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Lake Washington School District Parent E-Newsletter
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Meet the Superintendent Candidate: School board seeks input at community meetings
Dr. Traci Pierce, the Board of Directors' preferred candidate for the next superintendent, will meet with community members, parents and staff members in a series of public meetings in January. The meetings are a chance to meet Dr. Pierce. Each of the three cities served by the district will host a meeting and one will take place at the district's Resource Center. The first was held last night at Redmond City Hall. The schedule for the remaining meetings is:
- Jan. 17, 5:30-6:30 p.m., City Council Chambers, City of Sammamish
- Jan. 18, 4:00-5:30 p.m., Hughes Room, Lake Washington School District Resource Center,
- Jan. 19, 4:30-5:30 p.m., Peter Kirk Room, Kirkland City Hall
Dr. Pierce's biography as well as information on the meetings are posted on the district website. You can provide feedback on her candidacy to the board by emailing board@lwsd.org or by clicking on this link. Please provide your feedback by end of day January 22. |
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Kindergarten registration begins February 2
Kindergarten registration takes place at your neighborhood elementary school. Kindergarten registration will begin this year on February 2, 2012, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. Registration continues through the beginning of the school year in September 2012 but we encourage you to register as early as possible. Early registration helps schools get in place the teachers, classrooms and textbooks needed for next year.
Half-day kindergarten is provided for all children in the district. Each elementary school has at least one full-day kindergarten class, with a fee charged for the additional half day. If more students sign up than there is space available, a lottery is held. This year's lottery will be on February 9, so parents who are interested in full-day kindergarten are encouraged to register between February 2 and 8.
For more information about kindergarten registration, please visit the district website. |
Open Enrollment period begins February 1
Parents and students who are interested in attending other schools within the district may want to consider an in-district transfer, which is possible if space is available. An open enrollment period from February 1 through 29 gives families the best opportunity to take advantage of these options and may result in learning the outcome of a request earlier.
Because of the growing student population in our district, fewer schools than ever can accommodate students from outside their neighborhood boundaries. With the change in school grade configuration for next year, more space may be available at some elementary schools than in this school year while less space may be available at high schools. The closed school list for the 2012-13 school year will be posted on the district website on February 1. Please review that list before applying for an in-district transfer. Call 425-936-1283 for more information. |
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Online Academy offers additional course choices for district high school students
Lake Washington School District (LWSD) offers a selection of online courses so that district students have additional choices for learning. The LWSD Online Academy offers students an opportunity to earn credits for classes that he/she may not have passed or that are needed to graduate. These classes maintain the high standards for content and rigor that are available in all LWSD classes.
Online Washington State History is currently available second semester for students who still need to acquire this important state graduation requirement due to a recent move into Washington state, students who do not have room in their school schedules, the class is not currently offered at their school, or they have not previously earned the credit. If interested, please have your student contact a school counselor regarding enrollment, scheduling and tuition (if applicable). Space is limited. |
New credit requirements for the class of 2016
The class of 2016 will be the first that needs to fulfill a new graduation requirement - two world language credits in the same world language. The class of 2016 and beyond will still be expected to meet the 22.0 credit requirement for graduation, even with the addition of the 2.0 world language credits. Below is an updated chart with the graduation requirements for the class of 2012 - 2016:
The world language requirement will ensure that students meet the requirements for admission to a four-year college, should they choose to attend. For detailed information about graduation requirements, see the school board policy. |
Elementary conferences - coming soon!
The second set of elementary conferences is scheduled for January 31, February 2 and February 3 in the afternoons. (These will be half-days for elementary students.) The conferences will give you, your student and their teacher an opportunity to check in on how your student is doing in working toward their goals this year. These conferences will allow your child an opportunity to show you work that shows the progress that they have made towards the goals that they set in October. Goals can then be revised or replaced based on student progress.
This conference is also an opportunity for you (as parents) to review your student's elementary report card from the first semester with your child's teacher.
To prepare for January Conferences:
- Your child's teacher will communicate with you regarding the conference schedule on January 31, February 2 and February 3.
- Plan to bring your child with you to those conferences, unless your teacher has communicated otherwise.
- Plan to bring a quiet activity for your child to do while you meet with his/her teacher privately.
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School Board Highlights
View video of any school board meeting on the district website.
 At the January 9 board meeting, returning board members Chris Carlson, along with new board member Siri Bliesner, and returning board member Jackie Pendergrass, were sworn in for new four-year terms. They were elected in November to their unpaid positions.
Karen Dickens, principal of Audubon Elementary School, presented her school, the host school for the evening. A group of Audubon kindergarten students sang the school's spirit song... Dr. Traci Pierce, standing in for Dr. Kimball at this board meeting, recognized school board members for their service to the district as part of School Board Appreciation month...The school board recognized 37 teachers who achieved National Board Certification, 36 new and one renewing...Greg Lobdell, Center for Educational Effectiveness, presented the three schools that received the Schools of Distinction award this year. They are Redmond Elementary School, Smith Elementary School and Renaissance School. The award recognizes improvement in achievement in reading and math.
A group of parents advocated for the addition of American Sign Language as an elective in our high schools during the public comment period. Dr. Pierce noted that the district will develop a cohesive plan during the 2012-13 school year to determine the district's offerings in world languages. Students beginning in the class of 2016 will need two foreign language credits to graduate. This requirement mirrors the admissions requirement of four-year colleges. Two district high schools, Lake Washington and Eastlake, currently offer only French and Spanish. These schools will determine if there is enough interest to add additional languages. (The district has received community interest in adding both American Sign Language and Mandarin Chinese.)
A collection of neighborhoods in Sammamish, Camden Park, requested a territory transfer from the Snoqualmie Valley School District to the Lake Washington School District. A joint Snoqualmie Valley School District Board and Lake Washington School District Board Committee recommended denying this request. The Lake Washington School District Board accepted the recommendation to deny this request. Removing these neighborhoods from Snoqualmie Valley would have a substantial impact on that district's tax base. It would also add enrollment in an area where Lake Washington does not have the capacity to serve additional students.
Dr. Pierce presented a report on district graduation rates. The on-time graduation rate for the class of 2011 was 91.9%. The extended graduation rate, those who graduated in five years or less, for the class of 2010 was 94.5%. Both numbers are considerably higher than state averages. She also reviewed college testing results, college enrollment rates and other data that reflects student preparation for their lives after high school. Dr. Pierce categorized the district's overall results as strong but with room for improvement. |
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Awards & Achievements January Staff Stars: Connie Otto, Marion Mays, Kurtis Gale and Nina Whitcomb-Cantrell, Finn Hill Jr. High special education department
Connie Otto, Marion Mays, Kurtis Gale and Nina Whitcomb-Cantrell comprise the Special Education department at Finn Hill Junior High. Each is compassionate yet firm and holds students to high standards. Read more.
Kamiakin teacher named Music Educator of the Year
The Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA) named Ward Brannman, music teacher at Kamiakin Junior High, as the WMEA Middle School/Junior High Music Educator of the year. Read more.
Have an award or achievement to share? Send all of the information to Shannon Parthemer, or contact her at (425) 936-1300. |
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1/16 - No School: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
1/24 - PTSA Special Needs Meeting, 7 p.m., Resource Center
1/27 - Last Day 1st Semester - Secondary
1/30 - School Board Meeting, 5:30 p.m., Resource Center
1/31 - Half Day - Elementary Conferences
2/1 - GEAC Meeting,
6:30 p.m.
2/2-2/3 - Half Days - Elementary Conferences
2/2 - PTSA Council Meeting, 9:30 a.m.
2/2 - Kindergarten Registration Begins -
1-7 p.m. in local schools
2/9 - All-Day Kindergarten Enrollment Selection
2/16-2/17 - No School:
Mid-Winter Break
2/20 - No School: President's Day (Mid-Winter Break)
A full list of events is available on the Tandem Online Calendar. This calendar can be filtered by school and is searchable. More details about the Tandem Online Calendar are available here. |
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98% of the class of 2011 who attended district schools for at least their 10th through 12th grade years met the state standard in writing. |
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Visit the Parent Education section of the Lake Washington PTSA Council website for information about upcoming Parent Education classes. |
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Lake Washington School District | (425) 936-1200 | www.lwsd.org
The Lake Washington School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, gender, marital status, creed, religion, honorably discharged veteran, military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability, or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability, in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. |
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