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.
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 27th-30th and June 1st-4th from 8:00am-4:00pm.
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 “onestop.kpbsd.k12.ak.us”.
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:
■ 04/30 – Last day to submit Request for Reimbursement forms
■ 05/06 – Salmon Celebration @ Johnson Lake in Kasilof from 12:00am-2:00pm (more information below)
■ 05/07 Talent Show @ SoHi Auditorium @ 5:00pm
■ 05/14 – Barren Island Trip
■ 05/18 – 2nd Semester Reports Due
Upcoming Events – Look:
April: Re-Enrollment for 2015/2016 School Year Starts – Please call your Connections Office to make an appointment!
Johnson Lake Salmon Celebration May 6th 12:00-2:00:
On Wednesday, May 6, 2015 the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Sport Fish Division, will be holding the 15th annual “Salmon Celebration” in Kasilof at the Johnson Lake State Campground. Connections families are welcome from 12:00 am to 2:00 pm. This Salmon Celebration is being held to increase student awareness of salmon and to foster a sense of stewardship towards this valuable natural resource. The “Salmon Celebration” will be open to all K-6 grade students from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. THIS YEAR: Elementary school children will able to release rainbow trout catchables from the William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery as part of ADF&G’s lake stocking program between 12:00 and 1:00 at a separate activity/station. Hands-on salmon related activity booths (catch and release, face painting, salmon wheel of misfortune, watershed model, salmon life cycle, macroinvertebrate touch tank, animal tracks, mammal skulls and skins, water safety, water quality tests, juvenile & adult salmon identification, practice spin casting and fly casting, etc.) will be set up for the students to visit during the event. It takes about 1 1/2 – 2 hours to do all the activities. Great lunch locations can be found throughout the campground!
IDEA Homeschool
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 20th-May 15th – STAR Early Literacy – In addition to AMP testing, the STAR early literacy is a state mandated test for students grades K-2nd. This is a helpful tool that will be conducted at the IDEA office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays during the dates April 20th-May 15th. 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.
April 29th Curriculum Fair at Kalifonsky Christian Center!!
The Fair with all its workshops and vendor exhibitions are free to all IDEA families. Come early on Wednesday before the exhibit hall opens and enjoy our keynote speaker and breakfast. Tickets must be purchased in advance for this fair opener. If you have a friend or neighbor that is in not in IDEA, but interested in homeschooling, you can bring them with you and they can get in for only half price by purchasing a Buddy Pass! Just remember, in order for you to spend your next year’s allotment at the fair, you must be enrolled for the 2015/2016 school year, so take care of your re-enrollments soon.
Breakfast tickets are on sale now for $12 at the IDEA office. “Time and Home Management – Managing Life and Home While Homeschooling”. Our keynote speaker is Nancy Bjorkman. Nancy began as the ultimate homeschool skeptic, but now, after 20+ years teaching her own 4 children she has become the resource and information lady for many and a champion of the cause. She is a certified teacher and has spoken at homeschool conferences in 10 states. Known for her enthusiasm, energy, and encouragement, she loves practical topics such as meal management, avoiding burnout, home schooling through high school, and using games to make learning meaningful. Though she stays busy as a support group leader and now bookstore owner, her favorite times are spent talking and laughing with her family at the dinner table. Having graduated all four of her children, Nancy has found it exciting to have graduated herself from being mentored to being a mentor for other homeschool families. She and her husband own a homeschool store in Elk River, Minnesota, where they delight in ministering to the unique needs of homeschool families year round.
Each year, IDEA offers the opportunity of advertising your homeschool related business or product at our annual curriculum fair. This year’s fair will be held on April 29th. You may advertise at this fair by including your catalogs or flyers in our Hand-Out Sacks. If you are interested in participating this year, please read the details and guidelines by visiting our website http://www.ideafamilies.org/fair/2015/exhibitors/handout.htm
May 5th – Come celebrate your graduate locally on May 5th 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 22nd-23rd – Peterson Bay Overnight Tidepooling trip!! We will board a guided boat on the 22nd and look at tidepools 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 23rd. The cost for this overnight, guided field trip is $110 per person. The cost can be deducted from your allotment for the student portion.
Central Peninsula General Hospital is offering the Safe Sitter class for homeschoolers. This nationally recognized class is a great way to prepare our children to care for each other as well as become certified to babysit other children. This is a two day class and the final class this year is April 20 & 21 from 9:00am to 3:30pm.
Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science
Monday, April 20
■ 3:00 p.m. Bus evacuation
Tuesday, April 21
9:20 a.m. Mrs. Maguire’s class will walk to Charis Place
Wednesday, April 22
■ 8:15 a.m. Parent Informational Meeting in the library for all families entering the lottery, and for those who have already gone through the lottery, but not yet attended this required meeting.
Thursday, April 23
■ 3:00 p.m. Volunteer Appreciation Recognition assembly in the gym
Friday, April 24
■ 1:25 p.m. Harpers class will walk to the creek.
■ 2:25 p.m. Stephens class will walk to the creek.
■ 5:30-10:30 p.m. is the After testing fun night for all of our currently enrolled 3rd-6th graders. Please make sure that permission slips are turned in for your student to participate. This is a fundraiser to a family in need and all donations are appreciated!
Mark your calendars
■ April 27-30 – third through sixth graders will overnight at the Sea life Center with 2 classes each night of the 27, the 28, and the 29.
■ April 29, 9:15 a.m. – PTA meeting
■ May 1st – Early Release Day with school dismissing at 2:10
■ May 5 7:00 p.m. – Spring concert for Hurst’s, Harper’s & Stephens’ classes
■ May 6 8:00 a.m. – Kindergarteners go to Homer’s Bishop Beach
■ May 7 6:00 p.m. – Band concert at KSAS
■ May 11 4:00 p.m. – APC meeting
■ May 11 and 12th Bike Rodeo (1st – 6th grade)
■ May 13 7:00 a.m. – 2nd grade go to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and at 9:30 a.m. 1st graders will visit the Wildlife Refuge in Soldotna
■ May 15 at 6:00 p.m. is the End of Year BBQ.
Reminders
■ The school website at http://kaleidoscope.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us provides you with newsletters, lunch menus, the school calendar, PTA and APC information, plus more!
■ If your child will be picked up early from school or will be arriving late to school, please be sure to sign your child in or out of school as appropriate using the computer on the office front counter.
■ The Life Skill we are focusing on this week is Trustworthy: To act in a manner that makes one worthy of trust and confidence.
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 8th will win an extra recess.
The final K-Beach Band concert will be May 7, at 6:00PM in the K-Beach Gym.
Mr. Daniels’s class welcomes Junior Achievement to his class. The students will learn about regional economics and how it can effect running a business. They get to start up their own business and learn about supply chain economics. In science, they will create a stream table to investigate how water changes the earth using the new science curriculum materials.
Mr. Vedders’ class would like to thank Tiger, Holly, and Nurse Pam from River City Academy for teaching us all the negative impacts of tobacco use. Teens Against Tobacco Use (TATU) made every one of our third grade students never want to start and gave us great strategies and reasons to say no to cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco. Thank you!
K-Beach’s Running Club is off to the best start ever! We have about 30 kids participating and everyone is giving it a hundred percent … wahoo! To start with, we have been running two miles or so, four days a week. We will continue to increase our distance as our endurance builds, ending with a 3.8 mile College Loop trek for those who want to give it a try. This year to celebrate the end of the season, we will be hosting a kickball game with Redoubt’s Running Club. It will be held at K-Beach on May 7th at 4:00 PM. Staff members, parents, and community members are welcome to join in the fun.
Kenai Middle
Congratulations to our Character Counts winners: Jack Doucet and Donald Brandon.
Sixth grade soccer begins Monday the 20th. It is free to all sixth graders and will continue through May 1.
Mass choir will be held at KCHS on April 21.
The Middle School Math Meet will be held in Homer on April 22.
The Future Problem Solving Team State Meet will be held the 22 as well in Soldotna.
AMP Math testing will begin for 6th graders on the 21 as well and continue through April 23. We will kick off Tuesday morning with a snack of muffins and juice.
Our first home track meet will be April 23 at the KCHS track beginning at 3:00.
There is less than a month left of school, here’s to finishing the year out strong!
Mountain View Elementary
We are accepting pre-orders for the yearbook. Yearbooks are $18.00 each and will be available before school ends. Order forms were sent home and can also be found at the office.
Mountain View Elementary early Kindergarten registration for the 2015-2016 school year is now open. Students must be 5 years old by September 1, 2015. Registration forms may be picked up at the Mountain View Office. Kindergarten Parent Orientation will be on Tuesday, April 21 at 6:00 p.m. in the Library. Registered students will be invited to visit a Kindergarten classroom on Tuesday, April 28.
Friday, April 24 is “Dress up Day” at Mountain View. Students are invited to wear “fancy” clothes to school.
On Tuesday, April 28 the 4th/5th grade will have a Spring Concert at 6:00 p.m. in the KCHS auditorium.
The Kindergarten Spring Concert will be Wednesday, May 6 at 2:00 p.m. in the gym at Mountain View. Attention all 1st and 2nd graders mark your calendars, it is Bike Rodeo time!
Thursday, May 7th 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.
Nikiski North Star Elementary
Kindergarten registration and orientation will be Friday, April 24. This will begin at 1:30 pm in the school library. If your child will be five years old by September 1, 2015 bring them along to have fun while you enroll them at NNS. Please remember to bring immunization records, birth certificate, and any legal custody papers. If you need further information, please call the school office at 776-2600.
Applications are available at school and on our school homepage if you would like to become a member of the NNS Site Council for the 2015-16 school year. The purpose of the council is to give input and guidance to the school and serves as a resource, sounding board, and core for communication between the many areas of our school. Members are responsible for bringing the information to the council. It is a great way to get involved within the school. All applications need to be turned in by Friday, April 24.
Redoubt Elementary
Title One Pre-K applications for next fall are available in the school office. Students must be 4 years old on or before September 1st of 2015. Screenings will take place Tuesday. April 28. If you have questions about this program please call Mrs. Oberts at 260-4317. Yearbooks are on Sale – $15.00 pre-order yours now, make checks payable to Redoubt Elementary. Yearbooks will arrive in May. Only 175 yearbooks will be ordered, reserve yours today.
ICE CREAM SALES! Redoubt’s fourth grade students will be selling ice cream each week to raise money for their upcoming field trip this spring to the Kenai Fjords. Ice cream prices will range from .75 cents to $2.00. Sales will take place after school in the hallway.
Skyview Middle School Visitation, May 8, 10:00—11:15 a.m. Redoubt’s sixth grade students will be visiting Skyview Middle School in preparation for next fall! Students will be transported by bus. All students must have a signed permission slip in order to attend this presentation. Additional information on this visitation will be sent home with students.
Box Top winners last week – Emma Brantley, Keegan LeBrasseur & Caiden Hershberger. Keep turning in those Box Tops for Education!
Scholastic Book Fair – BOGO – April 27 – May 1. Buy one book get one book free. Additional information will be sent home with students.
Redoubt Bike Rodeo – Thursday, May at 4:30. 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.
PTA – 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 12th meeting.
Field trip season is just around the corner. 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 visitation for students starting kindergarten in the fall will be held Tuesday, April 21st from 3:30 – 4:15 at Redoubt Elementary. Parents and incoming students will have the chance to see the kindergarten classrooms, as well as meet the teachers. Fun for all!
Soldotna High
Graduation will be on May 19 at 7:00 p.m. at the Sports Center. Students will be issued 5 tickets for the floor, however the upper level is general admission. The upper area is excellent for taking pictures! Tickets will be given out during graduation practice to students. Appropriate attire under gowns is required. Questions can be sent to lead advisor, Meggean Bos, at meggean@kpbsd.k12.ak.us
Graduation practice will be on May 19 at 10:00 am at the Sports Center. Practice is mandatory to be able to walk. Any students or parents who would like to setup on May 18th at 1:00pm or May 19th at 1:00pm are asked to contact lead advisor, Meggean Bos, at meggean@kpbsd.k12.ak.us
Student elections are being held this week for members running for 2015-16 Student Council. Classes are electing both their class officers and the members of the executive board for the next school year.
Congratulations to all those who participated in the Soldotna High School Talent Show. They did a great job and SoHi has many talented young people. The Talent Show was held on April 2nd in the SoHi Auditorium and hosted by the SoHi National Honor Society. The winners for the fine arts category are as follows: Drawing and Painting: 4th Place: Dustin Buerkel 3rd Place: Bechler Metcalf 2nd Place: Kyra McCabe 1st Place: Karrie Olson Ceramics/Sculpture/photos/masks 4th Place: Tyann Reed 3rd Place: Karli Kitchens 2nd Place: Rachel Thomas 1st Place: Makayla Derkervorkian with “No Parking” The Performing Arts group, who performed on stage congratulate you for a great performance: Duet: 2nd Place: Sage Link and Mieka Chythlook 1st Place: Katelyn Earll and Daniel Davis Solo: 4th Place: Jessie Bose 3rd Place: Charalabos Asimakopolus 2nd Place: Sierra Baldwin 1st Place: Marshall Cameron Group: 3rd Place-Duet/Dance performance by Haley Whitney, Naomi Green, Rachel Nill and Dylan Stockdale 2nd- The Band The Truants- with SoHi’s Emily Glaves, Wade VonHeeder and James Gallagher and Jimmy Fieblekorn 1st Place-The Band-Magnus Opus, with SoHi’s Ryan Reid and Wade VonHeeder, Ben Mattox, Garret Hermansen & Ayden See Thank you to the Judges for your time: Kent Peterson, Vernel Schneider, Nancy Sailor & Britt Jackson
Thank you to the following community businesses for their outstanding support and generous prize donations, which helped make the show possible: Grant Aviation, Walmart, Inwell Used Books, Berry Cool Yogurt, South Central Construction Inc., Ak Express, Peak Construction/Bristol Bay, Senor Panchos, Don Joses, Premier Chiropractic, Abby’s Beads, Trustworthy Hardware, Bubs Pizza Subway, Adventure Lake Lodge, Ak Salon, Kalifornsky Dental, Dermatology clinic, Hey Good Lookin, Kasilof Mercantile, Ak Secondhand, The Duck Inn, Fitness Place, River City Salon, Alaska Precision Rifles, The PAC, Soldotna High School
The Media Center is open until 5pm Monday-Friday. There are buses at 4:15 for those students working in the Media Center. If your student were to stay after school and would need a bus home at 4:15 please contact Tamra Wear at 260.7036 or twear@kpbsd.k12.ak.us <mailto:twear@kpbsd.k12.ak.us> to give her the bus drop off location for your student.
Soldotna Prep
Student Council Student Body Speech Assembly at SOHI during 7th hour on Monday, April 20. Bus riders will board buses at SOHI today.
Spring Band Concert at SOHI 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 23. Tutoring Monday through Friday in room 10 during the lunch hour.
Chess Club meets during lunch hour Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in room 18. After-School Tutoring Monday through Thursday 2:25-3:25 p.m.
Girls soccer practice @ SOHI 5:30-7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Baseball conditioning 2:45-5:00 in Small Gym SOPREP Tuesday through Thursday. Native Youth Leadership Club in Rm. 10 2:15-3:00 the first and third Wednesday of every month. Poetry Out Loud meetings in Rm. 10 2:15-3:00 the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month.
Please check Soldotna Prep blog to stay informed on current activities; http://soldotnaprep.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/wpmu/
Skyview Middle
Events this Week!
Monday, April 20 – Final Site Council Meeting @ Skyview Middle School – 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 21 – Mass Choir Festival – Kenai Central High School – 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 23 – Track Meet – Kenai Invitational @ Kenai – 3:00 p.m.
There will be an information meeting for Class of 2019 (8th grade) students interested in running for Class Office on Wednesday, April 22nd during lunch in the library. Positions include President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer and two Associate Members who will serve as part of the Soldotna High School Student Council for the 2015-2016 school year. An elections packet will be available at the meeting with required paperwork, deadline information, and teacher recommendation forms. Candidate speeches and the election of officers will be held on Thursday, May 7th. Please plan to attend the meeting if you have an interest in Student Council at the high school level. Please contact Mrs. Pothast with any questions. Yearbooks on sale! Please purchase at the front office for $35.
Outstanding student fees can be viewed online. Please check PowerSchool> Student Fees for current information. Please contact Mrs. Kircher at 260-2500 with any questions or concerns.
Parents and Guardians: The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District invites you to take a brief online survey regarding the six minimum school days – 90 minute early release for students. The survey link can be found on the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District webpage> Students/Parents> Surveys from April 1 – 24. The district leadership team appreciates your feedback on this subject as they plan for the future. Thank you!
Tustumena Elementary
April 21 – PTO Meeting, 4 p.m.
April 27- Site Council, 4 p.m. (last one for this school year)
April 28 Spring Concert K-3 6 p.m.
April 29 Spring Concert Grades 4-6 6 p.m.
May 1 – Early Release, 2:05 p.m.
May 6 – Kindergarten Visit for those pre-registered for 2015-16 school year
May 6 & 7 – Sixth Grade to Peterson Bay
May 8 – Sixth Grade visits Skyview Middle School
May 12/13/14 – Lynx Track to Nikiski Pool
May 19 – Talent Show
May 19 – PTO Meeting, 4 p.m.
Wings Christian Academy
We are down to the final four weeks of school for the 2014-2015 school year! Last week at Wings, the Eagles had their final volleyball home game against the WHCS Archers. Final scores will be posted next week.
Students from all grade groups also participated in a Spelling Bee Competition in Anchorage, winning 1st place overall, with many medals being handed out amongst the various grade groups. Congratulations!
This week at Wings, those that have participated in the Book-It Reading Program will be going to Pizza Hut for a celebration party today. For those Honor Roll students from the last quarter, they will be having a
Pizza and Painting Party on Thursday, April 23. On Friday, April 24, the Wings Eagles will be travelling to Anchorage for a final away game against the NACA Disciples. Although the Spring Volleyball Season has been short, students, especially Senior Tyler Ophus, have enjoyed the competition of the few last games. Way to go, Eagles!
Upcoming events to remember: April 27-30 is online Stanford Testing. April 30 is the final day to pay for this year’s Yearbook. May 1 is the final volleyball tournament and will take place at Wings Christian Academy. Mark them in your calendar!
