2014-15
Third Quarter Newsletter
Skills and Leadership for the Future
Kentridge High School Computer Science Students Visit Green River
College
Fifty Kentridge students traveled to Green River College (GRC) on Friday, February 6, to learn more about their computer
science classes, programs, degrees and possible careers.
The students participated in several hands on activities, including
some on web design and programming, and heard from the GRC
teachers. The Kentridge students agreed it was a valuable
learning experience and that they were given valuable
information about the college in general and the computer
programs specifically.
Video Production Class enters CONK TV
in Washington Journalism Education
Association State Competition
Kentwood High School Video Production students entered CONK TV into the
Newscast category in the Washington Journalism Education Association State
Competition. Broadcasts are rated on Newsworthiness, Audience Awareness,
Quality, and Creativity on a scale of 1-5. Awards are given for Honorable Mention,
Excellent and Superior work. Kentwood CONK TV students designed everything
from the graphics, logos, videos, and editing of the production.
The Students earned the highest
rating of Superior from all judges
and won first place in the Newscast
category. Judges’ comments included
“fun use of animation and graphics, very creative, swimming video was
awesome, solid audio and lighting and key from green screen, TRON was
well composed and eye catching.”
Contributions to the broadcast came from the following students:
Lesley Valdez
Blake Rizzo
Isabella Capocelli
Malea Munzo
Maggie Sijer
Maria (Masha) Hoffman
Gavin Michaels
Angela Rodrigues
Kentlake and Kentwood High Schools Rank Among the Top 10 Schools for
Microsoft Office Specialist Exams
Kentlake and Kentwood High Schools have been recognized by CCI Learning as being in the top 10 schools in
Washington based on certification pass rate for student exams for the period ending April 16. Kentlake High School had
a 91.66 percent pass rate, and Kentwood High School had a 65.61 percent pass rate.
For the Microsoft Technology Associate exams for the same period Kentwood High School and Kent Phoenix Academy
were in the top ten in Washington State. Kentwood had 6 students that earned certification, and Kent Phoenix Academy
had 3 students.
More information can be found at: http://waschools.ccilearning.com/
Kentwood High School Cabinetmaking Student Showcases Handmade
Dresser
Austin Holm, CTE student of the month at
Kentwood High School displays his
craftsman style dresser constructed of Red
Oak, Sapele and Black Walnut in his
Cabinetmaking class. Austin has taken
woodshop every year for four years at
Kentwood and as a result has inspired him
to pursue a degree in Construction
Management at Central Washington
University. Austin also plans to pursue a
degree in Business Administration.
Design. Build. #EngineerLikeAGirl event Held at Kentridge High School
On March 24 Kentridge High School girls gathered to participate in the first
Design, Build, and #EngineerLikeAGirl event at Kentridge High School.
The goal of this event was to provide
female students a safe environment in
which to explore engineering projects
and concepts. Engineering teacher, Nick
Boyce, and industry mentor, Kathy
Shearer, led students through several
activities including, metalwork, 3D
printing, and circuitry.
Career & Technical Education Awareness Promotion in Middle Schools
Career and Technical Education students from Kentlake, Kentridge and Kentwood High Schools visited their feeder
middle schools in March to demonstrate the activities that take place in the classes at
the high schools.
The CTE students set up tables with displays and brochures, talked about their classes
and offered hands-on activities at Cedar Heights, Mattson, Meeker, Meridian and
Northwood Middle Schools. The high school students made students aware of the CTE
classes available to incoming ninth graders.
The CTE students built a connection between
high school and middle school students with
their visits and also showed strong leadership
skills when presenting about their programs.
Kent CTE High School Student Attend the Sixteenth
Annual Greater Auburn Career Conference
CTE Students from Kent-Phoenix Academy, Kentridge and Kentwood High
Schools attended the 16th Annual Greater Auburn Area
Career Conference on March 24. Kent students joined
with students from the Muckleshoot School and
Auburn and Enumclaw School Districts at Emerald
Downs in Auburn, Washington. For the conference,
the students prepared a portfolio, including a resume,
cover letter, and teacher references.
Students participated in at least one job interview and attended break-out sessions titled Give
Me Some Credit and Getting What You Want. The students visited with over 30 business and
industry representatives at the trade show.
Successful FIRST Robotics Season for Kentridge High School
Kentridge Robotics Club, Team 3786, just finished another season of the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). FRC calls
itself “a varsity sport for the mind”, and “the hardest fun you’ll ever have”, both of which ring true. Each year FRC
creates a brand-new challenge, and students have just six weeks to build a robot
from scratch that can accomplish that challenge. The students came up with a
concept design, 3D modeled it in Solidworks, fabricated it in the machine shop, and
programmed it in Java. Then it was time to test, find inevitable problems, and
troubleshoot them! Ultimately, the team put in over 300 after-school hours into a
robot they could be proud of.
This year’s game was called Recycle Rush. The robots had to pick up, and stack, rectangular
totes, round recycling bins, and “trash” in the form of pool noodles. It was not a classic
“sport” like some previous games, but it was highly challenging because robots had to pick
up multiple shapes of objects with good control. At first some had reservations about
whether the game would be a good spectator sport, but it proved exciting watching stacks
over 7’ tall being created…or occasionally falling over in a loud crash.
Kentridge Robotics Club’s robot was over 6’ tall, and clad in transparent green acrylic,
earning it the name “Kryptonite”. It had mechanum wheels that could drive in any
direction, a vertical conveyor belt that could stack 4 totes, and a picker arm that could
reach out and grab a recycling bin.
Team 3786 had a few technical difficulties at the first District competition in Shoreline, but
had a successful final match at Districts in
Auburn. However, they did not have enough points to
move on to Regionals in Cheney.
Claire Richards, a junior and the club’s Vice President, won an individual award
called the Dean’s List Award. Instead of being based off of the performance of
your robot, this award goes to only a few students who show exceptional
leadership, motivation, technical skills, and who exemplify the qualities FRC is
trying to cultivate in students. This alone is a prestigious honor, and now Claire
gets to go to Regionals and be interviewed again, with a chance to go to World’s in
St. Louis.
The Kentridge Robotics Club is led by teacher Nick Boyce, and several highly generous mentors from Boeing and other
local companies.
Boeing Job Shadow Day a Great Success for Kent School District CTE
Students
Students from Kentridge and Kentwood High Schools had the privilege of
participating in the annual Boeing Job Shadow/ Junior Achievement Day on
March 26. It was a very full day, with students arriving at the Auburn facility at
8:30 a.m. After an event overview and information presented by a panel of
young industrial engineers, the students were able to experience a K9
demonstration, where Scooby the canine bomb sniffing dog quickly located a
planted artificial "bomb".
Students from school districts including Federal Way, Auburn, Kent and
Tukwila, were then split into small groups for individual walking tours of the
factory and various other facilities (fire department, medical department,
safety and environmental departments). Students were then given the option of participating in mock interviews
conducted by Boeing employees using actual Boeing job descriptions.
This event is always a great experience where students can learn first-hand about all the career options offered by
Boeing.
Women Fly Event Held at the Museum of Flight
Fourteen Kentridge High School girls had the opportunity to attend the “Women
Fly” event at the Museum of Flight on March 20. The theme for this year’s
event was “Saving the World through Aviation”.
Students participated in career-oriented workshops and activities led by
exceptional women working in aerospace-related fields. A highlight of the day
were the two keynote speakers, Lieutenant Commander Kelly Deutermann,
helicopter pilot, United States Coast Guard, and Jessica Cox, motivational
speaker and the world’s first armless pilot. Both women shared their
incredible and inspirational stories and encouraged everyone to pursue their
dreams.
Kentridge High School Girls Attend “Tech Out!” Event at the University of
Washington
Saturday, February 7 eighteen girls from Kentridge traveled by bus to the University
of Washington, Paul G. Allen Center for Computer Science and Engineering Building,
to participate in the annual Tech Out! Event sponsored by Amazon.
It was a day just for girls to hear stories from women in STEM careers, participate in
hands-on activities, network with peers and mentors and have some fun. Included
in the activities were creating a speaker from a copper wire, designing an egg drop
parachute and building structures at a Lego table.
Close to 100 middle and high school girls in attendance and many volunteers from both Amazon and UW to work with
the girls in small groups. It was a fun day for all!
Mattson Middle School Young Men Attended Renton Tech Non Traditional
Career Day
On April 2, sixteen young men from Mattson Middle School attended
the Renton Technical College Non Traditional Career Day for Boys.
The students were given tours and hands-on experience in three
different programs; Nursing, Medical Assistant, and Anesthesia
Technician.
The Nursing Department simulated a gunshot victim brought to the
emergency room. The boys were then invited to re-create the
simulation with themselves as emergency room personnel. The Medical Assistant Program showed the boys how to take
blood pressure and give hearing and eye tests.
The last stop on the tour was the Anesthesia Technician Program where the
students practiced intubating a patient (simulation) and putting in IV’S. The
students had the opportunity to ride on a hover craft and checked out a Plasma
Ball that created static electricity with a Van de Graaff Generator. These
activities were courtesy of “Mad Science,” a group of scientists dedicated to
making science fun!
Kent-Meridian High School Brings Home Two Winners from the Jobs for
Washington’s Graduates 2015 Career Development Conference
Two Kent-Meridian students were gold medal winners at the Jobs for Washington’s Graduates
2015 Career Development Conference on March 18 at the Great Wolf Lodge.
Both seniors, Carshawn Anderson placed first in the Mock
Interview competition, and Graham Seigafo placed first in
the Public Speaking event. They received a medal and a
certificate of congratulations from OSPI for their
achievement.
Kentwood High School Yearbook Students Featured in Recent
Publications
The work of a few Kentwood yearbook members has been featured in community and national publications. Seniors
Tam Dang and Jimmy Mulinski each used the writing skills they learned and honed in their yearbook class to write a
feature story on speaker Sam Mitsui, a Japanese-American WWII veteran, who
visited Kentwood. Dang and Mulinski’s story appeared in the Nisei Veterans
Committee newsletter, a local-area publication for the Japanese-American
community.
Seniors Samantha Bergeron and Whitney
Hoddinott each had their digital
photographs featured in the January edition
of “High School Today,” the publication of
the National Federation of High School
Athletic Associations. The magazine goes to
athletic directors across the country.
Bergeron and Hoddinott’s photos
accompanied a cover story that showcased
Kentwood’s spirit and sportsmanship.
Kent Students Attend Blacks at Microsoft Minority Student Day
Twelve students from Kentlake and Kent-Meridian High Schools attended
the “Blacks at Microsoft Minority Student Day.”
Students attended various workshops ranging from interview skills to
gathering advice from the founder of “Black Girls Who Code,” as well as
touring Microsoft.
Kentlake Computer Science Students Well Represented at Microsoft
On April 1, approximately 1,600 computer science students from around
the United States came together at the Microsoft Campus in Redmond.
Kentlake was well represented with 18 students. Students had the
opportunity to meet the creators of “Meat Boy,” talk with various
technology companies, and create a basic phone app.
CTE Investment Success
“Some of my most memorable experiences from Mrs. Stec’s culinary arts classes at
Kentlake High School were the times I spent practicing and prepping for Prostart
competitions, and giving demonstrations to my fellow students. In class, about 2 or 3
times a week, I would give a demonstration of the meal the class was going to prepare.
Doing the demonstrations taught me a lot about teaching, talking while working, and of
course making me get over my fear of talking in front of people, especially my peers.
My experience at Kentlake is why I am a chef today. When I attended Kentlake I was a
volleyball girl. From 7th grade I played club and school volleyball. Every weekend was a
tournament. I practiced 3 to 4 times a week. It was my life. My plan after high school to
go play volleyball somewhere. I started Mrs. Stec’s culinary classes my junior year. I still
played volleyball through it, but my senior year I quit volleyball and started to work in a
kitchen. I fell in love with it. I thought I was passionate about volleyball, but cooking took the cake. I don’t think Mrs.
Stec knows how impactful her class was for me other than I am still in the field. But to be 17 and going in a direction and
then completely derail to go a different route just because of one teacher is pretty special, and I couldn't thank her
enough.”
~Kimberly Cosway, Class of 2009
Mattson Middle School Ladies Visit Highline Community College
Listen closely and you might hear… 42 middle school girls lean in and listen for
the keening of an underwater mammal above the polar ice cap. During
Expanding Your Horizons 2015, hosted at Highline Community College, marine
biologists taught Mattson Middle School ladies to listen and learn about
waves. Video game designers had students creating visual game concepts to
present to the group, veterinarians taught us not all animals they treat are
warm and fluffy, and then there was
the welding!
Aside from all the amazing and
educational seminars, students get to
walk on a college campus which generates thinking about their futures. This field
trip inspires young women to consider STEM jobs and open their minds to
possibilities beyond any they may have imagined. It opens their minds up to ask
more questions and wonder more.
Culinary Classes Visit College Culinary Arts Programs
Kentlake High School’s Careers in Culinary Arts classes visited three
college culinary programs on March 3.
The classes toured culinary and pastry programs and spoke with chef instructors and
students at Renton Technical College, South Seattle Community College and Le
Cordon Bleu.
After the college tours, the students visited Vince’s Italian Restaurant in Renton.
Co-owner Fred Martichuski greeted the students and talked about the over 50 year
history of the restaurant built by the Mottola family.
Students were served a meal especially prepared for them by the staff of Vince’s.
Kent-Meridian High School Police Science Class Engage In Mock Law
Enforcement Scenes
Kent-Meridian High School Police Science students enjoyed taking their midterm exam
this year because they were able to participate in four different mock scenes with
current law enforcement personnel.
The scenes included a traffic stop, Terry stop (a brief
detention of a person by police), interview, and police
report.
Students appreciated the hands-on engaging nature of the
mock scenes and reported how much they learned by
actually practicing the activities instead of just hearing about them.
CTE Internships Creating a Future for Students
“I have always had a passion for animals and a desire to have a future job
associated with veterinary medicine. The internship I was accepted for, a
kennel assistant at McMonigle Veterinary Hospital, was a perfect match for me
to better prepare for a future career in veterinary care.
I have learned so much in ninety hours through observation and hands-on
experience. I have obtained valuable skills in restraint techniques, vaccinations,
and sterilization of medical instruments, animal behavior, and client
interaction. I also had the opportunity to observe surgical procedures and help
the veterinary technicians conduct temperature and pulse tests on companion
animals. Through the internship I was given the opportunity to become an
employee of the McMonigle Veterinary Hospital allowing me to gain more experience and knowledge in my desired field
of study.”
~ Heidi Peak, Junior at Kent Phoenix Academy
Kentridge High School SkillsUSA Competitors Place in the Top Three
Congratulations to the following Kentridge High School Advertising Design and Photography competitors for winning
medals at the SkillsUSA State Design Competition in Tacoma Washington.
Evelyn Jones – Gold
Serena Southwick - Silver
Uyen Truong - Silver
Brooke Sahli - Bronze
The competition tests technical skills and creative aptitude just as though
contestants worked for an ad agency.
The creative portion involves the application of creative thinking and development
of a design problem. Layout, drawing and illustration skills are used, as well as their
ability to create vibrant, effective designs using the computer.
Evelyn has qualified to represent Kentridge and the State of Washington at nationals in Louisville, KY in late June.
Kentwood High School Conk TV Students Attend National Journalism
Convention
Conk TV journalism students attended The National Journalism Conference in Denver
Colorado earlier this month.
The students that attended were able to learn about college opportunities in the career
fields of their choice, meet with college admissions representatives, attended sessions on
broadcasting and journalism, had question and answer sessions with industry
professionals and learned techniques and skills that will be brought back to the classroom.
Quote of the Quarter
“There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self."
~ Aldous Huxley