The Knightly News
Parent Newsletter for Kellam High School - October 2017
What a Start!
The school year is off to an amazing start! The time has flown by, and we've enjoyed spending the first month of school getting to know your children and engaging them in the early stages of the year. We have held three uKnight sessions so far, and our focus on building relationships and connecting our community of learners has met with tremendous success.
This year, we embark on a journey to improve the way we engage our students, with a focus on student-owned learning experiences that drive an investment in and ownership of their success. With our one-to-one Chromebook distribution and our learning management system, Schoology, we are becoming better equipped to meet the demands of personalized learning and increasing rigor and relevance to provide challenging, yet attainable, experiences for each and every student.
Our Open House was fantastic, and it was refreshing and inspiring to see so many familiar (and new) faces throughout our building. We are fortunate to have a community that is truly invested and engaged in the educational experiences for all of our students.
We look forward to another amazing month!
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @KellamHigh and Facebook: KellamHS. Our website is updated regularly for more information: http://www.kellamhs.vbschools.com/.
Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA)
PTSA has 3 focus areas this month:
Fundraiser.
Entertainment books were sold at this week's PTSA Open House and will be sold at other school events, as well. The 2018 version comes with an app that allows you to link the code from the book to your phones to enjoy savings at your favorite restaurants, stores, and leisure activities! The entertainment books cost $25.00 each. Checks may be made payable to Kellam HS PTSA. Please email Amber Sloan at sloanys4@cox.net if interested; delivery options can be made. Click HERE to view the flyer.
Membership.
Our goal is 100% membership and we can’t do that without you! $5 membership fee.
Just click on the link below for a more direct login with the following instructions:
https://member.pta.org/Member-Login/Sign-In?returnurl=%2fPilot-Home%2fIndividual-Join
Create a new user account
Choose Virginia State PTSA
Choose Floyd E. Kellam HS
Contribution to Local PTA (100% goes to PTA)--Optional
Reflections Contest.
Is your child interested in literature, art, photography, video, or musical composition? The 2017 Reflections Contest is right for him/her. The theme is "Within Reach." Entry forms should be submitted to Mrs. Peters in the Art Room on or before October 11, 2017. Be creative!! Get involved!! Enter the Reflections Program!!
Click HERE to view the flyer.
Knight Trials (Testing and Tutoring)
Tutoring during Academic Support Blocks (ASB)
Students are encouraged to take advantage of tutoring during the school day. Students report to ASB. The teacher will write the student a pass to the tutoring location. The student will report back to ASB for the last five minutes of the block.
- Peer Tutoring (Block 1A, Schola Balcony) All Subjects
- Literacy Center (Every Tues and Wed, A119) Reading and Writing
- SOL Remediation (Every Tues and Wed 1st 1/2 of the block, D214) Algebra 1, Geometry, Earth Science, and Biology
SAT/PSAT Prep Workshop
On Wednesday, October 4, from 2:30-4:30pm, we will offer a prep workshop for the upcoming SAT and PSAT in Room C236. The topics covered will be math and verbal section strategies.
PSAT and CWRA on October 11
On Wednesday, October 11, 2017, the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) will be taken by all freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. Virginia Beach City Public Schools will pay the fee charged by The College Board for this test. This assessment is an important step in the college admission process and serves as the entrance test into both the National Merit and National Achievement Scholarship competitions for juniors. The PSAT is also great practice for the new SAT.
Kellam will also administer the College Work Readiness Assessment (CWRA+) to all Seniors on October 11. The CWRA+ is an authentic, real-world assessment that measures students' globally competitive skills such as critical thinking, creative problem solving, and communication - skills that today's employers value most. This assessment score is also reported on each graduating senior's transcript.
As a result of this opportunity, we will operate on an adjusted schedule (below).
uKnight (Advisory)
As the doors opened to a new school year, Kellam teachers and staff welcomed our students to uKnight, our Kellam HS Advisory program. Our advisors continue to be excited to have the opportunity to get to know a small group of students well—to learn more about our students’ interests, aspirations, and challenges. Our first uKnight sessions focused on the goal of helping all students feel a greater sense of belonging to the Kellam school community. Advisors and students engaged in getting-to-know-each-other activities, developed team agreements for how we will treat one another within our uKnight communities, and shared the reasons why we love Kellam HS! Looking ahead, uKnight communities will focus on growing a culture of kindness within our school, and career and academic goal setting. Advisors are ready to check-in periodically with their students and be yet another system of support for our young Knights!
Castle Counselors
A warm hello from your Kellam High School School Counseling Department!
Here are a few important announcements:
Oct 11th Senior College Night - Excellent opportunity for students to have access to admissions counselors from 4 of our top attending schools, in addition to FAFSA information and other important information for seniors.
Counselors are gearing up for our one-to-one student visits. We will be meeting with all of our seniors during their Government classes between September 28th-Oct 10th.
Our registration presentation for 9th graders will be held Oct 18th.
Please encourage students to sign up for our counseling REMIND. Text @g7fbh2 to 81010 or visit the link rmd.at/g7fbh2 from any web browser.
For our Seniors, fall brings about excitement and curiosity as they begin to think deeply about college and career decisions. Below, you will find our college visit dates for October. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to speak with representatives from various colleges!
Oct 2 SHENANDOAH UNIVERSITY (9:00am)
Oct 2 JOHNSON and WALES (9:00am)
Oct 4 RADFORD (8:45am)
Oct 4 ELON (10:00am)
Oct 5 CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT (11:00am)
Oct 6 HAMPTON-SYDNEY (11:00am)
Oct 17 WILLIAM and MARY (8:00am)
Oct 17 GEORGE MASON (9:30am)
Oct 20 VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH (10:00am)
Oct 23 UNIV of ALABAMA (9:00am)
Oct 23 UNIV of SOUTH FLORIDA (10:00am)
Oct 23 KENT STATE (11:00am)
Oct 24 SALISBURY UNIV (11:00am)
Oct 24 HOLLINS COLLEGE (11:30am)
Oct 25 STEVENSON UNIV (11:30am)
Oct 26 BELMONT ABBEY (9:00am)
Oct 26 VIRGINIA TECH (10:00am)
Oct 31 RANDOLPH-MACON (9:45am)
Community Engagement
Kellam High School values and promotes community engagement in our school. We recognize the importance real-world experiences have in contributing to the academic achievement of our students. Kellam has established partnerships with local businesses and is always looking for new ways to develop educational opportunities for our students with our local community.
…..Kellam High School’s Pollen-Nation has had a four-year partnership with the Norfolk Beekeepers Association. The goal of this partnership is to create a hands-on educational experience and resource for students to learn about beekeeping, ecosystem management, biodiversity, crop pollination, farming and honey production. This goal is achieved through an onsite apiary for hands-on learning and partnering students with bee experts, scientists, farmers and horticulturists through the Norfolk Beekeepers Association.
…..Online Formals brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the students at Kellam High School. They serve as guest speakers, presenters, and judges for Kellam events, and offer showroom tours where students learn about entrepreneurship and what it takes to run an E-commerce business. They also serve as a training station for marketing education students where they are given hands-on experience and internships.
…..The West Neck Educators Club also plays an active role in various events at Kellam High School. They assist with SOL tutoring, serve as judges for various events, and assist with the operation of Reality Store, a real-world simulation.
Partnerships like these give our students an opportunity to apply what they have learned to a real-world situation. It’s an opportunity for our local businesses/organizations to be a part of developing critical thinkers and offering their expertise to our students.
From the SCA
Homecoming.
Our Homecoming spirit week kicks off on October 2nd. The spirit days are:
Monday - Game On (favorite sports team)
Tuesday - Twister Tuesday (Blue for Seniors; Red for Juniors; Yellow for Sophomores; and Green for Freshmen).
Wednesday - Lazy Day (No pajamas, but get your sweat pants on!)
Thursday - Frat Day (Preppy)
Friday - Floyd E. Friday - Wear Kellam Colors!
The pep rally for students will be on the football field on Friday, October 6th. We will follow an adjusted bell schedule (below) on this day.
The half-time parade and football game (7PM) will be October 6th.
The Homecoming Dance will be October 7th from 7 - 10 PM.
Tickets for the dance will be sold during lunches from October 2nd - 6th. The cost is $15, or $10 if the students donate 5 cans of food for the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia.
On October 20th, Senior night, SCA will hold a tailgate, and will PINK OUT the stadium.
On October 25th, SCA and the American Red Cross will hold a Blood Drive from 7 a.m.-1 p.m., in the gym.
Each Sunday, our SCA will publish events and activities for upcoming week via social media. This platform is called "Sunday Knights." Give our SCA a follow and stay connected to weekly happenings at the Castle!
Twitter: @KHS_SCA (Kellam HS SCA 17-18)
Instagram: @kellamsca (Kellam High School SCA)
Facebook: KellamHS (Floyd E Kellam High School)
Gifted News from our GRT
Information regarding 2018 Summer Residential Governor’s School (SRGS) for the Arts and Academics will be mailed home to all tenth and eleventh graders in early October. Mrs. Turner will hold informational meetings in October to help students with the application process. These dates will be on the morning announcements.
If any students need to be referred to receive gifted services, the testing date is Friday, December 8. Email kmturner@vbschools.com to get the referral process started by October 20. Gifted news and information is available through the gifted newsletter. Check out kellyturnergifted.weebly.com. Follow me on twitter @TurnersKnights.
Activity Bus Schedule
Do you have a child who stays after school for tutoring, clubs, sports, or any of our after school opportunities? We have activity bus runs every evening:
Monday - Friday, the bus departs at 4:40 p.m.
Monday and Tuesday only, there is a 2nd run at 5:45 p.m.
This schedule will be used each day we have a full day of classes. Any exceptions will be announced as soon as possible. Each student who is riding a bus at this time should be in
front of the school near the gym no more than 5 minutes before these times.
Upcoming Events
For all Beach District and VHSL sporting events involving YOUR Kellam Knights, click HERE.
For sports results and standings, click HERE.
October 2-6 - Homecoming Week
October 4 - SAT/PSAT Prep Workshop from 2:30-4:30pm (C236)
October 6 - Homecoming Football Game vs. Frank W. Cox High School
October 9 - Staff Day (No school for students)
October 11 - PSAT/CWRA Testing (See Alternate schedule here)
October 11 - College and Financial Aid Night (6-8pm)
October 12-13 - 10th Grade Vision & Hearing Screenings
October 18 - uKnight Advisory Block day
October 27 - Next issue of The Knightly News
November 15 - Registration Fair, Knights Rising, and AP Night
Stay in-the-know: There were over 2,400 views of our initial issue of The Knightly News! Click HERE to access the September 2017 issue and stay in-the-know.
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The Knightly News
Email: dwsmith@vbschools.com
Website: http://www.kellamhs.vbschools.com/
Location: 2665 West Neck Road, Virginia Beach, VA, United States
Phone: (757) 648-5100
Facebook: facebook.com/KellamHS
Twitter: @KellamHigh