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IN THIS ISSUE
PTA Advocacy Priority Survey | Math Challenge #2 | Spanish Movie Night |
MISF Phone-A-Thon | Veterans Tribute | Veterans Day Assembly
From the Librarian | Counselor's Corner | Volunteer Opportunities | Thank You |
Advocacy Updates | Community Events | MI Activities for Kids |
From the Principal 
Dear Island Park Community, Thank you so much for the kind words, cards, generous gifts, and incredible encouragement I have received while on medical leave. Your positive thoughts and well wishes have bolstered my spirits and filled my heart. Please know that I feel so supported and cared for. I am so privileged to be part of this loving and considerate learning community. I miss everyone, especially the students, and look forward to returning to carry on our important work. David |
From the Interim Principal  Last Monday our Island Park teaching community was greeted to a staff lounge filled with beauty, positive affirmations, and lots of treats.
The thoughtfulness and caring continued into Tuesday with Treats on a Trolley and Wellness Wednesday, and the PTA had even more planned the rest of the week. Staff hearts are so grateful for the outpouring of support and kindness. I thought it might be nice for all parents of an Island Park Eagle to hear directly from our school members on how much they appreciate everyone’s efforts and what they thought about when they heard the name “Island Park PTA.†Click here to see their heartfelt responses. A HUGE “Thank You†to our Island Park parents and PTA for bringing so much sunshine and happiness into our school. |
October 22 | Vision and hearing screening
24 | Math Challenge #2 due
25 | Spanish Movie Night
30 | Picture retakes
31 | Halloween Parade and classroom parties
View Full Calendar |
PTA Advocacy Priority Survey 
The PTA is the largest organization advocating for children in America. Every fall, representatives from all PTAs around Washington state gather for legislative assembly and vote on the legislative priorities of the Washington State PTA (WSPTA). This annual priority setting determines which policies the WSPTA will advocate for to our representatives in Olympia. We want to hear what’s important to you! Please spend TWO minutes to take this quick survey and amplify your voice through the PTA! Please only complete this survey ONCE. The survey will ask you which schools your children attend, so if you are a member of multiple MI PTAs, we will capture that information. Thank you. 
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Math Challenge #2 Due date: Thursday, October 24 | 3:45 pm | Front Office  Math Challenge #2 is now available online. Interested students should solve as many problems as they can and turn in their completed solutions to the Math Challenge folder in the Front Office.
At the end of the school year, certificates/medals and trophies will be presented to participating students by their classroom teacher. Join in on the fun!
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Spanish Movie Night - Coco Friday, October 25 | 6 pm | Lakeridge MPR | $8 
The MISD elementary Spanish program is pleased to host its first-ever movie night! DÃa de los Muertos begins in Mexico one week later, so it is only appropriate that Coco has been selected to kick off what we hope becomes an annual movie tradition.
Dinner (2 tacos and a popcorn snack) and water will be provided. Registration is on a first come, first serve basis. With a 200-student limit, only the first 50 students from each elementary school who sign up may participate. Stay tuned for more information on how to register!
We will need a few parent volunteers to help supervise, so please e-mail Matt Goltz if you are interested or have any questions. |
MISF All in for Kids Phone-A-Thon Monday & Tuesday, October 28 & 29  Each fall, the District presents funding requests for each school, with a priority for K-12 academic programs in core academics and enrichment, that support the rich education you expect and our MI students deserve. These resources are needed in the fall so that the materials will be available to students and teachers for use in the classroom throughout the year. Phones will be ringing across the island when friends, teachers, administrators, and community leaders call friends and neighbors. When your phone rings, please answer the call to show you’re All in for Kids!
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Veterans Tribute Deadline: Friday, November 1  We are collecting names of people in your family who have served or are serving in the military (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Merchant Marines, or Coast Guard). The honorees may be alive or have passed away, and you may honor as many Veterans as you like.
Please click here for instructions on what to include on your tribute stars and where to submit them. The tributes will be displayed during our Veterans Day assembly. You can also look for the display when you come to your parent-teacher conference. Please join us! |
Veterans Day Assembly Tuesday, November 5 | 2:30-3:30 pm | IP MPR  We are planning a patriotic school day assembly filled with singing, student presentations, and recognition of our veterans. Please join us for a celebration that honors our country’s soldiers.
Please note there will only be a school day performance this year. No evening event will be hosted. If your family knows a veteran who might enjoy attending our assembly, please extend an invitation to them! We ask that students who invite a veteran to the assembly sit with their guest during the event. In addition, we encourage students to prepare a 2-3 sentence introduction of their guest veteran. This introduction should include their name, the branch of military they served in, and the dates they served or a war they served in. If you plan to invite a veteran to the assembly, please contact either Pam Hinnen or Andrea Simpson, our PTA co-presidents. Your RSVP will help us plan appropriately for all who attend.
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AmazonSmile  Did you know? Every time you shop at Amazon.com, you can also donate to Island Park PTA at the same time! Select "Island Park PTA" as your charity every time when you shop at smile.Amazon.com, and a percentage of your purchase comes back to the Island Park PTA!
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Global Reading Challenge  The Global Reading Challenge will begin in November for interested students in grades 4 & 5 and is a special reading program sponsored by the King County Library System and the King County Library System Foundation. Participating students read up to 6 books (Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Poppy by Avi, A Boy Called Bat by Elana Arnold, A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park, Science Comics: Robots and Drones by Mairghread Scott, and Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres) and form 4 teams of 6 that challenge each other to questions in a quiz bowl format. Teams will meet during lunch on Mondays. The first challenge will be January 27, and the winning team will compete against other school teams in February. Please contact Librarian Barb Middletonwith questions.
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Hello Island Park families,
 Many families have shared concerns around the increasing amount of technology and social media that our students are exposed to on a regular basis. In case you missed this, I wanted to share the following resources from a Parent Edge panel I attended last spring around managing social media usage for students: Ms. Liana, LMFT MIYFS Counselor |
Vision and Hearing Screening Tuesday, October 22 
It's time for Island Park's Annual Vision & Hearing Screening Day when all classes will have their eyesight and hearing checked! This is a wonderful opportunity to help all the students at Island Park. Every year, this screening identifies students who have legitimate hearing and/or vision problems.
This event would not be possible without the generous help of volunteers. There are morning and afternoon shifts available (3.5 hours each). If you can donate your time, please sign up below. Your help is sincerely appreciated! |
5th Grade Musical 
Hello 5th grade parents!
You may have already heard that the Island Park 2019-2020 Musical, “The Jungle Book,†has swung into action! In keeping with Island Park tradition, every fifth grader will be a part of this wonderful production. The performances will be on Thursday and Friday, November 14 and 15.
To put on such a production, we will need many volunteers. Whether it is just to come in and help inventory costume bags to see if any students are missing costumes (costume creation/procurement), assisting with procuring and/or painting set pieces (set construction/crew), or some other task, your help would be greatly appreciated!
Please click below to let us know if you would be willing to help. The more volunteers we have, the less work each person will need to do, and the more fun it is for everyone! We are truly excited to begin working with your children on this project and to introduce them to this fun and engaging script!
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 Library Volunteers
Interested in getting involved in your child's reading? The library relies on an amazing pool of library volunteers to help out in the library all year long. Many enjoy interacting with their child's class as they come to the library to checkout books; others volunteer for special projects or the book fairs. Come enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and help promote reading. No experience necessary. Sign-ups for October available below.
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Thank You, Thank You, Thank You |
 Thank you to so many people for working together during Wellness Week to show Island Park staff how much our families care! |
Sarah Adams
Nikki Ahrenholz
Keith Apperson
Maricel Aziz
Robin Baron
Sarah Berkenwald
Dawn Bova
Erika Brown
Amanda Colburn
Jessica Crump
Nina Cuneo
Katie Dolence
Patrick Dougherty
Kirsten Duell
Hayley Duitch
Dawn Dunn
Anna Fein
Heather Galgon | | Ji Young Germack
Amber Gribble
Trudi Hagen
Heather Hall
Lisa Hawley Gall
Jamie Huynh
Elizabeth Kaplan
Linda Kercher
Kristi Kile
Ingrid Killian
Elizabeth Laughlin
Sarah Leclercq
Mindy Levine-Archer
Sonja Logan
Kara Lucas
Becky McKanna
Kristina Mehas
Laura Morton | | Tracy Munson
Ellen Pandey
Lesley Poole
Michele Pulling
Tara Reimers
Jen Riley
Annie Robbins
Juliana Kang Robinson
Jenn Rosenwald
Katie Penny Shea
Jill Simmons
Erin Sirianni
Christy Skimming
Karen Swift
Allie Switaj
Anu Vege
Sean Vegeler
Carmela Wood |
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Candidates Forum Monday, October 14 | 6:30 pm | West Mercer Gym
The public is invited to hear from candidates for Mercer Island City Council & MISD School Board through a question and answer format moderated by Simone Alicea. For a list of additional future community forums, please click here. |
Medicine Take Back Day Saturday, October 26 | 10 am - 2 pm | MI City Hall Loading Dock Protect our kids, families, and environment by properly disposing of your unwanted and expired medicines at no-cost and anonymously. Click here to view which medicines will be accepted.
Bunka no Hi Japanese Culture Day - NEW! Sunday, November 3 | 11 am - 4 pm | Japanese Cultural & Community Center of WA Celebration of Japanese and Japanese-American culture and heritage with performances, cultural demonstrations, games, and other activities. Booths and informational displays from a variety of local groups, nonprofit organizations, and vendors. For more information, click here. |
 | Mercer Island Activities for Kids | |
Cub Scout Pack 668 - Fire Station Visit - NEW!
Monday, October 14 | 6:30 pm | North End Fire Station
Learn about the exciting adventures you will have as a Cub Scout while you tour the fire station with other first graders (boys and girls) from Pack 668. Please confirm your attendance by e-mailing us at info@mercerislandcubscouts.org. Click here for more information about Pack 668. Family & Kid Yoga
Sunday, October 20 | 1:30-2:30 pm | Yogabliss
Register at www.yogabliss.org under workshops. Come play, stretch, and find some calm in your day together! Adolesco Youth Exchange Information Meetings - NEW!
Saturday, October 26 | 1-3 pm | Bellevue Public Library Meeting Room 3
Sunday, October 27 | 2-4 pm | Capitol Hill Public Library Meeting Room
Two-way exchange program that gives qualifying students between the ages of 9 and 18 the opportunity to immerse themselves in a new language and new culture AND to host a carefully matched exchange partner in turn. Start your application here and get in touch with local mom Marie Meyer, the Adolesco Exchange Coordinator, at (303) 913-4845 for more information. Applications are due on Friday, November 15. Mercer Island Pumpkin Walk Sunday, October 27 | 5-8 pm | Luther Burbank Park Join us for a fun and festive non-scary Pumpkin Walk! The Meadow Picnic Area Loop will be lined with pumpkins, artfully carved by volunteers, for people of all ages to enjoy. This year's event will be bigger and better than ever with food trucks, dedicated parking lots, and a paved walking trail. Click here for more information.
MIBGC 3x3 Islander Madness Basketball Tournament - NEW! Monday, November 11 | 1:30-6:30 pm | MI Boys & Girls Club Gym Grab your friends and join us for our annual 3x3 basketball tournament - Boys & Girls divisions for 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, and High School. All participants will receive a tournament T-shirt to keep and a pizza slice and beverage. No fee for current MIBGC members. Register here by Wednesday, November 6 at midnight. E-mail or call (206) 436-1939 with any questions.
Northwest Boychoir Auditions - NEW! Boys ages 6-9 who enjoy singing are welcome to tryout for January 2020 enrollment! No prior musical training is required – just musical aptitude and obvious enjoyment of music. For more information or to schedule an audition, click here.
Girl Scouts
Interested in joining Girl Scouts? K-5th grade Troops are forming now! Click here for more information.
Kids Co. - Before and After-School CareDesigned to meet the needs kids have during non-school hours. Contact Brittany Smathers, Program Manager at (206) 437-8396 or click here for more info.
Kids Corps tutoring Volunteer club focused on providing one-on-one tutoring for elementary students by MIHS students. Applications for new tutees are available here. For more information, contact mihskidscorps@gmail.com. Kidstown at the SJCCBefore and after-school program offering a nurturing and welcoming environment to kids in K-5th grades. Click here for more information.
Mercer Island Martial Arts Interested in learning martial arts or self defense, gaining confidence and flexibility, or just wanting to burn off some extra energy? For more information, click here.
SJCC Fall After-School Classes Monday, September 9 - Friday, November 22 In addition to returning favorites (like Karate X, STEM Sports, hip hop dance, and more), we're excited to offer a set of brand new J classes! Another NEW option: available extended care in our Kidstown after-school program after your after-school classes in our new After School Plus.
Study Zone Saturdays 2:30-4:30 pm | Sundays 3-5 pm (except during school breaks) | MI Library Students in grades K-12 can drop in for free tutoring on all subjects and help with study skills. Help with reading and writing is also available. Questions? Contact Carrie or call the Library at (206) 236-3537.
Youth Theatre Northwest - After-School Classes After-school theatre classes with popular themes strengthening creativity, confidence, and collaborative thinking. Register at youththeatre.org. New students receive 25% discount. Contact Stephanie for more information! 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. |
| Island Park Fundraising
No Extra Spending. No Catches. | |
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Cut or scan these Box Tops for Education on popular products and send them in to school for collection. Save them for competitions run throughout the year or just send them straight in. Either way, you'll help raise money for Island Park! |
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