Dear Kang Families,

This is the season of high school activities. We just celebrated our Kang poets with a poetry slam and voted for our 2024-25 ASB officers. This month we have Lyrica, choir, orchestra and band concerts. As we celebrate the first day of spring on March 19th, we also look forward to having some sun for our tennis, golf, track and field, soccer, fastpitch and baseball events. Before you know it, we will begin our end-of-the-year activities, including Prom on June 1st. 

It is easy to get caught up in what's to come. One of the rules I live by is to never wish time away. For me, this means not counting down until the weekend. It means using time productively, even when time means being stuck in traffic. It also means celebrating each day. Our teenagers sometimes have trouble with this. High school students grew up in a high-tech culture and the comfort of having information and entertainment available all of the time. They hurry to get to the next class, the next lunch and the next weekend. Let's encourage each other and our kids to slow down and enjoy the moments that make up our lives. 

One of the highlights of bringing parents and community members in to visit our classrooms, is the tour of our school. When we travel from classroom to classroom my administrative team makes it a point to stop by and visit the library. Each time we do, we hear parents express delight at the environment created to support this very idea—to slow down and to not wish away the time we have. Our library is staffed by Mrs. Munsell, Mrs. Siddick and Mrs. Courage. Together they foster an environment in which students can read silently, play games, and enjoy each other's company. The library is a warm and welcoming place. Unlike the world outside of school, it also has high circulation and moderate student traffic. I absolutely love our library. 

One resource our students have access to in the library is our restoration room. Staffed by Mr. Kim and Mr. Barnes, the restoration room provides a quiet space for students who may feel overwhelmed. The restoration room is also an option for students who need a separate testing space. Any student who needs to reset can ask their teacher in order to access this resource. 

Speaking of resources, I want to reiterate that we have free/reduced lunch and breakfast available to students and families who qualify. Please fill out this online application to apply for access to free or reduced lunch and to see if you may qualify (alternatively, print and submit this form to our school office). I am passionate about feeding students who attend our school. Nutrition is foundational to learning and students who are hungry cannot focus on school. 

Many of our students who access lunch do not access breakfast. We have a wonderful kitchen staff who are happy to serve breakfast each day. If your student accesses free/reduced lunch, please encourage them to also grab breakfast at school. Any student can purchase school breakfast as well. Here is a link to find out more about how to pay for school meals using myschoolbucks.

I hope that all of our Kang Families enjoy each day this week. Take care and go Kangs!

Christine Bell

Principal, Lake Washington High School

Connect with Mrs. Bell at cbell@lwsd.org

Upcoming College and Career Events:

3/21    5:00pm            WANIC Open House at LWTech

3/26    8:30am              ASVAB Test

4/16    7:45am (All day) Central Washington University field trip

Kirkland Rotary Scholarships

The Kirkland Rotary Club Scholarship applications are now open! Apply to scholarships in a variety of categories. All applications are due April 19th. Find out how to apply on the Kirkland Rotary Club website: Kirkland Rotary Scholarships | Rotary Club of Kirkland

For More Scholarship Opportunities. . .

The College and Career Center has a live calendar of upcoming scholarship deadlines. Check it out and click each scholarship listed for a drop down menu of more information. Click here to see the calendar!

WANIC 2024-2025 Registration Now Open; Open House: March 21st

The Washington Network for Innovative Careers (WANIC) registration for the 2024/25 school year is now open. WANIC offers preparatory college and careers programs for 11th and 12th graders in a variety of CTE fields. From Fire and EMS to Music and Sound Design, to Medical Careers or Automotive Tech, as well as many others, WANIC is a great option for students to get a head start in the career field of their choice. Find out more here: Full Year Courses - WANIC High School (lwsd.org).

Furthermore, WANIC will be hosting an Open House on Thursday, March 21st from 5:00-7:00pm at Lake Washington Institute of Technology, 11605 132nd AVE NE Kirkland 98034. Presentación en Espanol 5:30-6:00pm.

ASVAB Testing

The ASVAB will be offered March 26th for any interested students. This is a career exploration tool as well as a graduation pathway option. Students sign up using this form; for more information visit www.asvabprogram.com or reach out to Nichole Swanger or stop by the College and Career Center.

Central Washington University Field Trip

Juniors and Seniors, the College and Career Center are sponsoring a field trip to Central Washington University in Ellensburg on Tuesday, April 16th. The single day trip leaves early, at 7:45am from Lake Washington High School and will return by 3:00pm. Students can sign up and get a permission form at the College and Career Center, room 180. 

College and Career Center

Room 180

College and Career Specialists

• Nichole Swanger: nswanger@lwsd.org
• Alex Clark-McGlenn: aclarkmcglenn@lwsd.org

Please join us at the LWHS PTSA general membership meeting this Wednesday, March 20th at 7:00pm in the LWHS library. Fellow parent, Matthew Wetmore, will be discussing emergency preparation at LWHS and our PTSA's critical role in supporting ePrep situations at the school.

Come and join forces with other parents to positively impact students, staff, and the entire community at LWHS.

On Thursday, March 7th, in conjunction with the College and Career Center, PTSA was proud to help sponsor the LWSD College Fair at LWHS. Representatives from 75+ colleges and tech/trade schools were on hand to talk to students and families about post high school programs, paying for college, WUE, and more! Thank you to all our volunteers for helping to make this night a huge success! 

Thank you to all the families who volunteered and donated food items to make the “Luck O’ the Kangs” staff appreciation luncheon on Wednesday, March 13th a success! Feedback from the teachers and administration was glowing. The PTSA Staff Appreciation team could not have done it without this community's generosity.

Lake Washington PTSA Council offers several student scholarships and two $500 staff scholarships each spring. This year's Student Scholarship Program will include 15 scholarships of $1,250 each:

• 8 Merit scholarships
• 1 LWEA/Teeley scholarship (funded by the LWEA)
• 2 Perseverance scholarships
• 1 Turnaround scholarship
• 1 Two-year, technical or vocational scholarship
• 2 At-large scholarships

Applications for both staff and student scholarships are due by 11:59pm on Friday, March 29th. LWPTSA Council's Scholarship Program is funded by money raised at our annual scholarship fundraising auction, by annual donations from the 44 PTAs/PTSAs in the LWSD, the LWEA, and by donations from the greater community.

→ Download the Student Scholarship Application

→ Download the Staff Scholarship Application

Show pride for your graduating senior by purchasing a personalized yard sign and/or decal for your car! Order now through April 30th.

• Custom Yard Signs for Class of 2024: Signs are 18" x 24" in size with an H-stake and cost $20. Please enter the name of the student as you wish it to appear on the sign. Sign can only accommodate a FIRST name or a nickname.
• Car Decal: Decals are 8" round and cost $15. There is no name on the car decal.
• Combined purchase of sign and decal will be $30.

Please go lwhsptsa.org -> Seniors -> Senior Signs to order, or click here. All proceeds fund the Senior Party!

VIRTUAL INFO MEETING

On Zoom, Monday, March 18th at 6:00pm: https://washington.zoom.us/j/98327366093

Where are we going?

Spring 2025

Join us “Down Under” in New Zealand!

• Explore LOTS of Biology, beautiful sceneries (including parts of the filming for location for LOTR!), fjords, and end in Sydney Australia!
• Contact: PalmerScienceTravel@gmail.com

Want to take your Spanish fluency to the next level? Come join us as we encounter the wildlife, culture and beautiful vistas of Costa Rica, all while practicing Spanish.

• This Spanish immersion trip is open to students enrolled in Spanish 4 or AP for 2024-2025!
• Contact: spanishviajes@gmail.com

Summer 2025

For the history buffs, follow the path of major WWII sites in Europe!

• See battlegrounds, learn about the history of WWII, and learn about the impacts of the War on the local cultures.
• Contact: KandGEduTravel@gmail.com

The University of Washington offers high school enrichment opportunities in both online and in-person formats:

• Algorithmic Thinking: Programming Logic Fundamentals
• Coding in Java I & Java II
• Coding in Python I & Python II
• Digital Photography
• Esports, Gaming & Broadcasting
• Introduction to Astronomy
• Sharpen Your Writing Skills
• Writers Workshop
• Writing Arguments That Matter
• Writing for College Readiness

To learn more visit: UW Youth & Teen Programs.