PTSA News and Announcements
New Family Welcome Event
Families new to the Mercer Island School District, please join us for a virtual welcome event at 5 p.m., Thursday, October 7, on Zoom:https://mercerislandschools.zoom.us/j/89001410981
At the event you will be able to hear from many Island community organizations to offer information about their services. Organizations planning to attend include school PTAs and MI PTA Council, Scouts BSA, Girl Scouts, Innovation Learning, MI Police, Mary Wayte Pool, MI Preschool Association, MI Schools Foundation, MI Boys and Girls Club, MI Youth and Family Services, MI Library, One MI and Youth Theatre Northwest.We are eager to welcome your family to MISD. The event will be recorded for those unable to attend.
PTA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI):
Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month September 15-October 15, 2021 with these local events and recommended reading list for all ages via King County Library. For more information on our PTA DEI committee view here.
Parent Edge
Monday, Sept. 27th, 7:00pm Supporting Re-Entry – Middle and High School
This program is part of the MI Parent Edge & MIYFS “Parent Support Series” and is intended for parents of students in middle and high school. MIYFS Counselors will share information and answer questions. Topics include:
- Expected behaviors during the transition back to a (somewhat) normal school year.
- How to support your child in rekindling friendships and socializing.
- Helping your child build stamina to prepare for their return to school and activities.
- Bring your questions for our MIYFS counselors for the Q&A session!
Wednesday, October 6th,7:00pm Parent Edge Presents The Well-Balanced Student (K-12), This workshop examines the tension that parents, students, and teachers often experience over issues such as homework, grades, and the culture of competition, and offers tools for creating a healthier school climate.
Register and get more information on other Parent Edge events.
Information for MIHS Seniors and Senior Families
Caps and Gowns Orders and Yearbook Submission Information is found on our “Fall Tasks for Seniors” page.
- Caps and Gown Order Deadline is October 2, 2021
- 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.
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
Candidate Forum October 12th
Who will represent you the best? Be Ready for November 2nd! Do you have any questions you would like to ask the candidates? Send us your questions before October 12th. We are looking for volunteers comfortable using zoom features to help during the Forum. Please submit questions or interest in volunteering to advocacy@miptacouncil.org
WS PTSA Legislative Delegate Opportunity
October 23rd-24th I Virtual Format
Deadline for interested delegates October 10th
Please consider joining us in October for the WA State PTA legislative assembly to help us determine our focus for the upcoming legislative session. For the second year in a row, the event will be held virtually. If you are interested, please send an email to advocacy@mihsptsa.orgby October 10th.
At the legislative assembly, you will discover the power PTA has to advocate for the success of every child – the whole child. In PTA every member has an equal voice, and your input matters a great deal to me, and to the success of our grassroots member-driven platform. PTA is needed more than ever right now, and you can help.
The Washington State PTA legislative platform is a two-year platform to mirror the Washington state legislative cycle. On the even-numbered years, the new platform is voted on by members at the legislative assembly in the fall. The top five issues become our short-term platform and consist of our priority issues when advocating throughout the year. Other issues are placed on an “also supported” list.
Delegate Information Guide
Voters’ Guide
President’s Letter
Dear MIHS Parents,
Happy Fall everyone! We hope this letter finds you and your family healthy and well! We are so grateful for our district’s commitment to in-person schooling, but we want to acknowledge the anxiety that many families are having in navigating the reality of Covid this fall. The risk of Covid-19 transmission in our schools is, unfortunately, a real one. While it can’t be completely eliminated, we can all work together to establish an environment that reduces exposure, and thereby ensure that schools remain open throughout the year!
The Mercer Island PTA Council has put out the following statement and highly recommends that parents support the following mitigation measures:
Continue to engage with your child(ren) on the Covid-19 virus and reinforce the importance of following these everyday preventive actions at school:
Washing and/or sanitizing of hands;
Wearing of face masks; and
Practicing physical distancing.
Inform your school’s administrator or nurse if your child(ren) test(s) positive for Covid-19, in line with the MISD protocol (MISD COVID-19 Plan). Note that the protocol generally provides for the isolation of anyone who tests positive. It also calls out that parents may be asked to complete a “close contact list” to help the Seattle and King County Public Health authorities with contact tracing.
Follow other relevant MISD protocols and stay up to date on all local, state, and national Covid-19 related requirements.
Address any concerns you may have about school transmission with your child(ren)’s teacher(s) and escalate to the school principal, where necessary. Any concerns that remain unresolved after following this process may be escalated to MISD leadership.
We are all in this together. We all have a responsibility to make decisions and engage in actions that protect our community. That means we MUST alert school authorities whenever our children contract the virus or are closely connected to a person who has. In other words, for the love of mercy, please do not hide that your kid has Covid because you are afraid of the fallout! MISD has put measures in place for your child to catch up remotely, and is highly committed to providing remote learning support to all affected students such that this risk should not materialize (see: Education access for those students in COVID-19 quarantine (mercerislandschools.org).
Finally, let’s support, rather than stigmatize, students who have contracted the virus, as students perform best when they are valued and validated by family, teachers, peers, and community members. Shaming Covid cases is 1) ridiculous and 2) may also lead to less cases being reported, thereby impeding effective responses to the virus, and escalating the potential for disruptions to the delivery of full time, in-person instruction. In summary, let’s all be KIND and support each other through this anxious time 🙂
MIHS Events:
Wednesday, September 29, 5:00pm – MIHS Virtual Curriculum Night:
Teachers and Staff will post introductory, asynchronous videos and invite further questions following the viewing of videos. Detailed information and instructions will be sent on Monday, September 26th.
Wednesday, October 20, 8:00-11:00am – Picture Retake Day This will be the final student picture day for the year
MI Parent Edge:
MI Parent Edge continues to bring important topics to our community this fall (all programs are virtual presentations):
Monday, September 27th – Parent Edge Presents Supporting Re-Entry (HS), 7:00pm. Join MIYFS school-based middle and high school counselors for a discussion about how to prepare your kids for their re-entry to school. Expected behaviors during the transition back to a (somewhat) normal school year.
How to support your child in rekindling friendships and socializing.
Helping your child build stamina to prepare for their return to school and activities.
Bring your questions for our MIYFS counselors for the Q&A session or send your questions in advance to miparentedge@gmail.com
Wednesday, October 6th, Parent Edge Presents The Well-Balanced Student (K-12), 7:00pm. This workshop examines the tension that parents, students, and teachers often experience over issues such as homework, grades, and the culture of competition, and offers tools for creating a healthier school climate.
New Families:
Thursday, October 7, 5:00pm – MISD virtual New Family Event: Are you new to Mercer Island schools? If so, we encourage you to attend! If you have questions about any of our local schools or about our Mercer Island community in general, this is the place with answers. This year it will be held on Zoom, webinar style. Various community organizations will speak briefly about their activities and program offerings. Zoom Meeting Link HERE.
PTSA Membership & Annual Giving Campaign:
Our PTSA membership drive continues and we would love your participation. It’s not too late to join the PTSA and support our school. With a PTSA Membership you will receive access to our online MIHS Directory and voting privileges at our General Membership meetings. Our annual Campaign, which funds programs directly benefiting our high school students and activities, such as field trips and assemblies, is also still accepting donations. Any amount is appreciated! And remember, we can double your donation through employer match donations!
We sincerely appreciate all who are stepping forward to volunteer and those families who have donated to our PTSA. We cannot imagine our school without your support.
Have a great week Islanders!
Maria Alberto and Debbie Burke
MIHS PTSA Co-Presidents
MIHS News
PSAT Info for Juniors:
The PSAT/NMSQT will be held at MIHS on October 13th, 2021 for 11th graders only. Click the link below for the most up-to-date 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.
Schedule This Week
Click here for the MIHS Daily Schedule.
Principal’s Updates
Read Principal Walter Kelly’s September 24th letter which includes information about the upcoming curriculum night.
MIHS Counseling Center
Click here to read the September 2021 Newsletter.
MIHS Wrestling Team is looking for your support!
The MIHS Wrestling team is running a fundraiser to raise money for their new uniforms. This fundraiser is 100% online, you order the sheets and they are shipped directly to you. MIHS Wrestling Uniform Fundraiser. Spread the word and share the link with friends, families and community members. Thank you, MIHS Wrestling appreciates your support!
Community Opportunities
Mission InspirEd
Hurry! Fall classes for Mission InspirEd are coming to you! Mission InspirEd will be offering free classes for elementary and middle school students. Classes will start between October 4th through April 10th. They have qualified instructors, teaching topics ranging from Introductory Medicine to Coding in Python! Sign up before October 3rd for their weekly sessions. Learn more at missioninspired.org/classes.
