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:
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
¡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.
Any classrooms that achieve 100% participation automatically win the 1st place prize!
Thank you, we greatly appreciate your support!!
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
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
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
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!