Sayéik GastiNEWS
November 4, 2022
Alaska Native Heritage Month
What a great spirit week! It was fun to see so many kids in costumes Monday, then strutting their pajamas, stuffed animals, and crazy hair the rest of the week! We end today with our Sayéik Scramble, which is a schoolwide assembly where kids get to play fun games and express their school spirit, be sure to ask your child(ren) about it tonight!
The cold is settling in, please be sure to send hats, gloves, and coats with your child(ren) and we will try to make sure they wear them outside!
Parking: Please remember that the driveway in front of the school is for buses only. Buses come and go throughout the day and rely on the driveway being available. Please use the visitor parking spots at the south end of the building when you come to the school during the day. Avoid using the fire lane for parking or drop-off in the morning.
Security: The exterior doors are once again open! Our interior doors at the school entrance are locked. When visitors arrive during the day, they will check in and Ms. Liz, Ms. Rhonda, or Ms. Cindy will buzz you in. Thank you for your patience while we got the system installed.
Thank you for your partnership and for sharing your child(ren) with us!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Stacy Diouf
SGCS Principal
Library News
1st Place - Samantha Bass (3rd grade)
Honorable Mention - Brooke Palmer (3rd grade)
1st Place - Willa Henrick (1st grade)
Honorable Mention - Donald Williams III (Kindergarten)
All Sayéik Gastineau bookmarks will be on display at the Douglas Library during the month of November. We had 236 entries! Wow! Congratulations to our winners!
Culture Club + Homework Club
Join Ms. Sam after school to tackle homework assignments, learn about our lineage, and do some Tlingit art projects. Starting November 8, Room 128
Tuesday: Culture Club
Grades 2-3
2:35 - 3:25
Pick-up/Rally 3:25
Wednesday: Culture Club
Grades 4-5
2:35 - 3:25
Pick-up/Rally
Thursday: Homework Club
Grades 4-5
2:35 - 3:25
3:25 Pick-up/Rally 3:25
See below for registration and permission slip.
About Ms. Sam:
Hello families! My name is Samantha Martin, I am Yupik and Tlingit, I was raised in Bethel and Kake, Alaska. I have two dogs, Cooper and Archer, and we love the outdoors! Hiking, biking, kayaking, and a whole lot of frisbee! But sometimes on the super rainy days we like to hide away and just listen to the rain on our roof while we stay cozy and warm.
As a fairly new Cultural Specialist here at Gastineau, I am excited to get to know you and your child and hope to have a happy and productive school year. I will try my best to help your child reach and maintain a passing grade by working with them daily in and out of the classroom.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email samantha.martin@juneauschools.org
Staff Spotlight - Ms. Martin, Tlingit Language Instructor
- I am from Xuna Xaawu, Glacier Bay. I am Chookeneidi Porpoise. I grew up in Keexh Kwaan, Kake.
- I have worked under Indian Studies for 14 years as an Indian Studies Cultural Para and now I’m a certified teacher and I work under T&L/DIA (Teaching & Learning and Douglas Indian Association).
I teach Tlingit values of respect, kindness, and knowing who you are and where you come from.
My favorite thing about my job is watching our students learn and seeing their joy when the concepts we are learning click. I especially love teaching drumming and singing and seeing their enthusiasm.
You might not know that I come from the generation where my elders spoke broken English and even though I graduated high school, I had to start in English as a Second Language class in college and moved on up until I got an A+ in Technical Writing and became a Copy Editor. Being persistent and not quitting gets you the feeling of success.