Covid-19 has been hard on everyone. I was hoping we could have students in the building the entire year, but we had to follow the KPBSD mitigation plan. The current plans states that once community transmission is considered high, we would transition to all remote learning. Our plan was working and no student got Covid-19 because they came to school, but now the situation has changed. Many agree that we need to get students back into the building, but we need to do it in a way that is safe and so we don't add to the spread of Covid-19 in Homer.

Homer High School and the KPBSD are working on creating a plan that will allow students to be face-to-face in the building while we are in the red. In order to do this we will have to adjust our mitigation plan. Depending on the situation this would mean that we might only be able to only bring in half the students into the building at a time. If the transmission is really bad, maybe we could only bring in a quarter of the students at a time. This would also mean that guests and parents would not be allowed in the building and students would have to social distance the entire day.

There are a lot more details and work that needs to be done to allow students back into HHS, but I will keep you up-to-date on our progress. Until then, we will continue to do our best to provide a healthy and positive learning experience online.

I know living in a pandemic is tough, but Homer and Homer High School is tougher and we will get through this. Let us know what we can do to help support you or your children while they are at home. I am willing to do what it takes to provide the best education possible even with Covid-19. If you have suggestions or critiques, please contact me. I want to know how we can help you change or adapt. Give me a call at 907-235-4600 or email me at dwaclawski@kpbsd.org.

Sincerely,

Douglas Waclawski

Principal

TIPS FOR TAKING YOUR SCHOOL PORTRAIT at HOME

This is your opportunity to submit your OWN school portrait for the 2021 yearbook! The photo you send us is the picture that will be in the yearbook. Follow these simple tips to ensure your photo looks great!!

GETTING READY

• Wear your favorite school-appropriate shirt. Solid colors or simple patterns photograph best. It is a good idea to wear something with sleeves. Avoid shirts with slogans, as cropping might cut the words in half. Accessories are fine but make sure they do not distract from your fabulous smile!
• Clean the phone lens with a cloth. This will make sure there are no smudges or blur.
• iPhone 8 and Higher Users: Go to Settings> Camera> Formats and select Most Compatible.

BACKGROUND & LIGHTING

• Choose a background that isn’t too busy.
• Don’t zoom in with your phone. Use your legs to get close.
• Be aware of the lighting in your selected spot. Make sure you are facing the light (the sun, window, etc). If the light is behind you, your face will be dark.
• Outside photos are great! Morning and evening are the best. If it is too bright, taking pictures in the shade can turn out beautiful.

TAKING THE PHOTO

• Use portrait mode if possible. This gives you that nice, soft background and better color.
• Take the photo from the waist up, leaving a little space around the outside of the person.
• Double-tap the face of the student on the screen before you take the photo. This makes sure the face is the focus and sets the color and light settings.
• Don’t add a filter to the photo.

SUBMITTING YOUR PHOTO

• Google Form - Use this easy to complete google form: https://forms.gle/qU8fKgJjp5R26HZt9

Volleyball had an awesome year and earned many Region awards.

• Peninsula League Coach of the Year Stephanie Carroll
• Player of the Year Laura Inama
• 1st Team All-Conference (Good Sport Recipient) Tonda Smude
• 1st Team All-conference (Good Sport Recipient) Sela Weisser

12/3 - Site Council zoom meeting 4:00pm

12/7 - Big Booster Club zoom meeting 6:00pm

12/18 - Teacher In-Service, No school for students

12/14-12/17 - Final Exam Week

12/19 - SAT CANCELLED

12/21/20-1/4/21 - Winter Break

1/5/21 - School in session

In these uncertain times it is important to know what is going at at your child's school. Homer High School uses Facebook to communicate with parent and the community about events, emergencies, school closures, sporting events, Covid-19 details and more. Go to https://www.facebook.com/HomerHS/ and be sure to follow us.

Don't be left out about news and information you need. Like us on Facebook today.

Caps and Gowns

Graduation is scheduled for Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 7pm!

We will order everything students will need for the graduation ceremony. Seniors just need to reply to Desiree Smude’s email to indicate their height. They will then pay $52 to pick up their caps, gowns, stoles and tassels when they arrive in the second semester.

For Seniors, Holiday Time is also Application Time.

If you’re a 12th grader or a parent/guardian of one, Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks aren’t just for eating, recreating, and binge watching. They’re also for applying to post-secondary schools (college and trade schools) and for applying for financial aid by filing the FAFSA (fafsa.ed.gov).

Scholarship and admission deadlines are coming and going every week. So get out your calendars, make a spreadsheet, or otherwise get organized so you can set your priorities and avoid missing a deadline for a school or for a scholarship of interest.

Scholarship searches abound on the internet to the point where it can be overwhelming. I believe the following resources are the best avenues for financial aid apart from the aforementioned FAFSA:

Institutional Aid:

• The vast majority of scholarship money comes directly from the school to which a student matriculates.
• Some schools integrate their scholarship application within their admission application. Others have a separate scholarship application. If you’re not sure or if you just want to verify they are considering you for all institutional scholarships for which you’re eligible, visit the school’s web site, or better yet, call their financial aid office.

• This site lists scholarships that have been vetted by KPBSD counselors in an attempt to highlight those regularly won by our district’s students, including state and local awards.

• This is one of many national scholarship databases. I like how this particular one is set up.

• Similar to Going Merry, straight forward.

PSAT

October PSAT results should be emailed to students December 7th-8th. The email should also contain information on how to link your results with Khan Academy for personalized SAT practice. If you’d like help interpreting your scores and understanding what they mean, contact the counseling office!

Here are the impressive results from the Nov 6-7 Drama Debate and Forensics (DDF) virtual tournament hosted by Eagle River HS (11 schools). Way to go mariners!

• 1st place Lincoln Douglas debate –Spencer Co
• 1st place Humorous Interpretation –Thea Person
• 1st place Reader’s Theater - (Bryce & Hadley Glidden, Lexie and Eleanor Sweeney, Clara Stading, Thea Person)
• Lincoln Douglas debate quarterfinalists – Emma Sulczynski, Payton Tobin, and Larry Dunn
• 2nd place Lincoln Douglas debate speaker points –Payton Tobin
• 2nd place Solo –Clara Stading
• 2nd place Dramatic Interpretation – Eleanor Sweeney
• 3rd place Dramatic Interpretation - Clara Stading
• 3rd place Domestic Extemporaneous Speech – Larry Dunn
• 3rd place Extemporaneous Commentary – Thea Person