Husky Howl

Hello Homer Huskies! I hope everyone had a relaxing break and is ready to tackle the second semester! This newsletter has a lot of important information, please please take a few minutes to read it! I ask that you take a moment to please provide us with feedback! There are QR codes at the bottom of the newsletter you can use to provide feedback on me (Principal Redmond), a teacher, or our school as a whole! You can fill these out as often and whenever you want to!

Please take a few moments to follow HMS on Facebook and Instagram (@hmsalaska), as we keep these very up to date with pictures and announcements about what is happening at HMS. You can also check out our school website (https://kpbsd.org/schools/homer-middle/), although it is updated far less often. You can also join our HMS Public Google Calendar to help you keep up to date too (Google Calendar Link Click Here) As always, if you need anything at all during the school year, please do not hesitate to reach out. You can email me at mredmond@kpbsd.k12.ak.us or call the office at 907-235-5700.

-Principal Redmond

JANUARY EVENTS

January 7- school resumes

January 7- wrestling, nordic ski, and volleyball practices start

January 8/9- report cards emailed to parents

January 14- Q2 awards assembly

January 17- early release @ 2:20 pm

January 21- spelling bee preliminary round

January 28- spelling bee finals

January 29- new clubs start

I would like everyone to take a moment to review the HMS electronic device policy before returning to school. A specific issue we are currently having is students texting from the restrooms. To help us curb this issue, I ask that if you receive a text during school hours you either ignore it or tell the student to go to the office and call you. I do appreciate your help with this....If you have any questions or concerns please just reach out and let us know.

Here is the exact policy from our handbook....

The use of electronic devices, such as cell phones, bluetooth headphones, smart watches, etc., not provided by the school for student use, is not allowed in school by students. If students bring these items to school, they must turn them off when entering the building and leave them off and out of sight until the last bell rings. The school is limited in resources and will not assist in searching for lost electronics. The only exception to this rule is if a teacher gives permission for a student to use a device for a specific activity in class.

• All students are warned of this rule explicitly at the beginning of the school year.
• 1st offense- Device is taken away and given to the office. Student may get device back at the end of the school day.
• 2nd offense (and each offense thereafter)- Device is taken away and given to the office. A parent or guardian will be called and the parent/guardian or designee must pick up the device.

I hope you will encourage your child to patriciate in our annual spelling bee this month!

• Grade level prelims will be Tuesday, January 21st during advisory. Top 5 from each grade will move on to the finals.
• Final spelling bee will be Tuesday, January 28th during advisory.
• Stop by the office for a study packet! Anyone is welcome to participate!
• It is your responsibility to study on your own.
• If you win, you qualify to attend the Alaska spelling bee in Anchorage, however participation will be at your own expense.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District requests input from staff, parents, and community members at the districtwide KPBSD budget development meeting, scheduled at the following locations:

• Homer Community – Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 6:00 PM Homer High Library
• Central Peninsula - Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 6:00 PM Kenai Central High Library
• Seward Community – Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 6:00 PM Seward High Library

As new budget information becomes available, it will be posted here: http://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/departments.aspx?id=38. If you have questions, please call Natalie Bates at 714-8888.

The below sports all will start up on 1/7! You must have your permission packet and fees turned in to attend practice. Packets are available in the office. Parents, if you are interested in being able to volunteer with one of these sports, please get your KPBSD volunteer application started now!

• Volleyball (Schedule https://docs.google.com/document/d/10UcrexmmRjTud-7R_FJXAcicLxiyY79efcmkD5oKIGs/edit?tab=t.0 )
• Nordic Ski (Schedule https://docs.google.com/document/d/1l1zBefiWA554QTtMP6AGWWdazf6L-7KgqCrBsPkB3KU/edit?tab=t.0)
• Wrestling (Schedule https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oznuVM4JqLaZRo_LHMTRfmBHbUU_1TZQdguJAC-7gn8/edit?tab=t.0)

• As you know, December 13, 2024, was a school closure day for our Southern Peninsula Schools. The make-up day for this closure has been scheduled for Monday, February 17, 2025 (President’s Day).

The schools impacted include:

• Chapman School
• Fireweed Academy Charter School
• Homer Flex
• Homer High School
• Homer Middle School
• K-Selo School
• McNeil Canyon Elementary School
• Nikolaevsk School
• Ninilchik School
• Paul Banks Elementary School
• Razdolna School
• Voznesenka School
• West Homer Elementary School

If parents or students have any photos they want to be considered for the yearbook such as; sports, activity night/dances, concerts, etc. they can email me at harmony.davidson1@g.kpbsd.org or use the QR code to the left.

You can purchase your yearbook now by using the QR code to the right.

Hello Homer Community Members,

Happy New Year! It is time again for the Homer Middle School 8th grade to hold our annual Mock Interviews. You are on our list of previous participants so we wanted to give you the first opportunity to join us again.

The 2025 interviews will be held at Homer Middle School on Wednesday February 12 from 9am – 11 am. Each interviewer will meet with six different students during that time. The interviews will be approximately 15 minutes in length and we will provide you with the questions. More information will be provided when we finalize our list.

The Mock Interviews have been a positive and empowering experience for our students and we cannot do it without you. We hope you will consider joining us again for this fun event. Please reply to this email to accept or decline the invitation and do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. Additionally, we have a large 8th grade class this year which means we will need more hands on deck. Feel free to share this email with other community members who might be interested in helping.

Best,

Jen Booz and the 8th grade team.

Fill out the form at this link to give a staff member a shout out in our next newsletter! You must enter your name and email to complete the form, but when shout outs are included in the newsletter, they will be anonymous.

https://forms.gle/FnSrYzRN1LrXjTHu8

All students (new and returning) are required to have registration paperwork completed every school year. You can complete your child's paperwork at this link https://forms.kpbsd.org/. If your child is a returning student, nothing is required to be completed in person. If your child is a new student, you will need to drop off a copy of their birth certificate and physical form.

There is also a $25 band/choir fee and a $10 art fee for each student. If you have not paid these fees yet you may do so by sending cash/check to school or logging into PowerSchool to pay online with a credit card.

Regular attendance at school is a vital part of student success. Parents/guardians are expected to call or email the school by 9:30 am whenever their child will be absent.

Phone Number: 907-235-5700

Email: tshafer@kpbsd.k12.ak.us

• Excused Absence- a parent has notified the school that their child is or will be absent from school.
• Unexcused Absence- a parent has not notified the school that their child is or will be absent from school.
• A student is considered absent from a class period once they are 15 minutes late.

When a student will be absent from school for 5 consecutive days or more, a prearranged absence form must be completed and submitted to the office in advance of the absence. The student is expected to be responsible for completing this form and following up with his or her teachers about missing work once he or she is back from the absence.

If a student will be absent more than 10 consecutive days, the parent is required to meet with the principal to discuss the absence and determine next steps.

If you need info about bussing, please contact Apple Bus at 907.235.0124.

Students are required to have a bus note if they need to get off the bus at a different stop than usual. Parents/guardians must do the following by 2:00 PM to request a bus note for their child.

• Step 1: Call First Student at 907-235-0124 to find out the bus number and bus stop name you are requesting for the bus pass. You also need to verify that there will be space on the bus for the bus pass to be accepted by the driver.

• Step 2: Call or email the HMS secretary before 2 PM to request the bus pass and provide all info needed. (bus number, stop name, destination contact name and phone number, dates for pass).

See our full student handbook here. A reminder that the signature page must be turned in to the office for a student to be permitted to attend the dance. https://kpbsd.org/schools/homer-middle/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2024/05/Homer-Middle-School-Handbook-2024-2025.docx-3.pdf

Have you updated your registration for this year yet? If not please do so here https://forms.kpbsd.org/guardian/login?returnUrl=%2Fguardian .

Add funds to your child's lunch account here https://kpbsd.revtrak.net/

Check your child's grades and see if you still owe any course fees in PowerSchool here https://kpbsd.org/students-parents/powerschool/

Are you interested in volunteering at Homer Middle School? Complete the KPBSD volunteer application at this link https://kpbsd.org/departments/assistant-superintendent/instructional-services/hr/volunteer/. Once you are approved, reach out to the office and we can find a way for you to help!

Please take the time to complete the surveys below. They can be filled out at any point in the year and as many times as you would like! We value your compliments and constructive feedback!

• Morning tutoring- 8:00-8:30 am every day in the library

• Morning library- 8:30-8:50 am every day the library is open for work time

• Enrichment- set up a time to meet with a teacher in advance

• Enrichment- the library is open every day to work on class work

• Advisory- most Tuesdays will be study hall. Study hall time may be available other days in advisory as well.

• After school tutoring- Monday-Thursdays 3:50-5:00 in Ms. Booz or Mr. Olson's classroom.

• Work on school work when I am at home!