Mercer Island School District receives Apple Distinguished Program award | School briefs

December 16, 2016 9:00 am
From left, Marc Melkonian and Mark Billington of Washington state Apple Education; Clay Laughary, MISD technology TOSA; Jennifer Wright, MISD executive director of Learning Services and Pete Vraspir, development executive for Apple Education. Photo courtesy of Craig Degginger/Mercer Island School District
From left, Marc Melkonian and Mark Billington of Washington state Apple Education; Clay Laughary, MISD technology TOSA; Jennifer Wright, MISD executive director of Learning Services and Pete Vraspir, development executive for Apple Education. Photo courtesy of Craig Degginger/Mercer Island School District

District receives Apple award

The Mercer Island School District (MISD) accepted its award as an Apple Distinguished Program for its implementation of iPads in the classroom at the Dec. 8 School Board meeting. This is the second time Apple has bestowed this award upon MISD.

The Apple Distinguished Program designation is reserved for programs that meet criteria for innovation, leadership and educational excellence, and demonstrate a clear vision of exemplary learning environments.

Presenting the award on behalf of Apple Education in Washington state were Marc Melkonian, systems engineer; Mark Billington, account executive and Pete Vraspir, development executive. Accepting the award on behalf of the district at the School Board meeting was Clay Laughary, technology integration specialist.

“Clay and his four Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) colleagues are teacher leaders and deserving of special recognition,” said Superintendent Dr. Gary Plano. “They work alongside their peers providing ‘just-in-time’ professional development that enriches the learning environment every day. Jennifer Wright, executive director of Learning Services, has been instrumental in leading our technology transformation efforts, since the inception of placing technology devices in classrooms well over a decade ago.”

Earlier in the day, Mercer Island hosted a tour for visitors from schools around the state, demonstrating the use of iPads in classrooms at Mercer Island High School, Islander Middle School and Lakeridge Elementary. MISD’s 1:1 iPad program extends from grades four through 12, with 3,000 devices in use district-wide.

Nominations are still open for Pathfinder Awards

The Mercer Island School District is now seeking nominations for its second annual Pathfinder Awards.

The award celebrates graduates of Mercer Island High School whose achievements, strength of character, and citizenship inspire and challenge today’s youth. The deadline to submit nominations online is Feb. 1, 2017.

“The inaugural 2016 Pathfinder Awards were such a great success, honoring four outstanding graduates,” said Superintendent Dr. Gary Plano. “These men and women and countless others have made significant contributions to society in meaningful ways through their service, leadership and creativity in communities both local and national.”

MIHS alumni have impacted the world in a variety of fields, including arts and athletics, business, education, entertainment, law, medicine, the military, philanthropy and volunteerism, politics and public service, religion, scholarship and science.

Visit mercerislandschools.org/alumni to view the selection criteria and submit a nomination online. Winners will be honored at the Mercer Island Schools Foundation’s Breakfast of Champions on April 25, 2017.