&Co-curricularPartnerships
at Wimbledon High School
Every school worth its salt will tell you that it offers a well-rounded, holistic education for its students. And so, of course, that’s what we will tell you, too; so far, so expected. But here at Wimbledon High the distinguishing factor is our whole-hearted commitment to each of our students living a life that is enriched, stimulating and full, and not just for the time that they are within our buildings or on our school roll. We want every student to explore activities, find the thing that makes them feel enthused and more complete as a human being, and then keep it with them throughout their life. And, as a leading academic school, we hold dear the well-evidenced belief that academic success (or fulfillment, as we prefer to call it) is not only enhanced by a full and varied co-curricular life, but that indeed the two are interdependent, the one enriching the other. In short: when we are happy and thriving, our work will benefit, and vice-versa.
We also know the importance of looking up and out, searching beyond ourselves and our own experiences as we develop into the people we hope to become. As such, we ask every student, from 4 to 18, to engage in our partnerships programme and our charitable endeavours. Commitments range from student-led initiatives such as supporting our local women’s prison HMP Downview, to our mentoring programmes with our local primary schools: we welcome in more than 300 local children a week to learn and play alongside our Wimbledonians, as we encourage all of our young people to forge connections within their local community. Wider global endeavours have recently seen our students teaching online to students in Kenya. Making a difference to others makes all the difference to who we all are, as individuals and as a school, and it matters.
As you scour the pages which lie ahead, I ask you to think not only about what you would like to do and benefit from, but also what you might offer, as you bring your unique self to our community here at WHS. Adventures await...
Ms Fionnuala Kennedy Head
…@WimbledonHigh 3 2023~2022Partnerships&Co-curricular
WelcomeHead’s
This is why we offer over 100 clubs and activities a week; this is why we offer sport,
drama and music opportunities which range from fully accessible to all, to the highest level of elite provision; this is why we allocate significant time each week to co- and super-curricular offerings, outside of the academic timetable.
Welcome to our Imagine guide, which outlines for you the aspects of school life which take place outside of the classroom. I hope you find it exciting and that it fires up your imagination about the possibilities that lie in wait.
Clubsfest on Thursday 8th September is a co-curricular fair; it will give you the opportunity to visit each club’s stall to discuss with staff and student ambassadors exactly what to expect should you choose to join. Following Clubsfest, there will be 10 days to sign up for your clubs for the Autumn term. This is completed on SOCS.
Signing up on SOCS is a critical part of the process for everyone, as it provides the registers for staff, the priority and early
This year, you may decide to try something new, which to build self-confidence is strangely a good strategy. As Psychologist Dr Julie Smith has advocated, if we stay in a place where we are confident, then confidence will struggle to expand beyond that place of comfort because fear of the unknown starts to grow. To build selfconfidence, go to a place where you have very little or none. The confidence you can build by taking part in co-curricular activities can buoy and bolster your belief in yourself and leave you refreshed and reinvigorated for academic challenge.
There are opportunities before school, two 40-minute sessions at lunchtime, after school and at weekends. The details of all of these can be found on the co-curricular firefly page https://whs.fireflycloud.net/cocurricular, please have a read through each synopsis before you sign up to commit to clubs for the Autumn term.
WHS prides itself on providing a blend of outstanding academic success whilst preserving the time to enjoy a vast range of co-curricular activities.
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Every year we see an extensive range of immensely talented WHS students performing and excelling in areas such as sport, music, drama, and public speaking. However, the co-curricular programme is designed not just for students to excel, but to encourage participation and foster the sense of being part of something, building friendships, delighting in shared experiences, working together, leading, and inspiring yourself as well as others.
Committing to a regular series of activities is essential, routine helps give a sense of calm and familiarity which is a stepping stone to building resilience. Leaving to one side work, assignments, tests, retests, will support the drive for outstanding academic results in the long term. I recently read a piece which resonated with me, it said, ‘If you don’t schedule a break, your body and mind will take one for you, and it probably won’t be at a good time.’
2023~2022Partnerships&Co-curricular…@WimbledonHigh
With this in mind, we expect every student to be part of something during co-curricular time and maintain their regular attendance.
Co-curricular at Wimbledon High School
As always, if there is something you would like to add to the co-curricular programme, or you have any questions, please do get in contact with myself or Emily Fewkes, the sixth form co-curricular student leader.
…@WimbledonHigh 6 2023~2022Partnerships&Co-curricular
‘Motivation is a great by-product of action, the great feeling you get on your way out of the gym not on your way in! Don’t wait until you feel like it, do it anyway.’
Ms Jenny Cox Director of Co-Curricular, Partnerships and Philanthropy
jennifer.cox@wim.gdst.net
lunch passes are produced from these lists and your own personalised timetable on SOCS will show your lessons, your co-curricular activities, and this year your individual music lessons; you can also add in your own regular commitments outside of school if you wish. Striking a balance between work and play will support a healthy lifestyle, therefore having one place to view the demands on your time, which you, your tutors and your parents can view, helps everyone see the bigger picture and provide you with the support you may need. In striking a balance, please avoid ‘double clubbing’ at lunchtimes; back-to-back clubs are not permitted.
…@WimbledonHigh 7 2023~2022Partnerships&Co-curricular
Next Steps
1. Please read the rest of this booklet or head to Firefly to continue to read what clubs are available to you.
2. Decide what you would like to do, then go to the SOCS sign up page to choose your clubs. All links can be found here: https://whs.fireflycloud.net/co-curricular
8 …@WimbledonHighCo-curricular&Partnerships2022~2023 Music
As always, peripatetic lessons from our fantastic visiting music teachers will continue to take place for students in Years 7 to 13, using the Senior Music rooms. I really hope lots of students will look to September as the chance to start a new instrument and make the most of this Weprovision.areexcited to be working once again with the Drama Department on our project for all students in Year 7, taking place during academic music and drama lessons in the Autumn Term. The whole year group will be working on producing a pantomime, brought together for the end of term. It’s a chance for every student in Year 7 to be involved with some acting and musicmaking and promises to be excellent fun.
Our Autumn events include the termly Scholars’ Recital and the first heats of our Young Musician of the Year series. Alongside these, we will also have our Autumn Ensemble Concert and Autumn Orchestral Concert. Our weekly Friday Jammin’ went from strength-to-strength last year and the wonderful Miss Green will continue to run this, do drop her an email should you want to be involved. Finally, we would love for you to contribute to our music-making – if you have an idea, pop in, and see the Music team for a chat!
I am very much looking forward to starting as Director of Music at Wimbledon High School this September.
Mr Will Ford Director of Music
Concerts
There are a large range of musical groups on offer at WHS. Some of the larger groups include A Cappella, Canto and WHS Symphony Orchestra, and students in these groups will rehearse weekly in preparation for set piece events such as Festival of Nine Lessons and our Spring Concert at St John Smith Square. Smaller ensembles include Sinfonia, Baroque Ensemble, and a host of chamber groups. These groups will also have opportunities to play in termly concerts, as well as some of the larger Inevents.exciting
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choral news, we will be looking to establish a Chamber Choir in September. This group will be auditioned and include 2-4 students from each year between Years 9-13. The group will rehearse weekly and perform Evensongs in local churches and cathedrals, whilst also singing at regular school services and concerts. With this group being auditioned, Canto (Years 7-9 – rehearse at 8am on Friday morning) and A-Cappella (Years 10-13 - rehearse on Monday and Wednesday mornings at 8am) will become un-auditioned and I would encourage as many students as possible to sign up for these groups on SOCS.
I am excited to have the opportunity to strengthen the department further, working with colleagues in and out of the department to ensure that there is a musical provision for everyone, whilst also ensuring that more experienced musical pupils have the opportunity to perform at the very highest standard.
It is clear that the music department is a vibrant place to be, and having attended the Spring concert at Cadogan Hall, the students’ passion for music is evident.
Groups and Opportunities
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from all year groups are encouraged to sign up to the Theatre Tech Team, to learn about sound, lighting, stage management, costume and prop management and the Theatre Tech Crew will be invited to take on roles of responsibility for all performances and events, supervised by our fantastic theatre technicians.
There is so much to enjoy in the year ahead, and our talented and highly qualified Drama team are so looking forward to working with you all.
Mrs Deb McDowell Director of Drama
Year 12 and 13 students not taking part in the Senior Musical can sign up for the 6th Form Play, to be rehearsed during the Autumn term and performed in the first week in December.
We’re all looking forward to an exciting year, full of singing, dancing and acting with additional opportunities for those interested in learning how to stage-manage, make props, organise costumes, and run lighting and sound for performance.
Autumn term, Year 7 work collaboratively in class groups to prepare for their Performance Evenings.
At Year 9 Drama club students have fun and develop a range of Drama skills, in preparation for the Year 9 Performance Evening. In the Summer term we encourage everyone to come and take part in the Year 8 & 9 Summer Musical, performed in the penultimate week of term.
Year 10 can take part in either the Senior Musical, working with students from Year 11, 12 and 13, or the Senior Play, working with Year 11 students. We get going as soon as term starts, so sign up quickly if you want to be involved. Please do not be worried about being in competition with older students; working on a challenging piece in a friendly and supportive cross year environment will be fantastic.
Duringothers.the
The Year 8 Drama Project will be performed in March. In the Summer term you can also take part in the Y8/9 Summer Musicala fun and exciting way to end the year.
All year groups are invited to take part in the Musical Theatre Celebration, a concert in mid-May which will include solos, duets and choreographed group pieces.
At Wimbledon High School we audition to help with specific casting decisions. We manage this in an open, flexible and friendly fashion, conscious of allowing opportunities for a wide variety of students during their time at WHS; aware of the need to develop student confidence but also determined to encourage the development of resilience and the ability to celebrate the success of
Private LAMDA lessons are available for students from all years with 2 slots available at lunchtimes on Monday, Wednesday and InterestedFriday.students
We also run New Views playwriting club for Year 11, 12 and 13 on Friday lunchtimes, in collaboration with the National Theatre, where students write their own short plays with input from a professional mentor. You could see your play being staged by the NT company!
…@WimbledonHigh 11 2023~2022Partnerships&Co-curricular
…@WimbledonHigh 12 2023~2022Partnerships&Co-curricular Sport
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Sport is an integral part of life at Wimbledon High where students can learn a wide range of activities that contribute to a healthy Bylifestyle.providing
The PE department expect the highest level of commitment from students and the determination to succeed and to push themselves hard both in training and competition. Whilst we have a team for every student who wants to represent the school, to be selected for the A team is challenging and competitive. There is fluidity between the teams throughout the year and selection is based on commitment, attitude, application, ability, and talent. Please check the Sports Fixtures website to get a complete picture of the range of teams and sports which WHS competes in.
Years 10 & 11: Monday
are the major sports of the Summer term, with Athletics running alongside these. Throughout the academic year our Tennis Academy (email tennis@wim.gdst.net) trains, this gives students the opportunity to select to receive lessons at lunchtimes, Friday after school or Saturday mornings (This is a paid activity).
The fixture nights, running throughout the year are predominantly: Years 7 & 8: Tuesday
Year 9: Thursday
…@WimbledonHigh 13
Ms Coutts-Wood Director of Sport
Hockey is the major sport of the Autumn Term and every year group has weekly training and matches, including Saturday mornings; we enter local, regional, and national competitions. The Netball A teams also train in this season, as we enter a number of County and National tournaments. Rowing, Swimming, Cross Country and Gymnastics run concurrently with this Games programme. In the Spring Term the focus switches to Netball and all abilities are welcome. Cricket and Tennis
inspiring teaching and highlevel coaching we ensure that each pupil at Wimbledon High is supported to reach their potential whilst enjoying the process along the way. The programme offers a diverse range of sports and activities both competitive and recreational.
Students are taught by a large team of experienced, enthusiastic, and inspirational PE teachers and professional coaches. In some cases, where students do other sports in their own time, they can represent the school in these sports, with parental support. eg: Equestrian, Sailing, Skiing. For fixtures and team information, see: www.wimbledonhighsports.com
Thursday 10th November
WHS Young Musician of the Year - Final 7pm | Auditorium
Thursday 6th October
WHS Young Musician of the Year – Vocal | 7pm Auditorium
Tuesday 24th January
Key Stage 3
Tuesday 31st January
Thursday 9th February
Autumn Ensemble Concert 6.30pm | Auditorium
Sacred Heart Church
Tuesday 1st November
Wednesday 7th & Thursday 8th December
WHS Young Musician of the Year – Piano & Percussion 7pm | RC
Tuesday 13th September
Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th February
Wednesday 22nd March
Key Co-Curricular Dates
Wednesday 23rd November
Wednesday 8th March
Spring Concert 7pm | Auditorium
Gym and Dance Display 7pm | Sports Hall
Musical Theatre Concert 7pm | RC
Thursday 9th March
Y8 & 9 Musical 5pm & 7pm | RC
Y8 5pmPerformance&7pm|RC
Sixth Form Play | 7pm | RC
Scott House Day & Evening 6.30pm | Auditorium
Thursday 24th November
Sports Welcome Evening 6pm - 7pm | TEAMS
Meredith House Day & Evening | Auditorium6.30pm
Monday 21st November
Arnold House Day and Evening | Auditorium6.30pm
Tuesday 15th November
Wednesday 29th March
Wednesday 24th May
Thursday 2 & Friday 3rd March
Wednesday 28th –Friday 30th June
Thursday 8th September
Monday 7th November
GDST Rally | Croydon
Y9 Drama Performance 5pm & 7pm | RC
Y10 & 11 Play A Midsummer Night’s Dream | 7pm | RC
GDST BromleyRallyHigh School
2022-23
Music Scholars’ Concert 6pm | Auditorium
St John Smith’s Square Concert | 8pm
Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols | 8pm
Sports Awards Evening 7pm | Sports Hall
Tuesday 21st February
U12, U13, U14 Surrey Netball Finals
Tuesday 28th March
Tuesday 11th October
WHS Young Musician of the Year - Strings | 7pm Auditorium
U13 Netball Weekend Condover Hall
Tuesday 13th December
GDST Swimming Competition Northwood
Wednesday 11th & Thursday 12th January
WHS Young Musician of the Year – Wind and Brass 7pm | Auditorium
Clubsfest | 12.15pm - 1pm Sports Hall
Thursday 9th March
Tuesday 14th March
Y7 Pantomime | 7pm | RC
Senior Musical Evita | 7pm RC
Thursday 26th January
GDST Sports NorthamptonRally
Autumn Orchestra Concert 7pm | Auditorium
Wednesday 15th March
3-5th March
Hastings House Day & Evening | Auditorium6.30pm
…@WimbledonHigh 14 2023~2022Partnerships&Co-curricular
Thursday 20th April
Raise Your Voice
These clubs come in various forms and incorporate a range of student led discussion groups and investigations alongside staff led lecture topics that will extend and challenge students at all levels. At times these may include two or more departments teaming up cross-curricular to provide more than one perspective on a particular area. For example, racquet research investigates tennis players (and how they use their racquets) from both a scientific and a sports perspective.
PaWHS
These clubs offer opportunities to collaborate with local community partners, broadening your outlook.
Skill Development
Expressing your opinions and thoughts clearly and coherently in small groups or in a larger arena is a life skill. Signing up to something in this category will help give you those skills. Whether it’s through Model United Nations (MUN), Debating or Black Lives Matter, each will build your confidence in public speaking and help form your arguments clearly. Many of these clubs are led by student ambassadors.
Club Categories
These clubs, including Sign Language, Teen Tech, Coding and others, provide opportunities to learn brand new skills or enhance existing talents.
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Community
A student-led initiative which promotes activities that are just for fun or which provide a more mindful experience. They give the moment in the school day to move away from the hustle and bustle, to play a board game, cards or do a puzzle, perhaps.
Academic Enrichment
…@WimbledonHigh 16 2023~2022Partnerships&Co-curricular Find your club! Alongside all the amazing opportunities in Music, Drama and Sport, we offer a huge range of co-curricular clubs and activities at Wimbledon High. See here for the full list of clubs and links to sign up! 3-D Printing Club • 5 Guys Wind Quintet • 6th Form Play • 6th Form Play (opt) • A Cappella Year 10-13 • ABRSM Prep Club • Academic • Extension Night Year 10-13 • Amnesty • International • Animated Illustration • Art Drop-in Workshop - Friday • Art Drop-in Workshop - Monday • Art Drop-in Workshop - Tuesday • Art Drop-in Workshop - Wednesday • Baroque Ensemble • Big Band • Bioinformatics • Biology Book Club • Brass Ensemble • British Informatics Olympiad • BSL Sign Language - Beginners • Bullet Journal and Sticker Making • Calligraphy and Chill • Canto YR 7-9 • Chinese Beginners (YCT1) • Create and Debate • Dance Club Year 7-9 • Debating Club Year 7 & 8 • Design Ventura • Dev Netball Training Year 7 • Djembe Group • Drama Year 9 • Eco Committee • Economics Society • Explore • F1 in Schools • Fashion Illustration • Figure Drawing • First Lego League • Flute Quartet • Football Year 7-10 • Forensics CSI Wimbledon - Week A • Geog On! • Gold Duke of Edinburgh • Golf • Gym Development Year 7-9 • Hans Woyda Club • Hispanic Art • History Girls Senior • Hockey Training Year 10-13 • Hockey Training/Matches Year 10 & 11 • Hockey Training/Matches Year 7 & 8 • Home from Home • It’s Critical • Jazz Ensemble • John’s Gospel • Junior History Girls • KS3 Green Room • LAMDA Year 7 & 8 Friday • LAMDA Year 7 & 8 Monday • LAMDA Year 7 & 8 Wednesday • LAMDA Year 9-11 Friday • LAMDA Year 9-11 Monday • LAMDA Year 9-11 Wednesday • Linguine • Linguistica Magazine • Lower Intermediate Chinese (YCT2) • Lyrical Dance Club • Mad 4 Maths • Mandarin Year 9 • Maths Beyond the Curriculum • Maths Challenge Club • Maths Enrichment Club • Minecraft Explorers • Missing Maps • Mixed Media Art Club • Model United Nations • Myths & Monsters • Netball Team A YR 9 -10 • Netball Year 11-13 • Origami • Philosocoffee • Racquet Research • Rosewell • Rowing Seniors - Monday PM • Rowing Swim Fitness • Rowing Year 10 - Monday • Rowing Year 9 - Tuesday • Rubik’s Cube Club • Sax Quartet • Screen Printing Club • Senior Debating • Senior Musical 1:1/optional group Monday • Senior Swim Squad Dolphins - Monday • SEW:CODE:DANCE • Shakespeare Project Year 8 • Sinfonia • Smash Maths • Smash Maths KS4 • Social Robots • Sports Scholars Breakfast Week A • Step Up to Maths • String Ensemble (22/23) • String Quartet A • String Quartet B • String Quartet C • Symphony Orchestra • Tennis Lessons - Monday • Tennis Lessons - Year 7 • Textiles Charity Club • The Network • Troubadours • Upper Netball Training Year 7 • Upper Netball Training Year 8 • Upper Netball Training Year 9 • Women in Politics • Wool4School Design Competition • XTB (Explore the Bible) • Young Economics Society • YR 7-9 Wind Band With over 100 activities to choose from, there will be something for everyone.
Over ten Saturday mornings, Year 4 boys and girls come to WHS to experience creative and academic subjects. The aim of the programme is to stimulate further curiosity, boost self-esteem and improve attainment in children who might be at risk of underachieving due to their unique family circumstances. Year 12 students mentor the Year 4 children on a weekly basis, and they have the opportunity to mix with students from other schools
The sessions are led by Wimbledon High staff and cover activities such as History, Dance, and Art. It’s always great (serious!) fun – building relationships with younger students, helping and guiding them and sometimes putting yourself out of your comfort zone too!
…@WimbledonHigh 17 2023~2022Partnerships&Co-curricular
The Partnerships programme at WHS is an integral part of school life and as such is built into curriculum time for Years 11 and 12.
at Wimbledon High School
For Year 12 (and some Year 11)
As mentor you’ll fill in a weekly log of student progress; in the tenth week parents, teachers and mentors gather with the children in a final celebration, when you, if you are a mentor, will talk about your mentee before giving them a memento of their time at Wimbledon.
It provides opportunities to work in diverse and sometimes challenging environments with people from different socio-economic backgrounds, and within projects that are inter-generational or based within specialist schools.
Partnerships
The benefits of our programmes are most definitely two-way, the schools and community venues we work with enjoy our support, whilst previous students have benefitted from an increased understanding of different communities, greater selfconfidence and a reduction in anxiety whilst looking beyond themselves.
PRIMARY PARTNERSHIPS
Our primary partnerships focus largely on 1:1 mentoring opportunities within the Year 4 SHINE, Year 5 STRIVE or Year 6 THRIVE programmes. The secondary partnerships ‘Learn Together’ are bespoke collaborative projects which see the WHS students working together with a partner school student on a specific project. The Community arm of the partnerships programme ‘WHS in the Community’ has historically offered opportunities to work with the elderly, and more recently, with HMP Downview.
Ms Cox Director of Co-curricular, Partnerships & Philanthropy
Year 4 SHINE – Serious Fun on Saturdays
For Years 11 and 12
You have the opportunity to act as a 1:1 mentor, guiding them through the work that’s led by a Wimbledon teacher. The course runs on Partnerships afternoons (Thursdays) and has proven a great success in previous years, both for the attainment and building of confidence of visiting children and for the skills of listening and leadership that the scheme fosters in the WHS
‘It has advanced my communication skills.’
‘I feel that pupils have been able to build on their selfconfidence and to see their own personal strengths.’
Year 6 THRIVE
Here’smentors.whatour
‘In science, pupils said that it was really fun trying out different types of glue and having a chance to make their own.’
visiting teachers have had to say about STRIVE:
THRIVE is a successful programme, which last year welcomed 150 pupils, from across 5 state primary schools to work alongside the WHS Year 6 students, overseen by Year 11 or 12 mentors.
‘I am often surrounded by very confident and outgoing people. One of the children I had was very nervous at first and I had to accommodate my attitude and approaches to make him feel comfortable and more confident’.
Year 5 STRIVE
Last year’s mentors said:
‘It has been really nice to meet different people and build connections with younger children from other schools’.
For Years 11 and 12
…@WimbledonHigh 18 2023~2022Partnerships&Co-curricular
This is a programme based on a carousel of Coding, Maths, English and Science and is delivered to Year 5 students from four partner schools.
‘Pupils, post Strive, have been more inclined to do their own independent research during and after lessons, are more confident and more excited about the prospect of attending secondary school.’
It takes place on Partnerships afternoon – Thursdays here in school. The course is designed to inspire, build self-confidence, self-efficacy, self-esteem and develop further understanding of citizenship to support the transition from Year 6 into secondary school. Typically, the content would be delivered through the medium of Music, Drama and Art.
‘I have gained an interest in the criminal justice system and how women are treated within it.’
If you enjoy working with the elderly, or within a specialist school this partnership opportunity could be for you. This takes place on a Thursday afternoon, and you’ll see the difference your visits make to people who might not otherwise have too much social contact. In addition, our partnership with HMP Downview aims to build awareness about the challenges for women prisoners - from maintaining their mental health, dealing with separation from their families and preparing for life outside, on completion of their sentence. It shines a light on a world most of us only ever see dramatised on TV or on film.
Learn Together
‘Building connections with people of my age from other schools has been great.’
‘I think my own Spanish has developed and I’ve helped the student learn new phrases they can use in many different situations; I hope this helps for exams and also in general’.
‘Working with people from Ark Putney was really fun and we talked about chemistry and we both worked really well together’
For Years 11 & 12
…@WimbledonHigh 19
WHS in the Community
In Learn Together, students from WHS work collaboratively with students from partner secondary schools on specific projects.
As the prison librarian explained in one of our sessions, “...about 11% of our prisoners can’t read. So we run a project to help those who can’t read, such as having book groups, and we run a 6-book challenge where inmates can win a dictionary. Dictionaries in prison are like gold dust!”
You’ll be sharing Wimbledon High spaces, learning together and from each other. The lessons take place during Partnerships Afternoon on Thursdays.
As one of our Year 13 students, who has gone on to study law, commented:
For Years 11 & 12
SECONDARY PARTNERSHIPS
2023~2022Partnerships&Co-curricular
Wimbledon High School, Mansel Road, London SW19 4AB 020 8971 0900 •
Head:www.wimbledonhigh.gdst.netinfo@wim.gdst.netMsFionnualaKennedy