Titan Tidings

Wednesday Schedule - ODD

Yuen Lui Studio will photograph makeup and retake portraits at International School on Wednesday, October 14

• Makeup portraits: students who missed the September picture day should plan on getting a portrait taken on Wednesday, October 14. Families can preorder makeup portraits here: 2026-27 International School Make-up/ Retake Pre-payments 10/14. We will be calling down students who did not take a photo the first time.

• Retake portraits: students who preordered picture day packets for the September picture day can return their package to the photographer in exchange for a retake - a new package of the retake image for all returned packages will be issued at no charge. The retake picture will replace the original picture. ID cards will NOT be reissued with the retake photo. If your student is planning to retake their picture, please complete the form Picture Retake Form – Fill out form by October 12 (11:59pm), so we can schedule and issue passes for students to come during a designated time slot.

• View and order portraits: families can view and order portraits from the September picture day here: 2026-27 International School - Online Code = Student ID. October portraits will also be available for viewing via the same link about two weeks after makeup/retake day. Images are password protected by an online code. The online code is your student's school ID number.

Volunteers Needed:

If you are able to help out with line and student check in during Retake day, please sign up to volunteer here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0444A8A823A5F49-66374115-international. Thank you in advance for your support!

Save the Date!

This fall, our beloved Titan Players will present Clue, a murder mystery play based on the classic board game. Don’t miss this hilarious whodunit filled with twists, laughs, and plenty of suspense! Performances will be held on Friday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 14 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Come support our talented students and see if you can solve the mystery before the final curtain falls! Ticket information will be announced soon.

The high school Homecoming dance is Saturday, October 24 from 8:00 - 10:00 PM at International. The theme is "Studio Ghibli."

Ticket prices:

• Prepurchase tickets with ASB: $20 online prior to 10/22 at midnight.
• Prepurchase tickets without ASB: $26 online prior to 10/22 at midnight
• Prepurchase guest tickets: $20 (with completed Guess Pass - see below)
• Purchase tickets at the door: $30 (Note: NO GUEST TICKETS will be sold at the door

The GUEST forms are available in the main office and is attached below. ALL GUEST forms need to be submitted to Betty Nhan before Oct 20.Guests are not allowed at the door on the day of dance without pre-approval Guest forms. These forms do need to be signed in-person by an administrator of the guest's home school, so plan sufficient time.

As we approach Thanksgiving and Winter Break, we want to clarify information regarding student attendance and pre-arranged absences.

Over the summer, Bellevue School District updated its attendance procedures, and schools are adjusting our practices to align with these changes. One notable change is that there is no longer five automatically excused days for absences to include vacations. Under the revised procedure, absences may be excused for reasons such as illness or medical appointments, family emergencies, religious or cultural observances, court proceedings, and college visits.

Families who anticipate their student will be absent are encouraged to communicate with the school as early as possible. While advance notice is appreciated, the reason for the absence must align with the excused absence categories outlined in the district procedure.

We encourage families to review the full attendance procedure for additional details: BSD Procedure 3122P: Excused and Unexcused Absences

Thank you for partnering with us to support consistent student attendance and learning.

The Washington State Women's Commission (WSWC) is currently accepting applications from girls and young women to serve on our inaugural Youth Advisory Council (WCYAC). The Council’s 13 members will shape state policy, elevate issues, and build leadership experience to help the Women’s Commission achieve its mission: ensuring state policies and programs reflect and respond to the real needs of women and girls.

All interested youth ages 14-22 who live in Washington and identify as a girl or young woman are encouraged to apply!

Click to apply: WCYAC Application

Deadline: October 25th, 2026.

Additional information:

• Learn more about the Women’s Commission
• Learn more about the Youth Advisory Council (WCYAC)

World Language Competency Credit is a way for high school students to earn credits for a language they already know. In order to earn competency credits in World Language, students will demonstrate proficiency in speaking, listening, reading and writing. These assessments are aligned with the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) proficiency levels. A maximum of 4 World Language credits may be awarded through the Washington's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Competency Based Credit testing process.

February 3, 2027 - Sammamish HS / International / Big Picture / Bellevue Digital Discovery (Registration deadline: January 24)

More information and registration

Financial Aid – Please fill out this short financial aid survey to help us deliver content that is most relevant to you.

Outside Learning – last week we shared a reminder to request transcripts from outside learning providers (see Titan Tidings archives for more info). The term “outside learning” refers to courses provided by an OSPI approved online course provider and does not include courses taken through WANIC (CTE credit) or BSD Summer School (credit recovery) which are systematically added to BSD transcripts. If all these terms are new to you, learn about the outside learning approval process.

• SAVE the DATE: Wed. Nov. 4 @ 6:30pm, IS Library for 9/10 Guardian Night

• SAVE the DATE: Wed. Nov. 4 @ 6:30pm, IS Library for 9/10 Guardian Night

• College Visits: If you haven’t attended one, sign up for one of next week’s visits just to get a feel for how they work. It might spark new curiosity and make you aware of questions you don’t know you have. Chat Jill Follett with questions.
• SAVE the DATE: Wed. Oct 21 @ 6:30pm, IS Library for Fall Junior Parent/Guardian Night

• College
• Check your application dates in SchooLinks to ensure your LOR are sent at the correct time
• College visits – meet the rep who can likely advocate for your admission! Registration required at least 48 hours in advance; 5 visits maximum. Please unregister if your plans change.
• 10/29 APPLY TO WESTERN FOR FREE AND GET AN ON THE SPOT DECISION! Register in SchooLinks and..
1. Sign up for the 10/29 WWU On the Spot Admissions event (this makes you eligible for the fee waiver code)
2. Pre-fill but DO NOT SUBMIT your Western application from the WWU website (review with admissions rep at event prior to submitting to qualify for fee waiver code)
3. Upload your unofficial transcript if given the opportunity

Track hours in SchooLinks>Engage>Experience Tracking to meet your 40-service hour graduation requirement

Find opportunities in SchooLinks by clicking Engage > Opportunity Board > then, from the drop-down menu under Opportunity Type, click Volunteer

• Oct 5-10 Japan Week @ Bellevue College needs 220 volunteers

• Sophomores and Juniors interested in learning about nursing: Bookmark UW Nurse Camp and check regularly for updates on the free one-week summer camp.
• Google Career Certificates through Grow with Google: 392 FREE courses thanks to a license secured by BSD. Our CTE teacher Chad Magendanz recommends starting with Google AI Essentials. Students, email Chad with your name and preferred email address for registration.

College visits at International are for 11th and 12th grade students during the school day

1. Get teacher permission in advance
2. Register in SchooLinks; registration closes 2 days prior to visit

***See SchooLinks>Engage>Events for an expanded list of outside events***

Oct 13

BSD/MIHS Fall College + Resource Fair

5:30-8:30PM/Mercer Island HS

Oct 16-17

NACAC College Fair

9-12 (Fri), 12-4 (Sat)/Seattle Convention Center

Student Registration

Oct 17

Eastern’s Fall Preview Day

9am-3pm/EWU, Cheney, WA

Register

Oct 18

NACAC Virtual College Fair

10am-3pm/Online

Oct 24

Seattle University Fall Preview Day

9-3/SU, Seattle, WA

Register

Oct 24

UW-Bothell Preview Day-attendees get application fee waiver!

8:45-3/UWB, Bothell, WA

Register

Oct 28 and 29

UBC U.S. Parent Info Session

4-6pm/virtual

Register for either date

Nov 14

9th Annual Seattle Black College Expo - FREE

10am-2pm/Highline College, Des Moines

Registration

Nov 14

Bellevue College Fall Discovery Day

10am-2pm/BC U Building

Register

Nov 27

UBC Vancouver Info Day for students and families

10am-3pm/UBC Vancouver

Register

Nov 28

UBC Okanagan Info Day for students and families

10-3:30/UBC Okanagan (Kelowna)

Register

• Virtual college tour info: NACAC, appily, campustours.com and university sites.
• Financing Higher Education, FREE (5) 15-minute digital lessons in English or Spanish
• Financial Aid 101 on Demand (English, Spanish)

Get tips on writing a scholarship essay from the College Essay Guy.

• Fast Web’s list of full-tuition scholarships
• WashBoard.org connects Washington students with scholarships without selling student information.
• Sign up for College Aid Pro Weekly Private Scholarship List

• Picture retakes (October 14)
• Hall Decorations (October 16 after school)
• Spirit Week (October 19 - 23)
• 11th Grade Parent Night (October 21, 6:30 - 7:30, Library) - NEW DATE
• Homecoming Dance for high school (October 24, 8:00 - 10:00)
• Parent Night for Grades 9/10 (November 4, 6:30 - 7:30, Library) - NEW DATE
• End of 1st Quarter (November 6)
• No School: Veteran's Day (November 11)
• Fall Play Performances (November 13 - 14)
• 6th Grade Parent Night (November 17, 6:30 - 7:30, Library)
• High School Band Concert (November 19, 7:00, IPAC)
• No School: Thanksgiving (November 26 - 27)