MIHS News – November 1, 2020

10/30/2020 7:38 pm

What’s New This Week!

NEW! Advocacy Update

Advocacy is at the heart of everything we do in PTA. We would like to thank the 36 Mercer Island PTA members (10 from MIHS including 2 MIHS students) who recently attended the WSPTA Legislative Assembly. Their representation gave our children and community a voice. This year we selected the top five issues for our two-year legislative platform as well as other supported issues and a number of long-term resolutions on topics that impact children in Washington state. Learn more here: https://www.wastatepta.org/focus-areas/advocacy/

 

Top 5 Legislative Priorities for 2020-2021

• Increase Access to Nursing, Mental Health, and Social Emotional Learning Staff
• Support Students and Preserve Education Funding
• Increasing Educational Equity by Closing the Digital Divide
• Supports and Funding for Students with Disabilities and Their Families
• Prevent and Reduce Gun Violence and Suicide

2020-2021 WSPTA Supported Issues

• Equitable Identification and Services for Highly Capable Students
• Mitigating the Adverse Impacts of Climate Change
• Safe School Plans and Emergency Preparedness

WSPTA is a strong force for legislative action in Washington state. Sign up to receive action alerts and information bulletins.https://www.wastatepta.org/focus-areas/advocacy.  

 

If you have any questions or would like to get more involved in advocating for these issues, contact us at advocacy@mihsptsa.org. 

 

Learn more about our local gun violence prevention committee
https://miptacouncil.org/advocacy/events-news/gun-violence-prevention-subcommittee/

 

Learn more about funding for our YFS counselors
https://miptacouncil.org/advocacy/faqs-miyfs-counselors-in-our-schools/

 

Learn more about our local environmental sustainability committee
https://miptacouncil.org/advocacy/aces/

NEW! Island Books Gift Card Extravaganza!

 

Purchase Island Books gift cards – 15% is donated to your designated school’s PTA/PTSA

 

When: December 1-4, 2020

 

Where: Island Books – 3014 78^th Ave SE, Mercer Island | 206.232.6920 | islandbooks.com

 

Support MIHS PTSA by purchasing Island Books gift cards between December 1-4. 15% of the sale will benefit Mercer Island PTAs/PTSAs! Purchase as many Island Books gift cards as you’d like (no limit!), and there is no minimum/maximum dollar amount for each gift card. 

 

Make a list! Teachers, kids, friends, family, coworkers, babysitters, and yourself – give the gift of future shopping, while supporting your school and our beloved local book shop. Private shopping appointments are available to spend your gift cards. Call Island Books to arrange a time. 

 

Four easy ways to purchase Island Books gift cards:

• Online: https://www.islandbooks.com/island-books-gift-card (mention MIHS PTSA in the “message” portion of the form)

• In-store: mention MIHS PTSA, open weekdays: 9 am – 7 pm

• Call: 206.232.6920. Credit card purchases only. Be sure to mention MIHS!

• Email: (orders@islandbooks.com) with the number of gift cards, the dollar amounts for each card, and the school name(s) to receive fundraising credit for each gift card purchased.

This district-wide fundraising event will be the only Island Books Mercer Island School District PTA/PTSA fundraiser this school year. Thank you for purchasing Island Books gift cards to support Mercer Island school PTA/PTSAs December 1-4!

 

Contact Julia Hokanson (julia.hokanson@gmail.com) or Paulette Denman (paulette@snookus.com) with any questions. 

NEW! Staff and Student Appreciation

THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS!

 

The PTSA Executive Committee would like to thank the amazing MIHS Staff Appreciation Co-chairs, Irene Geisner and Jennifer Selby, for organizing Halloween-themed gifts for the teachers, staff, and facilities staff.

 

 

The year is off to a smooth start thanks to the work of our teachers and staff! 

 

We would also like to extend our gratitude to our wonderful Student Appreciation Chair, Amy Fujishige, for preparing over 1,500 trio packs of candies with a sweet note of encouragement for the hard work of our MIHS students in this virtual environment! 

 

 

And a special shout out to all the volunteers who worked diligently to safely distribute the treats to students during Photo Days over the course of the past four weeks.

NEW! PTSA Presidents Newsletter

Dear MIHS Families:

 

As we welcome in the month of November, we are happy to share that yearbooks for the 2019/2020 school year are finally here! These will be handed out in a drive-thru fashion and yearbook staff and admins ask that you please wear a mask. To review the map click here. Please see below for your student’s dates and timeframe:

 

Monday, Nov. 2, 1 pm to 4 pm: 
Class of 2020 (graduates)
Class of 2021 (current seniors)

 

Monday, Nov. 9, 1 pm to 4 pm:
Class of 2022 (current juniors)
Class of 2023 (current sophomores)

 

If you didn’t purchase a book last year but would like to do so now, click here. Please be prepared to show your receipt on your phone or paper. If you have any questions please email greg.smiley@mercerislandschools.org.

 

This past week, our Athletic department announced, via Schoology, that some optional sports practices will be offered to students beginning November 4^th. The format will be similar to the summer athletics time period, is completely optional, and is open to all students.  For more information and details please click here.

 

Here are a few upcoming highlights & reminders:

• Nov 3 – Election Day! Don’t forget to vote!
• Nov 4 – First quarter ends
• Nov 11 – Veterans Day, NO SCHOOL

We hope everyone is enjoying their “extra hour” today with the end of Daylight Savings Time!  

 

Have a great week and Go MI!

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

PTSA News and Announcements

PTA Reflections Art Contest

Does your student enjoy art, music and dance or have an interest in writing, producing films and taking photos? If so, they can join us and have fun unleashing their inner artist with PTA Reflections!  

The theme for the 2020-2021 program year is “I Matter Because…” Students submit their completed works of art in one, or all, of the available arts categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Arts. 

 

Deadline for submission: Monday, November 30, 2020 

 

All submissions (including Visual Arts pieces) will be electronic this year. For guidelines and instructions on how to submit your artwork, please go to https://mihsptsa.org/activities/fine-arts/reflections-art-contest/  

 

For questions, please email reflections@miptacouncil.org and reflections@mihsptsa.org.

 

The MIHS PTSA is looking for a Reflections Chair! The Reflections chair will collaborate with the Outreach Team and will be responsible to collect the students’ artwork and coordinate the submissions with the MI PTA Council. For more information and to apply for this position, please email outreach@mihsptsa.org.

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.

Information for MIHS Seniors and Senior Families

Yearbook Senior Portraits Due Monday, December 7, 2020
Custom senior portraits are optional. The MIHS yearbook staff will use the school ID photo if they do not receive a senior portrait submission from you. Instructions for uploading your photo are located here.Email miseniorportrait2021@gmail.com with questions.

 

Yearbook Grad Ads Due Monday, January 4, 2021
Senior grad ads are optional. They are personal pictures and reflections by you or other family members regarding graduating seniors. Ads can include a student, a team, a club, or any collection of students to celebrate graduation from MIHS. Instructions for submitting your Grad Ad request are located here.  Contact mihsyearbook2021@gmail.com with questions.

MIHS News

AP Exam Orders

Students may still order and pay for AP exams until Friday, November 6. Because the regular filing deadline (Oct 30) has passed, a late fee will be applied for each exam.

• Please watch this informational video to learn more about MIHS AP Exam Registration and Payment:https://prezi.com/v/nfzw0qpj-5qn/

Contact Debbie Hanson at debbie.hanson@mercerislandschools.org with any questions, anytime!

Counseling Department

Click here to read the Counseling Department’s October newsletter. This newsletter has important information for all grade levels and covers information about the post-secondary application process, upcoming events, Advanced Placement (AP) test registration, PSAT information, ideas for practicing self-care, and so much more!  Please check the website each month for important updates and information.

The Counseling Department would also like to highlight an amazing opportunity for students to access college representatives from around the country. On Sunday, November 8th from 11am-7pm, the NACAC Virtual College Fairs will host over 600 colleges and universities. Students of all ages (and families) are able to meet with college representatives and get their questions answered. Access the College Fair here. 

Virtual Enrichment Classes With 6crickets

Mercer Island School District has partnered with 6crickets to curate specialized virtual classes from quality providers throughout the nation on a variety of topics including engineering, robotics, debate, math, fitness, dance, music, entrepreneurship, science, theatre, and world languages. Register now at: bit.ly/EnrichMISD. For any questions, please use the help button and online chat at the portal or reach out to support@6crickets.com. 

Grab and Go Meals

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

 

Community Opportunities*

KCLS Presents: Navigating American Higher Education with Your Children

Tuesday, November 3, 7:30-8:30pm
Presented by Kate Wang, VP of International Partnerships at MyCOS.

 

The higher education system in the United States is very different from the higher education system in China – and it is also changing, particularly during COVID-19. Many commonly held assumptions about how to apply and be admitted to competitive universities are partly incorrect or simply untrue. 

Join us for an overview of the American higher education system and how the admissions process works for different types of college, as well as information for parents on how best to support their children. Kate will draw from her experiences with the American education system, as well as her familiarity with the Chinese family and educational context. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Harvard University and is fluent in English, Mandarin and French.

 

Click here for more information and registration:
Click here for the Facebook event page.

SJCC 8th and 9th Grade Programs

The Stroum Jewish Community Center is currently recruiting for our Rosh Hodesh and Shevet groups! Rosh Hodesh is for 8th and 9th grade females and Shevet is a group for 8th grade males. This program creates a small, safe group experience within our community and inspires teens to openly explore the fundamental questions of identity and society. The groups meet twice a month and, through the guidance of a trained mentor, connect relevant teen content with enduring Jewish values—all while encouraging a good time and fostering new friendships. 

 

*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.