COVID-19 is still here, but there are other things that are important to student success which are important. One of these items is sleep. Most teens need at least 8 hours of sleep, but a large percentage don't get enough rest each night. This affects their grades, relationships, health and demeanor.

Educators have known that sleep is an issue for teens for years. This is one of the reasons Homer High School starts at 9:00 am. Before COVID-19 the Anchorage School District was looking at starting their high schools later to mesh better with young adults' sleep needs. In fact, research on sleep says the best thing you can do after learning a new skill or new information is to get a good nights sleep that night.

We also know being on your phone or watching a screen before you go to bed can make it hard for people to sleep. Having a phone with notifications on can also make it harder to sleep. For teens, having a phone in their room at night makes it even harder to sleep. In the past week, I've been addressing issues with students who were on the phone texting each other at 4:00 in the morning. When I asked them why they we on their phones at 4:00 in the morning they state, they were "just replying to a text."

If you can do one thing to help you children sleep at night don't let them have a phone or other electronics in their bedroom at night. Have a "no tech time" in your home after which your child needs to put the phone away, not in their room. I know this can be difficult, especially when adolescents are so attached to their phones, but at least consider this and have this discussion with you child.

With all the stress and emotional strain on our children in the age of COVID-19, we need to make sure we are at least getting enough sleep. It helps us cope better emotionally and also helps keep our immune systems strong.

If you have suggestions, concerns or general comments about Homer High, please reach out to me.

Sincerely,

Douglas Waclawski

Principal

907-235-4600

dwaclawski@kpbsd.org

Help the KPBSD develop next year's budget. Bring your voice and suggestions.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District requests input from staff, parents, and community members at the districtwide KPBSD budget meetings scheduled at the following times:

• Homer Community – Tuesday, February 15, 2022 @ 6:00 pm Homer High Library
• Central Peninsula Community – Wednesday, February 16, 2022 @ 6:00 pm KCHS Library
• Seward Community – Thursday, February 24, 2022, @ 6:00 pm Seward High Library
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The February 16th meeting will also be a Zoom Meeting. The link is posted on the KPBSD Events Calendar.

Additional information and the number to call in with questions will be posted on the Finance Page of the KPBSD website. As new budget information becomes available, it will also be posted on the Finance page. If you have questions, please call Natalie Bates at 714-8888.

This article comes from the Mayo Clinic at https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-health/art-20046157

Understand what might be disrupting your teen's sleep and what you can do to help.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Teens are notorious for wanting to stay up late and sleep in late. Find out what's behind this behavior and how you can help your teen get better sleep — starting tonight.

A teen's internal clock

Everyone has an internal clock that influences body temperature, sleep cycles, appetite and hormonal changes. The biological and psychological processes that follow the cycle of this 24-hour internal clock are called circadian rhythms. Puberty changes a teen's internal clock, delaying the time he or she starts feeling sleepy and awakens.

Too little sleep

Most teens need about eight to 10 hours of sleep a night on a regular basis to maintain optimal health and daytime alertness. But few teens get that much sleep regularly, thanks to early classes, homework, extracurricular activities, part-time jobs, social demands and screen time.

Regularly not getting enough sleep can have health consequences. Tired teens can find it difficult to concentrate and learn. Too little sleep can contribute to behavioral problems, moodiness and irritability. A sleep deficit also increases the risk of accidents, injuries, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and depression. It's also linked with an increased risk of self-harm, suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts.

Resetting the clock

If your teen isn't getting enough sleep, there are a few things you can try that might help. For example:

• Stick to a schedule. Encourage your teen to keep weekday and weekend bedtimes and wake times within one hour of each other. Sleeping in on the weekends makes it more likely that your teen will have trouble falling asleep at night.
• Avoid long naps. If your teen is drowsy during the day, a midafternoon nap of no more than 30 minutes might help. But if your teen has trouble falling asleep at night, napping can worsen the problem.
• Be active. Exercise may help your teen fall asleep at night and sleep more deeply.
• Get outside. Regular exposure to sunlight can help keep your teen's internal clock on track.
• Curb the caffeine. Encourage your teen to avoid caffeine after 3 p.m. Caffeine can interfere with a good night's sleep.
• Avoid heavy eating shortly before bedtime. If your teen is hungry, a light snack before bedtime is best.
• Know when to unplug. Have your teen put away all screen-based devices in the half-hour before bedtime. Youth screen time is linked with delayed bedtimes and less total sleep time. Screen-based light also can increase your teen's alertness and decrease sleepiness before bedtime. To prevent the devices from waking up your teen in the middle of the night, keep them out of your teen's bedroom.
• Keep it calm. Encourage your teen to wind down 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime by taking a warm shower, reading a book or listening to calm music.
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Is it something else?

Children with certain health conditions, such as asthma, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and anxiety disorders, are more vulnerable to sleep problems. Sleep problems can also be caused by:

• Medication side effects. Many medications, such as stimulants and daytime sedating drugs, can cause sleep problems. Some medications, such as corticosteroids, can disrupt sleep.
• Obstructive sleep apnea. This condition happens when the muscles that support soft tissues in the throat temporarily relax. This causes the airway to narrow or close and momentarily cut off breathing. If your teen has obstructive sleep apnea, you might notice him or her snorting, choking or gasping during sleep.
• Narcolepsy. Sudden daytime sleep, usually for only short periods of time, can be a sign of narcolepsy. Narcoleptic episodes can occur at any time — even in the middle of a conversation. Sudden attacks of muscle weakness in response to emotions such as laughter, anger or surprise are possible, too.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/tween-and-teen-health/in-depth/teens-health/art-20046157

Here are the results for the Debate, and Forensics at Dimond High School Jan 14-15. Great job everybody!

• Zach Marley - Finalist in Lincoln Douglas debate (2nd place) - 1st place in speaker points!
• Lily Cowen and Thea Person - 3rd place Duet - The Importance of Being Earnest
• Hats off to our first time DDF debater, Sophia Dias and first time DDF performers Tyler Brewer-Cote and Lily Cowan

Pre-college and summer programs

There are a dizzying number of these types of opportunities. It seems like every university in the country offers summer programs to interested high school students. Some are general summer terms where students can pick from a variety of classes. Others are targeted to specific subjects like writing or engineering. There are way too many to list. So using the internet and any outreach you or your student may receive from having taken the PSAT is a good way to go. Here’s another random smattering:

• U. of Chicago summer session – a residential opportunity for credit at one of the premier universities in the country
• Fir Acres writing workshop – two-week creative writing program for 10th-12th graders at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR.
• Carnegie Mellon U. Pre-College – offers paid and no-cost opportunities in a variety of creative and academic disciplines in Pittsburgh, PA.
• Outer Coast – a unique, low-cost educational opportunity in Sitka, AK emphasizing self-governance, academics, and service/labor. Application period not yet open.

Paul Story, grades 10-12 – pstory@kpbsd.k12.ak.us or 235-4685

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Lisa Fellows, grade 9 – lfellows@kpbsd.k12.ak.us or 235-5716 (am), 235-4691 (pm)

If you have questions about becoming a substitute teacher with KPBSD call Kristin Metz at 235-4600.

Will Bradshaw was enrolled in biology during the spring of 2021. A school year with both in person and online learning. He was tasked with keeping a sunflower alive, he was motivated and earned, as he put it, “a big fat A in the gradebook.” The sunflower, however, became much more than just a grade in the gradebook.

As he so eloquently described in his artist statement: “My history with growing plants is a crime scene, I am notorious for unintentionally murdering plants. However this time was different, I needed a good grade. This new motivation kept the flower alive. Inch by inch it reached for the ceiling. … Summer came and this motivation went away. I kept it alive for a while but its long awaited death was inevitable. I was devastated. My plant, once a happy green, has wilted into an unforgettable yellow. Accepting the plants, that once represented my educational triumphs, death was not easy. Guilt has motivated me this time, now I am trying to revive it. Watering what is now gone.

I have used a camera to capture this exaggerated guilt, created by the accidental murder of a flower that never bloomed. Now I can view this crime in a metaphorical manner. Creating a connection between a flower and what is normal- no, what was normal. COVID-19 has changed the way we do things; created new habits, new work ethics, new schedules, new ways of living, a new normal.

Normal is a word we use often, “I want things to go back to normal” or “when will things be normal again?” Spoiler alert, it won't- a new normal is here. That plant has died. I, like many others, am having a hard time understanding such a powerful truth. As teenagers we grew up with this flower, this normal. Change, although feels unnatural, is the most natural unstoppable force.”

Julie Guess created a sculpture of a magnetic compass. In her artist statement she explains: “I decided to make this Compass because I feel that we need to look at the past and let it be our guide. Over the time that we were in quarantine I found that I am good at molding and sculpting clay. I wanted to incorporate that into my [project]. What this project really means to me is a source of comfort. Through this pandemic there have been a lot of ups and downs for me.” She concludes her statement, “My point in using the first compass ever made was to let the past be our guides and find happiness.”

The photo with the compass includes students participating in the gallery walk presentation.

Seniors and families, this is the time to go all-in on financial aid and scholarship applications.

Priority 1: File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid aka FAFSA.

Priority 2: Maximize institutional aid, the money that comes directly from a university and represents the biggest source of “free” money for most students.

• Most public universities have a general scholarship application. After students have completed that, they are directed to more specific scholarships based on their answers.
• Some schools consider applicants for institutional aid based on their admissions review, not necessarily a separate application.
• Check with each school to which you’ve applied to make sure you understand their process.
• Using University of Alaska Foundation as an example:

Hundreds of scholarships totaling over $3 Million

• File FAFSA
• File General application
• File applications for recommended scholarships
• All due by February 15, 2022
• UAS will host

Priority 3: Apply for local and state-wide scholarships which are generally redeemable at any accredited college OR trade school.

KPBSD OneStop Scholarship Database – check back often as more scholarships are added every week! Here are just a few:

• HEA – due Mar. 1
• Homer Foundation – due Apr. 1
• Fourteen Scholarships, one application
• American Legion, Kachemak Bay Rotary and more coming soon!

Alaska Community Foundation Scholarships – Due dates vary.

• 19 state-wide awards
• 10 Kenai Peninsula awards

Priority 4: Try searching clearinghouse sites if you have time (You’ll likely have to sift through some marketing ploys to find the legitimate scholarships.). Some examples are:

• Going Merry
• Sallie Mae Scholarship Search
• Fastweb

Have questions? Contact Paul Story or make an appointment!

An offer from University of AK Southeast (in Juneau, which has been a popular destination for recent HHS grads)

With the UA Foundation Scholarship application coming up next month (February 15th!), I wanted to let you know that UAS will have a "How to Pay For College" session for students and families to learn about the UA Foundation Scholarship. We will show them how to estimate college costs, provide an overview of the UA Scholarship application and give tips on writing a winning scholarship essay!

We will be offering an admissions application fee waiver for anyone who hasn't yet applied for admission to UAS. In addition, we'll be doing a drawing at the end of our session for a $500 tuition waiver to use towards Fall 2022 tuition.

This event is Thursday, February 3 at 5pm, and here's the Zoom link: https://alaska.zoom.us/j/86842272169