Kang Crier is a bi-weekly newsletter created by LWHS PTSA to share relevant information with the LWHS community. New families are not added to our distribution list until mid-October; please forward this newsletter to new families you know; they can go here to subscribe sooner.

Dear Kang Families,

I hope that you have had a smooth start to the new year. At LW, we have a lot to be excited about. First, our back-to-school activities were well attended, and our students are ready to go. We had more than 300 parents attend our 9th grade parent orientation session and breakouts, and the feedback was great. High school is complex, and the more you know the better able you are to take advantage of the opportunities available to your student.

Speaking of opportunities, on September 19th we will hold our first home football game of the season. Those in attendance will be able to root on our athletes as well as our new LW Marching Band. You are invited to join us for this community event that begins at 7pm on the LW football field.

In the classroom, it is important to me that you partner with our staff in reinforcing our cell phone-free policy. Cell phones are to be stored as directed by the teacher in each classroom from bell to bell. Students are free to use their phones during the ten-minute passing period between classes, as well as during lunch. In our pursuit of excellence in all areas, keeping our classrooms as distraction-free as possible is a priority. Thank you for your support in this, it is not easy for our students to adjust to this, and your help is essential.

Please consider joining our PTSA, and if you are able to do so please attend an upcoming PTSA-sponsored Kang Coffee Hour.

In partnership,

Christine Bell, Principal



College & Career Center: Welcome to the 2025-2026 School Year!

We have a new College & Career Specialist: Alex Clark-McGlenn (just Alex to students and families). Students and families are welcome to make an appointment and visit the College & Career Center. You can find more information, as well as contact Alex through the College & Career Center website.

Gear up for college application season! While Alex can help students and families navigate the complexities in person, the College & Career Center also has a host of online resources. Look for the navigation portion of the website for topics of interest such as career exploration, applying to college, college essays, college exploration, financial aid, scholarships, and job opportunities.

College visits begin this week and are a great opportunity to learn more about a university, meet their admissions representatives, and ask questions. Juniors and Seniors are invited to participate in college visits, which are held in the College & Career Center.

Upcoming College Rep Visits: (Sign up for College & Career on Flexi)

Sept 10, 8am: Franklin and Marshall College

Sept 15, 10:50am: Southern Methodist University

Sept 16, 8am: Seattle Pacific University

Sept 16, 12:20pm: Washington University in St. Louis

Sept 17, 8am: UC Santa Cruz

Sept 17, 1pm: Berklee College of Music

Sept 18, 12:20pm: Grand Canyon University

Sept 19, 8am: Seattle University

Sept 19, 9:30am: Elon University

Message College & Career Specialist Alex Clark-McGlenn with any questions.

Thank you to all who donated items and volunteered to help set-up, cook, and clean-up for the PTSA’s Annual Welcome Back Luncheon for the LW staff on August 28^th. Our staff enjoyed a yummy baked potato bar with all of the fixings! Many thanks!

Thank you to the picture day volunteers who helped with 9^th grade photos at the Freshman Orientation on August 27^th and to those who helped with 10^th – 12^th grade photos on the first day of school! Picture retakes will be Monday, October 20^th; be on the look-out for another volunteer opportunity. 

It's back-to-school time and cold & flu season is almost upon us. The school would appreciate any donations of Kleenex / tissues you could provide for classrooms. Boxes can be dropped off at the main office. Thank you!

We extend an open invitation to every family to get involved with PTSA because together, we can achieve more! We absolutely love our PTSA volunteers, but there is no volunteer requirement to join. Joining PTSA means you support our mission to support our students and our school community.

Join us HERE!

Membership fees and donations are the lifeblood of our organization. Our annual "Pass the Pouch" campaign, which is our sole fundraiser, will officially kick off shortly, but 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.

We eagerly anticipate welcoming YOU as a valued member!



Our school's PTSA was recently recognized by the Washington State PTA as a Bronze Membership Growth Award recipient! PTAs are presented with this award for growing their membership compared to the previous year's numbers. That means our PTA's voice has become louder and stronger in support of our students. Thank you to everyone who joined in 2024 - 2025!

Please join or renew your membership for the 2025-2026 school HERE and let's make our voices even louder and stronger for our students!

College Essay Workshop (CEW) is heading into our 11th year and we’re proud to share that this will be our second year as a district-wide initiative with continued support from the LWPTSA Council and the Lake Washington Schools Foundation.

What do we do? Trained College Essay Workshop (CEW) coaches are available to help with college application essays and personal statements at any stage in the student's process: brainstorming, editing, or a final read-through as well as steering them to the right resource for any additional help they may need.

How we do it:

We offer several options to meet students where they are:

• Virtual: One-on-one, 30-minute sessions over Zoom
• In-Person: Where available, students meet with coaches at school for 30-minute sessions.
• CEW Offline (beginning Sept 29): Coaching support via email with a 48-hour turnaround. 

When do we do it: Virtual sessions begin on Sept 16th. CEW Coaches will be at LWHS on Wednesdays, starting Sept 17th, at 1:25pm, just outside the College & Career Center. Click here to reserve your spot! Drop-in always available, first come first served.

Check availability and reserve a spot via SignUp Genius

This program is offered at no cost to students or families, thanks to support from Lake Washington PTSA Council and Lake Washington Schools Foundation.

Questions? Ask us!

LWHS PTSA is partnering with Princeton Review to give students the opportunity to take the SAT or ACT just “for practice” at no cost. Students can take this practice test any number of times and the scores from these do not go on their record.

Students take the tests online at a date and time that is convenient, within the time window below:

• Register by September 17th for the test in the "SAT / ACT Practice Tests" section of the lwhsptsa.org/Programs website. Please do not use @lwsd.org email addresses to register for this event. 
• Students take the tests online from September 20th – October 20th, at any convenient time.

Note: If your student has taken an earlier practice test, they can take it again; however, please note that the set of questions will be the same.

Questions? Contact Julie Jiang, LWHS PTSA SAT / ACT Practice Test Chair.

LWHS Booster Club Scoreboard Sponsorship

The LWHS Booster Club is excited to offer digital scoreboard sponsorship and messaging opportunities to our community and fans for the 2025 / 2026 school year! Whether you know a business interested in an annual sponsorship deal or an individual interested in advertising a special event, we have options for everyone! All proceeds from scoreboard sponsorships and messaging directly benefit our LWHS booster programs and ASB. Get more info by clicking here and check out the LWHS Booster Club website for more details.

Go Kangs!