PTSA#2.9.50 August 24, 2015

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Back to School! Links to MISD page	PTSA News and Announcements Welcome Back Coffee, MOCK SAT/ACT Registration
President's Letter	Principal's Letter
MIHS Calendar Dates & Events	Volunteer Help Needed - click on Islander Days/Fees and Photos to sign up for a shift.
MIHS News and Announcements FALL sports packets due! New online procedures.	Question of the Week
TODAY!! - Senior Parking Registration opens ONLINE.	Senior Class Announcements Parking,; Yearbook Photos, Important Dates

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Senior Class of 2016

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From Our PTSA President

Dear MIHS families,

Hello Islanders!

As you slowly creep your way back in to the "school world", a few details to get your life started at MI High School.

-Check the MIHS website for details about Fee and Photo Days

-Look at the MIHS PTSA webpage for Parent information www.mihsptsa.org.

-Attend the High School Welcome Back coffee on Friday Sept. 11, 9-11:00am in the High School Commons area.

As this years PTSA President, I welcome your comments, feedback, and questions.

Jayme Witman

witman3@msn.com.

206-920-6199

From Our Principal

Email Vicki Puckett

Hello Islander Parents:

Welcome back to the 2015-16 school year! We are looking forward to seeing new and returning students very soon. This year we anticipate 1438 students which includes 376 freshmen, 366 sophomores, 333 juniors and 363 seniors. We can't wait to see each of them here in a few weeks.

We wanted to share some important information and updates with you as we prepare for the start of the year.

Renovation Update

The construction on our new addition is complete. This is so exciting!! This would not have been possible without your support of our school - thank you all so much! The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be on Tuesday, August 18th at 3:45 PM. Our Superintendent Dr. Plano and our ASB President, Tiger McBurney will be dedicating the new classroom wing. This new addition will house classrooms for courses such as Material Science, Robotics, Physics, Mathematics, ELL, English and Special Education.

Students will have the wonderful opportunity of experiencing their education not feeling as cramped as in the past. The timber from the trees that had to be taken out for the new wing have been recycled into benches for the new outdoor classroom as well. Some of the benches will also be inside the building for our students.

Parking

Since the renovation changes, we now have our parking lots back. Mark Zmuda, Associate Principal in charge of administrative issues has shared information with seniors about purchasing parking spaces.

With the school year approaching, buses will drop off/pick up students on 92nd Ave. During the time when buses are unloading, we ask that nobody park/pick up/drop off students in that zone for safety reasons. The good news is that we will have a drop off area completed by the beginning of school on 42nd Street. This area can be used to drop off/pick up students. We appreciate your support and patience the first few days of school when everyone is getting used to the school parking lots again.

MIHS Welcomes New Staff

This year we have 15 new staff members joining us at MIHS. Please welcome:

Joe Bryant - Radio Broadcasting Teacher

Scott Churchill - Counselor

Lara Fitzgerald - Spanish Teacher

Lynn Frickey - Special Ed. Teacher

Mona Floyd - Main Office Secretary

Eric Goldhammer - English Teacher

Christy Kenyon - Special Ed Teacher

Joslin John - Spanish Teacher

Shelley Sage - Nurse

Laurie Schwartzberg - Math Teacher

Selma Staight - French Teacher

Shannon Tapp - Marketing/Business Ed. Teacher

Peter Walsh - Tech Support

TBA - 2 new paraprofessionals

Chris Conroy - Head Girls Swim Coach

Debbie Friend - Head Drill Team Coach

Administration

At MIHS, we essentially have 4 principals, each with a different role. Each Associate Principal has unique duties and primary responsibilities.

For specific student needs, each Associate Principal works with part of the alphabet (by last name):

* Henterson Carlisle -last names A - I

* Mark Zmuda - last names J-R; students with athletic needs/concerns

* Jamie Prescott - last names S-Z

View Calendar Updates of Events

To help with your planning in August and for the school year, please go to our MIHS website, and on the right hand side of the front page is a link to click on our calendar of events. Click Here

Fees & Photos Islander Days

More details will come soon on the school website here

Monday August 31, 2015

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM, Seniors

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Freshmen

Friday, September 4, 2015

8:00 AM - 11:00 AM, Juniors

12:00 PM - 2:30 PM, Sophomores

I hope you all had a wonderful summer and are ready for the start of another fabulous year at MIHS. Best wishes for 2015-16 school year!

Vicki

Go Islanders!

Vicki Puckett

Principal

To see previous letters from Principal Vicki Puckett, click here

PTSA News and Announcements

MIHS PTSA Welcome Back Coffee - 9/11, 9am

Join us in the MIHS Lower Commons. Come and touch base with our tremendous MIHS parents, sign up for volunteer opportunities and hear from our Principal, Vicki Puckett and MIHS PTSA President, Jayme Witman.

Volunteer to help with Islander Days - Fees and Photos!

8/31 and 8/4. MIHS needs your help! This is a super fun way to get involved, greet and help students, and some parents, navigate the process of kicking off the new year! Click here for a link to the Sign Up Genius.

PTSA News and Announcements cont.

First Mock SAT/ACT Practice Test Open For Registration

Registration is open! For the registration document click here, download a form, fill it out, and sent it to Kathy Umlauf, 6470 East Mercer Way,Mercer Island, WA 98040. The test is $30 if the registration form is delivered by Tuesday, September 15th. $40 after that deadline.

This first Mock test is a SAT/ACT hybrid, which is an excellent opportunity to learn which testing format is best for each individual student. This test will reflect the current SAT version, which will be given until the revised version comes out in March 2016.

Test Date/Time:

Saturday, September 19, 2014 at

Mercer Island Presbyterian Church.

Registration: 8:30 am to 8:45 am;

Test: 9:00 am to 1:15 pm

More information about Mock SAT/ACT tests for 2015/16

(In the Future, this information will be located under "COLLEGE PREP" on the MIHS PTSA website, www.mihsptsa.org)

Practice SAT & ACT tests are offered at MIHS throughout the year as a fundraiser for the annual Senior Party. Tests are administered by Princeton Review, and expose students to a full-length practice test given under the same testing conditions as the actual exams. No preparation is needed in order to take the mock tests. Students learn about the endurance and skills needed for these exams, and receive a personalized score report that shows strengths and weaknesses. Test results will be provided to the student and not shared with MIHS or any college.

Each Mock SAT/ACT test is $30 for pre-registration and $40 for the day-of registration. All proceeds go towards the MIHS PTSA Post-Graduation Senior Party.

All tests and review sessions take place at

Mercer Island Presbyterian Church

3605 84th Ave SE, Mercer Island.

September 19th 9:00 a.m. Mock Hybrid ACT/SAT test

(registration 8:30 a.m.)

September 29th 7:00 p.m. Review Session

October 17th 9:00 a.m. Mock SAT (current version)

October 28th 7:00 p.m. Review Session

November 21st 9:00 a.m. Mock ACT

December 1st 7:00 p.m. Review Session

February 6th 9:00 a.m. Mock SAT (REVISED version)

February 23rd 7:00 p.m. Review Session

April 2nd 9:00 a.m. Mock ACT

April 19th 7:00 p.m. Review Session

Questions? Contact Kathy Umlauf at rkumlauf@comcast.net

Mercer Island Parent Edge

2015-2016 Speakers Announced.

For a link to the MI Parent Edge website and information about upcoming speakers in October 2015 and March 2016 Click here!

MIHS News & Announcements (including Senior Info)

Back to School Information Now Available

Important information regarding Back to School events and related information is now posted on the Back to School web page found here. The web page contains links for each school as well as links to many documents and other information you need to make a smooth start to the new school yea, including links to transportation (Metro routes/Orca Cards), and calendars. The MIHS specific page is here. These pages are updated continually so it is important to check back before school starts!

Fall Sports Packets were Due Wednesday, 8/12 - Fall Sports start today!

IMPORTANT: There are new procedures for the 2015-16 School year. The procedures are outlined clearly on the MIHS Athletics Website.

Please note: Online registration steps need to be followed exactly in order to register. Please make sure you click on MIHS> Sports> Sports Registration Forms>BUY. Do not skip to "Fall Sports" or you will miss the Sports Registration Forms!!

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

CLASS OF 2016 SENIOR ANNOUNCEMENTS

Senior Class Announcement regarding On Campus Parking

All senior students who would like to purchase a Parking Pass may do so online on August 24th and 25th. Registration is completely done online and is a lottery system. Student parking will be in the C Lot, Music Lot (which will re-open now that construction of the ten new classrooms is complete), and North Mercer. Please realize there is construction of the new fourth elementary school going in right by North Mercer. Please follow the directions below in order to go online and purchase a parking pass. The cost is $75 for one semester. Senior students with 504's or special needs have first priority.

Student parking on campus is a privilege, not a right, and may be disallowed if abused or for other reasons determined by parking enforcement. A MIHS senior must be a student in "good standing" with no unpaid parking tickets, behavior issues, on or off site speeding, reckless driving, car surfing incidents. Peeling out of the parking lot may also cause a student to lose their spot. A student is "not in good standing" if they have 3 or more parking violations, have unpaid ASB fees or fines, have demonstrated conduct detrimental to the safety of the school, are discourteous in the neighborhood--littering, excessive noise, disobeying no parking signs.

Safe driving is our top priority for student drivers. Parking is purchased on a lottery system and first come first served basis starting with seniors. Once it opens up to juniors, seniors no longer have priority. Parking passes cannot be transferred or sold. They msu t be visibly displayed at all times. If a pass is lost they can be purchased at ASB for a cost of $15. No students are allowed to park in the Faculty or Visitors Spots. Parking permits must be displayed at all times. First offense for a Parking Fine is $50, second offense is $75 and third offense is $100. If there are ever any questions about parking please refer to the Parking section in the Student Handbook or please speak with Mark Zmuda (MIHS Parking Administrator).

1st SEMESTER PARKING

*Parking purchase will be available ONLINE only from August 24-25, 2015.

*Only open to Seniors, in good standing at this time.

*All Fines/Fees must be paid prior to parking purchase.

*Instructions for online parking purchase:

Go to MIHS home page
Under Popular Links, click on "Online Fee Payments"
Enter your Skyward user ID and password
Click on Senior student name
Pay all Fines/Fees on student account, if applicable
Click on "Items at Student's School"
Click on "Parking"
Click on "Parking Fee"
Click on "Buy"
Click on "Checkout" basket
Review items in your cart
Click on "Checkout Step 1: Additional Information"

Enter all required information:

1) Driver's License Number

2) Car License Plate Number

3) Make of Car (Honda, Toyota, BMW, etc.)

4) Model of Car (Accord, Camry, 320i, etc.)

5) Color of Car

Click on "Checkout Step 2: Payment"

Enter payment information

Click on "Pay Now"
Pick up parking placard at Fees and Photos Day on August 31st from 9-11am.

Senior Information regarding Yearbook; Picture, Ads, Quotes

Senior Yearbook Photos - Due October 2, 2015

The Yearbook Staff will use school ID images if they do not receive a personal photograph from you. Click here for details on our MIHS PTSA Website - Senior Page.

Senior Ads are due December 4th, 2015

Click here for details.

Click here for an order form.

IMPORTANT DATES FOR SENIORS

Get your Senior Portraits done over the Summer!
August 24-25: Senior Parking available for purchase online at MIHS website. All fines/fees must be paid in advance. (see article above for details)
August 31: 9-11 am: Senior Session of Fee & Photo Day
October 2: Senior Portraits and Quotes for yearbook due.
October: Look for more info to come about ordering Graduation gowns and other items
December 4: Deadline to order Senior Ads in yearbook. See article above for more info.
Wednesday, June 15, 7:00 pm: Baccalaureate (location TBD)
Thursday, June 16, 7:00 am: Senior Breakfast, MIHS Gym
Thursday, June 16, 7:00 pm: Graduation, Key Arena
Thursday, June 16, 10:00 pm - 6:00 am: Senior Party (location TOP SECRET)

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

Eastside Youth Soccer - Parent Education Event

Eastside Youth Soccer is sponsoring free speaker events the last weekend in September. John O'Sullivan will be in town discussing his "Changing the Game Project" regarding the struggles of athletics and parenting. Click here for a link to the EYSA website and more information. Click here for information about John O'Sullivan's "Changing the Game Project"

Legislation and Advocacy

Legislative Assembly 2015-16

Legislative Assembly is October 24, 2015 at the Red Lion Inn in Olympia. If you are interested in attending, contact our Co-VP of Advocacy, Wendy Weiker.

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

Mercer Island School District Released the 2015-2016 Budget Proposal

At the August 18 School Board meeting, the School District presented the 2015-2016 District Budget. As far as sate funding goes, MISD ended up in fairly good shape after the long and arduous Legislative Session. In addition, our fabulous community once again came together with the 2015 Bridge Campaign and over 55% of district families contributed to our efforts to help fully fund our district's goal to provide outstanding educational programs to our students. At the end of the Bridge Campaign, we did fall short of our lofty goal, however, the following quote is from the School Board's presentation documents:

"With respect to state-level funding, the environment continues to stabilize and the state is beginning to address the under-funding of education in the State of Washington. We expect major changes in the coming four (4) to six (6) years. Some of these enhancements will include lower class sizes at the primary level, with the state assuming a larger responsibility for the funding of salaries, and reducing local levy lid authority for Mercer Island School District. The State did begin funding lower class sizes at the primary level during the special session that concluded in June, 2015. The changes were very minor, but did make up for the shortfall in funding from the Bridge 2015 Campaign. In the adopted budget the legislature also provided a 3.0% salary increase for staff."

So in the end, between our private donations and advocacy efforts; contacting our legislators calling for support of our schools, we begin the 2015-2016 school year in good financial shape! Thank you, everyone, for all your support!

For more information about our Mercer Island School District Budget, Click here for a link to the Guide to Understanding the 2015-2016 Budget.

Volunteers Needed!

Fee and Photo Days Volunteers - Yes it's so fun, we've put it in three different spots in the newsletter!

Islander Days/Fees and Photos is the event for students to pay student fees, purchase yearbooks, pick up their ORCA card if they are eligible to take the Metro Bus to school, get yearbook pictures taken, pick up iPads, etc. This event takes many volunteers to run smoothly and MIHS would love as many parent volunteers as they can get! Our PTSA is coordinating volunteers in shifts August 31st and September 4th. For a link to the Sign Up Genius and reserve your spot CLICK HERE!

MIHS needs PTSA Volunteers!

Our PTSA Board is still filling jobs for this year. Click here to indicate your interests; from Staff Appreciation to Islander Days - we need your help! Please consider how you can volunteer during the 2015-2016 school year and complete the online form at MIHS PTSA website or Click here to fill out your 2015-2016 Volunteer Interest Form.

Questions? Contact Laurie Raisys at volunteer@mihsptsa.org

Question of the Week
Q:How can I stay up-to-date with MIHS & PTSA news? A: Check out the MIHS and the MIHS PTSA Websites often throughout the summer for school news and upcoming PTSA opportunities: www.mercerislandschools.org/mihs www.mihsptsa.org