A Tribute to the Class of 2007 Kennett High School Senior Wins 1st

Summer 2007
Message
from the Board
A Tribute to the Class of 2007
My name is James Joyce and I am a member of the Kennett Consolidated School District Board of School Directors. On Monday,
June 11, 2007 the District adopted a new
Use of School Facilities policy. This policy
establishes guidelines for the use of Kennett
Consolidated School District facilities by
school and community groups. Guidelines
are necessary as we balance the needs of
our community and our obligations to our
taxpayers. The District has always been a
good community member, and we want to
maintain that tradition. However, we are
ever mindful of our expenditures and want
to take the necessary steps to protect our
taxpayers’ investment in our students.
As we created this policy, we looked at how
neighboring school districts managed the
use of their facilities. Some use a quantifiable guideline and others use a qualitative
guideline. We chose a quantifiable method
and utilized a district member participation rate as low as 40%. This is the lowest
participation rate among the area districts
using a similar guideline. We also included
a one year grace period for the 2007-2008
year for groups that may fall below the 40%
rate. An informal survey of some of the
larger groups that request the use of our
facilities indicated that none would experience any hardship with this new policy.
One of our goals during this process was to
preserve our relationships with the groups
that currently utilize our facilities. Groups
such as the Southern Chester County Soccer Association, KAU Little League, and the
Kennett-Unionville Titans present the opportunity for community children from our
District and other school districts to get to
know each other through athletics. It really is a small world we live in and an even
smaller community. The sooner we help our
students build relationships that will bridge
gaps the better this community will be as a
whole.
Some may question why now? Why has
the District chosen to undertake a complete overhaul of our athletic stadium? The
answer is simply that it was time. Over the
past several years we have addressed the
academic needs of our students by building a new middle school and completing
a major renovation of our high school that
included a 57,000 square foot science wing
addition. As we have in the past, we will
continue to evaluate our curriculum and
make improvements where needed. We are
currently in the process of building a fourth
elementary school to address our population growth. What has been overlooked all
these years is our athletic facilities.
Our students work very hard on their academics. Despite the current trend, our SAT
scores are rising and over 80% of our students go on to secondary education. Athletics, however, also play a part in our students’ development. We need to remember
that our students are still kids. All too soon
Continued on page 7
On June 8 the 250 members of the Class of 2007 walked down the steps of Kennett High School with their heads held high. Over
$4.1 million in scholarships, grants, and awards were offered to this year’s graduating class, the most in Kennett High School history!
The Kennett Consolidated School District salutes this year’s graduating class and wishes it all the best in future endeavors.
For an in-depth look at the Class of 2007, turn to pages 4 and 5.
Kennett High School Senior Wins
1st Place at National Competition
The Kennett Consolidated School District
is excited to announce that Kennett High
School student Adan Ortiz (pictured at right)
won first place at the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National Leadership
Conference held in Chicago, Illinois. FBLA
gives students the opportunity to choose
from over 40 competitive events from the
areas of technology, public speaking, business, finance, and management. Adan
competed in the area of technology and won
first place for cyber security.
“Adan is an outstanding competitor and the
District is very proud of his achievements,”
commented Ms. Chanel August, Kennett
High School teacher and FBLA advisor.
A graduate of the Class of 2007, Adan was a
member of FBLA for three years and served
as a liaison for recruiting new FBLA members from the Hispanic community. Currently, Adan works full time for Chatham
Financial Corporation. He has earned certifications in Network+ and Security+ from
CompTIA, the computer technology industry
association. He plans to attend Pennsylvania State University Main Campus in the fall
where he will study security and risk analysis
concentrating in cyber security.
Katherine O’Kelly (pictured at right), a
Kennett High School graduate, also attended the National Leadership Conference
where she competed in a very difficult category, the Future Business Leader award.
Earlier in the year, she won Miss FBLA of
Pennsylvania.
“Adan and Katherine are the best of the
best,” commented Mr. Michael King, a
Kennett High School teacher who attended
the conference. “They did an outstanding
job not only representing the District, but representing our state.”
FBLA is one of the largest business
education student organizations,
bringing business and education
together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development
programs.
More than 240,000 active members participate in more than
13,000 chartered chapters in 50
states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands,
U.S. Territories, Canada and Department of Defense Dependent
Schools worldwide. Members include high school, middle school,
and college students. Educators,
administrators, and business professionals have also chosen to be
members in order to prepare students for careers in business.
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. POSTAGE
KENNETT
SQUARE, PA
Permit No. 2
Page 2
District Directory
KENNETT CONSOLIDATED
SCHOOL DISTRICT
300 East South Street
Kennett Square, PA 19348
610-444-6600
Fax: 610-444-6614
www.KCSD.org
Board of School Directors
Dr. Douglas J. Doren, President
Dr. Thomas Griffin, Vice-President
Dominic Perigo, Treasurer
Shirley Annand
Dr. George P. Drake, Jr.
Marueen Harrigan
Jim Joyce
Heather Schaen
Leslie Whiteside
District Office Administration
Dr. Rudolph F. Karkosak, Superintendent
Dr. Victoria C. Gehrt, Assistant Superintendent
Mark Tracy, Director of Business
Administration
Nancy L. Tischer, Director of Human
Resources
Dr. Constance Ames, Director of Student Services/Special Education
Robert Perzel, Director of Facilities and Construction
Jane Pedroso, Curriculum Supervisor for Language Arts and Social Studies
Mary Lynn Vincent, Curriculum Supervisor
for Mathematics and Science
Kennett High School (grades 9-12)
100 East South Street
Kennett Square, PA 19348
610-444-6620
Dr. Michael Barber, Principal
Raymond Fernandez, Assistant Principal
Tomorrow Jenkins, Assistant Principal
Kennett Middle School (grades 6-8)
195 Sunny Dell Road
Landenberg, PA 19350
610-268-5800
John E. Carr, Principal
Joseph Lavelle, Assistant Principal
Karen Gerlach, Assistant Principal
Greenwood Elementary School
420 Greenwood Road
Kennett Square, PA 19348
610-388-5990
Tracey Marino, Principal
Mary D. Lang Elementary School
409 Center Street
Kennett Square, PA 19348
610-444-6260
Susan McArdle, Principal
New Garden Elementary School
265 New Garden Road
Toughkenamon, PA 19374
610-268-6900
Barbara DeCarlo, Principal
Carla Horn, Assistant Principal
Non-Discrimination Policy
The Kennett Consolidated School District will not
discriminate in its educational programs, activities,
or employment practices, based on race, color,
national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability,
age, religion, ancestry, union membership, or any
other legally protected classification. Announcement of this policy is in accordance with state and
federal laws, including Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972, Sections 503 and 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the American with
Disabilities Act of 1990. Kennett Consolidated
School District students and parents who have an
inquiry or complaint of harassment or discrimination, or who need information about accommodations for persons with disabilities, should contact
Dr. Rudolph F. Karkosak, District Superintendent,
300 East South Street, Kennett Square, PA 19348,
telephone (610) 444-6600.
The Kennett Consolidated
School District Newsletter
is published by
Kennett Consolidated School District
Kristine Parkes, M.A. Editor
Designed by
Krisp Communications
Produced and printed by
Chesapeake Publishing
New Principal Welcomed at
Mary D. Lang Elementary School
The Kennett Consolidated School District
welcomed Ms. Susan McArdle in January
as the new principal of Mary D. Lang Elementary School. Ms. McArdle comes to the
District with a wealth of educational experience. Her most recent position was at the
North Penn School District as principal of a
K-6 building.
Prior to the North Penn School District, Ms.
McArdle worked in numerous school districts in several states. “My first love is
teaching,” commented Ms. McArdle. “But
I felt at the administration level, the sphere
of influence impacts a larger amount of the
population.”
Getting to know each child at Mary D. Lang
has been Ms. McArdle’s top priority, as is
meeting the Kennett community. Everyday
she visits classrooms and the cafeteria with
the goal of being seen as a resource for the
children. “I want to help the students be the
best they can be,” said Ms. McArdle.
Ms. McArdle is a strong believer in
the advantages that the performing
arts provide students. By bringing more performing arts into the
school, she says it will bring more
opportunities to each student. “This
is a great school with a great education program,” stated Ms. McArdle.
“Everyone at Mary D. Lang works
hard to support the needs of each
student.”
She also believes that the elementary level is one of the most important
times to reach out to children and
help them find their love of learning. “As educators we help create
their world,” explained Ms. McArdle.
“We need to challenge, nurture, and
inspire each child so that we can
make a difference in their life.”
Book Clubs Enable Students
to Share Their Passion of Reading
In schools nationwide, book clubs have become very popular among students of all
ages. Book clubs promote reading by challenging students to look beyond their assigned literature as well as encouraging students to read independently. Both Kennett
Middle School and Kennett High School host
book clubs for interested students.
At Kennett High School, the Better Than
Oprah Book Club is open to all students who
share a passion for reading. The book club
provides an open forum for students to express their ideas and opinions about current
literature, providing students with a personal
setting for book discussions and promoting
an interest in reading. The book club also
helps students learn to disagree, listen, and
value each other as readers and learners.
The Better Than Oprah Book Club meets
every month in the library during lunch periods. Students are asked to sign up with
Kennett High School Librarian Ms. Lisa Teixeira if they are planning to attend the meet-
ing. The book list is suggested by students
with Ms. Teixeira making the final decision
according to age-appropriateness, genre,
and reading level.
Ms. Lisa Teixeira leads the group’s discussion by having students, one-by-one, rate
the book and explain the rating. “This is a
great way to get students talking,” explained
Ms. Teixeira. Topics such as the storyline,
themes, point-of-view, style of writing and
consistency of the book are also discussed
during meetings. In addition, students compare reviews by book critics to their classmates’ reviews and discuss recommended
grade levels for the books.
For the past three years, Ms. Carol Koroluck,
eighth grade reading teacher has brought
Kennett Middle School’s eighth grade book
club to meet with members of the Better
Than Oprah Book Club. “It’s a great way to
introduce soon-to-be freshmen to not only
the high school but to the book club,” commented Ms. Koroluck. “It gives the eighth
graders a chance to meet future classmates
while bonding over a shared passion for
reading.”
“I never really cared for reading,” explained
eighth grader Greg Hernandez. “Mrs. Koroluck got me to like reading so I joined this
club.”
Over the years, the middle school has hosted a number of book clubs. While there isn’t
a formal book club currently meeting at the
middle school, interested eighth graders
meet with the the Better Than Oprah Book
Club once a year to discuss a book that both
schools have read.
At a recent meeting, students gathered in
the high school’s library to talk about the
book Twilight by Stephanie Meyers. The high
school students looked forward to meeting
the eighth graders. “It will be interesting to
hear their insights and ideas on the book,”
commented senior Alejandra Ramirez.
ChildFind Notice
Special Education (Chapter 14)
If you believe your child may be in need
of a special education program due to a
disability, an evaluation process to assess your child is available to you. Special
education programs for students with disabilities often involve adapting materials
and modifying instruction to meet specific
learning needs. At your written request,
your child will receive an evaluation by a
team of experts trained in assessing children. This team will determine if your
child has a disability and, if so, is in need
of special education. Your input is sought
and considered as part of the process.
Protected Handicapped Services
(Chapter 15)
The Kennett Consolidated School District
does not discriminate against protected
handicapped students. The KCSD will
provide to each protected handicapped
student without discrimination or cost to
the student or family, those related aids,
services or accommodations which are
needed to provide equal opportunity to
participate in and obtain the benefits of the
school program and extracurricular activities to the maximum extent appropriate to
the student’s abilities. In order to qualify as
a protected handicapped student, the child
must be of school age with a physical or
mental handicap which substantially limits
or prohibits participation in or access to an
aspect of the school program.
gifted and in need of an individually designed education program in order to receive meaningful education benefit, the
district will initiate a two-part screening
and evaluation process to determine if he/
she qualifies for our Academically Talented
program. Requests to start this process
must be made in writing.
Procedural Safeguards
Your input is sought and considered as
part of the screening and evaluation process. Students who meet Phase I criteria move to Phase II and are then given
a standardized test of intelligence, individually administered by a certified school
psychologist. The results of the process
determine eligibility for the AT program.
Gifted Education (Chapter 16)
For further information on the evaluation
procedures and provision of services to
protected handicapped students, students
with disabilities, or gifted students, contact
your child’s principal, guidance counselor,
or the Department of Student Services and
Special Education at 610-444-6600.
These services and protections for “protected handicapped students” are distinct
from those applicable to all eligible or exceptional students enrolled (or seeking enrollment) in special education programs.
Notwithstanding anything herein to the
contrary, the school district shall respect
the procedural and substantive rights of
disabled students in its efforts to ensure
an appropriate atmosphere conducive to
teaching and learning in the schools to all
students.
If you believe your child is intellectually
Page 3
Performance Levels Added to Elementary Report Cards
Parents will notice some changes in their
children’s elementary report cards this year
arising from the need to convey Performance Levels on state standards. The goal
of the Kennett Consolidated School District
is for each child to be Proficient or higher on
benchmarks to the Pennsylvania Academic
Standards at each grade level. The new report
card format also has new skill indicators under the reading and writing sections to communicate better to parents a child’s strengths
and areas in need of growth. In addition, the
language arts continuum will no longer be
part of the report card but will instead be used
as a tool at parent teacher conferences.
Here is a look at the changes by grade level:
In kindergarten, changes to the report
card are minimal. Students will continue
to receive a 3, 2, or 1 on grade level skill
indicators to demonstrate whether they are
Proficient, Progressing, or have an Area of
Concern.
In grades one and two, each subject has
similar skill indicators as in the past, but
there is a new section that tells the parent
whether the child is Advanced, Proficient,
or Not Yet Proficient overall in reading, writing and mathematics for the trimester. This
new rating is called the Performance Level.
These levels let the parent know if the child
is on track each trimester when measured
against state standards. As always, parent/
teacher conferences are really important in
determining next steps for each learner.
In grades three through five, along with
the new Performance Level rating each
child continues to receive traditional letter
grades in language arts and mathematics.
Best of Class 2007
The combination of both the letter grade and
performance level reflect a child’s individual
growth as well as his/her standing when
measured against state standards. This wil
give parents a more complete picture of
their student’s progress.
Teachers, coaches, and curriculum supervisors spent many hours this summer developing common assessments so that each child
in the District would be ultimately measured
with the same yardstick. Proficient ratings at
Greenwood, Mary D. Lang, and New Garden
Elementary Schools all represent the same
criteria, and those ratings are aligned to
state standards. Since children are now being assessed each trimester, there should be
very few surprises when students take state
tests. The goal of the District is to align the
KCSD’s performance measures with exterior
measures such as the Pennsylvania State
System of Assessment (PSSA).
“The District felt that this was a great time to
align the elementary level report cards with
the state and with each other,” says Curriculum Supervisor Jane Pedroso. “Since
our elementary students all feed into one
middle school, consistency in the measurement of student performance is critical, and
this level of clear criteria will aid students,
teachers, and parents.
Please look for upcoming announcements
on fall informational parent nights in each
of the three elementary schools about the
revised report cards. At these workshops
parents will have the opportunity to see
samples of the revised report cards and ask
questions.
LEAP Kindergarteners
Engaged in Reading
Kindergartners in Ms. Marie Hess’s LEAP
(Literacy Enhancement Academic Program)
Kindergarten class have been eating and
reading. First, they read If You Give a Pig
a Pancake, by Laura Numeroff. After reading the story and doing some writing, the
students learned all the steps necessary
to make pancakes, and then they enjoyed
pancakes of their own!
Congratulations to Kennett
High School senior Katherine O’Kelly who was
named WPVI-6 Best of
Class 2007! Katherine
will attend Schreyer Honors College at Pennsylvania State University in the
fall. She plans to study
bioengineering.
Next they read Two For Stew, also by Laura
Numeroff. In this story, a poodle and its
owner can’t get the stew they want but do
finally get to eat noodles. After reading the
book, each student was given large uncooked noodles with the words to make a
sentence from the book written on them.
The students arranged the words in the
correct order to make a full sentence, then
added a string to make a necklace from
them. Then everyone in the class got to eat
noodles of their own!
LEAP is a full-day kindergarten program
that provides additional instruction in the
areas of reading and language skills to
students who could use additional time to
build a stronger foundation for success in
the first grade.
Johnson & Johnson’s Bridge to Employment
Program Celebrates Kennett High School Seniors
In late May, fifteen Kennett High School
seniors (Luis Almanza-Fernandez, Cristina
Castillo-Herrera, Justin Clark, Corey Medina, Chardai Miller, Lucely Perez, Christen
Pizzini, Allie Ramirez-Lemus, Erica Reyes,
Corey Rochester, Veronica Tlaseca, Ricardo Thompson, Nicole Vattilano, Jesus
Villicana-Avila, and Jose Luis Zavala) and
their mentors marked four years of dedication and perseverance at a celebration
dinner at Challie’s Grill in Kennett Square.
As freshmen, these students were selected to participate in Johnson & Johnson’s
Bridge to Employment program, a national
school-to-career program administered by
the Academy for Educational Development.
Through the grant-funded program, students
were assigned mentors from Centocor, Inc., a
Johnson & Johnson company that develops
biomedicines, and West Chester University’s
Department of Nursing.
Cartoonist Robb Armstrong, creator of the
nationally-syndicated comic strip Jump
Start, spoke to the students and their guests
about his life growing up in West Philadelphia and used his experiences to encourage
the kids to “protect the passion in their life.”
“This [Bridge to Employment] is a great program,” Mr. Armstrong stated. “However, it
doesn’t mean a thing if you don’t protect
your passion … your dreams.”
To help the students achieve their academic dreams, the mentors presented each
student with a laptop computer at the conclusion of the dinner.
Senior Erica Reyes stated that the Bridge
to Employment program exposed her and
her peers to a “variety of health career opportunities beyond doctors and nurses.”
Through academic enrichment, mentorship, job shadowing, and the enhancement
of after-school opportunities, students
learned about the healthcare industry and
developed their skills in communication
and leadership.
“Many of the kids came into the program
thinking that they would work in a mushroom house or at a register at a local store
... I believe the program showed them that
there are other possibilities,” said Stephen
McCarthy, a molecular biologist at Centocor
and a KHS alumni, Class of 1980.
Mr. McCarthy was one of the scientists and
engineers who volunteered to mentor students in the program. In addition to hosting
small groups of students in his lab, Mr. Mc-
Carthy and his peers accompanied the students on a variety
of educational field trips over
the last four years.
During the summers, the students attended a one-week
Summer Institute at West
Chester University and participated in job shadowing activities at Centocor. These unique
summer camp experiences reinforced the students’ communication, team work, and leadership skills and exposed them
to college life and courses.
“We are grateful for the opportunities that the Bridge to
Employment program gave
our students,” said Mr. Wes
McDowell, former principal
of Kennett High School. “The
skills they gained and the
friendships they made will not
only last them a lifetime but
will provide them with greater
opportunities for personal success.”
Members of KHS’ Class of 2007 (L-R) Veronica Tlaseca, Nicole Vattilano, and Alejandra Ramirez-Lemus
presented their BTE/Centocor mentors with a poster
of memories to remember them by.
Page 4
A Quick Glance at the Class of 2007
Of the 250 members of the Class of 2007,
68% will attend a 4-year college
12% will attend a 2-year institutions
1% will enter the military
19% are either undecided or will work
Members of the Class of 2007 were accepted to the following four- and two-colleges and universities:
Albright College
Alvernia College
American University
Auburn University
Avila University
Bentley College
Berklee College of Music
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Boston College
Boston University
Bucknell University
Cabrini College
California University of Pennsylvania
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Clemson University
Coastal Carolina University
College of Charleston
College of Mount Saint Vincent
College of New Jersey
Columbia University
Cornell University
Delaware College of Art and Design
Delaware County Community College
Delaware Technical & Community College
Drexel University
Duquesne University
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
Eastern University
Elizabethtown College
Elon University
Flagler College
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Florida Institute of Technology
Fordham University
Franklin & Marshall College
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
Furman University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Gettysburg College
Gordon College
Harcum College
Harvard University
High Point University
Hofstra University
Hood College
Howard University
Immaculata University
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Iowa State University
James Madison University
Johnson & Wales University
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
LaSalle University
Lebanon Valley College
Lewis & Clark College
Loyola College in Maryland
Lycoming College
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Marion Military Institute
Marist College
Marywood University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Metropolitan State College of Denver
Miami University
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Montclair State University
Mount St. Mary’s University
Muhlenberg College
Neumann College
North Carolina State University
Ohio University
Penn State University
Princeton University
Purdue University
Quinnipiac University
Radford University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Roanoke College
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
St. Bonaventure University
St. John Fisher College
St. Francis University
St. Josephs University
St. Mary’s College of Maryland
St. Olaf College
Salisbury University
School of Visual Arts
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
Suffolk University
Susquehanna University
Swarthmore College
Temple University
Texas A&M University
Texas State University
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
Thomas Jefferson University
Towson University
United States Military Academy
University of California, San Diego
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Connecticut
University of Delaware
University of Houston
University of Kansas
University of Mary Washington
University of Maryland
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of North Carolina Wilmington
University of Oklahoma
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rhode Island
University of Richmond
University of San Diego
University of South Carolina
University of Tampa
University of Utah
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
Ursinus College
Vassar College
Villanova University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Washington and Jefferson College
Wesley College
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Virginia University
Widener University
Wilkes University
Wilmington College
York College of Pennsylvania
KHS Seniors Take Many Paths
The most recent graduates of Kennett
High School are as different as they come.
They each chose a different path during
their high school years, participating in
a variety of activities to represent their
personalities. But together, they create
something wonderful, improving the lives
of all who come to know them. We’re
pleased to give you a glimpse of just a
few of these seniors who represent their
class and the numerous achievements
they’ve made that have left an impact on
our community.
Walter Sylvester: Walter
spent
his time at
Kennett High
School either
on the baseball diamond
playing first
base for the
high school’s
baseball team or on the mat wrestling an
opponent.
After school, Walter worked at the Kendal-Crosslands Communities. He began
working in the food service department
but was offered a full-time position in the
landscape training program as a grounds
man. Here he was responsible for preserving the landscape surrounding the retirement community as well as maintaining the residence buildings.
Walter hopes to attend a technical college
where he can expand his talent.
Allison Zeiman: Allison
was an active
high schooler,
participating
in a wide variety of activities. Allison
played on the
high school
basketball
and lacrosse
team for all 4 years; she was a guard for
basketball and played point defense for the
lacrosse team.
In addition to playing sports, she participated in the senior play, “A Mouse that Roared.”
She was a member of the National Honor
Society and volunteered her time for the
After-The-Bell program where she coached
basketball and lacrosse to middle school
students.
Allison will attend Kutztown University in the
fall. She is considering marine biology, zoology or acting as her major.
Grayson Sundermeir: Grayson was active
in both music
and
sports
throughout high
school. Grayson
played lacrosse
for all 4 years
as a mid-fielder
and during his
senior year had
the opportunity to experience the teams’
first playoff game.
Grayson also participated in the concert
choir, show choir, and school musicals. He
was involved in the Spanish Club, Future
Business Leaders of America (FBLA), and
is a member of the Boy Scouts of America,
having earned his Eagle Scout.
Grayson will attend Pennsylvania State University where he plans to study biological
science.
Alejandra
Ramirez: Ali
spent
high
school
involved in numerous clubs,
organizations
and activities.
Ali participated
in the drama
club
where
she perfected
her acting and improv skills, the Shakespeare Festival, French Club, and choir.
She loves to read and became involved in
the KHS book club. In addition, she was involved with programs like Bridge to Employment and Chester County Futures to assist
with the college transition.
Honor Society.
She was inspired by her homeroom teacher
Ms. Bohrer to pursue English education at
the college level. She will attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.
Mary Varela: Mary spent high school
learning about
the business
world.
She
worked parttime at State
Farm Insurance
as a claims
representative.
Mary will attend Cheyney
University of
Pennsylvania
as a business
administration major.
Jacob Thompson: Jacob enjoyed creative
writing in high
school and was
involved with
the
Literary
Club, submitting
short stories for
a booklet that
is
published
and distributed
to the student
body.
Jacob signed a four year contract with the
Pennsylvania National Guard in the College
First Program. Jacob serves on a part-time
basis which includes one weekend each
month and two weeks during the summer
for training.
He plans to attend Kutztown University or
West Chester University of Pennsylvania in
the fall where he will study law enforcement.
Michelle Vickery: Michelle was a wellrounded
high
schooler, participating
in
both music and
sports. For all 4
years, Michelle
played the clarinet in band as
well as performing in the chorus,
women’s choir,
and the treble
clef. She also played soccer, lacrosse, and
track.
Michelle was involved in French Club and
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).
She also served as the yearbook editor her
senior year and as an officer in the National
Michelle plans to attend Pennsylvania State
University as a biochemistry major in the
fall.
Mary plans to continue working while in
college with hopes that she will obtain a
full-time position at State Farm Insurance
upon graduation.
Joseph Shelton:
Joseph
attended the
Center for Arts
& Technology
after completing his freshmen year at the
high school. He
was
actively
involved in the
Auto Service
Technology program offered at the school.
Joseph participated in Skills USA as a Skills
USA Officer and representative for all three
years. Skills USA is a vocational student
organization, the largest in the nation that
gives vocational students a chance to compete in their individualized field at a national level.
Joseph will attend Delaware County Community College in the fall where he will enter the Automotive Technology program. He
also hopes to earn college credit in order to
receive a degree as well as an automotive
technology certificate.
Page 5
Memories of the Day Captured on Film
Awards & Scholarships Presented to Class of 2007
The Forrest R. Schaeffer Scholarship.....................................Jose Javier Lopez Magana
Applestone Foundation, Inc., Scholarship...................................Justin Clark, Katherine Lynn, Tracy Nino Calderon, Adan Ortiz Cordova, and Veronica Tlaseca
The Sara Chandler Merrick Scholarship................................................Jennifer Everhart
The Emma Taylor and Joanna Taylor Nieweg Scholarship...........................Alysha Isakof
The Kennett Alumni Association Scholarship........R. Andrew Mattingly, Katherine O’Kelly
The Krapf Bus Company Scholarship..........................................Cristina Castillo Herrera
The Robert Scott Scholarship.....................................................................Lindsey Swift
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship...................Cristina Castillo Herrera, Mika Durnell, Salina Jackson, Amanda Mackereth, Janell Vanarthos, and Asmil Varela
The American Mushroom Institute Scholarship............................Adan Ortiz Cordova, Rosa Nely Zavala Zavala
The Carol Karkosak Scholarship.................................................................Natalie Sarno
The Kennett Education Foundation Scholarship......................Jose Javier Lopez Magana
The Kennett Education Foundation Book Scholarship...............................Salina Jackson
The Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce Scholarship...........Jose Zavala Zavala
The John Michael Manfredi Memorial Scholarship.................................Allison Zeimann
The James G. Warburton Memorial Scholarship.......................Alejandra Ramirez Lemus
The George Holman Memorial Rotary Club Scholarship...............................Jillian Fisher
The Lions Club of Kennett Square Scholarship......................................Jose Ortiz Cortez
The Claire M. Mulvaney Prize................................................................Lauren Beuchler
The Scott Thompson Student Assistance Scholarship.......................Amanda Mackereth
The Genesis HealthCare Scholarship………..……………….......….…Nicole Vazquez
The KHS All-Around Student Scholarship……….......……….....…Grayson Sundermeir
The Eugene and Mary DiFilippo Scholarship.............................................Andrew Motter
The Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees Scholarship.............Alejandra Ramirez Lemus
The Ralph Parrett, Jr., Memorial Scholarship.......................................Diana Zavala Nino
The Jeanne Ramsey McCune Scholarship...............................................Melissa Ostroff
The Kenneth R. Webb Citizenship Award...........................................................Kensi Ho
The Corene Amoss Award.........................................................................Linda Magana
The Susan B. Annand Creative Writing Scholarship......................................Jacob Locke
The John M. Whiteside Scholarship.....................Katherine O’Kelly and Michelle Vickery
The Aaron Taylor Summers Memorial Scholarship....................................Andrew Outten
The Jean E. Baccino Scholarship.............................................................Kristy Reschka
The CCSIGA Scholarship.......................................................................Stephanie Griffin
The Cameron A. Logan Scholarship................Adan Ortiz and Jose Javier Lopez Magana
The Andrew J. Augustine PTO Scholarship....................................Berenice Bedolla Lopez
The Greenwood Elementary PTO Scholarship.............................................Colleen Lettich
The New Garden Elementary PTO Scholarship..............Jordan McClane and Paige Minka
The New Garden Monthly Meeting of Friends Scholarship...........................Hilary Umbreit
The Superintendent’s Scholarship....................................................................Keith Benn
The Karen Work Memorial Scholarship.........................................................Kaitlin Myers
The Pat’s Pizzeria Prize...........................................................................David Sherwood
The Richard J. Posey Law Enforcement Scholarship.....................................Jason Eklund
The Principal’s Award........................................................................Rebecca Cummings
The Richard M. Malchione Memorial Scholarship...................................Denise Rodriguez
The London Grove Grange #63 Scholarship.....................................................Dana Tutak
The Susan E. Spahn Memorial Scholarship.......................................Katelyn DeBerardinis
The Helen Corson Peace Prize....................................................................Michael Cangi
The Shaerica Lachelle Shaw Scholarship……………………….........….Angela Frezzo
The KCSD Board of Education Award for Greatest Growth...................Adan Ortiz Cordova
The Mercer Restorations, Inc., Scholarship...............................................Joseph Shelton
The Mark Nelms Economics Prize................................................................Brian Hanson
The Swayne-Campbell-Testa VFW Post #5467 Award....................................Kevin Smyth
The Kennett Amateur Theatrical Society Award...........................................Kristin Hodges
The Kennett Middle School Junior Art Honor Society Award...................Richard DeNenno
The Sherylyn Pursel Art Award....................................................................Elizabeth Haftl
The Susan B. Annand Memorial Scholarship...................................Milagros Rojas Santos
The Ann S. Hannahs Home Economics Award..............................................Siobhan Riley
The Artie DiAndrea Memorial Prize.................................................................Hilary Lewis
The Exelon Nuclear Generation & Employee Scholarship...................Rosa Nely Zavala Zavala, Lauren Commadori, and Collin Jefferson
The KCSD Board of Education Award for Excellence in Vocational Education.......Katlin Perigo, Joseph Shelton
The Anthony J. Raimondo, Jr., A.V. Memorial Prize......................................Colin Finnegan
The Russell A. Reidinger, Sr., Memorial Prize............................................Michelle Vickery
The Russell A. Reidinger, Jr., Memorial Prize...............................................David Fenwick
The Raymond Moynihan Memorial Prize...................................................Kyle McCloskey
The Roscoe A. Peters Memorial Award................................................Alexander Brothers
The Carter-Miller-Johnson VFW Post #8984 Award …………........…..…...Juliana Agbo
The Rotary Club Harvey Atkinson Memorial Music Scholarship....................Alysha Isakoff
Rubinstein’s Office Plus Visual Arts Award.............................................Alicia Bonilla-Puig
The W. Earle Rupert Memorial Cup................................................................Jillian Fisher
Page 6
Education Continues Throughout
the Summer for Staff and Students
No longer do KCSD students and staff have
summer vacations for weeks at a time.
These days, summer programs for our
students and staff abound with a variety
of available learning opportunities. This
past summer over 755 KCSD students took
advantage of the summer educational assistance program (tutoring), the extended
school year program, the migrant education
program, summer school, and high school
and middle school make-up classes.
“The goal of the District’s summer programs
is to provide extra assistance or a refresher
to students before the new school year,” explained Assistant Superintendent Dr. Victoria
Gehrt. “Ten weeks is a long period of time,
and many students do better in the next
school year when they are exposed to the
material over the summer.”
Summer professional development opportunities have been provided to all KCSD
staff, with over 230 teachers taking advantage of the many workshops this summer.
These workshops included Development
of Curriculum and Assessment for Kindergarten, Middle School Social Studies and
Reading/Language Arts, High School English and Social Studies, the Collins Writing
Program, Scoring of District Writing Assessments, Refinement of the ESL Curriculum
and Development of Appropriate Assessments, Training in the Use of New Investigations and Connected Math Materials,
Elementary Science (Lab Learner) Assessments, and the Development of Classroom
Assessments.
History Alive!
Upon returning from the conference, the
teachers came together to refine shared
Teachers from across the nation gathered lessons and to plan common course asto collaborate and exchange ideas at a pro- sessments using the resources they gathfessional development conference in San ered from the conference.
Diego this July. Seventh grade social studies teachers Mr. Herman Engel, Ms. Tamara “It was interesting to see how other school
Fellows and Mr. Evan Saikin attended the districts across the country selected maconference with Curriculum Supervisor terials, aligned curricula to standards, and
handled implementation,” says Mr. Engel.
Ms. Jane Pedroso.
“Much of what we learned validates what
The conference focused on the imple- we are already doing in the District in
mentation of experiential social studies terms of differentiated instruction, experilessons that are designed to bring history ential learning, and instruction that appeals
to life. Sessions included digital teacher to multiple intelligences in students.”
resources, interactive student notebooks,
and Ancient World lessons, all of which are As you can tell, summers in the KCSD are
related to the Kennett Consolidated School an extremely busy time with educational
opportunities for all.
District’s curriculum.
KEF Presents Outstanding Teacher Awards
At the end of the 2006-07 academic year five
teachers in the Kennett Consolidated School
District were named Outstanding Teachers
by the Kennett Education Foundation (KEF).
The teachers, one from each school in the
District, were recommended by their principals for their exemplary work. The recipients
(L-R) were: Tracy Hopkins, second grade
teacher at Mary D. Lang Elementary, Sandra
McCall, guidance counselor at Greenwood
Elementary, Diane Schettone, ESL teacher
at New Garden Elementary, Herman Engel,
social studies teacher at Kennett Middle
School, and Michael King, special education
teacher at Kennett High School.
The Outstanding Teacher
Awards are sponsored by the
Kennett Education Foundation,
which also supports teachers
through its Innovative Grants
program. “The KEF is devoted
to enhancing the educational
experience in the Kennett
Consolidated School District,”
said Karl Bennett, Kennett
Education Foundation Board
President. “Teachers are the
most important part of the
educational process, and we
want to honor and support
them in any way we can.”
Each recipient’s name is listed on a plaque
hanging in the District Office, and each re- For additional details, visit
ceived a certificate, flowers, and a bookstore www.KennettEducationFoundation.org.
gift card.
Notice of
Important Rights
Concerning the Maintenance, Access to,
and Amendment and Disclosure of Education Records by the Kennett Consolidated
School District, the Kennett Consolidated
School District’s Education Records Policy
(School Board Policy 216) contains information of importance to students attending public schools and public school
sponsored programs. Several provisions
of this Policy warrant careful attention:
sonally identifiable information to other
schools and institutions. Section 4.8(a)
of the Education Records Policy allows the
District to disclose personally identifiable
information concerning a student to an educational agency or institution at which the
student seeks to enroll, intends to enroll,
or is enrolled, or from which the student
receives services, when that agency or institution requests such records.
Designation of certain records containing personally identifiable information
as “directory information.” In Section
1.1 of the KCSD’s Education Records Policy, the District designates certain kinds
of information as “directory information.”
The District will provide this information
to any interested person, including armed
forces recruiters who request it, without
seeking consent from the parents of the
student or the student. If you do not want
the District to disclose such information,
you must so notify the District in writing
on or before the first day of the school
term, which is September 4, 2007. Your
written notice must identify the specific
types of directory information that you do
not want the District to disclose without
consent. If you fail to notify us in writing
by the first day of the school term, we
may release directory information upon
request and without consent.
Access to records by school officials
with a “legitimate educational interest.” Section 4.6 of the Education Records Policy allows school officials with a
legitimate educational interest to have access to personally identifiable information
without parent or student consent. In Section 1.8 of the Education Records Policy,
the District designates those persons who
have a “legitimate educational interest”
that would allow such access to education
records.
Amendment of education records. Section 3 of the Education Records Policy describes how a parent or a student who has
attained the age of 18 can request that
records be amended. This Section also
describes in detail the right of the parent
or eligible student to request a hearing to
challenge a decision by the District not to
amend records that the parent or student
believes are inaccurate, misleading, or in
Disclosure of records containing per- violation of the student’s right to privacy.
Mary D. Lang Fifth
Graders Perform in
Annual Shakespeare Festival
Mary D. Lang Elementary School fifth graders participated in the Chester County Intermediate Unit’s annual Shakespeare Festival where nearly 300 students from Chester County elementary, middle, and high schools honored the theatrics of William
Shakespeare.
During competition, each school is given 25 minutes to perform a Shakespearian
production. This year, Mary D. Lang students presented “A Glance at Shakespeare.”
The production consisted of two pieces hailing from Macbeth (Scene 1) and Romeo
and Juliet (Scene VIII). “It was a lot of work for the students,” explained Ms. Lorraine
Desjardien, fourth grade teacher. “But the students became real thespians by the
time they were finished.”
Shakespeare is a fundamental part of the language arts curriculum at Mary D. Lang
Elementary School, and the Shakespeare Festival brings the curriculum to life for students and teachers. “This is a wonderful experience especially since many students
have limited experience in drama,” commented Ms. Desjardien. The drama club is
offered to fourth and fifth graders and provides students with the opportunity to experience the theatre firsthand.
Congratulations to the following students who received awards at this year’s Shakespeare Festival:
Jose Nazario - Purposeful Pondering award
Megan Flowers - Excellent Eloquence award
Diana Villagomez and Lupia Nartubez - Nifty Narration award
David Villagomez - Ardor of Distinction
In addition, the group brought home the following awards:
Beautiful Banner award
Wonderful Witchery award
Seamless Staging award
Shakespearean Snippet award
Page 7
Fifth Graders
Save a Piece of History
History came alive at Mary D. Lang Elementary School when fifth grade students
participated in a school-wide fundraiser
to help save a parcel of the Brandywine
Battlefield in Chadds Ford. Fifth graders
successfully raised $205 throughout a six
week fundraising period!
Fifth grade teachers chose two students
per classroom to work on the “Save the
Brandywine Battlefield” project. Empty
jugs were placed throughout the school for
students to donate money. “It was great
to see students actively participate in this
fundraiser,” explained Mrs. Colleen Kauffman, PTO president. “They really became
passionate about preserving a piece of history.”
Jacqueline Castano and Jose Hernandez
from Ms. Kari Katherman’s class worked
on the project. “The battlefield is important because it is a part of our history and
we have to keep it so that our children and
grandchildren can visit it,” commented
Jose. Jacqueline liked working on the
project, too. “I knew that we could really
help save the battlefield if we did this,” explained Jacqueline.
Mrs. Kauffman introduced the project to
Principal Ms. Susan McArdle and asked
how the elementary school could help.
Ms. McArdle saw the project as a perfect
fit for the fifth grade classes since the fifth
grade curriculum introduces students to
the Revolutionary War and the importance
of the Brandywine Battlefield.
Director of the Brandywine Conservancy
Sherri L. Evans-Stanton and Director of
Public Relations Halsey Spruance thanked
Mary D. Lang students and teachers for
their successful efforts in helping to preserve a piece of history. “We are grateful
for all the hard work the fifth graders put
forth to accomplish this goal,” commented
Mr. Halsey Spruance. Ms. McArdle was
also very proud of the students that took on
this project, especially since they were the
only school in the area that raised money
to save the Brandywine Battlefield!
2007-08 Bus Schedules
Families whose children ride a bus to school will receive a
postcard in the mail notifying
them of their child’s bus stop
location and pick-up time for
the 2007-08 school year. If
you have not received a postcard by August 27 please call
610-444-6619.
KHS Musicians
Recognized for Excellence
Around the District
August
15..................................................................................KHS Athletic Boosters, 7pm
17........…………....……………..........................................KEF Meeting, 7:30am
24...........................................................................................KMS Gr. 6 Orientation
24...........................................................................KHS Gr. 9 Orientation 8am-1pm
30.........................................................................NG K, 1st Sneak-A-Peak, 9-10am
30...............................................................................MDL Sneak-A-Peak, 9-10am
30..........................................................................MDL K Parent Orientation, 7-8pm
September
3..............................................................................................................Labor Day
4...............................................................................................First Day for Students
5 ...............................................................................GW Parent Orientation, Gr. 1 & 2
5 ...........................................................................................KMS PTO Mtg, 7:30pm
6 .........................................................................GW Parent Orientation, Gr. 3, 4, & 5
6 ...............................................................................................MDL PTO Mtg, 7pm
10..............................................................................School Board Mtg, 7pm @ KHS
10 ......................................................................................KHS Alumni Mtg, 7pm
10-12 ...................................................................KMS After-the-Bell Registration
11 ........................................................................NG Parent Orientation, Gr. 3,4 & 5
12 ................................................................................KHS Athletic Boosters, 7pm
12 ............................................................................NG Parent Orientation, Gr. 1 & 2
12 ...........................................................MDL Parent Orientation, Gr. 1-5, 7-8:30pm
19..........................................................................NG K Parent Orientation, 7pm
19 ...........................................................................KMS Back to School Night, 7pm
20 ............................................................................KHS Parent Orientation, 7pm
21 ...............................................................................................KEF Mtg, 7:30am
21 .............................................................KMS Title One Family Night, 6:45-8:45pm
24 ..........................................................................Curriculum Committee Mtg, 7pm
25 .................................................................................KMS After-the-Bell Begins
28 ...................................................................................................KMS Picture Day
October
1-2 ..............................................River North Chicago Dance Company, 7pm @ KHS
3 .........................................................................................KMS PTO Mtg, 7:30pm
4........................................................................................ MDL PTO Mtg, 9:30am
4 .....................................................................KHS Friends of Music Mtg, 7:30pm
6 ..........................................................................................................SATs @ KHS
8 .................................................................................School Board Mtg, 7pm @ GW
8 ..........................................................................................................LEAP Begins
9 ...............................................................................................NG PTO Mtg, 7pm
10 .................................................................................KHS Athletic Boosters, 7pm
11 ..................................................................................MDL Student Picture Day
12 ..................................................................................KMS Dance 7:30-9:30pm
12 ...............................................................................................KMS Limo Lunch
13 ...........................................................................KHS Homecoming Football, 1pm
13 .............................................................................KHS Homecoming Dance, 7pm
16 ...................................................................................KHS PSAT Testing, Gr. 9-11
18 ....................................................................................................NG Picture Day
19 ................................................................................................KEF Mtg, 7:30am
20 ..................................................................................................GW Fall Festival
24 ................................................................................KHS Graduation Project Mtgs
27 ................................................................................MDL Fall Fun Fair, 11-2pm
29 .........................................................................Curriculum Committee Mtg, 7pm
Continued from page 1
Message from the Board
Congratulations to Kennett High School’s concert band, orchestra, concert choir,
and chorale! Both the concert band and orchestra won first place among Class AA
schools at the 2007 Music Showcase Festival held at Hershey Park. The concert
band also won the overall trophy which is awarded to the band with the highest
rating regardless of the school’s classification. In addition, the concert choir and
chorale both finished in second place at the competition.
Shown above after their winning performance are Kennett High School seniors (back
rown, L-R) Danielle Kelly, Amanda Davis, Nathan Budischak, Matt King, Natalie Sarno, Stephanie Griffin, (front row, L-R) Berenice Bedolla, Jennifer Everhart, Kaitlyn
Deberardinis, and Rebecca Cummings.
they will go on to college or life after high
school and the responsibilities associated
with growing older will soon strip away
their carefree adolescence. High school
is the last opportunity for most of our students to play school sponsored sports.
managed to limit real estate tax increases
to an average of 3.2%. Consequently, with
the new facilities, we needed to revisit the
District’s Facilities Use Policy to ensure that
our vision remained intact while preserving
our taxpayers’ investment.
Up until this summer, our sports facilities
were not up to par with any of our sister
schools. We had the only cinder track in
Chester County; consequently, we could
not host track and field events. We only
had six tennis courts, not eight; therefore
we could not host tennis tournaments for
either of our tennis teams. Our soccer and
lacrosse teams did not have a quality field
to host games that provided a rewarding
experience for players and spectators. Finally, our football program has been growing and the need to have “home” games
that are actually at home instead of at a
generous neighboring school district became apparent.
The purpose of this article is to explain
some of what went into our new Use of
School Facilities Policy. I would also like
to assure the members of our community,
both within our district borders and beyond, that the District wants to continue to
be a good community member. We want
to maintain our current relationships with
community groups while balancing our obligations to our taxpayers. We want to balance the use of our facilities by groups that
enhance the quality of life for our citizens
while ensuring that District residents are
included in those programs. The Board and
the administration worked hard to develop
a policy that is fair. We believe it’s good but
suspect it may not be perfect. In the event
that refinements are needed to achieve the
intended results, the KCSD Board of School
Directors is more than willing to revisit this
policy.
But as always, we are doing this with an eye
on the budget. This year our tax increase
was 1.76%. Over the last four years, despite the eighty million dollar financial investment in instructional facilities, we have
Page 8
Outdoor Classroom Enhances Educational
Environment for Greenwood Elementary Students
Did you know that according to a study
by Bethel Learning Institute the retention rate for students learning when using hands-on experiences is 75 percent?
Outdoor classrooms provide students
with hands-on experiences that promote
an educational atmosphere where math,
science, language arts, social studies,
and the arts all come alive!
At Greenwood Elementary School, students are given the opportunity to cultivate their knowledge in the great outdoors, thanks to the ambition of Mr. Burt
Rothenberger. Mr. Rothenberger is a volunteer for the National Wildlife Federation
(NWF) and serves as a habitat steward
where he helps people in the community
create and restore a wildlife habitat. He
is also a member of Longwood Gardens
Education Advisory Council. “The outdoor classroom is more than getting the
students to learn about nature,” explains
Mr. Rothenberger. “It’s about getting the
students out from behind their desks and
into nature where their senses come alive
in real-life experiences.”
The outdoor classroom consists of a 700
foot-long nature trail with a boardwalk
and an area for students to gather for
classroom activities. It is located where
Greenwood Elementary School’s property
meets Longwood Garden’s property.
In order to revive the trail, Mr. Rothenberger and volunteers began by clearing out invasive and neglected plants
alongside the trail in August 2006. “It’s
a unique site because it has both dry
and wet woodlands,” Mr. Rothenberger
commented. “Also, there are many plants
throughout the trail that are uncommon for
the area, such as cinnamon ferns which
are very rare for this area.”
Alongside the nature trail, Mr. Rothenberger is planting only native and locally raised
plants. “There will be hundreds of plants
that will sprout according to the season,”
he stated. “We have so many paths we
want to explore to make this a success.”
One ambition includes providing benches
that can seat an entire class.
Although there is plenty of work yet to be
done, Greenwood Elementary Principal
Mrs. Tracy Marino encourages teachers to
bring their classes to the area for lessons.
“We want the Greenwood community to be
a part of this process from the very beginning,” commented Mrs. Marino. “The outdoor classroom can be used at any grade
level, with any subject at any phase of the
project.”
Fifth grade teacher Ms. Kelly Frantz held
classes in the outdoor classroom and anticipates the advantages it will bring to her
lesson plans. “It’s such a great space,” explained Ms. Frantz. “It’s an area different
than the four walls of our classroom where
students can spread out and become
aware of their surroundings.”
Outdoor classrooms provide many rewards
for students. Students learn about the
value of teamwork by working with others in a hands-on atmosphere and they
become empowered by learning how to
give back to the earth. “We are so fortunate and blessed for Mr. Rothenberger’s
passion and energy,” said
Mrs. Marino.
Burt is an avid gardener
with a well-known reputation within the community,
and he collaborated with
several organizations and
individuals to bring this
project to life. The Dockstader Foundation granted
$5,500 for the start-up of
the project while Longwood
Gardens will provide longterm maintenance support
for the trail and boardwalk
repairs as well as supplying technical advice for
weed control and suitable
planting.
The National Wildlife Federation provided a “how
to” manual for creating
schoolyard habitats that
provide food, water, shelter, and a place to rear
young birds, insects, and
other animals.
Mr. Burt Rothenberger walks through the outdoor classroom with his grandson and Greenwood student Christopher Stiner and Greenwood Principal Tracey Marino.
The Brandywine River Museum contributed by offering consultations on plant selection for the
fall, winter and spring months. Mr. Rothenberger is also working closely with Craig
Johnsen, a member of the Chester Council Boy Scouts working towards his Eagle
service project. Craig will have the help of
Troop 22 in order to remove weeds and other invasive plants throughout the area. The
Greenwood faculty and staff provided the
support, enthusiasm, ideas, and encouragement that made the project possible!
If you would like to help with the outdoor
classroom, please contact Burt Rothenberger at bfrothen@comcast.net. Mr.
Rothenberger welcomes Boy Scouts and
Girls Scouts looking to fulfill Eagle or Gold
Award service projects!
KHS Bids Farewell to Mr. McDowell,
Welcomes New Principal Dr. Barber
After seven years of serving the Kennett
Consolidated School District, Kennett
High School Principal Mr. Wesley McDowell announced his retirement. “I
would like to thank the Kennett Consolidated School District for a great seven
years,” commented Mr. McDowell. “I will
always have a special place in my heart
for Kennett.”
With 28 years of educational experience,
Mr. McDowell began working in the District as Kennett High School’s second
assistant principal in August 2000. This
was a change for both the high school
and Mr. McDowell; previously, the high
school had one assistant principal. In
2003, Mr. McDowell became principal of
Kennett High School.
As the District expanded, Mr. McDowell
was instrumental in helping to improve
the quality of the facilities and curriculum. He was a member of the team that
guided the high school’s three-year renovation and expansion project. He was
also committed to working closely with
the faculty and staff to reach out to every student while continuing to promote
higher education.
“Even though the District continues to
grow, Kennett High School maintains its
small town values,” commented Mr. McDowell. “It’s what makes us who we are
… it is what makes the District special.”
Mr. McDowell said that what he enjoyed
most about his job were the everyday
things like giving new students directions
to a classroom or talking with a student
in the hallway. He said that “to know that
you may have helped students become the
person they are on graduation day is to
know that you are an educator.”
Mr. McDowell says
that what he will
miss most are the
student
events
such as sporting
events and concerts, commenting that “KHS students display such
a high quality of
character and creativity.”
see myself working with young people in
some capacity. I am just not sure where
life will take me yet.”
Dr. Michael Barber has been appointed
Kennett High School’s new principal. Dr.
Barber comes to
Kennett from the
Interboro School
District where he
served as the assistant principal
of Interboro High
School.
“I’m thoroughly
impressed with
everyone I have
met at the Kennett
Consolidated
School
District,
and I’m excited to
join a great team!”
stated Dr. Barber.
As for the KHS
faculty and staff,
“they go above
and beyond to
serve the educaAs assistant printional needs of our
District,” explained Dr. Michael Barber has been appointed as cipal at Interboro
High School, Dr.
Mr. McDowell. “We Kennett High School’s new principal.
Barber was rehave an excellent
sponsible
for
the
master
schedule, acting
administrative team, and Dr. Karkosak is
as
a
liaison
for
special
education,
and conthe best superintendent I have worked for
ducting
PSSA
institutional
research.
Dr.
throughout my career.”
Barber’s experience in education began as
Mr. McDowell and his wife Karen have a business and accounting teacher.
two grown children, John and Kristy. He
is planning on taking a few months off to Dr. Barber is looking forward to accomrelax but knows that won’t last long, stat- plishing many goals at the high school.
ing, “I am going to take some time to un- Among his priorities are continuing to
wind, but I can’t sit still for too long … I build a supportive learning environment for
students, enhancing an atmosphere that
is comfortable and conducive to learning, and continuing to increase the high
school’s impressive student achievement
and attendance.
“I’m looking forward to working with the
administration, faculty, staff, and students
to continue the successes that have been
achieved at Kennett High School,” Dr. Barber commented.
Dr. Barber began his career in the business
world as a financial advisor. It was while
coaching youth basketball that he realized
his passion for working with youth. “The
business world was not as fulfilling as
working with the kids,” explained Dr. Barber. “That’s when I decided to go back to
school to earn a Master’s Degree in education.” Education has always played an
important role in Dr. Barber’s family, with
his two brothers and wife also involved in
education.
A graduate of Temple University, Dr. Barber holds a Masters Degree in Curriculum
Instruction and Technology Education, as
well as a Doctoral Degree in Education
Leadership and Policy Studies. He earned
his Bachelor’s Degree from Widener University in business education with an accounting concentration.
Dr. Barber and his wife recently celebrated the arrival of their little girl Natalie. He
likes to spend time with his immediate
and extended family, is an avid runner,
and always tries to find time for reading.