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ISLAND PARK EAGLE NEWS
Island Park Elementary PTA
August 28, 2016
David Hoffman A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Island Park Families,                                                                       
 
Welcome back to school! 

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer. I also hope you are recharged and ready to start a new school year. I am so delighted that you are part of our amazing learning community. I welcome and value your positive energy and dedication to excellence in education, and I look forward to working with you and your children.  
 
All signs point to another incredible and productive school year. Our skilled and devoted staff is already planning and preparing for your child(ren). Our enthusiastic office team is registering new families, ordering needed materials and updating student files. Our hard working and conscientious custodians have spent the entire summer thoroughly cleaning the facility. And, our much-appreciated PTA is gearing up to welcome families, provide volunteer opportunities, and offer other exciting events and programs. We are indeed a joyful and caring community with the common goals of nurturing responsible, caring students and promoting high-level learning.
 
A warm welcome to new Island Park families. I look forward to meeting and working with you.  Please make a note of our new family coffee at 9:15 a.m. on Monday September 12. 
 

Student Placement

New Staff

Current Classroom Teacher Roster  (2016-2017)

A Few Facilities Reminders


 

A MESSAGE FROM THE PTA

We are happy to welcome our new and returning families back to school this year. We hope you had a great summer and enjoyed the time with your families. 

The 2016-17 school year has many transitions for elementary school students and families. We as a PTA hope to help make the transition as easy as possible for all families. 

We have a number of exciting events approaching to put in your calendars.  More detail about each can be found below in this newsletter. 
  • Open house. Tuesday August 30th, 10-11am.
  • First day of school for Grades 1-5. Wednesday August 31st, 9.15am-3.45pm. 
  • Welcome back coffee and PTA General Meeting. Wednesday August 31st, 9.20am. 
  • Ice-cream social. Thursday September 1st, 6.00-7.30pm.
  • New Families Coffee. Monday September 12th 9.15am.  
  • Curriculum Night, all grades. September 13th. 
An easy way to get all our PTA dates on your home calendar is to go to our website islandparkpta.org and on the left side of the page you will see "upcoming events". At the bottom of that box it says "Add". Just click and the events will be added to your electric calendar. 

It's going to be a great year! We look forward to seeing you all soon!

Melissa Prock & Ricca Poll
PTA Presidents

Dr. Gary Plano
A MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

Dear Mercer Island Schools families,
 
Welcome to the 2016-17 school year! We are looking forward to welcoming our students on Wednesday, August 31. I hope your families have had a wonderful summer. We have been extremely busy throughout the district getting ready to open all schools and especially Northwood Elementary and the new addition at Islander Middle School.
 
This is an historic 75th anniversary for our school district! We were incorporated as King County School District #400 in 1941. As another milestone, we are opening our first brand new school, Northwood Elementary, in over 50 years! The school is a beautiful environment for learning and teaching.
 
The new commons, gymnasiums and classroom wing at Islander Middle School are nearing completion and a dedication and open house is being planned for Saturday, October 1 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. We hope our entire community will join us that day.

 
Save the Date for a Special Event for New Families
Elementary Spanish-language program
Later start for HS on Wednesdays
Elementary Bell Times
Stop Arm Cameras installed on selected buses
Connect with us on social media

In This Issue
:: Open House
:: First Day of School
:: Ice Cream Social
:: Cameras on School Buses
:: Communications
:: New Families Coffee
:: Curriculum Night
:: Activities for Kids
Upcoming Events

Open House
Tuesday August 30th, 10-11am

First Day of School 
Wednesday August 31st, 9.15am-3.45pm

Welcome Back Coffee & PTA General Meeting
Wednesday August 31st, 9.20am

Ice Cream Social
Thursday September 1st, 6-7.30pm

New Families Coffee
Monday September 12th, 9.15am

Curriculum Night - ALL GRADES
Tuesday September 13th

Parent Pack Emails
Sent out Friday August 26thSchool supplies2

To continue with our Green Schools initiative, the back-to-school parent packs are online again this year. 

Parent Pack emails were sent on Friday August 26th. Please check your inbox for this important email. 

In this year's ASK Campaign, we are aiming to raise $275 per student, a significant reduction from the previous year's suggested donation. 

Also payable through the parent pack, is the Field Trip fee of $30 per student (previously incorporated in to the overall ASK Campaign) and the School Supplies/Classroom fee of $40 per student. 

Please note, Steps for School will not have a fundraising component this year. It will be held later in the year and be an Island Park community participation event. 

If you believe you did not receive the Parent Pack email on Friday please contact  communications@islandparkpta.org.

Open House
Tuesday August 30th  apple-sm.jpg

All families are welcome to come to school between 10.00am-11.00am (only) to visit your child's new classroom, say hello to his/her teacher, and get a tour of the school.  

*Kindergarten families will also have this opportunity during previously scheduled conferences on the 31st and 1st of September. 

Questions? Contact Carol Siebert in the Island Park office. 

First Day of School, Welcome Back Coffee and PTA General Meeting
Wednesday August 31st   

First Day of School.
The first day of school for grades 1-5 will be Wednesday, August 31st. 

Island Park's new school hours are 9:15am-3:45pm. Classroom doors will open at 9:10am. 

Due to bus schedules and arrival times, the school will not have supervision on the playground before 9:00am. 

Kindergarten students first day of school is Friday, Sept 2nd. 
 
Welcome Back Coffee and PTA General Meeting.
After you kiss your kiddos goodbye for their first day, please join us at 9:20am in the Multipurpose Room for our Welcome Back Coffee and PTA General Meeting. Feel free to bring your younger kids and Kindergarteners with you!  

It's a great time to catch up friends with or meet new Island Park Families over coffee and treats. Learn about events planned for the upcoming year and sign up to volunteer for one (or many!) of them. We'll introduce this year's PTA Committee members and hear from our principal, David Hoffman. 

We know they don't start until Friday, but families with Kindergarten students are welcome to attend the welcome coffee event with their students. 

We Hope You Will Consider Joining The Island Park PTA for the 2016-2017 School Year. 

Our PTA provides important resources and volunteer support for Island Park. 

In addition, in the PTA you become connected with other parents in our community and you will be a valued member of an organization that advocates passionately on behalf of all youth, whether it be locally, state-wide, or nationally. 

You can join the PTA via the parent pack that was emailed on Friday. 

Island Park Fundraising.
No Extra Spending. No Catches

Use this link when purchasing from Amazon and you'll raise money for Island Park with every purchase. 

Box Tops
Cut these coupons on popular products and send them in to school for collation. Save them for competitions run throughout the year or just send them straight in. Either way you'll help raise money for Island Park.

I Scream You Scream...for the Ice Cream Social
Thursday September 1st 6-7.30pm
Ice Cream Social
All families welcome!   

No cost for families but p lease bring a breakfast item for Mercer Island Youth and Family Services food drive. 

Cameras on School Bus "Stop" Arms for Student Safety back-school-bus.jpg

The Mercer Island School District and the City of Mercer Island are working together to enhance student safety with the installation of cameras on school bus stop arms to deter illegal passing by private vehicles. Cameras will be installed on five buses and a citation would cost violators a fine of $394.

In Washington State drivers on BOTH directions must stop when the school bus "stop" sign is out. Exceptions include situations when the roadway contains three or more marked lanes or has a planting strip, physical divider, or painted medium greater than 18 inches wide.  View the state law here.

The camera system starts at the beginning of the school year. There will be no grace period. 


Communication from Island Park

There are a number of ways we will communicate with parents throughout the year. Make sure you are up to date to keep on top of all Island Park related news. 

Island Park PTA Facebook page

Website with events calendar

Constant Contact account. Constant Contact is the program we use to send out the school newsletter and emails. By ensuring your information is current and up-to-date with our Constant Contact account, you will be sure to hear from us about important dates and reminders. Please take a moment to add our account to your "safe senders" list with your email provider to ensure we don't end up in your "junk" folder. 


If any your contact information has changed over summer, please print out this form, fill in your new details and return the to the Island Park office. 

New Families Coffee
Monday September 12th 9.15am
coffee
We hope to get to know many of our new families, help you get acquainted and answer any questions over coffee and treats. Whether you have students starting in Kindergarten or any other grade/s, please come along and say "hi". 

Curriculum Night - All Grades ?
Tuesday September 13th 

Save the date. Curriculum night for all grades to be held this evening. - more information on times to come. 

Eagle Spirit Wear Store Now Open  
Show your school spirit by sporting our new Island Park Eagle Wear. 

T-shirts, hoodies and dry-fit gear will feature the full color logo on sport gray apparel. Shop our spirit wear store and complete the online order form. 

Sample items will be available for sizing at the Open House on August 30th and the Opening Day Coffee on August 31st. Order deadline is end of day September 15th. Apparel will be delivered early October. No late orders will be accepted. 

Please double check your order for correct sizes and quantities as spirit wear is non-exchangeable and non-refundable. Contact spiritwear@islandparkpta.org with questions. 

COUNSELOR'S CORNER
Welcome everyone!
 
I look forward to meeting all the new Island Park families and reconnecting with others after a busy summer for everyone!  I spent the summer hanging out and traveling with my family and I can't wait to hear about all of your adventures and experiences!  A huge Thank You to Island Park staff for my new and bigger office with plenty of space to meet with groups and families. I am working on organizing and putting things away but look forward to welcoming everyone in a few days.  
 
Warmly,
Ms. Liana

MERCER  ISLAND LEGISLATIVE UPDATES AND EVENTS

Advocacy Update: School Funding Cuts on Table 2016-2017
 
Our MISD local levy ability is due to sunset next year, amounting to a ~$5M/year loss to our schools
 
State legislature is working on education funding this year: some of the ideas on the table will CUT Mercer Island funding.  Get informed and Act! Our MISD PTA advocacy committee is keeping a close eye on these issues and will be holding brown bags and forums. The first event is coming up...
 
School Funding, the McCleary Ruling and what it means for Mercer Island School District
September 15, noon @ Mercer Island  School District Building Boardroom (4160 86th Avenue SE)
 
Join us for a Brown Bag lunch with Dean Mack, CFO for the Mercer Island School District, to discuss upcoming changes to school funding. With the expiration of our local levy and depending on how the legislature fulfills the McCleary ruling, the Mercer Island School District could lose significant funding. Get educated on how the decisions our elected officials in Olympia make will directly affect Mercer Island Students. 

 
Our MI PTA advocacy committee discusses school funding, curriculum changes, safe routes to school, mental health challenges, safety, drug and alcohol use, and other issues concerning the well-being of our children. Listening, communication, and commitment to our children represent our core values.  

Contact us for more information:

MERCER ISLAND ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

Looking for sports or activities for your child? Check out Mercer Island Activities for Kids for a listing of the most recent activities!

Mercer Island Parks and Recreation
Attention! Online class registration at www.miRecConnect.comPlease call our customer service staff at (206) 275-7609 with any questions you may have. 
Fall activities include:
Board Game Thursdays ::  Arena Sports - Lil' Kickers & Skills Institute ::  Outdoor Exploration with Nature Vision  
Pre-School Cheerleading/Dance Class ::  Indoor Playground ::  After School Art for Kids ::  Ballet ::  Mother Goose :: Guitar ::  Dream Team Cheer Squad (Eastside Dream Elite)  ::  Cookies & Canvas Painting ::  Parent's Night Out!

The Mask You Live In
Follow boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America's narrow definition of masculinity. Followed by expert panel with Dr. Laura Kastner, PhD, and Jo Langford, MA. This film is by the same filmmakers of MISS REPRESENTATION. Watch the Trailer Here
Wednesday, September 21 | 7 p.m. | $15  PURCHASE TICKETS
At the SJCC 3801 E Mercer Way, Mercer Island
Co-Presented with ParentMap

Mercer Island Girls Lacrosse
Does it suddenly feel like EVERYONE's playing lacrosse?They are! It's the fastest growing sport in North America!Don't watch from afar! Get in on the action!New players, master the basics before spring!Returning players, learn the latest skills and strategy!
5th GRADE FALL BALL!
5th grade girls play with the middle school girls. NEW PLAYERS WELCOME! No experience needed. 
Sundays, September 18th - November 13th, 10:30am-12:00pm
Cost - $150 Including 11/13 Turkey Shoot Tournament
1st-4th Grade FALL BALL!
Sundays, September 18th - November 6th, 1:30-2:30pm
Players grouped by level of play, Cost - $100.  Stay fit, have fun and get a head start on the season!
Registration is open!
Visit  www.migirlslacrosse.com or email  migirlslaxes@gmail.com for more information.

Youth Theatre Northwest presents Cats
August 12-27. 
Wed/Thu evenings 7pm ยท Fri/Sat evenings 8pm
Suitable for ages 4+
For tickets and information: 206-232-4145 
Outdoor Stage at Emmanuel Church 4400 86th Ave SE, Mercer Island
More information at  YouthTheatre.org  

Join Girl Scouts!
Mercer Island Girl Scout's Troop Formation event is Sunday, Sept 11 from 3:30 to 4:30 at the MI Library, Large Meeting Room.  You'll learn some background on Girl Scouting, have your questions answered, then join with other parents to form a troop for your daughter.  Girl Scouts on Mercer Island is big - we have over 30 troops of girls in grades K to 12!  It is one of the only groups in our area to offer an all-girl collaborative environment for girls to develop their leadership skills.  Interested in starting your own troop?  All you need is 5 girls and 2 adults.  You'll be joining an amazing circle of over 60 troop leaders and co-leaders here on Mercer Island.  
Pre-register for our Troop Formation event here:   http://joinmigirlscouts.weebly.com/join.html  
Register for Girl Scouts here:   https://girlscouts.secure.force.com/girl 
See what your daughter can do while she's waiting for her troop here  https://www.girlscoutsww.org/en/events/event-calendar.html   
Questions? Contact lorikovarik@comcast.net

Register now for Mercer Island Boys Basketball Tryouts! 
Do you have a 5th-8th grade boy who would like to play basketball this fall? Come learn more about the Mercer Island Boy's Basketball Program at a parent meeting Thursday, September 15th from 7:30-8:30 at the Mercer Island Library.  Sign up for the Tune Up Clinics on September 11th and Tryouts for the Mercer Island ETL and Cascade Teams on Sunday, September 18th and Monday, September 19th.  More information is available in the attached document or at  ww.mibasketball.org.  Questions?  Contact youthcoordinator@mibasketball.org

Kids Co. - Before and After School Care
Kids Co.'s before and after-school programming is designed to meet the particular needs kids have during the non-school hours.  Please feel free to contact Jamie Glennon, Program Manager at 206-437-8396 or visit http://www.kidscompany.org/locations/mercer-island.


Island Park Elementary (IPE) PTA 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 IPE 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 this information and or flyers should not be considered a recommendation of the programs by the school district or by the IPE PTA. These are neither school district nor IPE PTA sponsored activities. 

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