Author: Pegge Erkeneff

KPBSD Emergency Guidelines for Parents and Guardians

Before A School EmergencyPrint

Parents Should Be Prepared
Contact information entered in PowerSchool is used to make emergency contact with parents. So that KPBSD can keep you informed, make sure your child’s emergency contact information is accurate, current, and updated as needed. That information may be used during an emergency to generate automated phone messages, emails, or text messages to parents from schools or the district office. Parents need to go to the school office to update and sign their information.

  • Download the KPBSD Mobile App so you can automatically receive emergency update push notifications
  • Become familiar with the KPBSD Facebook and Twitter social media sites where emergency information is posted

Parents Should Be Informed
Familiarize yourself with these KPBSD emergency terms and procedures:

  • Stay Put: A “stay put” takes place when a potential threat is identified in the school’s neighborhood. All school doors are locked but classes continue inside as normal. No entry into or exit from the school is allowed. Students will not be released until the situation is resolved and the “stay put” has been rescinded.
  • Safety Closure: A “safety closure” takes place when a violent intruder is identified on school grounds or in the school building. The ALICE protocols will be followed. No entry into or exit from the school is allowed. Students will not be released until the situation is resolved and the “safety closure” has been rescinded.
  • Shelter-In-Place: A “shelter-in-place” takes place when students take refuge in designated areas to be protected from hazardous materials or severe weather. Entry or exit from the schools will be controlled.
  • Evacuation: In the event of certain building emergencies, students will be relocated to an appropriate evacuation assembly area. Students will be released to parents per district student release procedures.

During A School Emergency

Parents and Guardians

  • Should trust that during an emergency the school and district is first doing what is needed to protect students, and then communicating to parents as quickly as possible when we have full and accurate information.
  • Should trust that staff and students are prepared for emergency situations. Schools participate in emergency drills throughout the year, and staff and emergency responders know the best procedures for keeping students safe.
  • SHOULD NOT call or rush to your child’s school
  • Phone lines, staff, and local roads are needed for emergency response efforts.
  • SHOULD NOT phone or text your child
  • The sound or vibration from cell phones and phone conversations could put students in danger. Also, students need to be paying attention to the instructions from trained staff. Conflicting instructions from parents may put a child’s safety at risk.

After a School Emergency

How will I be reunited with my child?
Parents and guardians will be directed by school or public safety officials to their child’s specific location. This information will be distributed via the previously discussed emergency modes of communication. Students will be released ONLY to parents and guardians or other designated individuals who are documented as emergency contacts. All individuals will be required to present a valid picture ID such as a driver’s license, military ID, or passport. Please remember to bring your ID with you and inform your child’s emergency contacts that they will be required to show proper identification if they are picking up your child.
The reunification process can be time-consuming, so everyone is urged to be patient.
Recovery
Following an emergency, we encourage parents to:

  • Listen to and acknowledge your child’s concerns
  • Provide reassurance that your child is safe
  • Assure your child that additional prevention efforts are being put in place
  • Seek help from school personnel or a mental health professional if concerns persist

Should your child have serious concerns in response to an emergency or crisis, contact your school directly for information and guidance.
Questions?: Please contact your school principal or office.

Link: KPBSD dedicated webpage: School Delays or Closures
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KPBSD School “Safety Closure” information

KPBSDPrint
School “Safety Closure” information

After extensive research and study of historical and recent school safety incidents, the U.S. Department of Education issued a new document with new guidelines for school safety entitled “Guide For Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operation Plans.” One of the major findings was that the lone option to lockdown was no longer enough. It was stressed that “as the situation develops, it is possible that students and staff will need to use more than one option.” In order to give our staff and students more options to protect themselves, KPBSD adopted the ALICE protocols to be used when the presence of a violent intruder necessitates a “Safety Closure.” ALICE is an acronym for:
ALERT         Use Plain and Specific Language. Avoid Code Words
Get the word out! Notify authorities and those in harm’s way of the danger at hand. The objective is a conveyance of plain, clear, concise and accurate information, not an issuance of a command. The goal is to empower as many individuals as possible with the ability to make an informed decision as to their best option to maximize their chances of survival!
LOCKDOWN   Barricade the Room. Silence Mobile Devices. Prepare to EVACUATE or COUNTER if Needed
Locking down and barricading entry points may still be the best option in some situations. The noise of cell phones and phone conversations could put students and staff in danger so all mobile devices should be silenced. ALICE training includes instruction on practical techniques to assist in better barricading the room. Pre-Planning and obtaining of materials can improve the ability to barricade. The time in Lockdown can be used to prepare for the use of different protocols (i.e. Counter or Evacuate) as the incident proceeds and situational information is supplied.
INFORM     Communicate the Intruder’s Location in Real Time
Inform is a continuation of Alert and uses any means available to pass on real-time information.
Communicate real-time updates throughout the incident to those involved. This can be accomplished through the use of video surveillance equipment, public address systems, or electronic updates. Updates during an incident allow those involved to make sound decisions about how to react and what steps, if any, to take next. Information should always be clear, direct and, as much as possible, should communicate the whereabouts of the intruder. Effective information can keep the intruder off balance, giving people in the school more time to further lockdown, or evacuate to safety.
COUNTER Create Noise, Movement, Distance and Distraction
This protocol is used only as a “last-resort” or “worst-case” option if those involved have not been able to find a secured area, or their secure area has been breached. Staff and students are trained in disruptive actions that create noise, movement, and distance to distract, confuse, and gain control through age appropriate tactics. ALICE does not endorse civilians fighting an active shooter, but when confronted directly in a life-and-death situation, individuals should use any actions necessary to defend themselves.
EVACUATE  When Safe To Do So, Remove Yourself From Danger Zone
The goal is to safely put as much time and distance between the threat and our staff and students as possible. The decision to evacuate can be made at any time during the incident based upon information that becomes available. Evacuating to a safe area takes people out of harm’s way and hopefully prevents civilians from having to come into any contact with an intruder. Evacuation is the number one goal! When Evacuation is one of multiple protocols that are safely available, Evacuation should be the first choice.
It is important to understand that these protocols are age appropriate, not sequential or chronological, and those involved have the ability to change protocols as an incident progresses.
KPBSD’s change to the use of A.L.I.C.E. protocols has been done in conjunction with our local law enforcement agencies. These agencies also participate in the training of staff and students.

2015 KPBSD School Safety Closure information

Mountain View Elementary parade time is overall win-win

Shoutout to Mountain View Elementary students and staff for “Honoring Hometown Heroes” in the Kenai Fourth of July parade, and taking prize for the Overall Award winner!
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Thank you to Snug Harbor Seafoods for donating the use of the 20-foot trailer, and Stanley Ford providing a new truck to pull the trailer.
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4 july 4
4 July 2
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1:1 iPads bring dynamic learning opportunity to Nanwalek School through White House ConnectEd initiative

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

News Release
iPads bring dynamic learning opportunity to Nanwalek

Soldotna, August 17, 2015—Palpable excitement is in the air today at Nanwalek School, where 80 kindergarten through twelfth grade students anticipate receiving their own Apple iPad on Tuesday August 18, 2015.
A year in the planning, the rollout celebration to begin the comprehensive 1:1 technology solution for every student and teacher, including Apple hardware, software, and services, begins at 1:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 18, 2015, with guests and dignitaries present to speak to students, staff, and the community. The upcoming year is a game-changer for Nanwalek School, the only school in Alaska, and one of 114 schools in the country, to receive an Apple grant as part of the White House ConnectEd initiative begun in 2013.
Nanwalek School is located in a small village on the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula, across the bay from Homer, Alaska. By giving students access to the latest technology and powerful learning tools, we’re working to transform the classroom into a place of deeper exploration and creativity.
“We are very excited about this opportunity for our students in Nanwalek,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent. “A key part of any initiative is professional development for our teachers and through the training commitment from Apple, we are confident that the new technology will have a tremendous positive impact for all of our Nanwalek students.”
As a result of the initiative to receive iPads, Apple TVs, and MacBook laptops for teachers:

  1. Students and teachers will be introduced to a new level of technology that they have not previously experienced in the village or school. This experience will be enhanced by faster Internet installed by the district through ACS in September 2014
  2. Academic core learning will be strengthened through resources and e-books on the devices
  3. This grant includes professional development for teachers in differentiation to strengthen core instruction, and intervention processes to increase achievement

IMG_9979Nanwalek School honors cultural identity while developing students to be effective members of society. School goals for the ConnectEd initiative include:

  • Students, parents, and community will be our partners
  • Teaching will be transformed
  • Students will be active learners
  • Students will strengthen their academic learning
  • Students will have a tool for preservation of language and culture
  • Students will have more possibilities for postsecondary options

 Links

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Suggest or contribute a story online link: http://bit.ly/SuggestKPBSDstory
Please contact me with questions or connections to be made for your KPBSD district and school stories.

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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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
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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
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2015 May Storytime