Kent high school seniors will graduate on Saturday, June 15 during ceremonies at ShoWare Center, 625 W. James St. Here’s the schedule:
Kentridge High School, 9 a.m.
Kent-Meridian High School, 12:30 p.m.
Kentwood High School, 3:30 p.m.
Kentlake High School, 7:00 p.m.
Contact individual schools for additional details, including ticket information.
Congratulations to our local grads!
Join local leaders and volunteers to raise money for youth in the Kent School District at the annual Communities In Schools breakfast. 
Thurs., May 23, 2013
7:30 – 9:00 a.m.
Kent Phoenix Academy
11000 SE 264th St.
Kent, WA 98030
FREE, Donations are encouraged.
Ensuring student success is everyone’s job: schools, parents, communities.
Communities In Schools is the nation’s largest dropout organization. In over 200 communities across 27 states, we work closely with schools, social services, businesses and volunteers to get young people the things they need to learn and grow: after-school help and family services to stabilize the home. Without these basic supports, kids in need or at-risk are far less likely to succeed and grow into productive adults.
CIS of Kent services students in 14 Kent schools. During the last school year, CIS of Kent provided services to 3,880 students through programs like its Elementary Mentoring Program, hosted at 12 Kent elementary schools, and the Kent Performance Learning Center at Kent Phoenix Academy, a non-traditional high school program designed for students who have ability but are not succeeding within the traditional schools setting.
Recent third-party findings confirm: Of the many organizations working to improve student outcomes, Communities In Schools, through coordination of services, is proven to be more effective, and results in higher graduation rates, and higher percentages of students reaching proficiency in math and reading.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Communities-In-Schools-of-Kent/269096273112662
KENT, Wash., Mar. 15, 2013–Yesterday I had the privilege of tagging along while 10 of the Seattle Thunderbirds mentored 10 fourth grade boys at Neely O’Brien Elementary School in Kent. Thursday’s mentoring session was the final in a six-month series of weekly meetings between the TBirds and “their boys.” While enjoying pizza and homemade treats, the TBirds reminisced about their activities including a visit to ShoWare, play board games and bonding with the students, and hosting two assemblies, one for fifth and sixth graders about about goal setting and a school-wide assembly on how to be a buddy, not a bully.
TBirds mentors this year were Connor Sanvido, Mitch Elliot, Connor Honey, Evan Wardley, Luke Lockhart, Justin Hickman, Seth Swenson, Roberts Lipsbergs, Alexander Delnov and Adam Kambeitz. Pictured at right: C.J., Seth Swenson, Justin Hickman and Cody.
Principal Pat Regnart thanked the players for their participation in the mentoring program, offered through Communities in Schools Kent. CISK has other mentors at Neely O’Brien and other elementary schools throughout the Kent School District, but this program was a bit different because the mentors were young adults.
“It’s been a very special year, and we don’t take that for granted,” Regnart said. “Our whole school has been impacted.”
Though the school has 733 students, only 10 boys were given the opportunity to work one-on-one with the TBirds, to build relationships and talk about things like the importance of education and how being a member of a team is much like being a student.
Regnart particularly enjoyed the mentoring session when Mitch Elliot gave an impromptu piano recital. Elliot played Beethoven, a composer that had been discussed in the second grade classes. Following his performance, a student asked, “Don’t you fight in hockey?” Elliot explained that there is fighting in hockey but that it has to be done safely and responsibly. He also said that the fights stay on the ice, and he’d get kicked off the team if he fought outside the rink.
“The players connected in a lot of ways,” Regnart explained.
Jolene Wallace, a second grade teacher whose students were impacted by the mentoring program, wasn’t able to attend the mentoring celebration yesterday, but she sent a letter to be read by Neely O’Brien mentor program coordinator Chris Kunzelman in her absence.
“I can’t begin to describe the impact you’ve had on these boys, our students, staff and the community,” Wallace wrote. “As you move into your future whether in college or the NHL, please note that you made a difference in a public school in Kent, Washington.”
The players enjoyed the mentoring program as well. Seth Swenson of Colorado said he enjoyed being able to give back to the community. It was particularly nice for him because he lives out of state and doesn’t know a lot of people in Kent. Swenson mentored fourth grader C.J. who said he liked visiting the hockey rink the best.
Justin Hickman also enjoyed being a part of the program. Hickman, who previously attended Kent-Meridian High School, said he liked visiting other schools and to “hopefully make a difference. Hickman mentored fourth grader Cody; one of their favorite activities was playing Connect Four.
“I’m the Connect Four Master,” Hickman joked.
Dee Klem, the elementary mentor program coordinator for Communities in Schools Kent, helped connect the TBirds with Neely O’Brien. As a proponent of mentoring and a billet mom to Mitch Elliot, Klem was pleased at the enthusiasm of the players and the success of this year’s program. This is the third year for the program, but the first time so many players participated, Klem said.
Klem added, “I’m not sure they fully understand the impact they’ve had on the kids.”
For more information about the mentoring program, visit Communities in Schools Kent online. For more information about the Seattle Thunderbirds, visit the team website.
Pictured below: Dee Klem and Luke Lockhart
The City of Kent is celebrating National Youth Arts Month by hosting Kent Kids’ Arts Day on Sat., Mar. 2 at Kent Commons (525 Fourth Ave. N.) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). The day long festival will feature 14 hands-on art projects lead by professional artists. Geared toward children ages 4 to 12, the projects include Print Making, Recycled Robots, Sumi Painting, face painting, Wall of Words and more. In addition, Grammy award winner Bill Harley will perform at 3 p.m. in the Crystal Mountain Hall.
Admission is $10 per child and includes all of the art-projects. Parents accompanying their children and kids under the age of 2 will not have to pay an admission fee. For an additional $5, children can attend Harley’s Performance. Concessions by Pull My Ear Concessions and Sturgis Sweets Kettle Korn will also be available. Visit the city’s website for more information.
Join the Kentwood High School sign choir as they sign the national anthem at the Seattle Thunderbirds‘ March 12 game against the Tri-City Americans. Tickets are just $9 each and available through the Kentwood sign choir, Barbara Key, the American Sign Language teacher/adviser, and through iLoveKent.net. To get your $9 tickets, contact us via email by March 1. Hope to see you at the game!
~ Dana Neuts, Publisher and Proud Mom
Folks at the City of Kent and local volunteers are busy planning another fun You We Me, an interactive evening of free family fun. This year’s event will be held at ShoWare Center on Fri., Mar. 1 and will feature a variety of activities for kids of all ages. In addition to collecting food for the Kent Food Bank, event highlights include:
Kent Food Bank will be on hand to accept donations of nonperishable food items. The event is organized by a cross-section of community groups, the Kent School District, Kent Parks, local youth groups, sports teams, scouts, churches, local businesses and service clubs. Come join the fun!
The Kentridge High School dance team, the Chatelaines, is participating in “Kick It Up,” a dance and drill competition next Sat., Feb. 9 at Kentridge High School, 12430 SE 208th St., Kent. The competition begins at 1 p.m.
Booster Club parents Joy Theisen and Carol Jackson said that 28 teams with more than 670 dancers, including Kentridge High School, have signed up to compete in the event. The girls are coached by head coaches Ashley Naset and Staci Mattson and assistant coaches Tami Printz and Joelle Fleming. The competition will help the Chatelaines raise money to pay for other competitions, uniforms and other dance team-related needs. Cheer on our local dancers.
Pictured at right: Kentridge HS Senior Talia Carchedi, daughter of Joe and Alison Carchedi
The City of Kent experiences nearly 60 car related incidents per week. With this in mind, and the holidays around the corner, consider these car safety tips so you don’t become another statistic:
1. Lock your car, every time, even if you are just leaving it for a minute!
2. Put valuables in your trunk BEFORE arriving at your destination (like the gym or grocery store). Someone can see you put them in your trunk, and still break in.
3. Don’t leave your car running to “warm it up.” It is way too easy for a stranger to hop in and drive off.
4. Report suspicious people in parking lots who are lingering and/or looking in windows. Call 9-1-1.
5. Be aware of your surroundings.
If we all take just a few seconds to practice these safety techniques, we can reduce the number of car prowls in and around Kent.
The American Cancer Society’s 37th annual “Great American Smokeout” is November 15. Use the date to formulate a plan to quit smoking; even if it is for one day. This could be your first step to a healthier, smoke-free lifestyle, and reducing your cancer risk.
This online resource can offer great resources on how to begin quitting. Remember, it’s easier to quit when you have support, and The American Cancer Society has fantastic support tools to help you quit.
Contributed by Valley Medical Center
The number one trigger for the shaking and abuse of infants is the frustration from a crying infant. In an effort to help spread awareness about normal infant crying and the dangers of shaking an infant, Valley Medical Center (VMC) is participating in the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome’s public education campaign, Period of Purple Crying: CLICK for Babies.
VMC was a pilot hospital for the Period of PURPLE Crying, an evidenced based program that educates parents about normal infant crying, ways to cope with the crying and the dangers of reacting in frustration by shaking or abusing an infant. In 2011 VMC and UW Medicine were the only delivering hospitals in Washington State providing this kind of prevention program. Today 21 Washington State hospitals have implemented this program.
CLICK for Babies is a grassroots effort that invites knitters and crocheters across North America to make purple baby caps which will be delivered to families in November and December with the Period of PURPLE Crying program. Now in its second year, CLICK for Babies is a collaborative effort between the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome and invited states and provinces who have implemented the Period of PURPLE Crying. Oregon, Washington, Utah, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, North Carolina, West Virginia, New Hampshire and Maine have joined the 2012 campaign in addition to the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia.
“It’s been gratifying to see this program grow so quickly,” said Kelle Baxter, MSN, RNC, FNP-BC, IBCLC, Perinatal Clinical Educator for VMC’s Birth Center, a member of the Shaken Baby Prevention State Task Force and the VMC ambassador for The Period of PURPLE Crying. “Parents and caregivers need to understand the sometimes exasperating features about normal infant crying, and how to reduce the stress and frustration parents experience when they have a baby who cries. Shaken Baby Syndrome causes such devastation and yet is completely preventable.”
Valley Medical Center is accepting purple caps through December at the Birth Center Admitting desk (on the 2nd floor of the hospital). More information about the CLICK for Babies campaign, including patterns for caps, guidelines and details about the national campaign are available at www.CLICKforbabies.org.
Congratulations to these Kent high school students for making it to the semifinalist level of the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program. There are 16,000 semifinalists in the United 
States. These students have the opportunity to compete for 8,300 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million, offered in spring 2013.
Kent-Meridian High School: Jonathan W. Hanson
Kentlake High School: Kyle J. Owsen and Michael T. Raybuck
Kentridge High School: James K. Dugan, Timothy B. Ie, Emily M. Sanford, Karanbir Singh and Jeannette L. Yu
The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) is a nonprofit organization established in 1955 to conduct the annual National Merit Scholarship Program to honor scholastic excellence. For more information, visit www.nationalmerit.org or call 847-866-5100.
It’s back to school time and that means it is also time to update your children’s immunizations. To help parents with those expensive but necessary shots, Kent School District and Valley Medical Center are teaming up to provide two free immunization clinics in September. Valley Medical will immunize children entering 6th, 7th or 8th grades. The children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and bring their immunization records with them, or have them on file with the clinic. Dates, times and clinics are:
Wednesday, Sept. 19, 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Valley Family Medicine
3915 Talbot Road S., Suite 401
Renton, Wa 98055
425-656-4224
Wednesday, Sept. 26, 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Kent Clinic
24920 104th Ave SE
Kent, Wa 98030
253-395-2000
*Immunization requirements for children entering the 6th, 7th and 8th grades:
- Three doses of Hepatitis B
- Five doses of Dtap and one dose of Tdap
- Four doses of polio
- Two doses of Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
- Two doses of Varicella or one dose and verification of the disease
Thanks to the Kent School District for posting this information.
Put June 1 on your social calendar! At 6:00 pm, the Museum of Flight, located at 9404 East Marginal Way in Seattle will host an event with wine tasting, heavy hors d’oeuvres and a live and 
silent auction presented by the Children’s Therapy Center Guild supporting Children’s Therapy Center.
The Museum of Flight has been helping kids fly since 1979 and this event is a way for you and your friends to help in their efforts and have a great time doing it. For more information, please call 206-764-5700 or visit http://www.museumofflight.org/visit.
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