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** Calendar information current as of 4/24/16. Always check the District calendar for updates.
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Have a Question about Student Life at MIHS? Maybe the Answer is in the MIHS Student Handbook:
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MIHS Student Handbook
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PTSA 2015-2016 Executive Committee
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Parent Advisory Committee
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Freshman Class of 2019
Sophomore Class of 2018
Junior Class of 2017
Senior Class of 2016
MISD Advisory Council Rep
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MISD Board of Directors
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Click name to link to email
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Submit an Article
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To submit an article for review for our next issue:
mihsnewsletter@hotmail.com
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| From Our PTSA President | |
Happy Spring Islanders!
-Parents of current 11th graders: the PTSA is hosting "Surviving Senior Year" on Wednesday April 27th 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!
witman3@msn.com
206-920-6199
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From Our Principal
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To see previous letters from Principal Vicki Puckett, click here
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Back to Top
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PTSA News and Announcements | |
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, babysitters, children and their 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 click here to order. Thank you for supporting this wonderful MI tradition!
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.
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MIHS News (including Senior Info)
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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.
Parents of the Class of 2019
We are looking for parents to volunteer as "Class of 2019 - Parents." This role supports students and staff as we plan annual events, such as Homecoming and Prom. If you might be interested in learning more, contact Alexandra Baker or Susan Rindlaub by May 20th. Thank you.
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
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.
Class of 2016 Senior Party. Sign up now to guarantee your spot! Click here for more info and to sign up.
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)
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Parent Volunteers Needed!
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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.
Teacher Appreciation Week
We have some great events planned to show the amazing MIHS staff how much we appreciate them, and I really need your help to make them a success.
Our first event of the week will be a Continental Breakfast on Monday, May 2nd. The staff will be greeted first thing Monday morning with a fabulous spread planned by Jill Swaya and Kathy Umlauf. If you can help provide food for this event, please click here to sign up.
On Tuesday, May 3rd, the MIHS PTSA will provide an Espresso Cart and professional barista to create custom coffee drinks for the entire staff.
On Thursday May 5th, the Staff will be treated to a Cinco De Mayo Fiesta Lunch. This will be our final Staff Appreciation event of the year, so let's make it a great one! Lots of volunteers are needed. If you can donate a food item (or two!) and/or your time at the lunch, please sign up here.
Please feel free to sign up for one or both of these events if you can. Your support is greatly appreciated!
And thank you for all you have done throughout the year to show your support for the MIHS staff. They really look forward to these events, and are very thankful for everything you do for them.
Betsy O'Connell, Staff Appreciation Chair
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MERCER ISLAND PARENT EDGE PRESENTS
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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! ____________________________________________________________________________________
MI Parent Edge is jointly sponsored by the PTA's of Lakeridge, Island Park, West Mercer, Islander Middle, MIHS and MIPA.
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Legislation and Advocacy
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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.
We need your help - Email City Council in Support of the Proposed Improvements to the Intersection at Northwood Elementary
Please send an email today to all City Councilmembers 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 (http://www.miptacouncil.org/advocacy/tip-letter/) to City Council urging them to fund, design and implement these improvements and we hope that you will too.
Basic education is vital to creating successful students, employees, and contributors to our community and economy.
A challenging question posed by the Seattle Times:
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
To become even more informed, see our webpage link above.
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MIHS Clubs and Athletics Announcements | |
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.
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MIHS Counselors Are In Touch! | |
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
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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.
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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.
Be a Part of Island History!
In less than five months, the beautiful Northwood Elementary will open its doors to a parliament of owls. A new school hasn't opened on Mercer Island since 1963, when JFK was President, Martin Luther King had a dream, and Beatlemania began!
To commemorate this milestone moment, the Northwood PTA is offering all families, friends, staff, and supporters of Northwood Elementary the opportunity to leave a permanent, personalized mark on a brick in Northwood's unique outdoor play area. For further information and to view all the possible options, please check our website at here. This opportunity will only be open until June 30, 2016. If you have any questions, please contact jsytman@mac.com.
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.
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:
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Question of the Week
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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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