I greatly appreciate the conversations that have been occurring, throughout the community, regarding the impending ASAA Classification vote for basketball and volleyball.
I have new information: In short, the recommendation from the committee will be to adjust the 3A Classification from its current 150-450 students to 150-799 students. This would move Kodiak and Soldotna into 3A and create a six-team Peninsula Conference—Seward, Nikiski, Kenai, Soldotna, Homer, and Kodiak. This new conference would also have two state berths with an option to earn a third “at-large” bid.
There is also a strong possibility that the ASAA Board will take no action. This would mean that we would remain in our current conference; with the addition of Kenai Central High School as their en-rollment has dropped below 450 students. Our conference would move back to eight teams—Seward Nikiski, Homer, Kenai, Grace, ACS, Redington, and Houston with 2 state berths and an option to earn the third “at-large” bid.
Neither outcome of these votes will require us to make a decision as both keep us firmly in the 3A classification. As a reminder, all other sports are classified differently, so this only impacts basketball and volleyball.
It’s also important to understand that these two outcomes are a result of three days of meetings with representatives from across the entire state—representing the smallest rural villages to the largest urban schools. Competiveness, travel expenses/limitations, and representation at state tournaments are all factors that are discussed and weighed. While I can think of many ways by which I could make classi-fication recommendations that would best benefit Seward, I respect that these options are the best that can be supported state-wide. I greatly appreciate your active engagement in this issue and continued support for Seward High activities moving forward.
There are several important dates and deadlines coming up. Please mark your calendars:
The Seward Seahawk Classic is Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, February 1-3
The sophomore’s Winter Formal will be Saturday, February 3rd from 8:00-11:00 at Seward High.
Eligibility check date will be Monday, February 5th.
Seward area Schools’ next teacher collaboration will occur on Wednesday, February 7th. Students will be released 90 minutes early.
Parent-Teacher Conferences will occur on Thursday, February 8 from 8:00 AM to 7:30 PM and on Friday, February 9 from 8:00 AM to 11:30 AM.
The National Ocean Sciences Bowl will be on Friday, February 9th through Sunday, February 11th.
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s Annual Budget Meeting in Seward will occur on Tues-day, February 13th.
There is a lot happening in the month of February—all part of our plan to keep Seward High busy and engaged through the winter months. Please come out and support our teams, events, and activities and the students who make them happen.
Speaking of active engagement: It’s that time of the year when the District begins the budgeting cycle for next year. Check out the District’s homepage at www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us for ways you can educate yourself about the funding process and access the Alaska State Legislature page to track bills and con-tact your legislative representatives. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District will be hosting the Seward area Budget Meeting on Tuesday, February 13th at 5:30 PM in Seward High’s Library.
My door is always open to the entire Seward High Community. Feel free to contact me if you have questions, comments, or concerns. My direct line is 224-9077 and my email is [email protected].
Sincerely,
Trevan Walker
Notes from the Principal
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Nurse’s News 2
Counselor’s Corner/ PT Conferences
3
Art Room/KPC 4-5
School Resource Officer News
6
Booster Club News/ Events Calendar
7-8
Seahawk Classic &Pool Schedule
9-10
Popular Links 11
Seahawk News
SEWARD HIGH SCHOOL KPBSD
February 2018
February 1, 2, 3
Seahawk Classic Basketball
February 5
Eligibility Grade Check
February 7
Early Release Day 12:50pm
February 8 & 9
Parent/Teacher Conferences
SIGN UP LINK IN COUSELOR’S
CORNER!!
NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
Page 2
Nurse’s News
Smart Technology:
I have to admit that I love technology. Top researchers are increasingly utilizing smart technology to
help advance medicine. This is not particularly new but what I find interesting is the concerted effort
by researchers adding the extra step of giving that valuable medical information in the consumer’s
hands via smartphone or smartwatches. This gives us as patients more autonomy and decision mak-
ing power for our health.
For example, Stanford University is working on a deep-learning computer algorithm to diagnose skin
cancer. Deep learning for a computer means that a computer is trained to figure out a problem rather
than having the answers programmed into it. They made a database of 130,000 skin disease images
and trained their computer algorithm to visually diagnose potential cancer. They tested this algo-
rithm against 21 dermatologists and the algorithm matched the clinician’s ability to correctly identify
malignant and benign lesions. They will need to do further studies to validate results. The develop-
ers hope that the algorithm with visual technology can transition to our mobile devices. They want us
to be able to use our smartphone camera, take a picture of the suspicious mole and our pocket com-
puter will tell us if it is skin cancer. I see another app in my future.
Other technology is a smart watch diagnosing atrial fibrillation. The watch tracks a person’s heart
rate to physical activity ratio over several days. When a reading is captured showing a heart rate out-
side of the person’s expected rate for his/her activity, he or she gets an alert to record the ECG. This
information then can be sent via the person’s smartphone. This has already been approved by the
FDA. Omron, the home blood pressure company, has been approved by the FDA for their smart-
watch that takes blood pressure reading by a brief occlusion of the radial artery.
I can’t wait for a Tricorder and yes, I am a Trekkie from way back with the OG, William Shatner.
Nurse Yoly
Seward High School Blog
http://sewardhighschool.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/ For all the latest news! Takes the place of our daily bulletin.
Be sure to add to your favorites for easy access.
Counselor’s Corner
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Thursday, February 8th &
Friday, February 9th
8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Click Here For Thursday
Click Here For Friday
NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
Page 3
Parent/Teacher conferences will be held on Thursday, February 9th and 10th. This is a great opportunity to speak with your child's teachers. There are 15 minute slots open for each teacher.
Please use SignUpGenius to schedule your appointments.
Scroll down to the teacher you would like to make an appointment with and pick an availa-ble time.
Please call Martha at 224-9070 or Stephanie Withrow at 224-9071 if you need assistance.
9th Grade 10th Grade 11th Grade 12th Grade
Anevay Ambrosiani* Madison Athey Maggie Adkins Heleana Backus*
Reanna Brewi Katelyn Correa Sohan Dissanayake Case Estes
Cody Bryden Sophia Dow* Beau Freiberg Simon Estes
Selma Casagranda* Dylan Dunning Ashely Jackson Ashely Guernsey
Devon Campbell Lincoln Farris Christopher Kingsland Jessi Hood*
Levi DeBoard Lindy Guernsey Sadie Lindquist Clara LaRock
Emmalee DeLand Naomi Ifflander Lucia Lombardia Ruby Lindquist
Malia Hewitt Jonah Lindquist Walker McKnight Forest Matheson
Trey Ingalls* Justin McMurray* Brendan McMurray* EmmaLee Moore
Samuel Koster Madilyn Moore* Meghan Mullaly Maille Moriarty*
Neil Lindquist John Moriarty* Karl Pfeiffenberger* Kendyl Morris
Calysta Lohman Bjorn Nilsson Riley von Borstel* Zen Petrosius
Kylie Mullaly* Joshua Park* Alexis Sullivan
Maxwell Pfeiffenberger* Connor Spanos* Rose Terry
Marisa Phasomsap Jaden Vandyke Randi Tolson
Tegan Retzer* Alexander Ursel
Katelyn Sawyer-Lemme* Creeanna Whitcome*
Angel Schwertfeger Joel Williams
Sequoia Sieverts Billy Wolfe
1st Semester Honor Roll
The Art Room
Page 4
Rebekah Christenson
Crayon Art!!
Riley von Borstel
Paola Baez
Sadie Lindquist
Beau Freiberg
Sam Paperman
Page 5
KPC-Resurrection Bay Extension Site News
Spring 2018 Semester is rolling into its 3rd week. We have a total of three classes running: General Psy-
chology, Introduction to College Writing and Introduction to Literature.
Payment Deadline for Spr ing Semester 2018 is February 4th. Payments may be made at UAOnline in student accounts using credit card, debit card or eCheck. Payments with a personal check or cash may be made at the KPC office located in Seward High School.
Late Payment Fee of $125 will be assessed on February 5th, 2018.
Grades Fall semester 2017 grades are available at UAOnline. Grades for Spr ing semester 2018 will
be available at UAOnline on May 10th.
Transcripts for the college classes taken at KPC will need to be ordered and sent to the post-
secondary institution you plan to apply or attend. Transcripts must be ordered online via
www.kpc.alaska.edu click on UAOnline and log in to secured area using UA Username and UA Pass-
word. Please note-It is the student’s responsibility to review their unofficial transcript for accuracy prior
to submitting the online request for an official transcript.
Consider pursuing a college degree at KPC: Check out the areas of study offered at http://
www.kpc.alaska.edu/academics/areas-of-study/
KPC Residence Life (student housing) Please visit http://www.kpcreslife.com
Contact Resurrection Bay Extension Site Coordinator Jackie Marshall for more information 224- 2285 or
To Pay Sports Fees, Class
Fees, School Lunches and
more, visit our website:
http://www.kpbsd.org
—> Go to Students/Parents tab
—> Online Payments
—> High Schools
—> Seward
School Resource Officer News:
Good morning everyone. I hope that we have fully recovered from this holiday season. Life is going well on the SRO front. I feel as if I am getting settled in and getting to know everyone nicely. And I am very happy to say the good contacts far outweigh the… not so fun contacts. I know that in my last newsletter, I introduced who I was, so I figured this letter would be an appropriate place to explain how I see myself fitting into the academic world here in Seward. I believe I have three main jobs as the School Resource Officer.
First and foremost, I am responsible for school safety. That is always going to be my priority, just like life safety was my number one priority back on the road. I have a responsibility to the students, staff, and parents to ensure that eve-ryone is safe and protected while at school. I know that parents entrust the schools with their students and that is not a responsibility I take lightly. As such, I walk hallways, drive around campuses, and sometimes even hike the trails around the schools to make sure things are on the up and up. We call these preventative patrols.
Secondly, and probably the most obvious, I am at the school to enforce laws. This does not mean I wander around in the shadows looking to fill some imaginary stat sheet, or that I lurk in the parking lots with a ruler to try and make people’s lives miserable. As a police officer I am afforded some discretion in how to handle things. I may choose to allow administration to deal with certain incidents in lieu of pursuing some formal action. But I want to make it clear that there are a few things in which I have zero tolerance for. The use of illegal substances, which for students include marijuana and alcohol, is something that I will give no leeway to. I owe it to everyone I previously mentioned to help maintain a drug free school. I don’t say this to try and sound tough or intimidating, I am merely explaining my stance. If something gets caught, they will be charged. Every time.
Finally, I accepted this position in the schools in order to build relationships with students. This is the biggest and best part of my job. We have some amazing students who come from all sorts of backgrounds. And there are several students who are dealing with some terrible things in their home lives. It always amazes me to see the resiliency that these students exhibit, by simply showing up in spite of what’s going on in their lives. I am committed to trying to be an asset to them. My office is always open to talk. My overall goal is to get people to understand that there is a person be-hind the uniform, and to figure out a way to help students succeed. My favorite part of this position is being able to simp-ly talk with students. I love that I am in a position in which I can advocate for and speak to students. I strongly encourage anyone who needs to talk to come find me. I like to think I am a pretty good listener. And if you have a question, ASK! I do not take offense when people ask me about my job. I find that if we both understand why I do certain things; it gener-ally makes it easier to work together. I have already answered tons of questions about Alaska Statute, police procedure, have taken complaints about situations in the community, and many more. We are all in this together. I know it can be hard to come up and talk to an officer on the side of the road. So come bug me. My office is in the Middle School, first door on the left. And the couch is comfortable. Please stop by, whether it is about something serious, or just to chat.
Again, I would be remiss if I didn’t give some sort of safety talk before I ended this letter. Given the little amount of light and the ample amount of cold we have been having lately, I feel like this is an appropriate time to talk about mental health. This is the time of year that generally takes a toll on everyone’s mental well-being. I just want to remind everyone of the importance of talking if you have an issue. It is like a splinter. It may hurt initially to dig up the problem, but letting things fester is so much worse. And this is something we have to work together as a community for. If you see someone with a marked change in their attitude, TALK TO THEM. Reach out and see if they are ok. We are all in this together. This is a subject that is extremely important to me. Responding to a suicide is probably the worst kind of call we as police go to. It is not something you ever forget. So I take mental health very seriously. It is incredibly hard to ask direct questions such as “are you ok?” or “are you thinking of hurting yourself.” But believe me, these conversa-tions are crucial. We each have our own circles of influence. Lets keep checking in on each other. And if you are ever concerned about someone, you can talk to me anonymously and I have no problem reaching out on your behalf. If some-one needs help, I have resources I can use to get the help to them.
Until next time,
Morgan Woodard
Seward Police Department
(907) 422-7670
Page 6
Page 7
Seward Seahawks Athletic Booster Club News!
Maya Moriarty, President Ariel Sieverts, Vice President Andrea Rodriguez, Secretary Denny Murphy, Treasurer Michelle Quinn, Member At Large
Contact us at [email protected]
Facebook: Seward High School Athletic Booster Club
I recently attended a luncheon sponsored by the Seward Community Foundation who is also one of the SSABC sponsors. I felt a lot of energy in the room and was impressed by how much SCF cares about Seward and proud of the ideas that the different non-profits came up with as a community need. One was for a dome-like structure similar to the ones in Anchorage and Homer. Wouldn’t that be nice to some day have an indoor structure for soccer and track with possible court space for volleyball and basketball. Having been involved in the PARKS waterfront playground, I know that if you can dream it you can do it!
SSABC has that philosophy towards fundraising for the athletic program. All we can do is plan, organize, and ask for the sale. If you do the first two things pretty well it won’t matter if you don’t close the deal. This month we’re very busy with two fundraisers - Green & Gold Sale and the Dessert Auction. Both happen dur-ing the Seahawk Classic varsity basketball tournament that runs Feb. 1st – 3rd. Our committee chairs have done a great job organizing but we will need volunteers. Green & Gold will be Thursday – Saturday and the auction is Friday evening. If you’d like to donate an item please contact Celeste Lemme at 362-3920. Also be on the lookout for emails and Facebook posts for volunteers. Lastly – these fundraisers are being held at SHS and we need you to participate! Come out and buy some Green & Gold swag! You can put a bid in for some yummy treats! All proceeds support the athletic program and help pay for scholarships, travel, uniforms, gear, etc.
Thank you to our volunteers during this busy month: Celeste Lemme, Jodi Kurtz, Deanna Ingalls, Julie De-board, Terry Estes, and Grace Williams.
If you’d prefer brand new spirit wear over our gently used Green & Gold gear, you can order a custom shirt from Spirit Shop and have it delivered to your home. Just visit Spirit Shop or Epic Sports. https://www.spiritshop.com/school/alaska/seward/seward-high-school. All of these require you to do the leg work.
One NEED for Seward identified during the SCF luncheon was better communication. Therefore, please LIKE the following Facebook pages to get notifications and check your Booster Club email: Seward High School Athletic Booster Club, Seward High School Athletic Department, and Seward, Alaska Volunteer Opportunities.
“For some people Volunteering is about giving.
But for the likes of you it is a way of living. Thank you!”
Calendar of Events
Home sporting events are in bold print.
February Events Calendar: February 1 Girls Varsity Basketball @ Home (6:00PM)
Boys Varsity Basketball @ Home (7:30PM)
February 2 XC Skiing @ Homer
Girls Varsity Basketball @ Home (6:00PM)
Boys Varsity Basketball @ Home (7:30PM)
February 3 XC Skiing @ Homer
Girls Varsity Basketball @ Home (2:00PM)
Boys Varsity Basketball @ Home (3:30PM)
February 5 Battle of the Books District Battle
February 8 Girls Varsity Basketball @ Valdez
Boys Varsity Basketball @ Valdez
Parent Teacher Conferences
February 9 Boys Varsity Basketball @ Valdez
Girls Varsity Basketball @ Valdez
Parent Teacher Conferences
February 10 Girls Varsity Basketball @ Valdez
Boys Varsity Basketball @ Valdez
XC Skiing @ Home
February 12 Girls Junior Varsity Basketball @ Nikiski (3:00PM)
Boys C Team Basketball @ Nikiski (4:30PM)
February 14 Girls Varsity Basketball @ Home (5:30PM)
Boys Varsity Basketball @ Home (7:00PM)
February 16 XC Skiing @ Tsalteshi
February 17 XC Skiing @ Tsalteshi
Boys C Team Basketball @ Home (1:00PM)
February 21 DDF @ Dimond
February 22 DDF @ Dimond
Girls Junior Varsity Basketball @ Home (3:00PM)
Boys Junior Varsity Basketball @ Home (4:30PM)
Girls Varsity Basketball @ Home (6:00PM)
Boys Varsity Basketball @ Home (7:30PM)
February 23 DDF @ Dimond
Girls Junior Varsity Basketball @ Home (3:00PM)
Boys Junior Varsity Basketball @ Home (4:30PM)
Girls Varsity Basketball @ Home (6:00PM)
Boys Varsity Basketball @ Home (7:30PM)
February 24 Girls Junior Varsity Basketball @ Home (12:00PM)
Boys Junior Varsity Basketball @ Home (1:30PM)
Girls Varsity Basketball @ Home (3:00PM)
Boys Varsity Basketball @ Home (4:30PM)
Page 7
Click here for our Online Events Calendar: http://sewardhighschool.bigteams.com/main/calendar
Schedule for 2018 Seahawk Classic
Teams listed 1st are away and will wear dark and will sit on the right of scorer’s table. Teams listed 2nd will be home and will wear white with Hutch v. Seward the only exception.
Thursday 3:00 –Hutchison vs. Bristol Bay Girls
4:30 – Hutchison vs. Bristol Bay Boys
6:00 - Houston vs. Seward Girls
7:30 - Houston vs. Seward Boys
Friday 12:00 - 3 point/Free throw competition
3:00 – Bristol Bay vs. Houston Girls
4:30 – Bristol Bay vs. Houston Boys
6:00 –Hutchison vs. Seward Girls (Seward will wear darks, Hutch will wear lights)
7:30 - Hutchison vs. Seward Boys (Seward will wear darks, Hutch will wear lights)
Saturday 11:00 – Hutchison vs. Houston Girls
12:30 – Hutchison vs. Houston Boys
2:00 – Bristol Bay vs. Seward Girls
3:30 – Bristol Bay vs. Seward Boys
Awards to immediately follow the last game Saturday.
Seahawk News Page 10
PowerSchool - Where to Go To Be In The Know
Seward High School makes every effort to communicate with students and their families about what is happening at the high school. A great source of information is our online PowerSchool program. Students and parents can access a wealth of information including class schedules, grades, attendance, and the school blog. Parents and students must have their own access code to use PowerSchool and letters with this information have been sent home this year. If you have not logged into PowerSchool please con-tact our school counselor.
There are two ways to log into PowerSchool. Go to the internet and type in 1.) http://ps.kpbsd.org/public. This will take you to the login page, or 2.) Go the school district’s website www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us and click on Students/Parents. On the left side of the screen you will see the PowerSchool icon or symbol. Click here and it will take you to the login page. If you haven’t checked out PowerSchool by now you should.
We also distribute information via daily announcements to the student body every morning and we send out a monthly newsletter that has a calendar for the month’s events with important dates to remember. All three schools use the electronic sign on the high-way that is updated weekly. Also check out the High School’s blog for daily information. Be sure to take an active role in finding
out what is happening at the high school. So, now you know—where to go—to be in the know!
Seward High School Pool Schedule
Jan 8 – May 25 2018 Closed Jan 15, Apr 20
Open Swim
M, W, F 6:30 – 7:50 pm
Sun 4:00 – 5:20 pm
Lap Swim
M, W, F 6:30 – 8:00 am
T & Th 11:00 – 12:30
One lane 5:00 – 7:00 pm
Sun 5:30 – 7:00 pm
Parent & Tot swim
T & Th 11:00 – 12:30
Water Aerobics T & Th 6 – 7 pm. Call to sign up
Admission Fees
Adults $5, 10 plunges $45. Youth/senior $4, 10 plunges $35.
Under 3 Free.
Closed Evenings: Feb 1, 2
Schedule subject to change. 224 – 3900 for update. 224 – 9050 to leave mes-
sage.
If you would like to be added
to the email list to receive the
SHS Daily Bulletin, please
email Stephanie Withrow at
Early Release Days
Bus Routes and Student Transportation
Mobile App
New-To-District Students
Online Payments for Activity Fees and Food Service Fees
Parent Student Handbook
PowerSchool Navigation Tips
Safety Protocol at KPBSD Schools
School Calendars
School Delays and Closures
School Development Plan Goals
School Start and End Times
Common Links for Parents and Students
Seward High School
P.O. Box 1049
Seward, Alaska 99664
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