Connections - August 28, 2025: Welcome back! Importa...

Read the website accessible version here August 28, 2025 Welcome back! We are about ready to start the 2025-26 school year, and that means Connections is back. For those of you who are new to the district, Connections is our community newsletter that is sent out just about every two weeks, usually on Thursdays. You’ll find important information in each edition like district happenings, stories from around LWSD, and more.  Calendar information The page-per-month 2025-26 calendar is posted on the portal and the LWSD website. Here are a few key dates for the first two weeks of school: The first day of school for grades 1-12 is Tuesday, September 2. The first day for kindergarten is Friday, September 5 (staggered start). Kindergarten Family Connections days will run from Tuesday, September 2 to Thursday, September 4. Elementary conferences will be held Tuesday, September 2, through Thursday, September 4. Grades 1-5 will have half days each of these days. The first day of preschool is Tuesday, September 9. Wednesday, September 3 is a full school day for grades 6-12, not a 90/105-minute early release day. The early release Wednesday schedule begins on Wednesday, September 10. Work with us We're hiring! Consider a career in LWSD LWSD is always seeking great talent for positions throughout our district. In addition to other positions available throughout the district, we are looking for applicants for the following positions:  Nurses  Instructional Assistants (IAs)  Paraeducators  Custodians  Bus Drivers  Substitutes  These positions are also available in a substitute role. Check out the LWSD website for job descriptions and postings. In this issue Extraordinary futures start today! Learn about LWSD's new strategic framework Canvas learning management system launches for all secondary schools Kindergarten Family Connections Back to school countdown on Facebook Inclusion Preschool openings New bus app - StopFinder New speed safety cameras coming this fall Congressional App Challenge - Computer science competition Find help with energy bills Vector Alert - Safety reporting service 988 suicide and crisis lifeline Volunteering Peachjar community flyers LWSD construction projects Student & staff success Learning focused Extraordinary Futures Start Today! Exceptional Experiences for each learner Dear Lake Washington School District Community, Extraordinary futures start today! As we continue our pursuit of excellence across Lake Washington School District, I’m excited to introduce our updated strategic framework, a guide for decision-making, the development of strategic initiatives and the foundation for who we are and what we stand for as an organization. This framework reflects our shared commitment to building a bright future for our students, staff and community. Throughout the 2023–24 school year, three representative groups made up of staff, administrators, students and community members collaborated to shape the LWSD Student Profile. This aspirational profile defines the mindsets and skills our students need to thrive in a complex, global, 21st-century world. It also provides a clear and consistent focus to align our efforts moving forward. Just as importantly, the profile identifies the staff practices and organizational principles essential to achieving our ultimate mission: success for every student. This new strategic framework includes several interconnected components designed to bring our vision for students to life: Our Values are the heart of the plan. The Student Profile is what we’re striving to achieve. Strategic Commitments anchor the framework. Strategic Cycles of Innovation drive how we will get there. Engagement and Data (KPIs) inform and enhance the framework and measure progress along the way. Together, these components form a comprehensive framework that will guide our district towards achieving a vision of excellence for our students. We are committed to working collaboratively with our community of stakeholders to ensure each student’s success and to provide exceptional educational experiences for every student. We look forward to this journey together and to all we will accomplish together on behalf of our students. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our district. Dr. Jon Holmen Superintendent Learn more: Strategic Framework - Lake Washington School District. Review the PDF version of the Framework here. Canvas corner Beginning this year, all LWSD secondary schools will be using Canvas as our official learning management system. This means Canvas will be the main digital hub for your student's classes — a place for assignments and course work. As a family member who supports a student in grades 6-12, here are a few things to know about Canvas at LWSD to launch into the new school year: Getting your family account: Your account (called an “Observer” account in Canvas) is created automatically using your contact information in Skyward’s Family Access. To log in for the first time, visit the LWSD Canvas Family site. Scroll down the page to “Logging in for the first time?” and you’ll see instructions for both online registration (web browser) and the Canvas Parent App. Quick video guides: The same webpage has short videos to help you get started. They cover logging in, finding your way around a course, and managing notifications. Translated videos are also available! Control your notifications: After logging in, your first step should be to set your notification preferences. By default, Canvas can send a lot of emails. To avoid being overwhelmed, you can choose exactly what you want to be notified about and how often. You can set these preferences for both email and the Parent App. See Canvas through the eyes of students: In the “For Students” tab, there are also videos for students by students! We are so proud of our LWSD students for making these videos, and they are really helpful for seeing some of the useful features that your student(s) engage with in Canvas and may even be a good conversation starter. This initiative is part of the 2022 School Technology & Capital Projects Levy. We want to thank our LWSD community and voters for your continued commitment to the students of Lake Washington School District. Your support makes tools like this possible. Kindergarten Family Connections help students, families have a successful year The first day of school for grades 1-12 is on Tuesday, September 2. Students in Grades 1-5 will have half-days on September 2, 3 and 4 for elementary conferences. Kindergarten students will have Family Connection Meetings on September 2, 3 or 4. The first day of Kindergarten is Friday, September 5. Kindergarten families should expect to receive additional information from their school about their specific schedules. Need to know your school’s start and end time? Visit our school hours page on the LWSD website: https://www.lwsd.org/students-families/families/school-hours. LWSD back to school countdown on Facebook We are excited to welcome back our students for the 2025-26 school year! As we all prepare for the first day of school, visit the LWSD Facebook page for a list of resources that will help prepare your student for school. Follow us as we count down to the first day of school! Inclusion preschool in Lake Washington School District Looking for a preschool for your 3- or 4 year-old? We are now enrolling for the 2025-26 school year! Our inclusion preschool program offers a comprehensive early childhood learning experience in preparation for kindergarten. Classes include typically developing children from the community as well as students receiving special education. LWSD preschool focuses on providing children and families with a successful first-school experience. Families with a 3- and/or 4-year-old child living within the boundaries of Lake Washington School District are eligible to apply for the preschool program. Your child must be three or four years old by August 31, 2025, and live within the Lake Washington School District boundaries. (Students who are 5 years old on or before August 31, 2025 must register for Kindergarten.) View the inclusion preschool flyer here. Visit the LWSD website for more information. District announcements Attention LWSD Families with School Bus Riders! We’re excited to introduce StopFinder, a powerful new mobile app designed to improve your experience with school transportation—and it’s fantastic! The Transportation Department has recently sent account activation emails to contacts associated with student riders. Please check your inbox and follow the instructions in the invitation to subscribe and download the app. StopFinder puts real-time bus information right at your fingertips, helping you stay informed and connected every step of the way. You can download the StopFinder app on your mobile device via the Apple Store or Google Play. Some key details: Student-linked account activation emails were only sent to contacts of students who are LWSD bus-riders. To be linked to your student-rider, you must be one of the two primary contacts listed in Skyward for that student. Other users can be added manually by the user once they activate their account (more information on the StopFinder app page). StopFinder account activation emails were sent to primary contacts who have NOT yet activated their account.  Account activation emails are only active for 30 days. If you need a new activation email sent, please notify transportation.  Check the LWSD Transportation page for other related information. This new LWSD transportation app, along with upgrades to our routing software, was funded by 2022 School Technology & Capital Projects Levy, and we wanted to acknowledge and thank our LWSD district residents and voters for their continued commitment to the students of Lake Washington School District. Drivers: Know the laws about school bus safety A message from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) Across the state, students are preparing to return to their classrooms for another year of learning and school transportation teams are ensuring their buses are ready to safely transport students each day.   A survey recently released by The National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services (NASDPTS) suggests drivers need reminding of the laws about school bus safety.   Since 2011, school bus drivers from across the country have participated in the NASDPTS one-day survey, which aims to determine how many motorists illegally pass stopped school buses. More than 114,000 school bus drivers participated in the 2025 survey, including over 3,000 in Washington state.   During the one-day survey, Washington school bus drivers documented 1,156 instances of drivers illegally passing a stopped school bus. Multiplied by the number of days in the school year, the survey results indicate that drivers are illegally passing a school bus in Washington state more than 200,000 times per year. Nationwide, drivers reported the total for the one-day survey was 67,258.  Click here to read more. Speed safety cameras coming to school zones this fall This fall, the City of Redmond will launch its Speed Safety Camera Pilot Program. Speed safety cameras are measurement devices that detect vehicles violating a speed limit. They are a highly effective tool used to improve community safety by reducing speeding and potential collisions in areas where it matters most – like school zones and high-traffic intersections – which Redmond residents and community members have shared is a priority item. Speed safety cameras will be installed at: Redmond High School (17272 NE 104th Street) Redmond Middle School (10055 166th Avenue NE) Rose Hill Middle School (13505 NE 75th Street) The City expects these cameras to significantly improve compliance with school zone speed limits, creating a safer environment for students and families arriving, leaving, or walking near schools. Benefits of speed safety cameras: Classified as a proven safety countermeasure by the Federal Highway Administration. Reduce collisions by up to 54%. Reduce roadway fatalities and injuries by up to 47%. Improve the safety of children and other community members. Create funding for additional traffic safety improvements. Increase speed limit compliance. Promote responsible driving. Please note, a warning period will be in effect for the first 45 days of camera operation. During the warning period, drivers exceeding the posted school zone speed limit will receive a courtesy notice instead of a violation. The courtesy notice requires no payment or response but serves as a learning opportunity for drivers. Thank you for slowing down, staying alert, and helping keep Redmond’s students, educators, and wider community safe.  Learn more about the Speed Safety Camera Pilot Program by viewing the flyer or by visiting redmond.gov/SpeedSafetyCameras. 2025 Congressional App Challenge The Congressional App Challenge is the official computer science competition of the House of Representatives. Since its inception in 2013, the Congressional App Challenge has grown to become the most prestigious prize in computer science. Over 50,000 students have participated in the Congressional App Challenge across 374 Congressional Districts in 50 states and five U.S. territories. This year, Congresswoman Kim Schrier (WA-08) will be participating in the 2025 Congressional App Challenge. From May 1 to October 30, Rep. Schrier will be hosting a Congressional App Challenge for middle school and high school students of all coding skills in Washington’s 8th congressional district. Students can submit any coded project built on any platform. The Congressional App Challenge urges all students to enter the competition, as it encourages critical thinking and creativity for those of all computer science experience levels. View the flyer for more information.  Puget Sound Energy offers support for families and households in our district Lake Washington School District is committed to sustainability. Puget Sound Energy (PSE) has programs available to our community to help manage energy usage and reduce monthly bills. Energy assistance programs Bill Discount Rate: Eligible customers can save between 5% and 45% on their monthly energy bills. Home Energy Lifeline Program (HELP): Provides up to a $1,000 credit to help pay your energy bill. Applying for HELP also initiates an application for the Bill Discount Rate. Past Due Bill Forgiveness: Offers a fresh start by forgiving a portion of your past due balance. Home Weatherization Assistance: PSE partners with local agencies to provide free, whole-home upgrades that improve energy efficiency and reduce monthly costs. Energy efficiency rebates  PSE offers rebates on a variety of energy-efficient appliances and home upgrades, including: Heating and cooling systems Smart thermostats Insulation and windows Additional programs (learn more at PSE.com) Community Solar Program: Save up to $240 per year on your electric bill by participating in PSE’s Community Solar program. Free shares from local solar projects are available to eligible customers. Tools to Track and Manage Energy Use: Access self-service tools that help you understand your home’s energy consumption and receive personalized tips to save energy. PSE Flex Program: Earn rewards by shifting your energy use away from peak demand times. This helps reduce strain on the grid and can lower your bill.   Click here to view the flyer (Spanish) and you can learn more at PSE.com. Safety corner: District tip line Safety is one of our district’s top priorities. Our district uses Vector Alert, a tip reporting service that allows students, staff and parents to submit safety concerns to our administration five different ways: App: Search for “Vector Alert” in the App Store to download for free Phone: 425.529.5763 Text: Text your tip to 425.529.5763 Email: 1342@alert1.us Web: https://1342.alert1.us You can easily report tips on bullying, harassment, drugs, vandalism, threats of violence or any safety issue you're concerned about through Vector Alert. When you submit a tip, be sure to use our district’s identification code: 1342 in your communication. Every tip Vector Alert receives about our district is immediately logged in the system and our administration is notified so that they can investigate and take appropriate action. Tips may also be submitted anonymously if you prefer. Together, using Vector Alert, we can make our district a safer place to work and learn! View this poster for more information. 988 suicide and crisis lifeline 988 is more than just an easy-to-remember number—it is a direct connection to compassionate, accessible care and support for anyone experiencing mental health related distress—whether that is thoughts of suicide, symptoms of mental illness or substance use disorder or other factors. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need these types of crisis supports. Volunteering in fall 2025 If you would like to volunteer in our schools in the fall, please make sure your volunteer status is current. Contact Chris Robison (crobison@lwsd.org) if you have any questions about your approval status.  If you’ve let your volunteer approval status lapse or you need to apply for the first time, please submit the application NOW! Here is the link to the Raptor online volunteer application. Peachjar to deliver community electronic flyers LWSD will continue using the Peachjar eflyer service this school year. Peachjar distributes eflyers from nonprofit organizations as well as from schools and school-related organizations directly to parent email inboxes. If you are new to LWSD, you will receive a welcome email from Peachjar that gives instructions on how to manage flyer delivery preferences. Learn more about Peachjar on the district website.  Building Excellence Your tax dollars at work! Summer progress on 2022 Building Excellence Capital Construction Levy projects Over the summer, construction teams made progress on three major projects for the 2025-26 school year: rebuilding and enlarging Rockwell Elementary, and additions at Eastlake High School (EHS) and Redmond High School (RHS). These projects are funded by the 2022 Building Excellence Capital Construction Levy approved by voters. Rebuild & Enlarge Rockwell Elementary: Installed aggregate piers to support the new building. Concrete foundation work is complete. The stormwater system is underway and designed to handle major storms and protect downstream properties from flooding. Additions at Eastlake High School (EHS) & Redmond High School (RHS): EHS will have 12 new classrooms and support spaces in the north wing. RHS will have 10 new classrooms and support spaces in a new two-story renovation of the administration wing. Temporary portables were added to both schools to house various functions during construction. Both additions are scheduled to open in 2026. Learn more: Rockwell Elementary Rebuild & Enlarge | EHS Addition | RHS Addition Student & staff success Three LWSD schools recognized nationally as PTA Schools of Excellence National PTA has recognized Keller Elementary, Redmond Middle School and Wilder Elementary as 2024-26 Schools of Excellence. These schools are three of only 330 PTAs and schools nationwide to be recognized with this designation. They received this recognition for their accomplishments in building a strong, effective family-school partnership that is enriching the educational experience and overall well-being of all students. Read more about this on the LWSD website. Eastlake High School students lead sustainability initiative Eastlake High School junior and EHS PTSA Sustainability Co-Chair Haarika Nidadavolu, along with her fellow co-chairs and student volunteers, are spearheading an educational initiative aimed at making sustainability a daily practice for students. The team is dedicated to developing educational materials and delivering presentations at local schools, with plans to expand their efforts to reach a wider audience. Read more about this on the LWSD website. Remember... This newsletter is just one way to stay in touch with what is happening in the district. Connect with us on Facebook, X Instagram and YouTube for up-to-date news and information.   The Lake Washington School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Coordinator, Director of Human Resources, 425-936-1333, civilrights@lwsd.org; Title IX Coordinator, Director of Athletics and Activities, 425-936-1289, titleix@lwsd.org; and 504 Coordinator, Director of Special Services, 425-936-1407, section504@lwsd.org (16250 NE 74th Street, Redmond, WA 98052)

Thursday, Aug 28 2025

Connections - June 20, 2025: Congratulations, gradua...

Read the website accessible version here June 20, 2025 In this issue Congratulations, Class of 2025! Message from Superintendent Jon Holmen Celebrating LWSD retirees PSAT/SAT testing info for 2025-26 Volunteering in the fall LWSF funds mental health awareness, clears senior meal debt and celebrates 20-year anniversary Student & staff success Work with us We're hiring! Consider a career in LWSD LWSD is always seeking great talent for positions throughout our district. In addition to other positions available throughout the district, we are looking for applicants for the following positions:  Nurses  Instructional Assistants (IAs)  Paraeducators  Custodians  Bus Drivers  Substitutes  These positions are also available in a substitute role. Check out the LWSD website for job descriptions and postings. Learning focused Congratulations, Class of 2025! More than 2,250 LWSD students will be graduating this year. On June 16 and 17, graduating students from six of our high schools were handed their diplomas at Alaska Airlines Arena at University of Washington in Seattle. Throughout graduation season, follow our Facebook page and district website for pictures and videos of these once-in-a-lifetime ceremonies, along with grad walks that took place at our elementary and middle schools. A message from Superintendent Dr. Jon Holmen As we bring the 2024–25 academic year to a close, I want to take a moment to recognize and celebrate our graduating students. This year’s message to the Class of 2025 reflects on the unique challenges they’ve faced. Challenges that demanded resilience, determination and empathy. These exceptional students have risen to the occasion, and their accomplishments speak volumes. It is with immense pride that I share my letter with this remarkable graduating class. Congratulations to each one of you! Read more of this message from Dr. Holmen on the LWSD website. Celebrating our LWSD 2024-25 retirees Lake Washington School District has created a presentation honoring all the 2024-25 school year retirees. We want to thank all our retirees for their years of tireless work with the district, and we wish them luck with whatever retirement holds for them. View the video by clicking this link. Inclusion preschool in Lake Washington School District Looking for a preschool for your 3- or 4 year-old? We are now enrolling for the 2025-2026 school year! Our inclusion preschool program offers a comprehensive early childhood learning experience in preparation for kindergarten. Classes include typically developing children from the community as well as students receiving special education. LWSD preschool focuses on providing children and families with a successful first-school experience. Families with a 3- and/or 4-year-old child living within the boundaries of Lake Washington School District are eligible to apply for the preschool program. Your child must be three or four years old by August 31, 2025, and live within the Lake Washington School District boundaries. (Students who are 5 years old on or before August 31, 2025 must register for Kindergarten.) View the inclusion preschool flyer here. Visit the LWSD website for more information. PSAT/SAT testing information for 2025-26 Attention High School Students and Families! Lake Washington School District will host the annual school day PSAT and SAT event on Friday, October 24. All 10th Graders are automatically registered for the PSAT, and no payment is required. 11th Graders can sign up to take the PSAT for a fee of $18. 12th Graders can sign up to take the SAT for a fee of $60. Registration and payment for 11th and 12th graders opens in August at each high school and closes for all students on September 26. More details will come from each high school when school starts in the fall. Accommodations for students with disabilities Students who need accommodations for the PSAT or SAT must complete the Parent Consent Form from College Board. You can find the form here: https://accommodations.collegeboard.org/ssd-online/submit-requests. If your student has previously been approved for College Board accommodations (e.g., PSAT, SAT, AP) you do not need to resubmit this form. Please work directly with your school's Students with Disabilities (SSD) Coordinator to make sure your accommodation requests are submitted and approved before test day. Volunteering in fall 2025 If you would like to volunteer in our schools in the fall, please make sure your volunteer status is current. Contact Chris Robison (crobison@lwsd.org) if you have any questions about your approval status.  If you’ve let your volunteer approval status lapse or you need to apply for the first time, please submit the application NOW! Here is the link to the Raptor online volunteer application. Reminder: Results from Smarter Balanced Assessments will be available online on June 24 Each spring, Washington public school students in third through eighth grades and 10th grade are tested in English language arts (ELA) and math, with exams called Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA). Students in fifth grade, eighth grade and 11th grade are also tested in science, with an exam called the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS). This testing meets state and federal requirements. Individual scores for the SBA exams administered this past spring for ELA and math are being delivered electronically from the testing vendor. Scores (level and scale score) will be added to Skyward Family Access on June 24. Full-page PDF reports with more scoring details will be available from OSPI in the fall, and these will be shared with families at that time. Only SBA ELA and math scores will be available in June. Science scores will not be available until the fall after OSPI releases those scores. Directions to access SBA test scores beginning on June 24: Log in to Skyward Family Access with your username and password.* Click on the Test Results tile.   *For help accessing Skyward Family Access, click on the link to go to the Skyward Family Access Support page on the district website: https://www.lwsd.org/help/skyward-family-access. Reminder: 2025 end-of-year technology reminders for students and families Laptops Current students in 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th and 11th grades should plan to take their laptop home for use over the summer. 8th and 12th grade students turn in your laptops at the designated time determined by the school (unless you will be participating in Summer School). Incoming 6th and 9th graders will be issued brand new laptops at the start of school in September. Look for information in August for laptop rollout dates from your school. Seniors Make plans to copy and save any digital files you want to keep after graduation to a personal device/account prior to your last day of school. You will not have access to your district email or files after the last day of school. Password information Secondary Student passwords will expire every 90 days (including during summertime) based on the district security cycle. Please take steps to remember your password or sign up for self-service password reset now. This includes current 5th grade students who will be moving up to 6th grade Middle School. Secondary Student Passwords will not be reset for the start of school 2025-26. Elementary student passwords will be reset for the new school year in August. Password guidelines can be found on the district website here: Technology Services - Lake Washington School District. Summer school If you will be participating in Summer School keep your laptop over summer. For those in elementary school, check out a laptop from the school library. Information about Summer School can be found here: Summer Programs - Lake Washington School District. Summer access to digital resources Access to digital resources over the summer months varies depending on the vendor and application. Students can continue to use Classlink to access resources during summer; however, some applications may not be available due to provisioning requirements for the next school year. Summer technology help Contact Family Technology Access for school related technology questions at ftaccess@lwsd.org or by phone at 425-936-1322. Reminder: Head Start preschool in Lake Washington School District Lake Washington School District offers Head Start preschool for income-eligible families at Bell Elementary and Old Redmond Schoolhouse. Head Start preschool is a federally funded service for children ages 3 to 5 from low-income families that supports early learning, health, nutrition and family well-being. Head Start preschool includes a 3.5-hour developmentally appropriate preschool with trained staff, two nutritional meals, health and developmental screenings, wrap-around family support services and transportation at no cost to eligible families. Head Start preschool hours (2025-26) AM class: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. or PM class: 12:00 - 3:30 p.m. Head Start locations: A.G. Bell (for Kirkland residents) and Old Redmond Schoolhouse (for Redmond residents) To apply for Head Start preschool, parents/guardians must: Complete an application:(English) preschool application | instructions | (Spanish) aplicación de preescolar | instrucciones Verify income as indicated on the application. Make sure the child is up to date on required immunizations. Questions? Call the Head Start office at 425-936-1170, option 2. Reminder: Canvas to be rolled out as learning management system for 2025-26 school year This school year, Inglewood Middle School and Lake Washington High School used Canvas as their learning management system (LMS). Their success has paved the way for LWSD’s full adoption of Canvas as the official LMS for all secondary schools starting with the 2025-26 school year. Canvas is funded by the 2022 Technology and Capital Projects Levy. If you are a family member who supports a student in grades 6-12, here are a few things to know about Canvas at LWSD: Anyone who supports a student in Canvas is called an “Observer." Only secondary (grades 6-12) students and staff will be using Canvas. All Observer accounts will be created automatically and paired with their student(s) using Primary Contact Email in Skyward. So, please validate that LWSD has your correct information before the start of the 25/26 school year. Check out the Canvas for families page on our district website for the most up-to-date information and resources related to supporting your students via Canvas. District announcements Reminder: Student health plans, medications and immunization records Lake Washington School District is committed to the health and wellness of our students. Each school has a registered nurse available to provide a range of services. At the beginning of each school year, nurses collect student health information to plan for needs during the school day. As we plan for the 2025-26 school year, we want to remind everyone of a couple important health-related items.   Individual Health Plans & Medication Authorizations If your student has a life-threatening health condition, the following requirements must be met before your student can attend school. You must supply: The required emergency medication to the school, Health care provider orders, An individual health plan, and Any necessary supplies on or before the first day of school. These documents should be submitted directly to the School Nurse and NOT through FinalForms. Until these requirements are met, your student will not be able to attend school. For more information, visit: https://www.lwsd.org/services/health-services. Immunizations Immunization records must be turned into the school on or before the first day of attendance. Your student cannot attend school until you provide these records. Tdap: For the 2025-26 school year, all students attending grades 7th through 12th must have received one booster dose of Tdap vaccine on or after age 10. Medically Verified Records: Medically verified records include one or more of the following: A completed Certificate of Immunization Status Form signed by a health care provider. Find the CIS form by visiting https://www.doh.wa.gov/SCCI and clicking on “Certificate of Immunization Status.” A CIS filled out by you or another parent/guardian with medical records attached. A CIS printed by a health care provider or school from the Washington State Immunization Information System. A CIS printed from MyIR which is a free Department of Health online tool that allows families to view and print their official immunization records themselves. Go to https://myirmobile.com/ to begin the sign-up process.   LWSD is utilizing the Washington Immunization Information System (WAIIS) School Module which requires parent consent for nurses to upload immunization records. Please sign the WAIIS consent form in Skyward Family Access to allow the School Nurse to manage your student’s immunization records. For more information, visit: https://www.lwsd.org/services/health-services/immunizations.   Questions about immunizations? Please contact your School Nurse. Sports physicals required for Middle School/High School sports participation As a reminder, sports physicals are required for participation in middle school and high school sports. High School sports seasons start in August, so it is important to have your paperwork on file in the school office prior to the start of the sports season. Health Care Provider offices in our area are expecting more appointment requests for physicals in August, so it is a good idea to schedule your appointment early. For middle school students, sports begin in September. Families will receive messaging from FinalForms with reminders about the required forms to complete.   For more information, visit: https://www.lwsd.org/programs/athletics. Reminder: SUN Bucks program returns to provide summer food support for Washington children This summer, up to 620,000 Washington children will receive SUN Bucks – funds to help buy food when school is not in session – through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program. The SUN Bucks benefits, a one-time payment of $120 per eligible child in each household, will be deposited onto existing SUN Bucks cards starting the first week of June and mailed to newly eligible children beginning in mid-June. Some children will get SUN Bucks automatically and others must apply. Students can auto-qualify if they either: Are age 8 – 18 and are a member of a household that receives benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Attend a school that offers the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program and is directly certified for free or reduced-price school meals or meets income requirements reported through a Child Nutrition and Eligibility and Education Benefit Application. Parents or guardians of students who do not qualify automatically can apply by submitting a SUN Bucks application. To qualify for SUN Bucks by application, these students must both: Be enrolled at a school that participates in the NSLP or SBP. Live in a household that meets NSLP income eligibility guidelines to qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The SUN Bucks application is online in English and Spanish. Applications will be accepted through Aug. 29, 2025. SUN Bucks benefits are in addition to other summer child nutrition programs already offered. Families can continue participating in group-site and grab-n-go meals as well as other summer food programs at their local schools and community locations, even if they receive Summer EBT benefits. Learn more: Washington SUN Bucks Summer EBT Program | DSHS. Lake Washington School Foundation Opening up the conversation Can a simple student-led idea change how a school talks about mental health? At Evergreen Middle School, it did. Discover how students launched a campaign that sparked conversation and connection across their campus. Read the story: www.lwsf.org/news/opening-up-the-conversation-raising-mental-health-awareness-at-evergreen-middle-school/. Community clears school meal debt for graduating seniors In a powerful demonstration of compassion and community action, donors across Lake Washington School District (LWSD) came together to erase school meal debt for graduating seniors—surpassing the $15,000 goal in just a few days. Through a partnership between the Lake Washington Schools Foundation (LWSF) and Lake Washington School District, the campaign launched with one clear message: every student deserves to graduate with pride, not the weight of unpaid meal balances. The response from the community was swift and inspiring. Read more: www.lwsf.org/news/community-clears-school-meal-debt-for-graduating-seniors/. Two decades, one mission Celebrating 20 years of impact, the Lake Washington Schools Foundation has grown from a bold idea into a vital force supporting thousands of students. Learn more: www.lwsf.org/news/two-decades-one-mission/. Student & staff success LWSD students, teacher leave their mark at National History Day state competition Lake Washington School District (LWSD) students performed very well at this year’s Washington State National History Day (NHD) event. Eight LWSD students in eight categories won at the competition held on April 26 at Lake Washington High School.   This year’s NHD theme is “Rights & Responsibilities in History.” Students who finished in first or second place in each category went on to the National contest, held June 8-12 at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. Eighteen LWSD students earned their way to the National event. In addition, 14 LWSD students were special award winners during the competition. Read more about this on the LWSD website. ORSH hosts preschool art walk and resource fair On a recent Wednesday, preschoolers from Old Redmond Schoolhouse (ORSH) proudly guided their families through hallways decorated with their own artwork. Along with admiring the creative displays, everyone had the opportunity to make art and discover various summer programs and resources. View more images on the LWSD website. Remember... This newsletter is just one way to stay in touch with what is happening in the district. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for up-to-date news and information.   The Lake Washington School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Coordinator, Director of Human Resources, 425-936-1333, civilrights@lwsd.org; Title IX Coordinator, Director of Athletics and Activities, 425-936-1289, titleix@lwsd.org; and 504 Coordinator, Director of Special Services, 425-936-1407, section504@lwsd.org (16250 NE 74th Street, Redmond, WA 98052)

Friday, Jun 20 2025

Connections - June 5, 2025: SBA results available so...

Read the website accessible version here June 5, 2025 In this issue Smarter Balance Assessment results End-of-year technology reminders Head Start preschool Recycling 101 & Career Showcase AP testing appreciation Student health plan, medication & immunization info Community Wellness Fair June 14 SUN Bucks food assistance LWSD Board reorganization LWSF programs and events Building Excellence - Recent open houses for upcoming construction projects Student & staff success Work with us We're hiring! Consider a career in LWSD LWSD is always seeking great talent for positions throughout our district. In addition to other positions available throughout the district, we are looking for applicants for the following positions:  Nurses  Instructional Assistants (IAs)  Paraeducators  Custodians  Bus Drivers  Substitutes  These positions are also available in a substitute role. Check out the LWSD website for job descriptions and postings. Learning focused Results from Smarter Balanced Assessments will be available online on June 24 Each spring, Washington public school students in third through eighth grades and 10th grade are tested in English language arts (ELA) and math, with exams called Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA). Students in fifth grade, eighth grade and 11th grade are also tested in science, with an exam called the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS). This testing meets state and federal requirements. Individual scores for the SBA exams administered this past spring for ELA and math are being delivered electronically from the testing vendor. Scores (level and scale score) will be added to Skyward Family Access on June 24. Full-page PDF reports with more scoring details will be available from OSPI in the fall, and these will be shared with families at that time. Only SBA ELA and math scores will be available in June. Science scores will not be available until the fall after OSPI releases those scores. Directions to access SBA test scores beginning on June 24: Log in to Skyward Family Access with your username and password.* Click on the Test Results tile.   *For help accessing Skyward Family Access, click on the link to go to the Skyward Family Access Support page on the district website: https://www.lwsd.org/help/skyward-family-access. 2025 end-of-year technology reminders for students and families Laptops Current students in 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th and 11th grades should plan to take their laptop home for use over the summer. 8th and 12th grade students turn in your laptops at the designated time determined by the school (unless you will be participating in Summer School). Incoming 6th and 9th graders will be issued brand new laptops at the start of school in September. Look for information in August for laptop rollout dates from your school. Seniors Make plans to copy and save any digital files you want to keep after graduation to a personal device/account prior to your last day of school. You will not have access to your district email or files after the last day of school. Password information Secondary Student passwords will expire every 90 days (including during summertime) based on the district security cycle. Please take steps to remember your password or sign up for self-service password reset now. This includes current 5th grade students who will be moving up to 6th grade Middle School. Secondary Student Passwords will not be reset for the start of school 2025-26. Elementary student passwords will be reset for the new school year in August. Password guidelines can be found on the district website here: Technology Services - Lake Washington School District. Summer school If you will be participating in Summer School keep your laptop over summer. For those in elementary school, check out a laptop from the school library. Information about Summer School can be found here: Summer Programs - Lake Washington School District. Summer access to digital resources Access to digital resources over the summer months varies depending on the vendor and application. Students can continue to use Classlink to access resources during summer; however, some applications may not be available due to provisioning requirements for the next school year. Summer technology help Contact Family Technology Access for school related technology questions at ftaccess@lwsd.org or by phone at 425-936-1322. Head Start preschool in Lake Washington School District Lake Washington School District offers Head Start preschool for income-eligible families at Bell Elementary and Old Redmond Schoolhouse. Head Start preschool is a federally funded service for children ages 3 to 5 from low-income families that supports early learning, health, nutrition and family well-being. Head Start preschool includes a 3.5-hour developmentally appropriate preschool with trained staff, two nutritional meals, health and developmental screenings, wrap-around family support services and transportation at no cost to eligible families. Head Start preschool hours (2025-26) AM class: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. or PM class: 12:00 - 3:30 p.m. Head Start locations: A.G. Bell (for Kirkland residents) and Old Redmond Schoolhouse (for Redmond residents) To apply for Head Start preschool, parents/guardians must: Complete an application:(English) preschool application | instructions | (Spanish) aplicación de preescolar | instrucciones Verify income as indicated on the application. Make sure the child is up to date on required immunizations. Questions? Call the Head Start office at 425-936-1170, option 2. Recycling 101 and Career Showcase presentation at Resource Center June 12 Join WM for a Recycling 101 and Career Showcase presentation on June 12, 2025, from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at the Lake Washington School District Resource Center (16250 NE 74th Street, Redmond, WA 98052)! WM's Education and Outreach Coordinator, Grace Fletcher, will share all about reducing waste, how to Recycle Right® and careers in sustainability at WM. WM will also provide helpful guidance on incorporating more sustainable waste programs in your school. Please join us! Link to sign up. Thank you for supporting AP testing across LWSD As this year's Advanced Placement testing season comes to a close, the Accelerated Programs Department wants to express our deep appreciation to the entire Lake Washington School District community. From students and families to staff across schools, your collective effort and support made this a meaningful and successful experience. We are proud to share that nearly 12,000 AP exams were administered this May – a number that reflects both the high level of student participation and the depth of our community's commitment to academic opportunity. We extend our heartfelt thanks to: Our students, who demonstrated focus, resilience and perseverance throughout the exams. Our families, whose encouragement, flexibility and behind-the-scenes support made a tremendous impact. Our AP Coordinators, teachers and proctors, who prepared students and ensured a smooth and professional testing experience. Our Technology Specialists and school staff, who provided critical infrastructure and guidance. Our school teams and administrators, who welcomed students and responded to challenges with the focus of creating calm and supportive testing environments. This time is a powerful reminder of what is possible when we work together in support of students. We are so proud of their effort, and we are so grateful for yours. – The Accelerated Programs Department LWSD student receives National Merit College-Sponsored Scholarship The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced today that a Lake Washington School District (LWSD) student will receive National Merit College-Sponsored Scholarship: Zachary Lee McKay, Lake Washington High School - National Merit University of Texas at Dallas Scholarship Read more about this on the LWSD website.  Reminder: Canvas to be rolled out as learning management system for 2025-26 school year This school year, Inglewood Middle School and Lake Washington High School used Canvas as their learning management system (LMS). Their success has paved the way for LWSD’s full adoption of Canvas as the official LMS for all secondary schools starting with the 2025-26 school year. Canvas is funded by the 2022 Technology and Capital Projects Levy. If you are a family member who supports a student in grades 6-12, here are a few things to know about Canvas at LWSD: Anyone who supports a student in Canvas is called an “Observer." Only secondary (grades 6-12) students and staff will be using Canvas. All Observer accounts will be created automatically and paired with their student(s) using Primary Contact Email in Skyward. So, please validate that LWSD has your correct information before the start of the 25/26 school year. Check out the Canvas for families page on our district website for the most up-to-date information and resources related to supporting your students via Canvas. Reminder: Important Update: Changes to outside-of-district credit policy After careful consideration and input from stakeholders, we have updated the guidelines for how outside-of-district (OOD) credits will be recorded on student transcripts. This policy update brings our practices in alignment with those of other school districts in our region, while staying true to the policy's intent: to allow students to pursue enrichment opportunities outside our district that may not be offered in our schools. By maintaining a balance between flexibility and transcript integrity, we aim to provide meaningful avenues for student growth while respecting the academic framework of our district.  Seven outside credits on transcript: High School students are allowed to earn up to seven credits from outside-of-district courses beginning the summer before entering the 9th grade. This provides greater flexibility for students to explore enrichment opportunities. Students submitting the Appendix C form, must be enrolled in six courses at their high school with the exception of seniors who have an early dismissal or late arrival.    Credit limits for grade improvement: Out of the seven outside credits, a maximum of three credits can be used to improve grades in courses taken previously. These courses will be awarded both a grade and credit.  Courses taken for initial credit: Any initial coursework will be recorded as "P" (Pass) and will only show credit, not a grade, to maintain the integrity of the student's academic record. Students can send the outside transcript as a separate document in college applications.   *Please note: The district does not verify whether outside courses meet specific college or NCAA requirements or qualify for scholarships. Parents and students are responsible for ensuring courses meet their needs.  Implementation:   Class of 2025 and 2026 (current seniors and rising seniors) will follow the previous policy and procedures of the district. Any approved initial coursework may be posted for credit on the transcript with a letter grade.   Class of 2027 and beyond will follow the updated policy and procedure of the LWSD. Any approved initial coursework may be posted for credit on the transcript without a grade.    You can find more information about these opportunities here: More Ways to Graduation - Lake Washington School District. District announcements Student health plans, medications and immunization records Lake Washington School District is committed to the health and wellness of our students. Each school has a registered nurse available to provide a range of services. At the beginning of each school year, nurses collect student health information to plan for needs during the school day. As we plan for the 2025-26 school year, we want to remind everyone of a couple important health-related items.   Individual Health Plans & Medication Authorizations If your student has a life-threatening health condition, the following requirements must be met before your student can attend school. You must supply: The required emergency medication to the school, Health care provider orders, An individual health plan, and Any necessary supplies on or before the first day of school. These documents should be submitted directly to the School Nurse and NOT through FinalForms. Until these requirements are met, your student will not be able to attend school. For more information, visit: https://www.lwsd.org/programs-and-services/health-services. Immunizations Immunization records must be turned into the school on or before the first day of attendance. Your student cannot attend school until you provide these records. Tdap: For the 2025-26 school year, all students attending grades 7th through 12th must have received one booster dose of Tdap vaccine on or after age 10. Medically Verified Records: Medically verified records include one or more of the following: A completed Certificate of Immunization Status Form signed by a health care provider. Find the CIS form by visiting https://www.doh.wa.gov/SCCI and clicking on “Certificate of Immunization Status.” A CIS filled out by you or another parent/guardian with medical records attached. A CIS printed by a health care provider or school from the Washington State Immunization Information System. A CIS printed from MyIR which is a free Department of Health online tool that allows families to view and print their official immunization records themselves. Go to https://myirmobile.com/ to begin the sign-up process.   LWSD is utilizing the Washington Immunization Information System (WAIIS) School Module which requires parent consent for nurses to upload immunization records. Please sign the WAIIS consent form in Skyward Family Access to allow the School Nurse to manage your student’s immunization records. For more information, visit: https://www.lwsd.org/services/health-services/immunizations.   Questions about immunizations? Please contact your School Nurse. Sports physicals required for Middle School/High School sports participation As a reminder, sports physicals are required for participation in middle school and high school sports. High School sports seasons start in August, so it is important to have your paperwork on file in the school office prior to the start of the sports season. Health Care Provider offices in our area are expecting more appointment requests for physicals in August, so it is a good idea to schedule your appointment early. For middle school students, sports begin in September. Families will receive messaging from FinalForms with reminders about the required forms to complete.   For more information, visit: https://www.lwsd.org/programs-and-services/athletics. Please join us! Lake Washington School District to host inaugural Wellness Fair June 14 community event will celebrate wellbeing Lake Washington School District (LWSD) invites staff, families and the broader community to its inaugural Wellness Fair on Saturday, June 14, 2025, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the L.E. Scarr Resource Center (16250 NE 74th Street, Redmond, WA 98052). This free, family-friendly event is hosted by the LWSD Workforce Mental Health Workgroup and celebrates wellness in all forms – mind, body and spirit. Attendees will enjoy a rich lineup of wellness experiences – like yoga, sound baths, Zumba, art therapy and a build-your-own succulent bar. Interactive booths, a curated wellness book nook by Brick & Mortar Books and expert-led panels round out the day’s offerings. Families can enjoy face painting and interactive wellness games, all set to the sounds of LWSD student ensembles performing live throughout the day. Meet adoptable dogs from The Haus of Dogs and discover the healing joy of pet companionship. There will also be a Q&A session with a professional dog trainer, Joshua from Heel and Heal K-9, offering insights on pet care, training tips and the benefits of pet companionship. Local food trucks, including Nacho Rio, will be on site serving up delicious bites. "Our aim is to create a space that restores, uplifts and connects,” said Dr. Joy Ross, Co-Chair of the Workforce Mental Health Workgroup. "Whether it’s mindfulness or movement, adoptable dogs or rich conversations that support our mental health journeys, this event is about embracing the fullness of wellbeing and reminding ourselves that joy, healing and wholeness are within reach." For more information or to reserve a booth, contact Dr. Joy Ross at joross@lwsd.org. We look forward to celebrating wellness with you! SUN Bucks program returns to provide summer food support for Washington children This summer, up to 620,000 Washington children will receive SUN Bucks – funds to help buy food when school is not in session – through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program. The SUN Bucks benefits, a one-time payment of $120 per eligible child in each household, will be deposited onto existing SUN Bucks cards starting the first week of June and mailed to newly eligible children beginning in mid-June. Some children will get SUN Bucks automatically and others must apply. Students can auto-qualify if they either: Are age 8 – 18 and are a member of a household that receives benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Attend a school that offers the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Program and is directly certified for free or reduced-price school meals or meets income requirements reported through a Child Nutrition and Eligibility and Education Benefit Application. Parents or guardians of students who do not qualify automatically can apply by submitting a SUN Bucks application. To qualify for SUN Bucks by application, these students must both: Be enrolled at a school that participates in the NSLP or SBP. Live in a household that meets NSLP income eligibility guidelines to qualify for free or reduced-price meals. The SUN Bucks application is online in English and Spanish. Applications will be accepted through Aug. 29, 2025. SUN Bucks benefits are in addition to other summer child nutrition programs already offered. Families can continue participating in group-site and grab-n-go meals as well as other summer food programs at their local schools and community locations, even if they receive Summer EBT benefits. Learn more: Washington SUN Bucks Summer EBT Program | DSHS. Lake Washington School District Board of Directors names new President, Vice President and Legislative Representative The Lake Washington School District Board of Directors named a new President, Vice President and Legislative Representative during their regular board meeting on Monday, June 2, 2025. Lisa Guthrie (Director, District Two) will now serve as the Board President, replacing Leah Choi who has been the President for the past two years. Eric Laliberte (Director, District One) will now serve as the Board Vice President, replacing Lisa Guthrie who has been the Vice President for the past year. Lindsey Yocum (Director, District Five) will continue serving as the Legislative Representative. Board reorganization occurs once per year at a School Board Meeting in June. Reminder: Nexus: Mental Health Hub Lake Washington School District is excited to announce the official launch of Nexus, a mental health platform for students. Created by Inglemoor High School student, Taanvi Arekapudi, Nexus offers a 360° view of mental health support including online self-help resources, available 24/7, and regularly scheduled in-person events. You can access Nexus by visiting the District’s Student Services webpage, or directly at https://lwsd.nexusforschools.com/. English and Spanish mental health resources are currently available with more languages coming soon. A handy student-focused app is coming soon. Lake Washington School District is grateful to Taanvi for all her efforts to improve students’ mental health by providing easy, coordinated resource access.  Lake Washington School Foundation Building friendships, fostering a love of reading This year, Battle of the Books united hundreds of LWSD middle schoolers through reading, teamwork and friendship. See photos from the district championship and hear what our school librarians have to say: https://www.lwsf.org/news/building-friendships-fostering-a-love-of-reading/. Summer College Bootcamp for rising seniors | Find Your Fit Rising seniors & parents: Summer is the perfect time to start your college journey! Find Your Fit is offering a Summer College Bootcamp for rising seniors (Class of 2026) at the end of June. Learn how to build a balanced college list, complete your Common Application and write standout essays. Details and registration at https://www.lwsf.org/our-work/find-your-fit. Building Excellence Community Open House: Emerson Campus Rebuild & Enlarge On Wednesday, June 4, Lake Washington School District and the City of Kirkland held a joint community open house to share information about the Emerson Campus Rebuild & Enlarge project. Held at Fire Station 22 in Kirkland, this was an opportunity for the community to learn more about the school design, project schedule and to meet members of the project team. The Rebuild & Enlarge of Emerson Campus is funded by the 2022 Building Excellence Capital Construction Levy (thank you, voters!) and is designed to increase high school capacity on the west side of the district. Construction will begin in spring 2026. This project creates space for up to 166 additional students. The project to rebuild and enlarge Emerson Campus will provide modern, state-of-the-art learning environments for our students and educators. The new building will open in fall 2027. Learn more about the Rebuild & Enlarge Emerson Campus project here: https://www.lwsd.org/services/facilities/construction/building-excellence-construction-levy/rebuild-and-enlarge-emerson-campus. Good neighbor meetings: Eastlake High School & Redmond High School additions Eastlake High School On Wednesday, May 14 community members gathered in the Eastlake High School commons to learn more about the school addition design, construction schedule and meet members of the project team.  The Eastlake High School addition is funded by the 2022 Building Excellence Construction Levy.  This project creates space for up to 300 additional students. The Eastlake High School addition will include 12 classrooms and support spaces in the north wing of the building that will open in Fall 2026. Construction will begin this summer. One temporary portable will be added to the site to house the library for one year.  See the project boards and learn more about the addition at Eastlake High School here: https://www.lwsd.org/services/facilities/construction/building-excellence-construction-levy/eastlake-high-school-addition. Redmond High School On Wednesday, April 30 community members gathered at Redmond High School to learn more about the school addition design, construction schedule and meet members of the project team. The Redmond High School addition is funded by the 2022 Building Excellence Construction Levy. This project creates space for up to 300 additional students. The Redmond High School addition will include 10 classrooms and support spaces in a new two-story renovation of the administration wing that will open in Fall 2026. Seven portables will be added to the site to house administrative staff, counselors and music for one year. See the project boards and learn more about the addition at Redmond High School here: https://www.lwsd.org/services/facilities/construction/building-excellence-construction-levy/redmond-high-school-addition. Student & staff success Lake Washington HS wins 4A state baseball title, Eastlake takes 2nd place Congratulations to Lake Washington High School (LWHS) for winning the 4A state baseball championship! The Kangs beat Eastlake High School (EHS) in the final game, so it was an all Lake Washington School District matchup. When it was all said and done, the LWHS Kangs won the game 15-5. This is the first state baseball championship for LWHS since they won it in the 3A classification in 2019. Congrats to both schools for an incredible year in baseball! Focused on health – LWSD students perform well at state youth science contest Eight students from Tesla STEM High School and Eastlake High School competed against students from all over the state in a science contest, and they did quite well. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) hosted the fourth annual Washington Tracking Network (WTN) Youth Science Contest. One student from Tesla STEM High School took first place in her division while three other LWSD teams finished in the top three. Students submit their work in February and March, a panel of public health professionals judges the projects in April and May, and the winners are announced later in May. Read more about this on the LWSD website. Remember... This newsletter is just one way to stay in touch with what is happening in the district. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for up-to-date news and information.   The Lake Washington School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Coordinator, Director of Human Resources, 425-936-1333, civilrights@lwsd.org; Title IX Coordinator, Director of Athletics and Activities, 425-936-1289, titleix@lwsd.org; and 504 Coordinator, Director of Special Services, 425-936-1407, section504@lwsd.org (16250 NE 74th Street, Redmond, WA 98052)

Thursday, Jun 05 2025

Community Budget Update – April 10, 2025

Dear LWSD Staff and Families: At Monday night’s School Board meeting, I shared a budget update to help explain where we are financially as a district and the decisions we are making to stay on a strong fiscal path. I am pleased to share that, even though difficult decisions have needed to be made, we are set up to develop a balanced budget for the 2025-26 school year. I’ve created a short video to share additional details with our staff and community. If you would like to review the full school board meeting video , click here. (Budget Update begins at 1:01:50). We’ve also broken the video into three sections that you can review here: Washington state budget outlook   Current budget situation for LWSD Budget Alignment Watch my video  here : I want to acknowledge that while this message is about the budget, it’s really about people. 85% of our budget goes directly to staffing, people who care deeply about students and give their all, every day in Lake Washington schools. When we make reductions, even when they’re strategic, they affect the lives and livelihoods of our colleagues. We don’t take that lightly when making difficult decisions.    Here are some important points from my video: While it may have been easier to make one or two big changes to quickly close the budget gap, we sought to make strategic changes that continue our focus on supporting students. We are making strategic reinvestments to support student experiences. Making strategic changes to the highly capable program in response to stakeholder committee input, along with changes to how we staff fourth and fifth-grade classes will allow us to reinvest in reducing class sizes in grades K-3.  In professional learning, we’re moving toward a model that puts learning closer to our educators and professional learning communities.  Half of the savings of the change to a six-period high school day will be reinvested into our high schools to focus on three areas: removing barriers to graduation; supporting courses that serve many students or are tied to school improvement goals; and providing new elective opportunities where possible, based on student interest. None of these changes are easy. But they reflect our effort to act responsibly, protect the core of our work, and continue making decisions that center students. Thank you for your continued support and partnership as we move through this together. Sincerely, Jon Dr. Jon Holmen, Superintendent Lake Washington School District Lake Washington School District | 16250 NE 74th St. Redmond, WA 98052

Thursday, Apr 10 2025

Safety Incident on LWSD Campus

Good afternoon, I wanted to share information about an incident that occurred on one of our school campuses yesterday that caused an interruption to the staff workday and generated fear for our staff and community. The health and safety of our students and staff is a primary responsibility for Lake Washington School District and so we wanted to share information and actions taken.  Our work is guided by our  Layered School Safety plan which outlines elements of our work on student, staff and school safety. The District has been aware of individuals that identify as “First Amendment Auditors.” First Amendment Auditors are individuals or groups who record (via video or photography) in public spaces to test, assert and document their constitutional rights, particularly the right to record public officials and matters of public interest. An individual identifying himself as “James Madison” has come to the district office three times over the past seven months. This individual wears a costume which includes face and head coverings with a “GoPro camera.” District leadership has engaged with local law enforcement about his presence at the district office. This individual has made multiple public record requests, recorded staff, attempted to record computer monitors and asked staff to verbally interact with him. We are also aware that this individual was previously on an elementary campus after hours when no one was on campus. We are aware that this individual was in one of our elementary schools yesterday after the student day and his presence caused concern and disruption. The school principal monitored and responded to the situation. Action and Next Steps: We are working with law enforcement to formally trespass this individual from all school district campuses and facilities in Lake Washington School District. We are providing updated guidance for our schools to ensure a strong and consistent response to unauthorized individuals on our campus. We are asking our school leaders to review expectations and protocols with staff regarding the physical safety of our schools.   Lake Washington School District school campuses are closed during the student day and school buildings are closed during non-student hours. I want to make it clear that individuals without a legitimate purpose for being on our campus during the school day are not allowed on campus and will be asked to leave immediately.  School administrators have the authority to ask individuals without legitimate purpose to leave campus.  Should this be disregarded, further action will be taken, which may include the involvement of law enforcement. Our priority is always the success and well-being of our students.  To support this commitment, we will continue working to ensure our schools and environments are healthy, safe, and secure for all students and staff. Thank you, Jon Dr. Jon Holmen Superintendent Lake Washington School District superintendent@lwsd.org | 425-936-1257 Lake Washington School District #414 16250 NE 74th Street, Redmond, WA 98052 425-936-1200 www.lwsd.org  

Friday, Mar 28 2025

Connections - March 13, 2025: Graduation schedule, u...

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Read the website accessible version here March 13, 2025 ​ ​ ​ ​ In this issue ​ 2025 Graduation schedule Unofficial transcripts in Skyward ENAEP silent auction March 21 Education Support Professionals Week March 10-14 Congressional art competition Panorama family survey open through March 21 LWSF benefit, workshop and webinars LWPTSA Lunch & Learn Rockwell construction open house Student and staff success ​ ​ ​ ​ Work with us ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ We're hiring! Consider a career in LWSD ​ LWSD is always seeking great talent for positions throughout our district. In addition to other positions available throughout the district, we are looking for applicants for the following positions:  Nurses  Instructional Assistants (IAs)  Paraeducators  Custodians  Bus Drivers  Substitutes  These positions are also available in a substitute role. Check out the LWSD website for job descriptions and postings. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learning focused ​ ​ ​ ​ 2025 graduation schedule available ​ The graduation schedule for 2025 has been posted. You can find the details on the LWSD webpage. We look forward to recognizing our class of 2025 graduates in June. Additional information, including details about tickets, will be shared with families by each school. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Unofficial transcripts now available in Skyward ​ Unofficial transcripts for high school students are now available in Skyward Student and Family Access. These transcripts are under "Portfolio." The steps to access them are: Log in to Family or Student Access. Click on the "Portfolio" tile. Select the download or view options for the Unofficial Transcript. These are updated three times a year (after semester 1, after semester 2 and at the end of September). ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Annual Eastside Native American Education Program silent auction is March 21 ​ This annual auction is in large part a fundraiser that supports many of the events and services that the ENAEP (Eastside Native American Education Program) provides the Native students and families in the Bellevue, Lake Washington and Northshore school districts. Many have approached ENAEP wanting to know how they can better partner with the organization and the Native Community, this is one of those ways that someone can begin building that partnership. Please come and support! View the flyer for more information. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Thank you, classified staff! ​ Education Support Professionals Week is March 10-14 This week, March 10-14, is Education Support Professionals Week. Classified school employees are involved in nearly every aspect of education, including maintaining school buildings and grounds, providing secretarial and clerical assistance, preparing and serving meals, providing safe transportation, keeping school facilities clean and orderly, assisting in the classroom, providing a secure and healthy environment, and many other specialized services. Thank you to the approximately 2,000 classified school employees working in Lake Washington School District! Read the LWSD proclamation for Education Support Professionals Week signed by the LWSD board.  ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Congressional art competition 2025 ​ Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the Artistic Discovery competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. Each member of Congress may choose to host the program in their individual districts and ask a panel of local artists, such as artists-in-residence, art teachers, gallery owners, etc., to act as judges. The winning artwork will hang in the Cannon Tunnel of the U.S. Capitol for one year. The tunnel is the most highly traveled access point between the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Capitol. Every day, Members of Congress, distinguished visitors and tens of thousands of tourists – from the United States and abroad – walk through the tunnel and admire the artwork. Students submit entries to their representative’s office, and panels of judges select the winning entries. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, DC (with two free plane tickets to get there). The winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol. Congresswoman DelBene – Washington’s 1st District All submissions are due by April 18, 2025. Award ceremony and reception to be held the week of April 21, final date and details TBA. For more information and to fill out the form, visit https://delbene.house.gov/constituent-services/art-competition.htm. ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: Change in length of student day & common high school schedules – 2025-26 ​ A message from Lake Washington School District Superintendent, Dr. Jon Holmen. Dear Lake Washington School District Families and Students,  On October 1, 2024, I announced that high schools would shift from a 7-period to a 6-period high school day beginning next school year. This announcement included changing to have common schedules at Eastlake, Juanita, Lake Washington and Redmond High Schools.  After a process that included community, student, and staff feedback, we have finalized the common high school schedule, and it includes the following: Increased instructional time for each class, increasing the total class time per credit from 135 to 152 hours annually.  A block schedule where each class meets 4 times per week with two block periods of 80 minutes and two shorter periods of 45 minutes.  10-minute passing periods for students M-Th and 7-minute passing periods on Fridays.  Homeroom period one time per week.  Read more about this on the LWSD website.  ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: LWSD Human Resources team attending several career events ​ Come out and meet our hiring teams in person at these upcoming events (pre-registration or affiliation may be required): Confirmed events March 13 - Indian American Community Services (IACS-Anvi) - 1 - 5 p.m. The upcoming career fair is aimed at fostering connections between talented professionals and esteemed organizations in education, early childhood, finance, banking, technology, health care, real estate, small business, etc.   March 13 - UW Bothell Job search clinic - 4:45 - 6:45 p.m. Specifically for teacher interns in the School of Educational Studies at the University of Washington Bothell. Contact: jonuwb@uw.edu March 15 - City U Job Fair, Seattle campus - 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Attendees will be over 100 soon-to-be teachers in attendance from City U. Contact: vbutler@cityu.edu Unconfirmed events April 30 - WSPA Tacoma - 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. A career fair for teachers and administrators. Contact: Natalie Plott or call 360-943-5717 You can find out more about employment at LWSD here. ​ ​ ​ ​ FINAL REMINDER: Early Entrance to Kindergarten applications - February 1-March 15 ​ Applications for LWSD's Early Entrance to Kindergarten (EEK) program will open on February 1 and close on March 15, 2025. The FinalForms program will take applicants through the process and payment. The EEK program screens students whose families believe are qualified to enter kindergarten at an early age.   More information can be found on the LWSD EEK webpage.   Please note that student applicants must turn age 5 before November 30, 2025. ​ ​ ​ ​ District announcements ​ ​ ​ ​ We want to hear from you! Panorama family survey closes March 21, 2025 ​ Families, students and schools all play important roles in helping students do their best in school. By taking the Panorama Family survey, you can help LWSD learn how to make your child's schooling experience as positive and beneficial as possible. The topics covered in this spring family survey are about your engagement with the district and your local school. The Panorama family survey can be accessed here.   If you have students at different schools, we encourage you to take the survey multiple times – one time per school.     Thank you in advance for completing this year’s Family Panorama survey! ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: Thinking about serving on the school board? ​ Two LWSD school board positions will be on the November 2025 ballot: District 3 and District 4. The board and district will host informational and engagement sessions to share information about what it means to be a board member. School board directors are elected by voters in a school district. School districts identify five areas called “director districts” which aim to distribute population evenly across each of the five areas. To run for a school board position, a person must live within the designated area even though the individual will be listed on the ballot for all voters within the school district. School board members are elected to serve four-year terms. Visit: https://www.lwsd.org/about/school-board/becoming-a-board-member for additional information. Upcoming school board information sessions: March 24, 2025, at 4 p.m. - Virtual - LINK or In-person at Resource Center) Session 2: Key Responsibilities and Areas of Oversight (Study session and board meeting following the session should participants want to join) April 21, 2025, at 7 p.m. (In-person at Resource Center) Session 3: Questions & answers and dialog with board members King County election filing information: Online candidate filing for 2025 offices is available 24 hours a day starting Monday, May 5, 2025 at 8 a.m. and ending on Friday, May 9, 2025 at 5 p.m. Learn more: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/elections/for-candidates/online-candidate-filing.aspx View the flyer for more information.  ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Lake Washington Schools Foundation ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: Twenty years of impact. One night to celebrate! ​ Please join Lake Washington Schools Foundation (LWSF) for their Be the Bridge Spring Benefit, a fun and celebratory fundraiser that highlights the impact that you and LWSF have made over the past 20 years, and continue to make, for local students.  ​ Enjoy appetizers, drinks and dessert while connecting with fellow LWSF supporters, hearing inspiring stories and meeting community leaders.   When: Thursday, March 27, 5:00–7:00 p.m. Where: Seattle Marriott Redmond ​ Seating is limited, so please take a moment to reserve your spot today.​ Unable to attend? You can still be part of this milestone by making a donation here. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Tech-Savvy Parenting: Setting Healthy Social Media Rules ​ Empower your family with the tools and knowledge to navigate the digital world safely. Learn practical tips for setting healthy social media boundaries, controlling privacy and security settings, and having conversations with your child about online safety and responsibility.   When: Wednesday, March 19, 7-8:30 p.m. Where: Juanita High School Performing Arts Center Register: https://juanitahsptsa.givebacks.com/store/items/1162412 ​ ​ ​ ​ Harmony at Home: Successfully Navigating Parent-Child Differences | ParentEd Talk ​ Parenting isn’t one-size-fits-all, especially when your child’s personality or interests feel completely different from your own. Join this empowering ParentEd Talk with pediatric psychologist Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart to discover how to connect with your unique child, embrace their strengths and turn conflicts into moments of growth.   When: Thursday, March 20, 12:00–1:00 p.m. Where: Online webinar   Sign up here for this live Q&A-style webinar series for free. You'll also gain access to the event recording, so you can watch it anytime, anywhere. ​ ​ ​ ​ Social Emotional Learning for Parents workshop ​ Are you a parent and caregiver looking to deepen family connections, improve communication and tackle parenting challenges with patience and calm? Join us at LWSF’s last in-person workshop of the year starting on March 21! Spaces are limited, so register now to secure your spot!   Details and registration: www.lwsf.org/our-work/sel-for-parents. ​ ​ ​ ​ From Chaos to Calm: Compassionate Discipline for Spirited Kids | ParentEd Talk ​ Raising a strong-willed child? Instead of fighting their fire, learn how to guide it! On April 1, join parenting coach and author Joe Newman as he shares strategies to turn power struggles into growth opportunities and help distracted, defiant children become motivated, respectful and attentive.   When: Tuesday, April 1, 12:00–1:00 p.m. Where: Online webinar   Sign up here for this live Q&A-style webinar series for free. You'll also gain access to the event recording, so you can watch it anytime, anywhere. ​ ​ ​ ​ Lake Washington PTSA ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ LWPTSA Lunch & Learn: Cultural Competency in LWSD ​ LWPTSA Council invites everyone to their next Lunch & Learn, as they welcome Pablo Ortega, LWSD's Director of Equity and Family Engagement, who will discuss how we incorporate and foster cultural competency in our schools. Why is cultural competence important? How are our children learning the skills, awareness and knowledge needed to respectfully interact with lessons and individuals from cultures different from theirs?   When: Thursday, March 20, 12-1 p.m. Where: Zoom – Register here Lunch & Learn consists of virtual sessions held on select Thursdays during the school year, where LWPTSA shares short presentations, followed by Q&A, on topics of interest to our PTA and school community. Lunch & Learns are always free to join. Grab your lunch, log on and learn with LWPTSA Council!   Questions? Email LWPTSA Council Executive Vice President Bhaskar Ravikanti, at EVP@LWPTSA.net. View the flyer here.  ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Building Excellence ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Rockwell Elementary good neighbor open house ​ The Lake Washington School District Support Services team, along with members of the construction project team, met with families and community members from the Rockwell Elementary School community on the evening of February 27. The goal of the event was to show the community the construction plans for the rebuild and enlarge project at Rockwell Elementary that will kick off this summer.  About 50 community members joined the team to learn more and ask questions about the upcoming construction project. Visit the LWSD website to read more on this open house and to access the project boards. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Student & staff success ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Hitting the right note – Several LWSD students named to music honor groups ​ The lists are out and Lake Washington School District (LWSD) musicians are major players for this year’s musical honor groups. This year, two organizations chose students in band, orchestra and choir to join all-state and all-northwest groups. Forty-nine high schoolers and 94 middle schoolers come from LWSD schools this year. Read more about this on the LWSD website.  ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Meeting the students where they are – Juanita High School counselor wins state award for going above and beyond ​ Juanita High School counselor Stefa Chow is being honored as the 2025 Washington School Counselor of the Year. The award is given out by the Washington School Counselor Association (WSCA). According to the WSCA, her peers and students, Chow has made a significant impact at Juanita High School; supporting students, staff and families with her dedication and innovative practices. The WSCA professional recognition committee was particularly impressed by her commitment to using data-informed practices and advocating for comprehensive school counseling programs across Lake Washington School District. Read more about this on the LWSD website.  ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Remember... ​ ​ ​ ​ This newsletter is just one way to stay in touch with what is happening in the district. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for up-to-date news and information. ​ ​ ​ ​   ​ ​ ​ ​ The Lake Washington School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Coordinator, Director of Human Resources, 425-936-1333, civilrights@lwsd.org; Title IX Coordinator, Director of Athletics and Activities, 425-936-1289, titleix@lwsd.org; and 504 Coordinator, Director of Special Services, 425-936-1407, section504@lwsd.org (16250 NE 74th Street, Redmond, WA 98052) ​ ​

Thursday, Mar 13 2025

Connections - February 27, 2025: Changes to schedul...

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Read the website accessible version here February 27, 2025 ​ ​ ​ ​ In this issue ​ Change in length of student day & common high school schedules 2025-26 Upcoming career fairs Learn about serving on the school board Be the Bridge Spring Benefit for LWSF Social emotional learning for parents workshop Rockwell Elementary community construction meeting tonight, February 27 Student & staff success stories ​ ​ ​ ​ Work with us ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ We're hiring! Consider a career in LWSD ​ LWSD is always seeking great talent for positions throughout our district. In addition to other positions available throughout the district, we are looking for applicants for the following positions:  Nurses  Instructional Assistants (IAs)  Paraeducators  Custodians  Bus Drivers  Substitutes  These positions are also available in a substitute role. Check out the LWSD website for job descriptions and postings. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learning focused ​ ​ ​ ​ Change in length of student day & common high school schedules – 2025-26 ​ A message from Lake Washington School District Superintendent, Dr. Jon Holmen. Dear Lake Washington School District Families and Students, On October 1, 2024, I announced that high schools would shift from a 7-period to a 6-period high school day beginning next school year. This announcement included changing to have common schedules at Eastlake, Juanita, Lake Washington and Redmond High Schools.  After a process that included community, student and staff feedback, we have finalized the common high school schedule, and it includes the following:  Increased instructional time for each class, increasing the total class time per credit from 135 to 152 hours annually.  A block schedule where each class meets four times per week with two block periods of 80 minutes and two shorter periods of 45 minutes.  10-minute passing periods for students M-Th and 7-minute passing periods on Fridays.  Homeroom period one time per week.  Read more about this on the LWSD website.  ​ ​ ​ ​ LWSD Human Resources team attending several career events ​ Come out and meet our hiring teams in person at these upcoming events (pre-registration or affiliation may be required): Confirmed events March 12 - UW SLP Fair (Special Education team) - 9 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Specifically for hearing and speech sciences students at University of Washington. Contact: allyb@uw.edu March 13 - Indian American Community Services (IACS-Anvi) - 1 - 5 p.m. The upcoming career fair is aimed at fostering connections between talented professionals and esteemed organizations in education, early childhood, finance, banking, technology, health care, real estate, small business, etc.   March 13 - UW Bothell Job search clinic - 4:45 - 6:45 p.m. Specifically for teacher interns in the School of Educational Studies at the University of Washington Bothell. Contact: jonuwb@uw.edu March 15 - City U Job Fair, Seattle campus - 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Attendees will be over 100 soon-to-be teachers in attendance from City U. Contact: vbutler@cityu.edu Unconfirmed events April 30 - WSPA Tacoma - 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. A career fair for teachers and administrators. Contact: Natalie Plott or call 360-943-5717 You can find out more about employment at LWSD here. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: Tuition preschool enrollment lottery for 2025-26 school year now open ​ The tuition-based Lake Washington School District (LWSD) preschool program is now accepting entries into our enrollment lottery for the 2025-26 school year. New families interested in securing a seat for their child to enroll at one of the LWSD preschool sites in the 2025-26 school year need to complete a preschool lottery entry form. Currently enrolled/returning preschool students, preschool students on an IEP or students enrolled in our Head Start program do not need to fill out a lottery entry form. Forms received before March 7, 2025, will be entered into a lottery for a seat in the LWSD Preschool program. The lottery will be held the week of March 18, 2025, and families will be notified the week of March 24, 2025. Any students who do not receive a seat via the lottery will be placed on a waitlist for that preschool location/session. Families on the waitlist at specific preschool locations will be called and offered seats as they become available. Please direct any questions to Nichole Townsend, preschool registrar at ntownsend@lwsd.org. Visit the preschool program webpage for more information and to submit a lottery entry form. Click here to view the flyer. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: February is Black History Month ​ Since 1976, each president of the United States has designated February as Black History Month. The origin can be traced even further back to 1915, when an organization called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), led by Harvard-educated historian Carter G. Woodson, was formed. The ASALH dedicated its time to researching the achievements of Black Americans and other people of African descent. The goal was to inspire schools and communities across the United States to organize local celebrations, activities and lectures in an effort to teach Black history as it had never been taught before. Today, Black History Month is also celebrated in other countries around the world, including Canada (who also celebrate in February) and the UK (who celebrate in October). For a guide on how to celebrate Black History Month in the Seattle area, please visit: www.naamnw.org. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ FINAL REMINDER: Lake Washington schools open enrollment for in-district and out-of-district families: February 3-28, 202 ​ Lake Washington School District (LWSD) holds an open enrollment period each year for families who live in the district and want their children to attend a school other than their neighborhood school and for families who live outside the district and want to attend a school in the LWSD. Priority will be given to families who sign up during the open enrollment period. Families may apply between February 3-28 for a change to their school assignment for the 2025-26 school year. To learn more about our open enrollment period, open schools and the application process, please visit our website. Read more about this on the LWSD website. ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: Early Entrance to Kindergarten applications: February 1-March 15 ​ Applications for LWSD's Early Entrance to Kindergarten (EEK) program will open on February 1 and close on March 15, 2025. The FinalForms program will take applicants through the process and payment. The EEK program screens students whose families believe are qualified to enter kindergarten at an early age.   More information can be found on the LWSD EEK webpage.   Please note that student applicants must turn age 5 before November 30, 2025. ​ ​ ​ ​ FINAL REMINDER: Advanced Placement exam registration information for 2024-25 school year ​ LWSD is offering a LATE AP exam registration window from February 24, 12:01 a.m. – March 6, at 11:59 p.m. Students who register during the late AP registration window will incur a $50 per exam late fee in addition to the current per exam fee. Read more information about late registration and fees associated here. ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: Kindergarten registration for 2025-26 school year is open! ​ Register online now to ensure appropriate staffing for 2025-26 school year If you live in Lake Washington School District (LWSD) and your child will be five years old on or before August 31, 2025, it is time to register your child for kindergarten for the 2025-26 school year! While K-12 student registration will continue throughout the school year and summer, families are highly encouraged to register students as soon as possible. Doing so helps LWSD balance class sizes and ensures adequate staff are hired in time for the new school year. It also enables our schools to build relationships with families and students before the start of the new school year. How to register: Registration for all K-12 LWSD students is online. All necessary documents can be accessed on the LWSD website and completed documents can be uploaded securely. Families who cannot upload documents may send them by U.S. mail or drop them off at their neighborhood school. Visit the Kindergarten Information page of the LWSD website to learn more about the registration process. To determine your neighborhood school, check the district school and bus finder, or call the district’s transportation office at 425-936-1120. Building-specific “Welcome to Kindergarten” opportunities will be scheduled throughout the spring, providing caregivers with opportunities to visit the school, ask questions and register on-site if needed. Visit your neighborhood school website for more information about these upcoming events. ​ ​ ​ ​ FINAL REMINDER: World language proficiency testing ​ LWSD offers in-person, world language testing for high school students. These tests help students meet the “world languages” graduation requirement. They can earn up to four high school credits. They can also earn the Washington state “Seal of Biliteracy” on their transcript and diploma.  All students in grades 8-12 can take one language test for free.  Students can take the test at any location (see list below). Tests are available in any language that is both written and spoken. See below for final test date and location. Test date: March 26 Date registration closes: March 5 Time: 2:30 p.m. Location: LWHS Register and find more information here. Questions? Contact the Assessment Team at assessmenthelp@lwsd.org. ​ ​ ​ ​ District announcements ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Thinking about serving on the school board? ​ Two LWSD school board positions will be on the November 2025 ballot: District 3 and District 4. The board and district will host informational and engagement sessions to share information about what it means to be a board member. School board directors are elected by voters in a school district. School districts identify five areas called “director districts” which aim to distribute population evenly across each of the five areas. To run for a school board position, a person must live within the designated area even though the individual will be listed on the ballot for all voters within the school district. School board members are elected to serve four-year terms. Visit: https://www.lwsd.org/board/about-the-board for additional information. Upcoming school board information sessions: March 10, 2025, at 7 p.m. - Virtual - LINK Session 1: School Board 101, Becoming a Candidate and Governance vs. Management March 24, 2025, at 4 p.m. - Virtual - LINK or In-person at Resource Center) Session 2: Key Responsibilities and Areas of Oversight (Study session and board meeting following the session should participants want to join) April 21, 2025, at 7 p.m. (In-person at Resource Center) Session 3: Questions & answers and dialog with board members King County election filing information: Online candidate filing for 2025 offices is available 24 hours a day starting Monday, May 5, 2025 at 8 a.m. and ending on Friday, May 9, 2025 at 5 p.m. Learn more: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/elections/for-candidates/online-candidate-filing.aspx View the flyer for more information.  ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: Upcoming temporary closure of Community Pool at Juanita High School ​ The pool will be closed from March 1, 2025-August 31, 2025 The Community Pool at Juanita High School (JHS) will be closed from March 1, 2025 through August 31, 2025 to make critical capital improvements to extend the life of the pool. Wave Aquatics, the group that manages pool operations, will provide additional communication to families and community members who regularly use the pool regarding alternatives to swim lessons/lap swims. Read more about this on the LWSD website. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Lake Washington Schools Foundation ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Twenty years of impact. One night to celebrate! ​ This year, Lake Washington Schools Foundation’s (LWSF) Be the Bridge Spring Benefit is more than just LWSF’s biggest fundraiser–it’s a milestone celebration marking 20 years of making a difference for students in Lake Washington School District!   When: Thursday, March 27, 5-7 p.m. Where: Seattle Marriott Redmond    Register now to join community leaders, educators and supporters for an inspiring evening of reflection, connection and generosity. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Social emotional learning for parents workshops ​ Are you a parent and caregiver looking to deepen family connections, improve communication and tackle parenting challenges with patience and calm? Join LWSF at their last in-person workshop of the year starting on March 21! Spaces are limited, so register now to secure your spot! Details and registration: www.lwsf.org/our-work/sel-for-parents. ​ ​ ​ ​ Building Excellence ​ ​ ​ ​ Building Excellence is Lake Washington School District's long-term plan to provide permanent classrooms for students and address aging facilities and reduce reliance on portables through 2034. The Building Excellence Plan identifies the specific projects needed and a long-term funding plan that allows all required projects to be completed by 2034. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ TONIGHT: Rockwell Elementary informational design and construction meeting, February 27 ​ Join us for an informational design and construction meeting Thursday, February 27 at 6 p.m. in the Rockwell gymnasium. Learn more about the school design, construction schedule and meet the project team! The rebuild & enlarge of Rockwell elementary is funded by 2022 Building Excellence Construction Levy. This project creates space for 252 additional students while also addressing an aging facility. Rockwell will include 30 classrooms and support spaces in a new two-story building that will open in Fall 2026. Construction will begin this summer (some preliminary work may start in the spring). ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Student & staff success ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Forty-eight LWSD students recognized for excellence in art and writing ​ Lake Washington School District (LWSD) students have always excelled in art and writing, and this year is no different. Forty-eight LWSD students were recognized during this year’s Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Among all the LWSD schools that participated, students earned 28 gold keys, 25 silver keys and 43 honorable mentions. Artists who received a gold key for their entries are then judged on the national level. These students will find out in mid-March if they receive a national award. Read more about this on the LWSD website.  ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ LWHS students learn to produce compelling stories in today's digital landscape ​ Did you know students at Lake Washington High School (LWHS) have the special opportunity to take video classes taught by a distinguished television veteran? That’s right. Taught by Su Ring Vitue, a former TV producer at KING5’s New Day NW show, she is leading her award-winning classes in Video Production and Broadcast Communications right here in Lake Washington School District (LWSD). With her guidance, expertise and connections, students are mastering the art to produce compelling stories in today’s digital landscape.  Read more about this on the LWSD website.  ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Remember... ​ ​ ​ ​ This newsletter is just one way to stay in touch with what is happening in the district. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for up-to-date news and information. ​ ​ ​ ​   ​ ​ ​ ​ The Lake Washington School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Coordinator, Director of Human Resources, 425-936-1333, civilrights@lwsd.org; Title IX Coordinator, Director of Athletics and Activities, 425-936-1289, titleix@lwsd.org; and 504 Coordinator, Director of Special Services, 425-936-1407, section504@lwsd.org (16250 NE 74th Street, Redmond, WA 98052) ​ ​

Friday, Feb 28 2025

Change in Length of Student Day & Common High School...

Dear Lake Washington School District Families and Students, On October 1, 2024, I announced that high schools would shift from a 7-period to a 6-period high school day beginning next school year. This announcement included changing to have common schedules at Eastlake, Juanita, Lake Washington and Redmond High Schools.    After a process that included community, student, and staff feedback, we have finalized the common high school schedule, and it includes the following: Increased instructional time for each class, increasing the total class time per credit from 135 to 152 hours annually.  A block schedule where each class meets 4 times per week with two block periods of 80 minutes and two shorter periods of 45 minutes. 10-minute passing periods for students M-Th and 7-minute passing periods on Fridays. Homeroom period one time per week. After an analysis of state-required instructional hours as part of this process, the following changes are also being implemented:  The high school student day will be reduced by 10 minutes.  The elementary and middle school student day will be increased by 5 minutes.  Preschool and Transition Academy programs will start and end 10 minutes earlier. These changes allow us to continue to meet our annual required 1027 instructional hour average for grades 1-12.  In addition, to further align educator planning time across all three levels, the following change is also being implemented:  Starting in the 2025-26 school year, high school and middle school students will be released 105 minutes before the regular end of the school day on Wednesdays. These changes provide additional weekly planning time for our secondary educators. There is no change to the elementary Wednesday early release.  Please watch this video for additional information: https://youtu.be/yMFwgkcFYBM   In addition, Deputy Superintendent Scott Beebe created another video to further explain the details of these changes. This video can be found here:  https://youtu.be/RDFTDM_tswk Click here to view the high school schedule for Eastlake, Juanita, Lake Washington and Redmond High Schools .   Again, I appreciate your partnership as we continue to work through the elements of these changes.  Sincerely, Jon Dr. Jon Holmen, Superintendent Lake Washington School District Lake Washington School District | 16250 NE 74th St. Redmond, WA 98052

Thursday, Feb 20 2025

Connections - February 12, 2025: Mid-Winter Break, p...

​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Read the website accessible version here February 12, 2025 ​ ​ ​ ​ In this issue ​ No school Feb 13, 14 & 17 Preschool lottery window open February is Black History Month & CTE Month National School Counseling Week LWPTSA Lunch & Learn: Special education & parenting workshops Students create public transit video LWSF Be the Bridge Spring Benefit, webinars and workshops Flag football Mentor award recipient ​ ​ ​ ​ No school: Mid-Winter Break – February 13-14 & Presidents Day – February 17 ​ Just a reminder that Mid-Winter Break is February 13-14 and all schools will be closed. District offices will remain open during the break. Schools and district offices will be closed on Monday, February 17, for Presidents Day. ​ ​ ​ ​ Work with us ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ We're hiring! Consider a career in LWSD ​ LWSD is always seeking great talent for positions throughout our district. In addition to other positions available throughout the district, we are looking for applicants for the following positions:  Nurses  Instructional Assistants (IAs)  Paraeducators  Custodians  Bus Drivers  Substitutes  These positions are also available in a substitute role. Check out the LWSD website for job descriptions and postings. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Learning focused ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Tuition preschool enrollment lottery for 2025-26 school year now open ​ The tuition-based Lake Washington School District (LWSD) preschool program is now accepting entries into our enrollment lottery for the 2025-26 school year. New families interested in securing a seat for their child to enroll at one of the LWSD preschool sites in the 2025-26 school year need to complete a preschool lottery entry form. Currently enrolled/returning preschool students, preschool students on an IEP or students enrolled in our Head Start program do not need to fill out a lottery entry form. Forms received before March 7, 2025, will be entered into a lottery for a seat in the LWSD Preschool program. The lottery will be held the week of March 18, 2025, and families will be notified the week of March 24, 2025. Any students who do not receive a seat via the lottery will be placed on a waitlist for that preschool location/session. Families on the waitlist at specific preschool locations will be called and offered seats as they become available. Please direct any questions to Nichole Townsend, preschool registrar at ntownsend@lwsd.org. Visit the preschool program webpage for more information and to submit a lottery entry form. Click here to view the flyer. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ February is Black History Month ​ Since 1976, each president of the United States has designated February as Black History Month. The origin can be traced even further back to 1915, when an organization called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), led by Harvard-educated historian Carter G. Woodson, was formed. The ASALH dedicated its time to researching the achievements of Black Americans and other people of African descent. The goal was to inspire schools and communities across the United States to organize local celebrations, activities and lectures in an effort to teach Black history as it had never been taught before. Today, Black History Month is also celebrated in other countries around the world, including Canada (who also celebrate in February) and the UK (who celebrate in October). For a guide on how to celebrate Black History Month in the Seattle area, please visit: www.naamnw.org. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Prepared for the global workplace ​ February is Career & Technical Education Month  Did you know that LWSD has approximately 20,802 student CTE registrations participating in 109 different Career & Technical Education (CTE) course options taught by 163 CTE teachers? The School Board proclaimed the month of February as Career & Technical Education month in LWSD.  Read the full proclamation here. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ National School Counseling Week was February 3-7 ​ Last week was National School Counseling Week. Lake Washington School District’s 101 school counselors help students reach their full potential and LWSD would like to recognize these efforts. In January, the LWSD Board signed a proclamation declaring February 3-7, 2025, as National School Counseling Week. School counselors are actively committed to helping students explore their abilities, strengths, interests and talents as these traits relate to career awareness and development. Thank you to all our counselors for this incredibly important work. Read the full proclamation here. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: Instructions for accessing elementary report cards in Skyward Family Access ​ Elementary report cards have now been posted to Skyward Family Access. More information about Elementary Report Cards can be found on our Elementary Report Cards webpage. Parents who have forgotten their login or password can use the "Forgot your Login/Password?" link on the Skyward Family Access login page. Report cards before 2024-25 are available in Family Access but must be downloaded to view. The "eye" icon will only appear for report cards from 2024-25 and beyond. Here are the directions for accessing your child's report card. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: Lake Washington schools open enrollment for in-district and out-of-district families: February 3-28, 2025 ​ Lake Washington School District (LWSD) holds an open enrollment period each year for families who live in the district and want their children to attend a school other than their neighborhood school and for families who live outside the district and want to attend a school in the LWSD. Priority will be given to families who sign up during the open enrollment period. Families may apply between February 3-28 for a change to their school assignment for the 2025-26 school year. To learn more about our open enrollment period, open schools and the application process, please visit our website. Read more about this on the LWSD website. ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: Early Entrance to Kindergarten applications: February 1-March 15 ​ Applications for LWSD's Early Entrance to Kindergarten (EEK) program will open on February 1 and close on March 15, 2025. The FinalForms program will take applicants through the process and payment. The EEK program screens students whose families believe are qualified to enter kindergarten at an early age.   More information can be found on the LWSD EEK webpage.   Please note that student applicants must turn age 5 before November 30, 2025. ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: Advanced Placement exam registration information for 2024-25 school year ​ LWSD is offering a LATE AP exam registration window from February 24, 12:01 a.m. – March 6, at 11:59 p.m. Students who register during the late AP registration window will incur a $50 per exam late fee in addition to the current per exam fee. Read more information about late registration and fees associated here. ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: Kindergarten registration for 2025-26 school year is open! ​ Register online now to ensure appropriate staffing for 2025-26 school year If you live in Lake Washington School District (LWSD) and your child will be five years old on or before August 31, 2025, it is time to register your child for kindergarten for the 2025-26 school year! While K-12 student registration will continue throughout the school year and summer, families are highly encouraged to register students as soon as possible. Doing so helps LWSD balance class sizes and ensures adequate staff are hired in time for the new school year. It also enables our schools to build relationships with families and students before the start of the new school year. How to register: Registration for all K-12 LWSD students is online. All necessary documents can be accessed on the LWSD website and completed documents can be uploaded securely. Families who cannot upload documents may send them by U.S. mail or drop them off at their neighborhood school. Visit the Kindergarten Information page of the LWSD website to learn more about the registration process. To determine your neighborhood school, check the district school and bus finder, or call the district’s transportation office at 425-936-1120. Building-specific “Welcome to Kindergarten” opportunities will be scheduled throughout the spring, providing caregivers with opportunities to visit the school, ask questions and register on-site if needed. Visit your neighborhood school website for more information about these upcoming events. ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: World language proficiency testing ​ LWSD offers in-person, world language testing for high school students. These tests help students meet the “world languages” graduation requirement. They can earn up to four high school credits. They can also earn the Washington state “Seal of Biliteracy” on their transcript and diploma.  All students in grades 8-12 can take one language test for free.  Students can take the test at any location (see list below). Tests are available in any language that is both written and spoken. See below for test dates and locations. Test date: February 26 Date registration closes: February 12 Time: 2:30 p.m. Location: JHS Test date: March 26 Date registration closes: March 5 Time: 2:30 p.m. Location: LWHS Register and find more information here. Questions? Contact the Assessment Team at assessmenthelp@lwsd.org. ​ ​ ​ ​ District announcements ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ LWPTSA Lunch & Learn: Special education ​ LWPTSA Council invites everyone to their next Lunch & Learn, as they welcome Dr. Shannon Hitch, LWSD's Executive Director of Special Services, who will discuss special education. Hear about the resources and supports available to students in our school district. Find out who is eligible to access special education services in LWSD, what to expect and how to keep your students' accommodations current. When: Thursday, February 20, 12:00–1:00 p.m. Where: Zoom – Register Lunch & Learn consists of virtual sessions held on select Thursdays during the school year, where LWPTSA shares short presentations, followed by Q&A, on topics of interest to our PTA and school community. Lunch & Learns are always free to join. Grab your lunch, log on and learn with LWPTSA! Questions? Email LWPTSA Council Executive Vice President Bhaskar Ravikanti, at EVP@LWPTSA.net. Click here to view the flyer. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Transformative Parenting: Empowering Your Journey With Teens ​ Unlock the secrets to a happier, healthier relationship with your adolescent! Lake Washington PTSA Council presents a comprehensive event designed to provide you with the tools, knowledge and confidence to support your teens through their most challenging years. When: Saturday, March 1, from 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Where: LWSD Resource Center (16250 NE 74th St., at Redmond Town Center) MORE INFO & RSVP: https://www.lwptsa.net/transformative-parenting/ To guide you in your transformation, LWPTSA is excited to welcome knowledgeable speakers who will help you connect with your kids and empower your parenting journey. This event is free and open to all parents and caregivers in the LWSD community. Questions? Email Danish Majeed, LWPTSA Council’s VP of Family and Community Engagement, at FACE@LWPTSA.net. Click here to view the flyer. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Students at Lake Washington HS and Juanita HS help create video to promote public transit ​ A group of students from Juanita High School and Lake Washington High School who participate in the Sustainability Ambassadors program recently made a handy video about how to ride Metro. In addition, they helped distribute ORCA cards to 260 students at their schools. Watch the video here. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Upcoming temporary closure of Community Pool at Juanita High School ​ The pool will be closed from March 1, 2025-August 31, 2025 The Community Pool at Juanita High School (JHS) will be closed from March 1, 2025 through August 31, 2025 to make critical capital improvements to extend the life of the pool. Wave Aquatics, the group that manages pool operations, will provide additional communication to families and community members who regularly use the pool regarding alternatives to swim lessons/lap swims. Read more about this on the LWSD website. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Reminder: Are you ready for inclement weather? ​ We wanted to remind our community about our procedures for inclement weather. When emergency conditions such as snow and ice or windstorms result in school schedule changes, the district will notify families directly through ParentSquare. Please note: No notifications will be sent or posted if school is operating normally. Here are a few ways to help get your family ready: Make sure your contact information is updated in your Skyward account so you don't miss email, phone or text alerts: lwsd.org/skyward. Follow Lake Washington School District on Facebook and X for news and updates. Sign up for text alerts through www.flashalert.net. Learn more about how decisions are made and communicated in case of schedule changes due to weather. Visit Skyward to see your family's snow bus route locations. Go to Skyward > Transportation to see your route information. Please note: It is possible that your snow route will be the same as your regular route. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Lake Washington Schools Foundation ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Twenty years of impact. One night to celebrate! ​ This year, Lake Washington Schools Foundation’s (LWSF) Be the Bridge Spring Benefit is more than just LWSF’s biggest fundraiser–it’s a milestone celebration marking 20 years of making a difference for students in Lake Washington School District!   When: Thursday, March 27, 5:00–7:00 p.m. Where: Seattle Marriott Redmond    Register now to join community leaders, educators and supporters for an inspiring evening of reflection, connection and generosity. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Social emotional learning for parents workshops are back ​ Are you a parent and caregiver looking to deepen family connections, improve communication and tackle parenting challenges with patience and calm? Join LWSF at their in-person or virtual workshops starting February and March! Spaces are limited, so register now to secure your spot! Details and registration: www.lwsf.org/our-work/sel-for-parents. ​ ​ ​ ​ The Lost Art of Civility: Raising Respectful Kids | ParentEd Talk ​ Ready to shape a kinder, more respectful world? It all begins with how we parent. Join celebrated authors Sam Goldstein and Robert B. Brooks to discover practical strategies to raise empathetic, respectful kids who can engage in constructive dialogue and handle social challenges with integrity When: Tuesday, February 25, 12:00–1:00 p.m. Where: Online webinar Sign up here for this live Q&A-style webinar series for free. You'll also gain access to the event recording, so you can watch it anytime, anywhere. ​ ​ ​ ​ Student & staff success ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ All-district flag football event ​ In November 2024, the KingCo Conference launched its inaugural Girls’ Flag Football season. All four comprehensive Lake Washington School District (LWSD) high schools are full participants in the league schedule. On January 22. Juanita High School and Lake Washington High School hosted Eastlake High School and Redmond High School in an all-district event which showcased not only the talent of our student-athletes, but also the passion for and the growth of girls’ flag football. LWSD is the primary sponsor of an amendment to add girls’ flag football as an official WIAA recognized sport for the 2025-2026 school year. Read more about this on the LWSD website.  ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Celebrating Al Veillette, a champion of youth mentorship ​ Meet this year’s Brad Owen’s Excellence in Mentoring Award recipient, a longtime volunteer with the LINKS Lunch Buddy Program.  Whoever said one person can’t make a difference has never met Al Veillette, the esteemed recipient of this year’s Brad Owen’s Excellence in Mentoring Award.  Presented by Mentor Washington, this award honors everyday heroes who selflessly dedicate their time, energy, and resources to positively impact the lives of young individuals. Al’s exceptional and longstanding commitment to mentoring students through LWSD’s LINKS Lunch Buddy Program exemplifies the spirit of the award.  Partially funded by the Lake Washington Schools Foundation, the LINKS Lunch Buddy Program connects students from the Lake Washington School District (LWSD) with caring adult mentors. This year, 195 students were matched with mentors who volunteer to spend quality time with the students weekly during their lunch periods.  Read more about this on the LWSD website. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Remember... ​ ​ ​ ​ This newsletter is just one way to stay in touch with what is happening in the district. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube for up-to-date news and information. ​ ​ ​ ​   ​ ​ ​ ​ The Lake Washington School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Coordinator, Director of Human Resources, 425-936-1333, civilrights@lwsd.org; Title IX Coordinator, Director of Athletics and Activities, 425-936-1289, titleix@lwsd.org; and 504 Coordinator, Director of Special Services, 425-936-1407, section504@lwsd.org (16250 NE 74th Street, Redmond, WA 98052) ​ ​

Wednesday, Feb 12 2025

Title IX Update - February 5, 2025

Hello Lake Washington School District Staff, Families and Students,   I am very proud of the commitment the Lake Washington School District (“District”) community has made to each and every student enrolled in our District. Our dedication is evident in how we come together to support students, staff, schools, fund new school construction, advocate for change, and rally when one of our own community members is in need. I have seen countless examples of empathy and grace throughout my years at this District.   Last week, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) authored a “Dear Colleague Letter.” OCR directed this letter to a broad set of stakeholders regarding departmental updates and changes. On January 31, 2025, OCR announced a shift in future enforcement of Title IX. Effective immediately, OCR will now enforce Title IX under the provisions of the 2020 Title IX Rule instead of the 2024 Title IX Rule. This decision follows a federal court ruling that vacated the 2024 IX Rule and previous injunctions that blocked its enforcement in multiple states.   Title IX is a federal civil rights law that was passed as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. This law prohibits sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity that receives federal funding, including public school districts in the state of Washington. The specific provisions of Title IX include equal access to education, response to sexual harassment and assault, and requires equal opportunities for student athletics. The 2024 Title IX Rule extended federal protections for students who identify as part of the LBGTQ+ community as well as procedural changes related to sexual harassment claims.   Although OCR reverted to the 2020 Title IX Rule, Washington state laws separately provide protections for individuals in the LGBTQ+ community. Specifically, Washington state law prohibits discrimination in public schools not only on the basis of sex, but also due to sexual orientation, gender expression, and gender identity. Our District policies and procedures are consistent with the broader protections set forth in Washington state law.  Additionally, today, President Trump signed an Executive Order applicable to any institution receiving federal dollars (which includes the District). This Order prohibits transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. The impact of this Executive Order remains unclear, particularly as to how school districts should navigate the differences with Washington state laws and reconcile both federal and state law with the District’s current policies related to anti-discrimination and our ongoing commitment to equity.   Our District policy, Operational Expectation-14, specifically states, “We are committed to raising the opportunities and achievement of all learners regardless of race, ability, religion, language, culture, ethnicity, income, sex/gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, and other aspects of student identity.” Going forward, we will closely monitor this situation and will seek guidance from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Washington Attorney General’s Office to assess how the Executive Order may impact our athletic programs and student athletes.  Finally, the District values each member of our school community, and our ongoing commitment is to create a safe and inclusive learning and working environment that honors each individual and their unique identity.   Thank you for joining me in continuing to make the District a great place for all members of our school community.   Sincerely, Jon   Dr. Jon Holmen, Superintendent  Lake Washington School District Lake Washington School District | 16250 NE 74th St. Redmond, WA 98052

Thursday, Feb 06 2025