- Cama-i, quyana tailuci!
- (Central Yup’ik)
- "Greetings, thank you for coming!"
Information Exchange: Vol. 45 No. 15
Inside This Edition:
- Alaska Teacher of the Year Nominations are Open
- Students Invited to Design Poster for the Choose Respect Initiative
- Artistic License Call Open to All Ages
- Alaska Students Join Washington Week Events
- Winners of Justice for All Poster Contest are Announced
- Coaching Boys into Men Spring Training
- Alaska Museums: Grant in Aid Applications are Open
- UAS Hosts Recruiting Event
- Sitka, Arts, Summer, and Four Credits
- Arts Training for Teachers Working with Special Education Students
- Attend an AAEC Summer Arts Institute
- Fundraising Gala Set for April 15 for Friends of State Library, Archives and Museum
- Public Comment Open for Alaska State Library Plan 2018-2022 to April 15
- SJM Artifact of the Month: Tsimshian Baskets
- Free Resources and Tools to Learn About Digital Literacy
- Anchorage School Board to Host Leadership Academy
- Museum of the North Explores Birds at Family Events
- Digital Teaching Initiative Network to Present Conference in June
- Webinar Explains State Law on Physical Activity in Schools
- Alaska State System of Support Seeks Experienced Alaska Teachers as Coaches
- Help Develop the ESSA State Application
- Nominations Open for Superintendent of the Year
- School Leadership Institute Set for May 22-24
- Summer Food Service Program Looking for Local Sites
Contact Us
- Eric Fry: (907) 465-2851
Subscription
Alaska Teacher of the Year Nominations are Open
The Alaska Teacher of the Year 2018 nomination process is open through May 1. Alaska has many outstanding teacherswho are worthy of the award. The Alaska Teacher of the Year Program gives us an opportunity to identify Alaska’sbest teachers. Any interested Alaskan may nominate a teacher for the award. Teacher of the Year is an excellentway to acknowledge the expertise, skills, accomplishments, and professionalism of teachers in your school. Contact:Cecilia Miller at AlaskaTOY@alaska.gov or 907-465-8703. The nomination form is available at http://www.eed.state.ak.us/RecognitionPrograms/TOY/.
Students Invited to Design Poster for the Choose Respect Initiative
Alaska students K-12 are invited to create a positive message about respect and healthy relationships by participatingin this year’s Choose Respect: Alaskans Pulling Together for Each Other poster contest. Posters must be receivedelectronically or via mail by April 14. Contest details can be found here: https://gov.alaska.gov/administration-focus/safer-alaska/poster-contest/.Questions can be directed to Karen.Obermann@alaska.gov or call907-269-7450.
Artistic License Call Open to All Ages
Alaska is holding its first license plate design competition, and submissions from all ages are welcome. A secret celebrity panel of Alaska judges will choose finalists, and then a statewide vote by Alaskans will decide the winning design. The new plate will be available for all Alaskans as an official DMV-issued license plate for the next four years. For complete information, guidelines, and submission instructions visit http://alaskaartisticlicense.org/. The call is open to April 24.
Alaska Students Join Washington Week Events
The 55th annual United States Senate Youth Program Washington Week recently ended. The Alaska student delegates were Madeline Ko of Palmer High School and Wilfried Zibell of Noorvik Aqqaluk High School. You can see them in action during the annual C-SPAN program featuring the students. Tune in to C-SPAN at 4 p.m. Alaska time on April 16; the program will be re-aired at 7 p.m. Alaska time on the Q and A program, or find it afterwards at http://www.c-span.org. Two student delegates from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity came together for an intensive educational experience from high-level elected and appointed officials in the country. Students receive a $10,000 scholarship. See http://ussenateyouth.org/washington_agenda/.
Winners of Justice for All Poster Contest are Announced
The Alaska Court System has announced the winners of the 2017 Justice for All Art Contest, which received entries of posters from students statewide. Evangeline Rhys James, a fourth-grader at Northern Lights ABC School in Anchorage won first place in the grades K-4 category. Hannah Rose Mason, an eighth-grader at Barnette Magnet School in Fairbanks, won first place in the grades 5-8 category. A complete list of winners can be seen on the flyer attached to this Info Exchange. To see the artwork itself, go to http://courts.alaska.gov/outreach/index.htm#art. For information on next year’s contest, see http://www.courts.alaska.gov/outreach/index.htm.#art.
Coaching Boys into Men Spring Training
Coaching Boys into Men Spring Training: May 11-12 in Juneau. Coaching Boys into Men (CBIM) is a comprehensive violence-prevention curriculum for coaches and their athletes developed by Futures without Violence. The program engages athletic coaches through the Coaches Leadership Program to help shape the attitudes and behaviors of young male athletes.
Athletic coaches play an extremely influential and unique role in the lives of young men, often serving as a parent or mentor to the boys they coach. Because of these special relationships, coaches are poised to positively influence how young men think and behave both on and off the field. From speeches to the team, practice sessions, or simply casual conversation, coaches have many opportunities to impart their philosophies to athletes. CBIM is currently being implemented by high school coaches of male athletic teams throughout the state.
All coaches of male high school athletic teams are welcome to submit an application. Coaches who have attended in the past and who would like to attend again may submit an application. The training is also open to school administrators.
Scholarships to attend the training are provided and include travel and lodging. See http://dps.alaska.gov/CDVSA/Prevention-Coaching-Boys-Into-Men.html. For additional information please contact Ann Rausch, Program Coordinator II, Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, at ann.rausch@alaska.gov. To view a video about CBIM: http://dps.alaska.gov/CDVSA/Prevention-Coaching-Boys-Into-Men.html.
Alaska Museums: Grant in Aid Applications are Open
The application process for the FY2018 Grant in Aid cycle is now open at the Alaska State Museums. The legislature has not yet finalized the Grant-in-Aid funding for next fiscal year. There will be two grant programs: Regular Grant-in-Aid for projects up to $10,000 and Mini-Grant-in-Aid for projects up to $2,000. Apply for one category only of funding per institution. Before applying for the Mini-Grant program, contact Scott Carrlee, Curator of Museum Services, at 1-888-913-6873 or scott.carrlee@alaska.gov to discuss your proposal. Grant-In-Aid applications must be entered by 4:30 p.m. Alaska time on June 1. Applications are available at http://museums.alaska.gov.
UAS Hosts Recruiting Event
On April 7‐9, the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau will welcome 26 students to Explore Southeast, a recruiting event aimed at traditional college‐age students, including UA Scholars, Alaska Performance Scholarship recipients, rural students, and students from the lower 48. Students stay in a residence hall, attend faculty lectures, and tour the campus and downtown Juneau and hike at the Mendenhall Glacier. Of the 28 participants in 2016, over 75% enrolled at UAS. Travel for participants outside of Juneau was provided by airline miles accrued by staff and faculty travel, and miles given by private donors. Explore Southeast is one of several innovative recruitment initiatives at UAS this year. Others include: Come Home Alaska, which provides tuition reduction incentives for family members from out of state who return to Alaska for their education; Finish College Alaska, a program for Alaskans with some college who want to finish their degrees; and other financial incentives for prospective and current students. See http://www.uas.alaska.edu or call 907-796-6100.
Sitka, Arts, Summer, and Four Credits
Come see Sitka and take the two-week AAEC Basic Arts Institute called Unraveling the Layers: Arts, Culture and Technology Integration from June 5-16. This opportunity is sponsored by Alaska Arts Education Consortium (AAEC), Sitka School District with cooperation from the Sitka Tribe, and Sitka Fine Arts Camp. The teacher-leaders are: Shelly Toon Lindberg for Visual Arts and Theory; Nathan Shafer for Media Arts; Kathleen Kingsley for Movement and Dance; and George Holly for Cultural Arts and Languages. Registration fee is $495 for member districts. Four credits are available. The deadline is April 27. Seehttp:// www.akartsed.org or contact Barbara Short at barbshort@gmail.com.
Arts Training for Teachers Working with Special Education Students
The Alaska Arts Education Consortium is offering Arts are Exceptional one-week institutes in Unalakleet, May 22-26, and Anchorage, July 31-August 4. These special education-focused institutes are open to all K-12 educators who are interested in learning skills and techniques pertinent to special needs students, including modifications and adaptations of classroom practices through the arts. Daily sessions include theory and hands-on activity sessions—including art, music, drama, and movement. Educators will experience the diverse ways that students can access learning and gain skills, increasing the ease and likelihood of student success for all students. See http://www.akartsed.org or contact Barbara Short at barbshort@gmail.com.
Attend an AAEC Summer Arts Institute
The Alaska Arts Education Consortium has announced plans for five 2017 Summer Arts Education Institutes. For institutes that are open for registration, see http://www.akartsed.org. May 22-26, Unalakleet Arts are Exceptional Special Education and the Arts Institute one week, 3 credits. June 5-16, Sitka Basic Arts Institute, two weeks, 4 credits. July 24-August 4, Juneau Basic & Beyond Arts Institute, two weeks with special event during the second week, 4 credits. July 31-August 4, Anchorage Arts are Exceptional Special Education and the Arts Institute one week, 3 credits. August 9-13, Sitka Cultural Arts Institute, one week, 3 credits.
Fundraising Gala Set for April 15 for Friends of State Library, Archives and Museum
Want to go behind the scenes at the Andrew P. Kashevaroff State Library, Archives and Museum (APK) in Juneau? Talk with a weaver in the Clan House? View telegrams about the serum run to Nome and the Princess Sophia? Explore three different labs at the APK? Enjoy the musical styling of Tom Locher and Wayne Norland? Appetizers and a no-host bar will round out your elegant evening. Please join the Friends of the State Libraries, Archives and Museums for their April 15 fundraising gala from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at APK. Tickets are available at the Juneau Arts and Humanities Council and Hearthside Books or at http://www.foslam.org.
Public Comment Open for Alaska State Library Plan 2018-2022 to April 15
The Alaska State Library is accepting ideas on how to achieve the goals of its next five-year plan, which is a requirement for federal funding. See http://alaskalibrary.collectiveinnovation.com/. The webpage is based on comments collected during a survey at the Alaska Library Conference in Ketchikan.
SJM Artifact of the Month: Tsimshian Baskets
The Sheldon Jackson Museum’s Artifact of the Month for April is Tsimshian baskets. Learn more about SJM’s artifact this month. Archive of Previous Artifacts of the Month.
Free Resources and Tools to Learn About Digital Literacy
The website TechBoomers recommends 32 resources and tools, available on free websites, for people learning about digital literacy. See https://techboomers.com/blog/best-digital-literacy-sites-resources.
Anchorage School Board to Host Leadership Academy
The Anchorage School Board will host a series of training sessions for current and prospective board members, and members of the general public who are interested in learning more about board leadership. The Leadership Academy consists of monthly sessions spanning a year. Sessions include topics such as board standards, governance versus management, school finance, assessments and accountability, and more. See http://www.asdk12.org/asdleads. “Boards in high-achieving districts understand how to goal-set, monitor their progress with data, possess detailed knowledge about the district, and have a good working relationship with the superintendent, allowing him or her to manage while the board governs,” said Board President Tam Agosti-Gisler.
Museum of the North Explores Birds at Family Events
The University of Alaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks is exploring birds at hands-on programs during April. At Family Day: Birds on April 22, from noon to 4 p.m., visitors can discover the diverse world of Alaska birds. There is no admission fee for children 14 and under at Family Day events, thanks to support from TOTE Maritime. Families are invited to drop in with children five and under at Early Explorers each Friday from 10 a.m. to noon. Teen Studio on April 29 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. offers an opportunity for young adults ages 13-18 to explore birds and art. See http://www.uaf.edu/museum or call 907-474-7505.
Digital Teaching Initiative Network to Present Conference in June
The Digital Teaching Initiative Network will present the 2017 DTi Network Conference: Inspiration, Innovation, Personalization on June 5-7 in Soldotna. The network is made up of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District, Copper River School District, and Kodiak Island Borough School District. At this strand-style conference, educators and administrators will be immersed in learning skills and pedagogy they can apply to their classrooms with confidence. The presenters are state and national leaders in their fields. See http://www.kibsd.org/domain/646.
Webinar Explains State Law on Physical Activity in Schools
The Alaska School Health and Obesity Prevention and Control programs will present everything you want to know about state law regarding physical activity in Alaska schools. A webinar presentation will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on April 26. Topics include the history and details of the law, frequently asked questions, ideas for implementation, and school district examples. There will be time to ask questions; the line will stay open after 4:00 p.m. if needed. To register, see https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4609738063793312513. Contact Wendy Hamilton at wendy.hamilton@alaska.gov or 907-465-2768 for more information. Also see: http://dhss.alaska.gov/dph/Chronic/Pages/SchoolHealth/mandatoryPA.aspx.
Alaska State System of Support Seeks Experienced Alaska Teachers as Coaches
The Department of Education and Early Development is seeking responses from qualified and experienced Alaskan educators for the State System of Support Coaching Program. Coaches will apply their education skills to increase the capacity of low-performing schools and districts to raise student achievement. Offerors must have knowledge of current research and practices in the six effective school domains of curriculum, assessment, instruction, supportive learning environment, professional development and leadership. Coaches work as independent contractors. See http://notice.alaska.gov/184945.
Help Develop the ESSA State Application
2017 Spring Leadership Working Conference: Building the ESSA State Application, on April 21 at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) offers Alaska an opportunity to develop state policy that is responsive to Alaska’s unique educational environment. Join us in Anchorage on April 21 for presentations, discussions, and planning as we consider how to move forward with teaching and learning in our state. ESSA shifts much of the policymaking power from the U.S. Education Department to the states. The legislation empowers states to develop their own accountability systems that measure student progress and affords them the authority to determine how best to improve student and school performance.
Conference Purposes: To clarify what ESSA is and is not for Alaska. To learn about specific actions for complying with key elements of the plan under Title I. To provide feedback regarding the areas of standards and assessment; accountability; and support for low-performing schools. To learn about new classifications for teachers and administrators under Title I and Title II. The event is sponsored by the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development in partnership with Alaska Staff Development Network/Alaska Council of School Administrators. Click here for more information and online registration
Nominations Open for Superintendent of the Year
The selection committee is seeking nominations for the 2018 Alaska Superintendent of the Year. Nominations can be made by school board members, parents, colleagues, community members, or anyone who has personal knowledge of an Alaska superintendent’s performance and qualifications. Candidates should exemplify educational effectiveness, knowledge, leadership, ethics, and commitment. Any superintendent or top leader of a school system who plans to continue in the profession may be nominated. Please email nominations to acsa@alaskaacsa.org or mail them to the ASA Executive Director, 234 Gold Street, Juneau, AK 99801 by May 1. The nomination application: http://www.SOY2018 Nomination Form.pdf.
School Leadership Institute Set for May 22-24
Alaska School Leadership Institute 2017: Leadership to Support Instructional Excellence, Making a Positive Impact on the Culture of a School and Maximizing Student Learning, on May 22-24, at the Hilton Hotel in Anchorage. This conference is tailored to small and rural schools and districts. Topics include: cultivating the leadership dispositions that grow a positive school culture, providing effective feedback, building and supporting a highly effective system with mathematics, and the impacts and opportunities of the new ESSA for rural school systems. More information and registration here.
Summer Food Service Program Looking for Local Sites
Are there children in your community who will go hungry this summer? The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development’s Child Nutrition Programs unit is looking for school districts, parks and recreation departments, non-profit organizations, camps, and churches to operate Summer Food Service Program feeding sites for children and youth in low-income areas in Alaska. Sponsors are reimbursed with federal funds for each eligible meal served at approved feeding sites (school, park, local café, Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, or another location). All sponsors receive training and technical assistance from Alaska Child Nutrition Programs prior to starting their Summer Food Service Program and throughout the program’s duration.
All trainings will be in person or by phone, please contact Cyde Coil at cyde.coil@alaska.gov or 907-465-4969 to register: Distance Delivery for All Sponsors: Training delivered via WebEx; April 13, 8:30 a.m.-noon New and Returning Sponsors. Schools Training: Training Delivered via WebEx; April 20, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. All School District Sponsors and Staff; Anchorage In-Person Training: Located at BP Energy Center 900 E. Benson Blvd., May 2, 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. New and Returning Sponsors and Staff.
To sponsor a program this summer, schools and organizations should contact program specialist Alicia Maryott at 907-465-4788 or alicia.maryott@alaska.gov. Applications, training and sponsor information will be sent upon inquiry. For more information please visit: https://education.alaska.gov/tls/cnp/sfsp.html.
###