The Owl 10/3/2023
Introducing Emi Kitawaki
Please say hello to Emi Kitawaki, our new Alumni & Community Engagement Manager!
Emi comes to us most recently from the Portland Japanese Garden where she was the International Japanese Garden Training Center Program Manager and Assistant to the Chief Curator. Emi also worked as Communication and Outreach Specialist for the Consulate-General of Japan in Seattle and as a Visa Officer at the Embassy of Japan in Washington DC.
Working at ISP is a natural for Emi–she attended an International School in Italy as child from her preschool years through high school! We’re excited to have Emi bring her skills to our amazing, multicultural community and fundraising team!
Welcome, Emi!
Walk & Roll to School Day – TOMORROW! New Bike Bus Meet Up Spots!
Let’s Celebrate International Walk and Roll to School Day!
TOMORROW, October 4th
WALK and ROLL (bike, scooter, stroller, or public transit) to campus for morning drop off! ISP will be joining 84 schools from across Oregon, over 2,000 schools from across the USA and countless schools from across the world as students celebrate walking and rolling to campus. In honor of Walk & Roll to School Day, the ISP Green Team will be hosting a coffee at morning drop off!All participating students will receive prizes and participation certificates!
Parents, please stick around from 8:00AM – 9:00AM to drink coffee, ask questions about bike and transit commuting. and share the opportunity to meet some other ISP parents outside of the carline.
Never taken public transit to campus?
There are a number of bus, light rail and streetcar stops located within a 1/4 mile walk of ISP. Check out route details on the ISP website
New to the idea of bike commuting? Join our Bike Buses! (NEW LOCATIONS!)
Ride the last mile to campus in a bike bus with a group of year-round biking families and they will show you the ropes. Each ride will go at a pace comfortable for a pedal biking-riding student. There will be two bike buses – PLEASE NOTE THE NEW LOCATIONS!:
Bike Bus 1
Tilikum Crossing Bridge to ISP Campus
Departure time: 7:35AM; Arrival at ISP: ~7:50AM
Meeting Location: 45.50725° N, 122.66350° W
This is the plaza between OMSI South parking lot and OMSI/ SE Water Street light rail Station.
Bike Bus 2
South Waterfront to ISP Campus
Departure time: 7:35AM; Arrival at ISP: ~7:50AM
Meeting Location: 45.499259° N, -122.671989° W
This is the plaza at base of U.S. Congresswoman Darlene Hooley Pedestrian Bridge at Gibbs Street / across Moody Ave from the Aerial Tram station.
Are you a member of the OHSU Community? Ride the Go-By-Bike pedicab for FREE!
Just show your OHSU badge. Check out details here: https://intlschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Go-By-Bike-Pedicab-for-Members-of-the-OHSU-Community.pdf
Please share photos of your family walking and rolling to campus with ISP’s social media!
https://www.facebook.com/intlschoolofportland
https://www.instagram.com/intlschoolofportland/
Questions? Please contact the parent-led Green Team at green@intlschool.org with any questions.
IMPORTANT: Arrival and Dismissal Reminders
To help ensure that the school day runs smoothly and safely for all, please note the following arrival and dismissal processes:
- The Kinder-5th Grade Carline curbside drop off ends at 8am. If you are late, please park and come to Hilltop building to check your child in.
- If arriving late, please do not leave your child at the Hilltop gate or outside their classroom building unattended
- If your student goes to their classroom without checking in, they will be sent back down to reception to check in.
- All late arrivals should be marked in SchoolPass so that all appropriate parties are notified. Please do not email the teacher; they are working and do not regularly have access.
- After 8am, no staff will be at curbside to assist. They need to go back inside and start their days teaching and supporting students!
If you are picking up your student before regular dismissal time, please notify the school at least TWO HOURS prior to their pick up time.* With proper notice, we can help you by making sure that your child is ready and waiting for you at either Hilltop reception or Stearns Hall (depending upon grade)! If you arrive unannounced, it is often challenging and disruptive to locate and remove your student from class activities. *Family emergencies excluded.
Volunteers Needed to Lead ISP’s Oregon Battle of the Books Event!
Are you interested in a fun, rewarding volunteer opportunity that supports reading for 3rd-5th graders? We are looking for 1-2 parent volunteers to help organize this year’s OBOB event!
Oregon Battle of the Books is a reading competition that builds reading comprehension and teamwork skills. OBOB has been running as an extracurricular activity at ISP since 2018, and many students really enjoy the challenge and teamwork involved. This competition was run previously by the Parent Network and we are looking for a parent volunteer (or a team of 2 possibly) to organize OBOB for our school this year.
What is involved in this volunteer opportunity? Roughly an hour a week of remote volunteering in the fall and then approximately 10 hours (remote and in person) to prepare for the competition in January. Volunteers will need to communicate with parent coaches this fall and winter; organize the school competition, including recruiting and training volunteers; and host the school competition.
Our school librarian, Amy, will serve as a resource; however, since OBOB is an extracurricular activity, we will need a parent volunteer to run it this year or it will not take place at ISP.