Nenana City School District - Home of the Lynx

NCS Parents, check out LIVE performances of Nenana City School music students participating in the Regional Music Festival at Tri-Valley School starting this Thursday, April 11, 2024. There will be three LIVE performances available for your enjoyment this week. Here is a list of the Youtube livestream links: April 11, 7:00 p.m. - Opening Concert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJqdnwtV0G4 April 12, 7:00 p.m. - Command Performance Concert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzieg12sM7U April 13, 2:00 p.m. - Final Concert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i599qk8H5U

April 1, 2024 Dear Parent/Guardians: The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) released the 2022-2023 Report Cards to the Public for each school district and school in Alaska. These report cards present information about performance for the 2022-2023 school year. During this first administration of the Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK Star) assessment, students in grades 3-9 were assessed in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Students in grades 5, 8, and 10 took the Alaska Science assessment. To view the Report Cards to the Public, please go to: https://education.alaska.gov/compass/report-card Once there you will be able to select which School or District Report Card to the Public you wish to view. You may also select a different school year to review data. This user friendly website aims to provide families with clear, common information about all public schools and districts in our State. These Report Cards to the Public contain data and information about academics, school environment, teacher quality and more. If you are unable to access the Report Card to the Public online, please contact your student’s school. The links are also available and updated every year around this time on the Nenana City School District website. Go to the Home tab and then click on Federal Programs, then look for Report Cards to the Public. Sincerely, Patrick Manning Superintendent

Hello LYNX families! I hope you are all enjoying the start of April, even though winter weather has returned! The school year is nearly over, yet we have a number of big events between now and then. Next weekend our high school music students will compete in the Aurora Music Festival in Healy. Prom is scheduled for the following Saturday, April 20th, the Fun Run and Community BBQ on May 10, and then Graduation on May 18th. We also have state testing during the weeks of April 15th and April 22nd. More details will come soon regarding testing and prom. I am excited to finish the year with our students and staff. I want everyone to have a positive experience each and every day down the home stretch. Lately, it seems I hear more and more about AI. The rate of change in this emerging technology is moving at an unprecedented speed over the last 6-12 months. I've been exploring more about artificial intelligence (AI) and how to use it responsibly in schools. It will become increasingly important for us to think about AI in this context and beyond, as it does not appear to be going anywhere and our graduates will surely need to be literate in this technology as they face it in the world and workforce they are entering. As an example, I used an AI tool called AudioPen to write this April Update. AudioPen allows users to speak their thoughts and it stitches them together into an accurate and incredibly useful narrative. AudioPen saved me a great deal of time, which I suppose is the goal of technology. I hope it reads well on your end. Take care all! Sincerely, David Huntington -- David R. Huntington Asst. Superintendent NCSD Principal, Nenana City School Nenana, AK dhuntington@nenanalynx.org 907-832-5464 (NCS office) District Website: www.nenanalynx.org

FAMILY STEM NIGHT FRIDAY April 19th 5-7PM It’s all about the BATS! Please join us in the NCSD Library and Pit for Chili Cheese hot dogs for dinner at 5PM. While you are eating, learn about the little brown bat – natures most voracious insect eater and how to live in harmony with, and support these interesting creatures. We will share a story about bats, review bat house best practices and build our own bat house then paint it. Please text the afterschool phone at 907- 687-8466 with your RSVP and # or attendees as well as # or houses. This is a K-8 event but siblings of all ages are welcome – as are high school helpers. Come join us for fun about bats!

Greetings Lynx Parents - The NCSD GEARS Afterschool Program will be conducting their Federally required closing survey the week of April 22 through the 26th, on a day that works best with your students' instructors. This survey is for your students to tell us what they liked and disliked about the afterschool program. Additionally, we will be sending out a parent survey as well as having them available in print on the 19th for Family STEM night. These surveys are an integral part of our program betterment. If you wish to have your student opt out of the survey, please contact Teena Calkin, GEARS ASP Program Director at tcalkin@nenanalynx.org or 907-687-8466. Thank you - Teena Calkin

Nenana Community - The following coach/advisor positions at Nenana City School for Fall sports/activities are available for applications. The application window is open from April 5th through April 19th. Please email cstone@nenanalynx.org to express interest. You may also stop by or call the main office to express your interest in any of these positions. Extra duty stipend information can be found in the NEA Collective Bargaining Agreement, which is available on the school website or upon request. More information regarding activities can be found in the Activities Handbook. Varsity Wrestling Assistant Wrestling Varsity Volleyball Assistant/JV Volleyball Head XC Running Assistant XC Running Cyberlynx XC Running Junior High Basketball Activities Director Music Director Music Festival Host Yearbook NSLC Student Leadership Advisor Student Government Secondary Advisors (1middle school, 3 high school) Varsity Soccer Assistant/JV Soccer David R. Huntington Asst. Superintendent NCSD Principal, Nenana City School Nenana, AK dhuntington@nenanalynx.org 907-832-5464 (NCS office) District Website: www.nenanalynx.org

Field trip permission slip for local high school students to attend NSLC field trip to Clear AFB for Bowling on Sunday, March 24, 2024........is attached to this posting. Information about the trip will be sent to parents through a PowerSchool Parent Announcement at 4:30pm on Friday, March 22, 2024

Nenana City School will be participating in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) on March 29, 2024, in the afternoon following the Health Fair. Here is a quick explanation about the survey, or you can check out more information at this link: https://health.alaska.gov/dph/Chronic/Pages/yrbs/default.aspx The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is a school-based survey of Alaska high school students. The YRBS collects important information about the health of Alaska teens, including health risk behaviors that contribute to social problems, disabilities, and even death. The survey helps school districts and schools, communities, and public and private organizations understand and meet the needs of Alaska teens. These groups use YRBS data to develop school health policies and programs, promote health, prevent disease and write grants. Alaska students take the YRBS every other year in odd-numbered years in public traditional and alternative high schools. Student participation in the YRBS is anonymous, voluntary, and requires written parental consent. The survey includes questions on the following topics: • Physical activity and nutrition • Tobacco, alcohol, and drug use • Injury prevention • Violence and bullying • Suicide • Sexual behaviors • Connections with peers, adults, and community Alaska’s YRBS is part of a national effort run by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Alaska Departments of Health and Social Services and Education and Early Development, as well as numerous public and private organizations support the YRBS. Please contact Nenana City School if you DO NOT want your high school student to participate in the YRBS Survey by calling the school office 907-832-5464, or emailing acorbin@nenanalynx.org or skauffman@nenanalynx.org

If you are interested, please come and sign up with Olivia

Nenana GEARS Afterschool Program Update 3-4-24 Good afternoon parents - The Nenana GEARS Afterschool Program will run today Monday the 4th and tomorrow Tuesday the 5th from school release to 5:30. We will NOT be running program on Wednesday due to out of town basketball teams arriving at the school starting at 3PM. Spring Break begins on Thursday and Friday so there is no programming after Tuesday. If your student has expressed interest in a spring break camp - you will be notified by Teena Calkin and asked permission and provided a sign up sheet. Thank you as always for your generous flexibility. All the best - Teena Calkin, Program Director

Greetings Lynx Families, Friday, March 1, marked the end of the third marking period. I am proud of our students and staff for their hard work and resilience during this stretch, which is traditionally one of the more demanding periods of time of any school year. I hope many of our parents/guardians were able to connect with teachers during recent parent/teacher conferences to debrief on the learning going on in classrooms. The success of our students is truly a team effort between teachers, support staff and parents. This week, Wednesday March 6 will be the last day of school this week and students will be released early (2pm). K-6 Students will return from their field trip on Wednesday around 3 pm, after visiting Ice Alaska. Visiting basketball teams will be arriving after 3pm for the regional basketball tournament hosted in Nenana, Wednesday night through Saturday. We will then transition into Spring Break for the week of March 11, with school resuming on Monday, March 18. Upon our return, we will celebrate Read Across America, as March is nationally recognized. There is a lot happening throughout the 4th quarter. My hope is that the information that follows provides a roadmap for everyone as we head into the final stretch of the school year. Please check the LiveFeed for updates on these events as they draw closer. March 23 - Team Hollywood March 25 - Career Fair March 29 - Health Fair Week of March 25 - NNA/Denali Park "Beaver Camp" April 11-13 - Aurora Conference Music Festival (@Tri-Valley) Week of April 15 and Week of April 22 - State Assessments April 20- - Prom April 27 - Taekwondo Tournament May 10-11 - State Solo & Ensemble Competition May 18, 1:00pm - Graduation Respectfully, David R. Huntington Asst. Superintendent NCSD Principal, Nenana City School Nenana, AK dhuntington@nenanalynx.org 907-832-5464 (NCS office) District Website: www.nenanalynx.org

Starting on Friday, March 1st, NYO will be held in the Tribal Hall from 3:30 to 5:00. It will take place every Friday from March 1st through the last Friday in April.

SAVE THE DATE! MARCH 26, 2024 FREE family event! Join Alaska Children's Trust and Fairbanks organizations at the 26th annual Mush for Kids on Saturday, March 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This Fairbanks event at Pioneer Park has a variety of fun and exciting activities for all ages, including time with sled dogs from several kennels, hands-on activities, incredible entertainment from a host of performers, and much more! No ticket or reservation is necessary thanks to our incredible sponsors. Please note: Dog sled rides are for children ages 4-12 years old and are every half an hour from 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. There are 50 tickets for each time slot, so be sure to arrive early to secure your child’s (ages 4-12) spot! If your child is outside of the dog sled ride age range, don’t worry, there are always many other activities suitable for any age! See attached flyer

Parent Teacher Conferences are coming up next week! February 22 & 23, 2024 from 2:00pm - 4:30pm. Students will be release early from school on both days at 2:00pm. K-8 conference schedules have been shared with parents via classroom teachers, and hard copies will be mailed out today. High School conferences will be open house style. Local parents/guardians can come in and visit with teachers, and teachers will be reaching out to LC parents as well via telephone. See flyer attached

Nenana Invitational Basketball Tournament takes place this Thursday and Friday! Come over to the school and watch some great interior basketball! You can also watch the games via the Live Stream link on the school website. Attached are the game brackets.

1-31-24 Parent reminder about upcoming collaboration with the Tanana Chiefs Conference Wellness and Prevention team, who will be conducting Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) training for our 11th grade students beginning on February 12, 2024. The TCC team will be here on Monday, February 5, 2024 to give an overview of the program to students and staff. Parents are invited to attend a TCC sponsored informational Zoom meeting from 3:00-4:00 pm on Monday if you have questions. Here is the Zoom link to attend: https://tananachiefs.zoom.us/j/88610026971?pwd=Sj1IlbTbmff2rZdZfqnyknMfTbqTVy.1

Parents, just a reminder that tomorrow, Wednesday, January 31, 2024 is an early release day. Students will be released at 2:00pm. Early release will effect the After School Programming. The After School Program for Wednesday will take place from 2:00 - 4:00 pm. Please pick up your students in front of Andy's office. Out of town teams will begin arriving and will need to be in classrooms for the tournament. We apologize for any convenience the change in this schedule causes. We will not be open Thursday or Friday due to the tournament.

Dear Parents and Guardians: Recently the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) released the 2022-2023 Report Cards to the Public for each school district and school in Alaska. These Report Cards present information about performance for the 2022-2023 school year. During this second administration of The Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) assessment, students in grades 3-9 were assessed in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Students in grades 5, 8, and 10 took the Alaska Science Assessment. Portions of the Report Card pertaining to Accountability will be delayed until May 2024 as DEED is working to revise the cut scores that determine what achievement levels students will receive. Once the new cut scores are accepted, the calculations will be completed. To view a 2022-2023 School or District Report Card to the Public, go to https://education.alaska.gov/compass/report-card. Once there, you will be able to select which School or District Report Card to the Public you wish to view. This user-friendly website aims to provide families with clear, common information about all public schools and districts in our State. These Report Cards to the public contain data and information about academics, school environment, teacher quality, and more. If you are unable to access the Report Card to the Public online, please contact us. If you have any questions or concerns regarding our School or District Report Card to the Public, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Links to the district and school Report Card to the Public can also be found on the school website, under the Federal Programs section.

BASKETBALL---BASKETBALL--BASKETBALL Nenana High School basketball games from the Cordova's 41st Tip-Off Tournament can be watched through YouTube. The high school girl's first game is today at 3:30pm against Ninilchik. The high school boy's first game today is at 5:00pm against Ninilchik. GO the this YouTube link to watch the action! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eomiXp2OI2Y Attached is a schedule of the Cordova Tournament games.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR PARENTS January 18, 2024 - Nenana City School will be collaborating with the Tanana Chiefs Conference Wellness and Prevention team, who will be conducting Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) training for our 11th grade students beginning on February 12, 2024. This is evidence-based training that teaches teens in grades 10-12, or ages 15-18, how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges in their friends and peers. The TCC team will be providing an information session for students and staff on Monday, February 5, 2024 during the morning assembly and advisory classes. Parents, please read through the attached JPEG files (3 pages), provided by the Tanana Chiefs Conference Wellness and Prevention team, titled "What Parents/Guardians Need to Know About Teen Mental Health First Aid", for more information. Upcoming sessions of the tMHFA training will be taking place over the next three months, a tentative calendar of dates is attached. If you have questions or concerns, you can reach out to the school office at 907-832-5464, or you can contact the TCC Wellness and Prevention Team at 907-452-8251 ext. 3878