The Knightly News
Parent Newsletter for Kellam High School - March 2019
School Safety is Everyone's Responsibility
As we March into this month, pun intended, is it a great time for safety reminders.
Be Social. Be Smart. Be Safe
Making a threat against our school, online or in person, can result in criminal charges and expulsion from school. Even if the message is posted as a joke, it will be taken seriously. School safety is everyone’s responsibility. If you see or hear something that is concerning it should be reported to a teacher, administrator or police right away. Be Social. Be Smart. Be Safe.
The school division has a Be Social. Be Smart. Be Safe campaign. As part of that campaign the following video was created. It will be shown on the morning announcements as an additional reminder. Click here to view.
Be Aware. Be Observant. Be Safe
There is only one entrance with an unlocked door. This door is monitored by security staff from the minute that it is unlocked in the morning until it is locked in the afternoon. Students are reminded by signs and announcements not to let anyone into our building from other doors. They should never prop or place objects in our doors for them to remain open. If they notice a door open, please remind them to shut it and notify a teacher, administrator or security staff.
Be Healthy. Be Helpful. Be Safe
Mental health is still a growing concern across our country and we must all learn to recognize and support those in need. If you ever a student believes that someone is a danger to themselves or others, it is all of our responsibility to let a responsible adult know. This is our school and our community.
The following school division resources are available to support Mental Health:
National Suicide Hotline (1-800-273-8255)
Please take this opportunity to talk with your child about their responsibility and their role in keeping our school and community safe.
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)
These cold days bring the hope of spring and warmer times!! With Spring being right around the corner, we would love volunteers and support as we move into these busy springtime months to enhance the experiences for our Knights. We will be looking for donations and volunteers for the Teacher Appreciation Luncheon and the Senior Picnic, which are coming up in the next few months. Please email Amber Sloan kellamptsapresident2@gmail.com if interested in volunteering.
Gradfest 2019
We would love to have you volunteer!! Do you love to decorate? Do you love to volunteer and watch students have fun? All underclassmen parents are invited to come out and volunteer at this amazing night!! If you have any desire to help with an awesome event that makes the final memory of the seniors’ time at Kellam High School a special one please contact Holly Thornton at allknightgradfest@gmail.com.
PTSA Board 2019-20
Do you have any interest in volunteering with the PTSA for the next school year? If you are interested in serving on the Kellam High School PTSA Executive Board, please contact Dana.cho@vbschools.com. The submission deadline for candidates interested in a position is March 22, 2019.
Membership/Stress Free Fundraising
We are still looking to have a PTSA membership sponsor for every student. If you had intended to support the PTSA but time just got away from you, please take a minute to join and support Kellam PTSA through Stress Free Fundraising using the payment link as listed below.
Thank you for your continued support!! Go Knights!!
Castle Counselors
Mr. Beacham and Mrs. Knight, our scholarship co-chairpersons, want to encourage seniors to start turning in financial award letters. They need to document all money offered whether they have accepted it or not. This includes scholarships and money offered to students from their future college/university as well as all the other schools applied. We need this documentation for two reasons: 1) Each VB high school reports the total dollars earned by their students for school totals announced in the newspaper (Let’s make this graduating class shine!) 2) Recognition at our senior awards program. All students accepting scholarship award money will be recognized at the program and their parents will be invited to attend. Paper copies can be turned in or originals brought in and copies made. Forwarding emails, if the letter is electronic, is also acceptable and appreciated.
ALL RISING SENIORS WHO PLAN TO HAVE AN EARLY RELEASE OR LATE ARRIVAL BELL NEXT YEAR, MUST HAVE THEIR PINK FORMS TURNED IN ASAP!! Requests will be turned into study block periods without this form turned in this month.
ALL Students planning to take a TCC Dual Enrollment Course (English is a very popular one!) Must have their application returned no later than April 1st. Late applications mean we cannot guarantee a seat in the course.
AP Testing registration is currently open, but will close at 11:59pm on Wednesday, March 27th. We are again using Total Registration for all AP exam registrations and payments. You can access Kellam’s Total Registration website here and reference the following links for more information:
AP Registration Information Letter
AP Student and Parent Bulletin
If you know you have a conflict on the date of an AP exam, please contact Juliana Caruso or Dave Bunting in the School Counseling Office as soon as possible, or with any other questions.Culturally Speaking- Women are Changing the World!
Women and their contributions to their homes, their country and the world should be honored every day or at least for 31 days. March is officially Women’s History Month. The contributions made by women can be seen in all walks of life. Beginning with Dorothy Hodgkin, a British chemist, who was awarded the Nobel prize in 1964 for her work on critical discoveries of the structure of both penicillin and later insulin. In the world of medicine, Patricia Bath, eye surgeon, professor of ophthalmology, was the first person to invent and demonstrate Laserphaco cataract surgery. In the world of sports, Serena William was the first tennis player to win 23 Grand Slam singles titles in the open era. Closer to home, Gabby Douglas the first American gymnast to win solo and team all-around gold medals at one Olympics.
These are not the first women nor the first women of color or race they were the first. Some discoveries would have not been made or at best would have been delayed without the contributions of these women. Furthermore, our modern day women continue to be the first with Selena Gomez being the first person to reach 100 million followers on Instagram.
Women's History Month is an annual declared month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. It is celebrated during March in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. The National Women's History Alliance selects a theme for each year's celebration, and highlights the women who helped advance that cause. This year’s theme: “Visionary Women: Champions of Peace & Nonviolence
So what can you do to honor Women's History Month in your own home? Start by simply acknowledging the month. Then learn a little more about any historical woman who has inspired; start a fundraiser for a worthy organization for women or donate supplies to a women’s shelter; watch a documentary about a great woman; do something special for a woman in your life; teach your children to honor and respect woman. There is still time to make a plan to honor women’s place in history and in your life.
Maya Angelou was a woman who inspired many women with powerful poems and quotes about different topics relevant to women all around the world. During this month let one of these quotes be an inspiration to you.
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
“If you only have one smile in you give it to the people you love.”
“All great achievements require time.”
From the SCA
Kellam’s Sixth Leadership Workshop will take place from Friday, March 8th to Sunday, March 10th at Triple R Ranch. Over 130 student delegates will take part in leadership activities such as team building, communication skills, collaboration, decision making, and group dynamics.
Kellam will be hosting the VHSL Student Leaders Conference on Friday and Saturday, April 5-6th. Nearly 1200 students and advisers will be in attendance at this conference. If you are interested in helping or volunteering in any way, please contact Abbie McGee (abbie.mcgee@vbschools.com) or Kately Taliaferro (katelyn.taliaferro@vbschools.com).
Twitter: @KHS_SCA (Kellam HS SCA 17-18)
Instagram: @kellamsca (Kellam High School SCA)
Facebook: KellamHS (Floyd E Kellam High School)
From the Desk of K. Cos- Student Activity Coordinator
Student Activity Report, March 2019
Signing Day
Kellam celebrated our 2nd Annual Signing Day on Wednesday, February 6. We were able to celebrate 18 student athletes who will be continuing their athletic and academic careers at the collegiate level. We also look forward to celebrating more Seniors as they continue to make athletic commitments for next year.
Winter Sports Banquet
The Winter Sports Banquet is scheduled for Tuesday, March 12. Dinner, sponsored by the Kellam Booster Club, will begin at 6pm in the Cafe Commons. The awards ceremony will begin at 7pm in the Auditorium. Dinner tickets will be available for purchase March 4-8 during lunch in the Cafe Commons.
Click here for more information about tickets:Tickets for the winter banquet dinner
Camps
Kellam is excited to offer a wide variety of summer camps. Click the links below to see the camp registration form/informational flyer and the parental consent form.
All summer camp questions should be directed to Kellam Camps Coordinator, Amy Pratt, at Amy.pratt@vbschools.com.
Graduation Ticket Information, Class of 2019
We are getting ready to celebrate the Class of 2019 at Kellam’s upcoming graduation. Graduation is scheduled for Saturday, June 15 at 1pm at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. A full Senior Scoop Sheet will be coming out in April. Each graduating Senior will receive 9 graduation tickets with an additional ticket for those students who purchased a Senior Bundle. We will not offer any additional tickets.
Please contact Katie Cosimano at Kathryn.cosimano@vbschools.com with any student activity questions.
Announcements
- Writing Testing Information and Schedule
- Hampton Roads Business Communication Competition Sponsored by Norfolk State University
Click Here for information about the Hampton Roads Business Communication Competition sponsored by Norfolk State University (NSU). The topic of the contest essay must be Robotics: Future Impact on Humanity. Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) will have the opportunity to submit one student essay representing the division for the final pitch event to be held at Norfolk State University in late April 2019.Student winners of the final round of competition will receive scholarships and cash prizes as follows:
- 1st Place: $10,000 - $8,000 scholarship and $2,000 cash
- 2nd Place: $3,000 - $2,000 scholarship and $1,000 cash
- 3rd Place: $1,500 - $1,000 scholarship and $500 cash
- Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up Loop. Parents who drop off and pick up their students from school should do so only at the front loop. Dropping off and picking up students at locations other than the loop can be dangerous for pedestrians and also can compound morning traffic problems. Also, remember that each week, as more students are getting their driver’s licenses, more cars are on the roads to Kellam. Please be aware that you may need to plan on leaving for school earlier to be on time.
Upcoming Events
For all Beach District and VHSL sporting events involving YOUR Kellam Knights, click HERE.
For sports results and standings, click HERE
March 1 - 3rd Quarter Progress Reports
March 1 - Culturally Festival
March 4 - PTSA Meeting (5:30pm)
March 6 - uKnight Advisory Day
March 8 -10 Kellam Leadership Workshop
March 12 and 13 - Writing SOL for 11th Grade (Adjusted Bell Schedule TBD)
March 14 - Staff vs. Students Basketball Game (7pm)
March 15 Job Shadow Day
March 27 - uKnight Advisory Day
March 29 - Staff Day (No School for Students)
Stay in-the-know: Access prior issues by clicking on the month below:
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