By GARLAND KENNEDY
Sentinel Staff Writer
Sitka’s Keet Gooshi Heen elementary school has received a national award for its exceptional student performance and growth.
It’s an honor Principal Casey Demmert says the students – in grades two through fifth – and staff members made possible.
“The staff and the students get the credit for this award. They’re the ones that are diving in and continually learning and continuing to grow,” Demmert said Monday, the same day that the award was announced.
The award, which honors student performance over the last two years, falls under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and Keet received the award based on the students’ scores on the Performance Evaluation for Alaska Schools (PEAKS) tests, Demmert said.
The principal said strong relationships between faculty and students have helped the children perform well.
“The biggest thing that our staff does has to do with relationships. And I think it’s really building those strong relationships with our students and each other ... helps the students grow in those areas. They really get to know the students’ needs ... academically and socially and emotionally. And they’re able to meet the students where they’re coming in and they’re able to bring them along. And the teachers do a really nice job creating a classroom environment where it’s OK to take chances,” Demmert said.
Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School Principal Casey Demmert holds a press release announcing that the school received a National ESEA Distinguished School award as instructor Lisa Hutton works with a student in the background Monday. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
Keet was among 100 schools around the country that received an award from the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators in one of three categories, exceptional students performance and academic growth, closing the achievement gap, and excellence in serving special populations, an ESEA press release said.
Demmert stressed the use of student data as a way of finding ways to improve students’ educational experiences.
“We’ve learned how to use student data to really dig in and figure out what our students’ strengths are and what they’re struggling with,” he said.
As schools around the world struggled to cope with the results of the coronavirus pandemic, Demmert thanked Cindy Duncan for her efforts to keep Keet students and staff connected digitally.
“It’s definitely been a difficult year, and the job has changed. With the things that we’re dealing with and trying to figure out how to school safely… we’ve been fortunate to have Cindy Duncan in our building, and she has been an innovator in a lot of ways. Her technology skills are amazing and she is tireless in her efforts,” Demmert said. Duncan is both an elementary teacher and a Microsoft innovative educator expert.
The school district shifted to online learning in all schools except for Baranof Elementary on Nov. 11 in response to a sharp rise in local coronavirus cases. Baranof will remain open until winter break begins on Dec. 18, the district has said. The remainder of local schools will remain virtual until at least Jan. 11.
Demmert hopes to return to in-person classes soon, and noted that remote learning is no replacement for face-to-face schooling.
“We really hope to get our students back in person. I think the staff has really kind of jumped in and upped their game with the remote learning. They’re doing a really nice job with it, but it’s hard to replace face-to-face learning.”
