A message from the Superintendent

The month of November brings with it a season of gratitude. At all levels of our district, staff take time to express gratitude and many times provide students the opportunity to engage in self-reflection and expressions of gratitude. Many times, these activities can be seen as displays of art, writing or specific actions connected to service learning or other community support/giving activities. These types of activities are directly connected to our mission and vision for students. 

Graduating students to be prepared for their future is both an academic and community-minded outcome. The LWSD Strategic Plan has a goal area focused on Well-Being. Providing students opportunities for reflection, empathy and giving is one way we can support student well-being.

Read more of Dr. Holmen’s message on the LWSD website.

 

LWSD honors Veterans Day 

Students around LWSD recognized Veterans Day with special performances to honor parents, grandparents and community members who are veterans. Check out these photos from virtual events across Lake Washington School District.

 

Heritage speaker opportunity 

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), in collaboration with the World Affairs Council, is funding an exciting program for heritage speakers of Spanish, Russian and Romanian (students 14 years old+). These free, virtual after school programs aim to connect students with other heritage speakers of their language around the state, engaging in interesting learning and projects, and improving their language and intercultural proficiency. Students can earn the Global Competency Certificate and will be offered the Seal of Biliteracy Testing at no cost, for which they can earn up to four high school credits, depending on their proficiency. More information for students and families can be found here. If students are interested in applying for the program, they should email intledwa@gmail.com as soon as possible, as recruitment for the program is underway and will run through November. The Spanish program in particular is already filling up. 

If you would like more information about the World Language program in LWSD, please contact Dr. Jen Rose, Director of Teaching and Learning, or Theresa Vasquez, our World Language Specialist.

 

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: Middle school and high school options information now available/Choice school applications now open 

Parents of students in grades five or eight should have received a Middle School options message or High School options message in their email. The messages 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.

If you did not receive this message or are interested in learning more, click on the links below:

• Middle School Options
• High School Options

Are you interested in enrolling your child in a choice school? Learn more about the process and curriculum at our information sessions coming up in November and December. Applications for choice schools will close on Friday, December 11 at 4 p.m. For more information, visit: lwsd.org/choice-schools.

 

Update: Grab and go meals are free for all children ages 1-18

Lake Washington School District is offering free meals to all children ages 1-18. Please visit the website for more information: https://www.lwsd.org/covid-19/grab-go-student-meals.

The menu is available here.

 

Final Reminder: Highly Capable Programs/Quest applications now available 

Applications for Highly Capable Programs/Quest are now available on the district website. All applications are due on Monday, November 30 at 4:30 p.m. If a family is unable to access the internet-based application or needs an application in a language other than English, please contact the Accelerated Programs Office at 425-936-1238. More information on these programs can be found on the Accelerated Programs section of the district website. 

 

Reminder: World language proficiency testing

To continue to recognize the talents of our bilingual and biliterate LWSD students, we are tentatively offering in-person testing on Wednesdays this year, as indicated below. Testing will be conducted following strict safety and social distancing protocols. After registering here on LWSD's website, we will contact you via the preferred email indicated in the registration to coordinate your specific test date and time at your preferred location. Please note that we are operating at limited capacity this year and will prioritize 11th and 12th graders who need World Language credit to graduate. We will test 9th and 10th graders if additional spots are available. 

We are using a rolling registration this year and students can register now for any of the following testing windows:

• Wednesdays in January at Eastlake High School
  (Registration closes December 16, 2020)
• Wednesdays in February at Redmond High School
  (Registration closes January 31, 2021)
• Wednesdays in March at Lake Washington High School
  (Registration closes February 28, 2021)
• Any Wednesday at the LWSD Resource Center, 16250 NE 74th Street, Redmond, WA 98052
  (Registration closes March 31, 2021)

Registration is now live for Seal of Biliteracy/World Language Proficiency Testing at https://www.lwsd.org/schools/high-school/high-school-guide/world-language-credit-options. 

Questions? Contact the LWSD World Language Specialist and Test Administrator, Theresa Vásquez at tvasquez@lwsd.org.

 

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. Visit https://www.lwsd.org/help/classroom-teams-support. 

For additional, self-guided support, feel free to look through the below documents to help you navigate the Classroom Teams platform:

• Classroom Teams Student Guide | Español
• Classroom Teams Parent & Guardian Guide | Español
• Changing language settings in Teams | Español

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. 

Additional Help Resources:
Helpdesk is open! 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., 7 days/week.
Families Contact: Family Technology Access at ftaccess@lwsd.org, 425-936-1322
24x7 Parent Help email address: parentquestions@lwsd.org

 

Reminder: Child care space still available

Space is still available for families and staff who need child care. The district has worked with community partners, YMCA and Boys & Girls Clubs of King County to provide emergency child care for students in grades K-5. In addition, our district extended day program will provide care at select sites. Each provider will have multiple locations to choose from.

These childcare services provide emergency or critical support for families that cannot otherwise be with their children during the day due to work responsibilities outside of the home.

Visit the LWSD website for more information.

 

Thanksgiving break coming up 

We hope that you enjoy your Thanksgiving Break, November 26-27. Please remember that Wednesday, November 25 is a half day of school. For elementary and in-person learning, please visit the Half-Day Dismissal Times page of our district website. For middle school remote learning, half-day dismissal will be at 12:00 p.m. For high school remote learning half-day dismissal will be at 12:10 p.m.

LWPTSA Council and LWSD announce two upcoming events

The LWPTSA Council, in conjunction with LWSD is offering two upcoming events for families. The first event is called “From Awareness to Action: Understanding Youth Substance Use”. The event will include two guest speakers and an open forum for a panel discussion as well as a question and answer session. This event will take place on Thursday, November 19 at 7:00 p.m. Click the link below for more information.

The second event is a LGBTQ+ Panel that will allow for guests to find out about supports in LWSD schools and how you can be a valuable ally for the LGBTQ+ community. It will include seven panel participants from our LWSD and greater school community. This event will take place on Wednesday, December 2 at 7:00 p.m. Click the link below for more information.

Below are the informational flyers for the events. Click on either link to learn more.

• From Awareness to Action: Under-standing Youth Substance Use - 11/19
• LGBTQ+ Panel – 12/2

 

Reminder: Lake Washington Schools Foundation supports LWSD students and staff 

Lake Washington Schools Foundation (LWSF) is a non-profit organization that has been partnering for 15 years with Lake Washington School District to improve the education of every student in the district. LWSF supports students and families with programs like Pantry Packs, Balance in Mind, LINKS Mentoring, Find Your Fit and Reach for Success Classroom Grants. 

LWSF relies on donations from community members and local businesses to fund these important programs. You can learn more about the LWSF here: www.lwsf.org.

 

Reminder: LWSD playgrounds now open to public

All LWSD playgrounds are now open to the public during evenings and weekends. This is in accordance with city, county and state guidance. Playgrounds will be closed to the public during the school day from 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Just a reminder that large, organized activities are not allowed. Play is limited to groups of 5 or fewer. Please wear a face covering and keep 6 feet apart. Hands should be washed after play. Please note that some schools have childcare on site until 6:00 p.m. so play structures may be in use until that time.

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.

Welcome to the new Juanita High School 

The rebuilt and enlarged Juanita High School is complete. The school has a capacity of 1,800 students. Principal Kelly Clapp said the larger size will allow the school to offer more CTE (Career and Technical Education) classes and provides capacity for future growth in the district. “The school is a wonderful design,” she said.

Learn more about the district’s long-term plan to continue to build schools and to provide quality learning environments and experiences at www.lwsd.org/BuildingOnSuccess.

 

 

LWSD employees raise nearly $67,000 during annual United Way campaign

The annual LWSD United Way campaign wrapped up on November 6, and staff members did a great job of chipping in to help people across King County; including needy families right here in Lake Washington School District. Employees raised a total of $66,752. A big thank you to the nearly 300 staff members who voluntarily contributed or participated in this event. The money will go a long way in serving those in need throughout King County as well as students and families in our district.

 

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.

 

Careers at LWSD

LWSD is always seeking great talent for positions throughout our district. Check out the LWSD website for job descriptions and postings. 

 

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.