Our final LWHS PTSA General Membership Meeting of the year will be a virtual meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, May 17. We will elect our officers and approve our budget for the 2023-2024 school year.

When: Wed, May 17

Time: 7:00-8:30 pm

Where: Via Zoom

Questions? Contact Tanya Knudsen, LWHS PTSA President

The 2023 Nomination Committee for Lake Washington High School PTSA is pleased to announce our nominations for the slate of officers for the 2023-2024 school year!

President: Colleen Rutherford

Executive VP: Judy Chiu

Secretary: Sue Dietz

Treasurer: OPEN

VP, Student Programs: OPEN

VP, School Support: OPEN

VP, Ways & Means: Ioana Hall

VP, Family & Community Engagement: OPEN

Elections will take place at the May 17 LWHS PTSA general membership meeting.

LWHS PTSA Nominating Committee

Please join us for the last Coffee with Christine event this year on Thursday, May 18 at 6:00 pm in the LW Commons. This coffee is primarily geared towards parents of next year’s freshman class, but all are welcome. Experienced parents are always helpful in answering questions, too! Grab your coffee and join us as we welcome new families and hear what’s happening at the school. Student-led campus tours will begin at 6:15 pm. The tour will be more than a mile long so please wear comfortable shoes. Elevators are available for those who need them. 

LWHS PTSA recognizes individuals and volunteers who have given outstanding, continued, and dedicated service to our LWHS community. Nominations can come from parents, teachers, staff members, students, and community members. Please take a moment to nominate a candidate for one of the following awards:

• Golden Acorn Award: This Award is presented to a volunteer in recognition of their dedication and service to children and youth.
• Outstanding Educator Award: This Award recognizes individuals who have provided outstanding educational opportunities for children and youth that are beyond the normal scope of their jobs. These educators make the learning environment fun, beneficial, and challenging.
• Outstanding Advocate Award: This Award recognizes and honors adult individuals for their continued and dedicated service to ALL children and a demonstrated commitment to helping create strong policies relating to the health, welfare, safety, and education of children and youth.
• Outstanding Student Advocate Award: This Award recognizes students who have made significant contributions through leadership and service in their schools and community, with an emphasis on their impact at LWHS. 

Please email this form along with your nomination details to the 2022-2023 Awards Committee at awards@lwhsptsa.org. Nominations are due by May 25. Winners will be announced in June.

Information, award criteria and past recipients are available on the nomination form. Feel free to nominate more than one person. Please note that past recipients cannot be given the same award again but may be nominated for a different one. 

LWHS PTSA is actively seeking underclassmen parent volunteers to help set up and take down at the Senior Farewell on Friday, June 9. The Senior Farewell event provides an opportunity for all 2023 seniors and families, as well as LW staff, to connect and celebrate one final time as LWHS Kangs. Since time and space limitations at the graduation ceremony prevent the ability to have a reception, Senior Farewell provides a chance for attendees to mingle, enjoy light refreshments, and take photos in caps and gowns. 

Senior Farewell will be held in the LWHS Commons on Friday, June 9, 2023, from 6:30-8:00 pm, directly preceding the Senior Sunset. Click here to sign up to volunteer.

Questions? Contact Colleen Rutherford, LWHS PTSA Senior Farewell Chair

As we approach the end of the school year, our classrooms are in need of tissues to help prevent the spread of germs and keep our students healthy.

If you are able to donate few boxes of tissues, please click here to sign up. Donations can be dropped off at the school office until May 18.

Thank you for your support and generosity! If you have any questions or concerns, contact info@lwhsptsa.org.

Waste stations at LWHS are ACTIVE! Help make the sustainability program sustainable.

Students, teachers, and parents have been staffing the waste stations in the Commons during lunch. Overall, waste reduction is working well. Most students know what to put where. The kitchen is also composting and they have made changes that have further reduced what is going to the landfill. Next steps are to refine the process and have volunteer hands at the two stations every day for a few more weeks to help students adapt to the new system.

Donations (unopened milk, uneaten fruit, and raisins) are made once a week to the New Bethlehem Program across the street from LWHS. In the first two weeks, we donated 43 cartons of milk, 89 pieces of fruit, and 30 mini boxes of raisins. Thank you to the parent volunteers who donated their time! A huge thanks to the student volunteers and to Andrea Thody, LWHS Green Team advisor and AP Environmental Science teacher. 

Help is still needed at the stations! Join us and see teens in action. Sign up here. For more information on the PTSA sustainability initiative, check out our sustainability page on the LWPTSA website. 

Questions? Contact Stephanie Lecovin, LWHS PTSA Sustainability Chair

Lake Washington High School PTSA is extremely proud to congratulate our very own LWHS student Megan Lambert whose entry in the 2022-23 Reflections art program has been honored at the National PTA level!

Megan was awarded the highest honor of Outstanding Interpretation for her visual arts piece, “Hear Me Roar,” in the Special Artist division. Click here for a full listing of award winners.

If your student is interested in participating in this art program next year, please click here for more information.

Many “Thanks-a-Roo” too all of our wonderful families who donated food, gift cards and time to make Staff Appreciation Week a memorable and fun week for our staff!

We would also like to thank our Rose Hill Starbucks for donating all of the coffee for our Doughnuts and Coffee day. Also, we would like to give a huge shout out to California Mexican Food in Bellevue for providing a spectacular lunch for Cinco de Mayo!

Beatrice Joe, LWHS PTSA Staff Appreciation Chair

Join LWPTSA Council's Special Education Group (SEG) for their May meeting. The meeting will kick off at 6:30 pm with family networking. At 7:00 pm they will begin the formal program with a presentation on the Best Buddies supported employment and one-to-one friendship programs, followed by a facilitated discussion on future planning for SEG.

When: Tuesday, May 16, at 7:00 pm; family networking begins at 6:30 pm

Where: LWSD Resource Center (16250 NE 74th Street, Redmond)

Stay Connected: SEG Page | Facebook Group | SEG Newsletter

Questions? Please email LWPTSA Council's SEG co-chairs, Huma Zarif and Kaity Mason, at specialeducation@LWPTSA.net.

Dear Kang Parents, 

As we round out the last few weeks of the school year I think it is important to not only celebrate the accomplishments of our students but also to acknowledge the level of stress our students experience at this time of year. I have heard from many students that keeping up with classes as they prepare for the end of the fourth quarter had caused them to lose sleep, get down on themselves, and worry constantly. It does not help that many of our students just completed several AP tests and/or SBA/WCAS testing. 

There are a few strategies I would like you to consider if you feel like your student is experiencing stress: 

1. Find time and space to talk. This can be taking a walk together or just spending time away from electronic devices one on one. 
2. Acknowledge their feelings. Students have a much harder job than we did when we were in high school. Telling them that you understand and listening to what they experience on a day-to-day basis is important. 
3. Encourage your student to "chunk" their work. This means setting goals, working on one thing at a time (maybe set a goal to make up one missing assignment a day) and taking breaks during homework. Mental exhaustion is real and our students need rest. 
4. Finally, support students asking for help. This can be asking their teachers what they should focus on (they can take notes to help organize) and asking for professional help as well. Causing a student to feel bad about feeling bad is not only counterproductive, it can also cause real and irreparable harm. 

Soon we will celebrate the end of the year. Each milestone is a celebration, including the transition between 9th, 10th and 11th grades. While we focus on seniors and graduation, families can be cheerleaders for each step in their student's lives. 

Thank you for your support of our learning community. 

Christine Bell  

LWHS Principal

AAUW Scholar Recognition

Three Lake Washington High School juniors were chosen for the Scholar Recognition program through the American Association of University Women. Debbie Baxter, a representative for the Kirkland-Redmond branch of AAUW, presented Alina Ames the award for Science, Anjali Gopal the award for Technology and Swara Seshadri the award for Mathematics. Congratulations to these Scholars representing LWHS.

Rotary Scholarships Announcement

Five LWHS students were awarded Scholarships from the Kirkland Rotary Club. Students and their families will be celebrated at the June 5 Rotary meeting.

• Lucas DeBlieck, Step Scholarship
• Allan Diaz, Business & Accounting Scholarship
• Drew Fialho, Rotary Scholarship
• Benjamine Howard, Rotary Scholarship
• Xavier Smith, Rotary Scholarship

Juniors – Get a head start on college information

The Arrow Admissions team, a team of College Recruiters from schools like Cal Poly SLO and SDSU, have created Intro to College Week. College Week 2023 is still being designed but there is a great line up of pre-recorded events like “How to Write a College Essay” and “The Year Ahead: Senior Tips & Timelines”. Dig into the year ahead now! Click here for more information.

Questions?  Contact Nichole Swanger, LWHS College and Career Specialist

Registration for summer athletics is open now. Register via FinalForms or click here for more information.

When logged into FinalForms, click on the blue button labeled “Click to Switch to 2023-24 Registration” to find the registration page for summer athletics.

Payment for athletic fees is made through the LWSD Online Payments system (not through FinalForms).

Questions? Contact Rick O'Leary, LWHS Athletic Director, or JoDee Hull, LWHS Athletic Office Secretary

Ticket sales close June 4! We know Seniors want to go so help them with a reminder to buy a ticket now.

What is Senior Party? Senior Party is a safe and fun-filled post-graduation all-night party on June 15 for Seniors organized by the LWHS PTSA. We provide the transportation to two surprise venues, entertainment, food and a memorable end-of-year experience with friends. 

When: Thursday, June 15, 2023

Start Time: 8:30-9:30pm

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

How do you sign up your Senior? Click here to purchase Senior Party Tickets. Also see additional information for required waivers. You do not need to be a PTSA member to purchase tickets.

Bus sign ups have started! To reserve a bus spot in advance with friends, Seniors must purchase a ticket and submit completed waivers at least two days before a bus sign up to be eligible.

To purchase tickets in person, bring a check and completed waivers to the Senior Party table (near the security desk in the Commons) during lunches on May 17. Sign up for buses during lunches on May 19. More dates to be announced on @lwhs_alwaysrising on Instagram.  

All forms must be in and processed to sign up for a bus! Send completed forms to seniorparty@lwhsptsa.org or drop them in the PTSA box in the main office (for the PTSA mailbox, not the drop box). Note that the seniors are not grouped by bus colors once we get to the venues. There are no groups at the venues and all attendees can interact. All students who purchase a Senior Party ticket by June 4 are guaranteed a bus spot.

Ticket prices:

• $210 per ticket
• Last day for ticket sales is June 4!  
• All ticket purchases are non-refundable

Are you concerned about the cost of a ticket? Scholarships or installment plans are available. Contact Jodee Hull at jhull@lwsd.org for more information or go and talk with her in the athletic office at school.

Do you want to help? Do you want to help chaperone or plan the event? Contact the Senior Party Co-Chairs at seniorparty@lwhsptsa.org or sign up to help at the lunch information table or to volunteer for bus check-in or to chaperone that night.



We want every senior who would like to attend the party to join!

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

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

We want to remind Seniors that their Xello work needs to be completed now.

Questions? Contact Margaret Campbell (mcampbell@lwsd.org) for last names A-Law or Phil Magnenat (pmagnenat@lwsd.org) for last names Le-Z. 

Lake Washington Schools Foundation News

Watch Screenagers Next Chapter

May 21 to June 4

From the director of Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age comes Screenagers Next Chapter: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience. Follow physician and filmmaker, Delaney Ruston, as she discovers solutions for improved adolescent well-being in the digital world. 

Visit www.lwsf.org and reserve your free seat to watch this documentary virtually between May 21 and June 4. 

This free event is brought to you by Overlake Medical Center & Clinics and Lake Washington Schools Foundation. 

In-Person Parent Education Event: Raising Resilient Teens

May 17 at 7:30 pm

All LWSD families are welcome to attend an in-person parent education event at Eastlake High School on Wednesday, May 17 at 7:30 pm to learn practical strategies for supporting your teen's mental health and nurturing healthy relationships with their family and others. Local expert Sheri Gazitt from Teen Wise will join with a local medical professional and Eastlake High School counselors to cover the pressures and difficulties of being a teen in a high achieving community, how to cultivate healthy relationships, and who to contact at Eastlake HS if you are worried about your child or a friend, plus Q&A. No registration necessary.