FIFTH OPENING – The Sitka seine boats Hukilau and Rose Lee pump herring aboard this afternoon at the end of Deep Inlet during the fifth opening in the Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery. The opening was being held in two locations beginning at 11 a.m. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
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By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka Sound commercial herring sac roe fishery continued today with open [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
After storming into the state 3A boys basketball brac [ ... ]
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The Queen Bees’ spotless season record ended Tuesday night with a 2-1 loss [ ... ]
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A presentation about a jump in the number of inmate deaths in [ ... ]
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Tribal and environmental advocates calling for a crackdown o [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
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At 2:10 p.m. a man e [ ... ]
Big Rigs Sought
For April 13
The 3 to 5 Preschool’s spring fundraiser and Big Rig event is happening [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
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By Sentinel Staff
The third opening in this year’s Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery was held Mon [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Sports Editor
Sitka High’s Lady Wolves bounced back from an openi [ ... ]
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Sentinel ports Editor
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Playing in a competitive division City League volleyball game Monday evening [ ... ]
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By YERETH ROSEN
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In the language of the Gwich’in people of northeastern Alaska, [ ... ]
Police Blotter
Sitka police received the following calls by 8 a.m. today:
March 25
At 7:48 a.m. a calle [ ... ]
Vietnam-Era Vets
Invited to Lunch,
Commemoration
American Legion Post 13 will host a luncheon 1-3 p.m. [ ... ]
By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
The 2024 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery got under [ ... ]
By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The Assembly will start the annual process of determi [ ... ]
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Competing in the 3A state championship title basketball game Saturday, the M [ ... ]
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Playing through the afternoon Sunday, City League volleyball teams faced off [ ... ]
Daily Sitka Sentinel
Sitka Schools Target ‘Whole Child’ Health
By KLAS STOLPE
Sentinel Staff Writer
Roughly 43 percent of Sitka youths are at risk for “negative life outcomes,” according to data that will be part of tonight’s School Board meeting.
Co-assistant superintendent Phil Burdick will make a presentation on the school district’s Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, which addresses the “whole child” beyond academic growth and achievement and including behavior, social and emotional needs, and absenteeism.
“This is the work we are doing to help mitigate that or resolve that percentage,” said district superintendent Mary Wegner. “This is a key way that we are working to close the achievement gap that we talked about in the PEAKS (Performance Evaluation for Alaska’s Schools) data.”
Many schools use MTSS in three tiers: Tier 1 is classroom-wide support for all students; Tier 2 is small group interventions; Tier 3 is intensive, individualized support.
District officials say the MTSS data come from ratings of students that Sitka teachers performed in November. The results showed risk for negative life outcomes that included 20 percent of students with internalizing behaviors, 15 percent externalizing behaviors, and eight percent having both behaviors. Further analysis by grade level and ethnicity, among other criteria, is in progress, school officials said.
Approximately 30 percent risk is the national average for schools that have not systematically and strategically addressed the whole child, compared to 43 percent in Sitka.
The school board information states that schools don’t have the resources to serve 30-43-percent of the students in Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions, and that it’s been conclusively shown that addressing Tier 1 is critical for reduction in risk, which requires strategic investment from all staff.
Burdick will be joined in the presentation by Dianna Browning Wright, a nationally-recognized educational/behavioral consultant, psychologist, and trainer.
Wegner said Wright is renowned for her expertise on topics related to behavior, assessment, intervention planning, responding to student threats of violence, effective teaching, behavioral response to intervention models, and effective classrooms for students with emotional/behavioral disorders.
“She has been around a long time as a thought leader in this work that we are doing,” Wegner said. “When I was a special education teacher at Juneau-Douglas High School many years ago I read her research. She is well known in this work and specifically in making equity happen for indigenous populations.”
The first three days of this week have been dedicated to training sessions for all teachers in the school district. Wright worked all day Monday with Sitka’s elementary school teachers, spent Tuesday with secondary teachers, and today was helping implement a multi-year systemic change program for the district.
“I am really excited about tonight’s presentation because the board knows we are doing this work,” Wegner said. “It is all related to the STEPS (State Training and Education Program) grant, it is all interrelated.”
The information packet for the school board says a three-year strategic plan will lead to fewer at-risk students and is important in addressing academic and social emotional well-being changes such as: increases in academic skills and reduction in special education referrals; increases in social emotional wellbeing; increases in motivation and achievement; increases in staff and parent satisfaction; increases in school connectedness; and decreases in classroom removals, suspensions, and expulsions.
The pre-meeting information concerning youths nationally, as well as in Alaska, shows suicide is on the rise and is the second leading cause of death among 10-18 year olds; internalizing disorders (anxiety, depression) is on the rise; optimistic world view is declining; school connectedness and strong relationships with caring adults needs work; adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are affecting health outcomes in adults and children and learning in children; Native Alaskan populations are especially hard hit by ACE; the Whole Child Movement is sweeping the country.
Two important budget items will also be on tonight’s agenda.
One is revision of this year’s budget, which has been affected by an enrollment decline – 50 students fewer than the number predicted last year when this year’s budget was drawn up.
“So our budget with the State and their request to the state Legislature for funding for schools included 50 more students,” Wegner said. “Because you only get money based on the actual students, we ended up with a deficit as a result of that.”
Tonight’s fiscal year 2019 budget revision will address how the district plans to close that deficit.
The board also has to think of preparation of the FY 2020 budget and will vote on an action item tonight concerning that budget revision. The revision happens every year at this time, Wegner said.
“This is our normal procedure but it does account for how we are dealing with loss of student enrollment,” she said. “This will be the very first time the board shares any information on the FY 2020. It is a 30-thousand-foot view; we don’t have much information yet. The Legislature hasn’t even started, but it is an opportunity for the board to see what we’re looking at regarding our budget for next school year.”
The board plans to meet in a joint work session with the Assembly on Jan. 17.
An executive session on union negotiations is also on tonight’s agenda.
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20 YEARS AGO
March 2004
Matthew C. Hunter of Sitka recently returned from Cuba as part of a St. Olaf College International and Off-Campus Studies program. Hunter, a junior physics major at St. Olaf College, is the son of Robert and Kim Hunter of Sitka.
50 YEARS AGO
March 1974
Eighth graders have returned from a visit to Juneau to see the Legislature. They had worked for it since Christmas vacation ... Clarice Johnson’s idea of a “White Elephant” sales was chosen as the best money-maker; Joe Roth won the political cartoon assignment; highest government test scorers were Ken Armstrong, Joanna Hearn, Linda Montgomery, Lisa Henry, Calvin Taylor and David Licari .....