SPRING 24 KALEIDOSCOPE

The school year is coming to a close and it is now graduation season! This year is really special as the class of 2024 never got to experience eighth-grade graduation due to COVID-19. In 2020, our AC students didn’t walk across the stage but walked across our very own parking lot. After that, the class of ‘24 spent their first high school experience online missing out on the true freshmen experiences We have to do it big this time for our class of 2024! Before we do that let's look back on what’s been happening. The week of May 13th was the Senior Spirit Week to celebrate their last week of being a Bronco.

The days included Throwback Day, Sunday’s Best, Decision Day, Country vs Country Club, and White Lie/ Walking T-shirt Day. Out of all the days, I think everyone can agree that Decision Day was the best. Class of ‘24 has been rocking this year. Don’t forget to congratulate the valedictorian Miriam Niestat as she is continuing her journey at Yale University! Let’s not forget how they’ve been getting to the bag though. Samantha Williams has been offered $1,350,000 and Elijah Johnson has been offered over $1,000,800. As the seniors are signing off they leave a strong foundation for the underclassmen. We hope they get everything they deserve in the future!

NoTrendsThisSummer

By: Donovan, Gabrielle, Drake, and Zari

As the school year winds down, people find themselves scouring for the perfect summer plans. For many students, summer is the time of year to forget about the stress of school, and have fun, but some don’t know where to look. Here are five of Chicago’s own museums, festivals, and events to jumpstart your summer.

Chicago Summerdance

Learn to salsa, waltz , swing, and more during these free open-air dance lessons paired with live music in city parks.

Summer Smash Music Festival

The premier Hip-Hop music festival in the Midwest returns bigger and better than ever 3 days, 3 stages, the biggest names in Hip-Hop and more art installations than ever before

Chicago Food Truck Festival

America’s

Chicago Food Truck Festival is one of largest annual gathering of gourmet food trucks and foodies who enjoy tasting the best of Chicago’s food.

From: July 11th to July 21st

Lollapalooza

170+ bands from around

Epic performances across 8 stages and the world.

Lollapalooza is a summer music festival that has been rooted in Chicago’s cultural history for 30 years. Tune in for fun in the sun in Grant Park from August 1 - August 4.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago (MCA) offers exhibitions of the most thoughtprovoking art created since 1945. The MCA boasts a highly acclaimed gift store, Marisol restaurant, and a sculpture garden with views of Lake Michigan. Free Admission every day for visitors under 18 and free admission for Illinois residents every Tuesday.

Museum of Contemporary Art

Pictures

Kenwood Senior Spirit Week: Day #4

COUNTRY VS

COUNTRY-CLUB

Country vs Country Club-themed attire day showcases two contrasting styles. One side is rusty, countryside vibes, with plaid shirts, denim, and boots. On the other, there’s the preppy country club look, with collared shirts, tennis skirts, and blazers. Everyone gets to pick a side and dress which is a fun way to express creativity and explore the fashion world.

Student Experiences

Kamryn Morgan (Senior) Team: Country Club

“I like that the themes are unique and not the same boring throwback-day themes. These themes are meaningful and really fun to do.”

Elijah Johnson (Senior) Team: Country

“Being a kid again, dressing up for the whole week is really fun.”

Dereon Holmes (Senior) Team: Country

It gives people a chance to see what style they can pull off the best and was fun.”

Praise

Bello-Shittu (Senior)

Team: Country Club

“The whole spirit week and all the themes [were]fun.”

Malachi Moreno (Senior)

Team: Country

“All the themes were good or cool and dressing up for them was fun”

Country Club Country vs

By: Morgan Eggleston

May 2024

Lets start off with some of Kenwoods resident Country club members who are certainly dressed to impress Look out for the runaway birdie.

“Daddy’ Kamryn Morgan Money”

County style

“Who let the rift raft in?”Katherine Rodgers

County Club style

Zara Keys

Country v. Country Club Round 4

Of course the two groups don’t always get along, and there were a few clashes between the country clubbers and country gals and boys.

Leave it to the faculty to set the example and bridge the gap between country clubbers and Country folk, proving to people they’re really just two sides of the same coin.

“There can only be one sheriff in town”-Sanii Tyler

“Security escort them off the premises”-

BeAnkha Reid

Yikes! Let’s leave before things get ugly!

Joella Birch

Dion Love

Country vs. Country Club, Take 5

“Howdy Partners”-

“Like a mechanical bull”-

“Hi Yall”Gayle Sancho

“Well butter me up and call me a biscuit”Afua OseiTutu

Trinity

Dunn Derrick Simpson Eliot Ticer-Wurr

Yeehaw, moving on to our second group. They show off their style sporting cowboy hats and plaids. So what side you pick comes down to what's in your wardrobe and the style you vibe the most with. Fashion aside this is also more of the last days here for Seniors and this is what they have to say “Senior week means the end of an era, the end of high school. It means goodbye...” Gayle Sanch.

Although it’s the end it is also the start of something great I wish my fellow seniors the best and hope they had fun.

SENIORSPIRIT THROW BACKDAY

WEEK!

Tajae LOVE

This is how I used to dress in middle school 2019,

ALLIE GUIDRY

KENNEDY HEIRESS

I have recreated my day to day wear in middle school. I enjoyed doing this,

ANIYAH WILLAMS

This look was inspired by a picture of me when I was little and i had fun doing this I enjoyed doing this and chose to recreate the younger middle school me.”

MAya Jones

‘ This is how I used to dress in middle school. I had alot of fun doing this. ”

By: Devin Brown Chicago

What is Sunday Best?

Big hats, sparky gloves, the best stockings you can find, and your most stylish blazers!

Seniors showed out, in their Sunday Best and showed everyone how we praise!

“The Kenwood spirit, I feel like sometimes it be dying out with our class so I feel like you got to be the change you want to see ”

“I was in church my whole life and this how they dressed“

Devin Brown Chicago

“Seeing the elders at my church ... cause a lot of them they do like to wear their fascinator and they dress real classy even if it’s for one day a week”

Kamryn Morgan

“Going to church and seeing my pastor dress up, seeing other people dressed up and i just wanted to look professional”

“The class of 2024 isn’t really exciting, it's nice that we have spirit week so that people who are exciting can dress up ”

T e a c h e r s a r e t i r e d t o o !

Jaliyah Pittman, Oliver Ojendyk, Jahnahn Webster

Despite there being some challenges, goals have been met. Julie Stanton, the director of internal/external partnerships, expanded on her challenges and successes. She says, “We’ve had some really great accolades this year with students winning scholarships and we’ve had some great partnerships, but we’ve also had challenges with applications for financial aid for students.” Angela Powell, an English one and two teacher, advises on how to handle challenges as a faulty member:

“I think that's an ongoing struggle when you work with kids because the needs are so great … so [it’s] important for teachers … to invest in themselves, take care of themselves and keep themselves healthy.” she continues by saying,

“This summer I will take time to invest in myself and my family. I will be taking a class, reading books I wanted to read for some time and spending time with my family”.Although teachers struggle, they keep their heads up and push through.

May 24, 2024

Julie Stanton

Angela Powell

T e a c h e r s a r e t i r e d t o o !

Jaliyah Pittman, Oliver Ojendyk, Jahnahn Webster

May 24, 2024

We’ve all heard of senioritis, but students are not the only ones tired due to a long (and possibly stressful) year; teachers are tired too! It’s the middle of May and many teachers at Kenwood are grading late work, putting in grades, and preparing their students for finals. Some are even helping with graduation preparations: leading graduation practice, aiding students in applying for FASFA, and mentoring students for post-secondary education (and other pathways). This takes a toll on staff and teachers.

As the days go on, many faculty can’t help but wonder when the school year will end. Shaun Bonefas, Algebra 2 and financial algebra teacher, says “ I am looking forward to the summer…” He expands by saying, “I don’t have to do grading anymore, I’m able to retake a look at my curriculum, do a deep dive over the summer, do a retrospective on my educational practices, and get ready and motivated for a new school year.” While faculty can’t wait for summer, most try to reflect as it nears. Lanissa Muhammad, the AP statistics and Geometry teacher, states, “ I feel reflective about the end of the school year and [think about] what I would like to do differently going into next school year.” Teachers and Staff can reflect over the school year and that gives experience.

Lanissa Muhammad

Shaun Bonefas

T e a c h e r s a r e t i r e d t o o !

May 24, 2024

Jaliyah Pittman, Oliver Ojendyk, Jahnahn Webster

And now that the school year is winding down, some teachers feel much more relaxed, especially AP teachers, as their classes come to a close. For example, Mr. Wagner, the AP and Honors Chemistry teacher, says, “Since I’m an AP teacher, I don’t feel too stressed out during the end of the year We already took our AP exam, and in my honors class, we are preparing for the final exam.” Although there is less work to teach compared to the first semester and AP classes have practically ended, students, in other classes, still have work left; AP teachers are trying to keep their students on task in their other classes. Dana Powell, The AP, Honors, and regular Computer Science teacher, says: “The main thing that [I’m] concerned about is keeping students on task. AP classes have ended already and seniors have graduated, so many students think that the year is done, but it’s not.”

Teachers who teach both AP and regular or honors classes often have this dilemma towards the end of the year.

Despite all the dilemmas, teachers have had good moments And it can be confidently said that Kenwood faculty members are ready for summer! The staff works tirelessly all year to help students achieve their goals and help them become the best they can be; these teachers and staff have earned a nice, relaxing break.

Alex Wagner

KENWOODEOYSPORTS

TheKaleidoscopecaughtupwihsomeKenwoodathletesabouthowtheir seasonisgoingastheschoolyearwindsdown.Here’swhattheysaid.

ZoeyPriceVarsitySoftball-

“Theseasonwentmidbutwecouldhaveplayed betterandmanygamesgotcanceledsothere wasnochancetoredeemourselves.Wehave4 seniorsleavingandthemanagerisalsoleaving.I amexcitedfornextseasonandhopeitwillgo betterthanthisseason.”Theyfinishedtheir seasonwithawinningrecordof6-5-1.

KhamareeThomasVarsityBaseball“Ithinkourseasonisgoingwellandweare startingtohit,butweneedtopickitupon defensebecausewe'remakingtoomany errors.Mostofourstarting9areleaving andIthinkourex-headcoachRomeyBracey shouldbebacknextseason.Iexpecttowin thecitychampionshipandcompetefora statechampionship.”Baseball’sseasonis notyetoverbuttheyarecurrently21-8and 1stintheirconference.

By: Evan Stinson, Eli Robinson, and Demaje Williams

KennedyDensonVarsityFlag Football-

“Lastseasonwentwellwewoncity andwegot3rdinstate.Iexpecttobe instatenextseasonandcityagain. Wehave5seniorsleavingbutshould beabletobouncebackandstillhave agreatseason.”

CailerSaulsberryVarsitygirlsLacrosse“OurseasonwentwellbutItwasstressful becausewebarelyhadateamandwe almostdidn'thaveaseasonandwejust didn'tfeelstrengthbecausetheteam wouldn'tcometopracticeandsometimes peoplewouldn’tshowup.Wehad10 seniorsandourcoachisalsoleaving,so we'relookingfornewplayers.Overall,I hadfunandmadenewfriendsandIam excitedfornextseason.”

Nikea Harris Varsity Football

“The year went okay. It wasn’t the best it could’ve been because there was not a lot of chemistry on the field and we could have went further in state. Looking forward to starting with my guys becuase I was injured last season. We have around 11 seniors leaving but 13 are coming back. I have high hopes for next season!”

ACADEMIC CENTER SOUND OFF!

May 17th, 2024

Beyonca Sloan, Amore Hendricks

Amaria Harris, Leilani Bailey

7TH AND 8TH GRADERS REFLECT ON

THEIR EXPERIENCE THIS SCHOOL YEAR!

As you know school is coming to an end which means students are moving up to the next level. 7th graders are going to 8th and 8th graders are going to high school. We wanted to know how our new 8th graders and graduates felt about moving up.

“7th grade is kind of fun, I like the people, and the learning and making friends part is easy because I’m nicer to people than others but sometimes it gets taken advantage of...

Holly Moussavou

7th grader Derrick Diamond (DJ), says that his 7th grade year was okay at some points, and fun at others. He says that he did really well this season by scoring about 100 points overall. His favorite class was P.E. , so that he could exercise and practice for basketball. His least favorite class was Social Studies because “It’s boring and too timeconsuming”.

Let´s hear from the 8th Grade AC Graduate...

8th Grade Graduate Kassidy says, “I feel like I've already experienced what it will be like. Of course, there will be some changes, but I don't think it'll be much different.”

Graduation will be on June 3rd in the Kenwood Auditorium at 6 pm. The Luncheon will be at Navy Pier on May 31st.

The first interview was with Brooklyn who is a 7th grader going to 8th grade. Brooklyn stated that her experience through 7th grade was neutral but not the best, “During my first semester, I wasn’t really applying myself and I would mostly fall asleep in class”.

“I am excited for 8th grade since it is one step closer to finishing … but I am scared [about]the Constitution test”.

Next, we have Willow who is going to be an 8th-grader graduate. Willow shared that her transition into 7th grade was difficult due to her being a bit distant from others, “ I only really stuck with one friend throughout the entire school year since in 7th it’s a bit crazy due to everyone being new to each other”.

In Willow’s transition to 8th grade, she expressed that she felt more comfortable since she had already been to the school for a year, she also felt that the 8th-grade teachers were more lenient and that she felt a whole lot better because she had finally found her group of friends. “Having all the grades together is a lot of work and you feel like you are at the bottom of the food chain”. Her school choices are either Kenwood or Lab. “If I do stay at Kenwood for high school then I would want to take college classes and expand my horizon[s].”

MAking History

Kenwood hosted its first-ever Animal adoption drive. The drive was created by Mr. Shea’s 1st-period class. The drive was a collab between Kenwood Academy and CACC and hosted on April 26th.

Zion McDonald, 7th grader:

“7th grade is kinda fun but I didn’t have the best relationships with everyone. It’s kinda hard being a 7th grader in a school with upperclassmen but I tried to stay organized and focused” .

“The work was kinda challenging but I learned a lot of new stuff to push myself , but If I didn’t get right the first time I kept going to challenge myself to work harder, but towards the end of the year I started to get off track because it’s the end of the school year.”

“ The overall 7th was also a challenge but I'm most excited to graduate 8th grade and have a little more freedom and feel like an actual high school student”.

Ava Obafemi is an 8th grader and this her 8th grade experience “ 8h grade was kinda fun because I feel like it’s a little more challenging because of the work , the work is not challenging it’s easy it just be a lot because I have 8 classes . It's kinda weird being around older people but I got used to it because they are teaching me a lot of things before I graduate My teachers are pretty good but I don’t like my math teachers , she is just too strict . I'm most excited to graduate and go to luncheon and get the boat experience like everyone else . ”

By Kaleidoscope students: Lailah

& Nylah Freeman, Victoria

Spencer, and Avyon Bradford

Kenwood 2024SUMMER PLANS

What do Kenwood students do in the summer?

The 2023-2024 school year is ending, and KA students are excited for summer and all it has in store!

9th-12th

¨Every summer me and my family go to Florida¨ -

Sanaah AlstonHenry

¨Im excited for summer because I´m about to graduate and I´m going to be working this summer ¨ - Harmony Brown

¨I’m a full time makeup artist, so I´m going to be doing that this summer ¨-Taylor McCormick

¨I’m

ready to live¨ - Jakai

¨This summer I’m going to be doing hair and playing volleyball¨Autumn

¨I have an internship that I do every summer ¨ -

KAREN A CALLOWAY PRINCIPAL

JOSEPH MASON ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

DR ANDREA JOHNSON ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

SHERRY BALL ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

LIBRA DUNCAN RESIDENT PRINCIPAL

MRS FREDA D BROWN

JOURNALISM INSTRUCTOR AND SPONSOR

NEWS STAFF

LEILANI BAILEY

DRAKE BANKOLE

AVYON BRADFORD

DEVIN BROWN*

KAYLA BROWN*

LEMAJ BURTON*

MALCOLM FLEMING *

TASEAN COOPER* MORGAN EGGLESTON* *

ELISHA FLORES

Freeman Lailah

Freeman NAYLAH

CIARA GAYLES

ZARI GRANT

AMARIA HARRIS

Hemphill Cody

AMORE HENDRICKS

GABRIELLE KANE

OLIVER OJENDYK

JALIYAH PITTMAN

DONOVAN REYNOLDS

ELIJAH ROBINSON

BEYONCA SLOAN

VICTORIA SPENCER

EVAN STINSON

JAHNAHN WEBSTER

n

e

DEMAJE WILLIAMS

w s s t a f f

Summer Hello