Tag: education
Media Drive Extended Through April – Win an iPad Mini!
by Jenny Chissus
Minecraft Castle
It all started during one conversation with Tracie about library funding. What funds our Seldovia Public Library has, through grants and fundraising, and how that money is spent. An important thing I learned in the conversation, was that there are many folks who check out the DVDs and audiobooks, but that the inventory was very limited. According to Tracie, the funds available for buying new materials often do not allow for media materials. So, I wanted to help, and offered to donate a brand new iPad Mini for a media drive!
Many of us have movies we have only watched once or twice, music CDs or audio books that we no longer listen to, and they are collecting dust and using up space in our shelves, and we’d like to share with others! This is your chance! The library has also opened up the media drive to video games! This, I believe is a real bonus! First of all, video games aren’t cheap, and secondly, you never know if you are going to enjoy a game until it is played! And secondly – it brings young people into the library! In Seldovia we don’t have a video/game rental store, so this makes perfect sense that we can offer these items to the community through our public library!
Please take a few moments to dig into your collection, and see what you would like to offer the library in exchange for a ticket for a chance to win the iPad Mini, and a guarantee of supporting the library and adding value to the community options for entertainment and learning!
Also – as you read Tracie’s great commentary on the status of the library, please note that your participation in this media drive is a huge help to our inventory and the appeal of the library so THANK YOU! Also, there are many things going on at our small library that benefit our whole community, and should you be interested in offering cash donations to our library – that is always welcome!
I also shot a few questions to Tracie, to give you a little more background! So here we go!
Win A Kindle Fire HDX – Support Our Kids
by Jenny Chissus
Are you looking for that great gift for a family member, friend or loved one? You will definitely make all kinds of points when you are the winner of this fabulous Kindle Fire HDX!! Click here to see all the AMAZING things you can enjoy on your Kindle!
This year we have 7 students who have been working hard to earn their trip to Washington DC to participate in the Close Up program. Aidan Philpot, Calem Collier, Devin Chissus, Marina Chissus, Olivia Turner, Thor Burt and Xandria Swick. Vivian Rojas, along with Justin Derks will be accompanying them on this great educational trip!
CLOSE UP MISSION – taken from the Closeup.org website
Close Up informs, inspires, and empowers young people to exercise the rights and accept the responsibilities of citizens in a democracy.
We believe that a strong democracy requires active and informed participation by all citizens; therefore we seek to reach participants of every race, creed, geographical community, socio-economic level, and academic standing. To carry out our mission, we partner with educators, schools, and youth organizations throughout the country to help young people develop the skills and attitudes to become informed and engaged citizens. Since 1971, nearly 800,000 participants have participated in Close Up programs.
Vivian Rojas has led this trip 4 times, and they have gone every 3 years or so. It is great to have an experienced chaperone who knows the ins and outs of getting around Washington DC and who will ensure that our students get the most out of the week that they will be spending on the East Coast.
We also want to take this opportunity to thank you for your great support in purchasing tickets for the last raffle for the beautiful hand-made throw by Alta Colberg! Folks were very enthusiastic about that raffle, and we earned $574.00 towards the Close Up trip!
Thank you Alta for your generous donation!
To the right is a photo of our raffle winner, Ruth Sensenig with the prize!
This month, who is going to win the NEW Kindle Fire HDX?
Tickets will be $5.00 a piece or 5 for $20! This is not just an E Reader – it is a tablet – capable of games, touch screen, camera and the big one – 24 hour video help chat line called “MayDay”! Coolest thing ever!
Click Here or on the image above to go directly to Amazon, and be sure to click on the arrow that states “PRODUCT TOUR” and see all the amazing things this Kindle Fire can do! It truly is on many folks wish list!
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Perfect-color HDX display, plus powerful quad-core processor for fast, fluid performance and immersive entertainment
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In addition to Free Two-Day Shipping, Prime members can stream tens of thousands of Prime Instant Video titles at no additional cost, over half of which can be downloaded to the latest generation of Kindle Fire tablets.The Drawing will take place at the Susan B English basketball games on February 22, 2014. You do not need to be present to win.
To purchase your tickets:
- If you live locally, please contact any one of the students involved in Close Up – they all have tickets to sell!
- If you are out of town, please Contact Vivian at vrojas@kpbsd.k12.ak.us and put KINDLE in the Subject line!
- You can always go on up to the school and talk directly to the students or Vivian – they will get you taken care of!
- The Close Up students will be going around town, as they must to sell their allotment of tickets – so keep a lookout!
- If you are purchasing the tickets long distance: After you have confirmed your purchase of tickets (via a method above – limited availability) please send a check made out to “Susan B English” with “Close Up Kindle” in the memo line to the school at: Vivian Rojas, Susan B English School, PO Box 171, Seldovia, Alaska 99663. Please indicate who you purchased the tickets from – for our records!
This small group of 7 students have held car washes, bake sales, a community dinner, pumpkin pie sale, sponsored a knit throw raffle and have received various donations equaling $2,793 thus far! The expense for our students to be able to go on such a learning adventure is extensive! Each student’s tuition for the Close Up program alone is $1,304, there is also airfare to Washington DC from Anchorage, 3 nights stay in Washington DC for the nights not included in the Close Up program (anyone have some great connections with a hotel?), and then we must also cover the costs for the two chaperones to accompany them on the trip!
THANKS TO the Booster Club, who is assisting with the costs associated with getting the group out of Seldovia (most likely by boat out of Jakolof) and the trip to Anchorage. (We aren’t sure if we are driving in private cars or renting a vehicle…still open to ideas on this!) We are also so appreciative of the Dimond Center Hotel who will put up the entire group for the night before and after the flights, as both the departure and arrival out of Anchorage is in the very early morning!
We are so thankful to the community’s generous support thus far – we are thrilled that our students have this opportunity to participate in such a great program – as it is quite the endeavor to get them from Seldovia to Washington DC – and
We couldn’t do it without you!
Susan B. English has a New Math and Science Guy
by Jenny Chissus
He used to go by “coach” in his last teaching job, and he said that it may morph back into that as the year goes by, but for now, our new teacher goes by the official title “Mr. Derks”.
Justin Derks is our newest teacher at Susan B. English school, Continue Reading
Seldovia Teacher Awarded Guitar Grant
by Jenny Chissus
Two Rasmuson Arts Educator Grants were given by the Alaska State Council on the Arts this year, and a big CONGRATULATIONS goes out to our very own Ruth Sensenig who was awarded one of them! A small exerpt from the Rasmuson Foundation website outlines their position on the encouragement of the arts in education.
“Rasmuson Foundation believes creativity, imagination and self expression are important qualities that should be fostered and encouraged among young people. Experiences in the arts cultivate these qualities and pave the way for the next generation to grow into resourceful, creative, and engaged adults.
Research shows exceptional things happen when the arts become part of the lives of children. The arts play an important role in captivating young people and propelling them to higher levels of achievement and understanding.
Rasmuson Foundation initiated the Arts In Education program to increase the role of cultural institutions in making arts experiences available in schools and neighborhoods; to inspire collaborations between educators, artists and cultural institutions; to increase student access to a variety of high-quality arts and cultural experiences; and to encourage student participation in the arts.” – from www.rasmuson.org
Ruth taught band this past year, and although the class was enthusiastic and well attended, she felt as though she was supervising jam sessions instead of teaching. Ruth’s musical experience is in piano, so she applied for this small school grant to Continue Reading
Good News on SBE Test Scores
by Sherry Hingley
Each year the state of Alaska gives all students in grades 3-10 Standard Based Assessment Tests otherwise known as SBAs. This test is mandated by the Federal Government’s No Child Left Behind Act. The students at Susan B English School did especially well this year. If you see any of these students please congratulate them.
- 33 students tested in 3 subjects, Reading, Writing, and Math.
- All students (100%) were Proficient or Advanced in Reading.
- 19/33 students were Advanced in Reading.
- 28/33 students were Proficient or Advanced in Writing. 10/33 students were Advanced in Writing.
- 29/33 students were Proficient or Advanced in Math. 19/33 students were Advanced in Math.
- All 3rd graders were Advanced in all 3 subject areas of Reading, Writing, and Math!!
Seldovia Time
