West Homer Elementary
May 2023
A Note from Mr. Waltenbaugh
This is a busy month as our academic programs continue through the last week of school and we work intentionally on reflection and celebration. Our final week of school we will be celebrating sending off our 6th graders, enjoying field day, closing out our classroom communities with purposeful reflection and giving back to West Homer through participation in Campus Beautification projects. Pay close attention to the important dates listed below for this fast paced month of May.
We received almost 3,000 books for our book drive! Thank you!
4th grade wins the grade level challenge by bringing in 1,071 books and will receive a pizza and ice cream party from the Homer Library!
Cardboard Carnival - May 2nd 1:15pm - 2:45pm
Spring Concert!
Spring Mileage Club Program
Paul Banks Step-Up Day!
6th Grade Oceanography Field Trip
May Important Dates
May 1st-5th Staff Appreciation Week
May 2nd - Cardboard Carnival @ 1:15pm
May 9th - PTO meeting 4:30 - 6:30pm
May 16th -6th Grade Promotion @ 1:00pm
May 17th - Field Day
May 18th- Campus Beautification Day, PTO end of year BBQ LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
PTO
PTO Strategic Planning Meeting May 9th 4:30 - 6:30pm WHE Library
Contact PTO at: ptowesthomer@gmail.com
A Note from Nurse Laura
Japanese Club
I would like to say thank you to all for your support for the Japanese class this year. The Japanese class has had good success this school year, 2022-2023. The class began last September in 2022 as an after-school program.
The first semester, the students in the Japanese class learned how to greet in Japanese to each other and in the public. We were invited to the City Council Meeting last October, 2022. That was our first presentation in Japanese to Homer City and we shared the information about online sessions and pen pals between students from Taishi High School, Hyogo, southeast and Teshio Junior High School, Hokkaido, northern Japan. It’s Homer’s sister city. The students in the Japanese class learned how to write their names in Japanese.
The second semester, the Sakura band who are the students in the Japanese class and some students from Homer Youth String Orchestra Club performed at Homer Mariner Theater during the spring concert with Mrs. Moore this year.
The students in the Japanese class learned a Japanese traditional song called “Sakura Sakura, which means cherry blossoms. The cherry blossoms are our national flowers in Japan.
The students in the Japanese class had a great opportunity to create their own Yunomi cups with Mrs. Sarah Sims for our tea party in May. During the tea party, their own personally made tea cups will be served with a Japanese tea. They will celebrate our successful year and cherry blossoms’ program.
Special congratulations to the 6th grade students, Elayna Wilson, Elsa Hunt and Rei Beams in the Japanese class. I am hoping that they will keep continuing learning Japanese languages and be exchange students in the future!
The Japanese class will have the second year after school program in 2023-2024. New students are welcome to join us and hopefully many returning students!
Megumi Beams
Sister City Liaison/ Interpreter,
Japanese International Exchange Coordinator/ Instructor
West Homer Elementary
Email: ewaltenbaugh@kpbsd.org
Website: https://kpbsd.org/schools/west-homer-elementary/
Location: 995 Soundview Avenue, Homer, AK, USA
Phone: 907-226-1200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WestHomerElementary