Kennedy gaining new energy from fellowship

There's another Kennedy on Capitol Hill.

Mike Kennedy, that is.

The start of the indoor track season brought to mind the award-winning Neuqua Valley science teacher and boys track coach, who is midway through his term as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the United States Department of Energy in the nation's capital.

On Tuesday he was on Capitol Hill, lobbying legislative aides of Illinois representative Judy Biggert and senators Mark Kirk and Dick Durbin — “every person who would kind of hear us out,” Kennedy said over the phone Wednesday — on academic policy changes he believes need to be made.

Lobbying isn't in the strict job description of what he does in Washington, D.C., but it's among a variety of activities Kennedy's enjoyed since he and his wife, Meghan, rented out their Plainfield home, packed up kids Ryan and Quinn, and landed in Arlington, Va. The one-year appointment ends July 31.

Working in his office on Independence Avenue, Kennedy reports to the director of the Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists within the Department of Energy's Office of Science.

“The most simple thing I'm doing is helping the Department of Energy manage their educational programs,” said Kennedy, cutting through the bureaucracy.

“Curriculum comes in sometimes, but they're looking for a teacher perspective on some of these programs they run. On my very first day here they said, ‘Let's ask the person who was in a classroom most recently.' That's happened a number of times. They want to know, will this work, or why won't it work.”

Kennedy's perspective and expertise is why he was selected one of 20 2010 Einstein Fellows nationally in the first place. In 2010 the College Board and Siemens Corporation named him one of 50 Advanced Placement math or science teachers, and he's won awards from the American Association of Physics Teachers and the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory.

It's been hardly all work and no play, especially with increased family time gained by a 40-hour workweek undisturbed by the paper-grading and study plan composition of a high school teacher.

As a family (Meghan is a full-time substitute teacher at the Arlington elementary school their children attend) the Kennedys filled a notebook with things they wanted to do and see. Venturing forth each weekend, they've visited the various monuments, the Smithsonian museums, etc.

“It's all a blur now,” said Mike, who has also started taking his boys out for a jog.

Then there are the perks of his appointment. He's taken a private tour of the Library of Congress, gone behind the scenes at the Smithsonian, visited the National Institutes of Health. On March 31 he'll attend the Washington Nationals baseball team's home opener.

“I do like it out here, I'm not going to kid you,” he said.

Kennedy does miss the Neuqua Valley community and camaraderie, teaching his students and dealing with his track athletes. In the interim the team is being directed by assistant Jaime Janota. The braintrust includes assistant Steve Saul and boys cross country coach Paul Vandersteen.

“They're all kind of keeping me abreast of what's happening,” Kennedy said.

“Right now,” he said, his plan is to return after the fellowship expires at the end of July.

It is clear, however, that the Beltway has enchanted another Kennedy.

“What I do is very, very cool,” he said.

When traveling is good

Something a little birdie told us...

St. Francis' girls basketball team hosted Guerin on Tuesday and won 48-41. The game went late, and when the Gators went to leave, their bus wouldn't start.

St. Francis coach Jeff Gerdeman got one of St. Francis' athletic buses, and Guerin's players and coach Johnnie Gage piled in. Gerdeman drove the team back to their school in River Grove. Good Samaritan Gerdeman didn't get back home until nearly midnight.

Lifka vs. The World

Naperville North all-state linebacker Nick Lifka, a Boston College recruit, is playing in the “Team USA vs. The World” football game on National Signing Day, Feb. 2, in Austin, Texas.

It's a game of under-19 players, under the auspices of USA Football, that offers a bounty of Division I commits. The United States contingent boasts players from such famous programs as Archbishop Moeller in Cincinnati, Sam Houston in Texas and Warren Central in Indiana.

The World team has a Canada-heavy roster that also brings in players from American Samoa, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Japan, Finland and Mexico.

In last year's inaugural Team USA vs. The World game in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the home team won 17-0.

Left wings, right wings, Redwings

The Benet Redwings' varsity hockey club will honor six seniors Saturday in a game against Brother Rice at Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge.

Concluding their prep careers are team captain and forward-defenseman Michael Keogh, assistant captain and defenseman Nicholas Lehn, defenseman Nicholas Nunley, left winger Brendan Flynn and the twin tandem of defenseman Kevin Walsh and Benet's lone female, goaltender Emily Walsh.

Benet is in its first year competing in the Chicago Catholic Hockey League, which includes a state champion in St. Rita. The Redwings, battling for a league postseason berth, drop the puck against Brother Rice on senior night at 8:40 p.m.