Tustumena Elementary Newsletter
April 12, 2013
Full Speed Ahead
All of our kids did a great job of staying focused during the SBA and we had only five make-up tests to due to absences. Thank you for your help in getting them here and ready to show what they know. Now that we have the SBA behind us, it is time to focus back on new learning. Several classes will be going on focused field trips in the coming weeks. The sixth grade plan to go to Kasitsna Bay, the fifth grade is going to the Sea Life Center in Seward, several other classes are getting out of the building and into the real world by going to Johnson Lake for the ADF&G sponsored Salmon Celebration. I wish I could go with on all of these trips (okay, to be honest, maybe not the overnighter with the sixth graders).
We also have Lynx Tracks trips coming up as well as concerts and other events on our calendar. Please check in often for the most up to date information.
Now that our School Board has decided on the high school configuration, there are cascading decisions to be made that will require your input as well. In the next week or two, an online survey will be available for you to provide input on two questions on the next level: First- "Should the reconfiguration take place at the beginning of the 2014-15 school year, or the 2015-16 school year?" and second- "Should we configure the 7-9 grades as two identical middles schools each housing grades 7-9, or should we have one 7-8 middle school (at the current Skyview campus) and one ninth grade house (at the current SMS campus)? We will be discussing these topics at our next Tustumena Site Team meeting on April 29th. I will keep you up to date with this newsletter as this discussion unfolds.
We are working on our schedule for the end of this year and have even started planning our back-to-school events. One of the big changes for folks who have been carrying their kids to town because of their work schedule is we will have an early morning program here at Tustumena. Parents will be able to drop their kids off (if they are Boys and Girls Club members) as early as 7:30. We hope this will help our community keep our community kids in our community school. There is more information below.
Just to prove we are already talking about next year, we have scheduled our "Back to School BBQ for August 19th. The Open House begins at 5:30 and hotdogs will be ready by 6:30.
Early Morning Student Drop-Off program to start next year!
News From the Kasilof Boys and Girls Club
In addition to afterschool club from 3:30-6pm, the Kasilof Boys & Girls Club @Tustumena will add an EARLY MORNING DROP OFF drop off this fall for the 2013-2014 school year. BGC members can be dropped off as early as 7:30am on school days and will spend an hour with Unit Director Michele Hayman either finishing homework, reading or other quiet activities. At 8:30am the school offers breakfast for $1.75 per day. Children who qualify for free or reduced lunch will receive free breakfast as well.
To participate in EARLY DROP OFF, children must be BGC members. Membership is $75 per child per calender year per child. Membership registration packets are in the school lobby. For more information contact Michele Hayman. mhayman@positiveplaceforkids.com
Input requested from Parents
From our district:
Parents: please take two minutes to offer your preference about an early release or late start seven times in the coming school year. Our staff will benefit from collaboration time to support their instructional practices. The KPBSD survey is online, and open until April 20. Thank you. Link: http://bit.ly/SurveyEarlyReleaseLateStartKPBSD
What's coming up?
April 16- PTO Meeting- 4pm
April 19- We DO have school (snow day make up)
April 22-May 3- KPL Book Fair in Library
April 23- Title One meeting- 4pm to 5:30 pm
April 24- Mike Thaler- Black Lagoon assemblies
April 22-24- Sixth graders to Kasistna Bay
April 29- Site Council meeting- 4pm
May 15-17 end of year Lynx Tracks field trips
May 20- Sixth Grade Graduation 1pm
May 20- End of year Assembly 2pm
Information
Email: dhayman@kpbsd.k12.ak.us
Website: kpbsd.k12.ak.us/tustumena
Location: 58200 Sterling Hwy, Kasilof, AK
Phone: 907-260-1345