The Knightly News
Parent Newsletter - September 2021
Principal’s Message
Hello Knight Families,
We are excited to welcome just under 1900 returning and new Knights to the Castle on September 9! We have high hopes for a safe and productive school year as we get Back on Track to the Future!
Our administrative team, faculty, and staff have been working hard to design an amazing experience that will empower future-ready learners and leaders. At Kellam High School we aim to shape global citizens, life-long learners, difference makers, and dynamic leaders. If you are, or know a Kellam graduate, then you know exactly what it means to be a Knight. However, we cannot do it alone. We need your support, in the way of partnerships, sponsorships, internship opportunities, PTSA memberships, and serving on exhibition of learning panels, just to name a few.
This year we will continue to ensure high-quality instruction for every student in a safe and inclusive environment. While we are still experiencing challenges related to the pandemic, my hope is that we will continue to expand opportunities for our students to become involved. Our SCA theme, Through the Castle and Beyond, supports the idea that our work here has implications for the future, including the connections we make and the experiences we have as a result of getting involved in student activities.
This edition of The Knightly News is full of important information that will help you and your student get off to a great start. I am looking forward to an awesome school year. Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
Ryan Schubart
Principal
Kellam High School
Don't forget to follow us on Twitter: @KellamHigh and Facebook: KellamHS. Our website is updated regularly for more information: https://kellamhs.vbschools.com/
Kellam High School PTSA
PRESIDENT – Madonna Monahan
VICE-PRESIDENT (MEMBERSHIP) – Christine Sullivan
TREASURER – Ginny Pritchett
SECRETARY – Jessie Lindsey
HOSPITALITY – Vanessa Bernal
SCHOLARSHIP – Pamula Poteet
Please JOIN The Kellam High School PTSA
DON’T FORGET TO JOIN THE KELLAM HIGH SCHOOL PTSA
When you join the Kellam High School PTSA, you join a community that encourages student achievement and enriches the learning environment.
The Kellam High School PTSA:
Creates the village that helps raise our kids and strengthens our community
Links families to important school and community information
Hosts educational programs and events for our families
Raises money to support the needs of our school and community
Tracks policies so we can advocate for what is best for Kellam High School, our families and the community
We are still in need of volunteers to fill the following positions:
Vice-President (Programs)
Oversees all PTSA activities and events by assisting in the organization, communication, and coordination of PTSA activities and events.
Corresponding Secretary
Maintains and updates the PTSA Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts; coordinates with the school media specialist to update the PTSA webpage; informs the school community about PTSA programs and events.
Reflections Coordinator/Chair
Manages and works with citywide PTA to promote student creativity; coordinates the review of student submissions
GradFest Chair and Committee Members
Manages the all-Knight celebration for the graduating class; coordinates with vendors to secure a venue and sponsorships; organizes Grad-Fest details and logistics; develops and oversees fundraising opportunities; oversees each phase of Grad-Fest to ensure it runs smoothly.
Join us for Kellam's Virtual Parent Night on September 23rd at 6:00 pm! We will hold a brief general membership meeting to vote on:
The 2020-2021 PTSA Financial Review (Audit) https://klhs.memberhub.com/public/uploads/95eaf188-b0c0-4805-b767-058fc31e06da
The Proposed 2021-2022 PTSA Budget https://klhs.memberhub.com/public/uploads/bea2b5ff-fe60-4284-8a58-332be6bc61f0
Use the links above to review each document prior to voting at the meeting. Please contact the PTSA Treasurer, Ginny Pritchett, at gpritchett@cox.net with any questions.
Inclusivity: Understanding Majority Rules
Understanding “Majority Rule”
Our country was founded on the concept that all people are created equal and that each person has the essential rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our founders had the fortitude to design a system that supported these precious rights along with providing room for growth and change. The core of democracy is majority rule, the crafting of binding resolutions by a vote of greater than one-half of all persons who partake in an election. So, if you are a part of the majority, should you be required to consider those who are different from you? Our country has answered “yes” to this question.
From the beginning, it has been required that majority rule had to be distributed with minority rights in mind. This means that the majority has to be careful not to infringe on the rights of minorities while voting for personal self-interest. It also allows for certain protections due to the vulnerable situation that minorities are placed in from lacking political power to create laws in their best interest. The concept of majority rule does provide the majority with the right to make political decisions for the whole group. However, the understanding of rights for the minority protects minorities from having their basic rights taken away by elected majorities. In the end, no system is flawless, but the safeguards placed into our constitution continuously push us forward towards that perfect union we all hope for.
Think about some of the pros and cons of “Majority Rule”.
Counselor's Corner
Welcome Back, Parents!
The counseling team is excited to have students back in the building! We are also thrilled to have our entire student support services team back and we have no changes in personnel to report.
We first want to remind you of our valuable resource: www.kellamcounselor.com.
This site is a wealth of information from counselor contact information, post-secondary and academic planning resources, presentations, forms, and mental health supports.
Here are the counselor-sponsored events this month:
SEPTEMBER
Senior One-to-One Visits:
Beginning on September 27, counselors will have one-to-one check-in meetings with each senior to discuss how they are feeling about senior year, college applications, military recruitment, career search, or any other ways we can support their post-secondary planning. Here is the schedule of when we will see your senior during their English 12 course.
SEPTEMBER 14: 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. VIRTUAL FORMAT: Parents and students will receive an overview of important information relevant to graduating seniors. From college application deadlines and information to resources for employment and enlistment, counselors will help guide you and your student through it all. This information will be a Digital Q&A Webinar Format so you can join us from the comfort of your home. More information on how to register will be available soon.
IMPORTANT ADD/DROP DEADLINES:
LAST DAY TO ADD A COURSE FOR A SEMESTER CLASS: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
LAST DAY TO ADD A COURSE FOR A YEARLONG CLASS: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
LAST DAY TO DROP A CLASS (must still have enough courses to be considered full-time): FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021
AP Testing
Registration for AP exams will open soon after the start of school and close November 8th. AP exams cost $96, with the exception of AP Seminar and AP Research, which cost $144. This year, Kellam is lucky to be participating with NMSI, the National Math and Science Initiative, that among other things, will cover half of the cost of AP Math, AP Science, AP Computer Science, and AP English Language exams.
AP exam registration is a two-step process. Teachers will guide all students through step 1, joining their AP Classrooms in their College Board accounts, during class. If students plan to take the AP exam in May, step 2, registration and payment for exam fees in Total Registration, must be completed at home by the November 8th deadline. Families will have the option to register with a $40 deposit per exam and pay the remaining balance by March 8, 2022. Please stay tuned for more information from your student’s teacher and Kellam’s AP coordinator, Juliana Caruso.
Attendance Matters, What You Do Helps!
Know Kellam High School Attendance policy and procedures: Click on the quick links below:
Kellam Attendance Guidelines & Procedures
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).
All attendance guidelines and procedures as well as Absence and Early Release forms are located on our school website in the Parents tab.
Please contact the Attendance Office if you have any questions at 648-5105 or email KellamAttendance@vbschools.com.
Chromebooks
Kellam High School continues to transform the instruction your child is receiving at our school. A significant part of this transformation is the regular use of a wide variety of digital resources and tools. To meet the needs of all students, we are now able to provide a Chromebook to every student in grades 9-12. Students will be responsible to have their fully charged Chromebook at school every day. They will keep their assigned device for the duration of their years at Kellam High School to include summer, until graduation or relocation.
Similarly, they may be responsible for any damages done to the Chromebook as well as loss or theft. Details of student responsibilities are delineated in the Student Digital Device Agreement which is included in the Parent Acknowledgement Form sent home at the start of school. Parents will be contacted directly to register to receive their child’s Internet browsing history and may further restrict access to sites when the device is in use off school campus. Parent adjustments to student access do not impact the filtering in place while on school grounds. You are encouraged to review the expectations with your student. Please CLICK HERE to access the expectations to include Acceptable Use Policy and CLICK HERE for the Code of Student Conduct.
All students must reset their password prior to the start of school. Please CLICK HERE for instructions on the proper password reset procedure using a VBCPS Chromebook.
Parent Drop Off and Student Decals
Students should be dropped off at the main entrance at the front door where security is present and the doors are unlocked.
Dropping off students in the bus loop or the staff parking lot is prohibited for safety reasons. The doors will not be opened for dropped-off students and no security is present for that purpose.
All student drivers are required to have a decal to park their vehicle on school property.
Applications are available online. Decals may be picked/purchased in the Main Office during the designated times and dates for the price of $45 cash or check.
Only Seniors and Juniors with a valid driver’s license, registration, and completed application may purchase decals
Parking in spots marked Handicapped, Visitor, Staff, Office Staff, Reserved, Principal, or Assistant Principal is prohibited. Any car parked in a marked spot, yellow/fire zone, grassy area or white/gray paved area is subject to be ticketed, booted or towed. The fee for tickets and boot removal remains $25.00.
Junior and Seniors Only: Parking Decals on Sale NOW
Parking Decal sales will begin September 3, from 7:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m for JUNIORS and SENIORS ONLY.
Please use the following steps to obtain your decal:
Complete the Parking Decal Application Kellam HS Student Decal Application.
Schedule your appointment using the SignUp genius link in the same location as the application.
Make your payment via SchoolCash App @ SchoolCash Online.
Once you have completed these steps, arrive at your scheduled appointment time (due to COVID restrictions, no more than one student at a time) and bring the following to the main office:
Driver’s License
Registration
Proof of Insurance
Student Activities Update
The Student Activities department is working to create opportunities for our students to connect and be a part of all that Kellam has to offer. Please visit our Student Activities Resource Guide to explore opportunities in activities and athletics. Be sure to watch for updates in this newsletter and follow us on social media.
Twitter: @KellamHigh
Instagram: kellamhigh
Facebook: Floyd E. Kellam High School
Prestige by Lifetouch Senior Portraits
Casual and Formal Senior Portraits can be taken at the Prestige Studios. Use this link: Senior Portrait Information Sheet to reserve a time. On 10/21 and 11/29, there will be FORMAL ONLY pictures taken at Kellam during the school day. If you would like to only take a formal picture that will be the picture in the yearbook, there will be a list to sign up in the main office when school starts.
Junior Class Rings
Important information for our Kellam Juniors!
Kellam has a time-honored tradition of receiving your class ring during your Junior year, and we will be continuing this tradition for the class of 2022. You can visit www.jostens.com and start designing and even order your ring today! Jostens will have representatives at school during lunch on September 15, 16 and 17 to help you in selecting your ring design. There will also be a Parent Drive Thru event on September 15 and 16 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the front of the school. This gives parents an opportunity to view rings and finalize orders.
If you have any questions, email Eric Harvell at eric.harvell@jostens.com.
Fall Athletic Events
We are excited to have all our fall teams competing this season!
Click here to view schedules for all of our teams: 2021-2022 Sports Schedules
COVID Mitigations
For outdoor events:
We ask that individuals socially distance themselves from others who are not part of their immediate group. There are currently no restrictions on fan attendance.
For indoor events:
Indoor events are limited to 100 spectators. Athletes will be given tickets for the games to share with their families. All spectators, coaches, event staff, and athletes not competing must wear masks regardless of vaccination status. All spectators should socially distance themselves from people who are not part of their immediate group.
All competitions that occur in the gym or the football stadium will be live streamed on the NFHS network. Use this link to access the Kellam site: Kellam NFHS Network Page.
Buy your VBCPS High School Athletic Pass and Individual Tickets on GoFAN!
Pass Prices:
$60 for 3 or less $50 for 4 or more
https://gofan.co/app/school/VA12895
Or download the GoFan App in the iTunes or Google Play Stores
Passes and tickets will be saved and viewed via the APP to be validated at the pass gate for admission to games.
Underclassman Picture Day
Underclassman pictures are scheduled for September 16 and 17. More information will be given to students through class and Schoology.
Winter Sports Tryouts
Winter team tryouts will begin on November 8. Please contact the coach of that sport for additional information. There will be information released to students through announcements and Schoology.
Winter Sports Coaches
- Girls Basketball Brook Parker, coachp1977@hotmail.com
- JV Girls Basketball Raeanna Casady, raeanna@indpants.com
- Boys Basketball Norm Hassell, Norman.hassellsr@vbschools.com
JV Boys Basketball Aaron McCoy, dblaron31@gmail.com
Gymnastics Marianna Parker, maparker@vbschools.com, Alanna Parker, alannakparker@gmail.com
Swimming/Dive Susan Bailey, susan.bailey@vbschools.com, Kathleen Lambert, Kathleen.lambert@vbschools.com, Katie Lorenz (dive), kelorenz89@gmail.com
Wrestling Mike Benzel, Michael.benzel@vbschools.com
JV Wrestling Ross Benzel, ross.benzel@vbschools.com
B/G Indoor Track Bill Bernard, kellamtrack@icloud.com
Fall Activity Bus Schedule
Click the link to access the schedule: Fall Activity Bus Schedule and Routes
SCA News
Welcome to the 2021-2022 School Year!
We are excited to announce our theme for this year: “Through the Castle and Beyond!” We will be focusing on inclusivity, kindness, and participation, and taking what we learn into the future. Theme T-Shirts can be purchased using this link: T-Shirt.
Important Dates in September:
September 10: Executive Board Applications are due. Applications are located on the HKL All Students and Staff Schoology Page.
September 28: First General Assembly. If you are interested in being a representative, let your advisory teacher know.
FLOYD E. KELLAM’S 60TH HOMECOMING is on OCTOBER 15, 2021!
Spirit week will be October 11-15
Homecoming Game is on October 15
Homecoming Event is on October 16
Important Announcements
PTSA Open House: We invite all parents to attend our virtual open house on Thursday, September 23 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The open house will follow a meet-and-greet format for parents to visit with their student's teachers. For additional information and for parents unable to attend the open house, course information videos will also be posted to the school’s website for parents to view. Links will be shared with families closer to the virtual open house date.
Masking: For the safety of students, staff, and the community at large and in accordance with Virginia law we will continue to follow the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Virginia Department of Health.
Virginia state law requires “all individuals aged two and older to wear masks when indoors at public and private K-12 schools.” Therefore VBCPS requires that:
•Regardless of vaccination status, all students, staff, and visitors must wear face coverings while inside all VBCPS school and administrative buildings.
•Regardless of vaccination status, all students and staff must wear face coverings while riding the bus, in accordance with a Federal Executive Order.
Masks are not required outdoors but are encouraged in order to limit opportunities for the virus to spread in our community. If you have questions, please contact your school.
Building Tours for Returning Students: On Tuesday, September 7 from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., we will host student-led building tours for any students grades 10-12 who were Option 2 (virtual-only) last school year or for any students who want to get reacquainted with the school building. Students must provide their own transportation to and from school. Please CLICK HERE to RSVP for a building tour.
Visitors: Visitors to the building will be limited to essential business. Calling ahead or making appointments is strongly encouraged. Visitors should wear masks and following proper screening protocols before entering the building
No symptoms (As posted on our front door)
No close contacts with those testing positive for COVID-19
We will not be able to host volunteers until further notice
#VBSafeTogether Webinar (For more information)
Food Services: As our schools welcome back students Sept. 9, please know that VBCPS will be providing free breakfast and lunch meals for ALL students. Food Services will be operating under the National School Lunch Program’s (NSLP) Seamless Summer Option (SSO). This program will be in effect for the entire 2021-22 school year.
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:
September 9- 1st Day of School A DAY
September 14 - Virtual Senior Information Night
September 15, 16, and 17 - Junior Class Ring Selection Days
September 16 and 17 - Underclassmen Picture Day
September 23 - PTSA Virtual Open House 6:00 pm
October 1- Next Edition of the Knightly News
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