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May 12, 2023

May Membership Meeting - Mark Your Calendars

Wednesday May 17th, 6pm

Please join our final membership meeting for the school year on May 17th at 6pm in the EHS Upper Commons. This closing meeting of the year is when we ensure our continued operations into the next school year: we will be voting in our incoming board for 2023-2024 (see slate below), approving a budget for next year's activities, and confirm our standing rules and mission and goals. We will also honor volunteers who went above and beyond this year with our PTSA Volunteer Awards. Agenda and supporting documents as well as meeting information will be posted on our meetings page  

The Eastlake PTSA Nominating Committee presents the following candidates for the 2023-2024 school year.

For the office of Co-president: Laura Hamilton and Julie Kotler For the office of Treasurer: Leanne Brodzinski For the office of Secretary: Candice Wheeler For the office of Co-VP of Ways and Means: Kristen Schwager and Brittin Dwyer For the office of VP of Membership: Jennifer Fowler For the office of VP of Volunteers: Else Bakker  

Parent Education Opportunity

May 17th @ 7:30 pm, Eastlake Lower Commons

Learn practical strategies for supporting your teen's mental health and nurturing healthy relationships with their family and others. Local expert Sheri Gazitt from Teen Wise will join with a local medical professional and Eastlake High School counselors to cover the pressures and difficulties of being a teen in a high achieving community, how to cultivate healthy relationships, and who to contact at Eastlake HS if you are worried about your child or a friend, plus Q&A. All LWSD families welcome.

PTSA Seeking A Few Volunteers for Next Year. Can you help?

The following roles for PTSA sponsored events remain unfilled for the 2023-2024 school year:

    Special Needs Chair (1 or 2 people)
    Financial Review Committee (3 people)
    Holiday Bazaar (1 co-chair)
    PTSA Awards & Recognition (1 co-chair)
    Recognition Wall Tiles (2 co-chairs)
    Scholarships (1 co-chair)
    Nominating Committee (3 people)
    Student Recognition (1 co-chair)

There is still room for 14 people to come forward & volunteer. Many of the above do not take much time, nor do they require you to be at the school.

It takes a village. Please step up for your child's high school community by emailing letah@ehsptsa.org.

THANK YOU!
Wolf Strong, Pack Strong. #WSPS

Class of 2023 Senior Slideshow - Send in your photos!

Deadline May 20th

The PTSA will be creating a slideshow to honor the 2023 senior class. To have your senior included in this slide show, please follow these instructions to send us photos: 

  1. Please send a baby photo and a senior photo of your student. Label each with first and last name and "Baby" or "Senior"
  2. *Attach* the two files to an email to this address (please make sure the files are attached and not inserted into the email, it makes it a lot easier for us to use them when attached) 

We would love to have all seniors represented, so please send in as soon as possible. All photos should be submitted by email by May 20th at the latest. A link to the slideshow will be sent to senior families on June 12th.

If you have any questions, please contact Nikki Balt.

EHS Library News - Summer Retention of Laptops

All returning EHS students, so current 9th, 10th, and 11th graders who are coming back to EHS next year will keep their laptops over the summer. This is called Summer Retention. Returning students can use their laptops for LWSD Summer School or other classes they might be taking over the summer. If students need tech help over the summer, they should contact Family Technology Access and that information is on the EHS Technology Website.

If students are not going to use their laptops a lot over the summer, it will be very important that they:

  1. Turn it on and restart it occasionally
  2. Run updates


This will ensure that the laptop performs its best when they come back to school in the fall. If they wait until they return to campus in the fall and turn on their laptop it could take up to 1 hour or more for the laptop to load all the updates. They should also keep track of their charger and stylus pen so those are ready for use in the fall.

This year only seniors and students leaving LWSD will turn in their laptops and power cords.
Seniors will do this either June 13th or 14th after school and 9th-11th graders leaving LWSD can do this any time the library is open during the last week of school in the EHS Library.

If students or parents have questions they should contact Mrs. Kathleen Story in the library or email her at kastory@lwsd.org

EHS Student Published

EHS 12th grader Sophie Hallali just published her first book We Follow the Sun: The Twisted Roots Trilogy Book 1. It is available for sale on Amazon and the EHS Library has three copies for checkout. We are so proud of Sophie!

Community Service Spotlight

We are delighted to feature EMS senior, Noah Zahn, in our Community Service Spotlight. Noah is a volunteer with Athletes for Kids (AFK) a mentor-buddy program that pairs high school athletes with younger kids who have special needs. Their mission is to strengthen communities by modeling acceptance, inclusion, and respect for all individuals.

Noah got involved with AFK during sophomore year at the recommendation of his P.E. teacher, Mr. Snell. It seemed like a great way to share his strengths, connect with, and serve the community. He was soon paired up with a child on the autism spectrum, and the rest is history.  

As a mentor, Noah meets up regularly with his buddy. They might get together at home, at a favorite restaurant, a local pool, or trampoline park. Noah uses their time together to model respect and inclusion while helping navigate any social challenges that his buddy might experience. Through their meetings, the two have developed a true friendship. Noah says he has been able to “learn from some of the nicest people I've ever met about being a better listener and having more patience.” He admits that he and his buddy learn from each other and it gives him a good feeling to be that support for someone. “To have a truly personal and fun connection and seeing my buddy grow and mature over the years is an incredible feeling! I am so proud to be able to commit my time to AFK. Knowing that I'm seen as not just a mentor but a friend, is so rewarding. I am lucky to have formed this kind of relationship.”  

Thank you, Noah, for doing your part to create a kinder and more thoughtful community.

To learn more about Athletes for Kids, check out their website and find out how you can get involved.

Nominate a Student for PTSA's Community Service Spotlight

Do you know an Eastlake student who is serving the community in a thoughtful way? We would love to highlight their efforts in the Wolf Tracks newsletter. Teachers, parents, peers, and community members can let us know how students are helping others by nominating them.

Turn in Community Service Hours by May 19th, 2023.

Students who would like to be included in our Spring 2023 Community Service Award List and seniors who would like to receive the Community Service Honor Cord for graduation need to turn in all service hours by May 19th. Students from all grade levels can be included on the Award List if they have documented at least 50 hours.  Seniors with 200 or more hours are eligible to receive the honor chord. Inclusion on this list can be listed as an award on job, college, scholarship, and other applications.  Students can enter their hours at  www.ehs-service.org

Check the EHS community services for more information on the program. 

Questions?  Email PTSA Community Service

Upcoming Events / Quick Reminders

  • May 20 :: Submit photo for senior slideshow

Don't Forget to:

Community News

Peachjar is the LWSD's "go to" spot for community news and events. Click the icon to see what's new!  (Filtered for Eastlake High School only.) 

Youth Eastside Services’ final 2 classes for school year

ALCOHOL DRUG EDUCATION CLASS (NO COST)

Saturday May 20 or June 17 from 9:30am–12:30pm.

Offered virtually one Saturday per month during the school year:

  • Learn the impacts of substance use on the developing body & brain
  • Learn where and how to turn for help--drug/alcohol and/or mental health
  • Learn how to make more informed decisions for your future
    • Healthy coping & decision-making skills
    • Mindfulness skills

Go to http://www.youtheastsideservices.org/adec to register. We ask that 1 parent/caregiver attend with youth.

Contact andrea.frost@youtheastsideservices.org for questions. 
 

College Admissions Tips and Resources 

From our community partner, Michelle at Magellan College Counseling

Class of 2023
You are in the home stretch! Finish the year strong! You’ve been admitted, yes, but your admission is “conditional” and is based on the courses you reported on your application and the assumption that you will continue doing well! As an example, here’s what UCLA has to say about a change in academic status.

Class of 2024
Are you making and refining your college list? Check out this new tool from the New York Times. Students can make their own rankings based on what they care about the most, instead of just using the same old criteria that everyone else uses.

Classes of 2025 & 2026!
Changes are coming to the SAT. Read and watch to learn more here!

Need more support? Please reach out!


The EHS PTSA does not sponsor, endorse, or recommend any of the organizations, services, or activities that might appear in this section. Inclusion of Community News items in Wolf Tracks is made on a case-by-case and space-available basis. 
 

EHS PTSA Community Partners

Featured Partner: Mathnasium

Every student can be successful in math—it’s a matter of teaching it in a way that makes sense to them. Free initial assessments and consultations, drop-in sessions and customized one-on-one learning that fits your student's needs and goals.  [Click image for website.] 

Check out all our partners:

Support the EHS PTSA's mission and goals:
 

Links / PTSA Contacts

EHS PTSA Website
EHS PTSA Facebook Page

Eastlake Website

LWPTSA Special Needs Group 
LWPTSA Council


Washington State PTA
National PTA
PTSA Co-Presidents
Laura Hamilton
Heather Kass

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Eastlake High School PTSA ~ 2.8.88
400 228th Ave NE, Sammamish, WA  98074