District School News
Kalifornsky Beach Elementary
SIGS roller skating is Friday.
First-grade transportation projects are due Feb. 8.
Mark Anderson will do an artist residency at K-Beach Elementary Feb. 6 through March 1.
Student teacher Ms. Tyler took charge of Mr. Daniel's class while he led Sky Lab tours. The class finished a study of sound.
Mrs. Teller's class is enjoying learning about weather and what makes seasons.
Mrs. Murphy's fifth- and sixth-grade class continues to monitor Slikok Creek. Last week they caught four fish: a rainbow, a dolly and two coho.
The third- and fourth-grade Battle of the Books team will be Shaynee DeVito, Sarah Rife, DeAnne Martin and Jesse Duke. There will be a party and T-shirts for all students who met the attendance requirements. The party date will be announced after the district battle is over.
Mrs. Peterson's class finished a unit on weather and are off to Antarctica to study penguins.
Mrs. Furlong's class helped with the nurses celebrate School Nurse Day with few special cards and surprise visit.
Student directories are completed and sent home. You can pick one up at the school office. Annique Smith put this together.
Reserve a copy of the yearbook for $8. If you have pictures of school activities, send them into the office for Linda Hibberd.
Mountain View Elementary
Fifth-grade teachers appreciate Phillips Petroleum for providing the funds for peninsula fifth-graders to go to the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska. Several Mountain View teachers attended the orientation Jan. 19 and are ready to tour the Phillips plant and Rendezvous With a Comet.
Students who qualified for the Elks Hoop Shoot were Logan Rosing, Jerry Caperton, Jordan Jackson, Kaylee Grant, Justin Herrmann, Ty Fuller, Sammy Hull, Amber Wright, Lincoln Wensley, Dylan Lawrence, Antonia Talmadge, Rebecca Satathite and Shahalie Burdick. Kari Hanson was the alternate.
Investigating physical and chemical changes, Mr. Daniel's class applied their knowledge of chemical bonds to breaking water down into its base elements.
Jim Cooper of the Homer Electric Association brought the educational program, "Electric City" to the school Thursday. The fifth-grade students reviewed or previewed concepts concerning electricity and related safety issues.
Mrs. Jackson's class is working on a survival unit. They built shelters and will live in them for the next two days. The kids have to learn to live together in this situation. They have a survival journal to record their experiences and answer thought-provoking questions. They read "My Side of the Mountain" to go with this unit.
Mrs. Cramer's class is reading "Helen Keller." Tom Barnard, the vision specialist for the district, will do a presentation Friday about visual impairment.
Nikiski Elementary
The forensics competition is fast approaching. Students in grades four through six will prepare and perform spoken pieces in a variety of categories. Nikiski Elementary will hold its forensics competition Feb. 22. Winners will compete in the borough competition at Soldotna High School March 9. For information, see your classroom teacher or Mrs. Kendall.
Nelson Amen from Tesoro will present lessons on global economics to Mrs. Kendall's sixth-grade class this week as part of the Junior Achievement program. Junior Achievement volunteers from local businesses bring the world of work and economics to the classroom.
Fifth-grade students soon will begin the DARE program. Trooper Stanton will be their instructor.
Lindy Cox's resource class is still selling the Nikiski Elementary Cookbook for $5 in the office.
The Anchorage Imaginarium Sky Lab was a great success. Nikiski thanks Terry Durrant for her amazing efforts to push the Star Lab to come to Nikiski. The school also would like to thank last year's PTA board of directors for seeing the value in having students learn in the Star Lab and all the staff members' participation and cooperation in the successful mission.
North Star Elementary
The North Star Elementary PTO is sponsoring Bingo for Books. Interested parties are asked to bring hardcover and paperback books to the office.
The Science Club for Girls, for grades four through six, will meet Monday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the art-science room. Participants will learn about the science process, skills, meet women scientists in the community or those use science in their occupation, and investigate science-related problems in the community. They will do experiments, go on field trips and hear from guest speakers.
The North Star kindergarten and first-grade classes will present "An Alaskan Cruise" Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the gym. The production features students from the classes of Ms. Bingham, Mrs. McBee, Mrs. Lundy and Mrs. Thye. Those who attend will hear original music composed by Whitey Dyment and J.D. Uponen, who will perform at the concert. Mrs. Pilatti is the music director.
The Parent Teacher Organization will meet Friday at 3:45 p.m.
The first wrestling practice will be Monday at 6 p.m.
Preschool will meet from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Feb. 6 in the lower activity room.
Redoubt Elementary
A sixth-grade writers' workshop began Monday. It prepares students for the writing section of the benchmark exam in March. Students will attend two days each week from 3:30 to 5 p.m. throughout February. For more information, contact Mrs. Friedersdorff or Mrs. Hale.
The Battle of the Books team for third and fourth grade will be Hannah Romberg, William McDermid, Katrina Truesdell and Cameron Sinz. The fifth- and sixth-grade team includes Ryan Helminski, Rosemary Houglum, Tiffany Aure and Danielle Haselow. Tom Blacklock is the second alternate.
The school spelling bee is Thursday at 1 p.m. in the gym. Classroom winners included, Nick Rodriguez, Keegan Chavka, Ethan Waters, Shelly Barker, Delainie Burford, and Mavica McLane, alternate from Mr. Chavka's sixth grade; Amanda Baer, Jessica Oglesbee, Hyuntae Kim, Rosemary Houglum, Brit Emery and Kailie Nelson, alternate, from Mrs. Hagen's sixth grade; Jake Stephl, Shannon Moore, Madeleine DeVore, Tom Blacklock, Zach Oakley and Stephanie Arbach, alternate, from Mr. Ball's fifth grade; Alyssa Godes, Gage Harvey, Will McDermid, Whitney Velez and Julie Martushev from Mrs. DeVolld's fourth and fifth grade; Dillon Ball, Brittany Bush, Blaine Carver, Emily Smola, and Zachary Truesdell from Mr. Mills' fourth grade; and Tyler Ansel, Betheny Anderson-Crist, Colton Ciufo, Jeremy Dooley, Taylan Streiff and Rebecca Bowser, alternate, from Mrs. Harding's fourth grade.
Redoubt is recycling household batteries through a Caring for the Kenai project by Erin Hartman. Students who bring in batteries are entered in a weekly drawing for a free sundae at Dairy Queen.
A Fun Fest will be Friday from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. for $4 per child or $8 per family. Redoubt students only. Permission slips must be turned in by the morning of Fun Fest. Students without a permission slip by Friday morning cannot stay.
Bingo for Books is Thursday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Refreshments will be provided for Redoubt students and their families.
The $18 yearbook price has been extended through Friday. Monday the price will go to $20.
Sears Elementary
Friday is Sports Jersey-Uniform Day. Children should wear a sports jersey or uniform of their favorite football team to kick off the Super Bowl celebration.
There will be a Fun Fest Feb. 6 after school. Fill out a permission slip and send registration money for your child by then.
Artist Shala Dobson will be at Sears Monday to share her talents as part of the Artist in Residence Program. Parent volunteers are needed.
The Teddy Bear Parade will be Feb. 13. Children may bring a favorite teddy that day.
Sears seeks donations of appropriate used games, toys, blocks and puzzles for indoor recess. Small tubs also are needed.
Mrs. Knudsen's and Ms. Lafferty's classes have been studying snow and ice in science. They predicted how much water would be in a cup after the snow melted and were surprised at the results.
Mrs. Anderson's class learned about their homes. They wrote about and painted homes. The children will study Kenai and have pen pals in Florida.
Mrs. Hanson's class is subtracting using regrouping. Students enjoyed presentations by the Dena'ina tribe about storytelling, plant use, language and singing.
Mrs. Jackson's class observed leopard and grass frog tadpoles in science. They began as dots in the water and then swimmers with little tails.
Mrs. Bryson's class drew wild things like in the book "Where the Wild Things Are." They began their snow unit. They will learn snow poems and act out the story "The Mitten."
Soldotna Elementary
Soldotna Elementary would like to thank Grigori Vaissenberg, the Russian teacher, and his students Scott Foster, Stacy Foster, Megan Needs, Darin Marker, Daniel Gormay and John Woodman and fifth-grade teacher Jan Bobek for coordinating and teaching Russian to fifth- and sixth-grade students.
Soldotna Elementary will be switching to Dell computers in February. Teachers will participate in Dell computer training Feb. 18.
The Soldotna PTA will meet Feb. 7 in the library at 3:45 p.m.
Congratulations to Ms. Bobek's fifth-grade class, winner of another ice cream party for the second quarter Box Tops for Education competition, collecting 494 box tops. Mrs. Thompson's third-grade class counted all 1,526 box tops. The school has received $645 to put toward a reader board sign for the front of the school.
Sterling Elementary
All students participated in bus evacuation drills Tuesday. Students are required to do these drills to prepare for emergencies that might happen when they are riding the bus. The school thanks Laidlaw personnel for helping keep students safe.
The awards assembly will be Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the gym.
Musicians from the Sitka Music Ensemble will visit the school Tuesday at 11 a.m.
Teachers will send home notices regarding parent-teacher conferences.
The lost and found area is filling up. Check it for items you may have left or lost.
Falcon Friday for the intermediate students will be Feb. 8.
The next PTA meeting will be Feb. 21 to talk about the spring carnival and new officers for next year.
Tustumena Elementary
Report cards went out Friday. Parent-teacher conferences are coming up Feb. 14 and 15. Expect appointment information this week. Contact your child's teacher if you need to change the time.
This week is kindergarten preregistration for the 2002-03 school year from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and 1 to 2:30 p.m. Bring immunization records and birth certificates.
Intramural cross-country skiing began this week for grades two through six. This activity will take place after school Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout February.
The schoolwide Battle of the Books is today. There will be a school assembly in the gym. Third- and fourth-grade students will battle at 1:30 p.m., and fifth- and sixth-grades will battle at 2:45 p.m. Parents, relatives, friends and interested people are invited to attend.
Tustumena has joined seven other elementary schools in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District to conduct math assessments for each of the students through Friday. These assessments will provide information for curriculum-instructional use, not for grading student progress. Each grade-level assessment is aligned to the Alaska State Standards.
Kenai Middle School
Students with good behavior and grades for the second quarter were able to attend the celebration activity Thursday. Students chose to go swim, bowl, ice skate or to stay at the school for activities throughout the building.
Sixth-grade students who met reading goals had a fun after-school activity Friday. Students were zooming around the halls on scooters, roller blading and skate boarding, wall climbing and participating in gym activities. Sixth-grade students with reading awards also participated.
There will be an all-school activity night Friday from 6 to 8 p.m.
For liability reasons, the climbing wall permission slip notebook has been screened of any permission slips that were not signed by parents for this school year. Consequently, students who have not brought in a permission slip this year will not be allowed to climb. New slips are available at the office.
Soldotna Middle School
Andy Schaafsma won the school geography bee, Keegan Birchfield took second and Liana Purugganan placed third. Andy advanced to the next round: a written exam. Depending on his score, he could attend the state bee in Anchorage. The national championship first prize is a $25,000 college scholarship.
Amanda Dallman is the January Soldotna Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month. Amanda was recognized at lunch Jan. 22 at the chamber luncheon.
The wrestling team had a successful inter-squad scrimmage last week. Team T-shirts go to individuals who go above and beyond expectation every day in practice. Fifteen SMS wrestlers have received T-shirts.
The wrestling meet is at SMS Saturday at 10 a.m. This invitational includes Chapman, Ninilchik, Seldovia and Nikiski.
SMS skiers will participate in a cross-country skiing invitational meet at Nikiski Middle-Senior High School.
Seventh- and eighth-grade reading classes hosted Bob VanDerWege as a guest reader at The Reading Cafe, where students and visitors enjoy good books in a relaxing atmosphere. To be a guest reader, contact Virginia Morgan at 262-4344 or e-mail her at Virginia_Morgan@kpbsd. k12.ak.us.
The public health nurses will offer a hepatitis B immunization clinic Feb. 8 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. for students needing the third hepatitis B and the second hepatitis A. Permission forms are necessary to participate.
Connections
Connections will sponsor a ski trip to Alyeska Feb. 19, weather permitting. If you are interested, contact Bill at 262-6315. Connections needs to know how many people will be interested in a complete package. Parents will be responsible for transportation, but the group may be able to car pool or secure a school van.
The Kenai Soil and Water Conservation District is sponsoring a contest. The theme is Conservation vs. Preservation. Children in kindergarten through sixth-grade can participate by making a poster, and grades seven to 12 can participate by writing a speech. For more information, call Wendi or Bill at 262-6315.
Return materials now to give other parents and students a chance to use them.
January's and February's book club order forms are in. They are available for pickup at Jane or Tanya's desk or the front office. Homer and Seward parents can call Connections, and staff will send you the order forms. Orders are due Friday. Checks need to be made out to the book club. A separate check needs to be made out for each different order form even if two orders are from the same club.
Interior Distance Education of Alaska
Teachers are attending an in-service through Thursday. The office will remain open to families for assistance and access to the library, resource room and tech support.
The deadline for the Name the New Ferries contest is today. Send your essay and entry form to Randy Wooten in the Anchorage office. Fore more information, contact the IDEA Web site.
Science fairs packets are available at the IDEA office, and registration forms are due in the office by Friday. Science fairs are scheduled for Seward Feb. 7, in Homer Feb. 13 and in Kenai and Soldotna Feb. 20.
The final competition for the seventh- and eighth-grade Battle of the Books is at 10 a.m. Feb. 6.
Chad Sorenson, contact teacher, will give a social studies workshop for all grades with the emphasis on seventh through 12th grade. Bring your favorite social studies curriculum, questions and ideas. The workshops will be in Seward Feb. 12 at the library, in Kenai Feb. 13 at the Kenai IDEA office and in Homer Feb. 14 at the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Workshops are from 1 to 3 p.m.
Alaska Close-Up is a program for high school students to learn about and explore Juneau. During a week in April, students will gain a better understanding of the legislative, judicial and executive branches of government. Those interested in participating should submit an essay to Mary Fowler at: wonderfowler@ideafamilies.org by Feb. 14.
Kenai Central High School
Class meetings are today to discuss prom, homegoing, fund-raising ideas and graduation.
The next basketball booster meeting will be Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the teacher's lounge.
A pep assembly Feb. 6 will honor the hockey and cross-country ski teams.
If parents of juniors are interested in serving on the after-prom committee, call the office to arrange a planning meeting. Prom will be April 13.
The National Honor Society is doing a clothes drive through Friday. Bring unwanted clothes to Mrs. Bergholtz's room; they will be donated to the community. Honor Society members offer tutoring in the counseling center after school Tuesdays and Thursdays. The chapter also collected used Christmas cards to send to St. Jude's Children's Ranch, where they will be made into ornaments and sold to raise money for the ranch.
Representatives from colleges and the armed forces meet with interested students in the counseling center on various days. For more information, check your school newsletter, the bulletin board outside the counseling center and visit with school counselors.
For more information, check our the school Web site at www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/kchs/launch/.
Ninilchik School
The girls basketball team is selling chances on baked goods at home games. You can help by making snacks. Contact Jamie Leman at 567-3722 or 567-3361, or e-mail her at jamilee_2000@yahoo.com.
Jesse Leman took first in the Elks Hoop Shoot with 16 out of 25 baskets in the 12- and 13-year-old boys' division. Krista Leman placed first with 17 out of 25 baskets in the 12- and 13-year-old girls' division. Statewide scores will be tallied to see who will advance to the northwest regional competition.
The Ninilchik Community Preschool people thank the parents who help the program run smoothly. Dena Beneltz, Susan Oskolkoff, Jamie Encelewski, Barb Hess, Raini Lee, Maria Goins and Tim Norman have volunteered their time in the classroom. If your child turned 3 by Aug. 15, they are eligible to join the 10 children already attending. Tuition is $50 per month, and you are expected to help in the room on a regular basis. For more information, contact Christy Wetherbee.
The varsity boys and girls basketball teams will play Community Christian School at home Tuesday at 4 p.m.
Skyview High School
The Interact Club had its induction ceremony Jan. 23 during lunch. The school would like to thank the Rotarians who helped start the club and guests Bob Lambe, Merrill Sikorski, Fred Chambers, Tom Janz and Sam Stewart. Skyview inducted the members as well as the board of directors. Summer Engler is president, Ryan Staab will be president-elect, Randy Berg is vice president, Bethany Thornton will be secretary, Carrie Collins will be treasurer, Levi McKay is school service chair, Amanda McKinley is community service chair, Laura Tarbox will be international relations chair, and David Quartly is fund-raising chair.
The site council will meet Feb. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the conference room.
Parent-teacher conferences will be Feb. 14 from noon to 6 p.m. There will be no school those days.
Homegoing week will start Monday for basketball and hockey. There will be dress-up days and fun activities throughout the week for class spirit points and a sweetheart dance Saturday. Skyview also will host hockey regions starting Feb. 7 at the Soldotna Sports Center.
Soldotna High School
Yearbooks will be sold for $50 Friday in the commons at lunch. Yearbooks are available for $50 through Monday. The price will then rise. Personalized covers are $5.25 and $3.25 for each icon with a personalized cover. For more information, contact Mrs. Bartman.
Tryouts for the Soldotna High School production of "Romeo and Juliet" will be after school today. Any student interested in participating should see Mr. Druce.
The Star Sensations Dance Team will host a performance dance recital in the SoHi auditorium Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Aside from the Star Sensations, dance groups from several local dance studios will perform. The cost is $5 per person at the door. For more information, contact Holly Kiel at Soldotna Middle School.
Cook Inlet Academy
Students of the Week ending Jan. 18 were Aaron Rowley, Maurie Knowlton, Jeffery McNutt, Hannah Kjeldson, Stephen Webb and Brooke Forsi. They were honored for leadership, helpfulness, handwriting and spiritual qualities.
Welcome Tiffany Smith, a new student, to Cook Inlet Academy
The library needs shelving. For more information, e-mail Cheryl at bees4@pobox.alaska.net and write "library shelves" in the subject line. Donations are tax-deductible.
CIA thanks the Rotary Club for computer donations and its help for the computer lab.
The junior high will takes a day ski trip Friday. High-schoolers will have an overnight ski trip.
The spelling bee will be in Homer in February, and the science fair will be March 11 at CIA.
The lost and found needs checking. Remaining snowsuits, lunch boxes, book covers, books, dishes, shoes and clothing will be donated to charity.
The three priorities for education at CIA are expanding the mind, energizing the heart and enriching the spirit. CIA is guided by the conviction that each student needs to learn, but needs as well to be loved. A strong intellect alone is inadequate to face life's demands; for a fruitful life, one must have a strong heart. Parents considering a Christian school education for their child can call 262-5101 or e-mail chuck@gci.net.
Grace Lutheran School
At Grace Lutheran School this week, students learned how the Israelites showed their faith in one true God by marching around the city of Jericho, just as they were instructed to do. God, faithful to his promise, made the walls of the city collapse. Students learned to apply this to their own lives by showing faith in God through obedience to his commands.
Dailee Cooper has memorized the books of the Old Testament.
The following students had perfect attendance for the second quarter: Garrett Redford, Josh Love, Kathryn Love, Alexis Norris, Spencer Norris and Kenny Werth. Kathryn Love passed her addition facts.
Seventh- and eighth-grade students are learning about American history once again, focusing on the early 1900s.
Fifth- and sixth-grade students are diving into the history of ancient China.
First- and second-graders are learning more complicated sentences with prepositional phrases.
Third- and fourth-grade students have learned all eight parts of speech, including conjunctions and interjections.
For more information regarding enrollment for the 2002-03 school year, call 283-9551.
Wings Christian Academy
Spirit Month for Wings Christian Academy is coming up. Every Friday throughout February will be a different school spirit day. The themes have not yet been decided.
Student council is putting on a birthday celebration at the school Friday for Caleb Burger, Joel Consiel, Marcia Dutton, Leah Howell, Julianne Pettey, Megan Ruffridge, Katie Sutton, Ali Thompson and Kelsey Jose. These students had birthdays in December, January and February.
The boys basketball team ordered new uniforms.
The cleanest desk of the week award goes to Lindsay Thompson of the upper learning center and Megan Ruffridge of the lower learning center.
Kenai Cooperative Preschool
Last week, students at the preschool created a giant cooperative map of Alaska. The map is three-dimensional and has real dirt and cotton-ball snow.
Preschool students made flowers, arctic animals, mountains and their houses for the map.
This week, students will take a field trip to the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center and have lunch at McDonald's.
The preschool would like to thank Brady Malston and his family for taking care of Legs, the tarantula, over Christmas break.
For more information about the school, call 283-3100.
Peninsula Grace Preschool
This week's helpers are Ella, William, Machaela and Zachary. Last week's Good Student Award went to Zachary for having good manners at the lunch table.
Miss Chris' class will study and discuss the Ten Commandments and the role Moses played in writing them. Students will make their own tablet with the Commandments.
Miss Wilma's class will study teeth. Students will learn the names of the teeth and what happens when teeth fall out. They will also review good hygiene. Students will receive new toothbrushes and toothpaste as an incentive to brush their teeth.
Students made designs with a string art project last week. The projects are hanging on the wall for parents to view.
For more information, call 262-1284.
Sterling Head Start
The community of Sterling now has a public ice skating ring. The rink needs hockey and ice skates for children ages 3 to 5. If you would like to donate any skates, drop them off at Sterling Head Start Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The staff and children of Sterling Head Start would like to thank Ron Arnold for the tour of the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska in Kenai. Both the morning and afternoon classes learned and saw the wonders of space and our universe.
Last week's class theme was water animals. The children worked with all sorts of animal puppets such as a crab and turtle.
The children also have a week's theme on safety, covering first aid, electricity and playground safety.
Sterling Head Start held a parent committee meeting Jan. 17. The next parent committee meeting will be Feb. 21 at 6:45 p.m. The special guest speaker will be Cindy Bryant from Central Peninsula Counseling. She will discuss season affect syndrome with the parents. All parent committee meetings are held at Sterling Head Start.
To have information published in Schools, please send a description of the event or accomplishment to Shana Loshbaugh at P.O. Box 3009, Kenai, AK 99611. Information will be accepted by e-mail at clarion@alaska.net or by fax at 283-3299.
The deadline for submission is Thursday at 5 p.m. for publication in the following Wednesday's paper. For information, contact Shana Loshbaugh at 283-7551.