Principal’s Message
Dear Island View Families:
It’s official! The 2019-20 school year has truly begun. Our hallways are already lined with water-colored artwork, photos of smiling students, and construction paper cut-out hearts and apples. It is so good to have the building filled with your students and their positive enthusiasm for school.
This year we are implementing RULER with students. RULER is a framework for integrating social/emotional learning into schools developed at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. It is designed to help students Recognize, Understand, Label, Express, and Regulate their emotions. As a first step in our implementation, all classrooms are developing a Charter. Together, students identify how they want to feel in their classrooms and then brainstorm specific actions that nurture those feelings in themselves and others. For example, the students in one primary classroom decided they wanted to feel “happy.”
They committed to acting in the following ways to create happiness:
- I will smile at others.
- I will act friendly.
- I will give compliments and use nice words.
Clearly, our students understand the importance of social and emotional well-being. Please ask your students about their class Charter and the specific emotions they want to feel at school. I also encourage you to check in with your students daily or weekly to see if their class Charter is working for them. The Island View staff is committed to creating a culture that is accepting, caring, and positive.
Our mission was made clear to me as I chatted with students at lunch recently. I asked one of our new students how she felt about being at Island View, and she said “good.” I wanted a bit more information, so I prodded and asked her what made the school “good.”
Her response was telling: “I feel comfortable here. Everyone is so nice, so friendly. It feels like a family. I like it.”
I like it, too. And I feel blessed to fly high with proud, soarin’ Island View eagles😊.
Brian Hanrahan, Principal
Chocolate Fundraiser
It’s Chocolate Season!
A huge thank you to everyone for starting off our annual Chocolate Fundraiser with a bang! Island View Eagles are selling World's Finest Chocolates all over town, and helping to raise nearly half of the annual funds the PTA uses in support of our amazing students and staff.
We have more boxes ready for you in the PTA office, so keep on selling!
And don't forget: the deadline to turn in all money raised is Friday, October 11th.
Special Movie Morning: Saturday October 19th is a special celebratory movie morning at Island View for chocolate fundraiser participants only.
It is not too late to get in on the fun! Sign your student up online and we will send them home with their very own box!
Thanks again!
Movie Morning in October
Remember...for chocolate sales participants, there will be a super fun, surprise movie morning at Island View on Saturday, October 19th.
Lego Robotics
THERE’S STILL TIME...It’s not too late to get in on the fun of Lego Robotics, with teams for students grades 1-4 and 4-8. See our PTA website LEGO page for more information.
Conference Week
Mark your calendars! Fall 2019 conferences and Island View half-day release at 12:05 are happening October 8th through October 11th. Evening conferences will be on Thursday, October 10th.
A Sign-up Genius link for scheduling conferences will be sent from the school via email.
Conference Week Hospitality
Contribute food for our wonderful teachers before evening conferences on October 10th! Pasta, salads, and sides are needed. Please drop off by 3 pm, October 10th in the Island View Staff Lounge. Choose your specialty to share using this event’s Sign Up Genius online form.
PTA Membership
What’s this? Island View is holding a membership drive raffle in early November, so join online TODAY and don’t miss out on a VERY special prize for one lucky adult member!
PTA Involvement Opportunities
Committee Chairs are still needed to make great events happen this year at Island View! Check out the list of ways you can help make 2019-2020 the best school year ever:
- Box Tops
- Color Run
- Family Fun Nights
- Gratitude Group
- Restaurant Take-overs
- Spirit Wear
- Young Authors
See a full listing of all the amazing ways to serve our school here or email Rachel Esposito for more information about how you can help!
Watch D.O.G.S.
If you're a Dad (or a Mom serving as a Dad) in search of a flexible volunteer opportunity at Island View, we need you! With the help of parent/adult volunteers, Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) aims to underscore the importance of education while providing extra support during the school day.
Any frequency or length of time is appreciated, so don’t worry if you aren’t able to devote an entire school day. An hour or two makes an incredible difference to our students.
If you are interested in joining or have further questions, please contact the Watch D.O.G.S. coordinator Eric Mithen.
Family Fun Night - Pumpkin Carving
October 25th, 5:30 - 7 p.m. in the Island View cafeteria. (No refreshments served at this event).
Come enjoy a fall classic - pumpkin carving at Island View!
Our wonderful Watch D.O.G.S. proudly sponsors this fun night to get in the spooky spirit of Halloween. Every child in attendance receives a free pumpkin to carve and take home (while supplies last), so arrive early!
Some carving tools will be available and feel free to bring your own. Special thanks to Schuh Farms for their generous support.
BOX TOPS!
A great way to earn money for Island View is changing...BOX TOPS are the little tags on the top flap of many General Mills products that earn Island View $0.10 per item when the tag is cut out, brought to school, and redeemed by the PTA.
As of the end of October, BOX TOPS will no longer accept physical tags as the program is shifting to an entirely digital format, by way of a downloadable APP on your phone.
And here's a listing of BOX TOP eligible purchases...remember, every eligible purchase is worth $0.10 for Island View!
Just a few short weeks to round up BOX TOPS tags and drop them in the container in the front office by October 25th!
Book Fair arrives in November
November 15-22
Mark your calendars: Book Fair is on the way! Stock up on holiday gifts for everyone on your list.
Volunteers are essential to make the week a success and earn valuable books for our school library and our students! Signup here to help with a shift, including options before, during, and after school. It's easy, fun, and no experience needed.
Family Fun Night - Bingo & Books
November 15th, 6 - 8 p.m.
Get a jump on Book Fair shopping and have a blast playing bingo with family and friends at our November Family Fun Night.
Join Island View students and families on Friday, November 15th in the Theater and Library, and remember your gift list as you get first peek at our Book Fair!
Garden Club
Stay tuned for a garden clean-up date coming soon!
Do you love gardens? Do you want to help maintain an incredible outdoor learning space at our school? Volunteers are needed to help support this wonderful resource for all Island View students. Contact Rachel Esposito for more information about how you can help.
Gift Items for Holiday Basket
Anacortes Schools Foundation (ASF) raises and directs money for scholarships, programs, learning experiences, and materials benefitting our students from preschool through college entrance. One of their major fundraising events, Celebrate the Season, is coming up and they've asked for our help!
Sign up to purchase an item and bring it to the PTA office by Nov 25th with a note "For Nicole" on it. The items will be compiled in a phenomenal, jaw-dropping basket for the event on Dec 7.
When shopping, kindly select items that are seasonal in theme--think "festive winter"--so as to appeal to the widest range of bidders!
(Note: ASF and the Celebrate the Season event are not district sponsored or endorsed.)
Anacortes School District Volunteer Background check
DON'T FORGET!
All volunteers must have a yearly application and background check on file with the district office prior to service in our schools. (All volunteers must re-apply each school year.)
The beginning of the school year is an excellent time to complete the process, so that you can be ready to volunteer in the schools or chaperone a field trip.
The application link can be found here.
SAVE THESE DATES!
October
- 8th to 11th: Conferences, Release @ 12:05 p.m.
- 10th: PTA hosted dinner for Teachers
- 11th: Chocolate Sales money due!
- 19th: Movie for Chocolate Sales participants only
- 25th: LAST CALL for paper BOX TOPS
- 25th: Family Fun Pumpkin Carving, 5:30 - 7 p.m.
- 31st: Halloween Half-day, 12:05 release
November
- 6th: FIRST EVER! Membership Drive Raffle live from the PTA mtg
- 8th: Staff Development = NO SCHOOL
- 11th: Veterans Day = NO SCHOOL
- 15th: Family Fun Night BINGO & Books, 6 to 8 p.m.
- 18th to 22nd: Book Fair at Island View!
- 24th: Pizza Factory Restaurant Take-over, 5 to 8 p.m.
- 27th: Half-Day, 12:05 Release
- 28th & 29th: Thanksgiving Break = NO SCHOOL
