Lilli Johnson and Aurora Waclawski

The Homer Middle School Geography Bee was a lot of fun for all of the 53 students who participated. Students started by meeting in the library for the first round on Wednesday, Nov. 16.  The 27 participants who passed the preliminary round went on to compete in the final round on Thursday, which was followed by a pizza lunch for all the spectators and competitors. I’d like to congratulate our champion, Aurora Waclawski, our runner up, Lilli Johnson, and everyone who turned out for the event. Being one of the participants, I know that this wasn’t easy, but was still a great experience. Of course, a little pizza at the end didn’t hurt anyone, either.
Written by Elise Webber
8th grade, Homer Middle School

James Gustafson

A 2011 Homer High School graduate, James Gustafson, was nominated for a Spirit of Youth Award for his volunteer work with Homer Wilderness Leaders. He was nominated for a 2011 Spirit of Youth Service to Community award. Winners will be announced in January.
Gustafson was the founding board president of the nonprofit when it first formed. He is a driving force in their mission to provide outdoor experiential education to young people in Alaska.
“The reason I enrolled for the first trip they ever went on was when Libby Bushell invited me to volunteer helping with the outdoor trips. We did back backing and camping, and a little bit of climbing,” Gustafson said. It was familiar territory on trails and hikes across Kachemak Bay at places such as Red Mountan. “We did a lot of camping with my family when I was younger, and I had been climbing a lot.”
James is the son of Richard and Nell Gustafson of Homer.
Growing up in Homer, Gustafson said he wasn’t a super athlete but he skied and did cross country running for the training.
This first year after graduation, Gustafson has traveled on climbing trips in California, Colorado and Utah. He is heading for Argentina to work with a tourism guiding group, then plans to attend university at Fort Lewis College next fall.
Also nominated for a Spirit of Youth Award is the Homer Youth Community Gay Straight Alliance. This is a youth-led group committed to providing a safe space for local LGBTQ youth. The Alliance promotes diversity and acceptance, and supports youth to lead healthy, happy and safe lives. The alliance was nominated in the category of service to community.
Last year’s Spirit of Youth award winner was Cody Gaines, a 2010 Homer High School graduate.

• Project raises funds so more young people can attend wilderness training

Photo provided - HoWL participants made a film on leaving no trashy traces behind in the wilderness.

Homer’s HoWLers are howling more loudly than ever, summoning an “Evening of Adventure” that will take Homer on a virtual expedition into the wild.
Homer Wilderness Leaders, known as HoWL, just completed its third season of bringing kids into the mountains and woods of Alaska on two-to-seven-day expeditions including hiking, camping, backpacking, mountain biking, rafting, canoeing, rock climbing, surfing and mountaineering.
“An Evening of Adventure with HoWL” at 7 p.m. Saturday at Islands and Oceans Visitor Center is a chance to view original films of the Homer outdoor group and take part in an auction to purchase great deals on bear viewing trips, wholesale seafood, outdoor adventures on Kachemak Bay and 70 other items.
The point of the program goes beyond getting kids outside, said HoWL director and founder Libby Bushell.
“All HoWL courses focus on wilderness leadership, survival, and environmental stewardship. We inspire confidence and build character, as well as encourage creativity, zaniness, laughing and getting muddy.”
The HoWL craze is catching on. This summer, HoWL brought more than 120 kids on 14 wilderness expeditions, including a three-day climb and surf trip which combined rock climbing and stand-up paddle boarding with Surf Alaska; and a seven-day canoeing and backpacking trip to Skilak Lake in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge.
In 2012, HowL also launched its DiRtBaG program (Discount Rates to Boys and Girls), wherein a dozen students picked up nearly 2,000 pounds of litter during Homer Clean-Up Week, and raised $2,000 for their own HoWL scholarships. HoWL also started the Day Trippers Program to incorporate easier, low-cost day trips into the summer program.
This summer, HoWL kids also learned about the art of film making, by creating two movies: one general film about HoWL and another teaching Leave No Trace principles.
The two films features Homer’s very own emerging movie stars in some funny, often zany, sometimes daring, always inspiring footage in the field.
HoWL will premier its two films as part of its “Evening of Adventure.”
HoWL will screen Sweetgrass Productions’ latest ski film: “Solitaire,” a backcountry ski and snowboard film that takes viewers deep into the remote high desert of South America, along the length of the continent from Peru’s Cordillera Blanca, to the spires of Argentina’s legendary Las Lens, to some of the most remote regions of Chilean Patagonia.
At its Saturday event, HoWL will be announcing its expedition schedule for summer 2012, and auctioning off several HoWL trips to get even more young people into the mountains and woods of Alaska.
“We thought this would be a great time for the kids to premiere their films and show off their amazing accomplishments from this summer,” said Bushell. “And the HoWL auction is a great way to get hot deals on holiday gifts that support HoWL.”
Cost $10 general admission, $8 for HoWLers, all proceeds benefiting HoWL. For more information, visit www.howlalaska.org.

Photo provided - Homer High Drama Debate and Forensics team edged South High School by one point to place first at the Eagle River DDF Tournament over the weekend.

Nineteen students from Homer High School competed in the Eagle River Drama, Debate and Forensics tournament this weekend. Homer students did very well as a team, finishing in first place overall. They also earned several individual-student awards. Homer finishers are as follows:
 
Lincoln-Douglas Debate
Adi Davis – 5th place in Speaker Points, Quarter-Finalist
Public Forum Debate
Casey Parrett – 6th place in Speaker Points
Casey Parrett and Adella Sundmark – Semi-Finalist
Expository Speaking (Informational)
Jonas Noomah – 2nd place
Neal Wimmerstedt – 6th place
Original Oratory (Persuasive)
Jacob Mayforth – 1st place
Foreign Extemporaneous Speaking
Trevor Waldorf – 1st place
Adi Davis – 3rd place
Dramatic Interpretation
Casey Parrett – 2nd place
Adella Sundmark – 5th place
Humorous Interpretation
Theo Noomah – 1st place
Johnny Hamilton – 2nd place
Emmet Meyer – 3rd place
Solo Acting
Drew Turner – 3rd place
Duo Interpretation
Jonas Noomah and Evan Boyer – 2nd place
Duet Acting
Adi Davis and Sydney Paulino – 1st place
Jacob Mayforth and Herman Hannan – 2nd place
Owen Duffy and Neal Wimmerstedt – 3rd place
Reader’s Theatre
Drew Turner, Jacob Mayforth, Shaefer Nielson and Trevor Waldorf – 2nd place
Herman Hannan, Sydney Paulino, Emmet Meyer, Johnny Hamilton, Brittney Bordner and Matthew Meyer – 3rd place
Debate Sweepstakes (All Debate Events)
Homer High – 3rd place
Drama/Speech Sweepstakes (Non-Debate Events)
Homer High – 1st place
Overall Sweepstakes (All Events Together)
Homer High – 1st place (by one point over South)

Homer High students win AP awards

Mark Walsworth

Five of the 10 students who earned a 2010 Advanced Placement Scholar Awards were Homer High School Students, a release from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District announced Tuesday morning.
Jason Baird, son of Steve and Marie Baird, won a AP Scholar with Distinction Award for earning an average 3.5 on all his AP exams. Mark Walsworth, son of Charles and Naomi Walsworth, and Tyler Wentz, son of P. Scott and Laureen Wentz, qualified for AP Scholar with Honor Awards for their scores of at least 3.2.

Homer student places as Merit semi-finalist
Alder Fletcher, a senior at Homer High and the son of Barrett and Tamara Fletcher, was named as a semifinalist in the 56th Annual National Merit Scholarship Program. The nationwide pool of semifinalists represents one percent of all high school seniors and the highest scoring entrants in each state. Two other semifinalists are Ari Bennett of Nikiski High and Angela Ramponi of Soldotna High School.

Alder Fletcher

Benjamin Blue, son of Jim and Kellie Blue, and Corinne Ogle, daughter of John and Denise Ogle, also won, for scores of 3 points or higher per exam, called the AP Scholar Award.
The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program allows students the opportunity to take college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn credit, advanced placement or both for success on the exams.

Center holds annual meeting
2010 Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, Oct. 28 at 708 Smokey Bay Way.   The evening begins at 6 p.m. with a community potluck and a presentation by Daniel Zatz of ZatzWorks and a a talk on the highlights of the 2010 Programs and Volunteer recognition awards, including Volunteer of the Year and Business Partner of the Year.
Firewise mural to be dedicated
The public is invited at 1 p.m. Oct. 27 to the Homer Volunteer Fire Department for a dedication of the
Firewise mural, “Keep Fire in the Forest,” to the City of Homer.

• Club offers friendly start to year of drama, debate and forensics
By Sean Pearson
Homer Tribune

HOMER TRIBUNE/Naomi Klouda - A Drama, Debate and Forensics Clinic held this weekend brought new members into training, these from the Homer Middle School. One exercise in drama called for impromptu acting from the more seasoned team members as they showed what can happen - and how much fun is to be had - when students make up their own lines and act what comes natural.

For many students, starting something new can be both exciting, and frightening. But when that something new is Drama, Debate and Forensics, the outlet through which students can work through those feelings of anxiety, nervousness and fear is automatically built in.
In her second year with the program — and first as head coach — Amy Christianson is looking for ways to get kids more involved and interested in what’s going on around them.
“When I was in high school, I was on our debate team and did a lot of theatre,” Christianson said. “It seemed like a great way to get involved.”
So Christianson decided to bring back the DDF clinic early in the school year to show students what the program is about, and drum up a little interest.
Christianson took over this year for former coach Kathy Kysar, who moved to Kwethluk this year to teach.
“I mostly coach the drama aspect,” Christianson said. “I’m slowly branching out as I became more familiar with the different events.”
Christianson said the clinic, which offers two classes each on different aspects of drama, debate and forensics, had not been held for a few years. She decided to bring it back as a “really good way to start the season off.”
“The returning high schoolers run all of the classes, so that they get a brief review of everything that’s necessary for their events,” Christianson explained. “The new students get to see everything in action, and hear about it from people who have actually lived through the events.”
According to Christianson, students have said they have a blast at the clinic, and they’re also now a lot more open to the different events.
“I think it opens them up to more things, because they have more experience in all of them now,” she explained.
With the DDF season officially now underway, the first tournament for Homer is just under three weeks away at South High School in Anchorage. The Mariners will compete in seven different tournaments this year, including the State tournament. They are hosting a tournament of their own in Homer on Jan. 14 and 15. Christianson said she has already heard from several Anchorage schools who are looking at coming down to participate in the tourney.
“The kids who are part of DDF are amazing,” she said. “They’re all super energetic and willing to put the time into work.”
Students write full debate cases (policy debate is a 90-minute long debate,) as well as memorize 8-10 minute long drama pieces and work on speeches for student congress and extemporaneous speaking.
“They constantly surprise me in good ways, with their enthusiasm and willingness to try all sorts of different events,” Christianson said. “It’s very fulfilling to work with all of them. And a lot of fun.”

• District schools see wide shift in registration
By Naomi Klouda
Homer Tribune

HOMER TRIBUNE/Naomi Klouda - Homer Middle School saw a spike of 11 unexpected students enrolled last week.

Shifts in school populations caught the attention of Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Superintendent Steve Atwater last week when the first numbers came in from Homer.
At McNeil Canyon Elementary School, 16 fewer students enrolled than anticipated. West Homer is down by 22 students, and Paul Banks Elementary class rolls record 32 fewer than expected.
“It’s too early to say what this means,” Atwater said. “Overall enrollment is down, though it may be redistribution. It’s not a big change. We’ll have to wait until after Labor Day to see how enrollments settle.”
Depending on how the numbers land, teacher positions could be cut or students could be combined with other classrooms, he said.
“There are a lot of factors that figure into our enrollment numbers,” said Paul Banks Principal Benny Abraham. “We had 85 second-graders move on to West Homer this year, and lost students from several families affected by a Coast Guard rotation.”
Another obvious change in the Homer elementary school picture this year is the opening of Fireweed Academy East, a move that helped the 13-year-old charter school meet additional public demand for its theme-immersion model of academic instruction.
The school district leases the Von Building, the former home of Eagle Furniture, on East End Road. It added classes for Fireweed’s kindergarden-second grade. Third through sixth grade remains in space shared at West Homer Elementary, with this as the first year Fireweed was able to add on K-2.
“I think we probably lost a few students to Fireweed, but our ratios are right on,” Abraham said.
Fireweed’s total enrollment is approximately 120 on both campuses, with 17 kindergartners, 12 first-graders and 11 second-graders at the new building. Fireweed’s west campus comprises 16 students in third grade, 17 in fourth, 22 in fifth and 23 in sixth.
“Enrollment numbers are pretty steady; right around what we projected,” said Fireweed Administrator Kiki Abrahamson. “We worked really hard to get this K-2 program up and running.”
Kindergartners will then get a jump-start on using the theme-immersion model rather than waiting to build upon it in third grade.
Enrollment numbers at Homer High School are also down, dropping 11 students over last year, while Homer Middle School saw an unexpected spike of nine more students than anticipated.
Razdolna School is technically up by 20 students, but only in that it reflects the reopening of the secondary school. Last winter, due to cramped space conditions, the high school students were bussed to other schools.
Other village schools are also seeing a few more students than expected; Voznesenka is up by five students, Port Graham is up by five and Nanwalek is up by one. Seldovia’s Susan B. English School is up by seven students.
Ninilchik is another village experiencing higher-than-anticipated enrollment, with 11 additional students; Chapman Elementary at Anchor Point is up by five students.
Pete Swanson, principal at McNeil Canyon — where the school is seeing lower enrollment numbers — said district projections for that school are often an inexact science. During his past 11 years there, enrollment is generally higher than estimated. In the 2008-09 school year, they suddenly saw 17 more students than anticipated.
“We’ve never hit exactly on a district projection and often we are a little bit higher,” Swanson said. “This is the first or second time we’ve seen lower-than-projected numbers.”
Superintendent Atwater said he is happy to just “sit tight and watch how it unfolds.”
“We did anticipate some changes, since we knew Fireweed would be opening, ” Atwater said. Therefore, Paul Banks Elementary School was not as heavily staff as in previous years. “And that has worked out well for us.”

Doug Waclawski

After a bit of principal-shuffling through Homer-area schools, former Razdolna principal Doug Waclawski landed at Homer High School and is getting his feet wet as assistant principal.
“My job is to discipline the students, overview the facilities and handle non teacher-related staff issues,” he explained of his new job. “I also handle the IEP stuff and work with lots of kids. So far, I love it here.”
Waclawski is married to Michelle, and they have two children. They are also hosting an exchange student this year from Mexico.
Waclawski went from three years of what he considered to be a smaller and “slower-paced” atmosphere at the village school to what he expected to be quite different in town.
“You know, it’s really not that different,” he said. “Sure, there were some culture issues with food and dress out there, but kids are kids.”
Waclawski said he is excited to see what Homer High School’s future holds, and hopes to be a part of it for a long time.

• Islands and Ocean center offers variety of entertainment for youth

By Sean Pearson
Homer Tribune
If the first weekend of Christmas break has already seen your youngsters bouncing off the walls from candy cane-induced sugar overload, it’s certainly not too early to consider how to keep those school-starved offspring entertained throughout the remainder of their time off.
This year, instead of plopping them down in front of a variety of electronic entertainment, try sending them over to Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center for a full schedule of WinterFest activities.
The visitor center, in partnership with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve, offers nearly two full weeks of hands-on and outdoor activities to keep their blood pumping through the cold of winter.
“We started WinterFest in 2004, and it has just continued to grow over the years,” said Rebekah Jones, volunteer coordinator at Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center. “It has certainly morphed quite a bit, based on what people have shown more of an interest in. I think we have sort of settled into a pretty good program now.”
Jones said the WinterFest program started as a way to give kids something to do while they’re on break.
“It gets them out of the house and into the visitor center – which is always a good thing,” she explained. “It’s a great way to keep them learning while they’re out of school.”
According to Jones, the idea is to provide a variety of activities that appeal several different ages.
“While the younger crowd generally tends to gravitate toward hands-on activities like arts and crafts, we’ve also included some things I think even parents would be interested in,” she said. “We’re going to have a really cool program that focuses on owl migration. I can really see the adults getting into building an owl nesting box.”
Activities at the center run through the end of the year, wrapping up with two special events on Saturday, Jan. 2. For more information on activities offered, check out the Islands and Ocean Web site at www.islandsandocean.org.

WinterFest

Art in Nature Crafts
Wed. Dec. 23, 2-5 p.m. Seminar Room
• Look closely and you’ll see the art in nature. Drop in and decorate your very own magnet picture frame. Then create a rubbing from natural objects, draw or paint a wild creature, or write a poem about nature to display in your frame.

Storytime
Wed. Dec. 23, 2-3:30 p.m. Auditorium
Catie and Jolee will read a story, followed by a craft you can take home.

Art in Nature Crafts
Thur. Dec 24, Noon – 3 p.m. Seminar Room

Bird Crafts
Sat. Dec 26, Noon – 5 p.m. Seminar Room
How do birds survive in the winter? Find out with these fun crafts and activities. Decorate your very own bird ornament, and then play games to find out what your bird sounds like, and whether it stays in Alaska or leaves each winter.

Build an Owl-Nest Box
Sat. Dec 26, 2 – 3:30 p.m. Auditorium
Would you believe that Homer is an owl mecca? Jason will share interesting tidbits about our nocturnal neighbors and help the first 25 participants assemble their very own owl box.

Sea Star Crafts
Tue. Dec 29, Noon – 5 p.m. Seminar Room
Sea Stars capture the imaginations of people world wide. Bring the beauty of one of these fascinating creatures into your home by decorating your very own sea star ornament. Then watch short movies about sea stars, put together a sea star puzzle, watch real live sea stars in our aquarium, and read a story about a lonely sea star named Stanley.

Icefishing Mini-Lab
Tue. Dec 29, 2-3:30 p.m. Lab Classroom
Learn all about this fun and interesting sport, from what kind of gear you need to which local lakes have the best fishing. Skills taught in this lab will prepare you for an actual family ice fishing experience on a nearby lake in February.

Sea Star Crafts
Wed. Dec 30, Noon- 5 p.m. Seminar Room

Flashlight Tidepooling
Wed. Dec 30, 6-8 p.m. Bishops Beach Parking Lot
Join Carmen and Conrad Field for an evening of low tide exploration on Bishops Beach. Bring a flashlight, warm clothes and a sense of adventure.

Sea Star Crafts
Thur. Dec. 31, Noon-5 p.m. Seminar Room

Birds and crafts
Sat. Jan 2, Noon-5 p.m. Bird craft and activities for younger kids, with a complimentary goshawk visit from TLC Bird Treatment Center personnel from 2-3:30 p.m.

Open House
Sat. Jan 2, 6 p.m. Wynn Nature Center
Followed by an astronomy and moonlight snowshoe hike at 8 p.m.

Four of Brandon Young’s first-grade student recipes were inadvertently left out of last week’s Homer Tribune. We have included their recipes for Thanksgiving use next year.

Natalie’s Turkey

Ingredients: Turkey
Directions: First you put it in the oven then take it out of the oven. Then stuff it.

Roger’s Chocolate Pie

Ingredients: Dough, Crust, Egg, Chocolate powder
Directions: Shape it up. Put it in the over for 20 to 30 minutes. Take it out. Pour the Chocolate

Ryleigh’s Fruit Salad

Ingredients: Cantaloupe, Pineapple, Apples, Blueberries, Strawberries, Cherries, Raspberries
Directions: 1. Mix the fruit salad. 2. Put the fruit salad in bowl and put some smelly seasoning in it with the fruit salad.

Dylan’s Rice Crispy Treats

Ingredients: Rice Crispy cereal, sugar, milk
Directions: Mix it, stir it, put it in a bowl, mix it up some more, put it in the oven- 23 degrees for 46 seconds, then eat them!

• Adult education volunteers win award for dedication to ESL students

By Naomi Klouda
Homer Tribune

HOMER TRIBUNE/Naomi Klouda - All four of Kachemak Bay Campus’ Adult Education instructors and volunteers have won awards for their work. Left to right: Full-time instructor Jan Peyton, volunteer tutor Jane Regan, GED-examiner/volunteer Kyra Wagner and full-time instructor Lolita Brache. This year, Wagner and Regan were selected for recognition from the Alaska Adult Education Association, with Peyton and Brache being previous year winners.