PTSA#2.9.50 May 4, 2015

Parents of Seniors Critical information for upcoming senior class activities and Graduation!; Order Senior Graduation Yard Signs	MIHS Daily Bulletin Links are updated by the end of 3rd period every day. Bulletin is a downloadable file.
In the Community Each item listed below is hot-linked to the related article - City of Mercer Island Events; "Writing for College" Summer Workshop ; Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club Auction; Summer Camp Counselor in Training Opportunities; YMCA/YWCA summer offerings; Host an Italian Student; Volunteer with Mercer Island Farmers Market	MIHS News and Announcements MIHS Drama Department Presents Sweeney Todd; MIHS Presents: "Honor and Sacrifice, The Roy Matsumoto Story"; Community Service Award Forms due
PTSA News & Announcements Save the Date - May 31 - MIHS Street Stroll to support Mercer Island Schools Foundation; Order Your Personalized Mosh Pit Brick	Superintendent's Letter - Dr. Gary Plano
Principal's Letter Dangerous Driving Alert, Counseling News, May testing...	Question of the Week MIHS State and National Recognition...
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Freshman Class of 2018

Lisa Kittilsby 999-8494

Enas Muzio 425-736-3878

Molly Lambright 425-443-0258

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Diane Johnson 232-1696

Ivy Suzuki-Jaecks 236-3485

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Tanya Conger 206-453-3366

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Toby Suhm 236-7074

Jane Rosenstein 275-1977

Donita Lacrampe 275-4655

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From Our PTSA President

Email Debbie Hanson

Dear MIHS Parents-

Thank you to those who attended last week's Breakfast of Champions! This annual event kicks off the Bridge campaign, an important fundraiser which aims to elevate education on Mercer Island from basic to excellent. Last Tuesday, $410,000 was raised at the breakfast- a great start! The goal is to raise $1.2 Million through Bridge 2015 and the dollars benefit each school in our district... and each student! If you missed the Breakfast, click here to watch the video. If you'd like to donate now, please click here:

http://www.mercerislandschoolsfoundation.com

Beyond the Breakfast of Champions, each MI school features a separate annual fundraiser to support Bridge. This year, MIHS PTSA is partnering with the MI Schools Foundation to hold a new event, Bridge 2015 Street Stroll. This Adults Only event will be held on Sunday, May 31st from 4-7pm. Guests are invited to stroll between three lovely MI homes within easy walking distance of one another to sample fabulous food and beverage pairings, including dinner. Tickets are $50 per person and all proceeds will benefit MIHS. Please read below in the newsletter for more information! Tickets are limited, so please buy early if you hope to attend.

Our MI Schools thrive in response to your continuous generosity, whether it's time, talent or dollars. Thanks for all you do to support MIHS!

Debbie Hanson

MIHS PTSA President

Be sure to check out this week's Question of the Week by clicking here

To see Debbie's past President's letters, click here

From Our Superintendent

Email Dr. Gary Plano

To see previous letters from Superintendent Gary Plano, click here

From Our Principal

Email Vicki Puckett

Dear Mercer Island families,

We are in the last quarter of the school year - time is flying by! We have about eight weeks to go before the seniors are off to new adventures and the sophomores, juniors and freshman are off to summer activities.

Dangerous Driving Alert: The end of the school year is quickly approaching and the warm weather is right around the corner. With amazing weather like this, more of our students are outside and have been seen "car surfing" recently on Mercer Island. Car surfing is illegal, deadly, and a growing trend among teenagers and twenty year olds. What is it? It's when a person drives between 20 to 40 miles per hour, then a passenger starts climbing up on the hood or rear of the car as it's moving, stands up and "surfs" the car. Police incident reports show in some cases, drivers even "surfed" their own cars, meaning they climbed out of the vehicle they were driving as it was moving, and stood on the hood of the car without a driver. Some car surfers will grab the bumper or door handle of a vehicle while on a skateboard or even while in a shopping cart. It's also known as ghost riding. There was a death about a month ago at Kent HS. Please have a serious discussion with your son or daughter about the potential dangers and risks associated with this.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among Americans up to 34 years old. Factors such as alcohol consumption, high-speed driving, and other dangerous behaviors contribute to these crashes. Most accidents could be avoided by following common safety practices. Impaired driving, not wearing seat belts, and distracted driving (eating, putting on make-up, using cell phones) are also major concerns for our teens when it comes to learning how to drive properly. Car surfing and peeling out of parking lots after school, games and school activities is a growing concern. Driving is a privilege, not a right.

Counseling News

Master Schedule for 2015-2016

Class offerings for 2015-2016 are being developed based on student requests entered in March of this year. Students should expect to be held to their course requests that were made in March. Tentative class schedules may be available in June, but are subject to change over the summer.

Seniors Taking Off-Campus Courses

Seniors who are taking off-campus courses or finishing any alternative work for credit need to give their final transcripts to the registrar by May 8, 2015 in order to receive credit for graduation requirements. Please see your counselor if you have questions.

May Testing

Many students will be taking Advanced Placement Tests in the first two weeks of May. AP tests are a strong culminating activity for AP courses and can be a rewarding experience for students. For the full test schedule, go to www.collegeboard.com.
Students in grades 10 and 11 will be taking state and national tests in the week of May 18. The grade 10 English/Language Arts (ELA) test and the grade 11 Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) are part of the assessment battery for graduation requirements, and they offer students an opportunity to mark their proficiency in reading and writing. Please see the MIHS website for more information about testing dates and schedules. Good luck to all our testers in the month of May!

Summer School

Information for the Mercer Island School District Summer Session will be available on the school website in early May. Students should talk with their counselors if they plan to take summer courses.

Thank you all for your wonderful support.

Vicki Puckett

MIHS Principal

To see previous letters from Principal Vicki Puckett, click here

PTSA News and Announcements

SAVE THE DATE - May 31, 2015

MIHS BRIDGE 2015 Street Stroll

Stroll between three MIHS homes and enjoy a fabulous assortment do appetizers, chili, desserts and beverage pairings.

This event is for adults only and supports the 2015 Mercer Island Schools Foundation Bridge Campaign. All proceeds will benefit Mercer Island High School.

TICKET SALES LIMITED AND BEGIN NEXT WEEK. Look for more information soon.

Click here to watch Mercer Island Schools Foundation Breakfast of Champions Video

GRADUATION GIFT IDEAS!!!

Buy a personalized BRICK that will become a permanent part of MIHS. The cost is $40 per Brick. Bricks are located just outside the commons in the mosh pit (ampitheater). The bricks will be engraved in early August 2015.

Click here access the brick order page on the PTSA website. Now it's even easier - you can do it all on-line. (If you'd prefer to pay by check, make checks payable to MIHS PTSA and drop-off form/check at the highschool PTSA mailbox.)

For more info contact Maria Sims (206) 232-4770 or mariasims@comcast.net.

DEADLINE for placing orders is June 15, 2015.

Mercer Island Parent Edge

Please visit www.miparentedge.org for more information on our programs.

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

MIHS News & Announcements

Check the MIHS website for the latest announcements, calendar information, and links to activities.

In celebration of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, Mercer Island High School presents:

Honor and Sacrifice: The Roy Matsumoto Story

with Producers Lucy Ostrander and Karen Matsumoto

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

7:00 PM-8:30 PM

Mercer Island High School Performing Arts Center

Film screening followed by discussion with the producers.

This is what the producers say about the film:

The short documentary Honor & Sacrifice tells the complex story of a Japanese immigrant family ripped apart by WWII. The Matsumoto family included five sons; two who fought for the Americans and three who fought for the Japanese. The eldest, Hiroshi (Roy), became a hero, fighting against the Japanese with Merrill's Marauders, an American guerrilla unit in Burma. He was born near Los Angeles, educated in Japan, and became a hero when he used his Japanese language skills and military training to save his surrounded, starving battalion deep in the Burmese jungle. At the same time his parents and sisters were living in their family's ancestral home, Hiroshima. The story is told by Roy's daughter Karen as she discovers her father's work in military intelligence, kept secret for 50 years.

Link: Honor and Sacrifice: The Roy Matsumoto Story

MIHS Drama Department Presents - Sweeney Todd

The MIHS Drama Department proudly presents Sweeney Todd: School Edition.

Welcome to the streets of London, where the talented students of MIHS bring you a dark and witty tale of love, murder, and revenge.

An infamous tale, Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber, returns to 19th century London seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett, a resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop, above which he opens a new barber practice. Mrs. Lovett's luck sharply shifts when Todd's thirst for blood inspires the integration of an ingredient into her meat pies that has the people of London lining up, and the carnage has only just begun!

Running May 7, 8, & 9 at 7:00pm in the MIHS Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $10 pre-sale, $15 at the door. Recommended for audiences 13+. For more information, check out our page at http://www.mercerislandschools.org/Page/11695

Community Service Award forms are due.

Community Service Award forms can be emailed to Susan Costa at costa124@msn.com or turned into Sheryl Ehrlichman at the MIHS Counseling office.

Jamey Hibbert will the PTSA Community Service Awards coordinator for the 2015-2016 school year. Thank you Susan Costa for heading up this year's Community Service Award effort.

News for MIHS Seniors and their Families

Class of 2015 - SENIOR News -

FINES AND FEES: All SENIORS must pay off any remaining fines and fees before they can purchase PROM tickets, pick up their YEARBOOK, receive GRADUATION TICKETS or pick up FINAL TRANSCRIPTS. Fines and fees can be paid online or in the ASB office.

SENIOR CLASS FUN GIFTS - Keep your eyes open for great ideas, GRADUATION LEIS and SENIOR YARD SIGNS (click for an order form) will be available in the coming weeks. Check out the SENIOR PAGE on the MIHS PTSA website for more information.

Senior Parents - what to expect these last 2 months!

As we wind down our time at MIHS, these last several weeks are fast and furious (and a bit confusing). We thought a quick synopsis of what-to-expect would be helpful.

Saturday, May 16th Senior Prom

The theme for this year's MIHS Prom is "Old Hollywood". The dinner and dance will be held at Seattle's Union Station from 7:00-11:00pm. More information on this event will be in the MIHS bulletin and tickets can be purchased at MIHS. REMEMBER ALL FINES AND FEES MUST BE PAID BEFORE STUDENTS CAN PURCHASE PROM TICKETS.

Tuesday, May 26th MI PTA Council Senior Awards Night, MIHS Library, 7:00 p.m.

These awards, selected by each department at MIHS, are given to the student that that department feels best represents the vision/goals/ideals of that field. Sometimes the student selection is our superstars, sometimes it is our students who show the most improvement over their 4 years at MIHS, sometimes it is the student that demonstrates the most passion for the department subject. This event is always meaningful. There is a scholarship attached to each award. The scholarships are funded by our Mercer Island PTA Council.

Wednesday, June 10th Baccalaureate, Herzl Ner Tamid, 7:00 p.m.

Join us as we celebrate our seniors in our annual interfaith service. This year's theme is 'Living our Faith Together'. This service is a lovely tradition gifted to our seniors from our Mercer Island faith community.

Thursday, June 11th Graduation Day

Senior Breakfast, MIHS Gym, 7:00 a.m.

This is the chance for our staff to enjoy a meal with our seniors and celebrate some additional award-winners. This is a lovely way to start a celebratory day.

Senior Graduation rehearsal, Key Arena, 9:00 - approx. 11:00 a.m.

Straight from the breakfast, our seniors will board the buses to head to Key Arena where we will practice the processional and the timing for the evening events. They will be returned to MIHS at the conclusion of this rehearsal.

Graduation Ceremony, Key Arena, 7:00-9:00pm

Seniors will be picked up at MIHS by school buses for transportation to Key Arena. Pick up time will most probably be 5:00 p.m. (to be confirmed). The Graduation ceremony is scheduled for 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. with doors to Key Arena opening at 6:30 p.m. The first 4 tickets to Graduation are free to each family (once fines and textbooks are cleared). Additional tickets can be purchased in the Commons during lunch in the two weeks leading up to Graduation. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Seating is first come, first serve but Key Arena is an terrific venue as most every seat lends itself to excellent viewing.

Senior Party, (Venue is a secret), 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. Friday

This annual event starts directly after Graduation (after the hugs and photos with all the families) from Key Arena. We spend the night together celebrating the Graduation of our beloved seniors. This event is facilitated by our MIHS PTSA and includes two venues and lots and lots of activities/entertainment/food/games/etc. It is a great way for our kids to spend one last night altogether in a safe, fun environment.

We hope this helps with planning for this spring. Definitely let us know if you have any questions.

Katty Clark (kattyclark@msn.com)

Jen McLellan (mclellanmj@aol.com)

MIHS PTSA Senior Activities co-Chairs

Please see all the latest details here: PTSA Seniors Information page

Celebrate Your Mercer Island Graduate in Style!

Show your graduate and neighbors how proud you are of them by ordering Senior Graduation Yard Signs from the MIHS Cheer squad.

Make your graduate's day special with a unique MIHS Graduate Yard Sign placed in your yard sometime after Memorial Day. Cost is only $30 per sign. Click here for the Graduation Yard Sign Order form

Help MIHS Cheer make their goal. All funds raised will benefit all squads for bus transportation to attend games, new mats, signs, banners, megaphones and more!

Deadline is May 25, 2015. Contact Pam Diamond with questions - 206-230-8946

In the Community

Get updated on what's going on around Mercer Island

Want to know more about City of Mercer Island events, hot topics and seasonal programming? Curious about Parks and Recreation Summer activities or Youth & Family Services volunteer opportunities? Click here for the City's website and explore the various tabs to learn the most up-to-date information about these topics and more: http://www.mercergov.org/Index.asp

"Writing for College" Summer Workshop

Curtis Johnston and David Willecke are offering the 6th annual "Writing for College" workshop at Mercer Island High School, beginning June 23rd! Lower your stress and get a jump start on senior year college admissions insanity. Craft your admissions essay in a relaxed workshop atmosphere with on demand one-on-one guidance from people who have spent years mastering the personal essay.

We will help you write to your audience, maintain authentic voice, avoid the many common pitfalls that can lead to automatic denial, and more.

Go to https://sites.google.com/site/misummerwriters/ for more information, including how to register.

SAVE THE DATE!

Mercer Island Boys & Girls Club SPRING EVENT

West Mercer Boys & Girls Club

2825 West Mercer Way, Mercer Island, WA 98040

Saturday, May 16, 2015 @ 6pm

Join us on board the SS Peak for a fun evening complete with one-of-a kind silent and live auction items! Come in your best cruise ship attire and be ready for one spectacular event. After dinner, you and your friends can dance the night away!

Tickets: $100 per person
Register today at MI.PositivePlace.org or 206-232-4548
Registration closes May 8th, 2015
Anchors Away Registration

Summer Opportunity - Counselors in Training at Summer Camp

DIGIVATIONS is a STEM+ARTS+MOVEMENT creative technology learning lab that offers multidisciplinary programs ranging from novice to advanced education in the fields of science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), the creative arts and humanities. Over the past 5 years, more than 4,000 students and 800 educators in the greater Point Roberts, WA/Vancouver, BC region have experienced our educational programs.

Summer Opportunity: We are seeking ambitious high school students who love working with children ages 9-15 to be counselors-in-training at our Overnight DIGIVATIONS CAMP DEMIGOD INSTITUTE in Point Roberts, WA (2.5 hours north of MI). It is a fully immersive international summer innovation and literary overnight camp based on the Institute's unique STEM+ARTS+MOVEMENT curriculum. It is a blend of world building through innovation, role playing, and speculative fiction. The Overnight Camp's location and environment brings Percy Jackson and the Olympian Series as well as Fandoms to life (featuring a Mash-Up of Percy Jackson, Dr. Who, Steampunk, Harry Potter, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Hobbit, The Hunger Games, Divergent, and more) through quests in rustic demigod cabins, traversing through the beaches, trails, and clay cliffs.

All Counselors in Training (ages 16-17) and Counselors (ages 18+) receive mentorship from our senior internationally known faculty, attend all classes, and are part of an outstanding college-age counselor team who come from throughout North America. Almost all staff receives positive references for academic or career applications. There are tremendous opportunities to create or add to a portfolio of new works/inventions for college and graduate school applications (engineering, design, innovation, medicine, theatre, fine arts, film, music, etc.). Students can commit to one or both sessions June 25-July 12 and/or August 1-23.

For more information, check us out at www.digivations.com

Check out the YWCA and YMCA summer offerings

Various outdoor activities, Leadership Camps and Diversity in the Outdoors Scholarships

There are too many offerings to list here, but go to the YMCA Leadership page and check out all they have to offer for high school aged boys and girls this summer at http://ymcaleadership.com/

Host an Italian student and your child will be invited to Italy!

Our students' school year at Mercer Island HS has been

amazing! They will soon be back in Italy with wonderful memories of their school mates, teachers, and especially their host families. This summer, their host siblings will be invited to Italy, where their direct experience with Italian culture will begin!

The same opportunity for a true cross-cultural exchange is available to your family through the Ergon program! We are looking for families to host a 16-17 year-old Italian student for a semester or school year. The Ergon Student Exchange program provides a transformative experience for both the host family and the student. The Italian families offer to your son or daughter an all-expenses paid summer vacation in Italy - and Ergon sponsors the flight!

Ergon specializes in a rigorous selection process ensuring that students are academically strong, responsible, and proficient in English; we devote great care to matching students with host families. Students are fully insured and arrive with pocket money for all expenses, including recreational activities and vacations.

The Mercer Island families that hosted Stefano, Tommaso and Riccardo are happy to share their experience with you. To learn more, please email our Mercer Island coordinator Jane Gallup at jragallup@comcast.net and visit our website at www.ergon-se.org

Mercer Island Farmers Market - Volunteer Help Needed

In search of volunteers to help out on Sundays

MIFM has 2 hours volunteer jobs to fit your needs. Early morning set up, late afternoon tear down, special events help during mid-morning. Please visit the website for more information http://mifarmersmarket.org/support-your-market/volunteer/

Mercer Island Farmers Market Marketing Interns

If you are interested in learning more about market research, community engagement, or love event planning and implementation (1^st annual Berry Pie Bake Contest), MIFM offers interesting and challenging projects. You will work with MIFM board members in developing the projects to meet your interests, develop and research, and have the ability to implement at the market. You will see your energy and ideas at work for our community. Please contact: nannettebas@gmail.com

May 17^th - Cultivating Taste Benefit Dinner -

All volunteer positions have been filled. Email Nannettebas@gmail.com for more volunteer info. We might have cancellations - I am searching for people who use mobile devices for this event. Event Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mercer-island-farmers-market-cultivating-taste-tickets-16033149582

June 7, 2015 MIFM Opening Day

We will be opening with 45+ local WA farmers and vendors. MIFM is a produce only market. Our goal is to support and retain WA agricultural industry. Our process vendors (jams, pickles, sauces) use local WA farm products. Our food truck vendors (BUNs, Veraci Pizza, Got Soup, Street Sweet, and more) use local WA farm and WA produced products. Your money is invested into your community. Check out our website at www.mifarmersmarket.org

Legislation and Advocacy

For a summary of issues impacting our district this legislative season, please see Islander Middle School's Advocacy page

http://imsptsa.org/get-connected/legislative/

To read about WSPTA priorities for the 2014-2015 school year and to get the latest MIHS Legislation & Advocacy news, click here

Volunteers Needed for Upcoming Events

SIGN UP TO HELP SELL PROM TICKETS:

Senior Prom 2015 is right around the corner - Saturday May 16th at the Great Hall Union Station. We need parents to help sell tickets during both lunches. We would love your help.

Click here to sign up for a shift

MIHS Needs PTSA Volunteers!

Interested in Volunteering at MIHS? Please consider how you can volunteer during the 2014-2015 school year and complete the online form at MIHS PTSA website or Click here to fill out your 2014-2015 Volunteer Interest Form.

Questions? Contact Laurie Raisys at volunteer@mihsptsa.org

Question of the Week

Q: I've heard that MIHS received an award recently. What are the details?

A: MIHS and our district have actually been honored several times recently. Here's the list of recent headlines:

MIHS tops USA Today list of most athletically dominant schools in Western Washington

April 17, 2015 - Mercer Island High School was recently named the most athletically dominant high school in Western Washington by USA Today High School Sports.

MIHS, Island Park earn 2014 Washington Achievement Awards

April 14, 2015 - Today Mercer Island High School and Island Park Elementary were named recipients of 2014 Washington Achievement Awards by Washington State Superintendent of Public Instruction Randy Dorn and the Washington State Board of Education.

School district leading state in connecting students to college and career success

April 13, 2015 - Last month, the Mercer Island School District was lauded by College Board for its AP program. College Board honored the district for its AP program which provides expansive access to AP courses, and has led to an increasing rate of achievement on AP exams.