September 21, 2021 | Issue #3 |
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Welcome to LWHS! A High School Primer - For Parents, From Parents |
Event for New Students and Families of LWHS
Wednesday, September 22, 7:00 pm or Thursday, September 23, 7:00 pm
Same Content Both Evenings
LWHS PTSA is pleased to present a live, virtual presentation designed for families of Freshmen and others who are new to our school community, although all Kangs are welcome to attend. We will cover lots of information about the high school experience, both district-wide and specific to LWHS, and answer common questions, including:
- What is different between middle and high school?
- Parent to school communication
- What to expect: keeping track of student work, assignments, grades and fees
- Academics and tests during the school year
- Counseling Office Services
- After school clubs and competitions (school/ASB/PTA run)
- Sports and social activities (school/ASB/PTA run)
- Parent volunteering
- And much more!
Principal Bell and several members of her admin team, as well as some experienced parents, will be joining us. Click your preferred date below to RSVP!
Can't make it? The presentation slides will be posted on the LWHS PTSA website after September 23.
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LWHS PTSA Virtual General Membership Meeting |
Our first General Membership Meeting of the year will be Wednesday, September 29 beginning at 7:00 pm. During the virtual meeting, we will approve our budget and our standing rules. Following that, our guest speaker, LWHS Principal Christine Bell, will provide a school update and answer your questions. We would appreciate questions for Principal Bell in advance – please email them to info@lwhsptsa.org by September 28.
LWHS PTSA President
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Coffee With Christine - Two Options to Attend! |
The first PTSA-sponsored “Coffee with Christine” will be Thursday, September 30. Come join other LWHS parents and community members for an open Q&A discussion with new LWHS Principal Christine Bell. These informal gatherings will be held both virtually and in-person, with one in the morning and one in the evening (details below). The meetings last about an hour, but you are free to join late or leave early. Choose the attendance option that works best for you!
Coffee with Christine - Thursday, September 30:
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8:30-9:30am: Virtual Teams Meeting Click to join
- 6:00-7:00pm: In-Person at LWHS Library
Please be sure to read Principal Bell's letter in the "School" section below.
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Invest in the Kang Community |
LWHS PTSA is an active part of the Kang community. We spend over $20,000 a year to support our students, teachers/staff, and community in various ways:
- Students: over $18,000 in grants for classroom and club activities, enrichment programs (such as College Prep workshops, College Application support, practice SAT and ACT tests), scholarships and supplies
- Teachers/staff: $7,000 in classroom grants and staff appreciation events
- Parents & community: $4,000 in Emergency Prep supplies, newsletters, and community events
But we can’t do it without you! Memberships and donations are our main source of income and our “Pass the Pouch” request for donations is our only fundraiser of the year. Anyone – parents, grandparents, students, teachers – can join and donate. Just click the button below to get started.
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LWHS PTSA Board & Committee Chairs Needed
Your PTSA is getting prepared for another great year and we invite you to get involved! We are still looking to fill a few board positions and have quite a few PTSA chair positions still open. Curious? Click here for more information. Training provided! If a role sounds interesting to you, or you'd like to learn about other volunteer possibilities, email info@lwhsptsa.org.
Open board positions:
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Executive VP: Assists the President with all responsibilities related to the PTSA Board of Directors. In the absence of a Communications Chair, will assume the responsibilities of this chair position.
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Ways and Means: Organize and coordinate the fundraising efforts for the LWHS PTSA including the main “Pass the Pouch” fundraiser that occurs in September. Oversee the distribution of funds as determined by the annual budget to include grants to staff and school groups. In other words, help raise funds…and then help spend them!
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Advocacy: Work to inform members about legislative issues; help members determine our statewide platform; and help members speak up when it matters most. The Advocacy chair should be nonpartisan and work closely with the LWHS PTSA Board on focus and efforts.
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Membership: Set a membership goal for the year. Help with membership drives. Collect the forms and submit online information to the state organization. Largely entails data entry that can be done at home on your own time.
Open chair positions:
- Lake Washington School Foundation (LWSF) Liaison
- SAT/ACT Practice Tests
- School Beautification
- Senior Salute (See Seniors section below for more information)
- Special Ed Inclusion and Awareness
- Sustainability - current chair is seeking a co-chair to train
- Webmaster
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LWPTSA Council Special Education Group Meeting |
Tonight! Tuesday, September 21 at 7:00 pm
LWPTSA Council’s Special Education Group is here to bridge the gap between general and special education families within the LWSD community. SEG serves as a relevant resource to all families, especially those with students on an individualized education plan (IEP), a 504 plan, or an individualized health plan (IHP) through training, support, and guidance, and advocates for the health, well-being, and education of every child.
The first SEG meeting of the year takes place virtually tonight, September 21 at 7:00 pm. All families, caregivers and community members are welcome to join the monthly SEG meetings! Meeting details will be provided on the council website and via social media.
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LWPTSA Council Welcomes New & International Families |
The LWPTSA Council's 5th annual welcome event for new and international families takes place virtually on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 from 6:00-8:00 pm. Join the event for information about navigating the LWSD school system - topics include academic support, social-emotional support, PTSA support and more.
Live captions for the event will be available in Chinese, Hindi, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese. For more information, visit www.lwptsa.net.
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From the Desk of LWHS Principal Christine Bell |
Dear Kang Community,
At LWHS we are looking forward to a busy second half of September. Our first two weeks of school have been a great opportunity to connect with one another. Feedback from staff and students tells us that students, while excited to be back at school, are still working to regain their stamina for learning. We are responding to student feedback with 'brain breaks' during classes and opportunities for students to engage in collaborative learning. Thank you for your support at home as you talk with your LW students about engaging fully and limiting distractions (cell phones, for example) during class time.
You may have heard that our classes are FULL this fall. In response to this we have been given additional staffing and opened up new health and social studies classes. If you have a student with one of these classes in their schedule it may have an impact and their schedule may be changed. Thank you for your flexibility and support of our school as we work to balance classes so that there is room for all!
There are a few upcoming dates I would like to highlight:
- September 22 is the day that our Curriculum Night presentations will be available for viewing. Stay tuned for more information on how to access this as we near that date.
- On September 23 our students will have the opportunity to hear from and sign up for clubs. That will take place in Homeroom, and please note the change in day. We had originally planned on September 16th and moved the event to honor family commitments many of our students have on Yom Kippur.
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On Thursday, September 30 the PTSA and I are hosting two "Coffee with Christine" events. We are providing this opportunity virtually in the morning (8:30-9:30am) and in-person in the evening (6:00-7:00pm). Here is the link to the virtual event: Teams Link (Click to join)
- As you have seen advertised on our LW social media accounts and in email, on October 13 our students in grades 10-12 will have the opportunity to take the PSAT or SAT. Students in grade 9 will not be at school that day and will instead participate in learning asynchronously (from home). This will allow staff to focus on providing the best possible environment for testing.
I have one more date for you to get on your calendar--our Homecoming game is scheduled for October 15. We are excited to see the fall colors and ready for more opportunities to celebrate our students.
Go Kangs!
LWHS Principal
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Advanced Placement Exam Registration Now Open |
Lake Washington School District students are now able to register for AP exams through the end of lunch on October 8, 2021. The payment window for the exams will open October 1 and run through October 30, 2021. All students wanting to take May 2022 AP exams are encouraged to complete the registration and pay for their exams during these windows. CollegeBoard has reinstated the $40 cancellation fee for the 2021-22 school year.
For students that may still be deciding in October if they want to take AP exams in May, LWSD is offering a LATE AP Exam Registration window from February 1, 2022 through end of last lunch on February 16, 2022. Students who register during the late AP Registration window will incur a $50 per exam late fee in addition to the $98 per exam fee.
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EvergeenHealth Social Worker at LWHS |
Hello Kang Families! My name is Bess Altamura, and I am the new EvergreenHealth School Social Worker at Lake Washington. My role at the school is to provide crisis intervention and mental health support to students and staff in need. I can help students cope with personal and psychological issues that affect their school performance, behavior, and socialization, either with students individually or in a group setting. I will be offering a group for students struggling with anxiety later this semester. If you have any questions about the services I offer, please email me at c-baltamura@lwsd.org. I look forward to working with you and your students this year!
EvergreenHealth Social Worker
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Please continue to check both pages for information regularly, as updates will be made in conjunction with guidance from the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), Office of the Superintendent of Instruction (OSPI) and Seattle-King County Public Health.
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Parents of Seniors, We Need You! |
LWHS PTSA is still seeking a chair for the Senior Salute. If you are interested in helping out, please email Stacy Mehlberg, LWHS PTSA VP of Student Programs. We’d love to hear from you!
Senior Salute (chair position): The chair/chairs organize a senior baccalaureate evening of inspiration right before graduation which is focused on a more personal level with students, staff, and families. If permitted to take place in-person, the event includes the coordination of school building space, student and staff speakers, student art, refreshments and student music while maintaining a budget. It is an evening to celebrate the graduating class of the year.
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College & Career Center Live Wednesdays |
Live Wednesday sessions are virtual college visits and informative sessions brought to students and parents through MS Teams. The information sessions are presented by college admissions reps and include helpful information about individual colleges as well as other pertinent information for college-bound students.
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Lake Washington School Foundation News |
Lake Washington Schools Foundation welcomes our students back to school. We are proud to serve students in the Lake Washington School District with programs like Pantry Packs, Balance in Mind, Kids Coming Together, LINKS, Find Your Fit, and more. Stay in touch with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Find Your Fit Webinar: How to Write a College Essay
College essays are often an important piece of a student's college application. Join a two-hour workshop on Sep 29 to learn how to find your unique story and to write an essay that is readable. Register at www.lwsf.org/findyourfit.
Pantry Packs update
The busses are back on the streets, the kids are back in the classrooms and the Pantry Packs team is back in full swing. At this time, we continue to keep the warehouse closed to large packing groups, but we hope to re-evaluate this throughout the year. Stay tuned for our fall food drive, and if you just can't wait to be part of the fun, check out our Amazon Wish List. Thank you all for your support!
Balance in Mind Parent Chats are Back
Parent Chat returns with expert advice on staying grounded and managing mental wellness. The next Parent Chat topic is Parenting a Neurodiverse Child on Sep 22. For details and registration go to: www.lwsf.org/youthmentalwellness.
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Youth Eastside Services Resources and Support Groups |
Did you know? Youth Eastside Services provides many resources and support groups to our community. Support can be found for a variety of issues and concerns.
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September 21: LWHS PTSA Special Education Group Virtual Meeting, 7:00pm
September 22 and 23: Welcome to LWHS events, 7:00pm
September 29: LWHS PTSA Membership Virtual Meeting, 7:00pm
September 30: Coffee with Christine, 8:30am (virtual) and 6:00pm (in person)
October 15: LEAP Day (No School)
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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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