Palmer High School
Principal's Post
Fall is Leaving Us
It is hard to believe that we are in October already. September seems to have come and gone like our leaves after that first Fall wind. The end of the first quarter is just around the corner on Friday, October 13th.
The month of September was filled with our traditional school ritual at Palmer High. Homecoming football and dances, cross-country running, swimming and diving, volleyball, cheerleading, and tennis have occupied our students’ lives outside of the school day.
In the classroom, the students have been staying engaged with their classes. After the first four weeks, we created our first PHARM list for the 2017-18 school year. We had the highest percentage of students that performed out of PHARM with over 70% of students achieving above a 2.5 GPA and no failing grades.
For our new families to Palmer, I would like to better inform you about what PHARM is. PHARM is an acronym for Palmer High Academic Recovery Measures. Every four and a half weeks we assess all the student's academic progress. Students that are below a 2.5 GPA or failing a class will be placed in PHARM.
What that means is the students that don't meet the criteria will remain in class for an additional 25 minutes on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. This additional 75 minute allows for the students to use the time for academic recovery. The focus is to make up missing work and going to the teachers that they may need additional lessons from.
Students that are not assigned to PHARM also have access to the teachers that need extra tutoring and a dedicated time to make-up missing work. PHARM is meant to be an incentive program that benefits our struggling students and offers the additional opportunity for all of our students to stay on top of their academics.
Celebrating Success on the Gridiron
Coach Rod Christansen began his coaching career 27 years ago here at Palmer High School. He was a young and ambitious coach that could recognize talent and develop it in the off-season. Coach C, was surrounded by assistant coaches that were invested to the success of Palmer Moose football and collectively Coach C and his coaching staff developed a reputation for the highest level of high school football in the state of Alaska. That reputation is synergistic and grows over time. Some would say, it is the cornerstone of every high school program that has a success story.
On September 23rd, Rod Christansen became the football coach with the most wins in the history of Alaskan football with his 151st win. Coach C will be the first to tell you that the players won the games and that his coaching staff did a great job preparing them for the competition. What sets Coach C apart is his attention to details of the game; countless hours of breaking down film for viewing, looking into the finite details of what creates a winning outcome, looking through the lens of what prepares our players to counter what makes another team successful. How do we take away their strength and make them beat us in another way? That approach is what makes the difference. Thank you, Coach Christansen for making a difference!
The Moose will be playing in the semifinals of the medium school state tournament this Saturday at 1:00pm at Palmer High's Machentanz field. Come and support the team.
Go Moose!
Free and Reduced Lunch
BENEFITS OF TITLE I
Palmer High School has been focusing on qualifying for a title I school status. TItle I provides additional federal funding to schools that have a student population where 40% qualify for free and reduced lunches. Just recently we dropped 8% when our freshman had their applications lapse that carries over from middle school at the start of the year. If you are a family that has qualified in the past, please take the time to complete the form found on the link at the bottom of this page.
Here are some of the other benefits to our school:
*Additional tutoring for all students
*Extended after-school programs
*Cover cost for extra transportation (field trips)
*Increase access to technology for all students
*Reduced activity fees by 50%
What does it take to sign up?
Click on the link below and fill out the form. Everything is completely confidential.