THE FALCON
Issue 2 Volume 75 | Nov. 5 2021
PLUS!
Meet exchange student, Maria pg.8
THE GREAT DEBATE
HOMEWORK
FOR BETTER OR WORSE Campus community rallies around topic of relieving courseload for the well being of Upper School students
FROM THE EDITOR JAISAL KALAPATAPU EDITOR IN CHIEF
Dear Reader,
Anywhere, Anytime thefalcon.kinkaid.org @thekinkaidfalcon
From the time that I was a freshman, I heard about the dreadful junior year. Every upperclassman I knew talked about the workload, the stress, the lack of sleep. To be honest, I was skeptical. Freshman and sophomore year were already pretty difficult. I already had a bunch of commitments. How much harder could things get? The answer: a lot. The perfect storm of AP classes, varsity sports, standardized testing, artistic dedication, leadership opportunities, and more create an environment of stress that every student will face. The workload has sharply increased from previous years, and sleep has become a much rarer commodity for myself and my peers. It’s easy to get swallowed up in the work. Some weeks, the days all blur together: I get up, go to school, maybe stay after for an extracurricular, come home and do homework until I physically can’t. Then, the cycle repeats. But that’s no way to live. I realized pretty quickly that if I followed this monotonous routine, I would soon go insane. So, I’ve started to take things one day at a time and enjoy the small things. I enjoy lunch with my friends without thinking about the stresses I may face later. I put my all into activities like journalism, theatre and choir. I try my best to appreciate what I learn in class rather than only retaining what I need to know for the next assessment. By no means does this mean I’m not overwhelmed or that I’m not struggling. But by taking things one day at a time, I have been able to make good memories out of this year. I encourage you to do the same. Best, Jaisal Kalapatapu
Contents
TABLE OF 08
28
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Foreign exchange student arrives Kinkaid junior Maria Bruno is just like any other student who stresses about classes and hangs out with friends. But she has one unique difference....
Homework turns into big discussion Hope Haynes, junior, wakes up at 6:30 a.m. every weekday and arrives at school at 7:30 a.m....
12
08
Head of School Instagram account
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In the days before the Episcopal vs. Kinkaid football rivalry game, friendly smack talk circulated social media...
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Field hockey shows dominance The screeches of flying balls, the echo of sticks cracking, and the hoots and hollers of great plays...
28
Campus
Book Fair Through the Years By Matthew Berman, staff writer
Everybody’s favorite mascot Gurple, the bookworm, and piles of books that look like they stretch on forever can only be found in one place: the Book Fair. Book Fair is among one of the school’s oldest traditions and it has returned to being in person after being online last year. Throughout the years, the school event has taken on many different looks and styles, but one thing has remained: the spirit of community and connections it forms. “Book Fair allows us to come together with people you don’t normally see across grades,” Ms. Lakeisha Branch, head of the Moran Library, said. “We get to spread literacy among not only pre-K but also among 12th graders. Even alumni come back, so it’s a great way to bring all of Kinkaid together and demonstrate that idea of ‘One Kinkaid.’ ” According to documents from the school archives, school founder Margaret Kinkaid believed that students should be passionate about reading, and she started the Kinkaid
Book Fair, 1990s
Students at Book Fair, 1960s 4///Campus
Mr. John Cooper at Book Fair 1950s
Book Week. Book Week lasted until it stopped temporarily around the time of World War II. After the war in 1951, former head of school Mr. John Cooper reorganized Book Week into Book Fair, making 2021 the 70th anniversary of Book Fair. Documents from the school archives state that students could originally donate books to the school in their name or family’s name, similar to what they do now, or donate books to fellow students for leisure reading. In addition, they could buy books for personal use and purchase school merchandise. Each Book Fair at the time also had an associated theme with it. This year’s theme is “Book Fair Reimagined-2021” due to new exciting changes regarding the layout as well as the fair’s new vendor, Ingram Content Group, a Tennessee-based global company that connects organizations with a catalog of print and digital books. This year, the Book Fair will be held in the Melcher Gym for two days. The
annual outside family dinner will be on Sunday, Nov. 7 from 5 to 7 p.m. Tickets for the family dinner will be sold at the door for $15 each, with KOA being an accepted form of payment. Moderno Tacos and Tex Mex along with Crave Cupcakes will be catering the dinner this year. Kinkaid community authors Tabitha Forney, Patricia Hunt Holmes, John and Catherine Higgins and Angélique Jamail will have books available for purchase. There will also be six visiting authors to speak about their works during the Book Fair. These authors are Eric Berger, Stacie Zollars, Marie Flanigan, Nicole Johnsey Burke, Shaun David Hutchinson and Jess Keating.
Book Fair 1982
Award-winning author set to visit campus By Cooke Davis, staff writer
Mr. Shaun David Hutchinson will be the visiting author during Book Fair for the Upper School. Mr. Hutchinson has written multiple award-winning books for young adults, including “The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley,” “Violent Ends” and “We Are the Ants.” His latest fall 2021 release was “Before We Disappear,” a book, spanning over 500 pages, about a romance between two young magicians in the early 1900s. Kinkaid’s librarian, Ms. LaKeisha Branch, explained why Hutchinson was the school’s choice for the Upper School visiting author this year. “We chose Shaun Hutchinson because, to my knowledge, we have not had a male visiting author at Kinkaid and particularly a male author who writes from a (young adult) perspective on many diverse topics. Mr. Hutchinson’s most recent book, ‘Before we disappear,’ has received rave reviews. I think many of the topics all his books address will resonate with many Kinkaid students,” Ms. Branch said. Mr. Hutchison attended Florida Atlantic University, where he studied medieval and renaissance literature before leaving to work in database design. Now, he is a full-time author living in Seattle. Other visiting authors during Book Fair include Stacie Zollars, Eric Berger, Marie Flanigan, Nicole Johnsey Burke and Jess Keating.
Book Fair 2010 5///Campus
Campus
Characters line the halls for SOK Week By Camille Dunn and Ellie Mehta, staff writers
MONDAY Seniors Trace St. Julian and Jack Klosek geeked out for Mock the Mavs day, Oct. 25.
TUESDAY 6///Campus
Nerds, sailors and rock stars all cruised through the halls in the Upper School in the spirit of St. John’s week. Upper School students at Kinkaid dressed in character based on themes created by members of the Spirit of Kinkaid club. This week always begins prior to the St. John’s vs. Kinkaid game, which is held at Rice Stadium. However, the 2020 football game took place at Barnhart Stadium because of the school’s COVID-19 protocols. The excitement throughout the halls of the Upper School was palpable and the SOK Club put in an immense effort to decorate the Student Center, where each varsity sport was recognized in art drawn by SOK members. Along with the decorations, there were different dress days for each day of the week, Oct. 25-29.
Seniors Courtney Klevenhagen and Bryan Akin brought the beach to the US Library for the nautical theme day, Oct. 26.
k
THURSDAY Junior Anthony Gonzalez dressed up as Rodrick from “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” for Rock ‘N Roll day, Oct. 28.
WEDNESDAY Junior Matthew Godnich, freshman Matthew Berman and sophomore Ford Montgomery in disguise to Hunt the Mavs, Oct. 27.
Juniors Mia Abello, Kate Consoli and Jared Laskin came to school decked out in gold to Outsine the Mavs, Oct. 29 before the big game.
FRIDAY 7///Campus
Features
The Ultimate Showdown People torn over whether Dominos is superior to Pizza Hut or vice versa will gain the perspective of Italian exchange student, Maria Bruno, who taste tested both and weighed in with her opinion.
Bruno spent the first week of her arrival in the U.S. visiting cities along the east coast, including Washington D.C.
Dominos Dominos: “I think the Dominos pizza is just delicious but it’s not real pizza.”
Pizza Hut: Hut “Our ingredients don’t come from chemical factories as here.”
Favorite Pizza: Bruno judged Domino’s
to be her favoirte, but said she prefers the “margherita” pizza in Italy, which is the same as American “cheese pizza.”
8///Campus
Kinkaid junior Maria Bruno is just like any other student who stresses about classes and hangs out with friends. But she has one unique difference — she’s an Italian exchange student who is attending Kinkaid this school year. Bruno described the move from Italy to the U.S. as a culture shock because the education systems in the two countries are so different. She said she enjoys the change of pace from her school and said she liked
being able to choose the five classes she is currently taking and loves her film elective. Among Bruno’s other hobbies, she enjoys swimming in her spare time. About Bari, Bruno’s hometown on the coast of Italy, Bruno said: “I love the sea. It’s such a clean and beautiful sea there. I’ve never been to the beach here, but I haven’t heard good things.” Another difference between Bari and Houston is the school system.
Italian Exchange Student Enjoying Change of Pace
Bruno’s host family, the Halls, including junior Grayson Hall, and sophmore Stella Hall welcome Bruno upon her arrival to the United States.
By Madison Burba and Jacqueline Landrith, staff writers
nt the of her e U.S. es east uding n D.C.
Bruno’s host family, the Halls, including junior Grayson Hall, and sophomore Stella Hall welcome Bruno upon her arrival in the U.S..
“Sometimes it’s overwhelming. It’s all new, the language, teachers, subjects,” Bruno said. In Italy, according to Bruno, a regular school day involves attending 15 classes that are the same for everyone before ending the school day at 3:30 p.m. to go home for lunch. Additionally, she said the grading system is different. “In Italy, we have numbers 1-10,” she said. “The system here is very confusing. We don’t have As, Bs and all that.” Mr. James Onawachi, Bruno’s dean, extensively researched the Italian school system in Bari in preparation for Bruno’s arrival from her hometown. He even attempted to pick up some basic Italian phrases, although both of them agree that he could use a little more practice. Onwuachi praised how well Bruno’s school prepared her for Kinkaid’s rigorous academics.
“When I got to meet her before school started, that was really great. I got a sense of where she’s at academically. The Italian school system there in some ways is a little further ahead than what we have here in America, particularly in math and science. Mariah came here very prepared.” Bruno admitted, however,
have to use a translator during lessons so I know what’s going on,” she said. Bruno also said that with her friends sometimes references and slang go over her head and added that sometimes people will start laughing and she can’t understand why. Onwuachi attributed this to the fact that she’s still getting used to the speed of the English language, which can be compounded by masks. “The one concern that I had “Sometimes it’s was about the masking that overwhelming. It’s all takes place in the country new, the language, and in our school in particular teachers, subjects,” because what’s crucial to - Maria Bruno, junior learning a language no matter what part of the world you’re in, is not just the hearing but that one of her difficulties has it’s also the visually seeing someone enunciate words,” been understanding what teachers and classmates are said Mr. Onwuachi, who commended Bruno on her saying in class. willingness to take up the “Sometimes when I can’t understand teachers in class, I challenge.
Bruno’s hosts are the Hall family, including sophomore Stella Hall and junior Grayson Hall. She has traveled with the Halls to other large cities in the U.S. “We’ve been to New York, and there were lots of skyscrapers, yellow taxis, noise and crazy people,” Bruno said. “D.C. is so cool. I love it. There are a lot of museums and monuments about U.S. history.” Not only did Bruno learn more about U.S. history on these trips, but she also got to know her host family as well. Bruno, who described herself as a curious overthinker, said she and Stella Hall have very different personalities, but they get along great. “She is very nice, very different from me. I’m a bit shy, but she is very excited. She’s always dancing and singing,” she said.
9///Campus
Features
Samantha Fowler and Katherine Zhang posing before a debate tournament this summer. Photo courtesy of Eric Emerson.
Coach cultivates positive environment, stimulates growth By Charlie Sole, deputy editor and Shaan Dhutia, staff writer
10///Features
Educator, trivia wizard, food connoisseur, prankster, debate coach, and friend. These are all titles that students came up with, when asked to describe Eric Emerson, the Upper School debate coach. As an outsider looking in, you might think the debate
classes at Kinkaid would be incredibly strict and formal given the program’s immense success; however, the reality is that debate classes are incredibly fun and exciting. The reason for that is Mr. Emerson. “Mr. Emerson is always an enthusiastic influence,
Duo dominates debate circuit By Charlie Sole, deputy editor and Shaan Dhutia, staff writer 310. That’s the number of teams from across the nation that competed in the policy debate division at the National Speech and Debate Nationals last summer. Twenty is the final ranking that juniors Samantha Fowler and Katherine Zhang received in that same policy debate division. Such success can be attributed to Fowler and Zhang for three reasons. The first reason is the team dynamic. On the team and in policy debate, each specific member of the team performs specific tasks, which complement the other partner and benefit the overall performance of the team. “In policy debate, each partner has a different role to play on the team,” Zhang said. “Sam is the 2N, which means that she is the one in charge when we are running negative arguments. She’s good at coming up with strategies that apply to many types of cases. I am the 2A, which means that I’m in charge of the affirmative. My main role is to defend our arguments and find offense to use against the negative.” The second reason for the girls’ success is their natural talent. They are gifted with a unique set of skills that has led to their knowledge and growth in debate. “Their exact talents defy definition as they have numerous qualities, both tangible and intangible, that make them successful,” said Mr. Eric Emerson,
Upper School debate coach. “They work well as a team. They push themselves and others to excellence, and they possess immense talents while still being grounded and good people.” Lastly, they share a love of debate. Fowler enjoys debate because of the challenges it presents her and the development that comes from it. “I like to debate because it allows me to test my ideas in creative ways against well-prepared and challenging opponents,” Fowler said. “Debate constantly teaches me more about the world and about myself, and it allows me to develop and defend my beliefs.” For Zhang, debate is an opportunity to learn things that she would have otherwise never discovered. “Debate constantly teaches me things about the world that I’d normally never get to learn,” said Zhang. “Last year we learned about the criminal justice system, and this year we’re learning about water protection in the United States.” Both Fowler and Zhang started to debate policy their freshman year because of their sisters’ influence. “I have known Katherine and Samantha since their first year at Kinkaid,” Mr. Emerson said. “I suspect they will continue to grow in the breadth and depth of knowledge. They are dedicated researchers who push themselves to expand their horizons and to improve themselves each and every day.”
summer.
and makes students around him happy,” said Kaveen Shah, a sophomore member of the debate team. Although it may seem crazy that a class is always “fun and exciting,” the positive atmosphere he creates facilitates a healthy and productive learning
environment for students to grow and gain a passion for debate. “Because of Emerson, I know that every day in debate class will be incredibly fun and at the same time I learn a lot too,” Shah said.“He makes me love debate.”
Mr. Eric Emerson
10///Features
Technology
BEING LIKED Head of school’s social media account growing in popularity and forging more connections among members of the school’s community Story by Rina Miriam Presley and Morgan Suman Design by Rina Miriam Presley and Ford Montgomery
Mr. Jonathan Eades, head of school, in his office where he often comes up with a fun Instagram post. Photo by Morgan Suman
D
ays before the Episcopal vs. Kinkaid football rivalry game, friendly smack talk among students circulated around social media. However, there was one unlikely participant in the rivalry: Mr. Jonathan Eades, head of school. After the game, Mr. Eades posted a picture of shirts created by Episcopal reading “Beat Kinkaid” but crossed out “beat” and wrote “beaten by,” referencing Kinkaid’s 31-24 win. “I had fun with that,” Mr. Eades said. “I debated whether it was professional, but then I thought ‘Well, they made the dang shirts! so….’ ” Mr. Eades started his Instagram account the week of Aug. 20, 2021 @kinkaid_headofschool, making him the first head of school at Kinkaid to have an Instagram presence. With more than 1,000 followers, Mr. Eades’ Instagram has become a way for members of the Kinkaid community to keep up to date with daily occurrences around campus and see the school’s top leader in action. Mr. Eades’ history of documenting school events dates back to his high school days. “I did yearbook photography when I was a student at Fort Worth Country Day, and so I’ve always had an interest in pictures,” Mr. Eades said. “And then I got a phone with awesome technology. It’s not like I’m formally trained beyond what I did in yearbook photography years ago, but I love taking pictures.” His most liked post, with over 380 likes, was an October post about homecoming that included pictures of the homecoming king and queen, the football game and the pep rally. “Homecoming is kind of a big deal. it’s once a year, so it
12///Technology
doesn’t surprise me that that one’s had the most likes,” he said. Mr. Eades does all the posting, captions, stories and photos himself to show that he is active in the Kinkaid events and proud of student achievements. He also gives credit to the school photographer, Mr. David Schutts, who has taken some of the photos included on his social media page. Mr. Eades wants to stay active on the Instagram platform. “Unless something weird, bad or ugly happens, I will continue to do it,” he said. “I enjoy doing them, and people seem to enjoy it. I want to be somebody that people can talk to or see as an advocate for the student body.” He said he also has a love for supporting students’ events and achievements, so he uses his account to embrace those passions. Students have enjoyed seeing their head of school actively supporting them on social media “It is very encouraging to see our headmaster openly supporting my team every week,” said Read Liuzzi, a sophomore on the varsity football team. But students are not the only ones who have enjoyed the account. Some of the positive feedback Mr. Eades received has come from parents and alumni who say they enjoy being able to see what goes on when they’re not on campus. “I appreciate how thoughtful Jonathan is on including the lower, middle and high schools, as well as happenings in all areas of student life, from academics and arts to athletics and social events,” said Phillip Wise, ‘96. “I also like how he includes himself in his posts — it makes them more personal.”
Students making digital imprints ...it’s for me because I enjoy it and I have fun doing it, but the other is it’s another way to connect with the community.”
This year, Kinkaid students have taken on Instagram. Multiple new accounts have been created for various fall sports teams, clubs, artists and acitivities. Students can follow these accounts and show support for the Falcons in all their pursuits.
— Mr. Jonathan Eades, head of school, commenting on his reason for having a new Instagram account
SPORTS
@kinkaidjvfockey @kinkaid_field_hockey @kinkaidvolleyball @kinkaidgirlsjvvb @kinkaidgirlsxc @kinkaidcheer
A varsity field hockey post about a team sleepover
CLUBS
Latin Club posts its members creating pinwheels for peace
@kinkaidchineseclub @therealkinkaidlatinclub @kinkaidscienceclub @happy.and.healthy.club @themotionpictureclub @kinkaidwellbeingclub @kinkaidyac @kinkaidgardenclub @kinkaid_herosforchildren @kinkaidsouthasianheritageclub
ARTS
@thekinkaidfalcon @kinkaidceramics @kinkaidphotography @kinkaidorchestra
ACTIVITY
@kinkaidqb @kinkaidstudentsection @kinkaidgoverningcouncil @kinkaidsdlb @wellness.committee @sustainabilitycommitteee
CAMPUS LIFE
Mr. Eades’ social media post after the Falcons beat Episcopal in their football game. this fall.
@kinkaidparking @kinkaidseniors2022
The Falcon posts about publishing its first fall issue
Student Diversity Leadership Board shares its La Ofrenda prep
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Cover Story
Photo illustration by Abby Johnson, staff writer
HOMEWORK
FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE Story by Abby Johnson, staff writer and Mia Price, assistant features editor
14///Cover Story
Upper School administrators and faculty working to help students better manage their study loads outside the classroom
HOPE HAYNES, junior, wakes up at 6:30 a.m. every weekday and arrives at school at 7:30 a.m. She does homework or studies for an hour or so until classes begin. After six hours of classes, she has two hours of Kinkaid field hockey practice. She then drives to her club field hockey practice, where she spends another hour. When she finally arrives home at 8 p.m., it’s time to eat dinner and shower before she does homework and studies for a total of three hours. She usually goes to bed around midnight and gets less than eight hours of sleep before she starts over again the next school day. “I always try to go to bed around midnight, regardless of whether or not I’ve finished my homework, because I think it is really important to maximize my sleep to stay focused in classes and practice,” Haynes said. This year, Haynes chose to have two off periods — a free period and a study hall — so
We want workloads that promote mental health, wellness and balance, while keeping students adequately intellectually stimulated and engaged. — Dr. Laura LomaxBream, US counselor
she could find the time to finish all her work, and in the past, she has chosen to drop more rigorous classes not because of their difficulty but because of their workload. Students and faculty alike question if it is reasonable for students to have to choose courses that do not challenge them academically solely because of the homework load and time constraints posed by their more rigorous classes. The Upper School administration announced a new homework policy in an effort to respond to student feedback. Mr. Peter Behr, head of the Upper School, announed that homework should be “no more than 30 minutes for honors and on-level classes and 45 minutes for AP classes on average per class meeting.” The old policy published in the US handbook provided guidance to expect an hour per class for AP and college-level courses and 30 to 45 minutes per subject per class period for honors and regular courses. “The new level is probably where it needs to be as an average guide,” Mr. Behr said. “Before the pandemic, it was too much. We wanted to make a move towards supporting a balance.” Dr. Laura Lomax-Bream, Upper School counselor, agreed that the homework load at Kinkaid must support a balance between academic rigor and wellness.
15///Cover 15///Cover StoryStory
Cover Story “We want workloads that promote mental health, wellness and balance, while keeping students adequately intellectually stimulated and engaged,” Dr. Lomax-Bream said. The Upper School Curriculum Committee played a large role in this change, as it worked to gather and share student feedback about coursework. “Although the amount of homework students receive is a lot, most classes do not violate the guidelines or go against the communicated expectations,” said Ali Yousuf, senior and chair of the school’s curriculum committee. Even with the new policy, Kinkaid’s homework load is quite rigorous as compared to some other expert recommendations and proposals. The 10-minute homework rule, which is supported by the National Parent Teacher Association and the National Education Association, states a daily recommended maximum of 10 minutes of homework per grade level. This means that Upper School students would have up to two hours of homework per night. This rule was proposed by Dr. Harris Cooper, an emeritus professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. He holds a doctorate in social psychology. “Even for high school students, overloading them with homework is not associated with higher grades,” Cooper said in a 2006 video posted by Duke Today, a news hub for Duke University. According to an article in “The Journal of Experimental Education” titled “Nonacademic Effects of Homework in Privileged, High-Performing High Schools,” the main benefit for students doing more hours of homework is greater behavioral
16///Cover Story
engagement in school; however, the cons are more stress, physical health problems and lack of balance. “Current homework practices in privileged, high-performing schools sustain students’ advantage in competitive climates yet hinder learning, full engagement, and well-being,” the article stated. It was based on a study that used survey data in a sample of 4,317 students from 10 high-performing high schools in upper middle class communities to examine relations among homework, student well-being, and behavioral engagement. Teachers debate whether the positive effects of homework outweigh the negatives.
“Helpful homework is a formative assessment that helps a student practice a skill that the student is learning or helps a student prepare for whatever application will be done in class,” Mr. Call said. He has tried this year to eliminate busy work from his curriculum, and he frequently checks in with his students to make sure he is achieving his goal. He said his efforts have significantly reduced the amount of homework that his students receive. “Mr. Call gives us enough work where I always feel like I’m improving, but I never feel like the homework gets monotonous or I’m repeating skills I already know over and over,” said junior
I have never felt more time crunched in high school to finish my work in my classes and keep up my grades, as these are the final grades that colleges I apply to will see... — Senior Ali Yousuf Mr. Ryan Call, English teacher, believes that the homework load at Kinkaid could be reduced if teachers considered whether or not they are assigning “busy work.” “Busy work is work that does not help a student achieve some learning objective,” Mr. Call said. “It could be doing work that a student already knows.” An example he gave is worksheets in which students are required to repetitively practice a skill that they are already comfortable with. Mr. Call explained that a helpful piece of homework guides students to build upon what they’ve not yet mastered.
Adele Johnson. “It’s nice to know that he is taking busy work into consideration, so we can keep moving forward as a class.” For a math teacher, repetition may not be considered busy work, as it is essential for students to consistently practice problem solving. “In a math class, like a language class, you have to keep practicing and drilling it every day,” said Ms. Nadine Ghosn, Upper School geometry and honors algebra II teacher. K. Anders Ericsson, a professor of psychology at Florida State University, supports this perspective. A New York Times article
reported that Mr. Ericsson’s research concluded that people who want to become an expert at anything must develop neural patterns that are acquired through practice and repetition. However, since English classes don’t require the same consistency and repetition as a math class, Mr. Call has decided to stop giving his students new homework on the weekends. “I had a student last year tell me that weekends don’t feel like weekends. They just feel like school but not at school,” Mr. Call said. “The weekends were creating a lot of stress for her, and I think that we can still accomplish our goals in my classroom without having required work over the weekends.” This is an area where Mr. Call and Ms. Ghosn seemed to have different perspectives. The need for consistent practice in a math class implies that students have to complete homework more regularly, maybe even more than they would on a typical school night or weekend. “If I don’t assign it on the weekend, it’s still going to be assigned,” Ms. Ghosn said. “If we decide to assign more homework during the week, then the students who are in sports and plays and everything will be bombarded.” Ms. Ghosn has presented her lecture differently from other teachers, and often sends videos and notes home with her students so they can learn the concepts at their own pace. Mr. Call agreed that it is important to acknowledge that students work at different paces. “Every student is going to be learning differently,” Mr. Call said. “The reading pace for students can be very different.” Weekend or not, between worksheets, take-home notes
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and studying, teachers also struggle to decide which assignments really fall under the category of “homework” when thinking about how much time their students are spending on their class outside of school. “I consider studying and homework time to be the same,” Mr. Call explained. “I think the spirit of the rule is to limit the time total that we’re doing outside of school.” While Mr. Call takes review time into account when thinking about his students’ homework load, he acknowledged that it’s difficult to predict just how much time each student will spend studying. Despite teaching different subjects, Ms. Ghosn and Mr. Call seemed to agree that studying should always be accounted for when thinking about how much work they send home. “You have to take into account when someone is doing homework, they’re going to stop, and then they have to go back to their notes when they don’t really get something,” Ms. Ghosn said. “And that’s part of reviewing.” Regardless of the pace at which they work and the amount of time they spend studying, seniors feel especially overwhelmed trying to balance homework and college applications. “I have never felt more time crunched in high school to finish my work in my classes and keep up my grades, as these are the final grades that colleges I apply to will see, while also trying to focus on college essays, which are a crucial part of the process,” Yousuf said. “I believe that most seniors feel this way and that the school could do a better job of helping seniors with their workload as they work to finish college applications.”
A Time to Rally
Different voices, perspectives among the Upper School community on the question of time spent on homework
I believe that projects are a good way of learning and the tight schedules that teachers must create and follow in order to complete the yearly curriculum make time that could go towards projects very limited. An example would be creating a Pecha Kucha presentation on a topic in class, requiring a student to do more research and studying while at the same time adding a creative element and enjoying the project. —Ali Yousuf, senior
Ultimately, we want to have moderate stimulation levels which leads to optimal performance levels. In other words, if you are somewhat anxious about a score on an exam, you will perform better than if you are indifferent or highly anxious.
—Ms. Eron Grant, US counselor
I count studying as homework time. I try to study on the weekends or during my free period because it’s hard for me to focus and get a quality study session in after a long day at practice. —Hope Haynes, junior
We can still accomplish classroom goals with taking breaks on the weekend. —Mr. Ryan Call, US English teacher
In math, we needed that outside practice time away from our friends to see what we knew on our own. I noticed a difference with my classes working together because not all of them were focused. Even if it is review, it is very helpful. —Ms. Nadine Ghosn, US geometry and honors algebra teacher
Deans, learning specialists, counselors are ears, so we are modifying from there. Just listening to what we’re hearing from our kids. —Mr. Peter Behr, US head of school
es
17///Cover Story
Opinion
Here’s why the junior class deserves off-campus lunch By Cooper Buck, photo editor Designed by Will Anderson, staff writer
Whataburger, Cabo Bobs, and Jersey Mike’s are popular lunch spots among Upper School students. However, only a certain portion of the student body have been allowed to enjoy these restaurants during the weekday lunch period. Only senior students whose parents have signed a release form are allowed to go off campus for lunch this year. The difference from last year is the disclusion of the junior class. “This is different from last year because we wanted to reduce the student density on campus because of the pandemic,” said Mr. Josh Ramey, dean of students. “Seating in the dining center was more of an issue because we had to maintain 6 feet of separation. This year we only have to maintain 3 feet of separation, so the
18///Opinion
need to limit the amount of students on campus is not as necessary.” Juniors are unhappy with this change and also many students are unhappy with the time it takes to get through the lunch line. “I feel like going off campus could shorten the lines significantly,” said junior Ben Holm. Allowing juniors to eat off campus for lunch could fix both issues. Early this year, the lunch line would wrap all the way around the dining center and out the door. The dining center serves around “450 to 500 students during the lunch rush,” Chef Mark Harris said. Although this number has not gained in size since prepandemic days, the line to wait for food definitely grew longer before the plexiglass barrier that was used to create social distancing was
removed by the time school began on Nov. 1. For seniors, who choose to remain on campus, and for juniors, the lunch line does not take too long, especially if they make their way to the dining center immediately once the bell has rung. “It is not too bad if you are one of the first ones in, but if you are not, it takes forever,” said junior Holden Peacock. The freshman, on the other hand, have to wait in a long line that sometimes stretches outside the building and they “have the least amount of time to eat,” Chef Harris said. Allowing juniors to eat off campus would bump the lunch priority from juniors first, to sophomores first, and would also decrease the amount of time it takes for sophomores and freshmen to get their food. But it seems the school thinks otherwise.
“Less students on campus would improve the flow,” Mr. Ramey said. “However, the flow is not bad this year. On average it takes 20 minutes to get everyone through the line. It has taken as long as 30 minutes, but with a one hour lunch this is not a problem.” Now that Covid regulations have disappeared, the lunch line should take less time. But additionally, the chances for juniors being able to go off campus has decreased even more because the school is also returning to the pre-Covid rule when juniors were never allowed off campus. “It is easier to allow one class to have an open campus provided that we have written permission from their parents on file,” Mr. Ramey said. “However, the more students we have off campus the bigger the risk.”
Then The dining center’s Covid-19 measures included a plexiglass wall aligning the entrance to promote social distancing. Photos by Cooper Buck
Now
Starting Nov. 1, 2021, with the barrier removed, students could move around in the dining center like they did before the pandemic.
19///Opinion
Opinion
Big Brain: the benefits of a growth mindset
Design by Charlie Sole Image courtesy of Pixabay
20///Opinion
STRESSED-OUT students at competitive independent schools are nothing new. According to a 2009 study of mainly academically competitive co-educational high schools in the northeastern part of the U.S., 49% of all students reported feeling a great deal of stress on a daily basis and 31% reported feeling somewhat stressed. An anonymous quantitative survey showed that grades, homework and preparing for college were the greatest sources of stress among 128 11th-grade students attending selective private schools in the northeast. “Students described their workloads, which typically included multiple advanced and college-level classes, as well as both mandatory and optional extra-curricular activities, followed by tutoring for classes and the standardized tests required for college admission and other activities, such as community service projects and entrepreneurial ventures, that would allow them to distinguish themselves from their high-achieving classmates,” the authors of the study said. “Students experienced this heavy workload as a challenge to their abilities to lead a balanced, healthy lifestyle.” And feeling stressed out on a regular basis can lead to mental illness, especially in high school students. According to a 2020 study conducted during the pandemic, three recurring causes of mental illness in students were increased stress due to homework (13.2%), social isolation or lack of social interactions (8.5%), and lack of support for mental well being (12.3%). To help cope with stress, Kinkaid faculty have been encouraging students to adopt a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset. Carol Dweck, a Stanford psychologist specializing in developmental psychology, is credited with defining a growth mindset. “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point,” Dweck wrote in her book “Mindset.” “This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment,” she stated. In comparison, those with a fixed mindset believe their
basic qualities, like intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. There have been conclusive results showing that a growth mindset can help alleviate stress. In a 2018 study, researchers analyzed 499 Texas high school freshmen’s ability to handle academic pressure through daily surveys and saliva samples measuring their level of cortisol – the body’s stress hormone. Grades dropped for 68% of students over the first three months because they struggled to adapt to the high school environment, but only the students with fixed mindsets became anxious when they underperformed. These students also had difficulty coping with daily stress. Researchers recorded high cortisol levels in fixed mindset students for a day after an academic stressor; students with a growth mindset had high cortisol levels on the day of the stressor but the levels soon normalized, likely because their growth mindset led them to problem solve. Those with a growth mindset have been also found to perform better academically. Over the course of 480 trials, Dweck found that participants were processing errors more deeply, allowing them to make corrections immediately. Sophomore James Prendergast adopted a growth mindset last year in Mrs. Kate Lambert’s English I class and never looked back. “I have adopted a growth mindset by not prioritizing grades,” Prendergast said. “Now, understand that grades are still a solid representation of how well you are doing in a class and should not be ignored, but I find it all too common to see someone prioritize grades over mental health or even sleep.” Prendergast said he has noticed his friends comparing scores after assessments and getting stressed. He sees comparison as a pointless stressor. “I don’t care if I did well or badly on a quiz since I am already well aware of what I am satisfied with and what I need to improve on,” Prendergast said. “I’ve found that confining grades to the back corner of your brain and focusing on learning doesn’t limit your potential. It can just make you a happier person.”
21///Opinion
LIFESTYLES
Film Favs Dozens of movies in the Top 100 of all time are some of the favorites among US students By Sam Pitts and Jack Klosek
“Shawshank Redemption” (1994) has been the most popular and highest rated movie of all time
Favorite movies by genre Four categories were listed in a survey and US students voted on their favorites in each category. The percentages show what votes popular movies received.
22///Lifestyles
SCI-FI
Interstellar (2014)
17%
DRAMA
Hamilton (2020)
10%
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0%
Few things unite people like movies, which bring people together and provide entertainment for everyone to enjoy. Of course, with the mass release of movies there is bound to be a list that ranks the best of all time. The Internet Movie Database, or IMDB, is a widely known and accepted website that ranks the top 100 movies in the world. The list is fluid, meaning it changes weekly based on online reviews and votes.
The top 100 is inclusive of all genres of movies, including foreign films and anime. To be on this list, the movies go through an algorithm to determine their spot. A movie has to have at least 25,000 votes in favor of it being on the list. The average rating given by voters helps determine where it ranks. The more votes and higher average score will result in a higher spot on the list.
A survey asking about movies on the IMDB list was recently sent to Upper School students in all grade levels. The survey consisted of nine questions and was sent out to the 613 students in the Upper School. Only 63, or about 10% of the students responded. About half of the respondents had seen up to 20 of the movies among the IMDB’s Top 100, and the other half had seen more than 20 on the list. .
COMEDY
Back to the Future (1985)
ACTION
16%
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
14%
23///Lifestyles
ARTS
‘Goofy’ adventures set to take stage, spread a bit of joy Story by Elliott Crantz, staff writer Design by Jaisal Kalapatapu, editor-in-chief This year, the Visual and Performing Arts program’s focus is on play. However, there is an arts class that has been embracing this theme since its inception. Children’s Theatre, also referred to as Theatre for Younger Audiences, has been geared toward creating fun for younger audiences. Students in children’s theatre perform their shows at Kinkaid and tour their productions to local elementary schools, hospitals, or other youth-based organizations. This fall, the class will perform “Junie B Jones is Not a Crook,” and a short workshop where students teach drama games. Children’s Theatre is taught and directed by Ms. Frances Limoncelli, and her upcoming production is a story that centers around a young, goofy girl and documents her adventures through kindergarten and first grade. “I find the show really funny,” said Mrs. Limoncelli. “I like that the kids in the audience get to
see an imperfect kid character onstage, and it takes some of the pressure off to always be good.” For students, taking Children’s Theatre gives a fun and entertaining experience for both them and the audience. “I’m in Children’s Theatre because not only do I love theater and acting, but I love storytelling, especially to younger audiences because they always enjoy it,” said junior Canaan Estes. Children’s theatre is a class for juniors and seniors. Any student is encouraged to join, whether they have theatre experience or not. “Children’s Theatre is more about making children happy than it is about the art credit,” junior Matthew Lewis said. “For children who are underprivileged, an experience like that will make them happy and give them joy.” And Ms. Limoncelli feels this joy as well. “I never lost that sense of wonder or desire to play and have fun,” Ms. Limoncelli said. “Plus, there is no better audience than a young audience.”
Junior Callie Bream and senior Anna Duarte practice a dramatic scene.
24///Arts
REVIEW
“Junie B. Jones is not a crook” The children’s book, which was later turned into the play that the Children’s Theatre class will perform, was written by Barbara Park By Elliott Crantz, staff writer
Junie B Jones is a famous children’s book series written by Barbara Park and illustrated by Denise Brunkus. After reading the book, I can tell the ingenuity of the author, because I know I would want to read it if I were a 6 year old again. Park brings a very refreshing humor to the book, making it perfect for children. Senior Cacie Chatman and junior Adele Johnson rehearse a scene. Photos by Elliott Crantz
“Junie B. is often irreverent, unruly, and selfish,” says Mrs. Limoncelli. “That makes for some hilarious situations and interactions, as you can imagine.” Junie’s unique take on life will make many readers laugh. She also has an endearing penchant for being honest and a good heart. She learns from her mistakes, which gives the book a great message.
I like that the kids in the audience get to see an imperfect kid character onstage, and it takes some of the pressure off to always be good. -Ms. Frances Limoncelli
25///Arts
ARTS
Lights, Camera, Action! Film Students Find Success at Festivals Nationwide By Camron Baldwin, assistant news editor Nestled quietly on the corner between two orchestra practice rooms, Kinkaid’s digital filmmaking classroom is easy to miss. Even if it is easy to go unnoticed, inside the room every day is a flurry of action as the class turns into a whirlwind of cameras, tripods, film screenings and intense editing. “I think we aren’t as outwardly visible on campus because our main outlet for showcasing is offcampus,” said Mr. Ryan Gillentine, the Upper School film teacher. “Other arts have exhibits or scholastic competitions; our main outlet for expression is film festivals across the country.” As each annual film festival rolls around
Technical Terms The three words Mr. Gillentine thinks every film student should know
26///Arts
throughout the year, Mr. Gillentine’s students submit their projects nationally to various events and panels of judges for evaluations and critiques. “It’s always really fantastic when a student gets into a festival,” he said. “It’s an acknowledgment of the hard work they put in not just on that film but all leading up to it.” Film festival organizers, Mr. Gillentine said, are variable year to year on what films they take; however, that’s part of the fun. “I can’t know if one film will be successful based on its performance anywhere else,” he said. Though it’s a highly variable game, sometimes a film will “strike a moment” and gain acceptance
to many festivals nationwide. Henry Segal, a senior, made a short documentary called “Little Big Shot” that may have done just that. “Little Big Shot is a profile of a young ping-pong player,” Mr. Gillentine said. “It’s more of a profile in potential; it’s crazy to watch a sixyear-old play ping pong like that, he looks like a tiny version of the guys in the Olympics.” Armed with his three minute documentary, Segal submitted to festivals. “He submitted to quite a few festivals actually and had a really high success rate,” Mr. Gillentine said. Of course, the film class can’t spend all their time searching for so many festivals; the
Preproduction
“The script is the backbone of your project,” Mr. Gillentine said. “Preproduction is where you conceptualize and plan what you’re going to do when you go shoot. If your preproduction isn’t good, neither will your project.”
!
process the film class uses to submit just takes a search engine, a file, some writing and a submit button. “We use a portal called FilmFreeway; it’s a website that is basically a clearing house for festivals,” said Mr. Gillentine. “Essentially what you do is you take your files and upload the video and other information and once all of that is up there he can go through a list of literally thousands of festivals worldwide.” Among the festivals are, Mr. Gillentine says, are the most prominent festivals in the nation, such as the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, or NFFTY, and more off-the-beaten path competitions. “Not all the festivals are on there, for example South by Southwest isn’t, but a lot of other festivals and other that are more off-the-radar,” Mr. Gillentine said. Jackie Jafarnia, a junior, was also accepted
into a festival—the lift-off sessions 2021 festival for her film “Remedy.” “It was an experimental film about makeup and getting ready,” she said. “I got four friends to get ready for an event and I filmed a bunch of closeups of them doing their makeup.” Influenced by the world around her, Jafarnia added a twist to her film. “I decided to add something about coronavirus to my film,” she said. “They’re getting ready for this event and no one knows what it is and they just get on a Zoom.” Jafarnia was able to capture the colorful, intricate process of getting ready in a series of different close-up shots. “I love shooting and editing my projects. I love playing with angles and seeing how it turns out in the end and seeing how far you can take it,” she said. Having entered the world o film in eighth
Coverage
“Coverage is essentially getting many different shots of the same action,” Mr. Gillentine said. “The purpose is to give you choices in editing; if you don’t have coverage, you only have one choice in post-production
grade, Jafarnia draws much of her inspiration from her friends. “I like to do funny stuff, and I’m inspired by things that happen to me and my friends,” she said. “The project I am shooting coming up is based on an awkward experience getting asked to homecoming freshman year.” Film’s immense success off-campus, however, means that it isn’t as visible on the campus itself. “I think visibility for film has always been a little bit challenging,” Mr. Gillentine said. “We don’t have a natural place where we screen films all the time. We just do it at the end of the year and we are trying to show off more.” The program showed its first ever Halloween film—Purple People Eater—to students this year in an effort to increase campus visibility as well as plans for a Christmas showcase, too.
Aperture
“(Aperture) can affect things like depth of field of your shot and the exposure, things like how much light is hitting the sensor of the camera,” Mr. Gillentine said. “The more light hitting the sensor, the brighter your exposure is.”
27///Arts
Sports
Field Hockey Dominance: A look into the Varsity Field Hockey’s impressive season
The screeches of flying balls, the echo of sticks cracking, and the hoots and hollers of great plays mean field hockey season is back. The field hockey team has had one of the most dominating seasons in school history. With six college commits and an unbreakable team chemistry, the players are looking to write their names in the history books. The team will head to Dallas Friday, Nov. 5 for the SPC playoffs, and hopefully play in the championship that Saturday. Going into the playoffs, the team is undefeated in the SPC South Zone going 7-0 in their conference. Their only loss came to one of
28///Sports
the top 10 teams in the country, The Hill School who they played in their tournament in Philadelphia in September. Senior captain Emmy Stubbs and junior captains Mia Abello, Kyle Massey and Hope Haynes have led the team this year. Abello credits their success to two key qualities: the team’s impressive work ethic and ability to grow as a team every day. “The intensity and grit of our team is unmatched,” Abello said. The hard work ethic of the team has definitely translated into wins, but they are not just winning because of hard work. Their chemistry plays a big role as well.
7
“We have so much fun and love being around each other; we truly enjoy playing together,” Abello said. They have shown that they are not just a team of talented players, but a team that has truly molded together and created life-long connections. This tight-knit bond has assisted the team in not only defeating local teams, but also some of the best teams in the country. The team has had a season full of many memorable games and unforgettable team bonding. “The best moment of the season so far was traveling to Philadelphia and getting the opportunity to represent Texas and field hockey in the south,”
7-0 Massey said. When the team traveled to Philadelphia to compete in the 2021 MAX Field Hockey High School National Invitational, they demonstrated that they could dominate at any level of competition. Playing and winning against some of the best teams in the country, the girls proved themselves deserving of their national rank -- No. 1 in the Midwest region for field hockey. “We try our best not to focus on the rankings or expectations, but sometimes those things motivate us to keep getting better.“ Abello said. The girls use their ranking to motivate them to grow and improve, instead of allowing their ranking to hinder their work ethic, continuing to build each other up and recognize
each other’s accomplishments. “Our freshmen have really stepped up this season and Merritt Skubisz, one of our three goalies, has been unstoppable in the goal with her aggression and communication,” Massey said. This supportive team culture has created an environment of growth and progress, showing that the key to success is not just fixating on winning. “The game is bigger than just winning, it’s about building friendships for life and taking advantage of every moment, every practice, every play, even when it gets hard because eventually the team will separate and field hockey will end. Learning lessons that you can carry with you for the rest of your life and having fun -- that is our goal,” Abello said.
JV finishes standout 20-21 season By Sarah Xu, deputy art director
While the Varsity field hockey team continues to dominate, the JV team has also had a standout season. They ended with a record of 7-0-2 and were the champions of the JV city tournament beating Episcopal High School, 5-0. The team attributes their success to the their energy, persistence, and chemistry. “We are very encouraging and uplifting,” said sophomore Ava Winn, “We help one another and are super positive; we never give up.”
By Ana Susman, staff writer and George Kinder, sports editor
Elizabeth Ajumobi, freshman
The game is more than just winning. Photo by David Shutts
-Mia Abello, junior captain
Freshman Elizabeth Ajumobi shared her best moments. “My favorite thing about the team is how energetic we can be, and how we’re not afraid of having fun.” She added: “My favorite memory so far was a practice game we had. We played against each other and everyone was making mistakes and laughing at each other. We were still competitive, but we acted like a family. It was nice.”
29///Sports
Sports
RINGING IN HISTORY By Eshaan Mani, executive digital editor with contributions by Shaan Dhutia and Kaveen Shah, staff writers
Longstanding tradition of the varsity lacrosse team has little-known past Victories over time
Falcons beat St. Marks, 40-14
Falcon St. Ma
1 9 8 5
Timeline of homecoming scores since the installation of the victory bell on Segal Field in 1981
1 9 8 1
Falcons beat Northwest Academy, 14-0 A cutout from the November 1981 Kinkaid newsletter about the new victory bell. Credit: Mr. John Rovell
“The lacrosse team rings the bell before every game,” said senior Kee Shaper, a linebacker and wide receiver for the football team and a varsity lacrosse player. The bell that Shaper is referring to is the “Kinkaid Victory Bell,” which stands on Segal Field. Field Day, the annual football game against St. John’s and Book Fair are well-known across the campus community; however, an overlooked tradition is ringing the victory bell. Shaper said ringing the bell before lacrosse home games is like a call to battle. “We all get in a line and jog by the bell so that every person can ring it with their stick,” he said, “This is one of my favorite things we do because it gets us fired up and brings us together as a team right before game time. Every home win starts with us sounding that bell, and it reminds us that we are going to go out there and fight for each other until the final whistle.” Varsity boys’ lacrosse players ring the bell before home games, but that is a change from when it was used in the past. 30///Sports
“The bell, which is to be rung each time a Kinkaid varsity team is victorious, got its first workout after the homecoming game,” according to the December 1981 Kinkaid newsletter. The Falcon football team won its homecoming game 14-0 against Northwest Academy and inaugurated the Victory Bell. Installed after the homecoming game in 1981 by members of the Kinkaid athletic staff, the bell was given to the school by the J.B. Coskey family, the Don R. Mullings Jr. family, the Russell K. Smith family, the F. Jack Greenwood family, and the Foster Parker Family, all of whom have their names inscribed on the stand the bell is placed on. After the crowning of Marilyn Taylor ‘82 as Homecoming Queen, the Victory Bell was dedicated and rung. The Mullings family, Smith family, and Parker family stood on the track during the ceremony with Head of School Glenn Ballard and watched. Former Kinkaid boys’ lacrosse coach Hayward Lee said the tradition of tapping the Victory Bell before games started when he was coaching.
0
Falcons beat St. Marks, 58-10
Falcons beat St. Marks, 64-27
2 0 1 0
Photo courtesy of Coach Hayward Lee
The Kinkaid lacrosse team runs by the pole in 1980 where the Victory Bell stands today.
2 0 2 1
1 9 9 5
Falcons lose to Trinity Valley, 56-19
2 0 1 5
Falcons lose to Episcopal, 21-42
Photo courtesy of Coach Hayward Lee
“One of the players was running by the victory bell pole and he tapped it with his stick. After a while, the whole team started to tap the pole,” he said. “The pole was tapped until the bell was put on it and then they started tapping the bell.” Mr. Lee was shocked that the players tapped the Victory Bell with their sticks to this day. Junior Watt Muir says ringing the Victory Bell is a tradition that he cherishes. “It strikes fear into the hearts of our opponents because it really fires up all the guys and unites us as one unit, ready to go into battle. It definitely unites us with our Falcon heritage, so that’s another bonus,” Muir said. Among other sports at Kinkaid, the Victory Bell is unknown. Sophomore Sanjna Pandit, a member of the varsity girls’ soccer team, said she had never heard of the bell before. “I don’t recall ever ringing the bell before or after games, but I wish we did,” Pandit said. “I will definitely bring that up with the Student Athletic Advisory Council, and hopefully, we can revive some school spirit.”
Coach Hayward Lee walks by the pole with a lacrosse stick.
Photo by Eshaan Mani
The victory bell on Segal Field is rung by varsity boys’ lacrosse players before home games.
31///Sports
This
OR
By Richie Klosek, staff writer
Airpods
That
Brunch
Wires
Dinner
The Falcon’s mission is to be an accurate and reliable source of information for the Kinkaid School community by informing readers about school-related topics.. Questions or comments? We welcome readers’ feedback. Please email student.publications@kinkaid.org or call (713) 2436591 or use the form at thefalcon.kinkaid.org. Letters can be sent to: The Kinkaid School, 201 Kinkaid School Dr., Houston, TX 77024 Please direct advertising inquires to nicole. fernandez@kinkaid.org. The opinions expressed in The Falcon belong solely to the writer and are not a reflection or representation of the opinions of the school.
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CORRECTION: In the Oct. 1 issue of The Falcon, a sidebar to an opinion piece on page 19 misled readers with a headline that stated, “Aid is Among School’s Top 3 Expenditures.” The accompanying graphic on that page references figures showing 2018-19 endowment designations from the Spring 2020 Endowment Report. Although about 26% of the earnings of the Kinkaid Endowment is designated for financial aid, the earnings of the Kinkaid Endowment provide only about 8% of the operating budget per year. The financial aid budget represents about 9% of the overall budget of the The Kinkaid School. We regret our error.