KENNEBUNK HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER 89 Fletcher Street Kennebunk, ME 04043 Telephone: 207-985-1110 Web address: http://www.rsu21.net/khs/ February/March 2015 A Note from the P rincipal We look forward to seeing you at parent teacher conferences on March 11 (3:00 – 5:30 PM) and March 12 (3:00 – 8:00 PM). These conferences will provide you with an opportunity to meet with your son’s or daughter’s current teachers prior to course registration for next year. They can give you guidance in terms of the courses and/or levels that will benefit your student during the 2015-2016 school year. Once again, we will use the on-line sign-up procedure, which has worked so well in the past. The process for signing up for these conferences is explained later in this newsletter. Although we are in the midst of a cold and snowy winter, spring is on the horizon. And with spring will come events to celebrate student and teacher achievements. From “Fiddler on the Roof” to the Art Exhibit, Winter Sports’ Awards, and Spirit Week, the KHS community will once again gather together for valued traditions. The exact dates and times of these events can be found on the school’s calendar at http://www.rsu21.net/khs-events. Kennebunk High School students have excelled in a variety of ways during recent months. They have been recognized with awards in robotics, girls’ swimming, debate and Model UN. The KHS Visual Arts Department received word recently that a number of our students are receiving Scholastic Arts Awards. More details about these awards and the participants are included in this newsletter. The Kennebunk High School faculty and staff continue to maintain high academic standards for all students and support those students by providing extra help before, during, and after school, as well as through guided study halls. The learning center for all students thrives under the direction of Mrs. Kimball and Mrs. Mooney, and KHS PM offers another option for extra help. The guidance counselors are meeting with freshmen in small groups this year to talk about making the most of their high school experiences. We are especially grateful for the academic support offered by coaches under the leadership of our Athletic Director, Joseph Schwartzman. The efforts of Assistant Principals, Mr. Lewia and Mr. Sullivan, to help students find appropriate pathways to graduation has not gone unnoticed. We are pleased to announce that we will once again offer two York County Community College classes on the KHS campus during the fall semester. Interested juniors and seniors will be able to enroll in U.S. History, and seniors will have the option of enrolling in English 101. These courses will be offered after school at a minimal cost to students and will provide dual credit meaning that the courses will count at KHS and will be transferrable to many colleges. An AP Physics class is being added to enhance our STEM program, and multiple sections of the semester class in financial literacy will be available for juniors and seniors to meet increased demands for the course. We appreciate the support that we receive from parents and the greater community. Please continue to stay involved to help us provide the best possible educational experience for each of our students. Sincerely, Susan Cressey, Principal 2015-2016 Course Registration We have begun the process of registering for courses for the upcoming academic year 2015-2016. On Monday, March 2 and Tuesday, March 3 guidance counselors will visit Social Studies classes to present an overview of course selections and registration. Counselors will stress to students the importance of their being actively involved in this process which takes place throughout the month of March. All students will receive a “future planning” sheet to outline their high school plan. To assist students in grades 10 and 11 with their course selections, counselors will distribute copies of transcripts to students. Students should review these documents to assess their current status, in regard to credit earned and/or needed for graduation. Over a period of several weeks, students will receive academic counseling from advisors, classroom teachers, guidance counselors, and administrators. Each department has created an on-line video to describe the various courses of study that they offer. These videos will be posted on the KHS website. For course descriptions and pre-requisites, students should review the Program of Studies which will also be posted online on the KHS website after February vacation. Students must make thoughtfully planned decisions so we can provide them with a master schedule that reflects the true needs of our students. On February 26th the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology will present its offerings to sophomores and juniors. From March 9th - 20th, classroom teachers will discuss the courses that their particular department offers. This is a great time for students to ask clarifying questions about the various courses available to them. March 16th-20th, students will complete the course registration worksheet and obtain teacher recommendations and signatures. The PowerSchool registration portal will be open March 23rd -27th and all 9th, 10th and 11th grade students will input their course selections during Advisory. P arent-Teacher Conferences Parent Teacher Conferences will be held at Kennebunk High School on Wednesday, March 11 from 3:00 - 5:30 PM and on Thursday, March 12 from 3:00 - 8:00 PM. We are again utilizing our on-line scheduling system where you, as parents or guardians, will be able to schedule your own conference times. We are suggesting that you schedule appointments with up to four teachers. The easy to follow, stepby-step instructions are below. If you have any questions or are in need of assistance in scheduling your conferences please do not hesitate to call Mary Emmons in the main office, 985-1110, ext. 213. The Parent Conference Scheduling Portal will open on Tuesday, February 24. 1. Go to https://khsptc.youcanbook.me/ 2. It is important to know who your student’s teachers are. You can refer to PowerSchool for current grades and instructors. 3. Carefully read the notice on the opening page. 4. Scroll down the page to find the teacher with whom you would like to schedule a conference. Click on the teacher name to start the scheduler. 5. In the resulting page available times are indicated in blue. Unavailable times are marked with an X. Click on the available time you would like to schedule keeping at least 10 minutes between appointments for travel time as well as part-time teacher availability (see below). Bonnie Bushnell John DeSimone Lisa Farrell Martha Foley Mary Kimball Thursday Wednesday Thursday Thursday Thursday 3:00 – 6:30 3:00 – 4:30 3:00 - 6:30 3:00 – 6:30 3:00 – 6:30 Melissa Luetje Jen Mooney Valerie Reid Anne Rodier Linda Ruskoski 2 Thursday Thursday Thursday Thursday Thursday 3:00 – 6:30 3:00 – 6:30 3:00 – 6:30 3:00 – 6:30 3:00 – 6:30 6. Please fill out fields labeled, Your Name, Student’s Name, and Your Email. Enter the confirmation code in the Enter Text field. Choose Confirm Booking when you are finished. You will repeat this process for each teacher you wish to schedule. 7. You will see a confirmation page of your appointment. You will also receive an email notification of the appointment (as well as a reminder email one day prior to the event). If you would like to schedule another event, click the here link on the confirmation page. If you have completed scheduling your appointments you are all set. 8. Refer back to your email account for sent confirmations. Yearbook Pictures from last spring's prom are needed. These may include those taken before, during and after the prom by parents. Yearbook also needs pictures of all students in the summer at their jobs or just hanging out with their friends. Finally, pictures of seniors are needed for the Throwback section; these are photos of seniors when they were in grade school through middle school. This is the opportunity for parents to help with this year's yearbook! Please email digital pictures to [email protected] or send real pictures to him at school. He will scan the pictures in and get them right back to parents and/or students. College N ew s Congratulations to Alyssa Weigle, who has been offered an athletic scholarship to play D-II soccer for New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) located in Old Westbury on Long Island. L-R: KHS Athletic Director Joe Schwartzman; Alyssa Weigle’s father, Darrin Weigle; Weigle’s mother, Lisa Weigle; Alyssa Weigle; and KHS girls’ soccer coach, John Dolan. M odel United Nations The following students received awards at the Model U.N. Conference at MIT during the weekend of February 6th: Best Delegates: Caleb Eickmann and Jansen Manahan Outstanding Delegate: Kaitlyn Anderson Honorable Mention: Will Blastos K HS Debate Team Junior Beth Carroll placed 6th in the House at the Maine State Debate Championships at Lewiston High School on Saturday, February 7th. K HS Girls’ Sw im Team The KHS girls' swim team won the South Southwestern Championship on Saturday, February 7. Marshall Lowery came in first place in the 200 IM and the 100 Backstroke; Olivia Hammer-Grant was first in the 200 free; and the KHS team of Olivia Hammer-Grant, Britta Brown, Fiona Harms, and Marshall Lowery won the 400 FR. On Tuesday, February 17, they placed third at states. Congratulations to Marshall Lowery, Class A State Champion, in the 200 IM and 100 Backstroke. 3 K HS R obotics Team The KHS Robotics Team won the "Think Award" for their engineering notebook in the design process. Their engineering notebook focused on the design and build stages of the robot and exemplified their journey as student engineers. Although most of the students are in their first year of robotics, they have exceeded expectations with three awards this season. Left to Right: Daniel Shipman, Taylor Rossics, Cameron Munro, Ryan McNeilly, Monica Powers Ex citing New s from the K HS Visual Arts Departm ent Scholastic Arts Awards 2015 The Kennebunk High School Art Department is proud of all our students who submitted work into the Regional Scholastic Arts Awards Competition. The following students from Kennebunk High School earned recognition from Scholastic Arts! The Award Ceremony was February 14th at Maine College of Art. Nominated for American Visions Award Gabrielle White, Grade 11: Jewelry –“Mixed Metal Cuff Bracelet” Gold Key Awards Gold Key winners are entered into the National Scholastic Arts competition! Gabrielle White, Grade 11: Jewelry- “Mixed Metal Cuff Bracelet” Will Bayha, Grade 9: Photography- “Slot Canyon” Silver Key Awards Stephanie Ayotte, Grade 11: Drawing –“A Forbidden Connection” Chloe Leonard, Grade 9: Photography – “Self Portrait” Leah Payne, Grade 10: Drawing –“I know My Lipstick’s Here” Honorable Mention Awards Katie Bauld, Grade 12: Drawing- “Candy Observation” Will Bayha, Grade 9: Photography- “Anole” Will Bayha, Grade 9: Photography- “Tropical Sunset” Chloe Leonard, Grade 9: Digital Art – “Take Me Home” Chloe Leonard, Grade 9: Photography – “Bring on the Night” Leah Payne, Grade 10: Painting “A Painting of Paint” Leah Payne, Grade 10 –Painting “Life’s Too Short to Make your Bed” Please check out the links below to see all award-winning artwork especially our KHS Students, on MECA's website. There are online galleries for all recognized winners; Honorable Mention, Silver Key and Gold Key. Gold Key: http://www.meca.edu/portfolio/scholastic-awards-2015-gold-key-winners Silver Key: http://www.meca.edu/portfolio/scholastic-awards-2015-silver-key-winners Honorable Mentions: http://www.meca.edu/portfolio/scholastic-awards-2015-honorable-mentions 4 MLTI Screen Saver Challenge We are very proud of the many students who submitted work to the MLTI Screensaver contest. The artwork of two of our KHS students was selected! Student Name: Carlyn Davis Title: “In A "Perfect" World” Grade: 9 Medium: Digital Art Student Name: Will Blastos Title: “An Eye for An Eye” Grade: 9 Medium: Digital Art K ennebunk High School Annual Student Art Show • • • • “Untitled” Thursday March 5 5-7 PM In the Art Wing of KHS This art show is an all-inclusive show and proudly show cases artw ork from all art classes taught at K ennebunk High School. Refreshm ents w ill be served. W e hope you can join us! VP A Boosters N eed Your Help! The Visual & Performing Arts Boosters are in need of assistance with concessions for the upcoming musical "Fiddler on the Roof". Cases of water are especially needed. Our cast, crew and audience need to stay hydrated! You can bring cases of water to the main office with a sign that states "Musical" on them. Show dates are listed below. Thank you for your help. Fiddler on the R oof • Feb. 27, 28 & March 6, 7 @ 7PM • March 1 & 8 @ 2:00PM • Alexander Economos Auditorium • All tickets are $9 • Online ticket reservations are available at www.musicatkhs.com or you can follow the link HERE. • If you have questions about the musical, please call 985-1110 ext. 3141. K enne-Funk Jazz Band On Feb. 10, the Kenne-Funk Jazz Band traveled to York HS to compete in the District 1 Jazz Festival. The ensemble performed three numbers for this festival: "Shiny Stockings," "My Funny Valentine," and "Birdland." The twenty-member group was adjudicated by two professional judges on their artistic and technical merit. This is the third year they have competed in this festival and this year was their highest score ever...one point away from a Gold level rating! Gold rated solos were awarded to: Hunter Nelson, trumpet Jett Tachibana, alto sax Tim Moyer, alto sax Isaac Vaccaro, tenor sax David Behrens, percussion Best of luck to Kenne-Funk as they travel to South Portland High School for the state competition on March 13 & 14! 5 District I M usic Festival On Jan. 23, twenty-one musicians represented KHS at the District 1 Music Festival at Noble High School. These students auditioned for slots in various musical ensembles and were selected based on their performance. Although the concert was snowed out, the high school musicians had a wonderful one-day festival experience. Row 1 L-R: Sienna Roberge, Allie Morgan, Lucas Deely, Gabe Vesenka, Maia Mulcahy, Nathan Ladd Row 2 L-R: Rosie Crimp, Liesl Quigley, Emily McPike, Caleb Eickmann, Zanna Spinney, Tim Moyer, Erin Harrington, Piper Kingston, Ellie Spinney, Shae Kingston, Sara Mallory, Beth Carroll, Ben Walker-Dubay, Mackenzie Lewia, David Behrens "P ennies for P atients" KHS will be participating in the "Pennies for Patients" fundraiser through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society from February 23- March 13. Our goal is to raise $2,000 for the fundraiser. Students can donate through their advisories, but donations may also be made online for KHS HERE. W inter Sports Aw ards N ight The 2014-2015 Winter Sports Awards Night will be held on Wednesday, March 11th, 6:30 PM. This is a CHANGE from March 10th. Am erican R ed Cross Blood Drive The KHS Student Council is sponsoring an American Red Cross Blood Drive on Wednesday March 11th, in Gym A. We are looking for at least 100 students/faculty members to participate in this event. Donors must be 17 years of age or older or 16 with parental consent. In addition to donors, we will also need volunteers. Your blood can help save the lives of people in need! New s from the Guidance Departm ent 9th Grade Students During December and January, the guidance counselors met with freshmen in small groups during advisory times to talk about making the most of their high school experience. Please continue to encourage your student to make an individual appointment with his/her counselor prior to the end of the school year. Counselors are looking forward to getting to know them. 10th Grade Students On Thursday, February 26th, representatives from Biddeford Regional Center of Technology will come to KHS to present information on programs available to all incoming juniors. Interested students can pick up application materials that day. Sophomores are encouraged to talk to their counselor and consider their options for courses and pathways while at KHS, as well as career and college exploration. Sophomores will be meeting in small groups with their guidance counselors later this spring to be introduced to various college and career exploration tools. 11th Grade Students All juniors took the Accuplacer exam at KHS on February 4th. Students will receive score reports in March. This test assesses college readiness in math and English and will be useful for any student seeking to enroll in dual enrollment community college courses next year. In addition, the results will help guide students in their selection of senior year courses at KHS. 6 On Thursday, February 26th, representatives from Biddeford Regional Center of Technology will come to KHS to present information on programs available to incoming juniors. Any interested seniors should attend this presentation in the auditorium during advisory. Application materials will be available at this session. Any junior who is considering applying to four-year colleges is encouraged to take either the SAT or ACT test this spring, and to take it again in the fall. Information about registering for these tests was sent home recently in a separate mailing to parents of juniors. In order to prepare for the SAT test, we encourage students to use their PSAT score reports and booklets to help prepare for the upcoming testing. The www.collegeboard.com website offers students free test preparation. Counselors have been meeting with juniors and their parents to begin the process of post-secondary planning. If you would like to schedule a meeting, please contact the Guidance Office. In addition to these individual meetings, the counselors will be meeting with juniors in small groups during advisory in late February and March to talk about postsecondary research and planning. On Friday, May 1st, there is a NEACAC College Fair at Thornton Academy where students can meet with college admission representatives. Students will be given an opportunity to sign up for this event through the Guidance Department. 12th Grade Students Please continue discussions with your guidance counselor regarding post-secondary planning and continue to notify your counselor of your responses from colleges. The local scholarship packet will be distributed to all seniors during advisory the first week of April. Completed applications will be due in Guidance on Tuesday, April 28th. Please refer to the senior memos on the RSU 21 website for additional scholarship opportunities. Alternative Education P rogram Boys’ alternative education would like to welcome Wyatt Zuke. Wyatt is currently a sophomore and has brought a great work ethic to the program as well as his experience in construction. Instructor Ed Sharood looks forward to helping Wyatt prepare for his welding vocational work next year. Two seniors graduated in January. Austin Cole was accepted into the alternative education program in the spring semester of his junior year with 16.5 credits; he was failing just about every class that he was taking at that point. Austin was quickly accepted by the team and began helping out wherever he could. He had to overcome many obstacles both in and outside of school to get himself ready to graduate. Austin learned how to communicate well with others and to advocate for himself. He learned the strength and value of teamwork, but most of all, he learned self-control and persistence. Austin intends to go through Southern Maine Community College’s Certificate program in the fall to become a heavy equipment operator. In the interim, he has transitioned from part-time status to full time at the job that he has held for close to two years. Austin has been working his way up the line in the kitchen at Sebago Brewing Company and plans to continue there until he finishes his course work at SMCC. The other alternative education graduate was Harry Fay. Harry was accepted into the program in the spring semester of his sophomore year with 6.5 credits. He had just failed everything except metalsmithing, a class where he could work with his hands. Harry is one of the last three original members of this now two-year-old program. He started alternative education with no idea of how it was going to go, but he was hopeful that it would be the right fit for him. Harry quickly moved into a leadership role; as school became fun again, his appetite for knowledge increased. L-R: Austin Cole and Harry Fay Early in the program, Harry completed drivers’ education and become certified as an open water scuba diver. In addition to learning the value of patience and determination, Harry has acquired and fine-tuned his carpentry skills. He has worked outside of school doing landscaping, property maintenance, and carpentry. Harry was hired by Portland Builders and started February 2nd in the carpentry division of their apprentice program. Austin Cole and Harry Fay are to be congratulated for a job well done!! Both boys are career and college ready. 7 In other news, alternative education continues its restoration work of the administrative offices at the Seashore Trolley Museum. Each student has assumed the role of a project manager for current and upcoming projects. They will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of their project from start to finish. Current projects include: an all-natural playground and human foosball course at the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust, an ADA compliant ramp for the Kennebunk Fish and Game Clubhouse, a garden shed, and a wheelchair accessible raised bed to be constructed and installed at the Park Street School Apartments for the Seacoast Garden Club, and an athletic shed for the boys’ and girls’ lacrosse and soccer teams at the high school. Thank you to all the community partners for the support they continue to provide and to two KHS teachers. Health teacher, Jill Lamontagne, has volunteered to work one block a week to talk to the boys about health areas of interest. Bonnie Bushnell has extended her Co-op and Apprenticeship programs to both the boys’ and girls’ alternative programs. Students will learn about financial literacy as well as a plethora of skills related to career and job placement searches. The alternative education program is always looking for volunteers, organizations, and community partners to share and broaden the scope of educational opportunities for students. Anyone with ideas, concepts, or projects feel free to contact Ed Sharood at the high school. Senior Auction The Project Graduation Committee met throughout the summer to plan an action- packed, engaging and safe night of celebration for the Class of 2015. The class has been actively and successfully raising money for three years, but there is still work to do. As you might imagine, plans being formulated for Project Graduation require a significant financial commitment. To that end, there will be a number of fundraising events held over the next few months. The Senior Auction, the Senior Class’ largest fundraising event of the year, is going to be held on Monday, March 9 at 6:30 pm. (Please note the snow date is Tuesday, March 10.) Seniors are still looking to collect items and donations and need your help! In the past, *Business owners have donated gift certificates, services, tickets to sporting events and merchandise. We are looking for volunteers who are willing to approach businesses to request donations *Artists and crafters have donated jewelry, paintings and crafts *Parents have teamed up to create gift baskets *Parents have donated gift cards, time-share or vacation homes, tickets to sports events and made cash contributions *Parents have volunteered on the afternoon and night of the event Thank you to those of you who have contacted the auction committee and donated items to the auction. Strong support is needed from each parent of the Class of 2015. Please consider your contribution to the Senior Auction today. Call or email with any questions. Thank you in advance, Class of 2015 Senior Auction Committee Melanie Shmalo [email protected] Irene Richard [email protected] Adult Education of the K ennebunks & Arundel SAT Test Prep Seminar High school juniors are encouraged to attend this ZAPS test-preparation session to help them achieve the best-possible scores on their exams. Learn tips for improvement in all sub-tests, pratice strategies to eliminate incorrect answer selections, take shortened practice tests that mirror the actual tests, reduce test anxiety and gain confidence. Late spring 2015 SAT test dates are May 2 and June 6. Register at www.zaps.com or call 877-927-7378. Monday, March 23 AND Tuesday, March 24, 6:45 - 9:15, two classes. Fee: $ 89.99. 8 Boating Safety - Sponsored by U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Learn basic seamanship and safe boating; this 8-week session is approved in all states, (NH certification is available). Boating terms, trailering tips; techniques for launching/hauling; required safety equipment; boat handling; essential navigation rules; the buoy system; emergency procedures; basic knots and line handling will all be covered. 8 Wednesdays starting February 25, 6:00-8:00 pm. Fee: $ 114. Dance with your Star No prior experience is necessary. It's an evening to learn new steps and practice old favorites; it's also great exercise. Dance is focused on ballroom dancing and will include waltz, fox trot, and East Coast swing. You'll be ready for the next wedding, reunion or any romantic occasion. 6 Wednesdays starting March 4, 6:30-:30. Fee: $89/couple. W here Are They N ow ? Please send info on recent KHS graduates to Susan Cressey at [email protected] or call her at 985-1110, ext. 214. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Alec Buchina was named to the fall 2014 dean’s list at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY where he is majoring in video/television and linguistics. Nicola Menapace, a hospitality business major, was named to the dean’s list for the fall 2014 semester at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, NH. Matthew Upham was named to the dean’s list at Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he is majoring in Industrial Engineering. Taylor Vaughan has been called by the All Hands disaster relief program to head up and create a system to find the missing people in Malawi, Africa. She will also be in charge of creating work crews and training them so they can start rebuilding their villages. Nicco DeLorenzo and Colby Kingston were named to the fall semester dean’s list at Colgate University. Matthew Inglis was named to the dean’s list for the fall semester at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA. Jesse Larkin graduated from Husson University’s radio broadcasting program. Emileigh Durrell, an early childhood major at Champlain College, has been named to the dean’s list for the fall semester. Elyse Oosterman was named to the fall semester dean’s list at The College of Saint Rose where she is majoring in communications. Katherine Cotton was named to the fall semester dean’s list at Nichols College where she is majoring in sport management. Ben Wilson was named to the fall semester dean’s list at Bates College. Emily Kessel, a psychology major, has been named to the fall semester dean’s list at Stonehill College. Christopher Merriam has been named to the fall semester dean’s list at the University of Vermont where he is majoring in mechanical engineering. Nicholas Ames, Jennifer Davis, Jedd Dill, Lauren Errico, Nicholas Haritos, Leah Malitsky, Nathan Ruel, Hannah Sirois, and William Bauld were named to the fall semester dean’s list at the University of Maine in Orono. Melissa Ferris, Megan Hall, Benjamin Johnson, and Natasha Staples were named to the dean’s list for the fall semester at the University of New England. 9
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