Author Archives: Dee Dee Zobian

New Chair for Steller Parent Group needed for March 15, 2022

I will be stepping down as Chair of Steller Parent Group effective March 15, 2022.  In order to ensure SPG is able to fulfill our commitments and continue to effectively support the Steller Community we need someone to step in as soon as possible! 

As of yet, we haven’t had anyone indicate interest in the position, so I thought I’d share the description of the position from the by-laws: 

An election of Parent Group Officers and Representatives will take place at the September

meeting. Any vacancies that develop will be filled by an interim election conducted at a Parent

Group meeting. No member may hold more than one office.

Chair- the Chair/Vice-Chair is a two (2)-year term

  • Prepares agenda and conducts the monthly Parent Group meeting.
  • Conducts or delegates follow-up of meeting business as needed.
  • Acts as liaison between Parent Group, Staff, and Operational Group, or is responsible for arranging an alternate to attend those meetings as needed.
  • Makes reports to Operational Group and Staff, as well as the Steller Community Body meetings as needed.
  • Ensures that parents become acquainted with the volunteer opportunities at school pre-registration.
  • Assists in recruiting and training of Advisory Group Parent Liaisons.
  • Coordinates with treasurer to ensure at least three officers, two of whom must be the chair and the treasurer, shall be approved to sign checks and have their signatures on file at the  bank. The authorized check signers must not be related by blood or marriage or reside in the same household.
  • Appoints a Budget Committee that includes the chair and treasurer upon election of officers.
  • Ensures a financial review (audit) occurs at the end of the fiscal year, or whenever there is a transition between treasurers. The purpose of the review is to certify the accuracy of the books and records of the Treasurer  by examining the financial transactions of the SPG and the procedures used to conduct those transactions.  Financial Review Committee must be made up of three (3) or a qualified accountant and can include anyone within the unit that is NOT a signatory on the account or related to one.
  • Establishes ad-hoc committees (including the Financial Committee) as needed.

Ideally this work should be shared between a chair and a vice chair – so if we could find TWO people willing to step up that would be even better. 

If we do not identify a new chair before the March 15th meeting SPG and all it’s financial functions will be temporarily suspended until we have a full board of chair, treasurer and secretary. 

As always, I am happy to speak with anyone interested, or feel free to reach out to Dee Dee (secretary) or Claudia (treasurer) for more information about what is involved. 

Warm regards,

Kirsten Tschofen

 

Lottery Application for New Students 7-12 for 2022-2023 School Year Opens February 1

We need your help spreading the word to your friends and family about Steller.

Here are some important dates: 

  1. The Lottery Application Opens this week on Tuesday, February 1. 
  2. Steller Open House (via Zoom) is Wedensday, February 16 or Thursday, February 17th 6:00 to 7:30pm.  

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 923 5371 5611
Passcode: 812072 

3, Lottery Application closes on Thursday, March 17, and runs on Friday, March 18th. 

4. Families will be notified on Friday, March 25th and have 48 hours to accept to decline (more details on the exact policies for this on the District website). 

You can help by:

Following our Facebook page and sharing the posts on your own Facebook Page. 

Sharing our poster and flyers electronically or printed wherever in your community you think people might be interested (you can pick up printed posters and flyers in the office starting late next week). 

Joining the Open House – it is wonderful to have a strong turnout of students, staff and families to help answer questions for new families, and show how strong our community is. Mark your calendars! 

2022 Welcome to Steller Flyer for Printing (1)

 

Help Needed for Steller Open House

Hello Steller Families and Students!

SPG, along with the school, has started planning new student recruitment for the 2022-2023 school year, and we could use your help! 

1. Co-host for Zoom Open House on Wednesday, February 16 and Thursday, February 17 from 6:00 to 7:30. The script and slide show are ready, we just need someone to act as back up host to introduce people on the 17th.

2. Students were invited to volunteer to speak during the Zoom presentation during the advisory, but I wanted to make sure everyone has the opportunity.  If you are interested please contact me. 

3. It’s great when we have attendance from the current community at our Zoom session to welcome new families, and answer questions based on their experiences, so please mark your calendars! 

Please feel free to share this Poster and Flyer within your own communities and encourage people to attend our Open House. 

2022 Welcome to Steller Flyer for Printing (1)

Finally, if you could please like, comment and repost our Social Media posts (once the campaign gets started) on the Steller Facebook Page that would be great! 

We could use help with a few more things, so if you are interested or have ideas please feel free to contact me at chairstellerparentgroup@gmail.com

Kirsten Tschofen

Chair

SPG

 

Come Support Steller Student Marty – Team Captain of West Hockey Team!

It would be great if Steller students could come to this week’s games. Thursday night is against Dimond and it will be a very, very tough game. West could actually lose (!) as Dimond is really strong and the defending state champs.

Saturday evening is also a very tough game. Saturday is West’s Senior Night, and Marty and the other senior players and cheerleaders will be honored in a special program between periods. It’s the last game of the regular season; the Cook Inlet Conference playoffs start next week.

Marty, who is a team captain, is right now among the top scorers in the CIC, and in fact five of the top 10 scorers are on the West team:

Cook Inlet Conference Home Page

Read more here

We are all super proud of your hard work and success Marty and wish you the best this weekend! 

Submitted by Steller Parent

 

New Chair for Steller Parent Group Needed!

Dear Steller Students, Staff and Families,

I am deeply sad to share with you that due to personal health problems I will be stepping down from my position as Chair as soon as possible. 

I believe Steller Parent Group is  well positioned at this time, with our budget passed, and many procedures in place, and so now would be a great time for someone with new ideas and fresh energy to step into the position of Steller Parent Group Chair. 

Our Secretary Dee Dee will be running the February SPG meeting on by behalf, but I would like to officially take my name off of the organization at the SPG Meeting on Tuesday, March 16th, and have a new Chair in place at that time.

If there is no one in place as Chair at that time SPG can continue to hold informational meetings. However, as a 501(c)3 non-profit, and according to our own By-Laws, we need a Chair, Treasurer and Secretary to make financial decisions and actions – including writing cheques or making budget decisions. So there is some urgency for someone from the community to step in.  As soon as someone steps in, then all functions of Steller Parent Group can resume immediately. 

It has been my pleasure to serve as Chair of Steller Parent Group since January of 2020. I believe strongly that the work we do is important, and have worked hard these last few years to maintain and grow the voice of SPG in the school, respect old traditions and grow new ones – despite my tenure being almost entirely during Covid. 

This year I was pleased we were able to recruit both a new Treasurer (Claudia Liebsch) and Secretary (Dee Dee Zobian) and would like to extend a formal thanks to Brandon Brooks and Angie Southwould for their years of service to the Steller Community. 

When I took on the role, some goals for the organization were handed down to me, and I had a few of my own. I am pleased that despite obvious barriers we have met many of these goals – including cleaning up some technical things around banking, following best practice for transparency and fiducial responsibility as a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, and continuing to reach out to all members of our community and invite them to have their voice heard. 

I know it’s a difficult time, and many people will feel reluctant to take on a new role because they haven’t been involved in SPG before.  I’d like to reassure you that we have well established systems for much of the work, Claudia and Dee Dee are familiar with things, and I am happy to help anyone as much or as little as they need. Maria and Antionette are also wonderful to work with. 

If you think you might be interested in becoming Chair of Steller Parent Group please reach out and I am happy to tell you more about what is involved so you can make an informed decision. 

Warm regards,

Kirsten Tschofen 

Chair,

Steller Parent Group

 

Welcome from Steller Parent Group!

Welcome from SPG

A Welcome Message from the Steller Parent Group

Dear Steller Families,

On behalf of the Steller Parent Group we want to extend a warm welcome to all new and returning Steller families and wish you all a happy New Year.

The Steller Parent Group is an integral part of the Steller Community, and all parents/guardians, staff and students are automatically part of SPG.  We meet on the second Tuesday of every month from 6:00pm to 7:30pm on Zoom, and in person (when schools are open).  Every member of the Steller Community is welcome to attend, ask questions and share their ideas. 

The purpose of the SPG is to enrich the lives of Steller students through the financial support and leadership from all active parents and guardians. We strive to promote parent and guardian involvement in school activities. Traditionally we host events during the school year, raise funds to support school initiatives through the Steller Auction, and coordinate volunteers. Although we continue to face uncertainty due to Covid 19, the central mission of SPG remains the same, and I believe it must take on even more importance in the effort to create a strong learning community for our children in this time. 

 SPG wants to make sure that we are reaching as many members of our community with up to date and relevant information as possible.  We have four ways we communicate with you:

  1. Website/Steller Flash updates appear on the SPG website or parents, students and staff can SUBSCRIBE to receive updates directly in your inbox.  Please consult the SPG website for Meeting dates, agendas and minutes, Bylaws, and anything else pertaining to SPG. 
  2. Steller Secondary Parent Group is a closed Facebook Group created to promote communication between current parents, teachers and staff for organizing school activities, announcements, questions, and keeping up with everything that is going on. Feel free to jump in with questions or posts.
  3. Steller Secondary Page is an open page visible to the public. If you are a Steller Alumni and want to stay informed about special activities, fundraisers and student highlights we encourage you to follow our page. 
  4. Student Directory is a new online directory for parents, students and staff to be able to contact each other directly. You must create an account and add your information using the access code CGYJAU when prompted. Add the information for each student and then download the app to be able to access contact information from anywhere. 

We also encourage all community members to follow OpGroup’s Instagram account at 

instagram.com/steller_s_official.  

Warm regards,

Kirsten Tschofen

Chair, Steller Parent Group

*Please note the SPG website/Flash is meant to complement the district website asdk12.org/steller.  For official communication from the school and district please visit Q to update your contact information and settings to receive their communications via email, text or call. 

Warm regards,

Kirsten Tschofen

Nominate a Young Person for the Spirit of Youth Award!

Do you know a hard-working Alaska teen who you think would be a great fit for one of our 8 award categories? Then head on over to our nomination page and help them get the recognition they deserve!

Deadline extended to February 1!

Who is eligible?

We recognize Alaska youth, ages 12-19, statewide. Nominations can be submitted for an individual or a group.

Nominations can come from anyone who wishes to recognize a hard-working Alaska teenager. Nominations can be made in one of 8 categories. Recommendations often come from school staff and board members; youth clubs and organizations; the business community or other teenagers. Any community member inspired by a teen’s efforts can submit a nomination.

What are the benefits of nominating a youth?

Nominees are eligible to be selected for the Spirit of Youth Award each year. Eight nominees are chosen by the Spirit of Youth Teen Advisory Council to receive the award and be featured on our Spirit of Youth radio series, which broadcasts to nearly 100 Alaska communities. Individual award recipients will receive a scholarship from Alaska 529 of at least $2,000 and eight runners-up will each receive a $500 scholarship. Group recipients receive a grant to support their efforts.

Submitted by Kirsten

 

Alaska Teen Media Institute

The mission of the Alaska Teen Media Institute is to provide teens with the tools and training needed to produce stories and with the opportunity for their stories – told in their own voices – to be shared through a variety of media. ATMI believes the teen perspective is valuable and is under-represented. Alaska Teen Media Institute is a program of Spirit of Youth 501(c) 3.

Alaska has a number of opportunities for teens interested in media. Check out their website here to find out more about specific programs

Girls on Ice Application Now Open

Applications for Girls on Ice are now open! 

June 10-21, 2022

Explore an Alaskan glacier

Each June, a team of nine girls spends 12 days in the Eastern Alaska Range, exploring an alpine landscape. We experience everything from hiking through alpine meadows to observing a noisy icefall; from spotting caribou on the mountain slopes to traveling across snow-covered glaciers, all while taking advantage of Alaska’s long summer days!

Itinerary

Each year, the day-to-day details of the expedition change due to mountain weather and glacier conditions. The basic itinerary typically looks like this:

  • Day 1: Meet the team, pack for the expedition, and camp out at a local farm in Fairbanks.

  • Day 2: Drive to the vicinity of Gulkana Glacier, and get comfortable with packs and boots by enjoying a short day hike through alpine meadows.

  • Day 3: Hike up to basecamp overlooking Gulkana Glacier, and set up home for the week.

  • Day 4-9: Explore the glacier and surrounding environment. Develop and test science experiments, practice art, and learn glacier travel skills!

  • Day 10: Hike out and travel back to Fairbanks

  • Day 11: Stay at the University of Alaska Fairbanks while wrapping up science, art, and reflection activities. Deliver public presentations about science experiment results and the overall experience of the expedition.

  • Day 12: Enjoy a final morning of activities together before heading home!

Thank you to Yareth Rosen for sharing this exciting opportunity. 

SPG Meeting Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Thank you to everyone who attended the November SPG meeting.  All students, staff, parents and guardians are invited to attend SPG meetings, share their voice and participate in our votes.

Our next meeting is this Tuesday, December 14, from 6:00 to 7:00pm, on Zoom. 

In addition to the usual school updates, Maria will be sharing with us the procedures to apply for Travel Intensive Scholarships. 

  • You can find the Draft Meeting Minutes from November, and the December Agenda here.

As always, if you have any questions or comments please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Kirsten

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