News and Announcements

On Wednesday, March 20, Kennedy leadership will sponsor the UCLA Blood Drive in the Big Gym from 9am-2pm. The first 30 students to sign up get 2 movie tickets. Every student who donates blood receives 15 hours of community service. Every student after the first 30 receives 1 movie ticket. You must be 16 years or older with a parent consent. You must weigh more than 110 pounds. You may not donate if you have a nose piercing; have a tattoo; or are taking medication.
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Kennedy PTSA will be selecting 3 seniors to receive $1,000 scholarships towards university, community college, or career college expenses PLUS free trip to Disneyland Grad Night. You must be a PTSA member to apply ($8). Senior scholarships are considered in the following categories: Academic Achievement, Community Service, Athletics, Special Education, the Arts, and Leadership. Please submit your application to Mr. Foster in K107 along with your teacher recommendation stating why you are deserving of the scholarship, and an essay stating why you think you are deserving of the scholarship (500 words max) by April 22. Please be sure to include the name of college you plan to attend.
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Seniors in the Filmmaking pathway of the Architecture/Digital Design/Filmmaking Magnet pitched Unscripted TV show (aka reality TV) ideas to executives from 4 production companies. This is the second year of what has become known as “PitchFest” and was created when Jonathan Cane of BackRoads Entertainment reached out to our school to offer his expertise. This year Mr. Cane invited 5 television executives; Rob Cohen & Christine Roth (Exec. Producers of “My Cat From Hell”), Kevin Williams (Exec. Producer of Parker Plays and Get Hyped on Disney XD) Desiree Mandelbaum and Natalie Terrell (Casting Execs “Real Housewives”, “The Hills”) to hear the 5 minute pitches. Last year’s winning show idea made it all the way to Netflix and this year we hope for more.
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Kennedy celebrated national Read Across America Day or Dr. Seuss’s Birthday on Friday, March 1 with nearly 500 students from Danube, Haskell, and Tulsa elementary schools. The Teaching Academy coordinated the event with over 20 Kennedy teachers. The elementary students participated in age-appropriate, Dr. Seuss-themed activities led by Kennedy students. The students were escorted by Kennedy students, school staff, and parents. LAPD ensured their safety by providing traffic control. The students left with happy faces and a better understanding of why reading is important.
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US History teacher Dr. Petri and English teacher Ms. Avdul were awarded a Keeping History Alive grant from Richard Webster of the Helen and Will Webster Foundation and Lee Walcott of the Ahmanson Foundation for a classroom set of Patriots from the Barrio by author Dave Gutierrez. Gutierrez’s book is a well-researched work of non-fiction that examines Mexican-American contributions in World War II and describes the heroics of Company E, the 141st Infantry from the 36th Texas division of the US Army. This unit was initially composed entirely of Mexican American enlisted men. While engaged in battle in Italy and North Africa, Company E sustained appalling casualties against Nazi Germany’s best troops. After reading Patriots of the Barrio, Dr. Petri’s students were visited by Gutierrez on Friday, February 22 to learn about genealogy research techniques and engaged in student-centered inquiry projects that helped them examine untold Hispanic contributions on American battlefields. Students will produce oral histories or interviews of family members that will be recorded and shared with the Library of Congress. Transcripts of exemplary Hispanic Histories will be on display in our library upon completion. The film rights of the book were recently obtained by Hollywood Actor/Producer Wilmer Valderrama; coming soon to a theater near you.
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Last month two Kennedy artists, Kayla Dancel and Maya Paz exhibited their work at the CSUN's yearly High School Invitational held in the CSUN Art Gallery. The event showcases selected work made by students from over thirty San Fernando Valley high schools, in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, graphic design, illustration, and photography, among others. Great job to 2 of our many creative Cougars!
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On January 22 and 23rd Kennedy High School Cheer Competition Team had the opportunity to compete and show their talent in Las Vegas. We are proud to say that Junior Varsity placed 1st on the JAMZ National Competition. Congrats to our National JAMZ Champions! All 22 Juniors Varsity members have been practicing since November for this event and their hard work has paid off. Kennedy's Varsity Team also had the opportunity to compete and placed 3rd. Both teams have worked diligently and are getting ready for the next West Valley League competition at Birmingham HS on March 9.
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Kennedy's Architecture/Digital Design/Filmmaking Magnet has won the Magnet Schools of America's "School of Distinction" award for the 2018 school year. This award is part of MSA’s National Merit Awards program which honors the top magnet schools in the United States. This award recognizes our Architecture/Digital Design/Filmmaking Magnet school for demonstrating commitment to high academic standards, curriculum innovation, successful desegregation and diversity efforts, and consistent delivery of high quality educational services to all stakeholders. Congratulations to all of our Magnet staff and students for this prestigious award!
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On Sunday, February 24, Kennedy Students Run Los Angeles (SRLA) members participated in the Friendship Run, which was ¾ of a marathon or 18.75 miles. There were 16 student runners and 4 marathon leaders who completed the run. These SRLA members are one step close to completing their biggest challenge of the year, running 26.2 miles in the Sketchers Performance LA Marathon coming up on Sunday, March 24. Congratulations on such an amazing accomplishment. Way to show that cougar pride!
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Kennedy’s Leo Club is a student branch of the Lions Club International. Every year the Leo Club encourages 3 students to compete in the Student Speaker Contest. The purpose of the contest is to develop poise and self-confidence, adapt to various circumstances, and develop skills that are useful for them to succeed and advance in future endeavors. This year the topic was: “Freedom of the Press: What Does It Mean?” 4 Students submitted a speech that was review by and rehearsed with by Ms. Petkovic, a member of the local LA Cosmopolitan Lions Club, and Ms. Sego. This year’s local chapter winner was Emanuel Gonzalez, who received $100 scholarship. The 2 runner-ups were Javier Gonzalez and Diana Mata, who both received a $25 scholarship. Emmanuel will now compete at the Zone Level on March 02. 15 District winners will receive a scholarship of $4500 each. 4 Area Winners will receive a total of $11,000 each. Then 1 final State winner will receive a total of $21,000 in Lions Club scholarships.
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