Greetings Lynx Families,
The third quarter of school is in full swing here in NCS. Basketball season is also in full swing! Elementary students continue to learn about all sorts of new things, including traditional Yup'ik units of measurement and their use at fish camp. Secondary students are learning everything from different forms of energy to how to effectively present. If you have a student athlete, including skiers and middle school wrestlers, please connect with them and their teachers to make sure they are staying sports-eligible.
This week is NIT weekend. Come on by the school and support you Lynx! Our new principal for next year, Chad Martin, will be on site Friday and Saturday. Wednesday is 100s Day, where elementary students will be celebrating the 100th day of school. We will be hosting parent-teacher conferences on February 18th.
I'd like to take a moment and recognize high school senior Aram Peterson. Aram has been helping elementary students with Yup'ik pronunciations during their cultural math lessons. I'd also like to recognize Tamika Waska, who has been helping us with morning announcements for over a month now. I'd also like to recognize our elementary Lynx Leaders, who have been working hard to spread the word on good deeds their peers do on a daily basis.
One quick reminder: If you have not yet given your secondary student permission to leave campus and would like them to take advantage of open campus, please make sure you fill out our form. Call the front office or visit our website for more details.
Thank you.
Stephen Calkin
Principal
Nenana City Public School
School Spirit week this week for NIT!
Alaska has passed Erin’s Law and Bree’s Law as part of the Alaska Safe Children’s Act.
Erin’s Law requires that all K–12 students receive lessons on sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and prevention.
Bree’s Law requires that students in grades 7–12 also receive age-appropriate lessons on dating violence and abuse awareness and prevention.
Your child’s class (grades 7–12) will soon participate in these important lessons. These lessons are designed to be age-appropriate, culturally sensitive, and focused on building safety skills, including:
Recognizing safe vs. unsafe situations
Identifying trusted adults and knowing how to seek help
Understanding healthy friendships, boundaries, and respect in relationships
Recognizing the signs of unhealthy or abusive relationships and how to access resources for help
The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) has developed eLearning modules that meet the requirements of the Alaska Safe Children’s Act. These modules have been approved by the Nenana City School District School Board. They reflect best practices in child safety education and align with state standards.
If you do not want your child to participate, you must submit a written request to the school principal asking that your child be excused from these lessons.
If you have any questions, or if you would like to review the DEED eLearning modules and lesson materials in advance, please call (907-832-5464) and ask to speak with your child’s teacher or the school designee.
Thank you for supporting this effort to keep all of our students safe and informed.
Sincerely,
Stephen Calkin
Nenana City School
NCS Parent reminder that there is NO SCHOOL next Monday, January 19, 2026 . The school will be closed for students and staff. Enjoy your long weekend.
January 8, 2026,
Dear Parents and Guardians of Nenana City School District Students who are currently enrolled in a High School Health Class,
The Alaskan Health Education Curriculum and Alaskan Science Standards include sexual health education, and growth and development in the human reproductive system. Our school is teaching sexual health in the 3rd and 4th Quarter, which includes age-appropriate lessons based on resources approved by the Nenana City School District Board of Education in our Health and Health Sciences pathway curriculum. In addition, guest speakers in the classroom may include licensed professionals through collaboration with the Railbelt Mental Health and Addictions, Alaska Behavioral Health Association. These guests will speak to specific topics of their expertise, and be gender and age appropriate, to facilitate open dialog and an opportunity to address real-time questions from the young men and women in our Nenana learning community. The sexual health education lessons are designed to assist students to:
Understand themselves better, including anatomy and physiology
Understand the changes the students will be going through as they mature (physical, emotional, and psychological changes)
Understand the connections between choice, infectious diseases, and protective practices
Develop the ability to make informed choices for whole person wellness
Develop a deep understanding of identity, consent, and their role in intimacy
Sexual health lessons provide adolescent students with medically accurate information and communication skills to help them make decisions that can keep them healthy and safe. Our shared goal is to delay sexual activity in school-age youth. We know that our students and their families have a range of beliefs, cultures and customs. Those family values are core, essential guidelines for your child’s life. As a parent/guardian, you have the right to keep your child out of some lessons about birth control and methods of HIV/STD prevention. If you have any questions about which lessons you may opt-out for your child, please speak with the principal, or the health teacher. If you would like your child to be excused from birth control and HIV/STD prevention lessons, write a letter or email to your child’s principal, Stephen Calkin. The letter should state that:
• Your child should not be in the classroom during lessons about birth control and methods of HIV/STD prevention; and
• You will provide instruction on prevention to your child in your home.
The sexual health lesson materials, and other information, are available in the science and health classroom, for parents to look at and discuss with administrators, and/or Carrie Given, as desired. Reference information is provided at the end of this letter for these materials, including short descriptions, if you are unable to visit the classroom.
As in all areas, parents and guardians are a child’s first and most influential teachers. We share a common goal: we want students of all ages to be healthy in all aspects of their lives. Parents are encouraged to talk with their child (children) about their values regarding human sexuality, and contact our administration with any questions or concerns you might have.
Kindest Regards,
Carrie Given
Science and Health Teacher
Nenana City School District
cgiven@nenanalynx.org
Greetings Lynx Families,
Today we're wrapping up the first semester of the 2025-2026 school year. There is a lot to look back on and celebrate, a lot to learn from, and a lot to look forward to. One major highlight is our winter benchmark assessment results. For the first time in living memory, 50% or more of all Nenana City School students participating in the assessment have met or exceeded national growth rates in every area tested. The number of students achieving at or above the expected benchmark has also increased across the board. Additionally, our beginning of year mCLASS data, which measures basic literacy skills, was slightly below the Alaska average. Our winter data is significantly above the Alaska average, with a 12% increase in students at or above benchmark compared to the State's 3% average. In other words, NCS students were 4 times more likely to improve their basic literacy skills than the average Alaskan student. These results reflect all of the significant work NCS staff and students have been putting into learning and growing every day in our school.
Secondary NCS students have also been working towards certifications. 6 NCS welders have been able to pass in-house 1G "bend" tests, and so far we have 3 welders who have made it up to the 3G test. We anticipate certifying welders during the spring semester. We also have 13 students earning their ETT certifications. Elementary students put on a holiday play last week, and secondary musicians put on a concert earlier this week. Lynx wrestlers did a great job at regionals, placing 4th and 5th in their divisions.
Looking ahead to the second semester, NCS will be making a few changes. It has come to my attention that we have been out of compliance with board policy regarding open campus. If you have a 7th-12th grade student, please fill out the digital permission form or come see us for a physical form if you want your student to participate in an open campus. We will be closing campus for all students who do not have this form. Additionally, we want to better ensure the safety of elementary students at the end of the day with a more orderly release procedure. If you have K-4th grade students, please fill out a release form that tells us who will pick up your child, or give us permission to release them without adult supervision.
Lastly, I want to inform you that we hosted three great candidates for the principal position on Monday. We anticipate recommending a candidate for hire in January's board meeting. I will make an announcement once the Board has met on the subject.
From all the staff at Nenana City School, thank you for all you do to partner with us in your child's education. We wish you a happy holiday break, and look forward to seeing you and your children in the building on Tuesday, January 6th.
Thank you.
Stephen Calkin
Principal
Nenana City Public School
(907) 832-5464
https://www.nenanalynx.org/
- Do No Harm - Accelerate Learning and Growth -
Dear Lynx Families,
As many of you know, Nenana City School has historically had bus services that elementary students have used to get to and from school. A few years ago, the District eliminated these services in order to reduce costs. One of the unintended consequences of this decision has been a lack of a structured, safe dismissal from school, especially for lower elementary students. One of the most important mottos we have at the School is “Do No Harm.” It is my professional opinion that our current practice of releasing students, particularly Kindergarten through 4th grade students, without coordination with you could result in significant harm to your child. To avoid this, I want to ensure that we are dismissing K-4 students directly to a parent, guardian, older sibling, other school staff, or have your written permission to send them home.
After discussing this matter with school staff, we believe that we have developed a system that can work for students, staff, and families. Beginning January 6th, we intend to line students up at the end of the day, with students attending after school lining up in the “ramp” hallway leading to the library, students who are being picked up from school line up by the copier room directly across from the north entrance to the building, and students walking home lining up by the cafeteria doors. Students who are attending after school program will be released from elementary to an after school staff member. Children who have your permission to go home directly will be checked for cold weather or seasonal gear, and then sent on their way. All other children will wait for a parent/guardian, older sibling, or a designated adult to pick them up. Please come into the building to pick up your child(ren). This system ensures that we are doing our part to keep your child safe.
Attached you will find a form. Please fill this out at your earliest convenience. If you are receiving this message digitally, you may also fill out a digital version of the form here: https://bit.ly/4s9Hjvh
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you might have. You may also want to connect with your child(ren)’s classroom teacher for additional details and information. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Stephen Calkin
Nenana City School Principal
Dear Lynx Families,
As many of you know, Nenana City School has practiced an “open campus” lunch policy for secondary students for close to 40 years. In my 10 years in the District, I have understood the rules to be that 9th-12th grade students had open campus privileges. Except for Covid, this was our standard practice every year, regardless of the school’s schedule. Recent events have led me to review our policies, procedures, and handbook. Board Policy 5112.5 establishes an open campus for all “middle and high school students.” The policy also requires that students taking advantage of this policy have a permission slip filed on record with the school.
In my inquiry on the matter, I have found that NCS has been out of compliance with this requirement for over 20 years. It is my intention that Nenana better align with its board’s policies. To this end, enclosed you should find a permission slip for your secondary student to participate in open campus. Beginning January 6th, 2026 students who are found off campus without your permission will be considered truant, in accordance with BP 5112.5. If you would like your student to participate in open campus, please fill out the attached form and return it to the front office. If you are receiving this message digitally, you may fill out this digital form: https://bit.ly/4aGfpk0
Additionally, I found that the policy was established in 1997, and last reviewed in 2007. Much of the world has changed since then, including here in Nenana. It is my professional opinion that the Board ought to review this policy as soon as possible, and consider whether the policy as it reads is reflective and supportive of the mission, vision, and values set forth by the Board. If you have a strong opinion on whether or not 7th grade through 12th grade students should be allowed the rights to off campus lunch, please reach out to me, the Superintendent, or a school board member at your earliest convenience.
As always, please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns you might have. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Stephen Calkin
Nenana City School Principal
Greetings Lynx Families,
It has been awhile since our last letter, and since then it is has been a very busy time at Nenana City School. A lot of great things have happened and are happening. Elementary and secondary students came together in some special K-12 programming right before Thanksgiving break. Elementary students began their winter testing last week, and secondary students test this week. Junior High basketball and wrestling seasons are wrapping up, and high school basketball practices have begun. We will be hosting the K-6 Christmas play this Wednesday at 6:30pm. Next week we will host the Winter Music concert at 6:30pm
Secondary students will experience a modified schedule this week. We will try morning testing for four days, rather than two days of back-to-back testing. Students will have morning classes in the afternoon Monday and Wednesday, and regular afternoon classes Tuesday and Thursday.
With the lack of bussing over the last couple of years, we have noticed that the end of the day has become hectic, especially for elementary students. The school often does not know whether young students have successfully been released to another caring adult or elder sibling. We've become concerned that this could lead to a serious health or safety issue, and will be changing our end-of-day protocols starting January 6th. Please keep an eye out for additional details from your student and classroom teacher.
Due to some recent events, we have reviewed policies related to our open campus, and have found that we are in violation of our own policies. Board policy requires that students who are eligible for open campus submit a parent/guardian permission slip that acknowledges parents permission for their student to leave campus. I will be bringing us in compliance with this policy starting January 6th. Students who do not have a permission slip on file will not be allowed off campus. Please keep a lookout for additional communication with a link to a permission slip, or visit our website to access and submit a slip.
We will be hosting three candidates for NCS Principal on Monday, December 15th. One of these candidates will take over the principalship starting July of next year. Families, students, staff, and community members will be able to meet them and ask questions on the afternoon of the 15th. Those who get a chance to meet them will also have the opportunity to provide input on which candidate they feel is best suited to the job.
Thank you.
Stephen Calkin
Principal
Nenana City Public School
(907) 832-5464
https://www.nenanalynx.org/
- Do No Harm - Accelerate Learning and Growth -
11-3-25
Greetings Lynx Families,
Quarter 2 of the school year continues full throttle at NCS. Last week Nenana students participated in Halloween festivities, much of which was driven by the students themselves. The elementary Student Council ran a spirit week, culminating on Friday with a K-6 Halloween costume contest. Secondary students, staff, and families gathered in the afternoon for the annual Halloween march to hand out candy to costumed elementary students. Somehow, students still completed reading, writing, and math lessons throughout the week, making progress on their skills. Secondary Student Council hosted the annual Halloween Carnival later that evening. Thank you to all students, staff, and families who made Halloween a festive affair.
This week is a 4 day week. NCS will be hosting the Ice Cream Classic basketball tournament starting Friday, November 7th. Our volleyball team will travel to Tri-Valley for their weekend tournament. The following week we will be asking 3rd-12th grade students to participate in a principal feedback survey, and a school climate survey. If you do not want your student participating, please tell us in writing between now and November 10th. Additionally, school will be out on November 14th, in observance of Veteran's Day. Our after-school program will be hosting a Phlight Club for K-8th grade students. Please see Mrs. Bernardini or I for additional information. We would love to see you and your little one(s) on the 14th if possible!
Many of our Lynx have been doing phenomenal work, both in their classrooms and in their sports. Multiple Lynx wrestlers have done great work on the mats, Volleyball Lynx continue to earn sportsmanship awards and tournament trophies, and Jr. High Basketball Lynx have been recognized both on and off the court throughout the season. Students from Skook's Alaska Native class have been regularly selling their artwork. A special shoutout to our musicians, who rocked us with our annual fall concert last Wednesday.
I'd like to take a moment and recognize Richard Mangogna, better known to our Lynx students as "Mr. Mango." Mr. Mango was only with us for the first quarter, but in that short time made a strong impression on students K-12. His classroom presence in PE was a huge hit, especially with elementary students, and his support for secondary sports teams was legendary. A few weeks ago staff and students gave him a Lynx send-off.
We hope to see you this weekend in support of our Jr. High team, and next weekend at the Phlight Club.
Thank you.
Stephen Calkin
Grants and Curriculum Director
Nenana City Public School
(907) 832-5464
https://www.nenanalynx.org/
- Do No Harm - Accelerate Learning and Growth -
Greetings Lynx Families,
Like most weeks, this week was a busy one at NCS. Secondary students working with Mrs. Emily on teaching our littles basic literacy skills have also started helping Ms. Brianna on Wednesday afternoons. Elementary students reconstituted their own student council thanks to the efforts of Mrs. Bernadette and the after school program. 3rd-6th graders made quick work of organizing themselves and developing an elementary Halloween spirit week. Secondary students have finished the first week of Quarter 2. We expect updated grades from staff and students at the end of next week. Student athletes should be aware and ensure they're heading into next Friday with a 2.0 GPA and no Fs to stay eligible. This is especially true for our junior high school basketball team, who will be impacted by this for our Ice Cream Classic.
Next week Friday NCS Student Council will host our annual Halloween Carnival, from 6:00-8:00pm. Consider grabbing a hot dog from concessions, proceeds go towards StuCo's prom fund. School Picture Day is next Wednesday, and the Music concert is Wednesday evening at 6:30pm. Volleyball and Wrestling teams travel next weekend for tournaments. Next Saturday NCS will host a legacy basketball tournament next Saturday from 8am to 6pm, 3v3. We're excited to see Lynx alumni in the building next weekend.
I'd like to take a moment and recognize our Lynx in Mrs. Whitney's carpentry class. We have a few picnic tables that we will be posting for sale soon. I'd also like to recognize Skook Irwin for her efforts in leading our Alaska Native Cultures class. Just about every day students are working on bead artwork, practicing their songs, writing about their subsistence stories, watching videos of elders, or reading books authored by or about Alaska Natives. Many art pieces are on display around the building, and are for sale by students. Consider asking Skook to connect you with the artist if you see something that catches your eye.
Thank you.
Stephen Calkin
Principal
Nenana City Public School
(907) 832-5464
https://www.nenanalynx.org/
- Do No Harm - Accelerate Learning and Growth -
Monday - Black & Orange Day
Tuesday - Whacky Hair Day
Wednesday - Opposite Day
Thursday - Pajama Day
Friday - Halloween Costume Day
Greetings Lynx Families,
We have had an exciting, jam-packed end to quarter 1 at Nenana City School. Elementary students capped off the quarter with an Exhibitions of Learning on the afternoon of October 16th. Elementary students showed their friends, family, high schoolers, and community members all sorts of skills and lessons learned throughout the quarter. Student Council took the opportunity to promote their upcoming events, like the Halloween Carnival. Secondary students in health classes have been learning about webs of support and healthy relationships. Alaska History students have been studying everything from the 1964 Earthquake to land use and ownership. World History students have been learning about world religions. Native Cultures students have been turning out more beaded work than I've ever seen in my decade of experience at NCS. Some students took an impromptu field trip to the Coffey farm to pick corn, and middle school Science has been learning about the properties of matter. Students in Ms. Tasha's welding class have been learning how to read a tape measure before mastering their welds on MIG and oxy-acetylene rigs.
As we transition from fall to winter and quarter 1 to quarter 2, we also expect a few more transitions during this time. We anticipate hosting around a dozen students who have been displaced due to the storm in Western Alaska. NCS and LC staff have been working with partners to ensure we can provide as much support as possible to our new Lynx. We have also opened the NCS Principal position for next year, which can be found on the AERRC website. Please share this news far and wide. The students and staff at NCS deserve the best principal candidates we can find. We anticipate closing the listing at the end of the month, and conducting a public interview process sometime in mid-November with the top candidates.
As we transition into our second quarter, we will be conducting a series of surveys with 3rd-12th grade students. One of them will be the Student Voice survey from the Quaglia Institute. This survey is designed to capture some information on our school's climate and connectedness. We will also distribute a staff and parent version of the survey as well. These surveys will be administered the week of November 2nd. Additionally, I will ask 3rd-12th grade students to complete a principal feedback survey to assess my effectiveness as a building principal. Finally, we will be distributing a survey to 5th-12th grade students on their energy drink consumption, especially at school and the Living Center. All responses are anonymous. If you do not want your student to participate, or if you have questions or concerns about these surveys, please reach out to me or the school.
As we assess our school climate, staff are also working to assess student engagement. We will begin implementation of the "engagement continuum" school-wide, which will provide us with a common language around student engagement in lessons. Our goal is to better understand what works in engaging students in our lessons, so that we can improve student learning experiences.
Finally, I'd like to take a moment to recognize our amazing Lynx athletes. Nenana Lynx, both individually and as a team, consistently receive recognition and awards for sportsmanship. This has been relatively common in my time here, and it indicates the soul of the community. Nenana is a place where children understand the value of kindness and human decency, and that doesn't happen by accident. Thank you to all of you who have had a helping hand in these lessons.
Thank you.
Stephen Calkin
Principal
Nenana City Public School
(907) 832-5464
https://www.nenanalynx.org/
- Do No Harm - Accelerate Learning and Growth -