NOVEMBER 2016
LEARNING, FAITH & LEADERSHIP A Kennedy Catholic Lancer Publication
COMMUNI-K PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Curiosity, provocation, courage. Throughout the New Testament, these themes recur as believers and unbelievers encountered the teachings of Jesus. Curiosity – who is this man Jesus and what are these radical ideas? Provocation – I’ve heard, I’ve been challenged, I see the application and the opposition and I have a passionate response. With the Holy Spirit as the guide, one continues to be curious, continues to search or is convinced to live the life that Jesus calls us to, which takes courage, 24/7. On October 20, Kennedy Catholic sponsored a nationally acclaimed Catholic speaker on chastity and purity. His name was Jason Evert. As one sophomore student later reflected, “I expected to be lectured about Mike Prato - President the evils of sex and a churchy approach that would bore me to no end. Instead, he engaged us with experiences from his own life and didn’t stand stiffly with the Bible clutched to his chest, but spoke fluidly and infused humor with his words. I’m proud to say that he took a heavy, important topic in our society and spoke about it in a well-educated manner that connected and resonated with the audience.” Propose, not impose; a long-standing reminder from my close friend, Bishop Joseph Tyson of Yakima, that our work as Catholic Christians is to propose the gospel, not impose. What we are called to do is to propose it, not avoid the truth when it needs to be told. Jason Evert’s curious invitation to hear the teachings of the church with regard to sexuality, healthy relationships and marriage provoked discussion that in many cases, inspired renewed courage and offered a response to the distortions promoted by today’s culture. Students returned to their classes with the invitation to engage in conversations with each other and their teachers. Later that evening, many Kennedy Catholic parents journeyed to St. Anthony’s parish to hear a similar presentation concluding with a question and answer session with parents. Phone calls and emails from our parent community thanked us for opening the door for difficult conversations and at the same time, elevating our deliverable of presenting the gospel in season and out. Early the next morning, I met with our ASB officers to hear their perspective. Honest, truthful, funny, engaging and open to revealing his own experiences in a way that satisfied our curiosity, honored our opinion and encouraged us to look at the evidence with different eyes. As teachers, we can’t ask for more.
Kennedy Catholic High School
140S 140th Street, Burien WA 98168
www.kennedyhs.org
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE The Holy Spirit is with us. We know this to be true. His presence was felt especially during the Sophomore Girls Retreat on Monday, October 24. I had the privilege to spend the day with the students as they participated in the Solidarity Retreat. Many times during the day I found myself in tears as I witnessed the Spirit moving within the students. We began the retreat with a poverty simulation. As the girls assumed the roles of different people living in poverty, you could feel the “a ha” moments. During the debrief after, the words the students used to express the feelings they experienced were powerful-even though it was a simulation, they felt the despair, the hopelessness, the feeling of being unseen. One student remarked that she never really realized how privileged she is until she participated in the role play. She then Nancy Bradish - Principal said how very grateful she is for all the opportunities her family provides her. The discussion led to how we could make a difference. We followed the debriefing with an artistic activity. We used symbols or words to describe our feelings during the simulation. The art was a progressive activity- we had the opportunity to add to the pictures others had drawn. Then we came back to our original piece to see what had been added. My picture started with a dying flower. Imagine the feeling when I saw what had been added- the Holy Spirit at work for sure! Our students have hope and the desire to make the world better. We are truly blessed to be in a place where Christ is present with us at all times.
IN THIS EDITION:
IN THE NEWS:
President’s Message
Sophomore Girls Retreat
Principal’s Message
Advent Retreat
In the News
Fall Search Retreat
Lancer Legacy Awards
Arts and Crafts Fair
Sports News
Annual Crab Feed
50th Anniversary Annual Fund Drive
Student Ambassadors from Japan
Night Out for the Homeless
Winning Spirit Award
Volleyball Middle School Night
Alumni Profile
Open House
Alumni Birthdays
Little Lancers Trick-or-Treating
Rotary Students of the Month
Alter for Dia de los Muertos
New Campus Life Employee
Latin Classroom News
Fine Arts News
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News Articles and Press Releases Find all of the latest news on our website!
Kennedy Catholic High School will present the first ever Lancer Legacy Awards to distinguished alumni in honor of the school’s 50th anniversary. The Lancer Legacy Awards will showcase the highest caliber of the school’s alumni and celebrate the depth of their accomplishments and service. The event emcee is Jim Dever, KING-5 reporter and host of Evening. This event will be held on January 14, 2017 at Holy Rosary Church in West Seattle. A reception will begin at 6:30pm, followed by the awards ceremony at 7:30pm. Performances by the Kennedy Catholic band will be accompanied by Grammy-winning composer, Mateo Messina ‘90. There is no fee to attend the event, but reservations are required by January 5 to legacyawards@kennedyhs.org.
www.kennedyhs.org
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SPORTS NEWS WIAA Athlete of the Week
Golfers Advance to WIAA State Tournament
Lots to celebrate between our boys and girls golf programs as they finished up their first season of play in the new 4A NPSL. Boys: --2nd place team finish in league tournament --1st team all-division honors for Nick F. and Ryan S. --Honorable mention all-division recognition for James N. and Grayson O. --State qualifying 36-hole totals for Nick F (10th overall), James N. (12th), and Ryan S. (14th). --Spring qualifier berth earned by Grayson O.
Sophomore Nick F. was recognized by the WIAA as one of their athletes of the week for his outstanding golf performance during a Cascade Division tournament on October 11. In that match Nick shot a school record -5 par 31 at Druids Glen. The following week, he followed that performance finishing 10th in the NPSL league tournament and earning a berth in the State tournament to be held this spring. Nick was awarded with a WIAA athlete of the week beanie and a certificate. A full list of recognized athletes can be found here.
WIAA State Cross Country
More Lancers headed to State! This time it’s three members of our cross country program who made it through a difficult West Central District championship. They’ve earned a berth to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association State Cross Country Championships held November 4 in Pasco.
Girls: --1st team all-division honors for Alyssa N. and Makenzie M. --State qualifying 36-hole totals for Alyssa N. (3rd overall) and Makenzie M. (4th overall).
Congratulations to girls (pictured left to right) Marissa T. and Lily G., as well as Lincoln M. (not pictured) of the boys team for being among the fastest distance runners in the state.
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King5 Blitz Performer of the Week
First Lancers Captains Council
Both student-athletes were then interviewed by King5 staff, with their piece running on the 11pm Friday news and online.
Captains Council will meet monthly to develop skills focused on becoming better leaders on their teams, in the school and across the community. Throughout the year, this group will have direct input into athletic department decisions including budgeting, coaching hires and more. The first lesson centered on the key ingredients to a successful team, while also putting them through an exercise where they had to interpret a “recipe for success” in the kitchen (making themselves breakfast).
The community made their voices heard loud and clear, by dominating the fan voting in back-to-back weeks of King5’s High School Sports Blitz Performer of the Week poll. First it was senior receiver Jared T. who won for his performance in a win over Tahoma. The following week, it was his quarterback’s turn as Ben G. won the honor following his 6-TD game against Hazen.
Girls Swim and Dive
Congratulations to Lancer girls divers for their District performance. Madeline K. (7th), Bronte S. (12th), and Maddie T. (5th). Maddie and Madeline both earned spots in the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association State Dive Championships coming up November 11-12 at the Federal Way Aquatic Center.
On Wednesday, October 26, twenty-eight student-athletes assembled before the sun came up to take part in a new leadership development program for Lancer Athletics called Captains Council. Participants were nominated by their coaches or activity leaders and then selected to ensure a well-balanced group that reflects participation in all sports offered at Kennedy Catholic. Each student received a personalized invitation from Athletic Director Sam Reed.
In the pool, our divers will be joined by Freshmen Shayla M. (left) who took 2nd in Districts in the 100 Butterfly and 3rd in the 200 Medley, and will swim both at State. Sophomore Madelline K. will be joining her, as her time in the 100 Breast was also fast enough to qualify for the State meet.
www.kennedyhs.org
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SPORTS NEWS CONTINUED Volleyball, Soccer and Football all advance to District Playoffs All of our Fall Sports teams enjoyed successes, and the playoff chase is just heating up for volleyball, girls soccer and football, advancing to the District/Regional level of competition. Updated matchups can be found on our website. Pictured are all of the seniors for each program who have invested countless hours toward the development and success of their team.
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50th Anniversary Annual Fund Drive For 50 years, Kennedy Catholic High School has educated over 9,500 Lancers. As a member of the Lancer Family, you know Kennedy Catholic is not just a school, but a place that offers a transformative experience. Since 1966, we have fulfilled our mission to graduate leaders following Christ in a school community that is accessible, diverse and committed to pursuing the fullest potential of every student. This is achieved through the dedication of professional faculty and staff, a diverse student body, and the generous support of parents, alumni, and the broader community. The Annual Fund supports facility improvements, financial assistance, curricular enhancements, co-curricular programs and helps keep faculty and staff salaries competitive. The success of the Annual Fund is essential to an innovative student experience and directly influences the future of the school in countless ways, visible and invisible. Together, everyone’s support has an impact. As we enter the holiday season and you think about your year-end giving, please take a moment to prayerfully consider a gift or pledge to the Annual Fund in this, our 50th year. All gifts to the annual fund are 100% tax-deductible. Contributions can be made online, or if you prefer to make a donation by phone, please call 206.957.9718. Thank you for all you do to support the mission of Kennedy Catholic and to help us prepare for the next 50 years.
Night Out for the Homeless By Paisley S., 10th Grade
Night Out for the Homeless was a single, humbling opportunity to briefly live like the thousands of homeless people in the Seattle area. The Night Out occurred through the Kennedy Catholic High School St. Vincent de Paul Club, and our group of students was joined by Mr. Ralston and Mrs. Moffat who coordinated most of the evening. Stories were told, games were played, and bonds were formed. This night brought together students from all grades at Kennedy for a night of solidarity and reflection. Biographies of some homeless people opened our minds to the lives and stories of many who do not have homes. A realization struck that not every person without a home has the same story. We felt sympathy for their situations as we slept outside as they do almost every night. We learned about the homeless population in Seattle and all over the United States and about the relief programs and shelters. After sleeping outside that night, Mrs. Ettensohn the next morning provided us with more information on the topic of homelessness, and encouraged us to think more about this issue. We felt thankful as we ate a breakfast cooked by our leaders. Upon reflection of the Night Out, many students said they felt they had a new perspective on homelessness, and felt their minds had been opened to the cause. The St. Vincent de Paul Night Out for the Homeless was an amazing event and I am so thankful for the experience. My mind was opened to the struggle of the homeless and the situations which resulted in their homelessness. I want to thank Mrs. Hines, Mr. Ralston, Mrs. Moffat, and Mrs. Ettensohn, and the many students who participated in the Night Out, as well as Mr. Olson who came to visit us at Kennedy Catholic that night. We ask the entire community to please keep the homeless in their prayers as the days get colder and wetter and the nights get longer. I encourage my fellow Lancers to keep open minds and hearts, and to join us for our next Night Out for the Homeless. www.kennedyhs.org
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Lancer Volleyball “Middle School Night” Many thanks to all of the middle school future Lancers who attended our “Middle School Volleyball Night” in October to cheer on the Kennedy Catholic girls volleyball team. Congratulations to the winners of our prizes. Thank you for the memories - we can’t wait to do it again next year! Go Lancers!
Kennedy Catholic Open House-Thank you! Class of 2021 Thank you to all of our guests who attended Open House! We were honored to meet and greet prospective families, new and legacy, and hope you enjoyed learning about our school as much as we enjoyed sharing the many amazing things happening at Kennedy Catholic. We are excited to welcome new Lancers to the Class of 2021 and beyond. Our open house is designed to provide a glimpse into Lancer Life. Our hope is that this introduction compels future families to take the next step. At Kennedy Catholic teachers and other staff members challenge you to be the best version of yourself; the version that God has created you to be. Our vision for our students extends well beyond these next four years. We strive to provide the formation and perspective necessary for our students to grow in learning, faith, and leadership. Applications to Kennedy Catholic High School are due on January 9, 2017. Notifications of admission will be mailed on February 15, 2017. For important dates and deadlines or to learn more about admissions at Kennedy Catholic High School - please visit our web site or contact Admission Director, Lori Roedell.
Little Lancers Trick or Treating Our 2016 Little Lancers Trick or Treating event was a success! Our spooky festivities included make your own slime, dry ice bubbles, candy ghosts and spiders, and of course, trick or treating. Thank you to everyone who participated and we can’t wait to see you again next year!
To see more photos, go to: www.kennedyhs.org/alumni/new-page Page 8
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An Altar for Dia de los Muertos Heritage Spanish students have been working on creating an altar for Dia de los Muertos since the beginning of October. They made sugar skulls, paper flowers and wrote about the person who they honored. Dia de los Muertos is an important holiday in Mexico and many other Latin American countries. During this holiday, families honor those who have passed creating beautiful altars at home and/or at the cemetery. On October 28, we went to Burien Community Center to set up our altar. It will be there until November 10, stop by the Community Center and visit our altar.
News from the Latin Classroom Among the Latin III students, four have elected to earn college credit for their efforts through the University of Washington College in the High School program. They will be earning credit for Latin 103, a 5-credit course. Three of these students have also won scholarships from UW to cover the cost of the course and the associated fees, which add up to nearly $400 each. The Jim Greenfield Scholarship was awarded from the UW Classics Department to Juniors Ruth Zekairse, Mary Grace Curran, and Karrianne Bolma. Congratulations! In the last couple of years, our Latin students have become very involved in the Washington & British Columbia Junior Classical League. They have attended the annual Convention each spring for years. This year is special though; out of the 6 leadership positions available, 4 are held by Kennedy Catholic students. They are already busy with organizing this year’s Convention for the Latin students of all ages in our region. Our officers are Ruth Zekariase, President; Mary Grace Curran, Vice President; Karianne Bolma, Editor; and Cade Harris, co-editor. If you would like more information on the Washington & British Columbia Junior Classical League, the website is www.wabcjcl.org. This year’s convention is scheduled for April 7-9 at Warm Beach Camp in Stanwood, WA.
JCL officers: Ruth, Mary Grace, Karianne, and Cade
Scholarship winners: Ruth, Mary Grace, and Karianne
www.kennedyhs.org
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Campus Ministry, Sophomore Girls Retreat On Monday, October 24, all female sophomores participated in a powerful 13-hour retreat rooted in the Catholic Social Teaching theme of Solidarity. This retreat greatly impacted our students. The morning began at Seatac Community Center with a poverty simulation where students played a role within a family who was living at or below the poverty line. This was followed with reflection, an art activity, and prayer. Senior Madeline Kemp, her mother Nicole and principal Nancy Bradish shared inspiring words on what it means to be “women for others”. The afternoon was spent cooking meals for 700+ homeless families, women, men and teens at various social service agencies. Then all students served and ate dinner at these agencies, which included Catholic Community Services, Compass Alliance, Tent City, Mary’s Place, and Union Gospel Mission. Fr. John Madigan closed out the retreat with a beautiful celebration of the Eucharist. Thank you to our partnering organizations, parent volunteers, junior and senior leaders, and our faculty and staff chaperones for creating a wonderful experience for our sophomore girls. The boys solidarity retreat will be featured in the December Communi-K.
Advent Retreat
Fall Search Retreat
Please join us on Thursday, December 1, from 6-8:30pm for a memorable evening retreat honoring our 50 years of faith tradition. All alumni, families and friends are welcome. The evening will begin with a light supper for all, followed by an Advent retreat and reflection in the Kennedy Catholic Chapel for adults led by Father Bryan Dolejsi and Advent stewardship activities for teens, youth and children on campus. We will conclude with a Mass and blessing.
39 Searchers and 10 leaders had an amazing experience on our Fall Search Retreat. We all came away with a greater understanding of who we are, grew as a community, and reflected on how God is working in our lives. It was an amazing retreat with rich encounters of community and Christ.
There is no cost to attend this event, however, reservations are required by November 20. To register, please send an email to halla@kennedyhs.org including your name and number of participants in your family. Please include the ages of any guests under 18.
We look forward to seeing you on December 1!
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Arts and Crafts Fair This annual event is sponsored by the Kennedy Catholic Parent Club. Saturday, December 3, from 9:00am - 4:00pm. For details, visit the Arts and Crafts webpage
Student Ambassadors from Japan On September 27, Rebecca C, our very own Kennedy Catholic Student Seafair Ambassador, welcomed two student ambassadors from Japan. As part of their week in Seattle, Haruka and Honoka spent the day meeting students and attending classes. Our own international student Miyu Mashashita, class of 2016 and from Japan herself, presented them with pink t-shirts. Later in the day, Mrs. Bradish dropped into Ms. Mead’s communication class with Kennedy Catholic gifts for them to take home. Rebecca will be visiting Japan in November as part of this Seafair exchange program, continuing a long tradition of Kennedy Catholic students reaching out to the world through the Seafair organization.
www.kennedyhs.org
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NW Catholic Winning Spirit AwardCongratulations Delaney! Kennedy Catholic High School senior, Delaney is “an effective leader who serves the community”, said campus minister Clare Ettensohn. She’s the senior class coordinator, co-president of Lady Lancers, a member of the gymnastics and cross country teams, and she carries a 3.77 GPA. At Federal Way’s St. Vincent de Paul Parish, she’s an active member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
Alumni Profile As a Senior at Kennedy Catholic, Nick Beyer ‘03 kept busy. He was a member of Link Crew, Senior Class Treasurer, and Editor-in-Chief of both the school yearbook and newspaper. He remembers listening to Principal Schuster prepare the students for earthquake drills (rumble, rumble, rumble), and giving the graduation speech with his friend Chris Lastimado. Thirteen years later, he hasn’t slowed down. Kennedy Catholic gave Nick opportunities to succeed from the very beginning, starting with building and maintaining strong relationships. One of those connections, his yearbook teacher at Kennedy Catholic, Patti Williams, trusted him with high priority projects and was a great mentor to him. After getting to know his work ethic and interest in media, she helped him get an internship with a local radio station. Nick worked on the morning show, putting in over 40 hours each week. When it was finished, he left for college at Washington State University, keeping the connections made during his internship. During his Sophomore year of college, he was offered a full time position at that same radio station. The next two years were pretty crazy, Nick remembers. He finished his degree online while working full time, graduating only one semester later than planned. Today, Nick is still working for Hubbard Radio as a Senior Account Executive, and is one of two people from the Seattle station area to be a part of Hubbard Radio’s Next Generation Leadership Program. In his spare time, he taught himself how to build a small recording studio in his house where he does freelance voiceover work.
Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday to our November Alumni! We wish you a wonderful year ahead. To make sure your name makes it into this section, head over to our Alumni page and fill in the form under “Help Us Update Our Records”. Click on the cake to see the November birthdays.
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Rotary Students of the Month Each month the Burien White Center Rotary recognizes students who:
• Continuously provide service to
the local community and/or in the community outside the school
• Maintain a positive attitude toward others and toward learning
• Act respectful to peers and teachers • Work to improve and/or maintain good grades
• Practice good citizenship • Actively participate in classroom discussions and activities
Congratulations to Hayden H. and Peter W. (September rotary students), and Penny D. and Nick B. (October rotary students)
New Campus Life Employee In 2014, at the encouragement of Father-in-law and then Transportation Manager Dean Etzkorn, Tracy Etzkorn took a giant leap and began training to be a school bus driver. It was a difficult decision giving up her home daycare job she had lovingly committed to for many years giving her added flexibility to be at home with her three children. She assumed the position of route bus driver in the fall of 2015 which quickly morphed into many added hours of field trips, club and athletic event driving. Her busy days started with early out the door (6am) and many late nights and weekends. As a member of the Kennedy Catholic transportation team she realized how much busier her life had become. Tracy’s husband Mike (class of ’96) was very supportive of her new endeavor but along with children, Rocky, Jacob and Abby, missed having mom around. Life has now changed once again. Tracy saw a way to serve the Kennedy Catholic family and took a position in the Campus Life office after Sue Strong’s retirement last spring. She now wears two hats, one of bus driver and the other of attendance team member. Yes, her days are still very busy but she looks forward to the future when her own children will spend their days with her at Kennedy Catholic. Help us welcome Tracy to the Lancer staff family. She is the new voice you hear when calling the Campus Life office.
www.kennedyhs.org
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FINE ARTS NEWS Fall Play: Leaving Iowa The family road trip is a great American tradition. It brings families closer – quite literally – and creates lasting memories. Of course, memory being what it is, what we remember from these events is seldom what we set out to see. Leaving Iowa, Kennedy Catholic Theatre’s fall play, is a comic, sweet and occasionally somber reminder of what you can find when you are hopelessly lost. Don, the central character, is charged with disposing of his late father’s ashes. He expects this to be a two-hour excursion, but ends up retracing an infamous family road trip from the 1970s. Along the way he encounters a variety of unusual (and often hilarious) characters. Written by Tim Clue & Spike Manton, Leaving Iowa opens Friday, November 11 and plays through November 20 in the Little Theater. Tickets are available at the main office, at the door, or online at brownpapertickets.com. See you there!
Band, Orchestra, and Guard Retreat The Senior Night was celebrated on October 21 at the final home football game. The Band, Orchestra, and Guard Retreat was held the weekend of October 14 at Black Diamond Camps in Auburn. It was an increadible weekend and we grew in our comradery and in our faith!
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Washington State Fair Art Winners Out of 56 schools and 1011 students, Kennedy Catholic art students took nine 1st place ribbons in various categories, four 2nd place ribbons, five 3rd place ribbons, two most patriotic ribbons and 26 Honorable Mentions at the Washington State Fair for art. Congrats to all!
One of our 1st place winners was Michelle M. who dedicated two years to her stain glass cat.
Art Club
Choir Council
The art club is thriving and meets after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
The newly formed 2016-2017 choir council has been formed and consists of:
Kennedy Catholic Elementary Band Program
President- Helena Vice President- Jaclyn Secretary- Steven Librarian- Jenna Kennedy Singers Representative- Lucille Troubadours Representative- Tinsae Excalibur Representative- Florence Uniforms- Sehee and Lauren
The thirty-third year of the Kennedy Catholic Elementary Band Program is off and running. Brand new fifth graders at nine schools are discovering the gift of instrumental music. Our veteran musicians are filling the schools with Christmas music as they prepare for upcoming performances in December. A busy but fulfilling time for all!
For more fine arts news, see the BSHARP newsletter or like our Facebook page!
These students are committed to making choir a positive experience, exploring fresh performance options, planning the retreat, booking Christmas caroling gigs, and so much more! Way to go!
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