YOU MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE

The promise of the Mercer Island Schools is to deliver a 21st century education that prepares students to convert information into knowledge and create innovative solutions demanded by tomorrow’s world.  Together, the Mercer Island School District and the Mercer Schools Foundation believe that an excellent education is a foundation for opportunity, growth, and success in life. The pursuit of the vision requires resources–time, money and people. It is this community’s private support for our Mercer Island schools that makes the difference. Community investment in our schools fuels the high- quality, world-class education for every child in our community.

1. CONNECTING STUDENTS TO THEIR FUTURE

Developing self-awareness, emotional/social intelligence, responsible decision-making and citizenship (Fundamental #3, Policy 2020) 

Academic achievement is certainly a critical aspect of our school district’s focus; however, our students will struggle to thrive in school or in the world beyond Mercer Island without skills and strategies related to their social and emotional well-being. The District is committed to offering opportunities and explicitly teaching students appropriate social skills, and to be involved citizens who engage productively in society and make responsible decisions to benefit the whole.

Bridges at Mercer Island High School: $10,000 

Bridges (Building Relationships in Diverse Groups to Empower Students) is the high school’s advisory program designed to promote good character and citizenship. Students meet in multiage groups on a weekly basis to discuss schoolwide issues, take surveys and engage together in special projects. This request supports teacher planning time, speakers, a Career Day and supplies.

“Where Everybody Belongs” program support at Islander Middle School: $6,500

IMS is continuing the successful “Where Everybody Belongs” (WEB) program to develop and utilize the leadership skills of eighth-grade students while building connections between eighth- and sixth-graders. The WEB program builds the IMS community of students as well as addressing schoolwide issues such as bullying. The funds support the annual cost for materials and supplies, along with professional development required for an additional IMS teacher who will lead the program.

2020 Vision investment fund: $ 20,000 

This fund is being set aside to continue the district’s efforts to implement the 2020 Vision. This grant has been an asset to the MISD school superintendent by offering the flexibility of providing just-in-time support to emergent ideas that were unplanned.

2. ADVANCING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Maintaining the highest academic standards (Fundamental #2, Policy 2020)

Alignment with the district is a poignant theme for our organization. Each request is correlated with one of the 2020 Vision’s seven fundamentals AND the MISF core pillars.

K-5 science adoption – new curriculum: Distributed equally at all 4 elementary schools: $150,000                         

TCI – Bring Science Alive! Is a comprehensive K-5 science curriculum based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that builds on the best practices of science education for elementary students, including the Disciplinary Core Ideas, Engineering Practices and Cross Cutting Concepts contained in the standards. This new adoption provides foundational content, engaging activities, assessment materials and support for struggling learners, and extensions for all students in a technology-rich environment.

K-5 elementary math materials and manipulatives for students: $12,500  

The elementary schools will be adding math manipulatives to promote exploration, trial and error in an environment that promotes creativity and risk-taking as opposed to paper-and-pencil computation.

New science curriculum for grades 6-8: $12,500  

New “Science Investigations” curriculum that will transition middle school students engaging them in hands-on learning, inquiry and problem based thinking.

New Spanish curriculum for 6th graders at IMS: $2,000      

Classroom materials for student transition from 5th grade Spanish to 6th grade Spanish.

MIHS advanced placement comparative government NEW textbooks: $30,000  

Political regimes and ideologies continue to change around the world. MIHS current textbooks are obsolete. The new textbook purchase also includes an online version and a free update in the future.

Grades 9-12 novel adoption: $5,000  

The core question addressed by the team is, “Which literature sequence and offerings will offer students the best opportunity to engage in critical thinking and meet the learning targets and objectives for each course?”

Using the Washington State Learning Standards along with student needs, teacher passion and community interests, the MIHS English Department annually discusses new texts for the ninth- through 12th-grade (9-12) course offerings.

Together, they validated the need to add new literature that would be contemporary and diverse. Literature that reflects student demographics and provides the opportunity for student engagement.

K-12 classroom enrichment grants: $78,500

Elementary Schools: $ 36,000 – Distributed equally among all 4 elementary schools
Middle School: $18,000
High School: $ 24,500

Awards granted to teachers for innovative projects to enrich, enhance and support existing curriculum for students both in and out of the classroom.

K-12 increase enrollment materials support: $25,000 

With the increases in student enrollment, both in the number of students and the number of signups for courses at all levels, additional materials are needed to ensure all students have access to the appropriate curriculum. All requests are an extension of original programs, textbooks and materials funded by the Foundation.

K-12 Fine arts:  $33,000 

Supporting the fine arts: music, drama, dance and visual arts from lighting equipment for the high school to a variety of musical instruments and equipment. This fine arts priority includes funding for the elementary, middle school and high school fine arts programs.

2020 Vision investment fund: $20,000 

This fund is being set aside to continue the district’s efforts to implement the 2020 Vision. This grant has been an asset to our school superintendent by offering the flexibility of providing just-in-time support to emergent ideas that were unplanned. The new superintendent will benefit from being able to access this resource.

3. PERSONALIZED LEARNING – MEETING THE NEEDS OF EVERY STUDENT                                                                                    

Creating a more personalized learning environment where student-centered education is responsive to students’ strengths and learning styles, interests and passions. (Fundamental #1, Policy 2020)   

Personalized learning refers to meeting the needs of all learners by recognizing and creating opportunities that address the diverse strengths and challenges that students bring to the learning environment. Every school determines their unique student needs in collaboration with principals, teacher leaders and parents.

Teachers will differentiate content, process and product according to the student’s readiness, interests and learning profile. Accordingly, the teacher and learner accept the continuum of teacher-directed to student-centered approaches to learning, designed to increase academic success for all learners.

School Improvement Plans:

Elementary: $25,900
Middle School: $21,000
High School: $27,400

Principals, teacher leaders at each school help create their school’s plan. Each designed to increase academic success for all learners. The School Improvement Plan creates a unique personalized learning environments where student-centered education is responsive to students’ strengths and learning styles, interests, passions and challenges that students bring to the learning environment. Teachers differentiate content, process and product according to student’s readiness, interests and learning profile.

4. PROMOTING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Creating a more personalized learning environment where student-centered education is responsive to students’ strengths and learning styles, interests and passions. (Fundamental #1, Policy 2020)

National Board Certification support for teachers: $10,000

Grants awarded to teachers who pursue National Board certification, the highest certification a teacher can receive. Currently more than 45 Mercer Island teachers are National Board certified, representing about 20 percent of our teachers. (Nationally, 4 percent of the teachers are certified). Teachers who receive the grant sign a contract stating that they will remain in the district for two years after receiving their certification or renewal. The state of Washington awards a pay increase of $5,090 a year for 10 years. Foundation support makes this program possible for many teachers who would otherwise be unable to afford it.

Elementary Teaching and Learning Synthesis: $ 7,000

At all 4 elementary schools for teachers of Reading and Spelling
LETRS: $7,000
Providing coaching in Language Essentials for teachers of Reading and Spelling.

Professional development opportunities are embedded through all academic adoptions and programs funded by the Mercer Island Schools Foundation.