Kenston School News
October 27, 2022 by Staff Report

Kenston Intermediate School fifth-graders are beginning a year-long journey that encourages exploration and interaction with nature as part of the Nature Scopes program funded by the Foundation for Geauga Parks...

Nature Scopes

Kenston Intermediate School fifth-graders are beginning a year-long journey that encourages exploration and interaction with nature as part of the Nature Scopes program funded by the Foundation for Geauga Parks. Upon completion of the program, students will receive a pair of Bushnell Falcon binoculars, two field guides and a certificate of participation.

Timmons Lunch Bunch

Timmons Elementary School Students of the Month were recognized for their “respect.”

Kindergartners honored were: Karina Belinkevych, Nora Bronson, Luke Cenkus, Ella Chaney, Charlotte Cron, Margaret Gregg, Grant Hartfelder and Jackson Hillman. First-graders were Aurelia Bailey, Esther Chelbezan, Matthew Collins, Parker Fenner, Alexandra Hanish, Benjamin McCausland, Vance Noah, Nella Schmitz and Vinny Talarico.

Second-graders were Miguel Ayala, Charles Baugher, Adele Berkland, Simon Cooper, Emma Johnson, Trace Lastoria and Luke Rauber. Third-graders were Elliott Ball, Hailey Coates, Kaya Hadlock, Ila Petche, Bradley Rabe, Lachlan Reed, Jack Souders and Matthew Stebel.

Rotary Senior

Maria Insana was selected as the October Chagrin Valley Rotary Student of the Month. Her teachers describe Maria as “having a work ethic that distinguishes her from her peers. This young lady demonstrates such energy and persistence with an intense drive to succeed and her perseverance extends beyond the classroom.”

Maria excels in the classroom and on the volleyball court. She has been recognized with departmental awards in Spanish, history and business. She has also earned Presidential Scholarship recognition for her academic achievement and community service. She has been honored with Scholar Athlete awards, News Herald First Team honors, Defensive Player of the Year, and Third Team All District recognition as a volleyball player. She also shares her love of volleyball with younger players assisting at Kenston Community Education volleyball camps.

As an active school community member, Maria is a member of the Spanish Club and the choir. In addition, she is the treasurer of the National Honor Society and vice president of the senior class.

Maria plans to major in biology with a minor in business.

KCS Presents Shakespeare

Kenston Center Stage presents “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)”on Nov. 10-12. Tickets are $10 and will go on sale Nov. 1; visit kenstonlocal.org and search Tickets.

Can a small group of Kenston High School students really cover 37 Shakespeare plays in less than two hours? The fast-firing comedy does just that as it parodies all of the Shakespeare plays – plus the sonnets – in two acts.

The show is full of energy as the characters run across the stage and keep everyone guessing how they will pull off the next play. It starts with an eccentric version of “Romeo and Juliet,” followed by a parody of “Titus Andronicus,” which is portrayed as a cooking show, and all the comedies rolled into one. Then members of the troop compete in a hilarious football game that summarizes the histories, “King John,” “Richard II,” “Richard III,” “Henry IV,” and more, complete with commentary and details of each character’s rise and fall from power. After the intermission, the actors perform a very abbreviated version of “Hamlet” with a bit of help from the audience, thus completing the canon in only an hour and a half.

The cast and crew are comprised of students: Addison Altmann, Dom Blogna, Keely Chamberlin, Victor Como, L Denno, Lyric Dickson, Dan Emch, Josephine Ianiro, Ava Intelisano, Madeline Kapela, Jon King, Jacob Kovalski, Justin Link, Erin McFadden, Kylie Moore, Skylar Pagon, Will Radefeld, Jasper Rees, Luke Schmidt, Ben Serafin, Maya Simpson, Jake Spencer, Aly Stefancin, Owen Stice, Matt Strong, Lily Tatara and Olivia White.

Winter Weather Preparedness

Kenston saw the first snowfall of the year last week. If school is closed due to a calamity such as loss of power, water or poor road conditions, there will be no posted work for students. However, if the number of calamity days nears five throughout the school year, the district will re-evaluate its procedure to ensure that the state requirement for instructional minutes is met.

The district’s top priority is the safety of students and staff. Parents may always choose to keep their children at home if they have a weather-related concern. If parents decide to keep their children at home, please contact the school office to report their absence. Also, consider offering teenagers alternatives to driving in poor weather conditions.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the decision made?

The decision to close will generally be made by 5:30 a.m. or earlier.

How is the decision made to cancel school?

Many factors are carefully analyzed when deciding to remain open or close schools in bad weather, such as:

  • Information on road conditions from township road departments, local law enforcement, and our Transportation Department is evaluated. Even if your street looks clear, dangerous road conditions may exist elsewhere in the district. Kenston Schools covers 55 square miles.
  • Accumulation of snow and ice.
  • Whether or not the precipitation will continue throughout the day.
  • Temperature and wind chill.
  • Weather predictions (including those from the weather alert service).
  • Storm timing.
  • Building conditions (electricity, heat, or water).
  • Parking lot conditions.

How will the decision be communicated?

The district will use the following communication methods:

  • Notifications will be delivered to you via our automated calling system, using phone calls and or/text messages. We utilize the contact numbers provided by you in our Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Please log in to Infinite Campus to verify all your phone numbers. Know that the “Primary Household” field is the number that receives the majority of notifications.
  • You can call the School Closing Hotline at 440-564-2134.
  • Check our District Website, Twitter, Facebook, or local TV news channels.
  • kenstonlocal.org
  • Twitter – @KenstonSchools @KenstonSuper
  • Facebook – Kenston Schools
  • Check your local TV news channels.

What is the plan for after-school and evening activities?

Elementary School activities

In the event of a severe weather day due to inclement weather, all elementary after-school and evening events will be cancelled and/or rescheduled.

Middle School activities

In the event of a severe weather day due to inclement weather, all middle school events will be cancelled and/or rescheduled. This includes after-school practices, meetings and evening activities.

High School activities

In some cases, activities may continue as scheduled. Decisions to cancel contests and practices will generally be made by 1 p.m. on the school closing day. The coach or advisor will communicate to the team if contests are cancelled. Updates will be posted on the building webpage and via social media.

What about bus transportation for non-public schools, Special Education, and Auburn Career Center?

If school is cancelled for the day, non-public school and Special Education bus service and transportation to Auburn Career Center will not be provided.