The Flash - International School of Louisiana newsletter/032007.pdf · The Flash A publication of...
5
The Flash A publication of the International School of Louisiana March 20, 2007 IMPORTANT DATES March 19 – 23 LEAP Week Wednesday, March 21 Library Prime Time ISL Library 6 pm Sunday, March 25 Family Work Day ISL Library 9 am – 3 pm MiniFridge Spring Fundraiser Planning Meeting 2819 Bell Street 5 pm Monday, March 26 FTCO Family Picnic Planning Mtg ISL Camp Street Lobby 8:30 am AND 5 pm Friday, March 30 Report Card Day Parent Teacher Conferences Noon Dismissal NO PRIME TIME Thursday, April 5 FTCO Board of Directors Meeting ISL Science Lab 6:30 pm Thursday, April 12 ISL Board of Trustees Meeting ISL Library 6 pm April 9 13 SPRING BREAK Sunday, April 22 FTCO Family Picnic IT’S LEAP WEEK! ISL 4 th Graders will be taking the LEAP test all week. Grades 3, 5 & 6 are taking the iLEAP exam. Testing Tips There are specific things parents and teachers can do to help reduce the anxiety children may feel before a standardized test. Make sure children are wellrested and wellnourished on the day of the test. • The night before a test, children should get enough sleep. • Children should eat breakfast the morning of the test. Help children manage any stress they may feel about the test. • Help children see the test in context. A test is one "snapshot" of the student's performance on a certain day. Knowing this might help students feel less stress about the test. • Talk with children about ways to manage stress about the test. Specific stressmanagement techniques may include thinking in a positive way about their performance on an upcoming test, planning testtaking strategies (for example, planning to skip and return later to questions to which students don't know the answer). They should be encouraged to continue to be active and participate in enjoyable activities, such as sports and hobbies, while preparing for the test, instead of continually immersing themselves in studying. Review good testtaking practices with students. Remind students to • read the directions thoroughly and make sure they understand the directions before beginning a test section. • avoid spending too much time on one question. If students find themselves stumped by a particular question, they may want to go on, returning to that question once they have finished the rest of the section. • work at their own speed. Students may need to be reminded to focus on themselves and their own work, and ignore other students who seem to be working faster or who may finish the test early. • go back and check their work. Past Issues of the FLASH can be found on our website at: http://www.isl-edu.org/flash.html
Transcript of The Flash - International School of Louisiana newsletter/032007.pdf · The Flash A publication of...
The Flash A publication of the International School of Louisiana
March 20, 2007
IMPORTANT DATES
March 19 – 23 LEAP Week
Wednesday, March 21 Library Prime Time
ISL Library 6 pm
Sunday, March 25 Family Work Day
ISL Library 9 am – 3 pm
MiniFridge Spring Fundraiser Planning Meeting 2819 Bell Street
5 pm
Monday, March 26 FTCO Family Picnic Planning Mtg
ISL Camp Street Lobby 8:30 am AND 5 pm
Friday, March 30 Report Card Day
Parent Teacher Conferences Noon Dismissal NO PRIME TIME
Thursday, April 5 FTCO Board of Directors Meeting
ISL Science Lab 6:30 pm
Thursday, April 12 ISL Board of Trustees Meeting
ISL Library 6 pm
April 9 13 SPRING BREAK
Sunday, April 22 FTCO Family Picnic
IT’S LEAP WEEK! ISL 4 th Graders will be taking the LEAP test all week. Grades 3, 5 & 6 are taking the iLEAP exam.
Testing Tips There are specific things parents and teachers can do to help reduce the anxiety children may feel before a standardized test.
Make sure children are wellrested and wellnourished on the day of the test.
• The night before a test, children should get enough sleep.
• Children should eat breakfast the morning of the test.
Help children manage any stress they may feel about the test.
• Help children see the test in context. A test is one "snapshot" of the student's performance on a certain day. Knowing this might help students feel less stress about the test.
• Talk with children about ways to manage stress about the test. Specific stressmanagement techniques may include thinking in a positive way about their performance on an upcoming test, planning testtaking strategies (for example, planning to skip and return later to questions to which students don't know the answer). They should be encouraged to continue to be active and participate in enjoyable activities, such as sports and hobbies, while preparing for the test, instead of continually immersing themselves in studying.
Review good testtaking practices with students. Remind students to
• read the directions thoroughly and make sure they understand the directions before beginning a test section.
• avoid spending too much time on one question. If students find themselves stumped by a particular question, they may want to go on, returning to that question once they have finished the rest of the section.
• work at their own speed. Students may need to be reminded to focus on themselves and their own work, and ignore other students who seem to be working faster or who may finish the test early.
• go back and check their work.
Past Issues of the FLASH can be found on our website at: http://www.isl-edu.org/flash.html
Students of the Week Congratulations to all “Students of the Week”. Keep
up the great work and continue to shine.
YOUR CHARACTER REALLY COUNTS ANYTIME, ANYWHERE.
March 12 16, 2007 XIOMARA CASTILLO CHLOE ROBERTS TAYLOR THOMAS ZOE MORALES
SYDNEE PANNAGAL ASIANA ANDERSON DAKIDA FRANK
CHRISTOPHER RAYMOND MARCO ALPHONSO VANESSA CALDERON RHIANNON RAINEY KAYLA FORSTALL
ETHAN MAYAGUILAR DANIEL COLOSINO TALIA AMBROSE AVIS SMOTHERS PAIGE WILSON
MIRANDAWIMMER
Soul food of the week: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are” Charactercounts.org
Mini-Fridge Art Auction and Spring Fundraiser
Sunday, May 20 th , 2007 at the Bridge Lounge
The next planning meeting will be this week on Sunday, March 25 th at 5:00 pm at Laura Vagianos house - 2819 Bell Street (in mid- City, off Broad and Esplanade).
Meetings are limited to one hour!
Everyone is welcome! Notes from the March 15 th meeting are available on the resource table in the Camp Street Lobby.
If you (or someone you know) would like to join the planning committee, please contact Laura Vagianos (Sophie, S3) at 504.458.6673 or [email protected].
Please join us in making this our best event ever! We need you!
NOTE: Due to i/LEAP WEEK there will be no English classes held this week. Target Language Arts will still be taught in those classes not testing.
From the Business Office:
REMINDER: Parents are required to sign their children out from Prime Time. Also, when making payments, please be sure to write your child’s first and last name, as well as what the payment is for on the memo line. This will ensure that your payments get posted accurately.
Thank you, Business Office
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
WHY BREAKFAST?
Smart Reasons to Eat Breakfast • Fuels the body with nutrients • Provides food energy for the
morning’s active play. • Gets your child ready to learn • Helps keep a healthy body
weight. • Helps kids feel good. • Tastes good!
Easy Ideas for Quick, Yummy Breakfasts! • Readytoeat cereal with milk
& fruit • Peanut butter on whole wheat
toast • Bagel with cheese • Grits topped with cheese • Oatmeal with applesauce
Happy Birthday!
It s a celebration!
At the end of each month, the
Food Service Department will
provide cake during lunch time to celebrate the birthdays for that
month.
Look for the birthday cake on
the monthly menu!
The Benefits of Early Language Learning
In addition to developing a lifelong ability to communicate with more people, children may derive other benefits from early language instruction, including improved overall school performance and superior problemsolving skills. Knowing a second language ultimately provides a competitive advantage in the workforce by opening up additional job opportunities. Students of foreign languages score statistically higher on standardized tests conducted in English. In its 1992 report, College Bound Seniors: The 1992 Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, the College Entrance Examination Board reported that students who averaged 4 or more years of foreign language study scored higher on the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) than those who had studied 4 or more years in any other subject area. In addition, the average mathematics score for individuals who had taken 4 or more years of foreign language study was identical to the average score of those who had studied 4 years of mathematics. These findings are consistent with College Board profiles for previous years.
Students of foreign languages have access to a greater number of career possibilities and develop a deeper understanding of their own and other cultures. Some evidence also suggests that children who receive second language instruction are more creative and better at solving complex problems. The benefits to society are many. Americans fluent in other languages enhance our economic competitiveness abroad, improve global communication, and maintain our political and security interests. Excerpted from the ERIC/CLL parent brochure Why, How, and When Should My Child Learn a Second Language?
2007–08 School Calendar At its March 8 th meeting, the ISL Board of Trustees approved an academic calendar for the 200708 school year.
July 27 th Teachers Arrive in Baton Rouge
August 6 th Teachers Begin 30 th Parent Orientation
September 4 th Kindergarten & 7th Grade Classes Begin
9am to 12noon 5 th First Day of School All Students 28 th Professional Development – NO SCHOOL
October 13 th Open House 22 nd 26 th Fall Break NO SCHOOL
November 3 rd ISL Fest – Required School Day 9 th 1 st Quarter Ends 21 st – 23 rd Thanksgiving Holiday NO SCHOOL 30 th Professional Development – NO SCHOOL
Report CardsParent Teacher Conference
December 24 th 31 st Winter Break NO SCHOOL
January 1 st 4 th Winter Break NO SCHOOL 12 th Open House 14 th MLK Holiday NO SCHOOL 18 th 2 nd Quarter Ends – Middle School 22 nd 0809 Kindergarten Lottery 25 th 2 nd Quarter Ends – Elementary School
February 1 st Report CardsParent Teacher Conference
1/2 day school 4 th 8 th Mardi Gras Holiday NO SCHOOL
March 14 th 17 th ISL Holiday – NO SCHOOL 24 th 28 th i/LEAP Testing 28 th 3 rd Quarter Ends
April 4 th Professional Development – NO SCHOOL
Report CardsParent Teacher Conference 14 th 18 th Spring Break NO SCHOOL
May 31 st International Day–Required School Day
June 6 th 4th Quarter Ends – Students’ Last Day 13 th Teachers’ Last Day of School
Lost! A white envelope labeled Booth
Sales Last seen at the FTCO general meeting on Friday, March 16 th . The envelope contains proceeds
from the Brownie Girl Scouts Cookie
March 20, 2007
031607 General Meeting
If you weren’t able to attend the FTCO Dinner and General Meeting, here is what you missed…
Stacie Retzlaff organized a fantastic dinner! Thank you to Stacie and to all the Fourth Grade Parents who made this dinner one of FTCO’s most successful fundraising dinners to date!
Barbara Colosino, Chair of the Fundraising Committee, has enrolled FTCO in a new fundraiser. So, in addition to Box Tops for Education, Labels for Education, Community Coffee, Nestle Go Play Water Program and Winn Dixie Community Pals Program, ISL will also benefit from the Fast Fix Program, with your help! Packets providing information were given out and are available through Barbara Colosino, an S5 Parent. To request a packet, email Barbara at [email protected].
Andree Arendt reported that FTCO is still in need of Kindergarten, 4 th and 5 th Grade Representatives. If you are interested, please send a quick email to [email protected].
Planning for the FTCO Family Picnic on Sunday, April 22, 2007 is in full swing. If you are interested in joining the Committee for this event, please email La’Shone Anderson at [email protected]. An Invitation to the Picnic will be sent to the families of all incoming Kindergarten students. So, be sure to come out to meet and greet and have some fun! The new FTCO Spirit Shirts will be available for purchase before and at the event.
International Day, the day to celebrate the accomplishments of our children, is fast approaching! FTCO will be coordinating Food for the International Day on May 26, 2007. Michelle Castellon and Julie Bourgeois will CoChair the event. If you are interested in helping out please contact Michelle and Julie at [email protected].
The next School Work Day will be on Sunday, March 25, 2007 from 9am – 3pm. The focus is the Library! We will be getting it ready for the installation of new carpet. Round up your family and friends to come out and participate for all or part of the day. Thank you Brian Fazekas for all of your work to organize this School Work Day!
The Voting Membership voted unanimously to make several changes to the FTCO ByLaws. To receive a copy of our current ByLaws, with revisions, please contact the FTCO Board at [email protected].
Are you interested in joining the FTCO Board of Directors? Do you know someone who is? Do you have great ideas about what you would like FTCO to do? We encourage you to run for a FTCO Office. All FTCO Officer Positions are open for the 2007–2008 School Year; they include President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. If you have not already received a FTCO Officer Candidate
Continued on next page.
March 20, 2007
Earn Money For ISL By Doing Things You
Already Do…
Shop WinnDixie? If you have a WinnDixie
Rewards card, turn it into an ISL Community Pals card and ISL will receive 3% from each purchase. There are sign up forms at the Camp Street
Lobby.
Making Groceries? Please save your…
“Box Tops for Education” coupon off the General Mills
products; “Labels for Education” from Campbell, Pepperidge Farms, Swanson, V8 and Prego; the UPC’s on Community Coffee products; and Nestle Pure Life bottled water labels collect them all in an envelope or a ziplock bag labeled with your child’s class and teacher’s name, then send
them in the homeschool connection monthly.
Remember, they may have an expiration date.
Shop at Office Depot? Give the cashier our school code, 70115089, or ask that they look it up. There is a reference book at each
register. ISL receives 5% of purchase. [email protected]
Anyone interested in coordinating the
Used Uniform Sale
Please contact a FTCO officer or email
You would have to...
Organize collection and laundering of donated uniforms
Recruit volunteers to setup, breakdown, and staff the sales
Sale dates are: Thursday, May 10; Friday, May 18; Friday, June 1.
031607 General Meeting Continued
Form, please email the board at [email protected] and request one. These forms should be filled out and returned to FTCO by May 1 via the HomeSchool Connection or email. The forms will then be distributed, electronically, to the FTCO General Membership for review. Elections will be held at the General Meeting on Friday, May 18.
Laura Vagianos, Chair of the MiniFridge Art Auction, reported on the planning for this exciting event! The Art Auction will take place at onMay 20, 2007 at the Bridge Lounge. The Committee has already lined up some fantastic art, but if you know of an artist who may be interested in participating, please contact Laura at [email protected].
Please plan to attend the next FTCO general meeting on Friday, May 18, 2007. See you there!
The FTCO Family Picnic planning meetings will be held every Monday at 8:30am and 5pm in the Camp Street Lobby. Please come to one or the other to help us plan this fun
family event. See You There!
International Day
May 26, 2007
There will be a Planning Meeting this week to coordinate food and festivities for International
Day. If you are interested in helping to plan this event, please contact Michelle Castellon and Julie Bourgeois at [email protected]
