Connections - January 30, 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
Instructions for accessing elementary report cards in Skyward Family Access
Elementary report cards have now been posted to Skyward Family Access.
More information about Elementary Report Cards can be found on our Elementary Report Cards webpage.
Parents who have forgotten their login or password can use the "Forgot your Login/Password?" link on the Skyward Family Access login page.
Report cards before 2024-25 are available in Family Access but must be downloaded to view. The "eye" icon will only appear for report cards from 2024-25 and beyond.
Here are the directions for accessing your child's report card.
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.
The list of open schools will be updated on our website by February 3, 2025.
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.
Spring 2024 Smarter Balanced Assessment PDF reports
In spring of 2024, students in 3rd-8th and 10th grades took the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) in English language arts and math. Students in 5th, 6th and 11th grade took the Washington State Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS). The primary purpose of these tests is to check in on how students are doing compared to some of the state standards.
Scores from the SBA were posted to Family Access in June of 2024 under “Test Scores.” OSPI has now provided electronic score reports in PDF format to the district for the students that took the spring test. These score reports do not provide any new student score data; however, they do provide some graphical and textual explanations of the data. These score reports will be sent to families via Parent Square in the next two weeks. In past years these documents have been uploaded to Skyward Family Access. The new version of Skyward does not allow for mass upload of documents yet which is why we will be delivering these through Parent Square. We anticipate that we'll have the ability to upload these into Skyward Family Access sometime during 2025.
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.
Schools celebrate Martin Luther King Jr.'s pursuit of peace and justice
Schools throughout LWSD took time to recognize the importance and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s pursuit of freedom through nonviolence. Redmond Middle School held an assembly to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Friday, January 17. Leadership students spoke about Dr. King’s teachings and students from the Black Room formed a panel and answered questions on how the country can move forward and embrace what he stood for. The choir closed the program singing Lift Every Voice and Sing.
Visit the LWSD Facebook page to see more photos from LWSD MLK assemblies.
January is School Board Recognition Month
The month of January is School Board Recognition Month in Washington state. The goal of this recognition is to honor school board members as outstanding elected officials and champions for public education. "School directors play a crucial role in promoting student learning and achievement by creating a vision, establishing policies and budgets, and setting clear standards of accountability for all involved," says Governor Ferguson in his proclamation. Read the full proclamation here. Interested in learning more about our Board of Directors?
You can see videos of every school board meeting on the district website.
Protect online privacy with these tips from Common Sense Media
LWSD is preparing students to become 21st-century learners. For its digital citizenship curriculum, the district has adopted Common Sense Media. January 28 was Data Privacy Day. Here are some data privacy tips for families from Common Sense Media:
Grades K-5
- Have a conversation about personal versus private information to be shared online.
- Use privacy settings when accessing online resources or tools.
- Avoid location tracking.
- Power up passwords.
- Skip clickbait quizzes and "special offers."
Grades 6-12
- Use privacy settings.
- Read the fine print.
- Discuss online scams, clickbait and "special offers."
- Understand how tech companies make money.
Other topics addressed in Common Sense Media’s curriculum include media balance and well-being, digital footprint and identity, relationships and communication, cyberbullying, digital drama and hate speech, and news and media literacy.
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.
Correction: World language proficiency testing
**Some of the date, time and location information below was inaccurate in the last edition of Connections. Please refer to the updated dates, times and locations in this article.**
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 test dates and locations:
Test date: February 5 - 2:30 p.m. @ Redmond High School
Registration closes: January 22
Test date: February 26 - 2:30 p.m. @ Juanita High School
Registration closes: February 12
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
Are you ready for inclement weather?
With weather forecasters predicting snow next week, we wanted to remind our community about our procedures for inclement weather.
When emergency conditions such as snow and ice or windstorms result in school schedule changes, the district will notify staff directly through ParentSquare. Please note: No notifications will be sent or posted if school is operating normally.
Here are a few ways to help get your family ready:
- Make sure your contact information is updated in your Skyward account so you don't miss email, phone or text alerts: lwsd.org/skyward.
- Follow Lake Washington School District on Facebook and X for news and updates.
- Sign up for text alerts through www.flashalert.net.
- Learn more about how decisions are made and communicated in case of schedule changes due to weather.
- Visit Skyward to see your family's snow bus route locations. Go to Skyward > Transportation to see your route information. Please note: It is possible that your snow route will be the same as your regular route.
Lake Washington School Foundation
Social emotional learning for parents workshops are back
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 in-person or virtual workshops starting February and March! Spaces are limited, so register now to secure your spot!
Details and registration: www.lwsf.org/our-work/sel-for-parents.
Confident Conversations: Guiding Kids Through Puberty and Adolescence
Feel confident having honest discussions about difficult topics with your kids! Join the next ParentEd Talk with parenting experts Julie and Peter Metzger for research-backed tips on discussing body changes, consent, relationships and more. Become a trusted, safe space for meaningful conversations.
When: Wednesday, February 5, 7-8:00 p.m.
Where: Online webinar
Sign up here for this live Q&A-style webinar series for free. You'll also gain access to the event recording, so you can watch it anytime, anywhere.
How to Create a Balanced College List | Find Your Fit webinar for high school families
High school students and families, join independent college counselor Mary Pat O'Neil for an informative webinar on building a balanced US college list. Learn how to use search filters, research colleges and create a plan for success together.
When: Tuesday, February 11, 7-8:00 p.m.
Where: Zoom webinar
Details and registration: www.lwsf.org/our-work/find-your-fit.
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.
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.
Student & Staff Success
It takes a village – Eastlake teacher wins award for motivating students in mathematics
Behind the students who succeed in specific subjects are the teachers who help them get there. Gregory Emerson, Eastlake High School (EHS), is certainly one of those teachers as he is one of 20 teachers throughout the country who was awarded the Edyth May Sliffe Award. The Edyth May Sliffe Awards for Distinguished Mathematics Teaching in Middle School and High School are given annually to middle and high school mathematics teachers who have done outstanding work to motivate students in mathematics by participating in one of the MAA American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) competitions.
Juanita High School assistant principal named top in state, headed to national conference
Terry Jess, assistant principal at Juanita High School, has been named Assistant Principal of the Year in Washington by the National Association of Secondary Principals (NASSP). According to its website, the NASSP National Assistant Principal of the Year program annually recognizes outstanding middle level and high school assistant principals who have succeeded in providing high quality learning opportunities for students. These assistant principals are acknowledged by their peers for the exemplary contributions they have made to the profession.