As we approach the end of the 2020-21 school year, Superintendent Ron Thiele discusses the district's plans and goals for the coming 2021-22 school year, congratulates the Class of 2021, and thanks members of the ISD community for their commitment, adaptability resilience over the past year:
Huge congratulations and an equally huge thank you to all of our employees retiring at the end of this school year! These employees have dedicated a combined 995 years of service to the district! They will be missed, but we wish them the best in the next phase of their lives!
See a slideshow featuring the retirees and short message from Superintendent Ron Thiele:
Congratulations to Sererna Sherwood, member of the Liberty Robotics Team 4131 for advancing to the World Finals in the FIRST Robotic Dean's List judging!
Dean's List is a prestigious award that recognizes students who embody the core values of FIRST Robotics, and students who are nominated by their team for the Dean's List award embody technical skill, creativity, leadership, inclusion, and a slew of other great qualities, as well as their efforts and contributions in spreading STEM throughout their community.
Serena is a shining example of every quality mentioned. During her time on the Liberty Robotics team, she has led the media sub-team as the Head of Media, helped run the team as Vice President, and attended and contributed to many different outreach events. She was the team’s advocate for starting the Liberty Unified Robotics program and inclusion in robotics. Out of nearly 100 students nominated for the award in the Pacific Northwest region (Alaska, Oregon, and Washington), Serena is one of only four students to advance to the final round of judging for the award. In the final round she will compete against peers from across the World like Australia, Brazil, China, Europe and many more.
The Liberty Robotics Team couldn't be more proud of her and wish her the best of luck in the final round!
Congratulations to Issaquah High’s Aashika Vishwanath, who has earned an Award of Excellence at the national level for her Reflections project. Vishwanath’s dance piece, I Am Who I Am and I’m Complete, was created in response to this year’s PTA Reflections theme, “I Matter Because…”, and has received recognition at the district, state, and now national level. Her dance can be viewed on the ISD YouTube channel.
As a recipient of an Award of Excellent, Vishwanath will receive a scholarship, as well as a medallion and certificate. She will also be honored along with other National PTA award winners during the 2021 National PTA Virtual Convention & Expo from June 17-21.
Each year, the National PTA Reflections program encourages students of all ages to create and submit original works of art in the medium of their choice that reflect on the annual theme. Submissions are reviewed by arts experts, and students are recognized for their artistic technique and ingenuity in bringing the theme to life. Over 300,000 students in pre-K through grade 12 from across the country and in U.S. schools overseas created original works of art as part of the 2020-2021 Reflections program. The theme for the 2021-22 school year Reflections program is “I Will Change the World By…”
Briarwood Elementary 4th grader Ardra Arwin has won the 3rd-5th grade division in this year’s Washington State PTA Essay Contest! Arda's essay, titled “My hero who inspired me to be who I am,” is about her dearly departed grandmother, a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist who helped provide no-cost surgeries to many people in need.
The essay contest is open to K-12 students statewide each year. It’s an opportunity for students to celebrate the important role models in their lives. Congratulations, Ardra!
You can hear Ardra read her essay and learn more about her heroic grandmother in this video: