Tag: KPBSD

Parents and Guardians: Prepare for a positive COVID-19 case in a school

link: COVID-19 in KPBSD Web Hub

Dear KPBSD Parents and Guardians,

This letter will help your family prepare should our school district or your school have a COVID-19 event occur. An event could be a positive COVID-19 case, outbreak (two or more positive cases in a school) or exposure to COVID-19 in a school. The health and safety of our students, staff, and families is our top priority.

Letter templates for if or when there is positive COVID-19 case exposure or spread in a KPBSD school

KPBSD works closely with local public health officials and they will provide support and direction to manage every COVID-19 related scenario that affects our school communities. If or when a COVID-19 event occurs related to your school, you will receive information via the usual school and district communication methods. Depending upon the situation and response needed by you, the contact may come via a phone call, email, alert, or general notification.

KPBSD honors HIPAA and FERPA privacy laws, so your name and your child’s name will not be revealed by the school, unless you give the school permission to do so. A dedicated webpage at KPBSD.org is where to find the most up to date information.

If your child receives a positive COVID-19 test result, and they have been at school two days prior to the onset of symptoms, or the testing date that resulted in a positive test result, it will be helpful to begin contact tracing at their school immediately. So, we need your help when you learn of a positive COVID-19 test result for your child. Call Nurse Iris, KPBSD Nursing Supervisor to confidentially report a positive COVID-19 test result. You can reach her at 907-260-2391, IWertz@kpbsd.k12.ak.us. Alternately, call your school nurse or administrator.

It is important for everyone in our community to protect themselves against the remarkably contagious novel coronavirus. These are some ways to protect your family:

  • Symptom Free School Protocol: keep children who are sick at home—do not send them to school

  • Teach your children to wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, and set a good example by doing this yourself

  • Teach children to cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or by coughing into the inside of their elbow, Be sure to set a good example by doing this yourself

  • Time and distance: teach your children to protect your family bubble or their school cohort, and practice physical distancing of about six feet away from others

  • Mask up with a cloth face covering when appropriate, especially indoors in crowded public places, on the school bus, and in school hallways. Grades 3 and older in the KPBSD wear a mask at school when six foot physical distancing is not possible

When you have COVID-19 related questions, contact your school nurse, healthcare provider, local public health department, or visit the state DHSS or national CDC websites. You can find specific information for the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District on our dedicated COVID-19 in KPBSD Hub webpage that includes communication updates, safety protocols, 2020 Smart Start Plan, sports and activities, risk levels on the Kenai Peninsula, and the COVID19 Confirmed Case in School Response Matrix. Your school is always available to help, or you can reach out to the school district COVID-19 line at 907-714-8864, email covid19@kpbsd.org, or visit covid19.kpbsd.org.

This year will require adaption, a flexible mindset, and we will get through this with both challenges and blessings. We promise to communicate often, be proactive and swiftly reactive when necessary, even when we do not have all the answers. Superintendent John O’Brien reminds us, “We will focus on and provide for the social, emotional, and mental health needs of our students, staff, parents, and community. I have no doubt that together we will not only get through this new school year but will also hopefully become more resilient and empathetic to the needs of others.”

New: COVID19 Risk Levels in KPBSD dashboard

Example dated August 20, 2020

When the onset of COVID-19 happened, the need to make rational and informed operational decisions became primary for the health and safety of our students, staff, and communities. KPBSD incorporated science-based guidance to assist in our decision-making processes.

Find COVID19 Risk Level information for KPBSD schools in two places:

Webpage: KPBSD and COVID19 Risk Level descriptions, and information

DASHBOARD: KPBSD and COVID19 Risk Levels, updated daily from State of Alaska official counts

The KPBSD COVID19 risk webpage offers detailed information and shows low, medium, or high risk in three general areas of the Kenai Peninsula, and small communities. The risk determination is made in conjunction with the State of Alaska actual 14 day case counts, state seven day averages of positive cases, Public Health, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), the Alaska Department of Education and Early Learning (DEED), Kenai Peninsula cooperators, and the KPBSD COVID19 Community Risk Level Medical Advisory Group.

First version is live!
The new COVID19 Risk Level for KPBSD schools dashboard updates automatically with data from the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) daily positive state case counts. You can find it from the www.KPBSD.org homepage, and in future weeks, it will be automatically updated and visible on 42 school websites. Updates are daily.

Example dated August 19, 2020
Example dated August 19, 2020

Two-Hour Delay Start on 12-10-19

On Tuesday, December 10, 2019, all 42 Kenai Peninsula Borough School District schools will begin with a two-hour delay start due to a combination of road conditions, weather conditions, power outages, flooding, and safety concerns.

Buses will run two-hours later than normal in the morning.

Pre-K classes in the morning and afternoon session are cancelled on 12-10-19.

If weather conditions warrant any full school closures, an additional announcement will be made about 7:00 AM.

Please be safe, and if you decide to keep your child at home, the absence will be excused.

link: How it works: weather related school closures and delays

KPBSD SCHOOLS:

  • Aurora Borealis Charter School
  • Chapman Elementary School
  • Connections Program
  • Cooper Landing School
  • Fireweed Academy
  • Homer Flex School
  • Homer High School
  • Homer Middle School
  • Hope School
  • Kachemak Selo School
  • Kaleidoscope School of Arts and Science
  • Kenai Alternative School
  • K-Beach Elementary School
  • Kenai Central High School
  • Kenai Middle School
  • Marathon School
  • McNeil Canyon Elementary School
  • Moose Pass Elementary School
  • Mountain View Elementary School
  • Nanwalek School
  • Nikiski Middle-High School
  • Nikiski North Star Elementary School
  • Nikolaevsk School
  • Ninilchik School
  • Paul Banks Elementary School
  • Port Graham School
  • Razdolna School
  • Redoubt Elementary School
  • River City Academy
  • Seward Elementary School
  • Seward High School
  • Seward Middle School
  • Skyview Middle School
  • Soldotna Elementary School
  • Soldotna High School
  • Soldotna Montessori Charter School
  • Sterling Elementary School
  • Susan B. English School
  • Tebughna School
  • Tustumena Elementary School
  • Voznesenka School
  • West Homer Elementary School

www.KPBSD.org

KPBSD leadership recognized by State of Alaska Educational Leaders!

News Release
Kenai Middle School Assistant Principal Dan Beck is State of Alaska 2020 Assistant Principal of the Year!

KPBSD is proud to celebrate Homer Middle School Principal Kari Dendurent who is Region III Principal of the Year, and Kenai Middle School Assistant Principal Dan Beck who is recognized as both the Region III Assistant Principal of the Year AND the State of Alaska 2020 Assistant Principal of the Year!

 2019-10-29 Dan Beck Alaska AP of the Year

In Mr. Beck’s words…

“It is great to be involved in a career that I love, and I wake up each morning feeling good about going to work. As a school principal, there is so much variety in my work, and two days are never the same. I really enjoy that I am not in a position that requires me to do the same things over and over, day after day. I enjoy my interactions with students, and I am hopeful that I am making a positive impact on the students who I have worked with over the years.” –Dan Beck, Kenai Middle School assistant principal

Encouragement

“The first person to encourage me to become a principal was my wife, Tracie Beck. We were teaching together in rural Alaska and she pointed out the skills that I have that she felt would make me a good administrator. She has always been supportive and encouraging, and I am very thankful for her.”

#Appreciation

“KMS is a great place to work. I know that it is common to use the term family to describe the people who you work with, but here at KMS I cannot think of another way to describe our workplace relationships. Our staff is great and that really contributes to the enjoyment and fulfillment that I get out of my work. This is my ninth year as the assistant principal at KMS, and the way that Mr. Dosko shares the administrative duties with me contributes to my high level of job satisfaction and longevity. We work closely on all administrative duties and I feel valued as a member of the KMS team.”

Thankful for mentors


“Several administrators were influential mentors to me early in my administrative career. I am thankful for the leadership and direction that Ron Keffer, Gary Whitley, Sam Stuart, and Larry Natta provided to me as I began learning the craft of school administration. They were the people who I looked to for direction and advice when I was new in the profession.”

“Mr. Dan Beck is a well deserving recipient of the Alaska Assistant Principal of the Year honor,” said Superintendent John O’Brien. “He was selected for this honor by his peers for good reason. Dan is a seasoned school administrator having served in principal and assistant principal roles in Alaska and Montana. In every decision Dan makes, he has the best interest of his students in mind. He is an amazing advocate for students and we are all very proud of him!”

Vaughn Dosko, Kenai Middle School principal said about Mr. Beck, “Ten years ago, I was representing Alaska as the Assistant Principal of the year. It is a great pleasure to mentor and work with Dan on a daily basis for the past nine years. Our administration styles mesh in a way that we are able to draw the best out in each other. Dan’s effort and passion for Kenai Middle is on display each and every day. Dan Beck is one of the many reasons why KMS is the great place it is today.”
“I have had the opportunity to work with Dan Beck as a colleague in the capacity of a fellow principal and as a member of the Kenai Peninsula Activities Association for the past seven years,” said Kari Dendurent, Homer Middle School principal. “In addition, I have had the great pleasure of following in his footsteps as the principal of Homer Middle School. While the principal at HMS, Dan created an environment of family and hired several of the phenomenal teachers currently practicing today. It is through his foresight to find and hire quality staff that HMS has become a school of excellence. As a principal colleague, I have had the opportunity to work with Dan in calibration teams and have visited his school often. During my visits, I have seen the compassion, empathy, and true sense of caring for students when walking in the halls with Dan, talking with him as he supervises lunchtime and transitions, as well as the respect he has earned from his students upon entering classrooms. Dan’s rapport with his students is in a coaching capacity and he will treat students as individuals to support them in both their academic and social emotional needs. I have also had the opportunity to work with Dan on the Kenai Peninsula School Activities Association (KPSAA) Board. Dan is level headed in his decision-making and is able to bring the history of decisions made by the board as well as providing sound reasoning to establishing policies. Dan has been invaluable on this board to ensure fairness and equity to the student athletes of the KPBSD.”
Links

Do you have a story tip about someone to profile in the weekly KPBSD graduate, student, or staff profile? Kindly email Pegge Erkeneff, KPBSD Director of Communications, Pegge@KPBSD.org.
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KPBSD and #SwanLakeFire information – August 20, 2019

8/20/19: 6:00 PMKPBSD logo
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District schools and the Swan Lake Fire

On Wednesday, August 21, 2019, Cooper Landing School will start the day with a two-hour delay start.

The final determination about a full day closure will be made no later than 9:00 AM. A two-hour delay start allows the KPBSD to work with multiple agencies to determine the safety of opening or closing a school. If a full day closure is warranted, an announcement is made as soon as possible in the morning through the district website www.KPBSD.com, social media, mobile app, school communications, and media partners.
All other KPBSD schools will open on Wednesday, August 21, 2019, on a normal schedule.
Absences will be excused if parents choose to keep children at home due to air quality, road closures, or wildfire activity in their area.
 

Bus transportation for River City Academy, Skyview Middle School, Soldotna High School, and Sterling Elementary

The northern bus stops for Route 108 and Route 110 might be adjusted depending on Sterling Highway closures or partial closures. Information will be assessed early in the morning, and if there are changes, they will be announced by Apple Bus at approximately 6:00 AM for Route 108, and by 7:30 AM for Route 110. KPBSD will also post these updates on social media.
 

Outdoor recess and physical activity at all school locations may be modified based on the Air Quality Levels.

 

Positive OPT-IN to receive text messages from KPBSD or schools


The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District utilizes a text messaging service for parents and staff through mobile phone contacts in PowerSchool or the employee portal. A positive OPT-IN is required to receive text messages. Text yes or Y to 67587. This communications service only includes KPBSD staff, parents, and guardians.
 

Swan Lake Fire community meetings:

  • Wednesday, 8/21/19, Cooper Landing School, 6:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, 8/22/19, Sterling Community Center, 6:00 p.m.

 

Several sports events are scheduled for the upcoming weekend including the annual 2019 Tsalteshi Invite.

Air quality levels and highway closures will be assessed late in the week to determine if sporting events will happen. A decision about the 2019 Tsalteshi Invite will be made on Friday.

To find helpful or emergency information:

  • Follow KPB Alerts on Facebook, and for additional information on the Ready-Set-Go! Evacuation Guidelines and up-to-date fire information, visit www.kpboem.com or call 907-262-INFO.

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Caring for the Kenai 2019 Competition raises the bar

“What can I do, invent or create to better care for the environment of the Kenai Peninsula or improve the area’s preparedness for a natural disaster?”

In the 29th year of the competition, on April 18, 2019, Homer High student Austin Cline took first place honors and a $1,600 cash award in the annual Caring for the Kenai environmental and natural disaster preparedness contest.
1 HHS Austin Cline IMG_3270
Austin’s proposal to recycle plastic waste into 3-D printer filament wowed the crowd and judges at the Kenai Central High School Little Theater. Cline explained:

“It’s a simple process that I already have grants for … it’s to turn plastics into 3-D printing material.”

Taking second place and earning $1,100 was the team of Lindy Guernsey and Akilena Veach from Seward High School. Lindy and Akilena demonstrated a working drone which they had built at school, using 3-D printers. The girls use the drone to survey Seward’s floodplains. The girls’ work has supplied the Seward Flood Board with crucial data to help prevent property damage during flooding events.
Lindy said:

“We worked with our outward bound program and built the drone then we heard about Caring for the Kenai and our science teacher encouraged us to enter.”

Akilena added:

“We learned how to fly the drone on a computer simulator after we built it, we’ve flying for three years we’ve been working with younger students so the program will continue after we graduate.”

2 Seward Lindy and Akilena IMG_3106
In third place and claiming a $900 prize was Connections home school student Anna DeVolld. Anna will be visiting local Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club meetings to share information about the role of pollinators in our ecosystem. As part of her presentation, Anna shared a ‘Pollinator Pack’ she has developed; a cluster of plants which support pollinators like bees and bats. These packs of plants will also be distributed to Chamber of Commerce and Rotary Club members, “I’m also giving educational programs about pollinators to increase awareness of how important they are to our community, our salmon runs and food production. I’ll be using my prize money to fund my pollinator packets. I learned a lot of my computer skills because of my CFK idea,” said 13-year-old DeVolld.
3 Anna DeVolld IMG_3094
Taking fourth place honors and $750 was Homer High student Vianne Sarber. Vianne used her incredible skills in art and graphic design to create a children’s storybook titled ‘Sophie Saves the Sea.’ Vianne plans to publish the book through Kindle. “I’m incredible grateful to Mr. Stineff for assigning CFK to me. I allows me to learn and use my skills to make a difference,” said Sarber.
With a catchy (and original) rap, Jacob Topp took 5th place with his rap to remind people about ‘Nice Ice Safety.’ The rap, set to Vanilla Ice’s ‘Ice, Ice Baby,’ is designed to be played over the radio and promote a Facebook page with regular ice safety updates.
The team of Landon Vyhmeister and Josiah Nunn won 6th place and a $550 prize with a video game they developed. The project, titled ‘R.I.S.E. U.P.’, challenges students at different age levels to survive various natural disasters. The boys are working to have their game included in school curriculum.
End of story 2019 CFK Orals 121
Finalists who earned $400 each for making it to the final 12 out of 400 plus entries are:

  • Dylan Duniphin, Kenai Central High School, Nutrient Runoff
  • Melita Efta, Kenai Central High School, Coloring On the Kenai
  • Olivia Ferguson, Rebecca Okonek, & Autumn Calabrese, Ninilchik School, Worms Are Sexy
  • Riley Graves, Kenai Central High School, Magnetic Beach Rake
  • Justin Hansen, Soldotna Prep, The Trails Initiative
  • Shawna Hudson, Kenai Central High School, Solution For Pollution

“Caring for the Kenai is a special opportunity for our students to showcase their ingenuity, problem solving skills and creativity,” said Superintendent of Schools Sean Dusek. “This year’s competition was another wonderful year of our students showcasing these talents in extraordinary ways! I am very proud of the students and their teachers who worked hard to not only develop projects that extended their classroom learning, but who are also are having meaningful, positive impacts in their communities. I am proud to have been associated with such a fantastic program that supports our students in so many ways.”

The CFK essay prompt challenges high school students to respond to the question “What can I do, invent or create to better care for the environment of the Kenai Peninsula or improve the area’s preparedness for a natural disaster?” The contest, administered by the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska, was assigned this year in Kenai Peninsula freshman biology classrooms, with one home school student and at least two high school students entering voluntarily.
In addition to the $8,000 in cash awards for the finalists, this year $20,000 will be awarded to the school’s science departments. Thanks to the CFK signature sponsor Marathon Petroleum Corporation and the community partners Kenai River Raven Lodge, Hilcorp Energy, Peninsula Community Health Services, ConocoPhillips, Sweeney’s Clothing, and Peninsula Radiation Oncology Center.
High schools using CFK as part of state standards curriculum were: Cook Inlet Academy, Kenai Central High, Homer High, Nikiski High, Ninilchik School, Razdolna School, Seward High, Soldotna Prep, and several home school students. Students can enter every year of their high school career, whether the contest is assigned in class or not.
Each school receives $750 for their participation and the remainder of the $20,000 will be allocated according to how the school’s students ranked in the CFK competition. Additionally, close to 20 students will receive special recognition awards from local businesses and individuals.
This year’s contest was noted for its unusually high scores and number of students who have already implemented their ideas.
In addition to cash awards the finalists receive the 2019 CFK hooded sweatshirt and beanie. On Saturday, April 27, 2019, finalists, teachers, and guests will attend the CFK V.I.P Awards banquet hosted in their honor by Marathon Petroleum Corporation at the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska.
COVER 2019 Caring for the Kenai
All the nearly 400 participants that entered the contest will receive a CFK beanie for their hard work and creativity. This year’s oral presentation judges included Dr. Nels Anderson (Mayor of Soldotna), Cameron Hunt (Marathon Petroleum Corporation), Pegge Erkeneff (Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Communications Liaison), Dan Nelson (Kenai Peninsula Borough Office of Emergency Management), Marnie Olcott (Challenger Learning Center CEO), Dick Erkeneff (Kenai River Raven Lodge), Robin Barry (ENSTAR Southern Division Manager), and Carlee Rizzo. Caring for the Kenai is administered as part of the Challenger Learning Center of Alaska educational programs.
Links

KPBSD Inspiration, Kelly King, Nikiski High School #ClassOf1999

Born and raised in Alaska, Kelly King now serves one of our most vulnerable and invisible populations on the Kenai Peninsula—youth who experience homelessness, and lack a stable place to sleep at night.
Kelly King
When she graduated from Nikiski Middle-High School in 1999, after elementary years at (Nikiski) North Star, she headed north to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. She’s now in her eleventh year working in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District as the KPBSD Students in Transition Program Coordinator and Central Peninsula Homeless Liaison.
Early years with her parents deeply influenced her professional life path. She said, “I watched them actively care for and about people throughout my childhood, and I always knew I wanted to contribute to my neighbors and my community in the same way. I see the value in people looking out for each other. My mom and dad spent a lot of time, energy, and resources building into people’s lives and I was always inspired by the outcome of love they brought to the table.”
“Say ‘yes’ to you.”
“It can be daunting to be bold in who you are, what you’re interested in, and what you want to go after—especially as a teenager that just wants to fit in. But the things that might make you feel out of place in high school can be the very things you’re most proud of as an adult or that have the biggest impact on the world around you.”
Teachers who care change the world
“I was an extremely shy child and because of that, going to school was really difficult for me. Academics were comfortable and came naturally, but the social aspect was overwhelming and produced a lot of anxiety. In middle school, I really struggled with feeling like I fit in or had a place to claim—but teachers at Nikiski, some whom I had no classes with, noticed and went out of their way to engage with me.

Phil Morin, Vern Kornstad, and Lori Manion reached out to me from a place that had nothing to do with academics, but everything to do with connection. They spent time getting me involved, fostering my self-confidence, and building a sense of belonging. They shifted my perspective of myself and that changed my entire school experience moving forward. I was blessed to work with these amazing people after coming back to KPBSD and I saw how they had similar, beautiful impacts on so many other students’ lives.

Meaningful work in the world
I believe in the work I am doing, and see the continual need in our community for supports. Homelessness in Alaska, and on the Peninsula specifically, is an issue that is often overlooked and misunderstood. I want to be a part in changing that dialogue. I am proud of the program we have in place and our push to provide quality services, to be innovative with the resources we have, and to ensure students and families experiencing homelessness trust they have an advocate. When I see students who have been a part of the SIT Program living successful, productive, joyful lives, or when I hear from families that something we offered made even a small difference in a moment they really needed that support, it fills me up. I have no doubt I am where I am supposed to be and I am thankful for the opportunity to be here every day.
Unplugged play and fun
We are so lucky to live in Alaska, aren’t we? Every day we wake up in a place that is on so many Bucket Lists—I try to soak it up and soak it in as often as possible! I love to adventure with friends and family, take road trips, snowshoe and cabin camp in the winter, and anything on, in, or near the water. I totally dig live music and am excited by the festivals and events popping up locally over the last few years. I also work really hard to make it to Maui each year—I’m pretty sure palm trees are my “spirit animal.”
Living with service as a high value
Earlier this year I joined the local 100 Women Who Care, and it has been awesome to see what a powerful impact this group of compassionate, community-minded women are making right here at home. I volunteer for the local Relay for Life and am helping organize the Brewery to Bathroom 0.5k fundraiser this year, as well as an upcoming event for KPAL (Kenai Peninsula Animal Lovers) Rescue. There are so many worthy causes and opportunities to get involved in our community; I would really encourage people to find what speaks to them and then find a way to plug in. One of the things that has always made me proud to be from Nikiski and the Peninsula in general is the way people show up for each other—get in on the action!
Links

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Do you have a story tip about a KPBSD graduate to profile in our Wednesday Inspiration? Kindly email Pegge Erkeneff, KPBSD communications liaison, Pegge@KPBSD.org.

KPBSD Graduate Inspiration: Joel Isaak, Skyview High School #ClassOf2007

Joel Isaak Skyview 2007
Joel Isaak, Skyview High School, Class of 2007, is a practicing artist, currently enrolled in an Indigenous Studies doctorate degree program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the Tribal Liaison for the State of Alaska Department of Education and Early Learning. Isaak says,

“I want to keep growing in learning my Dena’ina people’s language. I love spending time with elders learning language and material culture and passing it on to future generations.”

When he reflects on a message to younger students, or his younger self, he offers:
 

“Find quality people and focus your energy on working with them. Don’t let negativity or people who are trying to bring you down stop you from working hard towards your goals. Never put an age limit on friendship.”

 
Following his 2007 graduation from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, he was awarded a Bachelors of Fine Arts Sculpture from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Masters of Fine Arts in Sculpture from Alfred University in New York.
A man with exceptional talents and kind insightful eyes, Joel said, “I would spend hours of time in the art studio after school when I was in high school. This was a safe space for me to learn, do homework, and develop my artistic skill. I had fantastic art teachers. I began my undergraduate studies pursuing a chemistry degree. After several car accidents, I was no longer able to do lab work. I had a friend mentor who encouraged me to pursue art. I still have to be careful with the physical repercussions of my injuries but I am able to work prolifically in sculpture.” His art is truly fantastic; view the video featuring Joel: Fins of Fashion: The Alaskan Artist Creating Salmon Skin Stilettos, and visit his website at https://joelisaak.com/.

Shout-out to special teachers
“Teachers inspired me to follow my career path. I now work in education and I had some amazing teachers in my K-12 and university studies. These teachers became mentors to me and encouraged me to learn and explore a diverse range of studies. I would like to thank several of my teachers from my high school years—they provided safe classroom space for me in school when I was going through a lot. Thank you to David Schmidt and Clark Fair for letting me eat lunch in their classrooms on a regular basis, Teri Zoph-Schoessler, and all of my art teachers at Skyview.”

“I am passionate about developing an educational model that addresses the clashing of European colonialism with indigenous peoples. Fundamental to healing this rift is stemming the loss indigenous languages and treating all people with respect. This need is evidence by the staggering history of abuse of women that needs to stop. I hope that my art and working to educate can help bring awareness and change in a positive direction.”

–Joel Isaak, Skyview High School Class of 2007
Today his home is back on the Kenai Peninsula, he works with DEED, creates meaningful art, and continues to pursue life with purpose and passion.
Do you have a story tip about a KPBSD graduate to profile in our Wednesday Inspiration? Kindly email Pegge Erkeneff, KPBSD communications liaison, Pegge@KPBSD.org.

Superintendent Sean Dusek announces retirement

News Release KPSD_Seal
On Monday, January 14, 2019, Superintendent of Schools Sean Dusek tendered his resignation and retirement, effective June 30, 2019. The resignation and retirement letter is posted in the online Board of Education packet, and this action was approved during the Monday evening public school board meeting.
Sean Dusek KPBSD Superintendent 2015 smaller file
In his words
“I am very grateful for the many years I have been in KPBSD that started with student teaching at Skyview High School in 1991,” said Superintendent Dusek. “Being a part of this district and holding the position of Superintendent of KPBSD has been a great honor, and while this position is very challenging, it has been the most rewarding. We have excellent staff throughout our district and I have full faith that KPBSD will continue providing the students and our communities excellence for many years to come. I look forward to beginning retirement on July 1, 2019, and will always keep my on eye this district since I consider it my home.”
Next Steps
The school board will form a Superintendent Search Oversight Committee to determine the next steps to select and hire a new KPBSD superintendent. Details of the job posting, scope of the search, and methods for community input will be determined by the Oversight Committee. When a decision about the next step is determined, KPBSD will communicate with our staff, schools, families, and the public.
Board President Vadla reflects
“I applaud Superintendent Dusek for the direction he has taken the district toward meeting the individual needs of every one of our students through the choices we provide our students, and the voices we help to empower in them during their personalized learning journey,” said Penny Vadla, Board of Education president. “As Superintendent Dusek stated in his 2017-2018 Annual Report, ‘This journey includes preparing students to be ready for life through a rigorous, relevant, and responsive educational experience.’ Superintendent Dusek is a game changer who has enabled this vision to go forth. We, as a district, will continue our vision of meeting the individual needs of each student in our district thanks to Sean Dusek. While we are saddened by his impending retirement, we wish Superintendent Dusek the best and extend a very sincere ‘Thank you’ for helping to set an amazing vision in motion.”
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KPBSD Inspiration, Homer High School Salmon Sisters

KPBSD Graduate Inspiration
Homer High School | Claire (Laukitis) Neaton (2008) and Emma Teal Laukitis (2009)
#SalmonSisters

 Claire and Emma Teal Laukitis HHS
“Growing up in a small town in Alaska, it is sometimes difficult to know how different life can be outside the state. We both ended up going to college on the East Coast because people in our high school years encouraged us to try something different and helped us imagine what our lives could be like. We came back to Alaska because our time away helped us realize what a special, wild place it is and how lucky we were to grow up in a supportive community like Homer. We had amazing role models growing up here, and will always be grateful for the people who taught and inspired us.” –Claire and Emma Teal, aka the Salmon Sisters
 untitled
Struggling to find jobs that could accommodate the lifestyle of commercial fishermen, after college Claire and Emma Teal knew they wanted to continue spending the summers on the water with family to harvest wild Alaska seafood. Emma Teal explains,

“There were not many people who wanted to hire someone who disappeared at sea for many months at a time. We had to decide if we were going to stop fishing, or commit to the lifestyle we knew and loved and find odd jobs in the off-season. Around this time we had also started making our first Salmon Sisters designs–and though we were making t-shirts and hoodies mostly for our family and friends–we decided to start taking our work seriously.”

At the University of Vermont Claire studied business, and Emma Teal studied art and design at Williams College and the University of Washington. Emma says, “We combined skills to start the Salmon Sisters business to complement our fishing schedule and be inspired by our work as fishermen. Years later, we are grateful that we made the choice to commit to the community that has always been inspiring to us, to invest in ourselves, and to use the ambiguity of our schedules to do something new and interesting.” Now, Salmon Sisters home base is in Homer, Alaska, Claire and Emma Teal fish for salmon in Prince William Sound, halibut in the Aleutians, and in the winter run Salmon Sisters.
KPBSD teacher and coach stories spawn vision
“We were both really inspired by many of our coaches and teachers in high school who shared their personal experiences as young adults with us,” said Emma Teal. “Whether they ski raced or studied or traveled after high school, their stories helped us form a vision for what kind of work we wanted to do, where we wanted to go to college, and to know what was possible for our future.”
The possibilities continue to expand: in December 2019, Forbes named Emma and Claire in their 30 Under 30 annual list chronicling the brashest entrepreneurs across the United States and Canada.

“Salmon Sisters is our way of protecting our community’s way of life and the wild places we love by creating more awareness for it. People outside Alaska are interested in the story of our industry, and we see this as an opportunity to engage and inform them.” –Emma Teal Laukitis

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“Every day with our business, we celebrate Alaska’s responsibly managed fisheries and the hard work fishermen in our state do to put wild, nutrient-rich seafood on plates around the world,” explains Emma Teal. “Because we grew up with Alaska’s natural abundance, it is easy to take our thriving marine ecosystems for granted–but in truth, Alaska is the last of its kind as fish stocks have declined due to poor management and development. As fishermen, we know that if we want to continue fishing for many generations, we must also be stewards of the resources we depend on.”
Cans of salmon for Alaskans
Growing up, “salmon helped power our bodies as athletes and brains as students,” so to share these benefits with as many young people as possible, Emma Teal and Claire created a program through Salmon Sisters to donate a can of wild salmon caught by Alaskan fishermen to the Food Bank of Alaska with every item the business sells. The donated salmon is distributed across the state and helps support the communities that have supported the business for many years.
Claire and Emma Teal attended Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Homer Middle School, and graduated from Homer High School. Claire attended the University of Vermont, and Emma went to Williams College, and the University of Washington for graduate school.
KPBSD celebrates 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs Emma Teal Laukitis (Class of 2009) and Claire (Laukitis) Neaton (Class of 2008) who are proof positive of the KPBSD mission to empower all learners to positively shape their futures.

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“Salmon Sisters strives to make their garments the ones you dress up and dress down, get dirty and wear holes through, because they’re just too cool and comfy to take off. For every product sold, we donate one can of wild salmon to the Food Bank of Alaska.”

Do you have a story tip about a KPBSD graduate to profile in our Wednesday Inspiration? Kindly email Pegge Erkeneff, KPBSD communications liaison, Pegge@KPBSD.org.
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