Our Commitment to Racial Equity

Recent events in our country are a reminder that Lake Washington School District (LWSD) has a responsibility to inform, educate and care for our entire school community. We wanted to make you aware of the following statements and resources that are available to our staff and community as we all continue to grow in our equity journey:

• A letter from LWSD Superintendent Dr. Jane Stavem to our community 
• A message from the LWSD Board of Directors to our community
• Suggested Resources to Support Learning and Talking About Race for Adults and Kids

 

Fall 2020-21 planning

As we close out this exceptional school year, we begin to look ahead to plan for what the start of the next school year may look like. While there is great uncertainty around what conditions will be present in the fall with respect to COVID-19 and what efforts schools will need to take in order to continue to provide students with educational opportunities in spite of these conditions, what we do know and can begin to plan for is that the impacts of this global pandemic are not borne equally by all persons.

Lake Washington School District has established a “Return to School Task Force” to discuss, evaluate and make recommendations for returning to school in fall. Three work groups have been formed to explore different issues:

• Instructional Planning Workgroups (Elementary and Secondary) are exploring the needs of elementary and secondary education. These groups will be figuring out how to assess the needs of students and how to balance efforts at meeting both the social-emotional needs as well as the academic needs of students at each level. Their work will be informed by the models that are developed by the scenario workgroup.
• The Unique Needs workgroup is looking at the unique needs of those students and staff members who have been most greatly impacted by the disruption of COVID-19. This taskforce is charged with identifying the student and staff groups who have or will have unique needs that could present a barrier in continued engagement in learning or work, student groups that have most lost out on learning opportunities and therefore may be at greater risks for adverse impacts in the future, and in generating ideas that will help address the needs of these students and staff members.
• The Scenario Planning workgroup will be looking at the benefits/challenges with the variety of learning scenarios needed to meet physical distancing in order to determine which models may be viable options as we return to school next school year.

 

We want to hear from you!

As highlighted in the article above, Lake Washington School District has a Return to School Task Force that is planning for fall. We need your help to inform this task force’s work for planning to return to school in the fall. Yesterday, we launched the first of three ThoughtExchanges we’ll be conducting over the next two weeks to hear from our community. This first exchange asks about the challenges that people experienced this spring. The second exchange will launch on Friday, June 12 and asks about what has worked this spring. In the third exchange, set to launch Tuesday, June 16, we’ll ask about people’s hopes and priorities for the next school year. Parents and staff will receive an invitation to join each new exchange. Additionally, we will highlight the results of the exchanges on the Return to School webpage.

Click here to participate in the first exchange.

A ThoughtExchange is a unique community engagement experience where you get to share your thoughts and then rate the thoughts of other people that are participating. It is open-ended which means we get to hear your voice, directly from your perspective. The ratings also help us understand how broadly a thought might be shared with other people.

We ask that you take the time to quickly rate 20-30 thoughts of others although you are welcome to rate more if you like. The exchange is anonymous, but we do ask a few demographic questions such as are you a staff member, student or parent, so we can see how thoughts are shared by groups.

 

Congratulations, Class of 2020!

Lake Washington School District congratulates all of our class of 2020 graduates! While we are not able to gather in person to celebrate your milestone this year, we want you to know that we are all cheering for your accomplishment. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors! 

Please join us in celebrating all of our graduates! Links for each ceremony will be added to the Graduation page of the LWSD website, as they are available: https://www.lwsd.org/students-families/graduation/2020-graduation-schedule.

 

Summer Programs 2020

Due to the extended school closures, Lake Washington School District (LWSD) will be offering 2020 summer programs primarily to support students in grades K-3 who are not reading at grade level, high school students who may need additional credits towards on-time graduation, and students who need Special Education Services. Families will be notified this week if they are eligible for these programs.

The exception will be the accelerated math courses that allow students to move more quickly through the LWSD math pathways resulting in higher-level math options in their junior and senior years of high school. Families who are interested in participating in this program should register on the LWSD website.

For more information, visit the Summer Programs page.

 

New state law regarding immunization record requirements starting in 2020-21 

Starting August 1, 2020, all immunization records turned in to schools or child care centers are required by state law to be medically verified. Immunization records must be turned into the school on or before the first day of attendance. This means immunization records turned in to the school must be from a health care provider, or you must attach paperwork from a health care provider to your handwritten form that shows your child’s records are accurate.  Your child cannot attend school until you provide these records.

Here are some examples of medically verified immunization records:

• A completed Certificate of Immunization Status (CIS) signed by a health care provider. Find the CIS form by visiting https://www.doh.wa.gov/SCCI and clicking on “Certificate of Immunization Status.”
• A CIS filled out by you or another parent/guardian with medical records attached.
• A CIS printed by a health care provider or school from the Washington State Immunization Information System.
• A CIS printed from MyIR which is a free Department of Health online tool that allows families to view and print their official immunization records themselves. Go to https://wa.myir.net/register to begin the sign-up process.

If you are requesting an exemption from one or more of the immunization requirements, you must provide the school a completed Certificate of Exemption. 

If your child already meets immunization requirements and has records on file with the school, you do not need to do anything. If you aren’t sure, or if you have any questions, please contact your student’s school nurse for any questions.

 

Microsoft Classroom Teams video tutorial for families 

Need help using Microsoft Classroom Teams? Lake Washington School District (LWSD) has created a video tutorial to help families navigate this online learning platform. This video has been narrated in both English and Spanish. 

As always, feel free to reach out to your student’s librarian for any help navigating technical issues you may be having like forgotten passwords. You can also use the contact information below with any technology assistance that you might need. Visit www.lwsd.org/help/video-tutorials for more video tutorials. Videos will be posted in both English and Spanish. 

Additional Help Resources:

• Helpdesk is open! 7:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday
• Families Contact: Family Technology Access at ftaccess@lwsd.org, 425-936-1322
• 24x7 Parent Help email address: parentquestions@lwsd.org  

Stay tuned for more tutorial videos featuring the tools LWSD is using during this period of remote learning.

 

Reminder: Preschool registration open for 2020-21 school year

Looking for a preschool for next year? Registration is now available for Lake Washington School District’s (LWSD) preschool programs for the 2020-21 school year. LWSD Preschool Programs focus on providing children and families with a successful first-school experience. Families with a 3- and/or 4-year-old child living within the boundaries of LWSD are eligible to apply for the preschool program. (Child must be 3 years old by August 31 of the school year.) If you are interested in applying, please visit our Preschool page.

 

Reminder: Are you a Lake Washington School District parent/guardian or staff member who wants to receive announcements from LWSD by text message? 

If so, text the letter “Y” to the number 67587. If your phone number is already on file at your child’s school, or in Skyward for staff members, this text will confirm that you want to receive text messages on your cell phone. LWSD cannot text you important updates unless you have confirmed that you want to receive these messages. If you aren’t sure what phone numbers are on file, visit your Skyward Family Access account, then go to “Skylert” to see the list of phone numbers and email addresses we use to contact you.

You should receive the following message back:

You’re registered 4 SchoolMessenger notifications. Reply STOP to cancel, HELP for help. Msg&data rates may apply. Msg freq varies. 

 

Reminder: New student online registration 

Families may now register one or more of their new students online using Skyward, the district’s student information system. To do so, you will need a login (username) and password. 

Skyward Login and Password

• If you have a student currently attending the Lake Washington School District this school year, or if your student is returning to the district from a prior enrollment, use your Skyward Family Access login and password to register new students from your own family. If you do not know your login and password, simply click on the Forgot your Login/Password link on the Skyward Family Access login page.
• If you are new to the district, click here to request a login and password.
• Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information

Please note, this is only for new students to the district.  Current students don’t need to go through this process. Visit the district website for more information. 

 

LWSD partners with King County Metro to offer free ORCA cards to eligible students 

Partners at King County Metro and WSDOT are offering our district’s 8 – 12 grade students qualified for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch access to a 3-month unlimited transit pass later this year. We want students that can benefit from this program to register online before summer break. 

Currently, students are not advised to take transit for any non-essential reasons, but once safe, non-essential travel in King County resumes, registered students will receive a 3-month ORCA Youth Pass in the mail from King County Metro. You can direct students to the sign-up form here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/orcasummerpass or to the King County Metro webpage for more information.

 

Reminder: Teen Startup event pushed back to fall, application deadline extended 

The LWSD Teen Startup Challenge is designed to promote student startup ideas and venture creation. The challenge provides the opportunity for high school students to win prizes and learn from local business leaders. Finalists will present their ideas and business plans and receive invaluable feedback from successful professionals. Due to changing circumstances this year, we are going to extend the deadline the application deadline to September 18, 2020. This deadline may be subject to change depending on circumstances in the Fall. Visit www.lwsd.org/teen-startup to learn more about this event.  

 

Reminder: Fill out your Census forms today!

The #2020Census is an opportunity to bring vital resources into our community for the next 10 years. Things like funding for schools, Medicaid, support for hospitals, and emergency funding. Your response today will help us be more prepared in the future.

Please complete your form online, by phone, or by mail using your invitation to respond. Visit my2020census.gov to begin.  

 

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.

Video Tours: Juanita High School and Early Learning Center at Old Redmond Schoolhouse 

We are excited to share the construction progress at Juanita High School through a virtual tour led by our LWSD design and construction team. Juanita High School is scheduled to complete its final phase this fall, which also means we will complete our new rebuild and enlarge facility one full school year ahead of schedule. JHS Phase 2 includes CTE classroom and lab spaces, bus loop, courtyard and connection areas to Phase 1 (general classrooms, administrative offices, career/counseling centers, theatre, commons and food services). Thank you to the entire community for your support! Enjoy the tour.

Click here to join us on a virtual tour of the Early Learning Center at the Old Redmond Schoolhouse led by our LWSD design and construction team. Last year, envelope enclosure concerns on this nearly 100 year old historic building required us to perform additional maintenance on the roof, windows and exterior face of the building. Interior renovations will provide 10 early learning classrooms, office space, resource library for parents, community gathering room, therapy & motor skills rooms, a parent support library, and teacher planning / work rooms.  We are ecstatic to provide a historic educational space for our youngest scholars at Lake Washington School District. Thank you to the entire community for your support! Enjoy the tour.

These two projects are part of the 2016 bond program, approved by voters to address growing enrollment in Lake Washington School District. 

 

We’re hiring!

LWSD needs paraeducators, instructional assistants, bus drivers, mechanics and substitute custodians. Job descriptions are available on the district website, under "Employment" then "Classified Employees." Please share this information with your friends and neighbors. 

 

Juanita High School students achieve top results in Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards (2019)

Two students in the Juanita High School (JHS) Cambridge Program earned top honors from a June 2019 Cambridge Assessment. The Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards program celebrates the success of students taking Cambridge examinations in more than 40 countries around the world. Learn more about the students who earned these top honors. 

 

Share a picture with us!

Although our schools are closed, students and staff are engaged in many fun, unique and creative learning opportunities. How are your students learning new skills like gardening, arts and crafts, technology, baking and more? Send us a message through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram of your photos and videos for a chance to be featured on our social media channels! Let's celebrate learning together. 

 

We’re in this together! Calling all LWSD students! We’re asking student artists to color in our “We are in this together” coloring sheet. Then, take a picture of yourself holding the sheet when you are done, and post to the LWSD Facebook page to share with the rest of our community!

Here's a link to the coloring page.

 

This newsletter is just one way to stay in touch with what is happening in the district. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for up-to-date news and information.