DragonTale
February 2024 - Love of Reading Month
Important School Dates:
2/1 - Learning Lab
2/1 - After-School Forensics2/5 - 3rd/4th Battle of the Books
2/5 - After-School Skiing
2/6 - 5th/6th Battle of the Books
2/6 - Learning Lab
2/7 - After-School Skating
2/8 - After-School Forensics
2/8 - Learning Lab
2/9 - Pajama Day
2/9 - Early Release Day
2/12 - After-School Skiing
2/13 - Learning Lab
2/14 - After-School Skating
2/15 & 2/16 - P/T Conferences & Book Fair: NO SCHOOL
2/19 - After-School Skiing
2/20 - Spring Picture Day
2/20 - Learning Lab
2/20 - Site Council Meeting @ 3:15
2/21 - After-School Skating
2/22 - Learning Lab
2/22 - After-School Forensics
2/26 - Talent Show Orientation
2/26 - After-School Skiing
2/28 - After-School Ice Skating
2/29 - After-School Forensics
A Message From Mr. Swanson
The new semester is rolling and things are happening at McNeil Canyon School. Teachers have many great activities and projects planned for the weeks ahead. We also begin to look at plans for next year. Those plans are based upon the staffing that we will be given based on projected enrollment and available funding. McNeil Canyon anticipates an enrollment of 148 students for this upcoming school year. Unfortunately, because our state legislators were unable to produce a budget that involves other sources of revenue, we are stuck in the uncertainty of previous years and we will not know the staffing levels for next year until the legislators make their final decision in April at the earliest. This really limits our ability to attract and retain the best staff members.
Between now and then there is much that you can do to get the word out to as many people as possible regarding the importance of K-12 education. Our students deserve the best we can provide.
Please let your legislators know what kind of difference their funding decisions have made for your child. You should also contact your local school board members and borough assembly members to let them know your interests. Letters from parents or e-mails are the kind of information that influence their decisions. Your input is very valuable.
School Board Members
Tim Daugharty
Member District 8
Term Expires: 2024
Email Tim
Phone: 907.399.7816
Zen Kelly
President District 9
Term Expires: 2025
Email Zen
Phone: 907.235.9700
Borough Assembly Members
District 8 - Homer
Kelly Cooper
- PO Box 404
- Homer, Alaska 99603
- Ph: 907-299-1519
- Email: kcooper@kpb.us
- Map: District 8-Homer
- Term Expires: 2026
District 9 - South Peninsula
Mike Tupper
- PO Box 3061
- Homer, Alaska 99603
- Ph: 907-435-7843
- Email: mtupper@kpb.us
- Map: District 9-South Peninsula
- Term Expires: 2024
Kenai Peninsula Legislators
- Senator Jessie Bjorkman, Senator.Jessie.Bjorkman@akleg.gov
- Senator Gary Stevens, Senator.Gary.Stevens@akleg.gov
- Representative Ben Carpenter, Representative.Ben.Carpenter@akleg.gov
- Representative Justin Ruffridge, Representative.Justin.Ruffridge@akleg.gov
- Representative Louise Stutes, Representative.Louise.Stutes@akleg.gov
- Representative Sarah Vance, Representative.Sarah.Vance@akleg.gov
Two More January Dates to Remember!
Community Council Meeting
Community Council will meet on Monday, January 29th at 1:00 pm. All parents are welcome and encourage to attend. It's "all hands on deck" for the planning of our upcoming Family Talent Show!!
4th-6th Grade Spelling Bee
Interested students in 4th, 5th & 6th Grade will participate in our annual Spelling Bee on Tuesday, January 30th at 1:30 pm. Parents are welcome to come and watch. Good luck spellers!
Battle of the Books Competitions
Pajama Day
Student Council is sponsoring Pajama Day on Friday, February 9th. Join the fun!
Early Release Day: Friday, February 9th
Parent/Teacher Conferences & Book Fair - Feb. 15th & 16th
Conference notices are being sent home this week with the date and time of your child’s parent/teacher conference. If you are unable to attend at the scheduled time, please call the school office by Monday, Feb. 12th to reschedule.
Conferences are an important communication tool. We really appreciate your efforts to attend so we can visit about your child’s progress in school. There is NO SCHOOL for students on these days. We will also have our annual book fair set up in the main hallway during this time. We hope to see you here!
Spring Picture Day
We will have our spring picture day on Tuesday, February 20th. You can click the Lifetouch link below to place a picture order using our school ID: EVTBP9KBX
Site Council Meeting: Tuesday, February 20th
February Spotlight Students
The following students have been selected as Spotlight Students for the month of February: Roan Galbraith, Elsa Kaufmann, Hunter Stevens, Ekaterina Kuzmin, Ayla Drake, Orin Darr, Kibah Jones, Ruslaan Kandror, Ezekiel Lyon, Maggie Maurer, Alexander Martushev, Rasmus Peel, Jessie Landmesser, Theodore Lukin, Vasilisa Kuzmin, Reed Conley, Mari Bacher and Quinn Blackstock.
Parents are invited to join their child and Mr. Swanson for lunch on Thursday, February 22nd at 11:55.
Spotlight Student forms are being sent home with these children tomorrow. Please return them as soon as possible so they can be placed on our Spotlight Student bulletin board.
Thank you!
McNeil Community Council Talent Show and Auction
Community Council will be holding an orientation meeting for this year's talent show on Monday, February 26th at 12:30. This will just be an informational meeting for students and talent show permission slips will be handed out. A reminder to parents that in order for this to be as successful as years past, we need all hands on deck! Many hands make light work and have also proven to make our talent show super successful. Please reach out to Tiana Hopper at (907) 317-7444 or ravenglacierdesigns@outlook.com. She can also plug you in via the Community Council group chat so that you can view meeting topics, volunteer needs, fresh updates on event news, and council voting topics.
See upcoming talent show dates below:
* February 23rd: Parent Task Force Meeting @ 8:30 am
* February 26th: Orientation for interested students @ 12:30
* March 20th: Talent show auditions @ 12:30 (students must have their signed permission slips at this time)
* April 4th: Dress rehearsal after school
* April 5th: McNeil Canyon Elementary Talent Show @ 6:30pm
Dragon Café - February Menu
McNeil Canyon Elementary School
Email: joverson@kpbsd.k12.ak.us
Website: kpbsd.org/schools/mcneil-canyon/
Location: 52188 East End Rd, Homer, AK, USA
Phone: 907-235-8181
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/McNeilCanyon/