In alignment with Kenston’s commitment to an inclusive and positive district culture, the high school has created a series of experiences designed to support eighth-grade students as they transition to a high school setting.
Winter Break
Kenston Schools are closed for the winter break. Classes resume for students on Jan. 7.
Peaceful Environment at Kenston
In alignment with Kenston’s commitment to an inclusive and positive district culture, the high school has created a series of experiences designed to support eighth-grade students as they transition to a high school setting.
The local program – named Kenston Connect- is styled after a national program that exists in public high schools throughout the nation. The national organization is titled The Boomerang Project to illustrate its foundational philosophy, which is to give back more than you get. Two components of the project are middle school and high school transition programs with the single purpose of making schools great, safe and connected places for students to learn. The ninth-grade Kenston Connect was modeled after their “Link” program.
Based on the feedback from students and faculty, and with the assistance of Kenston High School, the middle school is now pursuing “Web,” the middle school program for the grades five and six transition. Mentoring, leadership, communication skills are some of the strategic and intentional actions to support sixth-graders in their new environment at Kenston and their middle school experience.
Also in support of the PEAK initiative and district goal, the four building principals and Kenston Board Office administrators attended a cultural sensitivity training held at the Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio. The full-day session was facilitated by leaders of Akron Public Schools and focused on understanding students for improved academic performance and well-being. Suggestions were provided on creating a welcoming school culture and climate and how to understand students beyond academic measures – both fundamental components of Kenston’s focused work on student engagement through the Schlechty Center.
Speech & Debate Update
Kenston High School speech and debate had a successful December. At the Mentor Tournament, Anthony Alandt placed second in Declamation, Laura Parsons placed third in Original Oratory, Mike Greenberg placed fourth in Humorous Interpretation, Stephen Kale placed sixth in Congressional Debate, Tia Speece placed sixth in Lincoln-Douglas Debate and Okan Kardzhala and Marcus Novak placed eighth in Public Forum Debate.
At the Vermilion Tournament, the team placed seventh out of 30 teams. Individually, Tia Speece took first place in Lincoln Douglas Debate, Anthony Alandt placed fifth in Declamation and Cadence Matty came in fifth place in Congressional Debate.
Kenston hosted its second annual speech and debate tournament, where close to 400 students from 28 schools attended. Kenston’s high school team placed second. Laura Parsons became Kenston’s third state qualifier of the season while placing second in Original Oratory. Kenston had two tournament champions: Jessica Sunderhaft in Program Oral Interpretation and Tia Speece in Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Placing individually were Adler Weber and Phillip Witmer-Rich placing third in Duo Interpretation. In Declamation, Valerie Brown placed third and Samara Benza placed fourth. In Congressional Debate, Samantha Stephens placed third, while Stephen Kale and Nick Sanchez placed sixth. In Public Forum Debate, Marcus Novak and Okan Kardzhala placed fifth. In Humorous Interpretation, Maggie Eibler placed sixth.
The middle school speech and debate team hosted its annual tournament on Dec. 22 and competed against ten middle schools. In Big Questions Debate, Jacob Gertsburg placed second, Elena Perrine placed third, Aiden Truax placed fourth, Brett King placed fifth, and Peter Como placed seventh. In Oratory, Michael Surtel placed fourth. Eden Truax placed fifth in Interpretation.
