Author: ouralaskanschools

DVR’s ‘Health Career Connections’ for Students with Disabilities by Jim Kreatschman

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This past December, high school students from Petersburg, the MatSu valley, Shaktoolik and Kotzebue attended ‘Health Career Connections’ in Juneau. Health Career Connections is designed to give students who experience disabilities an opportunity to explore all facets of the healthcare industry to determine if a career in healthcare is in line with their personal interests, skills and abilities. This program is part of the Alaska State Department of Labor and Workforce Development’s (DOLWD) investment in supporting school age students through its Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) Transition Program.

Students learned health care skills at the Health Career Connections program in Juneau.

Continue reading DVR’s ‘Health Career Connections’ for Students with Disabilities by Jim Kreatschman

The Alaska Professional Learning Network (AkPLN) by Tammy Morris at ASDN

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The sheer size of Alaska is daunting:

  • 663,300 square miles
  • 1420 miles, north to south, and 2500 miles, east to west
  • 640 square miles of land for every mile of paved road
  • 1 person per square mile

For educators across the state, many of whom who live off the road system, the need for online connection and collaboration is critical for their continued development as K-12 professionals. The the Alaska Professional Learning Network (AkPLN) is meeting that need for many of Alaska’s educators.

The AkPLN is in its 4th year of service, and continues to grow in resources and membership. The goal of AkPLN is to provide Alaskan educators valuable professional development by offering resources like curated video content and focused learning plans with an online platform to network and support each other. AkPLN currently has 2200+ members and 60+ open learning plans. Continue reading The Alaska Professional Learning Network (AkPLN) by Tammy Morris at ASDN

Akiak School Strives to Support Culture! by Middle School Teacher Alberta Demantle

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Akiak is a predominately Yupik village located on the west bank of the Kuskokwim River. It is rich in culture with a heavy reliance on subsistence.

Highbush cranberries are picked by the gallons in August to make delicious jams.

Students at the Akiak School in the Yupiit School District are involved in many subsistence activities that take place in a particular season. Students learn at home what is “in” season, how to care for food, and about respecting nature: animals, plants and the environment. The Akiak School supports the culture by preparing subsistence foods to share with elders and families, experiencing the hard work involved in subsistence, and the value of hard work. Continue reading Akiak School Strives to Support Culture! by Middle School Teacher Alberta Demantle

The ‘Love Alaska’ Project by Sarah Petersen and Lisa Longlet at Bowman Elementary School

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We are an energetic group of fifty 3rd and 4th graders at Bowman Elementary School in the Anchorage School District who make up S & L’s (Sarah and Lisa’s) family group. Our ‘Alaska Love’ project is an activity for elders (grade 4 students) that allows them to share one of their special Alaskan experiences with our family group. While youngers (3rd graders) don’t present, they look forward to being an elder the following year and having their chance to share their special family memory. The academic focus of the project is writing a personal narratives, public speaking, and Alaska geography.  Continue reading The ‘Love Alaska’ Project by Sarah Petersen and Lisa Longlet at Bowman Elementary School

‘Alaskan Schools Prepare for Next Week’s Hour of Code’ by Sam Jordan at ASDN

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Each December schools around Alaska and around the world set aside time for an activity called the ‘Hour of Code‘ that helps to demystify what it means to write computer code and to show that anybody can learn the basics of computer science. The 2019 Hour of Code runs December 9th – 15th. The theme for this year’s Hour of Code is #CSforGood, recognizing that computer coding can help solve many critical problems in the world. Continue reading ‘Alaskan Schools Prepare for Next Week’s Hour of Code’ by Sam Jordan at ASDN

‘Building Community Partnerships in Tuluksak’ by Lesa Meath, Matthew Brown and Principal Douglas Bushey

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Tuluksak students welcome community members to an open house event.

The Tuluksak School is located in the Yupiit School District in southwestern Alaska, a region where many families are from a Yup’ik cultural background and speak the Yup’ik language. The school district is comprised of three schools in the communities of Akiachak, Akiak, and Tuluksak.

Tuluksak is located in southwestern Alaska along the Kuskokwim River.

Kicking the year off with a personal welcome, the Tuluksak School staff divided into small groups to do a “walk about.” Continue reading ‘Building Community Partnerships in Tuluksak’ by Lesa Meath, Matthew Brown and Principal Douglas Bushey

‘Hutchison High School Encourages Life Long Learning Through CTE’ by Principal Robyn Taylor

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James T. Hutchison High School or ‘Hutch’ as we affectionately call it, is a Career and Technical Education (CTE) school of choice within the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. We enroll approximately 100 students per grade, 9th-12th grade. In addition to our core 400 students, there are 164 students from across the district that attend classes at Hutch on a part-time basis.
Hutch provides an integrated learning environment within a culturally diverse community, where academic and career-technical experiences encourage a life-long love of learning, personal integrity, civic mindedness and preparation for successful post-school employment.

Continue reading ‘Hutchison High School Encourages Life Long Learning Through CTE’ by Principal Robyn Taylor

‘The Annette Island School District (AISD) Highlights Its Reading and Cultural Instruction’ by Superintendent Taw Lindsey

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The Annette Island School District (AISD) serves students from Metlakatla and surrounding areas on the beautiful southeast Alaskan island of Annette. Metlakatla or Maxłaxaała means “salt water passage” in the Tsimshian language. The community is only accessible by boat, ferry or plane.

Continue reading ‘The Annette Island School District (AISD) Highlights Its Reading and Cultural Instruction’ by Superintendent Taw Lindsey

“I Want Kids To Know Who They Are”: An Interview with Nick Hanson, the Eskimo Ninja Warrior by Sam Jordan and Austin Burdette at ASDN

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Nick Hanson is on a mission.  He wants to motivate every kid in Alaska to know who they are and to know their purpose in life. In 2015, Nick became the first person of Inuit/Inupiaq background to compete in the NBC TV show American Ninja Warrior (ANW). Since then, he has used his fame to connect with kids across the state and encourage them to choose a path of positivity and health.

Continue reading “I Want Kids To Know Who They Are”: An Interview with Nick Hanson, the Eskimo Ninja Warrior by Sam Jordan and Austin Burdette at ASDN

‘The Alaska School Leadership Academy (ASLA)’ by Sam Jordan at ASDN

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Alaska School Leadership Academy Logo

The Alaska School Leadership Academy (ASLA) is a professional development program for early career principals in Alaska. Started in 2018 and administered by the Alaska Council of School Administrators (ASCA) and the Alaska Staff Development Network (ASDN), the program now supports two cohorts of principals from 24 school districts across the state. Continue reading ‘The Alaska School Leadership Academy (ASLA)’ by Sam Jordan at ASDN