‍

‍

‍

“You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – A.A. Milne/Christopher Robin

Queridas familias, 

ISLA Learning Plan Update:   We are looking forward to welcoming the return of our 2nd Graders for in person learning starting on October 12th, joining the K-1 group Monday through Thursday for Phase 2.  The 2nd grade Friday schedule will still be distance learning. 

***The ISLA board has heard from many of you with your comments and questions about the proposal for Phase 3, and has encouraged ISLA administration to consider other options as well, especially to maximize the in person learning time for our youngest learners.  As we consider this feedback, and reconsider all of the academic, social, health, and infrastructure concerns, we are working hard to create different possibilities for Phase 3; we will be presenting at least one other Phase 3 option for the ISLA Board to look at during our October Board meeting.  This is a district level ISLA board decision, as they must decide what model we pivot to later this fall, and when this happens. These are not easy decisions, and because of limited staffing and infrastructure resources, concessions will inevitably need to be made at every level and during every phase.

Social Emotional Support:  (Video # 5 out now)  We know this is a difficult time, and managing your own professional responsibilities, family dynamics, AND a distance learner has enormous challenges.  Therefore, we have contracted with Amy Vogel, our Occupational Therapist, to produce some helpful videos-- chock full of coping skills and ideas for establishing routines, and other strategies for helping our distance learners succeed.  She produced these resources especially for ISLA, with our young immersion learners in mind.  This week the focus is on attention and learning. The FOURTH  video in this series is here: ISLA Support Video # 5 (Our Five Senses)  In addition, here is a resource/reference sheet that goes along with this video:  ISLA Support #   (Our Five Senses)

Building/Relocation News!!  We are very pleased to announce that the purchase agreements have been signed for the new property!  This is great news, as this new site will offer many new curricular opportunities for our ISLA students and allow us to extend and expand our mission, as well as allow us to sustain our programming into the future!  The address is:  5350 W 78th Street Edina, MN 55439

We look forward to discussing the building and expansion further at the listening session on Monday, October 12th, at 6:00. 

Thank you for everything you are doing to help us on this journey. 

Atentamente,     
‍

Jeremy

‍

Distance Learning Parent Committee

The Distance Learning Parent Committee was formed and met for the first time this week with the hope that we can streamline communication between parents, teachers, and the school. We also hope to alleviate technology related issues that students might be having by getting timely answers to tech questions that arise. Each grade level has a parent liaison on the Distance Learning Committee who will:

1. Answer questions that parents have regarding technology and other distance learning related issues/questions that come up
2. Help the teachers to communicate to the parents any needs, issues or announcements that they may have for the class
3. Help to increase confidence of parents and caretakers to support their children's learning by building capacity with different learning platforms.
4. Connect parents within the grade level. Parents don’t have as many opportunities for informal chats when we are all at home. We plan to host monthly chats with the entire grade where parents will be able to ask questions and connect with other parents in the grade level.

Families can expect details about their grade level parent liaisons through teachers' weekly newsletters.  

‍

MORNING STUDENT DROP OFF

We would like to remind parents about the following protocols regarding morning drop off. 

1. Please slow down upon entering the parking lot. 
2. Please pay attention to the STOP/GO Sign held by Jen or another staff member. 
3.  Once you have passed the sign, please pull around and ahead as far as you are able, to the southernmost sign on the east side of the building. This applies even if there are no cars in front of you in line.
4. Do not get out of your car to help your ISLA student.    
5. If your child is not able to get out of the car by his/herself, put on his/her backpack, facemask, etc, then you are invited to park and walk with him/her across the walkway to the entrance. 
6. Your child should exit the vehicle on the passenger side, (school side). 
7. Only cross from the parking lot to the school on the striped crosswalk from the parking lot to the entrance marked by cones, and wait for approval from the person holding the stop sign; please do not cross in the path of the buses or other cars. 
8. Consider the striped area along the side of the school as a sidewalk; do not drive in this area as this is for children to walk safely once they get out of their vehicles. 
9. You may begin drop off when staff are out to supervise at 8:45 am.   

‍

Spirit Store Shirts are in!

The September Spirit Store order is in. You can pick up your order in front of ISLA from 3:30-4:14 on Monday, October 12 and Monday, October 19. Thank you for your continued support of the PTO!

Questions? Contact Sarah or Kelly at ISLAPTOSpiritStore@gmail.com ‍

‍

PTO Community Meeting

Pandemic getting you down?  Looking for ways to bring balance to your family's life?  Then you need to come to next week's Community PTO meeting!  Our speaker will be Hilary Novacek Bundt, Parent Educator for Hopkins Schools:  "I am so excited to speak with your ISLA community next week. I would love to talk to your group about Family Self Care. Because of the pandemic, our original definition of “self care” is really hard to attain, but when we reframe self care as a family activity that looks at everyone in the family, we can start to figure out ways to find more balance in times of stress."

October 13th, 6:30 - 7:30 via Zoom - a link will be sent out soon. Please contact Casie Budolfson at ptochair@isla.school with any questions.

‍

Curbside Lunch Volunteers Needed:

Two volunteers are needed for lunch distribution on Oct. 5th, 19th and 26th from 3-5PM.  Please consider signing up if you have availability.   Thank you!

Signup Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D4FA4A62AA1FF2-isla17

‍

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 three great options!‍

Mabel’s Labels: 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.

‍

Amazon Smile: 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 all your Amazon shopping needs.

‍

Box Tops: Download this app to scan in your receipts to make easy money for our school!

Go to: Home - Box Tops for Education

‍

‍

‍