Dear Lakeridge Families,

We have made the difficult decision to postpone our Annual Heritage Night. We apologize for the inconvenience. Our new date is March 21st.  Stay tuned for more information and volunteering opportunities!

Lakeridge PTA

Congratulations to this year's Reflections Art Contest winners and thank you to all Lakeridge Lions that submitted their art.

This year's theme was "I am hopeful because..." and 22 entries across the district are going to the state level. We will be celebrating all participants & winners at an awards ceremony on March 4, 5-7pm at IMS Commons.  Come see the art submissions from across our district!

Film Production:
1st, Yuhan Sui

Literature:
1st, Kaira Reddy
2nd Amina Harper
3rd Taylor Hua

Music Composition:
1st (Primary), Adrit Pradeepkumar
1st (Intermediate), Vivian Luo

Photography: 
2nd (Primary), Adrit Pradeepkumar
1st (Intermediate), Madison Janusson
3rd (Intermediate) Yuvl Gupta

Visual Arts: 
3rd, Blaire Wang & Sri Vadlamannati

Bookmark Contest Submissions Due This Week!

The annual Read-a-Thon will kick off for students in just a few days! The school-wide literacy event, held February 2-11, encourages a love of reading and invests all proceeds back to the school. 

Also, Friday, February 2 is the deadline for the Bookmark Contest. Students will vote for a favorite design in their grade. The winning designs will be printed/distributed for all students to enjoy. Submissions should be turned in to the front office.

The full Read-a-Thon packets should have already gone home, and extra copies of all materials can also be found on the event webpage. Please email readathon@lakeridgepta.org with any questions or to get involved.

Heads-up! Kindergarten registration for the 2024-25 school year begins on Thursday, February 1, 2024.  

All four elementary schools in the Mercer Island School District will host a Kindergarten Information Night on Tuesday, January 30, 2024 from 6-7pm for kindergarteners enrolling for the 2024-25 school year.  The Information Night at each elementary school is a great opportunity for families of future kindergarteners to ask questions of the school Principal and find out why we believe MISD is the best option for your family as you start on your education journey.  

Kindergarten registration for the 2024-2025 school year will begin on Thursday, February 1, 2024. Elementary students will enroll in their home schools and registration will open online at that time. Children must be 5 years old by August 31, 2024, to register for kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year.

For more information, visit the Kindergarten Registration Page.

Send love and gratitude to an educator who adds a touch of sweetness to your student's learning journey.

Send a Gift:  Make a gift of $65 or more, and we will send the educator(s) of your choice the gift of a sweet treat. Included: Kitchen & Market scone mix, jam, lemon curd and Valentine's kissy candy with a card letting them know this gift was in their honor. $65/teacher 

Send a Card:  Make a gift of any amount under $65 and we will send the educator(s) of your choice a card to let them know you made a gift in their honor.

For more information, visit MISF Website.

The Mercer Island Schools Foundation invites all students currently enrolled in the Mercer Island School District to participate!

The theme this year is "Your favorite thing about school"

Discover the magic of expressing "Your favorite thing about school" through art! We invite students to unleash their creativity and showcase their exceptional talent by crafting artwork inspired by this year's Spring for Schools Art Contest theme.

Whether you choose to paint, sketch, color, or explore mixed media, make sure to present your masterpiece on a vertical 8.5" x 11" paper.

The first-place winner will earn the prestigious opportunity to grace the front cover of the MISF Breakfast of Champions program.

Additionally, the top three winners will be prominently featured at the Breakfast of Champions event, celebrating their artistic achievements. Let your imagination soar and captivate us with your unique perspective on the joy of learning!

The contest is open now, and entries are due by March 15.  Please submit your art to the Mercer Island Schools Foundation office (in the Admin Building) at 4160 86th Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA.  

REQUIRED: Artist's name, school, grade, and an email and phone number must be included on the back of artwork.

By entering this MISF art contest, you agree to allow the Foundation to use your art in all marketing materials.

The Mercer Island School District is hosting a district Budget and Human Resources community Zoom webinar on Tuesday, February 6 from 6-7pm.

The purpose of the webinar is to update our community on the current MISD budget, student enrollment, and staffing.

Superintendent Dr. Fred Rundle will lead the webinar, which will include presentations from:

• Erin Battersby, Executive Director – Compliance, Legal Affairs, & Human Resources
• Matt Sullivan, Executive Director – Finance & Operations
• Kay Adams, Director of Finance

Watch The Zoom Webinar

 We look forward to informing our community about the MISD budget and encourage you to share the Zoom link with family and friends on the Island you think could be interested in the webinar.

Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures. The New Year typically begins with the first new moon and spans the first 15 days of the first month of the lunar calendar—until the full moon arrives. 2024 is the Year of Dragon. Lunar New Year begins on February 10 and ends on February 24th. Tied to the lunar calendar, the holiday began as a time for feasting and to honor households and ancestors. 

The annual Mercer Island Youth and Family Services Breakfast is coming up on February 7th at 7:30am! This is a wonderful and inspiring morning to be able to hear about all the ways MIYFS impacts our community and be part of continuing to support their mission, which benefits all of our students!

You are welcome to join the IMS PTSA table, hosted by President Amanda Stoffer. If you're interested, please reach out to her at president@imptsa.org

More information on the event can be found here.

Rugby is one of the fastest growing sports in the USA and it's a sport that prioritizes team-building, hand-eye coordination, elusive footwork, and communication skills.  This Rugby Fundamentals program is intended for players new to the sport as well as experienced rugby players.   

The program will be led by USA National Player and Seattle Seawolve, Tavite Lopeti (aka Pite).  Pite is an elite rugby player that is also very humble and very effective at keeping things fun.

Program Details:

- Fridays from January 26 to February 16, from 5pm-6pm

- Location: South Mercer Playfields: 8220 SE 78th St, Mercer Island, WA 98040

- Soccer cleats, turf shoes, or rugby cleats are highly recommended.

- All youth ages 6 to 13 are welcome to register

To register, click the link below and search "Rugby Fundamentals"

https://bgckingcountymch.my.site.com/portal/s/registration.

See link below for Pite's USA Rugby Player Profile:

https://eagles.rugby/players/tavite-lopeti.

The City of Mercer Island presents Island Lanterns, a community art project designed to connect and inspire Islanders through arts and culture. Solar lanterns are available for community members to transform with their creativity and then installed at the Veterans Pergola in Mercerdale Park and the Mercer Island Community Center from February 1 - March 31.

• Lanterns are available for pick up at the MICEC (during operating hours), beginning Monday, January 8. 
• Painted lanterns must be returned to the MICEC by January 31, to be installed on February 1. 

Come paint a lantern at the MICEC with friends on Saturday, January 20 from 1 - 5pm.

Are you looking to build up your child's writing skills? Robin's classes are engaging and powerful! This winter, the areas of focus are character building, dialogue and descriptive language with the goal of engaging the reader and painting a picture in their mind.

Writing Clinic (grades 6-8 and 9-12)

Tuesdays at 6pm PST (Grades 6-8) and 7pm (high school)

• Students participate in guided writing exercises with a focus on syntax, vocabulary and grammar. Both creative and essay prompts are presented, the latter including a reading comprehension component. Individualized feedback is provided in real time. Limit 8. Online. $500 (10 sessions). Tuesdays, January 2 - March 12 (except February 20).

Wednesday Writers (grades 3-5 and 6-8)

Wednesdays at 5pm PST (grades 3-5) and 6pm/7pm PST (grades 6-8)

• Students engage in activities that hone their skills and foster their love of writing as storytelling. In winter, the areas of focus are character building, dialogue and descriptive language with the goal of engaging the reader and painting a picture in their mind. Limit 8. Online. $500 (10 sessions). Wednesdays, January 3 - March 13 (except February 21).

More information here: https://www.teachingisfire.com/

Mercer Island Lacrosse is a boys youth lacrosse program for Mercer Island boys in Kindergarten through 8th grade. 

Register for the 2024 MILC Youth Spring Season here.

For more information, visit www.mercerislandlacrosse.com, or email info@mercerislandlacrosse.com

Bluebirds Winter Conditioning begins January 16th!

To build Endurance, with running drills and hill intervals.

To enhance Strength, with body weight exercises and med ball exercises.

To increase Agility, with agility ladders exercises and bilateral and lateral movement.

To develop Flexibility, with stretching and balance exercises.

To be Ready, for the upcoming spring sports season.

To have FUN!

Ages: K-8, athletes will be split into workout groups according to age

When: Tuesday/Thursday 4:15-5:15pm Wednesdays 2:30-3:30pm for 8 weeks

Dates : January 16th-March 16th, we will not meet the week of winter break (Feb 20th-24th)

Where: Tuesdays/Thursdays @ Luther Burbank Firetruck Playground (south entrance) Wednesdays @ Mercerdale Park Gazebo

Cost: $250

Please contact desireeficker@gmail.com for more info and to sign up. 

Bellevue Youth Choir is accepting students in all of our choirs throughout the month of January! We focus on teaching students music literacy skills and healthy vocal technique through diverse repertoire. We also strive to give students performance opportunities including outreach events in our local community. For more information: bellevueyouthchoirs.org. 

Please join the MIHS Drama department as they perform Little Women, the loved and famous story by American author Lousia May Alcott. The four March daughters—Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy—continue to live in the hearts of readers, causing smiles and tears, triumph and tragedy as they grow up, fall in love and face life. This classic American tale will touch the hearts of young and old alike. 

Please visit our ticketing website to purchase tickets in advance. Tickets may also be purchased using the QR code on our poster. Cast/Crew list can be found here.

January - March 2024 

• Interact with other smart, interested students
• Express yourself, Gain Confidence, Communicate Better
• Learn important issues and Build for your future
• Online and In-Person Locations in Seattle, Bellevue and Redmond

Lower income household?  Fee waivers, computer loans. 

Students learn in small 4 to 8 student labs with supportive and ready instructors.  We are a popular program; over the past year, over 1,000 students have participated in our programs. 

For more information, visit https://www.climbthemountain.us/join-us.

Register for Early Bird Pricing!

Program includes:

• Track & Field
• Little League: Tee Ball, Sluggers, A, AA, AAA, Coast, Majors, and Juniors Softball and Baseball
• Volleyball League
• Basketball
• Riobol

Go to http://www.positiveplace.org for more details.