Nenana City School District - Home of the Lynx

9-9-21 Greetings Nenana Lynx parents! Mr. Guy and Ms. Olivia are pleased to announce that Jr. High basketball is coming soon to theatres near you! Any students grades 5-8 who are interested in playing basketball can meet us in the gym on Monday from 3:30-5:00 to declare interest. Official practices will begin Monday-Friday from 3:30-5:00pm this Tuesday, September 14th. In case our names aren't familiar to some, we joined the Nenana community in the fall of 2019 and have loved our time here so far. We look forward to coaching and invite you to contact us with any questions you might have. Mr. Guy - glayfield@nenanalynx.org (English Language Arts 9-12, Storytelling, Classroom Librarian, & Coach) Ms. Olivia - olayfield@nenanalynx.org (Paraprofessional & Soccer/Basketball Coach) If you have questions that can't be answered via email, you can also call or text us at (410) 746-3448.

Beginning Wednesday, September 1st, Nenana City School has initiated universal masking for all students and staff while in the building. Universal masking of both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals will continue for a minimum 14 day period. In addition to several people with common colds, there has been one confirmed positive test for COVID-19 within our immediate school community. A full contact-tracing has been completed and those who have been in close contact with the positive individual have been notified by the school nurse. We continue to prioritize health and safety; we are doing our very best to keep our doors open and kids learning!

Soccer has Begun!

8-20-21 Friday Principal Update Dear Parents/Guardians, It was such a pleasure having students in the building all week. Our time together was well spent, as we focused on relationship-building and acclimating to the academic day, routines, expectations and opportunities. We've asked secondary students to think hard about what they want their school year to look like, along with the attitudes and values that will be important to their success. A number of guest speakers addressed secondary students throughout orientation. Speakers included tribal elders from the Nenana Native Council, associates from Railbelt Mental Health, Mayor Josh Verhagen, education representatives from Tanana Chiefs Conference, FBI Special Agents, and members of the AK Air National Guard. Topics discussed included roles that community partners play to serve and support students, Nenana History, Cyber safety, digital citizenship, transition planning, and substance awareness and prevention. Students completed MAP Growth testing, which is one tool we use to inform appropriate course placement and identify students who may be in need of academic support. These tests will be taken again in the winter and spring, and staff will look at both growth and level of proficiency as one indicator of the effectiveness of our classroom instruction. Looking ahead, secondary students will begin attending classes and following the bell schedule on Monday, August 23. Elementary students will continue to build upon the excellent foundation that was established in K-6 classrooms throughout the week. Secondary students will have opportunities in the weeks ahead to discuss potential schedule adjustments. Much of the scheduling process is dictated by graduation credit requirements, optimal class sizes, and availability. This can result in limited options for change beyond what is currently scheduled. This is especially true for 9th and 10th grade students, with flexibility coming as credits begin to accumulate. Thank you all for your support in getting students to school this week. I am very much looking forward to meeting many of you at the Ice Cream Social tonight, Friday, August 20th (5:00pm) or at other school/community events throughout the year. Kind regards, David R. Huntington Principal, Nenana City School dhuntington@nenanalynx.org 907-832-5464 (NCS office) District Website: www.nenanalynx.org

Reminder- NCS will be hosting an ice cream social on Friday 8/20 at 5:00pm. Hot dogs, chips and ice cream will be served and community members can meet the new and returning students. Railbelt mental health associates will be onsite providing door prizes and facilitating ice breaker activities. Event will be at the main entrance on C street. We hope many of you are able to join us! -- David R. Huntington Principal, Nenana City School dhuntington@nenanalynx.org 907-832-5464 (NCS office) District Website: www.nenanalynx.org

Current guidance from the State of Alaska, Department of Early Education & Development (DEED), has Nenana City School opening in the fall in the Low Risk scenario. This means face-to-face instruction, social distancing, enhanced safety procedures, and enhanced cleaning measures will be in place in school buildings and on buses. Should risk levels change and learning shift partially or fully to online learning, student attendance in online class meetings is required, and students will be regularly assessed and graded, just as in their face-to-face classrooms. At the Medium Risk Level, a school may be open or closed depending on the community situation. If it is open, students will still go to school, and enhanced safety measures will be put in place.

Here is a copy of the Consent for Covid Testing Form as well, this was mailed out to parents today as well.

8-4-21 Greetings Lynx Family, Welcome to the 2021-22 School Year! It has been my pleasure getting to know many of you and the City of Nenana over the course of the past year. As we closed out the 2020-21 school year in person last May, the Lynx pride, resiliency and pursuit of excellence was on display. Moving forward, we will continue to focus on how best to capitalize upon the many silver linings and insights that accompanied our teaching and learning throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The sometimes disruptive environment we found ourselves in demanded that staff, students and parents collaborated and innovated in ways that were before unprecedented. In many ways, students’ learning experiences began to take on a personalized look and feel due to the transformative nature of technology and the creative methods used to leverage this. Surely, the coming school year will bring more of the same. Our staff is committed to doing all we can to ensure that we not only restore, but accelerate the learning experience of our students. Throughout the 2021-22 school year, staff will partake in a series of professional training workshops and a schedule of professional collaboration that will support our capacity to serve students’ individual academic needs and enrich their personal growth. School operations and master scheduling have been designed to support our efforts to provide a safe, supportive environment for students. An emphasis has been placed on creating dedicated times throughout the academic week for students to reflect on the learning process, for staff to provide interventions, enrichments and tend to personal wellness of self and students. You will find pdf’s of the master schedule in the following Documents folder on the school website; Nenana School - Current Year - Parents. In this folder, you will find many other pertinent documents as well. Among these are a copy of the 2021-22 School Calendar, the 2021-22 COVID-19 Mitigation Plan, the Consent for COVID-19 testing form and the Student Orientation schedule. School doors will open at 7:35am daily, with classes beginning at 8:00am. You will note a pattern in daily student release times. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, school will end at 3:20pm. On Tuesday and Thursday, students will be released at 2:30pm. Mrs. Andy Corbin will be in touch with families regarding busing details. This structure has been designed to best suit our varying priorities while also aiming to provide the greatest degree of continuity for families within the confines of the school and work day. The first day of classes will begin on Monday, August 16, 2021. Throughout the week, staff and students will engage in a variety of culture building activities, hear from guest speakers, and orient to our day to day operations and expectations. Student schedules will be finalized throughout the week and secondary students (7-12) will be administered the MAP Growth Tests in Math, English Language Usage, Reading and Science. Results will assist in assuring appropriate course placement and streamlining intervention efforts. One area most impacted by the extended school closures throughout the pandemic has been the ability to share celebrations and engage with the Nenana community. On that note, please consider joining us for an Ice Cream Social on Friday, August 20, 2021. Serving will begin at 5pm at the main entrance on C street. Seating will be available inside and outside. With regard to all things COVID, please reference the Mitigation Plan. At this time, we are planning to have our school facility fully open with courses and instruction in-person. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 cases in our school and local community. Our face covering policies for students and employees may fluctuate based on local conditions. Currently, school officials have been informed by public health that there is no known transmission amongst the Nenana community. However, we are in a high risk region given our proximity to Fairbanks. Given this information, masks are encouraged, but not required in the classroom. Masks will be required in areas where distancing is difficult, such as assemblies and events in the gym. Visitors to the school must wear masks at this time. As a condition of optional masking, students and employees may be subject to on-site COVID-19 screening/testing. Please complete the Consent for COVID-19 testing form and return to the main office. Please note, per federal mandate, masking is required on all public transportation, which includes school busses. We will be asking everyone to maintain social distancing and will structure our classroom spaces, activities, and events accordingly. If at any time your child does not feel well, we ask that they refrain from coming to school. Please contact the main office in this event and have your child communicate with their teacher. If you have any specific questions, please reach out at your convenience. Thank you kindly, David Huntington Principal, Nenana City School dhuntington@nenanalynx.org 907-832-5464

Dear Families, the following Mitigation Plan is being posted for public review and comment. This mitigation plan is part of the ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act). This plan will be reviewed every quarter to be monitored and/or revised as needed. Mitigation Plan can be found at this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ntJmEhikLnFREzEUGOI0uJPmGhLpd0oE/view?usp=sharing If there are any comments or suggestions on the 2021-2022 Mitigation Plan, people should reach out to any of the following administrators: Nenana City School - Dave Huntington, Principal, duntington@nenanalynx.org Cyberlynx Correspondence School - Brian Rozell, Principal, brozell@nenanalynx.org Nenana Student Living Center - Joe Digrande, Director, jddigrande@nenanalynx.org Nenana City School District - Patrick Manning, Superintendent, pmanning@nenanalynx.org

Check out the COVID-19 Symptom Screening Flowchart.

Dear Families, School districts across the country have been fortunate enough to receive funding through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) in order to mitigate some of the impact the pandemic has had upon our students. Your input will be crucial components in the planning process for the expenditure of these funds. Please take a moment to complete the following survey that will help us in our planning process. Nenana City School District (NCSD) is seeking input from stakeholders across the district as we develop our district plan. Your feedback and input are incredibly valuable and will help inform our final plan. Responses to this survey are due by 11:59 p.m. on June 16, 2021, and will be reviewed for inclusion into the NCSD’s ESSER III plan and grant application. Survey link below: https://forms.gle/d2AjdWmgBaVD7dHw7

What is the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program? Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) provides nutrition benefits to students who have lost access to free or reduced-price school meals, including students who have hybrid schedules that reduce the number of days or hours they are in the school building, or who are fully remote learning (even if their school is open to some students). The State of Alaska’s application is in pending status but we anticipate P-EBT benefits to be issued this summer. What is the intent of the P-EBT program? * Similar to other federal programs, P-EBT was put into place to provide assistance and relief during the COVID pandemic. *To help families of school age children during the pandemic. *Money to buy food that replaces the school meals missed while school buildings have been closed or operating with reduced hours due to the pandemic. *Issued when school buildings were closed or remote, or a reduced schedule, for 5 consecutive days or more. ​ Which students are eligible? Student must have been enrolled at a school that is approved to provide USDA National School Program and/or School Breakfast Program ~ and ~ Student must have been eligible for free or reduced-price meals by one of the following: Individually eligible by meal application or status for free or reduced price meals or status in SNAP, TANF, Migrant, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), foster care, homeless/runaway. ~ or ~ School site is approved to participate in school nutrition under Community Eligibility Provision. ​ (Nenana City School is operating under the CEP program currently) What about families in Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) districts/schools that don’t want or need benefits? Information will be provided with card on how to decline benefits Benefits are not transferable Cannot be gifted or donated A CEP school is one that is able to serve all meals at no charge to families and does not take income-applications due to the high number of children eligible w/o application (i.e. SNAP, TANF, Migrant, foster children, homeless/runaway, and FDPIR) Who is NOT Eligible for P-EBT? Students who are home-schooled. Children who are no longer enrolled in a National School Lunch Program (NSLP) /School Breakfast Program (SBP) participating school and are being homeschooled are not eligible to receive P-EBT benefits. Students enrolled at schools that normally do not participate in the NSLP. How Do Families Get P-EBT? There is no application. Benefits will be automatically issued to eligible students on a new EBT card sent to their household in the mail. Each eligible student will receive a separate card. The time frame for cards to be sent out is unknown at this point, but watch your incoming mail, after the state determines the benefit for each student, the cards will be mailed out. If you have questions, you can contact the P-EBT program representatives at 800-478-7778. ​

NCS Parents, deadline is tomorrow for Summer Recovery Registration Forms & Return of Chromebooks and Mifi Devices. Please send devices to the school with your student tomorrow, or drop off at the main office. Upcoming Events: May 19-21 Basketball Clinic. Students may attend this Clinic regardless of whether they are attending either of the Summer Recovery sessions. No registration required. 9-10:30 W, Th, F Rising Grades 4-6 11:00 - 12:30 W, Th, F Rising Grades 7-9 Summer Sessions are open to boys and girls residing in the Nenana City School District service area. Registration forms are REQUIRED, and are due tomorrow, Friday, May 14th. A copy of the registration is attached to this posting or can be picked up in the office. Transportation is not provided. May 24 - 28 Summer Recovery Session 1, Week 1 9:00am - 12:30 pm M-Th Special Education ESY services Lit Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) Math Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) June 1 - June 3 Summer Recovery Session 1, Week 2 9:00am - 12:30 pm T, W Th Special Education ESY services Lit Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) Math Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) June 7 - June 10 Summer Recovery Session 1, Week 3 9:00am - 12:30 pm M-Th Special Education ESY services Lit Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) Math Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) August 2 - 5 Summer Recovery Session 2, Week 1 9:00am - 12:30 pm M-Th Lit Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) Math Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) August 9 - 13 AK Works Carpentry Intensive (in Nenana) - Grades 9-12 Contact Teena Calkin (tcalkin@nenanalynx.org) if interested Thank you and have a great summer!

NCS Parents, deadline is tomorrow for Summer Recovery Registration Forms & Return of Chromebooks and Mifi Devices. Please send devices to the school with your student tomorrow, or drop off at the main office. Upcoming Events: May 19-21 Basketball Clinic Students may attend this Clinic regardless of whether they are attending either of the Summer Recovery sessions. No registration required. 9-10:30 W, Th, F Rising Grades 4-6 11:00 - 12:30 W, Th, F Rising Grades 7-9 Summer Sessions are open to boys and girls residing in the Nenana City School District service area. Registration forms are REQUIRED, and are due tomorrow, Friday, May 14th. A copy of the registration is attached to this email or can be picked up in the office. Transportation is not provided. May 24 - 28 Summer Recovery Session 1, Week 1 9:00am - 12:30 pm M-Th Special Education ESY services Lit Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) Math Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) June 1 - June 3 Summer Recovery Session 1, Week 2 9:00am - 12:30 pm T, W Th Special Education ESY services Lit Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) Math Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) June 7 - June 10 Summer Recovery Session 1, Week 3 9:00am - 12:30 pm M-Th Special Education ESY services Lit Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) Math Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) August 2 - 5 Summer Recovery Session 2, Week 1 9:00am - 12:30 pm M-Th Lit Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) Math Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) August 9 - 13 AK Works Carpentry Intensive (in Nenana) - Grades 9-12 Contact Teena Calkin (tcalkin@nenanalynx.org) if interested Thank you and have a great summer!

NCS Requests Return of Tech Devices 5-11-21 Dear Parents, If your student received any district technology devices that were used to facilitate virtual learning this school year, please send them back to the school with your student, or drop them off at the school office by this Friday. This may include: Chromebooks, iPads, or A.T.&T. Mifi devices. We need to do a complete inventory count after school is over. Thank you for your help.

NCS Friday Update 5-7-21 Dear Parents, We would like to remind you of upcoming events and due dates. Reminder the deadline to submit Summer Recovery Registration forms for current K-8 grade students is Friday, May 14th. Reminder that the Basketball Clinic for Rising Grades 4-9 are set for a May 19, 20, 21. Rising Grades 4-6, 9am-10:30am Rising Grades 7-9 11am - 12:30am The Community Cleanup and K-6 Carnival and Community Hotdog Lunch will take place on May 14, 2021. It will be an early release day for students at 1:45pm. 12:00-1:00pm Hotdog Lunch - Open to Community *Grab ‘n Go service. No formal seating available. *Parents may walk to ballfield to watch K-6 events from a distance while enjoying lunch. *Parents may excuse their student following lunch if they desire. Please be sure to communicate with your child’s teacher before taking your child home early that day. High School Graduation is set for May 15, 2021 at 2:00pm. We look forward to seeing parents and community members at these upcoming events!

4-30-21 Nenana City School 2021 Summer Recovery for this year's K-8th Grade Students. Summer Recovery sessions will be held at Nenana City School, classrooms TBD. Open to boys and girls residing in the Nenana City School District service area. Students are to enter through the main entrance (C street) and report to classrooms. Teachers will be in touch with students/families with more information. There will be no activities on Monday, May 31 (Memorial Day). Classes will run Monday through Thursday otherwise. Transportation is not provided. Registration Form is REQUIRED to attend Summer Recovery Sessions 1 and/or 2: Must be submitted by Friday, May 14. Hard copies at the main office, and a copy of the form is also attached to this posting. Basketball Clinic (5/19-5/21): Ball handling, shooting fundamentals, footwork fundamentals, skills competitions. Students may attend this Clinic regardless of whether they are attending either of the Summer Recovery sessions. No registration required. Students are to enter the Gym for basketball clinic through egress doors on the East side of the building (D street). Must have gym shoes. Encouraged to bring a water bottle. Basketballs will be provided. Open to boys and girls residing in the Nenana City School District service area Food Service: Drinks and light snacks will be provided each morning of the Summer Recovery Sessions and Basketball Clinic. Lunch will be available during Summer Recovery sessions (not during bball clinic) for those who indicate a desire on their registration form. May 19-21 Basketball Clinic 9-10:30 W, Th, F Rising Grades 4-6 11:00 - 12:30 W, Th, F Rising Grades 7-9 May 24 - 28 Summer Recovery Session 1, Week 1 9:00am - 12:30 pm M-Th Special Education ESY services Lit Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) Math Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) June 1 - June 3 Summer Recovery Session 1, Week 2 9:00am - 12:30 pm T, W Th Special Education ESY services Lit Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) Math Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) June 7 - June 10 Summer Recovery Session 1, Week 3 9:00am - 12:30 pm M-Th Special Education ESY services Lit Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) Math Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) August 2 - 5 Summer Recovery Session 2, Week 1 9:00am - 12:30 pm M-Th Lit Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) Math Boot Camp (K-2, 3-6, 7-9) August 9 - 13 AK Works Carpentry Intensive (in Nenana) - Grades 9-12 Contact Teena Calkin (tcalkin@nenanalynx.org) if interested

NCSD Community Survey now available for Parents & Community. The school board would like to know how well we are doing as a district. Please take no more than 10 minutes to share your thoughts with us on these 12 questions. This survey will close at 4pm on Monday, May 10, 2021 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1PzGMYRVoAo7r2gJlmy_QAWLmHgNc2Oj2R_BIXE0YxiY/viewform?ts=608100ee&gxids=7628&edit_requested=true

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students, As of today, we are one month out from the date of graduation. The ceremony will be held on Saturday, May 15th at 2pm. This event will take place at Nenana City School's main entrance on C street. Parking will be available nearby, with C street being closed to parking and traffic between 2nd and 3rd street. With COVID-19 uncertainties still looming and recent structural damage near the gymnasium, we are unable to utilize the gymnasium for this event as has been done traditionally. Families from outside Nenana are welcome, and in fact encouraged, to come celebrate with our Lynx community. You will want to plan for the potential for inclement weather. Chairs will be available, but families are encouraged to bring their own if they prefer, along with tents or shelters if desired. There will be plenty of room for family units to spread out as needed. Graduation committee members have been busy planning. There will be a graduation rehearsal for Seniors on Friday, 5/14 at 2pm. Seniors have been asked to submit their senior slideshow photos to acalkin@nenanalynx.org by Friday, April 16. If you have any to send along, please do. Seniors are also being asked to submit their song requests (to accompany their photos in the slideshow) to dmudge@nenanalynx.org. For those families unable to attend, we are hoping to have live streaming available. Please stay tuned for more information on this as it becomes available. Thank you kindly, David R. Huntington Principal, Nenana City School dhuntington@nenanalynx.org 907-832-5464 (NCS office) District Website: www.nenanalynx.org

Next week is almost here! Here is a reminder of the start dates for students as was previously listed in Mr. Huntington's update letter: In Person Start Dates: Monday 3/29 K-4th Grade students in the building (5th-12 grade continue virtual learning on Monday) Tuesday 3/30 K-8th Grade students in the building (Local HS continue virtually learning onTuesday) Wednesday 3/31 ALL K-12th Grade (local) students in building We are excited to have students return to school!