It’s time to recognize those amazing individuals and organizations that have served the students and families of MISD!

Each year, the Mercer Island PTA Council recognizes outstanding volunteers and educators (including committees, departments, or programs) whose creativity, innovation, dedication, and hard work make a difference for Mercer Island Schools and our students. These awards are meant to reward those individuals or groups who stand out among all of the great volunteers at the local and district level. Awards may be given for outstanding work during this school year, or for a person's continuing dedication and service throughout his or her tenure with the Mercer Island Schools.

Click here to nominate and see past awards recipients. Nomination deadline is Saturday, April 20, 2024

Dear Lakeridge Families and Students,

Our wonderful garden has been dormant all winter long and with more sunny weather around the corner, we need to spruce up our planting beds for seed planting season! All LR studens are invited to be gardeners at their Thursday lunch recesses. There are 19 raised beds near the playground. Our students plant all of the seeds, trees, and plants; and then, the really fun part: they harvest! 

Spring Cleanup is an opportunity for your family to help make garden improvements on a Saturday morning. Please bring tools and gloves from home and join us on Saturday, April 20th from 10-noon to help weed, prune and organize our garden spaces. You bring the tools and energy, and your LR student gets a fantastic garden experience for the months ahead! Sign up here!

Spring Enrichment programs are updated and ready for enrollment!  Please visit the Lakeridge PTA website for more information and to sign up.

Do you still need to purchase a yearbook for your student? There was an option to order in the fall Parent Pack, but if you still need to order a yearbook, please click here. The deadline to order is Friday, April 19 - that's the week after returning from Spring Break!

The 2023-2024 yearbook includes many highlights from a great year and also features artwork from Lakeridge students.  Congrats to this year's front and back cover art winners: Anja Postma and Parker Anders!

Can't remember if you already ordered one? Click here to review your previous orders. If you have questions reach out to yearbooklakeridge@gmail.com.

Please find Superintendent Rundle's April message on Exciting Data at Elementary Level, Days of Cultural Significance, & Student Celebrations here. 

Introducing Parenting Mercer Island - a comprehensive tool to address everyday parenting challenges.

Mercer Island Youth and Family Services and the MI Healthy Youth Initiative are excited to share Parenting Mercer Island with MI parents and caregivers. The ParentingMercerIsland.orgtool is intentional in promoting the healthy mental, emotional, and behavioral development of Mercer Island’s children and youth by actively growing their social and emotional skills.

The resource provides tools and information for parents and those in a parenting role to bolster their parenting skills in growing the social and emotional skills of children. The tools are appropriate for birth through the teen years. Users can access tools to address everyday parenting challenges by age and issue. 

Tools are based on an easy-to-use 5-step process including actions to take and the words to say to engage children. Topics include: Bullying, Confidence, Conflict, Child Trauma, Discipline, Empathy, Establishing Rules About Alcohol, Establishing Rules About Cannabis, Friends, Mixed Messages About Alcohol, Mixed Messages About Cannabis, Peer Pressure, Responsibility, Routines, Stress and Anxiety, and Talking About Differences 

The online resource also includes in-depth information on various topics in the “I Want to Know More” resources. Topics include: Communication, Development, Discipline, Parenting Process, Relationships, and Risky Behavior

Please visit ParentingMercerIsland.org for more information.

We encourage families to enroll as soon as possible. This helps forecast class sizes and staffing needs for the coming school year.

Children must be 5 years old by August 31, 2024, to register for kindergarten for the 2024-2025 school year. 

For more information on kindergarten enrollment visit the Kindergarten Registration page. 

Passover, also called Pesach, is a major Jewish holiday, one of the three pilgrimage festivals, that celebrates the Biblical story of the Israelites' escape from slavery in Egypt.

The festival of Passover is one of great joy. A special family meal called a seder is held on the first and sometimes the second night of Passover. Before the meal, the story of Passover is told through the songs and prayer of the Haggadah, which is the book used during the seder. The most important food of the holiday is matzo, which is a bread made with only flour and water. It is unleavened, which means that it is flat. This reminds the Jews of the bread the Israelites took with them when they fled Egypt for freedom. They did not have time to let it rise because they were in a hurry to leave.

Books:

• The Story of Passover by  David A. Adler 
• Pippa's Passover Plate by Vivian Kirkfield 
• The Passover Story: A Celebration of Freedom by Sarah Mazor
• Around the Passover Table by Tracy Newman

National Arab American Heritage Month is celebrated each April, and we celebrate the vibrant culture and rich contributions of Arab Americans to our society. It's a time to honor their resilience, achievements, and diverse heritage, which have enriched the fabric of our nation. Among others, I would like to spotlight important Arab Americans such as Helen Thomas, the first female member of the White House Correspondents' Association and the first female officer of the National Press Club and Dr. Elias Zerhouni, a renowned Algerian-American radiologist and former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Let us embrace the values of inclusion, respect, and understanding as we recognize and appreciate the valuable contributions of Arab Americans to our communities. 

As we embark on World Autism Month, it is essential to acknowledge the historical significance of this global observance. Initially April 2nd was designated by the United Nations in 2007, World Autism Awareness Day, serving as a beacon of advocacy and understanding for individuals on the autism spectrum. Over the years, this single day has evolved into a month-long campaign, engaging communities worldwide in initiatives aimed at raising awareness, promoting acceptance, and advocating for the rights of individuals with autism. As we honor this tradition, let us reflect on the strides we've made and the work that lies ahead in ensuring inclusivity and belonging for all members of our very own community here on Mercer Island. Our commitment to embracing diversity and fostering empathy not only defines us but also continues to shape Mercer Island into a place where every individual's unique talents and perspectives are celebrated. 

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

Entry-level programs for boys ages 6-8 who enjoy music! No experience required.

For more information, visit nwboychoir.org

Dive into a summer of FUN with Boys & Girls Club! Make friends, explore Mercer Island parks, local events, hit the beach, and embark on epic field trips to the zoo, ballpark, aquarium, and so much more!

Grouped by grade: K/1st, 2nd/3rd, 4th/5th

Each week is a new adventure!

Preview of available camps:

• Lego Building
• Bakeshop
• Athletic Camps (Basketball, cheer, volleyball, etc.)
• Wild About Animals
• Local Explorers
• Carnival Extravaganza
• ..and many more!

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

Our camps and events are fun AND academic. Your campers will be reading, writing, and doing math every day of camp! We make learning fun! 

Camps: 

Week 1: July 15-19

Week 2: July 22-26

Special Events:

March 27: March Madness with Wise

May 1: Star Wars-Themed STEM Night

June 15: Pokemon-Themed STEM Night

Ages 4 years old through 8th grade.

Go to wisecamps.com for more details. 

Pairing elementary students and high schoolers in a mentorship program! Free tutoring in any subject for elementary students and volunteer hours for high schoolers. 

Fun and flexible meetings! Tutees can work with their paired tutors to schedule meetings based on availability and work on any subject you wish!

Sign up here.