Annnd just like that...... it's winter!

I hope everybody had a fantastic break. I was a great start to a short December this week. Students should remember that we have only two weeks left before the winter break and then TWELVE school days in January before the end of Semester 2 on January, 17th. That's not a lot of time, so making sure that you are caught up NOW is key. It's an especially important time for Seniors who need to stay engaged and keep their foot on the gas. Midterms will take place from January 21st -January 24th. Our schedule will be slightly different and we'll publish that next week.

I want to let the community know that we will be doing a lockdown drill on Thursday, December 12th at 1pm. KHS teachers have been training on the ALICE protocol which is a bit different than the approach take here previously, so students will start to hear some of those concepts infused into what we do during these drills. The process will be clam and clearly communicated as we proceed.

Finally, we will be piloting a new system that alerts families and students when students are marked unexcused absent from each block. Notification might start to come out on December 16th and will happen approximately 20 minutes into each block. The notificatin will be in the form of a text to families and to students through Reach My Teach. We do anticipate the need to work out a few issues, so we ask you to be communicative and give us a bit of grace as we work out the kinks.

Ultimately, our goal is to provide families timely and accurate information when students are not in classes they are supposed to be, so that we can work together to make sure student are where they need to be during the day.

We're working hard to make KHS even better every day. Thank you for your continued support.

Peace,

Scott Tombleson (He/Him/His - What is this?)

Principal - Kennebunk High School

KHS BACKPACK ORDERING

$55.00

Order by December16th.

Atlantic Sportswear

Orders will arrive at KHS Athletics 3 to 4 weeks after the store closes. You will be notified when they ship to KHS for pick up.

With our final round of auditions results freshly released, please help us congratulate our KHS music students who were accepted into the three honors festivals this year:

The following students auditioned for, and/or were accepted into the honors music festivals as listed below. Please help us congratulate their hard work and dedication to the musical arts!

MMEA District 1 Honors Festival
(Southernmost region of Maine)

Mixed Choir

Antonia Grassi - Alto

Noah Hammond - Tenor

Mary Jensen - Soprano

Juliet Rice - Alto

Avery Rossics - Alto

Treble Choir

Lena Eid - Soprano

Christianna Grassi - Soprano

Adrianne Parent - Alto

Concert Band

Caroline Tabor - Flute

Emilie Barter - Flute

Bhodi Lutjen - Alto Sax

Helen Van Hemel - Mallet Percussion

Nomination Band (non-auditioned)

Hunter Harden - Alto Sax

Graham Sanborn - Alto Sax

Lillian Tracy - Tenor Sax

Silas Winters - Trumpet

Cate Peacock - Tuba

Bryan Tomasini - Percussion

MMEA Jazz All-State Festival

Treble Choir

Antonia Grassi - Alto

Juliet Rice - Alto

Avery Rossics - Alto

MMEA All-State Festival

Mixed Choir

Noah Hammond - Tenor

Avery Rossics - Alto

Band

Caroline Tabor - Flute

Bhodi Lutjen - Alto Sax

Orchestra

Antonia Grassi - Violin

In the 2023-2024 school year, five RSU 21 families hosted students from Madrid, Spain as part of a multi-cultural and language immersion program with Gredos San Diego Cooperativa (GSD). It was a fantastic experience for both the visiting students and the host families. This year, the program is being expanded to 12 students.

Important information for prospective host families:

• Students will arrive on Jan. 18 and depart on Feb. 14, 2025

• The students are in grades 8 and 10.

• Students will be matched with host families based on factors like age and common interests.

• Each family will be given a $100 per week stipend, or $400 total.

• Families are encouraged to take students to local areas of interest on the weekends and should take care of their student as if they were a member of their family.

• If you do not have a spare room, guest students can share a room with their host brother or sister as long as they are the same gender.

• Students must be provided a study desk at the host family’s home to allow them to work on tasks from their school in Spain.

• Host family must be able to provide transportation from/to the Portsmouth, NH bus station for the student’s arrival/departure.

Check out the KHS Music Swag Store! There are hats, jackets, sweats, and more for sale! Funds raised go back into the program to support the students. All orders will arrive before the holidays so this would make for a great present! Check out the store by clicking here!

The KHS National Honor Society is pleased to announce they are offering tutoring every morning in the Library. On M/T/Th/F, tutoring will happen from 7:15 to 7:40, and on late start Wednesdays, we will offer tutoring from 8:15 to 8:50. The tutors are NHS students and capable of providing help in all subjects.

Preparing for the SAT can feel a bit daunting and overwhelming whether you are taking the SAT for the first time or retaking them to improve your score. Here are several resources that you might find helpful.

• Did you take the PSAT? You can link Khan Academy and your College Board account to receive personalized recommendations based on your score as well as a tailored practice schedule leading up to test day. Learn how to link your accounts and understand your score here.

**You'll need to create a College Board account if you haven't already done so to view your scores (we recommend using a personal email address). Then you can log into your College Board account to view them.

• Schoolhouse- attend a free virtual four week tutoring SAT tutoring bootcamp course and improve your score (through Khan Academy). 75 minute sessions.

• Khan Academy- Official digital SAT Prep

• CollegeBoard- Practice tests and scores, study guides, and full length Blue Book (platform for the College Board assessments) practice tests

• UMaine Online SAT Boot Camp. Feb. 18, 19, 20, and 21, 2025 (5-6:30 pm), $300.

• SAT Tips & Tricks

Kennebunk SAT School Day (juniors)- in spring 2025, SAT School Day can occur on any school day in the testing window: March 3–April 30, 2025. An email from the principal will go out a few weeks before Feb break asking you to fill out a short form if you plan on taking the SAT during the school day (the date will be determined then).

Click on the following link to Register to retake the SAT- dates and deadlines to register are provided.

Understanding your PSAT Scores

For those who choose to take the PSATs recently, please click on the following Link to help you better understand your scores:

There are four remaining On Spot Admission days at KHS before the end of the year. Seniors may still signup to participate by contacting their school counselor and/or Mrs. Wiewel in the Counseling Department.

December 10: Southern Maine Community College

December 12: York County Community College

If you are interested in registering for a course you can do so through OnCourse. Since the registration platform will be under renovation mid December all are encouraged to register by DEC 16.

In addition, students currently enrolled be aware that your college email will be changing. Please read more about the changes being made here https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dstSeRJqEEapuUmhoPiCirM_W6e98ScmNY3_zuWnrMk/edit?

All students should file the FAFSA, as it opens the door to many types and sources of financial aid, including funds that don’t have to be repaid. All schools use the FAFSA to determine eligibility for federal and state financial aid, and many schools use the FAFSA to determine eligibility for their institutional financial aid. The FAFSA must be completed for each school year.

The FAFSA became available on December 1 for the 2025-2026 school year. For more information about the FAFSA click HERE.

The Worthington Scholarship Foundation awards scholarships to graduates of partnered Maine public high schools who will be attending a participating Maine college or university. The scholarship is based upon need and merit while generally ensuring representation from a broad cross-section of partner high schools and considering academic interests and life experiences as described in essays. For students attending a four-year college or university, scholarship amounts can be up to $20,000, which is $2,500 per semester. For two-year community college students, that amount can be up to $16,000, which is $1,500 per semester, with the option to continue on to a four-year institution. Scholarships are renewable for up to eight semesters. For more information about scholarship eligibility and how to apply, please click HERE. The application becomes available January 1, 2025 with an application deadline of April 15.

Next week School counselors will be in 9th grade history classes to introduce students to KHS resources, review transcripts, graduation requirements and explore career interests.

Our annual TNTP Surveys help inform crucial decisions every year. We’re asking that you participate in our 15-minute survey that will help our school improve our communication, academic programming, and overall experience for you and your child.

Please fill out the survey by Friday, Dec. 20.

The RSU 21 Operations Department is conducting radon testing at all six schools in December. We are required to conduct this routine testing and to notify all community members ahead of time.

The test will be deployed at KHS on Monday, December 16, and will be retrieved on Thursday, December 19.

These tests will not be disruptive in any way to students or staff. If you have any questions, please contact the RSU 21 Operations Department.

We are installing new monitoring systems and intercoms at the main entrance of each school building. As part of this security upgrade, all outer front doors will remain locked during school hours. Once installed, visitors to our schools will use an intercom system to communicate with our main office staff before entering the building.

The process is straightforward:

• When you arrive at the school, please proceed to the main entrance.

• Press the clearly marked intercom button.

• Speak with our office staff, who will assist you promptly.

• Once verified, you will be buzzed into the building.

• Please proceed directly to the main office to sign in and receive a visitor's badge.

This additional layer of security allows us to better monitor and control access to our school buildings while maintaining a welcoming environment for our school community. Our staff is being trained on these new procedures to ensure a smooth transition.

If you have any questions about these new procedures, please don't hesitate to contact your child's school office.

Cookies and Gratitude!
Please help us provide a wide assortment of cookies and treats for the teachers and staff on Wednesday, December 18!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090D4FA9A9292-53395831-holiday#/

Stocking Stuffer Idea + Graduation Gift
Limited supply available! Pennants make a perfect stocking stuffer or graduation gift. Hang a KHS flag and show your support for our schools and let your student(s) how proud you are of them! Deadline to order for Holiday Delivery is December 15th!

https://forms.gle/MqRFa9WYJXj8FQH49

Build a Community Resource
We invite parents and community members to share their profession, background, skills, and interests with our students and teachers by completing the form linked below. This resource will be used to enrich student learning through experiences like professional panels and skill-sharing. https://forms.gle/nAg2w7FgPRprWz1v9

KHS Family Directory Update
The KHS Family Directory will be printed at the end of January! Don’t miss out—please add your contact details before the deadline. It’s completely free to be included!

https://forms.gle/ceqwexS9biHkhhvV8

Website

Check us out our new website!

https://khsac.org

Looking for a Treasurer!

Want to get more involved? Please come join us as our treasurer! Email us at khsptg.me@gmail.com

Winter Break - No School

Monday, December 23 through Wednesday, January 1

Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday - No School

Monday, January 20

Mid-Term Exams

Tuesday, January 21 through Friday, January 24

End of 2nd Quarter

Friday, January 24

Click here for the full calendar

Click Here

Call or Text 988 or 1-888-568-1112

Kennebunk

Tabetha Barden

207-604-1394

Arundel

Wendy Lank

207-985-4201 ext. 113

Kennebunkport

Alison Kenneway

207-967-4401

Kennebunk Chamber of Commerce

Laura Dolce

207-967-0857

English:

You have the right to an interpreter at no cost to you. If you would like to request an interpreter's assistance to communicate with our schools and teachers, all you need to do is ask. We will make sure interpretation services are arranged in advance of your meeting.

Burmese:

သင့်အတွက် အခကြေးငွေ မယူဘဲ စကားပြန်လုပ်ပိုင်ခွင့်ရှိသည်။ ကျွန်ုပ်တို့၏ကျောင်းများ၊ ဆရာများနှင့် ဆက်သွယ်ရန်အတွက် စကားပြန်တစ်ဦး၏အကူအညီကို သင်တောင်းဆိုလိုပါက၊ သင်လုပ်ဆောင်ရန်သာ လိုအပ်ပါသည်။ သင့်အစည်းအဝေးမတိုင်မီ ဘာသာပြန်ခြင်းဝန်ဆောင်မှုများကို သေချာစီစဉ်ပေးပါမည်။

Chinese:

您有权免费获得口译员服务。如果您想请求口译员协助与我们的学校和老师沟通，您只需提出请求即可。我们将确保在您的会议之前安排口译服务。

Gujarati:

તમને કોઈ પણ ખર્ચ વિના દુભાષિયાનો અધિકાર છે. જો તમે અમારી શાળાઓ અને શિક્ષકો સાથે વાતચીત કરવા માટે દુભાષિયાની સહાયની વિનંતી કરવા માંગતા હો, તો તમારે ફક્ત પૂછવાનું છે. અમે ખાતરી કરીશું કે તમારી મીટિંગ પહેલા અર્થઘટન સેવાઓ ગોઠવવામાં આવી છે.

Japanese:

あなたには無料で通訳を雇う権利があります。学校や教師とのコミュニケーションのために通訳のサポートをリクエストしたい場合は、リクエストするだけです。会議の前に通訳サービスを手配いたします。

Portuguese:

Você tem direito a um intérprete sem nenhum custo para você. Se desejar solicitar a assistência de um intérprete para se comunicar com nossas escolas e professores, basta solicitar. Garantiremos que os serviços de interpretação sejam organizados antes da sua reunião.

Russian:

Вы имеете право на бесплатного переводчика. Если вы хотите попросить помощи переводчика для общения с нашими школами и учителями, все, что вам нужно сделать, это попросить. Мы позаботимся о том, чтобы услуги устного перевода были организованы перед вашей встречей.

Spanish:

Tiene derecho a un intérprete sin costo alguno para usted. Si desea solicitar la asistencia de un intérprete para comunicarse con nuestras escuelas y maestros, todo lo que necesita hacer es preguntar. Nos aseguraremos de que los servicios de interpretación se organicen antes de su reunión.

Ukrainian:

Ви маєте право на безкоштовний перекладач. Якщо ви хочете попросити допомоги перекладача для спілкування з нашими школами та вчителями, все, що вам потрібно зробити, це попросити. Ми подбаємо про те, щоб послуги усного перекладу були організовані заздалегідь до вашої зустрічі.

Vietnamese:

Bạn có quyền có một thông dịch viên miễn phí. Nếu bạn muốn yêu cầu sự trợ giúp của thông dịch viên để giao tiếp với trường học và giáo viên của chúng tôi, tất cả những gì bạn cần làm là yêu cầu. Chúng tôi sẽ đảm bảo sắp xếp dịch vụ phiên dịch trước cuộc gặp của bạn.