The beginning of the new year brought a lot of new faces to Kenai Alternative High School. On January 4th, we welcomed 15 new students to the KALT family. These students have quickly become a part of our culture - making friends, building relationships with staff members, and participating in various school activities. We have a very strong group at Kenai Alternative and are looking forward to continuing to build a positive school culture with these students.

Students and staff were busy throughout the month of January. Students in Dan's Family and Consumer Science class learned how to budget, build a meal on that budget, and then shop for and make that meal. I was extremely impressed with the results. As I have said before, we have some awesome culinary talents in the building. Students in Anna's art classes continued to create masterpieces, whether it be in ceramics or developing their photography skills in her Digital Photography class. Elizabeth led her government class through a mock trial project and it was awesome to see our students work together in order to research, analyze, and communicate about the topic at hand. It also promoted a sense of competition which further increased student engagement. RaeAnn led her class through a president's project and it was great to watch their presentations and learn more about our president's favorite desserts. Finally, several of our students are really buying into Alison's math program and we saw a handful of students either finish a half credit or get close to completing all of their math credits. One of the best parts of my day is when a student comes down to tell me they have finished a half credit of math. It is truly awe-inspiring to see the sense of accomplishment on their face and the fact that they are proud of themselves for completing another step in their journey towards graduation.

In the upcoming weeks, we will take part in several activities that promote a healthy Alaskan lifestyle, including snowshoeing and ice skating. We hope to get a lot of student participation with these activities. We will also be wrapping up our 4th rotation and transitioning into our 5th rotation. This will bring in a few more new students and also the opportunity for a couple of our current students to complete their 22 credits needed for graduation. We will also be promoting an attendance project and be participating in the American Heart Challenge. Lots of exciting things happening here at the Alt!

#GoWolves #RunWithThePack

Staff and students at Kenai Alternative are partnering with the American Heart Association for the 2023 American Heart Challenge. Funds raised will go towards promoting awareness for issues such as congenital heart defects, nutrition security, CPR training, mental well-being, and more as the AHA works to end heart disease and stroke.

This event kicked off with an assembly at KALT on Thursday, January 26th. At this assembly, students participated in competitive games and learned more about Finn's Mission and the purpose of this project. Also, thanks to student participation and engagement, students were able to pie their principal in the face! For more information about Kenai Alternative's fundraising goals, please check out the school's Facebook page and/or the school's AHC site by clikcing on the following link - KALT AHC School Site. This event will run through Friday, February 17th.

Shay Smith is the Kenai Alternative High School student of the month for January. Shay has been a rock star since arriving at Kenai Alternative. He is an awe-inspiring young man and we are fortunate to have him in the building. We look forward to seeing him continue on his journey and earning his diploma. Congratulations Shay!

Kiana Rohr is a senior at Kenai Alternative High School who is in the home stretch of her high school career and nearing graduation. She took a moment to reflect on her time at Kenai Alternative and share her experience with others.

Q. How was your experience at Kenai Alternative?

Kiana: It was the best school I have ever gone to. I didn't fit in at other schools, but here it is a family. And I can actually get things done.

Q. What advice would you give to incoming students?

Kiana: Just focus on getting the credits and having fun later. It will totally be worth it in the end.

Q. What are your future goals?

Kiana: I want to be a hair stylist and eventually own my own salon.

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

Kiana: Take the opportunity that you have here and thank you for being here for me. No other school has been here for me like this school has. This school cared about me.

We are proud of Kiana for all that she has accomplished and look forward to seeing her take the next step in her journey!

Parent-teacher conferences will occur on Thursday, February 16 and Friday, February 17. Kenai Alternative staff will be contacting parents to set-up appointments. If you do not receive a phone call from Kenai Alternative but would like to set-up a conference, please contact the school at (907) 335-2870.

In order to promote attendance and encourage students to make an effort to come to school on a daily basis, we will be closely tracking student attendance for the months of February, March, and April. Students who maintain an 85% or higher attendance rate will be eligible for a rafting trip in Cooper Landing scheduled for Friday, May 12th. This equates to 4 or less absences for a 6-week rotation.

It is common for us all to get wrapped up in the culminating events of life that have great significance. For many of our students, this event is graduation. However, we can't lose sight of the steps it takes to get there. Attending class on a daily basis is one of these small steps and it will afford students a greater opportunity to achieve their dreams/goals. We are focusing on doing the little things so that the big dreams become a reality.

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