News from Robert – Sept 3

Dear Parents, 

This week we will be greeting one another in the hallway or on the corner as we start the 2013-14 school year. The staff has been working diligently for the last weeks preparing their classrooms and has already engaged in their first sessions of the 6+1 Trait Writing program that we are introducing across the school. This is just one of several new aspects to ISP.

Another new feature is the addition of a “Principal” position: Mr. Ron Young. I would like to take a moment to outline how this new position will benefit ISP and how it fits into the overall administrative structure.

The planned move of the PreK and LowK classes to the new satellite campus also includes moving Maria Abad. She will be the onsite administrator. This will allow her to work closely with the PreK & LowK teachers to further develop the Early Childhood program. We see this as a step towards improving the quality of the ISP program even further, and wish to extend this model to the elementary grades by adding to our leadership team.

The addition of the principal position allows us to redistribute administrative responsibilities to create a better balance. This redistribution will allow for stronger support of students, teachers and parents (see diagram).

For questions or concerns about your child’s learning, please always talk to the teacher first. Then, if you have questions about Prek or LowK, you can direct them to Maria Abad (MariaA@Intlschool.org). For questions concerning grades K through 2, please contact Ron Young (RonY@intlschool.org). For questions concerning grade 3 through 5, please contact me (RobertW@intlschool.org). All three of us will be working with Teresa Wirsching our PYP Coordinator* (TeresaW@intlschool.org), and together we will be meeting regularly to review matters in each section.

Maria and Ron will be sharing the office on the top floor of the Hilltop building until our move. This arrangement will also support Ron’s transition into ISP. So, 

We are excited to be able to include this new dimension to the structure of the school and we believe that it will be a major contributor in helping us move towards our vision of “center of excellence in multicultural education”.

Robert Woods, Head of School, RobertW@intlschool.org, 503-226-2496 x122

*PYP: Primary Years Programme, the International Baccalaureate program for preschool & elementary school.