DO YOU KNOW AN OUTSTANDING
VOLUNTEER?
Do you know someone who deserves recognition for devoting themselves to our
students? Nominations are now being sought for this year’s PTSA Golden Acorn
Award at Skyline. The Golden Acorn Award is given annually to individuals who
have given exemplary volunteer service to children and youth in our school
community. The Skyline High PTSA contributes $65 in the winner’s name to the WA
State PTA Scholarship Foundation. Please help us select volunteers from our
community to receive a Golden Acorn Award this year by completing the
Golden Acorn Nomination Form. The nomination deadline is Friday, February
20. Deliver the nomination to the PTSA box at Skyline High School, email it
directly to a committee member (Jean Manis,
Sharon Perry, or
Lynnea Washburn), or mail
it via USPS to Jean Manis, 23410 SE 17th Pl., Sammamish, WA 98075.
SHS PTSA NEWS
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SHS PTSA BOARD ENDORSES
BILLS.
At this week’s SHS PTSA Board meeting, the board unanimously endorsed companion
bills HB 1410 and SB 5444 (see Leg Update, below).
Ø
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP
ELECTS NOMINATING COMMITTEE.
At last week’s Skyline PTSA General Membership meeting, the following nominating
committee was elected: Lisa Abraham,
Lisa Brashem,
Kathy Rizkalla, and
Lorrie Schleg. If you’re interested in
a position on next year’s board, or would like to nominate someone, please
contact one of these ladies. Deadline for nominations is March 2nd.
All nominations are strictly confidential.
Ø
SPARTAN GRANTS APPROVED.
This week, a PTSA committee approved PTSA Spartan Grants to the following staff:
Joelle Nelson for Wind Turbine kits; Gretel vonBargen for non-lecture biology
lesson plans; Nancy Ziebart for choral music; and Steve Vernon for IB practice
tests in biology and chemistry. Thank you to chair Ruth Nevin and her committee
for shepherding this second round of grants this year.
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WHAT ARE OUR TEENS
REALLY DOING?
All three high school PTSAs have teamed with their resource officers and local
law enforcement officials for three evening discussions called,
“What Teens Are Really Doing Today.” These discussions expand on the booklet
“Parents, Teens and the Law” and will be held at Skyline on Feb. 9th
and Liberty on Feb. 23rd (IHS rescheduled date TBD). Middle school
and 9th grade parents are strongly encouraged to attend.
Blog comment?
Ø
MOCK ACT REGISTRATION
DEADLINE FEB. 14TH.
The mock test is Feb. 21st, but the deadline to
register is
Feb. 14th.Questions? Contact the PTSA’s College Prep Chair
Molly Bellehumeur.
COLLEGE READINESS TIPS FOR JUNIORS
(Edited from information on the
College Board website)
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FEBRUARY
o
Your child can visit the
SAT
Preparation Center to focus his practice for upcoming SAT
tests
o
Plan to
visit college campuses with your child this
spring while classes are in session. Schedule interviews with admissions
officers.
Ø
MARCH
o
Most students take the SAT in spring of junior year and/or fall of senior year.
Help your child
register
online for spring and summer SAT tests.
o
Now is a great time for your child to start looking for a
summer job, internship, or
volunteer opportunity. Real-world experience can
give your child a preview of careers in which he's interested. This may help him
focus his studies in college and when he's selecting a major.
PARENTS OF SENIORS: GRAD
ACTIVITIES
It’s that time to
sign up for Parent-Sponsored Graduation Activities, which include
Baccalaureate, the Senior Breakfast and the All-Night Graduation Party. The
price for these events will increase after March 1.
LEG UPDATE
We had an impressive showing of parents from all over the state at last week’s
Senate and House hearings. Seasoned legislators commented that they had never
seen anything like it. A big thanks to the parent advocacy triple threat –
PTA,
Stand
for Children, and the League of
Education Voters – who coordinated a massive effort to get parents to attend
the hearings and testify on behalf of
House Bill 1410 and it’s companion,
Senate Bill 5444. A further thanks goes to our Spartan parent advocates who
attended: Molly Bellehumeur, Julie Fox, Lynn Juniel, Kelly Munn, and me. If you
missed the excitement this time, there will be plenty more opportunities to do
meaningful advocacy work. Here are a couple:
Ø
TONIGHT
(Thursday, 2/5) beginning at 7pm our own
School Board will be holding a special meeting to review the education
reform legislation and decide whether to endorse. It’s critical that our own
school district leadership – administrators and board members – be at the
vanguard of support for this legislation. Please attend this special meeting to
let them know you consider their support to be of the utmost importance.
Ø
Focus Day February 26th on the steps of the Capitol.
OPTIMAL HIGH SCHOOL
EXPERIENCE WORK UNDERWAY. The first round of focus
groups was held at Skyline on Monday. Lisa Hechtman spoke extensively about the
committee’s mission at last week’s General Membership meeting. You can track
this effort on the
OHSE page of the ISD website. Or, you can
comment on our blog.
HELP WANTED
Ø
STAFF APPRECIATION.
PTSA Staff Appreciation is hosting an event for staff at Lisa Hechtman’s staff
meeting next Tuesday. We need 8 volunteers to bring 3 doz. bite-size sweets and
2 volunteers to bring 1 case of water each. If you can help, contact
Lynn Juniel and
Suzie Wiley.
Ø
NEW “SPARTY’S LIST.”
We’re starting our own Craig’s List, but calling it “Sparty’s List.” As
small supply items or equipment are needed by staff, we’ll post a list on our
website so that any of our parents or community members who are so inclined can
either donate a gently used item they already have (e.g., lamp) or purchase some
of what’s needed. We don’t have a list yet, but we do have one request: for four
3M Post-it-type flip chart pads. If you can help, contact PTSA’s Sparty’s List
Coordinator, Gina Lederman.
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MENTOR A STUDENT.
Mentoring a student can mean life-long change not only for the child, but also
for the mentor. Volunteers with ISF’s VOICE Mentor program have learned
first-hand its life-affirming benefits. The Issaquah Schools Foundation asks
PTSA members to consider becoming a part of the VOICE Mentor Program during
National Mentoring Month. You can learn more by contacting
Susan Gierke, VOICE Director.
Ø
HELP A (SLEEPY) lSTUDENT
CROSS THE STREET IN ONE PIECE.
The school has asked if there are any parents who would be willing to volunteer
to help make sure no kids are hit as they cross the parking lot between the back
portables and the school in the dark and often foggy early morning Parents are
needed M,T,Th,F between 7:10 and 7:35 am. Contact Program Assistant
Andy Hogle if you’re able to
help.
THANK YOU!
Ø
To Jean Manis for
getting our PTSA blog set up.
Ø
To Barbara Baer and
Kathy Rizkalla for helping promote our PTSA Flash Drives.
Ø
To any of our members
who’ve taken the time to write, call, or email a legislator urging their support
for ed reform bills HB 1410/SB 5444.
UPCOMING DATES:
2/5
Special School Board meeting to address ed reform legislation
7pm, ISD Admin. Building
2/9
“What Teens Are Really Doing” SHS Theater, 7 – 8:30pm
2/11
Issaquah Schools Foundation’s calling campaign for Project GLAD
2/14
Registration deadline for Mock SAT. Test on 2/21
2/19
Skyline Reflections Reception, Library, 7pm
2/20
Deadline for Golden Acorn nominations
3/2
Deadline for 2009-2010 SHS PTSA officer nominations