DragonTale
May 2024
Important School Dates:
5/1 - Volleyball game @ WHE
5/2 - Spring Concert @ 6:30 pm
5/6 - 5/8 - 6th Grade Overnight Trip to Peterson Bay
5/9 - All School Bishops Beach Day5/15 - 6th Grade Spotlight Lunch @ 12:25
5/15 - Step-Up/ 6th Grade Graduation @ 1:25
5/16 - Hawaii Day
5/16 - Last Day of School: Play Day/ BBQ Potluck & 40th Anniversary Celebration!
A Message From Mr. Swanson:
We are down to the last 14 days of school for this wonderful year. Just like the year we are ending, this final stretch will be very busy, filled with many activities and learning opportunities.
It always seems that when we get to this point in the year that it has just flown by and we certainly could not be so close to finishing another year of school. Yet, here we are and the days are full.
All of our students will be participating in the Spring Concert next Thursday, 2 May. This is an opportunity for all of our students to show what they have learned in Music classes this year. It is also a great opportunity for all of us to celebrate our East End community.
We will be making our annual visit to the beach on Thursday, 9 May. Beach Day is a great tradition and we welcome families to join us for a great time of enjoying, interacting and eating at Bishop’s Beach.
The last two days of school are really busy with Graduation/Step Up Day on Wednesday, 15 May and then the End of the Year BBQ and Play Day on Thursday, 16 May.
Please make sure to read the rest of this newsletter and have your calendar nearby to mark down important events and programs and Thank You for having your child at McNeil.
FY23 AKSTAR Testing Results Are Here
The 2023 AK STAR scores have been released and are available in your parent portal through Powerschool. Please click the attachment below for more information and helpful links on how to access your student's scores.
Spring Program: May 2nd @ 6:30 pm
Title One Corner
The last Title 1 meeting of the year will be at the Spring Concert on Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. Before the meeting please review the attached Parent and Family Policy that was written this year and stop by the Title 1 table after the concert to give your feedback and sign our attendance sheet.
Beach Day!
We will have an all-school field trip to Bishops Beach on Thursday, May 9, 2024. Permissions went home today. Parents are welcome to join us for this fun day. Please contact your child’s teacher or the school office if you can help. You must be a KPBSD approved volunteer.
The Wet Season is Upon Us
All Library Books Due Soon!
All library books are due Monday, May 6th , 2024. Please get them turned in as soon as possible. Thanks.
6th Grade Graduation and Step-Up Day
Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 1:25 pm all students will assemble in the gym for Step-Up Day and the 6th Grade Graduation Ceremony. 6th grade parents/guardians are invited to join us in the gym. There will be a Spotlight lunch (lunch provided) for our 6th graders and their parents beforehand at 12:25 pm and a reception for the 6th grade graduates and their families in the library following the ceremony.
Play Day/ Last Day of School/ Hawaii Day/ 40th ANNIVERSARY!!
Rain or shine, it’s a celebration! Thursday, May 16, 2024 we celebrate the end of the school year and 40 years of McNeil Canyon Elementary with Hawaii Day (dress aloha style!), a lunchtime BBQ Potluck and afternoon play day including contra dancing. We will have hot dogs with all the trimmings served from 12:00 am until 1:00 pm. Parents are always welcome!
At 1:00 pm, The Dragons’ Play Day begins with fun for all! Past favorite events include sidewalk art, marble games and face painting. We will also have our Kids Safety Bike Rodeo which requires a permission slip. Permission slips will be sent home next Friday for that activity and MUST be returned for your student to participate. Parents are invited to participate in, or lead play day events. Come see the sign-up sheet in the office. Help with one of our event ideas or add your own! The more events that we have, both indoors and out, the bigger blast our play day will be. We are gathering event ideas so be sure to add yours to the list!
Here is a list of the picnic contributions students in each class should bring:
Corise's Class: Chips
Anne's Class: Veggies and Fruit
Mrs. Swanson's Class: Picnic Side Dish (macaroni, potato salad, etc.)
Ashley's Class: Hot Dog Buns
Kendall's Class: Veggies and Fruit
Wendy's Class: Cookies
Brandon's Class: Paper Plates, Diced Onions, Pickles & Black Olives (There will be a sign up sheet.)
May 6th Grade Spotlight Students
The following students have been selected as Spotlight Students for the month of May: Clare Barrett, Hadley Darr, Dylan Deakins, Robert Donyes, Brantley Erickson, Malia Fisher, Colby Fraley, Salem Geysbeek, Oliver Gibbins, Bryan Hill, August Hunter, Pepper Jones, Zada Lockwood, Alexander Lyon, Karmen Lyon, Ike Mitchell, Eiko Olson, Dawson Rainwater, Dylan Raub, Xander Roth, Dottie Sylce, Angeline Theriot, and Avery Wolters.
Parents are invited to join their child and the principal for lunch in the gym on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 12:25 pm. Lunch will be provided.
Summer Birthdays
Happy Birthday to all of our students who will celebrate their birthdays over the summer:
In May (After School is Out): Iyla Turkington, Haddie Fisher, Savien Martushev, Delilah Mattson, Walter Simpson, Nyla Porter, Ramona Stowe, and Oliver Gibbins
In June: Ellowyn Hanson, Dedim Basargin, Dawson Rainwater, Einar Boldt, Kibah Jones, Asher Stafford, and August Hunter
In July: Emmett Forbes, Calder Brown, Keegan Lyon, Lux McCarter, Finn Simpson, Dylan Jones, Stefan Kuzmin, Quinn Blackstock, Eliana Cope, Mason Pennington, Dottie Sylce, Avery Wolters, Raphael Garvey, Ayla Drake, Cevir Basargin, Corbin Johnson, Ezekiel Arnold, Stephanie Sheakley, Avien Ryder, Olson Switzer, and Aidan Stafford
In August (Before School Starts)- Katrina Montoya, Ole Fonkert, Owen O'Laire, Novi Galbraith, Valette Martushev, Benn Deakins, and Angeline Theriot
Summer Skills Books
Local Happenings
Dragon Cafe - May Menu
McNeil Canyon Elementary School
Email: joverson@kpbsd.k12.ak.us
Website: kpbsd.org/schools/mcneil-canyon/
Location: 52188 East End Rd, Homer, AK, USA
Phone: 907-235-8181
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/McNeilCanyon/