LISD School Newsletter

Dear LISD Families,

For the last two weeks, we have had the privilege of hosting two writers in residence in our 6th grade and some of our secondary social studies and ELA classes. This is all part of the Writers in the Schools Program (WITS) sponsored by Seattle Arts and Lectures, and it is funded by Friends of the Lopez Library. WITS writers inspire our students through creative writing learning activities, and we are SO lucky to have Karin and Garbriella here this year. Thank you, Friends of the Library!

Thanks to everyone who came to Winter Arts Night last Wednesday to support our middle and high school artists and 4th grade through high school musicians and vocalists. It was an awesome holiday evening celebrating the arts, and we all appreciate Jaimie, Naomi, and Jesse for supporting our students in completing pieces and preparing for performances. Our robust music program is fully funded by a very generous donor from the Lopez Community, and Chimera Gallery holds a raffle each year to benefit the school arts program. We are incredibly grateful for the generosity that helps keep arts education thriving at LISD.

I hope you all have a wonderful winter break. Happy holidays and solstice blessings.

All my best,

Martha

• Dec 16: HS Basketball, girls at 4 pm, boys at 5:30 pm
• Dec 17: School Board Meeting, 5:30 pm, LMC
• Dec 19: Last day before break, 2 pm dismissal
• Jan 5: Return from Winter Break
• Jan 6: HS Basketball, girls at 4, boys at 5:30 pm

Ronda Berg, who has served as Secondary Office Coordinator for 22 years, will complete her final day at LISD on December 19. For more than two decades, she has been the first point of contact for students, families, teachers, and community members seeking information or assistance with anything related to the middle and high school. Her calm demeanor, detail oriented mind, and flexibility to work in a fast moving environment has been such a gift to our school district. Ronda, we will miss you but we also wish you a wonderful retirement. You have earned it!

At the same time we are thrilled to welcome Katrina Lovejoy as the new Secondary Office Coordinator starting in January. Katrina is a parent of an elementary and secondary student at LISD and has most recently served as the Health Room Assistant. She has been working with Ronda consistently for the past few weeks and is ready and excited to take on her new role in the New Year!

The Lopez Swim Center is gearing up for a late-winter opening, and we’re looking for your enthusiasm and island spirit, as we begin shaping our programming.

Please take this short survey and your family could be the lucky winner of a free three-month family membership!

Swim Center Survey

All teens in grades 9-12 are invited to drop in at the Community Center between 5:30-8:30 PM for a fun teen holiday party building gingerbread houses and mug painting! Registration required. Register here.

For the past several years, LISD has been fortunate to be part of the Writers in the Schools (WITS) program. WITS connects professional writers with K‑12 public school classrooms throughout the Puget Sound region for extended creative writing residences. WITS Writers in Residence support both students and teachers in building a vibrant literary culture within their classrooms. This year our WITS writers worked with the 6th and 8th grade classes along with the combined 10 - 12 grade English class.

From Karen Finneyfrock, WITS Writer: Over the course of two weeks, the students and I have been reading mentor texts, discussing elements of poetry, and writing new poems together as we work toward our final WITS project: Poetry Broadsides. During our first week together, I shared Haiku with the High School Creative Writing students. A traditional Japanese poetic form, Haiku are generally untitled poems featuring three, short unrhyming lines. Because Haiku often mention the seasons, we focused our Haiku on impressions of Lopez Island during these short days before winter solstice. Below is a small sample of the Haiku submissions.

Brady Smith, Superintendent

Martha Martin, K-12 Principal

The Lopez Island School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employee(s) has been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator, and Title IX Coordinator Sarah Rucker; Section 504, Mary Fordham. OR contact by phone, 360-468-2202, OR mail to 86 School Rd, Lopez Island, WA 98261.