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Picture Day Schedule

Here is next week's picture day schedule:

• Tuesday, October 3 - Grades K and 6
• Wednesday, October 4 - Grades 1 and 5
• Thursday, October 5 - Grades 2 and 4
• Friday, October 6 - Grades 3 and pre-k
• Thursday, October 12 - retakes all grades, all school picture

Students may wear an out fit of your choosing on their picture day. Photo envelopes should be arriving in your student's backpack. Payment for pictures is due on the date that the picture is taken. Pictures will be uploaded to the following website for viewing: prohofsky.com/islaportraits.    Click here for more information.

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Fundraising Committee Corner

So excited to see some RSVPs roll in for the ISLA School Board Fundraising Committee Happy Hour on Thursday, October 5th from 5-6:30pm at Cahill Bistro, just down the road from ISLA. Come share your fundraising ideas, help us brainstorm ways to support ISLA School, or just hang out with our team! Please RSVP to fundraising@isla.school.

Obstajog is HERE! Students should bring home Donation Envelopes this weekend and can get started fundraising for our terrific school! We’ve also included a letter to families with more information and an optional Student Script. Check out the cool incentives encouraging student participation. Classrooms can win a Uniform Free Day, and students can be entered into a drawing to win a FUN grab bag prize! The Obstacle Course/Jogathon event will take place in the ISLA gymnasium on Friday, October 27th. We will need volunteers to help supervise the course and direct students. Please sign up here to choose a volunteer shift during your student’s time slot!

Check out this fun Obstajog teaser video made by Señor Edgar!

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• • •  Language Ambassador Updates • • •  

Looking for Host Families

The LA team is looking for SPRING host families. The main requirement for hosting an LA in your home is to have their own bedroom! This is such a great opportunity for your kids (and you) to be further immersed in the Spanish language and learn about another culture from these wonderful humans!! You can gain a lifetime friend for you & your kids by hosting an LA and making loads of memories. Stipends & grocery gift cards are available to host families along with support from our amazing LA Coordinator, MK! If you are interested in learning more, please reach out to islalaprogram@gmail.com or fill out this google form! Have questions? You can also go over the new LA Family FAQ sheet.

• • •  Upcoming Events • • •  

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‍Dia De Los Muertos:  Mark your calendars to come celebrate with ISLA on 10/28 from 11am–2pm. More details are coming soon!!

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• • • Community PTO Meetings • • •  

Next meeting: 10/11 6:00-7:30pm  
‍Where: ISLA conference room & playground or gym (Enter through main doors, we will have someone waiting to let you in)!
‍What: Dinner, time to meet & chat with other ISLA parents while we share-out all the things the PTO has coming.
‍Zoom Meeting Link: Can’t attend in person? No problem, we’d love to have you via Zoom (and I am working on improving things to properly record each meeting to have them available to share out afterward)!  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81922697214?pwd=ATVakzyJfIziTJbCU408vGzL7LyDwU.1

Agenda for 10.11.23 Meeting

6-6:30: Eat & mingle in the Conference (Food available for kids & parents)
‍6:30-7: Community Meeting begins with PTO updates
‍7-7:45: The amazing Michelle Ndely (ISLA parent) will continue her share-out of info about how we can best support our children within the IB Learning Model at ISLA. This will be PART TWO of Michelle speaking at our PTO Meetings, and I will link her presentation & the recording from 9/13 below. Please note, I was having some tech issues and only started recording Michelle's portion of the presentation about 5 minutes in). You can learn more about Michelle here: http://www.ndelyconsulting.com

• • •  Volunteers • • •

If you have upper grade level kids, partner, grandparent, etc  that can help with childcare during meetings, that would be a huge help!! Kids will play at the ISLA Playground or in the Gym during the meeting. Please follow the links or scan the QR codes for further details:

PTO Community Meeting Attendance
PTO Community Meeting Childcare Volunteers

Link to PTO Community Meeting Slides & Recordings

Thank you to ALL that ordered from Davanni’s this last week! We raised $149.72 that night, and our running total is almost 1k raised for the ISLA PTO & Language Ambassador Program from our monthly restaurant events!!! THANK YOU!!

All of these efforts really add up into making a BIG difference for our kids & the school!! And we are EXCITED for our next one coming up at Applebee’s in EP….

Grab your tickets and come enjoy some pancakes!!!

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• • • Upcoming • • •  

Saturday 10/7 8–10am
‍Applebee’s Pancake Breakfast!!
8421 Joiner Way, Eden Prairie, MN 55344

Come for breakfast and you'll be helping raise funds for the ISLA PTO!!

We are also looking for volunteers (kids age 14+ welcome) to help serve during the breakfast. Slots are 1hr long to still allow you to sit & enjoy time with your family & friends!
Tickets now available – Click here!!
Serve up some pancakes with us!
Waiver: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12BlceafwbFKDd_N5w6IEV6jcC85Mb9-sUyBx6LJz9wM/edit?usp=drive_link

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Monday 11/13 5–9pm
‍Chevy’s
2251 Killebrew Dr, Bloomington, MN 55425

Wednesday 12/6 4–8pm
‍Noodles & Co.
8120 MN-7, St Louis Park, MN 55426

Wednesday 1/18 4–9pm
‍Cafe Zupas
13000 Technology Dr., Eden Prairie, MN 55344

‍• • • More ways to get involved • • •

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Sign-up for Box Tops for Education!

Download the app on your phone and search for International Spanish Language Academy to begin benefiting your kids’ school! After setting up your account, you can send digital receipts via email or scan a hard copy in the app. No more ripping boxes up!!

Use any of the below referral links to give ISLA an extra bonus when you sign-up:

https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=CWLL52QA
‍https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=L0Y82RM7
‍https://btfe.smart.link/c2jjdifkw?referral_code=FCGQ9A6Y

Teacher Wishlists!

Our wonderful teachers work so hard to make their classrooms welcoming and comfortable for our kids. This year, the PTO has asked that our teacher’s share a list of items they need to complete this huge task. Here are their lists, broken down by grade. Any item is a huge help for our teachers & is SO very appreciated by them AND your kids in their rooms. We are still awaiting a few lists, and will send out updated links when they are ready!

El Nido
Group wishlist for all of El Nido

Kinder
Doris Bonifacio Salas
‍Silvia Herrero-Fernandez
‍Maryann Najera
‍Luis Vivas

1st Grade
‍Bonyin King
‍Erika Leal Gil
‍Edily Sanchez

2nd Grade
‍Irene Martinez
‍Miriam Oropeza
‍Lina Pinto Perez

3rd Grade
‍Corene Adaxms
‍Rosa Fernandez
‍Patricia Floe

4th Grade
‍Riana Dilley
‍Roberto Izquierdo
‍Pilar Robles

5th Grade
‍Stewin Bernal
‍Jordi Costa

6th Grade
‍Rachel Karlov

Specialists
‍Exploración & Art: Adriana Maldonado
Exploración & Art: Ana Luisa Galleres (link to come)
Physical Education: Igor Diaz
Tech: Edgar Avendano (link to come)
Music: Danyelo Rivera
Lunch: Jorge Gomez

Special Education
‍Ruth Garcia (link to come)
‍Tatiana Gordillo
‍Thairys Rodriguez

Office
‍Emily Smith
Jessica Gielen
‍Nurse: Tanya Nelson

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• • • Save the Date • • •  

When: Saturday, March 9th, 2024 6-11pm
‍Where: Bloomington Event Center

New to ISLA or need a refresher on what Fiesta de la Primavera is? No problem!! Each year, the ISLA PTO hosts the biggest fundraiser AND party of the year for parents, teachers, LAs, staff and more from our ISLA community. This is an adult-only event where we will have food, games, prizes, music, dancing and our live & silent auctions! It is a time where we can come together as a community, connect or reconnect and celebrate!! All proceeds raised at Fiesta de la Primavera go back to the ISLA PTO to support the Language Ambassador Program where we bring student teachers to our school from native-Spanish speaking countries. They provide support for our classrooms and enrich the experience our kids have everyday at school by sharing their unique cultures & stories both in-school and with after-school activities, social gatherings and more! It's such an amazing program & I'm grateful to take part in that coming together.

• • • Ways to help with Fiesta  • • •

Volunteer your time!!!

We will respect the time you have available whether it be 1hr or 10hrs per week/month/etc. Click here to view the different areas of interest for small & big ways to help plan this party & fundraiser!

Donate a Great Gathering!!!

This year, we are encouraging Great Gatherings to be held beginning in October! This will allow for more Fall & Winter fun before our actual Fiesta event in the Spring, but all the funds raised will still go back to the ISLA PTO to support the Language Ambassador Program and enrichment for our kids in the classrooms! Our donation forms are now OPEN!! We will get our Givesmart website launched in the coming weeks to allow purchasing tickets to upcoming Gatherings that are submitted!

• • • Great Gathering Ideas  • • •

Moms & Margaritas: Host 7 other ISLA Moms at your house/yard with chips, salsa, guac/snacks & margaritas while you chat & hang out!

Family Bonfire: Have 5 families in your backyard around the campfire while you roast marshmallows, make s’mores, have adult or N/A beverages, tell spooky stories or just chat.

Paint Party: Host 7 other ISLA parents at your home (or even in the party room at a restaurant…?) and provide snacks, drinks, a 10x10 canvas with paints and have a great evening getting to know one another!

Golf Day for Dads: Host 5 other ISLA Dads at your favorite golf course with beverages & lunch or snacks.

Fall Fun Day: Host with another parent(or more) and bring 8 kids to an apple orchard or pumpkin patch– Grade specific, maybe?

ANY of these ideas could be hosted on your own or with another ISLA friend or family!! These gatherings don’t need to be EXTRAVAGANT or overly spendy, they are meant to bring kids, parents, LAs & staff together outside of the classroom and enjoy the wonderful community we have here!!

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• • • Donation Form Links  • • •

Gift Basket Donations
‍Community/Parent Donations
Staff/LA Donations
*Info on Fiesta business sponsorships will be coming soon!!

Recommend potential donors/sponsors

Do you have a favorite restaurant, salon, birthday party spot or other locale? Send us the business name and we will reach out to see if they’d like to participate by donating to Fiesta!

‍Any friends own a local business?

Or maybe you want to get your own small business involved with this fundraiser? We’re sorting out details for sponsorships to help advertise your business(es) while contributing to the growth of the LA Program!! Stay tuned for more info in the coming weeks, but you can always reach out to us (Jenner Moretto or Caitlin Edstrom) at Fiesta@isla.school with any questions!

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Family Fun Opportunity

The MSP Film Society is hosting their 11th annual Cine Latino Film Festival, so they wanted to share some information with you. Cine Latino is a 5 day festival of Spanish Language cinema from across the globe. There will be visiting filmmakers, fiestas, food trucks, and more! The dates are October 11 - 15th 2023.

They would love to invite the ISLA community! For kids 8+, we are partnering with the Minneapolis Institute of Art to show ¡Hola Cine! See the family-friendly collection of Spanish-language short films for free between 10:30am-2:30pm at Mia on Sun, Oct 8 (2400 Third Avenue South in Minneapolis).

You can view the complete lineup of films here: https://mspfs.info/CL2023

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