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.

What your support means

L

Donations like yours lead to inspiration and growth.

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What does your support mean?

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.

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.

The Lake Washington Girls Middle School Annual Fund

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What it means to...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 so teach-ers started calling on me on purpose. As cruel as I thought this 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.

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.

Maya ‘11

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

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.

Tong Yuan ‘11

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.

Sra. Charito P’07, Faculty Member

My family and I give in order to provide the quality of services and education to the widest and most diverse group possible.

Rebecca ‘05

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

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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

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

We need to help make up the difference that tuition doesn’t cover.

Michelle P’10, ‘11, ‘13

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

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

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

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

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Photo © Bob Hereford

continued from page 3.

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

Annual Report 2010–2011Strength in Numbers

2010–2011 Board of Trustees 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’11Lisa Hoyt P’11 Linsey Rubenstein Liezl Tomas Rebugio Whitney Knox ‘01Kristin Marra P’13

Ex-Officio:Patricia Hearn, Head of SchoolShannon Blaisdell, Director of Advancement

2010–2011 Fundraising Highlights• 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.

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.

Mark ChinenBoard President

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 AdamucciShawna Angelou P’13Stephen Antupit and Lucy Sloman P’12Rollie AntupitDon and Pam AshbaughIrena BakerAlicia BarreraKarel Bauer and Nancy Harriss P’10Peter Beveridge and Alicia Kramer P’13Kenneth BlaisdellMargaret Bovingdon P’08Mark Chinen and Ruby Takushi P’11, ‘14Mason Bowles and Christine Chmielniak P’13Henry Boyar and Rebecca Hoff P’09Mark Boyar and Gretchen Weitkamp P’11Ethel BoyarTom Braman and Kathryn Robinson P’12Stephanie Bravmann, PhDZoey Brodsky ‘01Brian and Conne BruceRobert and Jennifer Bucher P’12Daniel Caracciolo and Donna Mackenzie P’01David Carrell and Garnet Anderson P’10Christian and Julie Colando P’09,’11James Colando and Shirley RobertsonDoyt and Kristin Conn P’13Barbara CzubaColleen Douville P’11Robert Drucker and Ann Gensler P’12Susan DrummondRichard Dunn and Laura Widdice P’10Sarah Dunn ‘10Dan Eder and Joela Maggio P’13

Stuart Eivers and Darcie Stella P’12Rachael EvansEdwin and Rebecca Fotheringham P’12 George B. Fotheringham and Nancy JacobDavid Foutch and Lynn Thompson P’04,’09Jason French and Leslie Ashbaugh P’11Savannah Fuentes P’13Gregory Garcia and Erica Pascarelli P’12Bob Geballe P’11Seth Gerou and Mary Margaret CallahanWarren Gibbs and Jan Frederick P’09, ‘14David Gill and Karri Meleo P’09Rod Gleysteen and Mary Elder P’13William Golding and Jacqueline James P’08Nate and Eva GreenbergRonnie Greer P’09David and Mary Ellen HaleyJanet HardmanHeather Harris P’12William and Ellen HazzardDan and Whitney Hazzard P’12Patricia Hearn and Leslie NeihartOleine HedeenAlex Higgins and Eva McGoughChristopher and Lisa Hoyt P’11Karl and Sally HufbauerGretchen HughesAP HurdJeff and Michelle Huse P’10,’11,’13Leroy and Julie Jenkins P’09Hailey Jenkins ‘09Susan Kaufman P’11Talena Kettrell P’05LeDawn King P’04Martin King and Mary Ann Tokars-King P’07Ron Knox P’01Whitney Knox ‘01Martha KongsgaardGary and Lisa Kotzen P’06,’11Fulgencia Lazo and Erin Fanning P’14Bryan Lhuillier and Shannon BlaisdellBarbara LindbergHeather MahardyKristin Marra and Judith Kaftan P’13Sarah Marshall P’14Michael MathewsonKen Matsudaira P’12Doug and Judy McBroomRobert and Julie McCann P’14 T.A. and Teresa McCann P’13

Jay and Deena McCloskeyJohn McLaughlin and Kathryn Krikorian P’10Scott and Janet McLeod P’09Beth McNamara and Jennifer DuncanDavid McRae P’04,’09,’11Marge McRaeTamirat and Christina Mekuria P’13Peter Mostow and Leigh HardimanKen Mostow and Martha Straley P’05Lindsey MutschlerDavid Neiman and Keiko Kawasaki P’14Brenda and Chris NicholsBen Noble and Winnie Wong P’14David Oder and Stephanie Carmel P’11,’13Joseph and Carla Orlando P’14Josh Parks and Julie Fay P’09Kieran Phelan and Pricilla Walker P’12Martine Pierre Louis P’10Martin Powell P’11Jeffrey Ray and Sophie ZhangFrank Retman and Rosselle PekelisDanielle Rhomes P’13Shiquitta Roberts-WilliamsBill and Paula RooksBernie and Ginnie RoosElizabeth RudolfChukundi and Michelle Salisbury P’13Jose Sama and Julie Johnson P’11Steven and Emily Samario P’14Jon Schorr and JoAnne TompkinsDan and Susan Shames P’05, ‘10Sebastian Shaw and Marcie Sheppard Shaw P’13Stan Shikuma and Tracy Lai P’04

Thank You!

Susan Abbe and Mike ChapmanStephen Antupit and Lucy Sloman P’12Peter Beveridge and Alicia Kramer P’13Tom Braman and Kathryn Robinson P’12Robert and Jennifer Bucher P’12Carolyn Cairns and John TappDaniel Caracciolo and Donna Mackenzie P’01Mark Chinen and Ruby Takushi P’11, ‘14Christine Chmielniak and Mason Bowles P’13Sandy CioffiChristian and Julie Colando P’09,’11Doyt and Kristin Conn P’13Aliza Corrado

Jackie CostiganColleen Douville P’11Dan Eder and Joela Maggio P’13Stuart Eivers and Darcie Stella P’12Laurie Elder P’10Carolyn FinneyStephan Fjelstad and Kris DraperEdwin and Rebecca Fotheringham P’12Jason French and Leslie Ashbaugh P’11Robert Drucker and Ann Gensler P’12Eileen GibbonsRod Gleysteen and Mary Elder P’13Sheri GoongRhonda Hanson and Chris EllardLeigh Hardiman and Peter MostowHeather Harris P’12Patricia Hearn and Leslie NeihartChristopher and Lisa Hoyt P’11David True and Sarah Hufbauer P’10AP HurdJeff and Michelle Huse P’10,’11,’13Charissa JonesKristin Marra and Judith Kaftan P’13Martin King and Mary Ann Tokars-King P’07Gary and Lisa Kotzen P’06,’11Barbara KrekowSuzy and Brian KumasakaBryan Lhuillier and Shannon Blaisdell Ray LiawBarbara Lindberg

Lin LucasHeather MahardySylvia MathewsRobert and Julie McCann P’14T.A. and Teresa McCann P’13Jay and Deena McCloskeyAlex Higgins and Eva McGoughPaul and Judy McGoughBeth McNamara and Jen DuncanDavid McRae P’04,’09,’11Marge McRaeTom and Christina Mekuria P’13David Gill and Karri Meleo P’09Ken Mostow and Martha Straley P’05Ben Noble and Winnie Wong P’14Rita O’BoyleDavid Oder and Stephanie Carmel P’11,’13Frank Retman and Rosselle PekelisKirstin and Joe PetersonKieran Phelan and Pricilla Walker P’12Martin Powell P’11Linda QuirkKate Ross and Tim SchmuckalShiquitta Roberts-WilliamsCatherine RothElizabeth RudolfStan Shikuma and Tracy Lai P’04Richard Sohn and Susan Papanikolas P’14Jane and Jim SkrivanZarrian SmithEric and Jane TakushiBrad Tollefson and Lisa Greenberg P’07David True and Sarah Hufbauer P’10Dan and Virginia Turner P’06,’11Lea WiddiceCurt and Lawrie Williams P’12Hunter Williams and Kirsten RooksRaymond and Laticia Williams P’12Ben and Kimberli Wilson P’11, ’14Paul Wirsing and Paola Maranan P’10Dick Wood and Cathy SilveyMichael Witter and Lizzie Zemke P’12

Jeffrey Lee P’07, ‘12Richard and Jeanne Smith P’13Meagan Walker P’12Shiftboard, Inc.The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

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.

Richard and Jeanne Smith P’13Linda SorensonEric Sorenson P’12Marcio and Charito Sotero de Menezes P’07Brandy Taylor P’11Brad Tollefson and Lisa Greenberg P’07Liezl Tomas RebugioDavid True and Sarah Hufbauer P’10Carl and Sherine Tully P’13Dan and Virginia Turner P’06,’11Bill TurnerDavid and Reba Utevsky P’05Bill Vogeley and Karen Garland P’09Meagan Walker P’12Colleen WestLea WiddiceCurt and Lawrie Williams P’12Hunter Williams and Kirsten Rooks Terry and Elsa WilliamsRaymond and Laticia Williams P’12Ben and Kimberli Wilson P’11, ‘14Paul Wirsing and Paola Maranan P’10Michael Witter and Lizzie Zemke P’12Ye-Ting Woo P’11Felicia Yearwood P’11Marla York P’11Joe Zajonc and Daisy Sanchez Zajonc P’14Drew and Jenny Zavatsky

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:

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 IncorporatedThe Boeing CompanyCostcoeScripThe Gap FoundationGE United Way CampaignJBT CorporationMicrosoft CorporationPCC ScripStarbucksUnited Way of King CountyUniversity of Washington

Sprucing Up Our SpaceDue 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.

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!

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.

Our Volunteers Make It HappenNot 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!

IncomeTuition and Fees $673,413Fundraising $130,325Other $2,049

Total $805,787

ExpensesSalaries and Benefits $535,835 Financial Aid $76,948 Rent of Facility $75,667 Program $67,912 Operations $44,614

Total $800,976

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.

Financial Summary July 2010 – June 2011

Thank You to Our Donors

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.

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Fundraising Goal 2011–2012

$160,000

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.

The Gap/ Need-Based

Financial Aid

Program

Faculty Resources

Technology/STEM Initiatives

The Arts

Operations

Distribution

Annual Fund$85,000

Auction $75,000

Goals

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.

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.Current Parent

Supporting the mission of the school and our community as a whole is a responsibility we all share.

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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

Growth will make the school more accessible to more girls and will help keep tuition lower than most schools.

Stephanie P’11, ‘13

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 mis-sion that are so special at LWGMS.

Bob and Jennifer P’12

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

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

LWGMS to Open Its Doors to Additional Students in 2012Lake 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 inter-actions, 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!

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

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.”

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LWGMS Girls and Faculty in Action!A few of the many ways our community makes a difference...

OCTOBER 18 High School Fair27 Parent Ed Night: Raising Girls with Courage and Confidence NOVEMBER 3 Festival de Otoño10 NWGC Speaker: Gender, Bias, and Aggression in Adolescent Girls14 Mock Trial Presentation 17 Admissions Open House

DECEMBER1 Science Fair8/9 Fall Play11 Admissions Open House15 Alumnae Family Dinner15 Festival of Lights

FEBRUARY15 History Night

MARCH15/16/17 All School Play @MOHAI

APRIL27 Auction @Hall of Fauntleroy

MAY11 Grandparents and Special Friends Day18/19/20 8th Grade Play @Theatre Off Jackson18 Founders’ Day Celebration @Theatre Off Jackson18 Student Art Show @Theatre Off Jackson

JUNE14 Graduation

Events Calendar

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!

Visit lwgms.org or facebook.com/lwgms for more event information.

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.”

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 Holo-caust 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 Co-lumbia 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.”

LWGMS Students Teach ToleranceLWGMS 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.

Keep up with all things LWGMS at lwgms.org.7

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Save the Dates! April 27, 2012Annual Auction@Hall at Fauntleroy

May 18, 2012Founders’ 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.