Mental exhiliration!

Today was fantastic. We started the day with Wade Davis, an anthropologist who was so amazing. Anthropology is something, I am not ashamed to admit, I know little about. He was fascinating. His speech on preserving civilizations through language and spoken word was so interesting. Hearing how languages are being lost is so disheartening, but hearing of his travels and the people he has met was so amazing.

After, we broke out into small sessions and workshops. The collaboration and willingness to share is a benchmark of IB. Being a Business Manager, I chose sessions that many would think would be "dry". I went first to a session on combining AP and IB. It was given by a group from Indianapolis schools. It was amazing. Seeing how to make it work....it was like putting glasses on the first time. It makes sense! It is a unique opportunity that can, in some cases, give a student an opportunity to test out of 14 credits in college based on ONE class they take in high school. Amazing opportunity!

I attended a finance seminar, which I won't bore you with, but was really exciting! But the last breakout I attended was the one that I was looking forward to most. It was about a school in Connecticut that is much like ISC. It is an IB for all set up with no admission requirement and a very diverse student population. These students come from different academic backgrounds, just like our students at ISC. And it works. It works because the staff, students and parents make it work. It is choosing a path and sticking to it. It is continuing forward when it gets hard and leaning on each other when it gets hard.

We have to believe in the mission of our school and the mission of IB to be successful. Mr. Sims, myself, each teacher, our volunteer coaches, parents, students and families....we will all be a very important part of the success of our school and students. But what that success looks like...it is inspirational.

Inspiration

I am inspired. Plan and simple. I am not from the education world. My previous experience has been in business and not-for-profit, but my educational experiences are that of being a student myself and being a parent. As a parent, I know I want better and different for my student. But what does that look like? Can we take an Indiana classroom and just say, "Ok...it's IB"?

The answer is no. As a school, we can label our classes IB. But to truly be IB, it is more than just a class or curriculum. Tonight, a young man spoke at the opening session. He just graduated from an IB school in Florida. He looked like any student you would see in a Columbus school. And then he spoke. He spoke with a passion and an eloquence that was mesmerizing. He was confident. He was educated. He spoke of his classmates and what he will take with him this fall to Dartmouth. He spoke of classes where he did not memorize, he interpreted. He had a maturity that was undeniable. And as I expressed my astonishment that this was merely a child of 18....over and over I heard, he is IB.....that is IB.

IB is more than classes our students will take. It looks so different than anything Columbus has seen. We cannot just bring IB into our classrooms...we will, as a school, become IB. We must to succeed. It is opening our mind to become, as staff and parents, as internationally-minded as our students will become.

I spoke with a teacher from Kansas City tonight at length about the differences in being an IB teacher vs. a traditional teacher. She told me that she is never good enough, but she doesn't mean that in a good way. She challenges herself to constantly reassess her curriculum, her classroom and her own personal development and always be looking for opportunity to grow.

I think we have a fantastic foundation to be IB. This is going to be a fantastic and exciting year!

Back to blogging!

What a crazy few months it has been at ISC! We have had a lot of changes. We will have some new faces. But no matter what, we have had a fabulous group of students and families who have made this an amazing year.

We are T-minus 20 days to the last day of school. It is hard to believe this year is almost come and gone. It seems like just last week, we were cutting a ribbon on the front lawn with the Mayor!

If you visit my office, I have three countdowns....one to the last day of school so I can keep everything straight....one to my personal vacation (yeah for me!)....but even more exciting than my own vacation is the last countdown....60 days until our new Head of School takes up residenced in his new office at ISC! For me, as a staff member, I am so excited as to where this is going to take us. He has an energy and enthusiasm that is contagious. Even from 3500 miles away in Columbia, he is hard at work for our school! That is awesome!

As a parent....he is exactly what I want for my students. He knows IB from experience and he knows students. I think he is going to make our "IB for all" a reality and not a concept. He shared a link with me during one of our calls and I think everyone should check it out. It is a good reminder of what we are working towards:

www.ibo.org/programmes/profile

This year has been a wonderful adventure, but the years to come are looking even better!

Changes at ISC!

Friday was a rough day at ISC. The staff learned that Mrs. Nobbe, our founding Head of School, would be leaving ISC in November. Mrs. Nobbe has a family member who will now require daily care and she is this family member's guardian. It is hard to lose someone who has been so important to ISC, but family always has to come first! I know all the staff wishes Mrs. Nobbe the best and she is in all our thoughts as she starts this new path with her sister.

What could have been a very hard time for ISC was made into a smooth transition with the announcement that Mrs. Staggs has stepped up to assume the role as the interim Head of School. She has been in the position of IB Coordinator and Student Services previously for ISC. She knows our students and knows our staff. She is the IB "guru", as I call her, so that process will continue without a beat, which is very important for our students.

I wish both Mrs. Nobbe and Mrs. Staggs the very best as they both start new and very different challenges.

Iron, Golf and a Battle at Gettysburg.....

Lots to say and show....

Today is a "No School" day. Our teachers and staff are at orientation to IB, learning more and more about the curriculum we want to bring to our great students. So today, the teachers will be the students and our students get to sleep in!

Our girls golf team has really come together. The girls are having a blast. Our schedule was a bit hampered by the fact that local schools go off-schedule of IHSAA and do golf as a club sport in the spring. So had a great deal of scheduling difficulties. But Coach Friend and Coach Frazier have been fantastic and the girls have had a great time...check out the photos below:

We have had some great history stuff going on too. In case you didn't see the fantastic writeup in The Republic, Mr. Bentz, who is our music teacher, did double duty as History Sub and brought in his Civil War artifacts. The students had a fantastic time. They got to do a reenactment of the Battle at Gettysburg. (I found myself drifting out to listen, which is crazy because I normally HATE history, but the passion and the enthusiasm Mr. Bentz and the students were showing was contagious!) See some pictures below....

Some of our art students had an opportunity to take part in the Columbus Iron Pour. Thanks to a generous donation, the students got to learn about something so incredible and beautiful. See pictures below of the scratch blocks and also the finished products with some of our students....

Upcoming at ISC...

Tomorrow, Wednesday, September 30 - Jaguar Tennis vs. Central Middle School, 5pm, Donnor Park

ISC First Annual Cheer Clinic!!!

Our sports program at ISC is underway! In the past week, Cross-Country and Boys Tennis started practicing. Our new tennis coach, Steve Klei is fantastic and is going to be exactly what our program needs to be successful! Coach Ed Wilson, cross country, has started a really solid, fundamental program that will undoubtedly be the foundation of a great program.

Coach Melanie, our cheer coach, kicked off her season with a cheer clinic on Saturday! Talk about spirit....check out the pictures of our girls strutting their stuff!!!

They were loud and proud!!!! We have a GREAT group of girls!!!

Monica

Miles to go before we sleep....

There have been some late nights lately :) With much to do, sometimes the 9-5 just is not enough! Little details to hammer out, things to put into place....there is just a lot to do!

Last night, as we left, I was standing in the drive, looking at the sprinkler move back and forth, and my favorite Robert Frost poem came to mind, Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening. The poem has so many underlying meanings and it was a favorite of mine to dissect in college. But it also is just a very beautiful poem you can just read and enjoy. But it was the end of the poem that suddenly hit me....

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

The school looked so peaceful and calm, but there is so much to do! It is coming together, but there are still a lot of "little things" to do.

Tonight, we are putting together teacher desks and knocking out some of those little things! If you are able, come tonight and help out!

Tomorrow is the Open House. As we have invited interested students and anyone in the community, we are holding off moving the student desks in until Thursday to accommodate anyone who would like to come and participate.

Thursday, we will be moving in the student desks and chairs during the day and evening. Please feel free to come help if you are able!

Friday is the first day of school!!!!! it is kind of like the end of one race as we move into the next!

And Friday night....I WILL SLEEP! :)

Monica

So....the fun begins...

So....here are pictures from the CPR training....We all passed....YEAH! But I thought I would give a low-down of ISC staff training.... So, we started with a nap :) No....that is Beth H., Mrs. Nobbe, Mrs. Plattner and Mrs. Gaff, taking their turns being the victim so the other staff could respond to their emergency!

Here is Mrs. Gaff, out science teacher, wrapping the hand of Mrs. Plattner, our art teacher.



However, Mrs. Plattner was a little confused the amount of the wrappings!!!!
Maybe she could use it for an oven mit???




Now....let me explain this one...when practicing the Heimlich manuever, we could have paired up by comparable size....but not here at ISC! We wanted to make it more interesting!!!


All in all, on top of it being a skill we wanted all staff on hand to be trained in, we had a good time. Our students are so lucky to have such incredible staff. Today, the teachers were the students and they all got an "A"!


Monica :)

Check out our new mural!

Check out our new mural! Jacob K's mom, Mrs. Katz (as everyone calls her) painted this on our wall in the common area. It looks AWESOME! It definitely is a work of art and it sooooo shows our Jaguar Pride! Special thanks to her for all her hard work. Another special thanks toDave C. (our A.D. who celebrated his birthday yesterday so a Happy Bday shout out to him!) for creating the design. It looked great on a tshirt, but looks even more amazing on the wall!!! Thanks to both of them for their contributions!

Today staff is attending CPR certification. All staff and faculty, along with our Family Liason, Beth H., will be CPR/First Aid /AED trained. This is a very serious commitment the staff has to our students and families. In a less serious side, I am getting all kinds of cool pictures to show students :)

Just a quick reminder, if you are playing a sport this year, we will need a completed sports physical on file. If you need a form, let me know.

Monica

Sorry to be absent so long....

It has been a crazy week since I last blogged! We wrapped up Johnson County Fair and while I am not sad to see that over, I don't think I was prepared for what would come next.

I had 8 phone calls yesterday of interested students from Bartholomew County and Johnson County that talked with us at the fair. I had one from Johnson County come in to register yesterday along with a second new student who heard about us from another student. Our families are the best advertisement we can possibly have so thanks to all of you out there spreading the ISC word!!!!

Yesterday was also the day Mrs. Nobbe went and recorded a commercial for QMIX, the best radio station in Southern Indiana! Listen for it on QMIX!

I also met with the vending company we will be using at the school. I was so excited to see we would have healthy options available. I know, as a parent, I was worried a little about no food service the first couple years, but I have to say, knowing there are going to be choices like salad, soup, turkey on wheat, baked chips and pretzels, milk and other good stuff, it makes me feel a little better. Sure, there will still be some goodies in there, but knowing there are healthy options makes me feel better! We are also still nailing down some other options for lunch being brought in so more to come later!

We are about to head to QMIX to be on the Morning Show. I hope everyone is listening!!

Monica

Check out our students!!!

Soooo....look at those awesome ISC students! They are fantastic!!! And so excited to be on this new, incredible journey. Thanks to (top left and going clockwise) Isaac B., Taylar G., Logan B., Max M., Bryce C., and Shiloh C. for letting us put them on a billboard! Our kids at ISC are the kids next door.

Speaking of people who need some props....Arlette Tinsley was AWESOME on QMIX yesterday! She was so funny! If you missed it, you can find it on QMIX's Myspace page at the link below:

www.myspace.com/discoveringcolumbuswithnikkig - Click on Arlette's name

We had a great night at the fair tonight. Beth H. is fantastic with our parents. We are very lucky to have such a dedicated Family Liason for the school. As the school year starts and we start working on our family volunteer commitments, Beth will be instrumental in scheduling and tracking those hours. She is already hard at work on volunteer opportunites and getting organized for the start of school.

In the coming days, we will have a lot of exciting announcements to be making! I will start with our next mixer. We will be having our next mixer on July 31st, 6pm-9pm, in the school. More details will be coming, but mark your calendars!!!

We have two more nights at the fair. Be sure and stop by and see our booth. We have the video running non-stop, featuring staff, faculty and a virtual tour of the facility!

Monica

Question of the day...

After our first few nights at the fair (which is going AWESOME!), I will answer the three most commonly asked questions here today:

1) Will there be a dress code? The answer is yes, but not in the plaid skirt and sweater vest variety. Mrs. Nobbe is looking at a strictly enforced common dress code, which will include, but not be limited to (as this is a work in progress at the moment): no holes in pants, pants must be worn around the waist with no undergarments showing, skirt/shorts must reach the tips of the fingers when arms are hanging loosely at the sides (no shrugging shoulders!), no sleeveless shirts or tanktops and any tshirts or logos must be acceptable, meaning no drugs, alcohol or any other objectionable image.

2) Will there be sports? Yes, yes, yes....we are developing a competitive sports program with the goals of the school in mind. We will promote our student athletes as just that, students first and athlete's second.

3) How are parent's convincing their children to switch because my child is hesitant to go? The best answer I can give is this...if you truly feel ISC is the best fit for your child, ask them to give it a shot. Even though I am blogging as the Administrative Assistant for the school, my first contact with ISC was as a parent. And as a parent with children coming to ISC myself (I will have two 7th graders and one 8th grader this fall with two more coming in the future), this was a hard call for us too. There is absolutely no doubt we felt that the curriculum and ISC experience would prepare our kids for the post-secondary educational experience we want for them. There was absolutely no doubt in our minds we were looking for a change for them. With the two that were in sixth grade at the time, it was a no brainer. They really didn't question it much. Of course, they asked about their friends, but we told them that they could still have the same friends. And they asked about sports and yes, they will have the same experiences as they would at any other school.

But the conversation with the older child was different. I waited until it was just the two of us and I told him that I wanted to send him to ISC in the fall. He told me, "I am not going". I explained why and he told me, "I am not going." I won't lie...I got very frustrated with him and finally I told him, "I am putting you in ISC in the fall and if you sit on the curb all day long, fine by me, but you will not be enrolled at your current school next year!" and I ended the conversation. Later, when we both calmed down, I gave a lot of thought as to what I needed to say to him, because I really wanted him to agree with me and for this to be a positive transition for both of us. I felt very strongly about this decision. I wanted him to understand why I was making this decision as his parent and I really wanted him to be on board. So I went into Round 2 knowing that, in the end, this was my decision, but I wanted him to feel like I was taking his feelings into account.

So Round 2 didn't start much different. I told him to tell me why he didn't want to go. Friends topped the list, of course. There were a few others, but all of them had to with social aspects or clubs or sports. None of them had to do with academics. So I told him that I wanted him to be in clubs, which we will have at ISC, and I told him I wanted him to do sports, which we will have at ISC. I also sympathized with him, regarding switching schools, because I did that alot as a child. I went to nine different schools in my youth due to my stepdad's job moving us around. I appreciate and was not discounting what he felt or said, but I needed him to listen to my reasoning's. Our kids are very active in sports and I believe they are important to them and support them. But the chance to study a world-renowned curriculum in a small school setting was huge. The chance to receive the IB diploma was huge. The possibility of leaving high school with up to 2 years college credit....outstanding! But more than anything, the rigor of the program would help his chances on the most scary statistic I had read as a parent: only about 53% of students who start college will finish their Bachelor's Degree in six years. And in every study, they point to poor high school preparation as a leading factor in this statistic. I told him that I wanted him to be the one out of two to succeed and not fail!

So, in the end, we made a pact. He would come and give it a shot and we would agree to talk at the end of the year and if he truly was miserable, we would revisit our decision to send him to ISC. Of course, now that he has toured the building, met the teachers and started making friends, that conversation is a distant memory and he always tells me he is glad HE made the decision to come here :) And, as I sit here writing this, I realize that even though I wanted to scream when he was debating me, those will be very useful skills as he tackles the rigor of the IB program :)

Will that work for everyone? No, because each child and family is different, but that was one view. I had other parents tell me it was one of those moments of "Because I said so" for them. But the majority of the students I am meeting are so pumped and excited to be going. And it is contagious!

We are having another mixer for enrolled and interested students on July 31st. If you are having trouble convincing your student, bring them! Let them see the enthusiasm of the students, faculty and staff...it truly is contagious!

The grass truly is greener....

Look at our beautiful green space! It is GORGEOUS! Absolutely gorgeous! It is going to be an amazing place for students to sit during lunch, have outdoor classes or just hang out. All we need now is a big Jaguar to show our ISC Pride :) A huge thanks to Joe Hauersperger and Dave Christian for laying the sod and the Freed the family for coming by and helping out!! It looks amazing! Every single day, more and more great things happen!

I went inside to see what was new and the doors to the classrooms were going up. The bathrooms counters and sinks are nearly finished. Lighting in the bathrooms and clinic are up and shining. It is truly, truly amazing! It is so hard to believe that just two months ago, when I first started with ISC, it was an empty warehouse. We have had an amazing crew of people bringing the building to life.

Beth H. had a great night at the fair. Thanks to the Stahl family for coming by and helping out! She said there was a lot of interested families coming by and there was a very positive response! Our booth looks spectacular!

I better run...today is my turn at the fair :)

Monica

A very busy week at ISC!

This is has been a very busy week at ISC so far! Our teachers have been in training. There is so much going on that the school site that it changes every single day. And so much information to pass on!

Let's start with books...we are building our ISC library. If you have books you are thinking of throwing out, send me a list so we can see if our teachers would like them. Starting from scratch means....starting from scratch. Ms. Knipstine, our English teacher, provided a list (on our website www.internationalschoolofcolumbus.com) of books she would like to have in her class library also. Check it out. Keep your eyes opened when you hit those used book stores and yard sales. The only thing I ask is that you don't just bring me boxes of books. I wouldn't mind sorting them out and all, but we have very limited storage space right now!

Next up is sports! We are currently doing Fall and Winter sports sign ups. You can sign up for Girls' Golf, Boys' Tennis and Boys' and Girls' Cross-Country for fall. Winter sports being offered will be Boys' and Girls' Basketball. In addition to that, we will have cheerleading. If you would like to be put on the list, email sports@internationalschoolofcolumbus.com and we will get you added.

Going along with the topic of sports, we are still accepting applications for our Volunteer Coaching Positions. If you are interested, go to the website, www.internationalschoolofcolumbus.com, and go to Careers for the coaching description and Forms to download the application.

Our next mixer date is set. We will be holding it on July 31st so mark your calendar! More details to come!!!

Our next stop on Summer Fair Tour 2009 is upon us. Starting Friday, the ISC crew will be at the Bartholomew County Fair. Stop by our booth and get a ISC Jaguars temporary tattoo! We will also have a video going, with interviews with teachers and staff and a walking tour of the facility, provided by Joe Hauersperger. Beth Hauersperger is working hard on our booth. It should be pretty fantastic!

I can hardly contain myself....but we have a neat surprise to tie in with the fair. More to come...

Monica

It's school shopping time!

Jennings County Fair was a blast! Enrolling new students, talking with families about ISC and what we have to offer, even having friendly conversations with people who want to challenge what we are doing...it is all very energizing! How can you NOT be excited about the "IB for all" philosophy...and having the opportunity for any college-bound student to step into our school and make it happen???? Our student base is varied and amazing. There are no cookie-cutter students here. I think that was a very common misconception about our school at the Jennings County Fair - that we are (1) private, tuition based school and (2) only for the number one students in the area. We are for anyone with a desire to do the work and succeed. And we are 100% tuition FREE! Most people cannot wrap their heads around that; they are looking for the catch.

This weekend, as I walked through our local department store this weekend, it struck me how close the start of school is...we are only 40 days until the first official school day at ISC! I know, for me as a part of this amazing staff, I am excited. However, me as mom of five kids who are in school...I need to get shopping! Sales are starting! In answer to the parent's request to get the school supply list out as soon as possible, Connie and our teachers have devised their school supply list! (Keep in mind, we still have a few teachers coming on board so there may be a few additional items needed, but this is the master list!)

The list is posted all over the place....because in case you didn't know, we are very much staking our claim in the cyber-world. You can see us at:

Facebook: Search for International School of Columbus and join our group!
Website: www.internationalschoolofcolumbus.com
Google Group: https://groups.google.com/group/internationalschoolofcolumbus

If you have any questions, you can email me at mchristian@internationalschoolofcolumbus.com

Thanks!
Monica

Happy Fourth of July!

Tonight was a good night for the ISC Athletics Department. They had a booth at the QMIX musical fireworks and were selling Sweet Tea (courtesy of Captain D's, who supplied the booth, cups, lids, straws, ice and sweet tea!!!!!). They raised about $200 for the Jaguar Athletics! Thanks to our Athletic Director, Dave Christian, who organized the event, ISC parents Ed and Deb Wilson who came and worked the booth and students Isaac, Logan and Bryce, who poured tea all night. Future ISC Jaguars, Hannah and Noah, also made great salespersons! It was a fun night, capped off by a great fireworks display!

Speaking of sports, we are starting to get in applicants for our coaching positions. With this being our first year, our coaches will be volunteers. We are getting some really experienced coaches expressing interest! We want to build a quality, competitive athletic program and looking at the coaches we are seeing come across...we will be well on our way to doing just that!

Tonight is our last night at the Jennings County fair. Friday night was an interesting night at the fair. There wasn't a lot of foot traffic, but I had a family come that came specifically to see our booth and get information so that was a big plus! Definitely made the night go faster :)

Everyone have a safe and fun Fourth of July!

Monica

Showing our ISC Jaguar Spirit!

Today was a loooonnnggg day for us at the ISC office. But it gave me a few things I wanted to put out there for everyone....

#1 - The July 1st date on the enrollment date is a soft date. Please get them in as soon as you can, but don't worry if you didn't get them in yet.

#2 - Spiritwear...if you are ready to show off your Jaguar pride...we are taking orders for shirts. Shirts are $14 and the logo will be on a green shirt (our school colors are a kelly green with dark blue as a secondary color). Add a $1 for XX sizes. The logo is below...

Hoosier Sporting Goods has also created a couple of ISC Jaguars stock one color prints that they can do at the store. They will be on the school wall with all the other school logos they have created! Yeah!

If you would like to order this special shirt, email me and we will get your order placed! Our Athletic Director, Dave, is placing the order this week so get your orders in by Monday. You can bring the payment by the office anytime during the week, as long as it is in by Friday! This shirt can only be ordered through the school Athletic Department and proceeds will go to our athletic program.

We had a new student enroll today from Jackson County. I am amazed at how diverse our students home counties are. We have SEVEN different counties represented in our student population! That is amazing.

The building is changing everyday. The door that used to connect our school to the rest of the strip mall is gone! They were sanding and preparing the walls to be painted today. Connie Nobbe, our Head of School, now has walls on her office! We are 44 days until the first day of school! It will be here before you know it!

Jennings County Fair is still rolling. Beth Hauersberger, our board secretary, worked tonight. In addition to the families we are talking to, we really are having a great time. Beth's son and husband have both been there to help out, along with my husband and one of our incoming student's, Lauren S., family. If you are out and about, stop by the fair. We are there Friday night from 5pm-10pm and Saturday from 1pm-10pm.

Just a note...our office is closed on Friday, July 3rd in observance of Fourth of July holiday!

Monica

News...news....news

I posted on our Google Group (www.groups.google.com/group/internationalschoolofcolumbus) and sent out a newsletter about the Indiana Legislators and how decisions they are making can be impacting charter schools in Indiana. Read it and follow this...email your state representatives...make your voice be heard. Charters equal choices for parents in Indiana. Choice is good, not bad. Even if the right choice for your child is not a charter school, we still need choices.

We are reaching out to our communities this month. First stop...Jennings County Fair. ISC has a booth at the fair and we will be there Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, 5pm-10pm and Wednesday & Saturday, 1pm-10pm. Wednesday is Kiddie Day at the fair, with $12 hand stamp all you can ride from 1pm-5pm. After spending your afternoon twirling and spinning and going upside down on the rides, stop by our booth in Building 7. Beth Hauersperger, Board Secretary, and I will be there, talking with families and kids. One of our incoming students and her parents, Lauren S., came last night and hung out with Beth. We very much appreciate their enthusiasm.

We will be there all week. Next stop on our fair tour will be Bartholomew County Fair, starting July 10th! We also have something neat in the works, on the way to the fair...that is all I can say now, but it is something we think is really neat!

Tomorrow marks Mrs. Nobbe's first day as our new Head of School. If you would like to schedule a meeting with her, call me at 376.7000 or email me at mchristian@internationalschoolofcolumbus.com and I will set that up! I am very excited to be sharing our little temporary office with her. She is excited and ready to go, which makes me excited and ready to go.

In terms of the actual facility, I have heard rumblings that painting is about to begin for the interior. I peek in every day and it just amazes me how much it changes almost daily!

I am off to the fair tonight! If you are out and about, stop by and say hi!

Monica

We are the Jaguars!

Since starting this incredible journey as International School of Columbus' Administrative Assistant, the word I would best use to describe it is....well....incredible. I started with incredible and dedicated people on our board, who have committed so much of their time and energy into this amazing school. Then this incredible board started hiring incredible teachers! Deb, April, Matt....they are so full of energy and excitement that I almost wish I was a student again! While I had some really nice teachers in my many years of school, I have never seen the excitement and enthusiasm that I witness everytime I am in the room with them. It is, well, incredible and energizing.

Next came the Head of School announcement and meeting Connie. Now, it would be easy to say that, of course, I am going to be complementary of my boss :) But she is incredible. Her energy and knowledge of education is mindblowing. Her commitment to our school is second to none. She wants to be hands on with the students and watching her talk to parents and students...I know she was the exact right choice for our kids!!

Incredible...bottom line...they are all incredible and I can't wait to see who comes next!

And now the students....with each student and family I meet, I can see the personalities and how they are meshing. Our mixer on Friday night was so exciting! Watching kids who had never met before start making friends with each other and watching our parents meet and welcome each other was so inspiring. Our resident Boogie King (Jon S.) was the best! We even had little sisters out there, dancing up a storm! And, let me tell you, our teachers and staff do a MEAN chicken dance!!!

Our students voted and we are officially the ISC Jaguars! What a great mascot! Our students have style, that's for sure. It was amazing to hear the conversations among the students about this. They WANTED to be different and make sure no one else had THEIR mascot. They know this is THEIR school and they are already showing their school spirit!

We are T-minus 47 day until the first day of school (August 14th). One of the suggestions I heard most is that families want more information. And it will be rolling out fast and furious! So one of my more hip family member suggested I blog. I can get the inside scoop on what is going on and this way, I can tell you what we are doing with ISC today and not clog up your inbox!

Visit my blog daily as I will try to post daily updates on what is going on at ISC. If you have a blog topic idea, send it my way! If you have questions you would like answered, send those too! I will answer them here so that everyone is getting the same info as the next person!

Until tomorrow....Monica!