Dear ISD Parents,

Next week, Thursday, March 7th, is the deadline for submitting nominations for the Distinguished Teacher Awards.  There are several rules regarding the process, including, if someone has already been a recipient of the award, they cannot be nominated again.  Also, there is a time requirement regarding employment in the district which would need to be verified.  All teachers, both classroom and specialty, qualify for the distinction.  We have many deserving teachers and if you are considering nominating someone, please let me know and I would be happy to assist you. 

The last two weeks at ISD have seen a focus on the art of writing.  Writing Consultant, Mr. D, was here last week to work with students in grades three through five.  Mr. D reinforces the writing process the teachers cover in their instruction all year, but adds a dramatic and memorable flair to it.  This week, students in grades two through five visited author, Dan Gutman, through technology and the art of skyping.  Each grade level session was informative, as well as entertaining, for the students.

Thank you to the PTA for providing these events which instilled a lot of motivation in our students. Hopefully, this motivation will carry them through the CMT process which our third through fifth graders will begin on Tuesday, 3/5.  In fact, the first test they will take is the Writing Prompt.  The testing schedule is on our school's website if you wish to view it.  Teachers have been preparing students for these tests in recent weeks and we are confident they are ready. Although these are high stakes tests, we are doing our best not to increase anyone's anxiety level. Please provide support at home by encouraging your child to put forth their best effort.