CTHS NEWS

Wednesday, April 23rd, will be Administrative Professionals Day, and it allows us to celebrate these five ladies who keep our school running smoothly. We want to take a moment to introduce these incredibly hard-working ladies to you. Mrs. Carney is our administrative secretary, managing our logistics, substitute teacher assignments, and finances. She often has many morning puzzles to solve to ensure that all classes are covered by a teacher and materials are where they need to be. The detail-oriented Ms. Sison is our registrar, manages student records and transcripts, and ensures that required documentation is in place. Mrs. Milner is the cheerful voice who answers the phone when you call and manages the front desk with a smile. The front office is a busy place and she does an amazing job keeping our school flowing. Our counseling secretaries, Mrs. Deeder and Mrs. Wells, wear many hats, from organizing testing to managing the iTech lab, spreadsheet magic, and the flow of students into and out of the counseling center. These ladies' expertise and dedication keep our building's operations running smoothly. We thank these ladies for all they do to make our school the exceptional, warm, inviting place it is. Please take a moment to thank these ladies this week!

Seniors as you approach your final weeks of school, take a moment to reflect on the journey you've been on. These last weeks are not just about finishing assignments or preparing for exams; they're about savoring the memories, celebrating your achievements, and embracing the friendships that have shaped your high school experience. Take the time to have infectious gratitude for those who have supported your journey and helped you to work hard to overcome challenges from COVID 19 and beyond. We look forward to guiding you through the remaining culminating tasks and celebrating your accomplishments. Please stay tuned to the senior Google classroom and our newsletters so that you can participate in the many ways we will celebrate your success and future.

Freshmen testing continues with the AK ELA STAR test during periods 1-3 on Monday, April 21. Please be sure to bring a charged Chromebook and charger to the gymnasium for testing. All other materials should be stored in your locker.

Thank you for a great year so far! Don’t forget to get to class on time and be prepared to learn. Remember, cell phones should be stored in backpacks to allow you to focus during class time. The parking lot remains off limits except during transit to and from school. There is plenty of space to eat in the building or behind the school.

Thanks to your amazing generosity and outpouring of support, we have dozens of prom dresses for students to borrow! Please see Mrs. Verplancke in room 2203 or the counseling office for more information!

Just a reminder that we also have a handful of men's suits and dress jackets, along with dress shirts and pants, if any young men need prom attire as well.

Special Education Engagement Team (SEET) is being formed!

In response to questions about Special Education Services in MSBSD, a Special Education Engagement Team (SEET) is being formed. The purpose of this group will be to meet quarterly with parents, District leadership and community partners to provide information and address questions and concerns regarding Special Education services District-wide in MSBSD.

The first SEET meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 28, 2025 from 12:30-1:30 PM at the MSBSD Administration Building located at 501 North Gulkana Street. To view the invitation and to RSVP, please click here. ASL Interpretation services will be provided.

Freshmen will be taking the AK STAR math test on Monday, 4/14, and the AK STAR English test on Monday, 4/21. Students will store all belongings in their lockers during testing. Testing will take place during periods 1-3; additional time, if needed, will be available during 4Cs. Please be sure to charge your Chromebook and bring your charger to testing. Students taking the test will receive a sticker excusing them from interview dress and a little treat before leaving the testing area and returning to class.

Standardized tests, similar to MAP, are a measurement that we use to determine what students know and what support we can offer to help with learning. If students do not take these tests seriously or skip them entirely, it is one less piece of data that we can use to support a student's learning. Test results may be used to identify gaps in curriculum, provide intervention, support teacher development, and improve resource allocation. Additionally, this will not be the first test, nor will it be the last test that students need to take to show proficiency. Many of our students are learning how to drive and understand that a written and skill-based test is required to receive a driver’s license. Our students also seek first aid, CPR, MS Office Suite certifications, and many more. As students seek employment in their industry of choice, testing, and skill demonstration are often required to demonstrate proficiency. Nurses, accountants, electricians, and other professionals must pass certification tests to ensure they have the knowledge and skills needed for their jobs. Taking the opportunity to do your best on assessments ensures that students develop test-taking skills necessary for certification and advancement.

Our prom this year, Golden Age Gala (think roaring 20's theme), will be held on Saturday, May 3rd from 7-11pm. Tickets will be $60 each and will be on sale now in the front office! Guest passes will be submitted via QR code and then deadline for guest passes will be Wednesday, April 30th!

Grad Blast - Donate Here!

The Class of 2025 are set for a fun-filled night following graduation, with activities that include an escape room, sports activities, henna painting, karaoke, a self-station, food, prizes and much more. Encourage your senior to register ASAP for this free event. *Please sign up to support this great event. We are still accepting monetary donations, snacks, prizes, etc.

CTHS Class of 2025 Grad Blast

Grizzly Family Fitness, May 15th 10pm-2am

CTHS Graduating Seniors: https://forms.gle/1qRqrUzjDhXhnUMn7

Guests (Fellow Class of 2025 Graduates): https://forms.gle/LzxQ89Rv1qRyRgua9

Parent Volunteers: https://forms.gle/ksnyHy9Lim5d2sBD7

We are in need of neck ties for our students to borrow for Monday Interview Dress Days! If you happen to have extras hanging out at home taking up valuable space, bring them to the front office and we will give them a good home!

Graduating seniors (including seniors graduating at semester) and employees leaving the District will no longer have access to their MSBSD Google Drives after they graduate or their employment ends. Any transfer of data should be completed prior to their separation/graduation date as an employee or as a student.

Google Takeout is a data retrieval platform that allows users to import and export data from a number of Google products. Simply put, Google Takeout takes all your existing Google data and compiles it into one file, which can be downloaded later. Please encourage departing employees and graduating seniors to take advantage of this service. If you have any questions, please contact Chris Taylor.

Entrepreneurship training for Alaska high school students.

This year the program will be June 2 - 6 at Mat-Su Central (2055 N. Stringfield Rd., Palmer, AK 99645).

The program will run from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm and is open to students entering 7 - 12 grades.

We are again offering credit opportunities to students attending: MSBSD students are eligible for .5 Business Skills credit and students in 9-12 grade are eligible for 1 college credit.

We do allow students who have attended in the past to attend again but please note credit is only offered the first year.

Here is a link to our registration or feel free to go to alaskabusinessweek.com to register.

https://campscui.active.com/orgs/AlaskaBusinessWeek?orglink=camps-registration

We wanted to share with you that registration for our Summer Academies is now open. These free academies provide a great opportunity for your BPA students to further explore business topics, build valuable skills, and stay engaged over the summer.

Students (or their parents/guardians) can register here:
https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/academics/college-of-business-and-public-policy/events/academies/

Each academy focuses on a different area of business. We have some great new topics this year including Fraud Protection and Prevention, Stock and Real Estate Investing, and the Art of Negotiation, to name a few.

CTHS prepares students for career and college success by engaging students in an enriched learning environment that fuels their ambition through real-world experiences, inspires excellence through rigor, and empowers leadership through lifelong learning.

2472 North Seward Meridian Parkway, Wasilla, AK, USA

(907) 352-0400

cths@matsuk12.us

matsuk12.us/cts

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