Many parents and children may wish to thank our West Mercer teachers and staff during the holiday season. By no means is it a requirement, but we'd like to provide some information if you are considering dropping off/purchasing a gift. Lynn Lawrence, WM Admin Assistant, has set up some procedures for dropping off gifts. She has asked that gifts be dropped of the week of December 14-18th.

Procedure for dropping off gifts:
There will be bins for every teacher set up in the school vestibule that is open from 7:00am-4:00pm everyday on Dec. 14-18th. These are the bins that are set up for parents to pick up supplies from their teachers when needed. These bins have the teachers names on the front of them. There will be a manila envelope in each bin for cards/gift cards. If you are dropping off food or other gifts they can placed directly into the bin. There will also be an envelope on top of the bins for Para's and Specialists. This way if no one is at the front desk, people can still drop things off during a large window of time. Gift cards/certificates (e-gift cards) can also be sent directly to their district email. Notes of thanks from you or your children by email are a great way to share your appreciation.

Also Principal Best would like to remind everyone that as a school West Mercer Elementary is a drug and alcohol free space. Please do not drop off alcohol or other substances for our staff. Ms. Anna Orton also wanted me to remind you that as a counselor she is not able to accept gifts, but she can of course accept a note of thanks.

Lastly, please check in with your teacher to see if they will be stopping in at the school before dropping something off. We would not want to have things sitting left at the school not being picked up.

Some staff/teacher have filled out a "Favorites List" which can be viewed here. (Updated 12/13/2020)

Thank you and Happy Holidays!

We have some awesome math kids at West Mercer!! There are students in every grade level participating in the challenges! The 4^th graders are really showing off their mathematical talents with 22 kids submitting challenges! Awesome job, 4^th graders! And kudos to all the students who are participating.

The latest math challenge can be found here: https://www.mathinaction.org/west-mercer.html

February 10, 2021 | 7:30 am

Register now for the Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS) 19th Annual Virtual Fundraising Breakfast! Held online (breakfast.miyfs.org) on February 10, the virtual format offers a unique opportunity for all Islanders to log in and learn more about the incredible work of MIYFS. Rise Up! Roll out of bed, stay cozy in your pajamas – and join MIYFS Foundation for an online program that promises to be full of fun surprises. There is no better way to start your morning than celebrating and supporting your friends and neighbors!

The event’s Master of Ceremonies is actor/comedian (and MIHS alum!) Joel McHale, special interviews with KUOW Radio host (and MI resident!) Bill Radke, and keynote address by 21+ year MI School District employee Kelly John-Lewis.

Each PTA/PTSA has a table captain listed in the drop-down menu of Table Captains on the Breakfast Registration web page.

For full details go here.

We have now updated the WM PTSA Directory with new students/parent information for the 2020-2021 year. If you have not done so already, please login to our website to update and check that your information is correct. If you do not have a login, you will be asked to create one. If you have a login at another school, you will use the same login/password on our website. Only members of the WM PTSA have access to view the Directory. You can always join the WM PTSA at any time and receive access. It's a great way to connect with others in the West Mercer Community and support our school, teachers, and students.

• Our teachers and staff for all the hard work of creating an enriching remote learning experience for our children during these difficult times!
• Our wonderful students who are doing their best work in a new and challenging format!

Congress needs to act now to make funding available for our schools and the National PTA is calling on communities to help.
For the next round of Covid relief funding, the National PTA is asking Congress to address five key areas for our students. 

These areas include:
1) Funding to reopen schools safely
2) Increased support for Title I and IDEA
3) Dedicated funding for remote learning 
4) More resources for family engagement in education.
5) Increased funding for child nutrition programs.

How you can help:
To ensure members of Congress understand this funding is a priority, they need to hear from you! The National PTA has created an easy form for parents and community members to fill out. There is a pre-written message, but you are free to edit and make your own. 

Links for 12/9 Community Connection Webinar can be found here:

Presentation Slides

YouTube Video

Mercer Island Parent Edge operates as part of the Mercer Island School District PTSA, organizing events for parents, educators, and our community.

We are excited to bring you some great speakers for the 2018-19 school year! PTA members receive free or reduced admission to all MI Parent Edge events. Check out this year's calendar of parenting speakers and programs at www.miparentedge.org.

Subscribe to Parent Edge if you want to be the first to hear about our upcoming programs and follow us on Facebook! Check out and download MI Parent Edge Schedule of Events here.

>For parents of elementary students

On Tuesday, November 17th, MI Parent Edge and MIYFS hosted a virtual program called “A Conversation about Supporting our Kids’ Mental Health”. The program featured Polly DeBron (Island Park MIYFS Counselor) and Laura Falsgraff (Northwood MIYFS Counselor) and two doctors from MI Pediatrics. The panelists shared information and resources about supporting our kids during this challenging time.

The presentation was recorded to share with those who were not able to join live. In the future there will be support programs to target parents of preschoolers, middle school and high school students. Stay tuned for more information by going to MI Parent Edge and subscribe.

If you missed the program, you can watch a recording and view slides from the presentation.

Here are some additional resources you may be interested in:

• Behavioral Health Toolbox for Families - Washington State Department of Health
• HealthyChildren.org - American Academy of Pediatrics
• Good Growing newsletter - Seattle Children's Hospital
• MI Parent Edge - visit "Parenting Resources" tab

If you have specific questions or concerns about your child, please reach out to your MIYFS school counselor or your pediatrician for support.

One of the goals of MI Parent Edge is to encourage dialogue on topics that will address issues in our community, support our children and create positive change.

Each MI Parent Edge “3-2-1” newsletter features recommended content on a specific parenting topic and includes:

• LINKS TO ARTICLES, VIDEOS & MORE
• RECOMMENDED BOOKS
• QUOTES TO PONDER 

View past issues of MI Parent Edge 3-2-1:
December 2020 - Post-High School Planning During Covid
November 2020 - Choose to be Grateful
October 2020 - V-O-T-E
September 2020 - Settling into a Screen Routine

Visit www.MIParentEdge for more resources.

Join MIPA in spreading holiday cheer all over the island!

The Mercer Island Preschool Association (MIPA) is creating a Mercer Island map of holiday lights to benefit Mercer Island Youth and Family Services. MIYFS provides services to islanders of all ages in the form of counselors, a food bank, and financial assistance to families in need. For a comprehensive overview of how MIYFS impacts Mercer Island families, please visit: https://www.mercerisland.gov/yfs  

With all of the extra stresses of 2020, the need for services from MIYFS are more in demand than ever.  

If you are interested in purchasing and downloading a digital map, please visit MIHolidayLightsMap.com. The site will go live Friday, December 11th for purchases and map downloads. Included with the  digital download of the driving routes are musical suggestions to create a festive holiday mood and a scavenger hunt for the little ones! All  proceeds go to MIYFS.  

Those interested in having their festively decorated home included  on the map, please email us at MIHolidayLights@gmail.com. We can't do this without you and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for helping to make a difference for families in our community.

In an attempt to keep our community connected through these difficult times, we are hosting a holiday auction! It will take place December 13-20th virtually on the platform Auctria. To give back to our local community, 25% of the proceeds will go to Mercer Island Youth and Family Services. We hope you will join us for this event and we appreciate your contributions and involvement to keep MI connected! For more information, check out the flyer below and follow our social media (linked on our website). 

To access more information about the auction, see some of the items (more to come), pre-register, and more... check out the link here.