August 29, 2025

Extracurricular Clubs and Activities

As we move into September, extracurricular activities at Kenston High School are in full swing. Our athletic teams are already competing and experiencing early success, while academic teams and student clubs have begun sharing their plans for the year.

Kenston High School offers a wide variety of extracurricular opportunities, and we strongly encourage all 8-12th grade students to get involved. Involvement in extracurriculars strengthens college and career readiness demonstrating a student’s initiative, commitment, and ability to contribute to a team or take on leadership roles.

Below are some qualities that colleges, employers, and scholarship committees value for personal growth and long term success due to extracurricular involvement:

Time Management & Responsibility

Students learn to balance academics, activities, and personal commitments, which is an essential skill for adulthood. Regular practices, meetings, and deadlines teach accountability and discipline.

Teamwork & Collaboration

Whether on a sports team, in a club, or part of a performance group, students work with others to achieve shared goals. These experiences foster communication, cooperation, and problem-solving.

Leadership & Initiative

Many extracurricular activities offer students the chance to lead projects, organize events, or mentor peers. These experiences build confidence and prepare students for future leadership roles.

Resilience & Grit

Facing challenges, learning from setbacks, and persisting through difficulties help students develop mental toughness and a growth mindset.

Social Skills & Confidence

Being part of a team or club enhances interpersonal skills, encourages new friendships, and builds self-confidence, which are all skills that are valuable in every area of life.

Goal Setting & Achievement

Students learn to set personal and group goals, work toward them, and experience the reward of accomplishment through dedication and effort.

Exploration of Interests & Career Paths

Extracurriculars provide a safe space to explore passions that could influence future studies or careers from STEM and the arts to service organizations and leadership groups.

Please review the list of clubs and activities on the link below:

KHS Extracurricular Clubs and Activities

All extracurricular groups will hold meetings either before or after school. Students are expected to be intentional with their selections and committed to attending scheduled meetings. Bus riders must plan ahead and arrange for a pick up when afterschool meetings occur. Students are welcome to wait for their ride in the KHS cafeteria or at the Bainbridge Public Library, just a short walk via the Snyder Road sidewalks.

Many students participate in multiple extracurricular activities. To help manage scheduling conflicts, a monthly Google Calendar has been created that advisors use to coordinate meeting times. This calendar is available on the Student Portal and is a helpful tool for planning involvement.

Student athletes are encouraged to participate in academic extracurriculars. Athletic coaches are fully aware of the shared scheduling. Coaches will not penalize students for participating in school sponsored extracurriculars. However, clear communication from the student athlete must occur informing both their coach and club advisor if a scheduling conflict arises or if they will be arriving slightly late.

We look forward to seeing our students actively involved, engaged, and growing through these meaningful opportunities!

Transportation Update

The Transportation Department has continued to work on refining, improving, and adjusting as many stops and routes as possible. This is not always the fastest process, so we appreciate the patience. Kenston's focus is on refining the bus routes to ensure that all students arrive safely and on time for the school day. To support this work, Kenston has partnered with an external transportation expert from the county who is reviewing our transportation operations and providing recommendations to further strengthen efficiency and reliability. Changes will be communicated as promptly as possible so families can plan accordingly.

The District received an update regarding some of the issues we have been experiencing with the Stopfinder app. The current GPS monitoring system we use is conflicting with Stopfinder. We were made aware of the issue by the external transportation expert, as he has dealt with similar issues in two other districts he supports. Therefore, we are reviewing the steps necessary to correct the issue, and unfortunately, it is something that may take a little time. We will update families as we move through the process and apologize for the inconvenience it causes.

The District is glad to share that we are in the process of hiring an additional driver and have another interview coming up early next week. Expanding our team will give us greater flexibility and coverage where needed, so we can further adjust times for students. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a bus or van driver, an aide, or a substitute in either role, please visit kenstonlocal.org for employment information or reach out directly to our Transportation Director, Christine.illner@kenstonappsorg.

Stay Connected with the Kenston App and the Rooms Communication Tool

Stay Connected with the District App! Don’t miss out on important updates, events, announcements, and Rooms. If you don’t have the app yet, now is the perfect time to download it and stay up to date!

Rooms offers additional features accessible to teachers, including exciting options such as:

• Two-way messaging with teachers, staff, and coaches
• Classroom announcements, reminders about coursework, and materials
• Behavior tracking for celebrating good behavior and academic achievement
• Automatic translation

Utilizing the Rooms app enhances safety. This communication tool is a District-supported platform that integrates seamlessly with our app, the District website, and Google Classrooms.

An invitation to Rooms will be resent tonight (via email or text) to anyone who is not currently enrolled. Once you receive the invitation, follow the link in your browser to create a login. After setting up your login, you can access Rooms through the Kenston Local Schools app. When you do, you will see a toggle in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen — select Rooms to get started. If you have multiple children attending our district, you will see them listed in the Rooms menu section.

Click here to download the District App and learn more about Rooms.

Required Senior Meningococcal Vaccine

For the 2025-2026 school year, all 12th graders are required to have proof of two (2) doses of the Meningococcal Vaccine (MCV4, Menactra) on file in the clinic by the fourteenth (14th) day of school which is Thursday, September 4, 2025. The law prohibits students from remaining in school more than 14 days without providing proof that they have had at least the first of the (2) doses required. Students who had the first dose prior to age 16 must have the second dose before entering 12th grade.  Documentation must be provided and can be a signed note from the physician's office or an immunization summary printout. Proof must include the month, day and year of both doses.  Forms may be mailed to the school or emailed directly to our school nurse, Terry DiMarco, L.P.N. Diligence in addressing this matter is greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Terry DiMarco at terry.dimarco@kenstonapps.org

Parking Reminders