It's hard to believe the school year is winding down, but we're already looking forward to having 3 new interns next year.  We'll have Alba from Madrid, Spain; Jose from Medellin, Colombia, and Akihito from Tokyo, Japan to help at our school.  And we're looking for host families for them!

All the interns are education majors who will be working in our classrooms next year, and have agreed to live with host families to experience more of American culture.  We're looking for families who are willing to host one of these wonderful interns for 3 months next school year (Fall, Winter or Spring). If your family might be interested in hosting, please contact Sandhya Subramanian for more information.  Anyone who is interested in hosting this fall needs to submit an application as soon as possible.  We need to have fall host families set by early summer and will be interviewing host families starting in May.

Additional host family information, including a hosting FAQ and the host family application is available on the McDonald PTA website under Language Immersion.

Weekly Message from Principal Golosman, 5/20/13

Hello McDonald International Families,

Continuing with this month’s focus on our core value of “perseverance,” Ms. Rachel led her students in a reading about perseverance and trying until you succeed.  They read with enthusiasm and gave us all a positive message with which to start the week.

Also, you may have heard about our amazing and fun “Flutter Day” last Friday.  We wanted to celebrate how many compliments our students have been getting in the “compliment box” in the main office, and Ms. Mertel’s 3rd grade class came up with a wonderful idea.  They worked with the 4th and 5th grade students to plan how to teach the younger students how to build paper airplanes, and then they visited classrooms to help them get ready for our celebration. This consisted of nearly 300 students flying paper airplanes for about 20 minutes on the playground on Friday afternoon.  Kids were being “safe, kind, and responsible,” and the whole thing was a great success!  Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders showed wonderful student leadership, and everyone had a lot of fun.

Below are some updates and reminders:

Reminder: Memorial Day Holiday, May 24-27
This year we have an extra day off for Memorial Day.  No School Friday the 24th or Monday the 27th.

Please join me in welcoming our new “CLASS” support staff!
One of our parents, Happie Ari, has joined us as our Classroom, Learning, Administrative, and Student Support staff.  She will work part-time each day for the next five weeks as a tutor, playground and lunchroom supervisor, and office helper.  This position was made possible by the PTA.  Thanks to everyone for your generosity!  This role will be great support for students and for Ms. Jane and Ms. Denise as we get into our final weeks of school before we close up for the summer.

Bike to School Day and Bike Safety:
Bike to school day last week was a great success.  By several counts we had more than 75 students ride their bikes to school last Thursday.  Thanks, parents, for helping students ride safely to school, and thanks for helping us remind students not to ride bikes on the playground before, during, or immediately after school.

Security reminder:
We love having parents and guardians visit school, especially for assemblies.  Please make sure to check in at the office and wear a visitor’s badge to the gym or anywhere else you are visiting during school hours.

New McDonald International start and end times for 2013-14:
Seattle Public Schools has made some changes to school start and end times for next year.  We will start and end ten minutes earlier.

First bell: 8:35 AM
Second bell: 8:40 AM
School end: 2:50 PM

Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) is continuing, and MSP is completed!
This week students will continue taking the MAP test.  Assessments like MAP provide us with valuable data to help monitor student growth and design curriculum and classroom-based assessments that will help increase student achievement.
It is essential that students be on time to school, well hydrated, well fed, and get plenty of sleep during these periods of testing.  Sleep, water, food, and being on time are important every day, and during testing time, this is the best way to lower our students’ stress and help them do their best!
Visit the link for more information on the Seattle Public Schools website regarding the MAP Test.


Thank you, and have a great week!

Mr. Golosman
Principal
McDonald International School

The International Night Core Planning Committee who took the lead in making this event happen included:

Annie Nelson, Ashley Chen, Chris Amemiya, Cris Ramsdale, Dorothee Graham, Esperanza Deulkar, Gina Craig, Jade Greene, Jamie Cheney, Jamila Reid, Jennifer DeMella, Julie Isaacson, Katie Dodsley, Pam Brady, and Tom Crane.

Abel Balzamo, Adriana  AlfaroZierten, Alexander Hollmann, Andrew Lam, Anne Marie Jehle, Annie Tegen, B. Sue Johnson, Brian  McManus, Britt Fletcher, Carol LaMotte, Carolyn Cunningham, Cassandra  Garcia, Chantelle Dykstra, Charlotte Spang, Cheri Peele, Chris Panks, Christina Nelson, Christina Blue, Courtney Wallace, Dan Brady, David Weeks, Debra Nicholson, Eileen Landay, Emily Compton, Emily Kane, Erica Lerer, Erika Kinno, Erin Taylor, Gwenn Fer, Happie Ari, Helena DeGrazia, Jackie Olson, James Wehmeyer, Janet Buttenwieser, Janet Alviar, Janine Joly, Jason Greene, Jennifer Shernoff, Jenny Stone, Jill Malat, Johnnie Orozco, Jolene Hall, Karen Obegi, Keith Ward, Keturah Bouchard, Kristi Brumbaugh, Linda Nash, Linnea Mahoney, Luna (Runa) Matsuo, Mahmud Jeneby, Maija, Marc Bissell, Marina Gordon, Maris Sovold, Matt Daniels, Matt Draper, Maya Sparks, Mayra Castanos, Missy Koll, Molly Capron, Naomi Lee, Phil Diggs, Sandhya Subramanian, Sarah Shannon, Shana Kelly, Siripunt Vimolchalao, Sue Lee, Tammy Eckart, Tarasin Kongkatong, Teresa Cueto, Tito Rodriguez, Tomoko, Uto, Vanessa Yi, and Veronica Garcia.

Akio Ueno, playing Shakuhatchi (Japanese bamboo flute) 

Angela Fleagle & Diana Einmo, dancing the Sevillanas (traditional Spanish Flamenco dance)

Bethann Shannon, our professional face painter (who stayed all night)

Enedina McGough, dancing and leading our 1st grade girls (traditional Mexican Danza Folclórica)

Japan-American Society of WA, www.jassw.org/suitcase.html (Japan in a suitcase presentation)

The Latin Band in Carnaval featuring McDonald parents Ben Shapiro, Mark Taylor and Chris Amemiya,

    and guest musicians Steve Tanimoto and Matt Jorgensen

Kathleen Wong, teaching the Chinese brush painting class

Our Kindergarteners dancing the Japanese Coal Miner's Dance, led by B. Sue Johnson & Ashley Chen

NW Kung Fu & Fitness, http://www.nwkungfuandfitness.com/ (Chinese New Year lion dance & demonstration)

OmCulture, http://www.omculture.com/ (W African drumming circle)

Planet Afua, http://www.planetafua.com/ (W African dance workshop & performance)

The School of Taiko, http://www.japantaiko.com/ (taiko drummers)

Silk Strings, http://www.silkstrings.info/ (string musicians)

It's here! Bike to School (BTS) Day is only TWO days away! By the looks of all those bikes on the racks so far this month, we are looking forward to a big turnout on BTS Day this Thursday, May 16th.

There is a possible chance of rain, but that won't stop our Scotties! Kids who bike or scooter this Thursday will get a cool rubber bracelet, a piece or fruit and something to drink AND the opportunity to add their name to a Bike to School Day sign. Please remind your kids to stop by the Bike-to-School table to pick up their goodies before lining up for class.

Last minute Bike-to-School Day Q&A: 
 

Can kids ride a scooter instead of a bike?

• Yep, they will still get credit. And a bracelet :)
• Heck, unicycles count too!

Locking your bike? 

• Lock your bikes to the rack in the front of the building on 54th -OR- the rack near the Gym -OR- lock them to the fence over by the gym and at the teacher's parking lot. Please don't lock up bikes on the playground.
• If you don't yet have a bike lock but would feel better if your child's bike was locked during the day - just email or call me (206-235-3665). If there are enough kids needing bike locks, I'll bring a long chain and lock them to the fence (by the gym) all at once.
• Some dedicated volunteers are working on getting additional bike racks for the school, but we won't have any more racks by BTS Day.  Remember. we can lock bikes to the fence back by the Gymnasium.

What if it rains?

• We encourage you to bike even if it's raining a bit! Our Scotties are tough. I'm sure they can take it! :)  
• Tip: Bring a towel to wipe off wet bike seats, or place a plastic bag over the bike seat during the school day. 

What about those bright green "Bike-to-School" calendars? 

• Calendars came home in backpacks on 4/30. If you're missing one, grab one in the main office or call me. 
• Have your kids been circling the days they bike to school? Kids can earn prizes by turning in their completed calendars in to the BIKE-TO-SCHOOL Mailbox in the main office by June 5th. I will make sure they get their prizes before the last day of school!

Want to ride with other parents and kids from McDonald? 
 

• Bike Leaders are meeting at a couple locations and biking to school together. If you wish to do that, let me know and I will hook you up with other bikers. 

NOTE: A little reminder will go home in backpacks on Tuesday too!