NEWSLETTER

December 2015/January 2016 A Note from the Principal As you look ahead to January, please save a copy of the semester exam schedule. Now is a good time to go over the details with your sons and daughters and encourage them to begin preparations for successful exams. The two weeks of school at the beginning of January are a particularly good time to make sure that all work has been completed and to spend some extra time with teachers if extra help is needed. We also remind students at this time that it is their second quarter grades that will determine their eligibility for third quarter extra-curricular activities. Exams count as 10% of the semester average. We are pleased to report that over 1500 parent-teacher conferences were held in November. As always, we remind you to stay in touch with teachers if you have questions. The best process is for your son or daughter to discuss matters and/or or go in for extra help with teachers before, during or after school. If you need to contact a teacher, email is the most efficient method to use. Emails consist of the teacher’s first initial and last name followed by @rsu21.net. For instance, my email is scressey@rsu21.net This is a busy time of year at KHS. Winter sports and co-curricular activities are well under way, and all of our advisories are in the midst of their “We Care” projects to help those less fortunate in the community, nation, and world. We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season and look forward to working with you in 2016. Sincerely,

Susan Cressey, Principal Mid-Year Exam Schedule Tuesday, January 19 Block 1 (Blue) 7:45 – 9:15 Break/Breakfast 9:15 – 10:00 Block 2 (Blue) 10:00 – 11:30 Make-up 12:30 - 2:00 Late Start Wednesday, January 20 Block 3 (Blue) 9:00 – 10:30 Break/Lunch 10:30 – 11:30 Block 4 (Blue) 11:30 – 1:00 Make-up 1:00 - 2:30

Thursday, January 21 Block 1 (White) 7:45 – 9:15 Break/Breakfast 9:15 – 10:00 Block 2 (White) 10:00 – 11:30 Make-up 12:30 - 2:00 Friday, January 22 Block 3 (White) 7:45 – 9:15 Break/Breakfast 9:15 – 10:00 Block 4 (White) 10:00 – 11:30 Make-up 12:30 - 2:00 Please note that if your student has a study hall, he/she does not need to be at school during that block. Mid-Year Exam Important Details Buses will run at their normal times to and from school. On Wednesday, January 20, we will continue to run a Late-Start Wednesday bus schedule. Students who choose not to ride the bus must provide their own transportation. After the last exam each day at 11:30, except Wednesday which ends at 1:00, (please note there is no bus at 1 PM so students will have to wait for the regular buses to come through around 2 PM), there will be five buses that will follow the late bus routes. The buses will have signs for what area they are covering (Port North, Port South, West K, In Town/Beach, Arundel). The regular after school buses will also do a quick drive-through around 2:00 p.m. The 4 PM late buses will be running as usual that week. Students do not have to be in attendance if they do not have an exam scheduled. The library will be open for quiet study. The cafeteria will also be open. Students who have two exams in one day are required to stay at school during the break. They may not leave school and return. Should we cancel school during exam week, we will not skip a day. For example, if school is canceled Tuesday due to a snow day, we will hold Tuesday’s exams on Wednesday. The mid-year exams count for 10% of the semester average. It is important that students prepare well for them. Vocational School Exam Schedule Tuesday, January 19 AM goes to Voc/PM takes exams Wednesday, January 20 AM takes exams/PM goes to Voc Thursday, January 21 AM goes to Voc/PM takes exams Friday, January 22 AM takes exams/PM goes to Voc News from the Athletic Department All KHS students will be admitted FREE to the boys’ ice hockey HOME games this season!

Student Accomplishments Southern Maine Regional Brain Bee Kyle Ryan a junior at Kennebunk High School, was the winner of the Southern Maine Regional Brain Bee that took place on December 8 at the University of New England.

William O’Neil, a senior at KHS, tied for third place in the event. The goal of the competition was to prioritize brain education and promote the university’s growing neuroscience program. The Southern Maine Brain Bee was held at the same time and in collaboration with the Northern Maine Brain Bee at the University of Maine in Presque Isle and the Western Maine Brain Bee at the University of Maine in Machias. Ryan will go on to represent Maine in the national competition in Baltimore in March 2016. The winner of the nationals will participate in the International Brain Bee Championship held in Sydney, Australia. Approximately 30,000 students compete annually in this world competition. Both O’Neil and Ryan (pictured below) are STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) Scholar candidates at Kennebunk High School.

“Do the Right Thing Award” In recognition of outstanding character and for service to the community, “Do the Right Thing Award” certificates were given to the following students and staff members by Officer Carney, KHS School Resource Officer: Eric Aiken, Brianna Desmaris, Mary Farmer, Brianna Hayes, Sophia Ingham, Sage Knight, Casey Pyle, Riley Small, Isabella Smith, Abigail Thibeau and Spencer Thiboutot, and staff members Alyce Swan and Terri Baird.

The Captains’ Club Boston Trip On November 20th, 2015, the Captains Club went to Boston and visited the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Boston Police Department. DEA agents provided great information on the latest drug trends and their negative effects on society. They also visited the Boston Police Department. They heard from the Commissioner of Boston P.D. and received a tour of headquarters. This was a great team building trip! Both agencies were so impressed with how courteous and polite the students were. Great job!

Alcohol Awareness Activities The Captains Club will be doing alcohol awareness activities in December in recognition of Alcohol Awareness week.

Sticker Shock is supported by the Maine Office of Substance Abuse and the Department of Public Safety. It is an event where youth organize and place stickers on alcoholic beverages to reach adults who might purchase alcohol legally and provide it to minors. The stickers warn people about the penalties for furnishing alcohol to minors. KHS students applied stickers in 12 different stores around the RSU 21 communities.

Boys’ Basketball Team & Literacy Program The Varsity boys’ basketball team and the Sea Road School have partnered up to develop an 8-week early literacy mentorship program between high school athletes and 4th and 5th grade students.

Wednesday, December 9th marked their first day at the school where the high school students worked with the Sea Road students in small groups to develop comfort in reading poetry and strengthening their skills in reading aloud to peers. While trying to build a winning program, they are also focusing on developing a strong community of support and partnership.

KHS Unified Basketball Team

We are thrilled to announce a new team at Kennebunk High School. Officer Mark Carney will be coaching the Unified Basketball Team this winter. Please contact mcarney@rsu21.net, preetz@rsu21.net, jschwartzman@rsu21.net for further details. Play Unified. Live Unified. Unified Sports - Unified Sports partners students with intellectual disabilities, with students without intellectual disabilities, to train, compete and represent your school in team sports. Please click HERE for the tentative practice and game schedule. Functional Life Skills Program The Functional Life Skills program has been making baked goods, fruit salad and homemade dog biscuits as part of their curriculum. Students plan for, make, deliver, budget and shop for items. The staff at KHS love the program and continue to support our efforts. Honors and Year 2 IB Environmental Systems and Societies Visit to ECOMAINE On Monday, December 7th, the Honors and Year 2 IB Environmental Systems and Societies class visited ECOMAINE in Portland. Ecomaine "provides comprehensive long-term solid waste solutions in a safe, environmentally responsible, economically sound manner, and is a leader in raising public awareness of sustainable waste management strategies."

Students toured the Landfill/Ashfill Facility, Waste-To-Energy Plant and Recycling Facility. They got a close look at a community-owned non-profit waste management facility that processes about 175,000 tons of trash a year and also processes about 40,000 tons of recyclable material per year. It was definitely an eye-opening experience seeing the amount of trash that has to be "taken away" and what actually happens to it. News from the Guidance Department ACCUPLACER Placement Test In the spring, some upperclassmen will take the ACCUPLACER placement test at KHS. The ACCUPLACER is an internet-based computer adaptive test that measures skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. It is used primarily as a placement test for students entering the community college system; however, the test also provides a means for teachers to analyze students’ skills. This data is useful in assisting student with course selection and placement. Kennebunk High School students who wish to take a course at YCCC or SMCC may be required to take this test as part of the application process. The results from the test administered at KHS may be used to meet this requirement. Freshmen One of the goals of the Guidance Department is to meet and get to know our students as early as possible in their high school careers to begin to establish a strong working relationship. Each counselor will meet during advisory with small groups of their ninth grade students to acquaint them with the resources available at KHS. The students will receive a handbook entitled, “Class of 2019, Making the Most of Your Next Four Years.” Sophomores Beginning second semester, the guidance counselors will meet with 10th grade students to introduce them to the Naviance Program. Naviance is a college and career readiness platform that helps connect academic achievement to post-secondary schools. The counselors will also distribute the PSAT test booklets and results to students (*please see below). Juniors In January, the Guidance Office will send parents a letter offering an opportunity to set up an appointment with their child’s counselor in order to discuss the post-secondary planning process. We hope to meet with every parent and his/her student by spring break. In early April, on a regular school day, KHS will administer a special testing of the SAT to our third year students. This test will serve as the Maine State assessment. We will register your student for this test. DO NOT REGISTER YOUR STUDENT ON COLLEGEBOARD.ORG FOR THIS TEST. *Distribution of PSAT Results The Guidance staff will distribute the PSAT test booklets and results in early 2016. We encourage parents to review the results with their sons/daughters. Please encourage your student to log onto www.collegeboard.org to review further their results, to read about the redesigned SAT, and to utilize the free test practice materials that the College Board is providing through its partnership with Khan Academy. Seniors Counselors have spent the fall meeting with our students to aid them with their post-secondary plans. It is our goal to help each of our students to further develop his or her plan. For those students who are

applying to college, we ask that they pay careful attention to application and financial aid deadlines. Please remind your student to check their emails on a regular basis as many colleges will communicate information regarding admissions and financial aid electronically. It is important that seniors notify the Guidance Office as soon as they receive responses from the colleges. Seniors should continue to read the senior memos as they contain important information about scholarships and deadlines. These memos are distributed through advisory and are also available on the guidance webpage. News from the Art Department Scholastic Art Awards 2016 Each year students at Kennebunk High School prepare and submit art work to the juried Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. The regional deadline for art submissions is TOMORROW, Thursday December 17th. There is a fee of $5 for Individual Entries and $20 for Portfolio Entries. Images of student artwork are to be uploaded digitally; signed submission paperwork and entry fees are mailed to Maine College of Art for the regional jury process. A submission form is required for each entry, and requires a signature from the student, parent or guardian, and participating art educator. All checks should be made out to Maine College of Art. Send paperwork; with all signature and payment to:

Liam Sullivan c/o MECA 522 Congress Street Portland, ME 04101

Mailed paperwork must be postmarked by December 17th, 2015. All digital submissions must be uploaded and completed by 11:59 pm on Thursday December 17th, 2015 through www.artandwriting.org. Please check with your art teacher for file specifications and if you need help photographing or scanning your artwork. It is our hope that this year Kennebunk High School will have even more students participate than ever! For more information, please contact your student’s art teacher, and/or go to www.artandwriting.org. Continuing Studies for Youth at Maine College of Art For students seeking additional enrichment opportunities in the visual arts, Maine College of Art offers a variety of Sunday workshops for youth ages 14-18 in subject areas such as drawing, painting, digital photography and fashion. The Winter/Spring 2016 Continuing Studies Catalog and registration are available online at http://www.meca.edu/. Photography Club The KHS Art Department offers a photography club for all students on the last Tuesday of every month. Mrs. Mooney is the advisor, and the club meets in Room 27 of the Art Wing at 2:30. Please contact her at kmooney@rsu21.net if you have any questions. December Break Wednesday, December 23, 2015 will be an early release (half day) for all students and staff. School will reopen on Monday, January 4, 2016. There will NOT be a late-start that day. Dismissal times are as follows: 11:00 MSK 11:10 KHS 12:00 K-5

KHS Schedule: Warning Bell - 7:40 am Block 1 - 7:45 am - 8:25 am Block 2 - 8:30 am - 9:10 am Block 3 - 9:15 am - 9:55 am Block 4 - 10:00 am - 11:10 am Lunch A - 10:00 - 10:25 Lunch B - 10:45 - 11:10 Class time - 10:00 - 10:42 Class time - 10:28 -11:10 Vocational School Schedule for December 23rd Biddeford and Portland vocational schools are not in session on December 23rd. Students that attend morning vocational programs should attend blocks 3 and 4 (9:15 - 11:10), and students attending afternoon vocational programs should attend blocks 1 and 2 (7:45 - 9:10). Senior Grids Deadline Extended to January 1st! Senior grids are due by January 1st! This is the writing that will appear next to the senior portraits in the yearbook. Seniors can thank important people in their lives, say a few words about their time at KHS, put in an important or inspiring quote, or whatever they would like! Please keep these grids to 400 CHARACTERS or less. Grids can be emailed to jhunt@rsu21.net or given in hard copy to Ms. Hunt in Room 3. Yearbook Early Bird Special! You can purchase the 2016 ALL COLOR yearbook for only $55 until January 15th, 2016. Drop off ORDER FORMS at the KHS main office. Make checks payable to KHS Yearbook. The order form contains information on how to personalize your yearbook with your student’s name, a special phrase, and up to four icons for an extra fee. To order using your credit or debit card, visit ybpay.lifetouch.com. Your school’s Yearbook ID number is 11227316. Yearbook Parent Ads due January 16, 2016 Every year we use parent messages as a major source of revenue to keep yearbook costs low, allow parents to congratulate their loved ones, and show off their favorite photos for friends and families to see! Space is limited to a first come, first serve basis. Please click HERE for directions on how to purchase and create your parent message. If you have any questions, please contact Jane Hunt, KHS Yearbook Advisor, at jhunt@rsu21.net. Do Your Holiday Shopping at Kennebunk High School’s Student-Run Store! The BUNKER, Kennebunk High School’s student-run store, has a few items that my help with your holiday shopping! The items are listed HERE with quantity available. To place an order, please call the main office at 985-1110, press 0. Mary or Karen will be happy to take your order over the phone. Orders will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. Cash or checks made payable to "KHS Bunker" will be accepted. Items will be available for pick up in the main office. All sales are final. Mid-Year Exams January 19-22 Please click HERE to view the schedule for Mid-Year Exams as well as bus information and the Vocational Exam schedule.

Class of 2017 The Class of 2017 would like to thank the RSU21 community and beyond for supporting our first ever "Winner Take All" raffle. Thank you to parents and businesses who donated gift cards and product to make this event a success. We are pleased to announce that Vance Haskell was the winner of all the raffle prizes. (Mr. Haskell is the uncle of Samantha Abelson'17) Music Department News Calendar Dec. 16 @ 7PM - Winter Concert, K.H.S. Gym A (Chorus reports to the chorus room at 6:00; Band reports to the auditorium at 6:30) Dec. 18 @ 7PM - Winter Concert (snow date) Jan. 7-9 - Jazz All-State, Hampden Academy Jan. 13 @ 6:30 - Mandatory NYC 2016 Meeting, K.H.S. Auditorium Jan. 21 - Payment #2 for NYC 2016 due Jan. 22 & 23 - District 1 Music Festival, Noble High School Feb. 9 - District Jazz Festival, Sanford High School Feb. 26, 27 & March 4, 5 @ 7PM - Winter Musical, K.H.S. Auditorium Feb. 28 & March 6 @ 2PM - Winter Musical, K.H.S. Auditorium Winter Musical Announced! The 2016 Winter musical will be..."A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," music by Stephen Sondheim. Rehearsals are under way for this mad cap, fast-paced musical comedy. Please plan on joining us for our performances the last weekend of February and/or first weekend in March as the cast and crew transport the audience back to ancient Rome.

NYC 2016 UPDATES

There will be a mandatory meeting for all students who will be going on the NYC trip this spring on January 13 in the K.H.S. Auditorium. Parents and guardians must also be in attendance. Payment #2 of $125 will be due on January 21. Checks can be made out to the "KHS VPA Boosters" CONGRATULATIONS! The following musicians auditioned for, and were accepted into, the following 2016 honors music festivals: District I Honors Festival 1) Jason Albaum - Tenor Saxophone 2) Beth Carroll - Flute 3) Maddy Chapman - Clarinet 4) Rosie Crimp - Soprano Voice 5) Colby Ellis - Trombone 6) Juli Ennis - Percussion 7) Nels Faul - Clarinet 8) Emma Flores - Soprano Voice 9) Donald Frost - Bass Voice 10) Eryn Harrington - Soprano Voice 11) Alice Hauser - Soprano Voice 12) Piper Kingston - Soprano Voice 13) Shae Kingston - Soprano Voice 14) Nathan Ladd - Bass Voice 15) Marcus Luddy - Trombone 16) Emily McPike - Alto Voice 17) Tim Moyer - Jazz Alto Saxophone 18) Ellie Spinney - Soprano Voice 19) Kurt Stentiford - Bass Voice 20) Gabe Vesenka - Bass Voice 21) Ben Walker-Dubay - Tenor Voice All-State Jazz Festival 1) Marshall Lowery - Alto Voice 2) Tim Moyer - Alto Saxophone 3) Gabe Vesenka - Bass Voice

All-State Band/Orchestra/Chorus Festival 1) Rosie Crimp - Soprano Voice 2) Emma Flores - Soprano Voice 3) Alice Hauser - Soprano Voice 4) Piper Kingston - Soprano Voice 5) Nathan Ladd - Bass Voice 6) Marshall Lowery - Alto Voice 7) Emily McPike - Alto Voice 8) Liesl Quigley - Soprano Voice 9) Gabe Vesenka - Bass Voice 10) Ben Walker-Dubay - Tenor Voice All-State Acoustic Festival Kyle Ryan - Accordion Guest Conductor On Dec. 3, Dr. Peter Martin from U.S.M. conducted a combined rehearsal of the K.H.S. Concert Band and Wind Ensemble to prepare them for the upcoming Winter Concert and NYC trip performances. The ensemble worked on balance, blend, and emotional affect within two pieces: a fast percussive piece entitled"...GO" by Sam Hazo and an emotionally charged piece "An American Elegy" which was written for the students who died at Columbine H.S. in 1999. It was great to learn ensemble techniques, a new perspective on the concert literature, from a master conductor.

Looking for Host Exchange Families The Council on International Educational Exchange CIEE is looking for interested families to host exchange students coming to Maine in January for the second semester of high school. For more information on the organization CIEE, please visit our web site http://www.ciee.org. The Maine Irish Children's program is also looking for host families to host teens from Northern Ireland for the summer of 2016. If you are interested in either of these opportunities, please contact Robin Gratiot Vaughan at rvaughan@rsu21.net or call 207-985-7596 for more information.

Bunker to take on K-Cup Recycling The KHS Bunker store, run by the Future Business Leaders of America, is providing an opportunity for K-Cup recycling. What is Keurig K-Cup recycling? The Grounds to Grow On program converts K-Cup packs into useable alternatives. Your K-Cup will spend a second life enriching soil and creating energy. So say goodbye to your brewed K-Cup pack. We’ll make sure its next journey is a good one.

In our efforts to reduce the environmental impact of the Bunker, we have decided to take on the initiative to recycle K-Cups. We will be recycling all K-Cups used at the Bunker for coffee. Come join our efforts to reduce waste by keeping K-Cups out of our landfills! Bring in K-Cups used at home to recycle for $1 per 10 K-Cups. This price covers the cost of shipping via the UPS Carbon Neutral Program to the Grounds to Grow On service. K-Cups can be dropped off at the Bunker.

Advisory “We Care” Projects Amy Roy Mitten/Hat Drive Paula Reetz Local Family Tara Euler 1,000 cranes for a local family Molly Pierce Kennebunk Cares Closet Mary Grady Holiday Cards for the Veterans Beth Keezer Operation Christmas Child Joy Russo Hat & Mitten Tree Katie Mooney Painting Reindeer for the Kennebunk Fire Department, Mitten and Hat

Drive Jen Mooney Holiday cards for the veterans Tasha Graff Mitten Tree Tom Dupuis Oragami Cranes Jackie Proulx Food Pantry Collection/Donations Megan Murray A "clothing drive" for The Kennebunk Cares Closet.

Judith Pitchforth Greeting Cards to mail and share with seniors and others in the community Polly Sferes Kennebunk Cares Closet Lauren Thompson Local Family Ben Potvin Adopt a family/senior citizen Melissa Luetje Local Family Robin Vaughan Secret Santa Norma Nardone Mitten/Hat with Mrs. Russo Jenny Kowtko 1,000 cranes for a local family Josh Viola Local Family Linda Ruskoski Donations to the Animal Welfare Society, Pennies for Puppies and

Toys/Supplies Karen Campanella Animal Welfare Society Kennebunk Marnie Rollerson Local Family Beth Carlson Heifer International - an alpaca Lori Curtis Donate to local animal rescue (Lucky Pup) Al Carp Secret Santa Jill Lamontagne Local Family Mary Kimball Candy grams for Kennebunk Nursing Home residents; Cranes for a local

family Sara Young Preble Street Resource Center: socks, clothing items, toiletries Andy Young Local Family Noah Phillips Operation HOPE David Mitchell Arundel Care Package Paul Gaylord Local Family Parker/Class of 2019 Adopted a family to purchase needed items for the children

Where Are They Now? Please send info on recent KHS graduates to Susan Cressey at scressey@rsu21.net or leave a message at 985-1110, ext. 214. Andrew Goldsmith a 2006 KHS graduate and son of Donna Lindgren recently began his medical residency at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston specializing In Emergency Medicine. Andrew graduated from University of Connecticut with his doctorate in Medicine as well as his Master’s in Business Administration.

Kathryn Graydon is one of 18 students spending the fall semester abroad at Assumption College's Rome Campus. She received the Dr. Maurice B. Plasse Memorial Scholarship at Assumption College. It is given to students interested in theater, music, or television productions. In order to complete the application, the student must be recommended by a professor. Taylor Landry graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he was awarded a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering with high distinction. He was also selected to for the Capital One Division III Academic All-District I baseball team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (Co-SIDA). Matthew Dube was named to Husson University's Honors List for the Spring 2015 semester. Colby Harrison was the stage manager for "Marie and the Nutcracker," the fall 2015 main stage theater performance at Bates College. Sean Brannen was awarded an Enrichment Scholarship at Keene State College. Colby Kingston was named to the spring 2015 dean’s list at Colgate University. School Alec Buchina was named to the spring 2015 dean’s list at Hofstra University where he is a video/television, linguistics major. Katherine Cotton was named to the dean’s list at Nichol’s College for the spring 2015 semester. Lauren Tishkevich was one of 20 women from Susquehanna University's Sigmund Weis School of Business who attended a Women's Leadership Symposium in New York City last spring. Lauren is a business administration and economics major. Emileigh Durrell was named to the spring 2015 dean’s list at Champlain College where she is majoring in early childhood/elementary education. Matthew Fortier was named to the spring 2015 dean’s list at Champlain College where he is majoring in computer science and innovation. Adult Education News Our new Spring 2016 Brochure will be mailed to every household in the school district in late January. There will be traditional favorites like Computer Basics for Seniors as well as many new classes such as Book Binding, Creating a Mini-memoir Cookbook, Family Literacy Night, Well Water Pump & Filtration Education, MS Office Suite Certificate, Ready to Work Skills Building Certificate, and Reiki Certificate classes. Classes will also be listed on the district website - www.rsu21.net, click on Departments, and then Adult Education - for additional information. You can also call our office at 985-1116.