In March 2017, the Pennsylvania Department of Health amended its regulations regarding school immunizations. These regulations take effect August 1, 2017 and will impact students for the 2017-2018 school year. The amendments will affect many students in the Kennett Consolidate School District and any student who is not in compliance by August 28, 2017 will face exclusion.

Changes taking effect:

1. The deadline for immunization verification is now the first day of the 2017-2018 school year, August 28^th 2017. Previously, school administrators could work with students and families until well into the school year before a student faced exclusion. This is no longer the case. Any student who has not provided proof of immunization by August 28, 2017 will face exclusion.
2. Any student who has only received 3 doses of the polio vaccination will need a 4^th dose by August 28, 2017. This amendment could affect students of any grade.
3. For students entering the 7^th grade, vaccinations remain the same (Tdap & Meningitis Vaccines), but are now subject to the new deadline of August 28, 2017.
4. Seniors in the 2017-2018 school year will now need a meningitis vaccine by August 28, 2017. This is the second of two meningitis vaccines that are required for students.

Letters will be mailed to students informing them of their status. If you have any questions regarding where your child stands, you can contact your school’s nurse before June 14.

• Bancroft Elementary – Ms. Maureen Orlando, morlando@kcsd.org or 610-925-5715
• Greenwood Elementary – Mrs. Tricia Harlan, tharlan@kcsd.org or 610-388-5993
• Mary D. Lang Kindergarten Center – Mrs. Kelly Hostetler, khostetler@kcsd.org or 610-444-6285
• New Garden Elementary – Ms. Patricia Body, pbody@kcsd.org or 610-268-6903
• Kennett Middle School – Mrs. Diane Shannon, dshannon@kcsd.org or 610-268-5874
• Kennett High School – Mrs. Kathleen Eginton, keginton@kcsd.org or 610-444-6615 OR Ms. Jane Heemer, mheemer@kcsd.org or 610-444-6615

After June 14, if you have any questions, please contact Diane Shannon, RNC, MSN, School Health Coordinator at dshannon@kcsd.org

If you do not have access to health insurance, contact the Chester County Health Department:

313 West Market Street
West Chester, PA 19380
610-344-6000
http://chesco.org/823/Immunizations

The medical certificate must be signed by a physician, certified registered nurse practitioner (CRNP) or physician assistant (PA). If the child will be receiving the immunizations from the Chester County Health Department or other public health department, a public health official may sign the medical certificate.

Again, any student who is not up to date by August 28, 2017 will face exclusion.

New Vaccine Requirements 2017 – English

New Vaccine Requirements 2017 -Spanish

Emils Jurcik, junior at Kennett High School, represented Kennett High School this spring at the PIAA State Swimming Championships which were held at Bucknell University. Emils placed 10th in the state in the 200 Individual Medley with a time of 1:52.86 and fifth for his impressive 500 Free Swim with a time of 4:30.03.

Emils has been swimming competitively since he was six years old. Swimming offers both an individual component and a real team spirit which is what sets the sport apart for Emils.

“My proudest achievement in swimming is when I was about 12 years old,” says Emils. “There was one meet that I performed really well and improved my times significantly in all of my events. It was the meet where I realized that I could be a good swimmer and I’ve never forgotten it.”

In addition to juggling academics and swimming, Emils is also on the high school’s robotics team. Demon Robotics recently returned from the FIRST World Championships. In robotics, he assisted in the construction of the test field which allowed the team to test which parts of their creation worked well and which did not.

“My parents work hard to help me learn to balance my extracurricular activities and my academics,” says Emils. “I am learning to put academics first, but it was a tough thing to learn. There were many times when it felt difficult to think about studying after coming home from swim practice. But I am working hard and doing better at it.”

Looking forward towards life after Kennett High School, Emils is still thinking about options and looking at schools. However, there are three things that he knows for certain. “I want to major in mechanical engineering, be a member of the swim team, and be somewhere in the Northeast,” Emils says. “I enjoy building things, and testing what works and what doesn’t. That is why I want to become a mechanical engineer.”

Outside of school, Emils looks forward to attending a camp in the Catskills for two weeks every summer and spending time with his Latvian friends. He relaxes by playing video games, FaceTiming with his friends, and playing with his dog.

Mini-Thon will be raffling off one parking spot in Kennett High School’s Senior Lot for the upcoming 2017-2018 school year.

• Tickets are $2 each or 3 tickets for $5.
• Tickets will be sold at all lunches and can be purchased in Mr. Brientnall’s room (356).
• The winner will be chosen and notified on June 9.

Register TODAY for the Mini-Thon 3v3 Basketball Tournament!

• Friday, May 26 from 3-6 pm in the Reynolds Gym.
• $3.oo charitable contribution will be collected at the door.
• All are invited to come watch!
• $15 to register your team of 3.
• Teams can be made up of students or faculty.
• Register your team by May 24.
• Registration forms will be available in the Library, during lunches, and in Mr. Brientnall’s room (356)
• See Mr. Brientnall (Room 356), Austin Maxwell, or Gemma Erickson for questions.

On Saturday, April 22, high school students from across the southeastern portion of the state, along with teachers, parents, community members, and school personnel, came together for Kennett High School’s 16th Annual Multicultural and Diversity Awareness Conference. The day was full of thought-provoking workshops organized by a student committee and led by students, educators, and adults, all well versed in multicultural affairs. The event was kicked off by program coordinator Mr. Ray Fernandez, Assistant Principal of Kennett High School.

Mr. Fernandez opened the conference by discussing what he hoped it would accomplish for the students in attendance. “First,” he announced, “we want you to be involved in the key discussions surrounding these issues.” Mr. Fernandez went on to explain how leadership starts with understanding your purpose; learning to ask why you’re here goes a long way in understanding this complex and ever-changing society. He continued by highlighting the importance of collaboration and how communicating with more people will help students accomplish their goals. Third, he expressed his wish that the students would share their new knowledge with their peers and community. “Nothing in these rooms is copyrighted,” he said. “Share what you learn here with everyone you can.” Last, he told the students that he just wanted them to enjoy the day, to celebrate their differences and similarities, enjoy good food, and celebrate everyone’s different talents.

Following those thoughtful words, superintendent Dr. Barry Tomasetti applauded Mr. Fernandez’s hard work in making the Multicultural and Diversity Conference a highly anticipated event for the District for 16 years. Next to the podium was Kennett High School student Keyanna Phipps, in her first-ever public speech. Keyanna eloquently introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Richard Dunlap, an educational consultant and former superintendent for the Upper Darby School District.

Dr. Dunlap began by telling the audience that “diversity means different things to different people. To some it means race, to some it means religion, and to others it means gender identity or sexual orientation.” He continued his speech by discussing the concept of gestalt to the audience. “Have you heard of the saying, ‘The whole is more than the sum of the parts’? What is it that makes up the ‘more’?” he asked, concluding, “Above all, it is the connections we make, the relationships that we build, that make up the whole.”

Dr. Dunlap encouraged the students to do four things. First, to stay engaged in conversations inside the workshops as well as outside the conference. Next, he asked students not to be afraid to speak their truths. Third, he encouraged students to embrace the discomfort that would inevitably find them in these thought-provoking discussions. Finally, he alerted them that they should not expect closure from their experiences; issues might be left unresolved.

The day included two workshop sessions, a wonderful lunch buffet filled with options that reflected the diverse backgrounds of the students, and a team-building session led by Mr. Fernandez that gave students from different schools the opportunity to connect. The day concluded with a student talent show.

Mr. Fernandez is the advisor for UNIDAD, the Kennett High School club that assisted in planning and running the event. The students help set up, clean up, and run registration. Ana Gutierrez, Montserrat Garcia, and Elaine Esparza, all juniors at Kennett High School, helped at the registration tables. They agreed that the conference “gives students a day to be proud of their differences and opens opportunities to learn fascinating things about their own culture as well as the cultures of others.”

Students from 16 different schools attended the conference. Mr. Fernandez explains, “We are all unique, but we share the same dreams, struggles, and fears. It is this joining together and the safe space we provide at this conference that helps students realize that although we may be slightly different on the outside, we are all the same on the inside.”