The Owl 2/16/22
NO SCHOOL this Friday or Monday! Parent/Guardian-Teacher Conference Sign Ups
REMINDER: There is NO SCHOOL for students this Friday, February 18th or Monday, February 21. This is because of Parent Teacher Conferences and President’s Day, respectively. Enjoy your long weekend!
All Homeroom, English, Art, Music, & PE teachers will have conferences this Friday, February 18th. English Specialists (Grades 1-5) will have additional conference options on the afternoons of next week. All conferences will be held via Zoom.
International Festival Schedule!
The International Festival is back and premiering NEXT WEEK! The International Festival is one of the great annual traditions at ISP. Each homeroom class performs a different song, skit, and/or dance in their track language. It’s a great way to showcase our multiculturalism and spirit of the school. In the past, we have rented a theater, where ISP parents, grandparents, and other members of our community are invited to come watch the students perform. While it’s still too soon to return to a theater environment, we’re reviving the Festival in a new, COVID-friendly way! Instead of one day of live performances, class performances will be streamed online throughout an entire week!
The recorded performances will “premiere” during the week of Feb 22 – 25. Please check out the premiere dates above!
Please stay tuned for a link to the password-protected website where you’ll be able to check out the premieres and all of the International Festival performances!
The performance will also be archived for viewing later for families who cannot view the premieres.
Black History Month
International School of Portland of Portland supports the Center for Racial Justice in Education in its statement: “Ensuring the ongoing integration of Black history and experiences throughout all curriculum is imperative as educators continue to uplift every student and reinforce that Black Lives Matter everyday.” Our school does not reserve discussion about Black history and Black lives only for February. Instead, we follow the “Do’s and Don’ts” year round.
However, for Black History Month, our faculty does place special emphasis on Black Americans. They continue to have grade level-based readings and class conversations. Below are several resources for discussion both in the classroom and at home.
Teacher Resources:
Antiracist Children’s Books
Black History Month Resource Guide for Educators and Families compiled by the Center for Racial Justice
Black History Month compiled by The Library of Congress
Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance)
Our own ISP library
If you would like some resources to support your children’s learning at home, here are a few to get started:
CNN /Sesame Street Town Hall on Race
Resources for Talking about Race, Racism and Racialized Violence with Kids, compiled by Sujei Lugo Vázquez and Alia Jones
Parents Need to Have Conversations About Race, Marisa Lascala
Why Teaching Black Lives Matter Matters, Jamilah Pitts, Teaching Tolerance
Supporting Kids of Color in the Wake of Racialized Violence (podcast)
PBS Black Culture Connection
To read the International School of Portland’s statement of intent to become an anti-racist institution, click here.
School Year Calendar 2022-23
Below are the main dates for the 2022-23 school year. The whole calendar will be available in April:
Class Visits
Monday, August 29
First Day of School
Tuesday, August 30
November Break
Monday, November 21 – Friday, November 25
Winter Break
Monday, December 19 – Tuesday, January 3
First Day of Class 2023
Wednesday, January 4
Spring Break
Monday, March 20 – Friday, March 24
Last Day of School
Wednesday, June 15, 2023
Grade Level Parent Coffees
YES!! IN-PERSON! Please join us on campus, in-person for morning coffee!
PreK: Thursday, Feb 24th
LowK: Tuesday, March 1st
Kinder: Thursday, March 3rd
Grade 1: Tuesday, March 8th
2nd/3rd: Thursday, March 10th
4th/5th: Tuesday, March 29th
All coffees will start at 8am. Grab a cup or mix and (socially distanced) mingle with parents and staff!
ISP Sibling Applications Due March 1
If you plan to have a child start at ISP in the 2022-23 academic year, we do need you to please submit an application. Applications received by Tuesday, March 1 will have sibling priority for enrollment, even in classes with waitlists. Any application submitted after March 1 will join the waitlist for any classes that have them.
**You do NOT need to submit an application for a currently enrolled student.**
You can find our application online through your MySchool App account.
- Log into your MySchool App account: https://intlschool.myschoolapp.com/
- Click on “Resources” at the Top of the Page
- Scroll down the page, find the “Apply” square, and click on “Begin Application”
- Choose “Current Family / Sibling Application” for a discounted application fee.
ISP Summer Camp: Early-Bird Enrollment is Open!
Early-bird Enrollment for our award-winning ISP Summer Camp is OPEN for ISP families! On Monday you should have received an email with a special code. This enables you to enroll a week earlier than the general public. Please check for that email now!
2022 Summer Camp Dates and Themes:
Session 1: June 27 – July 8, 2022 – Explorers Galore!
Session 2: July 11 – 22, 2022 – Inventions and Creations
Session 3: July 25 – August 5, 2022 – Art and Music Around the World
Summer Camp is the perfect time to explore a new language and culture. Every camp offers children the opportunity to build language skills through fun hands-on activities, science experiments, songs, games, outdoor fun and so much more.
Learn more at intlschool.org/summer.