Office of International Education Newsletter ISSUE 2, JUNE 2021
Dear Global Lancer Families and Friends, We are quickly approaching the end the 2020-2021 school year. What a challenging year we have all been through! The global COVID-19 battle is not quite over yet, but I am happy to inform you that schools are shifting to in-person gradually and businesses are recovering. Our life is revitalizing day-byday as more and more people are vaccinated for COVID-19. In our state, COVID-19 vaccinations are proceeding at full speed; a football stadium, a convention center, local pharmacies and grocery stores, the Amazon campus, and many locations are serving as vaccination sites. Even walk-in vaccination sites are set up throughout our state! According to the Washington State Department of Health website, our county (King County) has administered over 2 million vaccines, and the state as a whole over 6 million. This shows the strength of our state leadership. Now students age 12 and older can get the COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S. Our students had the opportunity to get vaccinated at school in partnership with the pharmacy at Safeway SeaTac in late April and throughout May. In midApril, we shifted to four days a week face-to-face instruction (with an option for students to attend classes fully online or be in school twice a week). Safety is our number one priority and we are accommodating every student’s comfort level. This requires enormous planning, preparation, and effort of our staff and faculty, but it makes a big difference in the quality of education and support for students.
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“Life is revitalizing day-by-day as more and more people are vaccinated for COVID-19.”
Courtyard flowers in full bloom
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Now it’s graduation time! In this edition, we would like to showcase our international seniors who have been accepted to top ranked universities. As one of the board members for the office of admissions at University of Washington (UW), I am proud to announce that all international students who applied to the UW, Seattle campus with a GPA of 3.7 and above have been accepted for their desired majors. Students with a GPA of 3.5 and above have been accepted for the noncompetitive majors. Kennedy students with a GPA of 2.75 and above have been accepted for UW’s other campuses. There is now a new and more convenient way to donate money for the international student scholarship! Donations can be made online – view our how-to guide here. Please help us raise scholarship funds for our international students. (see page 8). Unlike other private schools, Kennedy Catholic locks the international student tuition rate for two years to make it easy for the students’ family to budget their child’s education. Lastly, we created a classified ad section and announcement bulletin board to share information and connect us globally. We issue the newsletter twice a year: one in May-June and one at Christmas time. Please submit your announcement by the end of November for the next edition (see page 8 for details).
Kennedy Catholic, in partnership with the pharmacy at Safeway SeaTac, continues to offer vaccination clinics for Faculty, Staff, and Students
Sincerely, Mariko Fujiwara Director, Office of International Education
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IMPORTANT DATES FOR 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR* August 2021 • Airport arrival for new and returning students (from overseas and out of state): August 7 • School-sponsored hotel stay and COVID-19 Testing: August 7-13 Upon arrival to the U.S. and prior to housing arrival (approximately 1 week). All students who signed up for the Kennedy Catholic Housing Program will be covered by the housing fee. • Housing check-in for new and returning students (from overseas and out of state): August 14 • Virtual New Student Orientation: Week 1, August 9-13 • In-Person New Student Orientation: Week 2, August 16-20 at 9am • Optional Parent Orientation: August 16 at 10am • No school for students: August 23 • One-on-one meeting and class schedule adjustment day: August 24 & 25 • All returning students must be back in Seattle by August 25 • All school Welcome for New and Returning Students: August 27 • Freshman-only mini schedule: August 30 • School starts: August 31 Fall Holiday Breaks • Thanksgiving break: November 24-28, return to school November 29 at 8am • Christmas break starts: December 17 after school, return to school January 3, 2022 at 8am Second Semester 2022 Dates • Second semester begins: January 24, 2022 8am • Easter Break starts: April 15 after school, return to school: April 25 at 8am • International Senior Graduation Dinner: June 2, 2022 • Graduation: June 3, 2022 • Year end: June 10, 2022 *Dates are tentative and subject to change.
School-sponsored COVID-19 Testing
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WASHINGTON STATE IS RANKED #1 STATE IN THE U.S. According to US News’s 2021 Best States rankings, Washington State is ranked #1 in categories such as health, education, economy, and environment. Click here to read the full article.
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR!
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Priority Deadline for Applications September 30, 2021 for January 2022 February 15, 2022 for August 2022
Admissions Fact Sheet Review fact sheet here for application APPLY NOW! timeline, deadlines, criteria, and other details. Online application and instructions found here. Admissions and Placement Test Read here to learn more about our Admissions and English Placement test. When to Give the KITE Practice Test: •
I f the student does not have a TOEFL/ English score
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I f the student has a low TOEFL or equivalent test score below 42
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I f you are unsure of the student’s English skills and you want to determine their comprehension level
2021-2022 & 2022-2023 ANNUAL SCHOOL FEES (cost per school year) Tuition: $35,000 Housing: $12,000 + $250 (one time set up fee) Enrollment Fee: $550 Capital Building Fee: $500 Total: Approximately* $48,300 (including tuition, housing, and fees) *Approximate total due to exchange rates and bank fees Note: January students must pre-pay the following spring semester tuition.
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SENIOR PROFILES We have 19 international seniors this year from all over the world, from places such as China (8), Vietnam (5), Philippines (2), Hong Kong (1), Korea (1), Taiwan (1), and Thailand (1).
JACOB P., PHILIPPINES Accepted to: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, University of Portland, Southern Cross University, University of Oregon, and University of Sydney Attending: University of Washington
We are excited to announce that all international seniors have been accepted by their desired universities with 100% college admission acceptance in 2021!
Mr. and Mrs. Pesebre, Jacob’s parents, share how Kennedy Catholic helped open a path to fulfilling dreams for their son READ>>
Top 3 private universities:
RACHEL R., CHINA Accepted to: New York University, Santa Clara University, Rutgers University - New Brunswick, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Penn State University Attending: New York University
• New York University (3) • Boston University (1) • Pepperdine University (2) Top public universities: • University of California Berkeley (1) • University of California Santa Barbara (3) • University of California San Diego (2) • University of Washington: Seattle Campus (7), Bothell Campus (5), Tacoma Campus (1)
Ms. Min Chen, Rachel R.’s mother, sends her congratulations to the Class of 2021 WATCH>>
JASON L., HONG KONG (SAR, CHINA) Accepted to: UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, UC Davis, University of Washington, Penn State University (small business school), Ohio State University - Fisher Business School, New York University Attending: UC Berkeley
Jason’s experience READ>>
JEONGMIN (RACHEL) L., KOREA Accepted to: University of Washington, Boston University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Attending: University of Washington
Rachel’s experience READ>>
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COVID-19 VACCINATION CLINIC FOR KENNEDY CATHOLIC STUDENTS AGES 12+ Governor Inslee announced that all residents of Washington ages 12 and up were eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination as of mid May. Kennedy Catholic has partnered with the pharmacy at Safeway SeaTac and have since offered several on-site COVID-19 vaccination clinics to our current Kennedy Catholic students. The mRNA vaccine produced by Pfizer is the only vaccine currently authorized to be administered to youth, so the pharmacy procured doses of this vaccine for our clinic. While vaccination will offer a degree of safety we have longed for since the start of the pandemic, it is not the only safety measure upon which we will rely. Kennedy Catholic is committed to maintaining all of the recommended safety measures to ensure the health and well-being of all of those in our community, especially the most vulnerable.
HOUSING OPTIONS St. Edward’s Dormitory (for boys) Living on campus in a residence hall puts boys at the center of school life, within easy walking distance of their classes and other campus locations such as the cafeteria and athletic fields. Homestay Program (for boys and girls) By staying with an American family, students can practice their English daily and learn more about local customs and culture. For more information on Housing options, visit our website!
Host Parents Jozef and Emilia Varga share their Lancer for Life story READ>>
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EXTRAORDINARY AMERICAN EXPERIENCES!
International graduates are recognized at the IE Office End-of-Year Celebration Luau.
Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
Dorm boys
Twin Falls Hike
Ebey’s Landing
Seniors Pang and Aubrey
Mr. Barbarossa enjoys lunch with senior Eric and his mom
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INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP FUND Donating to the International Student Scholarship Fund is a direct way to allow a student in need to have an opportunity to access education that they might not experience otherwise, as well as obtain real-world skills and hands on international experience by living abroad. We encourage everyone to consider the impact that a scholarship fund could make in the life of an international student. Scholarship funding is truly a gift that keeps on giving for years to come. For our step-by-step guide on how you can support the International Student Scholarship Fund, click here.
GLOBAL LANCER NETWORK BULLETIN BOARD & CLASSIFIED ADS Our Global Lancer Network is a wonderful way to connect with our Lancer community. If you are interested in advertising for your business, sharing job or internship opportunities, announcing graduation, marriages, reunions, or other gatherings, please contact INT@kennedyhs.org for more details.
Vacation at The Sanctuary Batulao, a Lancer-family-owned vacation resort located in the Philippines. The Sanctuary Batulao is a place to relax and getaway from all the stress of our daily lives. The place to enjoy moments with family, friends, colleagues or just by yourself. A place where you can explore and appreciate nature. This is our Sanctuary. Photos courtesy of The Sanctuary Batulao’s Facebook page.
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