Seventeen Lake Washington teachers achieve, renew National Board Certification  

Seventeen Lake Washington teachers achieve, renew National Board Certification

Seventeen Lake Washington School District teachers achieved or renewed their National Board Certification®, as announced by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Five teachers were certified for the first time and 12 teachers renewed their certification this year; certifications must be renewed every ten years. Teachers from around the district completed the process and will be recognized at an upcoming School Board meeting.

Visit the LWSD website to see the list of names who achieved this certification.

 

K-5 Math Curriculum Adoption 

In the fall of 2019, a K-5 Math Adoption committee, composed of K- 5 teachers, specialists, administrators, and community members, was formed to evaluate our adopted K-5 math curriculum. The Committee determined that new K-5 math curriculum is necessary to support the highest level of student learning in Lake Washington and has been working since then towards the goal providing a recommendation to the Lake Washington School Board for new K-5 math curriculum to be implemented in the in fall 2021.   

The Committee utilized extensive research and engaged in in-depth professional learning to identify the elements of high-quality math curriculum and instruction and established rigorous evaluation. Based on extensive analysis of multiple curricular materials, the Committee has determined the top two choices and are moving to piloting these materials as the next phase in our adoption process. The materials we will pilot are Ready Classroom and Illustrative Mathematics; you can see brief overviews of the curriculum on their websites. 

By March 30, we will be posting links to access an in-depth view of each curriculum on our website and will include a link to a survey to gather community input on the curricula.  Community member input will be used to inform the final adoption decision.  Physical copies of the curriculum and survey will be on display in the lobby at the Lake Washington Resource Center (16250 NE 74th St, Redmond) after Tuesday, March 30, 2021.  This information, including links for in-depth access to the materials and a link to the survey, will be directly emailed to K-5 parents by March 31, 2021.  Access to the materials and to the surveys will remain open until May 12, 2021. 

We are excited about both options and are looking forward to getting information back from teachers, students, and parents about their experience using them in their learning. Thank you for supporting this opportunity and for providing feedback on our potential new math curriculum materials.  

 

Travel guidance from LWSD 

Spring Break is April 5-9. We know that our breaks are typically a time when staff and families decide to travel. Throughout this pandemic, we have highlighted the role the community plays in minimizing the spread of the virus. This has been done by a number of measures and includes paying attention to the travel guidance put out by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). If you are traveling for non-essential purposes, we ask that you review the travel guidance and follow the steps outlined. By following this guidance, we can ensure that our schools, classrooms and community are in alignment with health and safety precautions. Thank you for your attention to this guidance.  

 

Reminder: Pathway Forward Guide and videos for K-5 families 

LWSD’s Pathway Forward Guide for K-5 Families is now available on our website here: https://www.lwsd.org/pathway-forward/pathway-forward-guide. We are currently in the process of translating this guide into additional languages, and have it available on our website as both a PDF and as a page that can be translated into other languages by clicking the globe “Translate” widget at the top left corner of the website. 

In addition, LWSD has created a series of videos to help families understand the basics of our Safety Plan for returning K-5 students to in-person learning. You can find the videos here: https://www.lwsd.org/pathway-forward/pathway-forward-videos. We are working to translate these videos into additional languages as well.

 

Reminder: Enrollment for the new online school for 2021-22 is now open

Enrollment for the new online school has expanded to include ninth and 10th grade students. Families of incoming ninth and tenth grade students can access the enrollment application at https://www.lwsd.org/schools/online-school-opening-2021-22. Enrollment is open from March 12 to April 16.

A recording of the recent Family Information Session is available to view. Families can access the presentation online by visiting this web page: https://www.lwsd.org/schools/online-school-opening-2021-22. An FAQ document has been created from questions shared by families during the presentation. That document is available at this link. 

More information about choice schools and the lottery process can be found at this link: https://www.lwsd.org/about-us/policy-and-regulations/instruction-2000/procedure-alternative-learning-experience-courses-programs-schools-2255p. 

Information about Alternative Learning can be found at this link: https://www.lwsd.org/about-us/policy-and-regulations/instruction-2000/alternative-learning-experience-courses-programs-and-schools-2255.

 

Reminder: Register your child for Kindergarten now!   

If you live in Lake Washington School District (LWSD) and your child will be five years old on or before August 31, 2021, it is time to register your child for Kindergarten!  

All necessary documents can be accessed on the LWSD website and completed documents can be uploaded securely. Parents who are unable to upload documents may send them to the school by U.S. mail or contact the school to arrange a drop off. 

Read more about Kindergarten registration on the district website.

 

Reminder: Will child care still be available for families? 

The YMCA, Boys and Girls Club and District Extended Day staff provide care in LWSD. We are currently offering full-day childcare at 8 school locations serving approximately 180 students. The Child Care Resources webpage includes links to interest forms for childcare once we return to in-person learning. Each provider will determine if/when locations can be added based on demand. The numbers of students able to be served may be limited due to space limits in buildings and ability to hire staff.

 

Update: Special notice of meal changes - grab and go meals are free for all children age 1-18

There will be no meals served/distributed the week of Spring Break, April 5-9 

In addition, beginning the week of April 12, we will be distributing the multi-day meal packs on Wednesdays only (no Friday distribution) at the six middle school sites and 11 bus stop locations. 

Please visit the LWSD meals page for more information and to order your mreals.

 

Reminder: Free internet available to eligible families

Reliable connectivity to the internet is critical for student success during remote teaching and learning. The state recognizes this need and has partnered with Ziply Fiber, Comcast/Xfinity and Presidio to create Washington’s K–12 Internet Access Program, which gives eligible families free internet access so students can connect to online learning from home.

This internet access opportunity will potentially provide families with faster and more reliable connectivity than hotspots, which will better support our students. Eligible families can receive free internet access through June 30, 2021.

LWSD has developed this webpage for families to check eligibility, choose a provider in their area, request an access code and sign-up for service.

 

Reminder: LWSD fields remain closed during the day for community use - playgrounds, tennis courts and tracks are open to public on evenings and weekends

All LWSD playgrounds, tracks and tennis courts are closed to the public during the school day from 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and open for weekend and evening use. School campuses are closed during the school day. As a reminder, large, organized activities are not allowed.

• Play is limited to groups of 5 or fewer.
• Face coverings and 6 feet physical distancing are required.
• Hands should be washed after play.

Please note that some elementary schools have childcare on site until 6:00 p.m. so play structures may be in use until that time. 

The public is also not allowed to be on a field when an outside organization is renting the field.

Stadiums – fields and ball fields with synthetic turf opened in January. We will update our communities as more of our facilities open to the public. 

Thank you for your cooperation in helping to slow the transmission of COVID-19.

 

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.

Mann student wins first place at sport stacking national competition  

Belen Mendoza Molina had the best all-around score in the nation for her age group in competitive sport stacking. A student from Horace Mann Elementary, she ranked number one in the nation overall at the live-streamed competition and ranked seventh in the nation for all age groups in the all-around female division.  

The World Sport Stacking Association (WSSA) sanctioned Let’s Get Stacking competition took place on January 9. Categories for the competition included individual, doubles and relay. Many of the best “Speed Stackers” in the nation competed in this event. Read more about this on the LWSD website. 

 

We've got this! Calling all LWSD students! We’re asking student artists to color in our "We've got this" 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! 

Download the coloring page here.

 

We're hiring!

LWSD is always seeking great talent for positions throughout our district. Check out the LWSD website for job descriptions and postings. Current positions include: bus drivers, instructional assistants, paraeducators and more.

 

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.