Author: Pegge Erkeneff

News Release: National Blue Ribbon for Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District News ReleaseBlue Ribbon logo
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888
Soldotna, September 30, 2015—U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan recognized Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science [Kenai, Alaska] as a 2015 National Blue Ribbon School. Based on overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups for making progress, 335 schools are honored as a 2015 National Blue Ribbon School.
One of the 15 charter schools recognized nationally, and one of three schools in Alaska to receive this distinguished honor in 2015, Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science in Kenai, Alaska, joins nine other schools in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD) to achieve the National Blue Ribbon School excellence designation.
“This honor recognizes your students’ accomplishments and the hard work and dedication that went into their success,” Duncan said in a video message to the awardees. “Your journey has taught you collaboration, intentional instruction, and strong relationships in school and with your community. You represent excellence—in vision, in implementation, and in results—and we want to learn as much as we can from you.”
COVER 1 Kalideoscope School of Arts and Science“I’m honored our school has been recognized,” said Robin Dahlman, principal. “This is a reflection of a vision shared by dedicated teachers, staff, students, families and community members to personalize integrated learning for all students. We look forward to continuing to provide excellence in all we pursue with children’s learning and development.”
“We are very proud of Kaleidoscope and what they are doing for students in our district,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent. “The staff, students and parents should be commended for all of their hard work to make this school such a wonderful place for kids. Congratulations and keep up the great effort!”
The U.S. Department of Education will honor all 285 public and 50 private schools at a recognition ceremony on November 9-10, 2015, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. Each school will receive an award plaque and a flag as symbols of their accomplishments. In its 33-year history, more than 8,000 of America’s schools have received the coveted National Blue Ribbon Schools award.

COVER 2 BLUE RIBBON BULLETIN BOARD
Students arrive at school on September 30, 2015, and discover the U.S. Department of Education is recognizing their accomplishments and the hard work and dedication that goes into their success!

Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science is one of four charter schools in the KPBSD. With forty-three diverse public schools spanning 25,600 square miles on the Kenai Peninsula, Sean Dusek, superintendent, explains, “In my opinion our diversity is an asset that all of us should embrace. While this diversity makes the management of our district challenging, it is the best thing to offer for our nearly 9,000 students.”Alaskan families can choose to send their students to these KPBSD public schools:

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This and all KPBSD media releases are online at this web page: http://bit.ly/MediaPublicRelationships
Suggest or contribute a story online link: http://bit.ly/SuggestKPBSDstory

KPBSD Key Communicators

People move in the direction of their conversations and seek accurate stories and information about the school district. 

KPBSD Key Communicators help people in their local communities learn more about KPBSD, while also assisting the school district to learn and understand more about what people think, feel, and know. The concept is to promote a continuing exchange between Key Communicators and the school district, creating a loosely connected group of parents and citizens for two way communication.
People move in the direction of their conversations; KPBSD Key Communicators will be kept informed through email messages, media releases, and news from the KPBSD district office communications.

Key Communicators

Opportunity

KPBSD formed a network of people who are interested in our schools in order to cultivate positive relationships with the school district and in our diverse communities. Conversations happen every day in school parking lots, at the grocery store, via social media, and so forth. The idea is that our Key Communicators will be kept informed about school district initiatives, issues and celebrations through email messages, media releases, and newsletters from district office communications. Together we will broaden community advocates and help share the golden stories that happen everyday in our schools and district.

Commitment

Key Communicators are asked to simply read the emails and information sent from KPBSD Communications, and potentially share any misconceptions, perceptions, or concerns they hear with KPBSD communications. If a particular issue arises, we may opt to ask you brief questions, utilize an area gathering, advocate or testify with legislators and community members depending on the topic, or broaden our understanding by directly contacting Key Communicators. Your name and contact information will not be published online anywhere as a contact for your school. Participation in Key Communicators is open, with no time frame limit. An annual survey will be conducted to determine shifts needed to grow positive and effective communications.

Meet and Greet

Key Communicators, district leadership, school board members, and any interested school staff are invited to gather informally for a meet and greet. This is an opportunity to meet face-to-face, connect, ask questions, and learn a bit more about things that are happening in the school district and with Key Communicators.
Three dates take place in September 2015, one each in the Central Peninsula, Seward area, and Southern Peninsula, with additional times throughout the 2015-2016 school year.

  • Thursday, September 10, 2015, Seward Middle School library, 5:30-6:30 PM
  • Tuesday, September 22, 2015, Soldotna High School library, 5:30-6:30 PM
  • Monday, September 28, 2015, Homer Middle School library, 5:30-6:30 PM

Action

In early 2014, school principals nominated 2-3 people in their school community and provided Pegge Erkeneff, communication liaison, with the name, context, connection, or position in the community, and contact information including email, address, and telephone. Every year, principals and school board members offer additional names, and everyone interested in KPBSD schools are welcome to attend area gatherings.
If you are interested in becoming a KPBSD Key Communicator, please email Pegge Erkeneff, communications liaison, at Communications@kpbsd.org.
people working together

Homer High School student to represent Alaska at the Grand Ole Opry House

Falcom Greear, Homer High School
Falcom Greear, Homer High School

When he was five, his music teacher inspired him. Fast forward eleven years, and Falcom Greear, now a sophomore at Homer High School, hasn’t stopped singing, and videoconferences via Skype nearly every week with his retired music teacher, who lives in Mississippi. She has been his inspiration and helped guide his love of music since he attended McNeil Canyon Elementary school in Homer, Alaska. There is a lot to talk about now, as Greear practices more than an hour a day in preparation to represent Alaska and sing during the NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles performance in Nashville, Tennessee.
Greear is working with his ensemble director, Kyle Schneider, Homer High School and Homer Middle School director of choirs, to prepare for the October 25 – 28 trip. One of three students selected from Alaska, the 673 students will perform on the world-famous Grand Ole Opry House stage, “known for creating one-of-a-kind entertainment that’s been referred to as the ‘home of American music,’” according to the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) website. The performance will take place during the 2015 NAfME National In-Service Conference.
“Selected students are currently rehearsing a challenging repertoire in preparation for performing under the baton of five of the most prominent conductors in the United States: Ann Howard Jones (Mixed Choir); Jung-Ho Pak (Symphony Orchestra); Eugene Migliaro Corporon (Concert Band); and Sherman Irby and Todd Stoll (Jazz Ensemble),” writes NAfME in a news release. “All conductors have received top honors in their field and will spend several days rehearsing with students before the concert.”
A sophomore, in his free time Falcom teaches Zumba classes, occasionally telling his students, “sing if you want to!” The Broadway musicals, All that Jazz and Chicago are his favorites, and Greear believes, “If you have a goal, go for it! Whatever you are passionate about brings you joy.”
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News Release: Mediation Concludes

Kenai Peninsula Borough School DistrictPrint
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888

News Release
Mediation Concludes

Soldotna, September 22, 2015—The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District (KPBSD) was unable to reach a tentative agreement with Kenai Peninsula Education Association (KPEA) and Kenai Peninsula Education Support Association (KPESA) through the mediation process, which took place September 21 – 22, 2015.
A meditator from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) met with all three parties and exercised shuttle diplomacy between the groups, which in essence means conveying questions, supposals, and information seeking to find areas of compromise. Everything that took place during mediation remains confidential, and mediation was closed to the public.
The KPBSD bargaining team is analyzing and reviewing what transpired in the mediation process.
Unless all parties agree to return to face-to-face negotiations, the next step in the collective bargaining process is advisory arbitration.
KPBSD employees continue to work under contracts which expired June 30, 2015. When the new fiscal year began on July 1, 2015, all eligible employees did receive salary and wage movement on the predetermined salary and wage schedules.
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Project Search Open House with national speaker in Kenai

Kenai Peninsula Borough School DistrictKPBSD logo 4c today
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888
News Release
Project SEARCH open house is September 24, 2015
What takes place when a school district and hospital collaborate to create a business-led, one-year, school-to-work program for students with disabilities? Join KPBSD and Central Peninsula Hospital for the annual Project SEARCH High School Transition Program open house and find out about a life-changing opportunity happening in our community.

Thursday, September 24, 2015
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Challenger Center,
Kenai, Alaska

Families, educators, partner organizations, and community members are invited to:

  • Meet student interns who will showcase learning from their respective internship rotations
  • Talk with the teacher and job coach
  • Meet the hospital job mentors
  • Be inspired by national speaker, Erin Riehle, the Project Search National Director, who will speak about the ways in which you can assist our students with special needs in employability training and community involvement.

Sean Dusek, KPBSD superintendent said, “One of our on-going challenges is to ensure that our students with disabilities make a smooth transition to life after high school. Project SEARCH is thus, a wonderful way to help us meet this challenge.”
The Project SEARCH High School Transition Program is a total workplace immersion, facilitating a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and relevant job-skills training through strategically designed internships. Through a series of three targeted internships the students acquire competitive, marketable, and transferable skills. Students also build communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills which is important to their overall development as a young worker. The goal: independent adults prepared for competitive employment opportunities.
Kenai Peninsula Project SEARCH is made possible through the collaborative efforts of Project SEARCH Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Central Peninsula Hospital, Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, the Governor’s Council on Disabilities and Special Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and Frontier Community Services.
Links
Project SEARCH
2014 Golden Apple Award: Central Peninsula Project SEARCH program
2013 KPBSD Project SEARCH story
2012 KPBSD Project SEARCH story
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First time: Maritime Awareness Day

2015 Seward High Maritime Academy
Thunder, lightening, and rain didn’t stop Seward High Students from painting, welding and working on heavy equipment at the Vigor Shipyard, September 10, 2015.
The interactive tour started at AVTEC when students from Seward High, AVTEC’s Welding, Diesel Mechanics and Constructions classes met with employers, department officials from DOT, and the Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Labor, Joe Thomas. Students travelled to the shipyard where Vigor employees had a welding lab, machine shop demonstration, and fabrication shop stations, then they learned the art and science of the boat painting industry followed by the heavy equipment and Dry Dock facility. Students loved the hands on, action packed day, and returned with inspiration, new learning, and ideas!
ACCD_Maritime_Poster_2015_Revised_high_res

9/9 at 9:09 | International FASD Awareness Day

September 9, 2015, is International Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Day

Do you know that the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District is a leader compared with schools throughout North America in facing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)? We are working to increase our capacity to successfully deal with the many challenges faced by students with FASD. This fall we are taking another giant step forward by also taking a lead in awareness and prevention of FASD.
FASD awareness day started on 9/9/99 to remind everyone that a woman can remain alcohol fee for all nine months of pregnancy.
Nine Months
Proclamations are issued in countries, states, provinces, and towns all around the world. Bells are rung at 9:09 a.m. in every time zone from Alaska to New Zealand. People all around the world gather for events to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking during pregnancy and the plight of individuals and families who struggle with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD).
To our students, and all future parents: the decision whether or not to drink alcohol during pregnancy is a decision that will affect the rest of your lives and those of your children yet to be born. There is so much false information about drinking during pregnancy. Truthful scientific facts include:

• No amount of alcohol is safe to drink anytime during pregnancy.

• Alcohol is poison to a developing baby and permanently damages whatever part of the baby that is developing when a pregnant woman drinks.

• Alcohol is a solvent, like paint remover, to a developing fetus. One single glass of wine dissolves 10,000 cells in the developing baby’s brain.

• The damage done to a developing fetus by alcohol cannot be undone. It is permanent.

• Alcohol is more damaging to a developing baby than even heroin or cocaine.

• The single biggest factor influencing whether or not a pregnant woman drinks alcohol is having a husband or partner who will stay sober with her for the entire pregnancy.

• If a woman finds that she is pregnant and has been drinking some alcohol, her baby will be healthier if she stops drinking.

• If you are pregnant, don’t drink. If you drink, don’t get pregnant.

At 9:09 AM, on 9/9, is when FASD is recognized throughout the world. “Everyone has a part they can play in preventing FASD, and to remember the importance at the school level of understanding the impact of this invisible disability,” said Clayton Holland, director of KPBSD pupil services. “The CDC estimates that 2% to 5% of the total population is impacted by FASD. If we apply that percentage to the KPBDS we would have close to 400 students who are impacted, with many of them not being identified with FASD, but likely having significant struggles in the classroom and at home.
Last year the district formed an FASD “Think Tank” to help guide the district’s next steps in addressing the many challenges that come with FASD. The FASD Think Tank determined a need to focus on continuous on-going training and resources for teachers, school and community outreach to prevent future FASD, and the development of resources for students impacted by FASD to understand how their disability impacts them and what resources they have available to them. We have also offered college credit training opportunities as well as presented for school staff at regular staff meetings and in-service days. Finally, In order to help our families and communities better understand FASD, we have established parent support groups in the communities of Seward, Homer, and in the Central Peninsula.
Collectively, our work with FASD has helped to contribute to more positive outcomes for all students and helped to contribute to a significant decrease in suspension and discipline referrals at the school level. I encourage all KPBSD staff members to learn more about FASD by going to The National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome website. This is an excellent resource for all staff working with students experiencing FASD.”
www.nofas.org

Seward Elementary teacher and student meet the President of the United States

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Jenna Fabian, Seward Elementary 4th and 5th grade teacher reflects after personally meeting with President Obama when he visited Seward, Alaska, in September 2015:
Today’s experience was clearly one that I will never forget! My student, Samantha, and I had a great conversation on the way out to Exit Glacier after going through three different security checkpoints. We decided that we were going to be “sponges” and take every little bit in! We ended up meeting up with him twice. The second time included a conversation with him regarding how important National Parks are, and the amazing career of a teacher.
What moved me the most is the absolute poise that our President exemplified. He was beyond personable with his warm smile and continuous eye contact. This experience made me think of the amazing colleagues that I am in the company of each and every day, our amazing school district, and all of the incredible educators that are there for our Nation’s children each and every day. With all of these fantastic people at the forefront of my mind, it was an absolute honor to represent Seward area schools and the initiative of “Every Kid in a Park.”
The President asked Samantha what grade she was in upon first meeting him. Then, as he walked to meet others,  we were escorted down a trail by a White House correspondent to the 1926 marker near the outwash plain so that we could wait to see the President again. There at the outwash plain, we met him again with all of his press. He stopped and talked with us more, and referenced how fortunate our school is to have so many opportunities to see Exit Glacier and the great outdoors. He continued in and discuss the Every Kid, Every Park initiative and how important it is for kids to see the outdoors. We heard about his fond memories of visiting Yellowstone as a child, which seemed to be such a great memory for him as evidenced by the warm look on his face when speaking about the National Park.
I appreciated that he thanked me for my dedication to kids, and noted that teaching is one of the most important careers.
On the ride back, Samantha said there were two things that struck her the most: she was speechless after the President gave her a hug! Before the President continued his hike, he gave her a box of Presidential M&M’s. She was quite excited and reassured me that she would never eat them!
A local photographer, Kalani Woodlock, donated a picture of Seward in the winter time. This picture was printed on metal and given to the President on behalf of Seward Schools. I wasn’t able to give it to him personally but his assistant took it, and assured me that he would get the gift.
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Exploring Careers at ANSEP Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) Summer Academy

Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP)
Partnering with the University of Alaska ANSEP program for the first time this year, we recruited qualified students from 27 of our schools to attend the ANSEP Middle School Academy. Of the 1,014 identified native students in the district, 245 attend middle school (6-8 grade), with 143 of the students meeting the requirement of being on track for success in grade 8 algebra.
KPBSD sent 48 students and eight chaperones to the 10 day Middle School Academy. Students experienced high quality, upper level science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) problem-solving activities taught by college staff while on the University of Alaska campus. KPBSD is committed to continue this recruitment effort in 2015-2016. Successful academy completers are not allowed to participate in future academies that occur during the school year but are invited to apply for ANSEP’s follow-up summer academy.
Twenty-two of the 48 students followed the complicated application process and were accepted to the 2015 summer academy for continued guidance and learning. These photos were taken during the summer ANSEP Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) Career Explorations.
 

ANSEP STEM Career Explorations students (L-R) Jovena Bartels-Salas, Anika McDonough, and Leisha Lozana, June 2015
ANSEP STEM Career Explorations students (L-R) Jovena Bartels-Salas, Anika McDonough, and Leisha Lozana, June 2015

 
James Lamping (L) and Jakob Andreanoff (R) assemble their Unmanned Aerial Vehicle during ANSEP’s STEM Career Explorations June 2015
James Lamping (L) and Jakob Andreanoff (R) assemble their Unmanned Aerial Vehicle during ANSEP’s STEM Career Explorations June 2015

Daylynn Yenney, ANSEP STEM Career Explorations student, pilots the UAV her team built while university professor looks on, June 2015
Daylynn Yenney, ANSEP STEM Career Explorations student, pilots the UAV her team built while university professor looks on, June 2015

Marcus Hale (L) and Sorin Sorensen (R), put finishing touches on their Unmanned Aerial Vehicle at ANSEP’s STEM Career Explorations in June 2015
Marcus Hale (L) and Sorin Sorensen (R), put finishing touches on their Unmanned Aerial Vehicle at ANSEP’s STEM Career Explorations in June 2015

Garrett Cooper assembles model lungs at ANSEP’s STEM Career Explorations in July 2015
Garrett Cooper assembles model lungs at ANSEP’s STEM Career Explorations in July 2015

Aphanasia Kvasnikoff creates model lungs during ANSEP’s STEM Career Explorations in July 2015
Aphanasia Kvasnikoff creates model lungs during ANSEP’s STEM Career Explorations in July 2015

Sorin Sorensen pilots his team’s UAV while teammates look on during ANSEP’s STEM Career Explorations in June 2015
Sorin Sorensen pilots his team’s UAV while teammates look on during ANSEP’s STEM Career Explorations in June 2015