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  THE WOLF
April 21, 2016
 
In This Issue
Mark Your Calendars
Appreciation Lunch
Graduate Grams
Nancy Schaps Memorial Grant
IslandWood Info Mtg.
Superintendent's Update
Advocacy
District News
Community Events
Newsletter Submissions
  

Dear West Mercer families,


 We hope you've been enjoying this week's heatwave! If it's putting you in the mood to plan for summer, check out some of the great summer camps available below.  

 

Staff Appreciation Week is quickly approaching. In addition to the activities organized by your room parents, please let this week inspire you reach out to recognize and thank any staff member who makes West Mercer feel special to you. 

 

And don't forget to mark your calendars for Spring Fling on May 11th!

 

Sincerely, 

West Mercer PTA

 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Friday, April 22: Principal's Coffee & PTA General Membership Meeting

Tues, April 26: Breakfast of Champions

Fri, April 29: Popcorn Friday

Mon, May 2-Fri, May 6: Staff Appreciation Week

Tues, May 3: Staff Appreciation Lunch

Thurs, May 5: Spring Music Performance

Wed, May 11: Incoming New Student Open House

Wed, May 11: Spring Fling!

Fri, May 13: Elementary Visitation Day

 

WEST MERCER ANNOUNCEMENTS

West Mercer Staff Appreciation Lunch

Tuesday, May 3rd

Calling all cooks--We need your help! We're just 2 weeks away from the WM Staff Appreciation Lunch. This lunch is put together by family volunteers...food and all!

Please click here to a sign-up site via VolunteerSpot. No sign-in or password needed, just your email address. Thank you for your help!  Please direct any questions to Cynthia Winiski. 

A Spring Tradition on MI: Graduate Grams

Every spring, the Mercer Island PTA Council produces and mails thousands of Graduate Gram greetings to the homes of Mercer Island students. Whether graduating from Preschool, Kindergarten, 5th grade, 8th grade, High School or College, all students love receiving these personalized certificates in the mail. Each hand prepared "Grad
Gram" congratulates the recipient and acknowledges the sender.

Order Graduate Grams for your graduating seniors, neighbors, your babysitters, your child and his friends! All funds raised through the purchase of Graduate Grams go directly into the MI PTA Council Community Scholarship Fund which honors graduating seniors for their achievement, hard work, and attitude.

Please visit here to order. Thank you for supporting this wonderful MI tradition!

Nancy Schaps Memorial Grant Nominations 
 
The Mercer Island PTA Council is currently accepting applications for the Nancy Schaps Memorial Grant. The Grant recognizes a Mercer Island child who has suffered the death of a parent, is currently experiencing the terminal illness of a parent or has a parent serving on active duty with the military. 

A Grant award of up to $500 will be given to an elementary, middle or high school student to be used for an activity or other purpose that will aid the child or youth's adjustment to this difficult life change. For example, the Grant may be used for lessons, a camp experience, a trip, sports equipment or a musical instrument. 

Applications and information are available here.  If you have any questions please contact Caroline Hughes at carolinedhughes@icloud.com.

Grant Application Deadline: May 27, 2016

 IslandWood Information For 5th Grade Parents
 
Reminder: IslandWood registration packets are due Fri, 4/29.

The trip is June 6-9. It is a tremendous experience!

Superintendent's Update
 
Spanish language program comes to MI elementary schools, changes in the start and end times for next year, and more from our Superintendent, Gary Plano can be found here: mercerislandschools.org.
 
 

LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY

Safe Routes to Schools Come First! 

Please send an email today to all City Council members urging them to immediately fund improvements recommended by the city engineer to the intersection at 40th and 86th (the corner of the new Northwood Elementary where parents will be turning from 40th to access the car drop-off). There is a real risk that these improvements will not be funded. Mercer Island PTA Council has sent a letter to City Council urging them to fund, design and implement these improvements and we hope that you will too.

Why sending an email matters:
City Council is taking public comments for its annual review of the Mercer Island Transportation Improvement Plan. There is a high possibility that this project could be delayed or removed from the plan. The Mercer Island School Board and MI PTA Council have sent letters in support of this project, now it is time for our parent community to let our City Council know that we think this project is essential.  Every email to City Council is significant.
 
 
Make it go viral!
Once you have sent the email, please take the next step and ask your friends to email City Council as well.  With great parent community support we can help ensure that this project, which is essential to improving traffic flow and safety around the new Northwood Elementary, will occur. 

Please go here for a sample email and email addresses.

 
DISTRICT
ANNOUNCEMENTS
MI Parent Edge 
Special Announcement:

Our friends at Parent Map are offering a special discount on their upcoming lecture series for Mercer Island Parents! Go to Parent Map Lecture Series to see their great line-up and use the code "MIPE16 at check out. Thank you Parent Map!

MI Parent Edge 

Wednesday, April 27, 9:30-11:00am
Lakeridge Elementary School

Liliana Lengua from the UW Center for Child and Family Well-Being, will speak on "Supporting Elementary-Aged Children Through Change: Promoting Resilient Responses to Life's Stresses." 

Free for Mercer Island PTA Members
$10 at the door for non-MI PTA Members
Bring a Friend!

Visit www.miparentedge.org for more information on this event or see the attached flyer.

Parent Edge is jointly sponsored by the PTA's of Lakeridge, Island Park, West Mercer, Islander Middle, and MIHS schools and MIPA.

MISD Elementary
Visitation Day in May
 
Mercer Island School District's 3 elementary schools will host a 2nd elementary visitation day on May 13. 
Visitation hours are 9:30-11:30 am. Northwood Elementary will be open for the 2016-17 school year, and a visit day is planned for June 2016.

Kindergarten Registration

Families may pick up a registration packet at one of the school's or the district's office or visit the district website. Families uncertain about their home school attendance area can visit the district website or call Mary Newcomer at 206-230-6336. If you know parents of incoming kindergarteners, please encourage them to sign up their children as soon as possible--this helps WM plan for staffing levels!

 
COMMUNITY EVENTS and PROGRAMS
The Mercer Island School District and WM PTA Council have neither reviewed nor approved the program, personnel, activities or organizations announced in this section. The participants agree to protect, indemnify and hold harmless the district and PTA, 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 information regarding these programs should not be considered a recommendation of the program by the school district or by the PTA. This is neither a school district nor a PTA sponsored activity.
 
Music Summer Camp
For more information and to register, you can visit
musicworksnw.org, email registration@musicworksnw.org, or call us at (425) 644-0988.

Lego Summer Camp

More info here!

Wise Camps

WISE camps offer exciting chemistry and math courses in the morning & afternoon in August for students entering grades 3-9 at Newport High School in Bellevue. Cost of the camp includes a t-shirt for tie-dying and lunch on campus for those who choose to do full day. Questions? Contact Mrs. Baker or Mr. Nonis at wisecamps@gmail.com. Please see attached for more information.

Lego Summer Camps for the Serious Builder

In a Galaxy far, far away...
Learn to build some of the most important features of the galaxy. Participants will also learn the basics for stop motion animation and how to use their models in creating their own brick film.

Tree House Adventure
Learn how to design and build your own tree house. Participants will also learn the basics for stop motion animation and how to use their models in creating their own brick film.

For information, dates & registration, click here.

Youth Theatre Northwest (YTN)

YTN is seeking youth actors, grades 2-13, for its anticipated 2016 Summerstock Season. Every summer YTN produces three shows on MI with approximately 50 youth actors. For more information about Youth Theatre programs and our productions, visit YouthTheatre.org.


MI Parks and Rec
Spring Classes and Summer Camp Registration

Registration is now open for MIPR Spring classes, read more here. For the full brochure of Spring and Summer class and camp offerings, click here.

Stroum JCC Offers Many Summer Camps 

The SJCC on Mercer Island offers many summer camps for kids of all ages and interests! See their website for more information.

Seward Park Audubon Center Summer Camps 

We offer four uniquely-themed camps meeting each day from 9-3pm (extended care is available), Separate camps are offered to youth aged 6-8 and 9-11. Visit our summer camp web page for more information. 

When West Mercer families register for our summer camps, they will receive a $25 discount. Simply enter the code "WEST" at checkout.

Newport High School
Gymnastics Summer Camp

The Newport High School Gymnastics Team will be offering a summer camp June 27-June 30 (morning session: 9:00 - noon or afternoon session: 1:00 - 4:00). We invite boys and girls of any skill level entering grades K-6 who want to do gymnastics!  For full details and to register online here. Questions? Email Head Coach  Melissa Baker. 

Summer Music Day Camp

Each summer we offer Summer Music Day Camp sessions designed for kids who love singing. Options include Full Day Camp for girls 2nd-5th grade and Musical Mornings for boys and girls 4-6 years old.  
We will be hosting two sessions in summer 2016:
Session 1 - July 18th - 22nd
Session 2 - July 25th - 29th
For more information and registration, visit the Seattle Girls Choir website. 
Sponge Language 
Summer Camps

Sponge is excited to offer language immersion camps in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese. 

Week long camps will be offered at Bellevue and Seattle from June 20-July 22. Camps are open to K-2nd grade students and run 9am - 3pm. Aftercare is available until 5pm. Visit us online, contact us by email or give us a call at (425) 274-5188. Register by April 15 and save up to $100 per student with early bird prices!!
 
Mercer Island Girls Lacrosse

Register for the 2016 Spring Season at www.MIGirlsLacrosse.com.  
 
Grades 1-4 register for "Elementary Program" at migirlslaxes@gmail.com.
Grades 5-8 register for the "Middle School Program" at migirlslaxms@gmail.com.
  
Destination Science:
The Fun Science Day Camp
for Curious Kids 5-11

From roller coasters to robots, Destination Science provides a fun, safe and hands-on environment for exploration with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Scholarships Available. For more information, visit destinationscience.org. 


NEWSLETTER
SUBMISSIONS
The Wolf newsletter will go out on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month. If you have any announcements that you would like to appear in an upcoming newsletter, please send in your submissions by the end of business day on Monday prior to publication. Submissions can be made to: editor@westmercerpta.org.  
West Mercer Elementary PTA | 4141 81st Avenue | Mercer Island, Washington 98040 | 206-236-3430