Connections - September 25, 2020

Learning Focused

World language proficiency testing

In order 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 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 November at Juanita High School
    (Registration closes October 31, 2020)
  • Wednesdays in January at Eastlake High School
    (Registration closes December 31, 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.

 

Microsoft Teams: Classroom Basics for Parents

MS Teams logo

Microsoft is hosting one-hour live events for LWSD parents to learn the basics of Microsoft Classroom Teams as well as office hours to ask technical questions. There are several opportunities to participate in these events. 

Visit the LWSD website for dates and times of these one-hour live events.

 

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:

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

Child Care

We know that some families and staff members still need child care. Space is still available for families and staff who need to use this resource. 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.

 

Reminder: LWSD adds AudioEye to website for accessibility

Lake Washington School District (LWSD) is committed to providing access to all individuals seeking information on our website, including persons with disabilities. In September 2020, LWSD adopted AudioEye, a leading Web accessibility solution, to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to the information on our websites and to meet the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act

What is Web accessibility and why is it important?
When not coded properly, websites can be difficult or impossible to access by people that rely on assistive technologies to navigate the digital world. Websites must be designed, developed and maintained in a manner that accommodates users with diverse abilities – in a manner that focuses on user-first, universal design principles.

In the same sense that a building must provide certain physical accommodations - ramps, rails, wide doorways, elevators - websites should provide accommodations in the digital space.

Why AudioEye?

AudioEye icon

The AudioEye solution aims to improve the usability of the web – providing everyone with an optimal, customizable and fully inclusive digital experience.

First and foremost, the AudioEye technology helps ensure that Lake Washington School District websites are optimized to provide an accessible user experience by conforming to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. In addition, the AudioEye technology includes a toolbar, which includes a suite of free assistive web personalization utilities that allow visitors to customize their user experience.

To activate the AudioEye toolbar, click on the AudioEye icon located on the right side of the screen.

To learn more about AudioEye's accessibility features, please visit www.audioeye.com.

 

Reminder: Fall grab and go meals now available – Meals are free for all children Age 1-18

Student Meals

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.

Meals should be ordered in advance and are available for pickup Monday through Friday. Friday pickup includes meals for Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, or to place an order, visit: https://www.lwsd.org/covid-19/grab-go-student-meals.

 

Reminder: View the 2020-21 school year calendar 

The 2020-21 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: Student health plans and immunization records

The due date for documentation for individual health plans (for students with life threatening conditions), medications, and immunizations is October 5. We recognize that some of our families may find it challenging to obtain doctor appointments or paperwork at this time. If there are issues with having this information ready by October 5, families can work with their building nurse. Though, we do not know at this time when all students will return to in-person instruction, having paperwork will help us to be prepared for when we do. 

A child’s immunizations must be up to date and paperwork for medications, individual health plans as well as all required medications must be provided before a child can attend school in-person per state guidelines. Students will be unable to attend school in-person or participate in childcare in district schools if their immunizations are not in compliance or if they have not provided the necessary paperwork and medications if their child requires them.  

If you have any questions, please contact your building nurse. 

 

Reminder: Advanced Placement exam registration information for 2020-21 school year

College Board has new ordering deadlines, late fees and cancellation fees. To meet the College Board ordering deadlines, Lake Washington School District students will register for AP exams from September 1, 2020 to 4:00 p.m. on September 25th. The payment window for all exams will be October 1, 2020 through October 30, 2020. We encourage all students wanting to take May 2021 AP exams to complete the registration and pay for their exams during this registration window. CollegeBoard has suspended the cancellation fee for the 2020-21 school year. Students may cancel an exam at any time throughout the course!

For students that may still be deciding in October if they want to take AP exams in May, LWSD is offering a LATE AP Exam Registration window from February 1, 2021 through end of last lunch on February 19, 2021. Students who register during the late AP Registration window will incur a $50 per exam late fee in addition to the $96 per exam fee. 

Read more about the Advanced Placement exam registration
 

District Announcements

Reminder: Teen Startup event application deadline 

Teen Startup Challenge

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. The application for this event is midnight on September 28, 2020. Visit www.lwsd.org/teen-startup to learn more about this event. 

 

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.

School Portables

20 portable classrooms installed at four elementary schools and three middle schools

A total of 10 new SAGE (Smart Academic Green Environment) portable classrooms were installed at four elementary schools over the summer. Alexander Graham Bell Elementary, Robert Frost Elementary, and Henry Thoreau Elementary each received three portable classrooms and Carl Sandburg Elementary received one. The SAGE portable classrooms are energy-efficient, have more natural light than traditional portables and are constructed with low-emitting building materials.

The new 20-classroom addition at Lake Washington High School provided the opportunity to relocate ten portable classrooms to three middle schools in need of additional capacity. The majority (six) are being installed at Rose Hill Middle, while Kirkland Middle and Inglewood Middle each received two portable classrooms.

Adding portables is a short-term solution to accommodate rapid enrollment growth in Lake Washington School District over the past decade. Learn more about the district’s long-term plan to continue to build schools and to provide quality learning environments and experiences at lwsd.org/BuildingOnSuccess

 

Reminder: Just for fun

We've Got This coloring sheet

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.

 

Work with us

Careers at LWSD

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

 

Remember...

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