2021-11-12 Noticias de ISLA y ISLA PTO

November 12, 2021

Emily Smith

Administrative Assistant

ISLA Media Center Open!

Hello ISLA Families!!

We are so happy and excited to be able to reopen our fabulous new Media Center! Every class has come to take a tour and to check out books at least once. Your classroom teachers will let you know what day of the week is your child’s check out day. Please help your child to remember to return his or her books on or before that day.

Here are some helpful reminders regarding library books:

  • Please transport them inside the backpack to protect them from the weather
  • Make sure their water bottle is closed and doesn’t leak on the books
  • Keep them in a safe place at home (shelf, backpack, etc.)
  • Wash hands before and after reading books
  • Food and drink should be kept away from books
  • Return books every week (they can be renewed if more time is needed to finish)

Also, I am finding that there are still many, many books that had been checked out in March, 2020 when school was closed, and never returned to ISLA. Please look for these books around your house! ISLA Library books have a white label on the spine and also a barcode on the front that says ISLA. I know that it has been a long time, but I’ve had several books found and returned this week.

Thank you so much for your help! Have a wonderful weekend :)

Sra. Lisa Yepes
ISLA Media Specialist

Give to the Max

¡Vamos ISLA familias! Our Give to the Max Day campaign has less than 1 week remaining!  Go to this link https://www.givemn.org/organization/Islapto and make your donation to the ISLA PTO today!

Every amount adds up and together we can reach our $25,000 goal by coming together as a community to support ISLA with all families participating this year!    Please consider donating ANY amount to support our amazing LAs, enrichment materials and events.  It only takes 2 min to make a donation.  

A reminder, we will be awarding prizes to the top 3 classrooms with the highest rate of participation.

  • 1st place – Classroom party of the teacher’s choice (i.e. pizza party, movie & popcorn, etc.) and non-uniform day
  • 2nd place – Special treat for the class and non-uniform day
  • 3rd place – Non-uniform day

Any classrooms that achieve 100% participation automatically win the 1st place prize!

Thank you, we greatly appreciate your support!!

Calendar of Events



November 13                Marketing/Communication Committee Meeting, 8:30 am
November 16                ISLA Board Meeting, 6:30 pm
November 18                Give to the Max Day
November 18                Early Release Day, school ends at 1:15 pm
November 22               Transportation Committee Meeting, 6:30 pm
November 24-26         Thanksgiving Break, no school
December 1                  Technology Committee Meeting, 4:30 pm
December 2                 Early Release Day, school ends at 1:15 pm
December 2                 Diversity and Equity Committee Meeting, 8 pm
December 4                 Governance Committee Meeting, 7:30 am
December 11                ISLA Bookfair at Barnes and Noble

Parents of Students in the Colombian Dance Class

Please pick up your student at 5:15 sharp on Monday's after the Colombian Dance Class. Families giving rides to the LA's have to wait if you are late. Starting Monday, November 15th, if you are tardy to pick up your student, they will be taken to Aventuras and your family will be charged.

Hello ISLA Families!

We are beginning to form a list of interested host families for our Language Ambassadors (LAs) this spring, as well as next Fall semester as well. LAs typically move to their second host family around mid-January and stay through the end of the school year.

This year, we have 5 LAs from various Spanish-speaking countries. Gisela is from El Salvador; Anamaría, Carlos and Carolina are from Colombia; and Irene will be joining us in a few weeks from Spain. LAs are teaching assistants, between 21-30 years old, who will help the teachers in the classrooms, help supervise the lunch/recess times, and teach extra-curricular classes to kids in Spanish.

ISLA's LAs are invaluable to our school, and to the families who host them. Life-long friendships have been made, and they are eager to be welcomed into your family and share their cultures with you.

Hosting an LA can be a great opportunity for your student

  • to hear and/or speak more Spanish
  • to learn more about a different culture
  • to make a connection for future family travel or exchanges of your own
  • to meet new ISLA families (each LA is paired with two aunt and uncle families as well!)


LAs go to school when your kids go to school (not during conferences, for example) and can ride the bus if your kids ride the bus. They need their own separate bedroom, but can share a bathroom with family members. ISLA PTO graciously provides families with a grocery stipend in addition to a regular stipend for hosting. If you are interested in opening your home to an LA or getting involved in the LA program in other ways, please contact us to learn more.

Karen Heuiser and Zsuzsanna Matika
PTO LA Coordinators
islalaprogram@gmail.com

Meet Carolina!

My name is Leidy Carolina Pardo Guzman. I am 26 years old and come from Ibaqué,Colombia. I received my Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tolima in 2020 with an emphasis on English Education.

When I was in Colombia, I used to work in a private school teaching English and basic French to students from Pre-K to 6th grade.

I have a large family - three brothers, one sister and a dog. I consider my family the center of my world, and I am doing my best to make them feel proud of my achievements, because they deserve great things. I really love riding a bicycle, walking in nature, meeting new people, and discovering new places.

I think that being an LA at ISLA is a great opportunity to learn a different way to teach. I hope it can provide me useful tools, methodologies and strategies to incorporate in my teaching style, which will help me to become a better teacher.

Also, this is an amazing opportunity to meet new people, know and learn about the American culture, and others. I believe we can find people from different nationalities, which is wonderful, since I will also have the chance to show essential aspects of my beautiful culture in Colombia.

I am staying with the Sjogrens for the first semester. My number is 952-270-6204,and my email is cpardo@isla.school.

Thank you!