Lake Washington High School PTSA Newsletter

March 15 , 2017 | #14     
 
In This Issue
Kang Crier Links

sidebarEditor: Janice Wilson Vache
 
Quick Links
12033 N.E. 80th St.
Kirkland, Washington 98033
top 

 
~ Upcoming Events ~

TODAY!  Great Schools for Business, Engineering and Computer Science | College Application Workshop series
Wednesday, March 15, 12:40 pm, College & Career Center

TONIGHT!  Band Winter Concert
Wednesday, March 15, 7-9 pm, in the theater

Affordable Schools: You Might be Surprised! | College Application Workshop series 
Wednesday, March 22, during RooTime (9:30 am), College & Career Center

TOLO Dance
Saturday, March 18, 8-10 pm, LWHS

"Community Connect" Spring Resource Fair
Saturday, March 18, 11 am-2 pm, Lake Washington Institute of Technology

Cheer Tryouts
March 20-24

Extended Wednesdays due to snow days
Wednesday, March 22, April 12, May 3 and 31

How to Make the Most of College Visits--Local & Out-of-State | College Application Workshop series
Wednesday, March 29, 12:40 pm, College & Career Center

LWPTSA General Membership meeting, elections and parent education
Wednesday, March 29, 7 pm, library

Spring Break -- No School
April 1-9
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Join us on March 29!
ptsa
Our next PTSA General Membership meeting is March 29 at 7 pm in the library.  We will be electing officers for our 2017-18 Board of Directors, and we have an inspiring speaker joining us for the Parent Education portion of our evening.  

Jennifer Kennett, a counselor with Eastside Family Counseling, will present "Parenting the Teenage Brain."  Come learn how the teenage brain differs from an adult brain, and how you can parent and communicate effectively with a brain that is "under construction!" Her presentation will begin immediately following the business portion of our meeting.

And thank you to our Nominating Committee of Colette Ulloa, Dan Olson and Martha Rames for their diligent work in recruiting a slate of nominees for our PTSA leadership for the coming year. See the article below for more information.
 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PTSA News
Announced: nomineees for next year's board
Elections March 29
The 2017-18 LWPTSA Nominating Committee has been hard at work searching for excellent new leaders for next school year, and now announces the complete  slate of nominees for 2017-18 PTSA Board of Directors. The elections will be held at the PTSA General Membership meeting on March 29 at 7 pm in the LWHS library. Per our bylaws, nominees will also be accepted from the floor at the meeting during the election process.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

STAY CONNECTED WITH LWHS PTSA

Like us on Facebook   Follow us on Twitter   
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Majors of the Future seminar
Weekly help with choosing a college
TODAY! College Application Workshop presents: Great Schools for Business, Engineering and Computer Science

Is your student interested in business, engineering or computer science? We have just the presentation for them!  Monica Tafoya from Seattle University will join us today at 12:40 pm (check the sign outside the College & Career Center for location) to talk about these majors in general, and the Seattle University programs in particular. Students will learn about admission and expectations for each program, courses they might be taking, internship and undergraduate research availability, as well as job opportunities in these fields. Have your student bring questions!

All talks start right on time and last about half an hour. Students are free to leave whenever they need -- we know how busy they are. Free pizza and snacks are provided.
 
Mark Your Calendars:
  • Wednesday, March 22 - Affordable Colleges--You Might Be Surprised!
  • Wednesday, March 29 - How to Make the Most of Your College Visits
View the full list of mini-seminar topics . For more information contact Judy Shedd or Debby Cossey . All students are welcome. Sponsored by the LWHS PTSA.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Community Connect resource fair for families
Saturday, March 18

The Lake Washington PTSA Council is hosting a resource fair to help families, kids and the community.  "Community Connect" will be held on Saturday, March 18, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at Lake Washington Institute of Technology,  11605 132nd Avenue NE, Kirkland. 
 
This is an opportunity for you to connect with non-profits in the area and access t he services they provide to children, families, schools and our community.  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

We appreciate our LW staff!
PTSA's Staff Appreciation Committee (with generous donations from many parents!) continues to show gratitude to our hard working staff every month. In December, we provided a holiday sweets /snacks/hot beverage bar and buffet. In January, all 145 staff members received a Mercury Coffee card (generously donated by Mercury) as a Happy New Year gift. In February, we provided a deluxe salad bar and soup buffet lunch for our wonderful Kang staff. Coming up, staff members will receive "lucky" bags of green treats in their mailboxes in March and spring-themed treat bags in April. 
 
May 1-5 is STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK at LW. Please email Jody Lallas if you would like to contribute to this fun week for the staff! 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Attention parents of juniors...

We are looking for 2-3 parents to chair the 2018 Senior Party Committee; sign up and ask your friends to work on it with you for even more fun. Email  Colette Ulloa for more information.
 
The Senior Party is an annual tradition planned and sponsored by the LWHS PTSA. For many years, nearly 200 of our graduating seniors have boarded buses after the ceremony and taken off for a fun-filled all-nighter with friends, surprises, food and entertainment. As parents who send our students off, we know they are in a safe, chaperoned, drug- and alcohol-free environment to celebrate their graduation.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

LWHS News & Activities
Spring break plans? 
Better arrange for excused absences in advance
With spring break in our near future, don't forget that if your student is going to be out three or more days, their absence will not be excused unless you have submitted a pre-arranged absence form to the attendance office. The form must be submitted before the first day of the absence. Pre-arranged absence forms can be found on the LWHS website or in the attendance office.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Outstanding Educator award: a fitting farewell!
At the annual Founders' Day PTSA Awards luncheon on February 24, LWHS teacher Jeremy Cromer was recognized as this year's "Outstanding Educator" for the school district. Mr. Cromer has taught Robotics and Video Production, and helped launch the Code Purple robotics team last year. He and his wife recently relocated to the East Coast to be nearer extended family, so the honor of this award is a wonderful way to thank Mr. Cromer for the positive impact he has had on the LWHS community and its students. Thank you and congratulations, Mr. Cromer!


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tolo volunteers and food donations requested
Tolo is soon approaching -- Saturday, March 18 from 8-10 pm -- and Junior Class Officers are requesting parent help to donate food and serve as chaperones.  Volunteers need to be district-approved, and will arrive at 7:30 pm to help in different parts of the event (usually coat check and serving refreshments). To donate food, please select items on the online sign upBefore volunteering, please contact Lauren Peterson to confirm needs.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

LW Lost & Found overflows
HELP!  We've lost Mili in the Lost & Found basket and we need your help to find her!!!  Not really, but we do have lots of coats and t-shirts and even a single shoe waiting in the Lost & Found. If your student has lost items, please check for them in the main office. Items remaining will be donated after spring break.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

More student info in the Kang Bulletin
For info on the inside, check out the latest  Kang Bulletin, periodically produced by students. You'll always find the newest issues under Announcements on the LWHS homepage
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2017 Northlake Solo & Ensemble Festival hosted by LWHS
Our school hosted the Solo & Ensemble Festival on February 11. Lake Washington band director Matthew Kruse noted that "the Northlake Solo & Ensemble Festival is an opportunity to perform a solo and/or ensemble piece for adjudication with an opportunity to progress to the WMEA Solo & Ensemble Festival (State level) in April."

Students worked hard and the following musicians/groups are moving on to the state level: Joleen Lawson (Tuba), Lorenzo and Friends (Percussion Ensemble), and Jamison Rames (Guitar). Thank you to all the students and parent volunteers who helped make this busy day a success!


. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Four LW students selected for All-Northwest/All-State Honor Groups

Each fall, the Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA) invites music students to submit a recording of selected excerpts. The blind auditions are then screened by WMEA members and
Riley Huston and Matthew Maffeo
the top students are brought together to rehearse and prepare for a concert together. This year, over 5,500 students submitted auditions and about 1,100 were selected to play in various All-Northwest and All-State bands.

Four students were selected from LWHS: Riley Huston (Trumpet), All-Northwest Orchestra; Matthew Maffeo (French Horn), All-State Symphony Orchestra; and Anna Adams (Soprano) and Annika Cable (Soprano), All-State Symphonic Choir.  Congratulations to all four performers for their hard work and dedication.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

For Seniors and Senior Parents
Scholarship deadline April 10
Apply for the  2017 Louise Sheeley Scholarship
scholarship money
Graduating seniors: do you have plans to attend either a technical school, a two-year, or four-year academic institution this fall? You are eligible to apply for a Sheeley Scholarship from the LWHS PTSA. Pick up an application in the Career Center or on the PTSA website.  All applications are due by Monday, April 10 -- less than a month away. Don't delay, apply today!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Career & Counseling Center
Advanced placement exams
Registration ends March 17
Advanced Placement exams are scheduled for May 1 - 12. Registration will be  at the end of C lunch and  runs until March 17. Students can pick up a registration packet from their AP teacher or from the Counseling Center.  Included in this packet are the registration envelope, information handout, and AP Bulletin. The cost is $96.00 per exam, and payment can be made one of two ways:  
  1. online through Parent Access: Those paying online must print a copy of their receipt, place it in the completed envelope, and turn it in to Counseling by the end of C lunch on March 17. Registration will not be considered complete until we receive the envelope with receipt inside. Or,  
  2. at the bookkeeper's window: make checks payable to Lake Washington School District and submit the completed registration envelope with check inside by the end of the last lunch on March 17. Students need their school ID card with them when they pay for their exams. 
Students have been preparing all year for their exams. If they are unsure whether or not they should test, students should check with their individual subject teachers. 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Registration for 2017-2018

At this point, counselors have visited all freshman, sophomore, and junior classes; each student received a copy of his/her transcript and completed a credit check. Students were encouraged to check the online course catalog as well as speak to their teachers if they were unsure whether to sign up for regular, honors or AP classes. All students registered online on March 9 during RooTime. Once students entered their classes online, they submitted their registration forms to their teachers. Hopefully, students selected their classes carefully; they needed to select classes that fulfill graduation requirements and interest them. Schedule changes in the fall are extremely difficult. To avoid that frustration, students always need to be very thoughtful and purposeful in their course selections.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Juniors and college entrance exams

Typically, spring of the junior year is when many juniors take the SAT/ACT and any relevant SAT II Subject Tests. Once students receive their scores, they can use the summer to review and work on their weaker skills and retake the test in the fall. Another excellent reason to take the SAT/ACT in the spring is that students can now start to look at their target schools. College-bound students want to make sure that they have a realistic balance of dream, match and safety schools (based on their test scores and GPA) on their list.  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Quick reminder for parents of seniors

If your senior is currently completing a graduation requirement outside of LWHS (for instance, taking an online course), remember that we must receive the final grade/transcript documenting the credit earned by late May/early June. 
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Support LW Clubs & Activities
Club events open to the LW community
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The Lake Washington School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, gender, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veteran, military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability, in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. bottomofpage

ptsa  
 Lake Washington High School * Kirkland, WA * PTSA Local Unit 2.8.95