Audrey Park, staff writer

English teacher Lynne Heneidi took a leave of absence for the 2013- 2014 school year. Although Heneidi’s leave was “unexpected,” school administration “hopes that she will be back at the start of next year.”

School Administration hired English teacher Donal Kennedy to replace all of Heneidi’s 5/ 6 and 7/ 8 English classes. Kennedy has been a teacher for 19 years and has taught at numerous schools, the most recent being Herbert Hoover High School of Glendale Unified School District.

Kennedy was initially attracted to Beverly because of its “motivated students, numerous different clubs, the focus on education and the personal growth students are concerned with.”
“It [teaching position] was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” Kennedy said. “It was an opportunity that was screaming out for me to come here.”
Although Kennedy started off the school year in a new environment, he has since begun to develop a relationship with his students.
“It’s taken a little bit of us getting used to each other, but now they [students] kind of know that there’s a sense of permanency to the position,” Kennedy said. “They’re a lot more accountable to me and their own academics as far as taking care of things.”

Junior Justin Shegerian enjoys the class and has a favorable view of the overall vibe of the classroom.

“I like him a lot, he’s a very good teacher,” Shegerian said. “[The class] is very relaxed, but we get our work done.”

Kennedy attributes his transition to the help of the “amazing” faculty at Beverly.

“Everybody from the English department has embraced me and helped me out a great deal,” Kennedy said. “Everybody’s been very warm and friendly.”

Kennedy hopes to stay a Beverly for a “very long time,” and in that time, help his students learn and grow to become better students. He aims to thoroughly prepare his students for next year while having fun in the process.