Just a reminder that Mid-Winter Break is February 13-14 and all schools will be closed. District offices will remain open during the break. Schools and district offices will be closed on Monday, February 17 for Presidents Day.

 

A Message from Dr. Jane Stavem, Superintendent 

To escape the rain and gray skies, my husband and I recently attended the Seattle Boat Show. We are not in the market for a boat, but we thought it would maybe create the illusion of being somewhere warm and sunny.  

I know very little about boats and my main objective has always been to secure the front seat, so I won’t get sick. I do know that every boat has a wake once it is in motion and it is different from boat to boat, with the design and purpose of the boat dictating how the water flows as it moves forward.  

Read more of Dr. Stavem’s February message.

 

Thank you, counselors  

February 3-7 was National School Counseling week. Lake Washington School District’s 88 school counselors help students reach their full potential. School counselors work with teachers and other educators to help students explore their potential and set realistic goals for themselves. The School Board formally recognized this week as National School Counseling Week at their February 10 meeting. We want to thank counselors for all of the important work they do for our school communities.  
 
View the LWSD proclamation for National School Counseling Week. 

 

Prepared for the global workplace 

February is Career & Technical Education Month 
Did you know that LWSD has more than 7,931 students participating in 110 different Career & Technical Education (CTE) course options taught by 116 CTE teachers? The School Board proclaimed the month of February as Career & Technical Education month in LWSD.  
 
Read the full proclamation here. 

 

Late registration for AP exams  

College Board changed registration dates for May 2020 AP exams.  To meet the new College Board ordering deadlines, LWSD students registered for AP exams last October.

LWSD recognized that some students may need more time to decide if they want to take AP exams and is offering a Late AP Exam Registration Window from February 18, 2020 through the end of the school day on February 27, 2020.  Students who register during the late AP Exam Registration window will incur a $50 per exam late fee in addition to the $96 per exam fee.

Absolutely no AP Exam Registrations will be accepted after the end of the school day on February 27, 2020.  

More information on registration dates, late fees and cancellation fees is available here. 
 

LAST DAY TODAY! - Facility Advisory Committee – Opportunity for community feedback

We need your input!

Community survey open from January 30, 2020 - February 12, 2020.
We need your input on planning for future facilities to accommodate growth in our district to share with our Facility Advisory Committee (FAC), so we can learn what’s most important to everyone before we move ahead together in planning for future facility needs in Lake Washington School District.

The FAC will be using your thoughts to create a new facility strategy that will align with the district’s Strategic Plan. The FAC will make recommendations to help accommodate our rapid enrollment growth and continue to provide quality learning environments. The Superintendent and School Board will consider these recommendations as it plans for future ballot measures to fund construction.

FAC is using Thoughtexchange to gather community input around this question: What are the most important perspectives to consider as we plan for future facilities to accommodate growth in our district?

Check out the FAC Community Input page for more details and to participate in the Exchange.

 

Reminder: Lake Washington Tuition Preschool Program (3- and 4-year-old students) now accepting Interest Statements for 2020-21 school year

The tuition-based Lake Washington Preschool Program is now accepting Preschool Interest Statements for the 2020-21 school year. For families interested in securing a seat for their child for the 2020-21 school year, please complete this form by March 5, 2020. Interest forms are not required for students qualifying for preschool through special education or Headstart.

Program locations for 2020-21 are below (subject to change prior to school starting in September):
•     Kirkland: Bell Elementary, Juanita Elementary, Muir Elementary, Sandburg Elementary
•     Redmond: Old Redmond Schoolhouse, Wilder Elementary
•     Sammamish: Carson Elementary

Preschool Interest Statements received by March 5, 2020 will be entered into a lottery for available seats in the LWSD preschool program. The lottery will be held the week of March 9, 2020 and families will be notified by March 20, 2020. Students not securing a seat through the lottery will be placed on the waitlist.

 

Reminder: Credit requirements for high school students available in Family Access  

Students and families can now monitor progress toward high school graduation requirements. There is a tab called “Graduation Requirements” on the left menu in Student and Family Access. After opening this menu, you will see a list of the coursework requirements. Questions about how to interpret the information can be found on our Skyward Family Access Support page.  

 

Reminder: Is your child too sick for school?  

While school attendance is important, so is the health of all students and staff. If your child experiences any of the following symptoms, please keep him/her at home or make appropriate child care arrangements: fever, vomiting, lice/scabies, diarrhea, chronic cough and/or runny nose, sore throat, rash, ear infection (with fever), or eye infection. If he/she experiences any of these symptoms at school, the school nurse or office staff may ask you to pick your student up as soon as possible. Read more about when to keep your child home from school.  

 

Lake Washington School District (LWSD) Reaches Agreement with Lake Washington Education Support Professionals (LWESP) 

Lake Washington School District (LWSD) recently reached an agreement with the Lake Washington Education Support Professionals (LWESP) on a new three-year contract, through August 31, 2022.  

 The current LWESP Collective Bargaining Agreement ran from September 2016 through August 2019. Bargaining for a successor agreement has been occurring since May. The district and the LWESP recently reached a tentative agreement on a successor Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The LWESP represents all secretarial, accounting/payroll, and other administrative support positions within the Lake Washington School District.  

Read more about the agreement on the district website.

 

Reminder: Provide feedback on ELA curriculum materials for grades 6-12

The grades 6-12 English Language Arts (ELA) Adoption Committee has selected middle school and high school curriculum to pilot through the end of March. The committee will evaluate how the different programs operate in a daily classroom environment for both teachers and students. It will debrief the results of the pilot in late March and give a recommendation for the adoption of materials to our Instructional Materials Committee to review in the spring. A recommendation to the School Board will be made by April 28.

The middle school curricula selected for piloting are Expeditionary Learning (Open Educational Resource) and Amplify ELA. The high school curricula selected for piloting are Engage NY (Open Educational Resource) and MyPerspectives, published by Pearson.

The materials for all four curricula are available for parent/public preview until March 27. They are located outside of the Curriculum Library on the first floor of the LWSD Resource Center. Access to the digital materials will be provided to parents and community members, along with a link to a survey to gather input. We appreciate your feedback using the survey forms located with the materials and/or the online link. If you have further questions, please contact Alice Humphres or Jen Rose. 

Reminder: Juniors and seniors can take Fitness Knowledge Assessment February 19
High school students can meet the Physical Education graduation requirement by taking PE classes, taking the Fitness Knowledge Assessment or submitting a Fitness Plan. The Fitness Knowledge Assessment is offered to 11th and 12th graders three times a year. The final session for this school year is February 19. Submit the required form and register for the test at your high school. The deadline for 11th and 12th graders who wish to submit a Fitness Plan this year is February 19. Learn more about physical education credit options.

 

Reminder: Juniors and seniors can take Fitness Knowledge Assessment February 19

High school students can meet the Physical Education graduation requirement by taking PE classes, taking the Fitness Knowledge Assessment or submitting a Fitness Plan. The Fitness Knowledge Assessment is offered to 11th and 12th graders three times a year. The final session for this school year is February 19. Submit the required form and register for the test at your high school. The deadline for 11th and 12th graders who wish to submit a Fitness Plan this year is February 19. Learn more about physical education credit options.

 

Reminder: Kindergarten Registration: Schools will stay open until 7 p.m. on February 20

If you live in Lake Washington School District (LWSD) and your child will be 5 years old on or before August 31, 2020, it is time to register them for kindergarten. Registration takes place at your neighborhood school, beginning February 20 from 1–7 p.m. and continuing during regular school hours through the end of the school year. We will also have summer registration available at the LWSD Resource Center. 

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. 

 

Reminder: Lake Washington Schools Open Enrollment Is February 3-28

Most schools closed to those outside their area
Lake Washington School District holds an open enrollment period once each year for parents who want their children to attend a school other than their neighborhood school. Parents may apply between February 3-28 for a change to the school assignment for the 2020-21 school year for their student in grades 1-12. This option is also known as an In-District Variance.

This open enrollment option only applies to neighborhood schools that have space available. The list of schools that are closed to students outside their neighborhood will be available on the district website by February 1. Schools are closed if current and projected enrollment shows that students who live within their attendance boundary will fill the school’s capacity. District enrollment has increased rapidly over the last seven years. Learn more on the In-District Variance webpage.

 

Reminder: Use the My Stop app to estimate your bus arrival during winter weather 

The My Stop app that allows you to view the estimated time of arrival for your student’s bus can now be used to monitor changes to arrival times during winter weather events. Download the Versatrans My Stop app for Apple or Android. GPS technology allows families to view estimated times of arrival for buses at bus stops. (Data on the app is updated every 5 minutes.) 

Visit the My Stop App page for information on how to download and register to use the app. Families with students who ride the bus should have received a postcard in November with information about their school bus snow route.

When emergency conditions such as snow and ice or windstorms result in school schedule changes, the district will notify families directly through our SchoolMessenger automated phone system. You can learn more about school delay or closure decisions on the School Closures and Late Starts page of the district website.

 

Reminder: Share one hour a week with our students: Lunch Buddy seek mentors 

Lake Washington School District (LWSD) recognizes the importance of providing opportunities for students to meet with and learn from community members. We are currently looking for mentors for the LINKS Lunch Buddy program.

In the LINKS Lunch Buddy Program (Looking Into the Needs of Kids in Schools), mentors provide social-emotional support to elementary students who need a little extra one-on-one attention. Mentors are matched with a student and meet once a week during the school year for lunch, games, crafts and conversation. All Lunch Buddy mentors attend a two-hour orientation session to learn about tips and resources for a successful mentoring experience.

To learn more about Mentor Programs, please visit the Volunteer Programs page on the LWSD website at: www.lwsd.org/volunteers. For more information please contact Chris Robison at crobison@lwsd.org or call 425 936-1270.

 

Reminder: World Language Proficiency Testing 

District World Language Proficiency Testing is open to all high school students who speak/read/write a language other than English and register for the test. Students can take the test once free of cost and earn up to 4 high school credits. Tests will be offered on the following dates:  

• February 26, 2020, 1:30 p.m. at Redmond High School 
• April 29, 2020, 1:30 p.m. at Juanita High School  

Registration will close 2 weeks before each test date. Registration and further information about assessments can be found on the LWSD website: World Language Credit Options. 

For additional information please contact Theresa Vasquez, World Language Teaching and Learning Specialist. 

 

Building on Success is Lake Washington School District's long-term plan to reduce overcrowding, accommodate growing enrollment and continue to provide quality learning environments and experiences for our students. 

In your mailbox: Building on Success Progress Report 

The Building On Success Progress Report was sent to addresses across the district. It included an overview and progress updates on construction projects funded by the 2016 bond and the 2019 capital projects levy. If you missed it in the mail, be sure to take a look online to learn more about:

• The 2016 bond program is within our planned program budget.  
• At Timberline Middle School, students are defining what it means to be Timberwolves.  
• LWSD climbed to the 2nd largest district in the state. 
• LWSD received a 2019 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School District Sustainability Award. 
• While students attend Phase 1 of the new Juanita High School, construction on Phase 2 is in full swing. 
• Excitement was in the air during Grand Opening ceremonies at Peter Kirk and Margaret Mead elementary schools.  
• Kirk Elementary received a first place award in concrete masonry. 
• The last steel beam was placed for the Lake Washington High School classroom addition. 
• Improvements are continuing for preschool classrooms at Old Redmond Schoolhouse. 

 

We’re hiring!

LWSD needs paraeducators, instructional assistants, bus drivers, mechanics, custodians, plumbers and electricians. 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. 

 

Clean sweep – two LWSD students to represent Washington in prestigious nationwide volunteer awards program

For the first time in the history of the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, both Washington state representatives will be from Lake Washington School District (LWSD) this year. Sanika Datar, Environmental & Adventure School, and Adithi Raghavan, International Community School, have been selected for their extraordinary community service. The nationwide program honors young people for their volunteer work and selfless actions. Read more about the award. 

 

International Community School recognized nationally for new art and literary magazine 

Lauren Jackson, humanities teacher at International Community School, had a thought last June. She had a hunch the school’s new art and literary magazine was special, so she submitted it for an award. Turns out, she was right. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) recently ranked the magazine, named “Pyra,” as “Excellent.” It was submitted through the NCTE program called Recognizing Excellence in Art and Literary Magazines, or REALM. Read more about this award. 

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