The Owl 4/25/24
We are excited to host our IB Evaluation Visitors this week!
We have a LOT of wonderful community activities coming up in the month of May. Whether you participate in one, some, or all, we are looking forward to having you join us!
You’re Invited! 5th Grade Exhibition
Fifth Grade Exhibition is next week! Our fifth graders work hard to prepare for Exhibition, the culminating event for PYP students. It is a special, year-long Unit of Inquiry designed and executed by the students themselves.
The Exhibition is the culminating experience of students at ISP. It is an independent and collaborative inquiry into a global issue of their choice, using both English and the target language. Students design their inquiry, engage in multiple kinds of research, and then decide how to present their findings to the community. Every 5th grader at ISP participates in this experience. Please join us to celebrate their work and learn from their research!!
What: Celebrate and learn from the 5th grade Exhibition!
When: May 1, 2024 6:00-7:30 pm
Where: Learner’s Hall and surrounding areas on campus
This evening event is specifically for families and the wider community and will be shared in English. Students will be sharing with their younger classmates in the target language during the regular school day on May 1st and 2nd.
If you have any questions, please contact Paula Cano, IB Coordinator, at pcano [@] intlschool.org
Kodomo No Hi (Japanese Children’s Day) Celebration at ISP
On Friday, May 3rd, ISP will celebrate Kodomo No Hi (Japanese Children’s Day) as our third and final track-related cultural celebration of the year! During the school day, students will enjoy a taiko performance by PSU Taiko as part of the celebration.
Everyone in the ISP community is invited to join the Parent Network after school on May 3 for full festivities including games, snacks, a photo booth, and more!
In addition, we have a special opportunity for students to learn about and create ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) from Carolyn Alter, Head Teacher of the Ohara School of Ikebana’s Oregon Chapter. The first session will run from 3:05 to 3:25 and the second session will be 3:45 to 4:05. Students will make their own ikebana arrangement to keep as their own. Students must be accompanied by a supervising parent, please. Sign up here–slots are limited–
Volunteers Also Needed for Japanese Garden Celebration!
May 5th is the Kodomo no Hi Celebration at the Portland Japanese Garden. Are you interested in assisting visitors fold origami during Yuki Martin’s origami classes on this special day? Please let Candy (candy@intlschool.org) know by April 30th if you are able to assist. This would also get you into the Garden free on this day; so you can experience the festivities before or after your shift.
From the Japanese Garden:
ISP volunteers would help the guests with folding origami. This year, we are making koi and a spinning top with local artist, Yuki Martin. The workshop runs from 10:30am to 3:30pm. Here are the shifts:
10:00 am – 12:00 pm |11:30 -1:30 pm |1:30-3:30 pm
ISP volunteers would focus on assisting with origami. We can provide access to folding instructions in advance so that they can practice as needed.
Walk & Roll to School Challenge Month: Join us as we work TOGETHER to meet our goal!
Let’s walk + roll our way together to school…..The Harmony School!!
May is Walk + Roll Challenge Month! ISP has been participating in this challenge for many years; however, for 2024 we are changing it up! Instead of individual competitions, we invite you to work together to meet our own ISP challenge!
During the month of May, we will work COOPERATIVELY to travel virtually to the Harmony School in Saltillo, Mexico. That’s 2,274 miles / 3,660 kilometers from ISP’s Campus in Portland, Oregon USA to the Harmony School Campus in Saltillo, Coah. Mexico
All miles traveled walking, biking, carpooling or
taking transit TO or FROM school in May
will help ISP reach its goal of reaching the Harmony School before June 1st.
Everyone, STUDENTS, FACULTY and STAFF can participate in the challenge and have a chance to help us achieve our goal.
Walking + rolling to or from ISP even one time will move us closer to our goal!
Next Week we will include more information on recommended routes to ISP, our bike bus day, and share how to log your hours. Every mile helps us to (virtually) reach Saltillo!
Teacher Appreciation Week is Coming Up! May 6-10
Teacher Appreciation Week is from May 6 – 10. Teacher Appreciation Week is a wonderful way to break up a work day with a delightful treat and make our beloved teachers feel special. All classes and students can participate!
Please check with your room parent if you have not received an email with more details about how you and your student(s) can participate!
Bike Commuter Conversations
Meet some of our ISP Bike Commuter Families! In honor of Earth Week and our upcoming Bike & Walk to School Month, the ISP Green Team will be profiling several of our regular bike commuting families. This week, meet Paula Cano, ISP’s PYP Coordinator (and future Head of Early Childhood)!
Q: What’s your motivation for biking to school?
A: I bike for many reasons! I care deeply about leaving my children (and all the children in the world) a planet with a livable climate. As a mother of two young kids, I want them to see that it is not only possible to take action but also fun and great for our health today. My morning bike commute sets me up for the day with good energy, fresh air, and a sense of accomplishment. In the afternoon, it helps me ground myself, decompress, and arrive home in good spirits.
Q: What do you like about bike commuting? What does your child like about it?
A: We feel very connected to the environment and to each other when we are on the bike together. We often chat about what we see, and we sometimes play different pretend games: we get invited by crows to birthday parties, we “fly” across the Hawthorne bridge with our Pegasus wings escaping river snakes.
Q: What kind of experiences have you had while biking that you wouldn’t have had if you were driving?
A: All of the above…. plus feeling truly connected with the changing seasons
Q: Can you talk about any friendships you’ve formed with other families who bike their kids to school?
A: Other parents who are more experienced commuters have been a tremendous resource for me! She has received great “hand me downs”, and I have gotten the best advice on gear to prep me for riding in colder seasons.
Q: What do you say to parents who have concerns that biking may be too difficult, or you might end up too sweaty before work?
A: Getting an e-bike has made biking easier, faster, and more accessible. Before I had it, though, I used to keep a change of clothes in my office in case I got sweaty. It is all about getting the right gear. And honestly, the benefits are so great that I don’t really mind the occasional sweatiness.
Q: Some people are afraid that they wouldn’t be able to ONLY commute by bike, but they forget that they can start by biking once a week, or a few times a week. How many days a week do you bike commute?
A: Some weeks I bike every day, while other weeks I don’t bike at all. Every day I make the decision that works best for myself and my family. And I don’t beat myself up if I don’t feel like biking sometimes.
Q: What would you like to tell other parents who might be considering biking, but haven’t tried it yet?
A: Give the bike bus a try one day and you might get hooked!
Q: Would you be open to other ISP parents asking you questions about your experience with bike commuting?
A: Absolutely. I am also willing to lend my ebike for test drives/ meetup somewhere and ride together