Welcome to the first edition of the 2026–2027 Kang Crier - a bi‑weekly LWHS PTSA newsletter shared every other Sunday to keep families informed.

New families are not added to our distribution list until mid-October; please forward this newsletter to new families you know, and they can subscribe sooner here.

Important Information for the First Week of School - PLEASE READ -

Printed schedules will be given to 9th graders on Link Day, Aug 26th.

Grades 10-12 will be expected to check Skyward and print, handwrite, or have their schedule electronically available on their own.

The LWHS schedule this year: start time 8:35am, dismissal 3:15pm

• First week bell schedule (Wednesday is full day)
• Second week bell schedule (Monday is Labor Day, no school)
• Regular bell schedule for the year begins the third week, on Mon 9/14



Traffic during the first week will be chaotic!

• Pro-tip: beat traffic congestion by dropping your student off by 8:15am
• Parents, please use the right lane only for drop-off and pick-up. Do not block the left lane as it is used for sports/field trip busses and emergency vehicles. Use the left lane only for passing;
• Please make sure the students have everything ready to exit the car quickly, preferably on the passenger side only;
• Be patient with each other and be extra aware of cyclists and pedestrians.

Welcome to another impactful year at Lake Washington High School! We invite every family to join our PTSA - because together, we can do so much more! There is no volunteer requirement (though we love and appreciate all our volunteers) joining PTSA means you agree with and support our mission:

"To strengthen the educational connection between home, school, and community while serving as a powerful voice for students, and to enrich the learning environment for student, staff, and families at Lake Washington High School."

Our annual “Pass the Pouch” campaign (our only fundraiser) will kick off soon, but donating when you join is an easy and appreciated way to support our efforts. Last year, we invested over $38,000 in grants supporting classrooms, clubs, and student enrichment. Click here to see how your generous donations made a difference.

Make a BIG Impact and Donate Your Time and Talents!

If you are looking to volunteer with PTSA, we have board positions and committee chair positions available for the 2026-2027 school year. Open positions include: VP of School Support, Staff Appreciation Chair, Senior Farewell Chair, Volunteer Coordinator, as well as chairpersons for our Sustainability and Hospitality Committees.

For more information or to volunteer, contact our PTSA President, Afnan Dallsheh.

We hope you will join us and look forward to welcoming you!

Dear Kang Families,

We are excited to welcome our students back to school on August 31st. For now, our staff is hard at work preparing for the year ahead. Our mission for the 2026–27 school year is to cultivate community by building meaningful connections among students, staff, families, and community partners. In our classrooms, this work is grounded in four essential elements: connection, belonging, achievement, and sustainability. We want every student to feel known and valued, experience success, and develop the skills and habits needed to sustain that success.

Cultivating community also means strengthening communication between school and home. Throughout the year, we will seek new ways to connect with our families, listen to their perspectives, and learn alongside community organizations throughout Kirkland and Redmond. Our community is enriched by many cultures, traditions, languages, and lived experiences. Learning about this diversity—and honoring the families who make LWHS such a vibrant place—is an important part of our work together.

We are also expanding access to the experiences that help students build relationships and find their place at school. This year, LWHS will participate in a district pilot program that will provide an activities bus to help students get home after participating in clubs, affinity groups, and other after-school activities. More information about the schedule and availability will be shared soon.

Students are best prepared to learn when their fundamental needs are met. Our District Nutrition Services team is exploring new and exciting ways to provide students with healthy, delicious food at school. Students with dietary restrictions, including food allergies, may share their needs by completing the form on this website:https://www.lwsd.org/students-families/families/school-meals-nutrition Families who may qualify for free school meals are encouraged to apply using this form. The form needs to be submitted each year, and those who qualify for free meals also qualify for other benefits, such as access to no-cost ASB activities. Students need rest and nutritious food to be ready to focus on learning—and we are here to help!

As we prepare for the school year, families should also respond promptly to any requests from our school nurses regarding health plans, medications, or required paperwork. Having this information in place allows our health-room team to provide students with safe and timely care.

I hope you will join us for several upcoming opportunities to connect:

• Home Football Game and Student Tailgate: Friday, September 11
• Open House/Curriculum Night: Wednesday, September 16

Curriculum Night is an important opportunity for families to meet their students’ teachers, learn about their classes, and strengthen the partnership between home and school. Because parking on campus is limited, families are encouraged to carpool or walk when possible.

Throughout the year, we also invite you to attend our Kang Coffee Hours and Parent and Community Learning Walks. These events offer meaningful opportunities to visit our school, see learning in action, ask questions, and share your perspective. We also encourage every family to join the LWHS PTSA. Your presence, partnership, and voice matter.

Cultivating community is not a single event or initiative. It is the ongoing work of creating spaces where people feel welcomed, supported, and connected. We look forward to building that community with you this year.

In community,

Dr. Christine Bell

Principal, Lake Washington High School



Picture Day volunteers are requested for help at Freshman Orientation on Wednesday, Aug 26th, as well as on the first day of school, Aug 31st.

Click here to signup!

With the start of the school year, we know cold and flu season is right around the corner and donations of Kleenex / tissues for classrooms would be much appreciated! Boxes can be dropped off at the main office during the August 26th LINK day from 9am - 11am or can be ordered from our Amazon Wishlist and delivered directly to the school. Thank you!

CEW connects seniors with coaches who support them at any stage of the college essay process, from brainstorming and revising to a final read-through.

Could CEW be a good fit for you? Our volunteers bring different strengths:

• Coaches enjoy writing and working one-on-one with students
• Program Support Volunteers keep the details running smoothly.

Whichever sounds like you, we’d love to have you!

Time commitment: Once a week for approximately 2-3 hours in October and November.

Mandatory virtual training (1½ hours) will be held Wed, September 9 at 6:30 p.m.

Program launches on September 16.

For more info about CEW, volunteer roles, and how the program works, click here.

If CEW sounds like a match for you, fill out this form and we’ll be in touch. Volunteer spots are limited, and early applicants will be prioritized.

Questions? Contact us. We’d be happy to hear from you.

Thanks to support from the LWPTSA and Lake Washington Schools Foundation, CEW is free for all students.

Every year is a busy year at LWHS, but Senior Year is filled with lots of extra events and celebrations. LWHS PTSA has a Senior Year webpage describing all of these various events to help both parents and students prepare. It's useful for Junior parents too, as a few tasks are ideally started at the end of Junior year.

This webpage will be updated throughout the year as dates firm up, but for now, click here for details.