Category Archives: Volunteer Opportunities

What Lessons Have We Learned?

At tonights Parent Group meeting a parent brought up a very good question.

As we start the final quarter of this unique and challenging year, and start looking forward to next year, now is a good time for our community to consider what we have learned, what might we want to continue doing next year, and what changes might we want to work on. 

One idea that has been mentioned was to continue with having Wednesday as an asynchronous day, with the possibility of allowing passage time, or perhaps modifying our intensives to be spread out over the term. I am sure there are many great ideas out there that merit consideration. 

It was proposed that a committee of staff, students and parents might want to convene and identify ways to get input from our community.  This moment presents a powerful opportunity for our community to come together, and provide direction for our school, and to me is at the heart of the Steller Philosophy. 

If you or your student would be interested in joining this committee please let me know at chairstellerparentgroup@gmail.com

Kirsten

Opportunity for Students

Mental Health Advocacy Through Storytelling (or MHATS) is a group of Anchorage high-school-age students who tell stories of mental health triumphs in order to combat the stigma surrounding mental illness and open up conversations.

Over ten meetings, we learn to tell true and personal 5-7 minute stories in the style of Arctic Entries/Storyworks/the Moth. We also learn advocacy skills– how to stand up for yourself and others. In addition to storytelling, in this session, we will be learning about what mental health education looks like in schools and advocating for House Bill 60, which would put K-12 mental health education into Alaska State law.

To learn more visit their website here. 

To register here:

https://forms.gle/RY8sQZqCX9KZytHTA 

Steller Parent Group Meeting Tuesday at 6:00pm

Attending Steller Parent Group meetings is a great way to hear about what is happening at school directly from Reed and teachers, ask questions, and have your say in school decisions.  It is also a good way to meet other parents – especially when we aren’t seeing each other in person.  We are a friendly group and happy to see new faces! 

Now is also the time to start thinking about next year’s committee.  Our current treasurer Brandon Brooks will be stepping down, so we will need someone to fill his shoes. If you think you might be interested, or know someone who would be, please reach out.  The more time we have to hand things off the easier it is! 

We will also need a co-chair for next year. Co-chairs are usually two years, and the positions are staggered so that one person always has some experience. If you are interested in joining me for the rest of this year, or next year I’d be happy to talk.

You can always find Meeting Minutes and Agenda’s under the Parents Tab on the Website here. 

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/97391496736?pwd=NVlNbkc4N3Q5REZSMUxqcXFWTmcxZz09

Meeting ID: 973 9149 6736
Passcode: STELLER
One tap mobile
+16699009128,

Warm regards,

Kirsten Tschofen 

Chair

 

Update from Steller Parent Group

  1. Join the grade 7 Committee to talk about how we can help build community for our 7th grade students.  Email chairstellerparentgroup@gmail.com if you are interested in learning more and we can choose a date and time that works for everyone. 
  2. Check out the Student Showcase page to see the great work our students have been doing this year. 
  3. Here are the Minutes from the January meeting.  
  4. We are looking for a volunteer to help manage the Steller Directory (less than an hour a month commitment). 

We are here to serve the Steller community, please feel free to reach out if you have ideas or see areas of need. 

Warm regards,

Kirsten (Chair)

Quyanas to our Staff!

ASD is currently running a unique way to recognize staff for their efforts to support our children in their learning.  The website describes it this way:

Quyana (ku-‘ya-na) a Central Yup’ ik word for thank you, is also the name of our site-based award of appreciation. You can give this award to any employee or volunteer in recognition of achievement, service or dedication.

Thank you to the students and parents that have taken the time to write a few words for our staff.  To see what others have written visit the site here. 

If you would like to say your own thank you please go to this link and write your Quyana. 

Warm regards,

Kirsten Tschofen 

Chair, Steller Parent Group

Student Nutrition Committee Meets Tuesday, December 8 at noon

Steller Parent Group would like to invite parents, staff and students to join the Student Nutrition Committee.  The purpose of this group is to ensure that all Steller students have access to healthy and balanced meals – especially during this pandemic. 

Starting in October 19, all ASD students enrolled in the National School Lunch Program are eligible to pick up free breakfast and lunch through a special emergency program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

Steller Secondary does not have a school lunch program and is not registered as part of the NSLP and so our students are not eligible for this program. 

We would like our Steller students to be eligible to participate in this program.  Our committee plans to explore ways to address this issue.

If you are interested in helping please join us for a planning meeting on Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 12:00 to 1:00pm.  Email Kirsten at chairstellerparentgroup@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

Sincerely, Kirsten Tschofen Chair SPG

Holly Rinehart, Chair Student Nutrition Committee

Quyanas to our Staff

ASD is currently running a unique way to recognize staff for their efforts to support our children in their learning.  The website describes it this way:

Quyana (ku-‘ya-na) a Central Yup’ ik word for thank you, is also the name of our site-based award of appreciation. You can give this award to any employee or volunteer in recognition of achievement, service or dedication.

We thought wouldn’t it be a lovely way to recognize the extra work Steller staff has been doing for us if we managed to write a Quyana for every staff member at Steller? I think it is so much more meaningful if the thank you is specific and comes from someone who knows the staff member.  This is where you come in.  Would you be willing to write a short thank you to one or two staff members? It only take a few minutes, and is such a nice gesture as we wrap up our second quarter. 

If you are willing, let me know and I can share our list of everyone who has already been thanked, and then go to this link and write your Quyana. 

Warm regards,

Kirsten Tschofen 

Chair, Steller Parent Group

#StellerGives: Carly F

My name is Carly F, I’m a senior, and I have volunteered in Mrs. Caldarera’s kindergarten classroom for the last 8 years. I have gone in almost every school day for 1-2 hours a day and this has resulted in over 900 volunteer hours in the classroom! I absolutely love volunteering there because I can see the direct impact I have on the children’s lives. It is very rewarding being able to see how I have helped over 140 children learn to read, write, and do math. Every year I learn more about the classroom so I am able to take more burdens off of Mrs. Caldarera which greatly benefits the class. I love playing with the kids and building a unique relationship with each of them. I know that a lot of the time as the kindergarteners grow older they no longer remember me, but I know they will remember the things I taught them and the fun things we did together. 

I have done two separate passages in the kindergarten classroom. In the spring of my 9th-grade year, I did a passage based on providing upper-level kids with challenging math. I worked with 6 different kids and met with all of them in small groups twice a week. In the spring of my 11th-grade year, I did a passage helping the lower level kids get caught up with their reading and writing. I worked with 6 kids individually and met with them once a week. I worked with 3 children where English was not spoken at home, which was a learning experience for me. I even met with this one boy 3+ times a week because he needed extra help. Once I started working one-on-one with him there were many improvements in his behavior and his academics. From winter break to spring break, he went from knowing 13 letters and 12 sounds to knowing 22 letters and 20 sounds. I absolutely love volunteering with Mrs. Caldarera and I am grateful that I’ve been given this opportunity every year. 

Carly F

Senior

You should be proud of what a difference you have made in the lives of all the children you work with Carly! Well done.