December was packed with activities and excitement at Kenai Alternative High School. We celebrated the end of the year with a spirit week, Grinch Day, and a gingerbread house activity. Students were also involved in finalizing the expectations and standards that will be the groundwork of our school's current culture. This was an extensive process as students have engaged in several activities and discussions over the past several months to help develop these standards and expectations. It further promotes student ownership and provides a foundation for success for incoming students.

A number of students also participated in several leadership opportunities. Shannon Dosko, our Sources of Strength advisor, took a group of students to Kenai Central High School to participate in a training seminar. These students came back excited about what they had learned and eager to take on more leadership roles within the school. We also had a large group of students participate in a service project. This project provided students with the opportunity to create community partnerships and work to improve the lives of younger students in the Kenai area. We are very proud of our students' eagerness to take part in these projects and continue to strengthen the culture of KAHS.

The start of the new year brings about a lot anticipation for new things and the culmination of high school careers. At Kenai Alternative, we will continue to work to develop opportunities for students to grow as servant leaders, build partnerships with community members, and prepare for life outside of high school. The next several months will be an exciting time at Kenai Alternative High School.

#GoWolves #RunWithThePack

Grinch Day would not have been possible without the work and generous donations from several community members and businesses. We want to thank the Kenai Lions Club, Kenai United Methodist Church, River City Books, Hal (our resident Santa) and Susie Smalley, and Marian Nicholson for working so hard to provide us with many of the gifts and pillowcases. Additionally, we want to give a huge shout out to Aurora Borealis Charter School and Beth Graham for organizing a toy drive that provided us with a number of gifts for our students and monetary donations. We are extremely grateful for all of the support that we receive from our community and feel very fortunate to be able to provide our students with the opportunity to participate in this awesome event!

Jesse Markham is the Kenai Alternative High School student of the month for December. Jesse has showed tremendous growth since enrolling at KAHS. He is now a leader and role model at Kenai Alternative and we are very proud of everything he has accomplished thus far. Congratulations Jesse!

We are extremely proud of our students for their work in the Giving Tree service project. They worked together to organize, shop for, wrap, and set up gifts for children in the Kenai area. With this project, over 90 children were provided with a Christmas gift for the holiday season. We feel extremely fortunate for the support we receive from our community and this project served as an opportunity to show appreciation and provide joy to Kenai families. We also want thank the Kenai Elks and the Kenai Community Library for their partnership in this project. Without their generosity and efforts, the Giving Tree would not have been possible.

Wade Williams is a senior at Kenai Alternative High School who is in the home stretch of his high school career and nearing graduation. He took a moment to reflect on his time at Kenai Alternative and share his experience with others.

Q. How was your experience at Kenai Alternative?

Wade: Very positive. It has turned my way of seeing school around.

Q. What advice would you give to incoming students?

Wade: Don't be afraid of the school. The school gets a bad rep because it is an alternative school. It is nothing how people say it is.

Q. What are your future goals?

Wade: Move back to Oregon to spend time with family. Then move to Colorado to have a fresh start somewhere similar to what I know.

Q. Do you have any parting words for your classmates and/or teachers?

Wade: Thank you for making a positive impact on my life.

We are proud of Wade for all that he has accomplished and look forward to seeing him take the next step in his journey!

All sophomores will be testing the week of January 9-13. Students will report to RaeAnn's class at the start of the day. Testing will be completed by Friday, January 13.

As part of our community mentorship project, Shannon Dodge (the Student Services Coordinator for Kenaitze) will begin coming to Kenai Alternative High School every Wednesday to meet with students. These meetings will be focused on helping prepare students for life after high school. We are excited to be partnering with Shannon and Kenaitze and providing our students with an opportunity to better prepare for their futures.

Kenai Alternative offers students the ability to learn in a more individualized environment that focuses on the development of skills and knowledge that will be essential to life after school. Our staff is dedicated to the social emotional well-being of all our students and provides support beyond the traditional classroom walls.

Email: kmcfall@kpbsd.k12.ak.us
Website: https://kpbsd.org/schools/kenai-alt/
Location: Kenai Alternative High School, Frontage Road, Kenai, AK, USA
Phone: (907) 335-2870
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KenaiAlternativeHighSchool
Twitter: @kenaialt