April 23 Capital Projects Levy Includes Funding for Critical Safety Projects

Lake Washington School District is running a Capital Projects Levy on April 23. Safety and security are top priorities for LWSD. Check out the latest video on the safety and security projects included in the 2019 Capital Projects Levy:

Summer School registration now open

Lake Washington School District offers a variety of Summer Programs to enable families to engage in rigorous and meaningful summer learning opportunities. Core Academic Summer School opportunities are available at the elementary, middle and high school levels. A variety of enrichment and core academic courses are offered. Core Academic Summer Programs will run from July 8 - August 2, 2019 in 10- or 20-day sessions. Elementary programs will be held at Rockwell Elementary School and middle and high school programs will be held at Redmond High School. Limited transportation and scholarships are available. 

Ready to learn more? Visit: https://www.lwsd.org/students-families/summer-school. Summer registration opens April 22, 2019. Classes will fill up fast, so register right away! 

Timberline Middle School hold first meeting at new school

Staff of the new Timberline Middle School met for the first time in March at the TMS staff kick-off meeting. The 35 certificated and classified staff members spent the evening of March 28 involved in team-building activities and discussions about their future school. As a reminder, TMS will open in fall 2019. Check out more information about this project here: https://www.lwsd.org/programs-and-services/facilities/major-construction/timberline-middle-school. 

An easier way to purchase ORCA cards 

It’s now easier than ever to purchase youth, senior and Regional Reduced Fair Permit (RRFP) ORCA cards. ORCA To Go will be at Redmond City Hall on the second and fourth Thursday every month from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. At these times, customers will have access to full-service ORCA card sales and assistance for purchasing or loading bus fare on to a card. 

Here are the available options to you while ORCA To Go is at Redmond City Hall and some other details about the ORCA card:

• Adult, youth cards, senior, and Regional Reduced Fare Permit (RRFP) cards are available for purchase. ID is needed at the time of purchase for youth and senior cards. 
• Cash, checks, tranben vouchers, and major credit cards accepted for payment.
• Add e-purse monetary value to any existing ORCA card.
• Report a lost card, change your personal data associated with your card, correct an address, register your card and more.
• ORCA stands for “One Regional Card for All” and can be used across Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro Transit, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit and Washington State Ferries.
• See ORCA options

Previously the nearest location to purchase senior, youth, and disabled RRFP ORCA cards was in downtown Seattle or by mail. This new option makes the cards more accessible to our entire community.

Reminder: How to Talk to Your Child About Sexual Health

Lake Washington School District is excited to partner with the King County Public Health Department in hosting an informational parent event: How to Talk to Your Child About Sexual Health. Our presenter is Becky Reitzes, Health Educator and Family Planning for King County Public Health. This event will be held at the Resource Center Board Room on Tuesday, April 23 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. This informative evening will provide strategies and tips, primarily aimed at parents of fourth through eighth graders, to help parents engage in age-appropriate conversations with their children about a topic that is often considered difficult to discuss.

Reminder: Lake Washington Preschool Program now accepting applications starting for 3- and 4-year old students 

Lake Washington School District's Preschool Program is now accepting tuition-based applications for the 2019-20 school year. The initial registration took place at the Resource Center on April 1. A lottery for each preschool site has already taken place to determine the students in those classes, but parents are still encouraged to apply so students can be placed on their preschool site's waiting list.  

Parents will be notified of results by May 15. After April 1, applications will be accepted at the Resource Center on any school day from 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Only children registered on April 1 during the registration hours of 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. were eligible to be in the lottery. All students whose applications are received after April 1 will be placed on a waiting list. Acceptance to preschool programs after the lottery is based on remaining space at each school. Read more about Lake Washington Preschool Programs.

Reminder: Tell your neighbors and friends: Register early for Kindergarten for 2019-20

If you live in Lake Washington School District (LWSD) and your child will be five years old on or before August 31, 2019, now is the time to register them for Kindergarten! Registration takes place at your neighborhood school during regular school hours through the beginning of the 2019-20 school year.

While registration will continue throughout the school year and summer, parents are highly encouraged to register students as soon as possible. Doing so helps ensure class sizes are balanced and adequate staff are hired in time for the new school year.

Visit the Kindergarten Information webpage for more information.

Round and round - LWSD transportation dispatcher comes in third at bus “Roadeo” competition 

Each year, some of the best school bus drivers around the country gather for a unique competition. It’s called the Transporting Students with Disabilities (TSD) Roadeo. An event focused on driving skills and the handling of emergency situations involving students with special needs. Lake Washington School District (LWSD) transportation dispatcher Shana Wickline finished in third place at this year’s event. Wickline qualified for nationals after winning at regional and state levels. Read more about the Wickline and this unique competition. 

Two LWSD students win national medals for excellence in writing 

Nearly 340,000 works were submitted for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards this year. Only 2,700 students nationwide received national medals and two of those students are from Lake Washington School District (LWSD). Redmond High School junior Marina Chen won medals for two of her works. She earned a gold medal for her poetry entry entitled Final Sermon and a silver for her poem Backwards Stages. Kaaviya Uthirapandian, eighth grader at Evergreen Middle School, received a silver medal for The Golden Locket in the Dramatic Script category. Read more about the national medalists and others who won regional awards. 

Read more student and staff success stories here.

We’re hiring!

LWSD needs paraeducators, instructional assistants, bus drivers, custodians, plumbers, and a building equipment mechanics/HVAC specialist. Job descriptions are available on the district website, under “Employment” then “Classified Employees.” Bus drivers earn $25.57 per hour. Learn more about why driving a bus for LWSD is a great job. Please share this information with your friends and neighbors.

Sodexo/Nutrition Services is hiring

Are you looking for a way to get involved in LWSD? Would you like a part-time job that gives you the flexibility to be with your kids before and after school? Shifts that range from two hours to eight hours are available, helping serve students breakfast and lunch. Starting pay depends on experience. If interested, contact Nutrition Services at 425-936-1385.