KPBSD Migrant Ed Program

Vision: Migratory children and families will successfully navigate their educational journey.

** Please find all Migrant Ed Specialist's contact information at the bottom of this newsletter **

Please join us this Saturday, March 4, from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, at Homer High School Pool, for Middle School (grades 6 - 8) Coldwater Immersion and Survival Training. Important for those kids heading out to the fishing grounds this summer, or spending any time on a larger boat.

Please contact Joey Kraszeski for more information or to register.

Homer Area Pre-K students and families! Please join us on Wednesday, March 8, at the Homer Public Library Meeting Room, at 11:00 AM. We'll meet here for a quick story and snack, before car-pooling to the Lookout Mountain Cross Country Ski Area for a lesson on building snow shelters and winter survival! We'll finish up around 2:00 PM.

Please contact Betsy Vanek for more information or to register!

This early release Kids Don't Float event for Razdolna’s K-6 Migrant Ed families is going to be held on Thursday, March 9, from 1:30 – 3:00 pm at the Homer High School Pool.

Please contact Joey Kraszeski for more information.

If you missed your local school's Book Fair, or if your school did not hold a Book Fair, and If you have not yet had a chance to select books at the Homer Book Store or River City Books, it is not too late!

We have extended our Book Fair dates, and, with Spring Break coming up, it might be an awesome time to stop by these local book stores and pick out some books for your children. Both the Homer Book Store and River City Books have lists of names of Migrant Ed Students - all you have to do is go in and choose up to $30.00 worth of books for each of your Migrant Ed Students, and take them to the counter to 'check out!'

Happy Reading and Happy Spring Break!! What a great combo!

We are so excited to offer swim lessons to our Migrant students this month. Skyview is graciously hosting four days of after-school lessons from March 21 - 24, 4:00 - 5:00 at Skyview Pool! We have a limit of 14 slots, so register now! Link below.

These lessons are open for grades K-6. Please contact Maureen Todd with any questions.

Please click HERE to register.

In partnership with the Kenai Watershed Forum (KWF), Migrant Ed is hosting four after school workshops for students in grades K-6 every Thursday in April!

We will meet at the KWF main office by Soldotna Creek Park (44129 Sterling Hwy, Soldotna) April 6, 13, 20, and 27, from 4:00 - 6:00 pm for lessons on the salmon life cycle, invasive species, ecosystems, water quality, and the Kenai River watershed.

Space is limited, so please register below and receive a permission form. Please contact Maureen Todd with any questions.

Please click HERE to register.

Migrant Ed is partnering with the Center for Alaska Coastal studies to bring an oceanography day-trip on Kachemak Bay, from 1:00 - 5:00 PM, on Friday, April 14. Areas of study will include oyster farming, a plankton tow, and opportunities to learn about how to read nautical charts and tide books.

This is open for all Migrant Ed students in grades 6 - 8. Bus transportation will be provided from the Central Peninsula to the Homer Harbor, where we'll board the M/V Discovery for a 4-hour cruise.

For more information please contact Joey Kraszeski.

To register, please click HERE.

In February, Migrant Ed partnered with the Challenger Learning Center to host a Drone Academy. High School students who attended earned a semester elective credit to put on their transcript! Our days were filled with drone instruction, FAA regulations, field trips, guest speakers, drone obstacles, hands on piloting, and earning a TRUST Certificate. One student reported the highlight of the academy was, “Learning about different drones and making friends.” And we could not agree more! We are so thankful for the student participants we had attend and all the fascinating information shared by our stellar guest speakers. We cannot wait to plan something like this again.

*Photo Credit: Willem Hakala (using his drone!!)

• Peterson Bay Overnight - Saturday, May 6 - Sunday, May 7, 2023. Grades 3 - 6.
• Kasitsna Bay Overnight - Saturday, May 13 - Sunday, May 14, 2023. Grades 6 - 8.

We will be sending out more information on these trips in the April newsletter, and with postcards through the mail.

Parent chaperones are always needed/welcome during these super fun overnights. If you are interested in your child attending and being a parent chaperone, please click HERE to get the parent volunteer process started as soon as possible. Thank you!!

If you have any questions in the meantime, please feel free to contact Maureen Todd.

Click HERE to access our Migrant Ed Program 2023 Parent Survey.

Here's your opportunity to let us know how we're doing! It also allows you to contribute ideas and thoughts about programming that you'd like to see. We do value your input, and appreciate you taking the time to let us know how we're doing and what you'd like to see in the future. Thank you!

Joey Kraszeski - Head of Bay & Homer Area Secondary Specialist

jkraszeski@kpbsd.org - (907) 235-4630

Betsy Vanek - Central/Eastern Peninsula Specialist

bvanek@kpbsd.org - (907) 714-0343

Jackie Tomrdle - Kenai/Nikiski Specialist

jtomrdle@kpbsd.org - (907) 283-8621

Maureen Todd - Soldotna/Sterling Specialist

mtodd2@kpbsd.org - (907) 260-2536

Website: https://sites.google.com/g.kpbsd.org/kpbsdmigranteducation/home
Location: 148 North Binkley Street, Soldotna, AK, USA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KPBSDMigrantEd