Please click below for an introductory message from Mr. Gabram (full slide presentation in the video below the letter):
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Dear Kenston High School Families,
As we counted down to the New Year, excited to embrace 2020, a global pandemic was the furthest thing from our minds. We were thinking about snow days, musical performances, athletic events and planning the Spring activities that our students annually look forward to as rites of passage. The Coronavirus pandemic has us riding an emotional rollercoaster as we mourn lost experiences, worry about what the future holds and try to stay in the moment seeing this additional time with family as a gift. As a school district, we are experiencing many of the same feelings as we respond to and navigate this situation.
We recognized the importance of the traditions and celebrations that are part of Kenston’s culture and mark milestones for our students and their families. This year, our reality has changed and these events will look different for the health and safety of our students, families and staff. While they will not look the same, these events will be celebrated with the “Pomp and Circumstance” that they deserve.
As a public school district, Kenston falls under the state entity known as the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). ODE administers tasks such as school funding, academic standards, collection of data, as well as reporting out on school performance. A secondary responsibility for ODE is to assist school districts in important decisions. ODE has been proactive during COVID-19 advising districts on safe practices for remote learning as well as end of year events including
commencement ceremonies
. Governor DeWine’s Office and the Geauga County Health Department are two other entities that have assisted schools in decision making. The communication, guidance, and recommendations from all three organizations allowed Kenston to proceed safely in implementing the plans for the end of the year events.
We appreciate everyone’s patience over the last two weeks as difficult decisions were made. Please know the KHS team discussed multiple options for all the events and activities listed. Our plans have been reviewed by our Board of Education as well as the Geauga County Health Department.
Our staff always strives to make decisions in the best interest of our students. We are working diligently to let your children know that we value and care for them. The high school administrative team and staff have worked tirelessly to come up with a plan to celebrate our students and the Class of 2020. Please take the time to read and process the information on the attached slides. If you have questions or need further clarification, do not hesitate to contact the KHS main office.
We wish everyone well and please continue to stay positive and strong.
Sincerely,
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Nancy R. Santilli, Superintendent
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To view the video with explanation from Mr. Gabram, click below.
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To view the slide presentation document, click below.
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In This Issue
:
Update - End of Year Plan
Reminders
Senior Information
Student Accolades
Leading Lessons
Spring AP Exam Information
Summer School Options
Athletic Update
Blood Drive - June 10, 2020
LEAF - "Juniors - Get a Jump Start on Your Senior Year"
2020 Summer Camps/Programs
Yearbook Order Information
PTO Update
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Important Dates to Remember
May 11, 7:00 pm -
Virtual Board of Education Meeting
May 13, 6:30 pm
- LEAF - "Get a Jump Start on Your Senior Year" Virtual Session
May 14, 7:00 pm -
Virtual Underclass Awards Ceremony (link will be available on KHS and district websites)
May 15
- Last day for Seniors
May 18, 7:00 pm
- Virtual Senior Awards Ceremony (link will be available on KHS and district websites)
May 25
- NO SCHOOL - MEMORIAL DAY
May 28
- End of 2nd Semester, End of 4th Quarter, Last day for Underclassmen
May 29
- Last day for teachers
June 10, 9:30 am - 2:30 pm, Adam Hall -
Blood Drive
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REMINDERS AND
NOTIFICATIONS
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- Students, please check your kenstonapps.org e-mail accounts regularly, as this is the primary method of communication from the district during online learning.
- If you have not already done so, be sure to follow these social media accounts for the latest. A lot of connection is happening here. Don't miss out!
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- Be on the lookout for your copy of the Spirit of Bainbridge publication in your mailboxes. Seniors will be highlighted in the next several issues.
- If you have not already completed the required Senior Showcase form, please do so ASAP. The Senior Showcases are in the process of being published on the district social media channels, and can be accessed here on the High School website homepage. The publications are in no particular order and will continue to be highlighted in the coming weeks.
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Congratulations to Seniors Laura Parsons, Anthony Alandt and Junior Okan Kardzhala for earning the National Speech and Debate Association's Academic All American award. Only 2% of the Association's members earn this honor! We are so proud of your accomplishment!
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The National Speech and Debate Tournament will be held virtually in June.
Laura Parsons, Micah Greenberg, and Samantha Stephens qualified to compete at this level. For more information and details on this event,
click here
. Good luck Bombers!
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Highlighting Innovative Teaching Strategies in the Classroom
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Here at Kenston, we pride ourselves on reaching each and every student, and designing lessons to maximize student engagement. Each month in the Bomber Bulletin we will be highlighting a lesson that achieves this goal. This month we are highlighting the Math Department including Honors Precalculus, Algebra II, Honors Statistics and AP Statistics.
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MATH DEPARTMENT
Mr. Koltas
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Honors PreCalculus
Mr. Koltas
Mr. Koltas' students have been learning about transformational matrices watching the "1 Brown 3 Blue" YouTube Channel.
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Algebra II
Mrs. Hearns
Mrs. Hearns' Algebra 2 students have been using Etsi-Mysteries (Estimation meets math mysteries). Check out a
sample here
!
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Honors Statistics
AP Statistics
Mrs. Garrett
Sampling sunflowers and virtual "field trip".
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Collecting paired data for a "handedness" measurement.
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Spring AP Exam Information
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Please
click here
for important information about Spring AP Exams.
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TRECA Summer School registration is now open through June 5, 2020 at 4:00 pm SHARP.
This is a perfect option for ninth- through twelfth-grade students to complete a course in advance of an upcoming semester OR to make up credit for a course they may have failed. Courses are entirely ONLINE!
- Classes run June 10-August 5 at 4:00 PM SHARP
- Transcripts will be sent to school starting August 10 to be included in the student's permanent transcript.
- Cost is $95 per .5 credit course
This is a perfect opportunity for those students wishing to take health online at a very reasonable cost, thus freeing up a block in their schedule to take another course here at school.
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BYU (Brigham Young University)
- Constant rolling online school and you have up to a year to complete the course. Many classes and electives to choose from.
- Most classes cost $156/half credit.
- Call 801-422-2868 or 800-914-8931
- Visit elearn.byu.edu
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EDUCERE (Founders Education)
- Offers core courses and electives starting at $99.59/half credit.
- View available courses at www.educere.net.
- Registration deadline is June 21, 2020, start date is 7 days after receipt of registration and payment. End date is 60 days from the student's start date, but no later than August 2, 2020 at 11:59 pm.
- Phone 866-433-8237 or 215-970-2991 or email educere@educere.net.
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ATHLETIC UPDATE
as of 4/23/20
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OHSAA UPDATE
The OHSAA has cancelled all spring sports activities and issued a no-contact period that may be extended for all sports through May 3, 2020. We are clearly saddened for our student-athletes, particularly our seniors, who have lost this opportunity to compete and represent our community on the playing fields. We want to offer our sincerest thanks to all outgoing Bombers and wish them much success as they close their academic careers here. We also want to thank our coaches for their resolve and dedication to our programs even when facing so much uncertainty.
There is still an untold impact that this ongoing situation presents for Kenston, and even more specifically for our athletic programs, but we will share information and provide direction as next steps are determined.
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WINTER SPORTS SEASON SUMMARY
We have published our winter sports season summary! Please review all of the amazing accomplishments of our Bomber sports teams by
clicking here
.
SIGNING DAY CEREMONIES
We are unable to congregate for a final Signing Day Ceremony this term. However, we would still like to publicly recognize commitments being made by our Bomber student-athletes to continue their playing careers in college varsity programs. Please send photos of your student home signings and include what sport and institution you will be attending to
reid.guarnieri@kenstonapps.org
if you wish to participate.
SPRING SPORT SENIOR DAY CELEBRATIONS
We would like to honor our outgoing spring sport student-athletes with Virtual Senior Days. We will collect student biographies in the typical fashion via a Google sheet solicitation sent in an email from Mrs. Busby and post your announcements on our Twitter page @KHSBomberSports. Also, any specific single photo that is desired to be published with these announcements should be sent to our Athletic Director at
reid.guarnieri@kenstonapps.org
. A master publication for all spring sports will be created and released following the last Senior Day and will be posted to our athletics website and Facebook.
Nothing can ever replace the memories on the playing field but we are so proud of each of our student-athletes and are hopeful everyone may join in this effort! Please look for the email from Mrs. Busby and have all information submitted to us as soon as possible but no later than the day before each respective scheduled Senior Day:
Baseball: May 11 Senior Day, deadline of May 10
Boys Lacrosse: May 12 Senior Day, deadline of May 11
Girls Lacrosse: May 7 Senior Day, deadline of May 6
Softball: May 6 Senior Day, deadline of May 5
Boys Tennis: May 4 Senior Day, deadline of May 3
Track & Field: April 29 Senior Day, deadline of April 28
UNIFORM AND EQUIPMENT RETURN
Please
click here
for detailed instructions on how to return equipment and uniforms.
BOYS GOLF FALL REGISTRATION
Any students wishing to participate on the boys golf team in the fall should contact the coach at
bill.germana@kenstonapps.org
to be placed on a distribution list for regular updates. Tryouts are currently scheduled to take place at Punderson Golf Course from August 1 to August 4, 2020. Registered students will receive more specific information about the tryouts and potential clinics to be held over the summer. Interested students should include the following information in messages to Coach Germana: name and email address, parents’ names and email addresses, home phone number, cell phone number, and year in school.
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2020 National Honor Society Blood Drive
June 10, 2020
9:30 am - 2:30 pm
Adam Hall - Auburn Twp.
Registration Required
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T
here is currently a desperate need for blood among our health institutions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to help with this, the National Honor Society is holding another blood drive on
Wednesday, June 10, from 9:30 am - 2:30 pm at Adam Hall in Auburn Township. It is located at 11455 East Washington Street in Auburn.
This is available to all Seniors, Juniors and 16 year old Sophomores. There will be no walk-ins. To register please email one of the following National Honor Society representatives with your name, email address and preferred time:
Please note that American Red Cross blood drives are essential
and in direct support to other emergency services remaining open to sustain our fight against coronavirus and those most vulnerable to it, patients with chronic illness or disease. It is imperative that we collect every unit we can, as over 6,000 blood drives and 200,000 donations have been cancelled in recent days. A severe shortage of blood puts doctors in the position of having to choose which patient gets the lifesaving blood.
"You can still go out and give blood. We’re worried about potential blood shortages in the future. Social distancing does not have to mean social disengagement."
— US Surgeon General, Jerome Adams
We understand public health concerns, but want to stress that donating blood is a safe process and Red Cross blood drives have the highest safety standards. Here are just a few of our vigilant measures to protect the health of all involved in our blood drives.
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Using Sterile Collection Sets
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Spacing Beds 6 ft. Apart
Where Possible
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Having Hand Sanitizer Available
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Using Aseptic Scrubs on Arms
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Donor and Staff Temperature Checks Before Entering Drives
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Wiping Down Donor-Touched Areas
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LEAF - Lake/Geauga Educational Assistance Foundation
Virtual Resource Center Session
May 13, 2020, 6:30 pm
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Wednesday May 13th, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.: Get a Jump-Start on your Senior Year - Virtual Resource Center Session
will include information about virtual visits, admissions timelines, financial aid process, ACT/SAT testing updates and more. All are welcome, not just juniors.
The sessions are free. Parents and students are both encouraged to "attend". LEAF (Lake/Geauga Educational Assistance Foundation) is a nonprofit that delivers career and college access advisory programs that connect individuals to their best-fit careers. Renee Morgan, LEAF advisor for our school, is available throughout the school year for virtual meetings to discuss the financial aid process and can be reached anytime at
Rmorgan@leaf-ohio.org
.
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2020
Summer Camps, Programs and Opportunities
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There is something for every interest and ability level! Engineering, theater, music, business, leadership, study abroad, sports and entertainment, college exploratory, writing workshops, medical, gaming and more!
Be sure to check back regularly for updates. Please note the registration dates! Many are coming up soon.
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Yearbook Order
Information
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All yearbook orders are now $75 and can be ordered through the end of May.
Complete and follow the instructions on the Yearbook Order Form on the left to place your order.
SENIORS:
The cost of shipping directly to your home is included. Be sure to enter your home address and complete the
"QTY_____ COMPLIMENTARY"
line on the order form.
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Greetings from the KHS PTO,
We hope that you are all staying healthy!
Recently, we asked our Senior parents to decorate their front doors to honor their graduate and send us a picture. We in turn, published it on social media and it went very well.
Thanks to everyone who sent a picture. If you want to see them, please visit the KHS PTO Twitter Page @KenstonKHSPTO or the Kenston PTO Facebook page where all of the doors are featured in the comments of the original post. If you still would like to decorate your door to honor your senior, please send it to KHS.PTO@Kenstonapps.org. We will post it to celebrate your senior.
Finally, as the year is ending, I want to thank all of our members, donors, volunteers and of course, our board members. We rolled out the UnFundraiser which enabled us to achieve many things this year. We were proud to host Austin Hatch.
We also were able to fund several teacher requests which provided an enhanced learning environment for your students. We made the school welcoming to all. We staffed the the Bomber Hangar which gave some of its proceeds back to us to fund our events. We gave ice cream to the students at the end of each quarter and provided meals for the staff before conferences. Our website, minutes, treasurer’s reports and membership lists were kept up to date. We provided all of our families with a school directory and we reached out to students and staff who were ongoing hardships or celebrating happy life events. I also don’t want to overlook the Silverbells committee who organized a wonderful event which benefited AfterProm. Thanks to all who made all of this happen.
I particularly want to thank two of our outgoing board members. Patty Hamilton who chairs AfterProm is “graduating” since her son is a senior. Patty’s dedication to Kenston through her efforts for AfterProm and the Kenston Athletic Boosters is unsurpassed! Shelly McDonough who has served as secretary and is the driving force behind the Bomber Hangar is moving out of state. Shelly has been at the heart of PTO and all things Kenston for years and has provided tremendous input to our organization. They both will be missed! Finally, I wanted to thank Mr. Gabram and the administration for their continued support of our efforts.
Megan Roche
KHS PTO President
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