At the School Board Meeting on Wednesday, November 7, the Issaquah Schools Foundation was recognized for their Friends/Foundation Award from the Washington Library Association. Karen Kline, librarian at Beaver Lake Middle School, nominated the Foundation for this honor, and was on hand to present the award to Liz Swanson, ISF Executive Director.
The Foundation has consistently supported libraries in the Issaquah School District with donations of books annually, asking librarians what books they most desire for their school’s collection, and then purchasing many “top of the list” books. Purchased books are displayed at the Nourish Every Mind events to raise awareness of books, literacy, and libraries for the community at large.
Thank you ISF for your continued support of ISD students!
November 12-16 is National School Psychology Awareness Week! The 20 school psychologists in our district provide a range of services to support students’ academic achievement and social–emotional well-being. These include evaluations of cognitive, academic, behavioral, and social/emotional functioning and working with IEP teams to develop plans for our special education students. School psychologists are fully committed to working with district staff to continue to energize and empower our students on a daily basis, and are trained to do so much more than just test students!
The theme for this year’s School Psychology Awareness Week is “Unlock Potential, Find Your Password!” A password is a personal key for unlocking any number of areas of potential in our lives. Our goal is to connect with how modern youth and adults unlock things and to highlight how thinking about specific skills, assets, or characteristics as “passwords” can lead to positive growth.
In our district, school psychologists work on PBSES teams, Guidance Teams, Tiered Teams, and Student Support Teams to develop supports for students, and are particularly skilled at assisting students and staff in unlocking the resources, proactive and preventive skills, and positive connections necessary to unlock one’s full potential to thrive in school and life.
As with all school-based professionals, school psychologists are most effective in their work through collaboration with other school staff, families, and members of the community. School Psychology Awareness Week is part of an ongoing effort to improve collaboration and foster the common elements of a thriving school community in Issaquah to help all students grow and succeed.
On Sunday, October 28, Liberty High School’s NJROTC (Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps) Color Guard Team presented the Colors at the Seattle Sounders FC final home game against the San Jose Earthquakes. The Sounders won 2-1.
Liberty's NJROTC Color Guard Team Captain, Cadet Petty Officer Second Class Olivia Van Ry (US Flag), leads the team consisting of Cadet Petty Officer First Class Lindsay Carvalho (Navy Flag), Cadet Petty Officer First Class Carson Tucker (Right Rifle - on the left) and Cadet Petty Officer First Class Faith Ellis (Left Rifle - on the right) as they present the Colors before the Seattle Sounders FC game at Century Link Field.
Congratulations to Pine Lake Middle School students Ethan Wang (8th Grade), Atharva Joshi (6th Grade), and Palash Kumar (6th Grade) on a great showing at the Chess4Life State Qualifier Tournament on October 6, 2018! Wang took 2nd, Joshi 3rd, and Kumar 8th, receiving a trophy for their efforts, which is in the main office at PLMS.
Pine Lake is very proud of all three students for representing the Wolverine’s well! Congratulations again!!
For complete results of the tournament, please visit Chess4Life’s website here --> http://tr.chess4life.com/
On October 5, 2018 Maple Hills Elementary held its annual Donuts with Dads event! Donuts with Dads is the WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) kick-off event, which promotes the WATCH D.O.G.S. program - an innovative volunteer father involvement, educational initiative of the National Center For Fathering.
There are 2 primary goals of the WATCH D.O.G.S. program:
WATCH D.O.G.S. are fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other father-figures who volunteer for at least one day each year at an official WATCH D.O.G.S. school. During the day, WATCH D.O.G.S. may work with students, play at recess, eat lunch with students, watch the school entrances and hallways, assist with traffic flow, and any other assigned activities where they actively engage with not only their own students, but other students as well. On the day of their participation, WATCH D.O.G.S. are given a daily schedule of their involvement and they wear an official WATCH D.O.G.S. t-shirt identifying them as WATCH D.O.G.S.
This year 350-400 people attended Donuts for Dads at Maple Hills to help kick off this amazing program!
For more information on the WATCH D.O.G.S. program, please visit DadsOfGreatStudents.com