Tustumena School Newsletter
March 21, 2013
Happy Spring!
This is a different type of spring weather than I am used to, but I like it. (I don't have to mow the lawn.)
The biggest object on our radar these next few weeks will be the SBA. Teachers are prepping students with content and strategies in order to prepare them to do their best. Parents can help by making sure distractions are kept to a minimum, good meals every day, and lots of sleep for every child. Attendance is HUGE. If a student must be absent on the scheduled day of an assessment, a make-up assessment will be scheduled but that assessment will be in an alternate space and probably with a less familiar staff member. Those two factors by themselves can make the difference between making standard and not. So we will really appreciate 100% attendance over the next two weeks.
The Tustumena Elementary Site Council has the vision of "Tustumena Elementary as the center of our community," and that vision is becoming reality more and more as our year goes on. Two upcoming community events being held here are the "Kasilof Community Easter Egg Hunt," sponsored by The Kasilof Mercantile and Rocky's Cafe http://www.kasilofmercantile.com/rockys%20cafe.htm, and "Easter Service," sponsored by Kasilof Community Church http://kasilofchurch.weebly.com/.
One of the continuing conversations we have been having is in regard to the Soldotna Area Schools configuration. In addition to considering changing to two middle schools and one high school, new information from the state in regard to funding has put the option of one middle school (at the current Skyview campus), a ninth grade house (at the SMS campus) and one high school (grades 10-12 at SOHI campus), back on the table for consideration. For more information or to provide input please access http://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/.
(DATE CHANGE) Please remember that on March 28th, we will be taking Spring Pictures. Every student will need their picture taken so we may include them in the year book. A form wil be coming home for those who would like to purchase picture packets and yearbooks.
In closing, I want to let the community know that our staff has been considering how to best staff our building for next year based on our projected student enrollment. We are predicting to have approximately the same number of students here next year, and the same number of staff, but the larger class sizes seem to be shifting to the primary side of the equation. Right now we are predicting to have two kindergarten and first grade classes, and one classroom of each of the other grade levels. This is just our best guess right now. We will be checking and rethinking our staffing in the fall when we actually see the whites of the students' eyes.
Best Wishes.
Doug Hayman
The River is opening up.
Sun is coming up earlier.
The mountains are looking majestic.
Trust, Vision, Skills, Resources, Payoff, Action Plan, Shared Beliefs= Success
Tustumena Vision and Mission Statement
Upcoming events
March 25- Site Council meeting- 4pm
March 28- Spring pictures
March 29- 3rd Quarter Awards Assembly
April 2-4- SBA Testing
April 16- PTO Meeting- 4pm
April 19- We DO have school (snow day make up)
April 22-24- Sixth graders to Kasistna Bay
April 29- Site Council meeting- 4pm
Screenings for Infants & Preschoolers
The KPBSD Child Find Program and Frontier Community Services Infant Learning will be offering free screenings for children 5 years old and younger. The screening will be on Wednesday, April 10, 2013 from 9:00 – 2:00 at the Frontier Community Services, Suite 16 in the Red Diamond Center (next to Tarma Grooming). We will screen your child’s early development, motor skills, speech, early learning concepts, vision & hearing. To make an appointment or for more information, call 714-6647.
Information
Email: dhayman@kpbsd.k12.ak.us
Website: kpbsd.k12.ak.us
Location: 58200 Sterling Hwy, Kasilof, AK
Phone: 907-260-1345