Lake Washington High School PTSA Newsletter
 
December 10, 2014 | Issue 8
 
In This Issue
Kang Crier 

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Co-editors: Jeanine Lewis & Karen Peters

 
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~ Upcoming Events ~

Tonight - Choir & Orchestra Holiday Concert
Wednesday, December 10, 7-9pm, LW Theater
 
Senior Quotes for Yearbook Due
Friday, Dec. 12

Parent Night Presentation: Navigating the FAFSA
Monday, Dec. 15, 6:30pm, LW Theater

Band Concert
Wednesday, Dec. 17, 7pm, LW Theater

Legislative Preview Brown Bag Lunch
Thursday, Dec. 18, 12-1pm, LWSD Resource Center

Boys Soccer Informational Player Meeting
Thursday, Dec. 18, 2:45pm, Library

Last Day to Purchase Senior Party Tickets for $140
Friday, Dec. 19

Winter Break - No School
Monday, Dec. 22 - Friday, Jan. 2

Senior Photo Deadline for Yearbook
Wednesday, Jan. 7, 12pm

Fear-Free SAT Registration Deadline
Tuesday, Jan. 13

Fear-Free SAT Test
Saturday, Jan. 17, 8:30am, LWHS Library

Martin Luther King Day - No School
Monday, Jan. 19


 



Letter from the Principal

Happy Holidays to each of you and your families. It is hard to believe a quarter of the year is over. In case you missed our "Coffee with Christina", we had a wonderful discussion around safety. We will be rolling out our Safe School Ambassador Program this month. Did you know that only about 15% of any school's populations are either the victims or perpetrators of harassment, intimidation or bullying? What is the other 85% doing when this occurs? That is the premise behind the Safe School Ambassador program. It is designed to engage the bystanders. We are excited for this opportunity to work with our students. More information will be provided at upcoming events.

 

Finals are scheduled for January 21, 22 and 23. We have a special finals schedule which can be found on our webpage. Students have the opportunity to work with teachers every afternoon for additional assistance. Please encourage your students to take advantage of this tutorial time.

 

Second semester schedules will be distributed Friday, January 9 during homeroom. Students wanting to change an elective course will have three days to submit a change request form. Year-long classes are not available for change.

 

Our Loyalty Club is again collecting food and money donations. If you would like to support this cause, please send food or donations with your student. There is a homeroom competition for this event. We will also be having our winter concerts next week. I hope you are able to come out and enjoy our amazing musicians.

 

Best Wishes for a Wonderful Season,

 

Christina Thomas, Principal

 

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PTSA News

Class of 2015 All-Night Party
Ticket prices go up after Friday, Dec. 19 
The senior all-night party is a LW tradition. It is a fun way for students to celebrate graduation with their classmates. This year's event, on Friday, June 12, 2015, is sure to be unforgettable. There will be great food, entertainment, and a variety of activities. Something for every grad to enjoy! Bus transportation and chaperones make it safe. On-line registration and payment is available on the PTSA website or print out the registration form here. See the form for additional information, including scholarships. Buy your tickets for $140 before winter break - the price goes up after December 19!

 

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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 offering 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. Register online via the secure PTSA website or at the cashier's office with this form. See the flyer here 

Fear-Free SAT/ACT Test Dates:   

  

Saturday, Jan. 17, 8:30am-1pm - SAT test  

Wednesday, Jan. 28, 7pm - SAT Review session  

Registration deadline: Tuesday, Jan. 13  

 

Saturday, Jan. 31, 8:30am-1pm - ACT test   

Tuesday, Feb. 10, 7pm - ACT review session  

Registration deadline: Tuesday, Jan. 27  

 

These tests are different from the ones offered in the Fall, so students can sit for both without duplicating. All tests and review sessions will be held in the library.

 

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Tis the Season for Giving - Grant a Wish   
Let's thank and support our wonderful Kang staff by giving them items they are truly wishing for and needing. Please take a moment to look at our staff wish list. Email Jody Lallas to grant a wish. 

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Please Help Us "Salute" the Class of 2015  
Join the Senior Salute Committee  
Senior Salute takes place the day before graduation and is a more intimate opportunity to celebrate our seniors with music, student speeches, artwork and refreshments. Please support the Class of 2015 and their families by volunteering to help out (in a large or small way) with this year's program. Subcommittees include: Speakers; Music; Art; Venue; Program; Promotion; Accounts; Decorations; Reception. For more information or to sign up, contact Patty Hansen.

 

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Legislative Preview - Brown Bag Lunch
Thursday, December 18, 12-1pm at LWSD Resource Center 
The 2015 legislative session will address many important education issues facing our state. Come hear a panel of experts explain what to expect and how to advocate effectively. Panelists include: Sherry Krainick, Legislative Director, WA State PTSA; Frank Ordway, Gov. Relations Coordinator,  League of Education Voters; Kevin Teeley, President, Lake Wash Education Association; and Cary Evans, Gov. Relations Director, Stand for Children. No RSVP required. Questions? Contact Beth Sigall [email protected]. See the flyer here.  
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PTSA Advocacy for the 2015 Legislative Session
Join our Issue Teams!  

This year, the WSPTA will be working with issue teams to help push the recently approved 2015 Legislative Platform. To find out what issues we have on the 2015 platform, or to find out how to join

one of our issue teams, read the full article in the November 19 issue of the Kang Crier. 
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PTSA Fall Grant Recipients

The Lake Washington High School PTSA is pleased to announce the following fall grant recipients:

 

LWHS ASB Club Grants:

  • Erin Day - Clay Club: Granted $250 to purchase glaze, tools, and clay. Benefits 10-30 students.
  • Kathleen Prelerson - Vex Robotics Club: Granted $500 for Vex Game Field Elements (set for robotics practice, helps build/test robots). Also to be used for competition in January. Benefits 18 members, plus robotic classes.

 Total grants: $750 

 

 LWHS Teacher Grants:

  • Jeremy Cromer - Video Production: Granted $600 to purchase custom canvas back drop for video broadcasts. Benefits 60 students.
  • Jeremy Cromer - Video Production: Granted $1,500 to purchase five cameras for video productions. Benefits 60 students.
  • Brenda Kern - French (Levels 3 & 4): Granted $80 for Scholastic Magazines and website access. Benefits 170 students.
  • Brenda Kern - French: Granted $60 for a subscription (one year, 11 issues) to France-Amerique. Benefits 50 students.
  • Mary Clarke - Culinary Art: Granted $532 for the purchase of cooking pots and eight potato ricers. Benefits 130 students.
  • Sarah Gregerson - Library: Granted $840 for the purchase of seven Library Nooks (e-readers).  Benefits 1,450 students.
  • Sarah Gregerson - Library/ELL/SpEd: Granted $850 for audio books for students with special needs. Benefits 24 students.
  • Cathy McCreary - SpED: Granted $500 for supplies for cooking classes for special needs students. Benefits 31 students.
Total grants: $4,962.

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Kang Sports News

LWHS Boys Soccer
Player Meeting, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2:45pm, Library  
Attention LWHS Boys! Those of you interested in LWHS Boy's Soccer, there will be an informational player meeting on Thursday, December 18 at 2:45pm in the LWHS Library. We will discuss March tryouts and January/February winter training. Contact Head Coach Rod Smith at [email protected] if you cannot make the meeting but are interested in LWHS soccer. 


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LWHS News & Activities

Update on Safety at LW

Student safety is a priority at LWHS. Here are some of the safety measures that are currently in place or in the works.

 

Lockdown Drill - A lockdown drill was held the week before Thanksgiving. Both Kirkland police and our school resource officer (SRO) were present. Kirkland police were happy with LW practices observed during the drill.

 

Safe School Ambassadors - A successful, national anti-bullying program, Safe School Ambassadors, has been implemented at LW. A varied mix of 49 students, nominated by teachers, were selected to act as ambassadors that will help increase the safety of the school environment, while decreasing harassment and bullying. The program seeks to utilize the 85% of kids who are not bullies or bullied, but are bystanders to incidents of bullying. The ambassadors will be attending two days of off-campus training next week. Ten teachers will also be trained.    

 

Security Cameras - 20 security cameras are being installed around LW.

 

Doors - All doors will remained locked during school hours, except the front doors.

 

Full-Time SRO - Principal Christina Thomas has requested a full-time school resource officer from the district. LWSD and Kirkland Police would need to agree to this request.

 

Lake Washington School District has information on their website about what the district is doing to keep students safe. In the event of an emergency, the district will use all available means to get the word out to parents, including social media (Twitter and Facebook), posting notices on their website and on flashalert.net. The FlashAlert system distributes emergency messages such as breaking news or weather closure information. You can sign up to receive email notifications at flashalert.net. There is also a free FlashAlert Messenger app, available on Google Play and in the iTunes app store. 

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Eight LW music students named to WMEA All-Northwest or All-State Ensembles

Eight LW music students have been accepted to the 2015 National Association for Music Education's (NAfME) High School All-Northwest Honor Groups and the 2015 Washington Music Educators Association (WMEA) High School All-State Honor Groups. After three days of rehearsals, under the direction of outstanding national level music educators and internationally renowned conductors, the students will perform at the conclusion of the 2015 NAfME's Northwest Division Conference in Spokane in February. The Northwest Division of NAfME also includes Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Wyoming. Each of these musicians was required to submit audition recordings to be considered. Congratulations to our Kang musicians!

 

2015 WMEA All-Northwest Orchestra

  • Logan Esterling, senior, oboe

2015 WMEA All-State Concert Band

  • Alexander Gilbert, senior, Bb soprano clarinet

2015 WMEA All-State Symphonic Choir

  • Erik Abramson, junior, tenor 2
  • Olivia Heindel, senior, soprano 1
  • Brianna Murillo, senior, soprano 1
  • James Rowan, junior, tenor 2
  • Jonas Rutledge, senior, tenor 1

2015 WMEA All-State Symphony Orchestra

  • Kyle Oppermann, junior, viola
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Model United Nations Club Update

The Lake Washington Model United Nations Club was kept busy November 22 - 23. The club participated in the newly formed Pacific MUN Conference, a diplomatic conference run entirely by high-school students. For two days in the Bellevue Hilton, MUN club members became "delegates" for all of the world's countries, deliberating current world issues in a myriad of committees. Members walked away with enhanced public speaking, negotiating, and formal writing skills, as well as a new perspective on the state of global politics.

 

Congratulations to senior Alex Todd, who received the "Best Justice" award for his superb work in the simulation of the International Court of Justice.

 

While the rest of the club was at Pacific MUN, club president Arman Talkar drove up to Vancouver B.C., where he served as Director of the United Nations Security Council in ConnectMUN, a premier MUN conference with over 700 delegates. The club wishes to use his ConnectMUN experience to expand the presence of MUN in the state of Washington and have LWHS lead the charge.

 
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LWHS Band Clothing Drive
LWHS Band is organizing a clothing drive in December and January. Bring your gently used clothing, shoes, linens, towels, hats, tablecloths, fabric, gloves, scarves, purses, and blankets to drop off in the clothing drive box in the Commons in December and January. Value Village has offered to donate funds to Big Brothers Big Sisters, Sight Connections, Northwest Center and LWHS Band for our clothing drive. The bigger the Kang textile donation, the bigger the funding donation! This is a great reason to clean out your closets and support some excellent causes while you do!  
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Support LW Booster Club by Shopping at Amazon
Do you shop online at Amazon? By choosing Lake Washington High School Booster Club at smile.amazon.com, you can easily support LWHS student activities such as band, baseball, boys' basketball, girls' basketball, drama, gridiron club football, orchestra, boys' soccer, girls' soccer, volleyball, cross country and track/field. 
  • Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. 
  • AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.

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November PE/Health Students of the Month

As we continue in the 2014 - 2015 school year, the following students have been selected by their Physical Education/Health teachers as Students of the Month. During this time these students have excelled in their participation in unit/class activities, displayed pride in their fitness and skill development, and have served as role models for others in their physical education/health class.

Congratulations!

   

Jememiah Harrison
Spencer Burmester
Kylisa Hull
Eric McGaw
Skylar Brown
Cameron McClung
Monica Taing
Alex Lundin
Emma Hope

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When Snow Hits: Metro Winter Rider Tips

When snow comes to the Northwest, Metro bus routes change. Here's what you need to know: 


In "snow route" conditions,

  • the best place to catch the bus is along a major arterial
  • wait for the bus at the top or bottom of hills
  • wait back from the curb
  • dress warmly
  • prepare for delays

Metro Snow route Information can be found on the Metro website. 

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Kang News Now Online for Viewing
To find out how to view Kang News on the LWHS website, see the full article in the November 19 issue of the Kang Crier.
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Counseling Center

FAFSAParent Night: Navigating the FAFSA
Monday, December 15, 6:30pm, LW Theater
Mark your calendar for the Counseling Center's fourth Parent Nighpresentation! LWHS will sponsor a financial aid workshop - Navigating the FAFSA - on December 15 at 6:30pm in LWHS's theater. We will have a speaker from UW here to help walk parents through the form. If you experience difficulty when you fill out the FAFSA, we encourage you to call the financial aid offices at any of our local community colleges or universities. They will be more than happy to help answer your questions. Again, it is important to submit the FAFSA as soon after January 1 as possible. Many schools have early spring financial aid deadline dates. They strictly enforce deadlines and need your financial information as early as possible in order to give your student the best package. 
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NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse

Juniors and seniors considering participating in intercollegiate athletics need to register online with the NCAA Clearinghouse. This registration certifies the eligibility of student athletes to participate in sports during their freshman year in college.  

 

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College Applications
See the article below, in the Information for Seniors & Senior Parents section, for tips and advice about college applications.
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2015 SAT and ACT Test Dates
LWHS Code: 480545
SAT (register at collegeboard.com)
Test DateRegistration Deadline
January 24, 2015December 29, 2014
March 14, 2015February 13, 2015

ACT (register at actstudent.org)
Test Date
Registration Deadline
February 7, 2015
January 9, 2015
April 18, 2015
March 13, 2015
See more registration and test dates for 2015. For more information, contact the Counseling Office at 425-936-1702.
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Information for Seniors & Senior ParentsSeniorInfo

Get Ready to Apply for Financial Aid
Get ready to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) early in January. The FAFSA is the paperwork step necessary to access federal student aid including the Pell Grant and federal student loans. Regardless of what your family's economic situation currently is, you are always eligible for federal student or parent loans, so don't put it off. Also, many scholarships are now requiring that a FAFSA be filed. It's usually advantageous to get the FAFSA filed as early in the year as possible because it allows you more time to consider your options. But you have to have at least an estimate of your family's 2014 taxes. The earlier you get things in order for this process, the better. The student and parents need a PIN (personal identification number) to complete the FAFSA on line. If you don't already have one, now is the time to apply at: www.pin.ed.gov. When you are ready to fill out the FAFSA be sure to use the site: www.fafsa.ed.gov. Remember, it is a free form - don't go to sites where you have to pay to fill out the form.

Need help? Attend the Parent Night seminar on Monday, December 15 - see the full article here.

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CollegeAppsCollege Applications

December 2 was the cutoff date for students to request transcripts and letters of recommendation from counselors for applications with early January deadlines. Students are reminded that the Counseling Center will be closed for winter break from 3pm on Friday, December 19 until 7:30am on Monday, January 5. During this period we are unable to respond to emails or phone calls, so please advise your senior student to have his/her college application questions answered prior to the winter closure.

 
Directions for transcript submission are printed on the
request form (available in the Counseling Center) and are also explained on the school websiteStudents are responsible for providing addressed, stamped envelopes for mailing transcripts to colleges. Test scores must be requested directly from the College Board or ACT.
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Senior Information on LW Website
Want to know where to order a cap and gown, or how to submit a senior quote for the yearbook (due Friday, December 12)? Did you know that the price goes up for the Senior Party after Friday, December 19 or that senior portraits are due Wednesday, January 7? Find useful information and various deadlines for seniors on the LWHS website.
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Lake Washington Schools Foundation

Celebrating 10 Years and $2 Million Invested
The Lake Washington Schools foundation is celebrating its 10 year anniversary and almost $2 million invested in our district's students. You can read more about it in this Redmond Reporter article

 

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Community News

Make a Difference for Winter Break
fruit-basket.jpg
Kirkland Nourishing Network is working to help feed some of the "neediest of the needy" in Kirkland elementary schools over the winter school break. Teachers and school counselors, who see the needs of students every day, identify kids-in-need while maintaining confidentiality. This winter break, Kirkland Nourishing Network is expanding to include students-in-need in almost all of our elementary schools; 360 food boxes are needed to meet this expanded need. Many of these kids will not get enough food over the holiday break without this support.
 
Make an immediate difference in the lives of hungry school children and their families - sign up at mysignup.com/decemberholidaybreak to donate a box of food. Contact Dave Asher at [email protected] for more information.

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Free Tutoring and Test Prep
Need help with math, chemistry, physics, English or other subjects? Need help preparing for the SAT or Subject Tests? Now, you can get help for FREE!  Salman Khan, who left his lucrative position as a hedge fund analyst, started the Khan Academy to help students succeed. He started the Khan Academy with backing from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Google and other benefactors with the goal of "providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere." He has now partnered with the College Board to continue his work. Now, you no longer have to pay to receive tutoring or test prep. You can learn in the comfort of your own home with your computer.  Just sign onto the following website and start getting the help you need: www.khanacademy.org.
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Cold Weather Means It's Ski Bus Time
ski-jump.jpg Registration is now open for students interested in participating in a six-week Wednesday afternoon ski/snowboarding program. The cost to register your child for Wednesday after-school skiing and snowboarding increases December 15. Initial activity dates are Wednesdays, January 7, 14, 21, 28, February 4, 11, weather dependent.

Transportation and classes are offered through Mohan Ski School. For more information, contact Marion Haithcox at [email protected]. Register on the Mohan Ski School Website. Gear storage is not available on campus.   
 
This private program is not sponsored by the PTSA, Lake Washington High School or the Lake Washington School District.
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SAT Prep at LW
The SAT Prep Course provides classroom-based practice testing and instructions in preparation for the SAT test. View the flyer for more information on dates, fees and additional locations, or visit SATPrep.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.bottomofpage

ptsa 
 Lake Washington High School * Kirkland, WA * PTSA Local Unit 2.8.95