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Learning is hard. Unlearning is harder. 

Three years ago, Mercer Island School District implemented two new curricula across Mercer Island elementary schools. After the implementation, students’ standardized test scores have improved significantly. 

Lakeridge Elementary held their PTA Science Fair Thursday evening at Islander Middle School.

The Mercer Island School District is pleased to present its 10th annual Pathfinder Award to 1999 MIHS graduate Katie-Jay Scott Stauring whose achievements, strength of character, and citizenship inspire and challenge today’s youth to make significant contributions to humankind.

The Mercer Island School District hosted a Where Are They Now? How Were They Prepared? college transition webinar yesterday evening.

The Mercer Island High School Coding Club competed at the Technical Student Association (TSA) Washington State Competition April 2 to April 5 at the Spokane Convention Center.

Islander Middle School eighth grader Paloma “Lola” Melian Lafinur has received an Honorable Mention Award in the third annual New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest for her memoir titled “Mi Nombre”.

Island Park alumnus and MIHS Class of 2018 graduate Arwa Mokdad returned to Island Park this afternoon for a Middle East Culture Lesson presentation for third, fourth and fifth graders at the school.

This weekend 26 Mercer Island High School Track and Field Athletes boarded Amtrak for a trip to Eugene, Oregon, and the Oregon Relays at Heyward Field.

Mercer Island High School Drama is proud to announce its upcoming production of 12 Angry Jurors, by Reginald Rose.

The Mercer Island High School Drill Team made program history on Friday, March 28 at the State Championships at the Sun Dome in Yakima sweeping all three categories, Military, Kick, and Pom, to win three State Championships.

The Mercer Island High School Marching Band is tuning up for a truly unforgettable moment.

Since 2013 fifth graders at West Mercer Elementary have completed a novel writing project with author Roz Ray that is funded by a grant from the Mercer Island Schools Foundation (MISF).

Members of the Mercer Island High School Black Student Union (BSU) visited West Mercer Elementary on Monday, March 17 for a mentorship meeting.

Mercer Island High School (MIHS) is excited to announce the MIHS Orchestra program will perform at Carnegie Hall in New York on Saturday, April 19 at 3:00pm.

The Mercer Island High School VEX Robotics team, Slippery Penguins, made up of six freshmen, capped off an incredible season with a standout performance at the 2025 Washington VEX High School State Championships this weekend.

The annual Mercer Island High School Culture Fair will be held on Saturday, April 5 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm in the MIHS Commons.

The Mercer Island High School Robotics Team 5937 took second place at the Pacific Northwest District Bonney Lake Event this past weekend.

The Mercer Island School District is hosting a Where Are They Know? How Were They Prepared? college transition information webinar on Google Meet for students and families on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, from 6-7:30pm.

The Mercer Island School District, in collaboration with the Mercer Island Fine Arts Advisory Council, invites the Mercer Island community to the annual Fine Arts Showcase, a two-day event celebrating the amazing accomplishments of our K-12 students in Performing Arts (Music and Drama) and Visual Arts.

In January, Matt Sullivan (Executive Director of Finance and Operations) and I delivered our annual financial update to the community, also known as The Budget Roadshow webinar.

Mercer Island High School’s student-run media programs, KMIH 88.9 The Bridge and MIHS.TV, have been recognized as some of the best in the nation, earning multiple accolades at the 2025 Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) Awards, which was held this past weekend at the Times Square Sheraton Hotel in New York.

Mercer Island High School senior Kyle Gerstel has been named the recipient of the Lu Flannery Outstanding Journalist Award from the Washington Journalism Education Association (WJEA).

Islander Middle School Robotics and Computer Programming teacher Sarah Olson took her Intermediate Robotics students on a field trip to the Ash Grove Cement plant in Seattle on Thursday, March 6. 

If you are interested in trying out for the 2025-2026 MIHS Cheer Team, please attend the information meeting on March 26h via Zoom!

As we reflect on the academic progress of our students, it is evident that our school system continues to provide a supportive and enriching environment for growth.

With the growing influence of artificial intelligence, it’s not uncommon to hear people mutter that journalism will soon be a lost art. However, in MISD, that statement is far from the truth.

The Mercer Island School District (MISD) is inviting the community to consider a bond measure in April 2025.

This afternoon the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO) released a statement on the resolution to the antisemitic and racist vandalism case that happened at Islander Middle School on January 1.

Superintendent Dr. Fred Rundle hosted a Bond Information Session for elementary school families last night at Island Park Elementary.

The Mercer Island School District is committed to the asset preservation of all our schools and district facilities with the goal of improving student experience and system reliability.

The Mary Wayte Pool is more than just a place to swim—it's a symbol of community pride and partnership on Mercer Island.

Capping off an eventful season, Mercer Island High School's Unified basketball program clinched a playoff spot in the State Unified tournament taking place in March. 

The Mercer Island High School Class of 2024 is pursuing post-secondary education opportunities and career paths at colleges all across the United States and internationally.

On February 15, Islander Middle School’s Strings Ensemble, a symphony of seventh and eighth graders, made a trek to Spokane to perform at the prestigious 2025 National Association for Music Education’s (NAfME) All-Northwest Conference.

To foster the vibrant learning environments we desire and promote healthy social and emotional development, MISD restricted access to personal cell phones, smart watches, and ear buds during the school day at Islander Middle School and Mercer Island High School.

In a heartwarming act of kindness, Mercer Island High School students joined AARP’s Wish of a Lifetime Cupid Crew and Coordinating Council for Refugees (CCFR) to spread joy and love on Valentine’s Day.

I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for your continued support and partnership.

The Mercer Island School District 2024-25 academic calendar has changed after the closure of schools for three days from November 20-22 due to power outages from a wind storm and for snow on February 5.

The Mercer Island High School wrestling team capped off an incredible season with a dominant showing at the WIAA Mat Classic State Championships this weekend.

The Mercer Island High School Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) group and the MIHS student senate are hosting a blood drive on Thursday, February 27 at MIHS.

Mercer Island High School junior Adele Ross was named one of two recipients of the Boys & Girls Club of King County Quincy Robertson Service and Leadership Award at the Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year ceremony on Saturday, February 8.

Rick Hartman, also known as the Toymaker, brought his Magnets and Motion workshop to third graders at Northwood Elementary this afternoon.

The Mercer Island High School boys wrestling team was crowned KingCo Champions on Saturday, February 8 capturing the title at the WIAA KingCo 3A District Wrestling Tournament at Juanita High School.

Get ready for an electrifying night of music as ABERDEEN, the Brooklyn-based horn collective, takes the stage!

The 2023-24 edition of Pegasus, Mercer Island High School’s creative arts magazine, has earned a First Class ranking with three marks of distinction for their content, editing, and artistic quality from the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA).

Recent Executive Orders coming out of the White House from President Trump and his administration regarding education created confusion and uncertainty for Washington’s schools, including Mercer Island School District

The MIHS Education Coalition for Asian American Representation (ECAAR) Club will host their annual Night Market on Sunday, March 2 from 4-8pm in the Commons at Mercer Island High School.

The Islander Middle School Mathcounts team of Kyle Liao, Charlotte Westover, Raahi Dalal, and Jayden Sun tied with Lakeside for first place at the Mathcounts Seattle Chapter Competition Saturday in Seattle.

Mercer Island High School Athletic Director Lindsey Blaine announced this afternoon Meelod Shaterian has been named the new MIHS boys soccer coach.

Mercer Island High School is pleased to announce 125 MIHS DECA students will be heading to the Washington State DECA Championship February 27 through March 1 at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue.

The Mercer Island High School Drama department is excited to announce eight students have been recognized as a State Honoree in the Washington State Thespian Thespy Awards.

Three years ago, West Mercer Elementary school principal Megan Isakson rolled out a focused, small-group learning initiative called Wolfpack Block. 

All four elementary schools in the Mercer Island School District will hold an Information Night for new Kindergarten families on Tuesday, January 28, from 6pm-7pm.

Around two years ago when ChatGPT, the generative artificial intelligence model chatbot, became available for public use, conversation in the education sphere focused on how students would inevitably use the technology to write their essays for them and do their homework.

he MIHS VEX Robotics team Slippery Penguins participated in the Cross Border Challenge Tournament on Saturday at Bellingham High School.

The National PTA’s Reflections program has once again inspired students from pre-K to grade 12 in Mercer Island School District to explore their thoughts, feelings, and ideas through original artwork. This year’s theme, "Accepting Imperfection," challenged young artists to embrace flaws and express their creativity in unique ways.

Mercer Island High School Broadcast Media students have been nominated for more than 30 national awards by the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS).

Superintendent Dr. Fred Rundle and Executive Director of Finance and Operations Matt Sullivan hosted a MISD Budget  community webinar on Thursday, January 9.

All four Mercer Island School District Elementary Schools will be hosting school tours on Wednesday, February 26 and Friday, March 28. The tours will take place from 10am-11am.

The critically acclaimed and audience-beloved play Puffs: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic captivates audiences with its unique blend of humor, heart, wizardry, spellbinding charm and clever wit promising to be an unforgettable theatrical experience.

Late yesterday evening, individuals trespassed onto the Islander Middle School (IMS) grounds and defaced numerous windows and exterior walls with antisemitic and racist symbols and phrases. 

The Mercer Island School District is hosting a College Transition Information Webinar for students and families on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, from 6-8pm.

E-bikes have become an increasingly popular choice to get around, especially for Island youth. As we approach the holiday season, parents should make sure they’re informed about the rules and risks when buying or gifting an e-bike.

The Mercer Island School District is hosting a Community Budget Webinar on Google Meet Thursday, January 9 from 6-7pm.

Mercer Island High School will be hosting its second annual Future Islander Night on Thursday, January 16, from 5:30-7:30pm.

I hope you enjoyed a wonderful weekend with friends and family celebrating Thanksgiving. 

This past weekend, the MIHS Freshman VEX Robotics Team, the Slippery Penguins, competed in the annual Lake Stevens Turkey Trot Invitational Tournament.

The Gift of Music project, a youth-led initiative dedicated to bringing the transformative power of music to refugees, has been recognized by the Hershey’s Heartwarming Project 2024 as one of 134 changemaking projects worldwide.

The Mercer Island High School band program is excited to announce that Ko-ichiro Yamamoto, principal trombonist of the Seattle Symphony, will present a masterclass for MIHS band students during Islander Hour and 6th period on Wednesday, November 13.

The Mercer Island School District hosted a Kindergarten Information Night last night at Northwood Elementary for Mercer Island Preschool Association (MIPA) families.

Mercer Island High School cross country runners Sophia Rodriguez, Victoria Rodriguez and Owen Powell were featured on KING 5 Sports by Sports Reporter Chris Egan Wednesday night.

To get ready for the presidential election this week, the fourth and fifth grade students in Amber Bobst’s class at Lakeridge Elementary took a deep dive into the inner workings of the Electoral College.

We’re excited to partner with the American Red Cross for an impactful blood drive—and you can make a difference! Every pint of blood we collect can save up to three lives, reaching even more people in need throughout our community. What better way to pay it forward?

Mercer Island High School radio station 88.9 KMIH The Bridge was named the nation’s best high school radio station on November 2 at the annual John Drury High School Radio Awards hosted by WONC-FM at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.

The Mercer Island School District won two Awards of Merit at the annual Washington School Public Relations Association (WSPRA) Conference and Awards Banquet at the Davenport Historic Hotel in Spokane on October 28.

Island Park Elementary is celebrating Dia de Los Muertos.

Mercer Island High School junior broadcast media student Mia Tamarikin has received an Honorable Mention award in the 2024 National Public Radio (NPR) Student Podcast Challenge for her podcast titled Flipping the 'For You Page': TikTok's Ownership Rethinked.

The Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) announced on October 16 that Merce Island High School junior James Young was named a Student Representative to the PSESD Board of Directors.

Members of the Mercer Island High School Education Coalition for Asian American Representation (ECAAR) Club visited Island Park on Monday and Northwood this afternoon to give presentations to all fourth and fifth graders.

Mercer Island High School proudly announces that 14 of its talented band students have been selected to participate in the prestigious 2024 Western International Band Clinic Honor Bands.

Come join the MIHS Drama department and devour this hilarious sci-fi dark comedy. Little Shop of Horrors has delighted audiences around the world for over 30 years with its iconic music and humor.

Mercer Island High School seniors Kyle Gerstel and Sophia Loiselle have been selected as 2025 Coca-Cola Scholar Semifinalists.

Mercer Island School District in partnership with the Mercer Island Preschool Association (MIPA) will be hosting a Kindergarten Information Night on Wednesday, November 6, from 6:00pm to 7:30pm in the Northwood Commons.

One of the ways we communicate to the community that school will be delayed or cancelled is by text messages from our SchoolMessenger platform.

Come learn about productive math struggle using iReady Classroom Mathematics routines! 

Get ready for an unforgettable night with the Mercer Island High School Drama Program as we proudly present our first Cinema on Mercer Island event!

August 1999, thirty-four vibrant, capable, and bright 5th graders returned from summer break with an array of opinions about the upcoming year.

Mercer Island High School senior Le’Asia Lane was awarded a Toys for Kids $5,000 Hendu Scholarships by Seattle Mariners play-by-play voice Rick Rizzs this morning at the high school.

The Mercer Island School District, at the request of the School Board, will be creating a policy to be used when considering naming facilities.

In collaboration with Youth Theatre Northwest, the Mercer Island High School Drama department proudly presents the annual Playwriting Project, taking place Thursday, October 17th at 7pm in the MIHS PAC.

Childhood cancer hits close to home on Mercer Island as some of our students are currently battling this life-altering disease.

The Mercer Island School District New Family Welcome event is scheduled for Thursday, October 17, from 6pm-7:30pm in the Commons at Islander Middle School. Islander Middle School is located at 7447 84th Ave. SE.

Mercer Island High School senior cross country runner Owen Powell won the Doug Speck Sweepstakes race at the Woodbridge Cross County Classic at Great Park in Irvine, California, on Saturday with a national record breaking time.

Dear MISD Families, We are excited to invite you to register for our upcoming Digital Wellness Webinars and Roundtables as part of Mercer Island School District's MI Phone-Free Schools.

Are you looking for an after-school activity that allows you to design, build, write and act in a creative environment?

Today nine Mercer Island High School seniors were named 2025 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC)

The Mercer Island High School Marching Band will be featured on the debut of the FOX LOCAL Halftime Show on FOX 13 Seattle on Sunday, September 8 during the NFL on FOX broadcast of the Dallas Cowboys at the Cleveland Browns game. The Cowboys at Browns game starts at 1:25pm.

By now, I hope your family is setting into routines accompanying a fresh school year.

Mercer Island High School is proud to announce that Jack Isaacs, a senior, in June emerged as the winner of the prestigious Stock Market Game yearlong competition in Washington State. Competing against 400 teams from 18 schools across the state, Jack's outstanding performance is a testament to his dedication, financial wisdom, and strategic investing skills.

It’s been an award winning summer for MIHS broadcast and podcasting students with senior Sam Paddor leading the way.

Mercer Island High School boys basketball coach Gavin Cree was selected as the Washington State John Wooden Award winner by the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association (WIBCA) at their Hall of Fame Banquet on Wednesday, July 17 at the Cowlitz County Event Center in Longview.

The Mercer Island School District began water conservation efforts in collaboration with the City of Mercer Island in early May.

Log Boom Radio returns to the KMIH 88.9 The Bridge airwaves August 2-4 to broadcast the Seafair Unlimited Hydroplane races and Blue Angels air show.

Therefore, to foster the learning environments we desire and promote healthy social and emotional development, Mercer Island School District will restrict access to personal cell phones and smart watches during the school day in 2024-25 for students in IMS and MIHS.

The Mercer Island School District is pleased to announce Katie Gallagher has joined Islander Middle School (IMS) as an associate principal and social emotional learning coordinator.

The Mercer Island School District is pleased to announce over the last three years it has received over $300,000 in incentives and energy savings costs from the Puget Sound Energy (PSE) Commercial Strategic Energy Management (CSEM) program.

In its 39th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Owen Powell of Mercer Island High School is the 2023-24 Gatorade Washington Boys Track & Field Player of the Year.

Islander Middle School, Island Park Elementary, and Northwood Elementary were recognized for the growth of one or more student groups during the 2021-22 school year and West Mercer Elementary was recognized for the growth of one or more students groups during the 2022-23 school year. All four schools were recognized by the Washington School Recognition Program.

Mercer Island High School athletic director Lindsey Blaine announced today Ariel Sciammas has been named the new head coach of the girls basketball team.

The Mercer Island School District is pleased to announce Becky Mullvain has been selected as the next associate principal at Islander Middle School (IMS).

Endings and beginnings. Navigating all of these conclusions and commencements this time of year certainly sparks some poignant emotions.

The Mercer Island School District is pleased to announce Joby McGowan has been selected to be the next principal of Island Park Elementary School.

Lakeridge Elementary, Northwood Elementary, and Mercer Island High School have been recognized by the King County Green Schools Program for sustaining Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 Green School practices during the 2023-24 school year.

Twelve Mercer Island Destination Imagination teams recently participated in the Global Finals tournament in Kansas City, Missouri and performed extremely well.

The Mercer Island High School Marine Science and Horticulture classes were visited by professional chefs this afternoon who gave demonstrations of proper fish cleaning and prep techniques and also made fish and vegan tacos for students.

This afternoon 24 Mercer Island High School seniors signed National Letters of Intent to play collegiate and university sports next year in a ceremony in the high school Commons.

The Biotechnology Research and Ethics class at Mercer Island High School took a field trip to the University of Washington Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM), pronounced "ice cream", on Friday. May 31.

Four Mercer Island High School juniors have recently completed the Washington Aerospace Scholars (WAS) 5-month WAS online curriculum.

Mercer Island School District Superintendent Dr. Fred Rundle recognized the District’s Employees of the Year, Retiring Staff, teachers earning National Board certification, Former School Resource Officers (SRO) who are retiring from the Mercer Island Police Department, and MISD staff with a years of service milestone in a ceremony this evening in the MIHS Library

Mercer Island High School announced today that the following works submitted by students in the Media Technology and Filmmaking class led by teacher, Michael Ketchum, were awarded the following awards and recognition in the record breaking 45^th Annual Telly Awards:

The Mercer Island High School DECA team recently competed at the international DECA competition in Anaheim, California.

The Mercer Island School District Destination Imagination (DI) teams had a fantastic showing at both the Regional and State DI competitions.

The Washington Association of School Business Officials (WASBO) presented Mercer Island School District Superintendent Dr. Fred Rundle with their 2024 Leader of Distinction Award this morning at the annual WASBO conference which was held at the Tacoma Convention Center. 

Join MIHS Drama 1 as they present Shakespeare's famous light-hearted, magical comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream on Thursday, May 16th at 7pm in the PAC. Admission is free.

Mercer Island School District Superintendent Dr. Fred Rundle is pleased to announce the hiring of Melissa Robertson as the new Director of Special Services.

Monthly, and sometimes more frequently, I meet with two very important people in my life: Peg, my professional counselor and Ian, my mental health counselor.

The Washington State Solo and Ensemble Contest was this past weekend and the event featured 15 MIHS band students. 

Islander Middle School is turning into a hotbed for robotics. Following their win at the Washington State VEX Middle School Championship earlier this spring, Team Slippery Penguin traveled to the 2024 VEX Robotics World Championship from April 28 to April 30 in Dallas, Texas.

Mercer Island School District students Pranit Pradeepkumar from IMS and Adrit Pradeepkumar from Lakeridge both won National Level Awards of Excellence in music composition for middle school and primary levels respectively in the National PTA Reflections Program.  

Island Park is hosting their "Starry Starry Night" All-School Talent Show on Thursday, May 2.

Islander Middle School eighth graders Alice Liang and Kavya Muralidhar and IMS language arts teacher Taylor Gall were guests on Studio 13 Live this morning. Studio 13 Live is on FOX 13 Seattle from 10-11am.

The Mercer Island School District is pleased to present its ninth annual Pathfinder Award to 2013 MIHS graduate Jordan Morris whose achievements, strength of character, and citizenship inspire and challenge today’s youth to make significant contributions to humankind.

Islander Middle School eighth graders Alice Liang and Kavya Muralidhar and IMS language arts teacher Taylor Gall will be guests on a segment of Studio 13 Live on Wednesday, April 24. 

Mercer Island Student groups HOSA and GSA are hosting a Red Cross blood drive at MIHS on April 29 in the West Gym.

Mercer Island High School students Madison Liu, Fern Frame, and Huashan Yang have won 2024 Scholastic Art & Writing awards from the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.

On April 2, first graders at Northwood Elementary had an out of this world experience when the Museum of Flight’s portable planetarium visited the school through a grant from the Mercer Island Schools Foundation.

Amber Bobst’s fourth grade class at Lakeridge Elementary started a unit on energy prior to Spring Break.

On, March 26, 2024, Mercer Island School District successfully refinanced the remaining $40,495,000 outstanding from the 2014 Bonds. This proactive and voluntary action will not affect the District’s budget, however, it will save Mercer Island taxpayers over $1.5 million during the remaining five (5) years of bond payments.

Marisa LeVeque and Victoria Vermiglio’s fifth grade classes at Northwood Elementary received a special presentation called Skeletons and Skulls from Nature Vision on Friday, March 29 courtesy of a grant from the Mercer Island Schools Foundation (MISF).

If you have ever spent much time around first grade teachers you will be familiar with the term “Magical March.”

The Mercer Island High School Drama Department encourages you to come join the laughter as they present their spring play, The Servant of Two Masters, by Carlo Goldoni and translated by Edward J. Dent.

A Mercer Island Schools Foundation grant brought a Living Voice presentation titled La Causa to West Mercer Elementary fourth and fifth graders Tuesday afternoon.

The Mercer Island School District, in collaboration with the Mercer Island Fine Arts Advisory Council, invites the Mercer Island community to the annual Fine Arts Showcase, a two-day event celebrating the amazing accomplishments of our K-12 students in Performing Arts (Music and Drama) and Visual Arts.

This past Saturday, the Mercer Island Drill Team (MIDT) took second place in both the Military and Kick categories at the Washington State Championship at the Yakima Valley Sundome.

Superintendent Fred Rundle hosted an Open Enrollment Community Webinar in the evening on Tuesday, March 19.

Mercer Island High School had 24 students compete at the HOSA State Leadership Conference in Spokane this past weekend. 

The Mercer Island School District will host a community webinar on Open Enrollment on Tuesday, March 19 from 6:30-7:30pm.

The Mercer Island School District is looking for feedback from parents on MIHS summer school and on middle school and high school physical education classes.

Six Mercer Island High School journalism and yearbook students placed at the annual Washington Journalism Education Association (WJEA) write-off completion, which was held this year on Saturday, March 9 at Arlington High School.

The Mercer Island School District’s Open Enrollment Community Webinar scheduled for 6-7pm tonight has been cancelled.

Mercer Island High School’s radio and TV programs have earned 10 national awards for excellence in broadcasting, teaching, social media, and student management from the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System.

The Islander Middle School Drama Program invites our community to join them “Under the Sea” for Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. at the MIHS Performing Arts Center on Friday, March 29 at 7pm and Saturday, March 30 at 2pm and 7pm.

Islander Middle School seventh graders Aria and Ava Lele competed in the VEX Robotics Washington Regional Championship on March 2 in Lake Stevens on Team 938R of Blaze Robotics Academy.

Now that my bio and academic rhythm is in sync with the Pacific Northwest calendar, I’m thrilled to know we still have over a third of the year to go for teaching and learning! This is not the time to throttle down but rather hit our stride and finish strong.

This past weekend Islander Middle School Robotics Team 98040C wrapped up their 2024 VEX Robotics season by winning all 12 matches to clinch the 2024 Washington Vex Robotics Competition Middle School Regional Champion.

Superintendent Fred Rundle will host a community webinar on Open Enrollment on Monday, March 11 from 6-7pm.

The Mercer Island School District is hosting a Community Zoom webinar on Tuesday, February 27 at 7pm on the review of the curriculum of the health and physical education programs at Mercer Island High School and Islander Middle School.

Mercer Island High School Athletic Director Lindsey Blaine announced today the hire of alumnus Chris Lawler as the new boys baseball head coach.

A fun knitting party took place in the fourth grade class of Stephanie John-Lewis at Island Park on Friday, February 9.

The Northwood Student Council led the school’s first Belonging Assembly of the year Wednesday morning.

On January 25 MIHS students Ella Gao, Amelia Han, Justin Li, Sophia Loiselle, Isabella Sullivan, and Adelaide Swenson traveled to the Washington State Capitol in Olympia to represent the Maroon Project.

Superintendent Dr. Fred Rundle hosted a MISD Budget and Human Resources community webinar on Tuesday, February 6.

Mercer Island High School's Student Senate and the American Red Cross are hosting a Blood Drive at MIHS on Monday, February 26 from 8am-1:30pm.

Back in August when opening the school year with our staff, I quoted something Pete Carroll said in an interview a few years ago that has stuck with me.

The Islander Middle School Mathcounts team of Eric Shao, Kyle Liao, Angie Wang, and Albert Cai won second place in the Mathcounts Seattle Chapter Competition on Saturday.

Seattle Mariners play-by- play broadcaster Aaron Goldsmith took to the airwaves of KMIH 88.9 The Bridge for an hour on Friday morning to talk baseball with student host Dylan Shobe.

Abigail chose to write her memoir “Stuck” about the moment she found out about the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. 

Seven Mercer Island High School Band students were category winners at the Eastshore Solo and Ensemble festival on January 27 at Mt. Si high school.

Mercer Island High School DECA students have been preparing all fall to compete in the Area 3 DECA competition, which was held on January 10.

Mercer Island High School held their first annual Future Islander Night at the school on Thursday. It was a rousing success.

The Mercer Island High School Drama department is pleased to announce 12 students have been recognized as either a National Qualifier or State Honoree in the Washington State Thespian Thespy Awards.

All four Mercer Island School District Elementary Schools will be holding school tours on Thursday, February 8 and Wednesday, April 17. The tours will take place from 9:30am-11am.

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

The Mercer Island PTA Council has announced 21 first place winners, 19 second place finishers, and 16 third place winners in the annual Reflections Arts Program. 

We appreciate our community’s flexibility this week as we dealt with a two-hour delay for schools on Wednesday. 

The Mercer Island High School Creative Arts Magazine ‘Pegasus’ has achieved a Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines (REALM) first class award from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

Please join the MIHS Drama department as they perform Little Women, the loved and famous story by American author Lousia May Alcott.

The Mercer Island School District hosted a roundtable discussion today with Mercer Island preschool directors on supporting the inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs.

Mercer Island High School will be hosting a Future Islander Night on Thursday, January 25, from 5-8pm.

At Lakeridge, Hanukkah is just one thread in the intricate weave of diverse traditions we recognize each year. As we embark on our celebrations of Hanukkah, we will use this time to learn from and about one another by appreciating and studying the common themes that connect Diwali, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and, in 2024, Eid and Lunar New Year.

I struggled with this month’s message- starting, stopping, and deleting many drafts. Toiling with what to say seems odd given the many student, staff, and district accomplishments in 2023.

The MIHS Computer Repair Club is running a used technology donation drive on Saturday, December 9th from 1pm-4 pm at Mercer Island High School.

In October and November students at Crest Learning Center have been doing a multi-modal examination of Asian American experiences and history in the United States.

In honor of Inclusive Schools Week, WASA is partnering with the Mercer Island School District to present a showing of the film This is Not About Me followed by a forum with the film’s star Jordyn Zimmerman and Mercer Island High School graduate, Grant Blasko.

The student broadcasters at Mercer Island High School’s radio station, KMIH 88.9 The Bridge, have come away with three top honors at the annual John Drury Broadcasting Awards in Chicago.

On Monday, the Marching Band will appear on the Today Show on NBC. The band’s appearance on the Today Show will highlight their participation and performance in the parade. The Today Show can be seen on KING 5 starting at 7am. While exact times the band will be on are subject to change, it is anticipated the band segments on the Today Show will be at 8:30am and 8:52am.

FOX 13 Seattle shows Good Day Seattle and Studio 13 Live highlighted Mercer Island High School students, classes, and programs this morning with live segments on their shows.

Carly Henderson, co-host of Studio 13 Live on FOX 13 Seattle, will be broadcasting live from Mercer Island High School on Thursday, November 16 to celebrate both the MIHS Marching Band performing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the MIHS community.

This afternoon West Mercer elementary celebrated Diwali.

Islander Middle School has 28 combined lunch clubs, after school clubs, competing clubs, and athletic teams giving students numerous opportunities to connect and feel belonging.

Mercer Island High School Broadcast Media teacher Joe Bryant recently returned from New York City where he attended the induction ceremony for the Bob Rivers Show into the Radio Hall of Fame.

At West Mercer Elementary each month this year as part of the school’s School Improvement Plan social-emotional learning goal around belonging, the school holds a "Belonging Assembly."

Humankind. Last November, I attended a conference with our student representatives to the school board, Director Lurie, and Director Tucker. Guest speaker, Dr. Adolph Brown, delivered one of those keynotes that leaves you reflecting, wondering, and thinking well beyond the ride or flight back home.

Mercer Island High School Athletic Director Lindsey Blaine announced today Tim Chung has been selected as the new head coach of the boys swimming team.

Mercer Island High School football head coach DJ Mims has been named the 2023 Week 7 Seattle Seahawks 3A/4A High School Coach of the Week.

This past week, the Mercer Island School District held three community engagement sessions to present proposals and ideas from the Long Range Facilities Planning Committee. While nothing has been decided, the presentations and feedback from the community will help the District complete the final Long Range Facility Plan (LRFP).

If you have not already, you might hear about threats from Hamas calling for violent acts to be brought against Jewish people globally on October 13, tomorrow.

Our hearts are with our students, staff, and families impacted by the horrific events in Israel and Gaza that began over the weekend.

Lakeridge Elementary is excited to announce students Maddie J and Kingston J. are the school’s 2023-24 student representatives on the Superintendent’s Student Advisory.

The Mercer Island School District is partnering with nonprofits CORE Tanzania and The Book Project to repurpose the district’s surplus kindergarten through fifth grade curriculum and materials.

Welcome to the beautiful month of October. It is an honor to provide an update on the happenings within our district and extend my heartfelt appreciation for your continued support.

Lovingly ripped from the film classic, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot has everything that makes a great knight at the theatre, from flying cows to killer rabbits, British royalty to French taunters. 

The Mercer Island School District announced today that Mercer Island High School (MIHS) will participate in the Washington Guaranteed Admissions Program (WAGAP) starting this school year.

This evening at the Mercer Island School Board Meeting Superintendent Fred Rundle introduced new Mercer Island High School (MIHS) Athletic Director Lindsey Blaine to the School Board.

Our school is participating in the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey during fall 2023. The survey will be given to students in Grades 6 and 8. 

The Mercer Island School District New Family Welcome event is scheduled for Thursday, October 5, from 6pm-7:30pm in the Commons at Islander Middle School. Islander Middle School is located at 7447 84th Ave. SE.

Our schools, students, and staff started the year strong and confirm we are poised for an exceptional year. Though my last communication just came out a couple of weeks ago, I committed to providing mid-September updates, highlights, and recognitions. I would never pass on the opportunity to brag about our school district!

Today 12 Mercer Island High School seniors were named 2024 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC).

Mercer Island High School senior swimmer Piper Enge was named by USA Swimming to the 2023-24 U.S. National Team today.

The Mercer Island School District will be hosting three Community Engagement Sessions in October about the District’s Long Range Facilities Plan (LRFP).

Mercer Island High School Administrative Assistant Kristin Brintnall led a tour of the high school on Thursday, September 7, for graduates from the class of 1968.

Wonder, worry, accomplishment, apprehension…joy. I flew home on Sunday night after dropping my oldest child off at college. I had many emotions to keep me occupied. Those of you who have already watched children move out, you know the feelings all too well.

The Mercer Island Instructional Tech Day on Monday, August 28, in the MIHS Performing Arts Centre was a huge success.

Join the MIHS Drill Team at their annual Spirit Dance Friday, September 1 in the MIHS Lower Commons.

Today at Northwood Elementary MISD staff received a training session from Dr. Vanessa Tucker about how to enable students with autism in the classroom.

I hope you are having an enjoyable summer and finding ways to relax and take advantage of the wonderful summer weather. While most of our staff and students are away, preparations for the 2023-2024 year are full steam ahead, especially for our operations and maintenance teams. 

The student staff of KMIH 88.9 The Bridge, Mercer Island High School’s award winning radio station, will put their summer vacations on hold to once again launch Log Boom Radio and broadcast all the Seafair action live from the Stan Sayers pits August 4 through August 6.

Mercer Island High School rising senior Grace Go has been announced as this year’s winner of the Best Mental Health Podcast in NPR’s Student Podcast Challenge.

Superintendent Dr. Fred Rundle and District staff and administrators will be at our booth interacting and visiting with community members. We encourage you to visit Summer Celebration and stop by our booth for a MISD goodie bag.

The City of Mercer Island Emergency Management Department and Police Department will be conducting active shooter training and emergency drills at Mercer Island High School on Tuesday, July 11 and Wednesday, July 12.

Five Mercer Island High School students have won awards in the New York Times 6^th Annual Student Podcast Contest.

The Mercer Island High School Drama Department had four students recently attend the International Thespian Festival and six students were recognized by the 5^th Avenue Theatre.

The Mercer Island School District and the Mercer Island Education Association (MIEA), the union that represents district certificated and classified staff, are pleased to announce they have agreed on a one year contract for the 2023-24 school year.

Students in Northwood Elementary school first grade teacher Beth Christofferson’s class toured Mercer Island High School (MIHS) yesterday.

The Mercer Island School District community deserves a huge shout out for the amazing effort in collecting plastic film for Earth month. 

Eleven Mercer Island Destination Imagination teams recently participated in the Global Finals tournament in Kansas City, Missouri and performed phenomenally well. We represented less than 2% of the 589 teams at the tournament, and yet the teams took home 16% of all the first-place awards!

Well, we made it to June! However, this is a bit like our hopes and dreams for each graduating class. Our dream for our graduates is to not just get into college or on a career trajectory, but instead to thrive wherever life takes them. Thus, we need to all remember that getting to June is not the objective- it is now time to excel all the way through June 23rd!

Mercer Island School District Superintendent Dr. Fred Rundle recognized the District’s Employees of the Year, Retiring Staff, and staff with a years of service milestone in a ceremony this evening in the MIHS Library.

The Mercer Island School District Transportation Department will be hosting rides and tours of our new Electric School Bus this Saturday, June 3, to introduce the Island community to the new bus.

Tuesday afternoon at Mercer Island High School 29 seniors signed National Letters of Intent to play collegiate and university sports next year in a ceremony in the high school Commons.

Washington Aerospace Scholars (WAS) has announced five students from Mercer Island High School successfully completed the WAS Phase One curriculum and qualified for a place in the competitive Phase Two – the WAS Summer Residency.

Mercer Island High School’s Media Technology, Filmmaking, and Storytelling Class announced today that two student works have been named Best Student Works in the record breaking 44th Annual Telly Awards.

This past weekend, Team 98040C, the Islander Middle School Robotics team competed at the 2023 VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas.

The students, staff, and community continue to amaze and inspire me. Students are excelling in and out of the classroom through athletics, clubs and organizations, and even personal pursuits beyond MISD. 

The Mercer Island School District, in partnership with the Mercer Island Preschool Association (MIPA), hosted an Inclusionary Practices Roundtable for Mercer Island Preschool Directors this afternoon. The roundtable took place in the Board Room in the MISD Administration Building.

The grant from MISF provided students with two workshops with a guest artist from Seattle Shakespeare. In one of the workshops students were guided by the guest artist in the language, characterization, and world of Shakespeare.

The MIHS team represented Mercer Island by bringing their ‘A’ game to these challenging events by exhibiting poise, determination, grit, creativity, and sheer hard work.  There were 253 MIHS DECA students that began the year with the Area 3 DECA competition in January.  Five MIHS students made it onto the stage as finalists in Orlando out of the 22,000 students that competed.

Mystery Science is a fun and engaging way for elementary students to learn science. This school year all Mystery Science materials used by our elementary teachers have been provided through a grant from the Mercer Island Schools Foundation (MISF).  

The Mercer Island Destination Imagination (DI) teams had a fantastic showing at both the Regional and State DI competitions. At the regional tournament 21 of the 24 teams earned awards and recognition for their work. This included several special awards recognizing exceptional technical designs, integration of music into their solutions, and the inclusion of superior engineering elements. 

The Northwood Elementary Adaptive Music and PE classes are grateful for a generous grant from the Mercer Island Schools Foundation (MISF) for pentatonic xylophones, Joia tube instruments, and adaptive bowling balls.

This afternoon at Mercer Island High School (MIHS) a new campaign called "Island Space" was launched by Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS) and SAFE (Super Awesome Fun Events) Club students.

Island Park Elementary second grade student Sri Vadlamannati participated in the 2023 Washington State Science and Engineering Fair on March 31 and won three awards.

The National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) hosted their 34th annual conference, the National Services-Learning Conference, in Nashville, Tennessee from April 2 to April 5.

Mercer Island High School students in Rita Harvey’s Physics 2 and Chemistry 2 classes have a STEM culminating project of building a Stirling Engine from ordinary materials.

The Mercer Island High School Mock Trial Club competed at the 2023 Washington YMCA Mock Trial Sate Championship from March 24 to March 26 in Olympia.

Upcoming in April, we have more religious and cultural celebrations to recognize. Though some of these spiritual or days of significance fall either on a weekend or when the schools are closed for spring break, we will continue to recognize and make space for our students and staff who participate in the many traditions. 

Islander Middle School Math 3 teacher Liz Jose used a grant from the Mercer Island Schools Foundation to purchase 10 copies of a Choose Your Own Adventure Math Mystery book called The Outlier’s Secret for her students.

The IDEA project is a one-week program that is custom-tailored for the elementary grades and offers an opportunity to create understanding and empathy by educating students about differences and different abilities.

This afternoon at Northwood Elementary the Kids Quest Museum visited all three kindergarten classes to present their Forces In Motion program.

On Friday, March 3, Mr. Hartman, aka The Toymaker, met with all three second grade classes at Island Park Elementary.

On Saturday, March 4, Mercer Island High School Islander and Isla staff members attended the Washington Journalism Education Association (WJEA) State Conference at Mountlake Terrace High School.

The Islander Middle School Mathcounts team of Kyle Liao, Eli Glowitz, Keith Chung, and Eric Shao won third place at the Washington State Mathcounts Compe.tition on Saturday, March 18.

Each class, as a whole, will decide on characters, settings, plot, and other elements of their novel. Once all of those are determined, Ray creates chapter summaries and the students use their summary to write their chapter.

The Mercer Island School District is pleased to present its eighth annual Pathfinder Award to a 1974 graduate of Mercer Island High School whose achievements, strength of character, and citizenship inspire and challenge today’s youth to make significant contributions to humankind.

Ben is an author and illustrator best known for his Narwhal and Jelly books. Ben has written or illustrated over 25 children’s books.

A Mercer Island Schools Foundation grant helped bring Ijeoma Oluo to Mercer Island High School to be Keynote Speaker at the school’s Black History Month Assembly on February 10.

Ten Mercer Island High School students placed in the Top 10 on March 10 at the 2023 HOSA-Future Health Professionals Washington State Competition.

The Mercer Island High School Science Club took three teams to the regional Science Olympiad in Longview, Washington, on March 4.

Coming to Northwood Thursday, March 23, 2:30-3:30 pm, kindergarten and 1st graders. Order your autographed copy of Ben's Books by March 20th from Island Books. 

The Mercer Island School District, in collaboration with the Mercer Island Fine Arts Advisory Council, invites the Mercer Island community to the annual Fine Arts Showcase, a two-day event celebrating the amazing accomplishments of our K-12 students in Performing Arts (Music and Drama) and Visual Arts.

The high school principal in a single high school district is a very important position, which is further amplified here on Mercer Island. 

Every year, the Washington Music Educators Association selects and presents an All-State Band, Orchestra and Choir that perform in conjunction with the Washington State Music Educators Convention.

The Mercer Island School District congratulates the eight students who are 2022-23 Award Winners at the state level for the WSPTA Reflections Program. 

Six Islander Middle School seventh graders formed a robotics team in the summer of 2022.

MIHS DECA students took part in three days of competition at Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue this past weekend at the DECA State Tournament.

Children’s book author and illustrator Ben Clanton visiting Lakeridge Elementary on Tuesday afternoon.

The Mercer Island High School Mock Trial team has advanced to the State Tournament on March 24-26 in Olympia.

KMIH 88.9 The Bridge has earned 16 national awards for excellence in broadcasting from the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System.

Welcome to March! Winter is not yet behind us, but longer days and buds forming on trees give us hope that spring is coming. We have spring athletics, Fine Arts Showcase, and so much more to look forward to in March.

The Mercer Island School District is pleased to announce we have relaunched our District and school websites. 

The Mercer Island School District and the City of Mercer Island are pleased to announce a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the newly updated South Mercer Playfields (SMP) on Saturday, March 11, at noon.

On February 9, over 100 Black and African American parents and students from the Mercer Island School District gathered for the first annual Black Student Union Dinner (BSU) at Mercer Island High School.

To kickstart the second half of the 2022-2023 school year MISD celebrates Black History Month. 

Kindergarten registration for the 2023-24 school year begins on Wednesday, February 1, 2023. 

Mercer Island School District Superintendent Fred Rundle and Executive Director of Finance and Operations Matt Sullivan held a Budget 101 webinar for the Mercer Island community on Thursday, January 19, from 5-6pm.

The Mercer Island School District is reforming the Long Range Facility Planning Committee to update the MISD Facility Plan for 2023 and beyond.