Connections - June 20, 2025

Congratulations, Class of 2025!

More than 2,250 LWSD students will be graduating this year. On June 16 and 17, graduating students from six of our high schools were handed their diplomas at Alaska Airlines Arena at University of Washington in Seattle. Throughout graduation season, follow our Facebook page and district website for pictures and videos of these once-in-a-lifetime ceremonies, along with grad walks that took place at our elementary and middle schools.

A message from Superintendent Dr. Jon Holmen

As we bring the 2024–25 academic year to a close, I want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate our graduating students. This year’s message to the Class of 2025 reflects on the unique challenges they’ve faced. Challenges that demanded resilience, determination and empathy. These exceptional students have risen to the occasion, and their accomplishments speak volumes. It is with immense pride that I share my letter with this remarkable graduating class. Congratulations to each one of you!

Read more of this message from Dr. Holmen on the LWSD website.

Celebrating our LWSD 2024-25 retirees

Lake Washington School District has created a presentation honoring all the 2024-25 school year retirees. We want to thank all our retirees for their years of tireless work with the district, and we wish them luck with whatever retirement holds for them.

View the video by clicking this link.

Inclusion preschool in Lake Washington School District

Looking for a preschool for your 3- or 4 year-old? We are now enrolling for the 2025-2026 school year!

Our inclusion preschool program offers a comprehensive early childhood learning experience in preparation for kindergarten. Classes include typically developing children from the community as well as students receiving special education.

LWSD preschool focuses on providing children and families with a successful first-school experience. Families with a 3- and/or 4-year-old child living within the boundaries of Lake Washington School District are eligible to apply for the preschool program. Your child must be three or four years old by August 31, 2025, and live within the Lake Washington School District boundaries. (Students who are 5 years old on or before August 31, 2025 must register for Kindergarten.)

View the inclusion preschool flyer here.

Visit the LWSD website for more information.

PSAT/SAT testing information for 2025-26

Attention High School Students and Families!

Lake Washington School District will host the annual school day PSAT and SAT event on Friday, October 24.

• All 10th Graders are automatically registered for the PSAT, and no payment is required.
• 11th Graders can sign up to take the PSAT for a fee of $18.
• 12th Graders can sign up to take the SAT for a fee of $60.

Registration and payment for 11th and 12th graders opens in August at each high school and closes for all students on September 26. More details will come from each high school when school starts in the fall.

Accommodations for students with disabilities

Students who need accommodations for the PSAT or SAT must complete the Parent Consent Form from College Board. You can find the form here: https://accommodations.collegeboard.org/ssd-online/submit-requests. If your student has previously been approved for College Board accommodations (e.g., PSAT, SAT, AP) you do not need to resubmit this form.

Please work directly with your school's Students with Disabilities (SSD) Coordinator to make sure your accommodation requests are submitted and approved before test day.

Volunteering in fall 2025

If you would like to volunteer in our schools in the fall, please make sure your volunteer status is current. Contact Chris Robison (crobison@lwsd.org) if you have any questions about your approval status. 

If you’ve let your volunteer approval status lapse or you need to apply for the first time, please submit the application NOW! Here is the link to the Raptor online volunteer application.

Reminder: Results from Smarter Balanced Assessments will be available online on June 24

Each spring, Washington public school students in third through eighth grades and 10th grade are tested in English language arts (ELA) and math, with exams called Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA). Students in fifth grade, eighth grade and 11th grade are also tested in science, with an exam called the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS). This testing meets state and federal requirements.

Individual scores for the SBA exams administered this past spring for ELA and math are being delivered electronically from the testing vendor. Scores (level and scale score) will be added to Skyward Family Access on June 24. Full-page PDF reports with more scoring details will be available from OSPI in the fall, and these will be shared with families at that time.

Only SBA ELA and math scores will be available in June. Science scores will not be available until the fall after OSPI releases those scores.

Directions to access SBA test scores beginning on June 24:

• Log in to Skyward Family Access with your username and password.*
• Click on the Test Results tile.

*For help accessing Skyward Family Access, click on the link to go to the Skyward Family Access Support page on the district website: https://www.lwsd.org/help/skyward-family-access.

Reminder: 2025 end-of-year technology reminders for students and families

Laptops

• Current students in 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th and 11th grades should plan to take their laptop home for use over the summer.
• 8th and 12th grade students turn in your laptops at the designated time determined by the school (unless you will be participating in Summer School).
• Incoming 6th and 9th graders will be issued brand new laptops at the start of school in September. Look for information in August for laptop rollout dates from your school.

Seniors

• Make plans to copy and save any digital files you want to keep after graduation to a personal device/account prior to your last day of school. You will not have access to your district email or files after the last day of school.

Password information

• Secondary Student passwords will expire every 90 days (including during summertime) based on the district security cycle. Please take steps to remember your password or sign up for self-service password reset now. This includes current 5th grade students who will be moving up to 6th grade Middle School. Secondary Student Passwords will not be reset for the start of school 2025-26.
• Elementary student passwords will be reset for the new school year in August.
• Password guidelines can be found on the district website here: Technology Services - Lake Washington School District.

Summer school

• If you will be participating in Summer School keep your laptop over summer. For those in elementary school, check out a laptop from the school library.
• Information about Summer School can be found here: Summer Programs - Lake Washington School District.

Summer access to digital resources

• Access to digital resources over the summer months varies depending on the vendor and application. Students can continue to use Classlink to access resources during summer; however, some applications may not be available due to provisioning requirements for the next school year.

Summer technology help

• Contact Family Technology Access for school related technology questions at ftaccess@lwsd.org or by phone at 425-936-1322.

Reminder: Head Start preschool in Lake Washington School District

Lake Washington School District offers Head Start preschool for income-eligible families at Bell Elementary and Old Redmond Schoolhouse. Head Start preschool is a federally funded service for children ages 3 to 5 from low-income families that supports early learning, health, nutrition and family well-being. Head Start preschool includes a 3.5-hour developmentally appropriate preschool with trained staff, two nutritional meals, health and developmental screenings, wrap-around family support services and transportation at no cost to eligible families.

Head Start preschool hours (2025-26)

AM class: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. or
PM class: 12:00 - 3:30 p.m.

Head Start locations: A.G. Bell (for Kirkland residents) and Old Redmond Schoolhouse (for Redmond residents)

To apply for Head Start preschool, parents/guardians must:

1. Complete an application: 
   (English) preschool application | instructions 
   (Spanish) aplicación de preescolar | instrucciones
2. Provide verification of income as indicated on the application.
3. Make sure the child is up-to-date on required immunizations.

Questions? Call the Head Start office at 425-936-1170, option 2.

Reminder: Canvas to be rolled out as learning management system for 2025-26 school year

This school year, Inglewood Middle School and Lake Washington High School used Canvas as their learning management system (LMS). Their success has paved the way for LWSD’s full adoption of Canvas as the official LMS for all secondary schools starting with the 2025-26 school year. Canvas is funded by the 2022 Technology and Capital Projects Levy.

If you are a family member who supports a student in grades 6-12, here are a few things to know about Canvas at LWSD:

• Anyone who supports a student in Canvas is called an “Observer."
• Only secondary (grades 6-12) students and staff will be using Canvas.
• All Observer accounts will be created automatically and paired with their student(s) using Primary Contact Email in Skyward. So, please validate that LWSD has your correct information before the start of the 25/26 school year.
• Check out the Canvas for families page on our district website for the most up-to-date information and resources related to supporting your students via Canvas.

Reminder: Student health plans, medications and immunization records

Lake Washington School District is committed to the health and wellness of our students. Each school has a registered nurse available to provide a range of services. At the beginning of each school year, nurses collect student health information to plan for needs during the school day. As we plan for the 2025-26 school year, we want to remind everyone of a couple important health-related items.

Individual Health Plans & Medication Authorizations

If your student has a life-threatening health condition, the following requirements must be met before your student can attend school. You must supply:

• The required emergency medication to the school,
• Health care provider orders,
• An individual health plan, and
• Any necessary supplies on or before the first day of school.

These documents should be submitted directly to the School Nurse and NOT through FinalForms. Until these requirements are met, your student will not be able to attend school.

For more information, visit: https://www.lwsd.org/services/health-services. 

Immunizations

Immunization records must be turned into the school on or before the first day of attendance. Your student cannot attend school until you provide these records.

Tdap: For the 2025-26 school year, all students attending grades 7th through 12th must have received one booster dose of Tdap vaccine on or after age 10.

Medically Verified Records: Medically verified records include one or more of the following:

• A completed Certificate of Immunization Status Form signed by a health care provider. Find the CIS form by visiting https://www.doh.wa.gov/SCCI and clicking on “Certificate of Immunization Status.”
• A CIS filled out by you or another parent/guardian with medical records attached.
• A CIS printed by a health care provider or school from the Washington State Immunization Information System.
• A CIS printed from MyIR which is a free Department of Health online tool that allows families to view and print their official immunization records themselves. Go to https://myirmobile.com/ to begin the sign-up process.

LWSD is utilizing the Washington Immunization Information System (WAIIS) School Module which requires parent consent for nurses to upload immunization records. Please sign the WAIIS consent form in Skyward Family Access to allow the School Nurse to manage your student’s immunization records.

For more information, visit: https://www.lwsd.org/services/health-services/immunizations. 

Questions about immunizations? Please contact your School Nurse.

Sports Physicals Required for Middle School/High School Sports Participation

As a reminder, sports physicals are required for participation in middle school and high school sports. High School sports seasons start in August, so it is important to have your paperwork on file in the school office prior to the start of the sports season. Health Care Provider offices in our area are expecting more appointment requests for physicals in August, so it is a good idea to schedule your appointment early. For middle school students, sports begin in September. Families will receive messaging from FinalForms with reminders about the required forms to complete.

For more information, visit: https://www.lwsd.org/programs/athletics.

Reminder: SUN Bucks program returns to provide summer food support for Washington children

This summer, up to 620,000 Washington children will receive SUN Bucks – funds to help buy food when school is not in session – through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program.

The SUN Bucks benefits, a one-time payment of $120 per eligible child in each household, will be deposited onto existing SUN Bucks cards starting the first week of June and mailed to newly eligible children beginning in mid-June.

Some children will get SUN Bucks automatically and others must apply. Students can auto-qualify if they either:

1. Are age 8 – 18 and are a member of a household that receives benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.
2. Attend a school that offers the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program and is directly certified for free or reduced-price school meals or meets income requirements reported through a Child Nutrition and Eligibility and Education Benefit Application.

Parents or guardians of students who do not qualify automatically can apply by submitting a SUN Bucks application. To qualify for SUN Bucks by application, these students must both:

1. Be enrolled at a school that participates in the NSLP or SBP.
2. Live in a household that meets NSLP income eligibility guidelines to qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

The SUN Bucks application is online in English and Spanish. Applications will be accepted through Aug. 29, 2025.

SUN Bucks benefits are in addition to other summer child nutrition programs already offered. Families can continue participating in group-site and grab-n-go meals as well as other summer food programs at their local schools and community locations, even if they receive Summer EBT benefits.

Learn more: Washington SUN Bucks Summer EBT Program | DSHS.

Opening up the conversation

Can a simple student-led idea change how a school talks about mental health? At Evergreen Middle School, it did. Discover how students launched a campaign that sparked conversation and connection across their campus. Read the story: www.lwsf.org/news/opening-up-the-conversation-raising-mental-health-awareness-at-evergreen-middle-school/.

Community clears school meal debt for graduating seniors

In a powerful demonstration of compassion and community action, donors across Lake Washington School District (LWSD) came together to erase school meal debt for graduating seniors—surpassing the $15,000 goal in just a few days.

Through a partnership between the Lake Washington Schools Foundation (LWSF) and Lake Washington School District, the campaign launched with one clear message: every student deserves to graduate with pride, not the weight of unpaid meal balances. The response from the community was swift and inspiring.

Read more: www.lwsf.org/news/community-clears-school-meal-debt-for-graduating-seniors/.

Two decades, one mission

Celebrating 20 years of impact, the Lake Washington Schools Foundation has grown from a bold idea into a vital force supporting thousands of students.

Learn more: www.lwsf.org/news/two-decades-one-mission/.

LWSD students, teacher leave their mark at National History Day state competition

Lake Washington School District (LWSD) students performed very well at this year’s Washington State National History Day (NHD) event. Eight LWSD students in eight categories won at the competition held on April 26 at Lake Washington High School.

This year’s NHD theme is “Rights & Responsibilities in History.” Students who finished in first or second place in each category went on to the National contest, held June 8-12 at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. Eighteen LWSD students earned their way to the National event. In addition, 14 LWSD students were special award winners during the competition.

Read more about this on the LWSD website.

ORSH hosts preschool art walk and resource fair

On a recent Wednesday, preschoolers from Old Redmond Schoolhouse (ORSH) proudly guided their families through hallways decorated with their own artwork. Along with admiring the creative displays, everyone had the opportunity to make art and discover various summer programs and resources.

View more images on the LWSD website.

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