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Kennedy Architecture Students Awarded $6,000 Scholarship

Kennedy architecture student Brianna Rodriguez Torres, was awarded a $6000 scholarship to attend a two week long architecture program at UCLA this summer. In addition to working with the best architects in Los Angeles, Brianna will also earn two UC unit credits and will live on the UCLA campus for two weeks this summer.

SRLA Students 1 Step Closer to Completing the LA Marathon

Sunday, February 9, 30 Kennedy student members of Student Run Los Angeles (SRLA), 3 SRLA Leaders, and 3 parents completed “That Dam 30K Run” at the Hansen Dam Recreation Center. The students were not only physically strong, but mentally strong as they completed nearly ¾ of a full marathon (18.64 miles). SRLA runners will continue training for the next four weeks to prepare for the LA Marathon on March 8, the ultimate goal of the season. As we continue to prepare for the big challenge, if you see students walking or running around campus, please encourage them as they work toward such an amazing lifetime accomplishment. We can’t wait to see them cross that finish line at the LA Marathon. Way to go SRLA! Keep Showing up and keep doing what you love doing! Your parents and friends are so proud of you and everything you have accomplished so far this season. Stay strong and run happy! We want to thank our parents for coming out to support their athlete as well. We are in it for the long run… 26.2 miles!

Kennedy Students Learn About Filmmaking at WB Studio Day

On Saturday, February 8, several students from Ms. Mas’ Art History class attended “WB Studio Day” from 9am-3pm. They were taken around the studio to learn about the film/TV industry. They went behind the Scenes into the studio lot; and met writers, show runners, lighting technicians, and sound effects artist. Everyone learned a lot about filmmaking and had a wonderful time.

NJROTC Competes in Ramona Field Meet Near San Diego

On Saturday, January 18, Navy JROTC went to Ramona, CA (near San Diego) to participate in the Ramona Field Meet. Kennedy participated in the following events: Color Guard, Armed Basic, Armed Exhibition, Unarmed Basic, Unarmed Exhibition, Academics, and Personal Training Team. All cadets had a great time and enjoyed getting outside of Los Angeles county.

Kennedy Wins Big at LAUSD's Academic Decathlon

On Saturday, February 1, Kennedy’s Academic Decathlon team participated in the District-level competition at Roybal Learning Center in downtown Los Angeles. They participated in Speech, Interviews and Super Quiz. This year’s theme was “In Sicknesss and in Health: An Exploration of Illness and Wellness.” The top scorer was Maria Sophia Gomez. Madelline Villagrana won the DWP/HIPP Leadership and Inspiration Award. Jordan Mijares won the DWP $500 Scholarship. For speech, Maria Gomez won Honors Gold for “The Artist”; Harkomal Grewal won Honors Silver for “Dowry”; Madelline Villagrana won Honors Silver for “There’s No Place Like Home”; Alina Gonzalez won Varsity Silver for “Favorite Photo”; Enrique Mancilla won Varsity Gold for “You Win Some, You Lose Some”; and Jordan Mijares won Varsity Gold for “The Garden”. For interviews: Maria Gomez, Harkomal Grewal, and Madelline Villagrana won Honors Gold; Parker Brillon and Cesar Romo won Scholastic Gold; Alina Gonzalez, Enrique Mancilla, and Jordan Mijares won Varsity Bronze. Congratulations cougars! Way to represent Kennedy!

Kaiser Permanente Teaches Kennedy About STD's

On Wednesday, February 5, Kaiser Permanente's Educational Theater preformed "What Goes Around". This performance is designed to bring awareness to teens about Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD’s). The STD/HIV prevention presentation uses technology and references to social media to engage students to provide health information about STD’s. Students hear the facts and myths about STD’s and see how the choices they make have a lasting impact on their lives and the lives of other people. The program supports the Health Education Content Standards for California Public Schools and is compliant with the California Healthy Youth Act.

Secretary of State Alex Padilla Visits Kennedy to Preregister Juniors and Seniors to Vote

On Wednesday, January 29, Secretary of State Alex Padilla and Los Angeles City Clerk Holly Wolcott visited Kennedy High School to get juniors and seniors pre-registered to vote at just sixteen and discuss the importance of their civic duty. LAUSD Board Member Scott Schmerelson, Local District Director Donna Gilliland, and Telemundo 52 news anchor Guillermo Ochoa were on hand to show their support.

Kennedy Goes to the Huntington

On Wednesday, January 29th Ms. Serrano’s Contemporary Composition class visited the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. They toured the first edition library and saw some of the texts they read earlier this year, such as “Self-Reliance” and “Civil Disobedience,” as well as viewed paintings from famous American painters from the 1900s. They also had a chance to tour three of their gardens: the Chinese Garden, the Japanese Garden, and the English Rose Garden.

Volunteer Opportunities at the Granada Hills Branch Library

The Young Adult (YA) Librarian at the Granada Hills Branch Library is looking for volunteers for the Rising STAR (Students and Tutors Achieving Reading Success) program. This is a great opportunity for teens to read aloud to children in the library and get Kennedy community service hours. Teens who participate must commit to at least 20 hours of volunteering, have a special orientation, and be interested in working with children. The storytelling is a scheduled, structured, and supervised activity. You must be 14-17 years old. The program is designed to help teens develop public speaking skills; increase confidence; build teamwork and collaboration with other teens; build a stronger commitment and relationship with their community; and improve their own literacy/mentoring skills. If you are interested please contact Tatiana Ortiz at tortiz@lapl.org and she will provide you with more information.

Filmmaking Students Go to Sony

On Wednesday, January 23, senior filmmakers in the Architecture/Digital Design/Filmmaking Magnet visited the Sony Digital Media Production Center in Los Angeles. Students were given hands-on instruction on the Sony Venice camera, Sony’s 6K camera used on such films as Top Gun:Maverick and Marvel’s Black Widow. The students were also surprised by Phaedon Papamichael, Director of Photography on Academy Award nominated Ford Vs. Ferrari.

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