Thar She Blows!

Yesterday a gray whale washed up on the tip of the helicopter pad. It looks like some orca whales ate off her jaw and tongue and left the rest for us! Be careful down on those icy rocks while harvesting. Bon appétit!

Holiday Program

Diomede School will be celebrating the holidays early, as the teachers will be leaving for break this Wednesday. Please join us Monday night at 6:30 pm for a special holiday program. We will start with singing and dance, and end with a special video from Mrs. Leah's class. Afterward there will be presents and treats! I hope to see you there.

Halloween Double Feature!

In celebration of Halloween, Diomede School will be hosting a double feature night on Friday, October 27. We'll be watching Paranorman at 6:30 PM and the new Ghostbusters at 8:15 PM. Between the two films, there will be a costume contest. Come and vote for your favorite costume and win prizes! First place will be $20 at the Diomede Store, Second place will be $10, and third will be $5. Happy Halloween!

French Cruise Ship

Many of our students had the opportunity to travel aboard a French cruise ship today via zodiac to demonstrate Eskimo Dancing. Tourists from around the world got quite a show. Later on, they allowed most of the kids (and a few of the teachers) to come aboard for a tour. Thanks for the hospitality! We hope to see them again next year.

Harbor Upgrade

A crew from Nome is here to help clear out our harbor. If you're in high school and would like some after-school work, they're looking for able bodies to help them remove some of the scrap metal and clean up the beach. This is a great opportunity for learning about waste removal and earning some spare change.

Will Gelbert Visits Diomede

Author and researcher Will Gelbert will be in Diomede for several days. He wrote The Happiness Animal, as well as several children's books. He was generous enough to give each teacher a copy of his Happiness Animal, as well as some of his books for all our students. You can find out more about Will Gelbert and his works at his Goodreads page.

Welcome Back

We hope you all had a magnificent summer. School will kick off the 2017-2018 school year on Monday, August 21. School doors open at 8:00 am and breakfast is served from 8:15 am to 8:45 am (parents are welcome to join their students for breakfast for $4.00). Morning assembly will be held in the gym at 8:50 am and classes officially begin at 9:00 am. Make sure your student gets a full night's sleep on Sunday night so their brains are rested and ready to learn! 9 to 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep is usually recommended for school age children.

School is out for Summer!

Diomede school will have a half day on Wednesday, May 17. Students will be released right after lunch to begin their summer break! We will resume classes in mid August. Many students have been sent home with summer reading and writing journals. For great ideas on how to keep your kids sharp and give them an edge at the beginning of next school year, check out this link: Get Ready for Summer: Ideas for Teachers to Share with Families.

Wales Basketball Tournament

Wednesday, April 12 our Diomede Dateliners will travel to Wales for a week of tournaments. They will return Wednesday, April 19. Tournaments begin Friday, April 14. Keep in touch with Coach Darryl for updates on how our basketball stars are doing.

PEAKS Testing

Diomede School will be administering the PEAKS test! Testing will begin Tuesday, April 4th and conclude the following Tuesday, April 11th. Testing sessions will last from 9:00am to 12:00pm (doors open at 8:00am and breakfast is served at 8:15am). This online test is a very important assessment of student skills, so please make sure that your student gets enough rest the nights before testing.

Mr. Frank is sending home sleep challenges as both a reminder and an incentive. Students with completed sleep challenges will receive a special celebration after the test (hint: I just cleaned out the slushy machine).

Dentist

Dr. Miller and his staff will be in Diomede from Monday, March 20 through Monday, March 27 to attend all of Diomede's dental needs. You can schedule appointments either at Diomede School (wood shop in the gym) or at the clinic.

Spring Break

Spring break will be from Monday, March 13 through Friday, March 17. Have a wonderful break and stay safe! Hopefully I'll see you out crabbing.

St. Valentine's Day Dance

Diomede School will hold its annual St. Valentine's Day Dance on Tuesday, February 14 from 7:00pm to 8:45pm. There will be music, lights, and games (as well as a photo area for portraits). We hope to see you there!

UPDATE: Please message me if you'd like a link to the photo album for this event. There are over 200 images!