5th to 6th Grade FAQs

General FAQs 

When does registration open for the incoming 6th graders (current 5th graders)?

Registration information for all incoming 6th grade students will be sent via a Google From to 5th grade families within the Mercer Island School District on February 25th. Families will need to complete the online registration process by March 24th. After reading this document if you have further questions about the registration process please contact the IMS Registrar, Marcy Berejka, with any questions - marcy.berejka@mercerislandschools.org. 

Even if your student does not plan to attend IMS next year, please complete the form, as it includes important information and next steps for withdrawing students. If you are unsure about next year, we encourage you to select your Fine Arts elective now to ensure space is available.

It is important that all families register by the deadline, even if they are considering other options. This information is crucial to our ability to build a schedule that meets the needs of all our students.  There is no advantage to registering early, but it helps for if you can registration as soon as practical.

• Gator for a Night on March 19th, will be an opportunity for families and students to become familiar with IMS. 
• Back2School day on August 20th will be a chance to walk your child’s actual schedule. 
• On August 25th, families are welcome to come walk the school again to be sure your child is ready for the first day of school. 

Students are no longer assigned lockers and are expected to take their belongings/backpack with them from class to class. Students should leave heavy textbooks at home as there are textbooks also available in the classroom and online. Additionally, students only need to carry a few materials with them daily, including their charged iPad, a notebook with lined paper and pens/pencils. 

We want to help keep backpacks as light as possible. We are working on consolidating our supply list, and suggest students only carry their charged iPad, a notebook with lined paper and pens/pencils. Additionally, we suggest that families create a regular time to clean out the backpack and make sure it is as light as possible. 

Students are responsible for the safety and security of their backpacks as well as the contents within. Backpacks may be brought to the cafeteria during lunchtime, but not carried into the lunch line. 

Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays = 8:20 am to 2:50 pm
Wednesdays = 8:20 am to 1:20 pm

All students have an email address and are able to check that email consistently throughout the day. Families should create a plan for when students will check email to ensure they are seeing any communication. 

Additionally, families are welcome to call the front office and we will communicate messages to students as needed. 
 

Breakfast and Lunch FAQs

Yes. Breakfast is available from 8:00 am to 8:20 am. Students can access their lunch account the same way they do at lunch time. Students need to memorize their Student ID number. This number can be accessed  on Skyward, the student ASB/ID card, and is also located on the Student Schedule (accessible on 8/20).

There are two lunches at IMS. Lunch A follows 3rd period, and Lunch B follows 4th period. Students are assigned to a lunch based off of their 4th period class assignment. Students have access to hot lunch everyday as well as a snack bar. Families should create a plan around how much money a student can spend daily (debiting against their lunch account) and what the expectations are for buying snacks for themselves and their friends. 
 

There are small group opportunities for students every day.

There are so many exciting opportunities for students during lunchtime. There are tons of seating options. We ask students to spend at least the first 10 minutes eating their food. Once they are done eating, student can choose to play in one of the two gyms (basketball, volleyball, ping pong, etc), or they can play outside on the field, walk the track, or play basketball, or they can choose to play foosball (in the lunchroom). Additionally, there are small group opportunities for students every day.
 

Sports and Clubs FAQs 

CO- AND EXTRACURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES: All Islander Middle School students are encouraged to get involved in any of the extracurricular activities  available. The goals for the extracurricular program are: 

1) To explore special interests and talents. 
2) To develop social skills through peer interaction. 
3) To develop leadership skills. 
4) To have fun. 
5) To find a place for all interests. 

INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS: Teams from Islander compete with teams from the Snoqualmie area. IMS teams have a no-cut policy and teamwork and skill development are emphasized. Students participating in our interscholastic program will need a physical examination by their health care provider. All necessary forms  are available on the IMS web page. Interscholastic sports include: Boys and Girls Cross Country (fall), Girls 7th and 8th Grade Volleyball (fall), Wrestling (winter), and Boys and Girls Track and Field (spring). These sports require agreement with the WIAA League and IMS Athletic Behavior and Academic Eligibility Code. A sports fee of $80 will be charged for each sport and can be paid online at https://wa-mercerisland.intouchreceipting.com/. An activity bus is available to provide transportation from school, for those participating. The activity bus may not be available after games and/or meets as they end later than 4:30 PM.

INTRAMURAL ATHLETICS: Throughout the year the opportunity to be involved in additional athletic opportunities may be open to IMS students. Each sport will have a supervisor/coach and meet Monday, Tuesday, and/or Thursday from 3-4:10 PM for six to eight weeks. An activity bus is available to provide transportation from school, for those participating. 

CLUBS: There are many different clubs and activities for student participation. Clubs meet mostly on Tuesday or Thursday from 3-4:10 PM. An activity bus is available on these days to provide transportation from school to home for students. Students are required to purchase a $55 ASB card in order to participate in afterschool programs. Clubs run on a drop-in basis, so students have the chance to try out different clubs before settling on the ones they want to attend consistently.
 

Technology FAQs

Incoming 6th grade students receive their iPad on Back2School day on August 20, 2025. If families are unable to attend Back2School day, iPads will be given to students in class on the first day of school, August 27, 2025.
 

The Mercer Island School District Website has some amazing information to support families with the student assigned iPad. Please see this link for lots of ideas and suggestions including 

• Sample Rules for Home iPad Use
• Apple IOS 16 Screen Time Restrictions
• Xfinity Parental Controls
• OpenDNS - Content Filtering for internet connected devices.

It is very challenging when students don’t bring a charged iPad to school everyday. Our Business Center does have a few loaners, so in an emergency, that is an option. However, we do ask families NOT to bring materials to school when students forget. Sixth grade is such a good time for students to learn to be responsible for their materials. We ask families to develop a plan/location/expectation for where the iPad “sleeps” overnight and is charged, and where the child fills their backpack with needed items each morning. 

ELECTRONIC DEVICES 

CELL PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES:
If a student plans to carry a cell phone, smart watch and/or ear buds during the school day, that student needs a Yondr pouch. Students bring the Yondr pouch to school with them each day.  Yondr pouches can be purchased during our Back2School process in August. 

As students enter the school buildings, they will
     Put their phone (and/or) watch in “Do Not Disturb” mode.
         Do not disturb on iPhone
         Do not disturb on Android 
     They will place phone, smart watch, and/or ear buds in the pouch.
     They will lock the pouch and store it.
     The Yondr bag will remain locked while the student is “on campus”.

At the conclusion of the student day
     Students will have the opportunity to unlock their bag as they leave campus or before attending after school clubs,
     sports or activities.

Late Arrival/Early Release - Students arriving late or leaving early will pouch/unpouch their phones in the main office as part of their check-in/check-out process.
 

Transportation FAQs 

Our Mercer Island School District Website has all the information you need. Please go to the Buses/Transportation section for answers. 

Buses drop and pick up on the North loop at IMS. There will be lots of IMS staff and 8th grade WEB Leaders available at the end of the day to help students find their bus. However, it will be super helpful for your child to know the following:

• Home address
• Bus route number
• Bus driver name

There are Parent Drop Off Guidelines in our Parenting 101 sections of the IMS Website. Check-it out for this information, and lots of other important information around

• Attendance Procedures
• Online Payments
• Safety
• Technology

Questions specific for families with a student served on an IEP

Please complete the registration process and fill in the form with your student’s elective selections. We will have a transition meeting later in May to discuss if there are any changes needed to your student’s schedule to accommodate the services in their IEP. Your 5th grade special education/resource teacher will be reaching out to you later this spring to schedule the transition meeting for Islander Middle School.  In the meantime, please complete the registration process and your student’s choice of electives before March 24, 2025 with an understanding the choices may be shifted or replaced depending on the individual needs of your child and the overall core schedule and course placements. Your child’s 25-26 schedule will be finalized by Back2School day on August 20, 2025.

At IMS, every student is a general education student first. Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) is instruction that is tailored to each individual student in order to address their Individualized Education Program (IEP) needs, in addition to all core instruction each student receives. SDI involves changes to the content, methodology, and delivery of instruction. At Islander Middle School our case managers work closely with the general education teachers and most of the SDI can be delivered and tracked within a general education setting. We also have specific math and language arts general education classes where a special education teacher, a paraeducator and the classroom teacher work closely each week to provide additional support for students with goals in those content areas. For some students we also have times built into their day where they have some focused intervention time.

Your child’s IEP and all of the documents we have on file, such as their last evaluation, will be transferred to the middle school. In addition, we will have a transition meeting in mid to late May. That meeting will include IMS staff, you, and your child’s 5th grade special education/resource teacher. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss your student’s specific strengths, interests and needs, so that we can prepare to provide  a smooth transition to IMS. Your child’s current case manager will reach out to you later this spring to schedule this transition meeting.

The transition meeting will be scheduled for thirty minutes, over Google Meet, and will be held from mid to late May. The transition meeting will include a member of the IMS special services department, an IMS administrator or designee, your 5th grade special education/resource teacher and parents/guardians. The purpose of this meeting is to work together as a transition team to ensure we have the best schedule to meet the needs of your student and their IEP. It is also a time for IMS to learn more about your student’s strengths, interests, and areas of growth they are working on. 

All families of students with an IEP will receive an email on Monday, August 4th indicating who their child’s IEP case manager will be for the 2025-2026 school year. Please make sure your email address is correct in Skyward. If you do not receive this email at the beginning of August please reach out to Associate Principal, Becky Mullvain  becky.mullvain@mercerislandschools.org

Our teaching staff and IEP case managers return to school on August 21, 2025. The IEP case managers will begin to check email at this time, but know they are in trainings these first few days back and will respond to any correspondence as quickly as they are able in between their professional development obligations.

Our school counselors often return to work before our IEP case managers. If you need assistance before the IEP case managers return on August 21st you can always email the school counselor:

• Dru Klein (last names A-G)  dru.klein@mercerislandschools.org
• Janet Goldstein (last names H-0)  janet.goldstein@mercerislandschools.org
• Jayna Dash (last names P-Z)  jayna.dash@mercerislandschools.org

Will we have a chance to meet the IEP case manager before school begins?

Absolutely!  We have set aside time on (TBD - either Aug 20 or 21) ** waiting to hear back from the case managers. 

Yes, all of your student’s teachers will have reviewed your student’s IEP before school begins, and they will be providing the accommodations and/or modifications listed in the IEP.  If you have further questions about how your child’s IEP is being implemented please reach out to the IEP case manager.

It is always helpful to keep the IEP case manager informed. If you have a question that is specific to a class, and your child does not know the answer, you can email the teacher directly and cc the IEP case manager. Our school counselors are also a great resource. If you have a question that spans multiple classes, or is related to the social and emotional issues, you can email the school counselors (and cc the case manager) and they can work together with the IEP case manager if needed. 

IEPs are reviewed at least once annually. Since we already know when the current IEP needs to be reviewed by, it is helpful to get this IEP annual review meeting on the calendar to ensure the appropriate IEP team members are in attendance. With that said, you can always let the IEP case manager know if we need to change the date or time of the meeting. Additional IEP meetings can also be called at any time during the school year. 

While not legally required to be invited to attend an IEP meeting until the year in which a student turns 16, all students at IMS are always welcome to attend their IEP meetings. It is a family decision whether or not to have the student attend.  Although most young adolescents get uncomfortable when adults are having a meeting about them, it is also a chance for the student to hear directly from staff some of the strengths and growth they are seeing. It can also be helpful to have the student’s voice when determining what accommodations are needed as part of the IEP. There are different ways in which a student can participate in an IEP meeting including attending in person, having their feedback and questions gathered from the student ahead of the IEP, creating a slide deck with the case manager to share at the meeting, and/or attending a portion of the IEP meeting.

IEP meetings look different at the middle school compared to what you may be used to at the elementary level. At Islander Middle School students have six different classes throughout their day and staff they work with during Gatortime. The IEP case manager will gather feedback from all the teachers prior to an IEP meeting, but you may only have one general education teacher in attendance at the meeting. At minimum you can expect to have the parent/guardian, IEP Case Manager, a general education teacher, and an administrator at the IEP meeting. If your child receives other related services you may have additional staff members in attendance to speak to those areas.  Meetings are often held before or after school, and they can occur over Google Meet or in person at IMS.

Not necessarily. There are different reasons a school may make changes to the IEP caseloads before the start of each year. You will receive an email on August 4, 2025 with the name of your IEP case manager for the 2025-2026 school year. All of our case managers care about students and are knowledgeable and highly qualified WA special education teachers. We also have the support of a special education coordinator at IMS. 

As per OSPI guidelines and inclusionary practices guidance, in the Mercer Island School District we write goals that align with current grade-level standards. This approach helps us focus on where we want students to be while also considering their current abilities. At Islander Middle School we are committed to creating realistic goals that students can achieve within the IEP year, aligning with the content they will encounter in their classes. Research indicates that when students with extensive support needs are provided consistent opportunities to learn grade-level standards-aligned content, they can make significant progress. We support students at their current level while also working to bridge the gap to grade-level expectations. 

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires schools to provide the parents/guardians of a student who is eligible for or referred for special education with a notice containing a full explanation of the rights available to them.

Here is a link to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction procedural safeguards. 

A Prior Written Notice (PWN) is a written document that is provided by the district to the parents after a decision has been made and prior to/before it is implemented. A PWN is issued after any decision related to a child’s identification, evaluation, placement or provision of special education services is made. If you have questions about your child’s PWN or any questions about the IEP process and/or IEP document, reach out to the case manager as a first point of contact. For more information regarding the Prior Written Notice, explore here. 

Questions Specific for ELD

No, you will still have your student select elective classes. Students who are in specialized programs (HiCap, ELL, SpEd, etc.) will be enrolled in those courses, but still need to select electives at this time.

Students are identified for ELD services through the Home Language Survey, which asks what language they first spoke and use most at home. If needed, they take a WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) test that checks their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills to see if they qualify for support. More information about ELD services can be found here. 

At Islander Middle School, multilingual students are enrolled in all core classes with their English-speaking peers. Depending on their needs, they may be enrolled in a specific ELD support class or receive “push-in” support during their regular classes to help with English language development.

Jing An (jing.an@mercerislandschools.org) is our ELD teacher, we also have 2 ELD support para professionals, and Alysa Sharar (alysa.Sharar@mercerislandschools.org) is the ML coordinator for IMS.. Katie Gallagher (katie.gallgher@mercerislandschools.org) is the administrator who oversees the ELD program. 

The middle school and elementary school MLL coordinators will keep track of the data and share the information with the middle school administrative team and MLL team. The middle school MLL team will meet with the elementary MLL team at the end of the school year to discuss individual student data as well.

Multilingual learners at Islander Middle School follow the plan outlined by the state of Washington and are screened and tested annually using WIDA assessments. The following links from OSPI provide more information on screening and testing in Washington state:

• English Language Proficiency Screeners
• English Language Proficiency Annual Assessments
• Alternate English Language Proficiency Assessment

Students in grades 2-12 who score between a 4.3 and 4.6 and earn a level 3 or 4 on the ELA portion of the SBA test can also exit ELD services.

The Mercer Island School District provides language support for parents who request it so that they can make informed decisions about their children's education. This includes providing interpretation and translation services for vital meetings and communications. 
If you need assistance, please contact the school administrative assistant (alison.monen@mercerislandschools.org) or the district office (heather.ross@mercerislandschools.org).

Questions specific to a 504

No, teachers will have your students 504 plans with their accommodations.  You will need to complete the online registration process. 

Our school counselors will meet with your child’s current 504 case manager to discuss any details and go over their 504 plan. Your child’s current 504 case manager will begin scheduling transition meetings with our IMS school counselors in the spring where you will have the opportunity to ask questions and review the 504 plan with us.  

Our school counselors will be your students 504 case manager; Dru Klein (Last Names, A-G), Janet Goldstein (Last Names, H-O) and Jayna Dash (Last Names, P-Z). 

Questions specific to High-Cap

Students’ math placement is determined by their individual math pathway. The traditional pathway is that 5th grade Hi-Cap students will be enrolled in Math 2/3 as sixth graders. Students who wish to alter this pathway, can opt to take a placement test in the Spring.  Please see the Math Pathways page of our website for more information.

The instructional model for Highly Capable Services at IMS is holistic, and students will be enrolled with their cohort in Hi-Cap sections of Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science.

No. The school is aware that your student qualifies for highly capable services, and will place your student in the appropriate classes. Student schedules will be available beginning on Back to School Day in August. If you believe there is an error in your student’s scheduling, please contact your student's school counselor. 

No. IMS is aware of your child’s placement in the Highly Capable program, and their schedule will reflect that placement when you receive it in August.

The class will have a slightly different course code (i.e. LA6A, SS6A, SCI6A for HiCap vs. LA6, SS6, SCI6).

Will my student’s electives be limited by Highly Capable services?

Your student will have the opportunity to select from the same IMS elective offerings as all IMS students.