North Star Notes: November 2026

Dear Nikiski North Star Families,

I hope your family is enjoying the crisp, cool autumn air and preparing for a wonderful November! It has been such a joy seeing our Shooting Stars filling our halls with energy, curiosity, and bright smiles each day.

As we move into November, I want to share a few key schoolwide goals that guide our daily focus and keep our students growing:

• Increasing Attendance to 90%: Regular, on-time attendance is one of the single most important factors in student success. Every day at school matters, and we appreciate your partnership in helping our Shooting Stars arrive ready to learn!

• Boosting ELA & Math Proficiency: Our teachers and staff are dedicated to delivering strong, engaging instruction in reading, writing, and mathematics to ensure every child reaches their highest academic potential.

• Strengthening Community & Career Partnerships: We are actively expanding partnerships within our community to introduce our students to a wide variety of trades and career paths, helping them discover future possibilities early on.

Thank you for sharing your incredible children with us every day and for partnering with us in their education. Here is to a safe, productive, and inspiring month of November ahead!

With purpose,

Ms. Jenna Fabian

NNS Principal

🏀November 2-November 26: Sports Club Intramural 4th/5th grade Basketball-M&W, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Monday, November 9: NNS PTO Meeting, 3:45 p.m.-NNS Library

Wednesday, November 11: Veterans Day

Friday, November 13: Picture Retake Day; NNS PTO Family Movie Night 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Friday, November 20: Early Release Day, Primary dismissed at 1:55 p.m. and Intermediate dismissed at 1:57 p.m.

Saturday, November 21: Sports Club Basketball hosts K-Beach and Soldotna Elementary teams, 10:00 a.m. NNS Gym

Tuesday, November 24: Dental Presentations for K-3 students

Thursday, November 26 and Friday, November 27: Thanksgiving Break

🔭Looking ahead🔭

🏓December: Sports Club Intramural 4th/5th grade Pickleball-November 30-December 16, M&W, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Friday, December 4: Mrs. D's Book Mobile visits NNS-Classes will be able to visit and pick out a book

Friday, December 11: Early Release Day-Primary dismissed at 1:55 p.m. and Intermediate dismissed at 1:57 p.m.

Thursday, December 17: Concert Rehearsal: Grades K-2, 9:10-11:20 & grades 3-5. 11:30-1:30 p.m.; NNS Winter Concert, 6:00 p.m. NMHS Auditorium

Monday, January 11, 2027: NNS School Board Presentation Borough Assembly Chambers, Soldotna. I would like to have a few classes present/perform. If you would like your class to be involved, please let me know!

Families are encouraged to visit: https://kpbsd.org/communications/surveys/ and complete a variety of surveys that exist. Your input is greatly appreciated and supports the growth of our team.

NNS, along with all schools in KPBSD, follows the ALICE protocol during a safety closure, which is specific to situations when an intruder is identified on school grounds or inside the building. In addition, NNS participates in monthly fire drills and an annual earthquake drill.

Throughout November, we will be talking with students about the importance of “Stop–Look–Listen–Follow–No Worries” as a way to stay calm and safe in the event of an emergency by way of practicing a Safety Closure Drill.

If you have any questions about safety at NNS, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Families can also visit the following link for details on District safety protocols:
Emergency Guidelines for Parents and Guardians

Simple everyday activities to help your child master package opening, pencil control, and overall hand strength.

Everyday Independence & Package Opening

Opening items independently builds crucial hand strength, thumb-index opposition, and bilateral coordination (using both hands together).

• Package & Container Practice:

  
  

  • Ziploc Bags & Snack Wrappers: Have your child practice pinching the seal to open and zip snack bags or tear open pre-notched wrappers.

    
    

  • Screw-Top Lids & Jars: Let them twist off lids on water bottles, condiment jars, or plastic containers during meal prep or snack time.

    
    

  • Clips & Clamps: Have them use clothespins or bag clips to seal snack bags—squeezing these builds strong hand muscles.

    
    

• Dressing & Morning Routines:

  
  

  • Encourage children to handle their own jacket zippers, button up shirts, and snap closures.

    
    

  • Practice tying shoes or threading laces through eyelets using visual aids or slow step-by-step guidance.

    
    

Strengthening Pencil Grip & Writing Utensils

A functional pencil grip relies on strong finger flexors and the ability to isolate the thumb, index, and middle fingers (the "pincer" grip).

• Vertical Surface Writing:

  
  

  • Have your child draw, write, or paint on a chalk board, taped paper on a wall, or an easel. Working on a vertical plane naturally encourages proper wrist extension and grip position.

    
    

• Broken Crayons & Short Pencils:

  
  

  • Use golf-sized pencils or short/broken crayons. Smaller utensils force fingers into a tripod grip because there isn't enough room for a full-fisted grip.

    
    

• Tweezers & Tongs Games:

  
  

  • Use kitchen tongs, tweezers, or plastic chopstick helpers to pick up small objects like cotton balls, pom-poms, or cereal pieces during games or sorting activities.

    
    

Fun, Hands-On Home Activities (Grades K–5)

• Play-Doh & Putty Challenges:

  
  

  • Hidden Treasure: Hide small beads, coins, or buttons inside therapy putty or Play-Doh and ask them to use only their fingers to pull them out.

    
    

  • Rolling & Pinching: Roll clay into small "snakes" or balls and pinch them using only the thumb and index finger.

    
    

• Paper Crafts & Scissors Work:

  
  

  • Tear & Snip: Practice tearing scrap paper or junk mail into small pieces for collage art, or cutting along straight and curved lines with safety scissors.

    
    

  • Origami & Folding: Simple paper folding (making paper airplanes or simple origami) reinforces finger precision and crease alignment.

    
    

• Board Games & Small Manipulatives:

  
  

  • Play games that involve small pieces and hand control, such as Operation, Lite-Brite, Connect 4, Jenga, or building with small LEGO bricks.

Teacher's Tip: "Before jumping into handwriting, start with 'heavy work' or hand warm-ups! Squeezing a stress ball, doing finger-spider crawls on the table, or making play-doh shapes wakes up the small muscles in the hands, making pencil control much easier."

Copies of Thanksgiving Food Box and Christmas applications can be found in the office. If you would like forms sent home with your child, please send Principal Fabian a Bloomz message or email at jfabian@kpbsd.org

NNS weather can change in a flash, and those wind gusts can make it feel even colder! Students will continue to enjoy outdoor recess as long as temperatures stay above -10°F (including wind chill).

For both recess and bus safety, please ensure your child comes prepared with:
• Snow pants
• Warm jacket
• Gloves or mittens
• Hat
• Winter boots

Proper winter gear keeps students safe, warm, and ready for all their North Star adventures!

Applications & Lunch Accounts

• Free/Reduced Lunch Applications: Please apply online at mealapp.kpbsd.org (paper forms are available in the office). Even if you don't use the meal program, filling out an application is critical as it helps secure vital federal funding for our school's educational programs.

• Lunch Accounts: Every student has an individual account. The computer automatically deducts the correct amount when a lunch is purchased, completely protecting student privacy regardless of free, reduced, or full-pay status.

• Deposits: Add funds anytime online or at the main office.

Home Lunches

• Home Lunches: Students may bring lunch from home. Please include any necessary utensils (school-provided utensils are for hot lunch buyers only). *Students have access to microwaves to warm up food. In order to help us limit long lines at the microwave and ensure effective supervision, please pre-cook food at home

Jace Brewer

Porter Smith

Jace Brewer

Annabeth Cox

Beau Hall

Otto Jensen

Jeremiah Morse

Mollie Perkins

Garrity Singh

Alexis Wilson

Please visit: 2026-2027-Districtwide-Calendar.pdf to access the Districtwide calendar.

• Parents and guardians are encouraged to complete their online meal application so children will have access to meal benefits as soon as possible. Please take the time to complete this form even if you think you do not qualify. The streamlined online application for Free and Reduced Meals to determine benefits and qualify communities for federal funds is live.

  • KPBSD Free and Reduced Meal application: http://mealapp.kpbsd.org

• Kenai Peninsula Borough School District 2025-2026 Meal Prices:

  • Breakfast: Students approved for Free and Reduced meals: $.00; Grades K-12: $2.50

  • Lunch: Students approved for reduced meals: $.40; Grades K-6: $4.00

Your child’s safety is our top priority. All visitors, including parents and guardians, are required to check in at the front office upon arrival. If you need to pick-up your child early, the office will call your child(ren) out of class. Our staff will not release children without permission from the office.

If you are interested in volunteering in our school or attending field trips, please be sure to fill out the Volunteer Application: https://www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/departments.aspx?id=19556

NNS receives federal funds through Title I. For the 2026-2027 school year, NNS will operate a schoolwide program model (K through 5th grade) based on our school’s needs

• Address: 45600 Holt Lamplight Rd Kenai, AK 99611

• Phone: (907) 776-2600
• Fax: (907) 776-8165
• Website: https://kpbsd.org/schools/nikiski-north-star/

• Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/NikiskiNorthStarElementary