EAST ELEMENTARY
APRIL NEWSLETTER
Letter from the Principal
East Orca Family:
I want you to be the first to know that at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, I will be moving into the Elementary Director of Instruction position within the Kodiak Island Borough School District. This is a decision that comes with great enthusiasm and sadness. I have worked hard to build a school family, grounded in what is best for our East Orcas. I have faith that our East family will stay strong and will continue to support all students and staff.
I feel extremely lucky to have worked with such a phenomenal community. East has been my home for the past four years and it is my children’s school. East will always have a special place in my heart. With my new position, I will be building up the work we have done together, helping building principals and teachers ensure a consistent approach to teaching and learning for all students in our district.
I want to say thank you to our East families, teachers, staff, and students for the continued support and for being such an important part of my journey. As a community, you have helped to write the story of our school. It has been an honor getting to know all of you, and I am going to miss being at East on a daily basis. I am particularly going to miss the greetings from students, staff, and families as they walk through the doors in the morning, the excitement on students’ faces when they learn something new and watching them grow from year to year. I am proud of East Elementary, and I look forward to supporting our Orcas from a different position.
Sincerely,
Angela M Hietala
Principal, East Elementary
Note from the counselors
Top 10 Tips For Test Taking
- Get lots of sleep! It is recommended students get 9-11 hours of sleep the night before a test.
- Eat a healthy breakfast in the morning and drink plenty of water!
- Arrive to school on time (so you don't feel rushed or miss anything).
- Have a positive attitude and motto: "I've got this!" "I can do hard things!" "I'm giving it my best!".
- Read all the directions and answer choices carefully before you pick the best answer.
- Cross out and eliminate the answer choices you know are incorrect.
- Don't get stuck on the more challenging questions. Skip, move on, and return to them at the end (This can help reduce the feelings of frustration and help you pace yourself!).
- Do a quick and quiet brain break if you notice you are losing focus (wiggle your toes, take a deep breath, push your palms together).
- Review and check your work after you have answered all of the questions (Don't leave any questions blank).
- And always remember this: A test cannot measure your worthiness, lovability, kindness, empathy, curiosity, passions, creativity, or courage!
We are wishing you all well! You got this!
AK STAR
UPCOMING EVENTS
State Testing - grades 3rd thru 5th
April 14
5th grade to KMS for Musical Festival
April 18
Spring Concert 2023 3rd - 5th grade
April 22
Kindergarten Open House for 2023/2024 students
April 28
District Wide Inservice - NO SCHOOL for students