Welcome to families newly added to our distribution list! Kang Crier is a bi-weekly newsletter created by LWHS PTSA to share relevant and valuable information with the LWHS community and will be distributed every other Sunday throughout the school year. For previous issues and to see future distribution dates, click here.

Pass The Pouch

Pass The Pouch is the annual fundraiser for LWHS PTSA, and each year we depend on this fundraiser for our entire operating budget. We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization and could not exist or achieve our goals without the dedication of our volunteers and your generous donations.

LWHS PTSA invests more than $60,000 annually to fill gaps in public funding in ways that enhance the experience of our LWHS students, teachers/staff, and community through the following:

• Students: Over $27,000 in enrichment and wellness programs, recognition, scholarship assistance, events, and classroom and club activities
• Teachers/Staff: Over $17,000 in classroom grants, continuing education, and staff appreciation
• Community: Over $16,000 in family engagement and events, emergency supplies, and other support programs We kindly ask that you click here to make your tax-deductible donation to these important causes and, if available, ask your workplace to make a matching donation.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to elevating the learning environment of LWHS students so that they may reach their full potential! LWHS PTSA is an adaptable resource and welcomes ideas or questions regarding the use of donations – please reach out to us at fundraising@lwhsptsa.org.

Dear Kang Families, 

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. My messages come directly from the conversations I have with parents and community members, and this serves as a key means of communication between us.

In the spirit of enhancing communication, I am excited to introduce you to Kang Coffee Hour. Those of you who have been part of the LW community for some time may be familiar with our tradition of "Coffee with Christine." I have always valued the opportunity to connect with parents - both to share important information and to learn from you how we can best serve our students.

Our administrative team at LW is exceptional, consisting of administrators, counselors, and specialists like our Dean of Student Success, our Community Resource Officer, and our Athletic Director. To better reflect the collaborative nature of these meetings, "Coffee with Christine" will now be called Kang Coffee Hour, highlighting the range of experts joining these conversations.

We will host Kang Coffee Hour in person at LWHS on Tuesday mornings from 9:00 to 10:00am. To accommodate more families, we will also hold one evening session per month from 6:00 to 7:00pm on Teams. These dates will be shared in each edition of the Kang Crier. I encourage you to attend whenever you can, as we’d love to spend time with you. The PTSA kindly provides coffee and snacks for all attendees.

In response to parent feedback, each meeting will focus on a specific topic. Our first meeting on October 1st will center around school safety. I will also be taking suggestions for future topics during that meeting, or you can email me with your ideas.

Tentative Dates:

Tuesday Morning Sessions (9:00 - 10:00 AM, in person):  

- October 1st  

- December 3rd  

- January 28th  

- March 25th  

- April 29th

Thursday Evening Sessions (6:00 - 7:00 PM, online via Teams):  

- November 7th  

- January 9th  

- February 27th  

- April 10th  

- May 29th

There is no need to RSVP. All parents are welcome to attend, and I look forward to seeing you there!

Warm regards, and Go Kangs!

Dr. Christine Bell

Principal, Lake Washington High School

On Wednesday, October 23rd, LWHS will host the PSAT and SAT College Board exams. This day is called 'Super Wednesday' and all high schools in LWSD participate. Below is information on what to expect, sign up and deadline information.

 9th Grade Students/Families: On Super Wednesday, all 9th grade students stay home; no action items.

 10th Grade Students/Families: LWSD pays for all 10th grade students to participate so 10th graders are automatically signed up and expected (though not required) to attend; no action items.

 11th Grade Students/Families: 11th grade students can choose to take the PSAT/NMSQT or stay home on this day. LWSD does not pay for 11th grade students to take the PSAT so those students who wish to participate must pay an $18 fee here; students who complete payment will be registered. 

 Deadline to pay for the PSAT is Friday, September 30th at midnight. The SAT is NOT available to 11th grade students.

*Editor's note: Junior parents, should your child be college-bound, do NOT underestimate the benefits of doing well on this exam; national merit semifinalist/finalist status provides one of the easiest paths to obtain merit scholarships, ranging from small dollar amounts to full-tuition and full-ride opportunities at many universities throughout the US.

 12th Grade Students/Families: Seniors may elect to take the SAT or stay home on this day. The cost to test is $60 and students can pay here; students who complete payment will be signed up. The deadline to register for the SAT is Friday, September 30th at midnight.

Refunds will not be issued if your student cannot take the PSAT or SAT for any reason.

If your student qualifies for free and reduced lunch, the reduced or free cost will display when you make payment here.  

REGARDING ACCOMMODATIONS: All accommodations need to be pre-authorized by College Board.  If your student has a 504 Plan or an IEP, you need to apply to College Board for needed accommodations. Please connect with cmccreary@lwsd.org with any questions. (Please note, deadlines for accommodation requests may have already passed.)

More information will be provided in the weeks leading up to Super Wednesday.

If you have any questions about the PSAT/NMSQT or SAT, please feel free to contact Pauline Salois Gillespie, Testing Coordinator, psaloisgillespie@lwsd.org. 

Click here for additional information.

Five LWHS Students named National Merit Semifinalists

Lake Washington High School is proud to announce five seniors have been named in the 70th annual National Merit Scholarship Program: Rachel Kelley, Ashwika Mattam, Zachary McKay, Robert Michailov, and Sakshi Verma.

Students qualified for these awards by completing the 2023 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). The semifinalists include the highest-scoring students in each state. The semifinalists represent less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors.

College & Career Center Updates

We can be found on the LWHS website under College & Career. The LWHS Calendar of Events, college and career exploration information, financial aid and scholarship info, and more can be found on the website. Follow us on Instagram @lwhscollegecareer to stay up to date with the College & Career Center (CCC).  

Upcoming College Visits

The University of Washington Seattle will be in the library on Wednesday, September 25th, directly after school at 1:25pm. Bring your questions and join us there.

Additional visits; meet in the College & Career Center:

• 9/23/2024, 12:05pm, University of Vermont
• 9/23/2024, 1:00pm, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
• 9/25/2024, 1:25pm, University of Washington-Seattle *meet in library*
• 9/25/2024, 8:00am, Berklee College of Music
• 9/26/2024, 8:00am, Boston University
• 9/26/2024, 11:35am, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott
• 9/27/2024, 10:55am, Oregon State University
• 9/30/2024, 12:05pm, Whitworth University
• 9/30/2024, 1:00pm, Seattle University
• 10/2/2024, 1:25pm, Texas A&M University-College Station
• 10/3/2024, 8:00am, Northwestern University
• 10/3/2024, 11:35am, University of California-Irvine

Upcoming visits can be found here: https://lwhs.lwsd.org/college-and-career

WSU Regent Scholarship

Is WSU the anticipated destination for your senior? Do they have a 3.6 GPA or above? LWHS nominates two students for the WSU Regent scholarship annually. This scholarship provides an automatic $4000 tuition scholarship renewable annually! This is a great scholarship for students who are certain that they will be a Cougar! Reach out to Nichole Swanger, nswanger@lwsd.org, for more information.

College Essay Workshop (formerly College Application Workshop)

Essay help is coming! Starting October 1st, seniors can sign up for help with their college essays. The College Essay Workshop group will be here to help students one-on-one after school on Wednesdays and via Zoom on additional days. CEW will be set up just outside of the College & Career Center. See below for more details and signup information!

College Application Help

Need help with your Common Application or UC/Cal State apps? Set up a meeting with Ms. Swanger in the College & Career Center.

Questions? Please contact Nichole Swanger, nswanger@lwsd.org

High School & Beyond Counselor

College and Career Specialist

LWHS ASB is requesting Homecoming Dance chaperones for the evening Saturday, October 5th from 7:45 to 10:15pm. If you're able to help, please sign up here.

We’re looking for adults to provide brief senior portrait sessions for students in need.

We know we have a lot of really skilled amateur photographers in our parent population: if that describes you, please consider giving your time and talent to help give access to this tradition to some of our seniors, for whom portrait sessions might otherwise cause a financial burden.

Our goal is to give these seniors a portrait that they would be able to use for the school yearbook...and also to give them a keepsake from this very exciting milestone year!

We'll be doing all of our portrait sessions in October, to take advantage of the lingering weather, during our early-release Wednesdays.

We want to emphasize that you don't need to be a professional photographer: we're just looking for folks who are good with a camera. Ideally, students would be provided with around 10-15 edited photos.

If you’re interested, please sign up here.

If you are a student who is interested in having your senior portrait taken by our volunteer photographers, please reach out to your school guidance counselor.

Questions? Please contact, Cheryl Geels, cheryl@geels.org.

We’re excited to share that our program, formerly known as College Application Workshop, now lives under the LWPTSA Council umbrella enabling expansion to all district high schools. It’s an exciting development and we look forward to becoming an accessible resource for the district’s college-bound seniors! 

Launching on October 1st, we’re pleased to provide students with FREE application essay support after school. Students work one-on-one with trained volunteers who assist with essay and personal statement editing and review.

*SignUpGenius link is currently under construction but will be live shortly.

• Zoom: Select dates and times available
• Check availability and reserve a spot via SignUpGenius
• Zoom link will be sent with a confirmation email.
• In-Person: Wednesdays at 1:25pm just outside the College and Career Center.
• Drop in always available, first come first served
• LIMITED in-person appointments available. Click here to reserve a spot.

Questions? Ask us!

If you love art, here is an opportunity to create a piece of art and participate in the Reflections program.

Reflections is a national arts competition offered through the LWHS PTSA. Students enter a piece of art that goes through a judging process at the school level, with the potential to advance to the council, state and national levels. There are six categories including, visual arts (2D only), literature, music composition, film production, dance choreography, and photography.

The 2024-2025 Reflections theme is “Accepting Imperfection”. Other details, information and rules about Reflections can be found here: https://www.lwptsa.net/reflections/

Due date: Monday, November 4th before 5:00pm.

Students will submit the student entry form with LWHS PTSA info and a digital version of their completed works of art in one, or all, of the available arts categories by sending an email to the Reflections chair:

1. Visual Arts (JPG/JPGE/PNG format)
2. Literature (PDF format)
3. Music Composition (MP3 & WAV format)
4. Photography (JPG/JPGE/PNG format)
5. Dance Choreography (MP4 & AVI format)
6. Film Production (MP4 & AVI format)

There is also a special artist division for students with disabilities. You can find category rules and guidelines at https://www.lwptsa.net/reflections/

Questions? Contact Rachel Pai, Reflections Chair.

Dear Lake Washington High School Families,

We want to redefine what PTSA means to you. It's not just a noun; it's a dynamic verb, an action plan dedicated to ensuring your student's success.

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to PTSA. However you choose to engage, it's an investment in your child's future. PTSA can mean supporting your child's teachers and educational programs, advocating for issues that affect your child at local, state, and national levels, and fostering a more robust, diverse, and inclusive school community.

We extend an open invitation to every family to get involved with PTSA because together, we can achieve more. 

Join us through this link: https://lwhsptsa.org/Packet/join/FamilyInfoPacketPage/0

Membership fees and donations are the lifeblood of our organization. Our annual "Pass the Pouch" campaign, which is our sole fundraiser, is now active, and donating when you join is appreciated and simple.

Lake Washington PTSA organizes enrichment and wellness programs, recognition, classroom and club activities, and scholarship assistance that directly benefit our students and are not possible through public funding alone. By becoming a member and donating, you play a pivotal role in turning this year's goals into reality. Also, we welcome your suggestions for use of funds - just attend a meeting or reach out to us at fundraising@lwhsptsa.org. 

Collaboration between community members, educators, and students is key to student success. Join us now and donate to start making an impact!

For more information about the PTSA, please don't hesitate to contact me, Susan Davis, Membership Chair, at membership@lwhsptsa.org, or our PTSA President, Colleen Rutherford, at president@lwhsptsa.org.

We eagerly anticipate welcoming YOU as a valued member!

Warm regards,

Susan Davis, LWHS PTSA Membership Chair

Learn more about the following four trips during our travel info meeting:

Date: Wednesday, October 9th

Start time: 5:30pm

Location: Lake Washington High School, Room N162

RSVP: https://webapp.acis.com/trips/recruiting-meeting/MjAyNXw1NTUxNHwxMDk=

March 5th-9th, 2025 - Boston

Travel with Ms. Layton to Boston for an immersive ASL experience. We are traveling with Deaf tour guides to see the sites and history that Boston has to offer. $1,800 plus airfare, and you must be in ASL 2 or higher to take the trip! Reach out to Ms. Layton to get more information and to sign up!

Contact: Boston 2025 Trip 

Spring 2025 - New Zealand and Australia

Explore LOTS of Biology, beautiful sceneries (including parts of the filming for location for LOTR!), fjords, and end in Sydney Australia!

Contact: PalmerScienceTravel@gmail.com

Spring 2025 - Costa Rica

Want to take your Spanish fluency to the next level? Come join us as we encounter the wildlife, culture and beautiful vistas of Costa Rica. This Spanish immersion trip is open to students enrolled in Spanish 4 or AP for 2024-2025!

Contact: spanishviajes@gmail.com

Summer 2025 - England, France, and Germany

For the history buffs, follow the path of major WWII sites! See battlegrounds, learn about the history of WWII, and learn about the impacts of the War on the local cultures.

Contact: KandGEduTravel@gmail.com

*Please note, these trips are NOT sponsored by LWHS