2013_2014 LWGMS Annual Report

2013/2014 ANNUAL REPORT

TRANSFORMING TRADITIONAL ACADEMICS ACTIVE, ENGAGED LEARNING

INTO

The Maker Movement of the 21st century is a creative revolution focused on modern invention and innovation. Schools across the country are getting excited about the maker movement and about STEAM. As makers, students are inspired to create and design, build and tinker, and fail and recover. Encouraging students to be makers inspires them to learn by doing and to see the world as filled with endless possibilities and problems worth solving. The “Six Cs” at LWGMS: Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Confidence, and We are teaching them that struggle Compassion are and failure are normal–and that effort highlighted and developed through is a crucial part of eventual success. our STEAM classes, them well: hand tools, power tools, digital tools. They through design thinking, through performance and work with computing platforms alongside hammers, presentation, and through social entrepreneurship. saws, and sewing machines. They are taking apart At the recent Eighth Grade STEAM Fair, students computers and building their own. They are writing shared their designs for anti-bullying apps, code that controls robots that they have built combination solar panel/wind turbines, and gamifying themselves. They are making films, which allows fitness to mitigate childhood obesity. This shows that them to own and create media in a way that no our girls are learning to use tools that will serve generation before them could do. They are sewing clothes that light up, and they are designing and 3-D printing yo-yos and moving models of human hands.

More importantly, they are learning that they have the power to solve problems, to innovate, and to invent. That is really what we are teaching them: to find solutions, to overcome obstacles. We are teaching them that struggle and failure are normal–and that effort is a crucial part of eventual success. We ask our girls to embrace learning from mistakes, whether it’s building a prototype that doesn't work, not breaking the board on the first try, or hurting someone’s feelings and apologizing. Their confidence is buoyed by these building blocks.

L-Dub girls know how to love a mistake for the lesson it teaches them.

Ms. Hearn and Sra. Charito presented two workshops at NAIS in February: The Creative Brain: Design Thinking to Develop Executive Functioning and Design Thinking as a Framework for Social and Emotional Learning.

“IN TRUST”

A message from the board president “Why did your family choose L-Dub?” I ask this question a lot and I never tire of hearing the answers: “The girls we met at the Open Houses just blew us away with their confidence and joy and spirit.”

“Our daughter needed a place where she wouldn’t be allowed to fade into the background or get lost in the crowd.”

“I wanted to be part of this community—the energy, the diversity, the fun. I don’t want to just drop her off at the door—I want to participate but not hover—I want to contribute to something I believe in.”

These sentiments encapsulate the mission, values, and essence of the institution that is LWGMS. Over the past year the Board of Trustees focused on LWGMS’s institutional maturity. Identified as a key component of the 2010-2015 strategic plan, institutional maturity can take many forms, and our work together reflected that diversity. From the fiscal perspective, we directed resources to end the year with a modest surplus and thus contribute to both an operating reserve and our capital fund. (See Ben Noble’s Building a Budget.) We responded to the larger student body by improving our facility and increasing administrative staffing and supports. We welcomed new Trustees from the greater community as well as parents of current students and alumnae, bringing fresh perspective and widening our circle of friends. And, we laid the groundwork for the next strategic plan, which will be a roadmap for the next three to five years.

As Trustees, we are asked to hold the school “in trust” for our girls and generations of girls to come. What makes LWGMS so special is that so many members of our community feel that way: responsible for the health of the school. Why did we choose L-Dub? We believe in this school’s place in the lives of our girls and we want that experience for thousands of others to come.

We want to thank and acknowledge outgoing Trustees who served terms in 2013 and 2014. Kristin Marra P’13, Kristen Conn P ’13, Monica Hare, Dan Eder P’13, ’16, and T.A. McCann P’13 all rolled up their sleeves and sharpened their vision for the betterment of our school. We send special thanks to past President Mark Chinen P ‘11, ‘14, whose calm demeanor and wise counsel led the LWGMS community into its present health and maturity. We are grateful for your time and generosity.

Here’s to generations of strong, confident young women.

Sincerely,

THE CLASS OF 2010 GOES TO

We surveyed the Class of 2010 to find out about their college plans and how LWGMS prepared them for the future...

Rachael Carrell, Gap Year in South America, University of Vermont Hana Cohon, Northwestern University Sarah Dunn, Whitman College Elena Harriss-Bauer, Gap Year in UK Madeline Huse, Western Washington University Isabella Kres-Nash, Brown University Maia Lewis, University of Colorado Boulder Jillian Lum, The University of Utah Tyra Maranan-Wirsing, Evergreen State University Annika Perez-Krikorian, University of Puget Sound Nadine Pierre-Louis, Western Washington University Erin Proctor, Langston University Abbi Saar, University of British Columbia Sarina Shames, California Polytechnic State University Sofie Smith, Williams College Photo Credit: Meryl Schenker Naomi True, University of British Columbia LWGMS taught me to ask critical questions of everything. In my first year in the University of British Columbia, even in large lecture halls, I am constantly asking questions and engaging with the material in a way that makes me feel like I'm getting the most out of my time here.

Also, the friendships that LWGMS encouraged me to make with my middle school teachers have made me more comfortable going to my professors' office hours and establishing connections with them. They all know my name (which is actually saying a lot!), and often times I'll stop by my political science professor's office for a good time debating Marxism, globalization, or what have you.

L-Dub girls should be looking forward to wherever they're headed because I whole-heartedly believe they have the tools to find their passions and challenge their comfort zones.

Naomi ‘10 at her 2014 graduation, surrounded by L-Dub friends, Abbi ’10, Maddie ‘10, and Hana ’10.

– Naomi True ‘10 Garfield High School University of British Columbia

L-Dub changed the way I learn and started me on a path to become a better student and woman in general. It instilled in me a sense of purpose that was closely connected to education and gave me the confidence to fulfill that purpose.

– Isabella Kres-Nash ‘10 Seattle Preperatory School Brown University Isabella ‘10 was the Keynote Speaker at the 2014 Auction.

LWGMS helped me establish confidence that helped me succeed in high school and gave me a community where I felt comfortable to be myself in. Some of my closest and most important friendships came from LWGMS, and these friendships have helped me broaden my horizons, become a more open person, and have a sense of belonging. I have found that being surrounded by such talented, confident, adventurous, ambitious, sincere, and loving girls has influenced me to embody more of every one of those qualities.

Even at this moment, the LWGMS reusable shopping bag has been a great tool when grocery shopping in Buenos Aires!

– Rachael Carrell ‘10 Garfield High School Gap year in South America then on to the University of Vermont

Rachael and L-Dub friends at Rattlesnake Lake last summer.

L-Dub taught me how to consider issues from multiple perspectives and through a mix of disciplines. I am hoping to major in Environmental Studies - Geology which will push me to use this skill set. L-Dub also gave me the opportunity to develop time management skills which I adapted and refined throughout high school and now in college. Additionally, I think that the friendly relationship between students and teachers at L-Dub prepared me to develop relationships with my professors.

– Sarah Dunn ‘10 Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart Whitman College

ACT OF GIVING GRANT The Act of Giving Foundation is a volunteer-based, 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to a vision of making the world a better place. Since 2003, AOG has provided over $320,000 to more than 45 organizations in Seattle as well as other locations around the world.

This year, with the help of Jim Malzewski and Leigh Ann Lucero P'15, LWGMS was presented to the organization as a potential grantee...and on May 22, 2014, we learned that LWGMS received $5,000 from them in support of our girls! We are honored to be a recipient of an Act of Giving Above: A happy group of LWGMS grantees!

Grant. We were excited to use these funds over the summer when we – with the help of our wonderful parent volunteers – installed a stage and shades (with lighting and soundproofing to come) in our new performance and community space, aka “The Big Room.”

On August 28, 2014, representatives from L-Dub's faculty and staff plus six L-Dub students were honored to attend the AOG’s Summer Grant Celebration Event at the College Club in Eastlake. We heard from other grantee organizations – including Bikeworks and Youthcare – about what they are doing with their grants, and our students presented a skit about the improvements that are being made to our drama department and facilities. In the "Grant Slam" portion of the night, our L-Dub girls won the school an additional $1,000! Thank you, AOG, for your generous support!

Above: Mara ‘16, Rae ’14, Abby ‘15, Zoe ’16, Usha ‘14, and Irya ’16 after their presentation to the AOG.

AWARDS IN EMPATHY This year the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center (WSHERC) reviewed approximately 700 entries for the 2014 Jacob Friedman Writing, Art, and Digital Media Contest from students, grades 5-12, representing 64 classrooms from schools in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska. All Lake Washington Girls Middle School sixth grade students entered the contest, and we are proud of each and every one of them for their thoughtful compassion and empathy. This year the focus was on children, rescue, resistance, liberation, and refugees. Six members of the Class of 2016 placed in the contest.

It is through the study of the Holocaust that our students and community learn about human behavior, social responsibility, moral courage, the importance of speaking out against intolerance, and the difference just one person can make.

1st Place Writing: Mena "Hope. There was a reason that this word was scarce during the Holocaust. There just wasn't enough. People in the Holocaust suffered unmentionable horrors, horrors that left many scarred and hopeless, with good reason."

3rd Place Writing: Mara "When someone says the name, 'Hannah Senesh,' what words come up when I think of her? For a start, she was brave, courageous, loyal, and confident. She was a Hungarian Jew that parachuted into enemy country during the Holocaust to help Jewish communities."

3rd Place Art: Maya The Anonymous Girl Diarist from the Lodz Ghetto was a young girl who lived in the Ludz Ghetto. She wrote in her diary every day for months. Her words were inspiring and really showed life in the holocaust in a beautiful, poetic way. For the contest, I wrote a poem in the shape of this girl. The poem tells of the girl’s words and their impact on me and my perception of the Holocaust. Surrounding her, there is barbed wire made up of her quotes. I chose her because her words really changed my perception of the Holocaust: that girl could easily have been me.

Honorable Mention Art: Rachel My art piece is of a bird cage with the names of the groups of people who were targeted in the Holocaust leaving the cage. The bird cage is black to represent the darkness of their world during the Holocaust, and also to represent being locked up and not able to escape. I chose to have the words colorful because it shows the diversity of the people and how they can’t just be a Jew or a Gypsy because that was how the Nazis saw them. I chose to do this art piece because it shows the victims growing and keeping hope even after the war.

Honorable Mention: Stella My art piece is a mix between markers and collage. My art piece represents Kindertransport.

The scene in my art piece is of some kids from Kindertransport on a boat going back home.

I did silhouettes instead of detailed drawings because a lot of the kids when they came back their attitudes and expressions had changed because during the war they had to grow up fast and be able to take care of themselves and many others. The Star of David is there to represent that they’re Jewish. I wanted to do a symbol for Kindertransport because I am a kid and I wanted to learn more while I was making this art piece.

2nd Place Digital Media: Julia Brundibar Click to watch.

BUDGET

Building a Budget for Full Capacity From a budgeting perspective, preparing for the 2014-15 academic year represented a significant milestone.

After three years of transition, the board faced the challenge and opportunity of building a budget for what had been the long-term target enrollment of 100+ students. The board’s 2011 decision to nearly double enrollment over a three-year period was driven by many factors, but the school’s financial stability was certainly among them.

In 2013-14, the board prepared for increases in basic overhead costs such as rent, utilities, and insurance that were putting ever-increasing pressure on tuition and challenging L-Dub’s most basic value of providing an affordable education that is accessible to the widest possible range of families. At the same time, the school’s strategic plan identified a number of financial challenges that could not be ignored. The school’s existing location needed a number of capital improvements, and longer-run goals of facility ownership would require a demonstrable record of strong financial performance. Moreover, the board recognized that L-Dub’s fantastic teachers and staff needed to be rewarded for their dedication and better compensated for their professional expertise and experience.

As the board developed a long-run financial plan, we saw that growing the student body had the potential to address all these issues. With more students, overhead costs could be shared across a larger number of families, and increased levels of funding could be directed to capital improvements and staff compensation without imposing a significant burden on any individual family.

As we built the budget for 2014-15, we could see that these basic goals had been achieved. For the second year in a row, we have had the resources necessary to make a number of significant improvements to our beloved facility.

The board approved some capital spending for one time non-operating expenses, and we were able to use capital funds from prior years. Electrical upgrades to support the student’s technology needs, freshly painted walls, new window shades, additional tools in the STEAM studio, and two busses for transportation to sporting events and field trips are just a few examples of what has been possible. Long-standing staff and teachers are now being better compensated for their tremendous service, and a number of fantastic new teachers have been recruited into the L-Dub family to serve the expanded student population. These investments have been made in conjunction with funding a formal operating reserve to ensure a higher degree of financial stability and resiliency.

Consistent with our goal, these changes have been achieved with only modest increases in annual tuition.

Growth has certainly posed a number of significant challenges, but the goals of providing an L-Dub education to nearly twice as many girls while at the same time ensuring greater financial stability for the school have been achieved.

2013/2014 FINANCIALS

OPERATING REVENUE Tuition and Fees*/$1,231,011 Fundraising/$262,580 Investment and Other/$6,404 Total: $1,499,995

OPERATING EXPENSES Program/$1,121,729 Administrative/$276,831 Capital Expenses/$57,997 Total: $1,456,557 *Tuition and fees net of $171,893 in Financial Aid Award.

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.

Diane Anderson Shawn and Maria Anderson P'16 Kent Barber and Louise Almgren P'15 Carroll Bever Kenneth Blaisdell Dan and Joanie Block P'15 Emil Bova and Sumathi Raghavan P'16 Ken and Cheri Bowles P'15, '17 Stephen Brown P'15 Ross and Susanna Bunker P'15 Raymond and Heather Caldwell P'15 Daniel Caracciolo and Donna Mackenzie P'01 Gus and Tamre Cardoso P'06 Deborah Carr P'09 Mark Chinen and Ruby Takushi P'11, '14 Felicia Collins P'16 Wendy Concepcion and Beth Deyo P'16 Mark and Amy Cork P'15 Marlon and Charleisha Cox P'15 Heather and Lisa Curulla P'15 Andrew and Meghan Deal P'16 Richelle Dickerson Deidre Doyle Richard Dunn and Laura Widdice P'10 Ted and Allison Dworkin P'14, '17 Dan Eder and Joela Maggio P'13, '16 Amy Eggler and Erika Shaffer P'15, '17 David Finn and Katharine Harkins P'15 Edwin and Rebecca Fotheringham P'12 Ralph Fragale and Annie Barrett P'16 Savannah Fuentes P'13 Berta Gibbs Warren Gibbs and Jan Frederick P'09, '14 David Gill and Karri Meleo P'09, '15 Jono and Kelly Glanville P'15 Rod Gleysteen and Mary Elder P'13 William Golding and Jacqueline James P'08 Mark Goodermote and Jennifer Roth P'15 Ken Gordon and Jenn Brandon P'15 Doug Greene and Barbara Manning P'17 Tim and Katy Hall P'15 Monica Hare Heather Harris P'12, '15 Paul and Nancy Hawkes P'15 Patricia Hearn and Leslie Neihart Oleine Hedeen Erich and Jennifer Henninger P'16 Alex Higgins and Eva McGough P'16 Carrie Hite and Deborah McLaughlin P'17 David and Megan Howell P'17 Karl and Sally Hufbauer John Hughes and Marni Levy P'07 Douglas and Chika Imanishi P'16 Mark and Muff Jacox

James and Jill Jago P'17 Thomas and Cassandra Johnston Jeffrey Jones and Kelly Toland P'16 Scott Jones Joel Kaufman and Anna Wald P'16 Jay Keiper and Monica Lake P'08 Grant and Dawn Kinsel P'16 Molly Klema Ron Knox P'01 Marinko Kordich and Darla Defrance P'15 Fulgencio Lazo and Erin Fanning P'14 Michael Leslie and Anne Freitas P'15 Adam LeVasseur and Lee Wierdsma P'16 Josh Lipsky and Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky P'15 Suzanne Litner Beth-Anne Lye P'15 Jim Malzewski and Leigh Ann Lucero P'15 Kristin Marra and Judith Kaftan P'13 Sarah Marshall P'14 Anthony and Abbey Maschmedt P'14 David Matthews and Ashley Harper P'16 Robert and Julie McCann P'14 T.A. and Teresa McCann P'13 Henry McGee John McLaughlin and Kathryn Krikorian P'10 Martin and Lissa Mehalchin P'17 John Mellana and Suzanne Edison P'15 Peter Mostow and Leigh Hardiman Carrick and Susan Mundell P'16 Jacqueline Mundell David Neiman and Keiko Kawasaki P'14 Paul and Carol Neiman Hao Nguyen and Maria Anulacion P'15 Ben Noble P'14 David Oder and Stephanie Carmel P'11,'13 Eric Olson and Anne Gienapp P'14, '17 Cristina Paredes and Sarina Murrell Joseph Park and Deborah Gassner P'17 Josh Parks and Julie Fay P'09 Vivian Plummer Eric and Kelly Prime P'16 Andrew and April Rauch P'15 Alan Rawn and Lillias Bever P'15 Christopher and Laura Rodde P'16 Kelly Rodriguez P'16 Eric Roedel and Lisa Hanscom P'16 Caitlin Ronning John Rudolf Scott Rumage and Karin Jensvold P'06, '09 John and Juli Russell P'17 Owen Santos and Hannah Morgan P'17 Tim Schmuckal and Kate Ross Joe and Becky Sherman P'17

Stan Shikuma and Tracy Lai P'04 Rob Sim and Nisha Nathani P'16 Sam Skrivan and Serena Maurer P'16 Christopher Smith and Karin Hirschfeld P'14 Richard Sohn and Susan Papanikolas P'14 Marcio and Charito Sotero de Menezes P'07 Jeff Sprung and Vicky Beer P'15 Krishnan Srinivasan and Divya Krishnan P'15 Anne Stevens Lou Stubecki and Nadine Samter P'16 Paul and Isabel Tan P'15 Brad and Danielle Tilden Heather Timm and Cara Postilion P'17 David True and Sarah Hufbauer P'10 John Unangst and Karin Kallander David and Reba Utevsky P'05 Brad Wakeman and Nancy Carroll P'17 Colin Walker P'16 Meagan Walker and Brenda Cram P'12 Scott and Kristan Weller P'15, '17 Susan Wendel P'16 Colleen West Elsa Williams Ben and Kimberli Wilson P'11, '14 Paul Wirsing and Paola Maranan P'10 Frewoini Woldemariam P'15 Charlotte Wollheim Winnie Wong P'14 Josh Woods and Ann Boyd P'16, '17 Matt Wright and Sasha Johnson P'16 Rose Yu P'15 Joe Zajonc and Daisy Sanchez Zajonc P'14

MATCHING DONATIONS We are pleased to have received donations from the folowing corporations and foundations 2013-14. Thank you to our donors who intitiated these donations.

Act of Giving Foundation Adobe Systems Incorporated Amazon Smile Boeing Costco Electronic Arts Outreach Gates Foundation Microsoft PCC Scrip Seattle Foundation Unclebob.tv

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 our community members receiving need-based financial aid.

Shawn and Maria Anderson P'16 Kent Barber and Louise Almgren P'15 Curtis Bigelow and Paul Villa Christopher and Laura Blackmore Emil Bova and Sumathi Raghavan P'16 Ken and Cheri Bowles P'15, '17 Mason Bowles and Christine Chmielniak P'13 Tom Braman and Kathryn Robinson P'12 Jim Brown and Mary Ingraham Robert and Jennifer Bucher P'12 Ross and Susanna Bunker P'15 Raymond and Heather Caldwell P'15 Mark Chinen and Ruby Takushi P'11, '14 Kate Ciurej Doyt and Kristin Conn P'13 Mark and Amy Cork P'15 Ted and Allison Dworkin P'14, '17 Anne Echols Dan Eder and Joela Maggio P'13, '16 Amy Eggler and Erika Shaffer P'15, '17 David Finn and Katharine Harkins P'15 Edwin and Rebecca Fotheringham P'12 Ralph Fragale and Annie Barrett P'16 David Gill and Karri Meleo P'09, '15 Jono and Kelly Glanville P'15 Dianne Glover Ken Gordon and Jenn Brandon P'15 Harvey Hailer & Sandy Lew Hailer Tim and Katy Hall P'15 Paul and Nancy Hawkes P'15 Patricia Hearn and Leslie Neihart Michelle Heiser P'10, '11, '13 Alex Higgins and Eva McGough P'16 Carrie Hite and Debbie McLaughlin P'17 Karmen Johnson Matt Johnson Zach Jones Corrinne Kerr Marinko Kordich and Darla Defrance P'15 Genessa Krasnow Alice Kres P'10 Brad Lenz and Kristie Gamer Adam LeVasseur and Lee Wierdsma P'16 Bryan Lhuillier and Shannon Blaisdell Ramon Limon and Araceli Vichy P'14 Josh Lipsky and Laura Van Dernoot Lipsky P'15 Jim Malzewski and Leigh Ann Lucero P'15 Anthony and Abbey Maschmedt P'14 Dave Matthews and Ashley Harper P'16 Robert and Julie McCann P'14 T.A. and Teresa McCann P'13 Anna McGough Paul and Judy McGough Beth McNamara and Jennifer Duncan

Pierce and Kathleen McVey P'15 John Mellana and Suzanne Edison P'15 David Neiman and Keiko Kawasaki P'14 Ben Noble P'14 Robert Noble Rita O'Boyle Eric Olson and Anne Gienapp P'14, '17 Joseph and Carla Orlando P'14 Greg Pindras and Rene Yoakum Eric and Kelly Prime P'16 Randal Ramig Andrew and April Rauch P'15 Frank Retman and Rosselle Pekelis Chris and Laura Rodde P'16 Tim Schmuckal and Kate Ross Joe Schneider and Kim Clements Joe and Becky Sherman P'17 Rob Sim and Nisha Nathani P'16 Jim and Jane Skrivan Sam Skrivan and Serena Maurer P'16 Christopher Smith and Karin Hirschfeld P'14 Brett Snow and Jenny Beedon Snow Richard Sohn and Susan Papanikolas P'14 Marcio and Charito Sotero de Menezes P'07 Jeff Sprung and Vicky Beer P'15 Brad and Danielle Tilden Bobbie Tonn Dan and Virginia Turner P'06,'11 John Unangst and Karin Kallander Martin Unger and Margaret Duffy P'17 Tim and Katie Vos Meagan Walker and Brenda Cram P'12 Scott and Kristan Weller P'15, '17 Ron Wilkowski and Kyla Fairchild Ben and Kimberli Wilson P'11, '14 Josh Woods and Ann Boyd P'16, '17 Matt Wright and Sasha Johnson P'16 Merrily Wyman and Karen Bryant Joe Zajonc and Daisy Sanchez Zajonc P'14

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 for donations of in-kind necessities: Stephen Brown P'15 Dreaming Tree Wines Ed Fotheringham Illustration Warren Gibbs and Jan Frederick P'09, '14 Real Networks Eltana Wood-Fired Bagel Café

VOLUNTEERS MAKE IT WORK It takes many hands and warm hearts to serve the mission of Lake Washington Girls Middle School. We simply could not do this work without the support of hundreds of volunteers – helping prepare and serve meals, leading parent groups, providing childcare at our groups, working on our event committees, serving on our board of directors, offering time and expertise as mentors and coaches, driving the bus, etc. Last year over 100 volunteers supported our work in the community.

Right: A whiteboard listing the many end-of-summer tasks and volunteers who conquered them!

GIVEBIG! LWGMS was honored to participate in the fourth annual GiveBig! event, sponsored by the Seattle Foundation. The 2014 GiveBig! was the most successful yet; in 24 hours, $12.88 million was raised for more than 1,471 nonprofits.

LWGMS was one of the lucky beneficiaries of this event with 34 donations totaling $5,155, with a stretch grant from the Seattle Foundation of $427. LWGMS would like to extend a big “Thank You!” to those who participated this year; we so appreciate your continued support. Be on the look-out for this year’s GiveBig! event in Spring 2015.

Shawn and Maria Anderson P'16 Kent Barber and Louise Almgren P'15 Carroll Bever Ken and Cheri Bowles P'15, '17 Deborah Carr P'09 Richelle Dickerson Richard Dunn and Laura Widdice P'10 Edwin and Rebecca Fotheringham P'12 Warren Gibbs and Jan Frederick P'09, '14 Tim and Katy Hall P'15 Paul and Nancy Hawkes P'15 Carrie Hite and Deborah McLaughlin P'17 John Hughes and Marni Levy P'07 James and Jill Jago P'17 Molly Klema Jim Malzewski and Leigh Ann Lucero P'15 Martin and Lissa Mehalchin P'17 Peter Mostow and Leigh Hardiman Carrick and Susan Mundell P'16 Jacqueline Mundell Hao Nguyen and Maria Anulacion P'15 David Oder and Stephanie Carmel P'11,'13 Joseph Park and Deborah Gassner P'17 Josh Parks and Julie Fay P'09 Andrew and April Rauch P'15 Eric Roedel and Lisa Hanscom P'16 John and Juli Russell P'17 Owen Santos and Hannah Morgan P'17 Jeff Sprung and Vicky Beer P'15 Heather Timm and Cara Postilion P'17 Brad Wakeman and Nancy Carroll P'17 Paul Wirsing and Paola Maranan P'10 Charlotte Wollheim Winnie Wong P'14

2014 DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. CELEBRATION

"No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence."

The Paramount Theatre in downtown Seattle was filled with hundreds of people to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during King County's 27th annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration. Dr. King’s quote above was this year’s theme.

King County Executive Dow Constantine noted, “The year 2014 marks the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. That landmark legislation guaranteed equal opportunity in employment - along with protecting the right to vote and outlawing discrimination in public facilities and public education. This anniversary allows us to look back to see the progress that has been made."

In his moving and inspirational keynote speech, Councilmember Larry Gossett said, "Martin Luther King Jr. is pointing out that we too frequently in our society overlook or fail to recognize the significance of non-professional jobs, or those jobs that are not 'big time' positions. We do not give importance to the work of janitors, sanitation workers, hospital orderlies, or butlers."

Along with paying tribute to Dr. King, King County also honored the winners of the annual Martin Luther King Essay Contest, sponsored by the King County Civil Rights Commission. Eighth graders throughout King County were asked to reflect on the celebration's theme. The winners were: LWGMS students Rae Hirschfeld-Smith ‘14 and Mengmeng Gibbs ’14 were the two first prize winners, and Lucy Mujugira of Saint Therese Catholic Academy took second prize.

The winning essays are available on the Commission's website, here.

We

LWGMS‌and we proved it at the spring 2014 LWGMS Auction!

First, we made a few changes. For the convenience and comfort of our growing community, we moved the event to a larger, downtown venue. The development team secured new sponsorships to help offset additional costs. Loyal auctioneer Laura Michalek raised the roof during the live auction. And we modified the format to allow guests more time to socialize with an onsite Dancing & Donuts after-party. It paid off.

Across the board, numbers were up for the 2014 auction versus the year before.

The raffle raised 32% more, Dessert Dash raised 66% more, and sponsorships were up 320% over 2013. Your contributions to Fund-A-Need channeled $80,000 directly to the scholarship fund to expand our opportunity to give more girls access to unique LWGMS programs.

Thank you, L-Dub. We are grateful to LWGMS families and friends, local businesses, staff, and volunteers who contributed time, intention, creativity and donations to this fabulous and fruitful community event. Thank you for attending and for bringing your friends. We hope you will be back to support and enjoy next year’s auction as well!

FORGING RELATIONSHIPS A message from Becky OʼBoyle, Director of Advancement

“I love this school, and I can talk about why all night. It feels like just yesterday I was in front of a similar crowd giving my eighth grade graduation speech, but that’s the nature of the L-Dub process: it goes by quickly but lasts a lifetime.”

These words were shared with us by Isabella ‘10, the keynote speaker at this year’s auction. I remember Isabella’s eighth grade graduation speech. I was a parent of a sixth grader, and I was hooked. I knew that our family was part of something special; we were part of a community doing important, long lasting work. I have attended every graduation since, and Isabella is right: three years at L-Dub fly by, but the relationships forged and the lessons learned do stick by you. Isabella, now a freshman at Brown, inspired a ballroom full of L-Dub supporters to raise their paddles high in celebration of L-Dub girls past, present, and future.

The success of last year’s fundraising efforts not only allowed us to provide financial aid to many deserving L-Dub girls; it also directly enriched our programming. Our STEAM curriculum is in its second year and has reached every corner of our school. Our drama department is embracing our new size with two sixth/seventh grade plays, a night of eighth grade one-acts, and a dedicated drama costume and scene space. We have been able to renovate a new Community Room— perfect for events, rehearsals, and Monday Morning Meetings! In addition, we are now able to offer interested students a spot on a summer backpacking trip, our Student Services Department has furthered their reach, and we are proud to welcome three new team members to our faculty and staff. It is a powerful time to be a student at L-Dub. It is a rewarding time to be a supporter of L-Dub.

A BUDDING PARTNERSHIP At LWGMS our sixth grade class (in small groups) volunteers at Centerstone weekly. We work primarily in the food bank, both sorting/packing food and working on the food line. In addition to our work in the food bank we help with grounds clean up and maintenance and administrative work in the Energy Assistance Program.

Centerstone is dedicated to helping people help themselves and each other as they move from poverty to selfsufficiency through programs and advocacy. Last year Centerstone’s Food Bank provided over 52,000 bags of food to Seattle residents.

Zoe ‘16 and Gemma ’16 ran a lemonade stand this summer in Volunteer Park, donating the proceeds to Centerstone.

Tana '15 and her mom Maria harvested some delicious veggies from the L-Dub P-Patch and donated them to Centerstone. This picture of their harvest is only a small portion of the potatoes, carrots, green beans, and sugar snap peas in the donation. They also planted some seeds for plants that will, hopefully, be ready to harvest in the fall, so we can continue supporting Centerstone.

Rites of Passage and Communty Coffees are just two of the many community-building events that are part of our lives at L-Dub.

LWGMS’s outdoor program takes girls to the Olympic National Park, the North Cascades National Park, and the San Juan Islands.

Our Alumnae come back to visit regularly. We are regaled with stories about new teachers, new classes, and new friends. We love their updates, and we especially love hearing how they are taking their L-Dub spirit and sharing it with others. We are proud of our graduates, and we are determined to continue to celebrate, educate, and inspire many more of our community’s middle school girls. We know that this resolve requires more than determination. We know that to offer our school as a viable and compelling option to the vast array of girls in our city, we must deliver on our promises, and we must forge long-lasting, authentic partnerships with our supporters. We are honored to partner with our current families, alumnae families, and community friends, and it is with this energy and commitment that we thank each and every one of you for giving of your time and resources to our school last year.

Ms. Jenny and Ms. Hearn and the Class of 2014 on graduation day.

THANK YOU The LWGMS Annual Fund is made up of hundreds of operating gifts from our loyal alumnae families, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends. Your gift will ensure our girls will leave here empowered for high school and life. We thank you for your support.

SOCIAL MEDIA SITES...SHARE, SHARE, SHARE!

WAYS TO GIVE Cash and Checks Please make your check out to "LWGMS Annual Fund" and mail it to: LWGMS Annual Fund 810 18th Avenue Seattle, WA 98122

LWGMS keeps our Facebook pages (regular and STEAM) and Instagram full of up-to-the-minute information and pictures - it is the best way to keep up with our girls (and for our girls to know you're keeping up with them). Smugmug is our official gallery site, and Issuu is where you'll find LWGMS publications. Please follow, love, and SHARE us!

Online Giving You can use your Visa, MasterCard, or Discover to make your gift online.

Securities Gifts of stock (including mutual funds), bonds, and other securities may offer considerable capital gains tax savings. For more information on making a gift of securities, please contact Becky O'Boyle, Director of Advancement, at 206.709.3800 or advancement@lwgms.org.

Matching Gifts Corporate matching gifts may double or even triple your gift. Contact your personnel office for eligibility requirements and matching gift forms which must be completed and returned with your gift to the school. Spouses, retirees, and board members may qualify. To find out if a particular company or foundation has a matching gift program, please check our website's Ways to Give page.

LWGMS's EIN is 91-1835055.

Questions?

Please don’t hesitate to call the advancement office at 206.709.3800 if you have any questions.