North Star College

Parents and Guardians,

It was brought to our attention this past week that the original UAF Academic Calendar had been revised for midterms due by professors on Monday, Feb. 26, rather than Monday, Feb. 19. So, with grade submissions being delayed a week, so were individual conversations with students to follow up and to visit about their progress, how they are adjusting to new courses this semester, support services, etc.

Prior to spring break (March 11-15), any students who may receive D's or F's on their midterm grades, I will personally be connecting with both the student and the parent. It's important that we are all on the same page in these conversations as to how critical these next few weeks are in maintaining positive momentum in courses and staying on top of expectations. Please continue to encourage your students to utilize the resources below and always be in communication with their instructors as needs arise.

I would also encourage parents to not book additional travel/vacations prior to the end of the semester. There seems to have been many vacations taken in January and February and students have really struggled with planning ahead and then recovering academically from missed instructional days. We have always stressed the importance of attendance and how critical just one absence can be for a college level course. Calendars are below to view academic breaks for planning.

As always, please don't hesitate to reach out if you have questions or need support. Our offices are open from 7:30-3:30pm and all email/phone contacts of staff are always available at the bottom of this newsletter.

Sincerely,

Stacey Kennedy

We are excited to announce that the North Star College graduation gear is ready to order. Once graduation items arrive, we will set up a day and time for students to pick up their graduation attire.

Deadline to purchase March 19, 2024

Follow these directions to purchase:

There are 4 required items to purchase for the graduation ceremony: Cap, Gown, Stole Unit, and Tassel.

1. Click on the website link Graduation Website

2. Select LOGIN and make an account

3. Select Graduation & then type in North Star College with a graduation date of 2024

4. Select Grad Gear & Apparel

5. Scroll down to Grad Essentials & Select Cap, Gown, Stole Unit ($57.00)

6. Next input information & add to cart

7. Finally, under Grad Essentials, select a tassel (any of the three options $12-17 price range) & add to cart

8. Lastly, proceed to the checkout

You are welcome to order any additional graduation accessories, just be aware the items will be shipped directly to the Herff Jones representative.

If you are a student/family experiencing a qualifying financial hardship, please have your student stop by North Star College to visit with director Stacey Kennedy.

Our graduation ceremony on May 20, 2024, at 7:00pm, here at UAF's Davis Concert Hall.

• A survey link for students is available in Powerschool (in upper right that says 'Take the School Climate Survey')
• Student surveys are confidential

All surveys will close March 10, 2024. The surveys take around 10-20 minutes to complete.

The NSC National Honor Society Application is now available for all North Star College students if you are interested in becoming a NSC National Honor Society Member. The basic NHS application requirements for new membership are as follows:

• A cumulative GPA of at least a 3.6 (including students’ Fall 2023 semester grades!).

• Student should be enrolled in challenging coursework (as an NSC student being challenged in university level classes, students won’t need to be worried about this requirement).

• Student should be involved in at least one substantial school sponsored extracurricular activity.

This application is due to Mr. Stoddard via email at greg.stoddard@k12northstar.org or in person by 2PM on Friday, March 29, 2024. Once applications are reviewed we will be having a NHS Induction Ceremony for new members in April.

It is required that all books are returned by students each semester, so you are not charged later. If you rented a textbook that should have already been returned by the UAF Bookstore's preset date. For all other purchased textbooks, students are able to return them now to our Bunnell Office 402, however, starting around the first week in March (that's when the bookstore will begin this process) we are asking that you return your books from 1st semester to the bookstore directly. The steps to the process will be:

1. Tell the UAF Bookstore employee that you are a North Star College student.

2. Provide your UA Student ID # to verify your NSC Student Account

3. Return all books they are able to buy back from you.

4. Our North Star College account will be refunded the money with each book's return value. Students ARE NOT ALLOWED to take any cash for their books as those are our school district funds.

Thank you to all of you who have already returned books to our office!

The school code for North Star College is 012350. Because we are a new school, the name of the school likely will not populate and students will have the option of selecting wording similar to “my school is not listed.” For counselor name, students should list Kristan Kelly at kristan.kelly@k12northstar.org. (Please note the nonstandard spelling of Kristan’s name.) Students needing help with applications can schedule an appointment or drop by Kristan’s office in Bunnell between 7:00am-3:00pm weekdays.

How can I receive messages from the UA Alert notification system if I am not affiliated with the University system but I live in the community, I am a patron, or I am a parent?

Individuals not affiliated with the University system who want to receive UA Alert can sign-up here: at the UA Alert Community site. Active Students and Staff are already enrolled or follow UA Alert Twitter or UA Alert Facebook The University of Alaska employees do not need to sign up for UA Alert. The system integrates with the University's Banner system and automatically enrolls persons with active records.

Parents and members of the public can also receive emergency alerts from the university or the City of Fairbanks by signing up with Smart911. Residents of the Fairbanks North Star Borough will also have the option to customize their borough Smart911 information.

• Sign up for Smart911 alerts from University of Alaska

• Sign up for Smart911 alerts from the City of Fairbanks

NEW for spring 2024: Study Away Coffee Hour! Drop by Arctic Java every Tuesday from 1-3pm to chat with the Study Away advisor and other students interested in, applying to, or returning from Study Away programs, as well as students from partner schools who are here on exchange. This is a great chance to ask a quick question, start learning about the program, or hang out and exchange stories.

(Note: These are opportunities for after high school graduation, degree-seeking UAF students, not current NSC students. However, NSC students are encouraged to attend to learn about these exciting opportunities UAF has to offer in years to come.)

Is your student needing to take the SAT or ACT this year? The SAT and ACT are qualifiers for the Alaska Performance Scholarship and many colleges/universities require one or both of these test scores for their admission applications. Many student still need to submit these scores for their Alaska Performance Scholarship requirements.

UAF Exam Services administers the SAT and ACT tests several times during the academic year. Space is limited so be sure your student registers early. Registrations for these exams typically close 30 days prior to the exam date. Students can find registration deadlines and test information HERE.

North Star College received SAT fee waiver codes. If you are eligible to receive the SAT fee waiver code, please reach out to me at least 30 days prior to your test date, and I will provide you with the six character electronic fee waiver code. Below you will find eligibility information and instructions from the College Board.

Who is eligible to receive the SAT fee waiver benefits

- Enrolled in or eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). If your school is community eligible, meaning all students receive free or reduced lunch automatically without being individually verified as eligible, an alternate qualifier must be used to individually confirm a student's eligibility for SAT fee waiver benefits.

TO USE SAT FEE WAIVER CODE

- Do enter all 12 characters, and put the 6 digit (CEEB) school code (012350) before the 6 character electronic fee waiver code.

- Do not have any spaces present before, within, or after the code when submitting the code.

- Do not enter the letter O or the letter I. Instead, these would be zeros or ones.

If your students are seeing the "Pay for the SAT With a Voucher" option during SAT registration, this space is not intended for SAT fee waiver codes and if an SAT fee waiver code is entered it will not be accepted. Additionally, students will see a total due during the registration process as available SAT registration benefits do not get applied until the step where a student would otherwise enter their payment information.

Students having difficulty with redeeming their SAT fee waiver code may call the SAT Student support line at (866) 756 - 7346 for assistance.

Does your student experience a disability and related barriers in academics or accessing campus? Your student may register with Disability Services (DS) and request accommodations to address those barriers.

Documentation

1.) Fill out and submit the Registration Form. The Registration form covers a broad range of information. Some things may apply to you, the student, and some things may not, don't get hung up on any one question. You may skip any of the questions you feel do not apply to you. There are no right or wrong answers.

2.) Provide documentation from a medical provider stating your disability, diagnosis, and/or symptoms you experience. Alternatively, your provider may complete the Disability Verification Form. If you have any questions about medical documentation and how to access it, please let them know.

Accommodation Letter

At the conclusion of the initial appointment a letter will be drafted and emailed to your student for your student to share with their instructors as needed. Please note that your student is responsible for contacting Disability Services to renew your letter every semester.

Disability Services Team

Gruening Building 211

907-474-5655

Stacey Kennedy, Director 907-452-2000 ext. 52102 stacey.kennedy@k12northstar.org

Kristan Kelly, Counselor 907-452-2000 ext. 52103 kristan.kelly@k12northstar.org

Greg Stoddard, Teacher 907-452-2000 ext. 52104

greg.stoddard@k12northstar.org

Amy Bristor, UAF Dual Enrollment Director 907- 474-7412

albristor@alaska.edu Schedule a meeting.

Email: stacey.kennedy@k12northstar.org
Website: https://www.k12northstar.org/Domain/4979
Location: UAF Bunnell Building, 1790 Tanana Loop, Fairbanks, AK, USA
Phone: (907) 456-1477
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthStarMiddleCollege/