Dear SVS Families,

We would like to wish all of you a wonderful winter break and hope your time with family and friends is peaceful, relaxing and full of joy! We appreciate our families and students and look forward to seeing students in the second half of our school year come January. Please stay safe out there!

As always, you can see how your student is doing academically in ParentVue (LINK) at any time. Information to reach out to teachers is available through ParentVue or on our SVS website (LINK). We look forward to hearing from you!

Please don't hesitate to reach out. We are here for you. Thank you for sharing your children with us!

Partners in education,

Lisa Shelby, SVS Principal

lisa.shelby@matsuk12.us

907-733-9300

Semester 1 report cards will be mailed to families in January when we return. We should have grades posted to ParentVUE for you to access next week (check on Friday, Dec 30). We will update you if this changes.

Students should also be able to see their Semester 2 schedules in StudentVUE. We already did quite a few updates per student and/or parent request, but we will have allow another round of schedule changes the first week of the semester when we return.

If your child participated in the Spring 2022 AK STAR or Alaska Science testing at a school in our Mat-Su Borough School District, you may now view his/her Individual Student Report in ParentVUE.

Please see the directions below for how to view the report. If your child participated in Spring 2022 testing in a different Alaska school district, you will receive his/her report from that district.

If you have any questions about the report or how to access information, please give us a call at 907-733-9300.

DECEMBER 2022:

• Dec 22, Thurs - End of Quarter 2/Semester 1
• Dec 26 - Jan 6 - WINTER VACATION, No School

JANUARY 2023:

• Jan 4, Weds - HS Basketball HOME vs Newhalen, 12 PM start
• Jan 7, Sat - HS Basketball HOME vs Effie Kokrine, 12 PM start
• Jan 9, Mon - Students return to school; first day of Quarter 3/Semester 2
• Jan 12-14, Thurs/Fri/Sat - HS Basketball AWAY @ Delta Tournament
• Jan 19-21, Thurs/Fri/Sat - HS Basketball HOME @ Rally at Denali Tournament
• Jan 27, Fri - HS Basketball AWAY @ Ninilchik, 3 PM start
• Jan 28, Sat - HS Basketball AWAY @ Soldotna (at Ninilchik School), 10:30 AM start
• Jan 31, Tues - HS Basketball HOME vs Cordova, 3:30 PM start

We would like to extend a thank you to our lovely PTSA (Parent - Teacher - Student - Association) for their support of our Su Valley staff and students so far this year.

For Quarter One, the PTSA appreciated staff by providing us each our favorite coffee or tea beverage. What a treat! For Quarter Two, they filled our lounge with sweets and fruit. We appreciate you greatly, PTSA!

Our PTSA board wrote a grant to support mini-grants for teacher classrooms. This is an opportunity for teachers to create some opportunities for students within their classrooms. Again, thank you PTSA!

Our school was well supported by the Talkeetna Bachelor Society, once again! They honored us with the following support:

• $800 to support meal tickets for athletes who cannot afford meals when the teams travel
• $300 for our school nurse and her health program
• $500 for our shop for safety gear (welding gear for students in need)
• $1000 for a floor cleaning system for our gym
• $1500 to support open gym and keep our gym open to our students and the community a couple of evenings a week (outside of basketball season)
• $2000 to our PTSA to support teacher mini-grants for their classrooms
• $1600 to support our Snack Station (free sandwiches and fresh fruit for all hungry students)

That is a total of $7,700.00! We greatly appreciate the support of the Talkeetna Bachelor Society, and all of those in our community and beyond who contribute to their annual fundraiser so we can pass those funds along to students and our community.

High School Basketball is in season! Please see this link for the basketball schedule.

Basketball fees must be paid by January 15 for athletes to be able to continue participating. See the SchoolPay link in the form above to make a payment, or send in cash or check with your student to give to the front office. Fee waivers are available in the front office for those who do not have an ability to pay. We will not turn anyone away!

Middle school volleyball (girls) will begin on Wednesday, January 11. Please see this link for information about the schedule, how to sign up, the Remind code, etc.

MS Volleyball fees must be paid by January 31 for athletes to be able to continue participating. See the SchoolPay link in the form above to make a payment, or send in cash or check with your student to give to the front office. Fee waivers are available in the front office for those who do not have an ability to pay. We will not turn anyone away!

Middle school wrestling will begin on Tuesday, January 10. Please see this link for information about the schedule, how to sign up, the Remind code, etc.

MS Wrestling fees must be paid by January 31 for athletes to be able to continue participating. See the SchoolPay link in the form above to make a payment, or send in cash or check with your student to give to the front office. Fee waivers are available in the front office for those who do not have an ability to pay. We will not turn anyone away!

PSAT 8/9

Students in grades 8th and 9th will be given the opportunity to take the School Day PSAT for their grade level January 25th, 2023 at no cost. The test consists of three parts in the areas of reading, language, and math and takes approximately 2.5 hours to complete.

The deadline for signing up for the PSAT 8/9 has passed.

How to Prepare for the PSAT 8/9

Because the purpose of the PSAT 8/9 is to identify the areas students need to focus on and set a starting point for progress, your child doesn’t have to do anything special to prepare for the test.

If your child does the following three things, they’ll be ready to take the PSAT 8/9:

• Pays attention in class

• Completes their homework

• Asks for help when they need it

PSAT 10

Students in 10th grade will be given the opportunity to take the School Day PSAT for on Tuesday, February 28th at no cost. The test consists of three parts in the areas of reading, language, and math and takes approximately 2.5 hours to complete.

Students who would like to take the PSAT must sign up with Tamra Harrison before January 20th. You may also sign your student up for the February 20th PSAT 10 now by using the following link: PSAT 10 Sign Up Form.

Fast Facts:

Taking the PSAT offers the following benefits to help you prepare for your academic future:

• Connect to $300 Million in Scholarships: Check "yes" to the Student Search Service® question on the PSAT/NMSQT answer sheet or opt in online to connect with 1,500 colleges and over $300 million in scholarships.

• Learn Your Academic Strengths: After you take the PSAT/NMSQT your score report will show how well you performed and which college-level AP courses match your strengths.

• Access Free, Personalized Prep: Prepare for the PSAT/NMSQT with free resources from College Board and Khan Academy, and use your PSAT/NMSQT score to create a personalized SAT study plan through Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy®.

More Information: Find out what kinds of questions you’ll see on the PSAT

• Reading Test

• Writing and Language Test

• Math Test

• Key Content Changes

Learn more about Taking the Test or how to access and use your PSAT scores.

SAT

In addition, we will be offering an optional SAT to 11th graders on April 12th at no cost. Please contact me with any questions.

Tamra Harrison – School Counselor

Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District

Susitna Valley Jr/Sr High School

Talkeetna, Alaska 99676

PH: 907-733-9305 | Fax: 907-733-9380

www.matsuk12.us/svs

Control Stress though Meditation

What if there is something that is free and could be done anywhere, would reduce your stress, improve your health, and increase your happiness? This sounds too good to be true but it is out there and the benefits are true. Meditation has such a wonderfully positive impact that I am surprised doctors do not prescribe it at every visit.

Meditation started a long time ago and has its roots in Hinduism and Buddhism. It gained popularity in America in the mid-20th century and researchers began to look at the effects of meditation and learn about the benefits. The research eventually led to an interest in using meditation for counseling and therapy. In the 21st century people practice meditation that is separate from religion for health, wellness, and mindfulness.

Meditation has been proven to decrease stress, decrease anxiety, decrease depression, increase social connection and emotional intelligence, increase compassion, and improve the ability to introspect and to regulate emotions. Meditation also increases the grey matter in your brain, decreases pain and inflammation, decrease blood pressure, and increases immune function. If that was not enough, it also improves creativity, memory, focus, and attention. Meditation can even help fight addictions.

Meditation is something everyone can do to improve his or her mental and emotional health. There are many varieties of meditation styles. Each has different strengths and benefits and only takes a few minutes every day. Different meditations can be found online and these can be helpful especially when you are just starting out.

Here is how to meditate: Sit in a comfortable and quiet place. Set a gentle alarm for 3 minutes. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Breathe naturally and focus on every in and out breath. When your mind wanders bring it back to your breathing. That is it!

For your future health and wellness, I encourage you to try meditation. I have included a few websites below for more information.

https://www.mindful.org/how-to-meditate/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/meditation/in-depth/meditation/art-20045858

https://mindworks.org/blog/how-meditation-changes-the-brain/

Romy Byrd RN - School Nurse

Matanuska Susitna Borough School District

Susitna Valley Junior/Senior High School (907) 733-9304

Talkeetna Elementary (907) 733-9415

Trapper Creek Elementary (907) 733-9460

The central program in the All Stars series is All Stars Core.

The primary goal with every All Stars program is to delay the onset of risky behaviors. In other words, we want to keep kids from starting to participate in risky behaviors as long as possible.

Targeted behaviors include:

• Alcohol use

• Tobacco use, including smoking, vaping and smokeless tobacco use

• Marijuana use

• Opioid use

• Inhalant use

• Fighting and bullying

• Early sexual activity (All Stars is not a sex education program and does not address contraception)

All Stars Core is student-centered and encourages a high level of student engagement and hands-on learning. The program is process-based (not informational-based) allowing every group of students to make it about them and for them.

All Stars Core features highly interactive group activities, games and art projects, video making, small group discussions, partner work and a celebration ceremony. A parent component encourages youth to interact with parents or other trusted adults through four conversations throughout the program. The program also encourages parents/important adults to use the six effective parenting practices research recommends for delaying the onset of risky behaviors.

(2022 All Stars Prevention All Rights Reserved)

Ages 14-17 co-ed groups

Every Thursday 5:00PM-6:30PM in person call to sign up

5851 E. Mayflower Court Wasilla AK

Greetings from the Susitna Valley PTSA (Parent-Teacher-Student Association)!

It’s been a couple of years since this organization has been operating on all cylinders; it’s time to refresh and renew!

The Susitna Valley PTSA is a volunteer-led and directed organization that exists to work with the teachers and administration to implement the educational goals of Su-Valley Jr/Sr High School. The PTSA works to foster a spirit of community and belonging among the school’s parents and promote a greater understanding of school goals within the community.

The PTSA needs YOU! Mia Mangione has been single-handedly keeping the organization afloat through the pandemic and it’s time to rebuild the board. The PTSA is seeking:

• Board members – all seats from the president to the treasurer position are available, plus at-large members.
• Members – all families and relatives/friends of family and staff at this school can become members. Membership helps support PTSA activities both financially and leverages additional support from sponsors, corporations, and foundations.
• Involvement – attend meetings, volunteer at events, and share ideas!

What does the PTSA do?

• Provide scholarships for graduating seniors
• Award teacher mini-grants for class supplies and special class projects
• Support the music program by fixing/tuning and purchasing new instruments
• Fund special classes such as CPR/1st Aid and Babysitting to expand job opportunities for students
• Support afterschool programs such as art club, STEM, and others yet to be imagined
• Purchase uniforms for team sports
• Give staff appreciation gifts/incentives

Please send any questions to svptsa@gmail.com. We will establish a new board of directors, provide a financial overview of the PTSA, and solicit membership recruitment ideas. We need a strong membership to launch initiatives that will support our incredible school!

Thanks to all the staff for working hard for our kids. There are many new faces in the school this year and we are truly grateful you have joined the Su-Valley team! Thank you!

Sincerely,
Mia Mangione
svptsa@gmail.com

Here at Su Valley we know that hungry, growing teenagers need to eat! Here are option for both in school, and families at home:

• we have free almond butter and jelly sandwiches & free fresh fruit available every day at the Snack Station - students can help themselves
• we provide free shelf-stable portable snacks as available through the Snack Station - students can help themselves
• we have a free School Food Pantry - available every Wednesday during lunch, or by request. This is food for any family who needs additional food at home. The items in the pantry are shelf-stable and range from snacks to ingredients for full meals. We also have toiletry items (toothpaste, deodorant, etc) available. Students may help themselves. This is provided in partnership with the Upper Susitna Food Pantry.
• we have free Weekend Brown Bags provided to students to take home each Friday. These are available to any student. This is in partnership with the Upper Susitna Food Pantry, through a grant. See Ms. Sipes in the library to sign up.

Our behavioral health counselor, Tanya Korta, is available all summer and throughout the school year. During the summer, she can be reached at Sunshine Clinic. During the school year she can be reached at school (907-733-9300), and she will be here Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Please do not hesitate to reach out to her if you need to talk, or if you know someone who may need support. Her email is TKorta@sunshineclinic.org.

The Public Information Office and Office of Instruction encourages schools to share this MSBSD website with their families to share what's happening for kids in the Mat-Su Valley. Schools, parents and other community stakeholders may download, read, or print informational flyers distributed for sharing to all schools each week.

Flyer approval requests may be sent to Laura Richardson, Family & Partnership Coordinator for review and approval for distribution to schools.

SVS Vision:

We aim to provide students with the necessary tools to achieve their full potential.

SVS Mission:

In collaboration with family and community, we will build strong relationships and share challenging, innovative instruction to inspire student passions, potential, and the ability to think critically and creatively.

"Home of the Rams"

Email: lisa.shelby@matsuk12.us
Website: http://www.matsuk12.us/svs
Location: S. Parks Highway, Talkeetna, AK
Phone: 907-733-9300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Susitna-Valley-JrSr-High-School-314999352167336/?ref=settings
Twitter: @suvalley_rams