Asa Mercer International Middle School Ribbon-Cutting Celebration

August 28, 1 p.m.

PROGRAM Welcome Christopher Carter, Principal Remarks U.S. Congressman Adam Smith, 9th Congressional District State Senator Bob Hasegawa, 11th Legislative District State Representative Zack Hudgins, 11th Legislative District Betty Patu, Vice-president, School Board Dr. Larry Nyland, Superintendent,

Call to the Ribbon ASB Student Council Representatives Thank you and announcements

RIBBON CUTTERS

SEATTLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS SEATTLE SCHOOL BOARD Dr. Larry Nyland, Superintendent Sharon Peaslee, President Charles Wright, Deputy Superintendent Betty Patu, Vice President Michael Tolley, Assistant Superintendent for Teaching Marty McLaren Member-at-large and Learning Stephan Blanford Dr. Flip Herndon, Assistant Superintendent for Capital, Sherry Carr Facilities and Enrollment Harium Martin-Morris Pegi McEvoy, Assistant Superintendent for Operations Sue Peters Karen Kodama, International Education Administrator Kelly Aramaki, Executive Director of Schools ASA MERCER INTERNATIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL Christopher Carter, Principal COMMUNITY Sherry Encarnacion, Assistant Principal U.S. Congressman Adam Smith Bridgid Addanki, Assistant Principal State Senator Bob Hasegawa Gina Gerlitz, House Administrator State Representative Rep. Zack Hudgins Christy Bowman-White, Administrative Intern Cynthia Trueblood, Vice-President, Mercer PTSA Gretchen Coe, Teacher Leader Asa Mercer International Middle School

ABOUT OUR SCHOOL Asa Mercer International Middle School is located in the diverse Beacon Hill community. Our school is home to families from all over the world. • School of Distinction (top 5% in state for improvement in scores): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 • State Achievement Award winner: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 • Seattle Public Schools Level 5 (top level) school: 2011, 2012 and 2013

MISSION HISTORY We are an international community of learners: open- Located in the Jefferson Park area of Beacon Hill, ing a door to the world. At Mercer every student is a Asa Mercer Junior High School, now Asa Mercer reader, writer, mathematician, scientist and thinker. Middle School, was named for Asa Shinn Mercer. Our mission is to create and sustain the first high- In 1861, he aided development of the young city of performing, high poverty middle school in the state Seattle when he convinced 11 young women to come of Washington. We believe that all of our students, west as prospective brides. In 1863, he was the 78% of whom live in poverty, can excel. president and an instructor of the newly founded Territorial University, the . In 1865 he again went east and convinced nearly 100 INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION more young women to come to Seattle. Asa Mercer As an International School, Mercer provides students left Washington Territory in 1867 and lived in with linguistic skills, higher-order thinking skills, and Oregon, Texas and where he died in 1917. a global perspective that will help them contribute to The land for the new junior high was the property and succeed in a 21st century world. Students engage of the city until 1949 when it was deeded to the in intellectually rigorous schoolwork, which helps Veterans Administration for a hospital. In 1954, a prepare them for college, career and life. International portion of the tract that was deeded to the Veterans Schools help close both the academic achievement Administration was returned to the city for the gap as well as the “global achievement gap.” construction of the school. The school opened in The focus languages are Mandarin and Spanish. Stu- 1957 with 1,093 students. To meet the needs of its dents in this program should leave Mercer speaking students, a number of programs have been pioneered and using the targeted language in advanced levels. there. They range from a successful computer- In terms of high school credit, most will have satisfied assisted learning program, offering Asian language high school requirements and possible college en- classes, a career planning course, and a volunteer trance requirements before leaving middle school. work program with the Veterans Administration.

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