Plenty to be thankful for at lwsf

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

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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!

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HOW CAN YOU BE THE DIFFERENCE FOR
​A LOCAL KID? 

​"I volunteer because I know that spending just an hour a week to talk to my little buddy about his day can make an impact that lasts a lifetime." -- LINKS volunteer Davin Alsin

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Redmond, WA, November 5, 2018 – At first, it might not seem like meeting with a local student for lunch once a week can make that much of a difference. “From the get-go, my Lunch Buddy and I would do crafts together,” recalled local resident Laura Spencer, who volunteers as a weekly LINKS mentor at Juanita Elementary School. “We’d sit there quietly and do crafts and we wouldn’t talk much. And then after a couple weeks..." ​

click to read more!

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WE'RE LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD FRIENDS ​

Want to help your school take advantage of the programs and resources offered by LWSF? Could you share LWSF news and events with your school? Not 100% about what an "LWSF Ambassador" does?

Join us at an upcoming Ambassador Information Tea! These casual events help you learn more about the role of school ambassador and give us the chance to get to know YOU!

What: LWSF Ambassador Information Tea
When: November 8, 2018 from 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Where: LWSD Resource Center

Can't make that one? Email Katy to be put on the list for the next one!

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FIND YOUR FIT WITH OUR FREE COLLEGE WORKSHOPS! ​

Does your high school student need a little College 101? Join Mary Pat O’Neil of True Fit College Counseling at a free interactive workshop that will not only help students and their families understand the steps involved in applying to college, but also how to find the perfect college fit. 

When: November 28, 2018 6pm-8pm 
Where: LWSD Resource Center

Spaces are limited, secure your spot today! 

CLICK TO RESERVE A SEAT!

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FALL ISSUE OF CROSSINGS MAGAZINE
​AVAILABLE NOW! ​

​New to the area? Wondering what "Choice Schools" and "Skyward" and "PowerSchool Learning" are? Check out the Fall issue of LWSF's Crossings magazine (available in English and Spanish), and be sure to join the conversation online on our Spanish Crossings Facebook page. Paper copies of our magazine are also being distributed directly to students engaged in English-learner programs in LWSD.

Topics covered in our newest issue:

• Year-by-year checklist for high school students who want to attend college
• How to load up your student's school lunch account, report an absence, and check grades
• Explaining LWSD's Choice School Program
• and more!

read crossings magazine!

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GIVE BACK WITH AMAZON THIS HOLIDAY SEASON ​

​AMAZON SMILE​
​
Before you head into your holiday shopping, take a moment to set Lake Washington Schools Foundation as your Amazon Smile beneficiary, and Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase price to LWSF.

set lwsf as your amazon smile charity!

​PANTRY PACKS AMAZON WISH LIST​
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Ever need just one more item to fill your Amazon cart before you can add that "add-on" item to your cart? Want an easy way to donate food to Pantry Packs? Bookmark the Pantry Packs Amazon Wishlist!

pantry packs wish list!