where meets - John F. Kennedy Catholic School

John F. Kennedy Catholic School
where
Tradition
meets
Innovation
2011 SPRING
KENNEDY
Values & Vision
Board of Directors
John F. Kennedy Catholic School
Reverend Michael Balash
Mr. James Coates ‘84
Mr. Sam Covelli ‘71
Reverend Charles Crumbley
Mrs. Pamela Dudeck
Reverend Thomas Eisweirth
Mr. James Fredericka ‘71
Mrs. Doris Hays
Tradition and Innovation
Tradition and Innovation. Roots and Wings. Values and Vision. Although these may seem to be a set of
opposites, I believe John F. Kennedy Catholic School is the sacred place where these opposites meet and create a
vibrant learning community committed to courage, integrity and dedication.
Tradition and Innovation
At Kennedy we honor our long standing tradition of educational excellence in faith formation, academics,
athletics and the fine and performing arts. But we cannot and must not rest on our laurels. We are dedicated
to continuous school improvement and to establishing Kennedy as the leader in education in the Diocese of
Youngstown and in Northeast Ohio.
Reverend Thomas Kraszewski
Kennedy is where tradition meets innovation. From a new state of the art distance learning conference center
to wireless campuses; from our unique iPad initiative to curricular tracks in medical, legal and business
preparation; from online courses to professional language learning software at both our lower and upper
campuses, Kennedy is indeed on the leading edge of college preparatory education.
Mrs. Tina (Makosky) McCue ‘82
Roots and Wings
Mr. Robert Merlo
Cura Personalis is a Latin phrase used in Jesuit education to describe the individualized care for the person or
student. I believe we do this exceptionally well at Kennedy. All educational research indicates that schools our
size are the most successful not only in academics but in the formation of the whole student as a person.
Mr. Anthony Iannucci ‘65
Mrs. Darlene Jones
Mr. James Misocky
Mrs. Kathy (Welch) Perisa ‘73
Mrs. Pamela Perrino
Mr. Brian Sinchak, ex officio
Dr. Michael Skube
Mr. Joseph Steines ‘96
Mr. John Waldorf
Mr. Patrick Wilson ‘81
Our small, family-like atmosphere enables our students to form roots in our school community with
meaningful mentorship relationships with faculty and staff. These relationships are further strengthened by our
new house system which allows each student to have a faculty mentor for four years. Because we love each of
our students they know they are valued. Kennedy students have the confidence to spread their wings and fly
into collegiate success at some of the country’s most prestigious schools.
Values and Vision
We are passionately committed to our core value of Catholic identity and Christian service. The value of our
faith and the lessons it teaches us are central to our educational mission. Our faith is our foundation and it has
inspired a whole set of new campus ministry initiatives and administrative restructuring. While no price tag
can be put on this value of faith, we are proud to remain the most affordable school for secondary Catholic
education in our Diocese.
Our faith gives us great confidence in our successful future as a school. In order to prepare for that future we
must have a vision. Our hard working board of directors is currently creating an ambitious five year strategic
plan that will be published this summer.
In this inaugural issue of the Kennedy Magazine, I invite you to rediscover our core values and strategic vision,
learn about our award-winning curricular developments and reflect on our commitment to our Catholic
identity and Christian service. It is my hope that in doing so we make you proud of your alma mater and our
ongoing mission of Catholic education in the Kennedy tradition.
As alumni, you have been part of that strong tradition; I encourage you now to be part of its innovative future.
Students, not unlike you, are here and are counting on you to make that brilliant future happen.
For the ways you have already given back to our school community and for the many ways you will
begin or continue your support, I extend my personal gratitude to you, our alumni, friends, and
other loyal benefactors for your generous commitment to Kennedy.
As always, Go Eagles
President, John F. Kennedy Catholic School
Inside
KENNEDY
John F. Kennedy Catholic School
SPRING 2011
2550 Central Parkway SE
Warren, Ohio  44484
P: 330-369-1804
F: 330-369-1125
W: www.warrenjfk.com
President
Mr. Brian Sinchak
Principal - Upper Campus
Ms. Staci Raab
Principal - Lower Campus
Mrs. Theresa Dolan-Dixon
Director of College Counseling
and Academic Services
Mrs. Jessica McRoberts
Director of Student Affairs
Mr. Jim Boyle
5
Advancement Director
Mrs. Jillian (Rossi) Phillips ‘97
Athletic Director
Mr. John Gillen ‘50
Mission:
John F. Kennedy Catholic School of Warren,
a preK-12 system of the Roman Catholic
Diocese of Youngstown, serves families
with a firm commitment to the Gospel
of Jesus Christ and the education of the
mind, heart and soul of each student
in our care. Guided by the traditions of
courage, integrity, and dedication, we
inspire the pursuit of excellence by young
people through programs, which form
the spirit, maximize academic potential,
and instill habits of service and social
responsibility. We prepare all our students
to embrace the future as productive and
faithful Christians.
Kennedy Magazine is distributed for free
to alumni, parents, faculty, administration
and friends in and outside of the Kennedy
community. Letters and correspondence
can be directed to: Jillian (Rossi) Phillips ‘97
. at jphillips@warrenjfk.com.
Editors :
Jillian (Rossi) Phillips and
Mr. Brian Sinchak
Photography by:
Carrie Leonard
Art direction and design:
Villa Beach Communications
Printing:
SCP Group
FEATURE
5
where
Tradition
meets
Innovation
DEPARTMENTS
2
The Kennedy Experience
12
Blue Pride
14
Kennedy Commitment
16
Alumni Journal
17
I Believe
www.warrenjfk.com 1
The Kennedy Experience
Elementary School • Middle School • High
Financial Workshop
Fourth grade students
know how to Save,
Spend, Donate, and
Invest thanks to the
Money Savvy Pig! A
financial workshop that
helped the children
set personal goals and
learn how to make
wise money choices
was presented by
Marty Zofko, financial
planner for Edward
Jones. Each student
received a “money
savvy” piggy bank and
an activity book.
The middle school and junior high band under the direction of Laura
Volenik entertained the elementary campus student body and
parents at a Christmas Concert. Their musical talent impresses one
and all!
Thanksgiving
Sacrament of
Reconciliation
The First Thanksgiving came to life this year for Mrs. Bash’s
kindergarten class at our elementry school. Students
worked on learning the history of the Pilgrims and their
journey to America on the Mayflower. In preparation for
their program, they took part in constructing their very
own Mayflower. The students produced a wonderful play,
where each child had a role as a Pilgrim explaining the trip
to America. Parents and friends were invited to watch, and
then became helpers as the Pilgrims made their
costumes to become Native
Americans and tell the rest
of the story.
Mrs. Aulet’s 2nd Grade class
prepare for the Sacrament
of Reconciliation.
Pow-Wow
Fifth grade students
Michael O’Neill, Nunzio
Merlo, and Phillip
Malvasi wear Indian
headdresses for their PowWow presentation.
2 John F. Kennedy Catholic School
Christmas Concert
School • Elementary School • Middle School • High School • Elementary
Merit Scholarships Awarded
Science Students get Hands
On Experience
A
(L to R): Alicia Herman, Anna McCue, Elizabeth Kellar, Patrick Casale, Michael Roscoe
and Anthony Marzullo. Not pictured: Jeremy Sidoti and Caelan Phillips.
F
or the third year in a row, John F. Kennedy has awarded
8th grade students $5,000.00 in tuition assistance based on
academic merit. Incoming freshmen are required to take the
EXPLORE® Placement Test, an ACT based test that helps students
explore a broad range of options for their future. The test prepares
students not only for their high school coursework, but for their
post–high school choices as well and marks an important beginning
for a student’s future academic and career success. 2011-2012
winners of these awards were Alicia Herman, Anna McCue,
Elizabeth Kellar, Patrick Casale, Michael Roscoe, Anthony
Marzullo, Jeremy Sidoti and Caelan Phillips.
Mathletes Visit Youngstown
State University
T
welve 8th grade students competed in the 2011 Mathcounts
Competition at Youngstown State University. The students
worked together to solve various math problems for the competition
that includes team and individual competition.
fter Anatomy and Physiology students
completed their lesson on skin, teacher
Doug Emancipator taught the
students about injuries to the
skin, how the body heals and
why stitches are important
for the health and healing
of skin. Mr. Emancipator
provided the proper tools
and taught students how
stitch a deep cut, a skill
he learned while doing
clinical based research
at Case Western Reserve
University.
Caitlyn Rodomsky practicing sutures on a pig foot.
Junior High Students
Commemorate the Holocaust
M
rs. Elaine Barker’s 6th period, 8th grade reading class
completed the “Stuffed Paper Sculpture” as the culminating
cross-curricular activity of their Holocaust studies. Students read
“The Diary of Anne Frank” and were required to read a second text
about survivors of the Holocaust. Following that work, students
researched and created a concept of the entrance to a concentration
camp using texts and paper sculptures. The artwork is housed in the
Junior High Hallway.
Mathcounts is a national program designed to improve math skills
among students in the United States and Kennedy is proud to have
significantly increased their number of competitors this year.
(L to R Top Row): Patrick Casale,Phillip Dudeck, Michael Roscoe, Jimmy Misocky, Derek
Leeper, (L to R Bottom Row): Alexis Eddy, Haylie Harford, Marissa Pipino, Anthony
Ledenko and Daniel LaPolla.
Students Sydny Boose, Jenna Keller, Elizabeth Keller and Rachel Vince are pictured
with the sculptures.
www.warrenjfk.com 3
The Kennedy Experience
Middle School • High School • Elementary
Annual “Pi Day” Celebration
S
tudents and faculty
celebrated March 14th
with the Annual Pi Day
festivities sponsored by the Mu
Alpha Theta Club and Mrs.
Barbara Rupinsky, Advisor. 
Competitions included a Pieath-a-lon, Pie Eating Contest
and Musical Pies.  The event was
hosted by Junior James Coates
and Senior Bethany Woodley. 
Special thanks to Mr. Sinchak,
Mr. Boyle and Ms. Brown for
being honored pie competitors
this year.
Kennedy Faculty
Member Rewarded
for Creative Proposal
Host James Coates looks on during a round of Musical Pies where contestants were blindfolded and hit with a pie when the
music stopped.
Legal Eagles Compete in Mock Trial
M
edical Ethics and the 14th Amendment to the Constitution were the issues included in the
2011 Mock Trial Competition sponsored by the Ohio Center for Law Related Education. The
case required students to argue for both sides in the case of Taylor Henlacks v. Dana Brody. Henlacks
sues Buckey County Coroner Dana Brody for illegally taking the regenerative brain cells of his
brother Sean.
The JFK Legal Eagles competed in the District Competition on February 4, 2011 at the Trumbull
County Family Court. The team included Senior Michael Briach, Junior Madison Rice,
Sophomores Samantha Case and Chandler Shoaf, as well as Freshman Morgan Rice. Many local
attorneys including Thomas Nader and alumni Anthony Rossi ’84, James Fredericka ‘71 and
Sanjay Sheth-Massacci ’93 volunteered legal assistance, with Judge Cynthia Rice acting as main
legal advisor.
Students help Mr. Emancipator celebrate
his Creative Classroom accomplishment!
C
ongratulations to Mr.
Doug Emancipator for
receiving a $500 grant for his
proposal to WKBN’s Caring
for our Community Creative
Classroom program. Mr.
Emancipator plans to use the
award toward technology to be
used in laboratory activities in
the Anatomy and Physiology
classes as well as AP, Honors
and College Preparatory
Biology classes. We thank Mr.
Emancipator for his dedication
in the classroom!
4 John F. Kennedy Catholic School
The Eagles won their first
trial against Hubbard
for the side of plaintiff.
Morgan Rice was awarded
the honor of Best Attorney
while Madison Rice won
the award for Best Witness.
On the side of defense in
the second trial, Kennedy
well and lost by only one
point, eliminating them
from advancing to the
regional competition.
Michael Briach received
the honor of Best Attorney.
Special thanks to Law Prep
advisor, Mr. J. Michael
Gerstenberger for his
faculty support.
COVER FEATURE
where
Tradition
meets
Innovation
www.warrenjfk.com 5
Kennedy Earns State and National
Academic Awards and Establishes Itself as a
Technological Leader
W
inning and Kennedy’s tradition
of Blue Pride are no longer limited
to the courts and fields of athletics. John F.
Kennedy Catholic High School is the proud
recipient of both a prominent state recognition
and a national award for its academic success
and innovative curriculum and instruction.
Mr. Scott Gerber of Gerber Analytics, LLC
recently conducted an independent analysis of
March 2010 Ohio Graduation Test results and
published his findings widely in an electronic
document titled, “The Top Academic Ohio
High Schools – 2010.” This type of analysis is
the only one of its kind since it examined all
of Ohio’s public, private, and charter schools
6 John F. Kennedy Catholic School
together. There were 1,018 schools included
in the analysis of data supplied by the Ohio
Department of Education.
John F. Kennedy Catholic High School ranked
as the 53rd best school on this prestigious list of
the top academic schools. This analysis of 2010
OGT test scores indicates that John F. Kennedy
Catholic High School is in the top 5% of
schools in the state of Ohio. Furthermore,
Kennedy is the highest ranked school in
Trumbull, Mahoning, Columbiana and Stark
Counties and the only school in the Diocese of
Youngstown to earn this recognition.
Principal Staci Raab commented, “I am
proud to work with an outstanding faculty, a
driven student body, and a dedicated parent
community committed to educational
excellence.”
“This significant state recognition is a testament
to the academic improvements we have made
over the past two years and the leadership of our
faculty in revising curriculum and improving
Academics
instructional strategies,” said President Brian
Sinchak. “Our hard work has paid off!”
Kennedy’s academic success is not limited
to the borders of the state of Ohio since
receiving notification that the school will be
one of twelve nationwide to receive a Catholic
Schools of Tomorrow Award for Innovations
in Education.
This award is sponsored by Today’s Catholic
Teacher magazine which featured Kennedy in
their March magazine distributed nationwide.
President Sinchak formally accepted the
award at the National Catholic Education
Association’s annual conference in April in
New Orleans.
Kennedy won this award for innovation in
curriculum and instruction for the newly
developed PREP programs in medical, legal
and business curricular tracks. PREP stands for
Professional Readiness Education Program and
allows students to specialize their high school
learning in one of the three professional areas.
After being accepted into our college
preparatory school as freshmen, first year
students can apply to one of three specialized
curricular tracks that involve field experiences,
summer seminars, service and externships,
as well as extracurricular requirements. Each
PREP program has a faculty advisor as well
as a supportive advisory council made up of
professionals in the field who are members of
our Kennedy family.
“We are blessed to have so many accomplished
professionals in these areas of work serve on
our advisory councils. These councils have
assisted in the creation of the PREP programs
and will facilitate the required externships that
occur during the summer after the students’
junior year,” said Sinchak.
Students in these PREP programs have
already participated in exciting new learning
opportunities including a field experience to
the Bodies exhibit in Cleveland, a mock trial
competition, and a business seminar at a local
university.
Kennedy is continuing to develop and expand
these PREP programs and its innovative
application to high school learning. There
are already plans for three summer seminars
to be held this June for the students in these
PREP programs relating to medical and legal
terminology as well as an introduction to
entrepreneurship.
“This is just the beginning! These programs are
going to continue to advance Kennedy as an
educational leader,” Raab said.
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IS IN
THE NUMBERS:
John F. Kennedy Catholic High School –
Class of 2012
95% of students passed all sections
with proficiency
In the content area of writing –
100% of our students passed with
proficiency and 60% of our students
scored at either the accelerated or
advanced levels.
In the content area of reading –
98% of our students passed with
proficiency and 62% of our students
scored at either the accelerated or
advanced levels.
In the content area of mathematics –
98% of our students passed with
proficiency and 80% of our students
scored at either the accelerated or
advanced levels.
In the content area of social studies –
98% of our students passed with
proficiency and 75% of our students
scored at either the accelerated or
advanced levels.
In the content area of science –
96% of our students passed with
proficiency and 73% of our students
scored at either the accelerated or
advanced levels.
www.warrenjfk.com 7
iKennedy Innovative Technology Today!
This technology is essential
in the preparation of young
leaders with 21st century skills
O
ur namesake, President John F.
Kennedy once boldly claimed, “For
time and the world do not stand still.
Change is the law of life. And those who
look only to the past or the present are
certain to miss the future.”
John F. Kennedy Catholic School will
not miss the future, it will be helping to
shape the future for other schools across
the country. Kennedy is proud to be one
of the first schools in the state of Ohio
and our region of the nation to embrace
technological change and bravely address
the future of education. On March 16th,
Kennedy President Brian Sinchak held a
press conference announcing two major
technology projects for the 2011-2012
school year and beyond.
Firstly, the James and Mary Alice Shoaf
Conference room will be equipped with
state of the art distance learning technology
and video conferencing media. At our
elementary campus there will be a mobile
distance learning unit that can be used
in any classroom in the building. These
technologies will enable our students to
8 John F. Kennedy Catholic School
participate in virtual field trips around the
world bringing learning to life. Maybe our
art students will tour the Louvre in Paris,
our government students might video
conference with a senator or might interact
with other students in Iraq, our science
students can attend live surgeries at medical
schools and our religion students can tour
the Vatican or visit the Holy land in Israel.
Kennedy Principal Staci Raab noted, “We
may even have our high school seniors
read children’s stories to our elementary
campus kindergarten students without ever
leaving the high school. We are excited
about the many ways that this technology
may connect our campuses as well as
connect Kennedy to the world.” Raab
added, “This is next step for us since we
have already invested funding into making
our campus wireless and installing
SmartBoard technology in all of
our classrooms.”
Secondly, the school is launching
the iKennedy iPad2 initiative. Each
member of next year’s freshmen class
(the Class of 2015) will be given an
iPad2 that will become their personal
notebook and in many cases their textbook
for their classes. When they graduate from
Kennedy the iPad2 will be theirs to keep and
take with them for their collegiate studies. If
this pilot year is successful, the plan will be
to outfit each year’s freshmen class with the
latest iPad technology so that in four years
Kennedy becomes an iSchool! We will also
be purchasing mobile iPad2 learning carts for
both the high school and elementary school
so that all of our other students and teachers
can take advantage of this technology.
Kennedy President Brian Sinchak claims
that this technology is essential in the
preparation of young leaders with 21st
century skills. “Our students live in a
world of rapidly evolving
technology
Technology
that demands we rethink the way we
imagine education. To remain relevant
and to continue to prepare our students
for collegiate study and a new workforce,
Kennedy must embrace the latest
technologies and teach their proper use to
its students. With this initiative Kennedy
will be an innovative leader in educational
technology and a model for other schools in
our state and our country,” Sinchak said.
Currently there are over 7,500 iPad
applications specifically designed for
education in the app store with more being
developed everyday. The possibilities are
endless from virtual dissection in anatomy
and physiology to algebra tutoring in math
class; from over 200,000 classic literature
texts and thousands of audio recordings for
English classes, to an interactive periodic
table of elements for Chemistry class. All
of these and more exciting applications
will be available to our students and
teachers to enhance the learning experience
with our new iKennedy iPad2 initiative.
Additionally, Kennedy will have its own
app which will allow users to access school
information from a variety of technologies
including the iPhone. The Kennedy App
is currently being developed and will be
available for free download from the app
store sometime this summer.
During the press conference, Vice President
of the Student Senate, Anthony Rossi ’11
said, “As a senior I am moving forward to
continue my studies at the collegiate level
and it is good to know that Kennedy is
moving forward too. Kennedy is a school
of innovation and with this new iPad
project Kennedy will be taking its college
preparatory education to the next level. As
a senior leader I am excited for the students
that will follow in my footsteps including
my own brothers. To be honest, I wish I
were a freshman again!” These technological initiatives will not
directly affect the school’s operating budget
and tuition was not increased to cover these
expenses. Director of Advancement, Jillian
Phillips commented, “It is important to
note that these projects are being made
possible by generous donations from our
alumni community. We are proud that
Kennedy remains one of the most affordable
Catholic High Schools in our Diocese and
the State of Ohio.”
Sinchak stated, “Technology in and of itself is
not a solution to school reform and does not
by itself create educational excellence. There
are many schools across the nation equipped
with every technological tool available
and these schools are still not producing
academic success stories. However, here at
Kennedy, these technologies paired with
our outstanding faculty will further the
academic excellence already found within our
classroom walls and hallways!”
www.warrenjfk.com 9
Catholicity
“Let it be known to all who enter here that Jesus Christ is the reason for this
school, the unseen but ever-present teacher in all its classes, the model of its
faculty, and the inspiration for its staff and students.”
Faith in Action
Kennedy’s New International Service Program, Expanded Campus Ministry Retreats and the Creation of
the Office of Mission and Ministry all put our Catholic Faith into Action
Serving the World
A
s part of Kennedy’s ongoing effort to
promote Catholic social teaching and the
Gospel imperative to respond to the poor and
marginalized people of the world, Kennedy
will sponsor its third international mission trip
to Ecuador this summer in collaboration with
Rostro de Cristo (Face of Christ). Rostro de
Cristo is an international service organization
that is run out of offices at Boston College.
The program sponsors sixteen year long college
graduate volunteers who live and work in
Ecuador and hosts over twenty five high school
and college retreat groups a year in one of three
houses in Duran, Ecuador.
The mission experience of Rostro de Cristo
is designed to carry out its purpose through a
three-fold approach: immersion, service, and
reflection. First, the program seeks to immerse
students into a different culture, “living”
experience, and social context. Second, the
program supports organized efforts to give the
students an opportunity to serve and work
alongside individuals and families whose lives
are impacted by poverty and social injustice.
Finally, the Rostro de Cristo program combines
this immersion and service experience with
opportunities for prayer and reflection focused
on the students’ mission experience as a whole.
During this experience our Kennedy students
live and work with some of the poorest people
in the developing world, tutoring in afterschool
programs, clearing land for housing projects,
ministering to those afflicted with leprosy at the
St. Damian House, and attending mass with
the Ecuadorian people.
Mrs. Barbara Rupinsky, mathematics
department chairperson, participated for the
first time in the Ecuador mission trip last year
and will be returning this summer. “Words
10 John F. Kennedy Catholic School
cannot describe the utter despair yet complete
joy that we experienced on the mission trip.
While we were immersed in a setting of extreme
poverty, our Ecuadorian neighbors opened
their homes and hearts to us. Our students, in
return, embraced this third world culture and
its people. We all knew that we were a part of
something much bigger than ourselves, and we
are all changed by what we saw and how we
lived for that special week,” said Rupinsky.
Students who have participated in this
experience the past two years have said that it
was one of the most powerful experiences of
their lives and has helped them in their spiritual
growth, simplicity, humility, tolerance, openness
to the gift of faith, a willingness to speak to all
of God’s people, and an appreciation for the
dignity of the “least of my brothers and sisters.”
The Kennedy Kairos Retreat
Senior Bethany Woodley, who participated in
the 2010 mission trip, shared an excerpt from
her reflection journal:
A
“It is hard for me to describe the amount of
poverty and devastation we witnessed. People
told us that conditions were bad, but I don’t
think that any of us were fully prepared to see
the shacks, to smell the burning garbage, and
to hear the cries of the stray animals roaming
the streets. There is no question that we all
experienced a great amount of culture shock...”
“Much of the time, I found myself thinking
about how my life could just as easily have
started out in a cane shack, on a dirt road, next
to a landfill. My heart broke for the people of
Ecuador. After witnessing both the desolation
and ruin and then the overwhelming amount of
faith and love exhibited by these people, those
of us who had this opportunity cannot keep it
to ourselves. We now have a responsibility to
spread the message of Ecuador and the message
of Christ; the message that it is people that
matter the most.”
t Kennedy all students participate in
annual class retreats that are planned
during school days throughout the academic
year. These retreats are an important part
in the faith formation of our students and
are masterfully planned by our theology
department faculty members including, Father
Matthew Albright, Mr. Michael Klockner,
Mr. James Boyle and Mr. Brian Sinchak. The
Kennedy Kairos retreat was introduced two
years ago to offer students the chance to further
enhance our campus ministry program.
Kairos means the Lord’s time. This annual
peer-led retreat is a nationally recognized
high school retreat program that provides
our students and adult participants three
days to look deeply at themselves and at their
relationship with Christ as well as with their
friends, classmates and family. This unique
retreat affords participants the opportunity for
prayer, reflection on witness talks and smallgroup discussions.
Mr. James Boyle, Dean of Student Life,
said, “This incredible faith sharing retreat has
become a central component to our campus
ministry program at the high school. As a
classroom theology instructor I see this retreat
as a valuable means of helping our students
grow in faith and build a stronger relationship
with Christ.”
For the past two years the retreat has been held
at the beautiful Loyola of the Lakes Retreat
Center in Clinton, Ohio and has generated
overwhelming interest from students resulting
in a waiting list for student participants.
Senior Rocky Mitolo said, “Everyone that
hears about it wants to be a part of it; that
is a testament to the power of the retreat
experience. This retreat unifies our student
body to grow closer with God and each other
by listening and sharing to others’ experiences
of God and faith. Serving as a retreat leader
for the first two Kennedy Kairos retreats has
opened my eyes to the importance of this type
of faith sharing among my peers.”
President Brian Sinchak, who brought this
partnership with Rostro de Cristo to Kennedy
three years ago, said, “To put it simply, I believe
that this program makes Christ’s vision of
creating the Kingdom of God a tangible reality.
I can say without hesitation that my experience
with this program while at college and now
as an adult leader continues to be the most
important and life changing experience in my
life. It is a challenging and deeply rewarding
experience of faith as we encounter Christ in
the faces of the poor and in each other.”
This summer Bethany will return to serve
in Ecuador along with twenty five others
demonstrating Kennedy’s commitment to
care for all of God’s people and to put our
faith into action. For more information on
Rostro de Cristo visit their website:
www.rostrodecristo.org.
Creation Of The Office Of Mission And Minsitry
In February, President Brian Sinchak announced that Mrs. Theresa Dolan-Dixon
was appointed as Kennedy’s first Director of Mission and Ministry effective July
1, 2011 for both our elementary school at the Blessed Sacrament campus and
John F. Kennedy Catholic Junior and Senior High School.
Sinchak stated, “Our Board of Directors has demonstrated great
leadership in the creation of this position which will help further advance our Catholic
identity and expand our campus ministry programming for all of our students (preK-12).”
Upon her appointment Mrs. Dolan-Dixon commented, “I am excited to help bring to life
the faith mission of our school and to enliven our students to greater community and
global service. Additionally, we have long felt the need to bridge the gap between
school and parish communities. As Director of Mission and Ministry, I will work to
build even stronger relationships with our supporting parishes.”
Sinchak added, “I believe this administrative appointment and restructuring
will allow our school system to make tremendous progress in promoting
our Catholic mission and community outreach.”
Blue Pride
Senior Paige
Klaric becomes
Kennedy’s All-Time
Leading Scorer
Letters of Intent
Senior Michael Fredericka
signs letter of intent for the
University of Notre Dame
J
ohn F. Kennedy Catholic High School
Senior, Michael Fredericka signed his
letter of intent to play Men’s Tennis at
the University of Notre Dame next fall.
Fredericka, one of only three recruits to
the class, has been a State Tournament
Qualifier for the past three years.
Michael’s overall high school record to
date is 58-1 and he has been named All
State First Team for the past two years.
His coach, Mr. Joe Marino, says of
Michael, “He is the consummate student
athlete. He is humble and a great team
player. This has been something Michael
has dreamed about since he was six years
old and his parents have been with him
every step of the way. I could not be
more proud of his accomplishments.”
Michael plans on studying economics
and hopes to go on to law school. He
is the son of James ‘71
and Lou Ann (Malone)
Fredericka ‘73 and a
member of St. Joseph
Parish in Warren, Ohio.
Senior Erin McBride signs
letter of intent for
Youngstown State
University
S
enior Erin McBride signed her letter
of intent to play Division I Women’s
Soccer at Youngstown State University.
Erin has enjoyed great success as a
member of Kennedy’s Girls Soccer Team
with Coach Billy Roberts. She is a
four-year letter winner and starter. Erin
holds the school record for the following:
single season scoring record – 44 goals,
career scoring record – 120 goals, season
assist record – 19 and career assists – 57.
She was recognized on the All County
Team four years in a row, All District
Most Valuable Attacker three years, All
Ohio two years and All Region District
Co-Player of the Year.
Her club team coach, Joe Megyesi says
of McBride, “She is the cream of the
crop, I only wish I had the opportunity
to coach her longer. Her performance in
premier tournaments with us has been
invaluable.”
Erin attends St. Stephen’s Parish and is a
member of the National Honor Society
and Key Club. Erin plans on studying
Physical Therapy. She is the daughter of
Rich and Tamara McBride.
12 John F. Kennedy Catholic School
O
n February 16, 2011 senior Paige
Klaric made Kennedy athletic history.
She broke the school career scoring record of
1,450 points for the Lady Eagles, previously
held by Julie Yhasz ’85. Klaric needed only
four points during the Kennedy v. Sharon
Kennedy Catholic game to surpass the
record and during a brief ceremony during
the first period, Yuhasz presented Paige with
a practice jersey she wore when she attended
Kennedy a quarter of a century ago.
Klaric is only one of three Lady Eagles to
break the 1,000 point scoring mark. The
third is Mandy (Zolciak) Willis ’97. Paige
says of her accomplishment, “I’m going
to hold on to it for a really long time, and
hopefully I can pass it down to someone
that will break my record. Hopefully, I can
hold my mark for as long as she did.”
Girls Tennis Team Finishes
Perfect Regular Season
G
irls Tennis enjoyed a perfect season going undefeated in regular
season play for the second year in a row. Post-season play also
afforded an opportunity for our girls to continue playing. Doubles
team Claudia Ricotti and Laurencia Lee qualified for the final round
of District II play and just missed qualifying for the fifth doubles
spot at the State Tournament. Senior Chelsea Ross completed an
incredible career in Columbus finishing 20-1 on the season in the first
round of the Division II state tournament. Chelsea, a number one
seed, set a school record; no other member of the girls tennis team has
ever advanced as far as Ross.
Lady Eagle Seniors (L to R): Claudia Ricotti, Chelsea Ross, Emily Esposito,
Gabrielle Lee and Mallory Kohut.
Boys Soccer Team Makes
School History
T
he Boys Soccer team completed a turn-around dream season
finishing as Division III Regional Semi-Finalists. Coming back
from a 1 win season in 2009, the 2010 Eagles finished 15-4-2, going
further than any other Boys Soccer team in school history under
Coach Joe Megeysi.
The team proved to be a force both on and off the
field, being recognized for both their athletic and
academic success during the soccer season by the
2010 Youngstown District Scholastic Soccer Coaches
Association. All County honors went to Mark
Groner and Patrick Hull and Honorable Mention
for James Rossi. Individual Academic Honors
went to Steve Case - 3.98, Mike Fredericka - 4.11
and Mark Groner - 4.16. The entire team was
recognized with academic honors for an overall
GPA of 3.32. Further honors include All-District
Division II recognition, First Team Mark Groner
and Second Team Patrick Hull.
Shawn Pompelia
Returns as Head
Basketball Coach
The Kennedy
Family is
pleased to
welcome
Mr. Shawn
Pompelia ‘82
as the Head
Boys Varsity
Basketball Coach. Shawn has over
15 years of basketball coaching
experience and has been the recipient
of the Trumbull County Coach of
the Year Award, Trumbull County
Coaches Association Coach of the
Year and was selected to coach in
the MVCA Al Beach Schoolboy
Classic. His 2010-11 staff includes
Mr. John Richards ‘94, Mr. Chad
Phillips ‘97 and Mr. Sam Procopio.
President Brian Sinchak comments,
“Mr. Pompelia has a dedicated record
of service to our Kennedy family and
his entire staff represents historic ties
to the Kennedy basketball program.
Together, they bring a continuity of
message, goals and purpose and I
am confident that they will lead our
young men to be leaders of courage,
integrity and dedication on and off
the court.”
The Eagles improved their regular
season record in 2010-11 to 9 and
10 in the regular season from 4 and
16 last year. With strong senior
leadership the Eagles expect to be
highly competitive in the post season
tournament. Shawn considers his
players to be part of a family and
instills that message in them during
community service outings, team
dinners and team attendance at local
parishes for weekend Mass. He says
of his program, “It’s just a matter of
one step at a time. One week at a
time. I think the players believe in
us like we believe in them and we’re
building the family.”
District Champions Ring the Victory Bell
www.warrenjfk.com 13
Kennedy Commitment
Covelli Family Challenges the Kennedy Family
T
his year, Mr.
and Mrs. Sam
’71 and Caryn
Covelli continue
their generosity in
the form of The
Covelli Challenge
as well as the Albert
M. Covelli Family
Scholarship. These
gifts make a significant impact on both
our General Operating Fund as well as our
Tuition Assistance program.
Covelli Challenge
Donors to our Annual Fund, the Kennedy
Commitment, were challenged by the
Covelli Family and given the opportunity
to double their new or increased gift. This
challenge grew our fund exponentially and,
as a result, the Kennedy Commitment
has exceeded our budgeted goal by over
200%. Their generosity enables our Family
to advance our mission, visions and goals.
We thank the Covelli Family and all those
friends and alumni who answered the
Challenge!
Albert M. Covelli Family Scholarship
One of the most powerful gifts a donor
to Kennedy can make is one that funds
tuition assistance, for those gifts assure
that dreams unfold and blossom for
years to come. Support from the Albert
Keating Family funds $30,000.00
Memorial Scholarship
M
r. Leo Keating and Family designated John F. Kennedy Catholic
High School as the recipient of the Louise H. Keating Memorial
Scholarship. The gift given to the school in the amount of $30,000.00
will be used to provide a scholarship annually to a Kennedy student
who is a demonstrated leader of our mission of courage, integrity and
dedication.
Mrs. Keating was a graduate of St. Mary’s College in South Bend.
She was a past president of the Trumbull County Bar Auxiliary, past
president of St. Joseph Hospital Service League and was a member of
St. James Parish. Mrs. Keating was also a member of the Youngstown
Diocese Board of Education. She was a staunch supporter of Catholic
education and was an early advocate of advertising the good work of
Catholic Schools.
14 John F. Kennedy Catholic School
M. Covelli Family Scholarship helps
each year to drive our commitment
to excellence and access. In 2010, the
Covelli Family specifically designated
over $50,000.00 for tuition assistance
for students on our elementary, junior
and senior campuses. While Kennedy
students come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, tuition assistance
resources are important to the entire
Kennedy Family, even those who don’t
directly receive it. These resources help
create an academic environment that
is richly textured and brings a diverse
student body so that all voices are
represented in the academic conversation.
2000 Alum Gives Back
M
r. Patrick Mokros ’00 has
heard about the good news at
John F. Kennedy and simply asks our
administration to “keep up the good
work”. Over the course of this school
year, Patrick has donated $20,000.00
to the Kennedy Commitment
and added to that with his recent
$10,000.00 Underwriting gift to the
21st Annual “Just For Kicks” Live &
Silent Benefit Auction.
The Kennedy Family welcomed Patrick back
home on March 26, 2011 as an honored guest at
the “Just For Kicks” Auction.
Distance Learning Coming this Summer
to the Theodore and Mary Alice Shoaf
Memorial Conference Room
M
r. and Mrs. James ’58 and Margery Shoaf continue to share their generosity to
the Kennedy Family with a gift in the amount of $50,000.00. The funds have
been designated to outfit the Theodore and Mary Alice Shoaf Conference Room with
Cisco Systems distance learning technology.
You are Kennedy.
We are Family. Y
ou are Kennedy in your roles as
dedicated alumni, loving parents and
generous benefactors.
We are Family. Once we believe we are
the living stones that make our school,
then we must realize that as a family we
share a bond with each other and so are
responsible for each other. We are not
only responsible for the family that we
see, but all those who share our identity
as Kennedy - no matter the distance in
time or geography. Alumni from our first
graduating class and our current seniors
are family. The parent of a student and
the faculty member; the donor and the
administrator; the staff member and the
student . . . all are family. And if this is
so, then we must care for each other. One
expression of this care is financial support
in the form of a gift to The Kennedy
Commitment Campaign. This Kennedy Commitment allows
the entire Kennedy Family to make a
contribution to the ongoing mission of
educational excellence in the Catholic
tradition here at our school. Support for
this campaign and the family it represents
allows us to underwrite generous tuition
assistance, increase technology, further our
Catholic identity in new programming,
maintain our superior academic testing
results, and create innovative curricular
models like our new PREP programs
in medicine, law, and business. Please
consider a gift to this important
campaign. You may donate using the
forms included in this mailing or online at
www.warrenjfk.com.
2010-2011
Updated Kennedy
Commitment
Donor Listing can
be found at
www.warrenjfk.com
www.warrenjfk.com 15
Alumni Journal
dedication • courage • integrity
1980’s
David John Spess – Class of 1988
David is an Equiping Analyst for the United
States Army and earned his Bachelor of
Arts in Political Science from Indiana
University of Pennsylvania and his Master
of Military Studies from American Military
University. He currently holds the rank of
Major, United States Army as a Logisitics
officer and assigned to the Office of the
Chief, Army Reserve at the Pentagon in
Washington, DC.
1990’s
Daryl Ruiter - Class of 1996
Daryl is an Anchor/Reporter for ESPN
Cleveland, which includes ESPN 850-AM
WKNR and AM 1540 KNR2. He is also a
Beat Reporter for the Cleveland Browns and
Cleveland Cavaliers.
2000’s
Father Christopher Cicero –
Class of 2001
Was ordained on July 17, 2010. Following
his ordination to priesthood, Deacon Cicero
will finish his License in Sacred Theology at
the Pope John Paul II Institute for Studies
on Marriage and Family in Rome. Asked
what he hopes Catholics in the diocese
will be able to say about him on his 25th
anniversary, Deacon Cicero replies with both
light-hearted and serious answers. “You make
good sauce. You kept the weight off. For real:
Matthew 25:21. ‘Well done, my good and
faithful servant.’”
Lisa Stempak – Class of 2002
Graduated from the University of Toledo
College of Medicine. She will complete a
medical residency in pathology at University
Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland.
16 John F. Kennedy Catholic School
Kurt Weaver - Class of 2003
Graduated in the top 15% of his class
and is the recipient of Magna Cum Laude
graudation honors from The Ohio State
University Moritz College of Law. Due to
his success at Moritz, he has been accepted to
New York University School of Law LL.M. in
the one year, nationally recognized Taxation
program.
Colin Clemente – Class of 2004
Earned his MBA with a concentration
in Health Care Management from The
University of Akron along with a B.S. in
Biology/Pre Med. At Akron he was a fouryear letterman on the Men’s Golf Team,
was two-time Mid-American Conference
selection and was the golf programs first
NCAA Academic All-American. He also
helped lead the Men’s Golf team to its best
conference finish is school history.
Zachariah Germaniuk – Class of 2005
Started two businesses: Bastion Recordings
LLC, an independent record label committed
to supporting Ohio’s independent music
community, and SMG Ohio, a multimedia
publishing company that owns Spearhead
Magazine, Free Minds Literary Journal.
Patrick Hewitt – Class of 2006
Graduated Cum Laude from Denison
University with a degree in History.
Christina Marino – Class of 2006
Graduated Suma Cum Laude from Denison
University with a degree in English Literature
James Pipino – Class of 2006
Graduated with a degree in Philosophy from
Denison University
Jack Weaver – Class of 2006
Graduated Summa Cum Laude with a
degree in Biology from Case Western
Reserve University. He received the Phi
Beta Kappa award for the highest GPA
in Arts and Science Major. Jack has been
accepted into Case Western Reserve School
of Medicine and was also awarded the Case
Western Reserve School of Medicine Merit
Scholarship.
Reunion Events
Class of 1968
The Class of ‘68 will have a Class Get-Together
on Friday, September 2, 2011 starting at 7:00
p.m. at the Horseshoe Bar in Warren. Contact
Marie Smith at smiths1224@neo.rr.com for
more information
Class of 1971
The Class of 1971 Reunion will be held on
Friday, August 12th and Saturday, August 13th.
Classmates, please e-mail or call Rick Smith
at SmithArchCF@aol.com or 440-247-8650
(work) for further information.
Class of 1976
The Class of ‘76 will hold their 35th Reunion
Weekend on June 24-25, 2011. Reunion
Liturgy will be celebrated at 4:30 p.m. Mass on
Saturday, celebrated by Father Crumbley at St.
James Parish. Please contact Maura (McGuire)
Chamberlin at maurajo57@comcast.net for
more information
Class of 1991
The Class of ‘91 will hold their 20 Year
Reunion on June 17th at Leo’s Ristorante at
6:00 p.m. Contact Carrie (Martin) Schuler
at cshuler@embarq.mail.com for more
information.
Class of 2001
The Class of 2001 Reunion will be held on
Friday, November 25, 2011 at Candywood
Golf Club Clubhouse. More information to
come. Please update your contact information with the alumni association, join our class
group on Facebook, or contact Rev. Chris
Cicero at christophercicero@yahoo.com.
In Memory
Brian Kuklinca Class of 1986
Matthew Ritz Class of 1993
Matthew Reese Class of 2005
Kathleen Lazor - Mother of Jennifer ’03
and Jessica ’00, “Just For Kicks” Auction
Chair 2000-2003
Judy Prebish - Faculty
I Believe
Jeffrey Rossi ’71
Jeffrey Rossi is a 1971 graduate of John F. Kennedy. He graduated from The Catholic University of
America with a BA in Politics in 1975 and from the Columbus School of Law at Catholic University
with a Juris Doctor in 1978. He has been affiliated, since 1978, with E. J. Rossi & Company, in
Youngstown, Ohio where his work includes Employee Benefits, Qualified and Non-Qualified Retirement
Plans, and Life Insurance.
W
hen Brian Sinchak called and
asked me to write this column
for the first edition of the new Kennedy
Magazine I was both honored and
challenged. There are a lot of great things
going on at Kennedy and I am not sure
that it is possible to capture everything on a
single page.
By way of history, our family has been
educated pretty much continuously, at
Kennedy. My brother Mike was a student
when the school opened in 1964. Our
nephew James will graduate in May
and more of our family is on the way! I
graduated in 1971 and thoroughly enjoyed
my experience at Kennedy. The education
that I received prepared me for my future
studies, gave me the opportunity to make
lifelong friendships, and provided a few
absolutely terrifying moments generally
linked to occasional lapses in judgment on
my part.
Much has changed since those days and we
should all be very proud of how Kennedy
has evolved into the school that it is today.
Let’s start with the results of the 2010 Ohio
Graduation Test. Kennedy was named 53rd
out of 1,018 schools in the state of Ohio.
Our scores are the highest of any school,
private or public, in the Mahoning Valley.
Our students also scored higher than any
other Catholic high school in the Diocese of
Youngstown, with the lowest tuition I might
add. Congratulations to our students and
our outstanding faculty.
Our students continue a long tradition
of service with opportunities such as the
Rostro de Cristo program. Students travel
internationally to Ecuador and learn to
foster mutual evangelization in the Catholic
tradition through a shared discovery of
faith, to transform the world by promoting
understanding and justice and, finally,
participate in a life-long commitment to
service, social justice and solidarity in the
global community.
With the support of many generous
benefactors our students have access to
state of the art technology. This includes
SMARTBoard technology, a completely
wireless campus, three computer labs and,
soon to be unveiled, distance learning
capability at both the Kennedy and Blessed
Sacrament campuses.
We are in a strong financial position. We
expect to finish the year with a surplus.
That is not an easy task today and it is not
accomplished without the financial sacrifices
that our parents make to send their children
here, the increasing generosity of our
graduates and friends to our Annual Fund
Drive – the Kennedy Commitment, and the
dedication and hard work that continues
to make our annual fundraising auction,
“Just For Kicks”, an outstanding success.
Our administrative team and the Board
of Directors are demonstrating a strong
sense of fiscal responsibility. Without a firm
financial base it would not be possible to
offer future generations the opportunity to
experience a Kennedy education.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention both
Mr. John Gillen and Mr. Fred Hoover. Both
have led us and stood with us for over 35
years. Rumor has it that this is Mr. Hoover’s
last year, certainly a well deserved rest, but
as certainly a bittersweet event.
Whether you live in the area or get back
every so often, please stop in to observe
this success story in person. President
Brian Sinchak, Principal Staci Raab, their
administrative team and our faculty have
an amazing vision for the future and would
welcome the chance to share the good news
with you.
This column will be a regular feature and
in keeping with the heading, I Believe, I
would say to you the following: I believe
that we have been fortunate to have
Catholic Education in Trumbull County,
first with St. Mary’s High School and now
at John F. Kennedy Catholic High School. I
believe that Catholic Education does make
a difference, not only in higher education
performance and future career success, but
that it also provides a strong foundation to
help all of us deal with the daily challenges
that we face. It is difficult to define that
foundation, but I believe that it comes into
play more than we might suspect. I believe
that it takes a combination of motivated
students, supportive parents, dedicated
teachers and administrators, and the
generosity of those that have benefited from
this school to insure that this experience
will remain available to future generations
of Kennedy students. And I believe that is a
good thing.
www.warrenjfk.com 17
John F. Kennedy Catholic School
2550 Central Parkway SE
Warren, Ohio  44484
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www.warrenjfk.com
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