BOMBER  BULLETIN
Fall, 2017
KHS WEBSITE                                                                                         DISTRICT CALENDAR
From the Principal's Desk:
 
Greetings from Kenston High School!  

It is hard to believe today is November 1st and we have completed the first nine weeks of the 2017-2018 school year.  I believe we  had a phenomenal start with a strong focus on student engagement.  As Principal of Kenston High school, I recognize and commend the students' extraordinary hard work, effort, and preparedness in the classrooms.  

Professional development goa ls for teachers have focused on lesson design and engagement.  This type of planning provides meaningful activities in which students can apply to real life scenarios.  Engagement strategies support 21st Century Learning skills in the classroom which  leads students to effective college and career readiness.  

Administrators at KHS have conducted more than 120 classrooms walkthroughs.  Classroom data was gathered to track teaching method s, classroom set-up, technology and other information supporting engagement initiatives.  The walkthrough feedback helps reinforce our continued effort for improved curriculum instruction.

Parents, please continue to support student achievement at home.  Work with your  student on effective time management skills.  Guide them on how to advocate for themselves  in the classrooms.  Check Infinite Campus for progress updates   Communicate when necessary with the guidance  counselors and help assist in developing the correct student pathway for graduation.   High school s tudents with concrete plans of interest are more likely to succeed and meet their career goals.  If your student is struggling or falling behind in a course, please be proactive and request a conference with a teacher and/or counselor to address   the issues right away.  

The administration and staff would like to t hank our parent organizations for their continued support.  The PTO, Academic Boosters, MAAK, Athletic Boosters, and Bomber Elite, contribute a great amount of time and effort to assist students at KHS.   Please continue to support these wonderful organizations through membership.  
    
I wish everyone a safe and relaxing rest of the first semester.
Follow me on Twitter

Best Regards,

Tom Gabram
In This Issue

HARDWORK
RESPONSIBILITY
RESPECT
HONESTY


      Rotary Student of the Month
Congratulations to the following  Rotary students:  
 
     September : Dale Foster






  



  
   
     October
Pedro Michels
 
      November:  Erin Mast
 











            
                   
             Congratulations      
        Kenston High School 
        Students of the Month

                 
         Students of the Month for September: 
          Maria Weil, Julia Fugedy, Mandy Glime,          
   Hannah Kepreos, Emmett Weil, Patrick Barber,                                   Jonathan Abbarno, Maison Ben


      
Students of the Month for October: 
       Mia Bester, Hannah Ray, Laura Parsons,
        Emily Evans, Ashton Taylor, Billy Glime,
                   Rafael Lima, Colin Mast    

  
    
         Students of the Month for November: 
            Anna Soryal, Anna Synder, Alex Akers, 
 Grace  Spehn, Max  Promersberger, Michael Mercer, 
Matt Fantauzzo, Colin Koehn          
ATHLETIC BOOSTERS presents:
Night at the Races Fundraiser
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Reserve your table now for this exciting annual event to be held this year at Adam Hall, 11455 Washington St. in Auburn. The evening includes dinner, horse racing, silent auction raffle baskets, sideboards, DJ music and dancing.   Tickets are $40 per person, $320 for a table of eight, and for every two tickets purchased, you get to name a horse for the race. Additional horses are $10 each.  Doors open at 6:00 p.m., dinner by Mangia Mangia is served at 7:00, and post time is 7:30 p.m.  Feel free to bring your own beverage, your favorite appetizer or dessert to share. Open to ages 21 and over.   For more information contact Brian Richter or Dave Fisher.  (bmrichter@windstream.net / fisherdavide69@gmail.com)
KENSTON ATHLETICS


KHS Fall Athletic Awards: 
Wednesday, November 8 @ 7:00pm

Winter Sports Preseason Meeting: 
Thursday, November 16 @ 7:00pm
KENSTON CENTER STAGE presents:

November 10-12, 2017
 
Kenston Center Stage is proud to present the farcical comedy, Leading Ladies. In this hilarious comedy by Ken Ludwig, the author of Lend Me A Tenor and Moon Over Buffalo, two professional Shakespearean actors, Jack and Leo, find themselves so down on their luck that they are performing "Scenes from Shakespeare" on the Moose Lodge circuit in the Amish country of Pennsylvania. When they hear that an old lady in York, PA is about to die and leave her fortune to her two long lost nephews, they resolve to pass themselves off as her beloved relatives and get the cash. The trouble is, when they get to York, they find out that the relatives aren't nephews, but nieces! Romantic entanglements abound, especially when Leo falls head-over-petticoat in love with the old lady's vivacious niece, Meg, who's engaged to the local minister. Hilarity ensues as misinformation and misunderstandings run rampant!

Performance dates are Friday and Saturday,  November 10-11 at 7 p.m.   and Sunday, November 12 at 2 p.m.  at the Kenston High School, Robert A. Lee Auditorium

 Friday, November 17, 2017

The 2 nd Annual Kenston Bomber Bash takes place is quickly approaching! It will be an amazing night of school spirit, charitable giving, and so much fun! Please consider donating to this important event even if your child is not able to attend. We hope to make a huge difference in the lives of children who are suffering life-threatening illnesses. The Bomber Bash has partnered with our chosen charity, A Kid Again.
A Kid Again is a Northern Ohio organization that fosters hope, happiness and healing for families raising kids with life-threatening illnesses. Part of the mission of the Bomber Bash is for our students to not only foster school spirit and community spirit but, to stand in unity and show their support for the children and families going through these difficult times.
There are several ways to help make the Bomber Bash a success:
  • Encourage your child to attend the Bomber Bash
  • Volunteer as we need your help at the event - it is sure to be fun.
  • Donate - money, prizes, gift cards, food, time
Please complete to the donation form and send to the the main office in an envelope marked KHS Bomber Bash.  

The Bomber Bash is the perfect event to build spirit, build community and be part of something really special. Please consider helping us help the kids to make a difference.
Follow us on Twitter - @KHS_BomberBash or contact us at the emails below.
Allison Kure - Co-Advisor                      Lynne Hamilton - Co-Advisor
kkure@windstream.net                         dlhamil@comcast.net
KENSTON CONNECT

Kenston Connect, designed to help incoming freshmen adapt to high school has made a difference in the transition of our ninth grade students. The Kenston Connect program is modeled after a research-based program that helps students make a more successful transition into high school through the building of positive relationships.  All 2017-2018 freshmen have been assigned to a small group (about 10 freshmen per group) and have been mentored by two or three juniors.  All freshmen have been encouraged by their mentors to attend the Bomber Bash on November 17.  Prizes will be awarded to the Kenston Connect group that has the best attendance at Bomber Bash and the group that raises the most money for A Kid Again.  Bomber Bash will be a great opportunity to develop positive relationships with peers while raising money for a great cause and having a fun-filled time. We look forward to more Kenston Connect activities and events throughout the school year.
COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS

College and Career Readiness News:

Grade level activities have been in full swing this fall for College and Career Readiness.  Our ninth, tenth, and eleventh graders have completed the career assessment inventories through the Naviance program.  In English classes at the end of September, Freshmen looked at career fields based on the results on the Cluster Finder while Sophomores  dived a little deeper into particular careers using the Career Interest Profiler, more familiarly known as Holland's Code.  The Juniors used a more focused assessment, Strengths Explorer, to identify a career based on their responses to a broad range of questions on skills, talents, and personal preferences.  From there, juniors will begin looking at colleges based on major or personal criteria. Seniors are in the college search process and are working on the college essays in English classes or with their English teachers.  

We welcome Renee Morgan as our Lake/Geauga Education Assistance Foundation (LEAF) advisor this year.  Mrs. Morgan will be in the high school on Fridays to meet with students and/or parents to answer questions and provide guidance in looking for scholarships or completing the financial aid process.  

New this year, October 11th was set aside as a day of testing at Kenston High School.  The PSAT was administered to all of our ninth and tenth graders to be taken as a baseline score in order to achieve higher standardized test scores later on the SAT or ACT; some juniors also took the PSAT as a means of qualifying to be a National Merit Scholar.  As part of the College and Career Readiness initiative, we also opened this day as a day of college and career exploration for our juniors and seniors to get on a college campus or try out a career for a day.  Students used  this day to get some  hands-on experience , to  try out a career  for the day, and/or to  make a connection for Senior Mentorship , a two-week long internship program which will be run the final two weeks of senior year.  The juniors and the seniors who participated in a college visit or a job shadowing experience were surveyed and found the day to be extremely valuable and meaningful.  We should be receiving the results of the PSAT by the end of the semester and will explain to students how to interpret his/her score report and how to utilize Khan Academy to improve scores on future tests.
TOLERANCE AWARENESS
T olerance awareness  has been demonstrated through the commitment of students who attended a retreat sponsored by the  Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio .   The fall retreat was a unique three-day opportunity for students of all backgrounds to come together and explore topics of social justice and diversity.  The retreat theme was titled,  "Immigration: An American Snapshot" .  Students heard directly from immigrant students as they reflected on various topics from their home country.  This included tragic struggles they experienced that motivated them to become legal American citizens.  Students learned about the new opportunities America provides for immigrants as well as as multiple steps or procedures followed to establish citizenship.  Other leadership and team-building activities were experienced as part of the retreat agenda.  Kenston  students who attended the retreat will be given the opportunity to reflect on the knowledge learned. The KHS diversity group has expanded and adopted a new name known as  "Cultures without Borders".  
Thank you to our advisors Ms. Kramer, Mrs. Snyder and Mrs. Joyce for helping students understand the importance of tolerance while accepting and respecting others around them.  
GUIDANCE UPDATE
Attention  seniors .  Please refer to this link  for important updates regarding: graduation, Naviance, college information, GPA, Honors, CCP, senior portraits, financial aid, scholarships, and mentorship.   
AUBURN CAREER CENTER
Sophomores may visit Auburn Career Center in the morning on Wednesday, November 29, 2017, from 8:45-11 a.m., for an in-depth look at the vocational programs available to our students.  Permission slips are required for this field trip and available in Guidance.  If you have any questions, contact Ray Kimpton at 543-9821, ext. 2120.

All current Auburn students will be excused from classes on November 29.  They are expected to participate in one of three options: Career Shadowing, College Visit or represent Auburn as a student ambassador or classroom host for the Sophomore Visitation Day.  Students will earn community service hours for helping on this day.

What is Start Talking! all about?
An effort is underway across Ohio to prevent drug use among Ohio's most vulnerable citizens - our children. Governor John R. Kasich and First Lady Karen W. Kasich have  launched Start Talking! to give parents, guardians, educators and community leaders the tools to start the conversation with Ohio's youth about the importance of living healthy, drug-free lives.  A majority of substance-free adolescents credit their parents for the decision not to use illegal substances. Likewise, teachers and other authority figures can have a similar influence on youth and their decision-making.  Parents, mentors and peers can make a difference just by talking to the young people in their lives about drug use. Please Start Talking!
Please go to this resource link to help support a drug free future.
    
EF STUDY ABROAD
Lake and Geauga Counties are excited to share a unique program that will position students and districts as a model for developing global citizen competencies.  The Cross-County Global Education Initiative provides an exciting opportunity for districts to collaborate to help students participate in global education experiences.  

OBJECTIVE:   To bring global education, citizenship, and experiences to students through global travel.

We will accomplish this through the following actions:
  • Districts will join together to offer international travel opportunities to students.
  • Districts will coordinate pre-planning and pre-travel activities for students and families to build a cohesive travel cohort for students and families.
  • The international travel cohort will be used as a platform for participation in "Global Summits" both locally and internationally.

THE CONCEPT:   Kristen Niedzweicki, World Languages Teacher/Technology Coordinator at Chardon High Sschool, will coordinate student participation in international travel options for 2018.  Tour specifics are as follows:
  • EF Tour #197402ED
  • June 14, 2018 - June 26, 2018
  • Itinerary includes Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France
  • Student Cost $4,485

THE WHY:   Some districts are already active with international travel opportunities for students.  Others may have limitations in assembling a group of students to meet travel program requirements.  Creating an international travel cohort coordinated through a Trip Leader will bridge those limitations and offer access to all interested students.  In addition, the pre/post trip activities will build on the travel experience by providing students with opportunities to work together to build on the international experience and develop a stronger global citizen presence in the region. 

Best Regards,

The Lake/Geauga Collaborative
(For more information, contact Mr. Gabram)
PSAT, SAT and KHAN ACADEMY
Kenston High School has partnered with Northeast Ohio  College Board representative Joel Gulko for 2017-2018 to help improve SAT scores for all students.  College Board services consists of  an "unpack" or summary analysis of PSAT/SAT data for our core departments.  The analysis will identify gaps or lower test standards that can be reinforced through content instruction.  Other professional development includes a parent meeting explaining the benefits and sequence of test preparation beginning in 8th grade.  The use of  Khan Academy, a  free online test prep program, will prescribe specific test interventions based on the previous embedded PSAT scores.   Check out the statistics below that demonstrate how a little practice in Khan Academy will pay off with increases in test results.  
If your child has not created their  Khan Account,   please do so at the provided link above.  
   
SAT / ACT Test Dates
The SAT for juniors, a free test mandated by the state, will will be given in March of 2018.  For students wishing to test before March or for those who want to  improve scores, please refer to the testing links below.  Pay close attention to the registration deadlines and locations.
 
- Khan Academy (SAT test prep)
PRINCIPAL'S LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

Principal's Leadership Council began meeting to develop action plans in support of KHS programs and building issues.   One main topic was to analyze how the high school tracks community service hours.  Many students believe service hours can be categorized into different levels. Colleges and universities define  valued service hours to be sustained over time having impact on a community or group of people.  Working with our guidance department, PLC students will propose a new system with criteria on how to weight service hours in different categories.  
KENSTON PTO

Thank you to our many PTO volunteers!  Whether you took minutes at every meeting; kept our money organized and dispersed correctly; got volunteers for any situation that arose; helped spruce up the building and grounds; sent words of care; helped put together another great directory; baked, cooked, or set up for open house, conferences or staff lunch; gave out ice cream; set up and served all the graduating seniors a delicious breakfast; or assisted during the Bomber Bash,  KHS PTO would like to THANK YOU ALL!  The above activities would not have happened without your support, time, and energy.  For new or interested parents, please join by downloading  the membership form below.   

Janice Sugarman
KHS PTO, President

KENSTON AFTER PROM

There is a After Prom informational meeting on  Thursday, November 2nd at 7:00pm  at Gardiner.
Please complete the After Prom Volunteer Form
Academic Boosters

Kenston High School Academic Boosters promote, recognize and reward academic achievement at all levels at KHS.  Through the generous support of members, the Boosters recognize students who earn .5 or better improvement in GPA from the first to the second grading period of each semester.  They also manage the Top 15 senior night of recognition.   Seniors recognize an inspirational teacher of their choice who are honored. Scholar Athletes who earn an academic letter receive a academic torch patch from the Boosters.  They sponsor the Presidential Award for Academic Excellence recognizing students who maintain a 3.5 GPA and have documented community service hours.   Students receive a certificate from the President of the United States each year they qualify and seniors receive a Presidential pin.   Boosters also gives financial support to Science Olympiad, Speech and Debate, Academic Competition teams and Janus.   If you have not already done so, please consider becoming a member of Academic Boosters and complete the membership form.
      2018"Kenstonian"
            Yearbook

The deadline for pre-order discount for the 2018 yearbook is
December 31, 2017. Order by then and pay only $65.  After that, if supplies last, the books will cost $75.  Books will be delivered in September 2018.  To order on the secure website, visit YearbookOrderCenter.com and enter #2856 for Kenston High School.