December 15, 2020 | Issue #9 |
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LWHS PTSA Nominating Committee Needs You! |
Are you looking for a way to connect with other parents in the community? Are you interested in a short-term volunteer commitment? LWHS PTSA is looking for three members to serve on the Nominating Committee, which will be elected in January. This committee recruits candidates for next year’s PTSA leadership. Training is available, duties are only a few hours a week, and end after spring elections. If you are interested in serving on this committee or would like more information, please email LWHS PTSA President Denise Campbell. |
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Support LWHS PTSA as the Year Comes to an End! |
As you are doing your holiday shopping, you can support LWHS PTSA! We are designated charities with Fred Meyer and Amazon Smile, so select Lake Washington HS PTSA as your favorite charity, and your shopping will generate donations for the PTSA!
Also, we want to thank you for your generous donations to our Pass the Pouch campaign! If your employer matches charitable donations, please remember to let them know of your donation and ask them to match it with a contribution to Lake Washington HS PTSA!
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LWHS Families Send Thanks and Appreciation to LWHS Staff |
Our dedicated LW community, with big hearts and great ideas, helped create a special "Note of Gratitude" package for each of our 174 LW staff members. To create these special appreciation gifts, our amazing volunteers wrote personal note cards, donated bookmark gift cards, created puzzles and "special penny" cards, and even added some sparkly confetti to show our staff how much they mean to all of us!
To our LW Staff, we really hope you enjoy this little-in-size, but huge-in-gratitude, message to say Thank You for all your commitment and dedication to create the best learning experience available for our kids in these challenging times. We see you, we appreciate you, and we are here for you!
Linda Cheyne and Anne Allen, LWHS PTSA Staff Appreciation
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Join Us for a ParentChat about 2021-22 Class Registration |
Students will be registering for next year's classes in mid-January, and they will get information in their homeroom classes about course offerings and processes. But we know parents have questions too! Join us for a parent-to-parent discussion about supporting our students in their course planning. We'll have some parents share their family experiences with different electives, AP classes, and other topics parents are interested in!
When: Wed, January 13 at 9:30 am
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Registration Open for SAT and ACT Practice Tests in January |
LWHS PTSA is once again partnering with Princeton Review to give students the opportunity to take SAT and ACT practice tests. This year, due to COVID restrictions, the practice tests will be conducted online.
The practice tests are created from original SAT/ACT tests from past years. They are a great way for your student to get comfortable with the format and style of the SAT or ACT. Students who take the test will also be invited to a strategy session that provides tips and tricks for better performance in the actual test.
The online practice tests will occur:
- SAT: Saturday, January 16, 2021 with Strategy Session January 26, 2021
- ACT: Saturday, January 23, 2021 with Strategy Session February 2, 2021
Note: If your student has taken the test earlier, they can take the test again. However, please note that the set of questions will be the same and they will NOT get a new set of questions.
Don’t let your student miss this opportunity. Sign up for free! Registration must be completed before January 12, 2021.
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PTSA Membership Contest Winners - Thank You for Your Support! |
Thank you to all of the Teachers, Staff, Parents, and Students that have joined our PTSA this year! You are helping us continue to support our community with grants, events, and staff support as we all work through this year together.
We would like to announce the winners of our Membership Prize Drawings:
- Our Staff Membership Winner is Mr. Dawson! Mr. Dawson joined PTSA back in the first week of September and we are so grateful for his continued support!
- Our Membership Prize Drawing Winner is Mili Nelson! She joined our PTSA as an individual member in November and we are so excited to have her as part of our organization!
PTSA membership is an annual renewal. There is still time for you to join this year - click here to join!
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LWPTSA Council Parent Ed Recaps |
On December 1, Council hosted a LGBTQ+ Panel discussion that included parents, district representatives and non-profit partners. For a list of resources and summary, please visit LWPTSA Council’s website. Feel free to share with your parent community! We are here to support ALL parents and students.
Got questions about district wide parent education programs? Email Co-chairs Irene and Hae Sue at parent.ed@lwptsa.net
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Lunch & Learn: Stress, Trauma, and Mental Health |
Join Johnny Phu, LWSD Director of Student Services, for a conversation about Stress, Trauma & Mental Health. Bring your lunch and learn with us!
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Topic: Stress, Trauma and Mental Health
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When: Thursday, December 17 at noon
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Where: Join from your computer, tablet or smartphone
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Washington State PTA Game Competition |
The WSPTA Game Development Competition is a STEM-based program, introduced in 2016, to encourage and support student success. Students in grades 9-12 attending a school with a PTA in good standing may participate and share their knowledge and creativity based on an assigned theme. The purpose is to provide an opportunity for students, either individually or in teams of up to six members, to use their creative talents and express themselves by developing a game, either a physical board game or a computer game. Students’ submissions are judged in the following areas: best board game, best computer game, arts and animation, game design, programming (code), and audio design.
The theme for the 2020-2021 competition is Hope.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”
Martin Luther King, Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches
The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2021.
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Washington State PTA Essay Competition |
The statewide WAPTA essay contest explores the important and varied influencers in the lives and education of children – from the children’s perspective. Every day children are exposed to a variety of people and each one has an opportunity to influence the path a child decides to take. Whether it is someone that sparks an interest in a new topic, helps them work through a problem, shapes the kind of person they want to become by modeling behavior, simply listens to them, or any number of other actions, this is the platform for students to share their appreciation. The application deadline is March 1, 2021.
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Washington PTA members have adopted a new set of legislative priorities focusing on all aspects of the health, safety, well-being and education of children – and 1.1 million students need YOU to be their voice.
In a typical year, WSPTA members would travel to Olympia for a day full of advocacy. But this is a year like no other and advocacy is not a one-day event, it is an everyday action, and so we are pivoting to stay engaged through the 2021 legislative session. The first push will be the week of January 18. To be involved, we encourage you to sign up to receive action alerts to participate in advocacy from home. Learn more about the Focus on Advocacy program.
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From the Counseling Center |
2021-2022 Registration - Already!
We will begin registration with our current LWHS students on January 15 when we return from winter break. Students will view an online presentation during homeroom that will explain the registration process including how to complete the credit check form, how to read their transcript, and how to successfully register for next year’s courses. All registrations will be completed online. Please check out the LWHS Counseling website for additional information starting on January 13.
Selecting classes needs to be a thoughtful process as course offerings and teacher assignments are made based on these selections. Once schedules are set, changes are difficult; we encourage students to review the course description in our course catalog (which will be available on the LWHS website). Please help prepare your student for this process. Do you feel your student is being realistic in his/her choices? Is the homework likely to get completed on time? What about other activities/athletics? Do the courses support your student’s goals? Your student needs your input, and we need your support. We appreciate your involvement in this process.
Online registration will open January 15 at 10:00 am and will close January 22 at 10:30 am. If your student needs help with registration, counselors will be holding a “Help Session” on Wednesday, January 20. Counselors will NOT be available for individual meetings with students, so it is important that students use the resources posted.
LWHS Counseling Center
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Support LWHS Boosters at Athina Flora |
It’s a very Kirkland Christmas and Athina Flora (class of ‘86) and the LWHS Booster Club are teaming up to support each other! When you shop with Athina Flora now through December 21, either in store or by remote order, 10% of the proceeds will go to benefit the Lake Washington High School Booster Club. Local delivery and touchless pick-up options are available. Call Athina Flora at (206) 714-0394 to place your order now! |
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LWHS National Honor Society and Leadership are sponsoring a schoolwide holiday food drive with all donations going to the U-District Food Bank. Donations can be dropped off in the LWHS lobby Mon-Fri from 8:00 am-3:00 pm. Bins will be located by Lizzy the Kang just inside the front doors. Everyone is required to wear a mask and maintain social distancing when dropping off items. Donations will be accepted through December 18.
Questions? Contact Galen Heuer, LWHS National Honor Society President
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LWHS Yearbook Needs Your Help! |
Calling LW parents, families, and students: We (PTSA & Yearbook) need your help! We're missing our ability to capture photos of events in person, so submissions from you will help make the yearbook and our events more successful.
For PTSA, we are looking for photos of seniors and their friends from this year and previous years to use for special events like Senior Salute.
For Yearbook, we are looking for photos to use in the following sections: Student Life, Academics, Clubs, 9th, 10th, and 11th Grade Portrait Openers. Really, any and all photos of your students will be helpful!
Please follow the link below to upload your photos as follows. Please ask permission from individuals before submitting photos.
If the photo is of one individual:
- Indicate student name and grade
If the photo is of multiple people:
- Indicate the name of the person you are connected to, e.g., if it is your student with their friends, type your student's name
- Indicate the grade of your student
- Add the names and grades of the others in the photo in the description box
Thank you for your help!
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New Student Support Group Available |
Provided by LWSD-Based EvergreenHealth Social Workers
During this time of remote learning, students need support for a multitude of topics and reasons. Have your student join our new weekly drop in support group and connect virtually with fellow students. We'll explore topics including healthy relationships, mindfulness, trauma responses, skill building and more.
When: Every Thursday at 2:30 pm
Click here for Teams link and additional information
Questions? Contact Lindsay McMeins, LICSW, LWHS-Based EvergreenHealth Social Worker
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Help LWHS Library Choose New eBooks |
Thanks to a grant from our PTSA, the LWHS Library is purchasing ebooks and wants to hear from you! Make your voice heard and help select which eBooks will be purchased. Complete the survey below to rank a list of books in order of preference. You can also add additional titles you think would be interesting for students to read. The survey will be open until December 26, 2020.
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Washington State PTA offers four $2,500 scholarships to graduating seniors from Washington state public high schools with an active PTA, who will be starting college (either two-year or four-year) in the fall. Additional requirements and information can be found here. The online form is located on the website and submissions are due by March 1, 2021.
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College Application Essay Support - Only One Session Left! |
LWHS PTSA continues to provide students with FREE virtual application essay support via ZOOM. Students can connect with trained volunteers who will assist with editing college application essays and personal statements. Volunteers can also answer questions about the college application process and steer students in the right direction for any additional support they might need.
Our final sessions will be on Wednesday, January 6, beginning at 5:00 pm. Each one-on-one session will be 30 minutes. Students must sign up in advance. If your student still needs support after this date, please reach out and we will do our best to arrange another time with our tutors and PTSA volunteers.
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The Lake Washington Schools Foundation Updates |
Pantry Packs Needs Support!
Due to the pandemic and supply chain issues, Pantry Packs is having difficulty obtaining canned protein meals and shelf stable milk. Pantry Packs is hosting a food drive now through December 19. Sign up for the food drive. For more details visit: www.lwsf.org/pantrypacks
Balance in Mind Parent Chats
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December 16 at 7:30 pm – Creating Space for Joy
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December 17: LWPTSA Council Lunch & Learn
Dec 21-Jan 1: Winter Break (No School)
January 8: Yearbook Photos Fall Submission Deadline
January 13: LWHS PTSA ParentChat: 2021-22 Class Registration
January 15-22: 2021-22 Student Class Registration
January 27: LWHS PTSA General Membership Meeting, 7:00 pm
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Information distributed in the Kang Crier does not imply endorsement by Lake Washington High School PTSA. We assume no responsibility for any content that does not originate from lwhsptsa.org, nor do we independently verify or exert editorial control over information not specifically endorsed by LWHS PTSA. Lake Washington High School PTSA shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused by the use of this content. |
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