Our November General Membership meeting was held Wednesday, November 16 in the LWHS Library and via Zoom. Guest speakers Perry Sampley, LWHS Guidance Counselor, and his son, Gabe Sampley, discussed how to teach and empower students to be self advocates. See the article below for more information.

The membership elected Tanya Knudsen as President and Amy Chavez as Executive Vice President for the 2022-23 year.

Our next General Membership meeting is scheduled for January 18, 2022 at 7:00 pm in the LWHS Library.

Just because students have made it to high school doesn't mean they are ready to function independently. They still need coaching and guidance, some more than others. Setting expectations of independent advocacy with your student, while monitoring their progress, can help them build life-long tools for success. 

Self-Advocacy Guidance for Students

There's no time like the present to ask for help! For academic, course-specific help, have your student connect with their teacher. Counselors can always help facilitate that connection if your student is worried about the initial conversation with the teacher.

• Asking for help: Ask the teacher for a time to meet, allowing the teacher to provide options for one-on-one, uninterrupted meeting time.
• Preparing for the meeting: Students should be ready to show what areas are confusing and have questions prepared.
• During the meeting: Students should openly and honestly express concerns and worries, sharing their work and asking questions. Allow the teacher to provide feedback and guidance.
• Following the meeting: The student and teacher can form a plan moving forward, which may include regular meetings for a period of time.
• Most importantly: Have your student follow through​!

Suggestions for Students from Graduate, Gabe Sampley:

• Compile all work, as noted above, to demonstrate effort to understand and improve.
• Attempt the work, even if confused. This will help provide points of discussion with the teacher.
• Question. Ask questions based on experience and work attempted.
• Participate in class. Be fully engaged. This improves the student's experience and shows the teacher the student wants to be successful.

Click here to view Gabe's video presentation.

Additional support for students

In addition to academic-specific concerns, counselors are also a great first point-of-contact for non-academic concerns. If they are not the one to directly address the issue, counselors can help direct you or your student to the correct contact. All Staff and Faculty at LWHS want to see your student be successful, so reach out anytime. 

Questions? Contact Perry Sampley, LWHS Counselor

LWHS PTSA is an active part of the Kang community. We spend nearly $20,000 each year to support our students, teachers/staff, and community in various ways – and we are behind our fundraising levels from last year! We can’t do it without you! 

Annual memberships and donations are our main source of funding and our “Pass the Pouch” request for donations is our only fundraiser of the year. Anyone – parents, grandparents, students, teachers – can join and donate.

To become a member, go to the “Join PTSA/Donate” page on our website. To contribute donations, continue to Step 3, “Pass the Pouch”.

The PTSA budget supports:

• Students: Over $14,000 in grants for classroom and club activities, enrichment programs (such as College Prep workshops, College Application support, practice SAT and ACT tests), scholarships and classroom grants requested by teachers
• Teachers/Staff: Nearly $3,000 in teaching staff appreciation events
• And so much more!!

Thank you for your support!

Dear Kang Families, 

Last week we had a PTSA General Membership Meeting and a Coffee with Christine session. These two events focused on supporting students with the skills needed for self-advocacy and preparing them for high school and beyond. One of our guidance counselors, Perry Sampley, shared the message that talking with your student about how to advocate for themselves with teachers can be beneficial in many life situations. His son, Gabe Sampley, made a video sharing practical tips on how to use these skills in day-to-day interactions. The video is available on the PTSA website.

I took the topic of self-advocacy into our Coffee with Christine and asked parents what skills they are teaching at home and what they would like to see reinforced in school. Parents shared that they teach their kids to take risks, to put first things first, to go out and meet friends in person (rather than texting them), and to cook and prepare their own lunches. A parent also shared that they are teaching their student how to ask the right questions. We discussed the simple interactions our teenagers struggle with, for example, ordering food at a restaurant. The consensus was that practicing social interactions and prioritizing important tasks are critical skills to teach at home. 

In response to the question about what parents would like to see us focus on in school, we heard a variety of responses: 

• Personal connections
• Time management
• Effective strategies for studying
• AVID strategies such as Cornell Notes
• Identifying what success is for each individual
• The importance of volunteerism
• Exploring career paths and knowing how to apply for jobs
• Reaching out for counseling support

Importantly, parents also want their students to understand how to be a good citizen and how to respect senior citizens and those with complex needs. Parents want their children to be happy and to understand that success is more than just having a good career; it also includes giving back to your community. 

I was impressed with the feedback from our parents. Meeting with parents and understanding the dynamics of our families helps inform our practice as educators. This partnership is absolutely essential to our success as a community. I am thankful to all who engage with us.

Thank you for your support. I hope that you enjoy the long weekend with your families. 

Christine Bell  

LWHS Principal

College Visits

We are coming to the end of a successful college visit season which included a well-attended college fair. It was great to have everyone back in person. There are still many great colleges with upcoming deadlines. If your student is interested in a particular college, feel free to reach out to that school's admissions office. Often times the people that are answering those emails and calls are the same people who will be reading applications. They are great resources for all things pertaining to student applications!

Final College Visits:

Wed, 11/30 at 1:00 pm: Cornish College of the Arts

Fri, 12/2 at 9:37 am Roo A: Whitworth University

Fri, 12/2 at 10:25 am Roo B: University of Washington Bothell

Application and FAFSA Support

Students needing college application and FAFSA support can stop by the College & Career Center before, after school, or during lunch or make an appointment with Ms. Swanger to confirm availability. Be sure they bring their questions! 

International Study Opportunities:

Is your student interested in study abroad in high school or post-secondary? The Council on International Education Exchange will present an informational session on Tuesday, November 29 at 3:00 pm at the College & Career Center. The presentation will include information on year-long and summer high school programs as well as opportunities post-graduation. Parents are welcome to attend.

Career Training Information Sessions

Lake Washington Institute of Technology is scheduled for January with classes about Auto Tech, Culinary, Health Sciences and more. Subscribe to the College and Career Calendar to receive updates about upcoming events.

Questions? Contact Nichole Swanger, LWHS College and Career Specialist

Hello Lake Washington High School Families,

We are the High School & Beyond Plan Coordinators for the 2022-23 school year. The High School & Beyond Plan is a high school graduation requirement. One of its components is the career planning work completed in Xello, our online interactive platform. Students can access Xello via the ClassLink app.

We wanted to highlight a few of the required activities within Xello. Students may work on these Xello activities on their own time, during Roo time, and/or during homerooms designated for Xello work. Students can access Xello by going into their grade level College & Career Teams page, then the High School & Beyond channel. Login instructions are posted in the PowerPoint located there.

Seniors should plan to complete and upload a current resume into the lesson called Resume or Activity Log Upload. Instead of a resume, seniors can choose to complete an activity log. The activity log template is on their Xello Dashboard under Links & Resources. The completed activity log will also need to be uploaded when completed.

For underclassmen, there is a Method Test Prep tool in Xello that can help students prepare for SAT/ACT exams. Your student can find the link to the tool in Links & Resources.

All students can explore colleges and majors by going to Explore Options and seeing which colleges match their interests. We encourage you to explore Xello as a family and see all it can do.

Questions about Xello? Feel free to contact us:

• Margaret Campbell: mcampbell@lwsd.org
• Phil Magnenat: pmagnenat@lwsd.org

Thank you and have a great year!

Margaret Campbell and Phil Magnenat, LWHS Counselors

December 3 at 1:00 pm in the LWHS North Gym 

Ten dance teams from Washington state will perform their routines as they kick off the beginning of the competition season. It is a fast-paced, exciting event that is great for all!  

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors and students. Youth under 5 are free.  

Doors open at 12:15 pm and the competition begins at 1:00 pm. Additional information on Instagram @lwdanceteam.

Do you know about the Kang Kloset? The LWHS Counseling Team created the Kang Kloset as a free student resource for a variety of needs. Donations of new and gently used items are needed: sweat pants, shirts, t-shirts, shoes, coats, toiletries, underwear and socks. They could especially use clothing in larger sizes, L, XL, 2XL.

Donations can be dropped off at the LW main office. Please mark donations with “Kang Kloset”.

Questions? Contact Wendi Thomas, LWHS Counselor

When emergency conditions such as snow and ice or windstorms result in school schedule changes, the district will notify families directly through ParentSquare.

Here are some other ways to find out about school schedule changes:

• Pop-up alert on https://www.lwsd.org/ and school webpages.
• Flashalert.net – this website allows you to sign up for text messages as well.
• Local TV/radio stations – they get a feed from Flashalert.net of all school schedule change decisions.

If you are curious how school schedule change decisions are made please visit the School Closures and Late Starts page of the district website.

November 30 deadlines are just around the corner: Help us help your student!

Encourage your student to sign up or drop in for essay editing, proofing or just a final read through before they click send.

In-person, outside the College and Career Center:

• Wed, 11/30 at 12:55 pm, drop in and reserved times available

Please note: Wed, 11/23 workshop is cancelled due to Thanksgiving holiday.

Zoom sessions (click here to sign up):

• Monday, 11/21
• Monday, 11/28
• Wednesday, 12/7

December and January tutoring sessions will be via Zoom only. All dates and times are on the Signup Genius.

Questions? Email collegeapp@lwhsptsa.org

Get ready for 2022's global day of giving!

#GivingTuesday is November 29, and Lake Washington Schools Foundation has big news: thanks to a generous anonymous donor who believes in LWSF's mission to support students and families in the Lake Washington School District, every dollar donated to LWSF between now and the end of the year will be matched, up to $10,000.

That's right: your donations will be doubled!

With your help, LWSF can unleash the full power of the $10,000 match. Make your matched #GivingTuesday donation right now at www.lwsf.org/givingtuesday.