New Families Information

Welcome to Mercer Island High School! We are so glad to have you as part of our MIHS and Mercer Island community. This information is designed to get you started in our school district and at our high school. If you have questions beyond this information, please contact VP Outreach for more info outreach@mihsptsa.org

8th Edition, August 2024
Created by: Mercer Island High School Parent Teacher Association

Welcome, New Families!

If your new MIHS student is coming from Islander Middle School, you should already be on the district’s listserv and you’ll continue to receive communications as you have in the past. You should be able to continue to use your same Skyward, Schoology and FlashAlert login info.

If you are new to the district, please sign up for the following and download their apps for easy access.

• Qmlativ (Skyward). Skyward is the system used for accessing your student's schedule, grades, attendance, and emergency contact info. Click here to learn more and get started. 
• Schoology. Schoology is the platform that provides access to class communications and course assignments. Learn more here. 
• FlashAlert. FlashAlert is an emergency notification service that will message you about inclement weather delays or cancellations. Sign up here. You can also receive messages through Skylert via the Skyward system. 
• MIHS PTSA. PTSA membership provides access to the online school directory and helps to support a number of programs for our students and staff. Join here, then download the Membership Toolkit app to access the directory, schedules, and more. 

Calendars

There are always a lot of exciting things happening, and it can be difficult to stay on top of it all. Keep track of events by subscribing to calendars and/or bookmarking pages with important dates.

• Click here for a pdf that features an at-a-glance look at all instructional days, holidays and in-service days.
• Click here to subscribe to an MIHS iCal feed. You can always hide this from view until you want to check what’s happening. 
• To see what’s happening within the MIHS PTSA, go to the homepage. Scroll down and look at the left column. Below “Upcoming Events” there are two buttons. One takes you to a month-at-a-glance page and the other allows you to subscribe to the PTSA iCal feed.

Who’s Who

There can certainly be confusion about these related, yet distinct, organizations. Know that they all work together to support students and learning on Mercer Island!

Mercer Island High School PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association)
The PTSA is a group of parent volunteers and teachers from the high school who, through their membership dues, fund student leadership training, provide teachers grants, host college reps, send advocates to Olympia and support the school in many other ways. General membership meetings are held 2-3 times a year (see listing of dates on the home page). The board meets with MIHS Principal Nick Wold monthly. Membership allows you a vote on the PTSA's annual budget, officers, and projects that are funded. It  also provides you access to the online MIHS member directory through the platform, Membership Toolkit. Join the MIHS PTSA here!

Mercer Island PTA Council and Parent Edge
The PTA Council is comprised of parent volunteers from each school in the district and teachers from across the district that come together to make decisions and advocate for the district as a whole. Parent Edge is a part of the MI PTA Council whose goal is to encourage dialogue and share best practices by bringing in expert speakers for parents, educators, and the community.

Mercer Island Schools Foundation
The MISF is a non-profit organization that raises funds from the community to supplement state funding and improve the quality of education for every student in the Mercer Island School District (MISD). Among other things, they sponsor a special event in the fall and a fundraising breakfast in the spring. They pay for instructional materials, professional development, and support for diverse learners.

Mercer Island Youth & Family Services (MIYFS)
MIYFS is a non-profit organization that serves the city through donations and proceeds from the Mercer Island Thrift Shop. It provides emergency support and student volunteer service opportunities. MIYFS has two licensed therapists who maintain an office on the high school campus called the R & R Place (Resource & Referral). One is a full-time mental health counselor and the other is a full-time alcohol & drug intervention specialist. A unique benefit to our students, MIYFS also funds two behavioral health counselors at IMS, and one counselor at each of the MISD elementary schools.

Keeping Informed

Check websites for the answers to many of your questions. Follow Facebook and Instagram accounts to stay in the know. Note that many clubs and booster organizations also have their own sites and accounts. In addition, the senior class usually has an IG account and often a “Parents of Class of 20XX” FB page.

Read more about Daily Schedule, Parking, Student Activities here >>

INFORMATION AND HELPFUL RESOURCES

• www.mihsptsa.org This is the Parent, Teacher, Student Association, which provides myriad support to your student and family. Please join the PTSA. Your membership and donations pay for many of your student’s activities and enrichments.
• mihs.mercerislandschools.org  This is MIHS website. It provides information about the school, school events, and announcements. There are links to Naviance, counseling team, graduation requirements, course descriptions, and much more..
• www.starttalkingnow.org  This is a great resource recommended by Mercer Island Youth and Family Services, the on-site behavioral health counselors that work at MIHS (and each of the schools in the Mercer Island School District).  Here you will find information about managing stress, mental health, and substance use.
• www.miparentedge.org  This is a PTSA sponsored group that brings in educational speakers to the District. They offer a multitude of parenting and family resources on a variety of topics.

For specific questions or comments or would like any additional information, please send an email to outreach@mihsptsa.org.

Also, here are dates of PTSA events and meetings that may be of interest to you or your family. You are invited to attend any and all of these. (See MIHS PTSA home page for full listing of events/dates.)

Sept 25, 2025 - MIHS 9th Grade & New Family Orientation

4:30 - 6:00 pm @ MIHS Library/Quiet Zone

Sept 25, 2025 - MIHS Curriculum Night & Marketplace

5:00 - 8:30 pm @ MIHS Commons, Library, Crest, Gym

Sept 28, 2025 - Mandarin Speaking Families Gathering 

2:00 pm @ MI Southend Starbucks

Oct 15, 2025 - Make-up/Retake MIHS Photos

7:30 am - 12:00 noon @ MIHS

Dec 19, 2025  - General Membership Meeting & Holiday Celebration

8:30 - 10:00 am @ MIHS Commons 

May 8, 2026 - General Membership Meeting & Annual Awards Ceremony

8:30 - 10:30 am @ MIHS Courtyard