destiny, but we also need a facility that enhances the educational opportunities the school provides students. We are ready to take our next step and build a home where the school can thrive in the future. We are well on our way to making our dream a reality! MIS has secured a site for a new home at 800 South Third Street West. This new site is centrally located in downtown Missoula, within the McCormick Park neighborhood.

The location has all of the features that MIS stakeholders identified as important. With 4 acres, there is ample space for an innovative educational facility and abundant green space for outdoor play. Furthermore, there is easy access to biking corridors, trails, parks, bus routes, downtown amenities, and the University of Montana. However, it is also tucked away into an established neighborhood where our students can feel safe and at home. We have assembled a top-notch team to help us see this project to successful completion. Missoula?s own Jackson Contractor Group will lead the project design phase and construction. Lake|Flato Architects, based in San Antonio, will be the design architects for the project. MIS continues to partner with Equity Schools, Inc. to actualize the comprehensive project plan and serve as the Owner?s Representative for project completion.

To meet these ambitious plans, MIS has launched a capital campaign of $5,000,000 to fulfill the first phase by constructing a new school. The campaign will seek private contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations to use for the construction of the new school. The goal is to have the campaign completed by Summer 2017, a year ahead of the opening of the school in Fall 2018. I hope you will support us! For more information, please visit www.mismt.org /facilities design.

This is What Sharing a Planet Looks Like MIS students in all grades spent this spring engaging in units of inquiry related to "Sharing the Planet," including studies of water, pollution, human and animal habitats, and sustainable energy. Students of all ages were inspired to take action and raise awareness in the community for a better planet:

Read t o Feed a Fr ien d In February, all students participated in the annual, "I Love to Read Month?challenge and celebration of reading. Students smashed last year?s reading record, with over 208,000 total minutes of reading! Through a special matching grant to reward their love of reading while spreading awareness about poverty, MIS students raised a little over $4,000 on behalf of Heifer International, an organization that works to end hunger and poverty around the world by providing livestock and training to struggling communities.

For a Su st ain able Plan et The 2/3 multiage classes explored a unit on pollution, then presented their play based upon the Dr. Seuss book, "The Lorax." These concerned citizens wrote letters to local leaders expressing their concern for the environment and encouraging other citizens to find ways to reduce pollution and waste. The 2/3 multiage students also explored how buildingscan be designed and organized in sustainable ways. They learned about sustainable buildings and the affects of greenhouse gases from guest speakers. They took a trip to Missoula Federal Credit Union, a certified LEED building, to learn about different sustainable materials used in its construction. The students then invited the school community to a presentation of their own sustainable community building designs.

Exh ibit ion in Act ion

The 5th grade PYP exhibition is the IB unit of inquiry capstone project for students moving up to middle school at MIS. As part of exhibition, students also take action in their community. 5th graders Micah, Elsa, and Camille presented their research on "renewable" and "non-renewable" sources of energy during their PYP Exhibition presentations. As part of their action plan, they were visitors on the Pea Green Boat children's radio program on KUFM. Other students chose to create a website about their research on chemicals in the environment. Some students visited other classes at MIS to share how we harm the forest. They also wrote letters to the local newspaper to inspire change within our community.

Th at 's Bu ll! 7t h Gr ader s Discu ss St r eam Ecology

M on ar ch M igr at ion In art class, students learned all about Monarch Butterflies in preparation for the beautiful ?Monarch Migration?they created for the International Wildlife Film Festival?s Wildwalk Parade. They learned about their life cycle, what they eat, how they morph in their cocoons, and how they fly over 2000 miles in their migration from Canada to Mexico. They explored what actions they can take to help with the drastic decline in population of the Monarch butterflies, including planting milkweed that is native to Montana and bringing awareness to their plight. As part of a middle school art elective, MIS students presented a newspaper fashion show, posing among the Monarch creations with their original, ?upcycled?designs. 9 SPRING/SUMMER MESSENGER 2016

As part of their unit of inquiry related to water quality, 7th and 8th graders spent several classes at the river. The students visited the confluence of the Clark Fork River and Rock Creek to learn more about threats to native bull trout. These young ecologists monitored both the chemical and biological water quality factors of Rattlesnake Creek, sending their data and analyses to the Watershed Education Network as a part of an important ongoing citizen science project. They wrote letters to the editor of the Missoulian and contributed to a blog for the Clark Fork Coalition. Read the blog here: http://clarkfork.org/thats-bull/

MONTANA'S CLASSROOM

GLACIER INSTITUTE BRINGSSCIENCE EXPLORATION AND MONTANA'SECOSYSTEMSTO LIFE FOR MISSIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS. THEIR DAILY FIELD JOURNALS DEMONSTRATE THE VALUE OF EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING FOR THESE BUDDING ECOLOGISTS.

Today we l earned about aquat ics. We visit ed l ower McDonal d st ream and McDonal d Lake. One group saw a beaver in t he st ream and t he ot her saw a wol f . We had a very t hought f ul discussion about l ake t rout and t heir invasions, and dif f erent manners t o prevent and remedy t his.

Birch, Grace, and Sage, 7th grade

As soon as we arrived at Gl acier Inst it ut e, we met t he counsel ors, set up our bunks, and got what t hey cal l , Nature Names. To f ind your Nature Name, you t ake your name and somet hing in nat ure t hat begins wit h t he f irst l et t er of your name. For exampl e, Jul iet t he Juniper, Emmal ine t he Eagl e, Amel ia t he Aval anche, et c.

Juliet, 6th grade

"In orient eering, we l earned how t o use a compass and read a map. Af t er t hat , we put our new f ound skil l s t o t he t est ?our inst ruct or gave us t he point s t o put in our compasses and t hen we woul d have t o navigat e t o a f l agged area. Somet imes af t er we f ound a f l ag we woul d have t o f igure out where we were on t he map using l andmarks and a map. By t he t ime we got back f rom our bushwhacking advent ure it was t ime t o eat our l unch of ham or peanut but t er sandwiches. Af t er l unch, t he groups swit ched cl asses. In t he orient eering cl ass, we went on a short hike, l earning about rocks and t he hist ory of our bel oved pl anet eart h on t he way, and on t his hike, one group spot t ed a bear! " Karma, 6th grade

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REFLECTIONS AND MEXICO MUSINGS

W e Are Will Erving, 8th Grade

We are all the school. The nervous preschoolers, laughing more throughout the day. The middle schoolers, walking through the halls to our next class. The caring teachers, giving to us all, leading us to the next step. We are this community of families and friends. Children from 3 to 14 years old, growing, changing and always learning. We must walk our paths and step aside for the next year of students. The next branch in the tree of la vida.

MIS8TH GRADERSENJOY THEIR CAPSTONE TRIP TO LA PAZ, MEXICO. THEY SHARE THEIR REFLECTIONSON NEW ADVENTURESAND REACHING AN EDUCATIONAL MILESTONE.

Sl ice of LIf e: La Isl a Calvin Beighle, 8th Grade It was early. Too early for me as I had been awake for most of the night hablando con mi compa. Escaping for a short period of time from my daily routine had been so nice. Immersing myself in la cultura de méxico, I started talking to my Mexican peers. ?Ayy compa,? called out Julian, ?¿Como estas?? ?Muy bien,? I said. It was the first time I had been muy bien in a long time. Birds called out their morning cheer and waves lapped at the shoreline. I looked out at the yacht that had been blasting music all of yesterday afternoon, it's white hull glimmering against the water. Orlando came up beside me and started talking, asking me about my bruised arm. "Yo decía que en lacrosse es común, no como los jugadores de fútbol suavecitos." He started laughing, shoving me playfully, shaking his head. It was almost time for breakfast and the sun was rising over the water, slowly coming over the mountains. I smiled, appreciating this beautiful place I was in, the beautiful island I was on: Isla Espiritu Santos. Sand was creeping in between my toes, each granule competing in a race to the top. Era tiempo para desayunar and people were starting to gather. I slowly walked underneath the tent, appreciation emanating, and started to eat my breakfast. Walking down to the water, I closed my eyes trying to guess when I would reach the ocean. As the water lapped at my toes I smiled, reaching my destination. Sitting down I looked out into the water, the salty air filling my nostrils. There it was; a fish yellow and white, image distorted by the water. I stood up looking out, trying to identify the creature. Slowly swimming away I caught a glimmer of spikes and I started to wade out towards the Balloon Fish. He swam away, fins waving goodbye, making arcs amidst the sand. Hope resonated inside me, hope to see another. Thankfully my hopes would come true. Heat came from the rocks, as they had been under the sun for quite some time now and it was also the hottest part of the day. Jaen started calling, "Regresas de allí." We both laughed and lowered ourselves from the rocks. Hopping down to the landing, we started walking, catching up with the group. The trail winded down, like a snake basking in between the rocks. "Una lagartija!" Called out one of my peers. We all stared out, looking at the camouflaged lizard creeping amid the rocks. It was the norm in México. I smiled, being in my own personal paradise. 13 SPRING/SUMMER MESSENGER 2016

MIS Memories (Age 3-14) Dana Webber, 8th Grade

3, I saw a hallway, parents swarming, crying children, it seemed brighter then. I wore a white and pink flower dress, and I carried my new language home with me, hola and manzana. 5, I leaned on a staircase, my heart beating out of my chest at the sight of older kids. I carried a box of clothes for my sick sister, but I shrank behind the stairs. 7, I had a mountain of friends, we put toys in trees, willing them to stay there and not be found. It was a secret place for us. 9, green carpeting, silver lockers, furniture with stains made up my classroom. I began to write, my words scratchy on the page. 12, My favorite sound became those of horse hooves beating heavily on the ground. I stepped outside my shell for the first time, I saw the bright world of laughter, I didn?t want to be shy anymore. But my best friend was leaving, so I crawled back inside. I began to learn about culture, about science and how things worked. I was fascinated. 14, It?s here, my eleventh year, my final year. My heart beats fast when I think about graduation, when I think about leaving, high school, and the inevitable. I?m living behind a curtain here, but I?m not ready to see what?s on the other side. I want to feel safe, to feel like I belong here. A piece of my heart will always be at MIS.

Mexico Max Jakob, 8th grade

The t rip burst int o l if e t he f irst night , when we wal ked t o t he ocean at sunset The cool , sal t y wat er washing any st ress away. The next morning meet ing t he Mexican kids, opened our eyes We wal ked around t he cit y discovering and l earning. We experienced a new cul t ure and The ocean washed t he spaces bet ween us away, We were compras, The isl and t urned us int o a big f amil y Yet t oo soon t he t rip ended how it st art ed, One l ast sunset , t he cool ocean But one dif f erence: we had new f riends and great new memories.

At f irst I was amazed by t he f ish, but I soon real ized t hat t here was amazing l if e everywhere. Looking one way I woul d see beaut if ul f ish and coral , l ooking t he ot her I woul d see rocks covered wit h l if e wit h jel l yf ish drif t ing above t hem.

Hayden Kiely, 8th grade

Looking Forward to Fall 2016 at Missoula International School BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS: Wednesday, August 25th New Family Orientation (4:00PM-6:00PM ) Monday, August 29th Preschool Open House (4:30PM ? 5:30PM) K-8th Grade Open House (5:30PM-6:30PM) MIDDLE SCHOOL OVERNIGHT Thursday, September 1st

ALL PARENT FALL MEETING Wednesday, September 28th

SAVE THE DATE!

GDay for Grandparents and Grand Friends Friday, October 7th (9:00AM-11:30AM)

SAVE THE DATE!

Fall Family Fiesta and Fundraiser for MIS! Friday, October 7th (4:30PM-9:00PM)

MIS offers bilingual summer day camps in English and Spanish. Each day includes exciting cultural and outdoor activities in a child-centered environment. MIS is pleased to offer a new LegoÂ® Robotics camp, as well as cultural and outdoor adventure camps this summer, taught by highly qualified Spanish immersion teachers. (Above) Jenny Gomez, originally from Bolivia, leads an art exploration camp at MIS. REGISTER TODAY AT: https:/ / www.mismt.org/ other-programs/ summer-camps/

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Thank You for Sharing the Love with MIS! Help us reach our goal by June 30th

Your Support Brings Opportunity!

Let's Reach 100%

Thanks to your gifts in 2015/2016, MIS is able to: -

Begin the process of applying for the MYP (IB Middle Years Program) and training teachers for MYP candidacy Expand our collection of LEGO robotics kits and software for classrooms and summer programs Provide Chromebooks for a classroom Provide mini-iPads for a classroom Develop new 3D design and printing programs Give teachers online training and access to conferences at peer schools And much, much, more!

Together, we directly support the teaching, learning, and discovery that we love about MIS.

It is Not Too Late to Share Your Love! 2015/2016 Fundraising Goal

"We have found that a great way to make our giftsto the capital campaign for the new school, aswell asfulfill our annual givingpledge, isthrough monthly contributionsdirectly from our bank account. It'seasy, and MIShelped uswith the details. Now we can plan our givingto more precisely match our cash flow. "

Parent Participation to Date

Gita Saedi-Kiely and Jason Kiely

Make a Difference- Donate Today! https:/ / www.mismt.org/ support-mis/

You Are Grand! Grandparents share a vital and ever growing influence on our students?lives. You make many contributions to your grandchild?s development in life, from teaching specific skills and values, to mentoring and providing financial help, and most importantly, to providing the caring and loving every child needs. Make a difference for future generations with your GRAND Society gift today!