Dear Kang Families,

On Friday, January 12th, LWHS held a Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly. This assembly was planned by our Black Student Union (BSU) and several of our student clubs were involved. I write to you today to highlight this program and share some of the messages presented by students.

This year, the Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly involved affinity groups. These student-led clubs focused on the roles of different cultural groups in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and the movements currently building on that work. The focus was on our Black Student Union, our Jewish Student Union, our East Asian Culture Club, our Straight and Gay Alliance and importantly, the intersectionality of these groups.

I want to highlight Tyler, our BSU president, and Mr. Green, our BSU advisor. Tyler wrote and shared a poem displayed on the scoreboard as it was read. The poem included a strong message about the ongoing work to achieve equitable outcomes and the need to learn directly from people affected by racism how to create meaningful change. Here is a quote from Tyler’s poem about the messages Martin Luther King shared, and the way they have been misused:

 “Because over time new messages were misinterpreted within it.

These lines are not meant to make us blind to color, or to faith, or to gender and sexuality, or to any distinctive part of individual American identities in a society that routinely isn’t.

And equality is an ongoing revolution but without understanding and recognition, we are nothing

And unless we can see society through an individual or a community’s eyes,

Our assessment of who they are and what they need will forever be a lie.”

By celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. each year, we risk losing students in the repetition of facts. This year, and for the three years I have been a principal at Lake Washington High School, I saw a new light shining on the message. Our student body listened and engaged in this assembly and learned from the diverse perspectives of our affinity group leaders.  

Thank you to our students, and to the advisors who helped them prepare.

Go Kangs!

Christine Bell

Principal, Lake Washington High School

Connect with Mrs. Bell at cbell@lwsd.org

Upcoming College and Career Events:

2/2     10:17am          *UPDATED* Aeronautical Science Pathways: The Museum of Flight

2/9     10:15am          Central Washington University Application Workshop

2/10    8:00am           Central Washington University Wildcat Preview Day

3/4     12:00pm          PedalHeads Summer Job Lunch Table/Info

3/6     Full Day           The Evergreen State College Field Trip

3/7     4:30pm            College Fair @ LWHS (see below)

Visit the Evergreen State College

On Wednesday, March 6th, students are invited to visit The Evergreen State College on an all day field trip to Olympia, Washington. The Evergreen State College is known for its environmental science and agriculture programs, as well as its interdisciplinary style of instruction. Furthermore, The Evergreen State College sets itself apart with the absence of grades and the use of self-evaluations and metacognitive reflections. Finally, did you know that The Evergreen State College is one of 44 schools on the list of Colleges that Change Lives?

If your student is interested in attending this college campus visit, have them sign up and receive a permission form at the College and Career Center.

College Night 2024 - March 7th, 4:30pm – 7:20pm @ LWHS

Get ready for an informative and exciting College Night hosted by Lake Washington HS and Eastlake HS/T-Stem HS. This is your chance to explore college options and gain valuable insights into the college admissions process. Choose the night and location that suits you best! This is a great night for rising seniors and their families to investigate colleges and attend information sessions however all grades are welcome!

Agenda:

College Fair: 4:30 to 6:00pm - Main Gym

Breakout Session A: 6:05 – 6:40pm

Breakout Session B: 6:45 – 7:20pm

Breakout Options (to be finalized prior to event):

Applying to Selective College; Exploring 2-Year & Certificate Programs; Connecting with Admissions; Finding Your Best Fit; Applying to UW; Financial Aid Basics; Writing College Essays; Why Go Out of State & WUE; Applying to International Colleges; Military Careers & ROTC

For a list of colleges attending and breakout session updates: https://ehs.lwsd.org/counseling/college-and-career-center/college-night-2024

Questions regarding LW's College and Career Centre? Contact Alex McGlenn

The PTSA Staff Appreciation committee would like to show our teachers and staff how much we love them by treating them to a Shortcake Bar. The event will take place on the morning of Tuesday, February 13th. All donations of food and time is very much appreciated. Please click here on the SignUpGenius for more information.

One of the ways that the LWHS 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. The PTSA has recently approved the following grants:

• Funding the purchase of items that the Kang Kudos program will use to recognize students for prosocial behavior ($1,000).
• Funding the purchase of coffee and light breakfast snacks to be consumed by staff during Kang Coffee Klatsch: an opportunity to gather for an hour before school twice a month to socialize and build community ($500).
• Purchase of folders to hold choir music during concerts, and choral storage boxes to house the music ($750).
• Fund the purchase of student lunches during a field trip to the UW Bothell campus so that all students can fully experience the field trip without any financial barriers ($720).
• Purchase of books to diversify the texts that are available to English 10 students while studying mythology, offering opportunities for higher student engagement and enabling more students to study myths that relate to their heritage ($320).
• Purchase of materials and textbooks for students in the HOSA club to use as they prepare for the State Leadership Conference, providing them with the opportunity to practice skills and learn information that can be applied at the conference and also in future careers ($1,450).

If you would like to apply for a grant, click here for more information and the application form. The deadline for Spring grant requests is Friday, January 26th and applicants will be notified about funding in mid-February.

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

grants@lwhsptsa.org

The Senior Party on the night of June 14th is a safe and fun-filled post-graduation all-night party presented by the LWHS PTSA. We provide transportation to two venues (new this year!), entertainment, food and a memorable end-of-the year experience.

The planning committee is looking for these volunteers:

• Communications Lead - Create and manage a communications plan for email, website and social media. Other volunteers will execute these communications.  
• Volunteer Recruitment - Recruit the parent volunteers for the night of the event. 
• Parent Volunteers - You can volunteer for the entire night or a portion of it. It is a great opportunity to pay it forward (as a parent of a freshman, sophomore or junior), and to find out what Senior Party is all about! 

For more information or to sign up, email seniorparty@lwhsptsa.org.

Thank you!

Michael Claiborne

LWHS PTSA Senior Party Co-Chair

Did You Know?

Ads claim e-cigarettes emit only harmless water vapor (aka clouds). NOT true!

First, the ‘cloud’ is a mixture of many different chemicals that were either present in the e-liquid before, or produced during the heating process and are aerosols, NOT water vapor. Aerosols leave particles behind, not evaporate like water vapor (think whistling tea kettle).

Second, some of the chemicals emitted and left behind are formaldehyde (embalming fluid); lead (used in batteries & can stunt growth & damage the brain); toluene (used in paint thinner & can cause headaches & wheezing); and nickel (used in stainless steel & can cause cancer, damage to lungs and immune system).

Last, liquid nicotine is most dangerous part of an electronic cigarette (aka vape). It is highly addictive and toxic and used as a pesticide.

Make the clear choice NOT to put these chemicals into your body and brain. For information and to help you or someone you know to quit smoking or vaping, please contact your YES Prevention Intervention Specialist Andrea Frost using this form or email.

Unlike transcripts, diplomas do not have to have your legal name printed. For example, if you go by your middle name rather than your legal first name, that can be reflected on your diploma. Or, if your last name is hyphenated but you only use one of the names on a regular basis, you can update that too.

If you would like your name printed differently on your diploma than it is shown in Skyward, please fill out this form no later than January 31st.

(*only students with an LWHS login can access this form - parents/guardians cannot access this form)

Please note: Unless otherwise directed, your name will be printed on your diploma and in the graduation program as follows:

FirstName MiddleName LastName (e.g. Joe Robert Smith)

Click here to check your name in Skyward to make sure it reflects what you’d like to see on your diploma & graduation program.

Calling all gardening enthusiasts! A group of students from LW’s Green Team and Future Farmers of America (FFA) are designing a pollinator garden at LW! They’re busy applying for grants, filling out forms for District approval, and choosing plants and seeds. Their team could use some help from a family or community member who is well-versed in PNW native landscapes and pollinator gardens.

If you or someone you know would like to get involved, please contact Stephanie Lecovin at sustainability@lwhsptsa.org or text 206.604.5239 so she can connect you with the student team. Thank you!

Learn to swing dance and raise money for the Theatre Program during a fun night out! Dance pro and theatre parent Mike Begley will provide one hour of instruction, followed by time to practice all your new dance moves!

Date: Friday, February 2nd

Time: 7:00 to 9:00pm

Location: Lake Washington High School Commons

The suggested donation is $30 for individuals or $50 for couples. All ages are welcome. Cash/check accepted at the door.

Interested? To reserve your spot, email Joy Jernigan.

*This fundraiser is sponsored by the LWHS Theatre Boosters