National Honor Society Induction Ceremony

On Feb. 28, KHS inducted 52 seniors into the National Honor Society. This event was run by history teacher Caitlin Ward, the advisor of NHS. The students who are a part of the NHS are required to maintain a 3.5 GPA throughout high school and express themselves through the four pillars: Scholarship, Service, Leadership, and Character. 

“All of these students embody the four pillars, and we are very proud to have them on stage,” said Ward. Becoming a part of the NHS is not an easy task. The students were rewarded for this accomplishment by being individually recognized and given a certificate. 

The ceremony ended with a speech from Vice Principal Matthew Arroyo. “We are proud of the wonderful impact you all make on our school and our community.”

NJGPA Testing At KHS

Juniors at KHS are required to complete testing before graduation

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From March 11-14, juniors at KHS are required to complete the NJGPA state testing. On July 5, 2022, Governor Murphy signed this as a graduation requirement throughout the state. 

Students also have access to the practice tests for both the English and Math sections. “It is highly recommended that students take these practice tests to be prepared for the NJGPA,” said vice principal Matthew Arroyo.

The 90-minute blocks will be occupied each morning during the testing. Students were asked to bring in a charged chromebook, headphones, and two pencils. They are also excused from any missed work in their classes.

How Students Are Balancing Academics and Sports

Students at KHS were asked for advice on balancing school and sports.

Spring sports are just around the corner at KHS. As the school year comes to an end, schedules start to get busier and students start to lose motivation. Students have to be able to balance their sports and academics.

“I found that making lists of everything I have to do and spreading out my homework is very helpful for balancing school and lacrosse,” said senior Samantha Mortimer. Mortimer plays lacrosse five days a week and has noticed that staying organized has kept her from falling behind. Planning ahead and keeping a schedule can help to avoid distractions, stay less stressed, and make time to relax.

Student-athletes are also shown to achieve more in life, which is why it is very important to participate in sports. “As a three-sport athlete, I have struggled to balance school with sports, but it has definitely helped me with many other things,” said sophomore Kelly Donaldson. Student-athletes have better communication, time management, and concentration skills. Learning these life skills is very important and helpful to be more successful in life.

FAFSA Delays are Putting Pressure on Students

Students describe their experiences with FAFSA.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has been revised and has students waiting for replies. As the deadline approaches on May 1 for many colleges, many students still have not committed to a college because of this inconvenience.

“I was planning on committing to college by February so I could be prepared, but I couldn’t because there were so many delays with FAFSA,” said senior Riley Macmanus. This is very important because, for some people, it determines which college they can go to. 

Also, many seniors planned to tour colleges in the months of Feb. and March. “I had to push back my tour dates until spring break, which is not something I wanted to do,” said senior Ryan McCormick.