March 9, 2021 | Issue #14 |
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PTSA Virtual Membership Meeting |
Wednesday, March 17 at 7:00 pm
Mark your calendar for our next PTSA Membership Meeting, Wednesday, March 17 beginning at 7:00 pm. We are pleased to have two guest speakers joining us who have important roles at our school. Officer Rob King from the Kirkland Police Department is our School Resource Officer and Joe Joss is our new Dean of Students. Both will tell us a little bit about their roles and are happy to answer your questions! You can submit your questions in advance to president@lwhsptsa.org.
LWHS PTSA President
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Drug Awareness Community Forum: What You Need to Know about Teens, Marijuana, Vaping & Street Drugs |
TONIGHT! March 9, 7:00 pm
LWHS PTSA invites you to get the facts about vaping and legal marijuana including its various forms (oils, edibles, dab) and risks for teens. Learn about common street drugs and synthetics (Bath Salts, ACID, Molly, Ecstasy), plus find out about current trends and common ways teens are accessing drugs. You will hear from public health experts, substance use counselors and local law enforcement on consequences, protective factors and talking to teens. You'll also learn what an LWHS parent wants you to know about teen drug use and its contribution to their tragic loss. Get informed!
**Your teen is welcome to join you for this important educational event.
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LWHS PTSA and the LWSD Pathway Forward |
Because every family is different, there is no single solution that works for everyone. We encourage you to advocate for the needs of your children and for all children. We can all be part of the process.
LWHS PTSA will continue to work diligently to support student learning and social emotional health. Visit our website to stay informed of various programs and events for the LWHS community.
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Together We Can Make a Difference - Consider Joining PTSA Today |
As mentioned above, even during remote learning many PTSA programs are still going strong, benefiting LWHS students, staff, and our community. Your membership, support, and engagement are always welcome – and still needed! We have budgeted over $20,000 in grants for Student Enrichment, Staff, Students in Need, and ASB. Other grants have provided virtual library books, supplies, materials to help virtual learning, and support for student emotional health.
And did you know your LWHS PTSA Membership can save you money, too? Your annual membership allows you to enjoy special discounts and benefits at a variety of local and national businesses and associations.
Visit our website to learn more about our programs and to join, donate, or volunteer.
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LWHS PTSA Board Nominations - We Need YOU! |
If you would like to be a part of this team or know of someone who might want to join us, please email the Nominating Committee at nomcom@lwhsptsa.org.
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Chapter Book Club - Join Us for the Next Meeting! |
Parenting in the Screen Age: A Guide to Calm Conversations
Drop in and join us for collaborative conversations around the new book by local physician, Delaney Ruston, MD of the Screenagers Documentary Series. Our first meeting was great and we look forward to more conversations! Don’t worry if you missed the first one, each chapter lends itself to a brand new discussion. Purchase the book here or just join us to listen or add your thoughts! All are welcome. The link to join will be on our website calendar closer to the date or Sign up here to receive future communications and Zoom links for the meetings directly.
Friday, March 12, 5:00-6:00 pm
Chapter 7: Challenging Conversations
Friday, March 26, 5:00-6:00 pm
Chapter 10: Cultivating creativity, insight & focus
**Additional dates and chapters TBD.
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Spring Grants from the PTSA |
One of the ways that the PTSA supports our school community is by funding grants that provide educational enrichment, and support club activities, social events, and social and emotional well-being. This spring, the PTSA has funded two grants:
- Parts for the Robotics Club to build an electric-powered chassis for the fiberglass body replica of an English sports car that was found at the school.
- A donation to the fundraiser for a modern video/graphics scoreboard to replace the current stadium scoreboard.
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.
LWHS PTSA Grants Committee Chair
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Help Stock the Staff Pantry |
The LWHS PTSA Staff Appreciation committee is hoping to provide individual-size snacks to some of our staff/ teachers who have volunteered to teach in-person on Wednesdays to give much needed help to students. Since the school is closed, there isn't any available food in the school. Any donations you can provide to Stock the Staff Pantry would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for your help! We couldn't do it without you!
LWHS PTSA Staff Appreciation Co-Chairs
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Last Chance to Take the SAT/ACT Practice Tests |
Here's the last chance for students to take SAT and ACT practice tests, sponsored by LWHS PTSA in partnership with Princeton Review. Click here for information about the tests and preparation guidelines.
The online practice tests will occur:
- SAT: Saturday, March 20, with Strategy Session March 30
- ACT: Saturday, March 27, with Strategy Session April 13
Don’t let your student miss this opportunity. Sign up for free! Registration must be completed before March 16.
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Create a Slogan + Graphic for Earth Day (April 22)
The LWHS PTSA Sustainability Chair is looking for a slogan to highlight the “green” goal for the year: Reducing Waste. This is a great opportunity for students to inspire and remind others to think “green.” This contest is open to all students. To enter, students are asked to create a slogan + graphic based on the theme: Waste Reduction. The slogan should represent how they, their school or community can help reduce the amount of waste we produce and how that action can lead to change. As well, the student will submit a graphic depicting their slogan.
Entries are due Friday, April 2 to the Sustainability Chair. The winner will be announced the week of April 19 to celebrate Earth Day and receive a prize.
Click here for more details, rules and how to enter.
Questions? Contact Pam Hay, LWHS PTSA Sustainability Chair
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Eyes Up LW! Campaign is a Wrap |
Our Eyes UP LW! Digital Wellness Awareness Campaign concluded last weekend with the 24 hour pledge event in conjunction with the National Day of Unplugging. You will continue to find the tips and tools we highlighted over the campaign on our website.
A big THANK YOU to Alexis Christianson, Janis Rabuchin and Barbie Collins Young for help with content creation and wise counsel for this first time ever event. And to our partners at the school and ASB who helped spread the word.
We would LOVE to hear what tips you tried, how it went and reflections on your 24 hour respite or on the campaign in general! Fill out this survey with your stories and ideas for how we could make this program even better.
If you would like to see us repeat this event next year – we need volunteers to help! Please email president@lwhsptsa.org if you are interested or would like to hear more about the ideas we have to make it even more engaging when students are actually in the classroom.
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From the Counseling Center |
Pre-College Tests for Juniors
Four-year colleges have historically required the ACT or the SAT to be submitted as part of the college application process, and testing is normally done during the spring of the junior year and in the fall of the senior year.
Due to COVID 19 and the inaccessibility of the ACT and SAT being offered, colleges are currently deciding if they will require the ACT or SAT for the class of 2022. We have already heard from a handful of colleges that they will not be requiring these pre-college tests. Knowing that students typically stress and worry about taking and scoring well on these tests, we encourage your student to check the college’s website where s/he plans to apply next fall. We expect most colleges to make their decision sometime this spring.
LWHS Counselor
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Support Groups for Students and Family Members |
A friendly reminder that EvergreenHealth offers weekly support groups for Lake Washington School District High Schoolers and their families. Click here for more information.
Questions? Contact Lindsay McMeins, LICSW, LWHS-Based EvergreenHealth Social Worker
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eBooks Available to LW Students through Sora |
Last spring in response to the stay-at-home order, LWSD bought a subscription to an eBook platform called Sora. In the fall, LWHS PTSA granted the LW library $1,000 to spend on eBooks specifically for LW students. These particular books can only be accessed by LWHS students. The books offered were selected based on student votes and based on popularity, need, and alleviating wait times. Additionally, all the books in the LW collection are very popular. In fact, if you looked up the same titles at King County Library Systems, you’d would notice long wait times for their eBook copy. Your student can access Sora using this link. Students are able to download the Sora app to their personal devices or read the books on their school computer in a browser. Thank you LWHS PTSA for the grant to provide eBooks to our students!
LWHS Librarian
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From the LWHS Athletic Director |
Sports have started! Season 1 (fall) is underway, with seasons 2 (winter) and 3 (spring) to follow. Please encourage your child to participate in a sport this year, and complete the registration now in FinalForms.
LWHS Athletic Director
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Scoreboard Fundraiser: Final Stretch |
A special thanks to all of you who have donated to our new scoreboard effort! With your amazing Kang spirit, we now have less than $10k to go and keep getting closer each day.
If your company provides matching funds, please know that our Lake Washington High School Booster Club is a 501c3. We have some fun advertising packages too! Learn more at lwhsboosters.org. You also can make a donation directly through our Paypal account.
Picture is an example of what our future scoreboard could look like.
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Important Message for the Class of 2021 |
Graduation ceremony details are still in the works, but it's not too late to place your cap & gown orders! Please place orders by March 31 to ensure all orders are received in time for the cap & gown distribution event tentatively scheduled for end of April. Please use the links below to place your orders.
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Quick Reminder for Parents of Seniors |
If your senior is currently completing a graduation requirement outside of LWHS (for instance, taking an on-line course), remember that once your student has completed the course, s/he must request that the final transcript be mailed to LWHS. We need to receive the transcript no later than June 1, 2021.
LWHS Counselor
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Order Class of 2021 Signs or Donate to Support the Cause! |
Order window closes this Friday, March 12!
Let’s celebrate our seniors and their accomplishments! The LWHS PTSA is excited to offer LW Class of 2021 Signs for display in your yards or windows. These signs are 18x24 in size, include an H-stake for yard display, and can include your student's name - all for only $10.00 per sign! You do not need to be a PTSA member to purchase a sign. The custom design was created by an LWHS senior and converted to a digital format by LWHS senior parents. Thank you to Riley Rabuchin, Carmen Andonian and others for their work on the signs!
Click here to purchase a sign or make a donation for a family in need.
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LWPTSA Council Scholarships Available |
The Lake Washington PTSA Council is pleased to roll out its 2021 Scholarship Program! Council offers several $1250 student scholarships and two $500 staff scholarships every spring.
Applications for both staff and student scholarships are due by NOON on March 25, 2021.
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Workshop: Effective Communication for High Schoolers |
All high school students in Lake Washington School District are invited to an Effective Communications Workshop on Wednesday, March 24 at 6:00 pm. Students will learn the 3 C's of communication, how to have difficult or challenging conversations and tips for communicating over social media. This workshop is free but registration is required.
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Why the Great Outdoors is Our Happy Place
March is when we welcome Spring into our lives! We’re so lucky to live in an area with plenty of outdoor forests, mountains, trails and hikes. Come learn about the whys and wheres of taking in the Pacific NW’s great outdoors!
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Best Ways To Boost A Child's Brain with Staci Danford
Save the dates for this 2-part workshop. Staci Danford will talk about how brains work and share with parents some simple strategies to help create positive transformation. Staci will show how to help your child think smarter, build healthy relationships and let go of limiting beliefs. All parents of elementary and middle school aged children are welcome.
Suicide Awareness with UW's Forefront
Come learn in a friendly and nurturing environment, how to help your child or friend through a suicidal episode. Learn about what signs to look for, how to have the important conversations with your child around this topic and you will be provided with lots of resources. The mission of University of Washington's Forefront is to focus on reducing suicide by empowering individuals and community to take action. All are welcome, but especially recommended for middle school parents, high school parents and also high school students.
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When: March 25 at 7:00 pm
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Where: Online, details coming soon
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Lake Washington Schools Foundation News |
Seeking Virtual Table Captains at every school for “Be the Bridge: An Evening Benefit” on April 29
We are looking forward to bringing our community together for an inspirational and entertaining virtual event. Table Captains are essential to the success of this event. Please consider stepping up to bring the crew from your school together to support kids. Email maya@lwsf.org to learn more! Registration and further details coming soon.
Pantry Packs March Madness Fruit & Nut Food Drive
You can support Pantry Packs by providing the following items: Trail Mix, Fruit & Veg Cups (no foil lids), nuts, jerky, and more! Please make sure all are in individual packets with expiration dates of at least 3 months out. Drop-off dates/times: March 10, 13, 17 and 20 between 12:00-2:00 pm. Longer list of food items available and more info at www.lwsf.org/pantrypacks. You can also donate via their Amazon Wish List!
Balance in Mind Events for Parent & Teens
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Parent Chats - Register today for the winter session. Chats are held on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm.
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Balance in Mind’s Instagram @balance.in.mind is a destination for teens to gain inspiration, learn self-care tips, and more!
Find Your Fit: Understanding What College Costs & How to Pay Less
Join independent college counselor Mary Pat O’Neil and college financial planning consultant Peg Keough on March 30 from 7:00-8:00 pm as they discuss the cost of college, common myths about paying for college, understanding the timeline for applying to college, and more. Registration is required.
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March 12: LEAP Day (No School)
March 17: LWHS PTSA General Membership Meeting, 7:00 pm
April 5-9: Spring Break (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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