‍

‍

‍

An open letter from IB Director General Olli-Pekka Heinonen on Ukraine

Dear IB Community,

As I write this note, several million refugees, many of them children, are fleeing Ukraine as Russia carries out its invasion. Across the globe, countless others are watching the war as it unfolds on television and phone screens. As painful as it is to bear witness, we cannot hide from the tragedy, nor can we fully shield our children from it.

At the IB, we place our trust in children. We nurture their curiosity, we encourage them to be caring, balanced and reflective. We develop their abilities to think critically, and we believe that they will grow into adults who will act with integrity.

But what do we do when the world we are so carefully preparing them to enter now shows signs of breaking? When conflict and war is not a history lesson in a classroom but a flesh and blood reality for their peers? What of the trust they place in us, the adults of the world?

When experiencing and hearing of a crisis, we all, children and adults alike, are faced with the uncertainty of what happens next and the fear of how this will affect us and those closest to us. Which is why, at times like this, it is important to safeguard the ability to act and help others through the meaning and mission of our community.

Supporting our schools and students

The IB condemns acts of war and violence. Our mission tells us there is a way to manage conflict through dialogue and as a united community leaning on the strength of our learner profile and our belief in one shared humanity and planet.

It is our humanity that impels us, as an organization, and as a community, to do everything within our power to support those impacted directly and indirectly by the war and its consequences, including supporting those who may not have agency, voice or power to act. We can, and must, put the principles we instill in our classrooms into action in our most vulnerable and endangered communities. Our IB World Schools staff are working closely with schools, students and educators in Ukraine and neighboring nations, and we will continue to provide support for our schools, educators and students while respecting the law and ensuring the safety of those in our community.

For our global community, our Learning and Teaching experts are collating a variety of resources for you to use in your classrooms and living rooms. These materials will help support well-being and provide opportunities for safe dialogues. Schools worldwide are directly and indirectly impacted, and students may find themselves learning through crisis or learning about crisis.  The framework that our team has developed is a collection of curated resources that support: our well-being, our learning, our action and our communities.  We expect the resources to continuously be updated.

View: IB Global Crisis Response Framework

Resilience together

I have the utmost respect for our students, parents and teachers. I have been moved by the outpouring of love for the Ukrainian community and heartened by how vocally so many of you have protested senseless violence. I encourage you to keep talking with your children and your students. Keep providing them with safe spaces, if you can, to explore these complex and difficult topics.

We truly are a caring and compassionate global community. These are the times when our values and learner profile attributes are really tested. Although saddened with what is happening, we shall never lose our faith in humanity and our trust to be able through imagination to create a better world. I fervently hope that we will achieve peace soon. Our children deserve nothing less from us.

Kind regards,

‍

Olli-Pekka
‍Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director General

‍

Tomorrow is the DAY!!
Three years!! It’s been THREE years since we’ve had our annual Fiesta de la Primavera. We are so glad to be getting back to enjoying our ISLA community in person again. Fiesta is such a great place to meet other parents from the school, connect and have some fun while we support the amazing Language Ambassador Program!!

Attending?

Please make sure you are pre-registered in AccelEvents (by creating an account via the link or placing your first bid) before you arrive. Then you’ll be able to continue bidding in the Online Auction until it closes Saturday night! This will also help ensure that we can provide you with a quick & easy check-in and checkout process at the end of the night.

Please note: Per the city of Minneapolis and La Doña’s requirements, masks are optional at the venue-  But please feel free to wear one if you would like. We want everyone to be comfortable while we celebrate this year!

Not able to attend?

You can still participate in the online auction– Register in AccelEvents and start bidding on items now! Friends and family are also welcome to participate and register in the online auction platform.

You can also make a general donation to support the Language Ambassador program here!

‍

Come volunteer during lunch!  This is a fun opportunity to see kids and volunteer during the school day.  Volunteers must follow ISLA vaccination policy.  Sign-up link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D4FA4A62AA1FF2-isla23

‍

Summer Camps - Online Registration

Here's the link to sign up for summer camps: https://family.1core.com/pp/SummerCamp/SummerCampHome.aspx?ID=6926D642-BCEA-44B2-90CB-1162AF8B390E

Registration Policies:

1. If you currently utilize Aventuras for care, please register for camps as an Enrolled Family.
2. If you do not have an account in 1Core, please create an accout to register for Summer Camps.
3. Payment for Summer Camp is due upon registration. Accounts that are left with a balance will be dropped from camp registration after 24 hours for non payment.

Summer Camp Hours & Rates:

• 9:00am – 4:00 pm for all day camp - $330.00
• 9:00am – 12:00 pm for Kinder half day camp - $190.00
• 8:00am – 9:00 am & 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm for Before/After Care - $65.00

Cancellation Policy:

• Any cancellation before July 5th, 2021 will result in a refund of the fee per camp minus a $50 administrative fee.
• Any cancellation after July 5th, 2021 will result in no refund due to staffing and programming commitments

‍Descriptions & Dates:

Week 1: July 11-15

ISLA en vivo - Live from ISLA!

Get ready to broadcast EN VIVO! This Spanish immersion experience will give your camper aglimpse at life behind and in front of the camera. At ISLA en vivo, we will learn about recording tools and the ways to get your unique message across to an audience. Whether we’re learning the latest tik tok dance or reporting on breaking camp news, you’ll see and hear all about it through our virtual platform for families. Want to learn from the pros? This camp will also provide an opportunity to connect with real experts from the field of recording and broadcasting. ¡Luces, cámara, acción!

‍

Week 1: July 11-15

El jardín de kinder - Kinder Garden

Do you have a new kindergartener ready to be immersed en español? El jardín de kinder will help children new to immersion adjust in a fun and relaxed environment. We will explore the animal kingdom, play games and sing songs. Each day will have a newtheme to keep the kiddos excited and intrigued. Campers will get to know somefriendly faces from ISLA who are eager to help them adapt to an immersionsetting. ¡Bienvenidos al jardín de kinder!

‍

Week 2: July 18-22

Comuni-Dadores - Comm-Unifiers

It’s official, ISLA has new *digs.* For campers who are eager to leave their mark and make a difference in their community, Comuni-Dadores is it! Our incredible new building is full of opportunities to give back. This Spanish immersion camp will harness the power of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and put them into real action. Whether it’s planting new trees, creating innovative learning spaces or participating in meaningful service projects, each day will provide a chance to grow as a member of our camp community. Along with meeting real professionals who serve our community, we will adventure beyond ISLA to experience community service first hand. We will visit Richardson Nature Center to learn about being a Naturalist and caring for our neighbors in nature. In this camp, plan to give more than you get!

‍

Week 3: July 25-29

Enig-mania - Puzzler-ific

Callingall puzzlers! Does your camper love a good challenge? ISLA is geared up andready to test all your problem-solving savvy, ¡todo en español! Our amazing newexploration space is equipped with 3D printers, robots and more. Think you can build your own escape room? ¡Vámonos!The educators from the Bakken Museum will visit ISLA to host an innovative workshop. There’s nothing better than that light bulb moment! Come crack the code at Enig-mania!

‍

Weeks 1-3: Monday-Fridays July 11 - July 29

Físi-Calidad - Physicality

Are you looking for a way to keep your child active this summer? Are you hoping they can find opportunities to speak Spanish? At Físi-Calidad, we will check both these goals off your list! This sports themed camp will run full-day for all 3 summer camp weeks at ISLA’s brand new facility. Join us for any or all weeks. Our new gym boasts full court basketball courts with sky-high ceilings. Outside we have a full soccer field, Gaga Ball Pits, and outdoor basketball. This camp will involve enthusiastic ISLA alumni looking to speak Spanish and reconnect with games from their elementary school days. Join us at Físi-Calidad and let the games begin!

‍

‍

Community COVID-19 Level by County, 03/18/22

Hennepin County, MN: LOW level
‍Face coverings will be optional for the week of March 21-25, 2022

We will monitor the community levels of COVID-19 for Hennepin County on a weekly basis, and communicate whether face coverings are optional or required for the following week.

‍Updated Guidelines from CDC/MDH re: Symptoms/Testing, Isolation and Quarantine

‍Evaluate whether or not your child is well enough to be in school, no matter what kind of symptom(s) they are having. Keep your child home if they are not feeling well and wait for symptoms to improve before they return to school.

Both the CDC and the MDH have gone away from using the Decision Tree that identified "more common" and "less common" symptoms. The recommendation now is to test if you have any of the symptoms that are associated with COVID. Even if you just have a sore throat, it's recommended that you get tested for COVID.

Understand that many symptoms of COVID overlap with symptoms of influenza, allergies, strep throat, respiratory illness, etc. The only way to know for sure if it's COVID is to do a test. If the at-home antigen test is negative, but symptoms persist, a confirmatory laboratory test should be done within 48 hours of the antigen test. At-home antigen tests are available in the Health Office for anyone who needs them (email the School Nurse--tnelson@isla.school).

Consider the possibility that symptoms are more likely to be COVID related if your child has recently had close contact with someone who tested positive, or if community levels of COVID are moderate to high.

Links to updated isolation and quarantine guidelines from the MDH:
‍https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/schools/youthiso.pdf
‍https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/schools/youthquar.pdf

‍

Spring 2022 Extra-Curricular Activities

Register here

Sports Sampler with the LAs!

Students will learn and recognize sporting rules of fútbol (soccer) and basketball by playing and putting into practice what they have learned during each class. Students will develop teamwork while playing in teams, while also fine tuning their individual skills with each lesson.

For the last class, students will challenge their parents in a game - kids vs parents! If a parent cannot attend on May 16th, an older sibling or an LA can try to substitute. Please communicate your attendance beforehand so teams can be equal. All classes are taught in Spanish by our wonderful Language Ambassadors (LAs).

Who: Grades 3-6 Maximum 15 students
When: Monday afternoons 4:15-5:15 April 11-May 16 (6 sessions)
Who: Sr. Carlos, Srta. Anamaría and Srta. Carolina
Cost: $72.00 (Please send check payable to the ISLA PTO)

‍

Traditional Salvadoran and Spanish Games with the LAs!

In this class, students will learn three traditional games from El Salvador, and three traditional games from Spain! Games will strengthen children’s brains and their bodies by introducing popular board games, and more physical games like tug of war. All classes are taught in Spanish by our wonderful Language Ambassadors (LAs).

Who: Grades K-6 Maximum 15 students
When: Tuesday afternoons 4:15-5:15 April 12-May 17 (6 sessions)
Who: Srtas. Gisela and Irene
Cost: $72.00 (Please send check payable to the ISLA PTO)

‍

Chess Club

This class begins on Thursday, April 7 and goes through May 12th. Want to amaze your friends and impress your opponents? Want to increase your IQ while having fun playing chess and compete for various prizes? Learn from Twin Cities Chess Club instructors who have years of experience. Competitive Chess tournaments are scheduled once a year and students can play for real chess trophies! All levels are welcome. We have a great instructor for this class but he is not a Spanish speaker. $99 for 10 sessions. Register online at twincitieschessclub.com/school/Registration.html

Who: Grades K-6 Minimum of 6 students
When: Thursday afternoon 4:15-5:15 pm April 7-May 25 Early release date will have classes from 1:15-2:15 pm (April 14 and May 5)

‍

‍