Kenston

January 17, 2013 by Staff Report

No School

Kenston Schools will not be in session on Jan. 21 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

TES Zoo Crew

Timmons Elementary School third-graders who work hard and show great effort are named to the Zoo Crew. Members of the Zoo Crew are rewarded with goofy and crazy games and activities before school each week for eight weeks.

Congratulations to the second quarter Zoo Crew members: Leila Adams, Alec Barrett, Collin Bell, Ainsley Benjamin, Michael Benza, Valerie Brown, Dominic Clark, Brandon Cloud, Sage Edwards, Alex Figurella, Joey Holodiski, Payten Jackson, Leah Jarmolowicz, Alex Knapik, Kaitley Kwasniewski, Aubrey Marthe, Anna Marthe, Danny McDonough, Kaitlyn McFadden, Rourke McGrath, Kyler Phillips, Eli Seifrit, Gwen Sheely, Zak Soryal, Jackson Strauss, Ryan Stuart and Amelia Vison.

District Spelling Bee

The Kenston District Spelling Bee will be held on Feb. 1 in the Betty Patton room at Kenston Middle School. Fourth and fifth-graders Grace Geisler, Bryce Grossman, Tyler Larkin, Tyler Mesnick, Thomas Most, Jason Spehar, Aubrey Taylor and Chloe Thomas will compete against sixth, seventh and eighth-graders yet to be selected.

Thank You, Kenston BOE

Thank you to Kenston board members Jim Jimison, elected 2012; Thomas Fussner, 2010 to present; Beth Krause, Ph.D., 2010 to present; Anne Randall, 2006 to present; and Bill Timmons, 1993 to present, for the countless hours and immeasurable energy that they have spent to assure that our schools are providing the best education possible for the children of our community.

At the organizational meeting of the Kenston Board of Education, Anne Randall was elected president. Bill Timmons will serve as vice president for 2013.

Board of education meetings are generally held the third Monday of the month in the Timmons Elementary, multi-purpose room. The meetings begin at 7 p.m.

To find out more about the Kenston Board of Education, visit district’s website at www.kenstonlocal.com under Board of Education. There one will find meeting dates, brief bios and the Board Briefs, a monthly summary of board action.

Class of 2017 Orientation

The transition between middle school and high school will begin for the parents of eighth-graders at freshman orientation Jan. 17 at 6 p.m. in the Kenston High School auditorium. This is the first informative evening that will focus on course selection and scheduling for next year. Representatives from the high school administration, guidance and academic departments will be available to answer specific questions.

Emergency School Closing

In case of severe weather or calamity requiring school to be closed, an official announcement will be made via an AlertNow phone call to the homes of families with children attending the Kenston schools.

If you are uncertain about school closing, you can call 440-564-2134 or log in to www.kenstonlocal.com for up-to-date information. The message is updated by 6:30 a.m. when conditions warrant.

If school is closed due to weather, all activities and athletic contests are canceled whether home or away.

Gold Cards Available

All residents of Auburn and Bainbridge who are 60 years of age or older may obtain a free, lifetime “gold card,” which will admit them free of charge to any school sponsored event in which students participate, including home athletic events, musical and dramatic performances.

Gold cards are not valid when an event is sponsored by an organization other than the schools (P.T.O., Booster groups, etc.) as a fundraiser. Cards cannot be used for athletic events such as conference, regional or state playoffs.

Gold card membership can be obtained at the Kenston Board Office, 17419 Snyder Road.

Foundation Grants iPads

Christmas came early for two Kenston Middle School (KMS) teachers who will soon have 24 new iPads to enrich their students’ classroom experience, thanks to a $9,600 grant from the Kenston Foundation, the largest ever awarded by the Foundation. The Foundation approved the grant request submitted by seventh-grade reading teacher Sondra Kosinski and seventh-grade special education teacher Ann Frasz based on the Foundation’s evaluation criteria of purpose, curriculum and the promise of broad student reach.

Kenston Foundation board member representative Natalie Gdula and district board member Adam Fender, who is also the assistant principal at KMS, presented the award to Ms. Kosinski and Ms. Frasz at a Dec. 18 KMS staff meeting.

Ms. Kosinski’s and Ms. Frasz’s students will use the iPads for writing literacy, peer-editing, grammar, vocabulary, poetry and other lessons. The teachers will also make the iPads available for use by KMS students in other classrooms.

The Kenston Foundation receives grant requests each fall from teachers in each of the five Kenston Schools, and awards grants each December. The KMS iPad grant is one of three professional teacher grants awarded by the Foundation this year. Others include the IXL web-based math study assistance program for fifth-grade students awarded to Kelly Johnston, and an Orff percussion instruments package awarded to Kerry Norman for use at Kenston Intermediate School.

Also, every May, at a scholarship breakfast, the Kenston Foundation presents more than 20 scholarships to Kenston High School seniors who have distinguished themselves by academic excellence and personal achievement. Typically, these scholarships total more than $20,000.

Next spring, the Kenston Foundation will invite community and school groups, as well as individuals, to participate in the “You’re a Kenston Star” event. Participants can purchase a 40-inch metal star, decorate and/or embellish it and then return it to The Kenston Foundation to be bid on at a silent auction and dinner. The Kenston Stars, which can be displayed indoors or out, will beautify and unify the community, while serving as a reminder of the important work done by The Kenston Foundation.

For more information, visit KenstonLocal.org and then click on Kenston Foundation, or call Andy Kenen, president, at 440-543-2834.