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January has been a busy month for everyone at Twin Hills School, and February promises to continue this trend. Everyone has completed this round of CRT tests, as the semester ends on February 16.  Report cards and parent teacher conferences will be held on February 22 and 23. The district Battle of the Books will be held February 6, and the Spelling Bee on the 13th. We will hold a dance on February 16. Look for more information about that from the
students!

If we do not answer our phone, please leave a message on our answering machine!

Ekwok is hosting a fifth through eighth grade basketball tournament this weekend. This will replace the Aleknagik basketball tournament, which was cancelled due to weather. Five of our fifth through eighth grade students plan to attend, and hopefully the weather will cooperate this time. The students are all looking forward to not only the basketball, but also continuing the friendships formed during Surviving Science.

Surviving Science was deemed a gigantic success by all who attended. With over 90 people contributing, it was an explosion of traditional and modern knowledge about life in rural Alaska during the harsh winter months. Highlights of the event were the StarLab, gun safety and shooting, meteorology, carving, mitten sewing, trapping instruction and much more. Tom MacPhail and Dave Manning of KTVA found our village a friendly and welcoming
place. They will send us the dates when the interviews they filmed here will be aired on statewide television so we can see Twin Hills in the spotlight! I will be traveling to Anchorage for the Bilingual Multi-Cultural Equity Conference to present the highlights of our program and instruct other teachers in planning similar events.

Katie Moore attended the recent administrator's meeting as our CSC representative. We are beginning the budget process for next year and all CSCs were asked to send a member to participate with the site administrators.

The next CSC meeting is February 27 at 4:00 p.m.

Sterling Waldron will be teaching the students about recycling

Read through the pamphlets accompanying this newsletter, which range from Assets and nutrition to benchmark tests.

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Happy New Year! I hope the holiday season was merry and bright for all of you. The students started us all on the right note with their Christmas program just before vacation. Congratulations to all our fourth through eighth graders who entered the Bristol Bay Times Christmas story contest, and especially to Vanessa John, Jennifer Henry, Clayton Dillard, Joseph Henry, and Temple Dillard whose stories were selected for publication.

As I take over the Principal/Teacher position, Serina Montgomery joins our staff. Serina taught first and second grade in Togiak last year, and we are excited to have her here to work with all the students. Our daily schedule
will remain the same, with language arts and math instruction in the morning and the remaining subjects taught thematically in the afternoon. Serina will be teaching theme to all students, as well as working with the younger
students in language arts and math.

From 8:45 a.m. until 12:00 (noon), all staff members are working directly with students. If you call the school during those hours, please leave a message on the answering machine and someone will get back to you after noon.
We will answer the phone, as well as return calls, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:45, and from 12:00 until 4:00.

Aleknagik is hosting a fourth through eighth grade basketball tournament on January 18th and 19th, and many of our students have indicated an interest in participating. On Friday, mid-term grades will come out with indications regarding eligibility. I have met with all students to let them know what they need to do to ensure their eligibility to travel. Permission slips will be sent home in the near future, and final eligibility will be determined on January 15.

This month promises to be an exciting one as we host "Surviving Science," a winter science experience for fifth through eighth graders from the five Southwest Region Schools small sites. This will be an opportunity for all to
make new friends as they learn winter survival skills from elders and experts. The dates for this event are January 22, 23, and 24. Events include presentations by meteorologist Tom McPhail (Channel 11 weatherman); Ward
Jones, gun safety; Les Parks and the Star Lab, an indoor planetarium; and more. Crafts include carving, mitten sewing, making dance fans, and beading.  If you would like to volunteer your time to help teach a craft or share
traditional knowledge (either during the event or prior to it for the Twin Hills students only), please let me know prior to the fifteenth of January. Our fourth through eighth graders will be staying overnight at school on the
22nd and 23rd. The first and second graders will be involved in the activities during the day, but will be dismissed at 3:00 as usual.

Welcome, Serina Montgomery and Happy New Year to all!

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Greeting Parents and  Community members,

Students have been very busy at school keeping up on their regular school work and also beginning to practice for the Christmas program.  Everyone is glad the weather has cooled down and that it is finally starting to snow.   Some students have already been fishing for smelt and pike.   Students, remember that the ice is still thin, and it might be unsafe, so be sure to get your parent’s permission before you go on the ice.

Our students always go outside for noon recess unless it is below 0 degrees or storming badly.  Students should always remember to bring their winter coat, snow pants, winter boots, a warm cap and gloves with you to school.  This will save parents making a trip to school to bring winter clothes.

Important dates coming up are:  December 16, Saturday School;  December 20 at 2:00 is the Christmas Play;  December 21 at 1:30 students are dismissed for Christmas Vacation; and January 3 students and staff return to school from Christmas vacation.

Jeweline will be doing small group parent meetings beginning in January.  She will be contacting parents with the date, time and place for these meetings.

Twin Hills School will be hosting students from all of the small sites schools in SWR for a “Surviving Science” workshop on January 22, 23 and 24.  We need a couple of volunteers/elders from Twin Hills village to help teach survival skills to the students.  Any parents or elders that are interested in helping please contact Kathy.  We appreciate your help.

Rod Mebius has been filling in as temporary Principal/Teacher since Mr. Burkhardt went back to Idaho.  Rod worked as Principal at Togiak and New Stuyahok for 9 years and then for 3 years at SW Region District Office in Dillingham as Director of Secondary Instruction.  Rod will fill in until shortly before Christmas vacation.  Stop by some afternoon and meet him.  Rod gives a big thanks to Kathy, Agnes, Jessica, Gladys, John and Jeweline for all the hard work they do with the students and children in Twin Hills.  We appreciate all that parents do to help the children with getting homework done, signing papers,  getting children ready for school, etc..

Since the District was unable to hire a regular principal, Kathy Yahr has agreed to be the Principal/Teacher at Twin Hills School for the remainder of the year.   Kathy will begin these duties after Rod leaves. We are sure the school will be in good hands with Kathy being P/T.

Serina Montgomery will be coming to Twin Hills as a full time teacher after Christmas and will remain for the rest of the year.  She taught at Togiak last year and has been working as a long term substitute teacher this fall/winter in Togiak.  Serina is originally from Dillingham.

The students and staff at Twin Hills School wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season.

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Next week October 23-27th is Red Ribbon Week.  This week promotes healthy lifestyles and saying no to drugs and alcohol.  Steve Ito, Elementary Counselor, and Cathy Flavin, BBNA, will be visiting  Monday, 23rd, and making a presentation to the students.

The Community School Committee (CSC) will be having their monthly meeting here at the school Tuesday, Oct. 24th at 4:00 P.M. I encourage you to attend and participate in your children’s education. Refreshments will be served.

Also Tuesday (24th) we are expecting Jan Ilutsik, PHN, to visit.  She will be doing TB testing which is a requirement for school attendance. If you haven’t signed a permission form, Jessica will get in touch with you on Monday.

My reading group has been reading about the 2001 snowmachines.  Students have a chart which lists  8 different characteristics of each model. We  compare the models to each other for price, engine size, carburetion, exhaust, ski stance, fuel capacity, suspension front and rear, and weight.  Students do vocabulary and practice using the words in sentence.  The students are also looking up the models on the Internet. This unit incorporates comparison, evaluation, reasoning, math and writing skills.  The students are having lots of fun doing it.

Kathy’s first and second grade students have been very busy this month working daily to improve their reading and phonic skills through books, songs, and other activities. They  have even started weekly spelling list! In math, they are working not only on addition and subtraction, but graphing, patterning, and measurement.  The fourth through sixth grade reading groups work on phonics, word attack, and research skills while reading a variety of literature about our current theme.

During our afternoon thematic study period, we have taken an in depth look at flight. The students studied insects, and were able to observe metamorphosis in real life as six butterflies emerged from cocoons in the classroom. We studied birds, comparing the habits and body structure of local birds.  We are taking brief look at aviation to conclude our studies before moving on to our next them, “Celebrations”.

To culminate our “Flight” Theme, we will present the play “Why Do Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears?” on Saturday, October  28.  This play is a humorous musical that I am sure you will all enjoy.  It represents use of many of the objectives in the new Fine Arts Curriculum, for it incorporates music, drama, dance, and visual art.  The play will take place at 11:30 on Saturday, October 28, and will be followed by our Halloween potluck lunch,
cake walk, and pinata breaking. Jessica will call next week to have you sign up for the food item you will bring.

There have been some questions regarding eligibility for students attending extra-curricular activities such as gym
nights, travel trips ( Brooks Camp), dances and in general any activity that takes place in addition to the regular school day.  I have attached the district eligibility policy for your information. The staff and CSC are currently developing a student handbook specifically for Twin Hills.

Parents  are invited to visit the school and participate with their children. The school will even buy lunch for the parents.  Just call ahead by 10:30 A.M. so Gladys will have a plate for you.

Please contact the school any time if you have questions or concerns about the educational program. Hope you all have your freezers full of moose, caribou, fish, walrus and/or berries.

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We’re off  to a good start  for the school year. Students have been coming to school on time with very few absences. Thanks to parents/grandparents and guardians for getting their children up, fed and out the door.  I have been hired on a temporary basis until the regular principal, Jim Garrow is on duty. It is a pleasure to see some of you again.  For those who don’t know me, I worked for Southwest Region Schools for over 22 years. Eight years as teacher in New Stuyahok and  the rest as a Federal Programs Director out of the district office.

The 7th and 8th graders just returned from a fantastic trip from the Katmai National Park. I have excellent reports from other district personnel that your children were in the best behavior and our chaperone, Jessica Mark, did an outstanding job of supervising them. Students will be making a presentation at the CSC meeting.

Thursday, September 21st, students will go home at 1:30 P.M. so that staff can prepare lesson plans for the following week. Friday will be all day training.

Friday, September 22nd, we will have ASSETS Training for students and community members. ASSETS are qualities the children and adults have that help them make good decisions, promote healthy behaviors, and give them the empowerment to make their lives better.  Our guest presenters will be Derek Peterson, Lori Namyniuk and Father Michael. The training will start at 8:30 A.M. at the school and last till 4:30 with a hour off at noon for people and students to go home for lunch. There will be no lunch served at school.

Tuesday, September 26th, there will be a CSC meeting here at the school. It will start at 4:00 P.M..  Please come and take part in the educational decisions that effect your children.

I look forward to meeting with you and please feel free to contact  me regarding the educational program offered to your children.  The best time to call or visit is in the afternoon as I am in the classroom in the morning.  Hope all of you got your winter supply of berries.

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