School board to meet
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education meets at 6 p.m. in the borough building at 148 N. Binkley Street in Soldotna (unless otherwise noted). For more information, call 907-714-8888 or visit kpbsd.k12.ak.us. The agenda and packet items are posted on Wednesday afternoon prior to the date of the Board meeting. Persons with disabilities who need accommodations to participate at the School Board meetings should contact Debbie Tressler at 907-714-8836 or email dtressler@kpbsd.k12.ak.us no later than three business days before the meeting date. The board will meet:
— Nov. 7
— Dec. 5
— Jan. 16
— Feb. 6
— March 6
— April 3
— May 1 (Seward High School)
— June 5
— June 6 (Planning Session)
Holidays and vacation days scheduled
— Nov. 24-25 – Thanksgiving;
— Dec. 22 – End of second quarter, no school for students;
— Dec. 22 to Jan. 6 – Winter vacation;
— Jan. 16 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day;
— Feb. 9-10 – Parent-teacher conferences, no school for students;
— March 10 – End of third quarter, no school for students;
— March 13-17 – Spring Break;
— May 24 – Last day of school.
Connections Home-School
Nov. 1 — Homer Connections Picture Retakes 1-3 p.m. at Paul Banks Elementary School Gym
Nov. 4 — AVTEC Tour (more info below)
Nov. 4 — Soldotna Connections Picture Retakes 3-5 p.m. at Borough Building Assembly Room
AVTEC Tour: All Connections High School Students are invited to attend a free guided tour of AVTEC in Seward on Nov. 4 at 10:00 a.m. AVTEC offers a variety of educational programs such as: Construction, Welding, Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Maritime Studies, Electronics, Culinary Arts and many other courses.
Battle of the Books: Battle of the Books are available at the Connections offices. If you are interested in participating in BOB please contact your advisor.
Book It – Pizza Hut Coupons: Book It Pizza Hut coupons are in! Please contact your local office for the coupons and have fun reading!
‘Every Kid In A Park’ To Be Held For Second Year: The Department of the Interior has just launched the second year of the Every Kid in a Park program. This program provides every fourth grader in America with a one-year pass so they and their families can visit federal lands for free for a full year – this includes National Parks, National Forests, and more! The intent of this program is to help connect children with nature and public lands, as someday these places will be theirs to protect and care for. If you know a 4th grader or someone who has one in their family, ensure they visit the Every Kid in a Park website (www.everykidinapark.gov/ ) to get their pass.
IDEA Homeschool
IDEA will be having its annual Teacher/Staff In-Service event in Anchorage Monday-Friday. All local teachers and staff, with the exception of the computer tech, will be in Anchorage and not here to serve families locally. For the most immediate teacher support, please email your Contact Teacher or Field Rep.
The local office will not be open for regular walk-in traffic. Our Tech will be in the office and available for tech support via the usual channels:
— Web Helpdesk (best method): webhelpdesk@ideafamilies.org
— Email: nathan.lewis@ideafamilies.org
— Phone: 260-7555
The Fairbanks business office staff will be in the office and can help with ordering and FAST issues: 1-877-582-4332 or 907-374-2200.
Thank you for your patience during the week.
Nov. 8, 12:30-2:30 – Wynn Fall Explorations in Homer! Wynn Nature Center (1.5 miles on East Skyline Rd.) Cost will be determined by number of participants. It will be somewhere between $5-10 per person.
Program Details: CACS Naturalists and volunteers will lead students in activities at the Wynn Nature Center that focus on animal adaptations & the food web. (If there is snow, focus will be on winter survival skills and snowshoeing).
What to Bring: Be prepared for two hours of outdoor activities. Dress in layers and bring a winter or rain jacket and hat. This event is open to all IDEA families!
Don’t forget to check out IDEA’s Intentional Math emails! These emails are full of wonderful ways to encourage students in the world of math! Math can be fun! Parents can also post daily math activities on IDEA’s regional Facebook page for a chance to win a $25 gift card.
BookIt! Coupons are available at the IDEA Office. IDEA Families are encouraged to participate in this program where students read for pizza coupons.
Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science
The Life Skill we are focusing on this week is Courage: To act according to one’s beliefs despite fear of adverse consequences.
Notice the new electronic bulletin board in the entryway. This TV displays all upcoming events and meetings as well as pictures of Kaleidoscope in action.
Monday
— 11:20 — School wide sing-a-long
— Students are invited to bring their costume to put on at 2:00. Please make sure they can put it on over their clothes, with minimal assistance. Teachers will not be able to supervise children in the restroom to change clothes. No face paint or pretend weapons.
— 3:00 — Costume Parade starts and families are invited to attend.
Friday
— Christmas Drive forms will be coming home in Friday folders. If you need assistance this holiday season, please return the spreadsheet no later than November 18, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. This is a firm deadline. If you are in a position to help another family, there is a donation form to fill out and return. You will be given specific information on items once your donation form is received. Thank you for your generosity in helping our Kaleidoscope families.
Reminders: Winter is here and students need to be prepared to go outside. Please remember to label snow pants, hats, gloves and lunch boxes.
Mark your calendar:
— November 10-Kindergarten going to Kenai Library & Kenai Post Office
— November 18-Christmas Drive Forms are due.
— November 23- EARLY RELEASE. School ends at 2:10 p.m. Six days throughout the academic year, students will meet the minimum day requirement, leaving teachers with approximately ninety minutes of additional time for planning/training. The length of the school day will be reduced by ninety minutes, for a total of nine hours during the 2015-2016 school year. On these early release dates, school will end ninety minutes (1.5 hours) earlier. Bus transportation will be adjusted by ninety minutes.
— November 24-25 Thanksgiving Holiday No school.
— November 28-4:15 APC Meeting
— December 6-7:00 p.m. Holiday Concert at KCHS for 1st-5th grade.
Kalifornsky Beach Elementary
Mr. Daniels’s Class completed in the Quarter 1 Engineering Challenge. This was a bridge building challenge. Students were required to use the materials given to their group and were given a time limit and short planning time. The top prize was chosen based on “Best of Show” and most weight. Students will take part in a “debrief” reflection time to discuss what went well and what they would change.
Nov. 7 — Veterans Day Assembly
Nov. 11 — School Picture Retakes
Nov. 18 — Bingo for Books
Kenai Central High
Student of the Month September 2016: Rotary – Mackenzie Lindeman; Chamber – Mara Youngren-Brown; Elks – Timothy Ticknor; Kard of the Deck: Abby Beck; Super Staffer: Mr. Nissen; Physical Science – Raven Patrick LA 9 – Sharryn Peterson; Ceramics – Fionna Heath Algebra Readiness – Chena Ward; AP World History – Vitalia Strait; Physical Training – Jacob Anderson; Geometry – Zada Slone; Spanish II – Molly Nusbaum; Choir – Karl Danielson; Chemistry – Gavin Porter; Study Skills – Andrew Wolverton; LA 11 – Stefan Gelosa; Geometry – Nya Dukowitz; LA 12 – Savannah Boze; World Relations – Tristin Dell.
Monday October — Happy Halloween
Wednesday — PTSA TEST in the Auditorium
Thursday — Peninsula Ice Challenge Kenai vs Homer, 5:30
Friday — Peninsula Ice Challenge Kenai vs Houston, 8:00; Volleyball Regions at Wasilla High School; Wrestling at Colony Tourney; Swim/Dive at State Tourney
Saturday — Peninsula Ice Challenge Kenai vs Soldotna, 3:45; Volleyball Regions at Wasilla High School; Wrestling at Colony Tourney; Swim/Dive at State Tourney
Mountain View Elementary
The annual Mountain View Carnival will be on Friday from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. and is open to the public. All funds earned will go towards student field trips or student activities, such as artists in schools, for all students. Proceeds may also be used for grade level equipment and supplies. There will be lots of food, games and prizes. Tickets are .25 each and most games cost 2-4 tickets to play. Parents are asked to sign up to help run a booth or to donate a cake or cookies for the cake walk and/or a prize for the prize walk. Parents need to have a background check through the school district to volunteer. Please call the office at 283-8600 if you need help with this process
Nikiski Middle-High
Yearbooks are available for purchase either online at Jostens.com or at the school office. Yearbooks are $50 each. The price will increase in January so order yours early!
Friday
— Region Volleyball at Houston
— High School Wrestling at ACS Invite
Saturday
— Region Volleyball at Houston
— High School Wrestling at ACS Invite
Coming up:
Nov. 23 – Early Release
Nov. 24 -25 – Thanksgiving Holiday, No School
Nikiski North Star Elementary
There will be a PTA meeting on Thursday at 3:45 p.m in the staff lounge. PTA is a wonderful and fulfilling way to volunteer at NNS. Some of the many areas PTA helps around the school are: boohoo breakfast at the beginning of school, snack program, fall carnival, Science fair school partnership, holiday art project, yearbook, teacher appreciation, family nights, and the list goes on! Email them at nnspta@gmail.com if you would like more information to get involved in the NNS PTA.
Nikiski Clubhouse (Boys & Girls Club) will be closed on Nov. 7 and Nov. 8th. The staff will be at a conference in Anchorage. Please make sure your child has other arrangements after school on these dates. If you need more information, please call the Clubhouse office at 776-2668.
Please check the lost and found located in the main hallway. All items will be donated to charity on the 1st and 15th of every month.
The winter days are getting brisk and it’s that time of year to bring out the winter gear. School district policy says students go outside unless it is colder than ten degrees below zero. Students enjoy playing outside in the fresh air and it’s always more fun if they are warm while doing so.
In order to save the cost of paper and supplies, NNS no longer prints the school newsletter. You can access the newsletter at nikiskinorthstar.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us. If parents/guardians would like the newsletter emailed to them, please contact the school office at 776-2600.
Skyview Middle
Basketball Competitive Play begins today! Sports schedule this week:
Saturday – Boys A Team and Boys B Team Scrimmages at Nikiski – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday– Girls A Team and Girls B Team Scrimmages at Nikiski – 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Battle of the Books: It’s that time again! Any student that wishes to participate in Battle of the Books please see Mr. Marks and Ms. McCabe.
Yearbooks are now on sale! Yearbooks can be ordered online or at the front office for $30.
Outstanding fees – First quarter has ended. Many students still have outstanding class fees, sports fees or overdue library books. Please log onto Power School for outstanding balance information. Please contact Mrs. Kircher in the office with questions.
The Skyview Angel Tree is located in the school commons. If you would like to help a Skyview Middle School student in need, please stop by to select a card from the tree. All items purchased need to be returned to the front office by Dec. 5. Thank you!
Soldotna Elementary
Mark your calendars for these upcoming events:
Saturday — The Great Aluminum Can Collection Day, details below
November 15 — Parent PACK Meeting 3:45pm in the Library
School News:
The Great Aluminum Can Collection Day is being held at the Soldotna Landfill. To participate, please bag your aluminum cans and drop them off November 2-6. A volunteer will be taking the cans from the school to the Landfill.
Kvamme’s school store is open on Wednesday mornings before school. Students can purchase pencils, pens, folders, pencil holders and much more!
Colder weather is here! Please be sure to send students with appropriate cold weather attire.
Soldotna High
Application Week at SoHi Nov. 7-11, hosted by the Counseling Department. Show “proof” that you have APPLIED to be entered in a drawing for prizes! Applications to Military, Trade school, Certificate program, Junior college, College or University will be accepted (Proof of application can be a confirmation email, a printed/completed application, a confirmation screenshot on your phone, or acceptance letter/documentation.
Soldotna High School PTSA will meet on Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m. in the SoHi Staff Lounge. New members are always welcome! Hope to see you there!
Soldotna High School is collecting gently used formal dresses, shoes, and accessories for Cinderella’s Closet 2017. This is a program which helps ALL area high school ladies with free prom dresses, shoes, and accessories. We have helped over 500 ladies in the past 7 years. We are taking donations of prom dresses, shoes, and accessories. All sizes dresses are welcome, however we are in particular need of dresses in size 12 to 18. These items can be dropped off to the main office at Soldotna High School between 8am-3pm. Since the donations are made to a school, tax donation forms can be issued by SoHi upon request. If you have any questions, please email epokryfky@kpbsd.org for more info. Thanks for helping the young ladies of the Kenai Peninsula!
Volunteers are also needed to help with the December Staff Appreciation luncheons at SoHi on Dec. 7 and at SoPrep on Dec. 15. Please email Sheilah-Margaret Pothast at agr8fulmom@hotmail.com with “PTSA” in the subject line if you can assist Beth with either of these events.
The SoHi SkillsUSA chapter is having a fund raiser selling rural mail boxes. Contact Advisor Mr. Gordon at 260-7000 for more information.
The Girls Basketball team will be hosting a fundraiser on Nov. 19. What Women Want is a shopping expo that is free, open to the public, and includes over 40 vendors and local businesses. The kid’s jump zone for this event is sponsored by Jumpin’ Junction.
The Counseling Department will be hosting 2 College Goal FAFSA Completion Workshops for senior parents. Event will be Nov. 1 in Room 24 at 6:00 p.m. Bring your 2015 tax information. For more information, contact your school counselor.
Mr. Gordon is collecting Baby and Senior pictures for the Graduation Slide show. Turn in no more than one of each. December 2, 2016 is the due date for all pictures to be turned in. We will also be collecting video highlights from the various extra-curricular events throughout the year. Due date for the video highlights will be April 21, 2017 but please turn them into Mr. Gordon immediately after the events if possible. Pictures and video clips can be sent by email to dgordon@kpbsd.k12.ak.us. Pictures and video clips turned in after the above dates will not be included in the Graduation Senior Video/slide show.
Soldotna Prep
Congratulations to Autumn Chumley who was honored as October Chamber Student of the Month at a luncheon on Oct. 25.
Congratulations to the following students for being selected as October Student of the Month recipients: Strength Training PE- Casey Earll, Social Studies- Levi Rosin, Language Arts- Kobe Miller, Math- Riley Vickaryous, Drama- Anya Hondel, Science- Cameron Presley.
The next meeting of the SoHi PTSA will be Nov. 10 at 5:30 p.m in the SoHi Staff Lounge. New members are always welcome!
Volunteers are also needed to help with the December Staff Appreciation luncheons at SoHi on Dec. 7 and at SoPrep on Dec. 15. Please email Sheilah-Margaret Pothast at agr8fulmom@hotmail.com with “PTSA” in the subject line if you can assist Beth with either of these events.
Robotic Club meets Monday and Wednesday from 2:30 – 5:00 in Room 19 and Thursdays from 5-7 p.m.
After School Tutoring Monday and Wednesday 2:30 – 3:30 in Room 10 and Tuesdays and Thursdays in Room 30.
Please visit Soldotna Prep School Page for important information http://soldotnaprep.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/home/
Tustumena Elementary
Monday — Pumpkin Carving Contest; Trunk or Treat, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Red Ribbon Week
Monday – 70’s and 80’s Day
Tuesday – Hat Day
Wednesday – Sports Fan Day
Thursday – Nerd Day
Friday – Mustache Day
