Connections - May 23, 2024 - Lake Washington School District (2024)

At the May 20, 2024, board meeting, Lake Washington School District proposed a Building Excellence Capital Construction Levy ballot measure for the November 5, 2024, election. The recommendation was presented to the Board of Directors during their meeting. They will formally vote on the recommendation at their June 3, 2024, board meeting.

“Our community has an opportunity to set the stage for future generations, continuing to make Lake Washington a great place to live, raise a family and educate children,” said Dr. Jon Holmen, Superintendent. “Our students deserve educational environments that match the excellence we strive to attain with each of our students.”

Why does the district need a construction levy?
To continue to provide excellence in education for the students of our community, LWSD recommends placing this measure on the ballot. This levy will focus on aging facilities - to rebuild and enlarge the four remaining schools that have not received upgrades or rebuilds since the start of the 1998 modernization program. This levy would allow the district to ensure secure facilities with single entry points, interior hallways and other features to ensure students continue to learn in a safe environment.

Read more about this on the LWSD website.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC)announced today that 15 Lake Washington School District (LWSD) students will receive National Merit $2500 Scholarships. Fifty-two students were selected statewide for these awards.

The students receiving National Merit $2500 Scholarships are:

Each year, Lake Washington School District (LWSD) participates in the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) Region 110 Awards. Each school district within a region can recognize a “WASA Student Leadership Award” and a “Community Leadership Award”. This year, LWSD selected:

Student Leadership Award – Lake Washington School District acknowledged student leaders, Kisa Dupe, Renee Larb and Yolanda Waweru. Kisa, Renee and Yolanda have worked to revitalize the Black Student Union (BSU) at Redmond High School this year, including the creation of the Black History Month assembly and participating in the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Youth Event. At this event, they spoke about what Black Student Union is, the importance of having a Black Student Union for Black/African American students and how it has helped to create community within their school. With their hard work and dedication, these three wonderful students have shown and continue to show the importance of building community and elevating others to success.

Community Leadership Award - Noticias en español para familias de BSD y LWSD recognized by Lake Washington School Districtwith its Community Leadership Award. Lake Washington School District has partnered with Noticias en español para familias de BSD y LWSD toward a shared goal of better supporting our community ofSpanish-speaking and Latinx families through thoughtful andculturally relevant communications. Noticias produces a weekly video newsletter that provides more equitable access to district information, allowing families to better support their students using transcreation instead of simple translation. Videos are shared with our Spanish-speaking families through ParentSquare, as well as posted on YouTube, the district website and on Facebook. In addition to weekly videos, they also produce special topic videos on topics of interest to our community.

Attention rising seniors! Don't miss this opportunity to prepare for college application season with expert guidance from independent college counselor Mary Pat O’Neil. Join LWSF for three informative in-person sessions on creating a balanced college list, completing the Common Application and writing a college essay.

Sessions will take place on the mornings of June 24, 26 and 28 at the LWSD Resource Center.

Details and registration:www.lwsf.org/our-work/find-your-fit.

Whether they are 5 or 15, our kids ultimately want to be seen, heard and understood. Creating compassionate and collaborative conversations with your kids keeps them coming back for more.

Don't miss LWSF’s last Parent Chat of the school year!Register now.

Evergreen Middle School
Do you want to know why LWSD recommends rebuilding Evergreen Middle School in the next phase of the Building Excellence Plan? Located in unincorporated King County near Union Hill in Redmond, Evergreen is our second-oldest middle school facility, originally built in 1983. A rebuilt school could add permanent student capacity and would be completed in 2031. Listen as students, staff members and building administrators share details about their building and thoughts on a new school.View our video about this next phase in the Building Excellence Plan for Evergreen Middle School on the LWSD website.

Other projects included in the 2024 Building Excellence Plan areAlcott Elementary,Smith Elementaryand thefieldhouse/community pool at Juanita High School. For more information, visit:bit.ly/LWSDBE24.