The International School

TIS EARNS FULL ACCREDITATION

Celebration is in order. The school has been awarded Full Accreditation status by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools. This is a landmark event, the first time the school has been fully accredited.

In the first paragraph of the “Findings” section of The Evaluation Report, Dr. Richard Darst, NAAS Executive Secretary for Oregon, wrote, “The Response Team recommends moving the school from provisional accreditation to full accreditation. Overall, the Response Team found the school to be substantially in compliance with all 8 Northwest Association of Accredited Schools standards. The school recognizes there are areas where additional attention is needed, and the school is working towards compliance in all areas.”

Earning Full Accreditation Status is the culmination of several years work on the part of the teachers, administration, and Board of Directors. Accreditation is a distinction, but it is also a process. The process, one of self-improvement, does not end with achieving Full Accreditation, but continues throughout the life of the school.

On April 30, Dr. Darst, leading a Response Team of four educators, visited the school to 1) validate the completion and accuracy of the school’s self-study; 2) verify that the school meets the NAAS standards; 3) facilitate development and implementation of an effective school improvement plan; and 4) provide commendations and recommendations to enhance the school’s quality.

Copies of the NAAS Evaluation Report as well as copies of the TIS Periodic Self-Study will be available at the Board of Directors Annual Meeting next week. Both are also posted on the school’s web site.

SWITCHED TO ECO-CLEANING MATERIALS

Alex Franchek, TIS custodian and manager of A&J Janitorial, now uses only non-toxic ecologically safe cleaning agents.

We at SquareGator would like to thank the International School families, friends, and staff for letting us be a part of your wonderful community.
I welcome the daily challenges, and find that I have grown immensely because of the wonderful people I meet every day.
With the growing success of our Before & After School Programs, came the NEED for an organized individual that could help keep the current programs running smoothly, and be a backbone for NEW areas of SquareGator yet to come.
SquareGator welcomes Melody Champion, our new Administrative Assistant. Melody comes to SquareGator with 20 years of experience, and she has worked in the public education field for 10 years. Melody will be working behind the scenes most of the time assisting Becky Llanes (SquareGator CEO) in the administrative duties of SquareGator. We are excited to have her join our team.
Thank You,
Becky Llanes

Dear TIS Friends and Family,

As part of the greening of our campus and curriculum, The International School has been looking into the possibility of installing solar panels on Stearns Hall. You may have noticed the large skylights in the ceiling on the building. The backsides of the skylights would be a perfect place for installing photovoltaic panels. Those panels would help generate electricity for the building and help with our efforts to turn the rooftop of Stearns Hall into a learning laboratory.

There has never been a better time to use solar energy. Rising energy costs, increasing concerns about climate change, and an unprecedented financial incentive package in Oregon have made 2008 the time to go solar.

However, there is a catch. Because most of the incentives are in the form of tax credits from the State and federal government, as a non-profit, the school is unable to take advantage of those tax credits. There are a couple of models non-profits are able to take advantage of to pursue these type of projects. One model would be where an investor would step in and own the solar system for 5-7 years (third party ownership model). The investor would be attracted to the project in order to take advantage of the state and federal tax credits associated with the project. After the tax credits have been taken, the investor can sell the system back to the school at its depreciated value or donate it back, and take a tax deduction. A second model would be for the project to sell the State’s Business Energy Tax Credits (BETC) to an investor in exchange for cash that would be put towards project costs. This is also an attractive model but would not allow for the school to take advantage of the federal tax credit.

As we continue to pursue ways in which the school can have solar on its roof we are looking to the larger community to identify any interested individuals or businesses that may be interested in order to capture the projects tax credits. The school’s Solar Work Group would be happy to coordinate meetings with a local installer that has done a site assessment on the school’s roofs with any interested parties to further identify investor interest and explain the above mentioned options.

If this project interests you or your business or you have contacts in your community that you think may be interested in learning more, we would very much like to hear from you. Please contact Lee Rahr at 503-318-8607 or Lee.Rahr@ci.portland.or.us. We look forward to moving forward with this project and finding a partner who can help make this happen for the school.

For more information on the third party ownership model please visit: http://www.energytrust.org/solar/commercial/3rd_party.html#2. For more information on the State of Oregon’s Business Energy Tax Credit please visit: http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/CONS/BUS/BETC.shtml

Thank you for your interest,

Lee Rahr

Parent, Spanish K & 2^nd

City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development

503-318-8607

Lee.Rahr@ci.portland.or.us

Kim Marcus

Parent, Spanish 2nd & 4th

TIS Board of Trustees, Vice President

Kim_marcus@urscorp.com

Dear Parents,
As noted in the “Head’s Corner” in the May 12th edition of ITK, a parent-driven committee is working on some short-term solutions to the traffic congestion and parking concerns during pick-up and drop-off times. We would appreciate input from parents about what you feel works and doesn’t work with the current traffic flow and parking options, and want to give you the opportunity to pose some solutions for the committee to review over the summer months. When thinking about your responses, please be aware that the streets surrounding TIS are city-owned property, so there are some limitations on what the school can do on these streets. (Please note: A campus master plan is currently being developed and the long-term traffic/parking issue will be addressed in this plan.)
Please click on the link below to tell us your thoughts on the subject!
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=gjiTSRKc6xqHJfNq13EPYQ_3d_3d

The library media center is moving to a larger space over the summer.
The new space will need some sprucing up and some new furnishings.
If you are handy with wood or can paint a mural, please contact the
librarian to find out how you meet your volunteer hours before the new
school year has even begun!
Sofas, beanbag chairs, and big pillows are needed to create a cozy
reading space for the students next year. If you have any of these
items in good condition, please consider donating them to the library
media center.
For a complete wish list, visit the Library Media Center page under
Parent Resources on this website.
Thank you,
Tamara Fornell
Librarian
library@intlschool.org

This is it!! The last week for Scrip orders. Orders MUST be placed by noon on Monday and will be delivered Thursday before noon.
Stock up now for the summer!!
Watch next week’s ITK for the winner of the $50 gift card in the final drawing of the year.
Thanks.
The Scrip Team

Anyone who wishes to contribute funds for Chinese Earthquake Relief may do so through the school. We are acting as a check collection point, and Mercy Corps will act as the relief providing agency. Make out your check to “Mercy Corps.” Send it (The International School, 025 SW Sherman St., Portland, OR 97201) or give it to the Receptionist when you come to school. PLEASE BE GENEROUS, as the need is great.

Xie Xie

TIS EARNS FULL ACCREDITATION

Celebration is in order. The school has been awarded Full Accreditation status by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools. This is a landmark event, the first time the school has been fully accredited.

In the first paragraph of the “Findings” section of The Evaluation Report, Dr. Richard Darst, NAAS Executive Secretary for Oregon, wrote, “The Response Team recommends moving the school from provisional accreditation to full accreditation. Overall, the Response Team found the school to be substantially in compliance with all 8 Northwest Association of Accredited Schools standards. The school recognizes there are areas where additional attention is needed, and the school is working towards compliance in all areas.”

Earning Full Accreditation Status is the culmination of several years work on the part of the teachers, administration, and Board of Directors. Accreditation is a distinction, but it is also a process. The process, one of self-improvement, does not end with achieving Full Accreditation, but continues throughout the life of the school.

On April 30, Dr. Darst, leading a Response Team of four educators, visited the school to 1) validate the completion and accuracy of the school’s self-study; 2) verify that the school meets the NAAS standards; 3) facilitate development and implementation of an effective school improvement plan; and 4) provide commendations and recommendations to enhance the school’s quality.

Copies of the NAAS Evaluation Report as well as copies of the TIS Periodic Self-Study will be available at the Board of Directors Annual Meeting next week. Both are also posted on the school’s web page.

PLAN TO ATTEND ANNUAL MEETING

Each year the Board of Directors of The International School holds an Annual Meeting during the month of May. This year the meeting will be held on Thursday, May 22 at 6:30 in the gymnasium. All parents and teachers are invited to attend. The financial statement for the month of April (the 10th month of the 2007-08 fiscal year) and the budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year will be presented. New members of the Board and officers of the Board for 2008-2009 will be elected.

SWITCHED TO ECO-CLEANING MATERIALS

Alex Franchek, TIS custodian and manager of A&J Janitorial, now uses only non-toxic ecologically safe cleaning agents.

Please see your teacher (or look outside the classroom) to edit your directory information for next year’s book. Alternately, just send me an e-mail with your new info. For returning families, we will use the exact same information as last year unless you tell me otherwise. Want to add your cell number or put a new e-mail address? Please tell me now to beat the end of summer rush.

(This is the last year that we will need to do it this way – the school is getting a new database this summer which will make all our contact activity easier and more accurate.)

- Linda Bonder, Marketing Director, LBonder@intlschool.org, 503-226-2496 x104

GARDEN WORK PARTY May 24th!
Great way to get those final volunteer hours.

Have you noticed the flourishing garden on the hill? Thanks to Priscilla Lane-Kappes (a parent of a TIS alumna) the teachers and children of the kindergarten and first grades, we have a beautiful and bountiful garden. But, the weeds are growing and crowding out our fruit trees and berry bushes and we need hands and help.
Once or twice a year many of us pitch in and have a lot of fun working in our TIS garden. We are organizing a work party on Saturday, May 24th starting at 9am. The fruit/berry terraced hill needs tough but careful weeding, especially around each berry bush. Please bring gloves and tools for tough weeds (mostly thistle and grass).
We also need help watering the garden this summer. If you are coming to TIS summer camp consider getting a head start on your volunteer hours by watering our garden. I did it last summer and always enjoyed being amidst the beautiful vegetables and flowers. If you are available at all, please call Priscilla at 503 239-0496 to sign up.

Thank you!!

If you have any further questions please contact Ellen Goldsmith at ellengoldsmith@mac.com