At our May General Membership meeting, we elected officers for the 2023-2024 school year. Congratulations to:

Colleen Rutherford, President

Judy Chiu, Executive VP

Susan Dietz, Secretary

Ioana Hall, VP, Ways & Means

There are several open board positions remaining as well as a selection of committee positions open. Please see our website for a full list of available roles. If you or someone you know would like more information about any of these, please contact LWHS PTSA President Tanya Knudsen.

Senior Party is a big undertaking and we need lots of help, including many more chaperones.

The LWHS parent community has a long tradition of Freshman, Sophomore and Junior parents paying it forward to volunteer at Senior events so that Senior parents can relax and enjoy the moments. And when you become a Senior parent, you will enjoy the same courtesy! If you are a Senior parent and want to be in the mix, we welcome your help too.

In that spirit, the PTSA’s Senior Party Committee really needs your help volunteering at various Senior Party activities. Check out the sign-ups below for details and to volunteer or donate:

• Chaperones & Event Volunteers Sign Up: be part of the fun that night!
• Information & Bus Signups Table Volunteers: staff the help tables at lunches
• Senior Party Donations: items for the event
• Senior Party ticket scholarships: donations to assist a Senior

For event questions, please contact seniorparty@lwhsptsa.org

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

LWHS Green Team is paving the way to reduce waste

Composting, recycling, and food donation efforts are going strong at LWHS! Over the past five weeks, our sustainability changes have resulted in donating 252 pieces of whole fruit, 38 boxes of raisins, 18 juices, and 99 cartons of milk to New Bethlehem Programs, Kirkland’s only family shelter, located across the street from LW. Food waste is being composted and plastic, glass, and aluminum bottles are being recycled. Additional updates can be found on the sustainability website.

There is still significant plastic waste in the form of clamshells, silverware, cups, and wrapping. Students are now shifting their focus to reduce that waste at its source. On May 25, eight members of the Green Team presented a proposal to LWSD Nutrition Services to transition to non-plastic, reusable items in the fall. On May 26, PTSA Sustainability Chair Stephanie Lecovin presented an update to teachers at their LEAP Day in-service, summarizing the achievements around waste reduction over the last three months and letting teachers know what they can do to support ongoing efforts. Check out the presentation here. 

These changes could not have happened without the collaboration and full support from LWHS staff and administration, and the passionate students from the LWHS Green Team. Way to go, everyone!

Questions or want to get involved? Contact Stephanie Lecovin, LWHS PTSA Sustainability 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 2023-2024 is "I am hopeful because...."

Students have the whole summer break to think about how to work on this Reflections art project. The due date for 2023-2024 is around early Nov.

If your students are interested in participating this art program, please check the detail here.

Questions? Contact Rachel Pai, LWHS PTSA Reflections Chair

Dear Kang Parents, 

The time is drawing near and we are preparing for commencement and the 2023-24 school year. On May 18, we welcomed our rising 9th graders with family tours. We are excited to have the class of 2027 joining us in a few short months. 

There are a few highlights I would like to share with you. First, our theater department welcomed students from Bell Elementary to watch the LW Theater production of The Three Musketeers. They were awed by our big school and our big kids too! Mr. Green, our business and marketing teacher, was honored with the Service Above Self Teacher of the Year Award by the Kirkland Rotary Club. Our boy’s baseball team, as well as members of both our track and field and tennis teams, rocked into the state playoffs this past weekend. We are so proud of our teams for doing well this spring. Congrats to our athletes and coaches. 

I could fill a whole newsletter with the opportunities our students have to experience the world. We are truly privileged to have the support of our community. 

As we prepare for the end of the school year on June 23, we also say goodbye to the Class of '23. Our graduation ceremony will be held at the University of Washington on June 15. Please note that June 15 and June 23 are both early release days. We will also have no school on June 19 in honor of Juneteenth. Between now and then we have many opportunities to celebrate with families and seniors. 

Speaking of summer, now is a good time to talk about resources available to students. We have a summer school program for credit advancement as well as for credit retrieval. Please reach out to your child's counselor with any questions about this opportunity.

We also recognize that time away from school can be tough for students. Mental health is the number one priority for us when it comes to student safety. Please talk with your child about how they are doing. Active listening and time together will help you gauge if your child needs help. Recently, our counseling team sent an email to students with resources. Here is the list of resources they offered: 

• 988-National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline
• 24-Hour Crisis Line:  866-4CRISIS (1-866-427-4747) or 206-461-3222 
• Crisis Text Line: https://www.crisistextline.org/text-us/ or text HOME to 741741
• National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 or https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 
• Teen Link Help Line:  1-866-TEENLINK (833-6546) 
• Teen Link Chat: www.866teenlink.org 
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 
• Transgender Suicide Hotline: 877-565-8860 https://www.translifeline.org/about

Asking for help is a sign of strength. Please join us in supporting your child in reaching out when they need to and help us normalize the conversation around mental health. 

Thank you to our parent volunteers for their time and dedication they provide to our learning community. Please consider joining the PTSA and be a part of our progress. The community of Lake Washington is always rising. 

Go Kangs!

Christine Bell  

LWHS Principal

Ticket Sales Close this Sunday, June 4! We know Seniors want to go, so help them with a reminder to buy a ticket now. 

Purchase Senior Party tickets here!

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 transportation to two surprise venues, entertainment, food and a memorable end-of-year experience with friends. 

Start Time: Thursday, June 15 at 8:30-9:30 pm, check-in at LWHS

End Time: Friday, June 16 at 5:00 am, buses arrive back to 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.

Ticket prices:

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

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

Students can go to the Senior Party table during lunches on certain dates to purchase tickets in person (bring a check), submit waivers and sign up for buses. See the event FAQ or @lwhs_alwaysrising on Instagram for table dates.  

All forms must be in and processed to sign up for a bus and attend the event! Send completed forms to seniorparty@lwhsptsa.org for the fastest turnaround time or turn in to the 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. All students who purchase a Senior Party ticket by June 4 are guaranteed a bus spot.

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.

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

Now through 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 now and June 4. 

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