Seattle Times: How a Mercer Island student group helped kids navigate divorce
Seattle Times: How a Mercer Island student group helped kids navigate divorce
MISD Communications
IMS Counselor Jayna Dash (third from left), MIHS junior Keira Weller (right), and IMS students in the Navigating 2 Households Gator Time Group at IMS.
Mercer Island, WA, December 9, 2025 – Seattle Times reporter Denisa Superville published a story today about the Navigating 2 Households (N2H) Gator Time Group at Islander Middle School.
Read Denisa Superville’s story
The N2H group was created by MIHS junior Keira Well and IMS counselor Jayna Dash.
The N2H Group is one of many unique Gator Time group offerings at IMS that the school can now make available to students as the result of their new Gator Time model.
A new vision for Gator Time empowers students to connect with teachers and staff, grow as learners, explore interests, and strengthen relationships with peers.
Gator Time provides teachers an opportunity to provide additional support or extension challenges for small groups of students during the school day. The heart of Gator Time allows students to choose activities based on their interests and needs. Choice Activities are hosted each day by teachers and staff. These activities encompass a variety of interests: academic, creative, active, or recharging.
Gator Time is the 7th period of the required school day at IMS and takes place on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 2:25pm-2:50pm.
More News
![Seattle Times: How a Mercer Island student group helped kids navigate divorce]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1765235423/mercerislandschoolsorg/ei5vhs4e6kwhl5wgzc4a/SeattleTimesStory.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1765235423/mercerislandschoolsorg/ei5vhs4e6kwhl5wgzc4a/SeattleTimesStory.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1765235423/mercerislandschoolsorg/ei5vhs4e6kwhl5wgzc4a/SeattleTimesStory.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1765235423/mercerislandschoolsorg/ei5vhs4e6kwhl5wgzc4a/SeattleTimesStory.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1765235423/mercerislandschoolsorg/ei5vhs4e6kwhl5wgzc4a/SeattleTimesStory.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1765235423/mercerislandschoolsorg/ei5vhs4e6kwhl5wgzc4a/SeattleTimesStory.jpg","width":2200}])
Seattle Times reporter Denisa Superville published a story today about the Navigating 2 Households (N2H) Gator Time Group at Islander Middle School.
![Rising Ninth Grader Shannon Barneson Recognized By New York Times]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1754499982/mercerislandschoolsorg/wwrmdy9wozecxc40u4qc/WhitneySwopeShannonBarneson.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1754499982/mercerislandschoolsorg/wwrmdy9wozecxc40u4qc/WhitneySwopeShannonBarneson.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1754499982/mercerislandschoolsorg/wwrmdy9wozecxc40u4qc/WhitneySwopeShannonBarneson.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1754499982/mercerislandschoolsorg/wwrmdy9wozecxc40u4qc/WhitneySwopeShannonBarneson.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1754499982/mercerislandschoolsorg/wwrmdy9wozecxc40u4qc/WhitneySwopeShannonBarneson.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1754499982/mercerislandschoolsorg/wwrmdy9wozecxc40u4qc/WhitneySwopeShannonBarneson.jpg","width":2200}])
In the spring, rising ninth grader Shannon Barneson was recognized by the New York Times with an Honorable Mention Award in the newspaper’s second annual “How-To Writing Contest” for her submission “How to Avoid Being Called on by the Teacher”.
![Last Day of School in MISD is Friday, June 20]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1746141657/mercerislandschoolsorg/jsjbcostbz3oyhvtdhtw/IMSLastDay.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1746141657/mercerislandschoolsorg/jsjbcostbz3oyhvtdhtw/IMSLastDay.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1746141657/mercerislandschoolsorg/jsjbcostbz3oyhvtdhtw/IMSLastDay.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1746141657/mercerislandschoolsorg/jsjbcostbz3oyhvtdhtw/IMSLastDay.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1746141657/mercerislandschoolsorg/jsjbcostbz3oyhvtdhtw/IMSLastDay.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1746141657/mercerislandschoolsorg/jsjbcostbz3oyhvtdhtw/IMSLastDay.jpg","width":2200}])
The last student school day in the Mercer Island School District for the 2024-25 academic year will be Friday, June 20.
![IMS 8th Grader Paloma “Lola” Melian Lafinur Wins Honorable Mention Award in New York Times Tiny Memoir Contest]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1743538949/mercerislandschoolsorg/qsdh50bnidc0yzznxlpw/LolaWebsiteFront.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1743538949/mercerislandschoolsorg/qsdh50bnidc0yzznxlpw/LolaWebsiteFront.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1743538949/mercerislandschoolsorg/qsdh50bnidc0yzznxlpw/LolaWebsiteFront.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1743538949/mercerislandschoolsorg/qsdh50bnidc0yzznxlpw/LolaWebsiteFront.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1743538949/mercerislandschoolsorg/qsdh50bnidc0yzznxlpw/LolaWebsiteFront.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1743538949/mercerislandschoolsorg/qsdh50bnidc0yzznxlpw/LolaWebsiteFront.jpg","width":2200}])
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”.
![IMS Robotics Students Meet Robotic Dog ‘Spot’ at Ash Grove Cement Plant]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1741367362/mercerislandschoolsorg/ckksvncv4yqdfido6m2f/AshGrove1.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1741367362/mercerislandschoolsorg/ckksvncv4yqdfido6m2f/AshGrove1.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1741367362/mercerislandschoolsorg/ckksvncv4yqdfido6m2f/AshGrove1.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1741367362/mercerislandschoolsorg/ckksvncv4yqdfido6m2f/AshGrove1.png","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1741367362/mercerislandschoolsorg/ckksvncv4yqdfido6m2f/AshGrove1.png","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1741367362/mercerislandschoolsorg/ckksvncv4yqdfido6m2f/AshGrove1.png","width":2200}])
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.