A message from Superintendent Dr. Jane Stavem

The first day of school and the last day of school – two of the most memorable days in the life of the school year. Typically, those two days resemble each other very closely.  There are cars lined up, excited kids and parents, lots of people outside, and there is electricity in the air.  

Those two days serve as the “bookends” to everything that happened in between. Our hope for each year is that everyone experiences new growth during that time – children and adults alike.

We want students to grow academically as they improve their skills and learn new things.  We want them to grow socially as they meet new friends and work and play together.  And we want them to grow emotionally in their ability to deal with the daily challenges and successes of life. 

As adults, we want to grow in the same ways.  We want to grow in our knowledge and skills for how we do our work and continually improve our craft.  We want to grow in our ability to work with others and function well as part of a team. And we want to grow in our ability to deal with the daily challenges and successes of life. 

As this school year progressed, we found ourselves facing some significant, unplanned interruptions to our regular lives due to the extended school closure and the impact of COVID-19.

The first major change was isolation – simply being kept away from people we love, people we work with, and our students and staff were kept away from school.

The second major change was switching to a remote life – children and adults trying to work and learn through a screen –  sometimes successfully, and sometimes not. 

The third major change was doing this for a long time – far longer than any snow day, spring break, or power outage has ever thrown at us. 

Our students are resilient human beings and despite the closure, they have continued to persevere to complete their school work and do some amazing things. 

They have played their instruments in virtual concerts, created gastronomical wonders, made videos of their projects, launched businesses and non-profits, and helped their communities in so many ways! 

They have run half-marathons, invented new games, and shown us that our temporary circumstances will not stop them from pursuing their hopes and dreams. 

They have used their voices to express their commitment to a future that ensures all people will be treated with dignity and respect and modeled what it looks like to do it with purpose and peace.

So, as we compare the first day to the last day we see a different picture of our school district and our world, one that continues to change, and one that undoubtedly includes challenges ahead.

Lake Washington School District will continue to thrive to meet and overcome those challenges due to the work of amazing staff who care deeply about students, and the support of our communities and parents who step up as partners at every turn. 

I am deeply grateful for your partnership over the past two years of my tenure in LWSD and as I leave the district, I wish you a summer and next school year full of optimism for the future, hope for new growth, and lasting change in our world for all of our children. ​​​​​​

Fall 2020-21 planning

Last week, the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) released guidance for the reopening of schools in the fall. This guidance will help us take the next steps as we plan for next year.
 

We know there is a great interest from our families in hearing about our fall plans. Our Return to School Task Force will use this guidance as we continue to develop plans for our return to school.
The health and safety of our community comes first, and we will be adjusting the way school works so that we can keep students, staff and families safe while also providing the best possible environment for teaching and learning.
 

Clear and transparent communication is a priority for us, and we will provide regular updates to make sure you have the latest information regarding what the start of school will look like. 
 

Thank you to everyone who has participated in our first two Thoughtexchanges, to help inform how we return to school. Lake Washington School District will be releasing information about the model for the fall later this week, and we appreciate all of the feedback we have received so far about what did and did not work for our families and staff this spring. 

• The first exchange, launched June 9, asked about the challenges that people experienced this spring. This exchange had 6,278 participants who shared 11,173 thoughts with a total of 159,395 ratings. View the results here. 
• The second exchange, launched June 12, asked about what aspects of learning and working remotely this spring were most beneficial or successful. This exchange had 3,564 participants who shared 5,070 thoughts with a total of 75,588 ratings. View the results here.
• In the third exchange, launched June 16, we are asking: As we plan for the fall, what considerations or priorities do we need to consider in relation to student learning and well-being? This exchange has closed. Results will be posted when available to the Return to School Task Force webpage.

Additional feedback opportunities will be made available soon. You can find more information about our return to school plans on our website.

 

Report cards

Elementary Report Cards:
Elementary report cards will be posted to Family Access on June 23.  At the elementary level, teachers will use a plus (+) on report cards to indicate content that was taught during the second semester, and a slash (/) to indicate content that was not taught during the closure. In addition, teachers will be providing feedback in the comments section of the report card about work completion.  Directions to access the report card are below:

1. Select “Skyward Student Access/Family Access” from the “Students and Families” drop down menu on the LWSD website.
2. Log in to Skyward Family Access with your username and password.*
3. Click on the Portfolio tab.

*Parents who have forgotten their login or password can use the "Forgot your Login/Password?" link on the Skyward Family Access login page. 

Secondary Report Cards:
Secondary report cards will be sent to families beginning the week of June 22.  Each secondary school will be communicating the timeline on when to expect report cards to be received.  Middle school courses will be graded with a Pass (P) or No Pass (N).  High school courses will be graded with an A or Incomplete (I).  Further information about grading during school closure can be found in the previous communication from May 5.

 

View the 2019-20 school year calendar 

The 2019-20 LWSD school calendar is available on the district website. Here is a direct link to the PDF of the calendar from the site (Spanish).

Reminder: 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.

Reminder: 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.

Reminder: 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: 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. 

Lake Washington School District summer emergency meal distribution update

Thanks to a waiver that was approved on June 10 by the USDA, Lake Washington School District will be able to continue serving free meals during the summer. These meals are federally funded and available to any child ages 1-18. 

We will continue our current operation of Grab & Go meals at the six middle school sites as well as the pick-up locations through August 7, 2020. Meals will not be provided during the week of June 29 – July 5 due to the Fourth of July holiday. The number of pick-up locations is subject to change.

 

Pandemic EBT:  Emergency Schools Meal Program

Your children may be eligible for a new food assistance program called Pandemic EBT (P-EBT). P-EBT provides families with funds to make up the cost of meals while school was closed. This benefit is for ALL children in Washington who receive free or reduced-price school meals. These benefits will be on an Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card which is used like a debit card to buy groceries.

For additional information about the P-EBT Program.

Additional Resources
The information below is how families can find other summer meal sites and resources in the community:

City/County Resources

• Redmond
• Sammamish
• King County

Other resources

• No Kid Hungry Texting Line - Families may text "Food" or "Comida" to 877-877 to find free summer meals near them.
• No Kid Hungry Meal Site Locator
• USDA Summer Meals Hotline at 1-866-348-6479. Families will receive assistance to find the location, meal times, and contact information for summer meals based on their full address, city, and/or zip code.
• USDA Summer meals finder - This website is easy for families to use as they can access summer meals locations by entering their zip code.

Celebrating our LWSD 2019-20 retirees 

We could not provide an in-person retirement celebration this year, so instead we have created a presentation honoring all of the retirees from the 2019-20 school year. We want to thank all of our retirees for their years of tireless work with the district and we wish them luck on whatever retirement holds for them. Click here to view the presentation.

Reminder: 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 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 sign-up here or visit 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.

Lake Washington High School classroom addition construction update

New classrooms at Lake Washington High School are almost ready for carpet and a final coat of paint. Furniture is ordered and will likely be moved in during August. The Classroom Addition project will add 20 classrooms to the school. 

Preparations have begun to move the 10 portable classrooms on campus to three middle schools where additional space is needed (Rose Hill, Kirkland and Inglewood). 

Construction at the school will also include expansion of the Commons and an auxiliary gymnasium. In the Commons, steel installation is nearly complete to extend the second floor to add more space during lunches. Construction on the auxiliary gymnasium will begin this summer. 

See more photos of construction.

 

Standing at the top – Redmond High wrestler ends storied career as state champ

To say the least, Molly Williams is an accomplished wrestler. The Redmond High School (RHS) senior capped her high school career with a state championship in the 115-pound weight division in February. She compiled a career record of 142-23, which according to her coach makes her one of only two 100+ match winners in RHS history. She placed at state in all four years capturing seventh, fifth and third, respectively. She is a two-time WIAA state Athlete of the Week award winner. Williams is also a Cadet All-American and a Junior All American. Read more about Molly Williams.  

What’s it like in outer space? – Thoreau Elementary hosts virtual Q&A with NASA astronaut 

NASA astronaut Anne McClain has done quite a bit in the last year and a half. She spent nearly seven of those months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). That trip included two spacewalks where nothing but space came between her and the Earth below her. In March 2019, while still aboard the ISS, she spent about an hour speaking to students at Thoreau Elementary School. Since then she has been staying active with NASA and looking forward to events like the May SpaceX flight. Read more about this unique Q&A session. 

 

Reminder: 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.

 

 

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. 

 

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.