Homer High-Lights
VOLUME 12, ISSUE 5, December 2023
Principal's Corner
We need your help. In order to have a great school we need parent support. We would like to see more parents volunteering in the school and helping out. It can be hard to volunteer with busy schedules and work, but if one of the ways below looks like something you could help with, please reach out to us!
The most common way parents and community members get involved with the school is through sports or activities. Parents annually volunteer thousands of hours to support sports by helping with the booster club, working concessions, working the gate during sporting events, cooking for teams when they are on the road and much more.
If you are interested in helping in this way contact the coach or call or e-mail the Homer Sports Booster contact, Vanessa Fefelov at 907-299-6837 / Fefelov.vanessa@gmail.com.
- HHS Booster Club Facebook: Link to HHS Booster Club Facebook
- HHS Booster Club Email: homerhsbooster@gmail.com
Here are some other ways you can help or volunteer at HHS.
Large Events:
Homer High School is hosting the Region Basketball and Region Track tournaments this year. Call or e-mail Justin Zank to be added to a volunteer list for these events. jzank@kpbsd.org
Choir can always use help with their annual musical. Contact Kyle Schneider and he will find ways you can assist. KSchneider@kpbsd.org
Classroom:
Teachers need help throughout the year. Contact your teacher via e-mail to see what they need and when they need help. This takes a little coordination because they don't need help every day and there are only certain tasks volunteers can help with, but you can find out if they have a project coming up in the near future.
CTE (Career & Technical Education):
Our Career and Technical Education classes could benefit immensely from locals who have experience with CAD, welding and construction. If you have skills in these areas and want to help call Julie Gauthier at 235-4600 or JGauthier@KPBSD.k12.ak.us. She will look for a fit for you to work with our CTE students.
Special Skills FOL:
Do you have a skill that you would be willing to share with our students? If so we would love for you to come and present during an FOL (Flexible Opportunities to Learn) We have had local authors, welders, animators, business people and more present to our students in the past year. We have also had Homer Marine Trades and the local fire department present. We currently have a local community member teaming up with one of our teacher to provide a chess club experience. If you want to volunteer in this area call the office and ask to speak with Paul Story. pstory@kpbsd.k12.ak.us
Office Help:
The office needs help for many various tasks such as preparing mailings, helping with school pictures or more. Call our secretary Kristin Metz at 235-4600 and see if she has something you can do.
All Volunteers During School Hours Must Have Background Checks
Everyone who wants to volunteer at HHS must complete a background check for the safety of our students. There is no cost to you for this. All you have to do is apply online at: Online Volunteer Application. Mark each school that you want to volunteer at.
To make this work please only offer to help when you are certain you can be there. Call Kristin Metz at 235-4600 if want to help or volunteer at HHS. She can connect you with the people who can make it happen.
Thanks and looking forward to seeing you in the school!
Douglas Waclawski
Principal
907-235-4600
William Bradshaw and Anna Springer Earn First Chair at State
Congrats to William Bradshaw who earned 2023 ASAA All-State Mixed Choir Tenor II First Chair and to Anna Springer who earned ASAA All-State Contralto First Chair.
To be selected as a First Chair candidate is to be recognized as one of the top three auditions in the state (Homer had four this year), and to be selected as First Chair is recognized as being First and Best In State.
From November 15-19 Homer High School was well represented at the 2023 ASAA State Music Festival in Anchorage. Selection to these ensembles can be quite competitive, and this year was no exception. The First Chair Candidate designation signifies having an audition that qualifies a student musicians as within the top three best in the state, the final field of which is further narrowed to the identification of a single First Chair Honoree, which is the performing arts equivalent to a 1st Place in a sport.
Mixed Choir
- William Bradshaw – Tenor 2 ***First Chair Honoree***
- Dayus Geysbeek – Tenor 2
- Jack Houle – Bass 1
- Kayla Kalafut – Soprano 2
- Rebecca Trowbridge – Alto 2 ***First Chair Candidate***
Treble Choir
- Michaela Browning – Soprano 1
- Brenna Cox – Soprano 2
- McKenzie Hansen – Soprano 2
- Gracie High – Alto 1
- Charity Rainwater – Alto 2
- Rainey Sundheim – Alto 2 ***First Chair Candidate***
Band
- Ali Gall – Flute
- Bryce Hagge – Tuba
- Clark Milstead – Trombone
- Emelian Melkomukov – Bassoon
- Anna Springer – Contralto Clarinet ***First Chair Honoree***
Orchestra
- Maggie Mae Gaylord – Violin
Columbian Cookbook Assignment
The students in AP World History have been completing a Columbian Exchange Cookbook assignment. They worked together to explain the historical context behind the Columbian Exchange, and explain the main impacts of it. From there, each student was responsible for selecting a recipe and tracing the origins of each ingredient. They were ultimately asked to develop an argument that evaluates the extent to which their recipe was impacted by the Columbian Exchange.
Students presented their findings today, and were asked to bring in either a few ingredients of their dish, or the whole dish to share with the class.
A few highlights:
- Marina Co – Lumpia
- Hannah Klima – Coffee Cake
- JJ Felice – Meatballs (family recipe)
Support the HHS Student Council Food Drive
The 2023 Canned Food Drive is happening and will run until December 15th. Bring in canned food to your advisory period next week to support Share the Spirit! Our goal is 2,000 cans, less than 5 per-student. The winning advisory class will win a prize and the winning grade will win spirit points.
Parents can help out by reminding students to bring in cans or purchase food for this event. Homer High School is usually one of the main donors supporting the Share the Spirit project. Share the Spirit helps local families in need during the holidays and is a worthy organization to support. Please help in any way possible.
Homer High School Is Using Remind
Homer High School is now using Remind for all classroom and sports communication. Please make sure you opt in to Remind when get a message from HHS. We are using remind for sports communication and with some school-wide communication.
If you have opted out and are not receiving Remind Messages, go to notification preferences and opt back in. If you are having problems or questions with changing your preferences, call our office at 907-235-4600 for help.
We encourage you to check out this parent guide to get tips on how to use Remind. We're excited to use Remind to make connecting with your family more engaging.
Please sign up for Remind and allow HHS to send you text messages.
Help Us Help Athletes in Need
Homer High School stands by its commitment to assist families facing financial constraints in covering participation fees. To support athletes in need of financial assistance, we've set up a donation fund dedicated to alleviating these costs. Our aim is to ensure that every student can enjoy extracurricular activities without imposing undue financial strain on their families. We hope you consider supporting this initiative.
As a result of a program initiated by our site council last year, we've implemented a convenient method for you to contribute. Donations can now be made either online or in person at our office and are tax deductible. If you have any inquiries or require assistance with the donation process, please don't hesitate to reach out to our bookkeeper, Julie, at 907-235-4624. Your generosity will make a significant difference in the lives of our students.
Dates To Remember
12/2: SAT exam 8:00am
12/8: Early release 2:20pm
12/9: ACT exam 8:00am
12/11: HHS Winter Music Concert 7:00pm
12/12: Hockey vs Kenai 7:00pm
12/14: HHS Swing Choir Candlelight, Carols and Desserts 7:00pm
12/18-1/1/2024: Winter Break- No school
1/2/24: Teacher in-service day- No school for students
1/3/24: Back to school for students
AP Literature Poetry Posters
Students in Suzanne Bishop’s AP Literature course created Poetry Mandala Posters. In groups of two, the students selected a theme and then read multiple poems. Next, they selected a dozen to closely analyze. Finally, they put it all together on a poster with the term as the focus, a short quote from a poem and a brief analytical statement. The end results creatively showcase their knowledge and skills
Counselor Corner
HHS School Counselors
Sue Rennolds – Class of 2026 srennolds@kpbsd.k12.ak.us ~ (907) 235-4691
Paul Story – Classes of ’24, ’25, ’27 pstory@kpbsd.k12.ak.us ~ (907) 235-4685
Financial Aid and Scholarship Information Night
Tuesday, Dec 5th 6:00-7:30pm HHS Library
Come hear how to make college or trade school affordable!
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – Karen Shemet, Kachemak Bay Campus
- Alaska Performance Scholarship – Sue Rennolds, HHS
- Training in Alaska trades – Nancy Bishop, Dept. of Labor; and a rep. from Homer Marine Trades
- Education benefits of military service – SSG Jenkins, U.S. Army
- Local scholarships – Homer Foundation and others
- Institutional aid, etc. – Paul Story, HHS
- How staying close can save big – Nancy Johnson, Kachemak Bay Campus
A Scholarship Opportunity for Juniors (and maybe seniors)!
Most scholarship applications are for seniors, but the HAA Foundation has national awards primarily for juniors (Seniors can also apply for other awards depending on what school they plan to attend, and there is a CTE-specific award coming out March 14, 2024.). A 2023 HHS graduate won the highly lucrative national award after applying in his junior year, so there’s precedent!
Horatio Alger Association
https://horatioalger.org/scholarships/
- $25,000 National Award (for juniors)
- Maximum family adj. gross income of $65,000
- Involvement in co-curricular and community service activities
- Integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity
This award, and many others, are listed on the KPBSD OneStop Scholarship Database. Also check out the Alaska Foundation Scholarships.
Graduation countdown is underway. Please check your emails for an important message from Elena Mathis about diplomas, caps and gowns, yearbook, etc.
2nd Semester schedules available in PowerSchool
To see what classes you’re scheduled to take starting January, log into PowerSchool. If you have questions or want to request changes, contact the counseling office! J
- ·Click “My Schedule” under Scheduling on the left side, then the “Matrix View” tab.
Community Members Help with CTE Classes (Career & Technical Education)
Thanks to Ryan Gauthier from Arctic Marine Fab for coming in and helping with the HHS welding class. Our welding class has been having local welders come in to work with our students each week. If you are interested in helping with our CTE classes, call Julie at 235-4600.
Our Construction students are building sheds with the help of John Sharp, a certified CTE instructor and local businessperson. We want to thank John for collaborating with HHS to help students with framing. These students are also in the process of completing their OSHA 10 training.
SAT - PSAT - ACT
SAT – register at www.sat.org/register
ACT – register at www.act.org
PSAT (for 10th/11th graders planning to apply to 4-year college). Great, cheap practice and Junior entry into the National Merit competition.) – registration for October testing through HHS to be announced soon.
Homer High School
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