Discover Your Potential
Dear Editor: Blatchley Middle School staff and students would like to offer our sincere appreciation for all your support for Discover Your Potential week. Our mission is to create space for students to explore activities that they might never have tried before. This year, staff offered courses on everything from athletic bootcamps to sushi-making to mural painting to bucket drumming. Additionally, we had many amazing community members lend their passion and talent to DYP week.
Blatchley Middle School would like to extend special thank yous to the following people and organizations who led and hosted classes: Sitka Sound Science Center for teaching us to design the perfect aquarium; Captain Rob Janek and the Sitka Fire Department for training us in CPR; Enrique Pérez de la Rosa and KCAW for leading us through radio boot camp; Franny, Charles, Katy and Trisha of Sitka Cirque and Sitka Gymnastics for teaching us to fly and tumble; Zeke Blackwell and the Sitka Fine Arts Camp for leading us in improv; Sitka Sportsman’s Association for allowing us the time and space for Shotgun 101; University of Alaska and Reid Brewer for helping us dive deep; Melinda McAdams and Nancy Neel of the Sitka Studio of Dance – hip-hop hooray!; Kevan O’Hanlan and Jasmine Shaw of 4-H for connecting us with art and music; Lt. Kellen Browne, Victoria Sparacino, and the crews of Air Station Sitka and the Cutter Kekui of the United States Coast Guard for running us ragged; Jared Rivera at Grind Fitness; Hames Center; Owen Fulton for teaching students how the U.N. works; and Juan Cediel and Hillary Nutting for community organizing and photography mastery.
And to all of our prolific volunteers for various aspects of projects: Sitka Tribe of Alaska; Jude Pate; Sitka Police Department; Kale Perkins; David Voluck; Sitka National Historical Park; Pacific High School; Sitka Flowers; Mike Coleman; Fisheye Coffee; EmilyAnn White; Americorps, and Sitka Fire Department (we even got to ride in the fire truck).
Finally, we extend our deepest gratitude to AC Lakeside and Sea Mart for their generous donations to support our cooking classes.
Thank you, Sitka.
Blatchley Middle School
Staff and Students
