Issaquah High School Associated Student Body executive board officers are (from left) Alex Johnson, secretary; Brianna Fowler-Lindner, treasurer; Jeremiah Odom, president; and Bobby Johnson, vice president. Not pictured is Quinn Grisham, activities coordinator.

Issaquah Curriculum Nights

Elementary schools

Apollo TBD

Briarwood

6 p.m. Sept. 16 — Third through fifth grades

6 p.m. Sept. 23 — Kindergarten through second grades

Cascade Ridge

6 p.m. Sept. 15 — Kindergarten through second grades and LRC2

7 p.m. Sept. 15 — PTSA state of the school meeting

6-7 p.m. Sept. 17 — Third through fifth grades

Challenger

5:30-6 pm Sept. 17 — Specialists’ open house

6-6:45 p.m. Sept. 17 — AM kindergarten and third through fifth grades

6:45-7:15 pm Sept. 17 — Staff/PTA welcome

7:15-8 pm Sept. 17 — Full-day and PM kindergarten and first through second grades

Clark

7-8:30 p.m. Sept. 16 — Third through fifth grades, SAGE and ISEP

7-8:30 p.m. Sept. 23 — Kindergarten through second grades

Cougar Ridge

6 p.m. Sept. 10 — Kindergarten through second grades

7:15 p.m. Sept. 10 — Third through fifth grades

Discovery

6 p.m. Sept. 14 — Preschool, first and second grades

6 p.m. Sept. 15 — Third through fifth grades

Endeavour

6:15 p.m. Sept. 23 — First and second grades

7 p.m. Sept. 23 — Specialists

5:30 p.m. Sept. 24 — Fifth grade

6:45 p.m. Sept. 24 — Specialists

7 p.m. Sept. 24 — Third and fourth grades

Grand Ridge

6 p.m. Sept. 16 — Third through fifth grades

6 p.m. Sept. 23 — Kindergarten through second grades

Issaquah Valley

6 p.m. Sept. 15 — Kindergarten through second grades

6 p.m. Sept. 17 — Third through fifth grades

Maple Hills

7 p.m. Sept. 10 — First, fourth and fifth grades

7 p.m. Sept. 17 — Kindergarten, second and third grades

Newcastle

6 p.m. Sept. 15 — Third through fifth grades

7 p.m. Sept. 15 — Kindergarten through second grades

Sunny Hills

5 p.m. Sept. 24 — Fourth and fifth grades

5:50 p.m. Sept. 24 — Kindergarten and first grade

6:40 p.m. Sept. 24 — Second and third grades

Sunset

6:30 p.m. Sept. 14 — Third through fifth grades

6:30 p.m. Sept. 16 — Early Childhood Education, kindergarten through second grades

Middle schools

Beaver Lake: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 8 — All

Issaquah: 6 p.m. Sept. 15 — All

Maywood: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 8 — All

Pine Lake: 7 p.m. Sept. 8 — All

High schools

Issaquah

6 p.m. Sept. 16 — Senior planning session

7 p.m. Sept. 16 — Curriculum night for all grades

Liberty: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 29 — All

Pacific Cascade: 7 p.m. Sept. 29 — All

Skyline: Sept. 22 time TBD — All

Tiger Mountain: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 24 — All

Eagles 2009 football schedule

Home games will be played at the Mount Si High School stadium, 8651 Meadowbrook Way S.E., North Bend, and start at 7 p.m.

Date Opponent

Sept. 5 Bothell

Sept. 11 At Mount Si

Sept. 18 Inglemoor

Sept. 25 At Garfield

Oct. 2 Eastlake

Oct. 9 At Redmond

Oct. 16 At Skyline

Oct. 23 Newport

Oct. 30 TBA

Get a complete list of fall sports schedules at www.ihs.issaquah.wednet.edu. Click on “Athletics.”

President

Heather Gillette 427-1407

Elementary schools

Apollo

Tina Waters 255-2674

Briarwood

Beth Donahoe 793-7890

Cascade Ridge

Tina Yerges 557-0606

Chrisann Penz 557-9944

Challenger

Shannon Karr 427-5277

Joji Siegel 557-2819

Clark

Traci Burke 985-1958

Cougar Ridge

Stefanie Beighle 747-7547

Victoria Evans 373-0468

Discovery

Shelly Russell 313-0674

Ken Peatross Jr. 392-7911

Endeavour

Becky Lawrence 557-4686

Grand Ridge

Lida Buckner 557-6667

Issaquah Valley

Colleen Gurkin 369-2092

Maple Hills

Jennie Wildermuth 837-0978

Trecy Trimble 391-7946

Newcastle

Marnie Maraldo 271-7975

Lynne Hepp

Sunny Hills

Ellen Owen 391-7880

Martha Swallow 391-5997

Sunset

Kim Putney 747-1716

Kristin Behn 445-1456

Middle schools

Beaver Lake

Janine Kotan 427-9029

Deb Smith 557-9532

Issaquah

Sally Brunette 562-2670

Camille Vaska 746-7691

Maywood

Kimberly Montague 277-1093

Pine Lake

Lorrie Schleg 313-0939

High schools

Issaquah

Jody Mull 644-5895

Celia Lindor 562-7437

Liberty

Robin Callahan 557-6663

Betsy Pendleton 227-4399

Skyline

Heather Gillette 427-1407

Caroline Brown 657-0648

Pacific Cascade Freshman Campus

Ann Rauch (IHS) 603-9464

Sandy Kurtz (SHS) 427-1155

School starts Sept. 2, a Wednesday, putting schools on the Learning Improvement Calendar schedule, with middle and high schools beginning later and elementary students starting earlier. School ends June 17. Go to www.issaquah.wednet.edu then click on “District,” “Calendars” and “2009-10 calendar.”Which bus should my student ride?

Families should receive a yellow card in their mailboxes the first week of September with information about bus stops and schedules. Routes will also be available online the last week of August. Go to www.issaquah.wednet.edu and click on “Bus routes for next year” then “E-LINK.”

What school supplies should students get?

School supply needs are posted at each school and, in most cases, on each school’s Web page at www.issaquah.wednet.edu/schools.

When will students find out who their teachers are?

Elementary schools will update class assignments in Family Access and/or send out a postcard with class assignments the first week of September. Secondary students receive schedules during online registration and back-to-school business days.

Who can answer curriculum questions?

Classroom teachers are the best source of information about learning expectations. For other questions, principals have the best firsthand information. District-level curriculum questions can be answered by the Teaching and Learning Services Department. Call 837-7030.

How can parents get more involved?

To volunteer in a classroom, contact the teacher. Many elementary schools have art and science docent programs, in which trained parents present lessons. Issaquah’s PTSA chapter, www.issaquahptsa.org, is one of the largest and most active in the state. Parents begin by joining at their child’s school. Another opportunity is the VOICE mentor program, www.issaquahschoolsfoundation.org, which pairs an adult with an at-risk student for a year or more. District-level task force teams, such as the Boundary Review Committee and Levy Development Committee, are often convened for a particular purpose. Calls for these positions are advertised on the district Web site and in school newsletters.

Who should students or parents call with questions?

For district-level questions, call 837-7000 or try the Web site, www.issaquah.wednet.edu.

How can students change schools?

Every February, the district accepts applications from students who want to transfer to another Issaquah school or into the district. Closed Issaquah schools can only take new students when others leave. Students can apply to attend a closed school, but entrance isn’t guaranteed. Students who transfer into the district from other districts must reapply each year, and continuing open enrollment is not guaranteed every year. Call 837-7010 or go to www.issaquah.wednet.edu/district/departments then click on “Open enrollment and transfers.”

Where can students or parents find lunch menus?

These are posted on the district’s Web site at www.issaquah.wednet.edu/ family/lunch.aspx.

Can I pay for my student’s lunches online?

At MyLunchMoney.com, parents can put money into student accounts and access students’ purchasing history.

How do I pay for school-related items, such as yearbooks, parking passes and Associated Student Body cards?

Secondary school students can pay for those items online, in person at back-to-school business days or by contacting the main office during the school year. Cash and checks are accepted. If elementary schools produce yearbooks or other fee-based items, school officials will alert parents regarding details.

Is there a district check policy?

For a check to be an acceptable form of payment, it must include your full and accurate name, current address and telephone number. Alternative forms of payment may be used instead, such as cash or a cashier’s check.

Above, Skyline High School Associated Student Body executive board officers and senior class officers are (from left) Adam Albaum, ASB treasurer; Michael Abboud, senior class vice-president; Zach Oseran, ASB director of assemblies and fun; Tara Northey, ASB president; Jason Lu, senior class president; Clayton Wiggins, senior class secretary; Abby Reinertsen, ASB secretary; Emily Matson, ASB director of communications; and R.J. Lytle, ASB director of student activities.

Spartans 2009 football schedule

All games start at 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted

Date Opponent

Sept. 5 Jesuit, Qwest Field (5:30 p.m.)

Sept. 10 At Ballard

Sept. 18 Oaks Christian

Sept. 25 Newport

Oct. 2 Garfield

Oct. 9 At Eastlake

Oct. 16 Issaquah

Oct. 23 At Redmond Oct. 30 TBA

Get a complete list of fall sports schedules at www.shs.issaquah.wednet.edu. Click on “Athletics.”

Cathy Bruckner, a substitute teacher with the Issaquah School District, gives a math lesson to Renée Coon's third-grade class at Apollo Elementary School using a document camera, a ceiling projector and an interactive white board. By Chantelle Lusebrink

-The first day of school is Sept. 2. Because it’s a Wednesday, remember schools are on the Learning Improvement Calendar schedule, with middle and high schools beginning later and elementary school students starting earlier.-Finding out what bus to catch is easy. Families can enter their address at the district’s E-LINK page to get their child’s route information. Go to www.issaquah.wednet.edu and click on “Bus routes for next year” then “E-LINK.”

-Lunch menus have gone high tech. See what’s on your child’s school lunch menu —along with nutritional information — days in advance at www.issaquah.wednet.edu/family/lunch.aspx. Parents can also put money into students’ lunch accounts and monitor purchasing history at www.MyLunchMoney.com.

-If you have not verified your elementary school student’s enrollment by replying to the district’s lime-green postcard sent out in late July, do so now by calling your student’s school or going to www.issaquah.wednet.edu and clicking on “Annual verification of elementary enrollment” under “August Links.” This is important, because it helps district officials know how many elementary school teachers are needed.

-School supplies vary from school to school and grade to grade. For a complete list for your student, contact his or her school or find your school’s Web site at www.issaquah.wednet.edu/schools.

-Already looking forward to next summer? The last day of school is June 17. First winter break is from Dec. 21 – Jan. 3; second winter break is from Feb. 15-19; and spring break is March 29-April 2.

-If you want your student to attend a different school, open enrollment is in February. Families can request student transfers to schools outside their residential attendance area for the next school year. Whether requests are filled depends on space. Call 837-7010.

Sept. 2 — First day of school for students

Sept. 7 — Labor Day (no school)

Nov. 3-4 — Elementary school conferences (no school for elementary students)

Nov. 11 — Veterans Day (no school)

Nov. 26-27 — Thanksgiving holiday (no school)

Dec. 21 – Jan. 3 — First winter break (no school)

Jan. 18 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day (no school)

Feb. 15-19 — Presidents Day and second winter break (no school)

March 29 – April 2 — Spring break (no school)

May 28-31 — Memorial Day (no school)

June 17 — Last day of school

* Weather make-up days, if necessary:

First day — Friday, May 28 (Memorial Day weekend break)

Second day — Friday, June 18

Third day — Monday, June 21

Fourth day — Tuesday, June 22

Fifth day — Wednesday, June 23

The test requires students to demonstrate at least 80 percent mastery of the skills obtained in the Software Technology Applications I course, which includes skill development in Internet, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, voice recognition and Web page design. 

If a student passes the test with 80 percent proficiency, he or she will be waived from having to take the Software Technology Applications I class, which all students must take by the end of their 10th-grade year as required by the graduation requirements.

To register, go to your student’s middle school Web site and click on “Technology Proficiency Test,” then send an e-mail with the student’s full legal name, high school graduation year, seven-digit student identification number, telephone number and desired testing date.

Testing dates are: 

-Issaquah: Jan. 21, 22, 28 and 29

-Maywood: Feb. 9 or 10

-Pine Lake: Feb. 19, 23, 24 and 25 

Beaver Lake’s proficiency test has passed.

Growing by cultures and colors

Changing student diversity impacts learning, teaching opportunities

As Issaquah’s population has grown with housing additions like the Issaquah Highlands and Talus, the cultures that make up Issaquah have grown with it.

Today there are more than 26,000 people living in Issaquah and the town is home to dozens of different ethnicities from throughout the world.

Nowhere is its growing diversity more noticeable than in the classrooms of the Issaquah School District.

Global emphasis in the classroom

In the past 10 years Issaquah’s diversity of cultures has grown by leaps and bounds. In 1998 more than 86 percent of the district’s population was white. Today, that number has dropped to 73 percent, according to information from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The number of students that are Asian, black or Hispanic has doubled in most cases.

Much of the increase is due to new families moving into the area for jobs at high tech, medical or aerospace companies who recruit employees from throughout the world.

With an increasingly diverse population, district officials recently revised their mission to help prepare students for the world of education and work beyond the city limits.

The new mission states, “Our students will be prepared for and eager to accept the academic, occupational, personal and practical challenges of life in a dynamic global environment.”

“Our end goal talks about being a responsible citizen,” said Lynn Brogan, director of teaching and learning services for the district. “To do that we have to be able to understand our differences and work together.”

District officials are also re-evaluating requirements, like adding another math credit or requiring foreign language studies for students, making them more competitive in the global economy.

District officials also developed the new requirements based on what former graduates said about their education in the district, Brogan said.

“Former students have said that we prepare them in writing, reading and math and that teachers do teach them about being part of a business,” she said. “But what they all said was that they didn’t have enough of was preparation to work in the global society they suddenly found themselves in.”

One way many schools have already found to counteract this is by sharing cultures in the classroom and at local events.

In the past five years several Issaquah schools have started celebrating diversity with the community by hosting cultural fairs.

The fairs give parents, students and educational professionals an opportunity to learn more about students’ and families’ origins, through reports, presentations, cooking up tasty food, performing traditional dances and providing video or photos of their former countries.

Issaquah High School and Challenger Elementary each held cultural fairs with more than 50 countries represented.

“Our school changed a lot less than other schools. But I can see that the district, as a whole, has become more diverse and that is a great thing,” said Rosann Collins, a Maple Hills Elementary teacher for 11 years. “The beauty of diversity, if you open yourself up to learn and are attentive, is that you’ll transform yourself with knowledge from others.” 

Changing educational tools

Requirements and globalization aren’t the only ways diversity is effecting the education today.

A diversified population has also changed the face of curricula, textbooks, computer programs, and even library books.

The former references to students’ names as Dick and Jane are completely gone from textbook materials. In their place are José, Daniella, Merideth, David and Zoe.

District officials go through a lengthy process to determine what products are acceptable for use in the classroom. Foremost is the accuracy, clarity and fundamental skill sets the texts set forth and how well teachers and other district officials believe they will further students’ education.

New materials also undergo an evaluation for gender, ethnic, religious or racial bias, Brogan said.

“To do that we look at the text, the photographs and the words that are used,” Brogan said. “The benefit is that we have materials that embrace the kids we have and our kids are able to see themselves in the material, whether it’s a library book or instructional material.”

Another aspect that has changed is how the district help students who come from other countries learn to speak English.

Students are no longer pulled from the classroom to learn simple English words and societal norms and they are encouraged to build upon their home language, said Heidi LaMare, the district’s English Language Learning (ELL) specialist.

Today, students who are unable to speak English stay in the classroom to learn, LaMare said.

“I think the emphasis on global preparation is a benefit in the classroom,” LaMare said. “Besides helping new students learn English, having kids of another language in the classroom really prepares our other children for the world of work.”

To help facilitate, the district supplies teachers with educational assistants who help the child, to bridge the gaps in their knowledge.

The district’s budget for ELL programs is $599,680, funded by the state and federal governments.

ISD is also adopting Guided Language Acquisition Design for all its students. The program originated in southern California and uses a variety of tools to help students new to English-speaking classrooms learn the language. The program integrates the English language into students’ lives, allowing students to learn the educational vocabulary they need to be successful in school at a quicker rate, LaMare said.

The program also uses group problem solving methods to form answers and arrive at solutions, LaMare said.

For example, during a summer teacher training session at Clark Elementary School, fourth-grade teacher Chelsea Dziedzic directed her students to formulate a short-answer essay about types of erosion.

The group of students used information from their studies to formulate a hypothesis, provide supporting evidence and draw a conclusion together. They also proofread, altered and added additional work to the paragraph as a class so they could incorporate writing into their science lesson.

“It is the best educational practices for all kids based on brain research,” Collins said after her training.

The added bonus is that children use their own background knowledge and culture to help solve problems and children learn there is more than one way to solve a problem, she added.

With a $130,000 donation from the Issaquah Schools Foundation and an additional $300,000 in district funding, 173 teachers underwent the training this summer.

Reach Reporter Chantelle Lusebrink at 392-6434, ext. 241or clusebrink@isspress.com.

1998-99: 13,566 students

4American Indian: .6 percent

4Asian: 9.5 percent

4Black: 1.6 percent

4Hispanic: 2.3 percent

4White: 86 percent

2002-03: 14,759 students

4American Indian: .6 percent

4Asian: 12 percent

4Black: 1.7 percent

4Hispanic: 2.8 percent

4White: 82.9 percent

2006-07:16,115 students

4American Indian: .6 percent

4Asian: 18.6 percent

4Black: 2.1 percent

4Hispanic: 4.4 percent

4White: 73.9 percent

Elementary schools

Apollo

46 p.m. Sept. 16 — Preschool, A.M. and full day kindergarten, first and second grades

46 p.m. Sept. 18 — P.M. kindergarten, third through fifth grades

Briarwood

46 p.m. Sept. 17 — Kindergarten through second grades

46 p.m. Sept. 18 — Third through fifth grades 

Cascade Ridge

46 p.m. Sept. 16 — Kindergarten through second grades

46 p.m. Sept. 18 — Third through fifth grades

Challenger

46 p.m. Sept. 25 — All

Clark

47 p.m. Sept. 17 — Kindergarten through second grades

47 p.m. Sept. 24 — Third through fifth grades, SAGE and ISEP  

Cougar Ridge

47 p.m. Sept. 10 — Third grade

47 p.m. Sept. 11 — First and fifth grades

47 p.m. Sept. 18 — Fourth grade

47 p.m. Sept. 23 — Second grade

47 p.m. Sept. 25 — Kindergarten

Discovery

46 p.m. Sept. 16        6 p.m.            First and second grades

46 p.m. Sept. 17        6 p.m.            Third through fifth grades

Endeavour

46:30 p.m. Sept. 17 — First and second grades

46:30 p.m. Sept. 18 — Third through fifth grades

Grand Ridge

46 p.m. Sept. 17 — Third through fifth grades

46 p.m. Sept. 24 — Kindergarten through second grades

Issaquah Valley

46 p.m. Sept. 16 — Kindergarten through second grades

46 p.m. Sept. 18 — Third through fifth grades

Maple Hills

46 p.m. Sept. 11 — First, fourth and fifth grades

46 p.m. Sept. 18 — Kindergarten, second and third grades

Newcastle

46 p.m. Sept. 16 — Kindergarten through second grades

47 p.m. Sept. 16 — Third, fourth and fifth grades

Sunny Hills

45 p.m. Sept. 25 — Kindergarten and first grade

45:50 p.m. Sept. 25 — Second and third grades

46:40 p.m. Sept. 25 — Fourth and fifth grades

Sunset

46:30 p.m. Sept. 15 — Third, fourth and fifth grades

46:30 p.m. Sept. 17 — Early Childhood Education, kindergarten through second grades

Middle schools

Beaver Lake

6:30 p.m. Sept. 9 — All

Issaquah

6 p.m. Sept. 25 — All

Maywood

6:30 p.m. Sept. 9 — All

Pine Lake

7 p.m. Sept. 9 — All

High schools

Issaquah

7 p.m. Sept. 16 — All

Liberty

6:30 p.m. Sept. 23 — All

Pacific Cascade

7 p.m. Sept. 22 — All

Skyline

6 p.m. Sept. 11— All

Tiger Mountain

6:30 p.m. Oct. 16 — All