At commencement ceremonies Monday night for Homer Flex School and Homer High School, speakers offered practical guidance for young adults going forth in the traditional American rite of passage. Usually adults offer inspiration, but at both schools examples of overcoming adversity came from the students themselves.
Connections:
On Thursday, May 4, 13 Homer Middle students traveled to Homer High to participate in the Bake for Good program. With the help of Lauren Seaton, the culinary arts teacher, and volunteer Sharon Roufa, students learned the science and techniques behind baking bread while making almost 200 rolls which were then delivered to the Homer Community Food Pantry.
More than 70 sixth, seventh and eighth students from as far away as Seward met in the Homer Middle School gym on Thursday, May 11, to compete in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Middle School Math Meet. This all-day event consisted of four grueling rounds of math competition in which students competed against and collaborated with their peers from around the district.
Alaska is located between two tectonic plates which means we experience regular earthquakes every day. The Great Alaska Earthquake was the second largest earthquake ever recorded, with a magnitude of 9.2. This natural disaster killed a total of 139 people, but only 13 died from the earthquake itself. So how did they die? The 1964 earthquake caused a 12 feet tsunami that killed 119 people. The total property damage in Alaska was 300-400 million dollars. In Alaska alone, we have an average of 1000 earthquakes each month.
Students from the McNeil Canyon Elementary School performed the musical “Pirates” last Thursday at the school.
Homer Middle School
Homer High Daily Bulletin
Some children’s books tell an elaborate tale designed to carry readers, young and old, off into a fantastical world far from everyday life. Others introduce new words and new concepts like counting, opposites, sequences, information about nature or how things work. And then there are picture books that use animated images and delicious sounding words to create an experience, part real and part imagined, full of anticipation and delight.
The JV softball game at 6:00 tomorrow vs Kenai has now been cancelled.
A mural on the main lobby wall of West Homer Elementary School is intended to reflect the school’s vision and mission statements. Principal Eric Waltenbaugh said the art also is intended to be welcoming and show the student community.
It is no secret that the wafts of music are just as familiar to a young Homer resident as the wafts of salty sea breeze rising up from Kachemak Bay. That said, many in the Homer community strive to keep musical opportunities and programs open to the youth.
Kids raise money for Hoxie Parks
With private and even public college tuition rising to above $60,000 a year, some area high school students have begun considering a low-cost alternative: residential community colleges. At one-third the price, these colleges often have smaller campuses and student bodies, a lower student-teacher ratio and all the amenities of a modern university, including dorms and cafeterias.
Homer High School senior Zane Boyer has been named a National Merit Scholarship finalist. He was one of 8,000 finalists from more than 1.5 million initial test takers nationally. Boyer is the son of Elise and Jay Boyer. Homer High has had seven finalists in the past eight years.
Using low-tech tools like cereal boxes and a pasta maker, Anchorage artist Jimmy Riordan showed West Homer Elementary School students how to create colorful, playful prints and other art works. Last Friday, students displayed their work in the hallways of the school, with older students buddying up with younger students as they looked at the work. Many of the student artists also were on hand to discuss their projects.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District wants the public to put pressure on the Legislature and the borough assembly to provide additional funding in the upcoming fiscal year.
For young children, the real world is a magical place. The metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly is as awe-inspiring as a well-written, fantastical story about unicorns. In both cases, children have the opportunity to learn about the world around them and how they fit in it. Both fiction (imaginary) and non-fiction (informational) books and media have an important place in the life of a child.
City of Homer Community Recreation Schedule:
Among the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s budgetary reactions to shrinking state funds is a proposal to save $624,302 by cutting English Language Learner (ELL) tutors, who teach English to students learning it as a second language.
