• Principal's Message Continued From The Home Page

    The remainder of this message contains the following content:

    • End-of-Year Celebrations & 5th Grade Video
    • School Supply Orders for 2020-21
    • Gail Calvo – Thanks and Farewell
    • Associate Principal Melanie Ready - Thanks and Farewell
    • Library Book and Non-Consumables Return Plan
    • Last day of School
    • Future Planning
    • Future School 2020-2021
    • King County Library System (KCLS Access)

    End-of-Year Celebrations & 5th grade Video
    Please refer to your teachers' communications for specific information about your child's classroom. Teachers and PTSA Room Parents have been discussing options for safe ways to celebrate our classroom communities for the end of the year.

    Class Parties
    During our last weeks of school, most of our classrooms will be celebrating with a safe/virtual version of a classroom party.  Please connect with your child's teacher for more information.

    5th Grade Slideshow
    West Mercer’s 5th grade students will be celebrating the approaching end of their elementary years and their coming matriculation to middle school on Monday, June 15.  As part of this grade level celebration, PTSA leaders have put together a photo slideshow/video of our 5th grade students that we will be showing via Zoom on June 15 at 3:00pm.  Parents of 5th graders are invited to join their children via Zoom to view this photo slideshow.  Please watch for communication from your teacher with more detail.  We hope to see you online!

    School Supply Orders for 2020-21 (ACTION NEEDED)
    Hopefully you read the West Mercer communication regarding the school supply process for next year.  Teachers have provided lists for families to purchase their own supplies OR families may order a box of supplies through SchoolKidz.  More information can be found on our West Mercer website here:  School Supplies for 2020-21

    SchoolKidz Supply Kit program is easy and convenient! Kits include the exact colors, quantities, and brands teachers are requesting in a personalized box ready for your child’s first day of school. Place your order by Friday, June 19th to have all your child’s necessary supplies delivered to his or her classroom for next year.

    Orders can be placed online at:
    Website: http://www.shopttkits.com
    West Mercer Account: #94221
    Website Live: now - 6/21
    Questions? Contact Lynn Lawrence at lynn.lawrence@mercerislandschools.org

    2nd Grade Teacher Gail Calvo – Thanks and Farewell
    Mrs. Calvo is wonderful and marvelous, just like her students. After many years of supporting our West Mercer students she has decided that it is time for a much-deserved retirement. The world is a better place because Mrs. Calvo decided to become a teacher and Mercer Island is a better place because she decided to do that teaching at West Mercer! We wish her well and know that we will miss her! Hired to fill this open 2nd grade position is Kristina Olafsson, one of our current Kindergarten teachers. I know Ms. Olafsson will be a great addition to o

    Associate Principal Melanie Ready - Thanks and Farewell
    After supporting the West Mercer and Northwood communities for the past two years, we wish Mrs. Ready the best as she takes on the Principalship of Lake Wilderness Elementary in the Tahoma School District. Mrs. Ready is excited about the opportunity for her to expand her leadership role and take on the lead position at one school. It is also much closer to her home and will allow her more time with her own family. We wish her well but will miss her greatly.  We hope to be able to announce her replacement in the next few days.

    Library Book and Non-Consumables Return Plan
    Dropboxes (bins) will be set up in the front vestibule of West Mercer on June 17th and June 18th.  Doors will be unlocked to provide access from 7:00am to 2:00pm on both days. Families are requested to drop off library books, classroom books, or other classroom non-consumables that they have had at home with them during remote learning. Lost and found will also be available for you to check at these times.  Please do not drop off technology tools (ipads, hotspots, etc.) in this process.  Consumable materials, such as student workbooks, crayons, markers, pencils, etc. are yours to keep and are not be returned. Library books may be placed directly in the bins. When returning classroom books, please place them in a bag labeled with the teacher’s name and grade level prior to placing them in the bin. Examples of non-consumables to return to West Mercer may include:

    • West Mercer library books
    • classroom library books
    • Book-in-a-Bag books
    • white boards
    • counting chips or cubes
    • scissors
    • other classroom manipulatives or tools

    If you have questions about whether materials should be returned to West Mercer or kept at home, please contact your child’s teacher.  Student ipads, hotspots, or other technology support tools checked out by your family for remote learning should be kept safely at home during the summer.  A process for returning these materials will be coordinated from the District Instructional Technology office.

    Last Day of School
    Our last day of school is June 19.  Our West Mercer staff has created a celebratory slide show/video in lieu of our regular last day assembly; teachers will share the video with their students directly.  Teachers are also working on other ways to provide closure of the year and celebrations of their time with their students.  While we all wish we could be together in person, our priority is to keep everyone healthy and happy as we wrap up the year. 

    We will continue to monitor and respond to the guidance from the Governor in terms of the Phased reopening plan and what that means for summer office hours for West Mercer Elementary.

    Future Planning
    If you and your children will not be returning to West Mercer for any reason, and you have not yet notified the office, please do so at your earliest opportunity.  We rely on accurate enrollment counts to staff our classrooms and programs.  Thank you.

    Future School 2020-21
    As we continue to navigate the changing landscape of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on our schools, businesses, and communities, the Mercer Island School District is connecting regularly with state and regional leaders to keep abreast of changing guidance and recommendations.  As school and district leaders, we are forming teams of stakeholders to gather input and develop plans for 2020-21 school formats and structures.  As a learning organization, we are committed to growing and improving our practices to provide positive learning experiences for our students.  We anticipate more guidance from OSPI will be forthcoming, and we will use all available information and input to make decisions about our schools’ structure and format in the fall, be it through remote learning, on-site learning, or a blended learning program.  Thank you to all of the families who have already provided feedback through your teachers, PTSA or staff surveys, or direct communications with me and other district leaders.  Please watch for a new survey from Learning Services in the coming days.  We appreciate you taking the time to provide input about your child’s learning experiences; we rely on this input to help us meet the needs of our students and families in these challenging times.

    King County Library System (KCLS) Access
    Next week’s video lesson from Librarians on the Learning Grid (June 8) will provide students with information on the KCLS summer library program and how to sign up.  Due to pandemic-related library closures, the entire KCLS program is ONLINE this year- and kids can choose to download a reading minutes log :   KCLS Summer Reading Program .  Students can also access ebooks thorough KCLS catalog; please click here to browse available ebook titles.

    As a reminder, ALL of our students have library accounts that allow them to access KCLS online resources at  www.kcls.org/students  from school, home, or from any other computer, ipad, tablet, smart phone, or device.  In partnership with the Mercer Island School District,  KCLS has created special library accounts in its system for our students so they may seamlessly log-in from any computer or device.  The account numbers are formatted as the student's school ID number preceded by the Mercer Island School District's three digit number (400). Please contact our Teacher Librarian- Ms. Sylvester if you have any questions or need help accessing your account.

    We wish you a safe and healthy summer.

    Respectfully,

    Carol Best                                                           Melanie Ready
    Principal                                                             Associate Principal
    West Mercer Elementary                                 West Mercer Elementary & Northwood Elementary