Class Registration, August 22

Registration schedule looks like this:

*   12th and  8th graders will register from 8:00am – 10:00am
*   11th and 7th graders will register from  10:00am – 12:00pm
*   9th and 10th graders will register from   1:00pm – 3:00pm

Please keep in mind that all personnel will be focused on getting all students registered  and won’t be able to supervise unattended students.
If possible- please make arrangements to pick your child up as soon as they have completed registration or make arrangements for alternative transportation home or to an alternate location as soon as they have completed registration.  Doing this would greatly aide in a smooth and efficient registration activity.

Principal’s Corner

A new school year presents opportunities for various beginnings — new classes, new faces, sometime-new courses and often-new materials.  Summer and vacation can be great healers; and as we approach the opening day of a new school year, the end-of-year pressures that plagued us in June seem remote.

One of the newest things at Steller this year is me.  My name is Harlod Green.  I come to you with a varied background in education.  I have twenty-four years in education, and the last twelve years have been in educational administration.  I have worked on the ground level as a teacher helping to implement the Coalition of Essential school principals in Albuquerque, NM.  I have been an assistant principal in Fairbanks and Anchorage, as well as a principal of a charter school in Fairbanks. This briefly summarizes me.  I am certain that in the days, weeks, months, and years to come we will talk. You will come to know me and I, you.  I am extremely happy to be at Steller and look forward to working with my community, my parents and all of the wonderful students and staff that make up the heart and soul of Steller.

Newness alone cannot produce transformation.  We ourselves must be willing to be caught up in the rebirth that is possible with each new year.  Starting a new year gives us the opportunity to make new plans, design new strategies, and implement new ideas.  There is a special kind of joy and satisfaction in planning lessons and activities for a new class, for although the subject or grade level is the same, the students are new, and they appreciate the planning that is done on their behalf.  Whether one’s responsibility is administrating, supervising, teaching, preparing lunches, maintaining a building, or managing an office, there is always room for improvement and for new ways to do a good job even better.

We can be proud of what we achieve in Steller- in our classrooms, in our offices, and in our communities.  But, our achievements are not due to complacency and satisfaction with the status quo.  Our program is what it is because we have a staff of dedicated, aspiring individuals that have a common goal — to do what is best for students. This year, as in the past, we must concentrate on the processes that spur continuing advancement:  evaluating what we have, determining what we can do to improve, and identifying what we need to do to make those improvements.  Let us make 2008-09 our best year yet!

Harlod Green

Healthy and Wise Notes from Nurse Wendy…

Medication Administration Policy
If your student requires medication (including inhalers or non-prescription medication) during the school day, I will be happy to assist you by giving them safely and reliably.
Before any medication can be administered at school, the parent/guardian must complete the appropriate form, which is kept on file in the school nurse office. Medication Request Forms must be renewed each year. Prescription medications used longer than 15 days require a physician signature. Medication must be provided in the original container. Loose pills that come to school in a baggie will not be given. Please do not send medication (including cold remedies, cough drops, Tylenol, etc.) to school for your child to take on their own.

ASD policy requires an adult to transport prescription medication to and from school.
Students are not allowed to transport any medication to school or have it in their possession while at school. There are exceptions to this policy; and they are an inhaler, epinephrine auto-injector, or insulin (when authorized by a physician to be carried at school, and the appropriate paperwork is on file with the nurse).

Forms may be obtained from the ASD website: www.asdk12.org. At the home page, go to Forms & Publications, located on the right side of the screen. Type “medication” in the keyword block and download the appropriate form. Forms may also be obtained from me in the school office. If it’s easier, I can fax them to you as well.

Allergies/Asthma Policy
Parents/guardians of a student with a known anaphylactic reaction to food, animal, bee/wasp sting, latex, or any other substance must complete an Allergy/Action Plan for the nurse to keep on file. All teachers and staff are trained to use epinephrine auto-injectors, and they all maintain current lists of students with anaphylaxis. The lists are, of course, confidential. A trained staffer or teacher will go with your student on all field trips. All students with asthma or anaphylaxis are allowed to carry their own inhalers and epinephrine auto-injectors with authorization from parent/guardian and their physician. Please contact the school nurse for the appropriate paperwork.

Immunizations
Please note that Alaska State Law requires all students be appropriately immunized or have a physician-documented exclusion on file with the school district. This school has a strictly enforced “No Shots – No School” policy in accordance with state law. Please check with your student’s health care provider to ensure immunizations are up-to-date prior to the start of school and provide documentation of immunization updates to the school nurse.

Tuberculin Testing
All 7th grade students, as well as any students who are new-to-ASD, are required by Alaska State Law to have a PPD tuberculin test. This is an interdermal injection. Parents/guardians must sign a permission slip for this TB test. Students are exempted from testing only if you provide results from a PPD skin test given within six months prior to the school entry or a physician states the testing would be injurious to your child’s health. A child who has had a BCG vaccination is not assured to have any safeguard against tuberculosis; therefore, BCG is not an exemption from tuberculosis testing. There is no exemption from tuberculosis testing for religious or personal objection. If you wish, you may have your family physician administer the test and bring or fax the results to the school nurse.

Student illness or injury
Although we stress the importance of good attendance, any student who appears ill should remain at home. Please don’t send sick students to school to be examined by the school nurse. This may expose others to illness unnecessarily. If your student becomes ill or injured while at school, the nurse or someone from the office will notify you or one of your emergency contacts before excusing your student from school. Please keep your contact numbers and emergency contacts updated throughout the school year. If you leave your student in the care of another adult temporarily, for vacation or other reasons, please send a written note to school with your child to reflect the temporary contact change.

P.E. Excuses
If your student needs a physical education excuse for 1-3 days, a parent/guardian may send a note to school with the student for the school nurse. The nurse will make alternative placement arrangements and notify the PE teacher. If a student must be excused from PE for more than three days, a written physician’s note is necessary. The note must indicate the reason and specify the length of the PE exclusion and include a return date.

If you have any questions or your child has any special health concerns, you may contact me at 742-4963. My office hours are 8:00am – 3:30pm, M-F. You may send me a fax at 742-4966. Please mark it “ATTN: Nurse”. You may also email me at: williams_wendy@asdk12.org.

Wendy Williams, RN BSN
Steller Nurse

Lunch donations needed

Nurse Wendy is now accepting donations for our lunchtime cache. Some suggestions are:
• Cup of soup
• Cup of noodles
• Granola bars
• Cheese & cracker packs
• Juice packs
• Plastic spoons and forks
You can drop donations off in the office.

Thanks!

Eugene’s Safety Reminders

Welcome back to another Steller year! Since we, as a community, share the Steller facility, here are some rules and safety tips that we can use to help us live and work together safely and considerately.

 All visitors must check in at the office so the staff knows who is in the building both for security and fire purposes. When you sign in, we know that your car (the one without a permit) is in the parking lot. You alleviate confusion and avoid a parking ticket. Speaking of permits,…

 School Board Policy states that all students who park in school district parking lots must have a parking permit. Permits cost $50 per semester. Students may pick up a Vehicle Registration and Parking form from me or from the office. The permit requires a parent or guardian’s signature. Please pay for the permit in the office and bring the completed form and receipt to me and I will issue you a permit.
Cars will be checked randomly for current car permits. Your car will receive a warning the first time. The second time you’ll receive a fine, and the third time you’ll be towed at your expense. Ooch.
Happily, permits from our school are ok in other school parking lots. So if you were planning on driving your car to another school for classes or activities, you’ll be covered.

 Vehicle safety is important. Please don’t speed in the driveway or parking lot. Don’t overload your car with passengers, that is, each passenger must have a seat belt. This is part of responsible driving. Our school is about responsible freedom, which means just that, freedom to be responsible in all things you do and making proper choices. If proper choices are not made, those freedoms that we al cherish could and can be taken away.

 The front access drive is a Fire Lane. Dropping off and picking up students is fine but no one is allowed to park there. Any car parked in the Fire Lane (without a driver in the auto) can and will be towed at the owner’s expense. There are no warnings given out for this offense.

 If you are parked in the front access drive when we are having a drill, PLEASE move your car to the parking area of the school immediately. Be aware of students streaming out of the doors. If the alarms go off and you are sitting in your car in the access drive, it might not be a drill! It could be an emergency and you could be blocking an emergency vehicle trying to get to the school.
The staff does not have time to locate the owner of a car in an event of an emergency or a drill. Our first concern must be the safety of the students.
Don’t try to pick up your student during an emergency or drill. It causes confusion and increases the risks for our students. Students will be released at the proper time after the event.

 Many Steller students walk to one of the fast-food places during lunch, or walk to a bus stop. If at all possible, stay in a group. Do not walk or wander down back alleys just because it is a shortcut. These areas are danger zones and should be avoided at all costs. If anyone approaches you that you do not know, don’t talk to them! Run to the nearest safe place and report it at once.

 Several students ride bikes to and from school. Remember to wear a helmet at all times when riding your bike – especially on school property. Please do not ride bikes on the school sidewalks or parking lots. WALK THEM. Bikes are often an unexpected obstacle for both cars and pedestrians. Accidents can easily happen.

 Skateboards are not allowed on school property.

 If you notice an adult or a student you don’t think belongs to the school, please tell any staff member right away. Do NOT confront them. Let the staff member ask who they are and their business at Steller.

 Regarding Steller’s “Couch Policy”…
We currently have one opening for a couch in the lounge. Please keep reading if you are interested in donating one. Our policy is below, and please, wait until the second week of the school year to donate a couch.
We can have a maximum of two couches in the front lounge at any one time. When they get to the point of being a safety problem or are just plain worn out, we get rid of it and replace it with a “new” donated couch. At that time, and only at that time, will we accept a couch for the school. Even if you’ve received an OK for donating your couch, DO NOT just drop it off at the front door. I or someone else on staff must check in the couch. We would prefer to preview your donation before you move it to Steller. We cannot accept a donation that isn’t in good condition, and we don’t have room to store a couch.
In the past, couches have been left without notice and the cost of hauling away a couch has soared.
This rule also applies to the classroom couch donations. No approval, no acceptance.

Thanks for paying attention to Safety at Steller. Enjoy the rest of your summer.

Calendar Update

August 2008

Tuesday, 5 & Wednesday, 6 – Pre-Registration (see Pre-Registration post for more information)

Wednesday, 20 & Thursday, 21 – Orientation

Friday, 22 – Class Registration (Note change from previous announcement)

Monday, 25 – First day of classes

Pre-Registration

Pre-registration is required for all students, both new and returning. We use the total number of students who confirm their registration at Steller to determine the number of slots still available to offer to new students. Your student need not be present.

When you pre-register, you:
· Activate your student record,
· Update addresses, phone numbers, and other pertinent information.

During Pre-Registration, you may also:
· Turn in additional immunization records (if needed),
· Sign permission slips for Steller activities throughout the year, and
· Release information for inclusion in the Steller Student Directory.

7th graders & New-to-Steller – Tuesday, Aug 5, 8:00 am – 10:00 am

Returning students – Tue, Aug 5, Noon to 2:00 pm

 Wed, Aug 6, 8:00 am – 10:00 am
Noon to 2:00pm

If you cannot make one of these dates, please contact the office at 742-4950.

Save yourself time at pre-registration by downloading, printing, and completing these forms in advance:

Adult Transport Insurance – All parents/guardians who could/would drive for field trips, etc.
Annual Survey Permission – All students
Health History – Students in 7th and 10th grades, OR are new to the District
Media Release – All students
Permission Slip – All students
TB Consent – Students in 7th grade or new to the District
Website Registration – All students and parents
Student Directory Information – All students
Parent Group Donation Request – All students

Registration Dates Announced

Pre-registration dates are as follows:

Tuesday, August 5

  • 8:00-10:00 am – Grade 7 and new to Steller
  • 12:00-2:00 pm – Grades 8 thru 12

    • Wednesday, August 6

  • 8:00-10:00 am – Everyone can register
  • 12:00 – 2:00 pm – Everyone can register

    • Class registration is on Friday, August 22nd:

  • 8:00 – 10:00 am – Grades 12 and 8
  • 10:00 am – 12:00 noon – Grades 11 and 7
  • 1:00 – 3:00 pm – Grades 9 and 10

    • Proud Steller Parents

    It has taken a while to write this but we had to wait for Tonei to slow down enough to make sure we had it right. Tonei G. recently graduated from Steller. Over six years as a student at Steller, Tonei fully embraced the Steller Philosopy and participated in a wide variety of activities. Besides being a strong student voice in Op Group, Ad Board (as co-chair for two years), and as Steller’s representative on the Anchorage School District’s Student Advisory Board, Tonei was editor of the yearbook for four years and leader of the Gay-Straight Alliance at Steller. Tonei was also very active outside of school volunteering for many organizations: a lawyer, judge, and board of directors member for Anchorage Youth Court, president of the United Youth Courts of Alaska, a volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters at North Star Elementary School, and one of twelve Student Coordinators on the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) National Jump-Start Leadership Team. Additionally, Tonei was invited to join the GLSEN National Advisory Council earlier this year.

    Tonei has been a member of the Alaska Teen Media Institute (ATMI) for over two years. A regular soundboard operator and host on their monthly radio show, Tonei was also featured as a commentator on National Public Radio in February 2008 and received an Alaska Press Club Award – competing against adult professionals – for a radio piece regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students in Anchorage schools. Tonei has had the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the United States to participate in conferences including several GLSEN summits and trainings, statewide and regional youth court summits, the National Association of Student Councils conference, the Third Coast International Audio Festival, and was one of only two seniors in Alaska chosen to participate in the 2008 U.S. Senate Youth Program.

    Tonei is an American Civil Liberties Union Youth Activist Scholar, and will be an honors student at American University in Washington D.C. studying Political Science and Women’s and Gender Studies. He received an American University Presidental Merit Scholarship of $27,000 per year in addition to scholarships from the Anchorage Education Association, the TOTEM Association of Educational Support Personnel, Pride Foundation, PFLAG, and many other organizations – in all, over $50,000 in scholarships. We are very proud of Tonei’s accomplishments and grateful to the Steller teachers and staff for all they have done to help create such a wonderful young person.

    Ed and Karen
    Tonei’s Parents

    You can find details of Tonei’s accomplishments in the “press” section of frozenactivist.net.