LISD School Newsletter

Dear LISD Families,

I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for all our wonderful family volunteers. Last week, three elementary classes were on field trips on the same day, and I know that parents stepped forward to chaperone. This week, family members have volunteered to drive cars and vans for soccer post season travel. Some of you are serving on committees or you answer the call to participate in focus groups. Some of you are elementary room parents and/or active members of LIPTSA, planning and facilitating fun events like the pumpkin carving or organizing the ordering and distribution of school supplies. Some of you help out in your child's classroom on a regular basis, take tickets at games, run the snack bar, or provide/prepare food for team dinners and classroom parties.

We are always in need of volunteers and incredibly grateful for those who give their time and energy so generously. If you or other folks you know have the capacity to volunteer, we can match your interests with our needs. You can send a message to volunteer@lopezislandschool.org, talk to your child's classroom teacher(s), or step up when you read that volunteers are needed for a special event or field trip.

Have a great week!

All my best,

Martha

• Nov 19: MS Coed Basketball, 3 pm
• Nov 19: School Board Meeting
• Nov 26: Day before Thanksgiving, 2 pm dismissal
• Nov 27 - 28: Thanksgiving Break
• Nov 28: Village Lighting Ceremony featuring MPPACT and LISD Pep Band
• Nov 29: Holiday Bazaar, 10 - 3 pm, MR Buffum Gym
• Dec 6: SAT Exam, 8 AM
• Dec 10: Winter Arts Night

Recently, we have installed small lights and Braille stickers on some of the doorways around the school. These are being placed to help our vision impaired students to learn to move around the school on their own. Please do not pick at the stickers or play with the lights as they are tools meant to help your classmates. If you have any questions or feedback on them please reach out to Ms. Rose.

The Lopez Island Home and Hospice Support is looking for students who would like to volunteer on a regular basis, from 1 to several hours per week. They are looking for support with everything from social support for senior citizens and helping the elderly with technology to gardening. There are a lot of ways to help and make a difference. There are also opportunities to help support LIHHS by helping with fundraisers or other events.

This is truly a great way to give back to your community. Supporting our senior citizens is a very honorable way to spend your volunteer time. Students - please contact Stephanie Vallejo at csm@lihhs.org if you are interested in volunteering with LIHHS to earn community service hours.

The fall sports season has wrapped up for all three of our fall sport teams: volleyball, girls soccer, and boys soccer. Congrats on a successful season for all three teams - they all made it to the post season! Boys and girls soccer made it to the state tournament! In many cases our student athletes are competing against schools with a larger student body and more well funded sports programs. We are so proud of our athletes who represent Lopez so well - in competitiveness and sportsmanship.

Now on to basketball! MS basketball is already practicing and HS (both boys and girls) starts this week.

Students in grades 9-12 will have an opportunity to tour the campuses of Western Washington University and Bellingham Technical College on December 2nd. There are 25 spots for this field trip and priority for those spots will be given to students in the upper grades first, but 9th and 10th grade students can attend if spots are available. We will leave early at 6:45 AM from the school and return about 5:15 PM. Students should contact Robb Ellis if they are interested in being part of this trip.

We are so very fortunate to have such a generous community and all the local Artists who support the young artists and students of Lopez.

Two special guest artists have been volunteering to do art with students this year. Curtis Yu, a ceramic artist has been coming in to work with Middle School art classes teaching them to throw on the wheel. Kathleen Briley hasK-12 students making luminaries to contribute to the community luminary art installation. A huge thank you to Curtis and Kathleen it has been such a joy to work with these community artists.

We have launched an Art Club for secondary students on Fridays afterschool 3:30-5:00pm.

Curtis Yu also has volunteered at an art club to work on teaching students how to throw on the wheel. Interested students should contact Jaimie Terada for more details.

We're still seeking big-hearted folks who are committed to making our school the best it can be. There are multiple opportunities for volunteers to get connected at school. In return for a little of your time, you'll gain meaningful island connections and enjoy positive effects of your involvement. Current volunteer roles include cafeteria, recess, and dropoff/pickup support; office and library assistance; van driving; garden work; and class enrichment support in the garden. You can volunteer for as little as an hour a week, and you don't need to commit for more than a month at a time.

Join us at school and enjoy the rewards of being a part of our educational community. To get involved, send an email to volunteer@lopezislandschool.org. Thank you for helping to make our school the best it can be! Soon you'll be able to answer the question: "What you did you do at school today?"

Join school garden experts Brett Jensen and Sara Jones in this fun holiday workshop. All supplies provided. RSVP to Brett Jensen, bjensen@lopezislandschool.org

Chimera Gallery is holding their annual winter raffle to raise money for the art department.

Every year local artists donate their art work to be raffled off, all proceeds go to the art department. Tickets are for sale at the gallery and students will be selling them at LVM and at the Grange. You can check out what artwork is being raffled off at Chimera and the drawing for the winners will be December 6th at 6:00pm. A huge thank you to Chimera Gallery!

Student volunteers are a huge help to vendors and organizers of this event. Help is needed for set up, tear down and during the event itself. Contact lopezbazaar@gmail.com to volunteer.

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.