Tag: KPBSD

Knot tying for KPBSD students

On December 6, 2011, KPBSD students who took a Nautical Science class through AVTEC (via Distance Delivery),  were able to go to AVTEC in Seward, Alaska, and prove their mastery in knot tying and receive a Knot Letter.  This letter and certification can help these students obtain employment in the Nautical Science pathways. 
For more information you can contact the instructor, LA Holmes at AVTEC.  Her email is:  la.holmes@avtec.edu and her phone number is:  224-6195.
Learn about Spring 2012 KPBSD After-school Academies

Back row L-R: LA Holmes (instructor), Maddy Campbell (Seward High), Kacie O’Sullivan (Kenai Central High), Dale Butts (instructor)
Front row:  (left to right), Sam Rininger (Seward High), Allen Oskolkoff (Nikiski High), Doogun Seater (Nikiski High)

 

 

Your free chance. Learn construction, plumbing, culinary arts skills

Teens: do you want to learn construction, plumbing, or culinary arts skills? How about employability skills, Dental Assistant,  Emergency Trauma Technician, or Personal Care Attendant skills?
Local business owners: are you aware students receive this type of skill training? Would you consider hiring a student for part-time or summer work who has completed one of these after-school academies?
The following free after school academies will be offered through the Workforce Development Center next semester:

Construction Academybegins January 5th at Skyview High School with instructor Barry Hartman.  The students will be constructing a gazebo. This class will run Tuesday and Thursday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. through March 8.

Culinary Arts Academybegins January 10th at Nikiski High School with instructor Gary Wiebel. Students will learn safety in workplace, safe food handling, nutrition and wellness, weights & measurements, purchasing & planning, basic cooking techniques, and earn the Alaska Food Handlers Card Prep Test. Class days are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and occasional Saturdays.
Emergency Trauma Technician (ETT) Academy will be held at Soldotna High School beginning January12th through February 27th. Class days will be Mondays and Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and occasional Saturdays from 9:00 to 5:00 p.m.  This course will cover all areas required to receive certification as an Emergency Medical Technician.  The last week of class will be review and the final exam. Students who pass the exam will receive certification and an ETT patch.
Employability Skills Academy begins January 9th at the Workforce Development Center. Class days will be Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:15 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Students will learn resume writing, mock interviewing, job etiquette, basic job skills, how to apply for jobs and much more.

Medical Terminology class beginning Jan 5th at Soldotna High School with instructor Bruce Rife. Juniors or Seniors who have had or are in Anatomy with a B or better or permission from the instructor (sophomores) may attend this class. Students interested in a career in Emergency Medical Services, Radiation Technology, Medical Coding, Medical Assisting, Health Information Technician, Physician Assistant, or Medical Doctor will definitely benefit from this class. You will learn basic word structure, digestive system, nervous and cardiovascular system, respiratory system and much more. Class days will be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. thru April 26. Students with a grade B or better in this class will earn Tech Prep KPC college credit.

A  PCA (Personal Care Attendant) class is available for juniors and seniors only. Students will learn how to physically care for people. Students who are close to the age of May 18, 2012, will receive a State Certificate after passing the exam. This class size is limited to only 12 students. Textbooks will be provided, however they are available to purchase for $35 if a student chooses to keep their book. There is a mandatory meeting in the nursing lab at Skyview High School @ 3:30 p.m. on Monday, January 9. During this meeting, class times will be set depending on student and instructor’s schedule.

Plumbing Academy begins February 6th at Soldotna High School with instructor Tyson Cox.  This will be an introduction to care and use of tools, fittings and materials used in the plumbing and heating trade to safely transfer fluids and gases. Class days are Monday and Wednesday from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. through April 23.

Upcoming academies with dates and times yet to be determined: Construction (Kenai  and Ninilchik), and Dental Assistant.
High school students may attend any of the academies at any of the schools and all academies are free.
If a student successfully completes any of the 60-hour academies they are eligible to receive a half practical art credit.
Transportation may be provided if needed.
To sign up contact your high school counselor or contact Debbie Pearson at 283-2145, or e-mail pearson@kpbsd.org .
Funding for the Alaska Construction Academies comes from a grant from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, The Alaska Department of Commerce and Economic Development and The Alaska Youth First Program.

 

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

Will you dare to dream, think, and plan for college?

2nd Annual Kenai Peninsula College Fair
October 25, 2011

“You are unique, and if that is not fulfilled then something has been lost.” — Martha Graham, dancer, choreographer

Do you want to find a great college to help you become the best you can be? College and post-secondary education helps you discover and achieve your dreams.

For the second year, KPBSD offers a college fair to give you the opportunity to meet with representatives from more than 50 educational institutions. Dare to dream. Arrive with questions, ideas about your next step, or  simply a desire to see what doors might open to you, and future possibilities.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Kenai Shopping Center, Kenai, Alaska
10:00—1:00 p.m
Juniors and seniors will attend with their schools
Connections students can sign-in at the door

That same evening, a Financial Aid program will be offered from 6:30—8:00 p.m.
Confirmed educational institutions:
Alaska Commission on Post-Secondary Education (ACPE); AVTEC, Alaska’s Institute of Technology; Boise State University; California Baptist University; Central Washington University; College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University; Colorado Mesa University; Colorado State University; Colorado’s Fort Lewis College; Eastern Oregon University; Eastern Washington University; George Fox University; Idaho State University; Marquette University; Mayville State University; Montana State University; Northern Arizona University; Oregon Coast Culinary Institute; Oregon Institute of Technology; Oregon State University; Pacific Lutheran University; Prince William Sound Community College; Seattle University; Snow College; Southern Oregon University; Southern Utah University; Southwestern Oregon Community College; The Art Institutes; The Evergreen State College; The University of Montana; UAF Admissions; UAF College of Engineering and Mines; UAF Community & Technical College; UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences; United States Air Force Academy; Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks Graduate School; Universal Technical Institute; University Fire Department; University of Alaska Anchorage; University of Alaska Anchorage; University of Evansville; University of Hawaii at Manoa; University of Hawaii Hilo; University of Idaho; University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV); University of Portland; University of Saskatchewan; University of Victoria; University of Wyoming; US Air Force Academy; Western Oregon University; Western State College of Colorado; Whitman College; Wyotech
Later that evening:
Financial Aid Night: October 25, 2011, Kenai Central High School, Renee Henderson Auditorium 6:30—8:00 p.m.
Topics covered: overview of federal and state financial aid programs; local scholarship offerings; student timelines; and funding post-secondary education. Sponsored by: Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, Connections, Kenai Central High School, Nikiski High School, Skyview High School, Soldotna High School, and Kenai Peninsula College. Note: Seward and Homer high schools have additional financial aid information dates.
Both are free events, everyone is welcome.
Contact your high school counselor with questions.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”  –Nelson Mandela

Mind A-Mazes: Fantastic Flight

Fifty-eight student teams from twenty-two schools designed, built, and flew paper airplanes on Saturday, October 8, 2011, in the annual KPBSD Mind A-Mazes contest sponsored by Quest.

A KPBSD problem-solving competition, 3 to 4 students work in a team to solve a long-term problem, prior to the competition. In addition, the day of the competition, a spontaneous problem is presented for teams to solve in a short period of time. A dedicated blog, hosted on our KPBSD servers provides an opportunity for students to ask questions, receive and post answers, and demonstrate collaboration in action.

The 2011 Long-term  Fantastic Flight problem instructions:
Teams will design and create paper devices that will be used to earn points by performing a series of tasks. Devices will be constructed for competition at the time of the event, using paper that will be provided. Students will not be allowed to bring any devices that were constructed prior to the event into the competition area. Up to five different devices may be constructed during the competition and will be used for attempting the following flight challenges: Distance; Flight Duration; Accuracy; and Altitude.

Congratulations to the 2011 Winning Teams and Schools
Junior Division (4th-6th grade)
1. West Homer – “The Paper Bombers”
2. Nikiski Middle/High – “Flying Bacon Strips”
3. Mc Neil Canyon – “McNeil Canyon 4”
Judges Choice – Nikiski North Star – “The Flaming Hawks”
Spontaneous –  West Homer – “Ernie Airlines”
Intermediate/ Senior Division (7th-12th grade)
1. Hope – “Ice Cream Ninjas”
2. Kenai Middle – “The Firebolts”
3. Nikiski Middle/High – “Mach 5”
Judges Choice – River City Academy – “Angry Birds”
Spontaneous –  Ninilchik – “Team Wilcow”
Thank you to Soldotna Middle School, and all the students, educators, volunteers, and families who participated this year in the district-wide Mind A-Mazes academic program.
Please share a comment here, and view photographs or add yours to the Mind A-Mazes photo album on the KPBSD district Facebook page.

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!

Making News: Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula

The US Department of Education awards Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula a 128,000 grant! I posted a news release–along with others–on the KPBSD Media and Public Relationships Communications page. I’m excited about this grant–Project GRAD empowers and inspires  low income students students to obtain a high school diploma, and achieve success in post-secondary education. 

The $128,000 Gear Up Grant (GU) length is for six years, and requires a cohort model which begins at grade 2 and continues through grade 8. KPBSD schools in Nanwalek, Port Graham, Razdolna, Tebughna, and Voznesenka will follow this cohort through the six years.

Dream, dare, do! Thank you to KPBSD, the US Department of Education, and Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula.
www.KPBSD.org 
KPBSD Communications
KPBSD Media and Public Relationships