2019-10-04 Noticias de ISLA y ISLA PTO

September 7, 2021

Emily Smith

Administrative Assistant

Fiesta Great Gathering!

Ladies! Join ISLA parent Merrie Sjogren for an evening at UP Yoga at 5:30 on October 5th.Start out with an Up Beat yoga session followed by a glass of wine. No prior yoga experience needed, come ready to move and have fun!

Sign up here!       

https://squareup.com/store/isla-pto/item/up-yoga-for-ladies-only-saturday-october-th

Calendar of Events

  • Oct 7  Picture Retakes
  • Oct 7  Drama and Dance begins
  • Oct 8  Minecraft begins
  • Oct 9  Photography 101 and Cross Stitch begins
  • Oct 15 ISLA Board Meeting, 6:30
  • Oct 16 Teacher Workshop, no school
  • Oct 17-18 Education MN Workshop, no school
  • Nov 1  Dia de los Muertos Family Night, 6:30 – 8 pm
  • Nov 4-5  Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences, no school
  • Nov 12  PTO Community Meeting, 6:30 pm  Hopkins North Jr. High & High   School Juntos Presentation
  • Nov 14  Give to the Max
  • Nov 19 ISLA Board Meeting, 6:30 pm
  • Nov 27-29 Thanksgiving Holiday, no school

Join the ISLA Board of Directors!

Looking for a way to support the mission and shape the future of our amazing school? Join the ISLA Board of Directors!  The ISLA Board of Directors has an unexpected mid-year vacancy and is seeking a candidate to serve on the Board for the remainder of the open seat’s term (starting immediately and running through June 30, 2020) and beyond. We are particularly interested in candidates who have experience in finance or education, but such expertise is not required. The Board is responsible for overseeing the general operations of the school, implementing policies and procedures, and long-term strategic and financial planning. The Board meets in the evening on the third Tuesday of each month.

Serve as ISLA's Assistant Treasurer!

In addition, the Board is seeking an individual with finance expertise to serve in the volunteer officer role of Assistant Treasurer. The Assistant Treasurer assists ISLA’s Treasurer with financial oversight and reporting for the school and serves as a member of the Finance Committee of the ISLA Board. The Assistant Treasurer need not be a member of the ISLA Board.

If you are interested in learning more about the current opening on the ISLA Board and/or the Assistant Treasurer role, please contact Liz Crouse, the Chair of ISLA’s Governance Committee, at lcrouse@isla-academy.org, by September 30.

Marketing/Communications Committee

The ISLA Marketing/Communications Committee is looking for members interested in helping promote ISLA within the community, developing and maintaining the ISLA brand, and coordinating with the Executive Director the communication process to the ISLA community.

If you are interested in finding out more information regarding this committee, please contact Sarah Markus at smarkus@isla-academy.org.

Letter from the PTO Chair

Welcome to  the new school year!  At this point you  and your kids are settling in to the new routine of back to school and I hope  it is going well.

I have been  privileged to be a part of the ISLA community since my oldest started  Kindergarten in 2011. She is now in 8th grade and I have a 4th and 6th grader  at ISLA.  I have been an active part of  the PTO leadership for several years and am serving my second, and final, year as Chair of the PTO Board.

I feel  really passionate about the work the PTO does to support the staff, teachers,  students, and families of ISLA. Our community is what makes ISLA so special!  Your involvement is critical in keeping our strong community!

I shared the  following PTO End Year Report for 2018-2019 at the State of the School  presentation last week. I feel it is important for the community to know how  the PTO supports the school and community and how that support is funded.  Unfortunately, last year we did not reach our budget goal and had to dip into  savings to continue supporting in the same capacity.

This year we  are confident we will reach our goal! To help keep the community informed on  progress, we will be using a new Fundraising Thermometer tool and clearly  communicating the goals for each fundraising effort. It is critical that every family  at ISLA participates and contributes either in volunteering or fundraising or  both to ensure we are able to continue the same level of support to ISLA and  our community. Please get involved in any and all ways you can attend  community-building events, participate in fundraisers, and volunteer for  school and PTO activities!  

We look forward to partnering with all of you to make this the best year for our kids!

Sincerely,
Ginnie Pollen
ISLA Parent & PTO Chair

ISLA Uniform Exchange Information


The ISLA Uniform Exchange is available to all ISLA families.There is no cost to the clothing and there is no obligation to make donations in order to make use of the clothing we have to offer our students. We collect new and gently used school clothes that your student has outgrown or no longer uses. Clothing must adhere to the ISLA dress code and should be:
  • laundered and clean
  • (mostly) stain free
  • free of pet hair
  • please no holes in pant knees

The clothing bins, ranging in sizes from x-small (4/5) to large (10) and even some size 12+, will be available a few times throughout the school year during PTO Community meetings. We will communicate those dates in the PTO news. 

Thank you for making this service to our school such a success! Questions? Contact: pto@isla-academy.org

Extra-curricular Activities

(There is still space in the following activities - Don;t miss out!)

Register here for fall session
Fall: week of October 7 to December 13

Explore, create, collaborate! Drama classes (10 sessions - $80)

Monday
Grades 5-6
Max. 20 students

Have you ever wished to step out of the box and onto the stage? In this class students will learn the basics of acting and creating their own scenography. Creating together is a great way to develop friendships, work as a team, build communication skills and confidence. At the end of the course students will be able to perform a play as a final work. The course will be able for 5th and 6th grades.

   
¡QUÉ ELRITMO NO PARE!/Dance (10 sessions - $80)

Monday                                                                                                                                
Grades 1-6
Max. 20 students

We are looking forward to meet you!! You cannot miss this opportunity.  You are welcome to join our fun lessons lead by two cheerful Spaniards who are so excited to dance with all of you. This workshop is based on Latin rhythms such as Zumba, merengue, bachata, salsa,etc. Dancing is an aerobic form of exercise which has a lot of physical benefits. It helps in the child's development and to improve some of these relevant aspects: coordination, mood, the range of motion because it actually uses the body as an instrument of expression and communication. Students will be able to feel confident in a comfortable atmosphere and to perform at the end of the term a small choreography where parents are invited! Our classes run from 1st grade to 6th grade (we will split groups depending on the age). VAMOS ABAILAR!!!!

   

Photography 101 (8 sessions - $64)    

Wednesday
Grades 5-6
Max. 15 students

In this workshop, students will have the opportunity to get to know more about photography. They will learn how to capture the best angles,light, and environment. As we explore the world of expressing ourselves through the lens of digital imagery students will be able to distinguish two essential parts about the art of taking photos; first, artistry and second, technique.Together, we will plan an exhibition of our best photographs and a final project.

 

Cross-stitch (8 sessions - $64)

Wednesday
Grades 2-6
Max. 15 students

Who loves to do crafts! In this class students will be able to design beautiful paintings using threads of different colors on a plastic mesh. Together we will develop our aesthetic sense as well as creativity, concentration and hand-eye coordination. Learning how to cross-stitch is a great way to release stress and relax. "A stitch in time saves nine" so don't hesitate to sign up!

   

Parent Discussion Round Up

The ISLA PTO would like to help link our school families to parent education opportunities in the community. We will share those opportunities through this newsletter. If you have any recommendations or are aware of other opportunities in the community please forward to PTOchair@isla-academy.org to be added to the parent discussion roundup in the newsletter.

Meet the PTO 2019-2020 leadership team:

Elected Board Members

Chair: Ginnie Pollen
Treasurer: Angela Mhiripiri
Secretary/Communications: Renee Moran
Community and Social Events: Melany Terrazas and Ana Blee
Volunteer Coordinators: Julia Breyer and Sarah Walz
LA Coordinator: Karen Heuiser
Fundraising: Betsy Palmgren and Sarah McCabe

Non-Elected Positions

Teacher Liaison: Adriana Maldonado
Fiesta Coordinator: Krista Stilson
Spirit Store: Laura Tellier and Kelly Zammas
Uniform Exchange: Teresa Hoppe
Room Parent Coordinators: Julia Breyer and Sarah Walz
PTO Website: Erica Erb
Parent Educator: Angela Sandok
Yearbook: Kris Bilardi, Holly Kassenborg, and Clea Dezio

LA Ride Request

Want to get to know the LA in your child’s classroom a bit more?Or are you interested in taking your car ride home to the next level?! Sign up to take an LA with you on your way home, or wherever you may be heading. They are often heading your way and just need to catch a ride with someone. Sign up by clicking the link below. Your kids will get an extra bit of time speaking Spanish with a native speaker, and you’ll get to know these fabulous LAs a bit more!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D4FA4A62AA1FF2-isla6

Rides will be updated over the weekend, with new requests popping up regularly. 

Support the PTO

Looking for easy ways to help support the great work that the PTO does for our kids and their school?  Here are two great options!

:  You can find your child’s things easily in the lost and found by marking them with bright, durable,Mabel’s Labels. Go to https://campaigns.mabelslabels.com/ and click on ‘Select your School/Organization and choose International Spanish Language Academy.  A portion of your purchase will support the PTO.

: Shop at Amazon?  You can have a portion of your purchase donated to the PTO!  Go to https://smile.amazon.com/ and search for International Spanish Language Academy.  Then just make sure to bookmark AmazonSmile and use it for your entire Amazon shopping needs. 

PTO Programs and Activities Supported

(includes School & PTO needs with volunteer/financial support)

School Programs & Activities:                                                                      Free ISLA Community Events:

  • Classroom/Field  Trip Support                                                               *Back to Schoo Picnic
  • Exploración Support                                                                              *Dia de Los Muertos
  • Field Day                                                                                               *Winter Family Night
  • ISLA School  Volunteer Coordination                                                    *Roller Skating Spring Family Night
  • Junior  Achievement                                                                              *PTO Community Meeting Guest Speakers
  • Language  Ambassador Program
  • Library Support
  • Lost &  Found Coordination
  • Lunch Program
  • Picture, Vision, & Hearing Support
  • Conference  Meals
  • Staff  Appreciation Week
  • Uniform  Exchange & Spirit Store
  • Student  Yearbook

PTO Budget: $100,000

  • How the PTO budget was used to financially support the above programs & activities
++LanguageAmbassador Program includes: Stipends, Amity Fees, Education Tuition,Lunches, misc.

PTO Fundraising: 2018-2019  85% to $100,000 Goal

  • How the PTO funds were raised.

Fundraisers

  • Fiesta de la Primavera
  • Give to the Max Day
  • Restaurant Nights
  • Mabels Labels, Amazon Smile, Box Tops for Education
  • School Supplies
  • Barnes and Noble Book Fair
+Direct Public Support includes: Give to the Max Day, Company Matches, Parent Donations


 VOLUNTEER NEEDS

Library Volunteer Request

The ISLA library is seeking volunteers to work with ISLA's media specialist on a weekly or monthly basis to assist in the school library in a variety of ways. Spanish is not required for these volunteer roles.Opportunities available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

These are some of the tasks that may be done by library volunteers:

  • Maintain the order of the book shelf, shelving books when they are returned
  • Help students locate and select books
  • Prepare new books to go out—tagging and stamping new books
  • Help with book repair—repairing damaged returned books

Thank you for your interest in helping our students in the library!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0d4fa4a62aa1ff2-isla8

Spring Host Families for LA's Needed!

We are beginning to gather spring host families for our eight awesome Language Ambassadors (LAs).Spring host families would host from mid-January to the end of the school year.This is a wonderful and enriching opportunity for your family - your children will love having an LA in the house! All that is required is a separate bedroom and meals each day. Talk to families who have hosted in the past - you’ll realize this is an once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you are interested, or simply want more information, please contact Karen Heuiser - karenheuiser@yahoo.com.