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Summer is Almost Here
Graduation and student awards ceremonies will be held
on Thursday, May 9 at 11:00 a.m. Eighth grade student Amanda Foster
will be graduating. We will celebrate the success of all students
with awards and a pizza luncheon to follow.
It's Not Over Till It's Over
The end of the school year may be rapidly approaching,
but the learning and community service activities continue. Students
are participating in many assessments, including math writing, STARReading
and STARMath. They are making selections for their portfolios, writing
final letters to pen pals, and we have been amazed at the growth shown
by each student in the area of writing.
In addition to the assessments, they are completing their
study of careers. The Trail of Wolves mall activity will be ending
this week, and all agree that it was a great way to learn about running
a business. As we head toward the end of the year, we will participate
once again in "Save the Beaches,"an internatinal project to clean-up areas
where ocean environments are used by people. Since there was too
much snow on the ground to hold our annual village clean-up day on Earth
Day, we will head out on the last day of school to make Twin Hills a cleaner
village. If you see the students out in the village on May 10 armed
with trash bags, please join us in this annual project.
CSC Election Results
In a very close election, Arthur Sharp was selected as
the newest member of the Twin Hills CSC. He will join William Ilutsik
and Katie Moore at the beginning of the 2002-03 school year. The
referendum to change to a five member CSC was narrowly defeated by 1 vote.
The CSC will remain a three-member committee. Thank you to everyone
for showing your involvement and interest in the school by turning out
your vote!
New Teachers For Twin Hills School
For the first time in nine years, there will be a complete
turnover of certified teachers at Twin Hills School. John and Janann
Kaufman will be arriving in early August. John is currently the principal
at Point Hope, and Janann teaches in the elementary grades. John
will take over the principal and upper grades responsibilities. Janann
will work with the younger students. Best wishes for a positive and
productive school year.
Good-Bye to All
I would like to take this opportunity to thank every
resident of Twin Hills for all the experiences and learning adventures
created over the past nine years. I will never forget any of you
and the way my life has been made richer because of my relationships and
interactions with you. I will take many positive memories of this
village and especially the students with me, and hope to hear fom you in
the future with news of more wonderful accomplishments of your children,
who remain our most valuable resource.
CSC Elections Upcoming
Tuesday, April 9 is election day in Twin Hills.
All adults are encouraged to participate. There is one opening on
our local Community School Council. Additionally, there is a referendum
vote that is of interest to everyone wishing to have a greater level of
input as a CSC member. This referendum poses the question, "Should
the Twin Hills CSC be increased from a 3 member to a five member committee?"
Earlier this year, this propasal was discussed at a CSC meeting.
Be sure to let your voice be heard through your vote on Tuesday, April
9. The polls, located in the school's front hall will be open from
8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
"Trail of Wolves" an Ongoing Success
As part of the second-eighth grade study of careers,
the students are paticipating in a weekly "City Sumulation" compete with
stores, a bakery, bank, post office and more. Each student selected
a job essential to the financial success of a city and is responsible for
running that business. They must each advertise, keep books, and
sell and buy fom other businesses. The simulation is designed to
give students a taste of the "real world" through running a business.
Each student's business is interdependent with all other businesses.
For example, all students are required to run an ad in the newspaper, use
the post office and visit the bank. An hour of work time is accompanied
by a ten minute break, so that students can visit the other businesses.
Advertising becomes important as each shop (including a beauty salon, gift
shop, and snack shop) compete for business, and therefore money, during
the limited break time. Students continue to refine their skills
in math, language arts, and economics each week the simulation continues.
News from the K-2 Classroom
Something very exciting is happening--- the kindergarteners
can write their names, name 10 colors, copy numbers and letters and they
know that reading and writing progresses from left to right. They
have become readers and writers like our second graders!
News from the 4-8 Classroom
As we enter the last five weeks of the school year, the
activities in the 4-8 grade classroom have become even more focused and
intense. In addition to our thematic study of careers, we are completing
a study of worldwide cultures and countries while writing books to read
to the younger students. Next week, we will begin a study of earthquakes,
hurricanes, and other natural disasters. In math, we continue to
work on grade specific skills including algebra, fractions, percents, geometry,
and basic facts. The students are doing a great job continuing to
bring in daily homework. Keep up the good work!
Spring is Coming
The coming of spring brings longer days and more outdoor
activity. We all enjoy getting out, but please remind your children
that curfew is 9:00 on school nights, and all children should be inside
their own homes by that time, The school upholds the state law that
prohibits children under the age of 16 from driving motorized vehicles,
and no student-driven 4-wheelers will be allowed on the school grounds
at any time, including the weekends. Let's all be safe and happy!
Testing Time
This week all students in second through eighth grade
will be participating in standardized achievement tests. Sixth and
eighth grade students will be taking the Alaska Benchmark tests, and those
in second, fifth and seventh will be taking the Terra Nova (formerly CAT
test). Tests will be conducted in the morning, from about 9:00 until
11:30 with breaks for snacks and physical activities. These tests
are required by the state and provide us with valuable information about
the achievement of our students. Please be sure that your child comes
to school on time each day this week after a good night’s sleep to be able
to perform at the highest levels during this important week.
Important Upcoming Events
No School March 8
There will be no school for all students on March 8.
This is a day of spring break after the long days of testing.
Parent Conferences
The end of the quarter is March 8. Parent conferences
are scheduled for March 13 and 14. Jessica will be calling to schedule
a time for you to sit down with your children and their teachers to discuss
their progress and share their report cards and work samples.
OTE Luncheon
Our annual Onward to Excellence planning session will
be held on March 20, beginning at 11:00 a.m. The meeting will go
until 1:00 or until finished, and will include a potluck lunch. Please
bring a dish to pass and your good ideas about the specific areas of focus
you would like to see the school taking. We will review progress
toward this year’s selected goals and select new goals to emphasize for
next year. Your input is crucial to this process, so plan now to
join us!
Classroom News
Kindergarten - Second Grade
We celebrated the 2002 Olympic games with an opening
ceremony in the gym for the “K” and 2nd graders as they carried the flame,
participated in bobsled (scooters) skiing, and figure skating --complete
with twirls and jumps to piano music. Everyone recieved a gold medal
and flowers as our national anthem was sung.
After studying the myriad ways of transportation including
snow-go, boat, plane, 4-wheeler, car, bus, balloon, truck, and train, and
students think the most fun way of going from one place to another would
be the train. They formed many trains with the classroom chairs after we
read about ways to get around.
Fourth - Eighth Grade
Getting into the Olympic Spirit, the students in the fourth
through eighth grade class has changed course and decided that instead
of sending the next Olympics to a foreign country, the games should be
held right in Alaska. They are preparing brochures and scale models
of an Olympic Park to send to the International Olympic Committee(IOC)
in an attempt to bring the games to the Great Land.
We are also reading about countries and customs throughout
the world. When we complete that unit, we will look at catastrophic
events (volcanoes, earthquakes, etc.) before wrapping up the year with
a study of career choices.
Book Bash Wrap-up
The students have completed their 100 days of reading
in the Book Bash. They read 89,220 pages! We celebrated on
the first of March with Movie Madness, including door prizes, for all 2-8
grade students. We read enough miles to make a trip all the way around
the world, and are now awaiting the results from the other SRS schools
to see how our results compared. The students of Twin Hills made
an incredible effort and have not let up even though the challenge is over.
Reading is a skill and a joy that lasts a lifetime.
February Is Here
The annual writing assessment was hald January 21-25,
and marking the start of our busy season of testing and assessment.
Mit-term reports have been mailed to all parents, and students know specific
areas to work on. Make sure your child is reading and completing
all math homework every night.
We appreciate your efforts!
The district Battle of the Books will be held on February
6. We have fifth/sixth and seventh/eighth grade teams competing.
The district spelling bee will be held the following week. Second
grade student Angel Sharp will represent the first through fourth grade
students, with sixth grader Frances Kuku competing against other fifth
through eighth graders.
March 5,6, and 7 are the dates for the state Benchmark
and Terra Nova tests for all second through eighth grade students.
More will follow regarding those tests in next month's Newsletter.
Breakfast Success!
Since Monday, January 14, the students of Twin Hills
School have had the opportunity to get to school on time and have a healthy
breakfast as well. Students who arrive at shcool between 8:00 and
8:15 are served breakfast at the school We have had an average of
eight students participating each day. We will soon be placing our
second order so that we will have enough food for all students who want
to have breakfast at school each day until the end of this school year.
Recess is Fun!
Weather permitting, all students participate in outdoor
recess each day. It is more fun for them if they are dressed properly,
so please make sure that your child has boots, snowpants, hats and other
essential outdoor gear when they leave for school each morning.
Gym Night Starts
January saw the beginning of gym night for the students
of Twin Hills School. James Kuku supervises the gym on Tuesday and
Thursday evenings. Hours are 6:00 - 7:00 for kindergarten through
third drade, 7:00 - 8:00 for fourth - eighth grade, and
8:00 - 9:00 for adults (18 and older). Students
must be eligible to participate, which means that their homework for that
day is completed, they were on time to school, and had less than three
warnings with no serious behavior infractions. They all want to participate,
and we'd love to see everyone eligible every night!
Classroom News
Fourth - Eighth Grade
The fourth grade students have been very busy for the
past several weeks, and this trend will continue. We are continuing
our study of the United States by exploring the impact of the pioneers
on Native Americans during the westward expansion movement of 1840-1880.
In addition to that, we will begin our study of countries of the world
with a study of the Olympics. This will include a look at the athletes,
the specific winter sports, and the countries competing. All students
will study one country to try to convince the "Olympic Committee" (the
rest of the class) that the next winter Olympics should be held in that
country.
All Students: Imaginarium Presentation
On Wednesday, February 6, two presenters from the Imaginarium
will be here with special assemblies and classroom projects for our students.
They will give presentations about chemistry, reactions, and insects at
9:00, 10:30, and 1:00. This is the Imaginarium's first trip to Twin
Hills, and we are excited to have them here. Feel welcome to join
us for any or all of the events!
Book Bash Continues
The students have just 22 days left to read their way
across the world. They have read over 47,000 pages so far!
Amazing readers!
Onward To Excellence
In March, we will meet to assess this year's progress
toward our selected OTE goals and select new goals for the 2002-03 school
year. This is one opportunity for you to have input regarding the
direction you would like to see the focus of the education programs at
our school. A copy of the goals is attached, so be thinking of what
is most important for your children to work on next year. This year's
goals are identified with a star.
Happy New Year!
It's 2002, and the students are back at school, as eager
to learn as they were on the first day of school. With the school
year now divided into semesters, the holiday break marks the true middle
of the school year. Just 90 student days left, and it seems as though
we've just begun. We hope that everyone had a restful and enjoyable
vacation, and is ready for the upcoming months of learning!
CSC Meeting January 15, 2002 4:00 p.m.
Clinic Notes
Please remember that all clinic appointments must be
scheduled by a parent. Students are not allowed to make their own
appointments from school, and must be accompanied by a parent to the clinic.
Let's all be healthy and happy!
Breakfast to Begin!
Starting on Monday, January 14, the students of Twin
Hills School will have an opportunity to get to school on time and have
a healthy breakfast as well. Students who arrive at school between
8:00 and 8:15 will be served breakfast at the school. This program,
approved by the CSC, is designed to help all students get to school on
time and still have breakfast, two elements crucial to success at school.
So that school can begin on time, all students wishing to eat breakfast
must arrive by 8:15. There will be no exceptions to this schedule
so that school can continue to get underway each day at 8:30. The
breakfast menu will consist of a rotating schedule of hot breakfast sandwiches
and cold cereal, accompanied with granola bars, Pop tarts, juice, and milk.
This is an experimental program, the first in our district , so send your
children early and let us know what you think!
Breakfast Schedule -
Monday - Friday
8:00 - 8:15
Students arriving by 8:15 will be served breakfast, and have until 8:30 to finish. Those arriving after 8:15 will not be eligible for breakfast on that day.
4th Through 8th Grade News
The fourth through Eighth Grade Students are continuing
their studies right where they left off before the holidays, in the middle
of the Civil War. Students are researching important individuals
who contributed to the war effort on both sides. Their culminating
activity will be to plan a route along the Underground Railroad for an
escaped slave, then write an account of the trip from the perspective of
the slave. At the conclusion of this unit, we will study pioneers
and the geography of the Lower 48 States.
The district writing assessment will be held later this
month (January 21-25), and the students are reviewing the analytic traits
as well as topic sentences and other skills necessary for success in writing.
We are continuing to write to our pen-pals across the Unites States, and
have received letters from students in five states as part of our participation
in the Great U.S. Mail Race. We are hoping to hear from all fifty!
This month marks the start of Math Madness. Starting
January 18, most Fridays will be completely devoted to specific concepts
in math. These will be enjoyable, informative, hands-on activities
that will give greater meaning to the concepts students are studying in
their individual math books.
Welcome Back, Nolan and Amanda! Happy New Year! Welcome, 2002!
Book Bash Continues
The amazing students at Twin Hills School have read over 25,000 pages since beginning the Book Bash on November 13. After traveling through the Unites States (one page = one mile), the students have crossed the Pacific and are headed from Japan to Australia. If they make their goal and read their way around the world, the 4th - 8th graders will have a slumber party at the school to celebrate.
Have you read a good book today?
Happy Holidays!
December is already here, with many special events and
activities. the students have been coming in early each morning to
add special decorations to the tree in our library, and it's beginning
to look a lot like Christmas!
To start our busy month, the CSC will meet. Our
meetings this year have been very productive as we examine our Onward to
Excellence goals and look at improvements to our programs. Staff
members have been providing reports on their programs, and students come
to the meetings to share news about their activities.
December 20th marks the end of the second quarter of
the school year. Report cards will be mailed home on December 21st,
the last day of school before the holiday break. There are no conferences
with this report card; however, if you would like to schedule one, lease
call when school resumes on January 8. Merry Christmas to all!
Christmas is Coming
The halls and classrooms of Twin Hills School ring with
song every day in December as the children prepare for their Christmas
program. The younger students are learning traditional songs from
the older students during our morning "together" time, including Rudolph,
Jingle
Bells, and more. When we move into our separate classrooms, the
fourth through eighth grade students are learning a variety of classical
and contemporary musical pieces to sing at the Christmas program.
As they learn each piece, they read a biography about the composer, and
research holiday customs on the Internet.
Our Christmas program is scheduled for December 20 at
2:00, and will be followed by a sing-along and desserts for all to enjoy.
We will have school on December 21. We have started a new tradition
of having special holiday-based centers for all grade levels including
math, art, reading, and cooking projects. All the students look forward
to these special days, so we hope that everyone will be at school.
Our long Christmas vacation starts on Saturday, December 22 and continues
through January 7.
4th Through 8th Grade News
What was it like to live at the time of the Civil War?
What would you experience if you were a runaway slave traveling along the
Underground Railroad? The fourth through eighth grade class is exploring
these ideas as part of our study of American history and geography.
Beginning with a look at the history of human rights and the rights provided
under our Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the students have tried
to walk in the shoes of others as they imagine life 150 years ago in both
the Northern and Southern states. They are researching the people,
ideas, and events that led up tot he division of our country, and will
study the processes that helped restore and build unity. Current
events are also studied as students start each day with a look at the daily
news, and these events provide connections to the past that increase student
understanding. In addition to our thematic study, students are learning
practical language skills through daily practice. Everyone is making
steady progress in math, and there is a high level of responsibility shown
towards completion of daily homework. Student decorum (behavior)
has been so excellent so excellent that an ice-cream party has been promised
the first week that everyone has a perfect behavior chart. By the
time you read this, we may have already reached that goal!
Book Bash Continues
Would you believe it if you hard that the 12 students
at Twin Hills School have read over 6,000 pages since beginning the Book
Bash on November 13? As we total the pages each day, we find that
we have almost made our way through the United States (one page equals
one mile as we travel from east to west, state capital to state capital.)
When we complete the United States, we will travel to other continents
and see how far our reading can take us!
It's November!
The busy month of October is behind us. Thank you
for participating in conferences. Your involvement is crucial
to your child's academic success. I can see your commitment to this
in your children's completed homework every morning. I hope that
our two potlucks in the past week were enjoyable for everyone. Again
your involvement in all aspects of education, from academics to character
development and healthy choices, help your children be all they can be.
I will be out of the building from november 5-12 as I travel to Southern
California for Disney's American Teacher Awards. I am proud to be
representing Twin Hills and Southwest Region Schools in accepting this
honor. Agnes will be substituting in my classroom. In my absence,
please direct any questions to Carol Kilmer (at Twin Hills School) or Karen
Swenson (at SRS).
Cool Weather is Here
We have seen an early freeze-up and arrival of winter
temperatures this year. As I leave school each day students are out
ice-skating and their happy shouts fill the air. We have discussed
ice safety and the importance of having an adult check out all ice prior
to children's use.
We go outside for an after lunch recess each day.
All children are expected to participate. Please be sure that your
child if dressed appropriately to be outside for 15-30 minutes. This
includes hate, mittens or gloves, a warm jacket, boots, and snow or wind
pants. If the thermometer drops below zero, we do stay inside; otherwise,
getting out into the fresh, crisp air is a welcomed break in our busy day.
Red Ribbon Week Success!
The students, along with SRS small sites counselor Trycia
Borup, celebrated Red Ribbon Week with the first parade in the history
of Twin Hills. Proud of themselves, their village, and the new welcome
sign for the airport, students and staff marched, chanted, and played instruments
from the school all the way tot he airport. a potluck lunch and games
followed the parade, and was enjoyed by all who attended.
USA Today
The fourth through eighth grade class is now studying
the history and geography of the United States. Starting in the east
during the events leading up the to the American Revolution, this study
will be a survey of people and places. We will take a look at the
unique features of each region f the United States the people who lived
their in the past, and current ways of life. As we travel through
the regions, we will also travel in history through the Gold Rush, the
civil War, and the Pioneer movements.
As part of this study, students are writing letters to
their peers around the country. Each student has several established
pen-pals in Wisconsin, Ohio, California, Colorado, and New Jersey.
In addition, students voted participate in the
Great American Mail Race. We have written and mailed
letters to schools in each of the fifty states, and are hoping to hear
from each of them in return. Along with personal letters, we enclosed
a survey to find our more about their specific location, and a packet of
information about Alaska. By the end of this study, we will truly
have friends across the entire United States of America.
Book Back is Coming!
Stating November 13, the students of Twin Hills School
will participate in Book Bash, a reading competition between all the sites
of Southwest Region Schools. For 100 days, we will keep track of
every page read in or out of school, and add them up for all kinds of prizes!
We will track our progress in miles as we read across America, with each
page equal to one mile on a cross, country trek.
Math Questions?
Some of you may be asking, "Why aren't students bringing
their math books home every night?" Students are using their books
during class for guided practice of math skills, and the homework they
bring home reinforces these or other skills needed by individual students.
October is Here
Six weeks of school is already complete, and what a busy
time it has been. The students have studied the regions of Alaska,
mastered many skills in their new math books, and had the best attendance
and homework completion rates in recent years. Our September Yuuyaraq
theme of "Basics of Behavior" has encouraged students to take pride in
their selves and their school. They demonstrated an empathy and understanding
of the terrorists attacks as they report on daily news from around the
world. In addition, our playground sandbox project has been completed,
thanks to the efforts of many volunteers. The CSC has had one meeting,
as well as a training in Dillingham. We're off to a great start!
Student Council
The fourth through eighth grade student council is looking
forward to a very active year. Led by President Clayton Dillard,
Vice-President Stella Mark and Secretary Roberta Ouya, the students recognize
the council as their way to have a voice in their education and activities.
They are receiving instruction in parliamentary procedure and Robert's
Rules of Order as they conduct their meeting. They selected crafts
and chess as their after school activities for September, and during the
coming month, will continue with chess, but will also work on a play to
be presented at the Halloween party on October 31. They have brainstormed
a number of fund raising and building improvement activities, including
bake sales, dances, painting our school mascot on the wall, and others.
These students are truly the leaders of the future.
The Dental Team is Coming October 15-19
Along with this newsletter, you are receiving a permission
slip/health record for you to fill out and return to school in order for
your children to be seen by the dentist. The dental team will be
in Twin Hills from October 15-19. Please fill out the form and return
it to school so they can begin scheduling appointments as soon as they
arrive.
Student-Led Parent/Teacher Conferences October 17 and
18
Parent teacher conferences, led by the students, will
be held on October 17 and 18. counselor Trycia Borup will also be
here to assist your children develop their own Student Educational Plans
to be added to their career portfolio. Jessica will be calling each
family to set up a time for your conference. If there are scheduling
conflicts, conferences can be scheduled at another time.
Calendar Change
There will be no school for students on October 8 and
9. Carol and Kathy will be traveling to Anchorage to attend the Millennium
Conference, and look forward to bringing back new ideas and information
to share with students and the community.
New Daily Schedule
As the ages and academic needs of our students change,
we are responding through scheduling changes at our school. Fourth
through eighth grade students will participate in thematically based language
arts activities (including social studies, science, Yup'ik and health)
all morning, then use the afternoon to pursue studies in math, physical
education and fine arts. First through third grade students will
follow a similar schedule, and the kindergartners will participate in age
appropriate activities during the hours they are in school. This
schedule will give more continuity to our day, as will as opportunities
to pursue in-depth projects and explorations.
We're Off to a Great Start! It's the first week
of September and we already have two weeks of school completed. The
students arrived full of stories from the summer and eager to start the
new year. With both new and returning students, we were able to jump
right into our school programs from day one. The addition of the
four year olds to the kindergarten program has brightened everyone's day.
All the students now have their immunizations current and are able to attend
every day.
School starts at 8:30 everyday. Don't be late!
2001-2001 Twin Hills School Staff:
Kathy Yahr, Principal/Teacher
Carol Kilmer, Teacher
Agnes Gamechuk, Aide
Jessica Mark, Secretary/Aide
Jeweline Sharp, PAT Educator
Gladys Small, Cook
John Sharp, Custodial/Maintenance
Twin Hills School welcomes Carol Kilmer!
Students Participate in School Trips
Homework Policy
Bedtimes and Breakfast
Your CSC members are William Ilutsik, Katie Moore, and Bev Cano. The next meeting is Tuesday, October 2, at 4:00 p.m.