MIHS PTSA News – October 17, 2021

10/17/2021 1:00 pm

Call for entries: The 2021-2022 PTSA Reflections arts contest is now open

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.

Advocacy

WS PTSA Legislative Delegate Opportunity

Seeking volunteers to be a Voting Delegate in the virtual Legislative Assembly event happening the weekend of October 23^rd and 24^th. This is your chance to lend your voice in determining how the Washington State PTA lobbyist represents the needs of our students across the state.

The key voting topics are:

• Improving Literacy and Educational Outcomes
• Increasing Access and Affordability of Post-Secondary Education
• Improving Outcomes for Children and Youth in Highly Mobile Populations
• School Construction Bond Election Reform (easier access to construction funding by lowering the required 60% majority vote to a simple majority of 50%)
• Student Assessment and Testing

Here is General Information about Legislative Assembly. Here is the Schedule of Events.  Finally, here is the Voting Guide which outlines the Principles, Issues and Resolutions which the delegates will vote on.

Parent Edge upcoming events

“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

Greetings Islanders!

We hope you all enjoyed the Homecoming weekend festivities!

Now that our school year is in full stride, we have an important update with regard to student academic support. Our principal and staff at the high school realize that some kids may be feeling overwhelmed with returning to the rigors of in-person schooling. We are happy to report that our PTSA partnership with MIHS to fund and offer additional tutoring support for our kids after school is getting ready to start! A weekly calendar will be published shortly by Principal Kelly, to begin on October 18, for academic support beyond the school day and staffed by MIHS faculty. This after school program is designed to compliment teachers’ academic support that they each already provide at some point during the day.

Also, if your child is feeling additional emotional stress with the return of in-person school, please reach out to the school counseling staff, as MIHS is also beginning a student lunch group led by school psychologist Simone Carmel that will meet during lunch each week to address mindfulness. There are many resources at the school to help, so please do not hesitate to reach out!

If you are a parent of a child with a learning difference, whether in Special Education or otherwise, the PTA Council has recently formed The Committee of Special Services Abilities and Learning Differences (SSALD) and would like to invite interested parents to connect! The purpose of this committee is to advocate for the advancement of the academic and social-emotional education of students with different abilities and learning differences, thereby ensuring every student is able to reach their full potential. The goals of this new committee are to:
Provide support, information, resources, and education for parents regarding services, policies, and procedures for children with learning differences and abilities.
Facilitate a self-sustaining community of families of students with learning differences and abilities, including caregivers, educators, and other professionals.
Strengthen partnerships between district administration, staff, and parents to maximize the awareness of essential approaches and issues specific to educating students with learning differences and abilities.
Working to facilitate educational opportunities to raise awareness about learning differences and encourage inclusion among students.
Join with other advocacy organizations and families in promoting the improvement of system wide changes benefiting all students in Mercer Island schools and across Washington.
Assure the protection of the civil rights of students who receive special services and have learning differences and abilities.

If you are interested in joining this committee, receiving communication or attending meetings, please send an email to: SSALD@miptacouncil.org

The 2021-2022 PTSA Reflections arts contest is now open! Celebrating student creativity, the PTSA Reflections program helps students explore the arts. To participate, students submit original works in any of six categories, or the special artist division, in response to this year’s theme: I Will Change the World by… The deadline for entries is November 30, 2021. Details and more information found HERE.

November 2nd ballots are on the way, please use your voice and vote! The MIHS Islander, Mercer Island High School’s independent student-run newspaper is sponsoring a town hall tomorrow: Monday, October 18th from 5:00-8:00pm at Mercer Island High School in the Performing Arts Center (PAC). The town hall will include candidates for both School Board and City Council, and will be open to all MISD students and parents in person (ID for parents, ASB card for students; parents will need to bring their student’s ID if they are attending alone). There will be a streaming option open to those who are not parents or students.

And lastly, one of our amazing community partners, the Mercer Island Schools Foundation is hosting a phone-a-thon, Oct 18 & 19th, calling Mercer Island residents as part of its fall fundraising campaign. Every year for two nights, local parents, community leaders, business owners, administrators and teachers call parents of every child in our district to ask for their investment in their child’s education. The annual Phone-a-thon is an MI tradition and is aiming to raise $434,500 this fall. Please answer their calls and donate if you can! You can also make a donation HERE. And…please note – the Mercer Island Schools Foundation is still looking for volunteers to help make those important calls. If you would like to help out please contact Tammy Shoop at tammy@misf.com.

A final note to please put the following Upcoming Parent Edge programs into your calendar:
“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

We hope you have a wonderful week!

Maria Alberto and Debbie Burke MIHS PTSA Co-Presidents president@mihsptsa.org

MIHS News

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.

2021-2022 AP Exam Registration and Payment Info

Advanced Placement (AP) Exams are not placement exams for high school courses; they are college-level assessments that potentially allow students to earn college credit before leaving high school.  
AP Exams are designed for students currently enrolled in College Board AP courses, but may also be appropriate for students who have learned the requisite knowledge in other ways (home-school, self-study, etc).
This year, exams will take place May 2 – May 13, 2022.  Click the link below for up-to-date information. 

• MIHS 2021-22 AP Exam Registration & Payment Information for AP Students

Schedule This Week

Click here for the MIHS weekly schedule

Principal’s Updates

Read Principal Walter Kelly’s October 15th letter.

MIHS Counseling Center

Click here to read the September 2021 Newsletter.

Community Opportunities

The Bush School – Parent University | October 26 at 5:00pm
Professor Lebowitz is the author of, Breaking free of Child Anxiety and OCD and the Program Director for Anxiety Disorders at the Yale Child Study Center. One in three children experiences a clinically impairing anxiety disorder during their development. Coupled with the escalation of child anxiety during the past two years of the pandemic, anxiety is now the most common mental health concern among youth. This talk will provide parents with
practical tools for helping their child overcome anxiety. Dr. Lebowitz will introduce parents to SPACE, a novel, scientifically supported, and completely parent-based treatment for childhood and adolescent anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
In an effort to make parenting resources more accessible to families, all virtual Parent University events are free to the greater Seattle and Methow communities, but please be sure to register in advance.