Category: School Stories

Great Grocery Grab at Redoubt Elementary

Kids and adults raced Redoubt Elementary halls today…for a good cause!

Principal John Pothast competed against Superintendent Steve Atwater to see who could race the hallways, pushing grocery carts, fill them with cans of food donated by students, and get back to starting position, first.
Dr. Atwater won the blue ribbon for time, wearing his speedy sneakers and sporting a tie headband. Principal Podhast was slowed a bit by his hat of swinging eggs, and a wobbly cart wheel. In the end–everyone wins, as more than one thousand pounds of food is collected for the Food Bank.
The sound was deafening–truly–as children lined the hallways ready to hand off their cans. The littlest kids screamed the loudest in hallways where usually only soft whispers are heard. It’s a good cause to shout out for–providing canned food to the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank.
Thank you Redoubt Elementary! You bring fun and food to our community and help others.
Watch for a story in the local newspaper–last Friday Borough Mayor Mike Navarre competed with Soldotna Mayor Peter Micciche.
See more photos in the Redoubt Elementary photo album.

Giving thanks in Kenai

November 15, 2011
A feast was held today! Kenai Alternative High School served their 21st annual Thanksgiving Day Meal to 166 parents, students, and invited guests–many who were community members active with the high school throughout the year. Greeters at the door welcomed everyone with hellos and smiles. What a contrast to the frigid, wind-to-the-bone noon day winter sun! Smells flooded the hallway–turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes–my taste buds quivered when I took the few steps to the gym.

Inside, more students welcomed everyone who gathered and stood in line for the feast! Students said they’d been cooking since the previous Friday, and shared the story of oh, so many spuds. After a meal fit for a king (or queen) I wandered the room with my camera, talking to students, a 2011 graduate who had returned to help, and community members. At one round table members from local churches explained to me they cooked a hot meal each morning for the students, five days a week, serving between 25-70 breakfasts each day. Another table of pre-school students wore festive hats, and posed for several delightful photos–little faces complete with the remnants of  pumpkin pie crumbs. High school students were warm and welcoming, thanking me for coming. A young Mom took a few minutes to visit while she rocked her baby to sleep in his stroller (except I kept smiling at him so his eyelids were slow to close.)  A few photos from the day are in the Kenai Alternative High School photo album at the KPBSD Facebook page.

Let us give thanks for these students, for their parents, community members, and for everyone who shared a meal together. The noon-day sun flooding through upper windows in the gymnasium highlighted warmth in the belly, mind, and heart of all who gathered.
Thank you Kenai Alternative High School–may you continue this tradition for decades to come. The community appreciates you–and clearly you appreciate students, parents, and local residents.

Recognition Day for KPBSD school principals

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District appreciates the dedicated professionals who serve as principals and assistant principals at our forty-four schools. Thirty-nine principals and nine assistant principals serve in the KPBSD.

Governor Parnell proclaims School Principal Recognition Day
November 18, 2011


“The principal is the principal teacher, the first among many—part of a team of professionals. His or her job is to gather this community, to find its special genius, to press it hard, to nurture it, to depend on it.” – Theodore R. Sizer

Please share your stories and praise about your school principal. Students, parents, educators, and community members are invited to comment.
Please e-mail a photo and caption of your favorite principal to communications@kpbsd.k12.ak.us for inclusion in the photo montage.
On November 18, 2011, photos of principals will be added to this post.

Art reflects Red Ribbon Week

October 27, 2011
I’ve been thinking about Red Ribbon Week and how young people learn to make healthy choices in their lives, and in their peer relationships. (Red Ribbon Week is the last week in the month of October.)
While visiting a mini-art show at Soldotna Middle School, this digital image project grabbed my attention. Kudos to eight grade artist Russell Yurcina, a student in John Harro’s Digital Photography I class.

Red Ribbon Week is week-long campaign providing multiple opportunities for students, parents, teachers and others to join together to address the alcohol, tobacco, other drug and violence related issues or concerns in their community.

Sixth grade student shares cycles and sapling story

Cycles Theme Leads Charter School Into Forest Help
—By Briea Gregory, 6th grade student

Center for Alaska Coastal Studies staff member Patrick Chandler came to Fireweed Academy, a local charter school, to talk about how a forest is a cycle. (The school has quarterly themes, and this quarter’s theme is cycles.) Chandler showed the kids about forest cycles like the way it grows from a stretch of barren ground smoothed by a glacier, how it comes back to life after a forest fire, and other things.
Next, he led them through an activity that had them acting as spruce bark beetles and parts of a tree like the heartwood, xylem, phloem, etc.
Near the end of the lesson, he took students outside to the top of the hill beside the school to core a tree. The device used was not an axe, but a special device that looked like an uppercase T with a hollow inside that, when screwed into a tree, show the rings as a strip of wood with lines demonstrating where the rings were. (If you cored a tree, count the lines to demonstrate where the dark, winter lines are.) One of the kids also discovered a spruce bark beetle gallery (the lines left over in a tree from a spruce bark beetle) in a separate tree.

But that wasn’t all that Fireweed did to help the environment. The head teacher, Kiki Abrahamson, brought in bundles of fifteen spruce tree saplings for students to take home and plant near their own house over Labor Day weekend. Overall, the total of saplings came up to 1890 trees. The trees went to different students with instructions on how to properly plant them. Not all of the students took trees, but the trees ran out quickly anyways because some took multiple bundles of trees. That proves that environmental help can extend to schools.

 

Note: Schools and students are invited to send their stories and photos for me to share in the Field Notes blog. –Pegge

News Release: Spring Creek School to close June 30, 2012

Soldotna, October 20, 2011—
The Youthful Offender Program (YOP), currently located in Seward, Alaska, will move from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District to the Anchorage School District June 30, 2012.
Spring Creek School is part of the Youthful Offender Program (YOP) located in Spring Creek Correctional Center—a maximum security state operated correctional facility in Seward, Alaska. The Alaska Department of Corrections determined the YOP can be better served at the Anchorage Correctional Complex, a multi-custody correctional facility with several dorms in an array of sizes.
Alaska Department of Corrections Commissioner Joe Schmidt explained, “The Youthful Offender Program is moving because of a bed issue.” Thus the variety of dorm sizes available at the Anchorage Correctional Complex will be able to better serve the Youthful Offender Program.
KPBSD began the educational programming at Spring Creek School in the fall of 2000. Dr. Steve Atwater, KPBSD superintendent said:

 “We’re very sorry to see the program leave the district, however we understand the reason why, and we will work closely with Anchorage School District.”

Spring Creek School and high school graduation will proceed as usual for the 2011-2012 school year. KPBSD staff has been advised of the June 30 closure. We are offering to help the Anchorage School District with the transition.
About the Youthful Offender Program: This is an intensive program of rehabilitation for incarcerated youth up to 22 years of age. The program includes ongoing needs assessment, treatment planning, daily support, high school education programming operated by the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, counseling and structured living. This program is available to pretrial and convicted youthful offenders.
For questions regarding Alaska Department of Corrections please contact Mr. Richard Schmitz at 907-209-5245.
For questions regarding this news release and KPBSD please contact Pegge Erkeneff at 907-714-8888.
Links

A visit to Port Graham, Alaska

Monday morning: I flew to a small school in Port Graham, Alaska, which is south and east of Homer. I’ve had the opportunity to tag along on several trips to our diverse schools where I’m learning about the KPBSD school district, taking photos, meeting students and educators.

Arriving at the school, two framed paintings hinged with a mirror caught my attention. Curious, I learned it will be a part of a cultural learning experience for the students. Two accompanying head pieces had just arrived. One of the Port Graham students I’d met during the recent KPBSD student council conference day showed me the headpiece for the girls. I’ll post more as the students engage this cultural learning experience; meanwhile, I’m grateful to hear the stories and meet Port Graham students. Everyone was welcoming, curious about the camera in my hand, and the K-3 grade elementary students grinned when they each told me their name.

I'm inspired. Teacher and student share time

Today I met a remarkable teacher, new to the school district. She and two of her students captivate me. I thought I’d spend an hour with them at the Kenai Middle School Vision Room to write a highlight story. Three hours passed swiftly, and I didn’t want to leave. You can read why next week.

Braille watches; teacher and student share time

I’m searching for words to express how KPBSD supports our vision impaired and blind students. I know I’ll be thinking about braille watches for the rest of my life.
Knowing what time it is helps us to orientate our day. As a sighted person, I look at a clock, the light or darkness outdoors, or easily ask a friend or stranger who wears a watch, “Do you have the time?” Or, I can look at my iPhone. I remember the first time I visited Alaska in the winter, took a nap, and woke up from a deep sleep, looking for a clock. The red digital numbers indicated 8:40. But suddenly I didn’t know if it was a.m. or p.m., and experienced confusing dis-orientation. I finally figured out it was  evening, after my heart pounded, and I took several deep breaths.
Can you imagine the value, difference, and independence a braille watch offers to a person who is blind? I’m only now beginning to comprehend.
Every life, and every learner matters. I’m proud to be part of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, and to share the stories of our teachers and students. Look for a web story soon. I think you’ll be inspired.

Brie and Sangria on the move

On September 8, 2011, I headed to the beach in Kenai to meet two Pacific Harbor Seals, 134 seventh graders from Kenai Middle School, a science teacher, and the Alaska SeaLife Rehabilitation Program team for an exciting learning opportunity.
From the Kenai Middle School students head to the beach with Brie and Sangria KPBSD web highlight story:

The skies cleared in time for three busloads of students to run to the shore and congregate along a line drawn in the sand. Only a few yards away, two large kennels were carried to beach. Anticipation mounted.
The day before, two presenters from the Alaska SeaLife Rehabilitation Center met with seventh grade science classes at Kenai Middle school. Students discovered the differences between a seal and a sea lion, dissected sea lion scat, and learned a bit more about the two harbor seals that will be released at Kenai beach.

I’m following Brie via satellite tracking. She’s active!  By October 4, she swam to the West side of Cook Inlet, and from the beaches I walk, she’s a bit south of Kasilof, almost west of Ninilchik. At sunset, when I look towards Redoubt and Iliamna volcanoes, I imagine her swimming in their shadows. I’m learning along with the seventh grade students!