Lake Washington High School PTSA Newsletter
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September 3, 2014 | Issue 2
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Co-editors: Jeanine Lewis & Karen Peters
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~ Upcoming Events ~
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Lyrica Auditions
Tuesday, Sept. 2 -5 New Student Registration Wednesday, Sept. 3, 1-2pm Laptop Distribution Thursday, Sept. 4 Parent Technology Class Wednesday, Sept. 17, 5-6pm, LWHS
Curriculum Night
Wednesday, Sept. 17, 6:30pm, Gym
LWSD Special Needs Group Meeting
Tuesday, Sept. 23, 7-8:30pm, LWSD Resource Center
PTSA General Membership Meeting with College Planning Expert Wednesday, Sept. 24, 7-8:30pm, Library Fear-Free SAT Practice Testing Saturday, Sept. 27, time TBD, Library
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Letter from the Principal
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Dear Parents,
Welcome back or Welcome to Lake Washington High School. We have been very busy gearing up for a new year. We are fortunate to have outstanding student leadership this year to assist in building our culture of positive interactions and respect. For our first day, we had Houston Kraft speak to our students about practicing respect and understanding differences. Houston has spoken to many students throughout the year and we are excited about the impact his message will have on our students this year.
This year, the district is focused on security. It is imperative that any adult entering the building have an identification badge. Please report to the main office any time you are in the building before going to counseling or meeting with teachers. We will have you sign in and give you a visitor badge. You will be directed back to the office if you don't have one. Please help us keep your students safe.
Please mark your calendars for Curriculum Night on September 17. Our teachers are excited to meet you and share their course outcomes with you. We have fifteen new teachers that you have got to meet! They are amazing additions to our quality teaching staff.
New this year, I will be having quarterly "Coffee with Christina" meetings. This will be an opportunity for you as parents to come in and hear first-hand about offerings, and an opportunity for me to listen to concerns or address questions you may have. Stay tuned to the Kang Crier for the first event!
Thank you for your continued support and we hope to see you at an LW event in the near future.
Sincerely,
Christina Thomas, Principal
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Welcome
From the PTSA Co-Presidents
| Welcome Kang parents, teachers and students to the 2014-2015 school year at Lake Washington High School! We hope you have enjoyed your summer break. Your PTSA board has been working hard in preparation for a fantastic year.
Back-to-School packets, mailed out in August, contained the following information:
- Pass the Pouch: Our annual fundraiser - this year our goal is $16,000. Money contributed is tax deductible and supports students and teachers through teacher and club grants, Sheeley Scholarships, Senior Salute, Reflections, Staff Appreciation, the fall BBQ and much more. Your support is crucial to funding these important programs! Make your donation online on our secure website at lwhsptsa.org, or at Curriculum Night on September 17 at 6:30 pm in the gym.
- PTSA Membership: Be part of the group of involved parents and staff that work as a team to serve and support our students and school. Individual adult membership is $15; family membership is $25. Read about the benefits. Join online at our secure website, lwhsptsa.org.
- PTSA Volunteer Opportunities: We still have openings for a variety of volunteer positions. Volunteering at the high school level is a great way to stay involved in your student's school. Positions range from all year to short term or even one-day commitments. We'd love to have your help! Visit the PTSA website to learn about volunteer opportunities.
NEW! We are excited to be partnering with Juanita HS PTSA and Princeton Review to offer a new program for college-bound students: Fear-Free SAT and ACT Practice Testing. Students can sign up to take low-cost practice SAT or ACT tests, administered at LWHS or JHS. The tests get graded and returned to them in a free evening review session, about 10 days later. The test is a real test, but an old version, so it doesn't go on their record. See article below for more details.
Have you ever attended a General Membership Meeting? Join us! Our first meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 24, at 7pm in the library, featuring an expert to guide us through the college planning and admission process. Future meetings will be held every other month on the third Wednesday at 7pm.
The Kang Crier newsletter, received via email twice per month, is an important way for parents to stay informed on what is happening at the school. Feel free to email us at [email protected] if you have ideas for articles or suggestions for content. If you did not receive the Kang Crier last year, you can subscribe here.
NEW! Our principal, Christina Thomas, will be hosting quarterly morning coffees. Parents will be able to ask questions and get acquainted with Christina and other parents in a casual setting. Look for upcoming dates in the Kang Crier newsletter.
Thank you for your support! Go Kangs!
Liz Hedreen and Anne Ryan, LWHS PTSA Co-Presidents
[email protected]
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PTSA General Meeting with College Planner
Wednesday, Sept. 24, 7-8:30pm, LWHS Library
| Everyone is welcome to attend our first General Membership Meeting - you do not need to be a member. This is a great opportunity to find out what is going on at LWHS and meet other parents. Plus, Debbie Cossey, College Counselor & Consultant from Rainier College Counseling and Cossey Consulting, will talk about the college planning and admission process. |
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Donate to Pass the Pouch
| Pass the Pouch is the LWHS PTSA's only fundraiser of the year, and we depend on this money to operate our many programs. PTSA programs include Students-in-Need, teacher and club grants, Senior Salute, emergency prep, Kang Crier newsletter, senior scholarships, Reflections, and many more! We appreciate every financial gift, whether small or large. Donate online at the secure PTSA website- click on the "join ptsa/pass the pouch" link on the upper left - or during Curriculum Night. Thank you! |
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New! Fear-Free SAT/ACT Practice Testing | Do you wonder how your student will score on the SAT or ACT? Want them to know what it's like to get up early on Saturday morning and sit in a real test environment for several hours? LWHS PTSA is partnering with Juanita Hign School PTSA to give students the opportunity to take a low-cost ($20) practice SAT or ACT in a real test environment at school. These are actual SAT and ACT tests from previous years, administered and scored by Princeton Review, but not recorded. Tests will be returned to students within 1-2 weeks, in a free review session. Scholarships are available - contact Cheryl Ronbeck at [email protected] for more information. Tickets will be on sale soon, online via the secure PTSA website (lwhsptsa.org) or by check. View the testing dates.
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Shop at Safeway? Earn Money for PTSA
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If you shop at Safeway, you can earn money for LWHS PTSA just by signing up at escrip.com/safeway. If you are already participating, remember you need to renew each year to keep earning. New to LWHS? Don't forget to update your eScrip to include LWHS; you can split your donation among several schools. See the eScrip flyer for more information.
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2013-2014 PTSA Award Winners
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At the Volunteer Tea in June 2014, two LW educators and two parent volunteers were recognized by the LWHS PTSA for their contributions to LWHS. Their dedication to the students of LWHS deserves recognition, so please congratulate them!
The Golden Acorn award, given to volunteers who go above and beyond to support the students and school, was given to Julie Peterson and Maryann Galt.
The Outstanding Educator ("Golden Kang") award is given to educators who show great dedication, caring and commitment to the students of LWHS. This award was given to Ryan Palmer and Milo Dullum.
Donations were made in their names to the Washington State Scholarship Program for graduating seniors going on to college. Congratulations to these four award winners! |
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Thank You, Volunteers!
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Thank you to all of the many volunteers who donated their time and energy this summer to help with the massive job of getting 1500 students through the process of orientation, registration, schedule distribution, laptop distribution, and photo taking. Thank you to our BBQ servers, and a special thank you to the intrepid group who came out on a hot day in July to stuff Back-to-School Packet envelopes in a sweltering library! You deserve a medal for that difficult duty.
Didn't get a chance to volunteer? It's not too late! We still need helpers this Thursday for laptop distribution to the students who didn't get them during registration. Volunteer on SignUp Genius.
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Privacy & the Kang Crier
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In the Back-to-School packet parents/guardians received a form from the District called "Directory Withhold Form - SS100." This form provides you with the opportunity to check boxes labelled "Withhold [your child's name or image] From Public Release" and "Withhold [your child's name or image] From District Use." If you check those boxes, your child will not be listed in the Kang Crier, nor will any photos including their image be published. If your child is in a group photo that photo will not be published. The Kang Crier primarily goes out to LWHS families, but any member of the public can go to our LWHS PTSA website and sign up to receive it. We also archive our newsletter on that website which is then accessible to the public.
If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact the Kang Crier editors Jeanine Lewis or Karen Peters at [email protected].
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Changes to Assignments on Haiku
| Finding assignments in Haiku can be really difficult for students and parents alike, since there are so many different ways to arrange them. To make the process easier, LWHS has agreed that every teacher will post links to their assignments in the top right-hand corner of their main Haiku site. That way, students and parents don't have to search all over looking for the assignment section. Just check the top right-hand corner of the teacher's Haiku site.
Also, the district has agreed that all "due-next-day" Haiku assignments will be posted by 3pm. If, for some reason, an assignment gets posted later than 3pm, it should not be due the next day. If teachers assigned work in class without putting it on Haiku at all, then those assignments are still due as discussed in class.
We hope these agreements will make navigating Haiku a simpler process for everyone. And if you would like more help in accessing Haiku, check out the Parent Technology class being offered September 17 immediately before Curriculum Night (see following article).
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Parent Technology Class
Learn How to Use Parent Access, Haiku and More
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Would you like some help setting up your Parent Access account? Or would you like an introduction to how to use the great digital resources that the district has made available to parents (Haiku teacher sites, grades through StandardsScore, and more)? Here is your chance to get an introduction to ways that you can support your child's education through technology. Join us for a one-hour class on September 17, from 5-6pm at LWHS. It will be just before Curriculum Night begins, so you'll learn how to navigate Haiku and StandardsScore, and then have a chance to meet your student's teachers.
If interested in attending, please register for the class with your name and email address. This will allow us to make sure we have enough trainers. We will send you a confirmation email with the time, location and directions for setting up your Parent Access account, if you haven't done so already. Questions may be directed to Jill Berge at [email protected].
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Poetry Club & Slams! | In the last school year, the Poetry Club put together two amazing Poetry Slams and this year we want them to be even better. We are looking to do two to three slams this upcoming year and we want your student to be involved! There are many ways for them to do this, including attending the Poetry Club and writing Poetry for either the Slam Competition or the Open Mic; being a Poetry Club member and working on planning, advertising, and logistics; or helping to spread the word and providing support. In addition, we are looking to make this year's Slams a bit more authentic by adding a DJ to play between poets. We also hope to project student artwork on a screen behind the poets. If your child is an aspiring DJ, is interested in visual arts, or would like to be involved in the Slams in any way, please have them see Mr. Terich in Room 271a at any time.
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Lyrica Auditions This Week
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Auditions for Lyrica will be held the first week of class. Have your student see Ms. Menzenberg-Zvilna as soon as possible for the audition materials, instructions and rubric. She will add your child to the class Haiku site where they will upload their audition no later than Friday, September 5. This year's agenda includes a trip to New York City and a performance at Carnegie Hall! All are welcome to audition!
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SAT Prep at LWHS
First Course Starts Monday, Sept. 15
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The SAT Prep Course provides classroom-based practice testing and instructions in preparation for the SAT test. Areas covered include essay writing, grammar, geometry and algebra. Immediate feedback is provided - students will leave with a marked essay, their score from the practice test and a better understanding of SAT scoring. View the flyer for more information on dates, fees and additional locations, or visit SATPrep.org.
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Information for Seniors and Senior Parents
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Senior Party Tickets Discounted until October 31
Class of 2015
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The senior all night party was created to provide a safe and fun way for seniors to celebrate their graduation. It will take place on Friday night, June 12, 2015. Tickets are on sale throughout the year.
Tickets are $125 each if paid in full and purchased before October 31. They can be purchased online at lwhsptsa.org. Prices increase to $140 in November with a two-installment payment plan option. Tickets are non-refundable.
Find more information and the down-loadable registration form here.
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Lake Washington Schools Foundation |
LWSF Needs an Ambassador from LWHS
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Want to be involved in your student's school but don't have much time in the day? Well, have we got a job for you! The Lake Washington Schools Foundation is looking for a new Ambassador representing LWHS. The role of the Ambassador is to be a link between the Foundation and the Ambassador's school community. LWSF raises funds to support academic excellence and success for all students within the Lake Washington School District.
For a complete job description and questions, please contact Suzie Connor ( [email protected]).
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Host an Italian Student
Your Child Will be Invited to Italy!
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Ergon Student Exchange is looking for families to host a 16-17 year old Italian student for a semester or school year. The Ergon program ensures a true cross-cultural opportunity that will provide a transformative experience for both the host family and the student. The Italian families offer to your son or daughter a direct exposure to Italian culture through an all-expenses paid summer vacation in Italy, and Ergon sponsors the flight!
We specialize in a rigorous selection process ensuring that students are academically strong, responsible, and proficient in English; we devote great care to matching students with host families. Students are fully insured and arrive with pocket money for all expenses, including recreation activities and vacations.
In the current fall semester, Benedetta is starting her new life at LWHS. Our Italian students have attended Mercer Island, Skyline, Bothell, Roosevelt, Garfield, Ballard and Nathan Hale high schools with excellent experiences for students and families alike. Past and present host families are our best references and they are happy to share their experience with you. To learn more, please email our Seattle coordinator Denise Trogdon at [email protected] and visit our website at www.ergon-se.org.
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| These Community Announcements are provided as a service to the community: Lake Washington School District (LWSD) does not sponsor, endorse or recommend any of the organizations, services, or activities described in these materials.
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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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