Dear Kang Families,

We are excited to be back at school. Our staff are grateful for the support of our PTSA and all parents who donated cookies for staff appreciation in December. I am sure I speak for our whole community when I say that it was a much-needed winter break and that we are refreshed and ready to go. 

Here are a few things we look forward to this month:

• The start of our first Flag Football season
• Our Martin Luther King Jr. assembly: on January 12th our Black Student Union and more than ten other student organizations will represent the ongoing legacy of Dr. King. 
• Day of Service: on January 15th we celebrate the National Day of Service. This day is a day off of school for Martin Luther King day, and a day we encourage students to use to give back to their community. 
• The end of the first semester: the week of January 22nd-26th is finals week. We have a special schedule that allows students to have study time and to focus on their finals for each day. Now is the time to check grades and to have students connect with teachers directly regarding any missing work. 
• The start of second semester: January 29th is the first day of second semester. Encourage your student to check their schedule now. Our counseling team has sent messages to families reminding them that we do not allow students to change their classes at semester. This is why schedules are visible at the start of the year, and why we have a window to request changes at the start of the year. 
• We also look forward to mid-winter break in February. 

It looks like it may snow in the next few weeks. Watch for information from the Lake Washington School District Resource Center when there are potential delays/cancellations.

Thank you for your support of our learning community. Go Kangs!

Christine Bell

Principal, Lake Washington High School

Connect with Mrs. Bell at cbell@lwsd.org

Upcoming College and Career Events:

2/8     11:35am           Aeronautical Science Pathways: The Museum of Flight

2/9     10:15am          Central Washington University Application Workshop

2/10    8:00am           Central Washington University Wildcat Preview Day

3/4     12:00pm          PedalHeads Summer Job Lunch Table/Info

3/7     4:30pm            College Fair @ LWHS (see below)

Federal and State Financial Student Aid update - info for Seniors

In Washington State there are two ways to obtain financial aid for college: The FAFSA and the WASFA. What’s the difference and why are they important? Let’s take a quick look. . .

The FAFSA, the Free Application For Federal Student Aid, recently redesigned their online form. Because of this, they have opened a “Soft Launch” on the FAFSA Website. The soft launch means the website has a web-traffic limit and may ask you to wait in a short queue with the browser open before it lets you access the form. Once you can do so, students as well as parents/guardians, must fill out their own form to be granted financial aid. This can be grants, federal work-study funds, and student loans. Though the FAFSA website is limiting traffic, I did some snooping and was able to access my old account and begin filling out a FAFSA form. If you fill out the form during the soft launch, your form will be saved when the site opens fully. It is important to note that the sooner a FAFSA form is completed, the better, as there are different FAFSA deadlines for schools, states, and the federal government. Getting it done early, ensures you are considered for financial aid by all three of these institutions. Also note that many colleges require a completed FAFSA if a student is to be awarded any merit aid; it is worth emailing offices of financial aid at specific schools to ask, if this is unclear on a school's website.

Here is the website that includes a short video to help you get started: Filling Out the FAFSA® Form | Federal Student Aid

The WASFA is like the FAFSA in many ways, however, the Washington Application for Student Financial Aid is primarily for people who do not file a FAFSA. If you have filed a FAFSA do not fill out a WASFA. A person should complete the WASFA if they are undocumented or do not qualify for federal financial aid because of their immigration status. If you are unsure whether you should complete the WASFA or FAFSA, there is a questionnaire to help you understand, here: WASFA Questionnaire | WSAC. The WASFA is now open.

College Night 2024

Get ready for an informative and exciting College Night hosted by Lake Washington HS and Eastlake HS/T-Stem HS. This is your chance to explore college options and gain valuable insights into the college admissions process. Choose the night and location that suits you best! This is a great night for rising seniors and their families to investigate colleges and attend information sessions however all grades are welcome!

1. Tuesday, March 5th – Held on the CWU–Sammamish Campus and hosted by EHS and T-Stem College & Career.
2. Thursday, March 7th – at LWHS Commons hosted by the College & Career Center.

Agenda:

College Fair: 4:30 to 6:00pm

Breakout Session A: 6:05 – 6:40pm

Breakout Session B: 6:45 – 7:20pm

Breakout Options (to be finalized prior to event):

Applying to Selective College; Exploring 2-Year & Certificate Programs; Connecting with Admissions; Finding Your Best Fit; Applying to UW; Financial Aid Basics; Writing College Essays; Why Go Out of State & WUE; Applying to International Colleges; Military Careers & ROTC

Questions regarding LW's College and Career Centre? Contact Alex McGlenn

Calling all gardening enthusiasts! A group of students from LW’s Green Team and Future Farmers of America (FFA) are designing a pollinator garden at LW! They’re busy applying for grants, filling out forms for District approval, and choosing plants and seeds. Their team could use some help from a family or community member who is well-versed in PNW native landscapes and pollinator gardens.

If you or someone you know would like to get involved, please contact Stephanie Lecovin at sustainability@lwhsptsa.org or text 206.604.5239 so she can connect you with the student team. Thank you!

LWHS PTSA had ten participants for Reflections 2023-2024; nine entries advanced to the council level competition, and now we have received word that three LWHS students have advanced to the state level. Congratulations! They are:

• Erik Straka: Award of Excellence for Photography, title: Reaching for the Moon
• Jonho (Jacob) Lee: Award of Excellence for Visual art, title: A Young Man and a Shark
• Anvika Singhal: Award of Excellence for Music Composition, title: Endless 

The Lake Washington PTSA Council would like to recognize the artistic achievements of the students within our school district and will be hosting a Reflections open house on January 19th. All entries that advanced to the council level will be displayed. All students, staff, family members, friends, and art enthusiasts are invited to celebrate! The art display will be available for a week, allowing those unable to attend on the 19th to visit and appreciate the pieces during Lake Washington Resource Center's regular working hours through Thursday, January 25th.

Event: LWPTSA Reflections 2023-2024 Open House  

Date: Friday January 19th, 2024  

Time: 6:00 to 8:00pm

Place: Lake Washington Resource Center (at Redmond Town Center)

Questions? Please refer to https://www.lwptsa.net/reflections/ or contact LWHS Reflections Chair, Rachel Pai.

Unlike transcripts, diplomas do not have to have your legal name printed. For example, if you go by your middle name rather than your legal first name, that can be reflected on your diploma. Or, if your last name is hyphenated but you only use one of the names on a regular basis, you can update that too.

If you would like your name printed differently on your diploma than it is shown in Skyward, please fill out this form no later than January 31st.

(*only students with an LWHS login can access this form - parents/guardians cannot access this form)

Please note: Unless otherwise directed, your name will be printed on your diploma and in the graduation program as follows:

FirstName MiddleName LastName (e.g. Joe Robert Smith)

Click here to check your name in Skyward to make sure it reflects what you’d like to see on your diploma & graduation program.

Learn to swing dance and raise money for the Theatre Program during a fun night out! Dance pro and theatre parent Mike Begley will provide one hour of instruction, followed by time to practice all your new dance moves!

Date: Friday, February 2nd

Time: 7:00 to 9:00pm

Location: Lake Washington High School Commons

The suggested donation is $30 for individuals or $50 for couples. All ages are welcome. Cash/check accepted at the door.

Interested? To reserve your spot, email Joy Jernigan.

*This fundraiser is sponsored by the LWHS Theatre Boosters

The Lake Washington High School Student Directory is created by the Lake Washington High School PTSA as a member benefit. You must be a member of the PTSA in order to access the directory.

The directory is intended for use by LWHS students and their families only. This directory will not be given or sold to any commercial or charitable organization by the LWHS PTSA or its members. We only include student contact information authorized by a parent or guardian. Solicitations of any kind using phone numbers or emails are strictly forbidden.

• LWHS Student Directory 2023-24.pdf (lwhsptsa.org)

LWHS PTSA is partnering with Princeton Review for a second time this school year 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 January 19th for the test in the "SAT/ACT Practice Tests" section of the lwhsptsa.org/Programs website.
2. Online test taking window January 24th – February 24th

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