Homer High-Lights

What do the following have in common?

• Winning a State Football Championship
• Earning a 2 on an AP exam (where a 3 or higher is considered passing)
• Creating your first bowl in ceramics
• Being accepted to attend MIT

Each of these reflects learning, perseverance, and taking on challenges—values at the core of Homer High School.

At its heart, Homer High is all about learning. Whether it's on the football field, the stage, in the hallways, or in the classroom, our focus is growth and education. Having two students accepted into the prestigious MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) is a prime example of that dedication to hard work and perseverance. It’s exciting, something we’re proud of, and it even made it into the local newspaper. But while this accomplishment deserves recognition, there are countless other instances of learning happening around our school every day, many of which don’t receive the same attention.

Take, for example, a student who earned a 2 on an AP exam. At first glance, this might seem disappointing because it doesn’t result in college credit, but for some students, this is a significant achievement. I’ve seen teachers cheer and give high-fives when a student, who struggled yet chose to challenge themselves with an AP class, earns a 2. They’ll say, “That student really worked hard and made so much progress!” The pride in those moments is like winning the lottery. The only recognition these students might receive is knowing they did their best and grew from the experience.

Now, you might ask, what does winning a football state championship have to do with learning? Isn’t that just about sports? In reality, it’s a perfect example of perseverance, hard work, and learning. After losing three consecutive games, our team could have easily given up. Instead, they kept learning, improved their performance, and faced playoff teams that were larger and more experienced. Kenai, for instance, had 22 seniors, and both teams had already beaten us earlier in the season. Yet, our players didn’t quit. They listened to their coaches, put in the work, and won two games that no one expected them to win. They’ll receive plenty of recognition for their victories, but not necessarily for the immense amount of learning that made it possible.

Finally, consider making your first bowl in ceramics. As adults, we often forget how difficult it is to learn something new. It requires perseverance, hard work, and the willingness to fail repeatedly until you get it right. That feeling of accomplishment when you finally create something is invaluable. Much of the learning at HHS is like that—whether it’s big or small milestones, our teachers and staff are here to support and cheer on students at every step of their journey.

Douglas Waclawski

Principal

907-235-4600

dwaclawski@kpbsd.org

Congratulations to the football team for earning the State Playoff GPA award. This award goes to the team in the playoffs that has the highest GPA. This means our team won on the field and in the classroom. This means we need to congratulate them twice for winning at the state level.

• Nov. 5 - Site Council - HHS Library - 4:10 pm
• Nov. 7 - Wrestling vs SOHI - Gym - 5:00 pm
• Nov. 8 - Rumble Wrestling Tournament - 4:00 to 8:00 pm
• Nov. 9 - Rumble Wrestling Tournament - 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
• Nov. 11 - Grade Check
• Nov. 15 - Early Release - Student Leave at 2:20 pm
• Nov. 21 - End of The Road Shootout - Kevin Bell Area - TBA
• Nov. 22 - End of The Road Shootout - Kevin Bell Area - TBA
• Nov. 23 - End of The Road Shootout - Kevin Bell Area - TBA
• Nov. 28 - No School - Thanksgiving
• Nov. 29 - No School - Black Friday
• Dec. 3 - Site Council - HHS Library - 4:10 pm

Do you need Senior Service hours? If so, I will post service opportunities in the newsletter each month. If you have questions, come see me in B-102.

Senior Service Opportunities

• Fireweed is looking for volunteers to help with childcare, hallway support, and clean up during their fundraiser on November 15th. If you are interested in helping you can reach out to Sherlyn Young at syoung@kpbsd.k12.ak.us
• Share the Spirit is looking for volunteers to help with the food drive from December 20-23. Helping areas include sorting cans, packing baskets, and helping distribute baskets. If you are interested in helping out talk with coach Raymond.
• Paul Banks is looking for volunteers to help with child care during parents events on the second Tuesday and last Wednesday of each month. If you are interested in helping you can reach out to Angela Head at Angela.a.head@gmail.com
• Paul Banks is also looking for volunteers who would want to come in during the school day and help out in the classrooms, during recess, and at lunch. If you are interested in any of these opportunities you can reach out to the Principal, Sean Campbell, SCampbell@KPBSD.k12.ak.us.

Jonathan Raymond

HHS School Counselors

Sue Rennolds – Class of 2026 srennolds@kpbsd.k12.ak.us ~ (907) 235-4691

Paul Story – Classes of ’25, ’27, and ‘28 pstory@kpbsd.k12.ak.us ~ (907) 235-4685

Financial Aid and Scholarship Information Night Recap

If you couldn’t make it last Thursday, check out this slide deck and reach out with questions.

OneStop for scholarships and contests

Remember that the first pots of financial aid money are the FAFSA (available to seniors in December) and “institutional aid”, but don’t forget about the KPBSD OneStop Scholarship Database. It is the place to go for regional and state-wide scholarships, essay contests with cash prizes, and more. Check back often as MANY more will be listed in the coming weeks and months! Here’s a small sample of what’s available now:

• Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards - Honors Latino high school seniors who excel in the classroom and community. Up to $400,000 of awards available nationally. Due Nov. 3.
• Elks National and Alaska State Scholarships – Twenty $30K awards and four hundred eighty $4K awards available nationally; no Elks affiliation required – due Nov. 12.
• Hagan Scholarship - $15,000 per year scholarship plus additional benefits for high achieving high school seniors who demonstrate financial need (Family AGI not in excess of $100K.). 2 HHS grads have won this award in the last 3 years – due Dec. 1
• JFK Profiles in Courage – Essay contest for 9th-12th graders. $15K in prizes. Due Jan. 17.

If you’re looking towards college, read this:

An acknowledged problem with college applications and admissions in our country is that there is an overemphasis on a relatively small number of elite, highly selective universities (think Ivy League, Stanford, MIT, etc.). This can cause high school students and their families undue stress and angst thinking that their “success” is somehow linked to gaining entrance to these schools. I think the following provides some important perspective.

From Challenge Success:

The top-ranked 5% of colleges — according to rankings that are, as we have discussed, problematic — include over 200 institutions. Most college applicants and their families cannot name 200 colleges, and yet the differences between the top of the list and the 200th on the list — in terms of all the outcomes discussed in this paper — are minimal.

Rather than choosing a school based primarily on a flawed scoring system, students should ask whether they will be engaged at the college in ways that will allow them to form strong relationships with professors and mentors, apply their learning via internships and long-term projects, and find a sense of community.

Takeaways: Rankings are problematic. College selectivity is not a reliable predictor of student learning, job satisfaction or well-being. Engagement in college is more important than where you attend.

· Article “Find colleges that want you more than you want them”

The Homer Mariners are State Football Champions again! This is the second time in three years they have won the state title. This time they beat Kenai 16 - 0 in a hard fought game. You can read about it at the following media links:

https://www.peninsulaclarion.com/sports/homer-knocks-off-kenai-for-2nd-diii-title-in-3-years/

https://www.adn.com/sports/high-school-sports/2024/10/19/advantage-homer-mariners-topple-kenai-central-16-0-to-win-diii-football-title/

Shop your Mariners Sideline Store

Two years ago our teachers, students and parents from our Site Council got together and helped write the Mariner Way. This is what we think it means to be a Mariner and what we want to aspire to. We hope that when people think of Homer High School, they will say we are living the Mariner Way.

We are the Mariners, a special blend of toughness, compassion, grit and integrity. We understand we are part of something bigger than ourselves and endeavor to be better every day. We show sportsmanship, help out community and strive for academic excellence. This is the Mariner Way.

Recently, a community member donated some items to the school that appear to be Alaska Native pieces of art, ranging from clothing, to masks, to ivory carvings. This community member was managing the estate of David G. Rosenau who, according to his obituary, was a biologist for most of his adult life, and has spent much of his time in the Interior, Arctic, and Western Alaska.

Dave Roseneau Obituary | Keeper Memorials (mykeeper.com)

Mr. Parsley's Alaska History class has been doing some follow-up research about these items, identifying the origins and authenticity of them. The students met with the Pratt Museum to discuss how to handle exhibits, museum donations, and repatriation efforts. The students have gotten input from museum curators and experts across the state, including Dr. Sean Asiktuk Topkok from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Angela Linn from the Museum of the North in Fairbanks, Amanda Lancaster from the Alutiiq Museum in Kodiak, and Steve Henrikson from the State Museum in Juneau.

Through their research and collaboration with experts, the students have been able to make an educated guess about where these items are from. Earlier in October, for example, they explored the Museum of the North’s database to find exhibits that match the style and design of theirs. Their next step is reaching out to regional and village corporations for authentication and consent to put these items on display in the school.

Once this final step is complete, we would like to create an exhibit in the commons. The old fish tanks seem like a great spot for a display. The students have been doing such great work with this project.

Photos are attached. https://photos.app.goo.gl/Pb3Dxd4ovZmXurGa6.

Here is a quick guide to help you decide if your child should stay home or go to school if they are sick.

Homer high ceramics and art shares an Instagram page. Feel free to follow along with what’s being made in ceramics this semester! More firings will be happening soon. We are excited to share the final results of student projects! https://www.instagram.com/hhsartandceramics/

At Homer High, we like to reward students for doing the right thing, showing good character or just going the extra mile. Here are a few of the students who have earned a "Mariner Way" positive referral so far this year.

Congratulations the the Homer Mariner Football team for winning State!

The freshmen class had a great time planning and decorating for their annual Haunted Hill (Last year was haunted hallway). Students provide the haunted hill to youth in the Homer area, they earned over $700 and had fun while doing it. This year the Haunted Hill was held during Thursday evening Parent Teacher Conferences. This meant you could get your report card and get scared the same night.

Use the QR Codes to pay fees online.

It has been a busy month for Mariner athletic teams. Several teams excelled and our Cross Country runners had another fabulous year. The boys placed 2nd and the girls placed 3rd overall at the state meet. The top place finishers included:

Boys

• 3rd - Johannes Bynagle
• 11th - Caleb Bunker
• 14th - Jai Badajos

Girls

• 7th - Clara Booz
• 8th - Beatrix McDonough
• 15th - Etta Bynagle

Congratulations to both teams for a great year.

Thanks to all the parents and presenters who helped make our Financial Aid and Post Secondary Planning Information Night a success. Over 70 people attended with over 8 presenters sharing information.

We would like to thank Karen Shemet from KBC who presented on FAFSA, Paul Story who presented on CSS profile and Net Price Calculations, SFC Daley who presented on military funding for education, George Hall presented on Homer Marine Trade Scholarships, Nancy Bishop who presented on money for job training and the over 200 jobs that are available in Homer right now and Sue Rennolds who presented on the expanded Alaska Performance Scholarship. We would also like to thank Lauren Seaton, Cinda Martin and Zoe Story for presenting about local scholarships.

You can view the Google slide deck if you missed the information night and would like view what was presented.

Information Nigh Slide Deck

Email: dwaclawski@kpbsd.org
Website: http://homerhighschool.blogs.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/wpmu/
Location: 600 E Fairview Ave, Homer, AK, USA
Phone: 907-235-4600
Facebook: www.facebook.com/homerhs