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Hispanic Heritage Month at ISLA!

Click here to see video.

Transportation Corner

Pride purchased a number of newer buses over the summer. They have been working closely with the software company to get GPS installed on their newer buses so that parents can utilize the Here Comes the Bus app.

Last week, buses arrived at ISLA on time in the morning 92.5% of the time. Woohoo!

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Fundraising Committee Corner

We are halfway through our Obstajog campaign! As a reminder, this is our biggest Family-led Fundraiser and we need your support! If you haven’t had a chance to start asking yet, here are some ideas:

• Record a short video and post it on facebook with our PayPal handle @ISLA196
• Plan an after school meet up with another nearby ISLA student - wear Halloween costumes and go door to door reverse trick or treating - and handing out candy to donors
• Text family members a cute picture of your student in an ISLA T-shirt and ask them to support
• Take advantage of MEA break and visit a business nearby where you live

Please make sure your student’s name, teacher, and grade are on their Donation Envelope. Make sure to record all donations - even those that go directly to the website or PayPal so that we can give credit for student participation. Remember there are participation incentives and students can win a uniform-free day at school or a prize bag!

We are still looking for a few more volunteers to help us run the Obstajog course on Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28. Please sign up today! Thank you!

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• • •  Top Note for this week  • • •  

Get your Great Gathering ideas submitted!!! We will be getting the Givesmart site launched in the coming weeks to begin bidding on Great Gatherings from both ISLA Staff, LAs and parents!! (You can also scroll down to the Fiesta Corner below for more details)
Gift Basket Donations
‍Community/Parent Donations
Staff/LA Donations

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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 the ISLA community on 10/28 from 11am–2pm. Get some facepaint done by our lovely LAs, dancing, crafting, food and other fun activities (plus the Obstajob will be available for use too)!!

RSVP to attend – Click here!
‍Help with all the fun!!

• • • Community PTO Meetings • • •  

Thank you all so much for coming out this past Wednesday!! It’s great for us all to get together and collaborate to continue finding new ways we can best support our students, teachers & families here at ISLA. THANK YOU for taking part in our kid’s school. You all make a difference!    

Next meeting: 11/8 6:00-7:30pm (food at 6, meeting begins at 6:30!)
‍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: To come!

• • •  Please RSVP • • •

It will help us plan dinner portions as well as childcare (provided by our LAs on the playground or gym, depending on weather)! You can also view the meeting slides via the link below:
PTO Community Meeting Attendance
‍Link to PTO Community Meeting Slides & Recordings

Thank you so much for attending ISLA PTO’s 1st Annual Pancake Breakfast at Applebee’s last weekend!! We’ll have a total raised update soon, but just wanted to say how great it’s been to see the ISLA Community getting together more & more. Looking forward to our next restaurant nights!!

• • • Upcoming • • •  

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 • • • ‍
Serve lunch to your kids!

While this isn’t technically a “PTO-sponsored” volunteer opportunity, it is a really fun thing to do at school. So I just wanted to give a quick shoutout to Jorge in the kitchen!! This year was the first time I’ve been able to volunteer for lunch, and it’s been a blast both times I’ve been in. Jorge is fun to work with and it’s so cool to see your kids get excited to see you during their day (you can also go sit with them for a bit between serving)!! Plus, you can get a peek at how DELICIOUS the food has been this year with our new vendor– YUM!! Sign-ups are posted about a month in advance to help plan your schedule. Come try it out!!

Click here to see available slots!

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! If you have access to donations of comparable items outside of Amazon, just reach out to me at ptosecretary@Isla.school and I’ll get their list updated!

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
‍Tatiana Gordillo
‍Thairys Rodriguez

Office
‍Emily Smith
Jessica Gielen
‍Nurse: Tanya Nelson

‍• • • Save the Date • • •  

• • • Save the Date • • •  

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‍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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