Titan Tidings

Wednesday Schedule - ODD

International School will be celebrating Veterans Day with our annual assembly on Wednesday November 4th, during our community time from 9:40 AM - 10:15 AM, for students to enjoy, honor, and remember our veterans together. We would like to honor your family members who are currently on active duty or are veterans by including their pictures on a slide show during our assembly. You may submit for more than one family member. Please send your photos with the following information, in an email to Abi (horsfalla@bsd405.org) by Friday October 30th:

• Name of Veteran or Active Duty Member
• Branch of Military
• Name of the IS Student/Staff Member
• Relationship to the IS Student/Staff Member
• If you would like us to reuse a picture and information from our Veterans Day Assembly last school year, please let me know. Veterans Day photos and information are due by Friday October 30th.

We appreciate all of you and we hope to welcome lots and lots of submissions!

International students are welcome to wear costumes to school on October 30. If you do want to wear a costume to school, please follow these guidelines:

• No masks/decorations that covers the face
• No weapons or look-alike weapons.
• No gore or costumes that depict violence or violent characters
• Content of the costume needs to be appropriate for school.
• No oversized costumes that create a hazard walking in the halls
• Costumes that promote the use of illegal substances or activities, are derogatory or disrespectful are not allowed.

The IS community is a diverse community with students representing cultures, traditions, and religions from around the world. In order for students to demonstrate the Titan Values, we ask that students avoid costumes that would be considered “cultural appropriation.” This is the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture.

Questions to consider:

• Why might some people find some costumes offensive?
• How do you appreciate a culture you are not part of?

• Play off stereotypes?
• Mock cultural or religious symbols such as dreadlocks, bindis, afros etc.?
• Attempt to represent an entire culture or ethnic group?
• Trivialize human suffering, oppression or marginalization?

The next season of middle school sports includes Badminton and we currently do not have a coach. There have been times that we have had parent volunteers serve as the coach. The season is November 30 - January 22. We compete against the other middle school teams in the district. One of the great aspects of this school is we often have high school students who serve as assistant coaches and take on lots of leadership. The commitment generally is practices after school (4:00 – 5:00) for the first couple of weeks before games begin on Tuesdays and Thursdays. After the first couple of weeks, games will be on T/TH (home or away) and are generally finished around 5:30. If you are interested, please reach out to Russell White at whiter@bsd405.org for more information.

All proceeds support senior graduation activities - and these beautiful poinsettias, wreaths, and garlands from Squak Mountain Nursery make a spectacular addition to your holiday decorating, and beautiful gifts for your family, teachers, neighbors, friends, etc.

(Pick up will be at the school on Dec 1st (day and evening time windows); gifts for staff will be delivered directly!)

*Order Directly Here*:

https://isptsa.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/399668021

Winter is approaching and may bring unpredictable weather to our community. Families are encouraged to take the time to revisit the district’s emergency closure schedule protocols and learn about our emergency closure decision-making process. While some decisions are made for the whole district, conditions may vary across different communities, which may result in different decisions for some schools. We encourage families to make personal decisions based on their specific circumstances.

Read the full article to learn more about:

• Receiving emergency communications

• Transportation during severe weather, including snow routes

• Changes to childcare options in the event of delays, closures and early dismissals

• Special circumstances like power outages

Intel from college rep visits -

• Vassar College is now offering a Dance major plus two 4+1 undergrad + master’s programs:
• BA/MBA in collab with SUNY/New Paltz
• BA/MSc in Planetary Health in collab w/Edinburgh where students complete a summer research project in Scotland between junior and senior year then spend their fifth year back at Edinburgh.
• Many schools are finding creative ways to encourage students to apply early. Wake Forest is doing this by offering an optional interview opportunity to students once they have submitted their application.
• University of Washington rep Yvonne Chiu visited campus today and recommended IS students focus on academic areas of interest instead of focusing on a major that they think will lead to the desired career. When admitting to Computer Science, UW is looking for applicants with strong rigor and activities. No comp sci experience necessary.
• Interested in Engineering but want time to explore other topics? Reed College has a partnership with Caltech, Columbia, and Rensselaer for a 3-2 Engineering Dual Degree.

• Activities – last week, we shared a spreadsheet you can use to track your activities over time. Wondering how other students spend their time? Check out 80+ examples from a college application Activities List that might inspire you!
• Wed. Nov. 4 @ 6:30pm, IS Library for 9/10 Parent/Guardian Night

• Activity List – still wondering about how to spend your time? Check out this list of 80+ activities for ideas for activities but also describing them in your running list. If you haven’t started your list, see last week’s post for a spreadsheet template.
• Wed. Nov. 4 @ 6:30pm, IS Library for 9/10 Parent/Guardian Night

• Thank you to all who attended Junior Parent/Guardian Night last week. ICYMI, Colleen sent a follow-up email on Friday including the slide deck.
• ACTION ITEMS:
• SIGN UP for your Jr. Appt as a family. 30 minutes are reserved for each 11th grader and parents/guardians to discuss track toward graduation 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.
• 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.

• Financial Aid – all eligible students should file a FAFSA. Here’s why:
1. Many scholarships require a FAFSA for eligibility. Don’t leave money on the table!
2. It’s required to access federal student loans. Student loans have lower interest rates and can be used to build a good credit score.
3. Circumstances change. Filing a FAFSA as an incoming first year student opens the door for future conversations with your school’s financial aid office
• College
1. Wed 10/28 1:45-2:15: drop-in college app workshop, Conference Room
2. Early Decision? Your app won’t be approved unless HS Counselor Colleen (courtneyn@bsd405.org) receives an email from a parent/guardian acknowledging the college by name and the ED application’s binding terms. Please email no later than Thursday 10/29 for 11/1 ED applications.
3. Applying RD? Stress less with EA:
• Decision around winter break. Clarity allows you to celebrate and/or pivot. Submit new apps in RD over break when you’re not juggling homework and tests.
• More is more. More likely to meet priority deadline for scholarships and special programs. More likely to have th
• or RD? Apply early and check your portals! Protect yourself from web crashes by submitting each application at least 24 hours prior to the deadline. The sooner, the better! As a reminder, it’s your application that starts your application file, and you do not need to wait for school documents to be sent before submitting. Once you apply, look for emails with portal instructions and/or requests for more information.
• 10/29 APPLY TO WESTERN FOR FREE AND GET AN ON-THE-SPOT DECISION! Recommended for students with a 2.75+ GPA.
1. Sign up for the 10/29 WWU On the Spot Admissions event (this makes you eligible for the fee waiver code)
2. Register in SchooLinks
3. 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)
• Financial Aid –
1. at last week’s University of Michigan rep visit, all students - regardless of need - were encouraged to file the FAFSA to be eligible for merit aid and institutional scholarships not visible to the admissions team.
2. Understand How 6 Different Assets Can Affect Your FAFSA and Financial Aid Eligibility

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

• Last week, IS Green Team learned about Electric Vehicles through an interactive presentation by National Energy Foundation/PSE. Check out careers in EV.
• 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 Oct 26 college rep visits (check SchooLinks for updated list):

• University of Washington
• Reed College
• Western Washington University
• Lafayette College

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

Oct 27

Lake Washington Tech Fall Discovery Night

4-6pm

Register

Oct 28 and 29

UBC U.S. Parent Info Session

4-6pm/virtual

Register for either date

Oct 28

Understanding the CSS Profile by Coalition for College

feat. experts from Brandeis, Colby, Columbia, and URichmond

5pm/virtual

Register

Oct 28

CalPoly Virtual Admission Information Session

4:30-5:30pm/virtual

Register

Oct 28

UW Engineering Virtual Info Sessions

5-6pm/Zoom

Sign in

Oct 30

CalPoly Application Workshop

4-5pm/virtual

Join Waitlist

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.

DUE NOV 1 - 2026 Seahawks Community Scholarship Application

• 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)