ISGR PTA

Welcome Back!
Countdown to the Winter Bazaar!

Week 45
Thank you to all who attended the October PTA General Meeting! For those interested, meeting notes are available at the end of this newsletter. Our next PTA General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 30 November, 8:30 10:00 am, at Guldheden Campus-Small Bamba. Hope to see you there!
---------------------------------------------------------------Interested in helping out with the ISGR International Cookbook? Please see Upcoming Events for more information on meetings. For questions, contact Julie Romanski (julie.romanski@yahoo.com or 0738 566 700). ----------------------------------------------------------------

About
th

weeks until

4 of December
If you would like to volunteer or if you have any questions about the Winter Bazaar, please contact the event coordinators Rachel (trcallander@aol.com or 07223 76888) or Dorte (dorte@holm -egeskov.dk or 0709 132 256). Thank you!
ISGR WINTER BAZAAR INTERNATIONAL STALLS Dear Parent, The Parent Teacher Association of ISGR are organising a Winter Bazaar on Sunday 4th December. This is always a great event with Games, Entertainment, and International Foods and Crafts for parents and children. I am writing to ask if you would like to help run an International Stall at the event? Last year we had a British and French Stall run by volunteers from both of these communities within the school. We hope to have more country stalls this year and I hope that you will join us and become involved. In the past the stalls have sold traditional food, crafts and gifts from their home country. They were always very successful and great fun, as I think you can see from the photos below! I have only been able to contact those people who the PTA have details for. If you know others that might like to be involved please let me know. If you would like to be involved and would like to be put in contact with others of your nationality, I can help with that. Please contact me with any questions. I really hope that you will join us, it would be great to see nations represented from all over the world! Warm Regards Andrea de Wolf (dewolf@hotmail.co.uk)

The Grade 10 students

would like to host a Parent Glgg Evening on Thursday, December 8 th at the MYP Bamba, Gtaberg Campus. (Glgg is a Swedish mulled wine. Only non-alcoholic glgg will be served.) All ISGR parents and staff are invited to attend. This is a fund-raising activity to support the Grade 10 Class trip to Berlin in the Spring. More information re: ticket sales and other details should be available after the Autumn Break. For questions, please contact Maria Sheridan (mariasheridan1967@gmail.com).
----------------------------------------------------------------

Question of the Week

For this week, we will be repeating the previous Question of the Week.

Question for Week 45:

Can you recommend a favorite day trip from the Gothenburg area? Where is it located? What do you like to do there?

Parents and ISGR staff, please send your responses to Julie Romanski (julie.romanski@yahoo.com).
Check out our Facebook group! Not a member? Search for ISGR PTA and request to be one.

If you have a suggestion for new questions for us to ask, let Julie know.

Sp e c ia l An n ou n c e m e n t
We are looking for anyone interested in putting together the weekly PTA Update for the remaining weeks in November and for the weeks in December. Please contact Sally Stokes (s_d_s@juno.com) if you are able to help out. Thank you!

Upcoming Events:
Event Name ISGR International Cookbook Monthly Parent Outing Date & Time

Wednesday, 15 Nov 1:00 pm Friday, 18 Nov The market opens at 11 am.

**Note the special date for

Location Guldheden Campus Old PTA

Room Visit to the Christmas Market at Tjoloholm Slott, in Kungsbacka (see tjoloholm.se for more details)
Entrance fee is 80 SEK for Adults

this event**

Comments We will discuss topics such as the content, format, and assembly of the cookbook. This year marks 24 years since Christmas at Tjolholm Castle started. For five days, 16-20 November, hundreds of exhibitors will show and sell crafts and local produce. The Christmas market is one of West Swedens largest and during the market days you will find everything from evocative Christmas concerts to freshly baked cakes. The whole estate glitter of Christmas lights and traditional Christmas cosiness.
All parents are welcome to join us. We can arrange a meeting time and place at Tjoloholm and can also try to coordinate a carpool for the drive to Kungsbacka (about 30 minutes south of Gothenburg). Please watch for more details as the date approaches. If you have any questions, contact Rachel Callander

Monthly Coffee

Morning

Friday, 25 Nov 8:30 10:00 am

**A coffee morning will typically be held every third Friday of the month** Wednesday, 30 Nov 8:30 10:00 am **A PTA General Meeting will typically be held every fourth Wednesday of the

Guldheden Campus Small

(trcallander@aol.com or 07223 76888 ) or Julie Romanski (julie.romanski@yahoo .com or 0738 566 700). Discussion Meeting
Speaker will be announced when available. All parents are welcome to attend.

Bamba

Monthly PTA General

Meeting

Guldheden Campus Small Bamba

All parents are welcome to attend to discuss details for upcoming events, volunteer their time, and to suggest new

ideas.
We value your input so please consider attending if your schedule allows. Thank Guldheden Campus

month**
Winter Bazaar

Sunday, 4 Dec

ISGR International Cookbook

Wednesday, 7 Dec 1:00 pm

Guldheden Campus Old PTA

Room

you! If you would like to volunteer or if you have any questions about the Winter Bazaar, please contact the event coordinators Rachel (trcallander@aol.com or 07223 76888) or Dorte (dorte@holm-egeskov.dk or 0709 132 256). Thank you! We will discuss topics such as the content, format, and assembly of the cookbook.

Weekly Recurring Events:

Event Name Weekly Walks at Slottsskogen + Date & Time

(optional) fika at Villa Belparc

Mondays 9:00 am walk 10:00 am - fika

Location Meet at the Slottsskogen car park near Villa Belparc at 9:00

am

Comments We plan on walking for an hour, then if you have the time, going for coffee at Villa Belparc caf at 10:00 am. All parents are welcome to attend. Contact Julie Romanski (julie.romanski@yahoo.com or 0738 566 700) or Rachel Callander (trcallander@aol.com or 07223 76888 ). For parents who want to improve their English.
Contact Michele Steele (steele5@telia.com or 0703 685457) or Mary Bailey (mary.bailey@telia.com or 0707 694075 ).

English Club

Tuesdays 8:30 10:00 am

Guldheden Campus - Small

Bamba

French Club

Wednesdays 9:00 10:30 am

Christelles home (rgryte close to Liseberg)

For parents who want to improve their French. Contact Christelle Lemarchal (famille.lemarchal@club-internet.fr or 0702 092 361 ). Cost: 30 SEK per session (Note: Although we sing in the church, we are not a religious choir.)
Contact Michele Steele (steele5@telia.com or 0703 685457 ).

International Choir

Thursdays 9:00 am

Askims church (Askims kyrka)

PTA Events and Activities Planned for 2011 -2012 :

School Events and Clubs International Picnic/Barbecue (held in the Fall) Winte r Bazaar Current/Past Leader Wendy van Duijvenboode, Andrea de Wolf Wendy van Duijvenboode, Andrea de Wolf Mary Bailey Not active this year, Andrea de Wolf Wendy van Duijvenboode Wendy van Duijvenboode, Andrea de Wolf Angela Graham Wendy van Duijvenboode, Andrea de Wolf Not active this ye ar

Team for 2011-2012 Dorte Holm Egeskov, Mireille Landsbergen, Monalisa Pettersson Rachel Callander, Dorte Holm Egeskov
Rachel Callander, Angela Graham, Nicky Smith,

Disco
Quiz Nights (fo r Parents)

Dorte Holm-Egeskov

Class Representative Network International School Book Club

Teacher Appreciation Day PYP & MYP Coffee Mornings New Family Orientation/ Welcome

Angela Graham, Purnima Gupta, Sally Stokes,

Fiona Shaw MYP Parent - Monalisa Pettersson, PYP Parent Atie Schagen Julie Romanski, Sally Stokes
Julie Romanski, Rachel Callander, Sally Stokes Sally Stokes Wendy van Duijvenboode Cathy McGinnity Chris Joosten, Helen Andersen Lovisa Rosenberg, Julie Romanski, Gunilla

Committee PTA Communications Coordinator

PTA Treasurer

new
Sara Mendonca

ISGR PTA Facebook Group Coordinator Gothenburg Handbook Nordic Network Support
MYP Sport Activity Evenings Help with ISGR Spo rtswear Orde rs/Design Contest International Cookbook Fundraise r PTA Charity Team Social Committee (includes walking

new new new new new new new new new new new
Michelle Steele Michelle Steele, Peter from Askim Kyrka

Gurander Wendy van Duijvenboode, Peter Sjoberg Maria Sheridan, Julie Romanski Lise Mendel, Julie Romanski, Lianne Barneveld, Sally Stokes Wendy van Duijvenboode Rachel Callander, Julie Romanski

group) ISGR Loppis ISGR Fall o r Spring Cleanup End of Year Picnic
English Club Choir (fo r Parents and Youth)

Dorte Holm Egeskov, Mireille Landsbergen,

Monalisa Pettersson Michelle Steele Michelle Steele, Peter from Askim Kyrka Christelle LeMarchal

French Club Photography Club Book Group

new new new

Note: Grey areas indicate events or clubs that need people who will help plan and organize. This does not mean that other areas do not need more volunteers. We welcome volunteers for any of the events and activities shown!

Notes from the ISGR PTA Meeting October 26, 2011 Meeting Attendees: 12 parents Thank you to all who were able to attend. We would love to have more parents next time! Julie Romanski, Angela Graham, Maria Sheridan, Atie Schagen, Rachel Bradbury, Lovisa Rosenberg, Ann Maes, Dorte Holm-Egeskov, Mireille Landsbergen, Sue Monkley, Anjna Patel, Sally Stokes 1. Feedback re: ISGR PTA Facebook group (Julie) The response has been very positive to the new ISGR PTA Facebook group as a good way to communicate PTA-related information The group currently has 46 parent members. To join, search for the ISGR PTA group name in Facebook and send a message to one of the administrators to request access. Please include the grades that your children are in at ISGR so we can be sure to keep access to this group restricted to ISGR families. 2. Feedback re: the Oct 21st PYP Disco (Rachel, Angela) The disco was a great success! Thank you to all who helped out and attended. A total of 8800 kr was raised. Over 100 parents and 150 children were ab The PTA plans on organizing another disco in Spring 2012 and is researching several ideas on how to allow more children to attend this fun evening. 3. Update re: ISBC book orders (Sally) The book orders are in and were distributed on Tuesday and Wednesday to the children. The PTA received orders for about 30,000Kr of books (this was smaller than last years orders). This allowed us to provide 6,000Kr of free books to the school...... The PYP teachers used up the whole allocation for their classrooms so there should be lots of new reading material available for the students!! The PTA did not receive any free book requests from the MYP library, but will continue to let the library staff know of this opportunity in the future. 4. Update re: plans for the Dec 4th Winter Bazaar (Rachel, Dorte) The activities at the Bazaar will include a raffle, tombola, international caf, international food and craft stalls, an activity challenge room, a game room, a class-sponsored auction, a craft room and a student show. There will also be a charity tree again this year. Rachel Callander and Dorte Holm -Egeskov have volunteered to oversee the event and are working with other volunteers to plan the specific details. They plan on communicating more information re: details and how interested parents can get involved with the fun very soon. Additional info re: Winter Bazaar: o Food items that are being sold for take away need to include an ingredients list. o Students and families from the National section will be included as well. 5. Update re: International Cookbook Fundraiser plans (Julie) The team is just forming for this fundraiser activity. And more volunteers are always welcome. You can contact Julie Romanski for more information. An initial meeting was held on Wednesday after the PTA meeting. We looked over several cookbooks that have been done in the past by the ISGR PTA (in 1999 and 2002) and other cookbooks that parents have been involved in at their former schools and communities to get ideas for the format for this new ISGR International Cookbook. The plan is to begin work on identifying printing resources for the cookbook, soliciting local businesses to see if they would like to have an advertisement for their company included in the cookbook, involving the students to help with artwork to be included in the cookbook, and then requesting recipes in a standard format from the ISGR community. The goal is to have the cookbook available for sale in Spring 2012.

6. Update re: MYP Sports Activity Evening (Wendy)

Peter Sjoberg, a PE teacher, is interested in helping the PTA with this idea. We are currently trying to find out the interest level among the MYP students for an activity like this and hope to be able to plan an activity for the end of November.
7. Update re: ISGR sportswear order (Julie) Maria Sheridan has volunteered to take the lead on this activity and is working with Peter Sjoberg on the details. The PTA hopes to be able to organize a school sportswear order before the end of the calendar year, and possibly also provide a second order opportunity in the Spring. 8. Update re: Grade 10 fundraiser - MYP Parent Glogg Evening (Maria)

The Grade 10 students would like to host a Parent Glogg (Swedish mulled wine nonalcoholic) Evening on Thursday, December 8th at the MYP Bamba. More information re: ticket sales and other details should be available after the Autumn Break. This is a fundraising activity to support the Grade 10 Class trip to Berlin in the Spring. The Grade 10 students would also like to have some tables at the Winter Bazaar to sell some socks and other items as a fundraiser.

9. Other items....... i. Playground update. The school staff is talking with the PYP property owner to discuss options for improving the PYP play area. The staff also plans to talk with the MYP Student Council to see what kind of outdoor improvements students would like to see at the MYP campus. ii. School directory update - The school staff thought a school directory should be ready by Week 45 after the return from Autumn Break.