Mountain View Elementary Celebrates School-Wide Commitment to Responding to Conflict in A Positive Manner
Nobody likes to get their feelings hurt! While most of us mask the hurt pretty well, it negatively effects affects us in a variety of ways. Most certainly it affects students who may have a hard time learning if they remain focused on a negative interaction with a peer or teacher.
With that realization in mind Mountain View Elementary developed and implemented a Positive Responses to Conflict Curriculum for students Kindergarten through 5th grade. All adults in the school have also been trained to model these basic practices in their conflicts with students and each other. At a recent assembly the school celebrated the completion of the annual seven week rotation of teaching grade level appropriate lessons on kindness and the six basic positive responses to conflict.
Staff members entertained students and provided reinforcement for the following positive responses to conflict:
Assume positive intent by asking clarifying questions in a positive manner, these questions often begin with “Did you know….”
Politely ask someone to stop a behavior and tell them why.
Wait and cool off followed by using another strategy.
Simply let it go.
Compromise and share.
Talk it out using a structured process including: calming strategies, positive body language, and script prompts.
“The Conflict Wheel” is a graphic designed by Mountain View staff to promote the use of these strategies. The conflict wheel can be found on posters in all all rooms of the building, on a large sign on the playground and on lanyards carried by teachers while on recess duty.
A smaller version of the conflict wheel, with a description of the 6 strategies is discussed with and given to families at open house and conferences to promote its use at home. In April 2016, 87% of the 189 Mountain View Elementary families who returned a survey stated they utilized the 6 positive responses to strategies to resolve conflicts at home.
Do you know that over 114 Alaska Native Tribal affiliations are represented in nearly 1,200 identified Native students in the KPBSD Title VI program?
The KPBSD Title VI Indian Education Program supports Alaska Native and American Indian students for a successful experience throughout their K-12 schooling years, and invites everyone to a public meeting on Wednesday, November 9, 2016.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016 3:00—5:00 p.m. Borough Assembly Chambers, Borough Administration Building 144 North Binkley Street, Soldotna, Alaska 99669
The Title VI Committee is comprised of parents and guardians of Title VI students who have been appointed by school site councils. Interested tribal elders, community members, students and parents are encouraged to participate. The Title VII Program is designed to assist and support students’ academic achievements, social and emotional development, and cultural awareness in the classroom. KPBSD Title VI students will be supported and enabled to receive an educational foundation, and given the skills to respond successfully with adults, situations, circumstances, activities and opportunities in school and life. Agenda includes:
• Title VI Election Results
• Nominations for Chair and Vice Chair
• Update on identified students
• Native Youth Project Grant
• Title VI Program Updates
• Partnership updates
Please RSVP to Deanna Leslie, dleslie@kpbsd.k12.ak.us
Questions? Contact Conrad Woodhead, KPBSD Native Education Program Coordinator, CWoodhead@kpbsd.k12.ak.us, 907.235.8671 or Tim Vlasak, Director of Federal Programs and Assessments TVlasak@KPBSD.k12.ak.us, 907.714.8892
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Soldotna, November 7, 2016—Do you have an opinion about how to improve KPBSD schools?
Community members, families, students, and staff are invited to offer thoughts for the KPBSD 2017 – 2022 strategic plan revision through an online surveyopen through November 21, 2016.
KPBSD is refreshing and revising our five year strategic plan. Each of you has a unique perspective that will help guide our planning. Community members, families, students, and staff can have a voice in this process by completing the Survey. Your opinion will assist KPBSD to determine long term goals. Brief survey questions designed for our diverse schools include these topics:
Evidence of Education Quality
Challenge and Issues Impacting Education Quality
Educational Priorities
Student Skills and Abilities
Financial Priorities
Your Suggestions to Improve Quality of Education
The Survey is online, through this link:https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/83VBSQY
The KPBSD webpage also includes a link to the survey, www.KPBSD.org.
Superintendent Sean Dusek said, “In an effort to improve our school district, we need a good plan to guide that effort. As a stakeholder in our community, you have a unique perspective that will help in the development of our new strategic plan. Your opinion will help develop areas the school district should focus on and guide which goals we should set. Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey as we chart the direction of our schools for the next several years.”
Survey results will be essential in the process of refreshing and developing our long-term KPBSD strategic plan. A synthesis of the responses will be shared with the Board of Education, and available online. Thank you for making time to complete this valuable survey. Your feedback is important.
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Forty-four registered teams with close to 200 students from fourth grade through high school competed in the KPBSD annual “Mind A-Mazes” meet on Saturday, October 15, 2016, at Soldotna Prep School. Teams came from all parts of the peninsula – Homer, Hope, Seward, Nikiski, Moose Pass, and the Central Peninsula.
This year’s annual “Mind A-Mazes” challenge had teams exercise their communication, teamwork, engineering, and problem-solving skills while constructing and testing a vehicle powered solely by a single mousetrap. The annual challenge is made possible through the active participation of district Quest program (gifted education) teachers, as well as a host of other teachers, volunteers, and supporters. The “Rodent Racers” problem challenged team vehicles to travel a distance of 21 feet with accuracy and speed. If a team’s device met all of the problem requirements and limitations and hit a can target at the end of a 21 foot lane (without going outside of a three foot wide lane), then it qualified for a second heat in which the speed at which it traveled the lane and hit the target were measured.
Thank you to all the students, parents, coaches, teachers, volunteers, judges and coordinators who made this year’s meet such a wonderful experience for students! Link Mind a-Mazes Blog
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Contact: Pegge Erkeneff, 907.714.8888 News Release
Two KPBSD educators are Teacher of the Year finalists
Soldotna, October 22, 2016—KPBSD is so proud! Two of the three finalists for the Alaska Teacher of the Year make a difference every day in our district. Join us to celebrate Stephanie Cronin, Seward High School, and James Harris, Soldotna High School, who are finalists chosen by a team of educators from the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.
“These finalists for teachers of the year represent their profession and remind us of the many great teachers in Alaska,” Commissioner Johnson said in a statement. “We see a common thread of teachers who are enthusiastic about their subject and about learning. They relate to students and place a priority on creating a healthy community in the classroom. They are leaders in their school and community.”
Stephanie Cronin, Seward High School
Stephanie Cronin has been teaching mathematics and engineering at Seward High School for 17 of her 19 years in the profession. A leader in our district and the community, she serves on committees for effective instruction, teacher evaluation, professional development, assessment, curriculum, and educational technology, the school site council, and the local Native Youth Olympics.
“Of course Ms. Cronin is a finalist for the Alaska Teacher of the Year!” said Trevan Walker, principal. “Her genuine love of teaching compels her to continue to learn and grow within the profession. This growth has made her a teacher-leader in technology integration among her colleagues at Seward High and as a member of the KPBSD effective instruction committee. Most importantly, however, is that Ms. Cronin is a caring and compassionate human. Her Positive Math Attitude (PMA) is more than a catch phrase or mantra—it is a philosophy that permeates every interaction she has with her students and they love her for it.”
Cronin says her greatest contribution to education is her impact on students, which is based on respectful, close relationships. Her passion is to show students the beauty and possibilities of mathematics. One student wrote that Ms. Cronin planted the seed that it’s okay to be excited about mathematics. “She increased my positive math attitude exponentially,” the student said, mathematically. She is a leader in Seward High School’s technology-heavy hybrid model, which offers students many ways to earn credits, videotaped lectures to make the most of class time, and online parallels to courses so students have some control over where and when they learn.
“Ms. Stephanie Cronin is clearly one of the best teachers in our district,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent. “Her excellence stems from the positive relationships she establishes with all of her students and her ability to make math relevant for her students. I am proud that she is a finalist for the Alaska Teacher of the Year award and believe this honor is well deserved.”
James Harris, Soldotna High School
“I feel incredibly honored to be considered a finalist for the 2017 Alaska State Teacher of the Year Award, and proud to teach in the best district in the state,” said James Harris. “I am absolutely thrilled to be thought of highly enough by my colleagues and the Department of Education and Early Development to be considered a finalist. I wouldn’t be half the teacher I am without amazing colleagues who constantly challenge and inspire me, or without the support of administrators who work so hard to create an environment for both students and teachers to grow. One of my favorite aspects of teaching, aside from the fun we have in class, is working with so many supportive parents who hold a deep value and respect for education and the opportunities it provides. Finally, no one makes me a better teacher than my students. I thank my students for challenging me, using strong verbs, and making me thankful every day for my life on the Kenai.”
James Harris is a 12-year professional, and has taught English at Soldotna High School for seven years. A published writer, editor, and college educator, he chairs the English department and professional development at his school, and coaches youth hockey. Harris said he overcame a tumultuous childhood with the help of several teachers who could see the goodness and potential in him. He says, “Through literature I hope to help my students empathize with the human story, open themselves up to the joys, sufferings, motivations, disappointments, and triumphs of others, and thus achieve a kinder and more complex understanding of themselves.”
Once students graduate, they start the stories of their own lives. Harris said he uses every skill, experience, talent, and tool at his command to give his students what they need to face their life choices armed with literacy, empathy, and a deeper sense of what they can contribute to our human community.
“Mr. James Harris is one of the best teachers in our district,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent. “He implements rigorous and relevant instruction into his classroom every day. The students know he cares about them as individuals through his personalization efforts and how he engages them in goal setting and individual improvement. It makes me proud that he is a finalist for the Alaska Teacher of the Year award and I believe this honor is well deserved.”
October 22, 2016: James Harris; Stephanie Cronin; KPBSD Superintendent Sean Dusek
“Overall, it is very exciting that two of the three Alaska Teacher of the Year finalists are educators in the KPBSD. They are both excellent representatives of the teachers in our district and I am proud to have them working with our children every day.” – Sean Dusek, superintendent
October 22, 2016: Tony Graham, Soldotna High School principal; James Harris
“James is such a phenomenal teacher. His work and dedication to the craft pushes me to be better. I only wish I had been as good of a teacher as he is. This is an honor he truly deserves.” –Tony Graham, Soldotna High School principal
News Release KPBSD schools ShakeOut on October 20, 2016
K-12 schools in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will participate in the Great Alaska ShakeOut “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” earthquake drill on Thursday, October 20, 2016, at 10:20 a.m.
KPBSD students and staff join more than 120,000 Alaskans who have already registered to participate. Dave Jones, assistant superintendent of instructional support, said, “We need to be prepared for incidents we hope never happen, but if they do, we can minimize the danger to our students, staff, and community.”
Earthquake preparation and the proper “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” technique is valuable safety education for our students and employees. We will also practice a radio check-in to the district office from each of our schools following this earthquake drill.
Alaska schools, families, and businesses are encouraged to participate. Links
News Release Public invited to KPBSD Key Communicator events
Soldotna, October 17, 2016—KPBSD is hosting three Key Communicator Connect & Collaborate Hours to converse about the KPBSD budget, five year strategic plan, and respond to questions and ideas about our diverse district. Key Communicators gather throughout the year; everyone interested in KPBSD schools is invited to attend:
Tuesday, October 18, 2016, Homer Middle School library, 6:00 – 7:00 PM
Thursday, October 20, 2016, Seward High School library, 6:00 – 7:00 PM
Tuesday, November 1, 2016, Soldotna High School library, 6:00 – 7:00 PM
“People move in the direction of their conversations and seek accurate stories and information about the school district.” –KPBSD Key Communicator network
Who are KPBSD Key Communicators?
Parents, students, business owners, staff, alumni, grandparents, retirees, everyone who cares about education. 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 in our schools and community 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 and advocacy.
Opportunity
In 2014, 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. Our Key Communicators are informed about school district initiatives, issues, and celebrations through responses to questions, email messages, news releases, and e-news from district office communications. Each school year an opportunity to meet in person takes place. Together we will broaden community advocates. Links KPBSD Key Communicators Questions?Contact Pegge Erkeneff, KPBSD communications liaison, Pegge@KPBSD.org, 907.714.888
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News Release Input needed to solve the state and KPBSD fiscal crisis Soldotna, October 14, 2016—Your KPBSD schools need you to participate in the FY18 budget development process, and assist with solutions to the fiscal crisis in the State of Alaska. Community budget meetings took place throughout the district at 30+ school sites on Thursday, October 13, 2016. It’s not too late to become involved. Parents, staff, students, business partners, community members, and elected officials: KPBSD needs your help so that together we can continue to meet the needs of our diverse students, identify efficiencies, and examine contingencies for decreased funding of public education. Together, we can show how KPBSD is an excellent investment for everyone’s future, and become part of the solution to bring forward a sustainable multi-revenue fiscal plan for our state.
To-do ideas
Watchthenine minute videoshown at the KPBSDcommunity budget meetingsto learn how KPBSD crafts a multi-million dollar budget in response to the fiscal reality impacting all aspects of state government and funding for public education.
View any of the other short videos that explain aspects of funding and budgets*
What can KPBSD provide to help you—and others—understand the fiscal problem and assist with solutions?
Which areas of the district budget, or a school site budget, could be reduced if there is a 3 to 20 percent reduction in state funding revenue to education in 2017-2018?
What are your suggestions to legislators about funding shortfall solutions?
*link includes all videos & PDFs
“As the State of Alaska works to develop a sustainable long-term fiscal plan, our district will continue to provide the highest quality educational experience it can within that state plan. We are asking all of our stakeholders to be engaged in the budget process to help prioritize programs and services to be offered in our district. Some decisions may be difficult, but there are many opportunities, too. Ultimately, our budget process will help inform our state and borough leaders of the needs our schools have to provide an excellent education. I look forward to beginning this discussion and supporting all stakeholders to participate in the district and state planning process.” –Sean Dusek, superintendent
Input will be synthesized and presented to the KPBSD school board during board meetings and work sessions. Links
*link includes all videos & PDFs Provide feedback:
Which areas of your school site budget could be reduced in 2017-2018 if there is a 3 to 20 percent reduction in education funding revenue from the State of Alaska?
What ways can KPBSD legally increase revenues?
Is there anything that KPBSD can provide that will help people understand the fiscal problem and help with solutions
What are your suggestions to legislators about funding shortfall solutions?
Parents, staff, students, business partners, community members, and elected officials are invited to attend the districtwide community budget development meeting on Thursday, October 13, 2016, 6:00 p.m.,* at these KPBSD school sites:
Aurora Borealis Charter School – K-Alt main meeting room; Chapman – Mr. Sharp’s room; Cooper Landing – Classroom 4; Fireweed Academy – Big Fireweed; Homer High School – Homer High Library; Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science – Library; K-Beach Elementary – Room 18; Kenai Alternative – K-Alt main meeting room; Kenai Central High School – KCHS Library; Kenai Middle School – KCHS Library; McNeil Canyon – McNeil Canyon School; Moose Pass – Seward Middle Auditeria; Mountain View Elementary – Library; Nikiski North Star – Room 13; Nikolaevsk – Room 11; Ninilchik School – Library; Port Graham – Room 2 – Secondary Classroom; Redoubt Elementary – SoHi Library; River City Academy – ELA Room; Seward Elementary – Seward Middle Auditeria; Seward High School – Seward Middle Auditeria; Seward Middle School – Seward Middle Auditeria; Skyview Middle School – Room B104; Soldotna Elementary – Library; Soldotna High School – SoHi Library; Soldotna Prep – SoHi Library; Sterling Elementary – Room 162A; Susan B. English – Commons area; Tebughna – Room #12; Tustumena – Library; West Homer Elementary – Homer High Library *variances
October 13, 2016: Homer Flex – 5:30 p.m., ELA Room; Hope – 3:45 p.m., Sandra Barron’s room; Nikiski Middle-High School – 5:30 p.m., Library; Paul Banks School – 3:15 p.m., Paul Banks Lounge
October 17, 2016: Homer Middle School – 3:30 p.m., Conference Room; Nanwalek – 4:30 p.m., Room 110, Secondary Room
October 19, 2016: Kachemak-Selo, Razdolna, Voznesenka – 4:00 p.m., Voznesenka School October 25, 2016:Soldotna Montessori –5:30 p.m., Room 414
“As the State of Alaska works to develop a sustainable long-term fiscal plan, our district will continue to provide the highest quality educational experience it can within that state plan. We are asking all of our stakeholders to be engaged in the budget process to help prioritize programs and services to be offered in our district. Some decisions may be difficult, but there are many opportunities too. Ultimately, our budget process will help inform our state and borough leaders of the needs our schools have to provide an excellent education. I look forward to beginning this discussion and supporting all stakeholders to participate in the district and state planning process.” –Sean Dusek, superintendent of schools
Participant input will be synthesized and presented to the KPBSD school board during November and December board meetings and work sessions.
Link KPBSD Finance Department
News Release Southern peninsula school start and end time options Soldotna, October 12, 2016—Changes to school start and end times will begin in August, 2017, and in order to inform and gather input, three southern peninsula community meetings will take place in November. The same content will be presented at each meeting. Parents, KPBSD staff, students, and community members are invited and encouraged to attend a community meeting of their choosing:
Tuesday, November 1, 2016, 6:00 PM, Ninilchik School
Wednesday, November 2, 2016, 6:00 PM, Homer High School
Thursday, November 10, 6:00 PM, Chapman School, Anchor Point
Following community meetings and feedback from community members, on Tuesday, October 4, 2016, school principals met with district administration and staff to develop three options for new school start and end times in the southern peninsula. The preferred option from all school administrators is “X”. However, two additional options were also developed. Option “Y” adds ten minutes to start and end times, and option “Z” is most problematic, swaps the start times, and tiers schools without like needs. Next steps:
The transportation department analyzed X, Y, and Z options, and transportation routes for X and Y are viable.
School administrators will share the three options with site councils, and gather input.
November community meetings will be an excellent time for a shared conversation and discussion.
Principals will evaluate input and make final recommendations to district administration.
KPBSD transportation will make certain bus transportation for the chosen option is viable.
The district anticipates completion and a final decision before winter break so that parents and communities can begin to plan for the changes that will start in August, 2017.
