Connections - February 27, 2025
Work with us
We're hiring! Consider a career in LWSD
LWSD is always seeking great talent for positions throughout our district. In addition to other positions available throughout the district, we are looking for applicants for the following positions:
- Nurses
- Instructional assistants (IAs)
- Paraeducators
- Custodians
- Bus Drivers
- Substitutes
These positions are also available in a substitute role. Check out the LWSD website for job descriptions and postings.
Learning Focused
Change in length of student day & common high school schedules – 2025-26
A message from Lake Washington School District Superintendent, Dr. Jon Holmen.
Dear Lake Washington School District Families and Students,
On October 1, 2024, I announced that high schools would shift from a 7-period to a 6-period high school day beginning next school year. This announcement included changing to have common schedules at Eastlake, Juanita, Lake Washington and Redmond High Schools.
After a process that included community, student, and staff feedback, we have finalized the common high school schedule, and it includes the following:
- Increased instructional time for each class, increasing the total class time per credit from 135 to 152 hours annually.
- A block schedule where each class meets 4 times per week with two block periods of 80 minutes and two shorter periods of 45 minutes.
- 10-minute passing periods for students M-Th and 7-minute passing periods on Fridays.
- Homeroom period one time per week.
LWSD Human Resources team attending several career events
Come out and meet our hiring teams in-person at these upcoming events (pre-registration or affiliation may be required):
Confirmed events
March 12 - UW SLP Fair (Special Education team) - 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
- Specifically for hearing and speech sciences students at University of Washington. Contact: allyb@uw.edu
March 13 - Indian American Community Services (IACS-Anvi) - 1 - 5 p.m.
- The upcoming career fair is aimed at fostering connections between talented professionals and esteemed organizations in education, early childhood, finance, banking, technology, health care, real estate, small business, etc.
March 13 - UW Bothell Job search clinic - 4:45 - 6:45 p.m.
- Specifically for teacher interns in the School of Educational Studies at the University of Washington Bothell. Contact: jonuwb@uw.edu
March 15 - City U Job Fair, Seattle campus - 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
- Attendees will be over 100 soon-to-be teachers in attendance from City U. Contact: vbutler@cityu.edu
Unconfirmed events
April 30 - WSPA Tacoma - 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
- A career fair for teachers and administrators. Contact: Natalie Plott or call 360-943-5717
Reminder: Tuition preschool enrollment lottery for 2025-26 school year now open
The tuition-based Lake Washington School District (LWSD) preschool program is now accepting entries into our enrollment lottery for the 2025-26 school year. New families interested in securing a seat for their child to enroll at one of the LWSD preschool sites in the 2025-26 school year need to complete a preschool lottery entry form.
Currently enrolled/returning preschool students, preschool students on an IEP or students enrolled in our Head Start program do not need to fill out a lottery entry form.
Forms received before March 7, 2025, will be entered into a lottery for a seat in the LWSD Preschool program. The lottery will be held the week of March 18, 2025, and families will be notified the week of March 24, 2025. Any students who do not receive a seat via the lottery will be placed on a waitlist for that preschool location/session.
Families on the waitlist at specific preschool locations will be called and offered seats as they become available.
Please direct any questions to Nichole Townsend, preschool registrar at ntownsend@lwsd.org.
Visit the preschool program webpage for more information and to submit a lottery entry form.
February is Black History Month
Since 1976, each president of the United States has designated February as Black History Month. The origin can be traced even further back to 1915, when an organization called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), led by Harvard-educated historian Carter G. Woodson, was formed. The ASALH dedicated its time to researching the achievements of Black Americans and other people of African descent. The goal was to inspire schools and communities across the United States to organize local celebrations, activities and lectures in an effort to teach Black history as it had never been taught before. Today, Black History Month is also celebrated in other countries around the world, including Canada (who also celebrate in February) and the UK (who celebrate in October).
For a guide on how to celebrate Black History Month in the Seattle area, please visit: www.naamnw.org.
Reminder: Lake Washington schools open enrollment for in-district and out-of-district families: February 3-28, 2025
Lake Washington School District (LWSD) holds an open enrollment period each year for families who live in the district and want their children to attend a school other than their neighborhood school and for families who live outside the district and want to attend a school in the LWSD. Priority will be given to families who sign up during the open enrollment period. Families may apply between February 3-28 for a change to their school assignment for the 2025-26 school year. To learn more about our open enrollment period, open schools and the application process, please visit our website.
Reminder: Early Entrance to Kindergarten (EEK) applications: February 1-March 15
Applications for LWSD's Early Entrance to Kindergarten (EEK) program will open on February 1 and close on March 15, 2025. The FinalForms program will take applicants through the process and payment.
The EEK program screens students whose families believe are exceptionally qualified to enter kindergarten at an early age.
More information can be found on the LWSD EEK webpage.
Please note that student applicants must turn age 5 before November 30, 2025.
Final Reminder: Advanced Placement exam registration information for 2024-25 school year
LWSD is offering a LATE AP exam registration window from February 24, 12:01 a.m. - March 6, at 11:59 p.m. Students who register during the late AP registration window will incur a $50 per exam late fee in addition to the current per exam fee.
Read more information about late registration and fees associated here.
Reminder: Kindergarten registration for 2025-26 school year is open!
Register online now to ensure appropriate staffing for 2025-26 school year
If you live in Lake Washington School District (LWSD) and your child will be five years old on or before August 31, 2025, it is time to register your child for kindergarten for the 2025-26 school year!
While K-12 student registration will continue throughout the school year and summer, families are highly encouraged to register students as soon as possible. Doing so helps LWSD balance class sizes and ensures adequate staff are hired in time for the new school year. It also enables our schools to build relationships with families and students before the start of the new school year.
How to register:
Registration for all K-12 LWSD students is online. All necessary documents can be accessed on the LWSD website and completed documents can be uploaded securely. Families who cannot upload documents may send them by U.S. mail or drop them off at their neighborhood school.
Visit the Kindergarten Information page of the LWSD website to learn more about the registration process.
To determine your neighborhood school, check the district school and bus finder, or call the district’s transportation office at 425-936-1120.
Building-specific “Welcome to Kindergarten” opportunities will be scheduled throughout the spring, providing caregivers with opportunities to visit the school, ask questions and register on-site if needed. Visit your neighborhood school website for more information about these upcoming events.
FINAL Reminder: World language proficiency testing
LWSD offers in-person, world language testing for high school students. These tests help students meet the "world languages" graduation requirement. They can earn up to four high school credits. They can also earn the Washington state “Seal of Biliteracy” on their transcript and diploma.
- All students in grades 8-12 can take one language test for free.
- Students can take the test at any location (see list below).
- Tests are available in any language that is both written and spoken.
See below for final test date and location:
Test date: March 26 - 2:30 p.m. @ Lake Washington High School
Registration closes: March 5
Register and find more information here.
Questions? Contact the Assessment Team at assessmenthelp@lwsd.org.
District announcements
Two LWSD school board positions will be on the November 2025 ballot: District 3 and District 4. The board and district will host informational and engagement sessions to share information about what it means to be a board member.
School board directors are elected by voters in a school district. School districts identify five areas called “director districts” which aim to distribute population evenly across each of the five areas. To run for a school board position, a person must live within the designated area even though the individual will be listed on the ballot for all voters within the school district. School board members are elected to serve four-year terms. Visit: https://www.lwsd.org/board/about-the-board for additional information.
Upcoming school board information sessions:
March 10, 2025, at 7 p.m. - Virtual - LINK
Session 1: School Board 101, Becoming a Candidate and Governance vs. Management
March 24, 2025, at 4 p.m. - Virtual - LINK or In-person at Resource Center)
Session 2: Key Responsibilities and Areas of Oversight (Study session and board meeting following the session should participants want to join)
April 21, 2025, at 7 p.m. (In-person at Resource Center)
Session 3: Questions & answers and dialog with board members
King County election filing information: Online candidate filing for 2025 offices is available 24 hours a day starting Monday, May 5, 2025 at 8 a.m. and ending on Friday, May 9, 2025 at 5 p.m.
Learn more: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/elections/for-candidates/online-candidate-filing.aspx
Reminder: Upcoming temporary closure of Community Pool at Juanita High School
The pool will be closed from March 1, 2025-August 31, 2025
The Community Pool at Juanita High School (JHS) will be closed from March 1, 2025 through August 31, 2025 to make critical capital improvements to extend the life of the pool. Wave Aquatics, the group that manages pool operations, will provide additional communication to families and community members who regularly use the pool regarding alternatives to swim lessons/lap swims.
Lake Washington School Foundation
Twenty years of impact. One night to celebrate!
This year, Lake Washington Schools Foundation’s (LWSF) Be the Bridge Spring Benefit is more than just LWSF’s biggest fundraiser–it’s a milestone celebration marking 20 years of making a difference for students in Lake Washington School District!
When: Thursday, March 27, 5–7 p.m.
Where: Seattle Marriott Redmond
Register now to join community leaders, educators and supporters for an inspiring evening of reflection, connection and generosity.
Social emotional learning for parents workshops
Are you a parent and caregiver looking to deepen family connections, improve communication and tackle parenting challenges with patience and calm? Join LWSF at their last in-person workshop of the year starting on March 21! Spaces are limited, so register now to secure your spot!
Details and registration: www.lwsf.org/our-work/sel-for-parents.
Building Excellence
Building Excellence is Lake Washington School District's long-term plan to provide permanent classrooms for students and address aging facilities and reduce reliance on portables through 2034. The Building Excellence Plan identifies the specific projects needed and a long-term funding plan that allows all required projects to be completed by 2034.
TONIGHT: Rockwell Elementary informational design and construction meeting, February 27
Join us for an informational design and construction meeting Thursday, February 27 at 6 p.m. in the Rockwell gymnasium. Learn more about the school design, construction schedule and meet the project team!
The rebuild & enlarge of Rockwell elementary is funded by 2022 Building Excellence Construction Levy. This project creates space for 252 additional students while also addressing an aging facility. Rockwell will include 30 classrooms and support spaces in a new two-story building that will open in Fall 2026. Construction will begin this summer (some preliminary work may start in the spring).
Student & Staff Success
All-district flag football event
Lake Washington School District (LWSD) students have always excelled in art and writing, and this year is no different. Forty-eight LWSD students were recognized during this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Among all the LWSD schools that participated, students earned 28 gold keys, 25 silver keys and 43 honorable mentions. Artists who received a gold key for their entries are then judged on the national level. These students will find out in mid-March if they receive a national award.
LWHS students learn to produce compelling stories in today's digital landscape
Did you know students at Lake Washington High School (LWHS) have the special opportunity to take video classes taught by a distinguished television veteran? That’s right. Taught by Su Ring Vitue, a former TV producer at KING5’s New Day NW show, she is leading her award-winning classes in Video Production and Broadcast Communications right here in Lake Washington School District (LWSD). With her guidance, expertise and connections, students are mastering the art to produce compelling stories in today’s digital landscape.