CONNECTION

Keet Gooshi Heen “Working together for school success”

Dear Students and Parents,

Welcome to Keet Gooshi Heen! We have had a great start to the school year, and it has been fun to see the

enthusiasm in our students’ faces each day. This week, students and staff settled into life at Keet with

lessons on playground, lunch room, and bus behavior, student conduct, and classroom routines. Establishing

school-related routines at home is also important. Please set aside time each night for homework and/or

reading with your child. It is equally important for students to come to school each morning well-rested and

well-fed. Together we can help ensure each child’s year is fun and successful.

Student Drop-Off A reminder to parents/guardians that students are to report directly to the playground in the morning no

earlier than 7:45 am, as we will have no adult supervision until that time. In an effort to minimize delays

and maximize safety, our student drop-off area has been expanded. When dropping your child off each

morning, please do the following:

Pull forward as far as you can in the designated student drop-off area. This will allow the

maximum number of parents to drop students off at a time.

Have students ready with their backpacks and other school supplies when being dropped off.

Have your child exit the vehicle from the passenger side and walk directly to the sidewalk. This

will keep them from having to walk in between cars in the dark and rain.

This is a high-traffic area in the morning, so please use caution, and encourage your student to use sidewalks

and go directly to the playground. We ask that you do not drop your child off on the District Office side

of the building to help avoid congestion with bus traffic, limited parking availability, and limited space to

turn around. Thank you for your continued efforts to help everyone have a safe and sane start to their day.

Don’t forget to save your Campbell’s Soup labels and Box Tops for

Education points. Send these items to school with your child, and we will

put them to good use! My hope is that the 2013-2014 school year will be

a great one for all! Please contact me with questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Casey Demmert, Principal

September 2014

Letter from the Principal...

Home & School

Page 2 Keet Gooshi Heen

Counselor Corner Working Together for School Success Mrs. Diana Twaddle & Mr. Chris Voron

KGH School Counselors

School Rules

During the first week of school,

each class had a lesson on school,

playground, and bus rules. The lessons

encourage students to be respectful,

responsible, and safe throughout their

school day.

KGH Student Success Program

The Early Support Program (K-2) and

Student Success Program (grades 3-5) offer

a prevention and intervention program to all

students at Baranof Elementary and Keet

Gooshi Heen, especially for those students

whose academic performance may be

affected by special circumstances. Our

programs also address life-skill issues such

as making and keeping friends, decision-

making, and peer pressure.

Some of the groups that will be offered

at KGH this year include: social skills,

friendship, self-esteem, new students, anger

management, divorce/family structure, and

individual counseling. Students may be

referred by a teacher or a parent for any of

these groups or for a specific need.

You can reach the Early Support

Program coordinator (K-2) by contacting

Jeanine Brooks at 966-1321 and the Student

Success Program coordinators (Gr. 3-5)

Diana Twaddle and Chris Voron at 966-

1213. Diana Twaddle and Chris Voron will

be job sharing this year. Feel free to contact

either of them to chat about

supports for students.

OLWEUS Bullying Prevention

Our school cares about the safety and

well-being of our students. We want to

make sure our school is a positive place for

students to learn. To meet this goal, we are

continuing to use the Olweus Bullying

Prevention Program (OBPP) this year.

The goals of OBPP are to reduce bullying

problems and prevent new bullying

problems from happening. The program

works to make relationships better among

students. Teachers, students, and staff at

KGH use a weekly class meeting model to

help foster community,

problem– solving skills, and

positive relationships. More

information about this

program can be found at:

www.olweus.org

Breakfast Club

Breakfast is offered at Keet Gooshi Heen

each morning for students who missed their

morning meal.

Time: 7:45-8:00

Location: Room 14

Cost: $1.50

If your child qualifies for Free/Reduced

lunch there is no cost for breakfast.

Applications for Free/Reduced lunch are

available in the main office or on the district

website.

Attendance Guidelines

When your child is absent, please call

your child’s teacher before 8:00 a.m.

using the direct number for the

classroom or front office number at

747-8395. If your child is absent and we do not

hear from you, we will attempt to contact you when

we get attendance reports from teachers. (We don’t

want something to happen to a student on the way

to school, with neither the parent nor the school

knowing about it.)

If you are going on a trip or for another planned

absence from school, please try to let the teacher

and the office know at least a week ahead of time.

Early Release Guidelines

If you need to have your child picked up before the

end of the day (doctor/dentist appointments, etc…),

send a note or call the office at 747-8395. If you

are authorizing someone else to pick up your child,

please tell us who that will be, as well as when and

why. In order for the school to release your child to

someone other than a parent or guardian, that

person needs to be on your child’s emergency

contact list on file with the office. (Please do not

call the classroom as the message may not be

received in time.)

Parents’ Corner

Keet Gooshi Heen Page 3

Monday—Thursday: All Grades: 8:00 a.m.—2:30 p.m.

Friday Schedule: All Grades: 8:00 a.m.—1:30 p.m.

Lunch: 2nd Grade: 11:20—12:05

3rd Grade: 11:35—12:20 4th Grade : 11:50—12:35 5th Grade: 12:05—12:50

2014-2015 School Hours

Cost for Hot Lunch

$2.90 Daily Lunch

$.45 Milk

$58.00 Monthly

You can receive negative lunch balance statements for your child by email from KGH. If you would like to be

added to the email request list for negative lunch statements, please email your request with your child’s name

to: fitzsimmonsj@sitkaschools.org Any questions, please call Julie Fitzsimmons at 966-1245.

The Sitka School District accepts credit card payments to school lunch accounts. To make a pay-

ment using your credit card, stop by the KGH office.

We are excited about this opportunity as we look for ways to better serve you.

We discourage students from bringing valuables

to school as we cannot guarantee loss or damage.

CELL PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONICS

are not only valuable and can be lost or damaged,

but can interfere in the classroom.

Therefore, students are required to leave them in

their backpacks turned off, but a better idea is to

leave them at home.

Page 4 Keet Gooshi Heen

New Places and New Faces

at KGH

Mrs. Jill Lecrone

2nd-Grade Teacher

Mrs. Angie Hill

Para-professional

Mrs. Heather Gluth

Para-professional

Mr. Matt Burrows

3rd-Grade Teacher

Mr. Tyler McCarty

Special Education

Mrs. Andrea Dekoekkoek

Special Education

Mr. James Lecrone

Para-professional

Ms. Dianne Chong

ESL Para-proffesional

Ms. Allison Gabbert

Para-professional

Page 5 Keet Gooshi Heen

New Places and New Faces

at KGH

Mrs. Courtney McArthur

Para-professional

Mrs. Jennifer Tulloh

Para-professional

Mrs. Barb Webb

Para-professional

Mr. Francis Lawless

Para-professional

Mrs. Suzi Wilson

Para-professional

Mr. Chris Voron

3rd-5th Counselor

Ms. Nichel Kernin

Para-professional

Mrs. Nita Pickett

Kitchen Staff

Mr. Cliff Chandler

AmeriCorps

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oncert ( w

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usic Movers)

PAC

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outh Flag

Football begins

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outh

Karate classes

begins

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unity

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20th A

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Running of the

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Septem

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Keet Gooshi Heen Page 6

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Science News Keet Gooshi Heen student scientists are ready to crack open their science notebooks for another

exciting year of investigations in life, earth, and physical science! We’ll use the same skills that

professional scientists use as we investigate our world in weekly science lessons: questioning,

collecting data, observing, researching, measuring, inferring, predicting, classifying,

experimenting, reading, writing, and communicating.

Second graders will begin the year in life science learning about habitats. Third graders will begin with

physical science and a study of matter. Fourth graders will begin with earth science and the rock cycle, and

fifth graders will study the human body (and a squid’s body) in life science.

If you would like to learn more about the KGH Science Program, please contact Rebecca Himschoot at

himschootr@sitkaschools.org.

Please start thinking about the KGH Project Fair,

which will take place on March 12th this year!!

Science Saturday is scheduled for January 24th, and volunteers are

already being sought for the 4th grade BioBlitz on May 20th.

KGH’s Fall Fun Fundraiser

Nothing more easily raises classroom funds for Keet Gooshi Heen than a 'Magical

Holidays' gift and wrap catalog fundraiser. KGH students will again be selling products

for our school’s fall fundraiser. This year, we will be working with the Believe Kids

company.

A gift and wrap school fundraising catalog is a way to offer a wide number of top-

selling products in catalogs including jewelry, holiday items, gift wrap, gift bags, and

much more. Catalogs will be coming home at the end of September.

The products will arrive at the beginning of November. Your child will need to deliver the items within a few

days of receipt. This should allow adequate time to mail out items for holiday gifts, too.

The money collected from sales is spent in the classrooms. If your classroom sells $1000 of merchandise, that

class keeps $500 less the actual cost of shipping (3.4% last year). In prior years, classrooms have used the

money collected by students in their rooms for items such as special art and project supplies, field trips,

science classes, magazine subscriptions, bus transportation, swimming trips, etc.

Anyone with questions can contact Stephanie Peterson, or email her at petersons@sitkaschools.org

Did You Know?

Children need to run, jump, and play, getting a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity every day for

proper growth, development, and good health. Parents have the most important role in assuring their children

lead an active and balanced lifestyle. Children learn by example: if you enjoy and participate regularly in

physical activity, so will your children. So set an example:

Participate in physical activities with your children, such as taking a walk, riding a bike, playing active

games.

Schedule times throughout the week for your family to be physically active together.

Limit time spent in sedentary activities such as watching television and playing computer games.

Buy toys and equipment that promote physical activity.

Emphasize the importance of having fun and learning; avoid a "push to win."

You can also be an advocate for quality physical education in your school system. Physical education is the

foundation for a physically active lifestyle.

Thanks and have a great school year!

Mr. Krupa

Page 8 Keet Gooshi Heen

ALSO: Box Tops and AC Lakeside receipts help your class earn a free bus trip and earn

money for the school. Turn them in to your teacher or the school office.

Bus Rules/Behavior Expectations

KGH staff and Prewitt’s bus company are working together to improve the bus-riding

experience for both students and drivers. Together, Prewitt’s and KGH staff will provide

students the opportunity to learn the bus rules and behavior expectations during the first week

of school in a clear, organized, age-appropriate manner.

We are asking families to help us with the following things:

Remind your children that the number one job of the bus driver is to deliver children to

school and home safely. To do this, bus riders must be respectful of the bus rules to

ensure safety.

Please discuss these rules/behavior expectations with your children.

Students are to follow all school/bus rules at the bus stop and on the bus.

At the bus stop, wait for the driver to signal you before moving toward the bus.

No throwing objects, eating, spitting, littering, or yelling.

Stay in your seat at all times.

Let the bus driver know if you are having a problem that you cannot solve

on your own.

Be respectful and helpful to the bus driver and other students.

The bus is an extension of their classroom. Students should behave on the

bus as they would in their classroom.

If your child is missing items, check both KGH and Prewitt’s Lost and Found.

Sitka Elks Lodge #1662

SOCCER SHOOT

Saturday, October 4th, 2014

At Blatchley Middle School Gym

This Community Event is Free!

All Boys and Girls ages 4-13 (determined by the age

of the contestant as of August 1, 2014)

Time age

10:30am 4-7

Noon 8-9

1pm 10-11

2pm 12-13

Registration/Event will take place at Blatchley

Middle School Gym. Please bring gym shoes!

2014 Fall Indoor Soccer

October 11 - December 13

Blatchley Middle School gym

9:00—10:00 am for 4-5 year olds

10:00—11:00 am for 6-7 year olds

11:00—Noon for 8-10 year olds

Noon—1:30 pm for middle-school age

1:30—3:00 pm for high-school age

$50.00 fall registration (if child was NOT enrolled in

the summer outdoor soccer program)

$30.00 fall registration (if child was enrolled in the

summer outdoor soccer program)

$20.00 for shin guards (are required

in the youth indoor soccer program)

Youth Flag Football

For Ages 6-12

At Krueger Field

Tuesday: Sept. 16-Saturday Oct. 18

Weekday Practice times: 6:00-7:00 pm

Saturday Game Times: 1:00-3:00pm

Fee: $65.00

Monday, September 15 Parents

Meeting @ Krueger Field 6:00

pm. Registration is open at

Community Schools.

The African Children’s Choir Community

Concert is September 14 at 6:30pm at the

Performing Arts Center. Some 5th graders

(last year’s Music Movers) will be

performing with the African Children’s

Choir.

Karate Classes

Sept. 17-Nov. 17

Beginners: age 6 to start $125.00

Advanced: Blue Belt and higher $150.00

Location: Baranof Gym

Monday and Wednesday Evenings

Beginners 5:45-6:30

Advanced 6:45-7:45

Page 9 Keet Gooshi Heen