Education Notes

Forum on new KGB Jr./Sr. high school is Thursday

Mat-Su Borough School District will host a community forum about the new $65 million Joe Redington Sr. Jr./Sr. High School from 6 to 8 p.m., Nov. 21 at Goose Bay Elementary School. The project sits on a 103-acre parcel that will also eventually house a middle school. It is the largest Mat-Su Borough school construction project of the last 25 years. Completion of the project will significantly reduce the 20 portables at Wasilla middle and high schools. Borough planners and project managers Gary Wolf from Wolf Architecture, and business and educational directors from the Mat-Su Borough District will be there to help potential students and families get a feel for the new school and its location.

Fronteras fundraiserHoliday Bazaar is Saturday

Fronteras Spanish Immersion Charter School Holiday Bazaar fundraiser is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 23 at the school at 7010 E. Bogard Rd., Wasilla. Admission is free and the event includes door prizes, bake sale, homemade crafts and items from home-based businesses. The fundraiser benefits middle school students who will travel to Puerto Rico in May 2015 to interact with other students from a native Spanish speaking country/territory. For more information, visit matsuk12.us/frc.

Su Valley to perform ‘Romeo and Juliet’

Su Valley Jr./Sr. High School presents “Romeo and Juliet” at 7 p.m., Nov. 25, 26 and 27.

Lewis Hine Awards recognize service to children

The 2014 Lewis Hine Awards for Service to Children and Youth honor professionals and volunteers who do exceptional work on behalf of children. Nominations must be received by Nov. 25. Completed nomination forms may be submitted by mail (to the National Child Labor Committee's mailing address) or email. Visit http://nationalchildlabor.org for more information.

Vigil for homeless teens is Nov. 30

A candlelight vigil to raise awareness about homeless teens in the Mat-Su is at 7 p.m., Nov. 30 at the Palmer Train Depot. The vigil is followed at 7:19 by a fireworks display, sponsored by Stan Guthrie of Country Cutts in Palmer.

‘Museum Studies’ scholarships available

Applications are due Nov. 30 for this year’s Ethel Montgomery Scholarship from the Friends of the Alaska State Libraries, Archives and Museum in conjunction with the Alaska State Museum in Juneau.

Applicants for the $2,000 scholarship must be enrolled in a federally recognized Alaska tribe and pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in museum studies.

For more information, or applications, contact Jackie Schoppert at kaageesaak@aol.com, or (907) 321-5652; or Marjorie Menzi at marjoriemenzi@msn.com, or (907) 723-9156.

App Challenge open to secondary students

The Verizon Innovative App Challenge increases students’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math while exposing them to the creative thinking and skills used in STEM-related careers. The App Challenge is open to teams of five U.S. middle and high school students plus a faculty advisor.

Teams will develop an original concept for a mobile app that incorporates STEM and addresses a real-world problem in their school or community. The team will submit an online essay and video of its design concept. Submissions are welcomed until Dec. 3. Visitverizonfoundation.org/appchallenge to learn more.

‘Choose Respect’ poster contest deadline is Dec. 13

The deadline to enter this year’s “Choose Respect” poster contest is Dec. 13. Artists are encouraged to create images around the theme “Respect: Lead the Way.” Poster ideas include youth helping others, being responsible community members, and choosing respect over violent or harmful behaviors. For more information, visit 1.usa.gov/1bRtxkO, or contact (907) 269-7450

Nine Star expands adult education services to Wasilla

Nine Star Education and Employment Services is now providing adult basic education classes and GED testing at the Wasilla Job Center in the Westside Mall, 877 W. Commercial Dr.

The current GED series ends Dec. 31. Starting in 2014, there will be a new GED® test. The test will be more expensive and may be more difficult.

The center is open Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, contact 373-7833, or send e-mail to matsuged@ninestar.com.

Snow Ball Cotillion Dance is Jan. 31

The vice president Colony High School's student government is organizing its second annual Snow Ball Cotillion Dance from 8 to 11 p.m., Jan. 31, 2014, at the Palmer Train Depot. The dance is open to all Valley high school juniors and seniors and is a fundraiser for The Children's Place. The goal is to raise $10,000 for the nonprofit. R&R Productions is donating its time to spin music for the event. Tickets are $20 at the door or $15 in advance at The Children’s Place, 530 Talkeetna St., Wasilla.

NYO practice begins

The Native Youth Olympics team sponsored by Chickaloon Village will practice from 3:45 to 5 p.m., Mondays and Wednesdays through April 23, 2014, in the Sutton Elementary Gym, and from 3:45 to 5 p.m., Fridays at Ya Ne Dah Ah School. The team is open to all students in enrolled grades kindergarten through 12^th. No tryout required. For more information, call 745-0793 or email josiw@chickaloon.org.

Walk on the wild side with Spring Creek Farm

Girls enjoy Spring Creek Farm, its trails and work toward a different program each month to include wilderness survival, snowshoeing, cooking and winter survival. Classes are 9 a.m. to noon for grades kindergarten through three and 1 to 4 p.m. for grades fourth through eighth. Call 746-2714 for more information.

Farm school ramping up again

Louise’s Farm School is registering for its 13-week fall session for outdoor environmental education for home-schoolers. The sessions include hikes, exploration, skiing and snowshoeing along with nature studies and project-based education. To learn more, call 746-2714 or email mrock@alaskapacific.edu.

Traditional Athabascan story added to digital archive

As part of its project to digitize Alaska Native language materials, the Alaska State Library Historical Collections has posted the following item to Alaska’s Digital Archives: Maillelle, Hannah. 1987. Dzax Dina Xudhoy = Spruce-pitch man story: a traditional story told in Holikachuk Athabaskan. McGrath: Iditarod Area School District. See the document online at bit.ly/XSOgdT.

Alaska students turn to Live Homework Help’s tutors

In 2012, Alaska residents visited Live Homework Help 19,057 times for help with homework, test preparation and challenging coursework. Alaska’s Live Homework Help is one of six successful statewide programs powered by Tutor.com to provide live, online and on-demand homework help and targeted tutoring. Students completed 18,556 live, one-to-one tutoring sessions. The remaining 501 sessions provided Alaska residents with vetted academic and career resources. For more information, visit sled.alaska.edu/homework.

State Library creates toolkit for technology

The Alaska State Library has posted an Educator’s Toolkit at lam.alaska.gov/educatortoolkit. This guide features resources on 21st century skills, project-based learning, blogs, wikis, cyberbullying and more. For more information, contact julie.niederhauser@alaska.gov.

Practice tests for new standards are online

Practice tests are online now for aligned to Alaska’s new English/language arts and mathematics standards. The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, of which Alaska is a member, has released examples of test questions for grades 3 to 8 and 11 in English language arts/literacy and mathematics. The practice tests will help schools prepare for Alaska’s new assessments, which will begin in the 2014-2015 school year. The practice tests are available for free at smarterbalanced.org/practice-test/.

Live Homework Help Expands Hours

The Digital Pipeline committee announces its Live Homework Help hours have been extended. It is now open from noon to 2 a.m. This service is available to Alaska students in grades K-12, intro-level college students and job seekers looking for help with their résumés. Visit http://sled.alaska.edu/homework.

Parent guides are online

Parent guides and tips for Alaska’s standards in English and math are available online at http://education.alaska.gov/akparentscommunity/. The guide is available as one document that includes all grades, or in two-page guides to each grade kindergarten to high school. The state Department of Education also is printing black-and-white copies of the guides and will distribute them to schools this month.

Alaska part of assessment comparison

The National Center for Education Statistics has published results of its effort to link the score scales of two assessments: the National Assessment of Educational Progress and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. With this study, all 52 states/jurisdictions that participated in the 2011 NAEP math and science assessments can compare the performance of their eighth-grade students with those of other countries. Overall, 36 states bested peers abroad in math, while 47 states topped peers abroad in science. Alaska students on average scored better than those of many nations.

Better Business Foundation Offers Integrity Scholarship

The Students of Integrity Scholarship supports students who recognize the importance of ethical and responsible marketplace practices. The Better Business Bureau Foundation offers the award to recognize high school seniors who personify high ethics, as demonstrated through leadership, community service, overall personal integrity and academic accomplishments. Alaska students are encouraged to apply for a $1,500 scholarship and one $1,000 scholarship. Apply by March 1, 2014 at alaska.bbb.org/scholarship.

Real World Design Challenge accepting participants

The 2013-2014 Real World Design Challenge on Precision Agriculture is available. This year's challenge is focused on the design and implementation of an unmanned aerial vehicle system to support precision agriculture, specifically the monitoring and assessment of crop conditions to achieve increased yield. Teams will employ a systems engineering design and integration approach, and support their work with a business case. Students will learn engineering principles through an inquiry-based approach in a highly interactive and experiential setting.

Details are posted at realworlddesignchallenge.org.

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