The Knightly News
Parent Newsletter March 5, 2021
Principal’s Message
Hello Knight Families,
It has been so wonderful to have students back at the Castle these past few weeks. While we are strictly adhering to safety mitigations to include mask-wearing, handwashing, social distancing, and altered traffic patterns, it is energizing to be able to interact with those students who feel safe to do so. We are working to safely restore as many of the high school experiences and traditions as we can to support our students’ social and emotional needs. We look forward to engaging with our face-to-face and virtual students as we progress towards June.
A large part of our outreach for students comes through participation in student activities. Now more than ever, it is important for your students to stay involved whether it be through athletics, clubs, or other activities. If your student is struggling to find a way to connect, please encourage them to reach out to Ms. Pratt, our Student Activities Coordinator.
Speaking of athletics and activities, Kellam High School enjoyed a very safe and successful Winter sports season. Several of our athletic and academic teams advanced to regional and state competition. Additionally, we just kicked off our “Fall” sports season and look forward to similar successes. Please be sure to review this edition of the Knightly News to ensure you are familiar with the spectator limitations and procedures. We are also excited to kick off our performing arts programs so be on the lookout for opportunities to catch those performances.
As we approach the end of the first marking period for Term 2, it is important to check with your students to ensure they are on a course for success. The pace of the 4x4 schedule is swift and requires diligence. Teachers and support staff are standing by to support any student who needs assistance. As a reminder, students must pass at least three courses during this term or an equivalent course in summer school to be eligible for VHSL athletics and activities during the Fall of 2021–22.
In the coming weeks, we will be communicating additional information regarding SOL, AP and PSAT testing. Further information about senior class activities to include awards ceremonies and graduation will also be provided. We look forward to celebrating all of the opportunities March has in store before enjoying Spring Break on April 8–12. Please also make note that Friday, April 2 is currently scheduled to be an adjusted dismissal day for students and staff. Students will be dismissed at 11:35 a.m. Have a great March!
Ryan C. Schubart
Principal
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @KellamHigh and Facebook: KellamHS. Our website is updated regularly for more information: https://kellamhs.vbschools.com/
Congratulations to Teresa Manco, Kellam High School’s 20–21 Teacher Assistant of the Year
Kellam High School PTSA
GIVEBACKS: When you buy Givebacks, up to 20% of ALL sales go back to our PTSA! Every gift gives back. Share your purchases on social media—the more you share, the more funds we raise.
PAPA JOHN'S PIZZA:
1. Purchase a Papa John's Coupon Card for $10.00. Each card includes promo codes for 6 free items!
2. Order Papa John's Pizza for carryout or delivery and use promo code KellamHS.
Both Papa John’s Pizza fundraising events are valid now until April 2.
ATTENTION ALL SENIORS
Copies of the 2020–2021 Kellam PTSA Scholarship guide are available in the guidance office and on Scholarship Central. The deadline for all applications is April 16, 2021. Please contact pamula.poteet@vbschools.com with any questions.
As a National PTA School of Excellence, families feel welcomed and empowered to support student success, and the PTSA is a key partner for continuous school improvement. We feel Floyd E. Kellam High School and our PTSA can achieve that together—and the result will be national, state and community-wide visibility for the positive impact we are making together at Floyd E. Kellam High School.
We are in the final stages of the renewal of our National PTA School Of Excellence application. Let your voice be heard! Please take a minute to complete the final online survey. The deadline for completing the survey is Friday, March 19, 2021.
SOL Save the Date
What: SOL Writing test
When: March 22 (multiple choice part) and March 29 (short paper part)
Who: All Term 2 students enrolled in English 11, Honors English 11 and AP Lang/Comp, and Term 1 students who were absent for January testing.
How: Testing begins at 7:20. There will be bus transportation and access to free breakfast and lunch.
Questions: Contact Mrs. Long, school improvement specialist at 648-5123 or email Lisa.Long2@VBSchools.co
Academic Excellence
Virginia Beach City Public Schools and Kellam High School believe a Signature Project can serve as the culmination of a students’ education within our division. This exciting project is completed with the assistance of teachers, mentors, and the signature project coordinator and is designed to showcase our students’ strengths, skills, and interests in a particular topic. Students will be able to demonstrate their ability to apply, analyze, synthesize and evaluate information and communicate this knowledge to an audience. Most importantly, the signature project should apply student-learning to real life situations and experiences beyond the curriculum and school building.
For students enrolled in English 12, the student may use his/her Passion Project as a Signature Project. For students enrolled in AP Literature or Dual Enrollment, the project will be independent and student-driven. The project is not mandatory; however, we feel strongly in its value to round out our students’ high school experiences.
This year we are offering six $500 scholarships to students who share their projects. The application and presentation scheduling forms are linked below. We are also excited to announce that we received a grant that will allow us to create a designated space for students to work on their passions and projects. In addition, students who complete the project will receive a seal on their diplomas.
There are many things students are already doing that they may choose to share as their signature project. Please feel free to view the video shared with English students this year and contact Ms. McGee or Mrs. Hoffman with any questions.
School Counseling Update
Good Afternoon Class of 2021 Families!
As we “Spring into Scholarship Season,” the school counseling department would like to share the information given to students this week to encourage students to search and apply for scholarships.
The VBCPS Pathways Panel series on scholarships is a 15-minute video that provides a broad overview of scholarships. We encourage you to watch the video with your student here.
Students are encouraged to utilize Scholarship Central and Going Merry to search for scholarships. Scholarship Central is a resource for locating various scholarships for high school students. It is updated on a regular basis, so it is important to keep checking the site for new scholarship opportunities. Going Merry is a free scholarship application platform where students can find and apply for national, regional, and local scholarships directly from the website. Students can create a free Going Merry account where they can build a profile with their demographic information, academic information, extracurricular activities, and honors/awards to match them with scholarships. Students also have the option to upload their transcript and letters of recommendation to directly apply to different scholarships. Review this video for an overview of Going Merry and setting up your account.
In addition to Scholarship Central and Going Merry, school counselors will alert students to scholarship opportunities via a Schoology Group (Access Code: ZJ7K-43S7-B48SQ).
Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your student’s school counselor.
Access Update
The ACCESS "Last Dollar" Scholarship Application is now available for seniors who have been admitted to a two or four year college and submitted a FAFSA form! A minimum of a 2.5 cumulative GPA is required for most of the scholarships, with a couple of exceptions (additional requirements are listed in the application). The scholarship application with all supporting documents must be submitted online at https://accesscollege.org/apply-now. Once the application has been submitted, it will be sent to Mrs. Gastler for initial review. Deadline is Tuesday, APRIL 27!
Please contact our ACCESS Advisor, Mrs. Gastler, at sgastler@accesscollege.org (from a personal email), in Schoology, or Text/Call (757) 563-4630 with any questions.
New Courses
The VBCPS School Board recently approved a new Social Studies elective course for next year: "African American History" (SO2361). Please click HERE for a full description. If you are interested in adding this to your course requests for next year, contact your school counselor.
Student Activities
Twitter: @KellamHigh
Instagram: kellam_knights
Facebook: Floyd E. Kellam High School
Check out the Student Activities Resource Guide! This resource is designed to help students and parents explore the many extracurricular activities opportunities available at Kellam.
Please use this presentation, Kellam HS VHSL Eligibility, as a guide on requirements for participation as well as dates for the Athletic and Academic teams.
Winter Sports Awards
The Winter Sports Awards will be on Thursday, March 18 at 6:00 p.m. in the gym. Only winter coaches and athletes will be allowed to attend. The event will be live streamed for free on the NFHS network.
NFHS NETWORK
Due to COVID restrictions, we have limitations on game attendance. For games/matches that are played in Beach District school gyms and stadiums, you can view the games on the NFHS network. Use this link for subscription information: NFHS Subscription Information. Region and State event streaming will be subject to the equipment available at the host site.
Fall Sports
Our Fall sports are kicking off at the castle! We are excited to now be able to have 250 spectators at outdoor games. Below are the mitigation strategies for each sport:
Away football games: For each home football game, the home team receives 150 tickets and the away team receives 100. Each senior football player and cheerleader will be given 2 tickets per away game. All underclassmen football players and cheerleaders will be given 1 ticket per away game. Tickets will be given out by the coaches at Thursday practices. No tickets will be available at the gate. Please do not come to campus seeking to gain entry or to watch events from the parking lot without a ticket. Only ticket holders will be permitted to enter the parking lot during game times. All football games will be streamed on the NFHS network. Thank you for your cooperation in helping us provide a fan experience for our athletes.
We are still planning our Football, Cheer, and Band Senior Night/Homecoming game on March 26. More information on tickets for this game will be released as the plans are finalized.
Cross Country: Each member of the team will receive a wristband that will allow one spectator per runner to attend. Wristbands will be given out by the coaches at Tuesday practices.
Field Hockey and Golf: We are allowed a 250 maximum. If staying at this limit becomes an issue, we will revert to a ticket system similar to the other fall sports.
Volleyball and Competition Cheer: There will be no spectators allowed for these sports since they are indoors. Both sports will be streamed on the NFHS network.
Spring Sports
We are excited to welcome back our Varsity Spring Sports teams to conditioning beginning on March 8, with tryouts beginning on April 12. Any athlete who wishes to participate must have a VHSL physical on file dated after May 1, 2020. All athletes are also required to have a filled water bottle and mask at each conditioning and practice session. A PDF scan of the physicals can be emailed to amy.pratt@vbschools.com or given to the coach.
Outdoor Track and Field: Outdoor track and field conditioning is after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting March 8. Bring a water bottle, a mask, and a physical (dated after May 1, 2020). Outdoor track and field tryouts will be from April 12 to April 16. For more information contact: Head Coach and Distance Coach Bill Bernard (757) 343-5533, Kellamtrack@icloud.com or Assistant Coach and Sprint/Field Coach R.C. Gay IV (757) 469-8101, Robert.gayiv@vbschools.com.
Softball: Kellam Softball conditioning will begin on Monday, March 8. All students who are interested in attending are welcome. Conditioning will be held Monday–Thursday from 3:00–4:30 p.m. at the softball field. Players will need to register using the Google form link below. Once you register, Coach Gavin will email you two specific days a week to attend conditioning. You must have a current VHSL physical form completed and on file with the
Kellam Student Activities office. Contact Ms. Gavin by email at lori.gavin@vbschools.com with any other questions. Softball Conditioning Registration Form
Baseball: email Coach Jones at st.clair.jones@vbschools.com for information.
Girls Soccer: email Coach Hurdle at mario.hurdle@vbschools.com for information.
Boys Soccer: email Coach Powers at craig.powers@vbschools.com for information.
Girls Tennis: email James Yermal at jmyermall11@gmail.com or Lizette Driscoll at Lizette.MosqueraDriscoll@vbschools.com for information.
Boys Tennis: email Coach Hoffman at alex.hoffman@vbschools.com for information.
Senior Caps and Gowns
Caps and Gowns will be distributed on April 12, May 10, June 3, and June 7. These will all be drive-through events at Kellam. Specific details on times will be released as we get closer to the dates. You can still order your graduation items such as caps and gowns, graduation announcements, and Class of 2021 apparel! The Jostens Cap and Gown Information Sheet will provide you with instructions on how to order. You can visit www.jostens.com to view these items and even order now by typing in our school name. If you have any questions, email Eric Harvell at eric.harvell@jostens.com. Congratulations to you and your senior!
Spirit week will begin on Monday, March 23rd
Spirit week will begin on Monday, March 23 with the Homecoming Football game and crowning of our Homecoming King and Queen on Friday, March 26.
Look for special events during advisory!
The list of spirit days will be posted on social media and made public through morning announcements.
Juniors and Seniors use the link on your HKL page or through your English Class’s Schoology page.
Important Announcements
Attendance Reminder!
Attendance Matters, What You Can Do Helps!
Know Kellam High School’s Attendance policy and procedures: click on the quick links below:
o Kellam Attendance Guidelines & Procedures
Please review the highlighted Late Arrival and Early Release guidelines in the In-person Learning Environment During COVID-19
o For the Early Release Request Form, CLICK HERE
o School Board Policies and Procedures
Encourage your student’s attendance and inform them of the impact it makes for a successful academic year.
Communicate with your student’s Administrator, School Counselor or Teacher if you notice sudden changes in behavior or have issues that can potentially cause attendance issues.
Check on your student’s attendance periodically. To access your student’s attendance profile, log into Parent Portal or ParentVue Mobile App.
Provide parent verification of absences, by completing the electronic Kellam Absence Form, click here, to prevent Unverified Absences (UNV).
Please contact the Attendance Office if you have any questions at 648-5105 or email KellamAttendance@vbschools.com.
Upcoming Events
Stay connected to our calendar and mark yours!
For all Beach District and VHSL sporting events involving YOUR Kellam Knights, click HERE.
Mark your calendars:
March 1-31- Women's History Month
March 4 - Term 2 Marking Period 1 Ends
March 11- Report Card Issued
March17 - St. Patrick's Day
March 22-26 - Homecoming Spirit Week
March 23-26 - Homecoming Week
April 2- Next Issue of the Knightly News
Stay in-the-know: Access prior issues by clicking on the month below:
The Knightly News
Email: ryan.schubart@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