Results from the 2021 Healthy Youth Survey (HYS), a statewide survey of young people focused on their health behaviors, are now available. Data suggest mental health concerns remain with some signs of improved health behaviors, including a decrease in substance use.
Category Archives: Programs
Special Education Webinar #4 is Available!
Webinar #4 (recorded on 3/9/2021) focuses on these questions –
- I received a question from a parent interested in the role of paraprofessionals w/in Special Ed.
- How do the education/certification requirements for a special education teacher compare to special education paraprofessionals?
- Is there specific training provided to paraprofessionals in special education settings?
- When and why is a para chosen as a student’s IEP pull out instruction leader instead of a certificated Special Education teacher?
- Is there a daily system of feedback between the para and the teacher to track progress or lack thereof?
- Families are still having a hard time getting access to in-person appointment services for LRC1 students. I’ve received feedback that parents are requesting appointment services for students with learning regression during IEP meetings but still being told it isn’t an option. Are you aware of these situations and how can more students get access to in-person assistance?
- The district is currently bargaining with the teacher’s union and other unions to allow secondary students to return to hybrid in-person learning at least one day per week.
- If those union agreements can be reached, would that provide an opportunity for LRC2 students to attend their general education classes in-person with their peers?
- If union agreements can be reached, could students with IEPs (both LRC1 & LRC2) be given access to more time in-person teaching than students without IEPs?
- Would separate bargaining need to occur for the special education population to take advantage of those opportunities like what happened with the K-3 memorandum of understanding (or MOU)?
You can find it on the Special Education Page.
Special Education Webinar #2 is now up!
This second webinar focuses on these questions –
- How should LRC1 families push back or escalate their request if their IEP team is not aware of the option for limited in-person support?
- When a return date for hybrid in-person learning is determined, how will services for LRC1 students change – both for families who choose to return in-person and for those who remain fully remote?
- For IEP meetings, can you describe the experience ISD would like parents to have? Could you suggest some steps that could be taken by families or IEP teams to improve the process?
You can find it on the Special Education Page.
ParentWiser Presents: The Upstanders – film discussion w/ Swedish Mental Health
The Upstanders is an IndieFlix documentary film about resilience and the power of connection to end bullying. Watch the film from home during the 48 hr viewing window, then join Tori McBride, Behavioral Health Supervisor at Swedish Medical Center, and guests to ask questions and learn what tools and resources are available in our area.
Film viewing period: February 8th starting at 7pm – February 10th at 7pm
Live zoom webinar with Swedish Mental Health and counselors: February 10th at 7pm
Register for both links at, www.parentwiser.org/events or directly on Eventbrite.
Thank You Reflections Chairs!
A huge thank you to all of the school Reflections chairs that made this year’s Reflections a success!
Issaquah School District PTSA Reflections State Award Winners
Congratulations
to the
Issaquah School District PTSA
Reflections
State Award Winners!
Award of Excellence in Dance Choreography
Chloe Manningsmith
Fault in My Code
Pine Lake Middle School PTSA
Award of Merit in Film Production
Toko Ryu
The Box
Pacific Cascade Middle School PTSA
Award of Excellence in Film Production
Michael Fowler
Look Within
Endeavor Elementary PTSA: Intermediate
Award of Merit in Literature
Adya Mohapatra
I’ll Write the Future for Us
Issaquah High PTSA
Award of Outstanding Interpretation in Literature
Katerina Kalinchenko
Shattered
Challenger Elementary PTSA: Intermediate
Award of Excellence in Literature
Austin Liu
Finding Yourself
Endeavor Elementary PTSA: Intermediate
Award of Outstanding Interpretation in Photography
Benjamin Eskenanzi
Submerged in Self-Reflection
Issaquah High School PTSA
Outstanding Interpretation in Visual Arts
Charlotte Park
Speechless
Beaver Lake Middle School PTSA
Award of Merit in Special Artist
Victoria Karafezov
(Abstract) Pumpkin
Challenger Elementary PTSA
Congratulations to All of the Golden Acorn Award Recipients Across Our District!
Congratulations to the 2019-2020 PTSA Golden Acorn winners! We are so grateful for your service to our school communities. Thank you for all you have done on behalf of students and teachers!
Apollo
Golden Acorn – Danielle Forsythe
Golden Acorn – Christi Schumann
Golden Acorn – Kristi Hammond
Briarwood
Golden Acorn – Lena Wiegering
Golden Acorn – Kiana Coates
Cascade Ridge
Golden Acorn – Susan Ho
Golden Acorn – Paula Koransky
Golden Acorn – AJ Henderson
Golden Acorn – Sandra Vanderzee
Outstanding Advocate – Chandra Polisetti
Lifetime Achievement – Sandy McNees
Challenger
(Challenger plans to award Golden Acorn and Outstanding Advocate when school resumes in the fall)
Clark
Golden Acorn – Lauren Bartholomew
Golden Acorn – Ashley Conner
Cougar Ridge
Golden Acorn – Dorothy Davis
Golden Acorn – Stephanie Sladic
Golden Acorn – Jenne Greene
Outstanding Advocate – Ewelina Hickey
Creekside
Golden Acorn – Marissa Corona
Golden Acorn – Sue Horton
Golden Acorn – Laura Hassel
Discovery
Golden Acorn – Yeon Kim
Golden Acorn – Portia Wilcock
Outstanding Advocate – Michelle Moon
Outstanding Advocate – Craig Sakai
Endeavor
Golden Acorn – Tabitha Gilscarbo
Golden Acorn – Kavitha Naidu
Golden Acorn – Amy Myhre
Golden Acorn – David Keith
Outstanding Advocate – Ashley Dunn
Outstanding Advocate – Hillary Harris
Grand Ridge
Golden Acorn – Nathalie Isensee
Issaquah Valley
Golden Acorn – Ashley Kowallis
Golden Acorn – Cortney Eldridge
Golden Acorn – Ki Lan Black
Golden Acorn – Kitty Morris
Newcastle
Golden Acorn – Heather Ackermann
Golden Acorn – Nicole Anderson
Golden Acorn – Tammy Chin
Golden Acorn – Ram Sarma
Sunny Hills
Outstanding Advocate – Kendra Villasana
Golden Acorn – Shilpa Schuettenhelm
Golden Acorn – Jennifer Marks
Honorary Lifetime Membership – Stephanie Shipley
Sunset
Golden Acorn – Galit Scandrett
Golden Acorn – Meghan Landon
Beaver Lake
Golden Acorn – Khristie Tobler
Golden Acorn – Stefanie Magnuson
Golden Acorn – Tara Farhad
Issaquah Middle
Golden Acorn – Karissa Mobilia
Golden Acorn – Angie Warren
Golden Acorn – Carla Geraci
Maywood
Golden Acorn – Dawn Carr
Honorary Lifetime Membership – Korista Smith-Barney
Pacific Cascade
Golden Acorn – Tracie Jones
Golden Acorn – Jennifer Frederick
Outstanding Advocate – Tracy Drake
Pine Lake
Golden Acorn – Evan Shieh
Golden Acorn – Karen Hoetzel
Outstanding Advocate – Chris Miske
Outstanding Advocate – Caroline Dwyer Sanik
Outstanding Advocate – Amy Saylor
Issaquah High
Golden Acorn – Wendy Marucheck
Golden Acorn – Victoria Evans
Golden Acorn – Wendy Cummins
Outstanding Advocate – Valerie Yanni
Outstanding Advocate – Jennifer Crewe
Outstanding Advocate – Joanne Wrightson
Liberty High
Golden Acorn – Stacy Morford
Golden Acorn – Dawn Peschek
Honorary Lifetime Membership – Shelly Russell
Skyline High
Golden Acorn – Stacie Lacina
Golden Acorn – May Gauvin
Golden Acorn – Nga Selbig
PTSA council Awards
Golden Acorn – Sara Carmichael
Golden Acorn – Valerie Yanni
Honorary Life Membership – Leslie Kahler
Reflections: Fall 2020-2021 Theme
These days we are looking for silver linings wherever we might find them. More time at home means more time to create! Each year the National PTSA sponsors an art competition for writers, composers, dancers, photographers and visual artists. Next year’s Reflections Theme is “I Matter Because…” and with extra time at home, we want to encourage kids passionate in these areas to get to work on a fabulous piece of art to share at your school in the fall. Directions and guidelines can be found at:
Questions can be emailed to Kristen Allen-Bentsen at kallenbentsen@hotmail.com
Lunch for the Break, Mid-Winter Edition
Lunch for the Break is working to make sure all Issaquah School District students have enough to eat, even when students are out of school over a long break. LFTB provides a week’s worth of free grocery items for each student in the family that can be used to make breakfast, lunch and snacks.
Donors: drop-off is Wednesday, February 12 at each of our three partner sites. Register as a LFTB donor and let us know how many boxes you can help provide. Download our UPDATED LFTB shopping list and visit your favorite grocery store to purchase the complete shopping list for each box.
Pressed for time? Skip the shopping and box packing and please consider ordering boxes directly through our partner agency, Supply All Kids – they will pack and deliver all LFTB food right to our distribution sites!
You can also make a financial contribution to Lunch for the Break to help cover the cost of fresh produce and bread
Clients/Families: Family pick up is Thursday, February 13 at each of our three partner sites. Register online to come shop for Lunch for the Break food at any of our partner locations. Registration is important as it helps us have the right amount of food available at each site.
March Outreach Ask
Our Council Outreach ASK for March will be canned tuna, soups, and pasta sauces.
These are the 3 biggest needs at the food bank right now.