Category Archives: General Announcements

Need Parents to Host Grade Level Socials

Dear Steller Families,
The Steller Parent Group is looking for parents to host a grade level parent social in their homes (or coordinate one at some other location). The hope is to help build community by getting to know each other, and the idea is very simple: the host chooses a date and time, puts out an invitation to grade level parents, and everyone who comes brings something to share.

We have hosts for grades 7 & 9, and are looking for the following:
Grade 8
Grade 10
Grade 11 & 12 

If you are interested in hosting, or would like to learn more please contact me at pelletiers04@gmail.com
Sincerely,
Kirsten Tschofen (Ezra grade 7, Eli grade 11)

PSAT Test Day Info – Wednesday October 16

PSAT 
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 16

We would like to have all students seated by 8:30 so we can start the test on time. Please report to the MPR at 8:15.

Bring on test day:
Number 2 pencil w/eraser
Approved calculator: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/taking-the-tests/test-day-checklist/approved-calculators
Social Security number (optional)
Email address (optional but recommended)
Water bottles/snack stay underneath the table
No hats and no big jackets

NO PHONES, SMART WATCHES OR OTHER DIGITAL DEVICES ALLOWED IN THE TESTING ROOM

  • Leave your phone somewhere outside the testing room
  • You are not allowed to use any digital devices during bathroom breaks or other breaks

Assigned seats

Total testing time including administration is approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes
Two 5-minute breaks to stretch

Parent Group Meeting – Thurs Oct 10th 6pm

 
Thursday October 10th 6:00 pm in Ken’s room is the first meeting of Steller Parent Group. This month’s meeting has been moved from the usual Tuesday to Thursday. Join us to hear about upcoming events, updates from the staff and students, election of officers, progress on this year’s Auction, and other volunteer needs for the coming year. Parent Group raises funding and organizes volunteers to support intensives, special projects proposed by students and teachers, and events throughout the school year. Parent Group is also a great place to connect with other families for help in making the most of Steller’s unique opportunities and navigating challenges you may run into. This is a fairly informal group and all are welcome, as are new agenda items or topics of discussion. Decisions are made by vote of everyone present at the meetings. We are in need of a Treasurer– please email if you may be interested or willing. If you would like to add agenda items or have any questions, please email: stellerparentgroup@gmail.com.
 
Interested in volunteering but unable to attend the meeting? Please email stellerparentgroup@gmail.com, or call or text Co-Chair Ann Mayo-Kiely 907-223-8204. 
 
The meeting runs from 6:00-7:30 in Ken’s room. The doors on the south end of the building will be open. We hope to see you on Tuesday!

December Alyeska Intensive Drivers Needed

Dear Parents,
Here are the package prices for the Alyeska Skiing and Snowboarding December intensive. This is just informational,  you cannot sign up or pay yet.
If we have enough parent-volunteer drivers, we will not have the added cost of a school bus.   This will not only eliminate the cost of the bus, but we will get back to Anchorage earlier.
One parent-volunteer with a vehicle will need to stay with the group  all
day, in case of an emergency.
If your student is planning on taking this intensive,  and you are able

to drive, please email Svetlana as soon as possible.
Thank you,

Steller Parent Group needs a Treasurer!

Good with numbers and looking for a way to volunteer this year? Steller Parent Group needs a treasurer starting right away. This is an easy roll to fill and is very flexible with your schedule. All accounting is done with Quickbooks Online and is easy to access on whatever computer you have available. Except for checks and reports, the entire job is paperless. This role encourages regular attendance to the monthly meetings (2nd Tuesday of each month), generating financial reports, and printing checks. The role is also important during the yearly auction, where you will assist in setting up the payment system. Previous experience is not required but may be helpful to understand lite accounting as well as understand quickbooks. Personal training is available so you won’t be left in the dark. Interested? The Parent Group really needs you. Reach out to the current treasurer Kevin Hedin kevin@kevinhedin.com if you have any questions.

FAFSA INFO

The new FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form for the 2020-2021 academic year will be available on Tuesday, October 1.  Students who are interested in attending college or job training programs of approximately 2 years should fill out the form to find out how much Pell Grant (free money), Federal Work Study, and federal student loan aid they will be eligible for.  Filling out the FAFSA does not obligate anyone to take out a loan, but it can reveal eligibility for Pell Grants and Work Study aid that many are not aware of.  Did you know that there are far more Alaskans who are eligible for a Pell Grant than the number who actually apply for one?

Do you have questions about how to fill out the FAFSA?  Go to https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa/filling-out/help for help.  More questions are answered at https://studentaidhelp.ed.gov/app/home/site/fafsa.  Remember – this is the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid.  No one has to pay to fill out or file the FAFSA .

If you know a student who has been in foster care or who is homeless, specific information about accessing federal student aid for these groups is available at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/eligibility.

Those who would like to get a free early estimate of their eligibility for Pell Grant, Federal Work Study, and federal subsidized and unsubsidized loans can find out by using the U.S. Department of Education’s FAFSA4caster.

FAFSA filers no longer have to wait to fill out the FAFSA until they’ve filed their federal income tax forms in April.  Due to a change in the law, FAFSA filers should use their “prior prior” tax returns.  So on October 1, use the 2018 federal tax and income information to fill out the 2020-2021 FAFSA. The FAFSA also has the Data Retrieval Tool that will fill in the federal tax information automatically.

For those interested in the Alaska Education Grant or the Alaska Performance Scholarship, they must file their FAFSA as soon as they can after October 1 but no later than June 30th and select at least one Alaskan institution of higher education.

Looking for scholarships?  https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships/finding-scholarships can help students find them and explains how scholarships can affect other student aid.

Don’t know what school offers the best education for the money?  Try the College Navigator.  Using data gathered by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics, it allows comparisons of different kinds of schools and programs in different locations.  Another great tool is the College Affordability and Transparency Center, also by the U.S. Department of Education.  This is a one-stop-shop for price and quality information.

And don’t forget – there are tax benefits for education, including tax credits for higher education expenses, student loan interest deductions, Qualified Tuition Programs (529 Plans), and more.  Learn more about these opportunities at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/tax-benefits and https://www.irs.gov/individuals/students.

Have more questions?  Contact the Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education’s Success Center for one-on-one coaching on career exploration, career training information, help filling out the FAFSA and other aid applications, scholarship searches, and more.  They also provide group presentations on a variety of important topics and various printed materials.  To contact them, call toll-free to 1-800-441-2962 opt 4, e-mail ACPESuccessCenter@alaska.gov, or if in Anchorage, check out their brick and mortar locations at the Dimond Center Mall or the University Center Mall.