There are still open board positions for the 2022-2023 school year. Job descriptions can be found here. Available board positions include:

• President
• EVP
• VP, School Support
• Senior Party

We are also looking for chairs and committee members, specifically at this time:

• Social Media Chair
• Hospitality Co-Chair

Visit our website to learn more about these positions. If you are interested in any of these positions, please contact us. 

The first PTSA-sponsored “Coffee with Christine” was held September 15 in the LWHS Career Center. Parents shared their desires for students during the school year and discussed ideas and opportunities to help support student mental health and student connection with the school and community. Principal Bell also provided information on the Kirkland School Resource Officer (SRO) program.

The next "Coffee with Christine" will be an online meeting October 13 at 6:30 pm. Login information is available on the LWHS calendar. Come join us and share your thoughts and suggestions.

Please be sure to read Principal Bell's letter in the "School" section below.

Support LWHS students while shopping with Amazon or Fred Meyer at no extra cost!

Some LWHS PTSA programs operate solely on volunteer time and talent, but others are fueled by financial donations. By selecting LWHS PTSA as your designated charity when you shop with Amazon or Fred Meyer, your purchases help fund programs for students, staff, and the community. It’s easy to set up! Visit our website for step-by-step instructions.

Doing some comparison shopping?

Join Microsoft Rewards and your Bing searches will earn Rewards points that are automatically donated directly to LWHS PTSA.

Questions? Contact Janet Smith, LWHS PTSA VP, Ways and Means 

This year marks the 6th consecutive year that LWPTSA Council will partner with LWSD to host a Welcome Event for families who are new to LWSD. Families are invited to come and learn about social-emotional learning support, highly capable programs, special services, college and career readiness, and more. At the end of the evening, there will be time for questions and an informational session on how to use the district's new communication tool, ParentSquare.

When: Friday, September 30 from 6:00-8:00 pm

Where: LWSD Resource Center (16250 NE 74th St., Redmond WA)

Agenda: Welcome Event schedule

Questions? Contact Yumna Green, LWPTSA Council President

Reflections is a National PTA arts recognition program that helps students explore their own thoughts, feelings and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence, and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful not only in school, but in life.

Reflections is an opportunity for students to showcase their creative expression and/or gain creative experience in the field of arts. The 2022-2023 theme is "Show Your Voice!". All grades and abilities are encouraged to participate. Submissions are due in early November.

For more information please check https://www.wastatepta.org/events-programs/reflections/

Questions? Contact Rachel Pai, LWHS PTSA Reflections Chair

LWPTSA Council's Special Education Group (SEG) is excited to invite you to our first meeting of the 2022-23 school year, in person at the LWSD Resource Center! The meeting will kick off with family networking and refreshments from 6:30 to 7:00 pm. At 7:00 pm, we will begin with SEG and school district introductions, followed by time for families to connect in groups based on school communities. Finally, we are excited to have Ms. Melanie Miller, counselor at Kirk Elementary, back to speak about strategies for navigating stress and anxiety at the beginning of the school year.

When: Tuesday, October 18 from 6:30–8:30 pm

Where: LWSD Resource Center (16250 NE 74th St., Redmond WA)

Please send questions to the SEG co-chairs at specialeducation@lwptsa.net. We look forward to seeing you!

LWPTSA's Special Education Group aims to connect and support families with students who receive special services in LWSD through an Individualized Education Plan, 504 Plan or Individualized Health Plan. 

Connect with SEG: Website | Facebook | SEG newsletter sign-up

The Kang Crier Newsletter is the primary communication method used by LWHS PTSA to communicate with LWHS families. The district distribution lists are not updated and available until late October, meaning families new to LWHS are missing out on the information we distribute.

If you know of a family who is new to LWHS, please forward this newsletter to them so they can click here to subscribe.

Danelle Mathews

LWHS PTSA Kang Crier Editor

At the September 14 General Membership meeting, LWHS PTSA membership reviewed and approved the May 2022 meeting minutes, the 2021-2022 end-of-year financial review findings, the 2022-2023 annual budget, and the PTSA standing rules. Cindy Zhu (Xinai Zhu) was elected Secretary. Following that, Janet Smith, VP of Ways and Means, presented the Parent Primer, a guide for families new to high school.

The next general membership meeting will be Wed, November 16 at 7:00 pm. Look for additional details in future Kang Criers and on our website.

Dear Kang Families, 

I want to start by offering appreciation to you as parents for your support of the start of the 2022-23 school year at Lake Washington High School. We appreciate the positive attitude we have seen in our students, and we know that this comes from a positive focus at home. 

Importantly, we have focused in recent days on attendance. You should be receiving emails from Mr. Joe Joss, our Dean of Student Success. He has been working to track attendance, to make phone calls home, to have conversations with students, and to provide intervention when students arrive late to school. This is an incredibly large amount of work and your support is critical. 

As we move toward October, we also settle into the routines of school. Our teachers are asking students for feedback on the bell schedule and our teaching practices, and our staff continues to provide reminders about wearing identification while in our buildings. 

Thank you for your support of these measures, and for those of you who attended our Curriculum Night/Open House. We appreciate your time and commitment to connect with our faculty and staff. 

If you want to know more about what is happening at LHWS, you can access our Kang News on YouTube at this address: https://www.youtube.com/c/KangNews.

I appreciate our PTSA for continuing to provide information and opportunities for families to engage. Keep an eye on the PTSA and school webpages and give this newsletter a careful read to find other ways to get involved. 

Go Kangs!

Christine Bell  

LWHS Principal

College Visits are Back!

The College & Career Center will be hosting in-person college visits this fall! Find dates and participating colleges on the LWHS College & Career Center calendar.

Upcoming presentations are:

• Today, September 27, 3:00 pm: Boston University
• September 28, 1:00 pm: University of Washington-Seattle Campus
• September 30, 10:25 am: Western Washington University
• October 4, 3:00 pm: Boston College
• October 5, 1:00 pm: University of Southern California

College Campus Preview Days

Most colleges and universities hold campus Preview Days and admissions events. Attending an admissions event is a great way to learn more about academics, residential housing and campus life in real time. Many local events are posted on the LWHS College and Career page.

Attention Juniors and Seniors

The Kirkland Rotary Club is taking applications for Rotary Student of the Month. This is a great way to be recognized for your participation at school and in the community. LWHS has so many students who bring something special to our school and our community. Apply today and tell your story! This is not based on GPA. Several students will be selected. Applications close October 7.

Click here for more information and to apply

The Kirkland Youth Council is calling all students!

The Kirkland Youth Council is a dynamic group of middle and high school students who serve as the official advisory board on youth related issues and concerns for City Council. They research, develop, and implement a wide variety of programs, activities, and resources for Kirkland teens. KYC members are highly respected in the community for their innovation, dedication, and positive influence and have been for over 25 years. These teens can and have made a significant and positive impact on Kirkland. For more info, please visit their website. Applications are due this Friday, September 30 by 5:00 pm.

Click here to apply.

Questions? Contact Nichole Swanger, LWHS College and Career Specialist

Begins TOMORROW, September 28 at 12:55 pm

LWHS PTSA is pleased to provide students with FREE essay support on Wednesdays after school. Students work one-on-one with trained volunteers who assist with reviewing and editing college application essays and personal statements. 

The workshops will meet outside the College and Career Center. We have snacks!

Questions? Email collegeapp@lwhsptsa.org

Hello Senior Kang parents and guardians!

The seniors are so excited for their last year at Lake Washington High School! We started off the year with a beautiful senior sunrise that brought the whole class together. That was just beginning! We had a fabulous Homecoming week where the students were able to finish the celebration off with the Homecoming dance.

The events that have happened so far and the events to come are what make a senior's last year so memorable and important before they begin the next phase of their life beyond the Kang community. These events include football tailgates, tolo, prom, commitment day, senior breakfast, senior party, senior sunset, and last but not least – graduation!

Over the past few years, due to setbacks with the pandemic and online school, our senior class has struggled to raise the money needed to put on the events listed above. We are working tirelessly to create more fundraisers this year to enable us to keep everything on the calendar. If you would like to donate to the class of 2023 to help us fund these incredible events, please use the link below. These memories will last a lifetime and we need help making sure they turn out great! 

To make a donation:

1. Go to https://wa-lakewashington.intouchreceipting.com/.
2. Next, sign in (there are directions for new users and returning users).
3. Once you are logged in, find the LWHS Class of 2023 donation link to make your donation. 

Questions? Contact Kelly Conroy, Class of 2023 Advisor 

LWSD is always seeking great talent for positions throughout our district. In addition to other positions available in LWSD, we are looking for applicants for the following positions:

• Nurses
• Instructional Assistants (IA’s)
• Paraeducators
• Custodians
• Bus Drivers
• Substitutes

These positions are also available in a substitute role. Check out the LWSD website for job descriptions and postings at https://www.lwsd.org/employment/careers. 

On July 16, 2022, the United States transitioned to using the 988 dialing code. 988 is more than just an easy-to-remember number. It is a direct connection to compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing mental health related distress. Whether that is thoughts of suicide, symptoms of mental illness, substance use disorder or other factors. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need these types of crisis support.

Safety is one of our district’s top priorities. To keep our school community safe, LWSD uses Vector Alert, a tip reporting service that allows students, staff and parents to submit safety concerns to our administration five different ways:

1. App: Download the Vector Alert app 
2. Phone: 425.529.5763 
3. Text: Text your tip to 425.529.5763 
4. Email: 1342@alert1.us 
5. Web: http://1342.alert1.us

If an administrator is not nearby or available to take your tip, you and your child can easily report tips on bullying, harassment, drugs, vandalism, threats of violence or any safety issue you're concerned about through Vector Alert. When you submit a tip, be sure to use our district’s identification code 1342 in your communication.

Every tip Vector Alert receives about our district is immediately logged in the system and our administration is notified so that they can investigate and take appropriate action. Tips may be submitted anonymously if you prefer.

Together, using Vector Alert, we can make our district a safer place to work and learn! Thanks in advance for your support.

The LWSD Teen Startup Challenge is designed to promote student startup ideas and venture creation. The challenge provides an opportunity for high school students to win prizes and learn from local business leaders. Finalists will present their ideas and business plans and receive invaluable feedback from successful professionals.

The application deadline for this event is midnight on October 3, 2022.

Visit www.lwsd.org/teen-startup to learn more about this event.

Register to Watch The Upstanders

Join us for The Upstanders, a documentary film that breaks down all aspects of cyber-bullying and builds empathy and resilience to stand up to it.

Reserve your free seat to watch The Upstanders virtually between October 3-10.

This free event is brought to you by Overlake Medical Center & Clinics and Lake Washington Schools Foundation.

Parent Chat with Balance in Mind

The Balance in Mind team is back with a new season of Parent Chats! Parent Chat hosts experts in youth mental wellness with interactive discussions. This season Parent Chat will be covering topics from resurfacing from the pandemic to stresses on student athletes to developing key social and emotional skills in yourself and your children. Sessions occur twice a month on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm.

Register for our fall Parent Chat series

Mentors Needed for Local Students

Become a Lunch Buddy mentor and make a difference in the life of a local elementary school student. The LINKS Lunch Buddy Program is seeking volunteers to mentor young students in Kirkland, Redmond and Sammamish. Give 45 minutes of your time each week to enjoy fun games and crafts, and to talk with a student who could really benefit from some extra social-emotional support at school.

To learn about the process and how to apply, visit lwsd.org/links. Please contact Victoria Goetze-Nelson at vgoetzenelson@lwsd.org or call 425-936-1410 if you have any questions. Mentor training and support will be provided.