Kenai Middle School
Holy Wow, we’ve made it to the first week of October!
On Wednesday, Oct. 2 we will host our first Site Council meeting of the year in the KMS Library. All are welcome. The meeting begins at 5:15 p.m.
On Friday, the 4th our KMS XC Runners will compete in the Borough Meet at Skyview. Please head over to cheer on our Kossacks if you are able. The meet begins at 3 p.m.
Basketball intramurals begin Oct. 7. Students must have a completed sports packet turned in before participating. Girls and Boys will alternate practice times. When a team practices early 2:30 -4 p.m., the alternate team will stay at school for study hall, the practice from 4-5:30 p.m. Boys will practice early the first week. 2:30-4 p.m.
Save-the-Date
Oct. 23: Hay Maze seventh and eighth grade
Oct. 24: Hay Maze sixth grade
K-Beach Elementary
Mr. Daniels class is taking on an engineering challenge on the playground. The class has noticed an ongoing flooding problem on the playground. The fifth grade science classes have brainstormed solutions for the problem and Mr. Daniels chose the winning design. Next, a small team of student engineers will write a proposal to the principal for approval. Then, The construction team will build the necessary tool to clear the drainage culvert of dirt and debris. Finally, the operations team will put the plan into action and actually do the work. The whole class will monitor the problem and evaluate whether the solution is successful.
Mrs. Baker’s class is starting the global read aloud. They are reading “Front Desk” and conducting book talks with schools in New Jersey, Connecticut, Arizona, and an international school in Mexico! They have begun a science research project with Nikiski’s fourth-fifth grade class studying the life cycle and adaptations of super worms.
Mountain View Elementary
The 30-day grace period for free and reduced meal benefits will end on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Students who do not have a new application in and approved will have to bring a sack lunch or bring $3 for a hot lunch. Please allow up to 10 working days for an application to be processed. Applications are available at the office.
The Mountain View PTA will be meeting on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 4 p.m. in the library.
Picture retakes are scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 16 for students needing to have their pictures retaken or students that missed the first picture day.
Wednesday, Oct. 16 is an early release day for students. Students will be dismissed at 1:55 p.m.
The annual Mountain View Carnival will be on Thursday, Oct. 17 from 5-8 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 cents 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.
Friday, Oct. 18 is an Inservice Day. There is no school for students.
Skyview Middle School
Last week for Cross Country Running: Friday, Oct. 4 is the Borough Meet at Skyview at 3 p.m.
Girls and Boys Intramural Basketball begins Monday, Oct. 7. All students who wish to join must turn in the required sports forms before participation. Forms must be filled out for each sport. All forms may be picked up at the Front Office or found online on the Skyview Middle School blog > Skyview Sports > Required Sports Paperwork.
Skyview Middle School will have an ALICE DRILL the afternoon of Tuesday, Oct. 1. Students will participate in class discussion and a building evacuation assisted by administration and staff.
Battle of the Books: Any seventh or eighth grade student interested in participating in Battle of the Books please sign up for Mrs. Johnson’s FOL on Monday, Sept. 30. This FOL will give an overview of this year’s book titles by watching short videos and discussing content. Don’t miss out on some great reading!
Teens Against Tobacco Use: TATU is looking for fun, outgoing teen leaders who have a passion against Big Tobacco and would like to be involved in advocacy, activism, and peer education. Applications can be picked up from Nurse Sue. The annual training is on Thursday, Oct. 10.
Yearbooks are on sale! Price includes two free personalized pages. Please visit the Skyview Blog to order.
The Panther Student Council would like to extend a BIG thank you to all those who contributed to the first annual September Snack Food Drive! 753 items were collected for the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank to share with area neighbors in need. Great job everyone!
Attention Parents: If your child participated in the 2019 Performance Evaluation for Alaska’s Schools (PEAKS) summative assessment for English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and Science, test results are now available through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. To better understand these state required evaluations, parents may find resources by visiting the Alaska Department of Education PEAKS webpage: https://education.alaska.gov/assessments.
For more Skyview news — Like Us on Facebook!
Nikiski Middle/High School
Monday, Sept. 30: Saturday, Oct. 5 is Homecoming Week!
Tuesday, Oct. 1: High School Volleyball at Nikiski vs. Soldotna — C Team 3 p.m. / JV 4 p.m. / Varsity 5 p.m.
Peach Fuzz Volleyball — 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 2: High School Wrestling begins
Thursday, Oct. 3: Powder Puff Game — 6 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 4: High School Football at Nikiski vs. Seward — 4 p.m.
Middle School X-Country Boroughs at Skyview — 3 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 5: Homecoming Dance — 8 p.m.
Picture retakes will be on Oct. 8.
FAFSA Completion Night will be held on Monday, Oct. 7, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Bring your documents and complete your student’s FAFSA with the support of KPC representatives! Dinner is provided! Seniors and parents check your email for a list of items you need to complete the FAFSA.
Current Juniors and Seniors can sign up to take the Accuplacer if they are interested in taking a JumpStart class next semester. The Accuplacer will be administered on Oct. 22. The cost is $18, and sign up is in the counselor’s office.
Juniors can now sign up to take the PSAT with Mrs. Taylor. The PSAT will be given on Oct. 16.
Kaitlyn Johnson has been selected as the Kenai Chamber of Commerce Student of the Month for September!
Connections
Dates To Remember
Oct. 2: School Pictures at Seward Middle School — Time TBD (Most likely in the morning)
Oct. 3: HOMER: Fat Tire Biking (more info below)
Oct. 4: Central Peninsula School Pictures at Borough Building 3-5 p.m.
Oct. 4: Alaska Rural Water Assoc. 2019 Water Conservation Poster Contest Deadline (more info below)
Oct. 4: HOMER Wynn Nature Center Fall Exploration: 1:30-3:30 Grades K-4 (more info below)
Oct. 10: 1:20-1:55 ADF&G Salmon Egg Take at Anchor River (more info below)
Oct. 16: PSAT Homer & Soldotna Office (more info below)
Oct. 17: High School Eligibility Due
Oct. 24: Homer Connections School Picture Retakes at Paul Banks Elementary School 1-3 p.m.
Oct. 28: Homer CPR and First Aid Certification (Including Child and Infant CPR — more info below)
Nov. 8: AVTEC Tour (more info below)
Nov. 13: School Picture Retakes at Seward Middle School — Time TBD
Nov. 15: Central Peninsula School Picture Retakes at Borough Building 3-5 p.m.
Nov. 15: High School Eligibility Due
Dec. 13: Semester Reports Due
NEW: Soldotna Office – Free Tutoring: Connections is excited to have Rebecca Weaver, assistant professor from the Kenai Peninsula College, at the Soldotna office every Thursday, starting Sept. 24, from 12-2 p.m. to tutor students and parents in math, physics, chemistry and science for free! If you are a parent or a student that needs help in any of these areas, please call us at 714-8880 to make an appointment.
Fall Artwork Welcome!: The Soldotna office is collecting fall-themed artwork to display during September and October! Here are some ideas: apples, pumpkins, leaves, seasonal colors, animals, etc. Please stop by anytime during office hours (8 a.m.-4 p.m.) and drop off your fall-themed artwork. Remember to have your child’s name on the art piece and Connections is look forward to seeing our artists in action!
Central Peninsula Gym Time: Connections organized gym time will start back up in October so please be on the lookout for those dates. In the meantime, the Kenai Recreation Center has free gym time set aside for home-school students every Tuesday from 12-2 p.m. Please remember to wear non-skid sole shoes and if you have any questions you can call our office at 714-8880.
Homer SPARC Gym Time: Come join other Connections Homeschool kids every Wednesday 1:30-2:30 p.m. at the SPARC for basketball, pickleball, soccer, and just plain running around! This is a free event, but students must check in with SPARC every week, so please go online and create an account if you don’t have one already. http://sparchomer.org/schedule/ Questions? Please contact Derek Bynagledbynagleatkpbsd.org or 226-1880
HOMER: Fat Tire Biking: Include Fat Tire Biking in your home-school Physical Education Class. Connections students and staff will be biking the beach at low tide Thursday, Oct. 3. There are seven bikes available to rent. The cost of the rental can be deducted from student allotments. The ride is approximately 7 miles of beach and is recommended for sixth through 12th graders. Please direct questions and RSVP with jparrettatkpbsd.org
HOMER Wynn Nature Center Fall Exploration: Join Connections staff from 1:30-3:30 p.m. on Oct. 4, grades K-4 for the CACS Naturalists. Volunteers will lead your students in activities at the Wynn Nature Center that focus on the adaptations and lives of plants. Be prepared for two hours of outdoors activities. Dress in layers and bring a rain jacket and hat. Trails may be muddy. $5 per person
HOMER: Silver Salmon Egg Take at the Anchor River: As part of the “Salmon in the Classroom” program, ADF&G invites students to participate in the silver salmon egg take at the Anchor River. The short presentation will be from 1:20-1:55 p.m., and students will meet at the first parking lot to the right off of Anchor River Road. Directions: turn on to the Old Sterling Highway (next to the Anchor River Inn), cross the wooden bridge, take a right on Anchor River Road, first parking lot to the right. To sign up or for more information please contact Derek Bynagle dbynagleatkpbsd.org
AVTEC Tour: All Connections High School Students are invited to attend a free guided tour, lunch included, of AVTEC in Seward on Friday, Nov. 8. AVTEC offers a variety of educational programs such as: Construction, Welding, Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Maritime Studies, Electronics, Culinary Arts and many other courses.
Please visit the AVTEC website at https://avtec.edu/and take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the programs available. Lunch will be provided so please RSVP Reubin Payne atrpayneatkpbsd.k12.ak.us or call the Connections office at 907-714-8880. Friday, Nov. 8 at 10 a.m. at AVTEC — 519 4th Ave, in the auditorium on the second floor.
HOMER FAMILES: Check out our new link for Homer events for Connections students: https://padlet.com/dbynagle/HomerConnections
These are community events in Homer that Connections students may be interested in!
Soldotna Elementary
Oct. 3: Fall Picture Day
Oct. 16: Early Release
Oct. 29- Nov. 4 Book Fair
Nov. 1 Parent Teacher Conference Day 1
Nov. 4 Parent Teacher Conference Day 2
Nov. 7 Picture Re-Takes
Parent Pack needs your help! Sign-up for email communications or like the Parent Pack on Facebook for up-to-date volunteer opportunities.
To keep Soldotna Elementary School safe, all visitors and volunteers must sign in at the front office and pick up a visitor badge to wear while in the school. Anyone interested in volunteering can complete an online form by visiting the KPBSD website at www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us and click on the volunteers link. This process must be completed each school year and can take up to ten days to process. Please contact the Human Resources Department with any questions.
Parents can now track student lunch balances online by going to https://kpbsd.revtrak.net/.
Student notes and bus passes will be sent to classes at 3 p.m. each day. Please send in a note or call prior to this time to ensure your student gets the message.
Redoubt Elementary
Our next PTA meeting will be Oct. 8 at 3:45 p.m. in the teachers’ lounge, we are always looking for new members to join and attend our meetings.
Mark your calendars, are first Fun Fest of the year will Oct. 11th from 3:30-5 p.m.
Our school’s 8th Annual Fun Run will be Oct. 12. Registration and bib pickup will be at 9 a.m. All are welcome to attend; please no dogs or strollers. $10 individual or $25 Family. Pre-registration forms can be found in the lobby under the information screen.
Fall weather has arrived and the morning temperatures are becoming colder. Please start looking for your child’s winter gear. Many students are already asking for gloves and hats for morning recess.
Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science
Sept. 30: The Life Skill we are focusing on this week is Caring — To feel and show concern for others.
Check out the electronic bulletin board in the entryway for all upcoming events and meetings.
Tuesday, Oct. 1: Fire Prevention — Kenai firefighters will be here to teach our students about fire safety.
Wednesday, Oct. 2: Fire Prevention — Kenai firefighters will be here to teach our students about fire safety.
1:30 p.m.: Kindergarten are walking to the creek. Please make sure to send in the appropriate gear for the walk.
Thursday, Oct. 3: Fire Prevention — Kenai firefighters will be here to teach our students about fire safety.
Upcoming Events
Oct. 8: 9:15 a.m. — PTA meeting
Oct. 9: 4:15 p.m. — APC meeting in the Library
Oct. 10: 9:15 a.m. — third and fourth grade will be going to Anchor River for the egg take. Please send in the appropriate gear for this trip along with a cold sack lunch.
Oct. 14: 6 p.m. — 1st & 2nd Celebration of Learning
Oct. 15: Picture Retakes
6 p.m.: Fifth grade will be joining the KCHS Choir Concert
Oct. 16: 2:10 p.m. Early Release — School will be dismissed at 2:10 p.m. today and buses will run 90 minutes earlier
Oct. 17: 2:30 p.m. — Fifth grade Celebration of Learning
6 p.m. — third and fourth grade Celebration of Learning
Oct. 18: End of Quarter — No School
Volunteers
Study trips are already scheduled so watch for student permission forms. If you’d like to volunteer on a trip, you need to be an approved volunteer. Two steps are required each school year to be approved. Go tohttp://kaleidoscope.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/wpmu/volunteers and click the link to the background check. This may take 2 weeks for approval to be returned. Our Volunteer training is our second step, dates will be announced soon.
Soldotna High School
PTSA meeting will be on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 4 p.m. in the SoHi Staff Lounge. Snacks will be provided.
Please join us for these events hosted in the library by the Counseling Department (All are welcome):
— Monday, Sept. 30, 5:30-7 p.m. Timelines, Financial Aid Literacy, Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), FAFSA, Types of Costs, Scholarship Portfolio, Scholarship Search, the Award Process, guest speaker from the KPC Financial Aid FAFSA
— Completion Workshops: #1 Wednesday, Oct. 9, 5:30-7 p.m.; #2 Monday, Nov. 18 5:30-7 p.m. Bring your 2018 tax information and fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to discover potential money for college or career training. SoHi Counselors and Kenai Peninsula College Financial Aid Department Staff will be assisting students and parents at these events.
The after-school tutoring buses will start running on Sept. 3. There are two buses that leave at 4:15 p.m.. You must be on the route list to ride the bus. See Ms. Wear in the library to find out more information and/or get on the bus list. You can also email her at twearatkpbsd.org or call 260-7036, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Soldotna Stars Letterman Jackets are available to order at http://www.neffco.com. Click on Varsity Jackets, find our school by State, select Soldotna High School, starting at $149 you can personalize it anyway you would like. Makes a great Christmas gift!
SoHi Pool Schedule: M,W,F Morning Lap 6:30-7:30 a.m.
Sport Calendar — http://www.arbiterlive.com/Teams?entityId=21192 or http://www.asaa365.com/
There are two ways to order a transcript. Each way serves a different purpose.
If you need a transcript sent to a college or NCAA or a similar agency, then you will need to log on to: http://www.parchment.com to order transcripts to be sent. The request is then forwarded to SoHi. After processing, it then goes through cyberspace — rather than the US mail — to get to its destination, which is much faster! ALL transcripts that are headed for NCAA, colleges, etc. have to be processed this way!
FINAL TRANSCRIPTS! A final transcript is one that shows your second semester grades. If you order your transcript when we are in second semester, you will need to make sure you choose “next grading period” when you go on to Parchment — that way your transcript request will wait until the grades are in at the end of the year before it is sent.
