School board to meet
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education meets at 7 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:
■ May 4 (at Seward High School);
■ June 1;
■ June 2 (Board planning session).
Holidays and vacation days scheduled
May 20 — Last day of school.
Free Training for High School Students
KPBSD Career and Tech Department is offering free after school academies to train students in the welding, construction and medical field. Listed below are upcoming academies:
There is a welding academy at Nikiski High School. The students will be building a snow machine trailer. Class days will run March 17-May 14, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:30-4:30 p.m.
A summer construction academy will be taking place at the Workforce Development Center (located behind KCHS). Students will be constructing a greenhouse and a shed. Class days will be May 27-30 and June 1-4 from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Also offered this summer is an Emergency Trauma Technician (ETT) academy. The academy will be taking place at the Workforce Development Center (located behind KCHS). Academy days will be May 27 – June 5 from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. This course will cover all areas required to receive certification as an Emergency Medical Technician. The last week of class will be for review and the final exam. If you pass the exam you’ll receive your certification and an ETT patch.
Any high school student is able to participate in any of our academies. If a student successfully completes the 60 hour academy they will receive a ½ practical art credit.
To sign up students can see their counselor, call Tiffany Eck at 714-8884 or go to MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from “onestop.kpbsd.k12.ak.us” claiming to be onestop.kpbsd.k12.Alaskaus/
Funding for the Alaska Construction Academies comes from a grant from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development and The Alaska Department of Commerce and Economic Development
Connections Home School Program
Dates to remember:
■ Ed Performance: Window now open from May 1-15 for students in grades third through eighth (directions below)
■ 05/06 – Salmon Celebration @ Johnson Lake in Kasilof from 12:00 p.m. -2:00 p.m. (more information below)
■ 05/07 – Second Annual Kenai River Clean Up! (more information below)
■ 05/07 – Talent Show @ SoHi Auditorium @ 5:00 p.m.
■ 05/14 – Barren Island Trip – Only three spots left!
■ 05/15 – Retirement Party and Ice Cream Social for Mr. Young 1:00-3:00 p.m. @ Soldotna Office (more information below)
■ 05/18 – 2nd Semester Reports Due
■ 05/21 – Connections Graduation @ Soldotna High School 4:00 p.m. (practice @ 2:00-3:30 p.m.)
April: Re-Enrollment for 2015/2016 School Year Starts – Please call your Connections Office to make an appointment! Unexpended student allotments at the end of this school year (June 30, 2015) will be rolled over to the 2015-2016 school year provided the following conditions are met:
■ Students must complete the enrollment process with Connections prior to August 30, 2015
■ Connections encourages families to reenroll by May 29, 2015
■ Previous grade reports must be submitted
■ Students must maintain continuous enrollment with Connections
Upcoming Events:
EdPerformance is an assessment that is available for parents to assess student’s strengths and weaknesses. Ed Performance can be administered from home and results will assist parents in tailoring instruction to meet student’s needs. This assessment targets students in grades 6-8 however it is available starting at third grade for students to take. Each assessment (Reading, Language Arts and Math) will take 30-60 minutes+ and may be taken three times throughout the school year (September, January, and May) in order to show growth, determine what standards are mastered, and show what standards need to be met.
The May testing window is open from May 1-15. It is best not to give all 3 tests on the same day so please allow plenty of time for your student to take the assessment.
Please keep in mind that students are NOT expected to know all of the information on these assessments, and the computer-adaptive nature of the assessment finds the student’s level by giving questions above and below their level. Please forewarn your students so they are not frustrated by not knowing all the answers to the exam questions. No materials or resources (books, google, etc.) should be used by the student taking these assessments. The idea is to show growth over time, so the student needs to maintain uniformity by not using any outside resources each time they are tested.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your advisor. The Second annual Kenai River clean-up is coming, and Connections has the privilege of cleaning up the Rotary Park this year! Please meet us at the Funny River Rotary Park on May 7 @ 10 a.m. A pizza lunch will be provided and we’d love everyone (students and parents) to attend. The schedule is below, please RSVP with Mark Wackler (mwackler@kpbsd.k12.ak.us) for more information and directions. This is a fun and rewarding opportunity to help our community, so we hope to see you there!
■ Dress in layers and wear appropriate shoes/boots
■ 10:00 a.m. – meet at Rotary Park: Funny River Rd, past The Gilman Center @ Mile 2.3 on the left
■ 10-11:30 a.m. – clean up the riverbank and park area as a team
■ 11:30-12 noon – lunch provided (pizza!)
■ 12-1 p.m. – more time to clean up if needed
Retirement Party and Ice Cream Social for Mr. Young 1:00-3:00 p.m @ Soldotna Office:
You are invited to Mr. Young’s retirement party and ice cream social May 15 at the Soldotna office from 1:00 p.m. -3:00 p.m. After 28 years of service in education Mr. Young is retiring as principal of Connections. Please come help us celebrate this momentous achievement!
Interior Distance Education Alaska
Now enrolling for the 2015-2016 school year! Please go to www.ideafamilies.org and click enroll now to register! It is also time to re-enroll for our existing families. Please look up your re-enrollment passwords and ID that was sent to your IDEA families webmail. As always, please feel free to stop by the office in the Red Diamond Center to look at our resource room, library or speak with a contact teacher. We are here to serve you as you educate your children.
Upcoming events to put on your calendar:
April 20-May 15 – STAR Early Literacy – In addition to AMP testing, the STAR early literacy is a state mandated test for students grades Kindergarten through second. This is a helpful tool that will be conducted at the IDEA office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays during the dates April 20-May 15. Your contact teacher will call you to set up an appointment. This is a computer based test that will generate results while you are in the office. Parents are welcome to stay in the room while their children are testing.
May – Come celebrate your graduate locally on May 5 at Kalifonsky Christian Center at 7:00 p.m. This is for all Region K students who are graduating in 2015! Students are invited to share memories and thank you’s! Can you join us? Please sign up online!
May 8 – Homer activity day! We will have STAR Early Literacy assessments for grades Kindergarten through second grade. Please call Adele for a time slot.
Next activity on that same day include an Islands and Oceans Estuary Walk from 10:30-11:30 a.m. and a tour of fishing boats from 1:00-3:00 p.m.
May 14 – IDEA’s annual track meet at Skyview track! We will meet at 4:00 p.m. for our track events. This is an event for all ages, including parents! We normally end around 6 p.m. There is no need to sign up, just come!
May 15 – Seward Activity Day! We will have STAR Early Literacy Testing, then off to Lowe Point Beach at 1:00 p.m.! Bring your kites and beach gear! IDEA will provide the hot dogs! Come join us and bring a friend!
May 22-23 – Peterson Bay Overnight Tide pooling trip! We will board a guided boat on the May 22 and look at tide pools all day with a marine biologist. The area is rich with wildlife, including sea stars, octopus, sea otters, and more. We then will spend the night in heated yurts located near the field station. There is a campfire pit and an outdoor meeting area. We will head back to Homer in the morning and be back about 10 a.m. on the 23. The cost for this overnight, guided field trip is $110 per person. The cost can be deducted from your allotment for the student portion.
Kalifornsky Beach Elementary
K-Beach students are on the Race for Recess. Please clip and send in your Box Tops for Education. Classes who bring in 250 Box Tops by May 8 will win an extra recess.
The final K-Beach Band concert will be May 7, at 6:00 p.m. in the K-Beach Gym.
Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science
Monday, May 4
■ This is Student Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week so give a big thank you to Miss Anita and Miss Sheryl in the kitchen!
Tuesday, May 5
■ 9:20 a.m. Mrs. Hurst’s, Mrs. Harper’s and Mrs. Stephens’ classeses will go to KCHS for spring concert rehearsal.
■ 7:00 p.m. Spring Concert for Mrs. Hurst’s, Mrs. Harper’s and Mrs. Stephens’ classes
Wednesday, May 6
■ This is National School Nurse’s Day so say thank you to Nurse Mary Lou for all she does for us!
■ 1st/2nd grade are having a PJ day with pancakes in the classroom.
■ 7:45 a.m. Kindergarteners are going on a Study Trip to Bishop’s Beach in Homer
■ 10:30 a.m. Third and fourth grade are going to Johnson Lake for Salmon Celebration.
Thursday, May 7
■ 6:00 p.m. Band concert at KSAS
Friday, May 8
■ 9:15 a.m. PTA meeting in the art room
■ 1:10 p.m. Band assembly in the gym
■ 4:00 p.m. Student Placement forms for next year are due
Mark your calendars
■ May 11 4:00 p.m. – APC meeting
■ May 11 and 12th – Bike Rodeo (sixth – sixth grade)
■ May 13 7:00 a.m. – second graders go to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and at 9:30 a.m. First graders will visit the Wildlife Refuge in Soldotna
■ May 15 at 6:00 p.m. – End-of-Year BBQ.
■ May 19 at 5:30 p.m. – Mrs. Harper’s, Mrs. Hurst’s and Mrs. Stephens’ classes will meet at the Kenai Park
■ May 20 Last day of school for students – no hot lunch will be served
Reminders:
The school website at http://kaleidoscope.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us provides you with 2015-2016 Class Supply List, office newsletters, lunch menus, the school calendar, PTA and APC information, plus more! The Life Skill we are focusing on this week is Caring: To feel and show concern for others.
Mountain View Elementary
We have a limited number of yearbooks for sale at the office for $18 each.
The Kindergarten Spring Concert will be Wednesday, May 6 at 2:00 p.m. in the gym at Mountain View.
National School Nurses Day is May 6.
Attention all first and second graders mark your calendars, it is Bike Rodeo time!
Thursday, May 7 will be Bicycle Safety Instruction in the classroom. The Kenai Police Department will send an officer to teach and instruct students on Safe Bicycle Tips. Friday, May 8 students may bring their bicycle and helmet to school and ride the obstacle course. Students will also be able to have their bicycle checked and registered with a sticker. Outgrown or don’t have a helmet? No worries! Helmets can be purchased for $5.00 and will be personally fitted for students thanks to Safe Kids through Central Peninsula Hospital. Get ready for fun! If you would like to help with the bike rodeo, please call the office at 283-8600.
National Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4-8. The Mountain View PTA is providing lunch for the staff every day of the week. If you would like to help by bringing some food please call Traci at 953-3779 or the office at 283-8600.
Tuesday, May 12 the PTA will have their final meeting for the school year at 3:45 p.m. in the Library.
Congratulations to our Soaring Eagles for the month of April. They are Angel Anderson, Hannah Ellis, Naomi Ellis, Cadie Fabiano, Ashana Ivanoff, Krystyana Kalugin, Braelyn Leavitt, Peyton Malmquist, Zoe Mason, Winter Morris, Ashlyn Potton, Jocilyn Reid, Beverly Roney, Abella Stiers, Aries Stiers, William Wilson, Kate Wisnewski, & Evyn Witt.
Please join us for our “Swing Into Summer Reading” Concert on Tuesday, May 12 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. here at Mountain View. Reading Resource Information booths will be open from 5:30 – 6:00 followed by a swing concert from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Come enjoy the toe-tapping, swinging music and help your child have a great summer of reading!
Nikiski Middle-High
Friday, May 8
■ High School Track @ Colony Invite
■ Varsity Girls Soccer @ Nikiski vs. Seward – 4:00 p.m.
■ Varsity Boys Soccer @ Nikiski vs. Seward – 6:00 p.m.
■ JV Girls @ Nikiski vs. Voznesenka – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 9
■ High School Track @ Colony Invite
■ Varsity Girls and JV Boys Soccer @ Nikiski vs Homer – 10:00 a.m.
■ Varsity Boys and JV Girls Soccer @ Nikiski vs. Homer -12:00 p.m.
■ Middle School Track @ Nikiski Invite
Monday, May 11 – Band Concert @ Nikiski – 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 12 – Middle School Borough Track Meet @ Kenai – 3:00 p.m.
Upcoming Events :
■ Middle School and High School Track Boroughs @ Soldotna High School – Saturday, May 16
■ Middle School Campout – Monday, May 18 –Tuesday, May 19
■ Graduation – Wednesday, May 20
■ Last Day of School for Students – Wednesday, May 20
■ Region Soccer Tournament in Wasilla – Thursday, May 21 – Saturday, May 23
■ Region Track Meet @ Kenai High School – Friday, May 22 – Saturday, May 23
Nikiski North Star Elementary
NNS is accepting parent input requests of student placement for the 2015 – 2016 school year. As a parent this is your opportunity to give your thoughts to this process. Students will be placed after a thorough process that starts with input from you. You will not be able to make any requests in the fall once class lists are posted prior to the start of school in August.
We appreciate any and all information you can give us. Your child’s current teacher will be very involved in placing your child once we have an idea of what next year will look like. These forms can be obtained in our monthly newsletter or from the office and are due back to the office by Friday, May 8. If you have any questions, please call the school at 776-2600.
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week at NNS. Our wonderful parent volunteers have planned a special week for the teachers and staff.
Several events are happening in May as we begin to wrap up the school year. Today is the AMP testing celebration at Jumpin Junction for 3rd, 4th, & 5th graders. Thursday, May 7 is the spring music program for third, fourth and fifth grades. The program will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Nikiski Middle High School auditorium.
Redoubt Elementary
Redoubt’s principal, Mr. Pothast, has accepted a new position as Director of Secondary Education at the District Office starting in the fall. While we are happy for his new adventure, he will be missed by the staff, students and parents at Redoubt. We would like to wish Mr. Pothast well and thank him for the many years (10) of service at Redoubt Elementary.
School Principal Selection Process There will be two important community meetings regarding the hire of Redoubt’s new principal. These meetings will be held at Redoubt in the school library. We encourage parents, staff and community to attend these meetings.
■ May 5 —4:00 p.m. Community input and conversation.
■ May 14 —4:00 p.m. Principal interviews
(Anyone interested in submitting input must present for all interviews).
Redoubt Bike Rodeo – Thursday, May 7 at 4:30 p.m. Bike tune-ups, safety checks, tire pressure, hand brakes, chains, seat checks and helmets. Bring the whole family! Free – snacks and drinks. Bike helmets will be available to purchase for $5.00. All students should be accompanied by an adult.
Skyview Middle School Visitation, May 8, 10:00—11:15am
PTA – May 12th at 3:45 p.m. staff lounge, child care available. The term of our current PTA president, vice president and secretary are ending this year.
If you are interested in one of these officer positions please contact Angie Kenner at akkenner@msn.com Elections to elect new officers for next fall will be held at the May 12 meeting. All members in attendance at the May 12 meeting will be entered to win a $25 gift card from Fred Meyers. Hope to see you there!
Field trip season is in high gear.
All parent drivers, chaperones and classroom volunteers must be registered and approved by the school district. Please make sure that your current vehicle and driver information is on file in the school office. Typically, vehicle insurance expires every six months.
A new application must be submitted each school year. Please call the school office if you have any questions about this process. Please do not wait until the last minute to register. We ask that all paperwork and registrations be done at least two days prior to the day of the field trip.
Kindergarten music concert – May 7 – Dawson – 2:00 p.m., Caston – 2:30 p.m. at Redoubt
1-3 grade concert – May 12 – 6:00 p.m. at SoHi
4-6 grade concert – May 13 – 6:00 p.m. at SoHi
Fifth and sixth grade concert – May 14– 6:00 p.m. at Redoubt
May 4 – 8 – School Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week
May 4 – 8 – National Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6 – National School Nurse’s Day
May 19 – Beach Day grades 4-6
May 20 – Awards assembly 9:00am
May 20 – School picnic – scheduled lunch times
May 20 – Field Day / Last Day of School
Help wanted – Redoubt Field Day May 20th. If you would like to help and have fun at the same time please call the school office. We are seeking 18- 20 district approved volunteers to help during field day. This is a fun filled day of outdoor activities! Call – 260-4300
Yearbooks are on Sale – $15.00 – there are only a limited number of books available to purchase.
Pre-ordered yearbooks have been distributed to students.
Skyview Middle
Events this Week!
Monday, May 4 – Ed Performance Testing for all eighth grade students.
Friday, May 8 – Last Activity Night of the Year! – 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. – Parent volunteers needed! Please contact the school if you can attend.
Saturday, May 9 – Track Meet – Nikiski Invitational at Nikiski Middle/High School – 10:00 a.m.
Congratulations to seventh grade student, Timothy Cashman, April Chamber Student of the Month!
Yearbooks on sale! Please purchase at the front office for $35.
The end of the year is approaching fast. Please take a moment to check your child’s Power School fees account.
If your child has an outstanding fee, please send in payment. All fees must be paid by the end of the school year or they will carry over to their next year and you will be asked to pay those fees at registration. Any questions please call the office at 260-2500.
Soldotna Elementary
Here are last week’s Reading Counts winners: Reagan Briggs, Joey VanHeeeder, Kyrie Watson, Jeren Nash, Andrew Pieh, Zohni Tiepelman-Sours, Lillian Katelnikoff, Colton Sorhus, and Jack Heintz. Wow, kids, you did a great job! Last Friday was the last day of our contest so next week’s article will reveal our Grand Prize Winners! The fire truck rides and pizza lunch will be on the 15th.
The Music Talent Show is this Thursday evening, May 7, at 6:00 p.m. in the gym. We are looking forward to these performances to see the musical talents that abound at our school. So don’t be late as you won’t want to miss a single moment. The kids have worked very diligently and want to impress you.
The Annual Salmon Celebration will be this Wednesday, May 6, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Please mark your calendars because our 3rd graders don’t want to miss out.
This celebration takes place at Johnson Lake Campground in Kasilof where trout from one of the fish hatcheries will be restocked.
There are amazing booths that the students will enjoy. They may learn spin and/or fly casting, water safety, water quality testing, juvenile and adult salmon identification, and many other activities will be available. 2015 Kenai River Spring Cleanup: This Thursday, our 5th and 6th graders will be cleaning up Morgan’s Landing. 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders will be tidying up at Soldotna Creek Park. Thank you students, staff, and lots of parents, for working to clean up the Kenai River in these areas.
This will be a wonderful learning experience for the students and encourage them to become responsible adults. There will be volunteers at the locations waiting to meet the buses and distribute life jackets, bags, and gloves. A brief safety and clean-up orientation will be provided as well. The school that collects the most trash by weight will be eligible for a special prize.
All the classes who participate will be given a gift certificate from a local vender so the classes can have a pizza party on a date of their choice.
Everyone who lives in Kenai or Soldotna, or anyone whoever visits certainly should appreciate this worthwhile effort to clean up our amazing Kenai River system. Thank you!
Yearbooks are going, going, going…okay, not gone yet. Be sure to order yours as soon as possible at the incredible price of just $20.
We are a PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention & Supports) school, and we focus on what to do by giving clear directions, being calm and patient, modeling expected behaviors, setting a good example, using positive recognition and reinforcement, and setting consistent and reasonable limits. PBIS school staffs know that adults get more of what they focus on.
If adults place all the focus on kids fighting instead of cooperating, that’s what they’ll see more of. If adults focus on teaching and reinforcing cooperation, they’ll end up seeing more of those types of behaviors. While this shift in focus doesn’t remove the necessity of responding to and taking action when kids behave inappropriately, it does substantially reduce many misbehaviors.
Calling all SOEL sixth Graders: Breakfast will be served for you and your parents on Tuesday morning, May 19. Please mark those calendars so you don’t forget. Mrs. Kvamme will provide a lovely breakfast for you in the library after the 9:00 a.m. assembly. Please be in the library immediately after the assembly, about 10:00 a.m.
Tustumena News
May 6 – Kindergarten Visit for those pre-registered for 2015-16 school year
May 6 – Salmon Celebration 10 p.m.-2 p.m. Grades 1-4 will be attending
May 6 & 7 – Sixth Grade to Peterson Bay
May 8 – Sixth Grade visits Skyview Middle School
May 11 – 15 Staff Appreciation Week
May 12/13/14 – Lynx Track to Nikiski Pool
May 18 – Fourth Quarter Award’s Assembly 1:15 p.m.
May 18 Sixth Grade Graduation 2 p.m.
May 19 Sixth Grade bridges at 10 a.m.
May 19 – Talent Show, 2 p.m
May 19 – PTO Meeting, 4 p.m.
May 20 – Field Day, 9:30-12 noon
May 20 – Last day of school for students
