Nenana City School District - Home of the Lynx

Dear Nenana Parents, Students, Staff, and Community: In order to effectively meet the School District's mission and vision, the District has committed to regularly reviewing and selecting the curriculum used to teach students at Nenana City School. You can find details and more information on our website, here. Part of this process is an opportunity for the public to review curriculum materials considered by the District's relevant curriculum committee, made up of board members, administrators, and teachers. Nenana City School District is currently in the process of selecting an English/Language Arts curriculum for all 9th through 12th grade students. The intention is to purchase a curriculum by the end of this school year, to begin implementation next school year. The curriculum will be used for 7 years. The committee has reached the point of public review, and would like to seek your input on all curricula currently under consideration. At your convenience, please find the hard copies of the curriculum in the school library for consideration. The library will be open from 4pm-7pm from January 9th through the 23rd for this purpose. You may use this form to complete the review. There are digital components to each curriculum, samples of which can be provided to you upon request. The curriculum committee will convene on the week of January 23rd to consider public comments. Please contact Stephen Calkin at the school's phone number (907) 832-5464 or email him at scalkin@nenanalynx.org if you have any questions or comments regarding either the curriculum under consideration or the review process itself. Thank you for your time and consideration. Full page notice is attached to this posting.

NCS Friday Update 12-9-22 Greetings Lynx Families, I hope this message finds everyone warm, plowed out, and anticipating the holidays ahead. I wanted to get one last update out before it gets away from me and everyone heads their separate ways for the winter break. Our last day of classes is Friday, December 16. Students and teachers are very busy throughout the high school reviewing all they've learned during the semester in preparation for final exams, wrapping up book reports and class projects, and finishing up MAP Growth testing. Middle and high school students are putting the finishing touches on their acts for the music performance next Wednesday. Elementary classrooms are a buzz with holiday themed activities alongside the day to day learning and instruction. Tonight, Student Council is sponsoring a community Movie Night, which begins at 5pm. On Saturday, they are sponsoring a Winter Formal dance beginning at 8:30pm. Have fun and thank you Student Council and Student Council Advisors (Mr. Calkin, Mr. Layfield, Mr. Matus, Mr. Tulloch, and Mrs. Gerlad)! Parents/guardians should have recently received a mailing of their student's AK STAR assessment results. If you have any questions interpreting the data, please do not hesitate to reach out to the main office or your student's teacher. Similarly, if you would like to discuss your student's achievement levels and/or growth levels on the MAP Growth tests, please reach out to classroom teachers or the main office. Teaching staff have begun to review these collaboratively to ensure that we are aligning our intervention efforts in the areas of greatest need. Wrestlers are traveling to Valdez today for their regional competition. Thank you to coaches Stephen Matus and Kaylee Larson for their time and energy in getting this program off the ground again this year. Thank you also to Megan Baker and the Ice Classic for supporting this initiative by opening the Civic Center for a practice facility. Congratulations to Mr. Mudge and the K-6 students for their recent music performance. Well done!   On Wednesday of this week a team of professionals from TCC Wellness and Prevention & Behavioral Health spoke to middle and high school students about healthy decisions and strategies for coping with stress and anxiety, which often accompany the holidays and spending time with family. They also discuss resources available to support students as they navigate life's transitions. I also want to recognize and formally thank Ms. Leslie Scranton, our itinerant counselor, for her service to the school community this semester. Leslie has been meeting weekly with elementary and middle school classrooms and slightly less frequently with high school students throughout the semester to provide instruction and coaching on a variety of social and emotional topics and personal safety. In addition, Ms. Scranton has been meeting routinely with a number of students via Zoom to provide professional mental health counseling. Ms. Scranton is scheduled to provide lessons to high school students during the first few weeks in January to introduce content covered under the Alaska Safe Children's Act known as Bree's Law. The material focuses on teen dating violence prevention. From our family to yours, wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We look forward to welcoming students back to the building on Tuesday, January 3rd! Respectfully, David R. Huntington Principal, Nenana City School  dhuntington@nenanalynx.org 907-832-5464 (NCS office) District Website: www.nenanalynx.org

Dear NCS Parents, Just a reminder that the school will be closed several days this month, including this Friday. Here is a quick list of closure days in November: This Friday, November 11th (Teacher Inservice/Ice Cream Classic BBall Tournament) Next Friday, November 18th (Teacher Inservice/VBall Regional Tournament @ Nenana) During the week of Thanksgiving, the school will be closed on: Wednesday, November 23rd (Teacher Inservice) Thursday, November 24th (Thanksgiving Holiday) Friday, November 25th (Thanksgiving Holiday)

On Tuesday, 11/1, Brandon McMillan spoke to high school students about job opportunities at POGO mine and throughout the mining industry in Alaska. Brandon, a Nenana resident, is an E&I Lead Technician for Northern Star Resources Limited (https://www.nsrltd.com). The info session was well-attended, thank you Brandon!

NCS Friday Update 10-28-22 Greetings all, As a requirement to receive ARP ESSER funds, the district must periodically review and revise its mitigation plan. This review includes seeking public input. Below is a link to the current version of the plan. Please share any feedback on the sections specific to Nenana City School by 4pm, Tuesday 11/1. Thank you, Mitigation Plan Review Document David R. Huntington Principal, Nenana City School dhuntington@nenanalynx.org 907-832-5464 (NCS office) District Website: www.nenanalynx.org

Haunted Hallway Trick or Treating - October 31st 5:30-7PM @ Nenana City School. See attached flyer!

Interested in learning a native language? Outer Coast and Sealaska Heritage Institute are co-sponsoring free Zoom classes in the near future. All three language courses will take place over Zoom video conferencing. Once you are signed up for a course, you will receive Zoom details before the first class session. Please contact Nirali Desai at nirali@outercoast.org with any questions. Shm′algyack/Sm’algya̱x Ggoadm ʼTeebn Victoria McKoy, UAS Language Pathways Scholar, will teach Shm′algyack/Sm’algya̱x for our first MOOC of the season! Dates: November 8 - December 13 Class Meetings: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:00pm - 1:00pm AKDT The Shm′algyack/Sm’algya̱x MOOC is free and open to all skill levels. Lingít The Lingít MOOC will run in January. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks for dates and class times. X̱aad Kíl The X̱aad Kíl MOOC will run in February and March. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks for dates and class times. If you are interested, go to the link below to register. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc6gLLPr5nhoC84bdgQbrEyl4UP32dXCm2ciTqNzvBaUdASiQ/viewform

Parent Reminder of NCS Events this Week at the School: Oct. 25th - Lit Cafe 4:30pm Oct. 26th - K-12 Fall Music Concert 6:30pm Oct. 27th & 28th - Early Release for students at 2 PM - Parent Teacher Conferences 2-5pm each night. Next Week : Oct. 31st - Haunted Hallway Trick or Treating 5:30-7pm Nov. 1st - Middle School Bball @ HOME vs Tri-Valley - games at 4 & 5 pm Come Join Us!

NCS Friday Update 10-21-22 Lynx Families, Please be on the lookout for grade reports coming in the mail. Included in the mailing is an informational document highlighting important public health concerns related to Fentanyl. We hope this information is helpful in educating parents/guardians and members of the community. Railbelt Mental Health and Addictions has been working with the school to promote drug awareness and prevention. Next week, staff from RMHA will be visiting elementary and middle school classrooms to communicate the dangers of drug use to students. On Friday, 10/21, high school students assembled to hear from Officer Edward Halbert with the Drug Task Force department in Fairbanks. His message focused on brain development and chemistry as it relates to drug/alcohol use, and the relationship between early use and dependency/addiction in later years. We hope many of you are able to participate in a parent/teacher conference, either by attending in person or virtually on Oct. 27-28, between 2pm and 5pm. Students will be release early at 2:00pm both days. K-8 Parent Teacher Conference schedules were mailed to parents with report cards. Parents of high school students are encouraged to communicate directly with specific teachers if you wish to schedule a conference. Advisors and students have been asked to collaborate to schedule a time to connect with parents as well. Also, a reminder that the October Literacy Cafe is scheduled for Tuesday, 10/25 at 4:30pm. I look forward to seeing many of you join in on the event! Respectfully, David R. Huntington Principal, Nenana City School dhuntington@nenanalynx.org 907-832-5464 (NCS office) District Website: www.nenanalynx.org

NCS Friday Update 10-14-22 Families and Friends, Today marks the end of the first quarter of the 2022-23 school year. Teachers will have Q1 grades submitted for students by 8:00am on Tuesday, October 18. Mrs. Corbin will be mailing out student grade reports in the days that follow. Please help me in celebrating the teaching and learning that is occurring each and every day in the classroom and throughout the building. I am proud to work in an environment that values personal connections and academic excellence. Our primary focus continues to be to develop learners that possess the academic skills and dispositions necessary to be successful in school and beyond. Middle school and high school sports are in full swing, with Jr. High Basketball, Volleyball and Wrestling all underway. Taekwondo has begun as well. Please consider attending the next Literacy Cafe, currently scheduled for 4:30pm on October 25th. Our team of educators will be providing more details as the date approaches. Also, the K-12 Fall Music Concert is scheduled for 6:30pm on October 26th in the school gymnasium. Please consider attending! The Student Council's Community Outreach Committee is planning a haunted hallway for Halloween this year. The haunted hallway will be a trick or treat, entering through the main entrance on C street, traveling down the secondary hallway and exiting out the south entrance of the school on 3rd street. Students will trick or treat at each classroom and get candy handed out by volunteer high school students and teachers. Parents are welcome to join their students through the haunted hallway. The haunted hallway will occur on October 31st, from 5:30pm- 7:00pm. Respectfully, David R. Huntington Principal, Nenana City School dhuntington@nenanalynx.org 907-832-5464 (NCS office) District Website: www.nenanalynx.org

School Picture Day is this Wednesday! We finally received the flyers for ordering online. It is attached to this posting.

Greetings Lynx Families and Friends, Another week has raced past, as has the month of September. With that, we approach the final three weeks of the first quarter. Teachers and students are pushing forward with coursework and the feedback loop that ensures students know what they are learning, why it is important, and how they will know they've learned it. Students in all grades have been connecting via Zoom with our school counselor, Mrs. Leslie Scranton. Leslie is utilizing the Second Step curriculum in providing weekly lessons on social and emotional skill development to students in grades K-8. She is Zooming into high school Advisory every three weeks to delivery lessons on topics such as time management, healthy relationships and habits, and mental health. Mrs. Scranton has also been meeting virtually each week with 10-12 students in need of counseling support. This week, school administration met with a behavioral health psychologist from TCC and other members of their Wellness and Prevention team to discuss suicide prevention and post-vention protocol. We have set a calendar date in October to continue our work together, which will focus on raising student and staff awareness of mental health supports and coping skills. Also in October, we will have a site visit from UAF Kuskokwim Admissions Director, Dorothy Chase. She will be available to work with students and families on admissions paperwork and completing the FAFSFA. Please be on the lookout for more information as her visit approaches in the last week of October. We may open a Zoom in the event parents/guardians of Living Center students would like to attend virtually. We have set tentative dates for parent-teacher conferences on October 27 and 28. Please stay tuned for more information. Lastly, Teresa Trinidad has been working with our students in grades K-12 to implement Native Language instruction in the Benti Kanaga dialect of the Athabascan language. Students have been excited to participate and the enrichment opportunity that Teresa is providing has come to be something they look forward to in their routine. We are proud of the work Teresa is doing to integrate this component of Nenana's cultural identity into our school community. Ana 'Bassee' (Thank You)! David R. Huntington Principal, Nenana City School dhuntington@nenanalynx.org 907-832-5464 (NCS office) District Website: www.nenanalynx.org

soccer Tri-Valley

soccer Tri-Valley

soccer Tri-Valley

happening now in Healy

Greetings Lynx Families and Friends, This Friday marks the end of week four of the school year, and the middle of quarter one, which ends on October 14.  Students and teachers are beginning to pick up the pace with respect to coursework and instruction.   As a staff, we have been very intentional about identifying students who may need additional support.  Please know that teachers are available for academic support in their classrooms from 3:15-4:00pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.  This is a great opportunity for students. We have implemented an Advisory program into our routine this year at the secondary level.  I am proud of our early efforts.  Each Monday, students in grades 9-12 assemble in the gym to acknowledge and celebrate our school community, make announcements, here from guest speakers, and to revisit our core values and any emerging behaviors or trends that do not align with them.  I'd like to extend a big thank you to Don Charlie who spoke to our student body on Friday, Sept. 2.  Other Advisory periods are dedicated to independent and group study, silent reading and occasional citizenship programming.  Advisors have recently begun a read aloud from the book, Choosing Civility - The Twenty-Five Rules of Considerate Conduct (by P.M. Forni).   I will leave you with a quote from Rule Number Two - Acknowledge Others;  "EVERY ACTION DONE IN COMPANY, OUGHT TO BE WITH SOME SIGN OF RESPECT TO THOSE THAT ARE PRESENT."   -George Washington          Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!   Respectfully, -- David R. Huntington Principal, Nenana City School  dhuntington@nenanalynx.org 907-832-5464 (NCS office) District Website: www.nenanalynx.org

Dear Parents/Guardians/Caregivers: The first two weeks of school have been exceptional. Teachers and students have successfully established routines, built relationships, and set clear expectations for our learning together in the months ahead. I am honored to serve this community in my building leadership role. Please do not hesitate to reach out at any time. Around noon on Aug. 25, 2022 school administration began to receive information that shots had been reported in the Nenana community. No imminent threat to the school community was communicated. Upon further investigation by AK State Troopers, school administration was advised to lock down for precaution due to the emergency response traffic that was expected in the area for the duration of the investigation. We initiated lock down swiftly and began to communicate with families as information became available to us. All students were safe and accounted for in a timely fashion. A short while later AK State Troopers informed school administration that the culprit had been apprehended and taken into custody, at which time the lock down was called off. Your support and concern during this incident is understandable and very much appreciated. In lieu of the event described above, please be on the lookout for a mailing which further details our response to incidents of this nature. Please read it carefully. In the meantime, you may find a copy of the Nenana City School Crisis Response Plan in the documents folder on the school website. Sincerely, David R. Huntington Principal, Nenana City School dhuntington@nenanalynx.org 907-832-5464 (NCS office) District Website: www.nenanalynx.org

Please find attached, the requirements of the Alaska Performance Scholarship. There are three award levels (based on GPA and SAT/ACT scores) as well as specified coursework. Seniors (and Juniors) are encouraged to to test early for the SAT/ACT.

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