Dear Kang Families, 

As we return to school, we carry the responsibility of ensuring the safety of all our students and staff. The tragic stories we hear in the news remind us of the urgency to continually improve how we protect our children.

We are fortunate to have a dedicated Community Resource Officer, Officer Gehrke, on our campus. While he also supports some of our elementary schools, Officer Gehrke spends much of his time at LWHS. This is his fourth year with us, and I have full confidence in his ability to identify and respond to potential threats. He knows many of our students by name and is always available to assist when needed.

In addition to Officer Gehrke’s presence, we have several safety measures in place within our building. One of the most important is our secure entrance policy. During class hours, we maintain a single point of entry, with all other exterior doors remaining locked throughout the school day. Visitors must enter through the locked main office door. We regularly remind students not to open exterior doors for anyone, and we ask for your support in reinforcing this message.

However, secured doors are only part of the solution, as not all safety concerns originate from outside the school. We are fortunate to have engaged families who are connected to their children’s lives and our community. Your partnership is essential in helping us monitor potential threats. Please stay attentive to your child’s behavior, take what they say seriously, and seek help when needed. On the district website, you will find a button to report any safety concerns. For immediate threats, please call 911. For non-emergencies, the reporting tool on our website sends the information to the appropriate personnel.

When you log in to your Skyward Family Access account, you will see a tile that allows you to update your contact information. Having accurate contact details is critical for us, especially in emergencies including medical situations.

This is a serious topic, and while I often prefer a more lighthearted tone, I feel compelled to underscore our shared responsibility in keeping our school safe. School safety is my top priority, and it’s important that we continue this conversation together.

Thank you for your partnership.

Dr. Christine Bell

Principal, Lake Washington High School

We can be found on the LWHS website under College & Career. The LWHS Calendar of Events, college and career exploration information, financial aid and scholarship info, and more. Follow us on Instagram @lwhscollegecareer to stay up to date with the College & Career Center (CCC).  

College Visits

Kick off our 2024-25 college visits on Monday, September 9th with the University of Colorado at 8:00am followed by the University of San Diego on Thursday, September 12th. Upcoming visits can be found here: https://lwhs.lwsd.org/college-and-career.

College visits are a great opportunity to learn more about a university, ask questions, and provide comparisons for multiple schools. Many of the school admissions representatives participate in the application reviews so making a good impression can’t hurt! Juniors and Seniors are allowed to participate in college visits. Visits are held in the College & Career Center unless otherwise noted.

WSU Regent Scholarship

Is WSU the anticipated destination for your senior? Do they have a 3.6 GPA or above? LWHS nominates two students for the WSU Regent scholarship annually. This scholarship provides an automatic $4000 tuition scholarship renewable annually! This is a great scholarship for students who are certain that they will be a Cougar!

Questions? Please contact

Nichole Swanger, nswanger@lwsd.org

High School & Beyond Counselor

College and Career Specialist

Dear Lake Washington High School Families,

We want to redefine what PTSA means to you. It's not just a noun; it's a dynamic verb, an action plan dedicated to ensuring your student's success.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to PTSA. However you choose to engage, it's an investment in your child's future. PTSA can mean supporting your child's teachers and educational programs, advocating for issues that affect your child at local, state, and national levels, and fostering a more robust, diverse, and inclusive school community.

We extend an open invitation to every family to get involved with PTSA because together, we can achieve more. 

Join us through this link: https://lwhsptsa.org/Packet/join/FamilyInfoPacketPage/0

Membership fees and donations are the lifeblood of our organization. Our annual "Pass the Pouch" campaign, which is our sole fundraiser, will kick off shortly, but donating when you join is appreciated and simple.

Lake Washington PTSA organizes enrichment and wellness programs, recognition, classroom and club activities, and scholarship assistance that directly benefit our students and are not possible through public funding alone. By becoming a member and donating, you play a pivotal role in turning this year's goals into reality. Also, we welcome your suggestions for use of funds - just attend a meeting or reach out to us at waysmeans@lwhsptsa.org. 

Collaboration between community members, educators, and students is key to student success. Join us now and donate to start making an impact!

For more information about the PTSA, please don't hesitate to contact me, Susan Davis, Membership Chair, at membership@lwhsptsa.org, or our PTSA President, Colleen Rutherford, at president@lwhsptsa.org.

We eagerly anticipate welcoming YOU as a valued member!

Warm regards,

Susan Davis, LWHS PTSA Membership Chair

Thank you to all who donated items and volunteered to help set up, cook and clean up for the PTSA’s Annual Welcome Back Luncheon for the staff on August 27th. Our staff enjoyed a yummy baked potato bar with all of the fixings, plus cake for dessert!

Many Thanks,

Beatrice Joe, LWHS PTSA Staff Appreciation Chair

LWHS PTSA's award-winning College Application Workshop program provides 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 2024 school year as we continue this successful program in virtual and in-person mode. Is this the right program for you? Many volunteers are parents of current or past students, or are from the broader community, and all have strong writing skills. Most importantly, everyone is willing to share their time, a precious commodity that benefits students. We ask for a once a week, 2 to 3 hour commitment for the months of October and November.

Mandatory training will be held on September 24th, 6:30-8:00pm via Zoom. Contact us for more information or to volunteer.

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:

• Register by September 18th for the test in the "SAT/ACT Practice Tests" section of the lwhsptsa.org/Programs website
• Online test taking window September 21st – October 21st

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.

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 2024-2025 is “Accepting Imperfection”.

Students have the whole summer break to think about how to work on this Reflections art project. The due date for 2024-2025 will be around mid-November.

If your student is interested in participating in this art program, please review:

https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections

https://www.wastatepta.org/events-programs/reflections/

Questions? Contact Rachel Pai, Reflections Chair.