Dear Lancer Family,
October is always one of the busiest months around Kennedy Catholic and this year is no different. We have settled into a routine after the burst of opening the school year and the holidays are far enough away to allow us to keep focused. It’s a perfect time to take a step back, catch up on a few items, and look ahead to the month.
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Tuesday marked the first grade-check for the 2022-2023 school year, which occurred at the midway point for Quarter 1. Progress reports were mailed home for all students, and more in-depth interim reports were mailed home for students who were earning a grade of a C- or below at the time of the grade-check. If you have specific questions or concerns regarding a particular grade or a specific class, we encourage you to reach out directly to your student's teacher for more information.
If you have not yet set up your parent/guardian account for PowerSchool, now is an excellent time to do so. If need assistance with accessing PowerSchool, please reach out to our Registrar, Tracy Etzkorn.
Are you interested in a Study Abroad trip to London in June? You and your family are invited to an informational meeting on Wednesday, October 12 at 6pm in the Dillman Center! RSVP by email to Dr. Renee Dickinson.
Homecoming 2022 begins the week of October 3, ending with a Lancer Football game at 12pm on October 8 followed by our Homecoming dance that same evening. The theme of the dance is “Night on the Town,” and will take place at Seattle Art Museum from 8-11pm. Tickets are $30 per person and can be purchased in the cafeteria at lunch starting Monday, September 26. Please contact Mr. Ben Josie, Activities Coordinator, with any questions.
9th grade students have the opportunity to join our ASB Executives by serving on Frosh Exec. This is a position elected by their class, and its responsibilities include representing their fellow 9th graders, collaborating with faculty/administration, and planning events such as dances and spirit weeks. This is an excellent opportunity to serve their peers and grow as a servant leader.
Registration for Frosh Executives begins on Thursday, September 29 and will close on Monday, October 10. Students will be required to gather 100 signatures from students at Kennedy Catholic and deliver a brief speech to the Class of 2026. A second informational meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 4 immediately after school in C241. Any interested students should find Mr. Ben Josie as soon as possible. Please contact him with any questions. Best of luck to all our candidates!
IT and the Gaming Club are teaming up to create the “Video Game Console Museum.”
Do you have any old consoles, maybe even vintage consoles? Nintendo 64’s? Xbox’s? Atari’s? Sega Genesis? If you're not sure what to do with them, you can donate them to us here at Kennedy Catholic! We are creating a museum and library of technology for students to use and have access to for learning and club activities. For more information reach out to Ms. Breshock in the Counseling Center, or Mr. Fox in IT. To donate, please bring in the devices to the front office.
Join us for our Homecoming football game on Saturday, October 8 against Kentridge High School! Kick-off is at noon at Highline Memorial Stadium. Tickets are available in advance on our online ticketing page. Once purchased, you will receive a QR code that can be scanned at the gate, or you may print your ticket and bring it with you. Day-of tickets will still be available at the gate, cash only.
We look forward to seeing current Lancers and alumni at the game!
Mike Tedesco of Reaction Photography partners with the Athletic Department to bring our families high-quality action shots of our sports teams and events. His amazing work results in high resolution photos available to families at no cost. All images are stored on a password-protected site. Currently, there are photo galleries from the 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 sports seasons. Click here for the Kennedy Catholic client portal. Please ask your student-athlete’s coach for the password or contact the athletic office.
Applications for tuition assistance open this Saturday, October 1 and close on December 31. Visit our Tuition page for more information.
Students: Please drive safely in the parking lot and when leaving the neighborhood. We have had calls from neighbors about students leaving out the back gate who are not stopping at the stop sign and/or they're driving too fast through the neighborhood. We ask that you are mindful of the retired folks and families living in the area, so please slow down. Thank you!
Bishop Frank Schuster '90 will celebrate our Homecoming Mass on Tuesday, October 4 at 9:45am in the Goodwin Gymnasium. We are so excited for his first Mass at Kennedy Catholic as bishop that we are extending an invitation to all current parents, guardians, and alums from the class of 1990 to join us for this special Mass! Please RSVP here so that we have enough chairs set up. After Mass, a reception for Class of '90 alums and students who attend St. Vincent de Paul, where Bishop Schuster is Pastor, will occur in the Dillman Center. Go Lancers!
The Lancer community is welcome to stop by the Chapel anytime between 7:30am-2:30pm on Friday, October 7 for Adoration with the Blessed Sacrament. Parents and guardians who would like to volunteer for a half an hour are welcome to do so using this SignUpGenius. Please contact Mrs. Lindsay Brown if you have any questions.
Seniors: the FAFSA opens tomorrow, October 1 and your college counselors strongly recommend you apply. The FAFSA form is the federal government financial aid form and students interested in receiving need-based grants and scholarships (free money from the government or your college) are required to complete this form as soon as possible. Aid is distributed on a first-come first-served basis, so we suggest you apply by October 31.
For further assistance with the FAFSA application, your college counselors have partnered with Going Merry to provide our families with a wonderful application platform with step-by-step scholarship AND FAFSA completion support. Click here for more information and feel free to reach out to your college counselor for further details.
Are you interested in learning more about funding your student’s college education? The college counselors are hosting College and Financial Aid Night next Wednesday, October 4 at 6:30pm in the Cafeteria. Please add this event to your calendar if you are interested in learning more about the FAFSA and the many scholarships available to your student.
Attention Class of 2023 students: If you registered for the SAT on School Testing Day (October 12), you and your parents should have received a confirmation email from Ms. Breshock regarding payment information. The test fee is $60 and the deadline to pay is October 1. If the fee is not paid by the deadline, students who registered will not be allowed to sit for the SAT exam.
If you registered for the exam and have not received a confirmation email, please email Ms. Breshock.
We have several college representatives visiting campus this coming week. Visits take place in the Counseling Center and all students are welcome to join, but we ask that they receive approval from their teachers if joining a meeting during a class period. If the presentation takes place during lunch, we built in ten minutes for students to pick up their lunch and head over. We encourage students to take advantage of the opportunity to connect and build a relationship with the person who will eventually read their application. Admission departments receive thousands of applications and this meeting helps our students personalize and stand out in the application process. School visits are based on student interest and feedback, so please feel free to reach out to the college counselors if there is a particular school you would like us to invite to campus.
Wednesday, October 5
University of Oregon – 12:40
Boston University – 2:40
Thursday, October 6
Seattle University – 2:40
Friday, October 7
Colorado Christian University – 12:40
Thank you to all the juniors and junior parents who attended the Junior Parent and Student Information Night. We hope you found the evening informative and look forward to working with you soon. Click here to access the evening’s presentation and please don’t hesitate to reach out with any follow-up questions.
Parents, please see below for a great opportunity available to us through our partnership with the University of Washington and Forefront in the Schools.
Save the Date November 3, 2022 | 7-8pm via Zoom
Parenting Today’s Teen: Navigating Social Media & Mental Health
Are you curious or concerned about social media’s effect on your teen? Most U.S. teens today have access to a smartphone and at least one social media account. Join our discussion with Drs. Lizz Dexter-Mazza and Jim Mazza to learn more about teens use of social media today, its impact on their mental health, and what parents, educators and others can do to utilize its benefits and minimize potential harms.
Register here: Meeting Registration – Zoom
Kennedy Catholic has been in partnership for the past six years with the UW Forefront in the Schools Program that provides Suicide Prevention Curriculum to students, parents and staff every year.
We are currently in need of Parent Volunteers who could join our team and help coordinate the Parent Learn training where we offer the Suicide Prevention Curriculum to parents. Responsibilities include participating in an upcoming training session via Zoom in October.
If interested, please reach out to Diana Soto.
We know that many students are struggling with their mental health. We also know that due to the pandemic, it has been harder than ever to get youth connected to resources. Please see below for some helpful links provided by Seattle Children's, and know that your students' SEL Counselor are also here to help.
How To Find A Mental Health Care Professional in WA State | Seattle Children's
Choosing a Mental Health Provider
Getting help in a Crisis
Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 988 988lifeline.org (available in Spanish) | 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors that can help people going through mental health-related distress. You can call, text or chat online on the website. This service has interpretation for over 250 languages. For those who are deaf, hard of hearing and use Teletype (TTY): Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 1-800-273-8255.
Stomp Out Bullying HelpChat Line stompoutbullying.org (English only) | Free, confidential, online support for ages 13 to 24 with issues around bullying and cyberbullying. See the website for hours.
Resources for Families
Washington's Mental Health Referral Service
To bring attention to this very important subject, Forefront Suicide Prevention Club members created posters that could be seen by students around the school. Last year we had almost 80 students in the Forefront Suicide Prevention Club. This year 180 students signed up to be a part of the club. We had our first meeting this week during Club time and 77 students were able to join us. To participate in the Club, students need to have their parents/guardians sign a permission form which were sent home with them on Tuesday. If you have any questions about Forefront or are interested in joining the Club please reach out to Diana Soto.
All Booster Membership Cards and Water Bottles as appropriate for the membership level have been mailed and should have been received. Thank you for your patience! If you have not received your card, please email us!
Sharp will have a general meeting for all interested on Tuesday, October 4 from 6:30-8pm in the Dillman Center.
Join the Booster Club for outstanding benefits and the opportunity to support our Kennedy Catholic athletes and athletic programs. 50% discount is available through Saturday, October 8 in honor of the homecoming events that week and will culminate in the Homecoming Game for Football. Sign up today. Thank you for your support!
Please save-the-date on Monday, October 24 from 6:30-8:30pm for a fun evening celebrating your father-daughter bond at Kennedy Catholic High School! Dinner will be followed by an Incredible Challenge Race around the school campus with prizes awarded for the best Halloween costumes and the most scavenger hunt success. Tickets will be available for sale at the Knight Stand beginning in October.