Crazy times in the kitchen! We have so much gratitude for all who have helped out these last two weeks. We miss you, John!

The garden enrichment students learned about pole beans and bush beans last week, and we are doing bean art and birdhouses this week.

Everyone did an awesome job, especially 2nd graders! The pictures are from the 2nd graders.

Students and their families are welcome and encouraged to participate in a very special occasion in our community on Sunday, May 22. On this day, 10 canoes of tribes from the Salish Sea, Oregon, and Hawai’i will land on the shores of Lopez at Odlin Park as part of a week-long journey from Anacortes, through the San Juan Islands, and ending on Lummi Island.

This special event needs the help of volunteers who are prepared to step into the water (thigh deep!) to welcome and escort these canoes on to the land. As many as 4 - 6 persons per canoe (approximately 50 persons) are needed for this event. Following the landing of the canoes there will be a special ceremony that all can attend. Please note that anyone participating in this event must be fully vaccinated to protect the visiting elders.

We hope that you will consider being a part of this special event and ceremony to honor the tribes of this region and their ancestral heritage and customs. It is an educational opportunity for us all!

For more information about the special meaning behind the Pacific Northwest Canoe Journey, please go to: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribal_Canoe_Journeys

If you have any questions about this event, please contact Jane Fuller - janebfuller2015@gmail.com.

This year the culinary class baked cookies for Ride the Rock. Here are some fun pictures of students in the kitchen.

MPPACT students rehearse for the concert before Ride the Rock. MPPACT will perform at noon this Saturday in the Lopez Village.

Tickets go on sale next week for the Enchanted Forest Prom Dance which will be held at Soot and Bone on May 21. Tickets will be sold in the High School Commons during lunch next Wednesday and Friday, May 4 and 6. Advance tickets are $15 for a single and $25 for a couple. Single tickets will be sold at the door for $20. If a student's family qualifies for free and reduced lunch, they can go to the District Office anytime after May 3 to receive a ticket free of charge. Those that would like to make a financial contribution to the junior class fund to offset the loss of revenue from free tickets, can do so through the District Office.

Please make sure your children are here for class photos next Friday. Photos will be taken by the LISD yearbook committee student photographers.

We are in the middle of state testing season. Elementary and Secondary students have started this past week with the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) for English Language Arts. We are proud of their hard work as they continue this round of testing.

There are 2 parts to each of the tests.

Here are the rest of the scheduled test dates: (Make-up sessions will be scheduled for students who need it. The tests are untimed with a wide window for completing them.)

May 2, Grades 3, 4, 5 Math, Part 1; Makeup session for some secondary students

May 3, Grades 6-8, 10, and some 11/12 Math, Part 1

May 4, Grades 3, 4, 5 Math, Part 2

May 5, Grades 6-8, 10, and some 11/12 Math, Part 2

Tests are scheduled for morning sessions of approximately 2 -2 1/2 hours. Please be sure that your students are well rested and have a healthy breakfast, and that their computers are charged up and ready to go as well!

Please direct any questions to Kathy Booth, District Assessment Coordinator, at kbooth@lopezislandschool.org

The kindergarteners planted a Northern Spy Apple Tree in the orchard. They pledged to care for this special tree so that it will grow delicious apples for the school lunch program. The kinders are excited to watch the tree grow right along with them.

This week, Ms. Megan's First Grade Class and Ms. Kendra's Kindergarten class planted (or re-planted) their class tree. This annual project began in 2021 when the outgoing Senior class gifted two olive trees to the Kindergarten class. This year the LIFE Garden gave the class of 2034 an apple tree. This program is intended to foster a long-term sense of ownership and care of the natural environment, the school’s campus and food production system through stewardship. Biology, food processing and seasonal growth are concepts that will be taught, along with understanding of food security and resiliency, as students nurture and interact with their tree over their 13 years at the Lopez School.

Please fill out the Parent Partner Intent Form for 2022-2023 by May 6 if you anticipate your child doing Parent Partner classes next school year.

Check out these photos of parent partner projects in art, woodworking, and life skills!

Learn How to Be a Citizen Scientist on Lopez
Thursday, May 19th at 6pm

At the Lopez Island Library

Over the last 12 years, the dead bodies of tens of thousands of shore birds have washed onto beaches along the coasts of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. A team of research scientists has been coordinating a citizen science effort to document the shore bird deaths and contribute to the long-term research to help determine the cause. On Thursday, May 19th at 6pm join Julia Parrish, executive director of the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) to learn about beached bird patterns, COASST research, and how to join the citizen science effort on Lopez Island.

Register for the program here

Join the Neurodiversity Reading and Discussion Group

Thursday, May 26th at 6pm

At the Lopez Island Library

Sign up to join a special reading group co-hosted by the Lopez Library and ALIGN (Advocates of Lopez Island Gathering for Neurodiversity) centered around the book Nueroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities by queer autistic author and scholar Nick Walker. The group will read Walker's book and meet for a facilitated discussion on Thursday, May 26th at 6pm at the Lopez Library. The discussion will be facilitated by ALIGN representative Laura Danforth.

Please pre-register here to receive a free copy of the book in advance, and save the date to join the in-person discussion on Thursday, May 26th at 6pm at the Lopez Library.

Students and families are encouraged and truly need to return their books before the end of the school year. At this time, there are 338 books out. The 2nd grade has the honor of having the most books out (42), with the 6th and 9th grades close behind (41 & 40). Lists have been given to each elementary teacher, Mr. Carter, and Mr. Tetu, should your student need a reminder on what they have checked out.

To assist in the return, crates have been placed in front of Mr. Carter’s and Mr. Tetu’s classrooms for secondary book returns. Some of the books needing to be returned are from the Covid closure era. Please look for and return your books. If books are lost or damaged, the student’s account will be billed for the replacement of the book/s.

If parents would like more information, please email: lmc@lopezislandschool.org

We’re participating in Flat Stanley’s nationwide tour! Ms. Deirdre, through her membership in the American Library Association, offered up a Northwest adventure for this well known and recognized book character. No one had volunteered from Washington state, so here’s our opportunity to share our unique environment with him! He’ll be arriving soon, and will have the honor of visiting many classrooms during his visit. There will be sign ups available for him to visit your farm, your hike on Lopez, etc. Stay tuned for more information.

Finish this sentence: “I cannot live without…….”: I cannot live without my friends. It wouldn’t be a great life without friends.

What is the most creative excuse you have ever used to get out of school work? I usually just say that I didn’t do it. If teachers find out you’re lying, you’ll get even deeper into it. It’s worth it to just tell the truth.

What is one piece of advice you have for incoming high school students? Don’t let work take over everything. Make time for other things, like friends and family.

What is the most meaningful assignment ever given to you by a teacher? I really liked culinary class and I had to learn to make demi-glace once. It was really challenging but it was a cool experience because it’s complicated. It was worth it to learn to make it because it’s really expensive to buy.

What’s the most important quality in a friendship? Why? Trust. When you trust somebody, you don’t have to always worry that they are going to go behind your back or do something unexpected.

In 10 years, I will be…: I hope I’m working in a restaurant. It could also be interesting to own a food truck.

Who/what do you find inspiring? I'm inspired by people who are able to do what they love for a living.

What song summarizes your feelings about graduating from high school? John the Fisherman feels right.

What are your plans after high school? I want to go to culinary school.

On April 28, high school students participated in our first Virtual College Fair. There were colleges from Washington, Virginia, Oregon and Canada!

As this was the first event we were able to attend, it was nice to not have an overwhelming amount of colleges to interact with during the fair.

We plan to continue this experience and to bring students to other non-virtual college/career/trades fairs.

Next Friday students in grades 8-12 will be attending the Trades/Career Fair in Seattle Center put on by the Women in the Trades Council (WTC). Our very own alum Jo Scherer '71 also came to our school and presented about opportunities in the trades industry to our students on April 20. The WTC is sponsoring the transportation to the Trades Fair. Students be sure to bring in your permission slips no later than Monday, May 2, 2022.

On Wednesday we had Lopez Alumni Jo Scherer present on "Women in the Trades" to students in grade 8, 10, 11, and 12. It was a valuable presentation about many opportunities for apprenticeships for our students to consider.

Not every student is going to college.

Not every student is going to be a tech genius.

Jo also invited our students (however they identify) to the 2022 Washington Women in the Trade Fair on May 6 at Seattle Center .

The fair has a high representation of trades, and training programs - from pipefitting to carpentry, from welding to masonry, from electricity to elevator construction. To be honest, it's one stop shopping for a construction trades career. These are careers that provide a living wage , a sense of pride and a ton of personal empowerment.

If students from grades 8-12 are interested in attending the 2022 Washington Women in the Trades Fair on May 6 at Seattle Center, I will work on organizing a field trip. Please have your student let me know they are interested or email me that they are interested at jcarter@lopezislandschool.org and I will start planning the field trip!

For students interested in attending college, there is a wonderful opportunity to take a virtual field trip to New Haven, New York City, Chicago, Austin and Ann Arbor from Lopez Island.

Discovering U: Joint Virtual Information Session
Join Columbia University, the University of Chicago, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Michigan, and Yale University to discover the exceptional opportunities our schools have to offer! Admissions professionals from our five schools will host a zoom webinar featuring a variety of perspectives on the academic programs, philosophies, and traditions that make our colleges a home for our students.

• Thursday, May 12 at 7 PM
• Tuesday, May 17 at 12 PM
• Thursday, May 26 at 7 PM

Isaac Berg graduated from Lopez School fourteen years ago. Since then, he has studied education, spent time abroad, and worked in social service and youth nonprofit roles in the San Juans while substitute teaching on Lopez and coaching middle school basketball and track. He just completed a Masters in Education and is discovering a passion for teaching social studies and history while subbing in that role.

As a lifelong learner, Isaac is drawn to these subjects through curiosity and cultural experience. The opportunity to study Spanish and Japanese cultures at Lopez school eventually led to time abroad in almost 40 countries. So far, he has been able to teach about WWI, Ancient China/India, African civilizations, and Ukrainian conflict with diverse perspectives from learning about those places in person. Isaac enjoys travel, the outdoors, and spending time on Lopez with his wife, Emily, and three young kids.

Third grade picked up litter for Earth Day. They recorded whether the pieces were plastic bottles, cans, paper, or trash. Then they created graphs from the data. They collected over 300 pieces of litter around the school, track, and baseball field!

Here is what 3rd graders have to say:

1. Make sure to pick up your trash if you drop it.

2. When you are outside, use your eyes to look for litter and throw it away, even if it isn’t yours.

3. Please don’t drop trash on purpose because you don’t feel like finding a trash can.

4. Some plastic can take 400 years to decompose!

Eleventh grade student, Malachi Cary, placed 1st in all four events at the Blackhawk Invitational track meet on Thursday, April 28. He ran the 100, 200, 400, and threw javelin and got a PR in each event as well. Congratulations Malachi!

Our own Ms. Becca has done all the things necessary to bring archery to Lopez Island youth. It is such a wonderful thing to be able to offer this in 2022.

Unfortunately we have had an increase in COVID cases in San Juan County. Some have also experienced a cold that is going around the school. To distinguish between the two, we strongly encourage performing COVID tests for anyone that is experiencing cold symptoms. Families are welcome to home test or we are happy to test here in the nurses office at Lopez Island School. If a student tests positive, please report it to Lopez School. Stay well everyone!

Would you like to be more involved in our school? How about becoming more involved in Lopez Island's community? Making some money? Earning some paid time off or other benefits? We would LOVE to help with that and there are many different opportunities available for you at our school!

- *NEW* Leave Replacement Custodian - Help make and share all the FRESH, HEALTHY, and DEELICIOUS local foods with the children and staff of Lopez Island School! We are looking for some help in the fast-paced, fun and friendly kitchen at Lopez Island School from 8am - 2pm daily (with a 30 min break). The position starts at $18.53 an hour and qualifies for paid time off, retirement, and insurance benefits!

Cook/ Dishwasher- Help make and share all the FRESH, HEALTHY, and DEELICIOUS local foods with the children and staff of Lopez Island School! We are looking for some help in the fast-paced, fun and friendly kitchen at Lopez Island School from 8am - 2pm daily (with a 30 min break). The position starts at $18.53 an hour and qualifies for paid time off, retirement, and insurance benefits!

- Van Driver - Want to get out and see the island? This transportation position drives a wheelchair van (or another vehicle) to transport student(s) with special needs to and from school. This 3.5 hour per day, Monday through Friday. This position qualifies for paid time off, retirement, and insurance benefits!

- Garden/Grounds - If you love reasons to spend time outside, how about getting paid for it as well? This position is for a Grounds person/Gardener averaging 4 hours per day, Monday – Friday thru August 31, 2022.

- Certificated Teacher Substitutes - Did you know that Washington offers an emergency substitute certificate, which does not require a teacher training program? Work days you are available and don't worry about having to take time off for days you aren't!

- ParaEducators and ParaEducator Substitutes - Interested in working with students individually, in small groups, and/or in general classrooms and helping assist teachers in modifying student behavior? You can apply to become a ParaEducator with a regular schedule or else a ParaEducator sub for flexibility!

You can see full postings on our website! Just go to District Info and then to HR and Employment for more details.

Let me know if you are interested in any of these positions! I am at school 11-4 daily and available at 360-468-2202 extension 2303 or hr@lopezislandschool.org to help see if there is a good fit here for you!

Thank you and I look forward to working with you (in whatever capacity),

Summer Hagge

Human Resources Specialist