The Knightly News
Parent Newsletter for Kellam High School - November 2019
Finally Fall
Hello Kellam Parents,
It’s hard to believe we are closing out on the first quarter of the 2019-2020 school year on November 4. Now is a great time for you to touch base with your students and revisit the goals they set for themselves at the beginning of the year. There have been many achievements and also some challenges along the way, but reflection is the key to all success.
As a reminder, November 5 will be our second virtual learning day, and students will receive assignments from their B-day classes. If you have questions about the virtual learning day, please click here. We will begin our second quarter on November 6.
Recently, I was proud to accept the Claudia Dodson Sportsmanship award on behalf of Kellam High School and our athletic department. This is a direct reflection of our dedication to compete with character and honor. Special thanks to Kathryn Cosimano, Student Activities Coordinator, her staff, coaches, and our student athletes who represent what it truly means to be a Knight. We will have several teams competing in postseason play this fall, so I hope to see you in the stands as we cheer our teams to victory. Also, please don’t miss your opportunity to catch our phenomenal theater department as they put on the fall show, Pride and Prejudice, November 7-9. Additionally, our SCA will be providing a fun experience for the whole family at our Fall Harvest Festival on November 16 at 1:00 p.m. in the stadium.
Lastly, it's already time to be thinking about classes for next year. Counselors will soon be meeting with each student to begin registering for courses for the 2020-21 school year. A registration fair will be held on November 13 at 6:00 p.m. for all parents to get more information about potential course selections. Please take advantage of this opportunity as we want to make sure students have signed up for the courses they really want. We conduct staffing decisions and build the master schedule based on these course requests, so it is imperative that they are accurate. Please spend some time talking with your students about the courses they have selected to ensure they have made an educated decision. Counselors are here to help should you have any questions.
I hope everyone has a wonderful November. Please be sure to return your federal cards by November 1! On behalf of the Kellam High School family, we thank all of our Veterans for their dedicated service to our country. We also wish you and your families a Happy Thanksgiving!
Ryan Schubart
Principal
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/.
Counselor's Corner
One-to-One Registration Meetings
We value our time with your students. We will begin our 9th grade student check-ins in November. Please see below for our registration schedule and ask your student about their experience! Course requests for next school year will begin being entered in Synergy on December 1st. Edits can be made to course requests through February 28th. Requests should be visible in Student/Parent VUE. Please don’t hesitate to contact your student’s school counselor with any questions!
UPCOMING COLLEGE VISITS TO KELLAM
Students Can sign-up for meeting with college admission representatives in the counseling office!
October 24 @ 11:45: CNU
October 29 @ 11:45: NC State
October 30 @ 11:45 Bryant & Stratton
November 20 @ 11:45: Johnson & Wales
IMPORTANT AP INFORMATION:
This year, the College Board has moved the AP exam registration process to the fall. Students may register for AP exams now. The deadline to register for all AP exams is Monday, November 4 at 11:59 pm. Students will again use the Total Registration website to register and pay for exams, and will also need to indicate their intent to test in their College Board myAP portal. Students should have already set up their myAP portal with their teachers during class. Families have the option of registering for exams with a $40 deposit. This deposit is non-refundable after the registration deadline, and all outstanding balances must be paid by March 6, 2020.
Should you have any questions, please contact Juliana Caruso or Dave Bunting in the School Counseling office.
Please see the following Important AP Testing Dates:
September 3, 2019: Total Registration opens for exam registration
November 4, 2019: Registration Deadline, in both Total Registration and the myAP Student Portal
**Registrations after this date incur a $40 late fee per exam
Culturally Speaking, Gossip is a Culture Killer
We all know that culture is important. We are always looking for ways to improve the culture in our homes, our churches and where we work. There are many things that can kill a positive culture, but let’s just look at one…gossip.
Students gossip. Adults gossip too. No one wants to really talk about it anymore because it is so yesterday. Talking about people behind their backs, and listening to people talk about other people behind their backs will subtly and surely kill the culture of any organization. And the damage can be irreparable.
A young woman talked about how she was looking forward to high school because middle school was not kind to her. A rumor got started behind her back at the beginning of middle school, and it grew and grew. Nothing about the rumor was true, but that did not stop it from growing. The young woman reported it to many people, and they responded. They doled out discipline, had conversations with parents, and the bullying students. That did not stop the rumor from growing either. This young woman was sure that the walls of her new high school would somehow give her the fresh start she so desired.
But it was not to be.
Barely a week into the school year, the rumors were back, but now the bullies were even bolder. They asked her to her face in the most awful ways about the rumors. When she denied them, they taunted her anyway saying, “Yeah, the stories are right about you.” By the time this young woman mustered up the strength to speak to someone in her new school, it seemed that everyone was talking about her and the rumors. Some students thought it was funny. Others avoided contact with the young woman, and most of all, none of them wanted to be her friend.
When expressing how she felt about the rumors and the teasing she said, “This is why people kill themselves.”
Is this the kind of culture that we have at Kellam High School? The kind of culture that creates these types of feelings?
Whoever is starting the gossip, spreading it, or LISTENING to it and repeating it is creating a culture that could literally kill our school’s spirit, and maybe even a classmate.
Culturally speaking…words do hurt!
uKnight
As the doors opened to a new school year, Kellam teachers and staff welcomed our students to uKnight, our Kellam High School Advisory program, which strives to ensure that at least one adult in the school is getting to know each student well, making sure their learning needs are being met, and encouraging them to make good academic choices and plan for their future. Our uKnight program fosters stronger adult-student relationships and a stronger sense of belonging and community among students.
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. uKnight advisors will:
Be a “go to” person
Communicate positive energy and communication about uKnight
Encourage positive and supportive peer relationships
Meet with students to discuss academic progress and set appropriate goals
Help to prepare students for transition to post-secondary opportunities such as college, career, military services, or entrepreneurship
The opening few weeks of the 2019-2020 school year included time for all students to meet with their advisory groups and to acclimate themselves to the purpose and structure of the program. Our 9th and 12th graders met new faces and friends, while our 10th and 11th graders reconnected with their uKnight crews from last year.
As the year progresses, students will engage in advisory sessions focused on college and career readiness, goal setting, connection with the school community, and social-emotional well being. In addition, our sophomores will be working on an Exhibition of Learning, and our seniors are engaged in the early stages of their Senior Signature Projects.
Here are a few questions to ask your child about the advisory experience:
Freshman uKnight
Who are your senior mentors? What words of wisdom have they shared with you?
What did you learn about academic planning during the Freshman Registration assembly? What courses interest you for next year and why?
Sophomore uKnight
Who is your advisor? Have you reached out to that teacher for guidance?
What interest or artifact did you share during uKnight Teach Me Something New?
Junior uKnight
Who is your advisor? Have you reached out to that teacher for guidance?
Which Junior College and Career Readiness Rotations did you select and why?
Senior uKnight
Who is your advisor? Have you reached out to that teacher for guidance?
What do you know so far about the Senior Signature Project?
What might the focus for your Senior Signature Project be?
Parents and Guardians, we host mock interviews for our seniors each spring. We are looking for individuals who have had or currently have experience in interviewing individuals for a variety of reasons: employment, promotions, selection into a program, etc. We also need volunteers to speak to our juniors about vocational careers, small-business ownership, and community service opportunities. If you are interested in serving in any of these areas, please contact Robin Hoffman at rlhoffma@vbschools.com.
LMC News: We Have ebooks!
Did you know that all VBCPS students now have year-round digital access to public library resources? Students have access to ebooks, audiobooks and online preparation for tests such as the ACT, SAT, AP Testing, and the ASVAB. Students can access these resources through Clever or by going to the VBPL Digital Library Page.
Login: S + VBCPS Student ID number. Example: S1234567
Password or "PIN": Date of birth in MMDD format. Example: a Jan. 1 birthday would be 0101
For more information, come by the Kellam LMC, give us a call @ 757.648.5170, or email Mrs. Spreder or Mrs. Staples.
FAFSA Information
From the Desk of KC/AP- Student Activities
Student Activities: What You Need to Know for November
Winter Sports Tryouts: The first day of winter sports is November 11. If you have any sport-specific tryout questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of the coaches listed below. All students must have a completed VHSL sports physical dated after May 1, 2019, on file in order to participate.
★ Girls Basketball: Mr. Brook Parker, coachp1977@aol.com
★ Boys Basketball: Mr. Norm Hassell, Norman.hassell@vbschools.com
★ Gymnastics: Ms. Debi Strausbaugh, Deborah.strausbaugh@vbschools.com
★ Swimming: Mrs. Susan Bailey, Susan.Bailey@vbschools.com and
Mrs. Kathleen Lambert, kathleen.lambert@vbschools.com
★ Wrestling: Mr. Mike Benzel, Michael.benzel@vbschools.com
★ B/G Indoor Track: Mr. Bill Bernard, kellamtrack@icloud.com
Fall Drama Show: The Kellam Drama department will be presenting Pride and Prejudice Nov. 7-9 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at www.gofan.co and will also be sold at the door. Adult tickets are $8.00 and student tickets are $5.00.
A Knight of Fashion: The fashion marketing students are working hard to bring you another great fashion show event. Save the date: A Knight of Fashion will be held Thursday, November 14 at 7:00 p.m in the Castle. The annual event is a promotional project planned, produced and choreographed by the Advanced Fashion Marketing program in collaboration with the Fine Arts department, who will serve as the design team for stage, runway, lighting and sound effects. The show will feature seven local businesses and the fantastic choreography, creativity and talent of the fashion marketing students. This year’s production represents a night for all Knights. Come support the show this November for a sneak peek at fall chic. Tickets go on sale soon and can be purchased at: https://gofan.co/app/events/69521
Fall Harvest Fest: The SCA will sponsor the second annual Harvest Festival at Kellam High School on Saturday, November 16 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission to the event is free. Classes, clubs, and sports teams will hold activities throughout the day - some are free, and some have a minimal cost. Activities include a bounce house, petting zoo, face painting, Chili Cook-off, and much more!
Senior Portraits: Senior portraits are due Friday November 15. If seniors have not selected their formal pose from Prestige Portraits, they need to go to www.prestigeportraits.com to select the pose they want to appear in the senior section; otherwise, the yearbook staff will choose the best pose for the student.
If you’d like a portrait done by Prestige Portraits, call 757-222-0222 to schedule an appointment, but please know they fill up fast with students from other schools. If students use a photographer other than Prestige, they will need to have the digital file sent to Mr. Zanetti at sjzanett@vbschools.com by November 16, or they run the risk of not being included in the senior section of the yearbook.
Fall Sports Banquet: The Fall Sports Banquet will be on Monday, November 18. Dinner will be catered by Moe’s Southwest Grill beginning at 6:00 PM. Dinner tickets can be purchased in the main office from October 28 to November 11. Dinner tickets are $5.00 per athlete and $10.00 per adult. The Awards Program will be in the main auditorium and will begin at 7:00 p.m.
2019 Powder Puff Game: The Juniors will try to topple the Seniors in the 2019 Powder Puff Football game on Thursday, November 21. Kickoff will be at 6:00 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the gate: $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for students. All proceeds will go to the Jeannine Kinzel Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Kellam Registration KNIGHT
It's Federal Card Time
Okay, let me calm down. Federal cards will be distributed and collected this week. We appreciate cooperation in completing and returning these cards as soon as possible. Please address any questions or concerns to Terri Weaver, who can be reached by email at tjweaver@vbschools.com or ext. 85130.
If your student loses his or her card, please send them to the Counseling Department immediately for a replacement.
SCA News
SCA will be holding its Second Annual Harvest Festival on Saturday, November 16 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission to the event is free of charge. There will be clubs, classes, and teams raising money through some of the activities. Come join us and the rest of the community and enjoy the Bounce Houses, Face Painting, Chili Cook-off, Music, Petting Zoo, and more!
SCA is offering a KIDS NIGHT OUT on Friday, December 6 from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Kellam High School for children aged 4-12. Pizza and snacks will be provided along with games, crafts, and movie time. The cost is $35 for one child, and $50 for two. Registration forms will be available on the Kellam Website beginning November 1st. Registration will close on December 3.
Save the date! Leadership Workshop will be March 6-8, 2020 at Triple R Ranch. Applications will be available starting February 6th.
Need Help In Algebra, Geometry or Algebra 2?
Upcoming Events
For all Beach District and VHSL sporting events involving YOUR Kellam Knights, click HERE.
For sports results and standings, click HERE.
October 31 - Fall Blood Drive
November 3 - Daylight Saving’s Time
November 4 - End of First Nine Weeks
November 5 - Virtual Learning Day- Students work at home(Staff Day)
November 11 - School Closed (Veterans' Day)
November 13 - Registration Knight: Rising Freshmen (6pm) and Current 9th to 11th Graders (7pm)
November 13 - Report Cards issued
November 16 - SCA Harvest Festival
November 23 - Fall Drama Kids Kamp
November 27 - Adjusted Dismissal (Schedules)
November 28 and 29 - School Closed (Thanksgiving Holiday)
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