Homer High-Lights

Parents and Guardians,

What a tremendous fall we have had at Homer High School. Our girls and boys cross-country teams brought home state championships, and our football team also earned the state title. In addition to their athletic success, the football team received the Academic Award, which is the most prestigious honor presented by the state association. This recognition is based on team-wide GPA and reflects the dedication of our teachers and support staff who ensure that academics remain the foundation of student success. Thank you to our staff for your commitment to excellence both in and out of the classroom.

We are also proud to share that twenty-three members of our band and choir were selected for All-State. These students will be traveling north on the 19th of this month to represent our school and community through their outstanding musicianship.

It was wonderful to see so many of you at parent teacher conferences. Family engagement plays a critical role in student success, and we sincerely appreciate the time you invested in meeting with our staff. If a concern ever arises, please reach out to us as soon as possible so we can partner together in supporting your student.

As the fall athletic season comes to an end, parents are encouraged to complete the End of Season Coaches Evaluation. Your feedback is vital in supporting and strengthening our programs. The form is available on the district website. For convenience, you may also access it here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9SD9koYv6vp4TzvYapiWHXuufTh_3ktLC51JxPPXYh5E9zA/viewform

We are continually seeking feedback beyond athletics as well. Whether your input is complementary or offers suggestions for improvement, it helps us grow as a school. This is your community school and your voice matters. The following feedback forms remain open throughout the year:

I would also like to welcome our newly elected school board members. The board meets monthly and plays a crucial role in shaping district policy and direction. I encourage families to stay informed and engaged in the process. More information about the school board can be found here: https://kpbsd.org/board/

As winter settles in, please help us keep our students safe by discussing changing driving conditions with young drivers. Roads can vary widely across our area, and it is important to plan for additional time during sudden weather events. If you ever feel that it is unsafe to travel, please do what is best for your family and notify the school.

When severe weather is forecast, KPBSD leadership begins road assessments early in the morning. Because bus routes are shared districtwide, decisions about delays or cancellations are made by 5:00 a.m. Homer presents unique challenges because conditions can differ greatly between town, the east end, and the hills. Above all, please make the safest decision for your student and your household.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. It is a privilege to serve this community and our students.

Bring on the SNOW!
Eric Pederson
Principal, Homer High School

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You're Going to Want to Buy a Yearbook

This year’s theme is Oh the Places We’ve Been!, a spinoff of Dr. Seuss’ iconic Oh the Places You’ll Go!, and it’s turning out awesome. Don’t miss out, secure your copy now. Check for $85 to HHS bookkeeper or pay online at Jostens.com.

Big shout out to the students stepping up to make this year’s book possible: returning staffers Dorothea Hanenberger, Amber Stevenson, Madi Illg, Kaitlyn Anderson, and Gunnar Pinksy, as well as newcomers Tilea Lockwood, Griffyn Berg, Charlotte Richardson, Swift Blackstock, and Britta Velsko.

Lastly, huge thanks to Chris Kincaid for catching so many amazing Mariner moments on film. Check out his incredible photo galleries: athletics , homecoming , HHS .

The PURPOSE of the Homer High School Mariner Booster Club, Inc. is to provide support for all organized sports/activities at HHS. Exclusively for charitable purpose, the HHS Booster Club is registered as a non-profit with the State of Alaska.

It takes all of us to make the sports and activities at HHS great. We need you! We are looking for someone to assist our current Treasurer and a few people to work on a 'Thank You' committee. If you're interested or if there's something else you'd like to contribute, please let us know by filling out the form below! Thanks so much for your interest in volunteering!

Booster Club Interest Survey

Meeting Dates in B-109 at 6:00 pm:

November 10
December 8
January 12
February 9
March 16
April 13
May 11

Click HERE to be directed to the HHS Mariner Merch Online Store

HHS School Counselors

Sue Rennolds – Class of 2026 srennolds@kpbsd.k12.ak.us ~ (907) 235-4691

Paul Story – Classes of ’27, ’28, ‘29 pstory@kpbsd.k12.ak.us ~ (907) 235-4685

AVTEC (Alaska Vocational Technical Center)

Field trip Nov. 19 – Permission forms due Tue., Nov. 11 at 10:30am

AVTEC admissions rep visiting ELA 12 and Welding classes Monday, Nov. 10

National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) – Not Worth It

This organization is a for-profit entity that markets itself aggressively, casts a wide net, and claims to offer great benefits to qualifying students in exchange for a $90 membership fee. Their name is suspiciously similar to National Honor Society (NHS), a legitimate, 100+ year-old non-profit that doesn’t charge individuals membership fees to access benefits, and in which Homer High has had a chapter since 1978. Bottom line, don’t pay $90 for NSHSS. Save your money and buy a HHS yearbook instead. 😊

Live Homework Help

This free (and underutilized!) resource is available to Alaskans M-F 8am-2am, and Sat/Sun 12pm-2am. https://lam.alaska.gov/sled/homework . You’d be amazed at the individualized help you can access in any high school subject. Give it a try!

Financial Aid and Scholarship Information Night Recap

If you couldn’t make it to the presentation during P/T Conferences, check out this slide deck and reach out to the presenters listed on the last two slides with questions.

OneStop for scholarships and contests

Remember that the first pots of financial aid money are the FAFSA (available to seniors now) and “institutional aid”, but don’t forget about the KPBSD OneStop Scholarship Database. It is the place to go for regional- and state-wide scholarships, essay contests with cash prizes, and more. Check back often as MANY more will be listed in the coming weeks and months! Here’s a sample of a few available now:

Elks National and Alaska State Scholarships – Twenty $30K awards and four hundred eighty $4K awards available nationally; an additional $25k available in Alaska. High school seniors only. No Elks affiliation required – due Nov. 12.
Hagan Scholarship - $15,000 per year scholarship plus additional benefits for high achieving high school seniors who demonstrate financial need (Family AGI not in excess of $100K.). 2 HHS grads have won this award in recent years – due Dec. 1
Vera Howarth CTE Scholarhips – Three $3,000 awards for Kenai Peninsula residents up to age 25 pursuing a CTE post-secondary program.
Mae Ciechanski Scholarship - $63,000 in awards available this year to Kenai Peninsula residents pursuing college or CTE post-secondary education.

Free class for high schoolers considering a teaching career

UAA’s Youth Early Teaching Initiative is offering a free 3-credit class next semester, “Intro to the Field of Early Childhood Ed.” The class will meet Thursdays from 6-7:30pm and could also count for 1.0 high school credit. Check out this flyer for more information, and contact HHS counseling with questions.

Homer High Students traveled to the Alaska Association of Student Government Fall Conference at Alaska Pacific University in October. HHS students networked with other student leaders from across Alaska, attended workshops about Student Government topics, debated resolutions, learned the finer points of parliamentary procedure, and toured the APU and UAA campuses. They did a fantastic job representing Homer at this Statewide conference and brought back ideas and inspiration for student voice and student activities at Homer High School.

Attendees:

Student Body President - Marina Co (Sr.)

Student Body Vice President - Reid Rauch (Jr.)

Student Body Parliamentarian - Sydnee Stepp (Jr.)

Sophomore Class Treasurer - Dayten Van Ostrand

Sophomore Class Vice President - Foxwell Strobel

Freshman Class Secretary - Kahleah Butters

Freshman Class Vice President - Rhys Borland

Advisor: Mrs. Borland

Chaperone/Advisor: Mr. Parsley