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What are you thankful for? Here at Lake Washington Schools Foundation, we're thankful for the generosity of our donors who make the programs that we fund possible. We're thankful for the compassion of the volunteers who give their time to help students. And I’m thankful to be here to represent a foundation that helps so many diverse and uniquely capable students. In this Impact Update, I would like to share our gratitude and highlight a few ways that community support has made a difference this school year through LWSF programs, donations, and our dedicated volunteers. Pantry Packs, powered by LWSF, provides food to LWSD students for weekend meals. This year with nearly 900 students requesting support we are more thankful than ever that our community can help this record number of students experiencing hunger focus their attention on learning rather than their rumbling tummies. Find Your Fit has helped LWSD families in figuring out what comes next after LWSD on their college journey. And already this year LWSF has helped LINKS expand Lunch Buddy Mentoring Services to five additional elementary schools, bringing mentors to 15 schools. I’m grateful for the mentors, and for the students who are open to help and support. This year we have already been reminded too frequently of how urgently students and families need social-emotional learning, resiliency, and mental health support. I am grateful for our community partnerships and programs like Kids Coming Together and Balance in Mind that aim to meet that need from a variety of angles. Thank you for your unrelenting support of LWSD students. I hope that you are inspired by what your community support has made possible and that as we embark on this busy holiday season, you find moments to engage in what inspires you most. Sincerely, Helen K. Sernett, CFRE Executive Director Lake Washington Schools Foundation Thank you to our volunteers!
This October, we were honored to have Microsoft and BECU participate in packing events for Pantry Packs, a program serving students across the district experiencing food-insecurity. Not only did these groups pack the packs, they also supplied the food – and what a lot of food it was! Another Microsoft group helped us place "get to know you" questions on Jenga blocks which will be played between a LINKS mentor and their lunch buddy. They will each pull a block and answer that question to encourage a fun and positive interaction. These LINKS mentors volunteer an hour a week to connect with a young student who could benefit from additional social-emotional attention. On November 15, we had our Ambassador Tea and gained serveral new ambassadors from different schools across the district. Thank you to our new Ambassadors for becoming an important communication liaison between their school and the Foundation to help keep their school community informed about LWSF programs and events. Email Katy@lwsf.org to become an ambassador for your school! Thank you to ALL of our amazing volunteers. It really is true that together we can make a lasting difference in the lives of our students. Balance in Mind is committed to the well-being of students Balance in Mind, powered by LWSF, is a program led by passionate volunteers who work to raise awareness of youth emotional health and well-being. This school year, Balance in Mind volunteers have connected with parents, school counselors, educators, administrators, students and local community organizations to understand the need and what they can do to help. What has Balance in Mind been up to since the beginning of the school year?
Find Your Fit has helped hundreds of LWSD families become college ready To meet the growing demand of Find Your Fit college-prep workshops with Mary Pat O’Neil, we have added additional workshops this school year including Helping Your Teen Navigate The College Process, Apply to College 101, and College Essay and Application workshops. Whether you are new to the United States, an overwhelmed teen, or a parent looking to support your child through the college journey – Find Your Fit has been a valuable resource for LWSD families. Be the first to know about upcoming workshops by connecting with us on social media. Our next workshop will be in January, registration opens soon! These workshops fill up quickly! Kids Coming Together, providing opportunities for local youth to make new friends through social and service events  Kids Coming Together, powered by LWSF, has provided opportunities for local youth to make new friends and connect with their community through social and service events such as game nights, feeding farm animals, fixing up dolls for Eastside Baby Corner and CPR for middle school kids. All of these events are led by volunteer high school students who receive training from KCT so that they can help facilitate friendships. Currently serving Sammamish, this program's goal is to expand across the District.
If you have a student in grades 3-8 who is struggling to meet new friends, be sure to check out upcoming KCT events: - Dec 2, Boys Game Night - Dec 4, Girls Game Night - December 11, Make Holiday Cards for Local Seniors October LWSF Impact Update: Balance in Mind, find your fit college-prep workshops, and more10/2/2019
Joining LWSF on July 1st, I realized that while some things quiet down in the summer, our work never sleeps. It began with the announcement of our Reach for Success grant awards and it never stopped! You helped make possible several Find Your Fit college application preparation workshops this summer. Demand for these classes is high and the waitlist long, as a result we have added two workshops on October 10 and October 28 with more to be scheduled soon. This summer our Youth Mental Health Taskforce gave way to Balance in Mind, a volunteer team focused on parent education about social-emotional learning. Thanks to funds that our community gave last year, this team is expanding their Youth Mental Health First Aid offerings during the 2019-2020 school year. The first is October 20. Your support has also made possible the "It's Real" resource guide that helps students and families navigate available community services. Balance in Mind and LWSF are also partnered with Overlake Medical Center & Clinics to bring screenings of the anxiety-awareness documentary, Angst, to several LWSD schools this year. Next up is a screening at LWHS on October 22! Check out our social media and PeachJar flyers for details on these and many more offerings from Balance in Mind coming this year thanks to your support. Within my first weeks, I learned the exciting news that your gifts helped fuel the Pantry Packs summer pilot program to feed students attending summer school! You were able to provide an additional 500 packs on top of the already 25,000 packs distributed last school year. Speaking of Pantry Packs and starting up the current school year, we have been running our Start Strong campaign. So far our generous community has given over $45,000 to feed students this fall. Demand this school year is already high, can you help us feed every student in need? (And a sincere thank you to those who have already donated!) Please reach out if you have any questions or to discuss opportunities for involvement with LWSF. We do have volunteer opportunities available through the LINKS Lunch Buddy program, Pantry Packs, Kids Coming Together, and our LWSF Ambassador program! Sincerely, Helen K. Sernett, CFRE Executive Director Lake Washington Schools Foundation Find Your Fit with these two college-prep workshops!  High school seniors, join us on October 10 from 6pm-8pm for a College Application and Essay Workshop! Topics covered:
High school students of all grade levels and parents, join us on October 28 from 6pm-8pm for an Apply to College 101 Workshop! Topics covered:
Both are free to attend, only prior registration required. Upcoming events with Balance in Mind!  Empower yourself to help a child in need! LWSF is offering a Youth Mental Heath First Aid Certification course to introduce adults to the distinct risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, build understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teach individuals how to help youth who are in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. WHAT: Youth Mental Health First Aid Certification WHEN: Sunday, October 20, 9 AM–6 PM WHERE: LWSD Resource Center WHO: Adults 18+ Registration is required, $75 per person, light refreshments provided. Scholarships available, email info@lwsf.org. A big thank you to our sponsor Overlake Medical Center & Clinics and our partner Lake Washington High School for helping us host a screening of the anxiety-awareness documentary, Angst. Be sure to join us on October 22! WHAT: Screening of Angst WHEN: October 22, 6:30pm-7:30pm WHERE: Lake Washington High School WHO: Ages 10+ Free to attend, registration required. P.S. Have you downloaded our resource guide for students to help point them in the right direction when experiencing a mental health challenge? Print one now and share with a child you care about. Make a difference in a child's life by becoming a LINKS Lunch Buddy  LWSF is proud to fund and support LINKS, a mentorship program that provides one-on-one attention for a student who may benefit from additional social-emotional support. While the only minimum requirement is an hour a week, the impact on a student can last a lifetime. "Every year, it’s amazing the amount of positive energy that comes back towards me from the Buddy without asking for it." --LINKS volunteer Ken Goodwin Currently, the program has a list of students across several schools who are in line for a mentor. Please consider this wonderful opportunity to be a difference in a child's life or suggest to someone who you believe to be the perfect fit. Upcoming orientation: October 23, 12pm-2pm at the LWSD Resource Center Ready to make a difference? Email Victoria at vgoetzenelson@lwsd.org. LWSF is searching for Ambassadors! The school year is in full swing and LWSF is looking for an Ambassador at each school!
Connect with LWSF staff, other community members, and learn about the Ambassador program at our Ambassador Tea on November 15 from 11:30am-12:30pm. Light lunch will be provided. To RSVP, email Katy@lwsf.org. This summer, LWSF will continue offering programs to support students in the LWSD, including:
We're also raising funds for summer school scholarships. With an enriching array of camps, career exploration options, and accelerated academic classes, summer school in the LWSD is for everyone, and we intend to make sure that everyone can afford to go. Can you sponsor a kid's summer dreams today? Our support of summer school doesn't end with scholarships. Thanks to an incredible outpouring of generosity from the community, we are planning to deliver Pantry Packs to food-insecure children attending LWSD summer school this year. Our deepest gratitude to the donors who give and the volunteers who work hard to keep this vital program running. And a very special thank you to everyone who donated to youth mental wellness programming this year. We're deploying an array of tactics to support mental health right now, from our youth mental health first aid certification courses to the creation of a teen-centered support services flyer (available online here; contact us for printed copies). Please reach out to me if you have any questions. Together, we can give every child in the LWSD the chance to succeed in school and in life. Sincerely, Chris Wheaton Interim Executive Director Lake Washington Schools Foundation DONOR SPOTLIGHT: MOM AND DAUGHTER TEAM UP TO PAY SCHOOL LUNCH DEBT  Local parent at Juanita High School, Prerna Gupta and her daughter Zoe were shocked when they recently learned that there were many families in her community who had student lunch debt that they were struggling or unable to pay. “The answer was simple right then. Let’s try to fix this together,” shared Prerna. “Unfortunate events happen to all families and meals in school should be the least of their concerns!” Prerna reached out to the school district and Lake Washington Schools Foundation as she contemplated the best way to move forward. She and Zoe decided to organize a silent auction fundraiser. “We got so many generous donations for the gift baskets and then people opened their hearts and wallets … to raise this amount together.” With the help of the community businesses who donated items and the community members who attended, they raised $6,300. “I thought that this fundraiser is a good way to raise awareness and hopefully motivate more people to take action in some way.” With this success under her belt, Prerna is setting her sights on a fundraiser to be held next year that will extend to other schools the district. “Everyone has the opportunity to make a choice to make a change!” Way to go, Prerna! Thank you for showing us that every community member has the power to make a difference in the lives of students and families in our community. NEXT YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID CERTIFICATION IS JUNE 22  Empower yourself to help a child in need! LWSF is offering this formal program to introduce adults to the distinct risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, build understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teach individuals how to help youth who are in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. WHAT: Youth Mental Health First Aid Certification WHEN: Saturday, June 22, 8:30 AM–5:30 PM WHERE: LWSD Resource Center WHO: Adults 18+ Registration is required, $75 per person, light refreshments provided. HAVE FUN, MAKE FRIENDS, AND SERVE OTHERS WITH KIDS COMING TOGETHER LWSF is proud to fund and support Kids Coming Together (KCT), a local, teen-led group that helps children in grades 3–8 build friendships with peers through community service events. KCT is now recruiting teen leaders as well as kids in grades 3–8 to participate in these service events. Upcoming events include: June 13: Teacher Thank-You Cards June 19 & 26: Farmer's Market Trash Patrol June 23: Get Crafty with Senior Citizens Interested? Register to attend one or more of these events or receive further information and learn how your student can get involved! GET COLLEGE-READY WITH OUR FREE FIND YOUR FIT WORKSHOPS Summer is a great time to get ready for the college application season! LWSF partners with Mary Pat O’Neil of True Fit College Counseling to provide free college application workshops for kids and families. Here are three ways to Find Your Fit this summer:
WHAT: College Application Bootcamp WHEN: June 29, 10:00AM–3:00PM WHERE: LWSD Resource Center WHO: Rising seniors (class of 2020) only!
WHEN: July 30, 2:00PM–4:00PM WHERE: Kirkland Library WHO: High school students and parents
WHEN: August 5, 2:00PM–4:00PM WHERE: Redmond Library WHO: Rising seniors (class of 2020) only!
Believe it or not, spring is finally here, and that means it's nearly time for our annual benefit event. Please take a moment to make sure you've reserved a seat for our Bridge the Gap luncheon on March 28 at the Marriott Redmond Towne Center. Join us to hear speakers from around the region address issues of youth mental wellness, as well as a keynote address from Scilla Andreen, one of the executive producers behind the anxiety-awareness documentary Angst. Want to see Angst? We're partnering with LWHS PTSA to sponsor a free screening of the IndieFlix original documentary on Thursday, March 14 at 7:00 PM at Lake Washington High School. This event is open to the public (ages 10+) but capacity is limited and advance reservations are required. RSVP today! We'll host a second screening after our spring luncheon, but if you want to see the film before you hear Scilla speak at our luncheon, take this opportunity. Do you know of a classroom project that needs funding? Our Reach for Success classroom grant program supports classroom- or school-level projects up to $3,000. We're now accepting applications for the 2019/2020 school year, and we're particularly eager to identify projects that focus on youth mental wellness and/or close gaps in equity and inequality in the LWSD. Applications are due March 15 and are available online. Need help completing your Reach for Success classroom grant application? Sign up to attend our evening workshop next Tuesday, March 12. Please reach out to me if you have any questions. Together, we can give every child in the LWSD the chance to succeed in school and in life. Sincerely, Chris Wheaton Interim Executive Director Lake Washington Schools Foundation P.S. Can't attend our Bridge the Gap luncheon? You can still donate! Click here to show your support. Bridge the Gap in youth mental wellness  Join us at our annual benefit luncheon on March 28, 2019 as we welcome keynote speaker Scilla Andreen, producer of anxiety-awareness documentary, Angst. Ms. Andreen is CEO and Co-Founder of IndieFlix Inc., founded in 2011 to support the creation, distribution and exhibition of social justice films. She'll join other speakers from around the region to address how youth mental wellness has affected their lives, as well the solutions and resources that can be deployed to combat this growing problem for the youth of our district—and everywhere. Major corporate support for this event comes from Microsoft, Cornerstone General Contractors, Seattle Marriott Redmond, Waste Management, Boeing, Overlake Medical Center and Clinics, Sodexo, DA Davidson, Passport Unlimited, and Whole Foods Market. Already registered for the luncheon and want to see Angst before you hear Scilla speak? We're sponsoring a free screening of Angst on Thursday March 14 at Lake Washington High School in partnership with LWHS PTSA, and we're holding 100 tickets in reserve for registered luncheon attendees. But please act fast--this event is filling and we'll release these tickets to the general public on Tuesday at noon! Use this link to book your spot for Angst today See Angst at LWHS on Thursday March 14  Lake Washington Schools Foundation is partnering with Lake Washington High School PTSA to bring you a free screening of the 56-minute independent documentary film Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety. WHAT: Free screening of Angst: Raising Awareness Around Anxiety WHEN: Thursday, March 14, 2019 at 7:00 PM WHERE: Lake Washington High School WHO: Community members aged 10+ Producers Scilla Andreen and Karin Gornick have one goal: to start a global conversation and raise awareness around anxiety. Through candid interviews, they utilize the power of film to tell the stories of many kids and teens who discuss their anxiety and its impacts on their lives and relationships, as well as how they've found solutions and hope. The film also includes a special interview with Michael Phelps, a mental health advocate and one of the greatest athletes of all-time. In addition, the documentary provides discussions with mental health experts about the causes of anxiety and its sociological effects, along with the help, resources and tools available to address the condition. This event is free to the public, but seats are limited. Reserve yours today! "I felt so happy to see my student's name!"  This Valentine's Day, teachers all across the LWSD felt the love and appreciation you have for the work they do. Names flooded our virtual Wall of Love, and postcards and pins were received with gratitude by the teachers who make a difference. This campaign raised over $11,000 to support our Reach for Success classroom grants, which fund creative educational initiatives that enhance or expand Lake Washington School District's curriculum, as well as other key LWSF programs and events. Thank you to all who showed our teachers how much you care and a big thank you to our teachers for all that you do! Reach for Success grant applications due March 15  "Families were engaged, played games together and learned about the different countries. We shared our diverse heritage and noticed more commonalities than differences. It was a true celebration!"
That's what one Reach for Success classroom grant recipient had to say about her LWSF-funded event, which brought 430 people together to celebrate the cultural diversity of Rose Hill Elementary. Read more about this and other Reach for Success grantees here. LWSF's Reach for Success grants fund creative educational initiatives that enhance or expand Lake Washington School District's curriculum. With awards up to $3,000, proposed projects may benefit an individual classroom, a specific grade-level, or—as in the case of Rose Hill Elementary's "Games Around the World"—an entire school! Do you know of a great school program that needs funding? Apply for a Reach for Success grant. Applications are due March 15. Need help? Attend our grant workshop on March 12 from 7-8:30pm at the LWSD Resource Center. It's been a beautiful stretch of sunny days here in the Puget Sound, cool and crisp but with spring in the air. (Of course, now that I've said that, it'll probably rain all day.) Speaking of spring, we still have a few openings for Table Captains at our annual spring lunch on March 28. If you've never been a Table Captain before, this is the year for you to raise your hand. Scilla Andreen, producer of the anxiety-awareness documentary "Angst," is delivering the keynote address, and we're offering screenings of her film in advance of the luncheon. Interested? You're invited to attend the Table Captain kick-off party on January 31. Just send us an email and let us know you'd like to get involved. What's February without our Wall of Love? If you know a teacher who deserves a smile on Valentine's Day, check out our Valentine's Day campaign for teachers. It's an easy way to show them you care, and they'll love knowing that you've made a donation to LWSF to make it happen. Donations like those help fund our Reach for Success classroom grant program, which supports classroom- or school-level projects up to $3,000. We're opening up our application cycle for the 2019/2020 school year, and this time, we're particularly eager to identify projects that focus on youth mental wellness and/or close gaps in equity and inequality in the LWSD. Applications are due March 15 and are available online. Need help? Read through the documentation online and then sign up for one of our in-person workshops with LWSF's own grantwriter, Julie Haase. More details are below. And finally, I want to let you know that I'm moving on to a new position addressing youth mental health issues in our state. I'm proud of the work we've accomplished during my time with LWSF, and I'm pleased to introduce LWSF's interim Executive Director Chris Wheaton, who has been a Trustee of the Foundation for the past two years. Thank you for your trust, support, and generosity these past few years. I look forward to seeing LWSF's momentum continue to build as we work together to make sure that all children have what they need to succeed in school and in life. Sincerely, Larry Wright Executive Director Lake Washington Schools Foundation P.S. We're mailing 2018 year-end tax letters to donors this week. Let Jamie know if you have any questions. What will it take to bridge the gap in youth mental wellness? We think this is the most important question facing our generation, and we're confronting it head-on. Join us at our annual benefit luncheon on March 28, 2019 as we welcome Scilla Andreen, producer of anxiety-awareness documentary, Angst, as keynote speaker. Ms. Andreen is CEO and Co-Founder of IndieFlix Inc., founded in 2011 to support the creation, distribution and exhibition of social justice films. Want to see the film before you hear her speak? We're offering two screenings of Angst in the coming months--more details on that to come. Can you be a Table Captain? You'd be helping us build momentum and rallying friends and coworkers to fill a table at the luncheon. Interested? Join us at our Table Captain kick-off event January 31 at the Marriott Redmond. Email Jamie to get on board. Do you know an organization that would like to help us solve the problems facing kids today? We're seeking additional corporate sponsors for this event and would love to hear from you. Email Julie if you'd like to get involved. Know a teacher who deserves a valentine? We think you do! So this Valentine's Day, for a small donation, we'll put your favorite teacher's name on our Wall of Love, send them a keepsake postcard, or mail them a heart-filled lapel pin. All funds raised by this campaign benefit the Lake Washington Schools Foundation and our Reach for Success classroom grants. But act quickly! Donations for pins and postcards must be received by midnight on February 10! Reach for Success Grant Application for the 2019-2020 school year now available  Reach for Success Grants fund creative educational initiatives that enhance or expand Lake Washington School District's curriculum. Proposed initiatives should be consistent with District priorities and school improvement goals, as well as in line with Lake Washington Schools Foundation's mission to support academic excellence and success for all students. The Lake Washington Schools Foundation is embarking on a longer-term strategic focus on youth mental wellness and closing gaps in equity and inequality in our District. While this year we are not limiting RFS grant applications to projects that address these two issues, we are eager to identify potential grant recipients that can help us advance those priorities. Have any questions about the Reach for Success Grant process? Read through our online documentation and attend one of our in-person workshops at the LWSD Resource Center on February 13 from 10-11:30 AM and March 12 from 7-8:30 PM. There is limited space available, so secure your spot today! Special thanks to our community partners Feed Washington and Eastside Community Aid Thrift Shop
We couldn't be more thankful to Feed Washington, which raised over $10,000 during their December Holiday Hunger Campaign to support Pantry Packs. Thank you to all who donated, the "hunger champions" who helped fundraise, and our friends at Feed Washington, who are working year-round to end childhood hunger in our state. Clearing the clutter? Take your no-longer-needed items to our partners at the non-profit, all-volunteer Eastside Community Aid (ECA) Thrift Shop! This thrift shop has contributed more than $4 million to support Eastside charities, and they are a valued contributor to Pantry Packs. The thrift shop has clothing, jewelry, household goods, and more, at great prices. Help others by donating used goods any time the thrift shop is open at 12451 116th Avenue NE in Kirkland. What are you thankful for? Here at LWSF, we're thankful for the generosity of our donors who make the programs that we fund possible. We're thankful for the compassion of the volunteers who give their time to help children. And we're thankful for the hard work and dedication of the staff, teachers, and administration in the LWSD. Together, we’re helping our students succeed in and out of the class room. In this issue of the Impact Update, we’re highlighting a few more opportunities for you to get involved. Right now, we're seeking Ambassadors to help us share LWSF's events and programs with every school in the district. It's a fun gig that doesn't require a ton of time, but brings a lot of benefit to your school. Interested? Join us at our Ambassador Information Tea tomorrow, Friday, November 8, from 9:30-10:30 at the LWSD Resource Center. If you can’t it tomorrow, we’ll be hosting another one before the end of the year. Email Katy for more info. We're also hosting another free Find Your Fit college workshop on November 28. Spaces are still available, but reserve your seat today. These popular workshops always fill up. Do you have an extra hour each week to be a mentor to a local student? LINKS is LWSD's one-on-one youth mentoring program, and they're holding training sessions for prospective adult volunteers throughout the remainder of the year. Email Victoria Goetze-Nelson for more information. Can't be there in person? Is there room in your budget to support someone who can? If you haven't already, please consider donating to our Be the Difference campaign to support LINKS youth mentoring in LWSD this November. We just posted several video interviews with current LINKS volunteers to our website--trust me, if you want to see something heartwarming today, you'll want to check them out. But do it soon: the Be the Difference campaign ends before the turkeys hit the oven! Sincerely, Larry Wright Executive Director Lake Washington Schools Foundation P.S. We are excited to report that we received $2,743 from the new Whole Foods in Kirkland as a result of our 5% Community Giving Day on October 18! We loved greeting customers and meeting supporters in person at the new Whole Foods store in the revitalized Totem Lake area. Thank you to Whole Foods and to everyone who supported us with their shopping list on our big day! HOW CAN YOU BE THE DIFFERENCE FOR |
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