This unusual end to the school year results from the application of state law, which requires the district to hold school on 180 days, whether they are half days or whole school days. Combining the two half days into one whole would put the district at 179 days and out of compliance with state law.

Lake Washington School District is participating in a new study to help school districts improve communication with parents and others in our community. Some 100 school districts throughout the United States have agreed to participate in the survey as part of a national study to make communication more effective at the classroom, school building and district levels. The research is part of a communication accountability program of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA). We are participating in this survey at no cost to our school district. The survey firm, K12 Insight, Inc., is donating its services for this project to NSPRA. 

Lake Washington School District provided the confidential list to K12 Insight, Inc., who will implement and tabulate the survey. All parties have signed confidentiality agreements to assure the privacy of all concerned. All responses are confidential. Please note that the invitation is specific to the e-mail address it was sent to and cannot be shared with others.

District and school administrators will receive the results from our community survey in late spring. The compiled results from the 100 school districts will be announced in July by NSPRA and no identification will be given to individual school districts. Comparing our district results to national results will provide more information. We plan to use the results to refine our current communication effort and improve its effectiveness.

The district outgrew its old phone system and installed a new phone system across the district over the past year and a half. The new phone system is less expensive to operate, leaving more dollars in the budget to go towards classroom needs.

In the process of installing the new system, all phone numbers in the district have changed. After each number was changed, calls dialed to the old number were automatically forwarded to the new number: callers did not notice a difference. However, in the past month, the old numbers have been turned off. Callers may get a fast busy signal or an alert letting you know that the number has been disconnected. We are working with our phone service provider to ensure these disconnected numbers have a recording with the new number.

For a full list of updated phone numbers, visit the district website. Your school's website has also been updated to reflect the phone number changes, including changes to the attendance phone numbers for your child's school. Please update your records to ensure that you can reach your child's school quickly in an emergency.

Starting this month, secondary students will have access to the Communicator, a new online communications tool. Teachers have been working since October to develop teacher/class websites on the Communicator. This tool will replace the need for teachers to have public websites, which may have privacy and/or security issues. On the Communicator, teachers can post assignments, upload documents, allow students to interact with each other or provide other classroom resources all in one secure, private website.

For the rest of this school year, as secondary teachers are ready, each will grant students access to their Communicator websites. Students will then be able to access these resources both at school and at home, using the Communicator username and password that will be provided to them. If students have issues with their account, they will be able to email askcommunicator@lwsd.org to get help.

This tool is being rolled out in the secondary schools first. At a later time, elementary teachers and students will have access. Finally, the goal is for parents to have access as well. Look to future issues of Connections for more information.