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!

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:

1. If you live locally, please contact any one of the students involved in Close Up – they all have tickets to sell!
2. If you are out of town, please Contact Vivian at vrojas@kpbsd.k12.ak.us and put KINDLE in the Subject line!
3. You can always go on up to the school and talk directly to the students or Vivian – they will get you taken care of!
4. The Close Up students will be going around town, as they must to sell their allotment of tickets – so keep a lookout!
5. 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!