MIHS News – January 24, 2021

1/24/2021 5:13 pm

What’s New This Week!

Schedule this Week

There is no school on Monday, January 25 for teacher report card preparation.

From Mercer Island PTA Council

On January 19^th our first graders joined the Kindergartners and other learners back in the buildings for in-person learning. It was so exciting to see the busses in our neighborhoods and the smiling, masked, faces of our youngest learners heading to school. MISD was the first school district in King County to bring back our Kindergarteners. Thank you MISD and teachers for prioritizing the well-being of our students and bravely taking this step forward. 

 

MISD has done its part to implement all of the Department of Health mitigation measures, and data says that it is possible to safely return to in-person learning with these safety measures in place. As the District looks to bring back more students, it is now our responsibility as parents, as a community, to do our part to allow students to continue to return to school and to help keep everyone safe. As a community, we need to do our part to keep the positivity rate low on Mercer Island and to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Please wear masks, wash your hands regularly, maintain physical distancing and minimize social gatherings. When your child does go to school, please complete the Health Attestation. Our students and teachers need our support. Together, We Can Do This!

 

Thank you,
MI PTA Council

Parenting in Place Masterclass Series

February 17 – APRIL 7, 2021
8 part program (via Zoom) 
Watch live on Wednesdays 5PM (PT) or view the recording

 

Are you burned out, concerned about your child’s well-being and wondering how your family will manage during the winter as we near a year into the pandemic? 

 

The Parenting in Place series comes from a group of parenting experts, therapists, authors, educators, and neuroscientists who’ve joined to share their very best strategies and ideas for how you and your family can thrive in the coming months.

 

This series is available to Mercer Island residents at a discounted rate of $10 (a portion of the registration fee for Mercer Island residents is being underwritten by MI Parent Edge & Mercer Island Youth and Family Services). Special rate available to the first 200 to register! Click here to register and learn more details about each week’s topic.

Staff Appreciation

-January Staff Appreciation Snacks

 

This month, MIHS teachers and staff were treated to healthy snacks and drinks to kick off the year! We would like to thank Kristin Aoyama, Claudia Harner-Jay, Sarah Mangold, Jodi McCarthy, Ann McGovern, Tali Wang and Julie Wilson for donating items.

MIHS staff members continue to show up for our children even as they navigate and prepare for the various options on the horizon. 

 

Sincerely,

Irene Geisner and Jennifer Selby
Staff Appreciation Co-Chairs

 

For February Staff Appreciation, our team is preparing Lunar New Year celebration themed “Have a Tea Break!” goody bags and are asking for donations of specific goodies to include in the bags. There are still a few unassigned items. Click here to see how you can help.

PTSA News and Announcements

Parent Edge

In addition to sponsoring numerous events throughout the year, MI Parent Edge can direct you to many online Parenting Resources, including Covid-19 resources, how to talk about race, resources for families of color, anti-bullying resources, and much more. Click here to learn more about what Parent Edge has to offer.

 

Funding for MI Parent Edge comes in part from your donations to MIHS PTSA. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Mock SAT/ACT Tests

Over the course of the school year, MIHS PTSA provides 6 testing opportunities as a chance to practice a real test, become familiar with a testing environment, and help identify which testing platform is best for each individual student. All this in a ‘Mock’ situation where tests are not recorded or submitted to any high school or college organization. This is a perfect chance to ‘try out’ these tests.

Register and/or learn more about the PTSA sponsored Mock SAT/ACT tests.

Presidents Letter

Dear MIHS families,

 

Final exams are now behind us, and it’s time to move onward to second semester!  This week starts off with NO SCHOOL on Monday, January 25th for Grading Day.  In addition, snow keeps popping in and out of the forecast for this week on my weather app. Inclement weather this time of year could affect students currently in person as well as those online if there are power outages. Now is a good time to make sure you are signed up for Flash Alerts, as well as check Skyward to make sure you are signed up to receive text notifications from the district.  District instructions and links to sign up can be found HERE.

Did you know that MISD has a new Covid-19 dashboard?  The link is in a bright yellow banner on both the MIHS Homepage and District Website. The dashboard displays up-to-date information on covid cases among MISD staff and students. Bookmark this link to stay up to date on the most current numbers for our District.

 

Finals, semester grades, college applications (for seniors), and the transition to a new class schedule can make this a very stressful time of year. This year our students are dealing with navigating all of this through a pandemic.  Hopefully our students are finding time to have meaningful connections with friends and family, are eating well, sleeping enough, and exercising. All of these things can help them with their emotional well-being and perform at their best. If you’re concerned about your student’s well-being or stress level, any time of the year, MIHS is very fortunate to have two Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS) Counselors (Chris Harnish and Ariel Schachter) available in the Resource & Referral (R&R) Place. Chris and Ariel provide a safe and confidential place for students, parents and even staff to access for support.

 

Would you like to help support this program and other MIYFS programs across our community? One way you can do so is to attend the annual MIYFS Foundation Fundraising Breakfast, coming up on February 10 from 7:30-8:30am at the Mercer Island Community and Event Center.  Click here to learn more and register.

 

Our PTSA is beginning to think about next year’s Board and will soon be presenting a slate of candidates for your approval to serve on the PTSA Nominating Committee.  These volunteers will be working hard to recruit MIHS PTSA Executive Officers for the 2021-22 school year.  If you are interested in serving on the Nominating Committee or as an Executive Officer next year, please contact us at president@mihsptsa.org.

 

Have a great week, Islanders!

 

Warmly,

Debbie Burke and Stacy Nakata
MIHS PTSA Co-Presidents
president@mihsptsa.org 

MIHS News

Counseling Department Newsletter

The MIHS Counseling Department’s January newsletter is available on the Counseling website. The newsletter covers information about course registration for the 2021-2022 school year, Running Start information, MIonline registration, important dates and deadlines, upcoming events and opportunities and so much more! Please visit the website each month for new editions of our newsletter.

Join Speaker Angela Tucker via Zoom with MIHS

Angela is a speaker, educator, mentor and consultant for children and adults of adoption. She has made several films and has a podcast that interviews adoptees from all backgrounds in an effort to shift societal perceptions about adoption. The conversations explore how adoption often reveals something new about racism, religion, immigration, trauma, and the many layers of unconventional families.

Join Angela Tucker via Zoom for an informative conversation on the topics covered in her film Closure.

• When: Wednesday, February 10th
• Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
• Download PDF for zoom link.
• Homework: Watch Angela’s documentary Closure currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. View for more information.

Grab and Go Meals

Check out the school district’s Food Services webpage for more information. Note: there will be no Grab and Go service on Monday, January 25!

Community Opportunities*

Healthy Youth Initiative

Preparing for Life Beyond and During High School
Virtual Series – Starting January 27, 6-7:30pm

Mercer Island Healthy Youth Initiative invites you to join us for a new series led by Dr. Jason Kilmer, joined by Dr. Christine Lee, from the University of Washington to explore topics essential to successfully launch soon-to-be and recent graduates into the next stage of life.

With remote learning, and additional pandemic related stressors, it’s a good time to check in on our well-being. Returning this year to share a new tool, Check-In With Yourself, this series will explore emerging and important science around stress management and substance use including how they are associated with academic outcomes and mental health.

 

Click here to learn more and pre-register for the webinar.

MIYFS Newsletter Relaunched

MIYFS has relaunched its newsletter; it will continue as the MIYFS Monthlyin 2021. You can find great community information and resources in this newsletter. Click here for the initial newsletter and to sign up for the monthly email.

Friends of the Library Pop-up Store

The Mercer Island Friends of the Library have reopened their Pop-up store at is the previous 5 Elements Pilates location at 130-134 77th Ave SE. The store is opened:  Fridays 11-3 and Saturdays 11-3.  

We have Two rooms of all types of books, including bestsellers and a wide variety of children’s books (see attached photo) are available.   All the books have been donated by Islanders. There are books on just about any topic and are on sale for $2.00 or less and beautiful coffee table books for $4.00.  

100% of the proceeds go to the Friends of the Mercer Island Library and are used to fund library programs.  Join us in supporting library programs when the library reopens.

 

Please drop by to pick up quality books to read or gift or drop off any books that you may have cleaned out during the pandemic and wish to donate.  We will ensure that they go to a good home.😊  It is this spirit that makes Mercer Island such a great place to live, work, and raise our children.  The Friends of Mercer Island library is a 501(c)(3) organization, and donations are tax deductible.   

MIYFS “Rise Up!” Virtual Fundraising Breakfast

February 10, 2021 | 7:30 am

 

Register now for the Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS) 19^thAnnual Virtual Fundraising Breakfast! Held online (breakfast.miyfs.org) on February 10, the virtual format offers a unique opportunity for all Islanders to log in and learn more about the incredible work of MIYFS. Rise Up! Roll out of bed, stay cozy in your pajamas – and join MIYFS Foundation for an online program that promises to be full of fun surprises. There is no better way to start your morning than celebrating and supporting your friends and neighbors!

 

The event’s Master of Ceremonies is actor/comedian (and MIHS alum!) Joel McHale, special interviews with KUOW Radio host (and MI resident!) Bill Radke, and keynote address by 21+ year MI School District employee Kelly John-Lewis.

 

We need MIYFS now more than ever. Our island’s families, businesses, and nonprofit organizations are hurting – and the pandemic will have lasting effects on our community for decades to come. MIYFS is our island’s sole full-service, on-island social and human services provider. MIYFS offers a broad variety of programs, services and expertise that support the wellness and human service needs of all Mercer Islanders. It’s time to “Rise Up!” to support MIYFS. Register today!

 

Want to show your support for the MIYFS “Rise Up!” Virtual Breakfast NOW? Great! Purchase and wear a “Rise Up!” face mask (available for $10 onlineand at the following local retailers: Island Treats, Island Books, Studio 904, Cascade Frames, and Terra Bella)! And show us your jammies! Submit a photo of your family/pets cozy in pajamas holding these signs, and upload pajama photos here – and/or tag them with #riseupmiyfs on social media! Take a peek at others planning to support MIYFS in their PJs at breakfast.miyfs.org!

Free IEP Workshop Hosted by Behaviorist

February 3, 2021 via Zoom! The workshop will cover the IEP, Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP), Accommodations and Modifications, attending an IEP Meeting, Prior Written Notice and IEP follow up, and have plenty of time for participants to ask questions. Click here to register and for more information.

College Planning Workshops Hosted by Heritage Wealth

College Planning Workshop – Planning Ahead Financially

With college costs rising at a rate double that of inflation, many kids end up buried in student loans. Join us on February 5th at 10am as we look at the benefits of planning ahead. We will cover topics including:

• Expected Family Contribution- how to qualify for more aid
• “Needs Based” Financial Aid including new tax credits
• Often Missed Sources- Running Start, WUE, Work Study, OneClass
• Tax shelters- 529, Trusts, GET, Education IRAs, Roth IRAs, etc
• Sheltering assets and income

RSVP here and for all of the details.

 

High School Financial Bootcamp – Teaching Kids Smart Money Habits

February 18th, 2:30pm. Wealth is a mindset. Let’s build it together. Money can’t buy happiness, but it affords us the ability to buy two things that the wealthy say are far more important than money: Freedom and Time. Join us as we discuss tips and strategies to build our Wealth Mindset, and tactics for making the best money decisions we can, with the resources we have.  We don’t teach kids about money in school, and so most young adults are sent into the world with little to no formal education in how to make smart money decisions. Join us and bring your kids for a discussion around some of the most important financial concepts that will not only help put them on a better trajectory but leave them excited about making better financial decisions.

 

 

*Mercer Island High School PTSA (MIHS PTSA) and the Mercer Island School District have neither reviewed nor approved the programs, personnel, activities or organizations announced in these flyers or websites.  The participants agree to protect, indemnify, and hold harmless the district and MIHS PTSA, including elected and appointed officials, employees, agents, staff and volunteers, from any and all claims, liabilities, damages, expenses, or rights of action, directly or indirectly attributed to the activities.  Permission to distribute this information and or flyers should not be considered a recommendation of the programs by the school district or by the MIHS PTSA.  These are neither school district nor MIHS PTSA sponsored activities.

 

For additional news, please click on What’s New on our website, where you can scroll through all of our news posts.