MIHS News – March 14, 2021

3/14/2021 12:09 pm

What’s New This Week!

Principal’s Video

Please watch Principal Walter Kelly’s latest video message, which includes information about freshman orientation on March 15 and 16 in preparation for hybrid learning schedules to begin March 22; parking deadlines; athletics; honors for 21 DECA students qualifying for the international conference; all-NW and all-state music, band, choir and orchestra honors; and the ongoing work to address racism at MIHS.

 

 

Counseling Department Newsletter

The MIHS Counseling Department’s March newsletter is now available on the Counseling website. (Newsletters are posted on the left-hand side of the page.) This month’s newsletter covers information about important dates and deadlines, WANIC courses, Running Start, SAT/ACT information, testing accommodations, scholarship information, summer school information, the district’s language proficiency assessment, upcoming events and programs, and student wellness resources. Please visit the counseling website each month for the newest edition of our newsletter or to view previous editions.

From the Student Group On Race Relations and Black Student Union

Hate crimes targeting Asian-Americans and their communities have soared due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Between March and September of 2020, there were 2,500 official reports. Click here for a document with:

• links to articles about incidents of hate crimes against Asian-Americans;
• resources if you need to report a hate crime/discrimination; and
• articles about the complex history of and discrimination against Asian-Americans.

Information for Seniors and Senior Families

Pictures needed for Senior Slideshow

Attention fabulous Parents of Seniors!

 

The season of preparations for Senior Graduation Festivities has officially begun.

As they start putting together the traditional Senior SlideShow, the ASB Senior Officers need your help gathering pictures of your children. 

 

What is the Senior SlideShow?

 The Senior SlideShow is an ambitious visual production that is traditionally shown to Seniors during the final assembly. It emcompasses highlights of the students’ experience during their years at MIHS. It also aims to offer snapshots of our kids through their younger years, when they navigated -often together- elementary and middle school. The goal is to include every single one of our 375 Seniors.

 

What do I need to do?

Please submit 1 to 7 photos (high-resolution as much as possible) to the email below. Photos should ideally include:

• One or two individual photos of your kid during their K-5 years and/or high school.
• The others should be group photos picturing wonderful moments through their Mercer Island school years. Examples include sporting events, plays, dance, clubs, music performances, class parties or simply casual hang outs. 
• Group photos should be candid, fun, sweet and appropriate please!  
• Not all the pics submitted will be used. 
• If possible, in the body of the email please include the names of all the kids appearing in the photos you are submitting.

Where do I send my pics?

Please submit your fabulous photos to: MIHS2021seniors@hotmail.com

 

When is this due?

As soon as you can please! Deadline is April 10th. 

 

On behalf of the ASB Senior Officers, a heartfelt thank-you in advance for your contribution to the Senior SlideShow. 

 

“The tassel is worth the hassle.”

Seeking Student Speakers for Baccalaureate

What is a Baccalaureate service?  Baccalaureate is an interfaith service that many consider the most moving and emotional aspect of all the senior activities.  Both a service of gratitude – for relationships, for learning, and for transformation – and a service of reflection, Baccalaureate is, at its heart, an expression of love and community among students and families, and an opportunity to bless seniors on their way.

 

When is Baccalaureate?  June 6 at 2:00 pm.

 

Who hosts the Baccalaureate service?  The Mercer Island Clergy Association hosts the service.  This year it will be held at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 8501 SE 40th St.

 

How can students get involved?

• Speakers:  we want to give voice to the faith lives of our community and want to hear from students of every faith practiced in our senior class!  We encourage anyone interested in speaking to submit a self-nomination by ​March 31​.  Include your name and a short statement reflecting on your religion’s shared values, i.e. the Golden Rule.  
• Musicians & performers:  we encourage anyone interested in performing to also email details.  Ensembles, soloists, wind, brass, vocals, spoken word are all welcome.
• Artists:  please submit art for the program cover.  The theme is “The Hill We Climb”.
• MC:  we are also looking for students interested in introducing speakers and performers.  The service is student led.  If interested in this role, please send an email.

All nominations should be emailed to julieduffie@msn.com by ​March 31.

Parent Edge Needs You!

Do you enjoy Parent Edge programs? Are you curious about trends in parenting, education and supporting our youth? Do you want to share your ideas & talents? WE NEED YOU!

Join us for an Information Session to learn about opportunities to get involved with the MI Parent Edge board!

 

MI Parent Edge Information Sessions

Tuesday, March 30 – 7pm
Wednesday, March 31 – 10:30am

We are looking for Mercer Island parents to join the Parent Edge Content and Marketing Teams.  

Join us for one of the virtual information sessions to learn more and ask questions.

 

Visit the Parent Edge website for details on the board roles and responsibilities.

Register for Info Session

Advocacy Update

In case you missed it, Governor Inslee recently announced a plan for a return to in-person hybrid learning this spring.

 

The MIHS PTSA Advocacy team is working on how we can best advocate for a safe return to full time, in-person learning in the fall. Please share your views by emailing: Advocacy@mihsptsa.org. 

Grab and Go Meals

Starting Monday, March 15, Grab and Go Meal pick up sites will be headed back outside. 

Islander Middle School pick-up site will be located outside of the main office entrance. This is a walk up site. Mercer Island High School pick-up site will be located at the west driveway entrance of the school, between the grass field and the building. This is a drive-through location but walk ups are also welcome!

 

Grab & Go Meals, provided by the MISD Food Services department, offer lunch for all children 1-18 and breakfast for the next day. Two locations are available for pick-up between 11:30am-1:00pm Monday through Friday. Meals are provided at no cost, thanks to a USDA nationwide waiver. 

 

Please complete this form to pre-order meals for your student(s). This form needs to be submitted by 9 a.m. the day of pick up.

Pick Up Times and Locations:

 

Mercer Island High School
9100 SE 42nd St.
Pick Up: 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

 

Islander Middle School
7447 84th Ave S.E.
Pick Up: 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Check out the school district’s Food Services webpage for more information.

PTSA News and Announcements

Parent Edge

Presentation: Curiosity & Questions – Engaging in Difficult Conversations
Virtual Presentation: March 18, 2021 at 7:00PM

Current issues provide a great opportunity to engage others in rich conversation, share important values, encourage deeper understanding of the news, and disrupt bias and prejudice. Mercer Island community members are invited to join this workshop to reflect on bias, engagement, and communication. The workshop is facilitated by Anti-Defamation League Education Director, Scotland Nash EdD.

 

Discussion points include:

• What are your spheres of influence?
• What are the necessary ground rules for meaningful and respectful dialogue?
• Incidents of hate are on the rise, what are strategies to talk about them at the table?

Register Here

 

Brought to you by MI Youth and Family Services, ParentEdge, MIHS DEI Committee and MI PTA Council. Questions? Contact MIHS PTSA Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee Chairperson Lauren Leahy

Community Service Awards

The MIHS Community Service Awards Program is organized by the MIHS Counseling Center in partnership with the MIHS PTSA. This is an award that any Senior or Junior may apply for and it’s based on community service hours performed throughout the student’s high school career beginning the first day of 9th grade.  Community service hours are voluntary and NOT a requirement to graduate from MIHS. Seniors who submit volunteer hours and are eligible for an award will be recognized with a Community Service pin.  Juniors eligible for an award will be placed on a list for recognition next year when those students are Seniors.

 

Freshmen and Sophomores can accumulate and keep records of their volunteer hours but should not submit until their Junior or Senior year. 

 

Please note: due to the impact of the pandemic, adjustments are being made to the award levels to account for the fact that volunteer opportunities have been limited.

• Gold level – 195 hours
• Silver level – 135 hours
• Bronze level – 90 hours

More information is available on the MIHS PTSA website.  Detailed instructions and the timesheet used to submit hours can be found on the Counseling Department webpage here.  Seniors are encouraged to submit their volunteer hours by April 30.

Staff Appreciation News

As we prepare for our students to head back to school, we are reflecting on the last 12 months and marveling at what teachers and staff members have been able to accomplish.  During this time, they have been asked to adopt four very different teaching styles:  Regular teaching though mid-March, a rapid adjustment to a Remote model last Spring, a more well planned out Remote model this Fall and Winter, and a totally new Hybrid teaching model with new technology this Spring.  This month they are coming in person to teach our children before they are fully vaccinated.  It is incredible what they are doing for our students.

 

Please remember to let the teachers in your child’s life know how much you appreciate them and their hard work.  As the District moves more classrooms from remote to hybrid over the next few weeks, let’s show all of our teachers how much we appreciate their time, creativity, energy, dedication, and commitment to our students. 

 

Over the past 6 months, the Staff Appreciation committee has done a monthly event for all 150 teachers, staff, and facilities personnel to thank them for their hard work. If you have not already joined us, THERE IS STILL TIME TO GET INVOLVED.  We would love additional help with activities for the rest of this school year.  Please contact us at staffappreciation@mihsptsa.org to be added to our list, or click here to learn about and contribute to the “back to school” efforts.

 

Thank you
Jennifer Selby and Irene Geisner
Co-Chairs Staff Appreciation

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.

 

Note: the final Mock test for the current school year is an ACT on Saturday, April 3.

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

Presidents Letter

Dear MIHS Families,

 

Spring is in the air…and we hope the recent sunshine continues and helps to lighten our spirits!  Excitement is building for the upcoming return to school in a hybrid schedule.  A/B schedules were assigned to students this past week (key HERE), and are posted in Skyward.  The school is looking forward to welcoming 9th/12th graders to the school beginning March 22nd, and 10th/11th graders beginning April 15th.  For many 9th graders, March 22nd marks their first time entering MIHS as an Islander student.

 

MIHS will be holding Freshman orientation and tours of the High School March 15th from 12:30 pm – 2:00 pm for Islander Hour Group A and March 16 from 2:30 pm – 4:00 pm for Islander Hour Group B. Groups can be found HERE. Freshmen can sign up by filling out the google form HEREusing their school-issued email account (ending in @misd400.org). 

 

The District’s Learning Forward team has created a website as a resource and tool for hybrid learning for teachers and families:  MISD Hybrid Ready for Secondary.  The website includes the daily schedule, health and safety information, instructional design, and more.

 

Transportation update – For this school year metro busses specifically routed to MIHS will not be in use and ORCA cards will not be issued. MISD yellow buses will now transport MIHS students living on the island, outside the MIHS 1-mile walk zone. Students are no longer assigned to a specific bus route/bus stop. Rather they must sign up for a particular bus by using an interactive map.

 

Stay up to date on MIHS athletics at their new home: https://mihsislanders.com/!  Did you know girls varsity soccer won their first 2 games?  Their next game is this Thursday, March 18 @home. Varsity football defeated Newport at their first game of the season last Friday night, and they play Liberty this Saturday, March 20 @home!  Girls volleyball teams go up against Sammamish High School this Wednesday, March 17th at MIHS, and boys tennis has their next match versus Interlake this Thursday, March 18th!

 

Have a great week Islanders!

 

Warmly,

Debbie Burke & Stacy Nakata
MIHS PTSA Co-Presidents

MIHS News

Schedule this Week

This week is the normal Red Learning Schedule. Freshmen orientations are scheduled for Monday, March 15 and Tuesday, March 16. Visit the school calendar for details.

MIHS Drill Team

2021-2022 MIHS Drill Team Tryouts – Save the Dates!

Tryouts: March 29^th – April 1^st (Tues – Thurs), 4-6pm

Contact Coach Kyle Mosler with questions.

 

IMS Drill Clinic
Come have fun & dance with us!!

MIHS Drill Team is holding an in-person IMS Drill Clinic March 15^th – March 20th, 4:00pm-5:30pm at the Northwood Elementary Outdoor Pavilion. This week long clinic provides insight on what it’s like to be on the drill team where you will learn dance technique, jumps, kicks, and choreographed dance routines (no previous dance experience required). 

This is open to all 6th-8th graders. Please contact Sandra Levin at levinsandra@me.com to request more information and to answer any questions. 

Perpetual Foreigner – A three part, free webinar on Asian-American History

Presented by MIHS student group – the Education Coalition for Asian American Representation – in partnership with KCLS.

March 17, 7pm – Perpetual Foreigner, Part 3 / Historical Discrimination of Asians and Asian Americans, followed by Discrimination in Current Events

MIHS/IMS Cheer Clinic

Calling all C-H-E-E-R candidates! 
MIHS Cheer is getting ready to hold its Middle School Cheer Clinic and tryouts in-person! For the first time ever, the Cheer Clinic will be open to current 6th-9th graders. 

Don’t miss out on this fun chance to learn what MIHS Cheer is all about. Please e-mail Coach Elizabeth Bobadilla to get on the distribution list as dates, times, and locations are still being finalized.|

Here are important dates to get on your calendar:

• March 22-26 Cheer Clinic (6th-Freshmen)
• March 25 at 6:30 pm Cheer Candidate & Parent Meeting via Zoom
• April 12-16 Cheer Tryouts Week!

 

Community Opportunities*

Ergon Student Exchange

Host an Italian exchange student and give your child a friend to share life with

 

“I am grateful that our family had Giacomo here during this pandemic. He has brought us joy, fun, and laughter.” (Fawn, former host mother)

 

Hosting an exchange student can be an enriching experience for your family, even during remote learning. And now there are reasons for hope, with mass vaccination speeding up in the United States. Beatrice, Cecilia, Sofia, Marco, Ludovica, Matteo, Jacopo… share this hope and look forward to their dream coming true of their exchange in the United States and experience living with an American family for a semester or full year. They are strongly motivated, responsible, respectful students, and carry a $2 million insurance covering Covid-related expenses. They are all tested for Covid before departure. 

 

Ergon devotes great care to selecting students and matching them with host families. Many of our MI families share lasting friendships with their students. Click here to read a testimonial from Mercer Island mom Jayme Witman.

 

In the summer of 2022, the Italian family will offer your child a direct exposure to Italian culture through an all-expenses paid vacation. Ergon sponsors the flight! 

 

To learn more, visit www.ergon-se.org and e-mail  info@ergon-se.org. Thank you!

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.

 

 

*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.