Congratulations to Kari Dendurent, Homer Middle School principal! Ms. Dendurent is recognized as the Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals (AASSP) Region III Principal of the Year!
The mission of AASSP is to promote excellence in school leadership while providing quality professional development to our members through conferences and other professional development opportunities.
“It is a great honor to be selected by my fellow administrators to represent Region III,” said Kari Dendurent, Homer Middle School principal. “I want to thank the amazing students, staff, parents, and the Homer Middle School Community for their continued hard work and support in making HMS such a wonderful place. We at HMS strive for high academic achievement and a positive school climate and culture. Our most important achievement is building trusting relationships through a positive rapport with every student.”
Sean Dusek, superintendent said, “I am very proud of Ms. Dendurent’s recognition and it is very well deserved! She has done an excellent job at Homer Middle School and has brought a very positive attitude with her that permeates the whole school. Great job Kari!”
Tag: Homer Middle School
Robotics enrichment at HMS
Homer Middle School Enrichment Opportunities
Exciting changes happened to the master schedule at Homer Middle School. In an effort to offer students a variety of enrichment classes, every seventh and eighth grade student takes band or choir for thirty minutes each day. In addition to the core content classes, each student has an enrichment period to take one quarter of robotics, art, business, and health. In the robotics class course, students are given an opportunity to use meaningful problem-based learning, a hands-on approach to math and science, integrate and apply knowledge of engineering, math, and science, and work in cooperative teams. At the end of each quarter, students compete with one another in the Robot Challenge in which the robots are programmed by students to complete an obstacle course. The challenge requires the robot to follow a black line, complete maneuvers and listen to voice commands.
Huskies collect cans
Homer Middle School Huskies shared the love during the Month of February to give back to the community and to show their spirit. The students at Homer Middle School partnered with the Homer Food Pantry to collect and donate 765 cans and other non-perishable items. The Student Government sponsored the event; Mrs. Jen Booz’s class won a pizza party for their class donation of 195 cans. In addition to the food drive, Student Government sponsored an ice cream fundraiser to purchase a gift card for Angelica Haakenson, a fellow student from Chapman School involved in a car accident earlier this year.
Homer Middle School Math Counts Team Heading to Juneau
February 17, 2012
Last weekend Zane Boyer, Logan Harris, Douglas Dean, Denver Waclawski , Ben Kettle, and I went up to Anchorage for the annual Math Counts competition. Zane, Logan, Douglas and I were on the official team while Denver and Ben were official individuals.
When we first got to the meet, we went into a large room with a bunch of other kids from 11 other schools. After we registered, the competition soon began. We each sat at different tables with kids from the other schools. The parents and coaches then had to leave the auditorium. The first round we did was the Sprint Round; it was 40 minutes long and consisted of 30 questions. After the round all the kids excitedly awaited the answers.
After a short break, the Target Round, which is eight questions in groups of two, started. We were allowed to use calculators and had six minutes to complete each set of two. When the round was over, it was time for the Team Round. The official team all sat together and we got right to work. The round was designed so that no one person could finish all the questions, so we had to divide up the problems between the team. After 30 minutes of hard work, the round was over.
We took a break for lunch which was pizza and nervously anticipated the results. After lunch it was time for the Countdown Round, which is where they take the 12 highest scoring people and have them compete two at a time until only one person is left. Homer’s very own Douglas Dean competed in this round. Finally it was time to see the results; we sat at our table nervously.
At first they announced first, second and third place overall. None of us placed in this round but we were more excited about seeing if we placed in the Team Round. First they announced 4th place; it wasn’t us. Then they were about to announce 3rd place. We couldn’t wait to see if it was us; if it was then we would get to go to Juneau! When they said “Homer Middle” we were ecstatic! We went up and got our trophies and had our photo taken. We sat through the rest of the placing so excited. That day we drove back to Homer very eager to go to the state competition.
— Kenny Cortez, 8th grade student at HMS, member of the Math Counts team
Thank you to Math Counts coach Sara Reinhert
Homer Huskies rap – Calling All Polar Bears
Homer Middle School student reports: Homer Huskies Get Into “Calling All Polar Bears”
Homer Middle School students were treated this week to a rap performance by Allison Atkootchkook Warden, titled “Calling All Polar Bears.” Allison is an Inupiaq artist who was sponsored by The Bunnell Street Arts Center to perform for our school. Dressed in a purple kuspuk and green cap, Allison began with rap songs she had written based on her experiences from her village.
Allison’s first song talked about the changes her mother had to face growing up in Kaktovik, Alaska and being sent to the lower 48 states to be treated for tuberculosis. In her next song, she rapped about the challenges of being a polar bear. Allison, wearing her polar bear fur mittens and paper mache polar bear head, got all the middle schoolers to sing along and wonder “where did all the ice go?” Allison even got some of the Homer Middle School students dancing with her next song about caribou herds. Spencer Warren and Kenny Cortez put on some antlers and showed off their moves, prancing and bopping alongside of Allison. Her two other songs were about our ancestors, community, and love. The whole gym swayed their arms in the air to show their unity and sense of community along with Allison’s lyrics.
I think the Homer Huskies definitely enjoyed Allison’s unique style of rapping, and we’d like to thank both Alllison Atkootchkook and the Bunnell Street Arts Center for a wonderful concert.
— Maggie Alston, seventh grade student, Homer Middle School
