Year: 2015

Battle of Binkley – School District vs Borough at Tsalteshi Trails

KPBSD employees, Let’s win the Battle of Binkley!

This fun series promotes play, wellness, and a dash of fierce competition! Walkers and runners are welcome, every Wednesday, beginning July 8th

Details…

Battle of Binkley flyer
About the Salmon Run Series
The Salmon Run Series is a series of 5 races hosted at the Tsalteshi Trails.  Each race is 5K and utilizes a variety of trails in the Tsalteshi Trails system.  The Salmon Runs are perfect for any type of runner or walker. Individual races are $10 for Tsalteshi members, $15 for non-members.  All 5 race discount pricing is $45 for members, $70 for non-members.  All the money raised will be used to fund the Kenai Watershed Forum’s summer camps! Register here:  http://www.tsalteshi.org/events/?ee=169 Details: BAttle of Ninklet rules

June 16 #CardStreetFire UPDATE from several agencies | 5:45 PM

Approximate #CardStreetFire Perimeter, June 16, 2015, 12:00 p.m.
Approximate #CardStreetFire Perimeter, June 16, 2015, 12:00 p.m.

Alaska DNR- Division of Forestry (DOF) UPDATE 5:45 PM, Tuesday, June 16, 2015

  • The second evacuation of the day is underway in the Kenai Keys subdivision on the Kenai Peninsula due to the Card Street Fire, which is now estimated at 2,000 acres.
  • The fire, which started yesterday, flared up on the southeast side and is less than a mile east of the subdivision. Firefighters are holding it out of the area but they want to get people out in the event wind associated with thunderstorm cells building to the east produces winds that could fan the flames.
  • It’s the second time today and the third time in two days that an evacuation order has been issued for the area. An evacuation advisory was issued this morning because northerly winds were pushing the fire toward the subdivision along the Kenai River. Air tankers have been ordered to drop retardant on the encroaching fire and are enroute.
  • Most of the fire activity on the fire today was on the east side of the fire and the fire has burned into the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. The fire is burning about 1 1/2 miles from Skilak Loop Road, though it is not threatening anything on that side of the fire. The only structure there is an old U.S. Forest Service guard station that has been closed. Sprinklers have been set up around the guard station to protect it.

City of Soldotna Open Burn Ban

  • Effective 5:00 pm, Tuesday, June 16, 2015, until further notice, per Central Emergency Services’ Fire Marshal Wes Perkins, there is no open burning allowed in the city of Soldotna limits, with the exception of covered barbeques only.
  • The ban will be enforced by Soldotna Police Department.

Kenai Peninsula Borough UPDATE: 4:oo pm, Tuesday June 16, 2015

  • Ten structures have been damaged in the Card Street Fire. The borough is confirming addresses and will be contacting residents as appropriate. As of 06/16/2015, the preliminary damage report confirms that three structures are homes.
  • The call center cannot provide personal information regarding any damages to property or structures.
  • Updates are regularly posted on www.facebook.com/kenai.peninsula.borough
  • Register your mobile phone to receive emergency notifications through “Rapid Notify.”  Visit www.kpb.us
  • OEM call center information, please call 907-714-2495

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge UPDATE: 3:30 pm, Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Skilak Lake Road at Sterling Hwy is CLOSED

  • Fire response activity is moving EAST toward the Refuge.
  • ROAD CLOSURE: The WEST entrance of Skilak Lake Road at the Sterling Hwy will be closed to lower Skilak campground. The boat ramp at the campground will still be accessible.  The closure will be until further notice due to fire activity.

Homer Electric Association | Hazard Tree Mitigation update

  • In an effort to reduce further damage to HEA facilities and tree related power outages associated with the Card Street Fire in Sterling, HEA will be conducting hazard tree mitigation near overhead electric lines in the vicinity of Feuding Lane and Kenai Keys Rd. as soon as this afternoon, 6/16/2015.
  • It is unknown at this time where the exact location of the current threats exist as line patrols are ongoing, but it has been determined that this work will occur along portions of the overhead lines within State maintained rights of way, across State owned lands within the Stephenkie Alaska Subdivision South of Kenai Keys Rd. as well as Kenai Borough lands South of Kenai Keys Rd., including KPB rights of way.
  • Mitigation efforts will include the removal of burned or live vegetation that is currently deemed a “hazard tree” that could damage HEA facilities should it come within 5 ft. of contacting conductors if it were to fall toward the line.  A combination of hand cutting using chainsaw and a dozer will be used to conduct this work.
  • If you have questions please contact either Cody Neuendorf, Land Management Officer at 907-335-6209 (Office) or 907.398.6170 (mobile); or Jon Cress, HEA’s Director of Operations at 907-398-4942 (Mobile) or 907-283-2337 (Office)

Helpful Online Links:

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June 16 CARD STREET FIRE UPDATE Evacuations map + 1500 acres burned

#CardStreetFire Evacuation Areas, June 16 2015, 12:30pm
#CardStreetFire Evacuation Areas, June 16 2015, 12:30pm

From Kenai Peninsula Borough Office of Emergency Management:
The map indicates the evacuation perimeter for affected Sterling and Funny River subdivisions. The map will be updated as information changes and is available at www.kpb.us and www.facebook.com/kenai.peninsula.borough

CURRENT EVACUATION AREA | June 16, 2015, 12:30 p.m.

  • Sterling area includes subdivisions from Card Street EAST to Kenai National Refuge boundary at Sterling Hwy. mile 76 and SOUTH to the Kenai River. This still includes Feuding Lane and Kenai Keyes.
  • Funny River area includes subdivisions off the end of Salmon Run Drive to the end of Fisherman’s Road and Dow Island residents.
  • Printable PDF: Evacuation Areas June 16, 2015, 12:30 p.m.

Please stay away from the evacuation areas and use caution when driving through smoke or passing fire apparatus. Do not attempt to return to evacuated areas. Updates will be provided to all local radio stations, Rapid Notify and KPB Facebook page when evacuations are lifted.

ONLINE LINKS

Approximate Fire Perimiter 1500 acres
Approximate #CardStreetFire Perimeter, 1500 acres, June 16, 2015, 12:00 p.m.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough provided this Alaska Forestry  update:

  • Approximately 1500 acres have burned. Three helicopters and three fixed wing aircraft and 50 crew are assigned to the fire. Air attack and retardant will resume this morning. Five hot shot crews are arriving late afternoon today and the Type 2 team is expected tomorrow.
  • Six structures are confirmed lost, and Forestry is currently conducting structural, damage assessments. The borough will work with the assessing department to confirm addresses and contact home owners directly just as soon as we receive the information.
  • Once the Type 2 team is operational, perimeter mapping will be provided. Until that time, the Alaska Interagency Incident Management Team has a mapping tool that tracks fire activity at http://afsmaps.blm.gov/imf_fire/imf.jsp?site=fire

The borough will continue to provide resources and support as requested.

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Helpful Facebook links:

 

Borough funds Kenai Peninsula education with maximum allowable contribution

Kenai Peninsula Borough School DistrictKPBSD 50 years logo Smallest version
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888

News Release
KPBSD is grateful our Borough funds public education

Soldotna, June 5, 2015—The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will receive the maximum amount of funding for K-12 public education from the Kenai Peninsula Borough (KPB) in 2015-2016 (FY16). At the KPB assembly meeting on June 2, 2015, assembly members voted to fund the KPBSD FY16 budget with the maximum allowable contribution that Alaska state law permits.

“We are grateful the Borough recognizes that with the fiscal unknowns in the state budget, and by funding the school district with the maximum amount possible, this action will help soften any potential reductions in service that we will likely need to make,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent. “The local funding will minimize negative consequences students will experience with any future reductions in services and educational funding.”

“I am especially thankful for the strong support we received from the Borough administration, assembly, and Mayor Navarre,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent.

The Alaska State Legislature has not yet passed a FY16 budget, so KPBSD remains uncertain about the amount of educational funding that will be designated to the district through the Foundation Formula and One-Time Funding.

The KPBSD $165 million dollar FY16 budget is a deficit budget, and requires use of General Fund reserves. The actions of the Borough will allow KPBSD to extend its General Fund reserves into the upcoming years of fiscal uncertainty.

Links

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Golden pompoms recognize exemplary actions

Sterling Elementary upgraded its Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBiS) system! Students who appropriately follow expectations are provided pompoms as recognition. Sterling staff hand out hundreds of pompoms per week to students who follow expectations! This year, Sterling started the “Golden Pompom” for students who exemplify those expectations on a daily basis over an extended period of time. Three staff members per day are given the golden pompom to recognize students. Students don’t know which teachers have the gold, and thus it requires all students to follow all expectations, all the time, because they never know when they could receive a golden pompom.

Sterling Elementary Golden PomPom recipients
Sterling Elementary Golden PomPom recognition

When given the golden pompom, the staff member tells the student specifically why they are receiving it. The student comes to the principal with the golden pompom and gets to turn it in for a small prize such as a pencil or an eraser. The student signs the “Golden Pompom Celebrity Log” and then the principal and the student call home to share the exciting news!
Students and parents alike have been excited about the golden pompom. Students revel in the additional recognition for following the expectations and parents love the positive phone calls home from the principal!
On January 5, 2015, Sterling Elementary participated in the re-teaching of our PBiS school wide expectations. Each teacher pre-taught the school’s expectation in his or her own classroom and then was paired with primary or intermediate to go to the following areas: cafeteria, playground, bathrooms, and lobby for arrival and departure routines to reinforce those in class lessons. At the end of the day, we had an assembly where we reviewed assembly expectations, bus expectations, and celebrated our November and December Super Star classes of the month for attendance and giving! It was a great day of relearning appropriate school behaviors!
Story contributed by Denise Kelly, Principal, Sterling Elementary
KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA KONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERAKONICA MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA
Link: KPBSD Pupil Services
 

Reading Comes Alive in Port Graham

2015 Story time in Port Graham
The village of Port Graham has seen a burst of activity in the area of reading this year. Students’ interest in curling up with a good book has been sparked by two programs, Accelerated Reader and the Battle of the Books.
Elementary teacher, Stephanie DeVault had used the Accelerated Reader (AR) program in a previous district and saw how it motivated students to become avid readers. AR is web-based software that allows teachers to monitor students’ independent reading. It does this by providing comprehension tests on an enormous range of books. In short, students read a book at their reading level and then take a short, multiple choice test. Upon successful completion of the test, students are awarded points based on the length of the book. This allows teachers to set goals for students, monitor student understanding of reading, and provides a motivator for students to finish books on their own.
The program, naturally, is not free. Because DeVault had seen it provide the impetus needed for students to dramatically increase their reading, she was determined to implement it in Port Graham. She wrote a grant using a website called Donors Choose. Donors Choose was designed to help teachers access funds from donors for classroom supplies. People wishing to contribute to education can browse the website and choose projects they find meaningful, but all materials are purchased by the organization. Teachers are never tasked with handling the funds. This allows donors to give tax-deductible donations, but protects teachers from showing extra income.
The grant posted in mid-September and donations started arriving from friends and family of locals in the village and even from parents of Stephanie’s former students who had watched AR transform their children into voracious readers. At best, Stephanie guessed that it would take two to three months for the grant to be fully funded. In early October, the grant was complete! A generous donation from Chevron, as part of their Fuel Your School program, had paid the balance.
 
Story contributed by Principal Nancy Kleine, Port Graham School
Connect:

2015 May Storytime

Neighborhood school takes it to the streets

2015_05_18_MtView_walk and roll
On May 2, 2015, twenty six “Mountain View Minions” participated in the Walk and Roll for Hope. This event, the 46th annual, takes place in communities throughout Alaska to raise funds for and awareness about disability services available for Alaskans.
As a large, open enrollment, neighborhood school Mountain View Elementary is fortunate to be able to provide services to students with a wide range of disabilities. By forming a team to participate in this event the Mountain View family was able to show our support for those students as well as the people who work with them, both within our school and elsewhere.
The Mountain View Elementary team included staff participating with their children, grandchildren and parents as well as students participating with their families. With a little inspiration from Disney and artistic help from Pinterest a group of staff members made customized Minion shirts for the team. Wearing bright yellow, googley eyed, and smiley faced tee shirts the team was hard to miss and certainly did its best to add to the festive nature of the event. The “Mountain View Minions” raised $900 to support Hope Community Services, the most raised by any team participating in the event.
The Mountain View Elementary staff has a strong sense of community service that it hopes to impart on its students as well. Other ways they have served the Kenai neighborhood this year include:

  • Staff members setting up a booth at Industry Appreciation Days where they helped close to 200 local children make individualized, hand printed, eagle art work
  • The after school choir singing patriotic songs at an evening veterans day celebration
  • The student council, working with Hilcorp Alaska, serving Thanksgiving Dinner at the Kenai Senior Center
  • Staff members coordinating a Christmas drive that provided dinner and gifts for over 100 local families
  • The 2nd grade singing Christmas carols at a variety of local businesses
  • The kindergarten promoting a Pennies for Pets campaign that raised $500 for the Kenai Animal Shelter
  • Student families maintaining a city of Kenai flower bed over the summer

Mountain View Elementary is Kenai’s “Neighborhood School” and its students and staff strive to live up to that moniker. Look for their students and staff at a community service event near you.
2015_05_18_MtView_W & R Martine and Jonathan

Celebrate KPBSD Natalie Kant, Alaska Counselor of the Year

Natalie Kant, Alaska Counselor of the Year!
Skyview Middle School (SMS) counselor Natalie Kant received top acknowledgment from the State of Alaska for her “exceptional leadership skills, work ethic, enthusiasm for the profession, and care for students.” Sarge Truesdell, principal of SMS said, “There is this old saying in schools that the head secretary and head custodian run a school building. Here at SMS, Mrs. Natalie runs the building. She outworks us all, is a leader amongst her colleagues, is innovative, original, competent, and continually striving to learn and improve. She loves what she does!”

USE large Natalie Kant Alaska Counselor of the Year
Natalie Kant, Alaska Counselor of the Year, with Skyview Middle School (SMS) students

“I am very humbled to receive this incredible award for something that I love to do,” said Natalie Kant. “I am honored to be an employee of the KPBSD and absolutely love being a school counselor. My students, their parents, my colleagues and friends, my family and my school district have inspired me to always be involved and have motivated me to do my best. I love working with all students. Thank you for encouraging and challenging me to be the person I am today. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your life. I am very grateful for the influence you have had in my life. Thank You!”
Natalie Kant Counselor of the YEar
KPBSD School Counselors celebrate Alaska Counselor of the Year, Natalie Kant

Nanwalek School Contributes to Retention of Ancestral Language

NAnwalek 1Good morning! Today is Wednesday, May 13, 2015! Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.” …. A typical school morning announcement? Yes! Until…. “Camai uciitilat, camai uciiniit. Ernerpak nupugpet Ipitaqa aniuq.”
Nestled at the foot of beautiful mountains and along the shores of Cook Inlet, Nanwalek, or “a place with a lagoon,” is home to approximately 250 residents who are from the Sug’piaq culture. The language of the Sug’piat is a dying language, with only about 20 fluent residents. They are the elders, who often do not live with children who are developing language skills.
It is hard for most people to imagine their language disappearing off the face of this earth. What would that be like? The exponential effects are many, for language affects interactions, culture, and history. Most would make every effort to save the language – or risk losing all traditions. In Nanwalek, the school has been key in the effort to save the Sugt’stun language.
nanwalek 3Alongside other schools, Nanwalek is focused on academic standards to help students from this isolated K-12 multi-graded school have as many options as possible when they graduate. As importantly, the Alaska Cultural Standards are essential to daily life at Nanwalek School. These provide another set of standards based on traditional and ancestral beliefs that are about survival of a Native world view, and in Nanwalek this is a way of knowing and being to preserve Sug’piaq values and history through bilingual education.
Links
School website
Connect with Nanwalek on Facebook
 
 
Nanwalek 2

Survey: Soldotna area schools reconfiguration follow-up

KPBSD 50 years logo Smallest versionSoldotna Area Schools Online Survey
open May 7 – 22, 2015

We are ending the first year of the Soldotna area schools reconfiguration, and seek your opinion via an online survey about two topics: the reconfiguration, and school start and end times for ten area schools. Please respond to brief questions in an online survey, open through May 22, 2015. Parents, guardians, staff, 7-12th grade students, and community members are invited to participate!
Start the survey now! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SoldotnaSchools2015
Reconfiguration
At the start of the 2014-2015 school year the Soldotna area schools were reconfigured resulting in:

School start and end time
Should KPBSD consider changing the school start time for Soldotna area schools? This question continues to be asked to district administration, so we are asking you. Please keep in mind that we are simply gauging the school and community perception of school start and end times, no decision is made, and that any potential change would not take place in the upcoming 2015-2016 school year.

Thank you for your time and thoughts!

The mission of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is to develop productive, responsible citizens who are prepared to be successful in a dynamic world.