Important meetings re: proposed traffic changes
September 29, 2008
The City of Portland has proposed major changes to the roadways/traffic flow in this area. These proposals, if implemented, will impact significantly upon this school community. We will be providing more details through room parents, at pick up and drop off and at a special meeting for parents this week about the proposals. We will need many parents to attend the city’s open house to make our point of view known.
First, to get educated:
TIS presentation to TIS parents
This Thursday, Oct 2
2:30-3:15pm and 3:30-4:15pm (same information in both sessions)
TIS gym
Then, to represent our community’s point of view to the city:
City open house
Tuesday, October 7
5:00 pm
2100 SW River Parkway
Thank you for your immediate attention to this.
Auction Update
September 29, 2008
Dear TIS Families, Teachers, and Administrators,
Are you wondering what those plastic bins in the reception areas are for?
No, not your recycling. AUCTION!!! Please use them — we are eager and
willing to collect items from these bins and honestly it makes us feel
needed when there are numerous items to collect. Remember, the deadline for
donations is October 27 and earlier is always better.
We are still on the lookout for event sponsors. Your company will get a tax
write off, plus some great advertising, so consider asking your CEO to be a
sponsor. There are lots of different sponsorship levels available to
accommodate the biggest or smallest of companies. Check out the TIS website
for all of the forms needed to donate and/or be a sponsor (under the “Giving” menu, choose “auction”).
Good luck on all of those baskets and art projects. We can’t wait to see
the amazing creations made by you and the kids (or just the kids if you’re
lucky). We know it can be challenging to get these projects together and we
appreciate all of your efforts!!
Sincerely,
Your Local TIS Auction Committee
Update
September 29, 2008
Parent meeting: City of Portland proposed traffic changes
The City of Portland has proposed major changes to the roadways/traffic flow in this area. These proposals, if implemented, will impact significantly upon this school community.
Please note especially the meeting times scheduled for Thursday of this week. We will make the same presentation to parents at both 2:30 and 3:30. Please plan to attend one of those sessions.
There is much at stake for the school. We must make our views known clearly to the City at their Open House on October 7th, 2008 at 5pm.
Auction
Please remember to support our school auction by contributing auction items. Kate and Mark continue their hard work on this major fundraiser for the school. They need your help, of course, as we draw ever closer to “show time” on November 8th.
Curriculum evening
Our English department made its curriculum presentations to parents last Thursday evening. Thank you to all parents who attended. We like to make that personal contact with you and appreciate your having taken the time to make this possible.
School safety
- In answer to a question regarding our automated door locks, they remain operational and allow coded access during normal school hours. This includes, of course, our after-school activity programs.
- We conducted the first of the prescribed set of fire drills last week. All went well and we shall continue with these drills as per regulations throughout the school year.
Classroom update
We are delighted to have relocated our Japanese LowK and Kindergarten and English classes to their properly designated classrooms this week. We thank again all the teachers, children and parents for your help and patience, and we thank again the parents who assisted with the move-in process. We are progressing through the final stages of the construction in the Main building as quickly as possible.
Stephan Grasmuck
503-226-2496 x109
SGrasmuck@intlschool.org
PTO Notes: book fair, auction parking
September 29, 2008
Usborne Book Fair
Come and join us this Friday morning at Stearns Hall for Round 2 of the Usborne Book Fair, benefiting the Library Media Center. Books will be for sale from 08:00-09:30 with an Usborne representative available to answer all your questions. Usborne Books are high quality children’s books available in English or Spanish. Over 1,400 books are available—board books, phonics readers, science, history, problem solving, arts and crafts and more.
The PTO will be hosting a coffee at this time with a special invitation to all new parents to stop by and ask questions, provide feedback, or just chit-chat and get to know each other.
If you are not able to stop by you can always shop on line until October 9th.
- Go to www.usbornedirect.com and click on the link for The International School Book Fair
- Start Shopping
- FREE SHIPPING if you indicate “ship to organization” and pick up books at school
This is a great fundraiser for our school library. Sales generate free books:
- 25% earned on sales $200 to $499 (earns from $50 to $124 in books)
- 50% earned on sales $500 or more (earns from $250 in free books — and
- no limit to how many can be earned)
- Example: a $1,000 book fair would earn the library $500 in free books.
Auction Parking Update
Due to recent construction projects the Auction parking has been reconfigured.
The 2 spots on the right hand side at the top of the hill (near the turn around) are reserved for the 2008/2009 Auction VIP parking winners. The Brazie and O’kain families have been very patient with all the congestion and the limited availability of their parking spots so please be courteous and refrain from parking in this area.
Paula Prince
PTO President
Run For the Arts
September 29, 2008
This Thursday is Run for the Arts. Pledge sheets were distributed the week before last and hopefully the kids are getting sponsors! Please, be sure to have them ask only people you know to sponsor them.
Information for the day of the Run:
- PK (3-yr-old) parents—please drop your child off at the Sherman St gym on the morning of the Run. Your child’s teacher will be waiting for him/her there. This prevents them from having to walk down before the Run that morning. They will be walking back–please contact your child’s teacher to see if they need parent chaperones to help.
- Make sure your child is dressed appropriately to run. PK/LK have been scheduled for 20 min runs. Everyone else 30 mins.
- Send a water bottle with your child. There is no water fountain on the playground and past experience shows that cups of water do not work well.
- Keep your child’s pledge sheet. We will send home the number of laps completed along with further instructions the day of the Run.
If you have volunteered for the Run you should have received an email late last week. If not, please contact Joan Francis at taurlileo@comcast.net for further information.
This is a really fun event for all involved. If you would just like to come and cheer on a class or two–please join us! Here is the schedule for the day:
8:30-8:50 Pre-K
9:00-9:20 Low-K
9:30-10:00 Kindergarten
10:10-10:40 1st Grade
10:50-11:20 Chinese/Spanish 2nd Grade
11:30-12:00 3rd Grade and Japanese 2nd grade
12:10-12:40 4th and 5th grades
The times should be fairly accurate…but if everyone is ready to go earlier than their scheduled time we will start the group rather than have them waiting around.
If the weather chooses not to cooperate–the Run will be moved to the following Tuesday, October 7th. If this is the case, we will have it announced in next week’s ITK.
Thanks for your support!
Tricia Tallman and Joan Francis, RFA co-chairs
Library Book Fair - shop on-line until Oct 9!
September 29, 2008
Usborne Book Fair Benefiting The International School Library Media Center
Usborne Books are high quality children’s books available in English or Spanish. Over 1,400 books available—board books, phonics readers, science, history, problem solving, arts and crafts and more.
SHOP Online until October 9
1. Go to www.usbornedirect.com and click on the link for The International School Book Fair
2. Start Shopping
3. FREE SHIPPING if you indicate “ship to organization” and pick up
books at school
This is a great fundraiser for our school library. Sales generate free books:
25% earned on sales $200 to $499 (earns from $50 to $124 in books)
50% earned on sales $500 or more (earns from $250 in free books — and no limit to how many can be earned)
Example: a $1,000 book fair would earn the library $500 in free books.
See you there!
Tamara Fornell
Librarian
library@intlschool.org
Kids’ Symphony - Tickets for Sale
September 29, 2008
2 tickets to the Oregon Symphony performance of Peter and the Wolf,
Sunday, October 26, 2:00 PM matinee.
This is one of the Symphony’s Kids’ Concerts.
Director’s Circle, Row B, Seats 5 and 6 (second row center of the
balcony — great view!)
Face price $33/tickets.
Make an offer!
Jennifer Cooperman
jennifercooperman@mac.com
It’s Sally Foster Time!
September 29, 2008
October 1 - 17
How does Sally Foster benefit you? Most people need wrapping paper and gift products throughout the year. So why not buy them from an organization that shares their profits with our school?
- Half of all money spent on Sally Foster products goes directly to TIS.
So that $10 gift wrap set you have your eye on will generate $5 in profit for our school. Please take a look at the Sally Foster catalogue, which will be in children’s folders later this week, and see if there are any products you might be interested in.
For those of you who are not familiar with Sally Foster, this is an annual fundraiser featuring gift wrap, kids’ gifts and stationery, chocolates, and other gift products. All money raised through this fundraiser goes to help pay for Capstone Academic Trips abroad, the trips taken by all 5th grade classes to a country of their adopted culture.
Questions? Please contact contact: Susan Marcus, obanmarcus@comcast.net
Checking Out Library Books
September 29, 2008
The library is a busy place this year! Not only are students busy reading and borrowing books and audiovisual materials during library classes, but after school as well. Here are a few tips on checking out books:
- Library materials are available in four languages! Languages are easily identified by color-coded spine labels: Red=Chinese, White=English, Blue=Japanese and Yellow=Spanish.
- K-5 students check out books during library class every other week. K-2 students may borrow one item at a time and students in grades 3-5 may borrow two items at a time.
- Pre K and Low K students may come with a parent to check out books or other materials.
- Library materials are due back in two weeks, or the following library class. Materials may be renewed if not on hold for someone else.
- Parents may choose to borrow additional items for themselves or their children during library hours. Please keep in mind that the library closes at 3:30 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays and 3:45 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The library is closed on Fridays at this time.
- Parents and students may not check out materials when the librarian is not there. Please do not take items out of the library without checking them out.
- All library materials should be returned in the blue book return cart just inside the hallway door.
Please contact Tamara if you have any questions or suggestions.
Tamara Fornell
Librarian
library@intlschool.org
Register now for Chinese Dance & Choir!
September 29, 2008
Sign up forms are now available on the web site for our great new Chinese Dance and Chinese Choir groups. See more information and registration form for all TIS on-site after school activities at www.intlschool.org/parent/before-after-school-programs/
