One day an elephant saw a hummingbird lying on its back with its tiny feet up in the air. "What are you doing?" asked the elephant. The hummingbird replied, "I heard the sky might fall today, and so I am ready to help hold it up, should it fall." The elephant laughed cruelly and snickered, "Do you really think that those tiny feet could help hold up the sky?" The hummingbird kept her feet up in the air, intent in her purpose, as she replied, "Not alone. But each must do what she can. And this is what I can do."

-- Chinese Proverb

My name is Colleen Rutherford and I am this year’s Lake Washington High School Parent Teacher and Student Assocation President. Uff. That is a mouthful. It is at times difficult to believe, looking around the room, Me? I am the “President?!” Are you sure? That is a big job. That job has a lot of responsibility. That job is a huge time commitment. I am not qualified for THAT job! These are some of the ways I gaslight myself into NOT contributing. Dissuading myself, as the Hummingbird says, from doing what she can. The thing is, I CAN help because I am part of an incredible TEAM. I am not the PTSA President in isolation. It is not my job to do all of the things. It is my job to enable our community to achieve many things because our students and community are vitally important.

It is in this light that I welcome YOU to collaborate as an engaged member of the LWHS PTSA community. There is a role, big or small, for everyone at LWHS. No contribution is too small to matter. No time commitment is insignificant. Below are ways to engage, participate, and yes, volunteer. I know, no one person can do it alone. Our job as PTSA parents, community members, staff, and students is to support each other—together is how we will continue to, “Hold up the sky.” Below are ways to engage, share, learn, and contribute. I hope to see you soon and I welcome the chance to meet YOU!

• Stay informed: Our Kang Crier newsletter is a timely and reliable source of information for what’s happening at LWHS and in the community. We are also on Facebook and Instagram, and our website is another great resource.

• Become a PTSA member: Your annual membership and donations of time, money, and skills enable LWHS PTSA to continue to offer support to teachers and administrators, to the school, and to supplement your child’s education. Click here to see what your donations, time, and talent make possible.

• Volunteer: That is a scary word for many parents. But it is one of the BEST ways to meet other parents, engage with amazing teachers and administrators firsthand, and it provides you with an immediate connection to your student’s school community. Check out our website to learn more about how you can contribute. There are open board and chair positions as well as ways to help one time only.



• Connect with your community: Meet fellow LWHS families, our principal and administrators through events such as “Coffee with Christine” and our general membership meetings. Our first general membership meeting will be Wednesday, September 20th at 7:00pm at LWHS. We also plan to hold our Welcome to LWHS Primer for new parents as well. More details coming soon!

No matter what grade your student is entering, there is a lot to look forward to this year. Our team welcomes your support and hopes to see you soon!

In Community,

Colleen Rutherford

2023-2024 LWHS PTSA President

Dear Kang Families,

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year. Lake Washington High School staff are busy preparing and participating in professional learning the week of the 28th and we are excited to kick off the school year on September 5th.

Students and families will be able to access schedules starting on September 1st. Please watch for communication from our counseling team regarding any schedule changes. Our counselors return on August 23rd and they will spend a few days registering new students. They will have a lot of summer email to catch up on. Please be patient in regard to communication.

While our graduation day is not set (that comes early spring from the district), we do have some early on dates to share. These dates are accessible on our website.

If you want to apply for free/reduced breakfast and lunch you can do so using this application: Free/Reduced Meal Application or through the online portal Online Free/Reduced Application (preferred method). I want to encourage you to complete this form to ensure that your student receives the nutrition they need to be successful. If you wish to pre-pay for your student’s lunch you can do so using this web application: My School Bucks Application.

Parking on campus is available for Seniors to purchase until August 28th at the cashier’s window next to the main office. Juniors will have the opportunity to enter a lottery for any remaining passes. For more details, refer to LWHS Transportation/Parking webpage.

For any information about LWHS the best place to start is our website. The website is updated regularly and there you can find our bell schedules.

We look forward to welcoming our new and returning students. Go Kangs!

Christine Bell

Principal, Lake Washington High School

Connect with Mrs. Bell at cbell@lwsd.org

LWHS PTSA is partnering with Princeton Review to give students the opportunity to take the SAT or ACT just “for practice” at no cost. Students can take this practice test any number of times and the scores from these do not go on their record.

Students take the tests online at a date and time that is convenient, within the time window below:

1. Register by September 19th for the test in the "SAT/ACT Practice Tests" section of the lwhsptsa.org/Programs website.
2. Online test taking window September 23rd – October 8th

Note: If your student has taken an earlier practice test, they can take it again. However, please note that the set of questions will be the same.

Questions? Contact Julie Jiang, LWHS PTSA SAT/ACT Practice Test Chair

LWHS PTSA's award-winning College Application Workshop program provides LW seniors with college application essay and personal statement support. We also steer students in the right direction for any additional help they may need. This is a great way to connect with students and help them achieve their goals.



Volunteers are needed for Fall 2023 school year as we continue this successful program. We ask for a once-a-week commitment for the months of October and November.

Training is provided, date TBD. Contact us for more information or to volunteer.

Welcome to a new year of sustainability in action at LW! We ended the 2022-23 school year with a robust food donation program, composting, recycling, and durable silverware during lunch. We plan to expand our efforts and need your help with monitoring waste stations at lunch for the first few weeks of September. Can you sign up for a shift or two?

Questions or want to get involved? Please contact Steph Lecovin or Tanya Knudsen at sustainability@lwhsptsa.org, call/text 206.604.5239, or visit us at Sustainability (lwhsptsa.org).

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...."

The due date for 2023-2024 is around early November.

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

Questions? Contact Rachel Pai, LWHS PTSA Reflections Chair