AGSD Monthly Newsletter April 2018
LeAnn Young-Grants * Tracie Weisz-Curriculum & Instruction
A-CHILL/RAVE Spring Institute
AGSD Phlight Club
In December of 2017, 54 students and 17 adults participated in AGSD's first ever PHLIGHT Club. AGSD’s Phlight Club was a lock-in style, student-centered event that occurred over 3 days that actively involved both youth and adults, learning and working alongside each other to solve problems using their heads, hands, and hearts while keeping each other safe, focused, respected, and involved.
Gee! Haw!
Where Are Your Keys? Language Workshop for Students
AGSD has been excited to bring a two-week Where Are Your Keys language workshop to the district! Where Are Your Keys is not a program to learn any one specific language, but rather is a method for revitalizing endangered languages and skills. Besides learning the method, all that is required is a fluent speaker of the language, and willing learners. Students at AGSD have been learning methods for pulling language from visiting fluent speakers from Tanacross as they also learn new ways to converse and interact with elders. Students have also been using what they’ve learned to create lessons for teaching others.
The idea is to teach students how to learn language on their own, and also how to teach it to others. Communities can use this as a way to sustain language and language learning by giving young people the tools they need to help themselves and help others.
Evan Gardner and Susanna Ciotti of WAYK have been leading the workshops with the students and Erica Burnham, Tok School’s language teacher, has also been learning the method along with the students. The student workshop ran March 26th through April 6th at Tok School, with evening events for students and community on Thursdays at Tok.
Students reported getting a lot out of the workshop, and they gained a lot of confidence in speaking, communicating with elders, and leading lessons for others.
Our hope is to keep the momentum going and possibly offer a class using the workshop method in the Variable Schedule next year. Anyone interested in learning more about Where Are Your Keys and their work should visit their website at https://whereareyourkeys.org/
RAVE News
There is momentum with RAVE (Rural Alaska Village Entrepreneurs) grant activities across the district this spring! Tok School has been able to offer two classes in the Aurora Schedule this spring with local instructors around Applied Entrepreneurship.
Gary Antrim has been leading a Snowmachine Repair class where students not only learn and apply basics of small engine repair, they also take in local jobs for actual projects to work on. So far the students have completed several successful repairs on older machines. Students have been also been learning the ins and outs of running a small business for personal services as Mariam Kuykendall leads a cosmetology class.
The district is establishing its own FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter. Students have already been recruited, and initially many of those who are enrolled in the Gateway Greenhouse class are also the first members. Several of the students from Tok and Tetlin traveled to the State FFA Convention in Palmer in March held at the University of Alaska Experiment Farm and Matsu College. Teacher chaperones were Robert Litwack and Ken Kuykendall.
Planning is now underway for a unique professional development opportunity for RAVE partner district teachers in the summer. During August 1-3 teachers from AGSD, Copper River, and Tanana will have the opportunity to attend the RAVE summer “camp” held at Twin Bears Camp in Fairbanks. Teachers will receive training in how to design courses and projects for career and technical education, collaborate with community organizations, and help support opportunities in dual credit, certifications and occupational licensing.
Several teachers across the district have begun learning how to design courses in the district’s new online system, Canvas. Some of the newer courses for RAVE will be built using many unique resources, without reliance on a textbook. Even though the courses will be taught live, the online system gives teachers a place to house and deliver needed resources to students.
District Makerspace Keeps Improving!
The district model Makerspace learning center is taking shape and getting lots of use! In addition to art and the Lego projects, the center now offers materials for robotics, video creation, and much more. Classes have been visiting the space while Jane Teague and Janine Holmes teach students and their teachers how to use the space.
Graduations are Set!
Eagle Community School: May 10, 2:00pm
Tok School: May 17, 6:00pm
Tanacross School: May 18, 11:00am ("Moving Forward" ceremony for 8th graders)
Walter Northway School: May 18, 2:30pm
These can also be accessed on the AGSD App and the website www.agds.us under the round Calendar button.
Districtwide Chess Tournament
Wednesday, Apr 25, 2018, 01:00 PM
Tok School, Jon Summar Drive, Tok, AK, USA
About Us
Alaska Gateway School District
PO Box 226Tok, AK 99780
Email: dsparks@agsd.us
Website: http://www.agsd.us/
Location: Milepost 1313.5 Alaska Highway
Phone: (907) 883-5151
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlaskaGatewaySchoolDistrict/
Twitter: @AlaskaGatewaySD