Husky Howl

Hello Homer Huskies!

We want to give another HUGE shoutout to Majo Hernandez-Zamora for her 1st place win at the Alaska State Spelling Bee! We wish you great luck as she represents Alaska at the National Spelling Bee in Washington DC in May!

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

APRIL EVENTS

April 7- School Board Meeting 6 PM

April 8- Talent show during advisory

April 11- Early Release at 2:20 PM

April 15- Mass Choir

April 17- Home Track Meet

April 18- NO SCHOOL

April 21- Mid Quarter Progress Reports get emailed home

April 22- Site Council Meeting 4 PM in library

April 28- 8th grade step up to HHS day

April 29- Mass Band

MAY EVENTS

May 1- Parent Step Up Day #1 (1-3 PM)

May 2- Parent Step Up Day #2 (10 AM-12 PM)

May 2- Track Meet @ Kenai

May 9- Track Meet @ Skyview

May 13- track borough prelims @ Kenai

May 15- Band/Choir Concert 7 PM @ HHS

May 16- End of Year Dance (7th graders 6-8 PM 8th graders 6-9 PM)

May 17- Track Borough Finals @ Kenai

May 22- Last Day of School

8th Grade Promotion Date/Time TBD...more info will be sent out once we have a plan

I hope you will be able to attend the school board meeting on Monday at 6 PM. You can attend in person in Soldotna, or watch via Zoom. Info is at this link https://go.boarddocs.com/ak/kpbsd/Board.nsf/Public.

The school board is working on 3 different budget scenarios, which are all based on increases to the BSA (state funding formula). I want to share specifically how the 3 different budget cut scenarios will impact Homer Middle School if approved by the school board. You can access the full list of cuts in each scenario at this link https://go.boarddocs.com/ak/kpbsd/Board.nsf/files/DF5VU9825DFC/$file/LAYDOWN%20Updated%20Committee%20FY26%20Budget%20Reduction%20Scenarios%2003-25-2025.pdf

Proposed Cuts to HMS

$1000 BSA increase scenario (2 certified positions cut)

• Quest Staffing Elimination (.5 position reduction for HMS)
• School site supplies reduction by 10%
• Extracurricular transportation elimination (for HMS this is about $5,000 we get to help pay for sports bussing)

$680 BSA increase scenario (2 certified positions cut)

• Programmatic Staffing Reduction by 25% (no cut)
• Quest Staffing Elimination (.5 position reduction for HMS)
• Middle School PTR +1 (no cut)
• Secretary work days to 199 days
• Special Education aide work days cut by 5 days
• Extra-curricular Middle School athletics elimination (all stipends)
• Extracurricular transportation elimination (for HMS this is about $5,000 we get to help pay for sports bussing)

$340 BSA increase scenario (4 certified positions cut)

• Middle School Reading Certified Staffing (1.0 position reduction for HMS)
• Programmatic Staffing Reduction by 50% (.5 position reduction for HMS)
• Quest Staffing Elimination (.5 position reduction for HMS)
• Middle School PTR +3 (.5 position reduction for HMS)
• Secretary work days to 199 days
• Special Education aide work days cut by 5 days
• Extra-curricular Middle School athletics elimination (all stipends)
• School site supplies reduction by 10%
• Extracurricular transportation elimination (for HMS this is about $5,000 we get to help pay for sports bussing)

1. Contact Governor Dunleavy's office to share your opinion on public education.

• Office of the Governor C/O Jordan Shilling PO BOX 110001 Juneau, AK 99811-0001
• online feedback form https://gov.alaska.gov/contact/feedback/

2. Contact your Representative or Senator

• Representative Sarah Vance 907-465-2689 or Representative.Sarah.Vance@akleg.gov
• Senator Gary Stevens 907-465-4925 or Senator.Gary.Stevens@akleg.gov

3. Contact the Alaska Commissioner of the Department of Education and Early Development Dr. Deena Bishop

• 907-465-2802 or eed.contact@alaska.gov

4. Call or email in Public Testimony during legislative committee meetings

• Calendars, schedules, and call in information can be found here. https://akleg.gov/index.php Also watch social media for postings about important legislative testimony opportunities!

ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR THE 2025-2026 school year is now open! Please complete your registration early to help us plan for next year!

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.

Our first Career Talk Wednesday was a great success! We have the rest of the year scheduled out as well! Take a look and encourage your child to sign up to attend.

April 9th- Megan Corazza- Commercial fishing

April 16th- Rachel Lord- Homer Mayor

April 23rd- Dr. Adamson- Dentist

April 30th- Cinda Nofziger Homer Library

May 7th- Jillian Rogers- Animal Control Officer

May 14th- Hannah Gustafson- nonprofit consulting

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

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.

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.

• Work on school work when I am at home!