Friday eNews

Interim reports for the final quarter of the school year will be pulled on Friday, May 3. This point marks the midpoint of Quarter 4 (or 75% of Semester 2) and is a good time to check in with students about their academic progress or reach out to individual teachers if students require additional support. 

Progress reports will be mailed home for any student earning a grade of a C- or below for their overall Q4 at the time of the grade check. 

Students interested in summer coursework (credit retrieval, advancement, or enrichment) can begin signing up for pre-approval. Students can access the link below to file their credit requests for Summer 2024. Please note: Only Kennedy Catholic email accounts can access the form due to the need to verify student IDs with coursework and transcripts. No requests are official until approved by the Academic Office.

Requests for Summer 2024 coursework can be made here. All requests should be submitted by 8am on Friday, June 14.

This year, ASB is bringing back the Kennedy Catholic Talent Show. Parents and families are heavily encouraged to not only attend this exciting event, but to sign up! The Talent Show takes place on April 24 at 7pm. Watch our fabulous students perform songs, dances and more! Tickets will cost $5 without an ASB card and will be completely FREE with the card. We hope to see you there!

ASB is hosting Spring Fling tonight (Friday) from 7-10pm at the Shop in SoDo. This unique venue is home to dozens of vintage, classic and luxury cars—an excellent setting to dance the night away! Parking is limited so please consider organizing carpools or dropping off your students at 7pm and picking them up at 10pm when it ends. The theme is rhyme without reason! We hope to see you there.

Grandparents are invited to join their student for a light breakfast, school tour, and May Crowning Mass on Thursday, May 2 beginning at 8:30am. RSVP now!

Join Seattle Fedele #1390 for their 95th Annual Banquet benefiting the Kennedy Catholic Boys Water Polo Team! This event will be April 27  in the Cafeteria. Tickets are $50/ea. The menu can be viewed here. Contact Cristina Ryser for more information.

Congratulations to Hanamichi Matsuzaki! Hana signed his National Letter of Intent to continue his education and play basketball at Pierce College next year.  He was surrounded by his Lancer Family as he inked his signature.  Well done, Hana!

Friday, April 26 is a Community Day. Sophomores will be attending a mandatory Sophomore Solidarity Retreat. All other students will have an opportunity to meet with teachers to makeup work or receive help with classwork. There will be no buses.

Students who park on the grass next to the pavilion, please make sure you move your car by 3pm at the latest.  We need that space for track and baseball practices.

Any student that did not get a photo taken for the yearbook will have an opportunity to get a photo taken for the yearbook supplement during lunch on Monday April 22.

The Sophomore Solidarity Retreat will be held on Friday, April 26 from 8am-2:30pm at both Kennedy Catholic High School and Red Barn Ranch in Auburn. This year’s retreat will include building community, service to a local green space, and reflecting on our commitment to stewardship of the earth.

Students will participate in environmental community service work by removing invasive species, including English Ivy and Himalayan Blackberry, to help restore and maintain Red Barn Ranch. Rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, our students will be participating in “Care of God’s Creation.” This grows directly out of our school's philosophy, which includes a demonstration of leadership through work ethic, service, and commitment to spiritual growth.

Sophomore Solidarity is a required event for all sophomores and will happen rain or shine. We ask that all students arrive at the gym by 8am on Friday, April 26, where attendance will be taken. Students with environmental allergies or injuries who are not able to do physical labor will still be able to contribute with modified service. We want all students to feel included in the retreat and are happy to talk with families about accommodations.

All parents will need to sign a permission slip and EarthCorps waiver for their students. This waiver is attached here for your convenience. They will also need to fill out this online registration form.

Students need to bring a water bottle (labeled with their name), a snack (lunch will be provided), and to wear appropriate clothes, including: a raincoat, closed-toe work shoes that can resist mud (work boots, hiking boots, or running shoes), and long-sleeved shirts and pants (no shorts). EarthCorps will provide safety training, work gloves, water, and refreshments.

The retreat will start in the Kennedy Catholic Chapel at 8am. Sophomores will load buses and travel to Red Barn Ranch in Auburn. EarthCorps staff, Kennedy Catholic teachers and student leaders will lead the event. Students will work together until 12pm. We will celebrate the service and fellowship experienced on the retreat with a BBQ lunch at Kennedy Catholic, followed by a community activity!

Frosh ISLE Hours, Sophomore ISLE Hours and ISLE Commitment Contracts are due May 16. Junior ISLE Hours are due for Juniors in September 2024.

The Greater Kent Historical Society and Kent Historical Museum are offering scholarships of $2,000 to students pursuing post high-school education. Students must live in Kent to be eligible. The application deadlines for these scholarships have been extended to April 30.

Learn more about these scholarship opportunities and apply here. 

For the next few weeks, we’ve invited college reps to visit Kennedy Catholic. This is a great opportunity for juniors to learn more about colleges they are interested in, ask any questions, and gain a better understanding of the college application process.  

All upcoming college visits are listed in students’ Naviance accounts. Students can check their accounts to see when new college visits are added and register for them.  

Wednesday, April 24 
Chaminade University of Honolulu (HI): 2:30pm

Thursday, April 25 
Northern Michigan University (MI): 11-11:30am
Central Washington University (WA): 12:30-1pm
Corban University (OR): 12:30-1pm
Marist College (NY): 12:30-1pm
Lindfield University (OR): 2:30-3pm

Wednesday, May 1 
Oregon Institute of Technology (OR): 11-11:30am

Reminder: All students in grades 9-12 are welcome to attend. If a visit occurs during a student’s class period, they are required to get permission and a hall pass from their teacher to attend. All visits take place in the Counseling Center unless otherwise noted.   

Calling all high school juniors! The University of Washington is hosting a virtual event designed exclusively for students who will be submitting their college applications in the fall of 2024. Students will learn more about applying, and have a more holistic review of the process and the steps they can take now to prepare to apply this fall. Current students will be on hand to talk about what it’s really like to be a Husky, and there will be plenty of time for questions.   

Register for Junior Dawg Day here! 

Wednesday, April 24 | 5-6pm

NACAC Spring Virtual National College Fair  
Sunday, April 21 | 6:30-9:30am
Online  
Register here 

PNACAC Spring College Fair - Seattle 
Saturday, April 27 | 9am-12pm
Seattle University, Redhawk Center 
Register here 

Jesuit Excellence Tour (Jet) Fair – Kennedy Catholic campus 
Wednesday, May 1 | 2:30-3:15pm
No registration required and all Kennedy Catholic students and families are welcome to attend. 

Your College & Career Counselors have partnered with Kate Mullen at Revolution Prep to offer a one-hour webinar on Thursday, April 25 from 6-7pm on interpreting your student’s SAT scores and planning their next steps. Juniors who sat for the March School Day SAT at Kennedy Catholic will be receiving their scores back on April 18. With scores in hand, Ms. Mullen, along with Ms. McVeigh and Ms. Mark, will walk families through the SAT Score Report, as well as how to use SAT results to identify whether to retake the test based on your student’s goals, and how to best utilize their scores as a tool to inform future exam preparation.  

All junior families are encouraged to join this live virtual event. Registration is required. To register and to learn more about tutoring and test preparation opportunities for Kennedy Catholic families, click here. 

Seniors and parents are invited and encouraged to attend Senior Family Night on Tuesday, April 23 from 7-9pm. During this event, the College & Career Counseling team will be covering next (and last) steps for seniors including understanding financial aid award letters, reporting college decisions and scholarships in Naviance, and what to do after seniors have made their decisions and confirmed their enrollment. Vice Principal of Student Services Katie Burns will also be sharing more information about graduation and final steps for seniors. Seniors are encouraged to bring their laptops to this event so they can follow along with the demos and pull up any important information. We look forward to seeing you there! 

Tuesday, April 23 | 7-9pm
Kennedy Catholic Cafeteria  

This spring, the College and Career Counseling team will offer an SAT prep course for juniors on campus. These sessions will provide a designated time and space for students to utilize the resources available to them through their Kennedy Catholic subscription to Albert.io. All sessions will be offered on four consecutive Mondays starting on April 29 and run from 2:45-3:45pm in the Counseling Center. Based on each student’s March School Day SAT score report, sessions will have students focus on strengthening key content areas and gaining practical exam strategies. Please sign up here for one or more workshops.  

We have just over one month until our students are set to complete their AP exams. In addition to classroom preparation, all students are encouraged to utilize the resources provided through AP Classroom and Albert.io, including the highlighted opportunities listed below. More information on AP Exams at Kennedy Catholic can be found on our AP Exam Prep page here.  

Exam Preparation 

• Check out What to Expect When Taking Your First AP Exam on the College Board Blog
• Know the Format of Your AP Exam: The first step in preparing for your AP Exam is to get familiar with the format of the test you’ll be taking. The best way to do that is to visit the About the Exam tab of your course page. Here you’ll find important information about your exam, including when it will take place, how long it will be, and how it will be structured. Get familiar with the types of questions on your exam by downloading past free-response questions from real AP Exams. Review previous questions, sample student responses, and scoring guidelines in the Exam Preparation section. 
• Put Together a Study Plan: Once you understand the format of your exam, it's a good idea to create a study plan. Set aside time each day to study either independently or with a study group to get additional support.
• Start by reviewing your syllabus and course materials.
• You can also use AP Daily: Practice Sessions, a new video series focused on practicing FRQs (free-response questions) and MCQs (multiple-choice questions).
• Review and continue building your knowledge of course content and skills by watching AP Daily videos in AP Classroom. These short videos cover all the content and skills that will be assessed on your AP Exam. 

Student Resources  

• AP Daily: Practice Sessions | a new series with short, 15-minute videos focused on practicing free-response and multiple-choice questions 
• Albert.io | All students have access to a library of AP exam practice questions, assessments, and support resources. Reach out to your AP teacher or your college counselor if you are unsure how to access Albert.io.
• Read 6 Tips to Build Confidence for your AP Eams 
• Check out more free resources to help you prepare. 

Auditions for the Excalibur Choir will take place on Tuesday, April 16 and Wednesday, April 17 after school in the music room. All interested students must audition. If students have previously registered and do not audition, this will impact scheduling for our next school year. If students have not yet registered for Excalibur during course selection time but wish to sing at an advanced level, it is not too late. Sign up for a time to audition and Mrs. Brown will help with choir placements for next year. Please email Mrs. Brown with questions.

Kennedy Catholic's award-winning Color Guard wants your student to try out! No experience necessary. This is their chance to try it out and see if they've got the moves. It's more than just marching. It's about athleticism, artistry, and teamwork. Color Guard is open to all incoming and current Kennedy Catholic students.

Color Guard Tryouts
May 15-17 | 4-6pm
Goodwin Gymnasium East Loft
Sign Up Here

Parents, have questions? We've got you covered! There's a Parents Informational Meeting on May 17 from 5:15-6pm.

In order to take advantage of the $200 discount, please enroll by April 26. Additionally, the price for the trip goes up starting July 1, so act fast! Email Brian Mullen for details.

What is Anxiety? 
Anxiety is characterized with symptoms such as panic, dread, or fear. Although most people feel varying amounts of anxiety in everyday life, anxiety disorders are often much more serious and repetitive, and can possibly disrupt someone’s life. 

What are some symptoms of anxiety? 
Symptoms of anxiety include feeling nervous or restless, having difficulty controlling worry, or possibly having a sense of impending danger and panic. People with anxiety may sometimes try to avoid what makes them anxious, which can be detrimental to their success depending on what they are avoiding. Anxiety can have some physical symptoms as well such as rapid heartbeat, dizziness and shortness of breath. 

What steps should I take if I think my student may have anxiety? 
If you are concerned that your student could have anxiety, try having a calm, peaceful conversation with them - just checking in and explaining your worries. If anxiety is causing your student serious distress, the next step might be to see a doctor or mental health provider where you can plan out what the next steps should be. 

Helpful Resource: Mood and Anxiety support groups offered at Pathlight.  
This information is sourced from Medline Plus and Mayo Clinic.

Please save-the-date on Saturday, May 18 for a fun afternoon celebrating your father/son bond at Kennedy Catholic High School!  This event will be held on the football field with professional cornhole sets and scoreboards! The afternoon includes a BBQ lunch with tickets at $20/person. This event is sure to sell out so reserve your spot here today!  

Register here and complete payment before April 20 to be entered into a drawing for Knight Stand merchandise! Grad Night is May 31, 2024 and provides seniors an opportunity for a safe, drug and alcohol-free celebration with non-stop entertainment all night long! Please contact Joy Tomas if you have any questions or want to check the status of your registration. Congratulations to Brian N. for winning the $5 gift card from the March registration drawing!

The struggle is real! Seniors have less than thirty days left of school and, for some, that may feel like thirty days too many. Tray Holland from the University of Mexico Student Health and Counseling defines senioritis as “a type of burnout that students develop after many years of constant stress.” Symptoms of senioritis include tiredness, lack of motivation, body aches, and feeling more prone to illness.

With graduation from high school drawing near, it is important to know how to overcome the challenges associated with wanting to be done with high school. So, how does someone overcome senioritis and stay on track to graduate? Annya Loya, news editor at the Daily Lobo, writes, “keep organized, listen to your body, have a support system, remember your goals, and don’t sink into stasis.” While Annya’s article focuses on college students getting read to graduate, senioritis also applies to seniors in high school. According to an article from TheScholarshipSystem, high school seniors “have trouble motivating themselves to handle academic-related tasks. This can include completing assignments, studying for tests, or even attending classes.” The result?...falling grades, decreased social activity, and eliminating extracurricular activities.

If you have a student who feels like they may be having a case of senioritis, please have them reach out to you, their SEL counselor, or College and Career counselor for support. If you are a parent and worry about whether your senior is experiencing senioritis, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Counseling Center staff for support. We are here to help and want to ensure that our seniors have a successful end to their high school career. Seniors have worked hard to get here, and the finish line is in sight!