The PTSA is a behind-the-scenes hive of impassioned families who support teachers, create communal experiences, and enrich the education and wellbeing of students. Like all organizations, it is an intricate web of people, purpose, preset process, and possibility. As a central advocate for the whole community, leveraging the diversity of skills, interests and natural capacities make it work. 

“Where’s the ‘S’ in the PTSA?” asked my 9th grader when I took this role. Good point. What if we dial into students, listen, and respond anew?

The student-led desire for an aggressive sustainability culture at LWHS kicked off the school year with a powerful call for transformation. With the go-ahead from Principal Bell, the PTSA Board, the kitchen and custodial staff, and the student Green Team, I am proud to have engaged in this call to leadership. The commitment from these individuals, along with the commitment of parents, have enabled visions to become a realiy.

As a PhD candidate for Creating Leadership, I was so drawn to the sustainability initiative in a learning environment for two main reasons: (a) I’m concerned about climate change, waste, and the future of our children on this planet, and (b) I felt inspired by LW’s student leaders and hopeful that LWHS could be a leader in this area. We’ve moved the needle in the commons. We anticipate continued transformation. 

There is much work to do and I look forward to co-chairing Sustainability with Stephanie Lecovin next year. To learn more about our many efforts and successes, please check out our Sustainability webpage and read Stephanie’s article below!

The PTSA is in a unique position of agency and shaping school culture. Multicultural night is another new and important example of the PTSA expanding community connections. It is truly terrific to have had the opportunity to share creative processes for complex problem solving, to serve and to learn from so many of you.

Tanya Knudsen

LWHS PTSA President 2022-2023

Every year LWHS PTSA recognizes individuals for their dedicated service and commitment to our Kang community. This year we are pleased to announce the following award winners: 

• Golden Kang/Outstanding Educator (teacher or staff member): Michael Dawson and Jill Berge, Social Studies Department
• Outstanding Advocate (for all children): Mark Staiff, Theatre Manager, and Suzie Connor, Attendance Office Professional
• Golden Acorn (outstanding volunteer): Janet Smith, LWHS PTSA VP Ways and Means
• Outstanding Student Advocate (significant contributions in leadership and service): Abi Jalso

A contribution to the Washington State PTA Scholarship Program will be made in honor of each of these award recipients.

We would like to offer the award winners, along with all of the amazing volunteers and staff in our LWHS community, our heartfelt gratitude for their outstanding commitment, dedication and service. We truly appreciate you! 

LWHS PTSA Board of Directors 

LWHS PTSA Board positions available

There are still open board positions for the 2023-2024 school year. Job descriptions can be found here.

• Treasurer
• VP, School Support
• Senior Party
• Communications chair

LWHS PTSA committees and chairs make things happen! We are looking for chairs and committee members, specifically at this time:

• Volunteer Coordinator
• Social Media chair
• Hospitality

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

Questions? Email president@lwhsptsa.org

One of the ways that the PTSA supports our school community is by funding grants that provide educational enrichment, support club activities and social events, and promote social and emotional well-being. This year the PTSA has funded four grants:



• Fees for guest yogis to provide yoga sessions during Roo time to promote relaxation and support students’ stress management and mental health.
• Purchase of additional copies of a novel for English 10 Honors so that all classes can study a text at the same time. The number of students taking this class has increased as the school’s enrolment has grown. Teaching all classes simultaneously enables the staff to collaborate and adapt to instructional challenges.
• A donation to the Reading Joy Coalition program to fund the purchase of student-requested young adult literature to complete the 6 classroom libraries in the initial phase of this program at LWHS. This program aims to provide easier access to a variety of books with the purpose of igniting a joy of reading, which provides a variety of academic and personal benefits.
• Purchase of equipment and supplies to start a Coffee Club that will provide vocational and life skills training for special education students in the Transition Center.

Many thanks to the committee members who gave their time to review the grant applications, and to the members whose donations to the PTSA provided funds for these grants.

Christine Woskett

Grants Committee Chair

grants@lwhsptsa.org

A tremendous collaboration at LW has been underway for the last three months, bringing PTSA volunteers together with school administrators, District leadership, custodial staff, kitchen staff, teachers, and students…all around a vision to create a less wasteful, more eco- and health-conscious school community.

While you can take a deeper dive into our Sustainability webpage to see videos and PowerPoint presentations of our process, I wanted to briefly recap our collective accomplishments over the last few months:

• Feb/March: Creative Problem Solving sessions with students, staff, and parents set the vision and identified our actions toward a more sustainable culture at LWHS.
• March: Waste audit in the Commons.  
• April: New waste stations in the lunchroom include recycling, composting, and a food donation station, as well as composting in the kitchen. In the first six weeks, we donated 353 pieces of whole fruit, 55 boxes of raisins, 22 juices, and 132 cartons of milk to New Bethlehem Programs (Kirkland’s only family shelter).
• May: Green Team students presented a proposal to LWSD Nutrition Services to transition to non-plastic, reusable food ware in the fall.
• June: Launched a pilot to replace plastic utensils with reusable metal forks and spoons; conducted classroom presentations on waste reduction and composting.

Thank you to everyone involved in this process for your passion, ideas, hard work, and willingness to show up! When obstacles presented themselves, you looked for solutions. Thank you for your openness to trying new things and supporting the Green Team students in their mission!

We look forward to continuing our momentum in the fall and hope you will join us! Please reach out if you have ideas or would like to become involved. Wishing you a healthy, restful, and magical summer!

Stephanie Lecovin

LWHS PTSA Sustainability Chair

sustainability@lwhsptsa.org

LWHS PTSA has recently been recognized by Washington State PTA as a Silver Membership Growth Award recipient! PTAs are presented with this award for enrolling 105 percent as many members as last year. That means our PTA is growing! Thank you to everyone who has become a member so far this year: YOU are the reason our PTA achieved this award!

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.

The theme of the Reflections program for 2023-2024 is "I am hopeful because...."

Students have the whole summer break to think about how to work on this Reflections art project. The due date for 2023-2024 is around early November.

If your students are interested in participating this art program, please check the detail here.

Questions? Contact Rachel Pai, LWHS PTSA Reflections Chair

Greetings, Kang Parents,

I want to take this opportunity to thank our parent volunteers. Parents stepped up this year. We were supported in snacks and supplies and were honored to have parent helpers at events and during the school day. It is more than teacher appreciation. Parents create a culture of appreciation and remind us that we are partners in building a community of support for our learners. 

We are already well into June. This is a great time of year to check in on your student and see how they are doing with the end of the year. Are they finishing their classes in the strongest way possible? Are they signed up for summer school if they need to recover credit? Importantly, are they making use of Roo and tutorial time for extra support from teachers? 

At the end of this week our students will have semester finals. This does not mean that learning is finished, though. Our staff have project-based learning, presentations, student-interest projects and many ways to engage in and demonstrate learning. Attendance is important. Thank you for your help in ensuring that we have a strong end of the 2022-23 school year!

Christine Bell

LWHS Principal

We’d like to thank the more than 45 amazing parents and other important people who have/will volunteer this year with the Senior Party – by serving on the committee, donating supplies, organizing waivers and bus sign-ups, and volunteering with us Thursday night as bus check-in helpers and/or chaperones. We could not have pulled it off without all of you!

Please email seniorparty@lwhsptsa.org if you have any questions or if you’re interested in chairing/co-chairing for the Class of 2024. Congratulations, Seniors – let’s party! 

Lake Washington Schools Foundation News