Mission: The learning community of West Homer Elementary inspires and supports all students to be lifelong learners with the courage and confidence to make positive contributions to the world.

Vision: The mission of West Homer Elementary School is to build strong connections among community, families, staff, and students in a safe, healthy, nurturing environment that challenges each student

As winter loosens its icy grip, it is a natural time to reflect on what we leave behind and what's coming next. The end of the quarter is always an important time to reflect on progress and celebrate achievement. Don't forget to ask you child about their goals for this quarter and what they learned from striving toward them.

As a part of this reflection, we invite you to join us at our end of quarter assembly (March 7th) to celebrate progress and achievement in the 3rd quarter and take a close look at the cold icy landscapes of the Arctic and Antarctic regions through student artwork.

Students across the school explored different skills including:

• Foreground, middle ground, background
• Perspective
• Watercolor and collage techniques
• The differences between Arctic and Antarctic regions.

Our assembly will also feature a musical performance by our 4th graders! See details below.

The final quarter of the year awaits with many exciting events including the WHE Talent Show, spring testing, and be on the lookout for permission forms for our spring volleyball program.

March 1 ALICE drill 9:15am

March 6 Japanese Zoom 3:00pm WHE Art room

March 6 Last day of D&D

March 7 Early Release

March 8 No school (in-service work day)

March 11-15 Spring Break!

March 28 Talent Show 6:00pm

March 29 No school

March 29 Girls on the Run

Kick off Spring Break by joining us at our end of quarter assembly in the gym or come join the gallery walk with your child after Early Release parent pick up.

12:35pm – 1:20pm Assembly

· Celebrate the end of the 3rd quarter!

· Musical Performance by the 4th grade

1:20 – 3:30pm Gallery Walk

·Explore Student artwork featuring Arctic and Antarctic landscapes.

· Discuss what you see (I see…, I think…, I wonder…)

· Write a fan letter to one of the artists!

See you there!

Take a look at all the enjoyable activities that unfolded. The students at West Homer earned a building-wide reward by showcasing their commitment to respectful, responsible, and safe behavior.

We have until March 7th to reach our goal of 21,000,000 words. If we get there, our reward will be a book-themed trivia contest in the cafeteria at lunch.

• Click on the following PDF for more information.

We are so excited to bring back the Talent Show again this year. We are looking at doing a few things differently though, with a student led/planned talent show. Each grade level will be helping with a different aspect of the show. If your child is in 3rd or 4th grade, we are asking you to bring in items for the Dessert Auction. (If you do not have a 3rd or 4th grader but want to bring in a dessert auction item, please feel free to do so!!). Our 5th and 6th grade students will be helping with planning and other aspects. Auditions for the Talent Show will be during Recess/Lunch on Monday Feb 26th. Your student should be performance ready at that time. Please work with them at home to help them be prepared.

We had an amazing turnout for the talent show auditions! Witness the incredible talent in our school right here!

Drama Club is led by Sarah Brewer, sarahlbrewer@yahoo.com for 5th & 6th grade only. It will begin February 29 and run through April 11. The Club will meet on Thursdays from 3:00 - 4:30pm

Join us for 'It's SEW Fun!' Our sewing sessions kicks off on December 5th and runs until January 16th. Classes will be held every Tuesday from 3:00pm to 4:00pm. This fantastic opportunity is exclusively open to 6th graders. To participate, please reach out to Letha Straley for permission slips. lstraley@kpbsd.k12.ak.us."

Chess club is back again this year. Andy Haas will be teaching Chess Club in the Art Room on Mondays and Thursdays. Students can do one of both days. Chess Club will begin on Monday, October 2 and will run through Thursday April 11th. There will be no chess club on school vacation days, but there will be Chess Club on early release days from 1:30-2:30pm

Mr. Crowl, Ms. Ross, Mr. Dave and Ms. Ector will be running another session of Dungeons and Dragons this Spring for 5th and 6th graders on Tuesdays or Wednesdays immediately after school. The club has already started and will run through March 6 from 3:004:30pm. Space is limited so pick up your permission slips at the front office.

Megumi Beams will be running another session of Japanese Club this fall for all interested students on Fridays from 3:00pm -4:00pm. Starting January 19th and run through May 10th, 2024.

Volleyball with Susan Darr homerignite@gmail.com will be for students 3rd-6th Grade. Starting Monday March 25th and will run through Wednesday May 1st, 2024. They will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00pm -4:00pm.

Help your child understand that school is their very first job!

Make great school attendance a priority for your child!

• 7:30 drop off
• 8:00 learning begins
• 8:05 considered tardy
• 9:00 considered late

Season Start: Tuesday, February 27th, to Thursday, May 9th, 2024.

Meets 3:00pm - 4:30pm Tuesday and Thursdays

WHE GYM 3-6 grade girls

Alaska Japanese Club would like to say thank you to students who participated in our drumming performance and to parents and supporters who helped us display a beautiful float and march with us for the Homer Winter Carnival Parade.

A big thank you to Gary Lyon for driving our float and participating in a float project with Nathan Main, Charles Anderson for a 55 gallon of Taiko drum project and a trailer, Dick Dunn for building a Taiko stand and cutting bulk woods to have students make Japanese drum sticks, Bill Bechtel for sanding them, Amy Russel and Gary Lyon for heavy plastic garden tubs, City of Homer for some 50 gallon barrels, Cathy Stingley for displaying decorations, holding a peace banner with Mari Botkin and Keeley Dabney, Donna and George Hall for volunteer photographers, Sheila Sabillo, Andon Brothers, Vanessa Albertson and Lexie Sweeney to display decorations, Sarah Brewer, Maura Jones, Andrew Redmond, Dave Ronchetto, and Kelly Smith for holding 5 each different flags which were U.S.A National flag, Alaska State flag, Japanese flag, City of Homer and Town of Teshio in Hokkaido in Japan, Debbie Smith for making 15 uniforms and headbands, Emma Bowman and Marge Dunn for making signs, paper origami stars and cranes, Genevieve Winrod for graphic designs, Donna Hall and Lisa Asselin for financial advisors, Lisa Asselin for snack and hand warmer donations , South Peninsula Hospital for a microphone and a speaker, and City of Homer for 5 flags, Homer United Methodist Church, The Homer Book Store, The Classic Cook, Bear Creek Winery, Ptarmigan Arts, Fire Weed Gallery, Nomar’s, The Wild Honey, Latitude 59, The Bubble’s and Two Sisters Bakery for accepting our donation boxes, Genevieve Winrod, Torie Gutschow, Stanley Shikuma, Barbara Vantine, Tiffany Tamaribuchi and George Remington and our community for donations.

We also appreciate that Mayor Ken Castner came to say hi to us before the parade started. He always welcomes us and has been supporting us since we started to have Alaska Japanese Club.

Sharing your hearts brought us to win a prize “Best Performing Art” from Homer Winter Carnival Parade in 2024 and the place for Japan-Alaska Sister City-Town Pride FESTA hosted by Consular Office of Japan in Anchorage. At FESTA, online event, there were 24 pieces of Japan- Alaska residents submitted including my submission, Kevin Co's and a resident from Teshio, our sister city in Hokkaido in Japan. The submission from a resident in Teshio Town got 1st place. My submission regarding to the Alaksa Japanese Club was selected 3rd place and Kevin Co also received a prize.

We will keep drumming and singing to share our appreciation with our supporters. Your support will keep us drumming and singing for special events such as the Jubilee Youth Performing Art Show audition hosted by HCOA and the 40th Anniversary celebration for the relationship between Teshio in Hokkaido, Japan and City of Homer in Alaska, United Sates. We appreciate donations toward Alaska Japanese Club to purchase some Japanese Taiko drums and uniforms for our performance.

We appreciate all your support.

Megumi Beams

Sister City Liaison/ Interpreter

Japanese International Exchange Coordinator/ Instructor

If interested in free/reduced meals, please apply online (http://mealapp.kpbsd.org/ ). Families need to reapply every year. If you would like to add money to your child's lunch account, you can bring cash/check (made out to SNS), sign in and add money through PowerSchool SIS (Lunch Planner), or you can set up an account and pay online- https://kpbsd.revtrak.net/paul-banks-es/.

Breakfast is $2.50 (free if your child is approved for free/reduced meals)

Lunch is $3.50 (or $.40 for students who qualify for reduced meal pricing).

• School survey
• School district surveys (school, principal and teacher surveys available)
• Feel welcome to email, call or stop by too

START EARNING FOR OUR SCHOOL with Box Tops

Use the Box Tops app to scan your store receipts for participating products. West Homer Elementary will automatically earn cash with every Box Tops product you buy.

https://www.boxtops4education.com/s/

• KPBSD appreciates our volunteers who make a difference every day in our schools! New and returning volunteers: begin your confidential, online application here: Volunteer in a KPBSD school.
• We encourage and appreciate family members' involvement in their child's education. You are welcome to volunteer in your child's classroom, field trips, and afterschool activities.
• Additionally, we invite family members to join their child for lunch. Prior to your visit, kindly check in with the school office.

Thank you for your support in creating a positive and engaging learning environment for our students