What your support means Donations like yours lead to inspiration and growth.
L
ake Washington Girls Middle School’s position as Seattle’s most empowering school for middle school girls stems from the commitment of our faculty and staff; the
dedication, hard work, and strength of our students; the powerful partnerships forged with parents and guardians; and the generosity of our donors. With this solid foundation, Lake Washington Girls Middle School has established a record of measured success over its fourteen years, and we have no intention of stopping here. As we look to the future, we envision increased opportunities to allow more girls to become strong in mind, body, and voice; for our faculty to continue to grow and inspire those around them to be the best teachers and role models in any institution; and for our community to continue to welcome, include, and nurture each other and newcomers alike. Thank you for joining LWGMS in our commitment to inspiring girls as they become powerful young women.
The Lake Washington Girls Middle School Annual Fund Every year, hundreds of LWGMS supporters invest in our diverse student body, allowing us to provide the experiential learning opportunities, technology advances, professional development experiences, and classroom enhancements that put a world of learning at our girls’ fingertips. Parents, guardians, past parents, grandparents, alumnae, faculty and staff members, and friends of the school are united in a common cause – to build a stronger community and demonstrate their spirit of giving. In good times and in tough, our community comes together to make sure that our important programs thrive and that we are able to keep tuition as affordable as possible, ensuring accessibility to a wide range of academically able, compassionate, and talented students.
What does your support mean? It means that we are able to offer the LWGMS experience to as many qualified students from diverse social, economic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds as possible. We are committed to keeping tuition low and providing financial aid to approximately a quarter of the student body.
It means that the many components of the LWGMS program, including arts, academics, service learning, and enrichment will continue to inspire and empower our girls to be young women strong in mind, body, and voice.
It means that we can retain and support our
group of highly trained and passionate faculty. Dedicated to the art of teaching and the education of young women, they serve as mentors to all those around them and promote our mission in all that they do. The faculty is the lifeblood of the school and our greatest asset. 2
What it means to... Maya ‘11
My name is Maya. I graduated from LWGMS last year, and now I am a freshman at Franklin High School. High school was going to be my last chance to attend a Seattle Public School, and Franklin was my first choice.
Okay, so here’s what I’ve noticed about high school. It is not as different from middle school as you might imagine. Yes, there are more stairs to climb, and the students are older, and now I have dudes wandering the halls instead of just girls (this is entirely dependent on what school you go to, of course). But on the first day of school, I got out of the car, walked into the classroom, sat down, and started learning. The learning part, LWGMS had prepared me for. Being confident in your work and what you’re saying? Disclaimers, rising inflections at the ends of sentences, and gum are prohibited at Lake Washington Girls Middle School. Participating in class discussions? As a sixth-grader I didn’t raise my hand LWGMS is the place I learned to so teachers started speak with authority, the place calling on me where girls learn the meaning of on purpose. confidence, and the place where As cruel as I thought this they learn how to wear it right. was at the time, as a ninth-grader, I talk during class. And I notice that about myself. LWGMS has got the whole “strength in mind, body, and voice” thing down. (Also, guys aren’t all that bad. Seriously, you can have, like, conversations with them. Who knew, right?) LWGMS was a place of major growth for me. Not really in height (I wish), but as a person. It was where I began to learn about what it means to “be yourself ”: being confident in yourself and what you are capable of doing. I never would have guessed I was capable of standing up and preaching it through spoken word about what it’s like to be a teenager. I never would have believed I could go on a backpacking trip and see some of the most amazing views with everything I needed strapped to my back. I never would have had the guts to try martial arts. Or be in a play. Or sing to anyone beside myself. This might sound weird coming from a fifteen year-old, but the LDub experience is life-changing. I loved it and feel so privileged to have been a part of it for three years. Knowing that so many people support the school is pretty continued on page 4.
It feels amazing to know that people support LWGMS and support the girls that attend this school. Without their help, I wouldn’t have had the wondeful experience I did. Keyah ‘11 LWGMS gave me an opportunity to
have a great eduation and be who I was without holding back. Mimi ‘09
Donating to the annual fund is one
of the many ways we can show support of the school and its mission. By contributing, we are helping to realize all of the amazing things teachers do with the girls – from Shakespeare to sand painting to scientific research. Every dollar to the annual fund is one brick in the foundation of being able to say “yes” to every brilliant idea and plan the faculty and staff want to bring to the LWGMS experience. Patricia Hearn, Head of School
LWGMS is more than a school, it is a community and a
family. Active involvement by community members is crucial to keeping it that way. Rebecca ‘05
LDub made me very socially aware but also socially fearless. Girls tend to cluster and giggle uncomfortably, but the social preparations of LDub helped me make friends [in high school] quickly who accepted me for who I am. Because Lakeside has a middle school, kids that move up tend to stick with each other. I’ve been able to introduce myself and make friends with people from both sides. Ironically, going to an all girls school has made me better prepared for a co-ed school. Tong Yuan ‘11
My family and I give in order to provide the quality of services and education to the widest and most diverse group possible.
Sra. Charito P’07, Faculty Member 3
continued from page 3.
We need to help make up the
difference that tuition doesn’t cover. Michelle P’10, ‘11, ‘13
LWGMS has not only made a difference in my daughter’s confidence and abilities but has helped her realize that her intelligence, opinions, and values can enrich her community. She was always happy to be among the crowd, but LWGMS helped my daughter find her spotlight. Lisa P’11, Trustee
I want the school to thrive and I want other girls to have the same great experieince my daughter has had. Paying for school is difficult, but helping make LWGMS a possibility for all girls is important to our family. Lizzie P’12
I give to support the
school’s goal to keep class sizes small, to help fund the unique field trips and experiences offered, to allow the school to update its computers and equipment, and to potentially help the school buy and move to a permanent building. Tamirat P’13
LWGMS does a wonderful job of
working toward a diverse community: racially, socially, economically, as well as in terms of the kinds of schools that girls come from and go to. Every girl benefits from some reduction in tuition and our contributions help close the gap as well as provide financial aid. Working toward 100% participation, no matter the level, is one way of demonstrating your participation in our community. Lucy P’12
We support the annual fund so that the school can grow beyond simply meeting its budgetary needs. Parents’ contributions mean they too support the school’s mission and the way LWGMS teachers make that mission come to life. Peter and Alicia P’13 4 4
incredible. Being a student in a small all girls school with plays, and school trips, and martial arts, and summer camps, and poetry nights, and rites of passage, and hot lunch, and a tight-knit community, every day learning how to be stronger in mind, body, and voice, is a gift. All of that makes the school unique, makes it so special. As I grow up, it is becoming more and more clear to me how much of an impact support and resources have on the LDub experience. The fact that hundreds of people contribute to the school means they care about the school, and that means so much to my fellow classmates and me. LWGMS exists to help girls find their voices because they know girls’ voices need to be heard. The fact that people understand and support that simple fact means the world to me. I don’t know anything about guarantees. I can’t tell a parent that their daughter will turn out a certain way because she won’t. Middle school is the place where girls can stop raising their hands in class or become insecure about themselves. High school can be the same. But LWGMS is the opposite. The place reeks of Girl Power. Do you need a reason to donate? Here is one: LWGMS is the most awesome school in the entire world and being a part of the LDub experience is one I will never forget. Support the caring faculty, the important traditions, and the inspiring programs. It just wouldn’t be the same if you didn’t. Come to the school. See for yourself. I think you’ll feel the same way too. LWGMS is the place I learned to speak with authority, the place where girls learn the meaning of confidence, and the place where they learn how to wear it right. You are making a difference here, and you are appreciated.
Middle school is where many girls become academic and/or social casualties of patriarchy. We wanted to give our daughter the chance to become the person she can be when respected as a young woman, encouraged as competent and capable in math and science, and allowed her full complexity as a person rather than limited by a caricature of what a “girl” is and is not. Ken P’12
Photo © Bob He
reford
Annual Report 2010–2011 Strength in Numbers As we move into the 15th year since our founding, our school and community have a lot to be thankful for, and much to look forward to. The term “strength in numbers” comes to mind when I consider the fundraising accomplishments, the volunteer efforts, and the hard work of the Board of Trustees in 2010-2011. Lake Washington Girls Middle School is fortunate to enjoy the support of donors who have been connected to the school since its beginnings, those who are new to the community, and those, while not directly connected to a particular student, believe in the power of what we accomplish here. Though annual giving grew by a modest 2%, our strength is still in our numbers: 15% more people gave to the annual fund this year, including 100% of the faculty and the board, and 92% of our current families. The philanthropic generosity of our community at large brings us strength. Our parents, staff, and trustees worked very hard on the 2011 auction this year. We are happy to report that the auction committee was able to lower auction expenses by approximately $3,500 – pulling the event off for $28,000 – while procuring items with an overall value of $3,200 more than last year’s. Our entire community also committed to bringing more people to the auction, resulting in our highest
ever attendance at 225. The larger pool of generous guests helped us earn more in auction revenue – 19% more! – and together we met our Fund a Need goal, a 28% increase from 2010. The 2012 auction team is already working on this year’s event, and we look forward to celebrating the strength of our community together on April 27th. Volunteerism was as strong as ever in 2010-2011, with a total of 1,120 hours worked, the bedrock of our strength and role modeling of generosity and teamwork to our girls. To those who donated their time and talents to the school, we are so grateful. And finally, 2010-2011 marked a year of great growth and achievement for the LWGMS Board of Trustees. The group tackled several strategic initiatives that addressed long term sustainability and institutional maturity, and also began to explore the purchase of a facility sometime within the next five years. We look forward to sharing news of our progress with you in the next months and year, and indeed, years, to come. These are exciting times at Lake Washington Girls Middle School and we feel confident and strong: each of you – your financial support, your time, your hard work, and role modeling – makes us so. Thank you.
2010–2011 Board of Trustees
2010–2011 Fundraising Highlights
Mark Chinen P’11, President David Carrell P’10, Vice President AP Hurd, Treasurer Kristin Conn P’13, Secretary Paola Maranan P’10 Leslie Ashbaugh P’11 Lisa Hoyt P’11 Linsey Rubenstein Liezl Tomas Rebugio Whitney Knox ‘01 Kristin Marra P’13
• Number of annual fund donors up by 15 percent • 100% trustee, faculty, and staff annual fund participation • 92% percent of current families donated to the annual fund • Due to everyone’s help and hard work, we spent less on and earned more from the 2011 auction • We had 225 guests at the auction – up from 166 in 2010! • The success of the auction’s Fund a Need allowed us to spruce up the school with new paint, blinds, and carpet cleaning, and enabled us to move the computer lab (thanks to the expertise of Jeff Huse P’10, ‘11, ‘13!) to its new home. And as a bonus, our girls enjoyed an all school sleepover! • LWGMS joined the Ideal Network, raising funds for STEM initiatives. Join today at idealnetwork.com/seattle/lwgms.
Ex-Officio: Patricia Hearn, Head of School Shannon Blaisdell, Director of Advancement
Mark Chinen Board President
Thank You!
Annual Fund Donors
The Annual Fund turns individual gifts of all sizes into a collective pool of support for every aspect of an LWGMS education. Every dollar is used to ensure that LWGMS is financially accessible to a qualified and diverse student body, recruits and retains an exceptional faculty, supports broad curricular and co-curricular programs, and provides and maintains the facilities possible to support academics, the arts, and athletics. William and Janette Adamucci Shawna Angelou P’13 Stephen Antupit and Lucy Sloman P’12 Rollie Antupit Don and Pam Ashbaugh Irena Baker Alicia Barrera Karel Bauer and Nancy Harriss P’10 Peter Beveridge and Alicia Kramer P’13 Kenneth Blaisdell Margaret Bovingdon P’08 Mark Chinen and Ruby Takushi P’11, ‘14 Mason Bowles and Christine Chmielniak P’13 Henry Boyar and Rebecca Hoff P’09 Mark Boyar and Gretchen Weitkamp P’11 Ethel Boyar Tom Braman and Kathryn Robinson P’12 Stephanie Bravmann, PhD Zoey Brodsky ‘01 Brian and Conne Bruce Robert and Jennifer Bucher P’12 Daniel Caracciolo and Donna Mackenzie P’01 David Carrell and Garnet Anderson P’10 Christian and Julie Colando P’09,’11 James Colando and Shirley Robertson Doyt and Kristin Conn P’13 Barbara Czuba Colleen Douville P’11 Robert Drucker and Ann Gensler P’12 Susan Drummond Richard Dunn and Laura Widdice P’10 Sarah Dunn ‘10 Dan Eder and Joela Maggio P’13
Stuart Eivers and Darcie Stella P’12 Rachael Evans Edwin and Rebecca Fotheringham P’12 George B. Fotheringham and Nancy Jacob David Foutch and Lynn Thompson P’04,’09 Jason French and Leslie Ashbaugh P’11 Savannah Fuentes P’13 Gregory Garcia and Erica Pascarelli P’12 Bob Geballe P’11 Seth Gerou and Mary Margaret Callahan Warren Gibbs and Jan Frederick P’09, ‘14 David Gill and Karri Meleo P’09 Rod Gleysteen and Mary Elder P’13 William Golding and Jacqueline James P’08 Nate and Eva Greenberg Ronnie Greer P’09 David and Mary Ellen Haley Janet Hardman Heather Harris P’12 William and Ellen Hazzard Dan and Whitney Hazzard P’12 Patricia Hearn and Leslie Neihart Oleine Hedeen Alex Higgins and Eva McGough Christopher and Lisa Hoyt P’11 Karl and Sally Hufbauer Gretchen Hughes AP Hurd Jeff and Michelle Huse P’10,’11,’13 Leroy and Julie Jenkins P’09 Hailey Jenkins ‘09 Susan Kaufman P’11 Talena Kettrell P’05 LeDawn King P’04 Martin King and Mary Ann Tokars-King P’07 Ron Knox P’01 Whitney Knox ‘01 Martha Kongsgaard Gary and Lisa Kotzen P’06,’11 Fulgencia Lazo and Erin Fanning P’14 Bryan Lhuillier and Shannon Blaisdell Barbara Lindberg Heather Mahardy Kristin Marra and Judith Kaftan P’13 Sarah Marshall P’14 Michael Mathewson Ken Matsudaira P’12 Doug and Judy McBroom Robert and Julie McCann P’14 T.A. and Teresa McCann P’13
Jay and Deena McCloskey John McLaughlin and Kathryn Krikorian P’10 Scott and Janet McLeod P’09 Beth McNamara and Jennifer Duncan David McRae P’04,’09,’11 Marge McRae Tamirat and Christina Mekuria P’13 Peter Mostow and Leigh Hardiman Ken Mostow and Martha Straley P’05 Lindsey Mutschler David Neiman and Keiko Kawasaki P’14 Brenda and Chris Nichols Ben Noble and Winnie Wong P’14 David Oder and Stephanie Carmel P’11,’13 Joseph and Carla Orlando P’14 Josh Parks and Julie Fay P’09 Kieran Phelan and Pricilla Walker P’12 Martine Pierre Louis P’10 Martin Powell P’11 Jeffrey Ray and Sophie Zhang Frank Retman and Rosselle Pekelis Danielle Rhomes P’13 Shiquitta Roberts-Williams Bill and Paula Rooks Bernie and Ginnie Roos Elizabeth Rudolf Chukundi and Michelle Salisbury P’13 Jose Sama and Julie Johnson P’11 Steven and Emily Samario P’14 Jon Schorr and JoAnne Tompkins Dan and Susan Shames P’05, ‘10 Sebastian Shaw and Marcie Sheppard Shaw P’13 Stan Shikuma and Tracy Lai P’04
Richard and Jeanne Smith P’13 Linda Sorenson Eric Sorenson P’12 Marcio and Charito Sotero de Menezes P’07 Brandy Taylor P’11 Brad Tollefson and Lisa Greenberg P’07 Liezl Tomas Rebugio David True and Sarah Hufbauer P’10 Carl and Sherine Tully P’13 Dan and Virginia Turner P’06,’11 Bill Turner David and Reba Utevsky P’05 Bill Vogeley and Karen Garland P’09 Meagan Walker P’12 Colleen West Lea Widdice Curt and Lawrie Williams P’12 Hunter Williams and Kirsten Rooks Terry and Elsa Williams Raymond and Laticia Williams P’12 Ben and Kimberli Wilson P’11, ‘14 Paul Wirsing and Paola Maranan P’10 Michael Witter and Lizzie Zemke P’12 Ye-Ting Woo P’11 Felicia Yearwood P’11 Marla York P’11 Joe Zajonc and Daisy Sanchez Zajonc P’14 Drew and Jenny Zavatsky
The Cary Wyatt McRae Memorial Scholarship Fund
was established when we lost our beloved friend and “school mom,” Cary McRae. The money raised for this scholarship enhances our financial aid budget to enable all girls admitted to attend LWGMS regardless of their family’s financial situation. This was a core value for Cary, and we are grateful to continue her legacy. Thank you to the following people who donated to the Scholarship Fund. You enabled us to support the 25% of our student body that receives financial assistance. Susan Abbe and Mike Chapman Stephen Antupit and Lucy Sloman P’12 Peter Beveridge and Alicia Kramer P’13 Tom Braman and Kathryn Robinson P’12 Robert and Jennifer Bucher P’12 Carolyn Cairns and John Tapp Daniel Caracciolo and Donna Mackenzie P’01 Mark Chinen and Ruby Takushi P’11, ‘14 Christine Chmielniak and Mason Bowles P’13 Sandy Cioffi Christian and Julie Colando P’09,’11 Doyt and Kristin Conn P’13 Aliza Corrado
In-kind Gifts We are grateful for
the many gifts – of time, effort, and enthusiasm – our supporters bring us on a daily basis, and to the following people and organizations for donations of necessary software, much improved furniture, and wonderful supplies: Jeffrey Lee P’07, ‘12 Richard and Jeanne Smith P’13 Meagan Walker P’12 Shiftboard, Inc. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Matching Donations,
Workplace Combined Fund Drive contributions, and Partner Programs are hugely important to the success of LWGMS’s Annual Fund. We are pleased to have received donations from the folowing corporations and foundations 2010-2011. Thank you to our donors who intitiated these donations: Adobe Systems Incorporated The Boeing Company Costco eScrip The Gap Foundation GE United Way Campaign JBT Corporation Microsoft Corporation PCC Scrip Starbucks United Way of King County University of Washington
Jackie Costigan Colleen Douville P’11 Dan Eder and Joela Maggio P’13 Stuart Eivers and Darcie Stella P’12 Laurie Elder P’10 Carolyn Finney Stephan Fjelstad and Kris Draper Edwin and Rebecca Fotheringham P’12 Jason French and Leslie Ashbaugh P’11 Robert Drucker and Ann Gensler P’12 Eileen Gibbons Rod Gleysteen and Mary Elder P’13 Sheri Goong Rhonda Hanson and Chris Ellard Leigh Hardiman and Peter Mostow Heather Harris P’12 Patricia Hearn and Leslie Neihart Christopher and Lisa Hoyt P’11 David True and Sarah Hufbauer P’10 AP Hurd Jeff and Michelle Huse P’10,’11,’13 Charissa Jones Kristin Marra and Judith Kaftan P’13 Martin King and Mary Ann Tokars-King P’07 Gary and Lisa Kotzen P’06,’11 Barbara Krekow Suzy and Brian Kumasaka Bryan Lhuillier and Shannon Blaisdell Ray Liaw Barbara Lindberg
Lin Lucas Heather Mahardy Sylvia Mathews Robert and Julie McCann P’14 T.A. and Teresa McCann P’13 Jay and Deena McCloskey Alex Higgins and Eva McGough Paul and Judy McGough Beth McNamara and Jen Duncan David McRae P’04,’09,’11 Marge McRae Tom and Christina Mekuria P’13 David Gill and Karri Meleo P’09 Ken Mostow and Martha Straley P’05 Ben Noble and Winnie Wong P’14 Rita O’Boyle David Oder and Stephanie Carmel P’11,’13 Frank Retman and Rosselle Pekelis Kirstin and Joe Peterson Kieran Phelan and Pricilla Walker P’12 Martin Powell P’11 Linda Quirk Kate Ross and Tim Schmuckal Shiquitta Roberts-Williams Catherine Roth Elizabeth Rudolf Stan Shikuma and Tracy Lai P’04 Richard Sohn and Susan Papanikolas P’14 Jane and Jim Skrivan Zarrian Smith Eric and Jane Takushi Brad Tollefson and Lisa Greenberg P’07 David True and Sarah Hufbauer P’10 Dan and Virginia Turner P’06,’11 Lea Widdice Curt and Lawrie Williams P’12 Hunter Williams and Kirsten Rooks Raymond and Laticia Williams P’12 Ben and Kimberli Wilson P’11, ’14 Paul Wirsing and Paola Maranan P’10 Dick Wood and Cathy Silvey Michael Witter and Lizzie Zemke P’12
Financial Summary July 2010 – June 2011
Thank You to Our Donors Your generous support of the 2010-2011 Annual Fund and Auction has contributed to our fiscal strength, has enabled investment in our program and facility, and has made the LWGMS experience available to all of our students. Thank you.
Income
Tuition and Fees Fundraising Other
$673,413 $130,325 $2,049
Total
$805,787
Expenses
Salaries and Benefits Financial Aid Rent of Facility Program Operations
$535,835 $76,948 $75,667 $67,912 $44,614
Total
$800,976
The Annual Report is published to recognize the many generous contributors whose private gifts support LWGMS. Every effort has been made to produce an accurate, comprehensive listing of donors for the fiscal year July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. The cash figures reported are unaudited.
GiveBIG! LWGMS was thrilled to be part of the biggest single day of charitable giving in King County history on June 23: The Seattle Foundation’s GiveBIG event! Approximately18,800 donations totaling more than $3.5 million were made to nonprofit organizations and we would like to thank Stephanie Bravmann, PhD, Mary Margaret Callahan, Kenneth Blaisdell, Gus and Tamre Cardoso P’06, Marcus Rempel and Sandi Everlove P’07, Leroy and Julie Jenkins P’09, David Neiman and Keiko Kawasaki P’14, Peter Beveridge and Alicia Kramer P’13, John Hughes and Marni Levy P’07, Paul Wirsing and Paola Maranan P’10, Kristin Marra and Judith Kaftan P’13, Stan Shikuma and Tracy Lai P’04, Winnie Wong and Ben Noble P’14, and Emerson Yearwood P’11 for their donations to LWGMS during the event. And special thanks to the Seattle Foundation and the partners that contributed to the “stretch pool.” All told, LWGMS received a grant of nearly $1,000. GiveBIG will be happening again in 2012 – in May or early June!
Sprucing Up Our Space Due to the generosity of our auction guests, this summer we were able to spruce up the Hall of Inspiration and Community Room with fresh coats of paint, and at long last to install shades in the two classrooms in need of them. We would like to thank the many parents and guardians who helped install the shades and clean the school, and Metropolitan Contracting’s Adrian and Randall for their fine work, good company, and great taste in music.
Our Volunteers Make It Happen Not only are LWGMS’s many volunteers generous, but they are creative and proactive as well. And no matter what form it takes, volunteering at LWGMS offers extremely important educational benefits by showing our students that through giving they can deepen their connection to the community—and truly make a difference. Thank you for your talent, expertise, hard work, and time!
Kudos to The Gates Foundation and Shiftboard! We are deeply appreciative to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Shiftboard, Inc. for their generous donations of computer tables, comfortable office chairs, a much-needed fireproof safe, shelving, file cabinets, and volunteer scheduling software. Gifts-in-kind like these allow us to apply our precious funds where they matter most: our girls, programs, and faculty. Thank you.
Fundraising Goal 2011–2012
$160,000 Goals
Distribution The Gap/ Need-Based Financial Aid
Annual Fund $85,000 Faculty Resources Auction $75,000
The Arts
Program Technology/STEM Initiatives Operations
We invite all members of our extended community to share in and support the success of Lake Washington Girls Middle School. We ask you to make LWGMS your highest philanthropic priority if your girls are students or alumnae, as your family recognizes the lasting benefits of the LWGMS, all girls experience. And for those who value inspiring teachers and curriculum, empowering young women to imagine possibility rich futures, a dedication to the art of public speaking, theatre, and creative expression of all kinds, and the ever-important exposure of or nation’s girls to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, we ask for your support as well. While it is important to keep in mind there is an approximate $4,000 gap per student between tuition and the actual cost of education, a gift of any amount is appreciated – participation is such an important lesson for our girls. Annual fund gifts range in size from under $10 to over $10,000.
Supporting the mission of the school and our community as a whole is a responsibility we all share.
LDub’s commitment to all girls
education, diversity, and holistic instruction is too important to not support. Regrettably, I can’t contribute much, but I know that even the small sum that I do give is important nonetheless. Even if it only covers the cost of one month of Internet access, when pooled with the rest of the community, it translates to phenomenal education for our kids. Current Parent
How Can You Help? Make a donation to the annual fund at a level approprate to your financial circumstances. Every gift is meaningful! Encourage your peers, family members, and anyone who cares about your student and education to make a donation as well. Support auction efforts by procuring items to be auctioned off. Join the auction committee and help plan the event. Attend the April 27th auction – and bring all of your friends and family, too! Volunteer your time and talents to the school. 5
I am excited to offer the LDub education and community to more girls and families. The growth of the school means that we are sending more strong women out there into the world – it’s great to give this gift of LWGMS to more deserving girls. Jenny, Faculty Member
I think there are many potential positives to enlarging the community: more resources, the ability to maintain reasonable tuition, and a lively community of girls. Anne P’14
Any change presents challenges, but the board and administration all seem to be champions of the change and are involving the stakeholders. I am proud to be a part of this growth stage. The community deserves more LDub educated girls and the world needs them more than ever. Julia P’14
Growth will make the school
more accessible to more girls and will help keep tuition lower than most schools.
Stephanie P’11, ‘13
I have a lot of confidence in the LWGMS staff to choose new faculty who will mirror their competence, energy, and enthusiasm. Karin P’14
Expansion will allow the
school more flexibility in what it can offer while at the same time staying small enough to retain the sense of community and the mission that are so special at LWGMS.
Bob and Jennifer P’12 6
LWGMS to Open Its Doors to Additional Students in 2012 Lake Washington Girls Middle School is a place where girls are empowered to be strong in mind, body, and voice, and where faculty embrace and inspire students on their academic and social journeys to becoming responsible, kind, courageous young women. For over a decade, after an initial period of growth, LWGMS was committed to our small size of 54 qualified, mission-appropriate students, 18 in each sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. We are proud of our students, families, and graduates, but still, something has been missing from our community: the additional qualified and mission-appropriate students whose lives would change if given the opportunity to attend LWGMS. While an acceptance rate hovering around 25 percent and an enrollment yield of 80-85 percent may seem like gifts for any institution, for the Lake Washington Girls Middle School community they have always been the hardest truths about our admissions process. For many years now, we have faced the heartbreaking fact that the number of girls in our applicant pool who would thrive here and enrich our community far exceeds our acceptance capacity. The school’s guiding principles include, among other things, inclusiveness, affordability, and community responsibility, and we are proud to announce that we can now more completely apply these important considerations to our admissions decisions. Beginning in the fall of 2012, the school will accept approximately 32 sixth grade students, so that the incoming sixth grade class will have two mixing sections of 16. By the end of three years, all grades will consist of two sections. The Board, faculty, and community at large feel this decision will allow the school to continue to serve the girls and families who are our core constituency and to enable us to provide more learning opportunities for our students. Making an LWGMS education available to more girls, maintaining a diverse student body, keeping tuition rates within reach, providing more opportunities for our current students in terms of programs, sports, social interactions, and technology, and being better able to compensate our faculty and staff are vital to this decision, and we are very pleased to share this exciting news with you. Growing the school also allows the Board of Trustees an opportunity to evaluate our current and future facilities needs. Although our current space is large enough to accommodate more students, the board has already begun the exploration of purchasing our own building and laying the foundation for a capital campaign. Our girls – students and alumnae alike – deserve a home of their own, and with careful stewardship of our operating budget and fundraising, we are planting the seeds of a building fund we hope to use within the next five years. These are indeed exciting times at Lake Washington Girls Middle School, and we anticipate the changes, challenges, and advantages of growth in true LDub spirit: Fuerza!
LWGMS Girls and Faculty in Action!
A few of the many ways our community makes a difference... Emily ‘11 Addresses Special Guests at Mountaineers Evening of Legends On April 8, LWGMS student Emily ‘11 was among a very esteemed group of speakers at the annual Mountaineers Evening of Legends who paid tribute to Polly and the late John Dyer for their achievements in preservation of wild areas in the Pacific Northwest. Emily spoke about her National History Day project, “Conservation vs. Corporation: Olympic National Park Boundaries” which focused heavily on the contributions of Ms. Dyer. She donated her project to the Mountaineers Club. Emily was applauded as the one of Ms. Dyer’s “youngest and most inspiring supporters.”
What is a Locker Lady? If you walk down the main hallway of tall, red lockers at Lake Washington Girls Middle School, you may notice that each one has a silver nameplate at it’s top. These nameplates do not refer to the students whose belongings reside within the lockers. Instead, every locker bears the name of an inspirational woman – such as Ida B. Wells, Rachel Carson, and Elizabeth Blackwell – who reminds our girls of the qualities that reside within each one of them: intelligence, strength, courage, passion, compassion, and the capacity to become anything they dare to dream. As our students grow into young women strong in mind, body, and voice, we make it a point to surround them – quite literally – with strong female role models and change-makers. We lovingly refer to these women as Locker Ladies, a title that is a true badge of honor at LWGMS. In the fall of 2010, each of our students created a portrait of her own locker’s Locker Lady, and wrote her biography. With the help of faculty and staff, we created this collection of art and writing and dedicate it to the women who have blazed the paths of equality, inspiration, and opportunity for all girls and women – indeed, for all people – in the United States. The book can be found – and printed – at blurb.com. Just search “lwgms.”
LWGMS Students Teach Tolerance LWGMS students Quinn ‘13, Maddi ‘13, Rachel ‘13, Taliah ‘13, Ada ‘13, and Finn ‘11 were recognized for their art and writing discouraging bullying and promoting tolerance for the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center’s 2011 Jacob Friedman Writing and Art Contest. Of 800 entries, our girls earned 7 of the 16 awards for middle school students.
6th Grade Teacher Honored as Alfred Lerner Fellow Kudos to Ms. Mutschler who was nominated by Ilana Cone Kennedy, Director of Education for the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center, to attend the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous Institute at Columbia University in New York City last summer. The JFR works with a select group of Holocaust Centers across the country in choosing its attendees – known as Alfred Lerner Fellows – sought for their experience and passion in teaching the topic. Ms. Mutschler said of her experience, “I was humbled and enriched to represent the state of Washington at Columbia University as an Alfred Lerner Fellow. For one week, we were immersed with some of the country’s leading Holocaust and genocide scholars. Teachers from many states shared curriculum ideas, wrote lessons, and engaged one-on-one with survivors, historians, and educators. This was truly an amazing experience–sending me home with a suitcase full of materials, lessons, and renewed commitment to social justice education.” Keep up with all things LWGMS at lwgms.org.
Did You Know?
In her time at LWGMS, each student will speak in front of approximately 3,500 people as she becomes strong in mind, body, and voice. We invite you to join us at one of our many events and hear our students for yourselves!
Events Calendar O C TO B E R 18 High School Fair 27 Parent Ed Night: Raising Girls with Courage and Confidence
NOVEMBER 3 Festival de Otoño 10 NWGC Speaker:
Gender, Bias, and Aggression in Adolescent Girls
14 Mock Trial Presentation 17 Admissions Open House DECEMBER 1 Science Fair 8/9 Fall Play 11 Admissions Open House 15 Alumnae Family Dinner 15 Festival of Lights F E B R UA RY 15 History Night MARCH 15/16/17 All School Play @MOHAI APRIL 27 Auction @Hall of Fauntleroy M AY 11 Grandparents and Special Friends Day 18/19/20 8th Grade Play @Theatre Off Jackson 18 Founders’ Day Celebration @Theatre Off Jackson 18 Student Art Show @Theatre Off Jackson JUNE 14 Graduation Visit lwgms.org or facebook.com/lwgms for more event information.
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Thank you for your thoughtful support. Non-profit org US Postage Paid Seattle, WA Permit no. 1155 810 18th Avenue | Seattle, WA 98122 lwgms.org
Save the Dates! April 27, 2012
Annual Auction @Hall at Fauntleroy
May 18, 2012
Founders’ Day Celebration @Theatre Off Jackson Parents of alumnae: If this piece is addressed to your daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please email us at advancement@lwgms.org with her new address. Thank you! This piece was printed on paper containing 10% post-consumer recycled content. Designed by Shannon Blaisdell, Director of Advancement.