MIHS PTSA News – November 14, 2021

11/14/2021 1:00 pm

What's New!

Staff Appreciation Lunch

Thursday December 9th
Let’s show our MIHS teachers and staff how much we appreciate them this month by signing up to contribute to December’s Staff Appreciation Luncheon. This month’s theme is a Team Islander Chili lunch. Our teachers and staff look forward to these lunches and are truly grateful for your contributions.

PTSA News

2021-2022 PTSA Reflections Arts Contest

Celebrating student creativity, the PTSA Reflections program helps students explore the arts and express their creativity. The theme this year is I Will Change the World by…

To participate, MIHS students submit original works of art in response to the theme in any of six categories or the special artist division: Literature, music composition, photography, visual arts, film/video, and choreography/dance. View our PTA Reflections Art Contest page for complete details. DEADLINE for submissions is November 30, 2021.

Mock SAT/ACT Tests

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.

Learn more about the Mock SAT/ACT tests offered by the PTSA.

Parent Edge

“Healthier Approach to College Admissions” – November 9 at 7PM.
Program is appropriate for parents with students in grades 8-12.
Register at miparentedge.org
“Forefront Youth Suicide Prevention for Parents” – November 17 at 7PM
Register at miparentedge.org

President’s Letter

Dear MIHS Families:

Thanksgiving festivities are only ten days away! In addition to planning for turkey time, let’s be honest and acknowledge the possibility that some of us have planned travel that will take our students out of school during the three days leading up to the holiday. Please remember that vacations are no longer an excused absence under the attendance policy, so we encourage you (or better yet, your student) to let your teachers know about your plans beforehand. Teachers are not required to allow make-up work for unexcused absences, but they are reasonable people who care about the well-being of all students. While absences generally have negative impacts on the classroom and student learning, a little planning ahead of time can help mitigate the impacts. Letting teachers know ahead of time provides a better opportunity to plan for making up work. In general, please remember that when your student has plans to miss classes (whether for doctor appointments, religious holidays, college visits, sports or school sponsored activities, etc), it is strongly recommended that, prior to the absence, they complete, and you sign, the Pre-arranged Absence Form (aka Whammo).  

You may have heard about a small number of school districts close by who had to cancel school this past Friday (following Veteran’s Day), due to an inability to staff the classrooms.  We are thankful that Mercer Island had adequate coverage and remained open!  Kudos to our district!!  However, this creates an excellent opportunity to mention that there is a dire shortage of substitutes across the state, including here on Mercer Island.  Emergency substitutes are able to substitute for certificated teachers if a regular certificated substitute is not available, and the district has an expedited process established for approval.  Please contact the HR Department at MISD if you are interested!  This is a great opportunity to try out a new career experience in teaching…

If you missed the recent Parent Edge events “A Healthier Approach to College Admissions” and “Well-Balanced Student (K-12)”, these will be posted on the Parent Edge website for families to watch if they missed the original event.  Please note – they will only be available for the next few months due to contracts.

Speaking of Parent Edge events, Parent Edge and Forefront are presenting another Youth Suicide Prevention talk this upcoming Wednesday,  November 17th at 7pm.  We know this is a very difficult topic and sometimes people are hesitant to attend these things.  Please get over whatever weirdness you feel about it and come have a listen.  Mental illness may or may not be in your family, but you may be in a position to help someone in need one day and this will give you the tools you need.  Think of it as learning CPR and knowing what to do in a health crisis…. Register atmiparentedge.org.

Did you know that MIHS has it’s very own award-winning student radio station and newspaper?  Tune in to KMIH 88.9 the Bridge radio station to listen to podcasts, broadcasts of sporting events, etc…! Stay current with all the latest MIHS news and headlines by subscribing to the The MIHS Islander newspaper.
 

Upcoming Events:

• Nov 18-20 | 7pm – MIHS Drama presents Fall Musical “The Odyssey” – @MIHS
• Nov 22 | 6-8pm – MIHS Winter Sports Parent Meeting – PAC
• Dec 17 | Deadline for Seniors to submit Yearbook Portraits.  Instructions HERE.

Have a great week Islanders!

Maria Alberto and Debbie Burke

MIHS PTSA Co-Presidents
president@mihsptsa.org

Information for MIHS Seniors and Senior Families

Caps and Gowns Orders and Yearbook Submission Information is found on our “Fall Tasks for Seniors” page.

• Yearbook Senior Portraits Due December 17, 2021
• Grad Ad Submissions are Due February 18, 2022

Remember you can also check the Seniors tab on the PTSA website for more information.

MIHS News

Schedule This Week

Regular Schedule

ASB All School Fundraiser

Over the last year and a half of covid our ASB budget took a major hit due to decreased ticket sales at sporting events. To ensure we continue to provide quality services for all sports and clubs here at MIHS we are launching a school wide ASB fundraiser.  Please consider supporting MIHS ASB by purchasing popcorn products for your friends and family. 

MIHS Drama Presents: The Odyssey

The Trojan War is over. Will Odysseus survive the epic journey home to his wife Penelope? He has a sorceress, monsters, gods, and storms to keep him from making it home alive. Once he arrives home, he has to fight the numerous suitors waiting for his wife. Come join the MIHS Drama Department for their fall production of the famous  adventure, The Odyssey, written and adapted by Mary Zimmerman.

Evening performances November 11-13 and 18-20 at 7pm. Matinee performances November 13 and 20 at 2pm. Tickets can be purchased by following this link. Thank you for supporting Drama!

Principal’s Updates

Read Principal Walter Kelly’s October 22nd letter.

MIHS Counseling Center

Click here to read the November 2021 Newsletter.

Community Opportunities

University of Washington | After School Online Enrichment Opportunities
The University of Washington Youth and Teen Programs is excited to offer a variety of remote courses for middle and high school students who seek after school enrichment opportunities. Courses run over 10 weeks starting in January. Visit our website for registration information and course details. www.youth-teen.uw.edu

• 3D Design & CAD Modeling (7th-8th grade) 
• Architectural Studies (9th-12th grade) 
• Exploring STEM Through a Creative Lens (6th-8th grade) 
• Sharpen Your Writing Skills (9th-12th grade) 
• Young Writers’ Workshop (6th-8th grade)