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Connections - December 6, 2019
Learning Focused
Reminder: Credit Requirements for High School Students Available in Family Access
Students and families now are able to monitor progress towards high school graduation requirements. There is now 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: Choice School applications now open; Middle school and high school options booklets available
Choice School applications are available now for the 2020-21 school year. The deadline to apply is 4:00 p.m. on Friday, December 13, 2019, for any school that relies on a lottery to determine enrollment.
Parents of students in grades five or eight should have received a Middle School options postcard or High School options postcard in the mail. They outline the opportunities in these respective levels, including information about neighborhood schools and Choice Schools. Videos about each Choice School are posted on the district website and YouTube channel.
Redminder: 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.
District Announcements
Use the MyStop app to view estimated arrival times for buses during winter weather events
The MyStop 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 use the app.
Reminder: Building on Success: Learn about upcoming construction for classroom additions
Thank you to our voters for passing a Capital Projects Levy last April. You are invited to attend information nights about the elementary school additions funded by the 2019 Capital Projects Levy. These will be open-house style poster sessions. Feel free to drop by any time during the one-hour events.
- Rose Hill Elementary (8 classrooms): December 12, 2019 from 5-6 p.m. at Rose Hill Elementary
- Rachel Carson Elementary (4 classrooms): An information night for Carson Elementary will be scheduled next year.
Reminder: Volunteers Needed for LINKS Lunch Buddy program!
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 two different mentoring opportunities: AVID and the LINKS Lunch Buddy program.
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is an elective offered in four LWSD middle schools and all LWSD comprehensive high schools. Mentors meet with a small group of students in the classroom at least once a week for one class period and lead inquiry-based discussions to help students learn to problem solve.
LWSD will offer a one-hour information session to learn more about the AVID program. For specific dates and times please visit the AVID Information Sessions and Orientations calendar. For those who would like to become mentors, training is provided, and the dates are also listed on the calendar.
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: Support our young musicians – attend a performance at Redmond Town Center
Several LWSD school music groups will perform on Center Stage in Redmond Town Center this holiday season. Here is a list of performances:
- Norman Rockwell Elementary Choir: Saturday, December 7 at 10:30 a.m.
- The Royals (Eastlake High School and Tesla STEM High School): Saturday, December 7 at 4:00 p.m.
- Kamiakin Middle School Jazz Ensemble: Wednesday, December 11 at 5:30 p.m.
- Horace Mann Elementary Choir: Thursday, December 12 at 6:00 p.m.
- Rose Hill Elementary Choir: Saturday, December 14 at 10:30 a.m.
- Louisa May Alcott Elementary ACT Club Singers: Tuesday, December 17 at 4:30 p.m.
- International Community School Choir: Wednesday, December 18 at 10:00 a.m.
- Lakeview Elementary School Intermediate Choir: Wednesday, December 18 at 11:00 a.m.
- Redmond Middle School Choir: Thursday, December 19 at 12:45 p.m.
More schools will perform throughout December, see the full schedule on the Redmond Town Center website.
Reminder: Are you ready for inclement weather?
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 how to know when school is delayed or cancelled on the School Closures and Late Starts page of the district website. Families with students who ride the bus should watch their mail in mid-November for a postcard with information about their bad weather bus route.
Want to make sure you receive alerts about school closures right away? Sign up on flashalert.net to be notified about the latest school delay and school closure news from LWSD.
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.
Reminder: High School PE Credit Options
High school students can meet the Physical Education graduation requirement through taking PE classes, taking the Fitness Knowledge Assessment or submitting a Fitness Plan. The Fitness Knowledge Assessment is offered three times a year. Another session will be held on February 19, 2020. Students must fill out specific forms and register for this test at their high school. Students opting for the Fitness Plan will have three opportunities to submit their plan this year. See the district website for more information.
Building on Success
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.
Focus on nature, cost-savings earns Kirk a 1st place Masonry Award
On November 8, Peter Kirk Elementary School received first place for block masonry in the Excellence in Masonry Awards 2019 from the Masonry Institute of Washington.
Designers selected concrete masonry as the primary exterior finish of the new school. The decision provided a savings of 30% over other materials. Concrete masonry units (CMUs) will also provide the school with long-term durability.
On Nov. 8, the school received first place for block masonry in the Excellence in Masonry Awards 2019 from the Masonry Institute of Washington. Concrete masonry units (CMUs) will also provide the school with long-term durability.
Working with Mutual Materials, the designers at Studio Meng Strazarra developed a palette of materials echoing the layering, textures, and tones found in the site’s natural environment. The general contractor for the project was Lease Crutcher Lewis.
Learn more about the award in the Seattle DJC special edition.
Work with us
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.
Student & Staff Success
Headed to the hall – Redmond High band director selected to Music Educator Hall of Fame
Andy Robertson has put in multiple decades of work at Redmond High School (RHS). He has been at RHS for nearly 30 years. Robertson has directed the school’s band, the RHS jazz band and multiple concert bands over his many years with the school. And now, the school’s band director has been selected to join the 2020 class of the Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA) Hall of Fame.
Eleven LWSD high school juniors to explore STEM careers through Washington Aerospace Scholars
Eleven LWSD high school juniors were selected to complete Phase I of the Washington Aerospace Scholars (WAS) Program. Students from four LWSD high schools were selected from among the many talented juniors across Washington state. Read more about the program and see the list of students who were selected for the program.