Sayéik GastiNEWS
May 6, 2022
Sayéik is a traditional Tlingit name, which loosely translates to “spirit helper”
We are entering the home stretch of the 21/22 school year! The students are bustling with energy and it has been so fun to see their smiles as they return from field trips to different places within our community!
As many of you know, we are an Ocean Guardian school. We have composting and recycling programs and use real silverware for our meals. Today students picked up litter around the school and neighborhood AND each family will receive a tote bag with the book We Are Water Protectors and some watercolor paints and paper. Thank you to our Ocean Guardian team, led by Ms. Haygood, our staff, and students, for all you've done to help us be a successful Ocean Guardian school!
As we plan next year, we're asking you to fill out this survey regarding your plan for your child(ren). If you haven't already, please fill it out.
Have a wonderful weekend,
Stacy Diouf
SGCS Principal
Ocean Guardian News
Sayéik: Gastineau is so excited to share that we have done amazing things as an Ocean Guardian school. Check this out!! Our school has composted over 3,231 pounds of food waste. We have also added building-wide paper and plastic recycling and recycling bins in our commons for lunchroom waste. As you can imagine, we are excited about the progress we've made as a school community to help keep plastics out of our oceans and we still have more to do!
Today we celebrated all our hard work by continuing to make a difference! In addition to our school-wide litter pick up, we also invited NOAA scientists to help us audit and analyze our lunchroom waste. We are also sharing a very special gift with every kindergarten through 5th grade family. For families with more than one student, we sent the special gift bag home with the youngest student. We hope you enjoy reading, painting and continuing to make a difference from home as a family.
The illustrator of We Are Water Protectors, Michaela Goade, is from Juneau and ALSO attended Gastineau School for kindergarten and 1st grade!
Bike to School Day
4th/5th Grade Spotlight
Ms. Gentry - 4th Grade
Ms. Niemi - 4th/5th Grade
Ms. Watts - 4th/5th Grade
Ms. Gentry
- I am from Homer, Alaska and I have lived in Juneau for 3 years
- I have been in education for over 22 years and I have been teaching at Sayéik for almost 2 years
- My favorite thing about being a teacher is learning with my students. I'm forever a student!
- For fun I love to travel and meet new people around the world. I hiked to Machu Picchu last year.
- Something you may not know about me is that I was in three movies! I was in a lot of dance productions as well.
Ms. Niemi
- I was born in Juneau and have lived here most of my life. I have spent some time in Washington and Texas.
- I have been a teacher for 11 years. I started student teaching here at Sayéik and have taught here for 5 years.
- My favorite thing about teaching is when students gain new confidence in a skill that has been challenging to them. Watching them then help peers is a pretty powerful part of the classroom.
For fun I like to walk/hike with my dog, Lupine, friends and family. I also enjoy swimming and playing volleyball.
Something you may not know about me is that before I was a teacher I was managing a swim school and teaching 6 month-olds to adults how to swim, become more comfortable in the water, or how to become better swimmers. I also am pregnant with twin boys and can't wait until I can teach them to swim!
Right now my 4th and 5th graders are working on a Science Unit on Sound Waves
I am from Chicago and have lived in Juneau for over 21 years. Go Bears! Go Bulls! Go Cubs!
- I have been teaching at Sayéik for 14 of my 18 years as classroom teacher (make that 15 years if you count my year of student teaching with Mr. Miller & Ms. Haygood!)
- My favorite thing about being a teacher is spending my days learning alongside my incredible 4th and 5th grade students!
- For fun I enjoy hanging out with my family and friends
- Something you may not know about me is that I have lived in NINE different states. I studied coyotes, red fox, black-footed ferrets, sandhill cranes, piping plovers, marbled murrelets and numerous waterfowl in my former life as a wildlife biologist!
- Something noteworthy that students are working on in my classroom is our digital story project. This nearly year-long project has been quite a journey for my students and I can't WAIT to be able to share them with our families!
Family Dialogue
The Juneau School District, in conjunction with Tlingit and Haida and the Association of Alaska School Boards, is hosting a family dialogue, focusing on the elementary level. What's working well? What could be even better?
Please join for a conversation with families on Thursday, May 12th, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM at the Elizabeth Peratrovich Hall (320 W. Willoughby Ave.). Food and child supervision will be provided.
End of School Reminders
- Check lost and found (items will not be here next school year)
- Turn in books
- Pick up medication from the nurse
- Make sure we have correct addresses if they have changed