PLU announces Nurse and Educator Dependent Commitment

 Pacific Lutheran University has made an extraordinary commitment to the dependents of nurses and educators who chose to attend PLU by committing to covering at least 50% of the cost of tuition through PLU scholarships and grants. Here it is, direct from PLU:

"Greetings from PLU! I have exciting news to share about our new Nurse & Educator Dependent Commitment, which guarantees that at minimum half of the tuition of dependents of nurses and K-12 educators will be covered by PLU-funded scholarships and grants. 

The fields of nursing and education have been fundamental to PLU throughout our history, and preparing our students to serve their communities as thoughtful, highly-trained, and effective nurses and educators reflects our mission of service, leadership and care. This commitment to incoming first-year students who have a parent or legal guardian working as a nurse or K-12 educator is just one of the ways that we are continuously striving to honor our community and ensure that a PLU education is affordable and accessible. In fact, LendEDU recently ranked PLU the #1 college in Washington for financial aid, and #9 nationally. 

There is no separate application needed for students to be considered for the Nurse & Educator Dependent Commitment, as our free application for admission includes questions about the occupations of parents/guardians. Students do NOT need to major themselves in Education or Nursing to be eligible for this commitment. 

You'll find details about the Nurse & Educator Dependent Commitment here. I encourage you to share this email with your colleagues and the communities in which you work - we're excited to spread the news about this new resource for students."

Conducting a College Search in the Time of COVID-19

Tuesday, October 13, 2020 6:30PM – 7:30PM

 Join KCLS online to gain perspective on the current state of college admissions, including: conducting a college search, researching colleges, preparing to apply. Please register by 5pm on October 12 to get a Zoom link. If you haven't received the Zoom link by 5pm on October 13, please contact Carrie, clbowman@kcls.org.

World Language & Leadership with OneWorld Now

Registration for OneWorld Now's 2020-2021 Afterschool Program is NOW OPEN! This year, OWN has 3 tracks to choose from: the World Language Track - where you can study Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, or Russian two days a week and earn high school credit; the Leadership Track - where you can develop your personal, societal, cultural, and global awareness and build skills to enact positive social change (credit option pending); or BOTH, which is called the Global Citizen Track. The deadline to register is September 27th, but all classes will be capped at 17 students and are first-come, first-served. 

Detailed info about the 2020-2021 After-school Program

Video (1:39 min) that outlines the program

Interest Form, for students who are interested

Registration Form - Deadline September 27th

Contact Caitlyn Lamdin: caitlyn@oneworldnow.org

Flipping the question of Why Now? in college admission...

 There's an insightful article in Forbes that provides some ideas about how seniors can re-contextualize those plans, internships, and participations that have been upended by the changes wrought by the COVID19 pandemic. It's worth a read!

Why Now in College Admission?

AP Test Registration

 Gibson Ek student who plan to take AP exams in the 2020-2021 school year must first register for those tests through Issaquah High School at this link:

https://www.issaquah.wednet.edu/issaquahhs/academics/assessment/ap-testing

Please note the following deadlines!

September 27th	Registered for College Board Class, Rosters will be checked by Teachers. (Does not apply for GEHS students)
October 4th	Registered for Total Registration and the amount of Exams Taken.
October 30th	Fully registered on both College Board and Total Registration. If not registered for this date, any registration after this point will incur a late fee.
November 15th	Must be Paid on Total Registration, otherwise exams will not be ordered.
March 11th	Last day to cancel or register late for AP Exams. There will be a $40 fee for this.

 

Coast to Coast College Tour

 

Admissions officers from Dartmouth College, Northwestern University, Princeton University, University of California, Berkeley, and Vanderbilt University invite you and your students to learn about our institutions, hear advice about the college search and application process, and get your questions answered.

Meant as a brief introduction to the signature aspects of each institution, we'll spend the bulk of our time sharing application advice, financial aid insights, and answering questions submitted by students in advance.

We appreciate you sharing this opportunity with your students if at all possible. You and your colleagues are certainly welcome to attend. The Coast to Coast group is planning on holding a set of counselor events this fall.

WHEN

Wednesday, September 9th, 2020

5pm Pacific Time

Webinar link sent upon registration.

An RSVP is required.

Can't make it that evening?

Visit the Coast to Coast Tour website for a full list of programs. 

Feeding Yourself: Meal Planning & Cooking Basics

My last post before leaving for Summer Break concerns the basics of how to feed yourself: meal planning and preparation. Cooking can be immensely rewarding, and at a minimum cooking for yourself will save you money, support healthy nutrition, and minimize your reliance on highly processed foods. Hot Pockets are fine once in a while, but it's no replacement for whole foods that you prepare yourself. Even if you're heading off to college and plan to live on campus with a meal plan, knowing a few go-to dishes will put you miles ahead when you decide to cook dinner for your date, bring something to a department potluck, or just break the monotony of dining hall pizza.

Food writer Michael Pollan has an excellent list of Food Rules that you would do well to internalize. It all boils down to this: Eat food, mostly plants, not too much.

Meal Planning and Prep
The Beginners Guide to Meal Planning
The Best Way to Use a Weekend for Meal Planning Success
10 Best Tips for Meal Planning for One
5 Things Expert Meal Planners Do Before Going to the Grocery Store

Cooking Basics
12 Cooking Basics Everyone Should Know
Gordon Ramsey: How To Master 5 Basic Cooking Skills -- knife skills! Stay out of the ER!
How To Cook For Beginners - The Essentials
https://watch.tastemade.com/adulting
https://www.theodysseyonline.com/cooking-for-yourself

What to cook?
Tools and techniques are great, but you still need to know what to cook. Leanne Brown's free 'Good & Cheap' cookbook is a great place to start. The recipes are delicious, the techniques are basic, and it's oriented around eating well on the cheap. Great for starting out!
Leanne Brown's Good and Cheap: Eat Well on $4 a Day

Want to take your cooking to the next level? Check out Stephane's 'French Cooking Academy' on YouTube. It's the complete Auguste Escoffier method of French cooking, from soup to nuts, and you can learn it all for free. Here is his Online Cooking Course for Beginners.

Food is the world on a plate: history, culture, language, travel... it's literally endless. If you just want to learn how to make tasty food for yourself and your friends, it's all that too. Dig in!

OSPI News Release: Find a Summer Meal Site Near You!

OLYMPIA — June 16, 2020 — The number of locations that students can receive free meals from has grown, thanks to new locations offering meals through the annual Summer Food Service Program (SFSP).

SFSP provides children with nutritious meals during the summer. Sponsors may operate the program in areas where 50% or more of the children in the area are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

Summer meal programs help children aged 18 and under get the nutrition they need to learn, play, and grow during the summer. This federally-funded program is sponsored by many organizations throughout our state, including schools, nonprofit organizations, local governments, tribes, and more.

SFSP is separate from meal programs operated by the school district during school closures, which may be continuing to providing meals over the summer. Contact your district for more information.

To find a Summer Meals site near you, please use a Summer Meals Locator: Text “food” or “comida” to 877–877, or you can also find summer meal sites online.

For more information, please contact the Child Nutrition Services department within the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction at 360–725–6200.

UW drops the SAT/ACT for admission PERMANENTLY

Big news today from the University of Washington. The UW will no longer require standardized test scores for freshman admissions beginning with the class of 2021, making permanent a change that was made due to the lack of testing sites because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The UW is dedicated to creating opportunities for the most promising students to learn and discover how they can make an impact,” UW President Ana Mari Cauce said. “Careful analysis and research showed that standardized testing did not add meaningfully to the prediction of student success that our holistic admission process already provides.”

You can read more here:
 UW removes standardized testing requirement for incoming students beyond fall 2021

Go Dawgs!

Gibson Ek Staff Statement on Current Events

All across this nation people are protesting unequal treatment under the law. Our goal is to help all of our students with their academic achievements and their social emotional health. As a part of this, we acknowledge systemic racism exists and are committed to ending these practices as we examine our own structures, institutions and practices. As a staff, we want students and parents to know we are committed to doing all that we can to support our students who experience racism either overtly, or implicitly. 
This is not intended to disregard others who experience oppression in other forms. We have been and will continue to support them. However, we believe a specific commentary on supporting our students of color is necessary.

Design Thinking in a Nutshell

Gibson Ek's own Jade Lawless has made a terrific video of her shoe customization enterprise that is a great case study in Design Thinking. Posted with permission...

RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES TO DISCUSS RACE, RACISM, AND INJUSTICE

The following was sent to subscribers of the Issaquah School District's eNews platform. It is reiterated here for those who might not be signed up for eNews.

Dear Issaquah School District community,

In a follow up to our message regarding the racism and violence we are seeing towards our black community, we wanted to let you know that we are continuing to compile resources for parents and students to have discussions around racism, injustice, protests, privilege, and trauma. Resources have been provided to meet the diverse needs of our families. Those resources are available on our website:

Resources for Black Families
Talking to Kids about Race

We will continue to update our resources, as this work is ongoing and not tied to a timeline. We also encourage you to look for resources that best meet the needs of your family and to continue to do your own learning and growing. As a district, we are also continuing our own work around racism, equity, diversity, and inclusion through professional development and listening sessions.

Thank you,
Alaina Sivadasan
Executive Director of Equity

California schools drop SAT/ACT for Class of 2021

In what is being called a temporary move, both the University of California and the Cal State systems have dropped the SAT and ACT for admissions for the class of 2021. It's my hope that more public universities follow suit (cough, UW, cough)...and that this temporary move becomes permanent (dare to dream!)

https://edsource.org/2020/california-state-university-suspends-sat-act-testing-for-2021-22-admissions-joining-uc/629354

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/05/21/sats-university-california-system/

Handling the Loss of Ceremonies and Graduations

It's small consolation to our seniors, who are missing out on proms, graduation ceremonies, spring sports seasons and more, to say that their participation in a historical moment will give them stories to tell their own children about. The Class of 2020 has suffered a loss, and it's important to acknowledge that loss even as we try to find the proper context for it in the spectrum of hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley has published this excellent article to help families support their students in navigating just this kind of loss:

How to Help Teens Handle the Loss of Proms and Graduations

AP Exams begin on Monday, May 11th -- that's NEXT WEEK

If you've registered to take an AP Exam, now is the time to make sure your ducks are in a row! AP Exams begin next week and there are things you need to know and do to make sure you are ready for Monday May 11th.

You can find all the information you'll need, including practice questions and other resources here:

Updates for AP Students Affected by Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Apple Health Special Enrollment through MAY 8

If you are uninsured or became uninsured due to job loss, take note:

Free or low-cost Apple Health is available year-round and a special enrollment is available for the uninsured who have life changes as a result of COVID-19.

COVID-19 Special Enrollment through May 8th if you are uninsured. How to request a COVID-19 Special Enrollment: Get virtual help from an insurance expert / Contact customer support

School-based Mental Health Counseling UPDATE

Many of you know Julie Schliebner, our school-based mental health counselor from Swedish. While she's been having regular sessions with some students by phone, she now has the ability to use Zoom for telehealth. Julie says:

"I am available to meet with students with a wide range of struggles including managing depression, anxiety, thoughts of suicide, the stress of school, relationships, family conflicts, chronic health condition coping, or a combination of all of the above and more. Given the end of the year is not far away, some students may be more appropriate for a community based therapist and I can arrange those types of referrals." 

Gibson Ek students may self-refer to Julie at schliebnerj@gibsonek.org.

Please note this important change: Given the nature of remote mental health support, Swedish now requires parental consent regardless of the age of the student. 

Adulting 101 - Personal Finance & More

Welcome to the first in a regular series of life skills posts on the basic information you'll need throughout life that isn't taught in school. We'll cover the basics of how to feed yourself, do your laundry, be a good roommate, transportation issues, and personal finance.

Codecademy has a nice overview of what they call 'non-technical life skills' in a brief, free lesson that covers making a budget, saving for retirement, picking health insurance, interest rates and compounding, and more. You'll have to create an account, but you can access this lesson with the free basic account.

Codecademy's Non-Technical Life Skills

Emergency Childcare for Essential Workers

If you are an essential worker (as defined by the Governor's Office) in King County you can qualify for free childcare. There are employment and residency verification requirements. See the documents below. Right now, they are only available in English, but the district is working to get other languages as well.

King County Emergency Childcare for Essential Workers

CCA of WA Family Center COVID Response and Referral Center

Coronavirus Anxiety Workbook

Just in time to meet the mental health challenges that ride herd on COVID-19, The Wellness Society has published this helpful workbook to help you manage anxiety about the coronavirus, as well as providing tools and skills to help manage anxiety generally.

Coronavirus Anxiety Workbook

Welcome "Back"

Welcome back from what I sincerely hope was a restorative spring break. The weather was certainly cooperative! Today is the start of the Essential New Learning phase of our school closure, in which the district moves forward with remote learning in earnest. While it's no replacement for coming to school every day, I hope that it will help you remain connected to your advisory and to the school community as a whole. As you get ramped up on your new design lab opportunities, I will continue to offer regular updates here.

As always, if you have specific questions, do not hesitate to email me directly. I monitor email throughout the day and will make every effort to respond in a timely fashion.

College Admissions Status Update

The National Association for College Admission Counseling has published a central repository of the impacts of COVID-19 on the college admission process across schools worldwide. See changes to admission events, deposit dates, testing requirements, and more as a result of the coronavirus pandemic all in one place.

NACAC College Admission Status Update

Wednesday Grab Bag

School District Grab and Go Meal Sites King County is a list of food resources at school districts in King County that offer meals to all children up to age 18 regardless of where those children are enrolled. If your housing situation is uncertain, you can still access food at these locations. Includes what is available over Spring Break.

The Garage is offering Free virtual counseling sessions available for high school students age 13-18 years old.  Meet with one of the Garage Counselors while maintaining Social Distancing!  Appointments available Mondays and Tuesdays. Sign up for a private, confidential session here


Autism Acceptance Month & Holocaust Remembrance Month (Thanks, Stacy!)
Here are a couple of ways you can participate in this month's remembrance and awareness campaigns:

Check out how Artificial Intelligence is is preserving Holocaust survivors stories and our ability to converse with them even after they die.
Watch Atypical on Netflix (note: the actor does not have autism, but does give insight into the world of families that we often serve).

Visit Autism Society's Autism Awareness Month website to learn about and find ways to celebrate and spread awareness about autism.

Visit US Holocaust Memorial Museum for observances and remembrance activities this month.

Career and Technical Scholarship (CTS) application is now open!

The Career and Technical Scholarship is now open for Washington residents of any age planning to go to community or technical college on their path to a high-demand, family-wage career in the trades, STEM or health care. This scholarship offers $1,500 per quarter in scholarship funding for anyone planning to enter the workforce after earning their certificate, apprenticeship and associate degree. The scholarship can be used to cover tuition, fees and other costs of attendance like housing, transportation, food and more.

The application closes on June 4 at 11:59 pm. Watch this video for tips about how to apply! Haga clic aquí para obtener más información en español.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out at awards@waopportunityscholarship.org.

That Discomfort You're Feeling is Grief

In light of the governor's order yesterday to keep school closed through the end of the school year, the article below is especially apropos. When our closure was temporary, we could find some reassurance that at the end of the closure things would return to normal; we would return to school, reengage in projects, exploration, and learning, but most importantly we would get to reconnect with our school community. With the order to keep schools closed through the end of the year, that reassurance is gone and everything is up in the air. For the class of 2020, this loss is particularly acute. So much comes together for seniors in the final semester, both academically and socially. All of that is now replaced with uncertainty, and the sense of loss, of having the world pulled out from under you. While there are a lot of details to sort out in order to relieve the uncertainty, all you can do about that sense of loss is move through it. Acknowledging it as grief is the first step.

That Discomfort You're Feeling is Grief

This brief interview with David Kessler, one of the foremost authorities on grief and loss, is both insightful and accessible. Here's a snippet:

What can individuals do to manage all this grief?

Understanding the stages of grief is a start. But whenever I talk about the stages of grief, I have to remind people that the stages aren’t linear and may not happen in this order. It’s not a map but it provides some scaffolding for this unknown world. There’s denial, which we say a lot of early on: This virus won’t affect us. There’s anger: You’re making me stay home and taking away my activities. There’s bargaining: Okay, if I social distance for two weeks everything will be better, right? There’s sadness: I don’t know when this will end. And finally there’s acceptance. This is happening; I have to figure out how to proceed.

Acceptance, as you might imagine, is where the power lies. We find control in acceptance. I can wash my hands. I can keep a safe distance. I can learn how to work virtually.

Kessler's Grief.com site is a valuable resource for information and help around grief and loss. His FAQ on grief is particularly helpful:

Frequently Asked Question about Grief and Grieving

More Community Resources

You can never have too many resources for place to turn in the community if you need assistance. The guide at the link below was put together by our Swedish School-Based Healthcare colleagues and has tons of resources for COVID-19, but also for any of the other needs that can arise when you're staying home all the time. There's information about Food assistance, Mental Health assistance, LGTBQ concerns, Financial assistance and more.

Health and Community Resources

Things to do...

Our advisor, Lori, passed along this list of things to do during our stay at home order, ranging from free online performances to online educational opportunities. Pretty nice to have all in one place!

Free Activities and Resources While You are Stuck at Home

Mental Health Wellness Tips

If it seems like I keep harping on the mental health dimension, it's only because maintaining our mental health during the current situation is both crucial and challenging. These are extraordinary times, requiring skills and knowledge that we haven't learned or practiced to a sufficient degree so that we can rely on them. Mental health is squishy; we're all wired differently, and different things work for different people. My hope is that you will find something that works for you.

This morning, I found this terrific resource of 25 actionable tips to help support your mental health as we get deeper into our 'stay at home' order:

Mental Health Wellness Tips for Quarantine

Some examples (but definitely check out the link!):
13. Lower expectations and practice radical self-acceptance.
This idea is connected with #12.  We are doing too many things in this moment, under fear and stress.  This does not make a formula for excellence.  Instead, give yourself what psychologists call “radical self acceptance”: accepting everything about yourself, your current situation, and your life without question, blame, or pushback.  You cannot fail at this—there is no roadmap, no precedent for this, and we are all truly doing the best we can in an impossible situation.

17. Find something you can control, and control the heck out of it.
In moments of big uncertainty and overwhelm, control your little corner of the world.  Organize your bookshelf, purge your closet, put together that furniture, group your toys.  It helps to anchor and ground us when the bigger things are chaotic.

23. “Chunk” your quarantine, take it moment by moment.
 We have no road map for this.  We don’t know what this will look like in 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month from now.  Often, when I work with patients who have anxiety around overwhelming issues, I suggest that they engage in a strategy called “chunking”—focusing on whatever bite-sized piece of a challenge that feels manageable.  Whether that be 5 minutes, a day, or a week at a time—find what feels doable for you, and set a time stamp for how far ahead in the future you will let yourself worry.  Take each chunk one at a time, and move through stress in pieces.

Caremongering

Our friends to the north in Canada have coined a term that I hope gains traction everywhere. Caremonging. Caremongering is compassion in action. Caremongering is strangers helping strangers, it's getting food and other essentials to vulnerable people, it's asking a neighbor if they need anything from the store or pharmacy when you're going anyway. Caremongering empowers us to take action at a time when it's easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless.

More on Caremongering:
Caremongering in the time of Coronavirus: Random Acts of Kindness and Online Enrichment
You Are Not Alone in this...
The 'caremongers' getting food and essentials to the country's most vulnerable
Coronavirus: Kind Canadians Start 'Caremonging' Trend
In Canada, an inspiring movement emerges in response to the coronavirus
There's even Self-Caremongering...

And on social media, #caremongering

Flip the script...

When I came across this, I realized that I was the person saying "it looks like the end of the world." I was happy for the reminder that our social distancing is an act of compassion. How we choose to view things matters, for ourselves and others.

Covid-19 Resources

Thanks to the great work of Rachel Auffant, counselor at Beaver Lake, there is a great list of resources for parents and families for dealing with the full spectrum of impacts due to the coronavirus pandemic. You'll find it on the navigation bar at the top of this blog. There are resources for coping, managing anxiety, financial assistance, staying busy, and more. Check it out!

Teen Mental Health Resources

Safeguarding our mental health in uncertain and stressful times often means we need additional support. My colleagues at Skyline High School have put together a great guide to mental health resources in our community that runs the gamut from crisis services to therapists in the area.

Teen Mental Health Resources

Gratitude Helps

Stay at home, shelter in place, six feet, social distancing... It's a crazy time, unprecedented in our lifetimes, and it can lead to feelings of uncertainty, fear, depression, anxiety, and stress. Finding healthy ways to manage those feelings are important to maintain our mental and physical well-being as we work through the challenges of being cooped up at home. The good news is that there are things we can do that are proven to help: exercise, healthy diet, maintaining good sleep habits. Gratitude is part of the solution, the research is clear.

Gratitude helps.

When we express gratitude, and when we receive expressions of gratitude, our brains respond by releasing serotonin and dopamine, essential neurotransmitters that are involved in our emotions that make us feel good. Expressing gratitude creates feelings of well-being and happiness in both ourselves, and in those we express gratitude to.

Here's a super easy way to incorporate gratitude into your day. In your journal (you ARE journaling through the pandemic, right? Your journals will be tomorrows primary source material for future researchers on this pandemic), take a moment to write 3 things you are grateful for. Here are mine for today:

• I'm grateful that my family is healthy and committed to staying healthy.
• I'm thankful to have what we need to stay at home for an extended period.
• I'm fortunate to have a comfortable place to live, for myself, my family, and my pets.

It's that simple. And if you do this everyday, you will see how gratitude can lift you.

Here are some other things about gratitude that you might find helpful or interesting:
Gratitude vs. Depression -- a short n' sweet YouTube
Five 1-minute ways to practice gratitude -- from MindBodyWise
The Gratitude Experiment -- Tips for HOW to express gratitude, less than 5 minutes.
365 Days of Thank You -- from TEDxYouth San Diego. Worth it.
The Science of Gratitude -- If you really want to get into the weeds on gratitude research, start here. Competencies, anyone?

Happy Monday!

I hope everyone is healthy, staying positive, and continuing to hone their social distancing game. I've posted a Student Transcript Guide that helps students understand their transcript and how to update featured evidence and other student-facing tasks. You'll find it under the 'Transcript' tab up top.

Seniors: there's a useful document called 'Accessing and Sending Senior Transcripts During Emergency Closure' that spells out the procedures for viewing your transcript and requesting official transcripts. It's also on the 'Transcript' tab, as well as on the 'Important Links' sidebar on this page.

Staying Informed vs. Mental Health

The realities of the Coronavirus pandemic can induce feelings of anxiety in anyone, and if you wrestle with anxiety under the best of circumstances, times like these can make that anxiety run rampant. Over-exposure to the media can exacerbate that anxiety, so while it's important to know the facts and how to protect yourself, obsessing over the news can be undermining your mental health.

One way to manage your anxiety around coronavirus is to stay focused on the things within your control: practicing social distancing, washing your hands for 20 seconds, practicing self-care.

The links below offer excellent tips to manage your anxiety around the pandemic.

10 Ways to Ease Your Coronavirus Anxiety - from the New York Times (all coronavirus content is free at nytimes.com)

Managing Stress & Anxiety from the CDC

Coronavirus Anxiety: Coping with Stress, Fear, and Uncertainty

Health Anxiety: What it is and How to Beat it

Advanced Placement (AP) & COVID-19

Today, College Board announced FREE remote learning resources and the development of new at-home testing options for students taking AP classes or preparing for AP exams.

AP Updates for Schools Impacted by Coronavirus

If you're taking an AP class or preparing for an AP exam through self-study, this can be a great resource to help you maintain your velocity in your studies and succeed at AP despite the impact of COVID-19.

Internet hotspots

During school closures, students who do not have a laptop and/or internet access at home may check a laptop and/or internet hotspot out from the school district.

Parents and/or guardians will be able to pick up the laptop at one of these schools between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Monday through Friday:

• Briarwood Elementary- 17020 SE 134th St, Renton, WA
• Newcastle Elementary- 8400 136th Ave SE, Newcastle, WA
• Issaquah Middle School- 600 2nd Ave. SE, Issaquah, WA
• Issaquah Valley Elementary- 555 NW Holly St, Issaquah, WA
• Grand Ridge Elementary- 1739 NE Park Dr, Issaquah, WA
• Endeavour Elementary- 26205 SE, Issaquah Fall City Rd, Issaquah, WA
• Sunset Elementary- 4229 W Lake Sammamish Pkwy SE, Bellevue, WA 

If you are interested in checking out a laptop, please call one of the staff members below. All are available to take your call in English or the language indicated by their name.

Wenli Mithal (中文)
MithalW@issaquah.wednet.edu
Office: 425-837-7106
Text: 978-252-3686

Francisca Mejia Campos (Español)
CamposF@issaquah.wednet.edu
Office: 425-837-7141
Text: 978-400-2516

Ina Ghangurde
GhangurdeI@issaquah.wednet.edu
Office: 425-837-7008
Text: 252-563-3498

Krima Molina (Filipino)
MolinaK@issaquah.wednet.edu
Office: 425-837-7214
Text: 971-251-0691

Parents or guardians will be asked to sign a form taking responsibility for the laptop. A copy of the form will be provided when you pick up the laptop. Requests prior to 12:00 pm (noon) will be available for pick up the following day.

Families may check out an internet hotspot for the laptop if internet is not available at home (limit one per family). Please note many companies have changed their rules to give families more data options during this time. More information can be found on company websites. Comcast (Comcast Spanish Version), T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. 

Here we go...

Greeting students and families,

I hope you are all staying healthy and practicing good social distancing habits. I've created this website and blog (blogsite?) in order to continue to provide counseling services as we work through this long emergency school closure. I chose a blog format in order to ensure easy updating as I push out a variety of counseling related information and curricula. Throughout the closure, I will continue to provide timely responses to email inquiries, so do not hesitate to reach out.

The ISD has been working hard to formulate plans that will help students continue to advance in their learning and access food services. Several enews releases have provided direction on how and where to access food during the day, reiterated below. If you or someone you know is having issues accessing this program or is otherwise experiencing food insecurity, please let me know immediately via email and I will get to work on a solution.

At this time, the District is able to offer two (2) pick up meals daily Monday through Friday for students throughout the extended closure.

• Students must be present in order to receive meals.
• Both meals may be picked up at once between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm.
• The District will continue to look for opportunities to expand program options and will announce those in the days to come.

Meals will be distributed at the following locations from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. starting tomorrow, Wednesday, March 18:

• Briarwood Elementary - 17020 SE 134th St, Renton, WA
• Newcastle Elementary - 8400 136th Ave SE, Newcastle, WA
• Issaquah Middle School - 600 2nd Ave. SE, Issaquah, WA, 98027
• Issaquah Valley Elementary - 555 NW Holly St, Issaquah, WA
• Grand Ridge Elementary - 1739 NE Park Dr, Issaquah, WA
• Endeavor Elementary - 26205 SE, Issaquah Fall City Rd, Issaquah, WA
• Sunny Hills Elementary - 3200 Issaquah Pine Lake Road SE, Sammamish, WA
• Sunset Elementary - 4229 W Lake Sammamish Pkwy SE, Bellevue, WA