Connections - October 24, 2025

REMEMBER TO VOTE BY NOVEMBER 4!

• Are you registered to vote? Check your voter registration to make sure you can vote in the November 4 election by going to: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/elections/how-to-vote/register-to-vote.aspx. The last day to register online for the November election is October 27.
• Have you voted? You can vote by mail – no stamp needed! – or drop off your ballot 24/7 in a ballot box. More info: https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/depts/elections/how-to-vote/ballots/returning-my-ballot.

Only rain down the drain! LWSD students learn about protecting our shared waterways

The City of Kirkland and Rainworks teamed up with Muir Elementary and Kirkland Middle School to help spread the word about pollutants found in stormwater runoff. To highlight the impact of stormwater pollution, the city’s Storm & Surface Water Division installed temporary, eco-friendly art on both campuses. These designs appear when it rains, offering a fun and memorable reminder that storm drains carry water – and pollutants – directly into our lakes and rivers. Learn more.

Help shape LWSD Secondary Curriculum: Math pilot feedback and science committee opportunity

Secondary math curriculum adoption pilot materials available to review 

The Secondary Math Materials Adoption Committee has reached consensus in choosing two sets of materials for courses from 6th grade through Algebra 2. A select group of teachers will be involved with the pilot from September through January. Throughout the pilot period, teachers will consider how the different programs operate in a daily classroom environment to support all students to reach their full potential. The committee will gather targeted feedback from all teachers and students involved in this process. 

Caretaker and community feedback is essential in this process, and we welcome your input. Please access information about both programs and the survey link here. 

Print samples are available in the lobby of the Resource Center. The survey closes January 16.

The committee is scheduled to make a recommendation to the Lake Washington School Board this Spring.  For more information about the Math Materials Adoption process: Curriculum Review & Adoption - Lake Washington School District.

Secondary Science Instructional Materials Adoption Committee seeking community participants

Over the next two years, the LWSD Teaching and Learning Department will engage in the district curriculum adoption process and make a recommendation to the school board for new instructional materials for High School Biology, Chemistry and Physics. This committee will be made up of teachers, community members, school administrators and district support staff. This year the committee will meet approximately four times in person during the school day. Committee members engage in learning about current research, standards and effective instructional practices and then apply that learning in evaluating resources for potential adoption.

Meeting dates for the 25-26 school year are November 20, January 13, March 10 and May 27. We will meet from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and lunch will be provided. 

We are seeking community members with varied perspectives to join this committee. If you are interested in participating, please fill out this community recruitment form by end of day, October 31, 2025.

You’re invited: CTE Program Advisory Committee Kickoff event

Calling all industry experts & passionate parents!

Do you have professional experience in fields like healthcare, engineering, IT, business, culinary arts, skilled trades or other career areas? We’re looking for parents and community members who can lend their expertise to help guide and strengthen our Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs by serving on Program Advisory Committees.

We’re excited to welcome you to our CTE Program Advisory Kickoff! This event is a great opportunity to connect, collaborate and contribute to the future of student learning.

• Date: November 5, 2025
• Time: 5 - 7 p.m.
• Location: Lake Washington School District Resource Center
• Address: 16250 NE 74th Street, Redmond 98052

Why attend?

• Learn about CTE programs offered in our schools and how they prepare students for college, careers and life
• Explore opportunities to serve as an advisor, lending your professional insight to help inform curriculum and ensure our programs reflect real-world industry needs
• Discover ways to support career-connected learning, including guest speaking, mentorship, internships and more
• Connect with educators and other industry professionals who are passionate about preparing students for future success

If you’re interested in making meaningful impact on student learning and career readiness, we’d love to see you there!

RSVP by October 30 or express interest in serving as an advisor by emailing CollegeCareerReady@LWSD.org.

Reminder: Choice School application process opens November 1 at 8 a.m.

Choice Schools and programs are optional schooling alternatives, created to meet specific needs and interests. They are designed to be smaller and use innovative approaches to education that are different from traditional public schools. Choice Schools and programs are often housed within an existing school or on the same campus as another school.

Applications for Choice Schools and programs will open on November 1, 2025, at 8 a.m. via ParentSquare. Additional information about the application will be sent out soon. Schools will be hosting information nights and posting information on their websites. Please visit the Choice Schools webpage for details.

Reminder: Elementary ELA curriculum pilot resources available to review

The Reading Advisory Committee has conducted a thorough evaluation of available K–5 ELA curricular resources, guided by years of calibration and shared learning, and grounded in research-based literacy practices, the ELA Common Core State Standards, and effective instructional strategies.

As a result of this process, the committee has selected two curricula to pilot from mid-September 2025 through late March 2026. These selections were made through a consensus process informed by rubric data, identified needs from The Reading League and advisory-generated criteria. The two curricula chosen for the pilot are:

• Benchmark Advance/Adelante
• McGraw Hill Emerge!/McGraw Hill Dual Literacy

Teachers participating in the pilot will send communications to families prior to implementation.

During the pilot, the committee will evaluate how each curriculum functions in daily classroom settings for both teachers and students. The review will focus on alignment with standards, evidence-based practices, and inclusive instructional approaches. In addition, the committee will collect student performance data and gather feedback from students, teachers, caregivers, and the broader community.

Community, family and parent feedback is a vital part of this process, and we welcome your input. Starting September 22, 2025, digital access to both curricula will be available, along with physical samples at the LWSD Resource Center. You can explore the materials and submit feedback via the following link:

• Feedback survey linked here 
• Digital Access for Benchmark Advance click here (Username: lwsd_teacher, Password: password)
• Digital Access for McGraw Hill Emerge! click here (Username: ELALakewash1, Password: Lakewash1)

Survey responses are anonymous and will help guide the Reading Advisory’s final recommendation to the Lake Washington School Board in spring 2026.

We will offer an information session for the public on December 18, 2025, to share about the selection process and the curricula under consideration. If interested in attending, please stay tuned for the date and time that will be offered.

If you have questions or comments, please contact Kelly Moses Pease, Director of K–5 Teaching and Learning, or Whitney Blackstone, Elementary Literacy Specialist.

Students and staff wear orange on October 22 to show we’re united against bullying

Make it ORANGE and make it end! What are your true colors when it comes to bullying? LWSD staff and students showed they cared about safe and supportive schools by making their color ORANGE for Unity Day on October 22. That’s the day everyone came together – in schools, communities and online – to send one large ORANGE message of support, hope and unity.

Read more about how you can stand against bullying and come together for kindness, acceptance and inclusion.

Final Reminder: ENAEP Honoring Our Youth Powwow October 25

Come join in the Native community and the Eastside Native American Education Program (ENAEP) in honoring our youth! We are hosting a powwow to recognize our amazing youth. There will be vendors, concessions, dancing, powwow drumming, a raffle and more!

Event details:

• Families are invited to a private event at 3 p.m. in the Juanita High School Commons area.
• Powwow grand entry at 6 p.m. at Juanita High School gymnasium.

Are you ready for inclement weather?

When emergency conditions such as snow and ice or windstorms result in school schedule changes, the district will notify families directly through ParentSquare.

• Here are some other ways to find out about school schedule changes: Pop-up alert on https://www.lwsd.org/ and school webpages.
• Flashalert.net – this website allows you to sign up for text messages as well.
• Local TV/radio stations – they get a feed from Flashalert.net of all school schedule change decisions.

Curious how school schedule change decisions are made? You can learn how to be updated when school is delayed or canceled on the School Closures and Late Starts page of the district website.  

Final Reminder: LWSD partners with Seattle Visiting Nurse Association (SVNA) to offer flu & COVID shot clinics in October

LWSD partners with Seattle Visiting Nurse Association (SVNA) to offer flu & COVID shot clinics in October LWSD is partnering with Seattle Visiting Nurse Association (SVNA) to offer flu and COVID vaccine clinics throughout October. The exact products available will be the Flucelvax Trivalent Preservative-Free Flu Vaccine and the newly updated 2025 Moderna Spikevax (COVID-19 Vaccine, mRNA), which protects against the LP.8.1 strain of the virus. Flu shots can be provided to those ages 4+, but patients must be at least 5 years old for COVID vaccines. Flu and COVID vaccines are available at the following locations:

• Friday, October 24, 2:30-7 p.m. at Kamiakin M.S. (14111 132nd Ave N.E., Kirkland)
• Saturday, October 25, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Redmond H.S. (17272 NE 104th St, Redmond)

Register here: https://schedule.seattlevna.com/home/b2e67bfb-a83a-ed11-9db1-6045bd0054d4.

Important information:

• Each patient needs their own individual appointment registration, in their legal name, completed with their individual information. For records reporting purposes, please ensure the accuracy of your demographic information, including your name and date of birth.
• For example, a family of four will need four separate appointments. If you are unable to schedule all family members in the same time slot, please register the remaining members in the closest available time slot. You may all still come to the clinic at the same time.
• Please have your confirmation code ready. The confirmation code will be included in your confirmation text message and email.
• As of September 4, 2025, Washington State has signed a public health order which allows all Washington residents to receive COVID-19 vaccines, regardless of health conditions, and expands vaccine access beyond current FDA/CDC recommendations. The Washington State Department of Health recommends COVID vaccinations this season for everyone age 6 months and older. 
• If you have an approved insurance plan, including Medicare and Medicaid, you must provide this information during registration, and we will bill your insurance. You will not be charged a co-pay or deductible. 
• Patients without an active, accepted insurance plan may pay out-of-pocket at the time of service. Cash rates for the 2025 season are $55 per flu shot and $200 per COVID-19 immunization.

Questions? Email info@seattlevna.com.

LWSD students need your help!

This year, LWSF’s All in for Kids campaign is focused on raising vital funds for Pantry Packs – an LWSF program that purchases, packs and distributes more than 36,000 weekend food packs to meet the needs of a growing number of LWSD students facing hunger.​ Together, we can ensure no student goes hungry.

Donate today to make a lasting impact: www.lwsf.org/all-in-for-kids.

Students helping students fight hunger

They once benefited from free coding classes—now they’re paying it forward by feeding hungry peers through LWSF's Pantry Packs program. These LWSD students are turning gratitude into action, proving that small acts of kindness can make a big impact.

Read how student-led organization Hand in Hand We Grow is lifting each other up.

Read their story here.

Reminder: Free college planning events from local college counselor Mary Pat O'Neil

LWSF’s Find Your Fit Program is offering free events to support high school families as they navigate the college planning and application process:

• November 5: Standardized Testing Update for High School Families
• November 18: Getting It Together – Executive Function for Today’s Teens

For more details and to register, visit www.lwsf.org/our-work/find-your-fit. 

Eastlake High Students get a close-up look at next phase of construction

Eastlake High School (EHS) students took part in a second round of construction tours – this time focusing on the crane operations and steel work that are shaping the new E-wing addition.

Students from special education classes, Pack News (the EHS video news program) and the yearbook team had the chance to ask questions of the construction crew, take photos and video, and learn firsthand about the structural elements that will define the new space. These tours help students connect classroom learning with real-world applications.

Voters approved funding for the EHS addition as part of the 2022 Construction levy.

Learn more about the Eastlake High School addition here.

Lake Washington School District Selected for National AI Policy Lab Network

Lake Washington School District (LWSD) was recently selected as one of only sixteen school districts nationwide to participate in the 2025–2026 EDSAFE AI Policy Lab Network, an initiative of the EdSAFE AI Alliance. This selection recognizes LWSD’s leadership and commitment to ensuring that every student benefits from safe, equitable and effective educational opportunities. 

Through this collaborative network, LWSD will work alongside leading districts and states to thoughtfully integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into K-12 education. The district’s participation will focus on developing a comprehensive “policy stack” that includes responsible use guidelines, parent communication and consent protocols, and professional development resources for educators. These efforts are grounded in the SAFE Framework, prioritizing safety, accountability, fairness and efficacy for all learners. 

Learn more about this on the LWSD website. 

RHS marching band debut new uniforms at Homecoming

On October 3, the Redmond High School Marching Band proudly unveiled their new uniforms during their Friday night Homecoming football game. After a 20-year hiatus, the band was revived last year, marking a significant moment for the school and community. The band energized the crowd both before the game and during halftime, as students, parents and alumni gathered to celebrate the occasion.

You can see more images of the new uniforms on the LWSD website. 

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