Tanana Family Newsletter
February 22, 2021 - February 26, 2021
Tanana Spelling Team: Top 3 Spellers Moving on to District Competition
Congratulations to the winners of this year's Tanana Spelling Bee!
1st place~Lehansa Fernando
2nd place~Hayden Myers
3rd place~Maclaren Wood
We're excited for these students to represent Tanana at the virtual district competition this coming Friday, February 26.
Tanana's TTOP Students organize Free Community Event
Tanana Middle School is hosting a round table on February 25, 2021 from 5:00-6:30 pm! Representatives from Alaska Behavioral Health, American Lung Association, Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Fairbanks Native Association, Fairbanks Wellness Coalition, Interior Center for Nonviolent Living, and Youth Services with Fort Wainwright.
Topics discussed during the round table includes how COVID-19 has impacted the mental health and substance use among children and adolescents, resources available in Fairbanks, and how adolescents can get involved in substance use/suicide prevention efforts. Participants will have the opportunity to talk with each agency 1-on-1!
We will have multiple raffles throughout the event!
The link to the schedule and Zoom links is below. Email zachary.vehmeier@k12northstar.org if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you!
Upcoming Events of the Week & Important Reminders
Random Acts of Kindness Week: February 22, 2021 - February 26, 2021
Tanana is celebrating Random Acts of Kindness with a spirit week. We will have dress up days and kindness challenges all week!
Important Reminders:
- All students arriving by school bus and walkers should enter the west end of the building and report to their House Waiting Area. Yellow House = Back Gym; Orange House = Front Gym; Red House = Cafeteria. Students being dropped off or riding special transportation will be dropped off at the main entrance and will be escorted by a staff member to their House Waiting Area. Since students may need to wait outside for a few minutes for an adult to return from dropping off a group of students, please be sure your child is dressed for the elements.
- Appropriate winter gear including footwear should be worn by all students to and from school daily. In the event of a fire drill, students would either be walking to Ladd Elementary School or waiting a few minutes outside while the building is cleared and the alarm is reset. With the negative temperatures and chilly conditions, please take every precaution to make sure your child is dressed appropriately.
- Tanana opens the doors to receive all students in the building starting at 9:10 AM, Monday thru Friday. All staff is at their duty post and ready to supervise your children. Please do not drop them off earlier than 9:10, or they will need to wait outside. The school day is from 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM and students should plan to leave campus by 3:10 PM each day.
- Microwaves, hot-pots, refrigeration, kettles, etc. will not be available for student use since students will consume all food in their cohort classroom. Here is a resource list to assist with the meal planning process. Nutrition services is offering free breakfast/lunch in the cafeteria for the remainder of the school year.
- If you are a band/orchestra student, please bring your instruments daily.
In Advisory News . . .
During our daily Advisory time this week, we have been working on helping students find ways to learn from their mistakes and practice mindfulness. We will continue this daily work this week with students to improve their social-emotional skills.
Tanana partnered with several local coffee shops to spread a message of kindness and positivity. Hundreds of stickers designed by Tanana students were handed out on hot beverage cups as a way to show Randoms Act of Kindness!
We Celebrated Sack Lunch Day on February 19, 2021
Tanana Middle School is celebrating random acts of kindness week February 17-26, 2021. Tanana is showing random acts of kindness to its students by having a promotional sack lunch day on February 19, 2021. Students at Tanana received a free lunch consisting of ramen noodles, fruit snacks, a fruit leather, bag of chips, apple sauce, a granola bar, and a small bag of gummy bears. Since these lunches were funded by prescription opioid and suicide prevention grants, students also received a handout on prescription opioids, a stress relief ball, and contact information for the Alaska Careline.
Tanana is also having this sack lunch day to show appreciation for our students. COVID-19 made 2020 an unpredicted and stressful year for many students, and Tanana would like to give thanks for all the work our students have and are still doing!
Thank you Mr. Vehmeier!!!
In Music Department News . . .
In Speech and Drama News . . .
In Speech/Drama students have been working daily on their improv skills. Their imagination is endless! Next we will put their acting skills to the test as they have the task of directing and acting in the play “The 10 Best/Worst Things About Middle School”.
Tanana Middle School Merchandise Available until March 8!
Spring Activities Update
If your student wants to participate in any after school activities, you'll need to sign a COVID waiver and an activity consent form. Intramural sports will also require a physical examination. The physical must be performed by an M.D., a D.O., A.N.P. or a P.A. under supervision of an M.D. or a D.O.
Get your paperwork on file now so your student will be eligible to sign up for after school activities and sports. The forms are located below for your convenience. Feel free to email your completed copies or any questions you have to Assistant Principal Blackwell.
Native Youth Olympics
Girls and Boys Volleyball
Celebrating Black History Month
In celebration of Black History Month, the local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District (FNSBSD) are proud to sponsor the Black History Month Contest - The BlackFamily: Representation, Identity, & Diversity—“Moving the World Forward.” We invite all K-12 students to participate in this annual contest.
This program is an opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge, encourage the study of Black History, and show excellence in creativity. We hope that this program can open dialogue to educate our students about the importance of Black History.
Contest Rules Middle School: Grades 7-8: Submit a typed, original, 150-word essay using this year’s theme and illustrate it with your original artwork.
*Please include the student’s Name, Grade, Teacher, and School on each entry item. Please include a class roster of all participants with the student’s Names, Grade, Teacher, and School if submitting entries as a class. All entries MUST have a permission slip signed by a parent/guardian.
If students are remote and want to participate, they may email copies of their project to eeo@k12northstar.org. However, if they can drop off their original to their homeschool to be delivered to the Administrative District Center, that would be great.
There will be 1st, 2nd, 3rd place prizes for each grade category. Additionally, all participants will receive a certificate of participation. Entries need to be submitted and received by 4:00 pm, Friday, March 5, 2021, to the EEO Office in the FNSBSD Administrative Center, 520 Fifth Ave. 3rd Floor, Fairbanks, AK 99701.
Family Resources
Tanana Technology Tip: Cool Podcasts for the Whole Family
In House News . . .
Tanana Middle School
Email: carla.marquand@k12northstar.org
Website: k12northstar.org/Tanana
Location: 600 Trainor Gate Road, Fairbanks, AK, USA
Phone: (907)452-8145
Facebook: facebook.com/TananaMiddle
Twitter: @TananaMiddle