In This Issue Read A Thon Payments I 5th Grade Party
Incoming K Event I Volunteer Tea I School Supplies
Parent Support Group I Kindergarten Registration
Gratitude I MI PTA Council I District Announcements
Advocacy I MI Parent Edge
Community Programs I Newsletter Submissions |
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Mark Your Calendar | | Monday, June 7 | | | | Friday, June 11 | | | Monday, June 21 | | | | Tuesday, June 22 | | | Wednesday, June 23 | |
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WEST MERCER ANNOUNCEMENTS |
| West Mercer Read A Thon 2021- Payments DUE Read-a-Thon 2021: It's time to tally up and collect payments! June 7: Payments due, turn in packets to front office
The Read-a-Thon reading period is now over. It's time for kids to tally up their reading blocks and contacting sponsors to collect amounts due.
Read-a-Thon Overview
DONATE HERE! |
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| 5th Grade Party News! We wanted to reach out to let you know we are your 5th Grade Party Committee! Along with many other parents helping with the slide show video, memory books, sweatshirts and the art project, we are all planning some fun end of the year 5th grade events. Some of you may be aware that in the past, our kids have taken a field trip to the family fun center. This year will look different, but hopefully just as fun! You will be receiving information regarding some of the items listed above (sweatshirts, etc) but we wanted to let you know the plan for the 5th grade party in lieu of the Family Fun Center. The all 5th Grade Party will be on Wednesday, June 16th. Roomies will celebrate in their classrooms, and the zoomies from home. The party will start with the 5th grade slide show and time to sign memory books; then recess and snack break - with special treats in the goodie bag. After recess, the kids will be watching a festive, interactive show via Zoom, by Alex Zerbe The Zaniac (https://alexzerbe.com/). Each student will receive a goodie bag before the party (we will arrange pick up for remote kids) and we will be providing graduation yard signs for any family who would like one (this will be an opt in and we will arrange pick up). Thanks to Joci Besecker (Jane’s mom) for creating the graduation design! We’d like to thank all the West Mercer staff, 5th grade teachers and Principal Best for doing such a great job during such a surreal year. Cheers! Carin Parcel (Liam's mom), Sharon Perez (Rowan's mom), Waverly Swenson (Charlotte's mom) |
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| Incoming Kindergarteners Meet Your Teachers Event West Mercer Incoming Kindergarten Families You (and your future Kindergartner!) are invited to join us via Zoom to meet our Kindergarten team! Our principal, Ms. Best, will say "hello" and then our Kindergarten teachers will read a story. Please join us on June 9 from 2:30-3:00. We are looking forward to seeing you! |
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| West Mercer Volunteer Tea Let's celebrate our progress and the people who have made it possible! On behalf of the WM PTSA and our partnership with all the staff at West Mercer Elementary, we'd like to invite you to grab a cup of tea and join us Monday, June 14th at 2pm for our traditional Volunteer Tea. Parents, teachers, staff, and children are encouraged to join us for this Zoom to celebrate all of the hard work of our community throughout the year. Zoom details and invite to follow.
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| School Supplies Kits, 2021-2022 In anticipation for full time in person learning this September, it is time to order school your student’s school supplies! As in years past, we will have school supply boxes available to purchase through School Kidz. Using School Kidz is a convenient way to make sure that your student has all of the correct school supplies requested by their teacher. To order your student’s supplies, visit the website www.shopttkits.com and use account #94221. Supply boxes for your student will be delivered to their classroom on the first day of school.
Orders MUST be in no later than June 25, 2021.
If you choose not to use School Kidz or miss the June 25th deadline, then you must purchase the supplies on your own for the first day of school. If you need a scholarship for school supplies, please reach out to Anna Orton at 206-236-3438 or at anna.orton@mercerislandschools.org We are looking forward to seeing you all in person this fall!
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| NEW TIME - West Mercer Parent Support Group Every Thursday from 11:30am-12:15pm
MIYFS recognizes the impact that COVID-19 is having on our mental, physical and emotional health. Parents have had to adjust in many unexpected ways.
Join Anna Orton every Thursday from 11:30am-12:15pm (on zoom) for Parent Support Sessions. Email Anna, anna.orton@mercerislandschools.org with any questions or to request a link and passcode. |
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| Kindergarten Registration Happening NOW! We encourage families to enroll as soon as possible!
This helps us forecast class sizes and staffing needs for the coming school year. Registration will open online at that time. Families can find out their elementary school boundary area via e-Link or by calling Vanessa Adams at 206-236-3330. For more information, visit mercerislandschools.org/kindergarten
Elementary students will enroll in their home school. To verify which school your student will attend, based on your home address, download a copy of the Boundary Map. You can also use the transportation tool called e-Link which helps families verify their student’s school and the school bus stop location nearest to their home address. Call Vanessa Adams at 206-236-3330 with questions.
Immunization Requirements
Washington State Law RCW28A.210.080 requires school-age children to receive specific immunizations in order to attend school. Proof of immunizations from a family physician or local health department is required. The parent/guardian needs to transfer this information to a Certificate of Immunization (CIS) form and sign the certificate to verify its accuracy and upload a copy in the “Requested Documents” section of the online enrollment application. See the state Immunization Requirements |
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| Wolf Howls of gratitude to... - Our teachers and staff for all the hard work of creating an enriching remote and hybrid in-person learning experience for our children during these difficult times!
- Our wonderful students who are doing their best work in a new and challenging format!
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| Volunteers Needed to Collect End of Year Items MISD is in need of parent volunteers to help with End of Year Collection of district items.
iPad Collection Dates: PreSchool Students = Friday , June 18th In Person Students = Monday, June 21st C Cohort\MI Online = (After School 1- 3) Monday, June 21st (Parent Volunteers Needed At Each School).
Additional details about the plan are available here. |
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| MIYFS Healthy Youth Initiative Offerings MIYFS is offering Mental Health First Aid Training! Find more information here. Mercer Island Health Youth Initiative would like to offer Mental Health First Aid Training (MHFA) at no cost to members of the community. MHFA provides adults with the skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. |
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MISD Coronavirus Communications See here for most up to date Coronavirus communications from MISD. |
Grab & Go Meals! Grab & Go Meals provided by the MISD Food Services department, offer lunch for all children 0-18 and breakfast for the next day. Two locations are available for pick-up between 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Elementary In- Person Grab & Go lunch menu is available here. - Meals are provided at no cost, thanks to the extension of a USDA nationwide waiver. This waiver is in effect through June 2021.
- Each Grab & Go Meal! includes lunch for today and breakfast for tomorrow to be eaten offsite.
- Families are still encouraged to complete an application for free or reduced-price school meals. Additional benefits may be available for qualified applicants. The 2020-21 application can be found on our Free & Reduced Priced Meals page. Families must reapply each year.
Please complete this form to pre-order meals for your student(s). This form needs to be submitted between 6 p.m. the evening before and 9 a.m. the day of pick up. Walk-ups will be accepted.
Starting Monday, March 15, Grab and Go Meal pick up sites will be headed back outside. Islander Middle School pick-up site will be located outside of the main office entrance. This is a walk up site.
Mercer Island High School pick-up site will be located at the west driveway entrance of the school, between the grass field and the building. This is a drive-through location but walk ups are also welcome!
Pick Up Times and Locations:
Mercer Island High School
9100 SE 42nd St.
Pick Up: 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Islander Middle School
7447 84th Ave S.E.
Pick Up: 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
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Virtual Enrichment Classes Through 6Crickets Mercer Island School District has partnered with 6crickets to curate specialized virtual classes from quality providers throughout the nation on a variety of topics including engineering, robotics, debate, math, fitness, dance, music, entrepreneurship, science, theatre, and world languages. Register now at: bit.ly/EnrichMISD |
Gun Violence Awareness Day and National Wear Orange Day Friday, June 4th, 2021. Wear Orange event Sunday, June 6th, 2021 at Mercerdale Park and Farmer's Market from 10:00am - 12:00pm In response to the horrific Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, the Mercer Island School Board passed a resolution against gun violence to reiterate our district's commitment to safe schools and our larger community. Three years later, gun violence continues to be a national problem, and since the pandemic, gun sales have surged. Additionally, accordingto the Seattle Police Department, there have been 147 shootings reported this year citywide as of 5/13/21, compared with 115 in all of 2020. Every day, more than 100 Americans are killed by gun violence, alongside more than 230 who are shot and wounded, and on average there are more than 13,000 gun homicides every year; and Americans are 25 times more likely to die by gun homicide than people in other high-income countries. Washington state has 781 gun deaths every year, with a rate of 10.2 deaths per 100,000 people. Washington has the 40thhighest rate of gun deaths in the US. On Friday, June 4th, WA State has proclaimed Gun Safety Awareness Day. This day coincides with national Wear Orange day and a weekend of advocacy and activism to promote gun violence awareness. In years past, there have been city-wide events, including a gun violence prevention march but this year, we still work to end gun violence and honor the lives lost and survivors of this violence. This year, on Mercer Island, we will host a masked gathering on Sunday, June 6th at Mercerdale park at 10:00am and distribute Gun Safety information and orange ribbon pins to those who are interested during the first two hours of our Farmer's Market. Please join us at Mercerdale Park on June 6th or at the Farmer's Market between 10am - 12pm by wearing orange and showing your support for continued efforts to end gun violence and keep our communities safe! When you wear orange you are showing your support to: - Rally together for gun violence prevention education
- Promote safe firearm storage
- Normalize the conversation of, “Do you have guns in your home, and if so where do you store them?”
- Prioritize suicide and gun violence prevention in our schools
- Advocate for gun safety laws and policies locally and nationally
For questions, please contact lorics@usa.net
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| 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. |
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| Parent Support Series: COVID-19 Resources Never before have we, as parents, been challenged in this way. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us into unchartered parenting territory. MI Parent Edge recognizes that we are all being challenged right now to utilize every tool we have in our parenting toolboxes. We will to continue to provide content and programs that support our students, parents, staff and community. Here are a variety of articles, videos and resources to help us through this unchartered territory! |
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| MI Parent Edge 3-2-1 Newsletters 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. Click image (left) for link to current newsletter. 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:
February 2021 - Ready, Reset...GO!
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. |
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COMMUNITY EVENTS AND PROGRAMS |
The Mercer Island School District and WM PTA Council have neither reviewed nor approved the program, personnel, activities or organizations announced in this section. The participants agree to protect, indemnify and hold harmless the district and PTA, 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 information regarding these programs should not be considered a recommendation of the program by the school district or by the PTA. This is neither a school district nor a PTA sponsored activity. |
Help IMS Teachers whose cars were broken into!
Find out more information and how to donate here.
Island Choral Experience Open Enrollment for Fall
Find more information here.
Customizable 5th Grade Grad Gifts from Island Treats!
Hello Mercer Island, happy graduation season! As we wrap up this crazy year, celebrate the graduates of the class of 2021, 2025, and 2028 with a customizable “pretzel thingy” box from Island Treats! Boxes will be themed to match the student’s next step (e.g. College/University, MIHS, IMS) and contain 4 pretzel thingys each. To purchase a box first fill out this Google Form and then go here to buy your box(es). Thank you for your support!
MIFC Fall Registration is Open
Registration for Micro Soccer, Juniors and Rec Soccer is now open. Find more information here.
Coach Cree's Island Hoops Camps
Registration open now! Find more information and register here.
Mercer Island Girls Summer Lacrosse Program
Find out more information here.
Soccer Fun Camp for Ages 3-12
Find more information about camps here.
Creation Dance Studio has new Youth Programs!
Find more information here. Information on Summer drop in classes here.
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| Mission InspriEd Classes are enrolling now!
See more information here.
Girls Junior Hoopsters Summer Camp, K-8th
Find more information here.
Concerned about your child's development?
Kindering can help!
See more information here.
MI Cub Scouts Packs 624 and 688
Scouting is a family oriented organization! All K-5th boys and girls are welcome!
More information about 624 here and about 688 here.
Pacifica Writing Workshop is Online Tutoring
More information available here.
Student Writing Workshop
The Writer's League is offering essay writing workshops for 5th- 7th graders. More information here.
NorthWest Student Exchange Program
NorthWest Student Exchange program is looking for host families that have younger siblings for their exchange students to act as a role model. Students arrive in late August. More information available and hosting application here.
MIHS Kids Corp Tutoring
Kids Corps is a volunteer club focused on providing one-on-one tutoring for elementary students. We partner up willing high schoolers with elementary-aged kids to help them both learn and grow as students. We've been around for nearly 15 years and this new leadership team is excited to take on this school year!
Here is the link for a Google Doc with more information about how the club will proceed this year with the link to the application: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yFn4VE-iz-FchimMJen8LOWaNdP3IbN69V-Nn06oWZw/edit?usp=sharing There is no deadline for the application; families can sign up for Kids Corps throughout the year.
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The Wolf newsletter will generally go out on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, unless there's a conflict with a school break. If you have any announcements that you would like to appear in an upcoming newsletter, please send in your submissions by the end of business day on the Monday prior to publication. For more information and specific publication dates go here. Submissions can be made to: editor@westmercerpta.org. |
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