Kenston Middle School presents “The Lion King, Jr.” on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 22 at 1 and 4 p.m.
KMS presents Lion King, Jr.
Kenston Middle School presents “The Lion King, Jr.” on Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 22 at 1 and 4 p.m. The African savannah comes to life on stage with Simba, Rafiki and an unforgettable cast of characters as they journey from Pride Rock to the jungle… and back again, in this inspiring, coming-of-age tale. Tickets are $10 and available at the door.
Auditor Award with Distinction
Auditor of State Keith Faber recognized the Kenston School District with the Auditor of State Award with Distinction.
“By earning this award, these school districts have shown they are committed to educating their students and being transparent with their spending,” Auditor Faber said. “I am honored to present them with this award.”
The Auditor’s Office presents the Auditor of State Award with Distinction to local governments and school districts upon the completion of a financial audit. Entities that receive the award meet the following criteria of a “clean” audit report.
Spelling Bee
For the second year in a row, eighth-grader Jack Beclay represented Kenston at the Geauga County Spelling Bee. He earned this honor by winning the district’s fourth through eighth-grade competition. This year, he placed third at the county level after going 17 rounds.
BWC Safety Grant
Kenston Schools was recently awarded a School Safety and Security Grant from the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation. BWC’s School Safety and Security Grant (SSSG) Program assists Ohio employers with ensuring the safety of their staff who instruct children throughout the state. The three-to-one matching grant program is available to eligible Ohio employers who wish to purchase equipment to improve the safety and security of facilities substantially, and to reduce or eliminate injuries or illnesses associated with providing educational services to children. Eligible employers may receive up to $40,000 toward equipment purchases.
Kenston’s proposal was accepted and approved for the purchase of 275 Bearacade Lockdown devices for grade four through 12 classrooms and workrooms, adding to a similar door barricade system already in place at Timmons Elementary School. The Bearacade devices will provide staff with a fast and safe means for securing classroom doors.
Additional funds will be used to upgrade the entrance door controls district-wide to utilize the software currently being used at our high school building.
The total cost of this proposal is $48,460, with grant funds covering $36,345.
Professional Development Day
On Feb. 14, Kenston hosted the second professional development day of the school year. Dr. Meghan Barlow, pediatric psychologist, led the day with a keynote for all teachers. The focus of the keynote was on building and strengthening teacher/staff relationships with students and the importance of inclusionary practices in the regular education classroom. She provided specific strategies for engaging students with challenging behaviors in the regular education environment. The remainder of the day was spent exploring the topics Dr. Barlowe introduced through PreK-12 mixed small groups and facilitated by the district design leaders.
Dr. Lori Wilfon also presented for an elementary session to continue her work with teachers in strengthening the writing standards across the curriculum.
Kenston Foundation
Thank you to Kenston Foundation and its board members for their long-standing commitment to awarding educational grants to benefit Kenston students. Recently, they awarded over $21,000 in grants to extend the existing curriculum. All buildings benefited from their generosity. The board of education accepted $700 for Orff instruments at Timmons Elementary Schools, $3,875 toward the Maker’s Space and math games at the intermediate school, $6,400 for updates to the middle school media center (Flight Deck) and Bomber TV, over $1,000 to purchase “The Nystrom Atlas of United States History,” $2,000 towards social and emotional wellness to be used during the middle school connections periods, $3,000 for sports performance ACL prevention training for middle and high school students and coach education and $3,100 for a virtual reality station at the high school.
Family Ties Night
Kenston is excited to have the second Family Ties Night of the 2019-20 school year on March 4 with no homework assigned, no athletic practices or games after 4:30 p.m. and no meetings or activities hosted in the district. The school district is reaching out to local restaurants and businesses to provide “family-friendly” discounts.
KCAC Alliance
Dr. Tony Podojil, executive director of The Alliance for High Quality Education, spoke to members of Kenston Citizens Advisory Council and the administrative team about the current issues of education policy and funding that the Alliance has been working on at the state level. He also shared the best way for citizens and administrators to campaign for political action.
KHS to Host Sectional Wresting
Kenston High School will host the Division 1 Sectional Wrestling Tournament on Feb. 29, beginning at 10 a.m., with championship finals at 2:30 p.m.
All day admission is $10 for adults and $7 for students and senior citizens. Finals only tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and senior citizens. Competing will be Austintown-Fitch, Bedford, Boardman, Hudson, Kenston, Nordonia, Kent Roosevelt, Solon, Stow and Twinsburg.
