The Owl Weekly Parent Newsletter 9/23/19

Climate Week is an annual week intended to raise awareness of environmental issues and discuss how the public can engage in tackling climate action. Last Friday, students around the world kicked off the week by participating in a Climate Strike, led by 15-year old Greta Thunberg. As a school, we would like to participate in Climate Week by writing or drawing messages about how we can make the Earth and our environment a healthier place.  

ISP will host a school-wide “Sidewalk-Chalk Talk” this Friday morning, September 27th to coincide with the final day of Climate Week. Teachers will be discussing some or all of the following with students:

• People around the world are talking about how to ensure the future of the world

• Part of our goal as global citizens is to make the world a better place. 

• We are writing (or drawing) messages to show that we care about our environment.

Here are more specific questions that you can ask your child to reflect about what we can do or do anything that connects to the efforts:

– Why do we need to protect our planet?
– How can we help protect the environment? 
– How can I reduce my trash pile?
– How can we make the world a healthier place?
– How do we keep our water clean?
– How do we keep our oceans clean? 
– How do we keep our air clean? 
– How can we keep animals safe?
– How can we share the resources?

We will share more about the students’ activities after the event!

ISP alumni at last week’s Climate Strike, with Oregon Senator Michael Dembrow, Chair of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Photo by Meika Goldring.

Parent Network Monthly Meeting

The Parent Network Monthly Meeting will be held Thursday, October 3 at 8:15am in the Arthur Administration Building (up the street from the Main Campus).  All parents are invited to attend.

The ISP Parent Network has a full calendar of events planned throughout the year! We are looking for parent volunteers to take the lead or help out with each of them. Each event has a set date and number of volunteers requested. Many require 2-5 hours of total time!

Please click here to take a look at the list and sign up!

If you have questions about these events or volunteering in general, please contact Andrea Long or Meryl Villarreal, Parent Network Co-Chairs, at  parentnetwork@intlschool.org

Keepin’ It Clean Walks – Updated Schedule

International School of Portland is surrounded by several open areas. While they are not part of campus property, we would like to help keep them clean and safe. As such, ISP has “Keepin’ It Clean” walks that operate in partnership with Friends of Riverplace (a neighborhood organization) and the City of Portland’s Office of Community and Civic Life. During these events, groups of volunteers walk the land surrounding the school to pick up trash, remove graffiti, and report concerns.

Each scheduled “Keepin’ It Clean” walk has been assigned to a grade.  These are not required, but we hope to encourage ISP parents, relatives, or caregivers to walk together, socialize, and to keep our campus safe and clean. Gloves, pickers, and trash bags provided.

Please see below for UPDATED schedule! 

• Tuesday, September 14 – ALL Grades (this is tomorrow!) – 8:15 am to 9:15 am; meet at Hilltop front gate.

• Tuesday, October 8 – 4th and 5th Grades – 8:15 to 9:15 am; meet at Hilltop front gate.

• Tuesday, October 22 – 4th and 5th Grades – 2 to 3pm; meet at Hilltop front gate. Note new time!

Your help is needed! These count towards parent volunteer hours! Adults only.

Global Citizens Annual Fund starts TODAY!

You give your child a world of possibilities when you support International School of Portland’s Global Citizens Annual Fund.  Please donate today to provide important resources for our kids to grow into amazing global citizens. Our goal is 100% participation in this effort from our families – a gift of ANY size counts toward this goal!  Donate today at www.intlschool.org/donatenow.

Thank you for your support!

ISP Spirit Day!

Next Friday, October 4 is our monthly ISP Spirit Day! We invite all community members to show off our school spirit. Wear your ISP field trip shirt or other gear!

Want to stock up? Check out the ISP Spirit Store!

ISP Community Service Day

You are invited to join us for our first 2019-2020 ISP Community Service Day!  We will be working at the Children’s Book Bank, whose mission is to fill children’s homes and lives with beautiful, engaging books.

WHAT:   Volunteer Book Cleaning at The Children’s Book Bank
WHERE:   1915 NE 7th Avenue, Portland 97212 (Just two blocks north of NE Broadway)
WHEN: Friday, October 11th from 9:30-11:30 AM

Maximum capacity for this event is limited.  Please RSVP here to confirm your attendance.  Students must be at least 6 years of age and chaperones must stay with their student(s).  This is not a drop off activity.

REMINDERS: 

• Please remember to give yourself plenty of time to arrive and find parking. CBB prefers to give the book cleaning instructions with everyone present and want to make sure they give us as much time as possible to help clean and repair books!

• CBB has a very small parking lot and additional street parking can be challenging in our neighborhood. Here is a map with some parking suggestions. We also encourage carpools and public transit (Portland Streetcar and TriMet buses 6, 17 & 77 are nearby). When you arrive, please enter the building through the parking lot door next to the big rolling door. 

• The work you will be doing is done while seated in a warehouse space. The temperature has been known to fluctuate depending on the weather outside so dress comfortably. CBB will provide all of the materials and instructions needed for you to do your work.

Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) – Sign up Now!

ISP will be participating in OBOB for the third year now.  If your child loves to read this is the activity for them!

Students from 3rd, 4th and 5th grade are welcome to participate.  The battles are between teams of 4-5 students (although technically a team can have as little as 2 members).  Please keep in mind that at the battles only 4 team members may participate at a time so if you have a 5th member one would be an alternate and have to sit out.  

The battles consist of 2 teams taking turns answering questions about 16 different books.  There will be a school battle held in February (TBD) and the winner will go to the regional battle which will be hosted at ISP on February 29th.  If the ISP team wins the regional battle then that team would go compete at the state battle which is on April 4th.

Students are encouraged to participate even if they don’t read all of the books.  Many of the teams divide up the books so that each member becomes an expert at 4 books.  

Please contact Betsy Cruz cruzme77@yahoo.com to sign up or for any questions.

For more information and for the 2020 book titles click on link below:

Oregon Battle of the Books – Battle for your School…with BOOKS!

Upcoming Events

TUESDAY, SEPT 24

Keepin’ it Clean Campus Walk –  All Grades. Join fellow ISP parents as we walk the perimeter of the school picking up trash, removing graffiti, cutting back invasive plants.  Trash bags, pickers, gloves, graffiti removal supplies provided. Optional, Adults only. Meet at 8:15 am near the front gates at the Hilltop Building.  Be sure to record your volunteer hours!

———————

THURSDAY, OCT 3

ISP Parent Network Monthly Meeting. All parents are invited to attend the monthly meeting of the ISP Parent Network Steering Committee.Arthur Administration Building (up the street from the Main Campus), 8:15am

———————

FRIDAY, OCT 4

ISP Spirit Day. We invite all community members to show off our school spirit. Wear your ISP field trip shirt or other gear!

New Children’s Radio Network

International School of Portland is a sponsor of a brand-new radio network designed for children aged 0-12.

Launched by All Classical Portland, The International Children’s Arts Network (ICAN) is a 24-hour radio service and is the first of its kind in the United States. Designed for young listeners, the network features music, poems, and literature from around the world with programming that will also introduce various languages, ICAN is a nurturing, cultural, audio playground for youth in the Pacific Northwest and around the world – all locally produced and curated by All Classical Portland.

“This ground-breaking, brand-new radio station exemplifies our mission to provide access to the arts for all; and to nurture a love of music and literature in young people,” said All Classical Portland’s President & CEO and ICAN Executive Producer Suzanne Nance. “Creating a resource like ICAN for children in our community and beyond will support arts education and promote emotional literacy.” Nance continued, “the art and music shared on ICAN will serve as a luminous window into various cultures.”

The new station is now available on All Classical Portland’s HD-2 channel and online at www.allclassical.org/ICAN