Titan Tidings

Wednesday Schedule - EVEN

We are so grateful for the support of our PTSA and everything that they do to support our school. This is a time for me to advocate on their behalf.

PTSA Raise the Torch Fundraiser

While a small school, our goal is to provide students with rich learning experiences that exceed what they can receive in other schools. We also want to equip our teachers to innovate and to embed opportunities for students beyond the standard curriculum. The ISPTSA is a vital partner in making these a reality. These funds reduce the cost of some programs (such as Focus Week and retreats), provide teachers the opportunity to purchase equipment and resources, add additional instruments, and so many other things.

ISPTSA's fall fundraising campaign is called "Raise the Torch." Currently, they still have a ways to go to meet their fundraising goal. Let's all help them help our school by meeting this goal. Please consider joining me in donating using this link. Your contribution is tax deductible, and many employers offer matching gifts to increase the impact.

Support the Class of 2026: Poinsettia Sale

Supporting the Senior class is a longstanding tradition of International School. We all do take turns to support them so that we can then receive the support of the school when our own students reach that milestone. Support the Class of 2026 by buying Poinsettias, Wreaths or Garland! Online sales have opened this traditional Senior Class fundraiser. These items are great for decorating your home or as gifts. The Senior class is hoping everyone chooses to buy at least 1 item. The deadline to order is November 4, with a pickup at International School on December 1. More information is below.

Online orders here

Russell White

Payment received after November 9th will incur a $40 late fee per exam.

To pay, log into TouchBase and select Advanced Placement (AP) Tests.

1. All students must click “Buy” for each exam they are taking, even those who receive Free, Reduced, or Scholarship Exams.
2. Next, click “Checkout” in the upper right corner. If your cart says “$0” after adding your exams, you must still checkout.
3. Lastly, click the blue “Checkout” button in the bottom right corner to finalize payment. Even if your total due is “$0” you must complete the checkout process.

The Scholarship Request Form is available for students experiencing financial hardship who do not qualify for fee waivers.

BSD Refund Policy: AP exams canceled after November 13 are not eligible for a refund.

Questions? Reach out to Christy Smith, International School AP Coordinator.

Tickets for Clue are now available!

The Titan Players are excited to present Clue, a hilarious murder mystery based on the classic board game. Join us for an evening of twists, laughs, and suspense as our talented students bring this beloved story to life on stage!

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.

Don’t miss your chance to support the Titan Players and enjoy a fun night of mystery and entertainment. We hope to see you there!

Congratulations to IS Science teacher Cheryl McClure for being selected to speak at TEDxFactoria in Bellevue. She will be speaking on, "Question. Write. Rewrite. Science and the Ethics for AI." As an aiEDU AI Trailblazer Fellow, she has provided leadership for International School teachers as part of our AI Ready Pilot program last year.

This event will take place on Sunday, November 8 from 3:00 - 5:00 at the Crossroads Community Center. Tickets are available at https://www.tedxfactoria.com/.

This month our students will be participating in a virtual safety presentation led by the Safety and Security Department. Students and staff will review the difference between a lockout, lockdown, and active threat response. At the end of the training, the school will practice a lockdown drill and practice actions to help keep us safe in the event of a threat or intruder.

For more information on the safety drills, please refer to https://www.bsd405.org/programs-and-services/safety-and-security.

❄️ Calling All Vendors, Students & Clubs!

Our Winter Market is a festive celebration of community spirit, shopping local, and our incredible students, and we’d love for you to be part of it! Whether you’re a local business, a student entrepreneur, or a school club, we invite you to host a table and share what you make with our school community. Vendors keep all of their sales.

Event date: December 9, 2026 6:30PM-8:30PM

Deadline to request a table: November 6, 2026

Vendor notification: November 13, 2026

Dear IS Supporters,

Thank you for supporting our poinsettia fundraiser in previous years. Your purchases have helped make senior graduation activities and celebrations possible while also bringing a little extra holiday cheer into our community.

We're excited to share that our annual holiday greenery sale is back! Once again, we're offering beautiful poinsettias, wreaths, and garlands from Squak Mountain Nursery. Whether you're decorating your home, gifting a teacher, thanking a neighbor, or surprising a friend, these festive plants and greenery are a wonderful way to celebrate the season while supporting our seniors.

Every purchase directly supports senior graduation activities, helping create memorable experiences for the graduating class.

Please place your order by November 4th.

Pickup will be at the school on December 1st with both daytime and evening pickup windows available. Staff gifts purchased through the sale will be delivered directly to school staff.

Order here:

Shop the Holiday Fundraiser

Thank you again for your past support. We hope you'll join us again this year and help make this fundraiser another success while helping our seniors celebrate a memorable year.

Warm regards,

The IS PTSA Senior Activities Team

P.S. These poinsettias, wreaths, and garlands make wonderful holiday gifts for family members, teachers, neighbors, and friends! 🎄

One of the traditions of International School is the collective support of our senior class as they prepare for graduation later this year. We all take a little part of honoring their hard work over they years, because we know that other students and families will then take their turn. This is "paying it forward." Specific opportunities will be shared throughout the year, but an overview may be found here: https://isptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/senior2026-2027

Congratulations to ALL of our seniors who are working hard on coursework and college applications. Many submitted college applications by October 15 and November 1!

Intel from college rep visits -

• Western Washington University visited International last week to host an info session and “On the Spot Admission” event. 12 seniors participated by applying for FREE and were accepted before lunch was over! Congrats!
• Pacific Lutheran University guarantees admission to Bellevue School District seniors with a 3.3 or higher GPA! Seniors who visit campus earn a $1k scholarship; seniors with a 3.4+ GPA applying by December 1 are eligible for direct admission to Nursing, and those with a 3.8+ applying by December 1 are eligible for the Presidential Scholarship of $5k/year.

• Wed. Nov. 4 @ 6:30pm, IS Library for 9/10 Parent/Guardian Night with HS Counselor Colleen Courtney
• Feeling like you’re falling behind in a class? Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and sooner, the better. Check in with your teacher. Ask older students and/or peers if they might be open to tutoring. Form a study group.

• Wed. Nov. 4 @ 6:30pm, IS Library for 9/10 Parent/Guardian Night w/HS Counselor Colleen Courtney
• Tips for Planning a College Visit: Make a commitment to visit one local college between now and the end of the school year. That experience can be a great reference point as you begin to figure out what you’re looking for in a school. And some schools offer incentive grants if you visit campus, either in person or virtually.

• ACTION ITEMS:
1. SIGN UP for your Jr. Appt as a family. 30 minutes are reserved between Nov 4-Dec 18 for each 11th grader and parents/guardians to discuss graduation traction and post-secondary plans with HS Counselor Colleen Courtney. Limited rescheduling opportunities, so careful planning is strongly encouraged. Please check your schedules and reserve your meeting time ASAP.
2. Registration is OPEN for IS College Boot Camp Aug 16-20, 2027. Payment in Touchbase is registration for the AM (9-noon) or PM (1pm-4pm) session. Space is limited.
• College List – use SchooLinks to research colleges and Favorite schools where you might apply.
• HSBP – use the Profile feature in SchooLinks to record skills and activities, then export a resume for your Jr. Appointment, job/internship interviews, and scholarship applications. Building a resume is a High School and Beyond Plan graduation requirement.

• Financial Aid – complete the FAFSA for 2027-28.
• College - Wed 11/4 1:45-2:15: drop-in college app workshop, Conference Room

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

Young Explorers Club is hiring STEM TAs and Summer Camp Counselors at $18-22/hour. Must be 16+.

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
3. Maximum 5 visits per student

Week of Nov 2 college rep visits (check SchooLinks for updated list):

• Pacific Lutheran University
• University of Colorado-Boulder
• North Dakota State University

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

Nov 4

EDI Application Cram Session

4-4:45pm/virtual

Register

Nov 4

UW Engineering Virtual Info Sessions

5-6pm/Zoom

Sign in

Nov 12

Best in the West College Fair

6-7:30pm/Seattle Public Library – Broadview Branch

Nov 12

Notre Dame presents: Financial Aid 101: The Basics of Financial Aid

4pm/virtual

Register

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

• Parent Night for Grades 9/10 (November 4, 6:30 - 7:30, Library)
• 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)