Kenai Peninsula! Meet Chris Mburu and be inspired by
A Small Act
November 16 – 17, 2017
Kenai | Ninilchik | Port Graham | Razdolna
Chris Mburu, international human rights lawyer currently serving with the United Nations as a Senior Human Rights Advisor, is visiting Kenai, Ninilchik, Port Graham, and Razdolna schools, November 16 and 17, 2017. Originally from a small village in Kenya, Mburu benefitted from the generosity of a holocaust survivor named Hilde Back who sponsored his education. Thanks to her philanthropy, he successfully completed secondary school, went on to college at the University of Nairobi and Harvard Law School. He continues in this philanthropic vein through an education fund he began in her name. The Emmy nominated film, A Small Act, tells this story. For the last 20 years, he has worked extensively in the areas of human rights, governance, democracy, rule of law, transitional justice, peacekeeping, and conflict resolution. Joining Chris Mburu will be Kimani Nyambura, a young man who benefitted from the Hilde Back Education Fund, and is now attending college at Washington State University in Richland, Washington, USA.
KPBSD families and the community are invited to meet Chris Mburu and be inspired by his story. Bonus: in Kenai on November 16, everyone will also view the Emmy-nominated documentary, A Small Act, which shares his powerful story. Mburu is committed to justice in action and education as a human right.
Thursday, November 16, 2017
Port Graham School | 9:45 AM
Chris Mburu and Kimani Nyambura will speak to students and community members at the school from 9:45 – 10:30 a.m. The morning will culminate when the cross-country team runs through the village wearing Education is a Human Right t-shirts from 10:30 – 11:00 a.m.
Kenai Central High School | 5:00 – 8:00 PM
Join Chris Mburu and Kimani Nyambura for a reception and hear them speak from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m., followed by a film screening of Emmy-nominated documentary, A Small Act. Everyone is welcome! Free.
Friday, November 17, 2017
Ninilchik School | 10:45 – 11:40 AM
Chris Mburu and Kimani Nyambura will visit Ninilchik School to speak. This is open to 7th – 12th grade students, parents, and community members.
Razdolna School | 2:00 – 3:30 PM
Chris Mburu and Kimani Nyambura will visit Razdolna School to speak. Everyone is welcome.
Education is a human right, and small gestures of kindness and giving can change individuals, families, communities, societies, and the world at large.
Thank you to Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula for sponsoring Chris Mburu to the Kenai Peninsula.
Questions? Contact Jane Beck; Executive Director Project GRAD Kenai Peninsula
907-226-1876, jbeck@kpbsd.k12.ak.us
About Chris Mburu
An international human rights lawyer currently serving with the United Nations as a Senior Human Rights Advisor. He graduated with a Master’s degree in law from Harvard Law School, where he had focused primarily on international human rights. For the last 20 years, he has worked extensively in the areas of human rights, governance, democracy, rule of law, transitional justice, peacekeeping and conflict resolution; he has served in many countries including USA, Switzerland, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Uganda, South Africa, Burundi, Ethiopia, Cuba, Rwanda, Kenya and Eritrea, mainly with the UN. He also served as Senior Advisor and later Acting Director for the UN Regional Center for Human Rights and Democracy in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Outside of the UN, Chris has served as an expert with leading human rights organizations and policy think-tanks, including Global Rights, the International Crisis Group and Amnesty International.
Outside of his professional work, Chris founded a charitable organization in Kenya in 2001 which he named “The Hilde Back Education Fund” (www.hildebackeducationfund.com) in honor of a Swedish woman called Hilde Back, a Jewish holocaust survivor who sponsored his education when he was a poor needy child growing up in rural Kenya. The story of Hilde and Chris became became the subject of an Emmy-nominated Hollywood documentary film called “A Small Act” (www.asmallact.com), which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2010 and went on to win several awards. Chris’ charity has supported the education of hundreds of poor children and inspired the creation of “small act” initiatives in different countries.
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Posted in Community Partners Inspiration by .
“I witnessed an amazing act on Friday, November 3, 2017.”
-Steve Nevak, assistant coach, Homer High Mariner hockey
“When Homer High School students, Charlie Menke, Douglas Dean, Tucker, and little brother Phinny Weston walked over to Qdoba for dinner after our hockey game against Bartlett they found an inebriated homeless man bleeding profusely on the sidewalk. They guided him to Qdoba and got help, and called Head Coach Chance Rockett to inform him of the situation. I left immediately to the scene.
On the way over I noticed large piles of blood on the sidewalk and parking lot. After the fact, kids that went to Fred Meyers mentioned they followed a heavy stream of blood all the way out of Fred Meyer. When I arrived, Charlie was dressing his wounds with bandages and gloves from the Qdoba manager, while Tucker was on the phone with 911. We got the man bandaged, settled down, and I started conversation with him. He mentioned he was robbed at Fred Meyer and stumbled to where the kids found him. He mentioned he was feeling woozy from the loss of blood and the amount of pain he was in. We kept him talking and alert until EMS arrived. I told the kids how proud I was of them.
I worked a long time at the Alaska Native Medical Center with people such as this man. People with this horrible addiction, are still just that … people. The kids didn’t scoff, snicker, or walk past like so many in our society would have. Charlie later mentioned he was amazed by the looks he was receiving from kids his own age that walked by into the restaurant, as if they were wondering why these kids with Homer jackets on were helping this bleeding, inebriated Alaska native man. With how cold it was, how inebriated this man was, and how much he was bleeding, I can’t imagine he would have survived if he wasn’t found.
What a great example these kids have set for the future of our community. I am a proud Homer Mariner coach, Homer Mariner dad, and Alaska Native man. I really want to highlight and thank these four great kids.”
Posted in Appreciation by .
Hundreds of teens–nearly 500–positively shape their future during the eighth annual Kenai Peninsula College Fair.
High school students from all points in the district arrived at host site, Soldotna High School, to explore future options during the eighth annual Kenai Peninsula College Fair on October 17, 2017. KPBSD junior and senior high school students arrived armed with questions, curiosity, and support from their school counselors. Students from local homeschooling programs and private schools were invited to come as well. Representatives from KPBSD and KPC assisted answering financial aid questions and giving scholarship information.
Living in Alaska, along with the cost of travel, can often make college visits difficult for prospective college students. The KPBSD College and Career Fair brings students together with college and career and technical institutional representatives to meet face-to-face in one convenient location.
“This year’s college fair was a high quality event for students and college representatives alike. With more than 50 colleges, trade schools, armed forces, and universities from around the state and nation in attendance, the 500 plus students who attended had the opportunity to personally meet with the schools and recruiters to talk about admission requirements and get a feel about what campus life at each of those schools is like,” said John Pothast, Director of Elementary and Secondary Education. “This is an invaluable opportunity for our students to explore a variety of options for their post-high school futures.”
Fifty plus colleges and institutions were present, including:
Alaska Career College; Alaska Christian College; Alaska Commission on Postsecondary Education (ACPE); Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Peninsula Job Center; Alaska Pacific University; Alaska State Troopers; APICC (Alaska Process Industry Careers Consortium); Augsburg College; AVTEC; Boise State University; Central Washington University; Chadron State College; College of Fisheries and Ocean Science – UAF; College Saint Benedict-Saint John’s University; Colorado Mesa University; Colorado State University; Corban University; Eastern Washington University; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; Fort Lewis College; Gonzaga University; Grand Canyon University; Idaho State University; Kenai Peninsula College; Leading Edge Aviation; Lewis-Clark State College; Linfield College; Northern Arizona University; Pacific Lutheran University; Presentation College; Saint Martin’s University; Southern Oregon University; Southwestern Oregon Community College; The College of Idaho; The Moody Bible Institute – Spokane; UAA College of Engineering; United States Army; United States Military Academy; Universal Technical Institute; University of Alaska Anchorage; University of Alaska Fairbanks; University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Engineering and Mines; University of Alaska Southeast (Juneau campus); University of Alaska Southeast Sitka; University of Idaho; University of Montana; University of Montana Western; University of Oregon; University of Portland; University of Puget Sound; Washington State University; Washington State University Tri-Cities; Weber State University; Western Washington University; Whitman College; Whitworth University; and Willamette University.
“We are excited to have so many post-secondary institutions visiting our district to meet with our students,” said Sean Dusek, Superintendent. “This partnership allows our students to explore their college and career aspirations in a convenient and safe location. This is due to the large number of students in our district that are qualified for post-secondary education.”
Links
- OneStop Student Scholarship Portal assists parents and students to financially succeed with future and college opportunities
- College Fair,http://bit.ly/KenaiPeninsulaCollegeFair
- KPBSD Five Year Strategic Plan
Thank you to the organizers, institutions, and counselors who make this annual event possible for KPBSD students.
Posted in KPBSD District Stories by .
Tebughna School middle and high school students are participating in a Native American unit of study, where they read Native American themed novels, write Native American folk tales, and practice picture-writing. Students are studying Native American geographical regions, and researching famous Native Americans. In science, students are using STEAM* engineering challenges to create the various types of housing used, such as teepee, long house, adobe, and wigwams. Students learned how to make fry break “aladies”, dissected salmon, learned bear safety, and heard about Tyonek history from Katherine Chickalusion (elder niece of Chief Chickalusion). Students are practicing singing and drumming, beading, making spears, and painting using traditional ochre.
Thank you to Monty Rogers for teaching Tebughna student’s traditional skills!
*STEAM is short for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics
Posted in School Stories by .
The tradition continues! K-Beach Elementary participates in their annual Great Caribou Migration in early fall. Proudly donning their bright red t-shirts to record laps, the students stormed the field to support the PTO and school. This yearly event has become a tradition in which students, staff, parents and community members share in exercise, teamwork and school pride. Through diligence and perseverance, students worked together to walk, jog, or run over a thousand miles in a 45-minute time slot!
Posted in School Stories by .
Building a school budget is foundational to schools, so bring your questions and concerns about funding, expenditures, and priorities.
Everyone is invited to participate. October 17, 2017. Twenty-two school locations. One hour, 5:30 – 6:30 PM
Resources:
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Watch Superintendent Dusek’s presentation live from 5:30 – 5:45 delivered via PolyCom
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Follow along with PDF of Superintendent Dusek’s PowerPoint presentation
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KPBSD Finance webpage
Additional Resources
- FY19 Budget Development Calendar
- PDF and Video: FY19 KPB Revenue
- PDF and Video: FY19 General Fund Revenue
- PDF and Video: FY19 Fund Balance
- PDF and Video: FY19 Foundation Formula
Discussion process:
Parents, staff, students, business partners, community members, and elected officials are invited to participate at the third annual KPBSD budget development session happening at 22 school sites.
Building a school budget is foundational to schools, so bring your questions and concerns about funding, expenditures, and priorities. Connect with your neighbors who care about K-12 education and vibrant schools.
*Some schools will meet at the same location. Look for your school to see where it will meet:
Aurora Borealis Charter School – Kenai Alt main meeting room; Chapman School – Homer Middle School; Connections – Soldotna High Library; Cooper Landing School – First classroom next to office; Fireweed Acacemy – Homer Middle School; Homer Flex – Homer Middle School; Homer High – Homer Middle School; Homer Middle – Library; Hope School – Mrs. Truesdell’s classroom; K-Beach Elementary – Room 18; Kachemak-Selo – Homer Middle School; Kaleidoscope School of Arts & Science – Library; Kenai Alternative – KCHS Library; Kenai Central High School – Library; Kenai Middle School – KCHS Library; McNeil Canyon Elementary – Homer Middle School; Moose Pass School – Library; Mountain View Elementary – KCHS library; Nanwalek School – Secondary Classroom – Old Shop; Nikiski Middle-High School – Library; Nikiski North Star Elementary – Nikiski High Library; Nikolaevsk School – Room 11; Ninilchik School – Library; Paul Banks Elementary – Homer Middle School; Port Graham School – Library; Razdolna School – Homer Middle School; Redoubt Elementary – Soldotna High Library; River City Academy – Soldotna High Library; Seward Elementary – Seward High Library; Seward High School – Library; Seward Middle School – Seward High Library; Skyview Middle School – B104; Soldotna Elementary – Library; Soldotna High – Library; Soldotna Prep – Soldotna High Library; Soldotna Montessori – Room 411; Sterling Elementary – Library; Susan B. English – School Commons; Tebughna School – Room 7; Tustumena Elementary – Library; Voznesenka School – Homer Middle School; West Homer Elementary – Homer Middle School.
Everyone is encouraged to participate!
Posted in KPBSD District Stories by .
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District
Golden Apple Award | October 16, 2017
Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Mike Navarre
Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Mike Navarre provides tireless support of public education in our borough and in the state.
Mayor Navarre is a graduate from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District and did not forget his roots. A successful businessman and public servant, through his personal business he supports KPBSD schools through donations of funds, products, and most importantly, time. His love of kids is genuine and while he is a Kenai Central High School graduate, he supports all of the schools in the district with equal zeal and pride!
Mayor Navarre has consistently demonstrated his support for public education in his various public servant roles. He speaks to the accomplishments, while also asking the tough questions that hold our schools accountable to high standards. When the district has needed funding, he has recommended, supported, and followed through on providing additional funding.
What is most impressive about Mayor Navarre is that he believes in public education because he believes in children and is optimistic about their future, especially if it is grounded in a quality education. He has been a strong partner building the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District. “Through this partnership, he should share in our successes, know that he has made a profound difference in thousands of students’ lives, and be recognized for his unwavering support,” said Superintendent Sean Dusek. “I sincerely appreciate all that Mayor Navarre has done throughout his lifetime to help make the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District a high quality institution that is considered one of the best districts in the State of Alaska. Thank you for all you have done and I hope you will continue to be fully engaged with KPBSD in the future.”
The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education is proud to recognize Mr. Mike Navarre for his dedication to the students of the school district, past, present, and future.
Posted in Awards by .
“I am grateful for the opportunity that SoHi has provided for me and other students to become Microsoft Certified, and I am honored to be the first to achieve this.” -Gavin Goggia
Congratulations Gavin Goggia, Soldotna High School senior, for passing the Microsoft PowerPoint Certification exam and becoming the first KPBSD student to become Microsoft Certified. Gavin is one of 144 KPBSD Online Computer Applications 1-4 students, and several more students will earn certification by the end of the semester.
These students are currently training for one or more of Microsoft’s Office Specialist Certifications in Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook or Access. These elective courses are taught online by Darren Jones from the KPBSD Distance Learning Program and offered to every KPBSD 9-12th grade student. The Computer Applications course content has recently been updated to now allow students the opportunity to become Microsoft certified upon completion. Students who successfully complete these courses may also earn college credit from University of Alaska Kenai Peninsula College Campus.
Microsoft certifications give students the power to chart their own course, fulfill their ambitions, and realize their potential. These certifications give students the tools to build a brighter future and prepare themselves for a successful career. In addition to all KPBSD students having access to the certification trainings, all KPBSD staff and teachers can now participate in the same online trainings to earn college credit and become Microsoft Certified!
Contributed by Darren Jones, KPBSD Distance Learning Technology Teacher
Posted in Inspiration by .
Get the process rolling October 17, 5:30 PM, at 22 KPBSD school sites
If a quality education and the future success for every young person on the Kenai matters to you, mark your calendar for Tuesday, October 17, 2017, at 5:30 p.m.
Parents, staff, students, business partners, community members, and elected officials are invited to participate in the third annual KPBSD budget development session happening at 22 school sites. Building a school budget is a foundation for a quality school, so bring your questions and concerns about funding, expenditures, and priorities for your school.
Participate on Tuesday, October 17, 2017, at 5:30 p.m. Some schools will meet at the same location:
Aurora Borealis Charter School – Kenai Alt main meeting room; Chapman School – Homer Middle School; Connections – Soldotna High Library; Cooper Landing School – First classroom next to office; Fireweed Acacemy – Homer Middle School; Homer Flex – Homer Middle School; Homer High – Homer Middle School; Homer Middle – Library; Hope School – Mrs. Truesdell’s classroom; K-Beach Elementary – Room 18; Kachemak-Selo – Homer Middle School; Kaleidoscope School of Arts & Science – Library; Kenai Alternative – KCHS Library; Kenai Central High School – Library; Kenai Middle School – KCHS Library; McNeil Canyon Elementary – Homer Middle School; Moose Pass School – Library; Mt. View Elementary – KCHS library; Nanwalek School – Secondary Classroom – Old Shop; Nikiski Middle-High School – Library; Nikiski North Star Elementary – Nikiski High Library; Nikolaevsk School – Room 11; Ninilchik School – Library; Paul Banks Elementary – Homer Middle School; Port Graham School – Library; Razdolna School – Homer Middle School; Redoubt Elementary – Soldotna High Library; River City Academy – Soldotna High Library; Seward Elementary – Seward High Library; Seward High School – Library; Seward Middle School – Seward High Library; Skyview Middle School – B104; Soldotna Elementary – Library; Soldotna High – Library; Soldotna Prep – Soldotna High Library; Soldotna Montessori – Room 411; Sterling Elementary – Library; Susan B. English – School Commons; Tebughna School – Room 7; Tustumena Elementary – Library; Voznesenka School – Homer Middle School; West Homer Elementary – Homer Middle School.
“One of the most important functions we have as district administrators is to develop an annual balanced budget that prioritizes meeting the needs of our students,” said Sean Dusek, superintendent. “As we begin this process for developing the 2018-2019 budget, it is important to make sure key components of the budget are understood, community questions are gathered, and a clear development plan that includes multiple opportunities for your input is communicated. This process begins on October 17 and I look forward to engaging all our communities throughout a process that will provide the foundation of a high quality educational experience for all of our students.”
“Our annual budget is one of the most important things we do each year,” said Dave Jones, assistant superintendent of instructional support. “It is important for people to understand the need to pass a multi-revenue fiscal plan. We want to give our parents, staff, students, and community members a chance to learn about our budget, participate in the process, and offer input. The meeting on October 17 is an important step in the process to develop the FY19 budget. We hope to see a large turnout at all our schools across the district.”
Participant input will be synthesized and presented to the KPBSD school board during November and December board meetings and work sessions.
Link
Posted in KPBSD District Stories by .
News release
Suicide Prevention and Awareness
“While suicide is sometimes a difficult topic to discuss, it is also paramount that we as a community address it head on. Programs such as Sources of Strength are critical components of our commitment and dedication to support our students through the myriad of issues they may experience throughout their lives.” –Sean Dusek, superintendent
KPBSD is dedicated to provide suicide awareness and wellness education to students, staff, and the greater Kenai Peninsula community. GCI and The Alaska Foundation released a PSA video on September 22, to highlight the work KPBSD is doing with Sources of Strength, through the GCI Suicide Prevention Grant.
September is national suicide awareness month, and the Alaska suicide rate is twice the national average. Several schools are creating a Wall of Hope. In addition, KPBSD received a variety of grants from the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) and the Alaska Community Foundation to support suicide prevention programming and training to not only our adults, but also our students. In the spring of 2017, over 75 students and adults from Homer, Kenai, and Seward received training in Sources of Strength (SOS). SOS is a strength-based comprehensive wellness program that focuses on suicide prevention but affects other issues such as substance abuse and violence. In early October, Soldotna High School will join the SOS team, and on October 13, high school students from Seward, Homer, Soldotna, and Kenai will participate in a Sources of Strength Upstream Conference in Kenai.
“At the school level, our school psychologists and school counselors are trained and use suicide risk assessments for students who are in need of support,” said Clayton Holland, director of pupil services. “Their good work together with our staff and school administration offer support to at-risk students and provide resources to students and families.”
Several KPBSD counselors are trainers for evidence-based wellness programs such as Youth Mental Health First Aide and The Fourth R. KPBSD will continue to foster and share resources with mental health organizations to increase coordination and support for our students and community members about suicide prevention and wellness.
Links
- Alaska CARELINE: 1-877-266-HELP
- Video – GCI Suicide Prevention Grant, KPBSD, https://youtu.be/ptYP3oYJgRA
- Sources of Strength https://sourcesofstrength.org/
- The Alaska Community Foundation http://alaskacf.org/
- Alaska Statewide Suicide Prevention Council
- The Fourth R, https://youthrelationships.org/
- Youth Mental Health First Aid
GCI Press Release: ‘Sources of Strength’ bolsters suicide prevention efforts on Kenai Peninsula
Posted in News Release by .