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#yoloswaG to Perform on the Last Day of School
by Ruth Sensenig
Aidan, the alert drummer, leads the group with his reliable rhythms. No song is too tough for him; he studies it and works it out, then plays so confidently he makes it look easy.
The community is invited to come to the school to hear this year’s band class, performing as #yoloswaG, play on the last day of school, Wednesday, May 22.
For the most part, #yoloswaG performs covers of popular songs. Last semester they got the idea to play Bon Jovi’s “Wanted: Dead or Alive.” When they approached me with the idea in class, I enthusiastically broke into a bit of the chorus. They said, “You know this song, Ms. Sensenig?!” I responded with, “Sure, I’ve known this song since before you were born! Where did YOU learn it?” The answer was, of course, Guitar Hero.
Darrel is a versatile member of the team. He plays keyboards for the band, but he has recently taken up guitar and is teaching himself all kinds of riffs. It’s not unusual to hear echoes of Nirvana coming from his guitar.
When they’re learning a new song, the band typically spends some time listening to the song on Youtube and looking up tabs or chord sheets. The kids get out their phones and put on headphones to listen to tutorials of their part of the song. As they work, little by little the strains of the melody or the rhythm start echoing around the room. Eventually they get to the point where they are ready to start playing the song together; the first few times through, they play along with the original version. The first time through on their own is usually pretty rough, but a few more times through and the song starts to sound like the real thing! Continue Reading
Congratulations Devon Renee Hilts – Class of 2013
by Jenny Chissus
It is a tradition to introduce our Seniors in the Gazette each year. Though there aren’t any high school graduates from Susan B. English in 2013, Devon Hilts, who resides in Seldovia, has received her diploma through Connections, the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s distance learning program. She is one of our own, and we celebrate this accomplishment with her this year! Congratulations Devon!
Join Devon and her family in celebrating this accomplishment at a baccalaureate service, this Sunday, 3:00pm at the Seldovia Bible Chapel. Everyone is welcome and there will be a dessert potluck to follow!
Gazette: What is your “Seldovia” story?
Devon: I moved here with my mom in 2005. I came here from Yakutat, and before that Seattle. We moved here to be close to family. It’s nice being near my Ahna and Papa (Sunni and Rod Hilts).
Gazette: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? Now, as a Senior – what do you want to be when you grow up? How has that changed?
Devon: As a child, I wanted to be a singer when I grew up. My grandma Charlotte said when I was little I would sing a lot. Now as a senior, I want to work with foster Continue Reading
Naomi Gallien – Recent UAA Graduate
by Jenny Chissus
Our very own, Naomi Gallien of Seldovia, Alaska, is among the 2,315 graduates of the University of Alaska Anchorage Class of 2013.
Naomi is a 2007 graduate of Susan B. English school, and on Sunday, May 5, she received her college degree with a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing and business management at a celebratory ceremony at the George M. Sullivan Arena in Anchorage.
Naomi is pictured here, surrounded by her younger sister, Kristy (who lives in Wasilla) and her older sister, Laurie who resides in Seldovia, along with her parents, Matt and Trinket Gallien, who are also long time Seldovia residents.
It is so great to see our youth graduate from Susan B English school and go on to accomplish further studies at the university level! Congratulations Naomi!
Dr. Atwater Returns for 2nd Round of Principal Interviews
UPDATE 5/15/2013: We are only going to have 3 candidates, as the fourth candidate already accepted another position!Gazette: How do you avoid the situation we just had – where 2 of the 4 candidates pulled out before they even had the chance to be offered the position?
Dr. Atwater: We can’t fully – it’s a matter of folks disclosing that they are pursuing other options.
Gazette: Isn’t it essential to be in a position to offer the “right” candidate the job as soon as possible, so they don’t get snatched up for another position? Can that time frame (from interview to job offer) be minimized to secure the right applicant?
Dr. Atwater: Perhaps, we could tighten the audience input to the same day. It is difficult for me do all the interviews- limitations of my schedule prevents faster pace of hiring- this is difficult, because I like and want to be at the interviews. We have decided that all audience input will be due on Monday the 20th, to facilitate the process.
Dr. Atwater: A school of 40 students can present serious challenges- there is a certain level of expertise/experience needed. It would be wrong however, to compare it to Homer High School. Thus, it is a lot easier to not have pervious administrative experience and do well at SBE than it is at HHS.
Gazette: Will any of the previous (2) candidates be in the top 4 this time around?
Dr. Atwater: No
Solar, Wind, Hydro – Energy Savings in Seldovia – Meet Erik Schreier
by Jenny Chissus, photos provided by Erik Schreier
Starting with Solar…
Erik Schreier, his wife Angie – and their 2 year old son Bowen, are newcomers to Seldovia. Along with relocating their great new family, Erik is bringing 12 years of expertise in alternative energy options to our community, and I wanted to give him a “shout out”!
Thanks to Erik, we now have an expert in both solar and wind site surveying right here in Seldovia! Energy costs are a big part of the expense of living in Alaska, and Erik has some creative ideas to assist folks in assessing options for both individuals and businesses.
Erik will perform site surveys to help you determine which size and type of system would best suit your needs, and can assist you with the installation or any phase of the process. If this is something you just need a consultation about, and want to do the physical installation on your own – you are good to go! Erik is open to helping as much or as little as each client requires/desires! He is flexible, helpful and just wants to educate and assist people in all aspects of alternative energy! Continue Reading
SBE Still Looking for a Principal
by Jenny Chissus
This past Tuesday, we had interviews in Seldovia for our principal position. With over 50 applicants, we were looking forward to meeting the four finalists, and weighing in. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District has been following this hiring process for over five years, but since Sherry Hingley has been our principal since 2007, we have never had this opportunity to participate in the interview process in Seldovia.
I believe this is a great method, as not only did we have the chance to relay our desires for the type of administrator and the concerns we have for our school and community, but we had the chance to participate in the actual interview process! Many Seldovians submitted questions for the interview, as 8 of the 20 questions are normally taken directly from the community. This is so important, as every location has concerns and issues that are specific to that school and community. Dr. Atwater confirmed that this process is only used when hiring for administrative positions.
Unfortunately, after all the effort, from the initial meeting in Seldovia, the review of over 50 applicants, to the interview itself – we are back at square one! After the Continue Reading
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