topPTSA#2.9.50                                                                     April 18, 2016

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MIHS News and Announcements






PTSA News and Announcements

 

 

President's Letter

 

Legislation and Advocacy

Important information about funding for our schools



Volunteer Help Needed

Liliana Lengua Event April 27th

MIHS Counseling Center News

Counselors are marching into Spring

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CalendarEvents:*
April 2016

April 18 - North Mercer student parking re-located for rest of the school year. Click here for a map.

April 19 - SAT-ACT Review hosted by MIHS PTSA

April 26 - Mercer Island Schools Foundation Breakfast of Champions, 7:00-8:30 a.m., MIHS Gym.

April 27 - 6:00 p.m. MIHS PTSA General Meeting/Surviving the Senior year

April 28-30, May 5-7 - MIHS Spring Play, 7:00 p.m.

May 2-6 - Staff Appreciation Week and AP Testing

May 9-13 - AP Testing

May 10 - Senior Wills/Map submissions due

May 11 - Drama Awards 7:00 p.m.

May 14 - Senior Prom 6:00 p.m.- 11:00 p.m.

**  Calendar information current as of 4/17/16.  Always check the District calendar for updates.
 
Have a Question about Student Life at MIHS? Maybe the Answer is in the MIHS Student Handbook:

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PTSA 2015-2016 Executive Committee


President   Jayme Witman
VP/Elect   Jackie Brown
Secretary  Amy Melick
Co-Treasurer  Lesley Kalmin
Co-Treasurer  Kristen Glant
Co-VP Com. Monica Moline
Co-VP Com. Suzanne Riley
VP Outreach Betsy O'Connell
Co-VP Ops.  Kathy Bauman
Co-VP Ops.  Lori Coe
Co-VP Leg Adv Wendy Weiker & Hilary Benson
  
Parent Advisory Committee
 
Freshman Class of 2019
CC Crenshaw       
206-230-8282
Amie Fahey           206-232-2639
Loulia Howard      206-334-9915
Maryellen Johnson 206-420-8866
Betsy Robertson   206-230-4151
Emily Thompson   206-232-9881
Cara Williams       206-232-8446

Sophomore Class of 2018
Lisa Kittilsby         206-999-8494
Enas Muzio           425-736-3878
Molly Lambright   425-443-0258
 
Junior Class of 2017
Jane Rosenstein   206-275-1977
Ivy Suzuki-Jaecks 206-236-3485

Senior Class of 2016
Tanya Conger        206-453-3366
Kathy Gersch        425-269-9089
Kathy Umlauf        206-230-6449
 
MISD Advisory Council Rep
Debbie Hanson    206-236-3091 

MISD Board of Directors

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From Our PTSA President President

Happy Spring Islanders!
 
I hope everyone enjoyed a nice break in the weekly routine, and you are rested up for the final stretch of the school year! A few items to take a look at when you have time.....we have less than 10 weeks left of this school year.......
-Attention parents of Seniors!.The Senior planning committee is in high gear. Everything you need to know about graduation can be found on the MIHS website under the NEWS & EVENTS tab. Click on that tab and the first item on the pull down menu is graduation. There are lots of events that will come flying at you. Check this information regularly!
-Staff Appreciation WEEK is May 2-6th. Your PTSA will need lots of help recognizing and Thanking our staff. Look for volunteer sign up opportunities in upcoming newsletters.
-The BRIDGE breakfast is coming up on Tuesday April 26th from 7-8:30. I'd LOVE to have you join me at my table! This is an incredibly inspirational event that highlights all the the incredible things our district accomplishes with your generous donations. If you can join me, send me an email and I'd be happy to get you registered.
-Attention;Students Assigned to the North Parking Lot will need to move to the new Northwood Lot beginning Monday April 18.  See the flyer here.
-Parents of current 11th graders: the PTSA is hosting "Surviving Senior Year" on Wednesday April 28th from 6-8:30 in the library presentation room. This is a great opportunity to get an overview of all of the action items associated with Senior year. Hear from parents & counselors and get the real "scoop". Hope to see you there!
 
Happy spring!


Jayme Witman
witman3@msn.com
206-920-6199
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From Our Principalprinltr
Vicki Puckett
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To see previous letters from Principal Vicki Puckett, click here 

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PTSA News and Announcements PTSAawards
Need Graduation Gifts?
We are in the final quarter of the 2015-16 school year and graduation is right around the corner.  Your PTSA and various booster clubs have great gift ideas for your favorite Class of 2016 grad!  Senior yard signs, personalized bricks, graduation leis and more are all available.  Click here for order forms.
Nancy Schapps Memorial Grant
The Nancy Schapps Memorial Grant was established to support Mercer Island children who are currently facing the terminal illness of a parent, the recent death of a parent, or have a parent on active duty in the military.

Please nominate MISD students from your school community. Children may be nominated by a counselor, teacher, MISD staff member, parent, neighbor, etc.  Applications and information are available on the Mercer Island PTA Council website under Programs.  The grant application period is open until May 27th.  
MIHS News (including Senior Info)SeniorMIHSNews
Check the MIHS website for the latest announcements and calendar information
Writing For College Workshop
Curtis Johnston and David Willecke are offering the 7th annual Writing for College workshop at Mercer Island High School, beginning June 27th! 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.  For more information, including how to register, click here. 
MIHS Drill Team Tryouts
Are you interested in trying out for Drill Team? MIDT is holding tryouts for next year's 9, 10, 11 and 12th graders on April 19, 20 and 21. The Parent meeting took place on March 15th.  Additional questions?Contact coach Debbie Friend at debbie.friend@mercerislandschools.org. We look forward to seeing you there.
MIHS Cheerleading tryouts are almost here!  If you want to show your S-P-I-R-I-T next year at MIHS, please attend the mandatory Cheerleading Parents' Meeting on Thursday, March 31st at 6:30 pm in the MIHS Library.  Cheer Tryout Week is Monday, April 25th through Friday, April 29th.  If you have questions, please contact Coach Julie Ogata Ciobanu at jotogata@msn.com.

All the world's a stage! Please join the Drama Department as they present their spring play, William Shakespeare's comedy, As You Like It. 

It's 1992 in Seattle. Join Rosalind, Orlando, Duke Senior and their friends as they run off to Gasworks Park, where they will encounter love at first sight, mistaken identity, and the music of the Seattle grunge scene.

Performances are in the MIHS Performing Arts Center on April 28-30 and May 5-7 at 7pm. Pre-sale tickets can be purchased from the cast or on campus during lunch for $10. Tickets purchased at the door are $15. Seniors 65+ and children under 7 are $5. Tickets may also be purchased online through the district website.

Questions? Please email Daniela Melgar at  
seniorannoucement

Class of 2016 Senior Announcements:

Graduation Links now live!  Click here for up to date information and FAQs from our Counseling Department about dates, tickets, venue details, check out procedures, etc.

Senior Wills and Graduation Map submissions are due May 10th.  Visit MIHSislanders.org to submit information.

Important dates:

  • Tuesday, May 10:  Senior Wills and Graduation Map submissions due.
  • 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)parentedge 
Mock ACT Practice Test Review Session
The review session for the final mock SAT/ACT test will be held April 19th at 7:00 p.m. at the Mercer Island Presbyterian Church, 3605 84th Ave SE, Mercer Island.
 
Click here for more information about Mock SAT/ACT tests for 2015/16.
Questions? Contact Kathy Umlauf at rkumlauf@comcast.net
volunteers
Parent Volunteers Needed!
Is one of your resolutions for 2016 to become more involved at MIHS?  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. 
Questions? Contact Laurie Raisys at  volunteer@mihsptsa.org.
 
MERCER ISLAND PARENT EDGE PRESENTS

MI Parent Edge Presents:
Wednesday, April 27th 9:30 AM at Lakeridge Elementary
Liliana Lengua, Ph.D.

Supporting Elementary-Aged Children Through Change: 
Promoting Resilient Responses to Life's Stresses

Join us for a morning with Dr. Lengua as she discusses how effective parenting, supported by mindfulness, can promote our children's resilient responses to stress.

With a new school opening in the fall and the exciting changes it brings to the entire elementary community, this will be a timely lecture in which Dr. Lengua will share strategies and knowledge to help us all grow through life's various transitions.

Free for Mercer Island PTA Members
$10 at the door for non-MI PTA Members - Bring a friend!
____________________________________________________________________________________
Special Announcement:
Our friends at ParentMap are offering a special discount on their upcoming lecture series for Mercer Island Parents! Go to ParentMap Lecture Series to see their great line-up and use the code "MIPE16 at check out. Thank you Parent Map!
____________________________________________________________________________________

Visit www.miparentedge.org for more information..

MI Parent Edge is jointly sponsored by the PTA's of Lakeridge, Island Park, West Mercer, Islander Middle, MIHS and MIPA.
 COUNSELORS   LegandAdv                                                                                                                                         Back to Top 
Legislation and Advocacy
The Mercer Island PTA Council has a fantastic new website. Click here to learn about legislation affecting Mercer Island families and how the PTA advocates for our students.

Basic education is vital to creating successful students, employees, and contributors to our community and economy.

A challenging question posed by the Seattle Times:


Then join the discussion with our PTA advocacy team (advocacy@miptacouncil.org), made up of interested parents, teachers, and other community stakeholders.

Why are our students underperforming? Could it be related to the fact that Massachusetts spends almost $15K per pupil, while Washington spends about $10K? Did you know that Mercer Island ranks 144th out of 295 Washington districts for per pupil spending, INCLUDING donations to PTA and the foundation, and that funding may be at risk. Want to learn more? Mercer Island School District Per Student Funding Data Sheet 

Another good source on education funding is The Greater Good Campaign - The Seattle Times.    
 
To become even more informed, see our webpage link above.
 CLUBSANDATHLETICS
MIHS Clubs and Athletics Announcements sportsmeeting
MIHS All Season Sports Passes are on sale
This year the school has moved to a punch card system.  Punch cards are good for any regular season varsity event and come in 10 game cards.  They are available from the ASB office, or purchase Online (login with Skyward information, choose "Items at students school", "Sports", "Season Pass".  Cards purchased online may be picked up in the ASB office beginning September 8th.

College Athletics
Is your student playing a sport at a Division 1, 2, or 3 school next year?  Did you know that only 1% of high school athletes play at the collegiate level?  Please let Mark Jergens-Zmuda know if your student has committed to play a sport in college and at which school he or she plans to play.
MIHS Counselors Are In Touch!Counseling
Our MIHS Academic Counselors will be providing parents with a monthly Counseling Center Update Letter.  It will be posted on the Counseling Center webpage, and we will link to the letter in our weekly newsletter. See below for this month's information.

High school and beyond plans, summer programs, MIHS summer school, running start, MIHS Presidential Scholar Candidates, college information for Juniors, Juniors SAT-ACT information, and AP exam registration are all discussed in this month's update:  Click Here to download and read the full letter. 

More information from the Counseling Center can be found here.

Questions can be directed to MJ Hillstrom, College Counselor
 Community
In the Community
Mercer Island High School PTSA (MIHS PTSA) and the Mercer Island School District have neither reviewed nor approved the programs, personnel, activities or organizations announced in these flyers or websites.  The participants agree to protect, indemnify, and hold harmless the district and MIHS PTSA, 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 this information and or flyers should not be considered a recommendation of the programs by the school district or by the MIHS PTSA.  These are neither school district nor MIHS PTSA sponsored activities. 
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 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
 
Programs in our Community - 
The MIHS PTSA has not reviewed or endorsed these programs.  See above.
The Breakfast of Champions-Everyone is Invited
This is a "don't-miss" event. Come get inspired! Spend one special morning celebrating amazing Mercer Island students, teachers, and programs preparing students for their successful future. Show your support for our schools! April 26, 7:00 a.m.-8:30 a.m. at Mercer Island High School.
Reserve your seat today here or contact Jayme Witman.  If you are unable to attend, but wish to support Mercer Island students, donate here.

Two Mercer Island High School Graduating Senior Women to be Awarded Scholarships-You are invited to the Stanley Ann Dunham Scholarship Award Ceremony 
The Stanley Ann Dunham Scholarship Fund Board welcomes President Obama's sister, Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng, as guest speaker at our 7th Annual Scholarship Award Ceremony on May 21 from 2 - 4 pm at the Congregational Church on Mercer Island. This year, we will award $5,000 college
scholarships to two MIHS senior women whose strong academic records and volunteer service in the wider community demonstrate the values that Stanley Ann Dunham, a 1960 graduate of MIHS, practiced in her life and passed on to her children, Maya and Barack. The ceremony is free and open to the public. There will also be a private fundraiser following the ceremony to raise money for our scholarships and to meet Dr. Soetoro-Ng ($150 minimum donation). For more information, please visit our website at  You can also email us at dunhamscholarship@gmail.com

Islam:  What do You Want to Know ?  ~a panel and discussion~
Sponsored by KCLS and the Friends of the Mercer Island Library

Recent events have revealed that many people do not understand Islam, contributing to distortions of Islamic values and causing unease and tension.  
Come to a panel discussion on Islam, where you can ask questions that will be answered by Muslims of diverse backgrounds.

Moderated by Arwa Mokdad, Mercer Island High School sophomore.
Saturday, April 23, at 2 pm
Mercer Island Presbyterian Church / 3605 84th Avenue SE / Mercer Island
No registration and it's FREE !  
Snacks will be provided.
For more information contact Carrie Bowman at the Mercer Island Library (clbowman@kcls.org  or call 206-236-3537)
 

Mercer Island FC Night at Mercer Island High School
Come cheer the MIHS Varsity Soccer team on Friday, April 29th as they take on the Sammamish Totems at 7:30 p.m. in the MIHS Stadium. 
Healthy Dating, Consent & Respect for Men & Women:
A Workshop for Mercer Island Teens
Wednesday, April 20, 2016 from 6:30-8 PM
Mercer Island Public Library
Presented by: Ward Urion of Lifewire and Cathy Gentino of MIYFS

Fight the Fear Campaign
The Fight the Fear Campaign is excited to announce a Sexual Assault Awareness Evening for Western Washington High School Girls. This free event will take place on Thursday, April 28th from 7-9pm in Roosevelt High School's Performing Arts Center. Girls will learn to recognize the red flags that often precede assault, as well as the assertive communication, self-defense, deescalation, and boundary setting skills that are a proven deterrent to violence. Guests will hear from survivors, including Jennifer Hopper, whose story is the subject of Eli Sanders's new book While the City Slept. To get tickets for this free event, please visit our News/Events page at www.fightthefearcampaign.org. 
The Mercer Island Visual Arts League (MIVAL) Scholarships:
is now accepting applications from Mercer Island High School seniors for 3 scholarship grants of $700 each. Applicants must be entering a university, community college or art institution, with the intention of pursuing an art major or continuing in the visual arts field. Applications are available from Ms. Totten, Mr. Wick or Ms. Mintz or directly from MIVAL at president@MIVAL.org.

Founded in 1961, MIVAL is a member run, non-profit, visual arts organization located on Mercer Island. MIVAL hosts three annual shows (Treasures in Miniature (April), Summer Celebration/Junior Art Show (July) and Holiday Show (November/December)) and operates the MIVAL Gallery located next to the Baskin-Robbins in downtown Mercer Island. MIVAL's scholarships support emerging, committed and deserving high school visual artists who will to continue their art education after high school. MIVAL works closely with the Mercer Island Arts Council. For MIVAL membership and other information see www.MIVAL.org.

Camp Biomed Presented by the Northwest Association of Biomedical Research
Our goal is to inspire students entering grades 9-12 to consider a career in biomedicine, biotechnology or bioengineering through immersion in the biomedical research community.  Camp subjects include Cancer Laboratory and Do-It-Yourself Biology, Next Gen Science-Origami of Life with Bioinformatics, and Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)-Solving a Murder Mystery.  For more information click here.
 
Mercer Island Youth and Family Services - VOICE Program Registration
VOICE (Volunteer Outreach in Communities Everywhere): 
Current 8th-11th  graders. 
This summer, MIYFS is offering two summer volunteer opportunities for youth. The middle school SVP program is open to current 6th and 7th grade students, and VOICE is open to current 8th - 11th grade students who would like to participate in volunteer projects throughout the summer.  These programs give Mercer Island students the opportunity to raise their social awareness by working directly with populations in need around the greater Seattle area while volunteering alongside their peers.  SVP and VOICE projects are plentiful and diverse- by participating with the program one might cook a meal at a homeless shelter, tutor a child in need, participate in recreational activities with people with disabilities, build a hiking trail in Snoqualmie, and much more. We are excited to announce we have increased our nonprofit partnerships, and will work with over SIXTY nonprofits this summer!
 
Registration will open at 10:00am on Wednesday, March 16th and will close at 5:00pm on Wednesday, April 27th. See our website www.mercergov.org/voice for more information and to register.
 
The 2016 VOICE/SVP programs will run from June 27 - August 19.
 
For more information contact Tambi Cork, Youth Development Program Coordinator at Mercer Island Youth and Family Services, at 206.275.7755 or tambi.cork@mercergov.org.

2016 International Summer Spanish Programs & Youth Sport Camps
 with Homestay in Barcelona, Spain 
SpainBcn- Summer Camps are designed for boys and girls, junior and teens, who want to practice their favorite sport and/or improve their Spanish, enjoy a complete cultural program in a fun, safe and nurturing environment with youth participants from all over the world.

To learn more about SpainBcn-Summer Camps please visit: 

Question

Question of the Week

Question of the week:
What's the deal with the assigned parking spots? Can I park in an assigned spot after school or are they always off-limit?
 
Assigned spots are RESERVED  during the school week from 6:00am until school is out for the day. Any reserved spaces can be used by anyone after school hours and any time during the weekend.


Calendar information for future reference:
This event calendar is different than the student calendar which is bargained in advance with school start and end dates, vacations and service days.  Those calendars have been set for 16-17, 17-18, and 18-19 and are located on the District Website under News and Events on the Student Calendar page.


P.S.
We are leaving the schedule links here in the event you have not bookmarked them:

and the 

If you bookmark this page you will be able to check schedules on your computer or smartphone. Seven period weeks take place during "short weeks", testing weeks, and Showcase weeks. Schedules are also adjusted during finals.  

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Mercer Island High School | 9100 SE 42nd Street | Mercer Island | WA | 98040