June 2024

KHS Website

Please do not miss all the information in this newsletter!

When you see a message like this at the bottom of your email: "[Message clipped] View entire message"

make sure you click it for more important information!

KHS Calendar

CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

Important dates to know

Thursday, August 8 - 8th Grade Orientation, Pictures; 8:30 am - 10 am

Thursday, August 8 Freshmen / New Student Orientation, Pictures; 10:30 am - 12 pm

Thursday, August 8 10th - 12th Grade Packet Pick-up, Pictures, Parking Pass Sale;

12 pm - 2 pm

Thursday, August 8 8th Grade Parent Meeting, Robert A. Lee Auditorium, 6 pm

Thursday, August 8 Freshmen/New Student Parent Meeting, Robert A. Lee Auditorium, 7 pm

Friday, August 9 Student Packet Pick-up, Parking Pass Sale; 8:30 am - 2 pm

Monday, August 12 - Athletic Booster Meeting, Hub; 6:30 pm

Thursday, August 29 - MAAK Meeting; Band Room; 6:30 pm

Thursday, August 29 - Open House; 7 pm

Monday, September 9 - Athletic Booster Meeting, Hub; 6:30 pm

Tuesday, September 10 - PTO Meeting, Main Conference Room; 9:30 am

SUMMER TRANSITION

Please call ahead!

Please be advised that, with the rightsizing plan in process at the high school, personnel availability will be limited. For those inquiring about transcripts, work permits or any other issues, please call ahead for availability. The main office will return your call as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience as we transition


Please call the Main Office before you make the trip!

(440) 543-9821


INCOMING CLASSES--WELCOME TO THE HIGH SCHOOL!

We look forward to meeting you!

8th Grade Class of 2029 and Freshmen Class of 2028, we have heard about your outstanding accolades and accomplishments from KMS. We look forward to meeting you and welcoming you to your new "home" at KHS. The "KHS Bomber Bulletin" is our monthly newsletter (September through June) highlighting important events and details. Please take the time to read it all the way to the end of each month. It is packed full of lots of important information for you and your family! There will be more information shared regarding our orientation day and other transition activities. Have a great summer and see you in August!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2024

We will miss you!

The Class of 2024 Commencement ceremony took place on Thursday, May 23, and it was a beautiful night. In case you missed it, you can also view the 2024 Commencement Program here. Thank you to senior Mia Lioudis who did an outstanding job on this year's Senior Video. You can view it here.

STUDENT ACCOLADES

Making Kenston proud!

Scholarship Recognition

At Kenston's annual scholarship recognition, 49 scholarships were awarded to 56 senior students who were recognized for their achievement in the classroom, the arts, trades, and on the athletic field. Members of the Class of 2024 were honored with local scholarships from area businesses, civic organizations, individuals, and the Kenston Foundation. We appreciate the generosity of the donors and applaud the students for their accomplishments.

Senior Scholarship Program and Photos

Speech and Debate Team

Congratulations to Jacob Spencer for placing 17th in the Nation in Dramatic Performance at the NCFL Grand National Tournament, which was held in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend. Also qualifying and competing were Madelyn Foerster in Declamation, Emily Hunt in Original Oratory, and Grace Voudris in Lincoln-Douglas Debate, who defeated debaters from two different Florida high schools. Grace will be competing in World Schools Debate at NSDA Nationals in Des Moines, Iowa later this month.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS & EVENTS

Mark your calendars!

Assignments for the Summer


Summer is a good time for a great read. Do not wait too long to start your assignment! See the link for the required student Summer assignments.

Census Verification

Completion deadline -- Monday, August 5, 2024

The annual Census Verification is REQUIRED for a parent or guardian to complete, including Emergency Medical Authorization, before August 5, 2024. The portal will be open after July 1, 2024.



The district MUST have current student information uploaded for safety compliance and emergency situations.  Please use the link below. KHS students and parents are asked to have their Census Verification completed in order to pick up packets & schedules on August 8 and 9.  Also, Chromebooks will NOT be distributed to new students on the first day of school if their Census Verification has not been completed. All returning upper-class students should plan on bringing their Kenston-issued Chromebooks with them on the first day of school.

Infinite Campus Login
How to Create a Parent Portal

National Honor Society

Kenston National Honor Society (NHS) membership is through a selection process at the start of fall semester each year. All Juniors and Seniors with a 3.5 or higher weighted GPA may obtain a selection packet from the school during packet pick up in August or during the first week of school in the Guidance Department.


In addition to GPA, NHS members are expected to have and maintain exemplary character, leadership, and service. More information may be found below or if you want to explore on the Kenston student website, Search: Kenston+clubs and activities+NHS--see: "Selection Process" in upper right column.

KHS NHS Information

Selection packets must be returned to the Guidance Office by Thursday, August 28, 2024. 

Interviews will be scheduled for all who apply.

Picture Day

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Picture Day

Thursday, August 8


Kenston High School welcomes back

Cavanaugh Photography

for the 2024 - 2025 school year.


Thursday, August 8


8:30 am - 10:00 am - 8th Grade

10:30 am - 12:00 pm - Freshmen and New Students

12:00 pm - 3:00 pm - Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors




STUDENT PICTURES: Student ID's, Yearbook, Infinite Campus


WHEN:

All students in Grades 8-12 are required to have their picture taken during Packet Pick-up Day on Thursday, August 8


WHY:

All students must have an updated Student ID and picture for the Infinite Campus database.


COST:

School photos are not required to purchase, but all students must have an updated school I.D. at no charge for the Infinite Campus database. For grades 8-11, this picture will also be used in the Yearbook.

WELCOME SENIORS - Class of 2025!

Seniors, get ready for your final year!

For your convenience, the Bomber Bulletin will feature a section, JUST FOR SENIORS, so you and your parents can stay organized and up-to-date!

Senior Pictures - Get your professional portrait for FREE!

Seniors can get their senior portrait for the yearbook absolutely FREE with Cavanaugh Photography!

Senior Portrait Information

Vaccine for Seniors Only

For the 2024-2025 school year, all 12th-grade students (Class of 2025) are required to have proof of two doses of the Meningococcal Vaccine on file in the clinic by the 14th day of school which is Tuesday, September 3, 2024. A record of both doses must be on file. You may submit documentation at any time between now and the start of the 2024-2025 school year. Forms may be mailed to the school or emailed directly to the school nurse.


Diligence in addressing this matter over the summer months is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Mrs. DiMarco, R.N. at terry.dimarco@kenstonapps.org


For more information on the vaccine or other procedures for medications, follow this link:

Medication & Meningococcal Information

KHS SAYS "GOODBYE" TO STAFF

End of a journey, and new beginnings

Pam Garrett

Teacher - Math and Statistics


Mrs. Garrett has taught all of her thirty-four years of teaching at Kenston, teaching various courses of Mathematics over the years. She brought AP Statistics to KHS and has created a tradition of excellence in this content. Mrs. Garrett also gave her time to high school track and field as she coached the hurdles and sprints. She motivated and pushed many to higher abilities achieving personal records. She has made great impact on so many of her students over the years. She looks forward to mornings that start after 8:00 am, nights without grading papers, and no weekend lesson plans. Mrs. Garrett plans to spend time enjoying the outside - gardening, hiking, boating, and traveling. We thank her for her hard work and congratulate her on her retirement!

Linda Hanzak

Guidance Administrative Assistant


Mrs. Hanzak has worked over sixty years as an administrative assistant, with more than twenty-one years at KHS in the Guidance Office where she has managed the Guidance Department, student records, senior projects, graduation, scholarships and community service for the students. She devoted hours of her personal time creating a memory packet for every student, clipping articles, pictures, certificates, anything she could find. These keepsake packets were given to every senior at graduation. It is no surprise that she even received the Ohio Lifetime PTA award in 2000 for all of her years of service dating back to 1983. Mrs. Hanzak was also a valued employee at The Chagrin Valley Times/Courier since 1992 as a typesetter and proofreader. Prior, she worked as an executive secretary at B.F.Goodrich Chemical Company and KDF Company. She looks forward to sleeping in, staying up late, gardening, boating, and helping with her grandsons. We thank her for her hard work and expertise over the years and wish her all the best in her retirement!

Jonathan Kostoff

Administrative Assistant - Athletics


Mr. Kostoff has served as our athletic administrative assistant over the last four years. He also led the girl’s soccer program as the head coach reaching new heights in the postseason and bringing home the title of "The District Champions" two times. He has helped KHS athletics establish a social media presence, as well as the development of a new athletic website for our families. 

Mr. Kostoff is moving on to Akron Hoban and will be working in the public affairs office serving the school in a number of different communication roles. He will also be coaching girls soccer. He said this has been the best 4 years of his professional life and gives thanks to all of the incredible student-athletes, administration and staff at KHS. He says that his biggest highlights were watching and mentoring the student-athletes as they journey through, learning so many important skills that will benefit them after high school. 

Kim Martorana

Administrative Assistant - Finance & Bookkeeper


Mrs. Martorana has assisted KHS in finance over the last ten years managing the building's operating budget as well as multiple activity budgets. She worked behind the scenes on many projects, constantly reviewing allocations for all academics and other student programs. Mrs. Martorana is looking forward to focusing on her other business in real estate. She said that she will miss the relationships she has developed over the years with our staff, coaches and some of the parents she had to work with. We wish her the best of luck!

Kim Rataiczak

Special Educational Aide


Mrs. Rataiczak has been working as an educational aide for the last nine years at KHS with two additional years previously at West Geauga. Her work, like most educational aides, is not as transparent as other staff members in the building. She has been a great asset to Kenston as she faithfully served hundreds of students with special needs. She has managed many difficult students, taking care of not only their academic needs, but also life needs. Mrs. Rataiczak mentioned that all of those many "small" achievements from her students are actually huge victories to the team. Her services to the students has taught her the importance of patience, empathy, and compassion. As a runner, a favorable memory for her is when the Kenston staff raced in the Akron Marathon team-relays!  

Mrs. Rataiczak hopes to spend more time with family, friends and, of course, spending time with "her girls" beekeeping and making delicious honey! 

Jim Selby

Teacher - Social Studies


Mr. Selby is not officially retiring from Kenston until mid October of 2024, but we would like to recognize him now for all his years of service. He has contributed much to Kenston as a Social Studies teacher through various courses for the last twenty-seven years (with a total of thirty-four years of educational service).  He also made a difference in the lives of student-athletes coaching Football, Track and Field, as well as overseeing the weight room facility. Mr. Selby is looking forward to his time outside the classroom but will always remember the multiple relationships he has developed with colleagues, students, parents and so many others he has interacted with.  These meaningful memories at Kenston, most importantly, taught him so much about life.

Rob Tripi

Teacher - Business


Mr. Tripi has been a teacher at KHS for twenty-six years and established one of the richest Business departments in the state of Ohio. The courses he developed and the hands-on experiences our business students receive are second to none.  He has developed a reputation for KHS business students that many colleges have recognized, noting how well our students are prepared for their courses. Mr. Tripi will be missed as he played a big part on the leadership team, serving as department head over the last fourteen years at Kenston. He has been a mentor to many who respect his leadership and expertise as an educator. He provided a wealth of feedback on building programs and ways that would serve the best interests of students. Mr. Tripi looks forward to spending time with his family, playing with his grandchildren, and volunteering in his community. He also plans on reaching his goal of running a half marathon on all seven continents and a 5K in all fifty states. We thank him for his dedication and hope he has a wonderful retirement!

COUNSELING DEPARTMENT

Keeping you on track!

A New Face in the Counseling Department

The high school welcomes a new face to the Counseling Department this fall. Cindy Schickler will be joining the high school team as the new Administrative Assistant. She will be coming over from the Kenston Intermediate office bringing her sweet smile and expertise to the high school. She will have the "big shoes" of retiree Linda Hanzak to fill, but we know she will do a fabulous job and we are excited to have her join the team!

Community Service - Summer hours

Summer is a great time to earn extra service hours!

Students should start their volunteer service as soon as they can, beginning the summer before their freshman year of high school. The Community Service Award is given at graduation to seniors who complete at least 120 hours of documented and authorized volunteer service on file. These are cumulative hours based on paperwork the student has submitted to Guidance by April of their senior year. (Please note: the requirements and deadline for this award are different from the President's Award deadline in March). Recipients of the Kenston Community Service Award receive a special cord to wear at graduation, are recognized at commencement and in the program, and have the "Community Service Award" on their transcripts which looks great on any resume!

The benefits of community service

are endless.

It is a gift that keeps on giving!


Not only does volunteering your time and service give you great life experiences, it will help your local community AND it looks great on your resume! You won't regret the time you give.


Students looking to earn their Community Service Graduation Seal (60 total hours) or their Kenston Service Award (120 total hours), can start the process now! Before you start, students must follow the process below.

Pre-Approval-Community Service
Service Record Sheet

Auburn Fire Department - Cadet Program


Discover your potential, learn invaluable skills, and become a vital part of our community. Join the Auburn Fire Department Cadet Program and start your journey towards a heroic career.

More Information--Auburn Cadet Program

Garden Club

Any Interest in Gardening?  Need Service hours? 

Join the Garden Club! The Kenston Giving Garden donates vegetables to area food banks, and herbs to Kenston cafeterias. Last year a Geauga Soil and Water grant helped us start a butterfly garden too. Just show up and help, no long-term obligations.  We meet one or two evenings a week during the summer. All students at the high school are welcome, including the incoming eighth and ninth graders. For the ninth graders, you can start your service hours right away. 


Parents, this is a healthy and easy summer activity for your student(s). No experience is necessary. 


For more information contact Garden Club advisors- 

Terry.Markoff@Kenstonapps.org /  Connie.Kramer@kenstonapps.org

SAT & ACT Test Schedule - NEW for 2024 - 2025

Students must register for the SAT and/or ACT online. When registering, make sure you place the school code “360860” on the form so your test scores will be sent to KHS to be placed on your transcript. Athletes, also indicate “9999” for scores to be sent to the NCAA Eligibility Center if you plan to participate in sports in college. Scores can be sent to four colleges, free of charge. Register online (see links below).

 **After you register, check your email for any updates or changes in test locations.

SAT dates in 2024 -2025

ACT dates in 2024 -2025

Summer Camps and Study Programs

Please click the button below for the latest updates of summer camps and study programs available for the Summer of 2024. If interested, pay close attention to application deadlines. This document will be updated on Google as new ones arrive.

SUMMER CAMPS & OPPORTUNITIES

ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT

Go Bombers!

SPRING SPORTS UPDATES (Seasons complete)


  • Baseball: 15-16 record; captured their 3rd straight District Championship before falling to West Branch in the OHSAA Regional Final; senior pitcher Jimmy Cerha earned 2nd Team All-Ohio honors
  • Boys Lacrosse: 15-6 record; lost to University School in the OHSAA Regional Semifinal; senior Tommy Garvey earned WRC Player of the Year honors
  • Girls Lacrosse: 13-7 record; lost to Hathaway Brown in the OHSAA Regional Semifinal; seniors Alexis Black and Mia Lioudis were named the D2 Region 6 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively
  • Softball: 14-16 record (best season in 13 years); lost to State-ranked #1 Canfield in the OHSAA District Semifinal
  • Boys Tennis: 2-8 record; Runners-Up in the WRC; Carson Hyps, Trevor Hyps, Mitchell Lai, and Gavin Niehenke all earned All-WRC honors
  • Track & Field: boys and girls each finished in fourth place at the WRC meet; senior Kyle McMahan (1600m) and junior Sadie Poudevigne (high jump and long jump) both competed at the State meet


SPRING SPORTS AWARDS SUMMARIES

Be sure to check out our spring sports awards summaries located on each sport team’s home page headings at our athletics site here: https://kenstonathletics.com/


Summaries will be posted following the publication of honors from multiple outlets.


FINAL FORMS REGISTRATION

Registration for Kenston High School Athletics participation in 2024-25 is now open.  All students who are interested in playing a sport next year should follow the instructions at the below link to register in Final Forms as soon as possible.  Be sure you are selecting the 2024-25 school year.


https://kenstonathletics.com/athletic-registration/


Registering now will ensure that you are ready to go right from the start of the fall sport season and allow you to receive communications from our Bomber head coaches about summer and other activities coming up.  Be sure to register for each sport you are interested in during the fall, winter, and spring sport seasons.


ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT STAFFING NEWS


The Athletic Department welcomes Shelly Affolter as its new Administrative Assistant. She has previously worked at the Intermediate School and will now assist Mr. Guarnieri at the high school as well as work as a liaison to the Treasurer’s Office for all high school programs.

KENSTON ATHLETIC BOOSTERS

Serving our Student Athletes and their families.

Kenston Athletic Boosters has no off season…we are busy getting ready for the 2024/2025 year.


KAB meets monthly – the 2nd Monday of the month. We would love for you to join us if you are interested in learning more about how to get involved! 


Our next meeting is

Monday, July 8, 2024 

6:30pm in the high school Hub

Congratulations to our Senior Scholarship Winners!

Kyle McMahan and Emily Philips

We wish you all the best with your next adventures!



DID YOU KNOW?

Kenston Athletic Boosters produces a sports program for each season. We are putting the final touches on the Spring issue featuring team photos, action photos and senior ads. Thank you to all our local advertisers and senior parents for purchasing ads to make this program possible. 

KENSTON FOUNDATION

Grants, scholarships, and more!

A strong foundation - the power of community.


Thanks to the generous donations from alumni, local businesses, community supporters, and families like you, the Kenston Foundation supports Kenston Schools through senior scholarships and teacher grants.



To see the latest Kenston Foundation news and updates, visit www.kenstonfoundation.org and follow @kenstonfoundation on Facebook Instagram, or @kenston_found on X.

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