Are you looking for an opportunity to get more involved at LWHS or help shape future events and programs at our school? LWHS PTSA will be electing new board members for the 2023-2024 school year and we’re looking for candidates who are passionate about PTSA’s mission of enhancing the educational experience of students for several critical Board roles and Committee Chair roles. 

Open Board Positions:

Secretary

Treasurer

VP of Ways and Means

Open Chair Positions:

Advocacy

Communications

Hospitality

Membership

Senior Party

Special Needs Awareness and Inclusion

Student Directory

Student Recognition

Role Descriptions can be found here: LWHS PTSA Job Summaries.

If you’re thinking these roles sound daunting, perhaps because you’ve never served on a PTSA board or only have experience at the primary school level, don't worry! Our current board members–almost all of whom work full time–have actually found the time commitment to be very manageable. On average, three to four hours per month (sometimes even less) is all it takes.

Sound like something you’d like to try out for the 2023-2024 school year? Please email us at nomcom@lwhsptsa.org to add your name to our list of candidates or request additional info. We’d also love to hear from you.

Sustainability efforts at LWHS are moving forward at full speed! On March 16, seventeen students joined PTSA Sustainability Chair Stephanie Lecovin, PTSA President Tanya Knudsen, and Green Team advisor Andrea Thody as they sorted through over 200 pounds of waste from lunch that day to gather baseline data before implementing a new sorting system in the kitchen and the Commons.

The new sorting system is scheduled to launch during Earth Week, just after students return from Spring Break. Students will learn how to properly sort their waste by watching a video during Kang News this week, and student volunteers will monitor the waste stations to ensure everything ends up in the right place. 

To learn more about the waste audit, for more information about sustainability efforts, or to get more involved (volunteers are needed during Earth Week lunch times), check out the PTSA Sustainability webpage or contact Stephanie Lecovin, LWHS PTSA Sustainability Chair

One of the ways LWHS PTSA supports our school community is by funding grants that provide educational enrichment, support club activities and social events, and encourage emotional well-being. This semester, the PTSA provided four grants:

• Purchase of additional copies of a novel for English 10 Honors so that all classes can study a text at the same time. The number of students taking this class has increased as the school’s enrolment has grown. Teaching all classes simultaneously enables the staff to collaborate and adapt to instructional challenges.
• A donation to the Reading Joy Coalition program to fund the purchase of student-requested young adult literature to complete the 6 classroom libraries in the initial phase of this program at LWHS. This program aims to provide easier access to a variety of books with the purpose of igniting a joy of reading, which provides a variety of academic and personal benefits.
• Purchase of equipment and supplies to start a Coffee Club that will provide vocational and life skills training for special education students in the Transition Center.
• Scholarships for AP Math students to fund their participation in the UW Math Day field trip.

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.

Christine Woskett LWHS PTSA Grants Committee Chair

Donations and volunteers needed!

Staff appreciation week is our big event of the year to show LWHS staff how much we love them! This is an all hands on deck, weeklong event May 1-5 with multiple donations and volunteer opportunities each day. 

Click here to sign up and participate

Questions? Contact Beatrice Joe, LWHS PTSA Staff Appreciation Chair

Town Hall with LWSD Leadership

Join LWPTSA Council's Special Education Group (SEG) in person for our April meeting! We'll kick off at 6:30 pm with family networking. At 7 pm we will begin the town hall: LWSD Superintendent Dr. Jon Holmen and members of the LWSD board will share information about the district's work in support of special education students and programs, followed by Q&A.

Child care is available! Contact specialservices@lwsd.org with your student's name and age by today, April 4.

When: Tuesday, April 18 from 6:30-8:30 pm

Where: LWSD Resource Center Boardroom (16250 NE 74th Street at Redmond Town Center)

Stay Connected: SEG Page | Facebook Group | SEG Newsletter

We're looking forward to this great opportunity to hear from district leadership and hope to see you there! Please send questions to Council's SEG co-chairs, Huma Zarif and Kaity Mason, at specialeducation@lwptsa.net.

Greetings Kang Families,

For this issue of the Kang Crier I would like to address a serious and ongoing concern in schools nationwide. Thank you for taking the time to read through and for partnering with us in support of student health.

Vaping is an epidemic for both adults and teenagers not only in our school, but in every high school and middle school. The supply is abundant and education about risks is lacking. We have a student group who recently created posters and they hung them on the hallway walls to help our community understand the risks involved. Vaping is highly addictive, and we have a drug/alcohol specialist who works with teenagers who vape. It is not all that different from smoking (which used to be a problem for teens) except that it is easier to hide. 

As the principal and lead of an administrative team of five, I can tell you that we do not walk by a restroom without opening the door and going in to make sure that everything is alright. We also have a full-time dean of students and two safety and security professionals who do the same. 

Anytime we suspect that a student is in possession of a vaping device that student is searched and any paraphernalia found is confiscated and destroyed. Parents are contacted, a referral is made to our drug/alcohol specialist and the student is placed in our restoration room. 

The best way to support our efforts is twofold. We need parents to be aware of what their students are doing, what they bring to school with them, and how to handle it when someone is vaping around them. Students need to report vaping to an adult right away so that we can follow the steps mentioned above. They can do this by telling a teacher/adult or by emailing/Teams chatting a teacher or other adult at school. We have excellent surveillance cameras that we can use to track down who was in the bathroom, even if we can't catch them "red handed." 

When we don't know it is happening we cannot respond. Please encourage your student to follow the process of reporting to an adult. It is absolutely anonymous. 

We always want to partner with our parents to tackle issues as a team. You can help us with vaping by getting the word out. Talk with your kids about vaping and encourage them to report any concerns to an adult at school as soon as possible.

Again, this is an epidemic that goes well beyond LWHS. I do not want your student or any other students exposed to vaping at our school or anywhere else. We will continue our efforts at bathroom supervision and hope that parents will partner with us on educating students on both the dangers of vaping and the importance of reporting. 

To learn more about vaping and teens please consider accessing the CDC website.

Thank you for your support of our learning community.

Christine Bell  

LWHS Principal

College Fair – Save the Date! 

On Thursday April 20 from 5:00-7:00 pm, LWHS will host a spring college fair in the Gym. This is a great way to kick off the college search for our upcoming 2024 grads! All grades and parents are welcome to attend. Come and speak directly with college admissions advisors about admissions, housing, campus life and more. We have almost 50 schools attending such as UW, Gonzaga, WSU, Arizona State, University of Arizona, UNLV, San Diego State, Oregon State, U of Oregon, UMass, Embry Riddle and more!

WANIC Summer Program – Applications open April 18 and close April 27

Rising 9-12 graders may apply. This summer's selection include 8 different DigiPen options like 3D modeling. Additional courses included Applied Materials, Forensics, BioSysetms & Genetic Research, Intro to Urgan Agriculture, Intro to Video Production & Boradcasting ans so many more! Go to wanic.lwsd.org for more information. Classes run from June 27 to July 14.

Check out the NEW LWHS College & Career page with links to great resources with every click! https://lwhs.lwsd.org/counseling/college-and-career-center

Questions? Contact Nichole Swanger, LWHS College and Career Specialist

The LWHS Music Boosters Club is selling fuchsia hanging baskets to raise general funds for the Music Department. Music Boosters support the LW Band, Choir, and Orchestra programs by helping to fund trips, music festivals, equipment and music purchases, repairs, and more!

In May 2023, students from the Music Department are attending the Heritage Music Festival in Anaheim CA. Music Boosters is providing scholarships and large instrument transit funds for this trip.

All plants are provided by Squak Mountain Nursery, a family owned business in Issaquah.

Fuchsias are $55 each and come in cedar hanging baskets. The colors offered are 'grower's choice' and we have 100 available. 

The sale runs through April 6 or until we run out of baskets to sell. Pickup will be at LW tentatively scheduled for May 4 or May 5.  

Click here to purchase or to make a general donation.

Questions? Email Gretchen Moosbrugger, Music Boosters President, with questions or to volunteer for pick up help.

April 28 to May 6, 2023

Tickets on sale now!

Come see our swashbuckling spring production! Ken Ludwig's adaptation of the classic novel The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas is a tale of heroism, treachery, close escapes and above all, honor.

Set in 1625, this historic tale depicts a brother and sister, d’Artagnan and Sabine, as they set off for Paris in search of adventure - and they definitely find it among The Kings' Musketeers! This show is double-cast. Please click on the Brown Paper Tickets link below for full details. 

Tickets prices:

$8 Students w/ASB, Seniors (60+), Military

$10 General Admission

Click here to buy tickets

Select Print-at-Home option for quick entry. Tickets also available at the door each performance with cash/check only.



Additional information on the LWHS Theatre Website. Follow us on Facebook for event listings, updates and photos.

Send your senior to a safe and fun-filled post graduation all-night party! The LWHS PTSA provides transportation to two venues, entertainment, food and a memorable end-of-the year experience. 

When: Thursday, June 15, 2023

Start Time: 8:30-9:30pm

End Time: 5:00 am on Friday, June 16, at LWHS  

Parent Perspective:

Is your senior uncertain about Senior Party? Graduates want to celebrate with their friends and that is the point of Senior Party. Connect with your parent network to encourage ticket buying. If "all their friends are going", that's where your student will want to be. Plus, we all know how wobbly teen plans can be; buying a ticket for Senior Party takes the stress out for everyone!

Ticket prices:

• $200 until April 30
• $210 between April 30 and June 4
• Ticket sales end June 4, 2023  
• All ticket purchases are non-refundable

Scholarships or installment plans are available. Contact Jodee Hull at jhull@lwsd.org for more information.

How do you sign up your Senior? Click here to purchase Senior Party Tickets. You can also see additional information and the event FAQ. You do not need to be a PTSA member to purchase tickets.

Questions? Do you want to help chaperone or plan the event? Contact the Senior Party Co-Chairs at seniorparty@lwhsptsa.org 

LWHS Parents and Guardians,

The High School & Beyond Plan is a high school graduation requirement and one of its components is the career planning work in Xello, our online interactive platform. Students can access Xello via the ClassLink app.

Seniors need to complete their Xello work by Spring Break (April 10).

If you have questions, please email Margaret Campbell for last names A-Law or Phil Magnenat for last names Le-Z.

May 2 at Lunch A & B

Have your Senior join their classmates in celebrating their college or university decision by wearing college gear and taking pictures with pennants and our LW Decision Day banner. We will celebrate all decisions including gap year, military, working or school decisions. Students can snap pics with friends and teachers. Have them join the fun!

Questions? Contact Nichole Swanger, LWHS College and Career Specialist

The Peter Kirk PTSA is accepting applications for their annual scholarship. The scholarship will be awarded to one graduating senior from LWSD who is a Peter Kirk Elementary Alum. The purpose of this scholarship is to provide recognition of overall achievement and community service by awarding monetary assistance toward further education. One $1000 scholarship is available. The scholarship is intended for the purchase of tuition, required textbooks, materials/tools or room and board for on-campus housing. Applications are due by April 10.

Click here for more information

Questions? Email alumnischolarship@peterkirkptsa.org

Thank You for Being the Bridge!

At Lake Washington Schools Foundation's Be the Bridge Spring Benefit on March 23, our generous sponsors and donors combined their efforts to raise over $220,000 for local students!

Our heartfelt thanks go out to the committed Trustees, Table Captains, Ambassadors, Program Leaders, volunteers and matching pool donors who were instrumental in making this day a success. Thank you to everyone who spoke at or was interviewed or filmed for our Be the Bridge program, especially our MC Morgan Palmer. We are humbled by your support for students, schools and families through the Lake Washington Schools Foundation. Together, we can be the bridge.

View photos from our event at lwsf.org/bethebridge. Learn more about how LWSF's work benefits students at your local school, visit lwsf.org/impact-at-your-school.

Mental Health Webinar Recordings

Growing Empathy. Body Confidence. Self-Harm. Grit and Gratitude. Stress and the Student Athlete. These are just a few of the many topics we've covered through Parent Chat education webinars. Access a wealth of expert-led webinar recordings on our Balance In Mind YouTube channel.

Balance In Mind is a program of Lake Washington Schools Foundation

LWSF Receives Assistance League of the Eastside's '22–'23 Operation School Bell^® Award

Lake Washington Schools Foundation is honored to be the winner of the 2022-2023 Operation School Bell^® Award, presented at Assistance League of the Eastside's Spring Fling on March 9. Learn how our partnership with ALE enabled LWSD students to access the resources they need to be successful in school: lwsf.org/osb-award.

College 101: An Introduction to the College Process

Calling high school students and parents! On Thursday, April 27, at 6:30 to 8:30 pm, join independent college counselor Mary Pat O’Neil for an in-depth session on the college process. This is a repeat of the Feb. 7 presentation. Topics covered include:

• What do colleges want to know about students in the application?
• Different types of colleges
• How to create a college list
• Highly selective colleges
• Cost of college

Visit our Find Your Fit webpage to register. Find Your Fit is a program of Lake Washington Schools Foundation.