Cross Country
Dear Editor: The 2015 Sitka High School cross country season has come to a close. There were about 35 students out for the team this year.
The year was an extreme success with the boys team winning the regional meet in Juneau and then bringing home the state title for the first time in Sitka High School cross country history. The team of Collin Baciocco, David Wilcox, Joe Pate, Jordan Zellhuber, Tristan Rosas, Neil Little, and Connor Buxton made school history! It is wonderful thing to see hard work pay off. These young men represented Sitka in a manner in which we can all be proud.
First and foremost, nothing would have been possible without the help of many people. The parents of these students have been extremely supportive. Picking children up from the ferry in the middle of the night, encouraging success academically, and housing visiting teams are just a few of the many things parents do to aid in the success of a team. We were also lucky enough to have many parents travel to the state meet to cheer on the team.
I would also like to thank Coach Jeremy Strong for all of his time and influence. Additionally, Lindsey Jorgenson, Sitka High athletic director, did an outstanding job with travel arrangements, and she, with the help of Mike Vieira and many volunteers, put on a very successful home meet, hosting over 200 runners.
Lastly, the team would like to thank the following businesses and individuals for supporting SHS cross country by purchasing an ad on the back of our team shirts. We sincerely appreciate your generosity. AC Lakeside Value Center, Alaska Airlines, Allen Marine, ALPS Federal Credit Union, Arctic Chiropractic, Armstrong LLC, the Back Door, Baranof Chiropractic, Channel Club, Chocolate Moose/Sitka Flowers, Coast Guard Air Station Sitka, Esther G, First Bank, Fish Eye Coffee, Foreign Automotive, Hansen’s Marine, Harris Air, Harry Race Pharmacy, Horan and Co. LLC, Jackson Drywall, Kingfisher Charters and Lodge, Merkel’s Sport Fishing Charters, Russell’s, Samson Tug and Barge, Schmolck Mechanical, Sea Mart, Silver Bay Seafoods, Sitka Bottling Company, Sitka Moose Lodge 1350, Sitka Motor Supply, Sitka Physical Therapy, Sitka Realty, Sitka Rose Gallery, Sitka Sound Ocean Adventures, Sitka Studio of Dance, Sitka True Value, Spenards Builders Supply, the Cellar, the Nugget and Venneburg Insurance.
The T-shirts were screened at Harry’s Custom Screening, and they did a fabulous job. The students are working to get all of the “thank-yous” and T-shirts delivered. Please e-mail me at smiths@sitkaschools.org if you have not received your T-shirt. Thanks again, Sitka, for your constant support of Sitka High School athletics.
Shasta Smith,
SHS Cross-Country Coach
Common Core
Dear Editor: On Friday, Oct. 9, over half of Alaska school district superintendents were represented at the Alaska State Board of Education meeting and came out Opposing Alaska Common Core Amp Testing. They opposed the testing as invalid, cost prohibitive and overly invasive and not in the best interest of education.
Education Commissioner Hanley, saying he could not address the superintendents’ concerns, went forward with expanding AMP testing. One half of high school students and overall about 80% of students failed the AMP or are not proficient. In order to make everyone feel better AKBOE changed the term not proficient to part proficient. This rating will go into each student personally identifiable data base and remain with them for life. In addition teacher evaluation will now be linked to these test scores so half of Alaska math teachers will also be evaluated as not proficient.
Although locally this will increase costs to Sitka School District the district made no comment. On behalf of Sitka Against Common Core I attended the meeting and opposed CCSS AMP testing as invalid, cost prohibitive overly invasive and not in the best interest of education.
Sitka Against Common Core has also joined Alaska Against Common Core and hundreds of other anti- common core organizations representing millions of people in all 50 states in a letter to U.S. lawmakers to cease committee hearings on the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind and Every Child Achieves Act. (This can be seen at. http://bit.ly/1Lj6uz5.)
Sitka Against Common Core is opposed to the federalization of education. We are for state and local control of curriculum, standards, testing, student data and budgets. Parents have an inalienable right to make education decisions for their children. We are joining millions of parents, educators and students nationwide in refusing standardized tests. (AMP in Alaska).
Ed Gray for
Sitka Against Common Core
