Category: Education

Parent Webinars to support student remote learning!

KPBSD: Shifting to Remote Learning Free online webinars for parents & guardians

You can find on-demand videos of past webinars, current offerings, and registration information on the Remote Learning Resource for Parents webpage and scroll to the section titled, “Trainings and Webinars for Parents”

To register for these free parent webinars taught by KPBSD professional development coaches, complete this simple online registration.

After registration, you will receive an auto-generated email with a list of your session choices, and the password to enter the virtual classroom for your session. Plan for approximately 30-minute sessions, followed by Q & A.

Week of April 20-25, 2020*


Tuesday, April 21
2:00 PM Lexia Core 5 with Cindy McKibben

      Explore what Lexia Core 5 is & what children learn by using it

3:00 PM Lexia Power Up with Cindy McKibben

      Explore what Lexia Power Up is & what children learn by using it


Wednesday, April 22
3:00 PM Live Homework Help! with Karla Barkman

      Learn how to connect to live tutors to get help with homework

5:30 PM Exploring Discovery Education Resources with Melissa Linton and Karla Barkman

      An introduction to Discovery Education and how parents can use this resource to engage their students in learning at home

6:00 PM Exploring Wide Open School Resources with Melissa Linton and Karla Barkman

      An introduction to Wide Open School and how parents can use this resource to engage their students in learning at home


Thursday, April 23
9:00 AM Discovery Education for Parents with Melissa Linton

      Learn about Discovery Education and how students and parents can use it as a powerful learning tool

1:00 PM Reading Apps and KPBSD with Karla Barkman

      Learn how to use free apps for Sora, TumbleBooks, & more   

3:00 PM Help Me Grow Alaska with Abby Stuffert

      Learn how Help Me Grow Alaska can support Alaskan families with children who may be experiencing developmental delays and-or behavioral issues

*If you have ideas for future topics, kindly email Dr. Christine Ermold, KPBSD director of professional development and federal programs.


Links

Happy Constitution Day!

 
2018_09_17 Constitution Day
On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met for the last time to sign the U.S. Constitution document they created.
KPBSD invites teachers, students, and the community to celebrate Constitution Day through activities, learning, and demonstrations of our love for the United States of America and the blessings of freedom our Founding Fathers secured for us.
This Canvas link provides resources teachers can use to engage students in civics and the Constitution: https://kpbsd.instructure.com/enroll/A474MW

Josh Shuler, River City Academy, #ClassOf2018

Josh Shuler
River City Academy, Class of 2018

Joshua Cole Shuler River City Academy Class of 2018

Josh Shuler is an exemplar of personalized learning in KPBSD. He’s been a student at RCA since 7th grade, when he tested into high school level English, and has continued working above grade level ever since. He earned high school credit as a middle schooler, and as a high school student continued this trend in earning college credits through JumpStart at Kenai Peninsula College (KPC). He will graduate with 16 college credits through KPC and boasts a perfect 4.0 GPA (without the benefit of any AP bumps). Josh tailored his graduation plan to meet his own interests including completing Principles of Engineering and Construction at Soldotna High School. A committed athlete, Josh competed for Soldotna High School in Cross Country Running, Nordic Skiing, and Track and Field. Josh qualified for State competitions multiple times over his career and has the potential to compete at the college level.
Josh is more than excellent academics. He possesses a heart and mind for service to others, and the community benefited from his thousands of hours of volunteer work at Solid Rock Bible Camp. You can also find him volunteering through many projects at RCA, including math tutoring, local school carnivals, fund-raisers and dinner theaters.
Josh is RCA’s Masonic Outstanding Student of the Year, UA Scholar, and qualified for Level 1 of the Alaska Performance Scholarship. He received the BP Principal’s Scholarship. Additionally, he received a scholarship to attend California Baptist University next year to major in Civil Engineering.
Connect with River City Academy on Facebook
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District www.KPBSD.org

Students drone and buzz during Upstream Academy

With the State Troopers
STEM Camp in Kenai
One nonstop week, 34 KPBSD students, community volunteers and instructors make a definite buzz in Upstream Academy, a STEM camp for Title VI middle school students! May 29 – June 3, 2017, students from throughout the KPBSD lived at the Challenger Learning Center in Kenai, Alaska, to take part in the weeklong overnight camp which emphasized up and coming drone technology. Title VI funding made the camp possible, free of charge to students, with each being able to take home their own Parrot Mambo mini drone.
Design and build
Engineers from Homer Electric Association, Tesoro, and Conoco Phillips volunteered their time to help students learn to fly and code their drones through an obstacle course designed to simulate medical aid drops in needed areas.
2017 Upstream Academy
Drones in flight
Career
In addition to learning about and working with drones, the students took part in field trips to the Kenai Peninsula College, where they learned about the paramedics and process technology fields.
Paramedic School
Heritage
Students were able to learn about their heritages through visits to the K’beq Cultural Center, and the Dena’ina Wellness Center, plus participation in a talking circle led by Dena’ina staff.
K'Beq Heritage Site Drumming
Technology and public safety
Alaska State Troopers were on site with their SWAT team robot and Bear Cat, where students learned about how technology can be used to keep Troopers and civilians safe in difficult situations.
Future State Trooper Nash
Exploration and connection
Additional activities included a field trip to the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, a Challenger Center Mission to Mars, a community service project with the City of Kenai, and recreation times at Jumpin’ Junction, Mountain View Elementary gym and playground, and the Kenai Central High School pool.
Swimming
The week-long camp ended after a family BBQ at Spirit Lake on June 3, 2017, where campers said goodbye to newly made friends and asked camp staff if they could come back next year! Plans are in the works for future Upstream Academy camps.
Story contributed by Rachel R. Pioch, KPBSD Migrant Recruiter, Skyview Middle School, Title VI Tutor, Native Youth Leaders Advisor
Group Photo
Connect on Facebook: KPBSD Native Education Program
 

Three state virtual choir imagining a wonderful world

2017 Imagine a Wonderful World virtual choir

click to watch Imagine a Wonderful World

In April and May, three KPBSD Redoubt Elementary music classes (4th, 5th, 6th) joined students from Michigan and Texas to learn a song and employ technology to create a video with 115 young people from three states singing the same song together in a virtual choir!
“We are following the model of Eric Whitacre’s virtual choirs, one of which you can see here,” said teacher, Ms. Pugia. “Students learned and recorded, individually or in small groups, a song that they and two other choirs also learned. Together, all of the videos were uploaded and multi-tracked (voice and video) into one cohesive project, so the whole song is heard as if it is sung by just one choir all in the same place!”
Thank you to:

All composer credits are in video. All songs copyright to original composers.

700 kids: Take me to the river #service

2017 River cleanup (2)
The weather cooperated with the 4th Annual Kenai River Spring Cleanup, students scoured the river and campgrounds, and logged in a total of 3,055 pounds of debris and trash. And that’s a lot considering how light fishing line is!
Six KPBSD schools and nearly 700 students participated from 27 third through sixth grade classes. Connections Homeschool program, Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science, K-Beach Elementary, Soldotna Elementary, Sterling Elementary, and Redoubt Elementary participated.
IMG_9465
Congratulations to Redoubt Elementary for once again pulling together to bring in the “Most Trash Collected” award! Their contribution to this year’s total was a whopping 1,540 pounds!
Thank you to all of the students and volunteers who contributed their time to make this year’s event another huge success, and all the local area sponsors who collaborated and donated prizes to create another excellent event for children and the community.
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Links
Photo album: 2017 Kenai River Spring Cleanup

Facebook: Kenai River Spring Cleanup

 

Middle School Math Meet in Homer

KPBSD Math Meet
Peyton Tobin
Homer Middle School reports over seventy 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students from all around the school district met in at Homer Middle School gym on Thursday, May 11, 2017, to compete in the KPBSD Middle School Math Meet. This all day event consisted of four grueling rounds of math competition in which students competed against and collaborated with their peers from around the district.
Team winners
HMS results
Larry Dunn took third in the sprint round, a 40-minute test of thirty questions students had to tackle without the aid of a calculator. In the target round, a shorter round with longer, more complex questions, Ben Coble also scored a third place finish. For the team round, competitors are put into groups of four with students from other district schools and asked to work together to solve ten difficult problems. Casey Otis came in first with his team, Hunter Green and West Homer student Garrett Briscoe second, and Kazden Stineff third.
Overall Homer Middle School’s Larry Dunn took second on the combined total, with Ben Coble and Sam Larson also placing in the top ten and going on to compete in the game show style countdown round.
The students who represented Homer Middle School this year were Larry Dunn, Ben Coble, Sam Larson, Katlyn Vogl, Emmet Wilkinson, Vianne Sarber, Casey Otis, Olivia Glasman, Keith Roderick, Kazden Stineff, Delilah Harris, Peyton Tobin, Hunter Green, Ryan Carroll, Izzy Fisk, and Elijah Blake.
Homer Middle School would like to thank all of the volunteers who helped make the math meet possible as well as the sponsors: Two Sisters, Latitude 59, SpitwSpots, K Bay Coffee, Alice’s, Representative Seaton, and the Strydom family.
Thank you to Rand Seaton for contributing this story.
Individual Winners from left 4th place – Sean Raftan, 3rd – Samuel Roberts, 2nd – Larry Dunn, 1st – Hayden Hanson
Casey Otis
Delilah Harris left, Olivia Glasman right
Vianne Sarber

Industry certification opportunity for teens | Alaska Petroleum Academy

KPBSD teens, will you be 18 by June 30, 2017?
You have the opportunity to earn industry certifications in Kenai, from The Alaska Petroleum Academy.
Certifications offered include:

16 Hour Petroleum Health & Safety
24 Hour CITS Certification
40 Hour Hazwoper Certification
Confined Space Entry Certification

Classes will be held at the Work Force Development Center~Kenai Central High School, and are open to all KPBSD teens.
Requirements: students  must be 18 by June 30, 2017, and be able to attend all training dates. The program only allows 20 students to attend and if more sign up an interview process will be held.
Sign up through the KPBSD OneStop website
Training Schedule

  • Wednesday, March 29, 3pm – 8pm (5 hours)
  • Thursday, March 30, 3pm – 8pm (5 hours)
  • Friday, March 31, 3pm – 8pm (5 hours)
  • Saturday, April 1, 8am – 5pm (8 hours)
  • Sunday, April 2, 8am – 5pm (8 hours)
  • Monday, April 3, 3pm – 8pm (4 hours)
  • Tuesday, April 5, 2pm – 7pm (5 hours)

Alaska Petroleum Academy Poster '17

Preludes: Paul Banks Elementary music makers

After a month of paper violins, Paul Banks Elementary “Preludes” graduated to real violins. They are learning how to play the open strings as an ensemble group, how to keep beat in unison, as well as how to hold a bow and develop fingering techniques. While much of the instruction still focuses on building physical stamina, frequently students can be heard calling out notes and plucking strings.
ethan-on-violin
Parent perspective
“I recently moved to Homer and enrolled my first grade son in Paul Banks Elementary. I was surprised to hear of the violin program starting this year. Admittedly, my first reaction was one of doubt whether it would work with such young children.
I became involved in helping out with classroom management for the violin lessons. I am so impressed with what I have witnessed. Not only are the kids really enthusiastic about their program, but they are quickly improving. I have read the research about the positive impact on cognitive development when children learn to play a string instrument so young. What impresses me more is what I have seen. The team of program developers, talented violin instructor, violin players who are volunteering and the elementary music and classroom teachers are really giving a lot of energy and “heart” into this program.
I have observed the kids working happily on posture, stamina to focus, endurance for sustaining physical postures, new patterning coordination, eye-hand isolated coordination tasks, following multi-step directions, retaining previous lessons by memory, spinal and upper body strength, developing rhythm, learning where their own bodies go in space (proprioceptive training) and showing respect for the violin.
It is my opinion that only a team of dedicated and driven adults could pull this off successfully. I am writing this to bring awareness to what I have witnessed. Paul Banks Elementary violin “Preludes” program with its team of charismatic musicians is teaching far more than just violins. I am so pleased that my son gets to be a part of this. It is impressive that ALL kids in the first grade are a part of this, as it would be my guess that a number of these children would not otherwise be included.
I now know that my son is learning a lot more than just music while having a great time. I frequently get reports on violin class without even asking him.” –Ginnie Oliver, MOMT, Physical Therapist
In the news: Beautiful music begins at Paul Banks 

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Mr. Perry and students lead the class in a song

“This program has been a positive addition to Paul Banks. The community has generously donated money and volunteer hours to get the program up and running. Daniel Perry, Linda Reinhart, and Lyn Maslow have teamed with our teaching staff to create an incredible program.” – Eric Pederson, principal.
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Mrs. Reinhart’s first graders playing a song that teaches them the names of the notes on the four open strings of the violin, E, A, D, and G.