• Speak now! The entire Issaquah school community is invited to give input about what qualities and characteristics the new superintendent will need to best lead the District. The Board-hired search firm Ray and Associates will hold interviews Oct. 9 and 10. The firm will compile the resulting data into a “profile” of the ideal candidate, which the board will use as its final hiring criteria. These input sessions are the most important opportunities for community members who want to have a meaningful role in choosing the next leader of our local schools.

 

Specific groups of stakeholders have designated times and everyone is welcome to participate in two open evening input sessions. All interviews will be held in the board room at the administration building, 565 N.W. Holly St. The schedule is:

 

·        Monday, Oct. 9:

o       7 p.m.: Open community meeting.

·        Tuesday, Oct. 10:

o       9 a.m.: Site council parents, middle and high school

o       10 a.m.: Administrators

o       11 a.m.: PTSA

o       Noon: Business community

o       1 p.m.: Site council parents, elementary

o       3 p.m.: High school students

o       4 p.m.: District employees, including labor leadership

o       5 p.m.: Issaquah Schools Foundation

o       6 p.m.: District Advisory Team (DAT)

o       7 p.m.: Open community meeting

 

If you are unable to attend one of these meetings, please provide written input via e-mail to schoolboard@issaquah.wednet.edu. Please include the subject line "Superintendent search." For more information, call 425-837-7002.

 

You can hear the Board’s discussion with Ray and Associates about the search timeline via the online podcast.

 

• Important update: The School Board will interview the four candidates who applied for the Board vacancy at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 4, at the administration building, 565 N.W. Holly St. The Board will hold a work-study session to consider interview questions before at 5:30 p.m. The interview had originally been scheduled for Sept. 27.
  • Community members are invited to submit potential interview questions to schoolboard@issaquah.wednet.edu by 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3.  Please use the subject line “Board candidate interview question.” Anyone who attends the interview will also have an opportunity to submit spontaneous questions and offer written feedback.

 

• The School Board will receive its comprehensive demographics report—which will determine financial, boundary, and construction planning—from Hebert Research at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 27, at the administration building, 565 N.W. Holly St.

 

• The 2005-06 school “report cards” are now online! Checkout each school’s mission, accomplishments, demographic information, assessment scores, and more.

 

• Echo Glen Children’s Center needs some creative folks! For the first time, the school is beginning an art docent program (currently, Echo Glen has no art classes at all). The school is preparing five art lessons, and it needs presenters and assistants to lead those lessons in fifth-period classes from 12:15-1:24 p.m. one time in October, November, January, February, March, and May.  The school is also looking for a volunteer who would like to lead children in Pilates or yoga during the evening. For more information, e-mail s-evans@comcast.net.
  • Echo Glen is a state-run detention center for children in Snoqualmie; the Issaquah School District provides the educational component. Because students here often come from troubled pasts, the opportunity to express themselves creatively, learn about diet and exercise, and connect with caring adults often makes a huge—even life-changing—impact.

 

• Per state law, students in grades 5-12 will be taught the District-adopted HIV/AIDS and Human Sexuality curriculum this school year. Parents are invited to view the instructional materials—including videos—at the Issaquah Valley Elementary, 555 N.W. Holly St., at:
  • 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3
  • 7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9
  • 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14.

Parents must attend one of these public viewing sessions if they wish their student to be exempted from HIV/AIDS instruction.  For more information, call 425-837-7148.

 

• Is this the first time you have received an E-News message from the Issaquah School District? If so, you might have been subscribed using an e-mail address you provided for your student’s records. E-News is an important way we communicate with parents and the community, and we wanted to make sure you had the opportunity to receive these messages. If you no longer want to receive electronic District updates, please use the one-click unsubscribe link at the bottom of this E-News. If you have questions about E-News or the automatic subscription process, please call Sara Niegowski, communications director, at 425-837-7004.