Monthly Archives: August 2010

Parents of Art Students!

If your student has an art class this quarter, please be sure to pay the $10 Lab Fee. Correct change and/or a check (to Steller) is always appreciated! The Art teacher will be collecting this fee this week and next week. Art classes are self-supporting – there is very little district funding for the department.
Thanks!

Rotary Loussac Library Project

If you haven’t heard the exciting news, Loussac Library is in the process of planning a teen area slated to open next summer (thanks to the Anchorage Rotary)!! But we can’t and don’t want to do it without your input. Please click on the link below and take our short survey on how you currently use the library and what you’d like to see in a teen area. Then send the link to your friends for their input. We’re looking for a really good sample of the likes, dislikes, wants, and needs of teens with regards to their library use; so help us get the word out. Let me know if you have any questions about the survey. It’s set up so that your answers are completely anonymous. The Library’s Teen Advisory Board will pick the winning name (see survey question #9).

To learn more about the project, go to: http://www.anchoragelibraryfoundation.org/loussac.html

Here’s the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HWNHRLW

BBQ Thank You

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the parents who volunteered their time to help out with the Orientation BBQ last Thursday. In spite of the last minute nature of our appeals, many parents stepped up and helped the BBQ become one of the smoothest in recent memory. The weather cooperated (finally) and students, staff, and (I hope) parents had a great time eating and enjoying the camaraderie. Thanks again to all the parents for helping to make Steller the great school that it is.
Ken, Jennifer, Svetlana

Close Up 2011

Somehow the first half of this article was missed in the first attempt so we are re-publishing it in it’s entirety.

Steller students have the opportunity to participate with other students from around the District in the Close Up program in Washington DC. The program is six days, beginning on Sunday, April 10 and ending on Friday, April 15. This is the Flagship Program which you can examine further by visiting the Close Up site at http://www.closeup.org. Click on the High School Programs and navigate to the “Our Flagship: 6 days” where you can download a PDF brochure and watch a short video about the trip. The cost of the trip, based on the latest figures should be around $2000 including airfare. If that seems like a lot for a six-day trip, please consider the rich experience that Close Up provides. They have been offering these trips for a long time and are the premier organization in terms of the quality of the program. Please visit the “About Our Programs” link for more information.

Two Steller students are already enrolled for the spring program and I’m looking to get at least 10 to sign up. If you have further questions about the experience, email Nina and she can tell you about her experience taking students there in 1984. (Did I say they’ve been doing these programs for a long time?) Since the trip is outside the Steller intensive schedule, students will be responsible for the work they miss for that week. This is because other Anchorage schools will be attending with us and the District has designated these dates for the travel. If you are interested and want to know more, please contact me at [Varee_Ken@asdk12.org] or call me at 742-4950. The sooner we get students signed up, the sooner we can lock in a favorable airfare rate. I hope to hear from you soon.

Label that food…

We have many students with a wide variety of food allergies.  At this age level, most students are able to identify what they are eating and if it contains a potential allergen.   Many times however, the food allergen can be a hidden ingredient that has life threatening implications.  The majority of allergic reactions at this age level occur because the student ate something given to them by a friend that was presumed to be safe.  With that said, it would be great if you could label the ingredients in your homemade foods that are brought in to be shared with others (advisory snacks, BBQ’s, class events etc).   The common food allergy offenders are shellfish, seafood/fish, milk/dairy, wheat, legumes/peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, and pit fruits.

US Senate Youth Program

The next USSYP Washington Week will take place March 5 – 12, 2011 and each student delegate (two from each state, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education Activity) will receive a $5,000 undergraduate  scholarship to the college or university of their choice.

The USSYP Washington Week is a unique government education program that will give two outstanding high school students from your state an extraordinary opportunity to learn about the history and procedures of the Senate, meet the highest level elected officials in the federal government and be encouraged to explore a career in public service. Begun in 1962 by Senate Resolution 324, the USSYP is a Senate sponsored program funded and administered by The Hearst Foundations. More than 65 Senators participate each year.

The USSYP website is a rich source of information for principals, teachers and students, giving in-depth information about this prestigious program and helping qualified students apply directly at:

www.ussenateyouth.org  <http://www.ussenateyouth.org> .

INTERESTED STUDENTS PLEASE SEE KEN AT STELLER