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Migrant Ed Newsletter

November 2024

Migrant EdNewsletterNovember 2024
Kinsley documenting her leaf findings at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge during our Wilderness Explorers adventure.

District Wide District Wide

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Recruiting Update - NEW! Electronic Signatures!

We're wrapping up our annual recruiting efforts for the year. If you still have a Certificate of Eligibility form that needs signing and returned - please do so!


In addition, we've recently purchased a subscription with an electronic signature company - Panda Doc. If you've recently received an email from your local Migrant Ed Specialist requesting that you click on a link to review and electronically sign your COE, please rest assured this email is really from us, and the links are safe to click on. We're trying to follow up these electronic signature requests with phone calls to let you know that this is a new (and convenient!) signature process we're implementing this year, and will most likely use next year, as well. Thank you for understanding, and please reach out if you have any questions!

Parent Advisory Committee POSTPONED

Due to a weather advisory, our Migrant Ed Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting will need to be postponed until further notice. Apologies for any inconvenience and we look forward to meeting at a future date.

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Welcome Shannon Dosko!

My name is Shannon Dosko and I’ve worked for KPBSD for 15 years. My husband, Vaughn and I have two sons, Dalton and Logan. I enjoy being outdoors, gardening, and reading. I’m excited about joining the Migrant Ed Team and looking forward to meeting you all!
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Migrant Ed Book Fairs

Migrant Ed is excited to partner with schools & book stores to bring reading opportunities to students! Some schools had book fairs during parent-teacher conferences, while others did not. If your school did not have a book fair or you missed it, student names will be on file at both River City Books in Soldotna, and The Homer Bookstore in Homer. The final date of the book fair is November 9th. Please help us support our book stores by selecting your books by November 9th. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.
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Newfound Favs!

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So many titles, so little time.

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Booking around.

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Family Fun Swim! Coming Soon!

We welcome all Migrant Families to participate in a free Family Fun Swim at the KPB Nikiski Pool (55525 Poolside Ave) on Sunday, December 8th. Open swim will be from 1-5 with our Migrant Family pool rental from 5-6. We will have books, math games, and snacks for our Migrant Families at that time. The cost of admission for the open swim is covered by the Migrant Education Program.


The Nikiski pool requires children under 10 years of age to be closely supervised & accompanied in the water by a person at least 16 years of age.

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Safe Sitter Course Opportunities

Safe Sitter is a not-for-profit, medically oriented instructional program designed to train young persons aged 11 to 14 how to be safe babysitters. The program teaches babysitters how to handle major and minor medical emergencies and proper child-care skills. This Safe Sitter class is designed to prepare students in grades 6-8 to be safe when they’re home alone, watching younger siblings, or babysitting.


TOPICS of INSTRUCTION INCLUDE:

  • Injury Prevention
  • Online Safety
  • Care for a Choking Infant or Child
  • First Aid
  • The Business of Babysitting
  • Basic Child Care (feeding, diapering)
  • Safety for the Sitter
  • Behavior Management


There will be two locations for Safe Sitter in December. If you have a student interested in taking this class, Migrant Ed can help pay for the course and material fees.


South Peninsula Hospital

December 20th and 21st

Joanna Fonkert (Southern Pen)


Central Peninsula Hospital

December 23rd and December 30th

Maureen Todd (Central Pen)

Teen Toolbox

Migrant Ed collaborates with additional programs to provide academic opportunities for our students. Please see the information below provided by Career and Technical Education and Middle College.

CTE:

  • SkillsUSA is a workforce development organization for students. Sign up for the Alaska competition is available now! This registration information has been sent to Administrators, Counselors and CTE Teachers. The College & Career Coordinator will be scheduling school visits to promote & recruit students for the State competitions. Funding is available for approximately 10 students districtwide & chaperones.
  • Spring KPC Classes - if you have students interested in Spring CTE classes through KPC or KBC and they would like funding support, have them complete the CTE course Request form on the CTE website.

Middle College:

  • Middle College Spring Applications open November 1 (they are currently full but anticipating 5-10 spots opening up). Priority will be given to previously waitlisted students. Students can apply on the Middle College website.
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Attention Seniors!

Whether you are attending a tech school, community college, or a university, financial aid opportunities will require you to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). This application will open December 1st. Many SCHOLARSHIP deadlines are approaching or have passed. Please contact your area specialist for support connecting to these opportunities. We are here to empower migrant students to overcome barriers and successfully transition to postsecondary life.

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Academic Coaching

Academic support is one of our most important programs. We currently collaborate with the school tutoring programs at Homer Middle School, Soldotna High School, Kenai Central High School, Skyview Middle School and have two elementary chapters at Redoubt and KBeach Elementary in addition to the tutoring support we provide at Kachemak Silo. Please reach out to your area Migrant Ed Specialist if you are interested in these services for your child(ren).
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Kids Don't Float Summary

In October, we partnered with the State of Alaska Boating Safety program to host five different Kids Don't Float classes for our students. A total of 62 students received special instruction on water safety including how to fit a life jacket, how to board a boat from the water, how to rescue someone in the water, and what it is like to submerge a canoe. Thank you to all of our families who signed their students up and transported them to this training. It meant so much to host this class for our students in all regions across the district. We would also like to show our gratitude to parent Melissa Malcom and her sister Megan Malcom, who helped support this program very last minute to add additional instruction for our students in the Homer area.

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Tippy Canoe?

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Man Overboard!

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All Aboard!

Southern Peninsula Southern Peninsula

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Ninilchik Area Explorers Opportunity - Constellations and Campfire Cooking!

Ninilchik Area Migrant Ed students, grades K - 8! Please join us after school, Friday, November 8, at Ninilchik School, Room 9, at 3:35 PM. From there we'll head to the beach to learn about constellations and the night sky! Yes, it will be daytime, but there are ways! We'll finish up at the Ninilchik View Campground (135.7 Sterling Hwy.) with campfire cooking. Parent pickup at the campground at 5:00 PM. Contact Betsy Vanek to register.

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Homer Area Explorers Opportunity - grades 1-6

Migrant Ed is offering two different sessions of Explorers for Migrant Ed students in grades 1-6. Both sessions will meet at The Homer Bay Club - 2395 Kachemak Way, Homer, and include workshops on water safety skills, donning immersions suits, orienteering skills, shelter and fire building, and emergency signaling. Snacks provided, parent transportation required. Please contact Joanna Fonkert for more information. Please sign up for the session that corresponds with your child's school.


Session A - Students from McNeil Canyon School / Head of Bay Schools / Chapman School

  • All sessions are from 2:00 - 5:00 PM
    • Friday, November 15
    • Friday, January 17
    • Thursday, March 6
Sign up HERE for Session A



Session B - Students from West Homer, Head of Bay Schools, Fireweed Academy, Paul Banks

  • All sessions from 2:00 - 5:00 PM
    • Friday, December 13
    • Friday, February 7
    • Friday, April 11
Sign up HERE for Session B

Central Peninsula Central Peninsula

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Soldotna Highschool Meet and Greet

On November 15th Migrant Ed will host a meet and greet with Soldotna High School students during lunch in room 78 at SoHi. There will be school supplies, root beer floats, and a quick review of resources available through Migrant Ed. All SoHi Migrant Ed students are invited to swing by for a quick hello.

Jr Ranger achievement unlocked.
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Central Peninsula Explorers Summary

Migrant Ed partnered with the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and Ranger Michelle for a mini day camp in October. Seventeen students attended this three hour activity where they learned about ecosystems, food chains, animal identification, and the habitat of the Kenai Wildlife Refuge. At the end of the day, they had all earned their Jr Ranger certificate. Thank you to all the families who participated in this outstanding adventurey day, especially Roberta Turner who volunteered to help chaperone.

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Loop da loop

Canyon making fun discoveries on the trail!

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Photo Op!

Students hiked down to the lake to explore the wetland habitat at the Kenai Wildlife Refuge.

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What did you see?

Students working on their Jr Ranger Booklets and recording their observations.

Find us on Facebook Find us on Facebook

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For more information on the KPBSD Migrant Education Program please look at our WEBSITE and please like us on Facebook! Join us for information on upcoming events, and great photos of past events! Click HERE!

Staff Contacts Staff Contacts

Head of the Bay

Joey Kraszeski 907.235.4630 jkraszeski@kpbsd.k12.ak.us


Homer Area

Joanna Fonkert 907.235.4640 jfonkert@kpbsd.k12.ak.us


Ninilchik | Tustumena | Niko | Chapman | Seward

Betsy Vanek 907.714.0343 bvanek@kpbsd.k12.ak.us


Soldotna | Sterling

Maureen Todd 907.260.2536 mtodd2@kpbsd.k12.ak.us


Kenai | Nikiski

Jackie Tomrdle 907.283.8621 jtomrdle@kpbsd.k12.ak.us


Central Peninsula Student Support Specialist

Shannon Dosko sdosko@KPBSD.k12.ak.us

Betsy Vanek
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