August 15, 2023 eBulletin (Aug 21, 2023)

Rotareminder for August 15, 2023

Beginning of the meeting: Kent Rotary met at Stanton Middle School for the annual introduction of new teachers and staff. Thanks to new Stanton Principal Kathy Scott and new Director of Personnel Anthony Horton a piano was moved to the stage of the auditorium/cafeteria. David Dix was then able to play our opening patriotic song, the national anthem.

President Asad Khan led the Pledge of Allegiance. Sue Hetrick provided the invocation. The club struggled to sing Don’t Fence Me In.

Announcements: President Asad told the club that in terms of membership we rank 336 out of 42,000 clubs, putting us in the top .08%.

Past District Governor Larry Lohman announced we were now the largest club in the District. He announced the End Polio Now Guardians game Thursday night is sold out but he still has raffle tickets for sale.

Bill Childers announced the Portage County Transportation Forum on September 11 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Reed Memorial Library in Ravenna. State Representative Dr. Gail Pavliga is the forum facilitator.

Kathy Myers is selling $25 raffle tickets for Coleman Health Services. She also had Changing Destinies postcards available for the former Right At Home which is September 14 at Highfields Event Center in Hudson.

Brian Bachtel announced that the first Kent Roosevelt High School football game is this Thursday in Ravenna. He said Superintendent Tom Larkin was at the annual rivalry luncheon and unable to attend today’s meeting.

Happy Bucks

Todd Kamanesh was happy his twins had started their freshman year at Biomed High School.

PDG Larry announced that he and Heather will be empty nesters by the end of next week as they deliver their daughters to college.

Mary Beth Harper thanked the members for their prayers and encouragement for her son Will. He is now safely out of Sudan and back in Paris after his latest stint with Doctors Without Borders.

Ann Moneypenny congratulated her friend T. J. Williams on becoming the new Assistant Principal at Stanton.

Rachel Kerns thanked the Rotary Foundation and Rotary members who helped Habitat for Humanity’s Restore get a new truck. She announced the truck is fully paid for.

Roger Sidoti was excited for all the new administrators and teachers as they begin this academic year.

Speaker Amanada Senn introduced Anthony Horton, new Director of Personnel for Kent City Schools. Rotarian Anthony was previously Principal at Stanton.

Anthony said he didn’t begin his new job officially until August 1 but in the last three weeks he has hired three administrators: Kathy Scott from Assistant Principal to Principal at Stanton Middle School; T. J. Williams as Assistant Principal at Stanton, and Lindsey Zenker as Assistant Principal at Kent Roosevelt High School. Anthony said in Tom Larkin’s 14 years in the position he only had to hire four administrators.

He said that because of Kent’s reputation in the education community, the District is not struggling to find teachers and tutors. He said they still need bus drivers and aides.

Anthony then had the 19 new teachers introduce themselves. Individually and as a group, they are enthusiastic to be working in Kent City Schools. Several are Kent natives and Kent Roosevelt graduates and eight graduated from Kent State.

The new teachers are:

Katie Adams, Speech-Language Pathologist for Davey/Holden Elementary Schools

Christina Andrews, Intervention Specialist at Longcoy Elementary.

Marissa Behringer, Kindergarten at Walls Elementary.

Julia Ferrando, Science at Roosevelt High School.

Amanda Ford, Preschool Intervention Specialist, Davey Elementary.

Richard Graves, Business & Sports Management at Roosevelt High School

Laura Hammer, Science at Roosevelt High School.

Kardell Jackson, Intervention Specialist at Roosevelt High School.

Courtney Kennedy, Intervention Specialist at Longcoy Elementary

Kyle Kutinsky, Forestry Landscape at Roosevelt High School.

Lauren Liggett, Grade 4 at Davey Elementary