Tributaries
Tidbits from the Headwaters
Valdez Student Receives Highest Musical Award at Regional Festival
Valdez middle and high school music students performed in local and regional ensembles at the annual regional music festival, this year hosted at Anchorage Christian School (ACS). Of the 14 students who participated, 11 of them qualified to participate in the Alaska Solo and Ensemble Competition at the state level, which will be hosted at University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) in May.
Upstream Rocketry Club Qualifies for National Competition
Students from Upstream Learning’s rocketry club are the first in Alaskan history to qualify for the American Rocketry Challenge (ARC), which will be held near Arlington, Virginia, on May 20.
Vaping: The Invisible Problem in Our Schools
Statistics on increasing vaping trends in Valdez schools have brought about greater efforts by the school district staff to educate students and prevent this behavior during this school year.
Mathletes Represent Copper Basin in Fairbanks
MathCounts is a national program that exists to get Middle School students excited about math. The Upstream Learning MathCounts team had the privilege of competing in the Alaska State competition at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. They earned this opportunity by placing first in the Alaska Rural Chapter MathCounts competition in February.
Valdez Eighth Graders Blast Off
During February 6-8, the 8th grade Gilson Middle School (GMS) students in Valdez finished their science unit on forces and gravity, culminating in each student building and launching a model rocket.
GHS Passports and Travel Class Dreams of the Mediterranean
On May 26, 2023, local Glennallen High School students will embark on a 10-day journey through Europe “Along Mediterranean Shores.” This opportunity, organized and taught by Debbie Lorence, joins the Glennallen Geography & Travel class with students from Chicago taking the same trip.
Copper River School District September Board Meeting
The Copper River School District Board held a work session followed by their regular board meeting on September 13.
School Board Candidates
This year’s school board election ballots were mailed on September 12. They must be postmarked by October 4. Anna Bell-Hand is challenging incumbent Mark Somerville for his seat on the school board. President Joshua Scott is running un- opposed for his seat. The other seats on the board are not up for re-election during this cycle.
Profile: Acting CRSD Superintendent Theresa Laville
Within weeks of taking a new job as the assistant superintendent for the Copper River School District, Theresa Laville found herself holding the acting superintendent position after Thérèse Ashton left the post in July.
CRSD Holds First Board Meeting of the School Year
The Copper Valley School District (CRSD) School Board met August 9th for their regularly scheduled meeting.
CRSD Begins Search to Hire New Superintendent
On August 3, the Copper River School District (CRSD) school board met to begin the search process for a new superintendent. Thérèse Ashton is no longer the district superintendent; the position is currently vacant. Theresa Laville, who most recently worked in the Bering Strait School District, is the new assistant superintendent for the district.
Glennallen Wrestlers Close Season with Celebration
This spring, Glennallen wrestlers and their families celebrated the conclusion of the season with an honors banquet highlighting the achievements of all who participated in the program throughout the 2021-2022 school year.
Hatch & Release
Two hundred coho salmon eggs came to Jennifer Hodges’s third, fourth and fifth-grade classroom at the Kenny Lake School this past January. The class watched, waited, and learned about how salmon come to be.
Slana and Upstream Learning 2022 Graduations
The Copper Basin graduation week has been in full swing as the 2021-2022 school year has come to a close. Slana began the celebration week on Tuesday, May 17 with the graduation of Linnea Beauchamp.
Resilience and Hope Bring Change
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month! At the Copper River Basin Child Advocacy Center, we have been raising awareness of child-abuse prevention by providing school presentations in Glennallen and Valdez, sponsoring our annual Go Blue Walk, and providing classroom competitions for Go Blue Day in Copper River School District classrooms.
School Board Hears Sobering News About Drugs
Board President Joshua Scott said, “We’re hearing a lot of parents voice concerns about the drugs,” and asked Troopers if there is merit to rumors in the community.
Glennallen Junior High Wrestlers
After nearly 2,000 miles, more than 120 matches, victories, defeats, learning and growing tougher mentally and physically, the Glennallen Middle School wrestling season culminated at the State Tournament on February 26 and 27.
Chamber Dinner Benefits Student Close Up Program
Moose soup and Indian tacos were on the menu at the Greater Copper Valley Chamber of Commerce fundraiser held to benefit the Glennallen High School Close Up Program on February 24. Attendees enjoyed dinner prepared and served by students involved in the program.
Proposed Bills Would Boost School Funding
Of the 129 education-related bills being considered by the state legislature, a few in particular are attracting the attention of school districts statewide: House Bills 272, 273, and 220.