SVS Vision:

We aim to provide students with the necessary tools to achieve their full potential.

SVS Mission:

In collaboration with family and community, we will build strong relationships and share challenging, innovative instruction to inspire student passions, potential, and the ability to think critically and creatively

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we stroll into March, we find ourselves 3/4 of the way through the school year! With longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures, spring is just around the corner. This is a perfect time to shift our mindset from the bravery of February to the motivation of March.

Motivation encourages students to:

• Be driven
• Keep trying, even when it's difficult
• Pursue clear goals
• Develop a desire to learn independently

This is also an opportunity for students to reflect on their progress and push forward toward the finish line with renewed energy. As the seasons change, let’s continue working together to make the most of this year and support our students in reaching their goals.

I also hope you’re enjoying the Podcast Specials that have been posted over the past few weeks! These will continue through March 14th, highlighting the amazing Su Valley Staff. It’s an honor to showcase the incredible team that works with your students every day.

Thank you for your continued support, and please reach out if you have any questions. Let’s make the rest of this semester a great one!

Bryan Kirby, SVS Principal

Bryan.Kirby@matsuk12.us

907-733-9300

Tuesday March 4 - Parent Teacher Conference 3:30-6:00

Thursday March 6 -Parent Teacher Conference 3:30-6:00 - HS BB at Conference (Lumen)

Friday March 7 -HS BB at Conference (Lumen)

Saturday March 8 -HS BB at Conference (Lumen)

Monday March 10 - Spring Break

Tuesday March 11 - Spring Break

Wednesday March 12 - Spring Break - HS BB at State

Thursday March 13 - Spring Break - HS BB at State

Friday March 14 - Spring Break - HS BB at State

Monday March 17 - HS Track Starts

Saturday March 15 - - HS BB at State

Thursday March 20 - PTSA Meeting

Saturday March 22 - NYO Meet - Close Up Trip

Sunday March 23 - Close Up Trip

Monday March 24 - Close Up Trip - Safety Week

Tuesday March 25 -Close Up Trip - Safety Week

Wednesday March 26 - Close Up Trip - Safety Week

Thursday March 27 - Close Up Trip - Safety Week

Friday March 28 -Close Up Trip - Safety Week

Saturday March 29 - Close Up Trip

Sunday March 30 - Close Up Trip

Scholarships

New scholarships are being advertised daily at Su Valley. Students can find hard copies on the scholarship bulletin board and from Mrs. Harrison.. There are thousands of scholarships available through sites such as: www.fastweb.com, www.scholarship.com, www.akcis.org, www.wiche.edu, www.cappex.com, www.myscholly.com, www.raiseme.com, www.healthymatsu.org.

Seniors

Seniors intending to apply for loans and scholarships need to file the FAFSA! Federal Student Aid (FSA) The FAFSA opened December 1st. The earlier you apply, the more aide you may receive. The FAFSA is free to apply.

Remember, you should file the FAFSA as early as possible after it is released – some institutions have very early FAFSA deadlines – check with your college or trade school’s Financial Aid Office to find out. Some programs may have later deadlines. The priority deadline to file the FAFSA for the Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS) and the Alaska Education Grant (AEG) is June 30, however the University of Alaska recommends submitting the FAFSA by February 15th.

Juniors/Seniors

Students in 11th & 12th grade will be given the opportunity to take the digital School Day SAT on April 16th 2025. It is recommended that 11th graders take the SAT in the spring. The test is digital and has a math and language arts section. The test takes approximately 2 1/2 hours to complete. Students who would like to take the SAT must sign up and pay $68 at the office by March 3rd. Fee waivers are available for those in need.

Fast Facts about the SAT

• Most students take the SAT for the first time in spring of their junior year; some take it again in fall of senior year. Learn more about when to take the SAT.
• Students can take the SAT as many times as they like; College Board recommends taking it at least twice..
• Different colleges evaluate SAT scores differently. In general, test scores aren’t the most important part of a student’s application—their high school transcript is, and some colleges have adopted test optional policies.
• The SAT connects your child to scholarship opportunities as well as to colleges that are looking for students like them.

SAT Practice

• Your child can practice for the SAT for free by using Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy, where they can get a personalized study plan by taking short quizzes or providing their scores on the PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT 10.
• They'll also find interactive problems, video lessons, and full-length practice tests. Official SAT Practice shows your child which specific skills they need to work on most and customizes their practice plan to help them turn areas of weakness into areas of strength.
• A recent study showed that 20 hours of practice on Khan Academy is linked to an average 115-point increase from the PSAT/NMSQT to the SAT.
• Other free ways to practice include the Daily Practice for the SAT app, full-length practice tests, and online practice questions.

Please contact Tamra Harrison at tamra.harrison@matsuk12.us if you have questions.

As you can finally feel, we are getting some sunshine back! This brings up an important topic for Alaskans of all ages: Vitamin D. Vitamin D is a very important fat soluble vitamin that our bodies use for a variety of things. It is both a nutrient that we eat and a hormone that we make. Vitamin D is found in food such as fish, egg yolks, and fortified milk, orange juice, and cereal. It is also found in sunlight. Vitamin D, the “sunshine vitamin”, helps enhance immunity, is required for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, is important for bone growth, and is necessary for blood clotting and thyroid function.

We only need about 15 minutes per week of quality sunlight to provide adequate Vitamin D levels in our bodies! The problem is in the words “quality sunlight”. The sunlight in Alaska is pretty weak because the ultraviolet (UV) index produced by the sun is lower than 3. This basically means that even if you spend a ton of time outside in the little sun that we get, chances are very good that your Vitamin D levels are still low. The US Department of Health and Human Services states that children (older than 12 months) and adults should supplement with at least 600 UI of Vitamin D per day. It is very possible that you may need more and the only way to really know if you are deficient and how low your levels of Vitamin D are is to talk with your doctor and maybe get a blood test. Most health care facilities in Alaska offer this quick and easy test. So get out there, enjoy the sun, supplement, and get healthy!

For more information:

· National Institute for Health ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

· Vitamin D Council www.vitamindcouncil.org/

· Vitamin D and Health www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-d/

· 12 Ways to get Your Vitamin D www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20504538,00.html

Stay Healthy,
Romy Byrd RN - School Nurse
Matanuska Susitna Borough School District
Susitna Valley Junior/Senior High School (907) 733-9300

Girls HS Basketball season is coming to a close soon. Conference tournament is scheduled for March 6-8 and State will be the following weekend if they qualify.

Boy's HS Basketball team is having a great season with a 15-8 record and a 7-1 record in their conference. The boys are hoping to finish their season strong by qualifying for the State Tournament.

Middle School Volleyball has come to a end. It was a quick but successful season with all teams seeing huge improvements. Our next volleyball event will be our Su Valley Volleyball Camp happening June 23-25. Watch for more information on this coming out soon.

Transportation from practice:

Please make sure students are picked up from practice at 4:30 PM. There will be Sunshine Transit shuttles running IF RESERVED, first come first served. Students MUST tell the front office they plan to ride a transit before lunchtime each day in order to secure a spot.

We're excited to share that we are going to continue our podcast focused on all things Su Valley. We are excited about our journey so far and know things will get better. We're committed to improving with each episode.

Stick with us as we grow and refine our content. We're dedicated to providing valuable insights and engaging conversations as we are navigating the school year. Thanks for joining us on this journey!

We highly encourage families to fill out the Free and Reduced Meals application, even if you think you may not qualify. These dollars and this designation, is what gives our school it's Title I status, and helps provide additional dollars to put towards educating your child(ren).

This application does need to be filled out each school year, for all families who qualify, or would like to qualify.

FREE & REDUCED MEAL PROGRAM

Free & Reduced Meals Parents can submit applications to enroll their student(s) in the free and reduced meal program. Applications should be submitted annually and may be completed online (LINK here). Paper applications can also be picked up at SVS if you do not have the ability to print at home.

Paper applications cannot be submitted via email or fax, but must be submitted to the student's school or directly to Nutrition Services (690 E Cope Industrial Way, Palmer, AK 99645).

The application process will require the following information be provided:

• Total household size
• Income for all household members
• Student name(s)
• Additional information that is helpful, though not required, includes the student's birth date, enrolled school, and MSBSD ID number

Questions regarding the application process can be directed to (907) 861-5100.

Here at Su Valley we know that hungry, growing teenagers need to eat! Here are option for both in school, and families at home:

• We have free almond butter and jelly sandwiches & free fresh fruit available every day at the Snack Station - students can help themselves
• We provide free shelf-stable portable snacks as available through the Snack Station - students can help themselves
• We have a free School Food Pantry - available every Friday during lunch, or by request. This is food for any family who needs additional food at home. The items in the pantry are shelf-stable and range from snacks to ingredients for full meals. We also have toiletry items (toothpaste, deodorant, etc) available. Students may help themselves. This is provided in partnership with the Upper Susitna Food Pantry.

SVS PTSA has Su Valley spirt gear for sale. Please contact them at svptsa@gmail.com or call the school to leave a message for them. (907)-733-9300

Every Monday we will be starting school at 9:30 am. The rest of the week we will be starting at the normal time of 8:30 am. Another change this year is that we will be in school everyday of the week until 3:00. See Bell Schedule link above.

What are PLC Mondays, click on the link to go to an informative webpage to learn more.

Our behavioral health counselor, Tanya Korta, is available all summer and throughout the school year. During the summer, she can be reached at Sunshine Clinic. During the school year she can be reached at school (907-733-9300), and she will be here Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please do not hesitate to reach out to her if you need to talk, or if you know someone who may need support. Her email is TKorta@sunshineclinic.org.

The Public Information Office and Office of Instruction encourages schools to share this MSBSD website with their families to share what's happening for kids in the Mat-Su Valley. Schools, parents and other community stakeholders may download, read, or print informational flyers distributed for sharing to all schools each week.

Flyer approval requests may be sent to Laura Richardson, Family & Partnership Coordinator for review and approval for distribution to schools.

"Home of the Rams"

Email: Bryan.Kirby@matsuk12.us
Website: https://svs.matsuk12.us/
Location: S. Parks Highway, Talkeetna, AK
Phone: 907-733-9300