Shungnak School

08/24/2026

🦅 OPEN GYM TONIGHT! 🏀

Good afternoon, Shungnak!

We will have OPEN GYM tonight! Come out, have some fun, get some exercise, and enjoy time with your friends and family.

🏀 5:30–6:30 PM — K–5th Grade ONLY

This hour is specifically for our younger students to run, play, and enjoy the gym safely without having to worry about older and bigger students running into them.

Parents and siblings are welcome to attend, but please remember that this hour belongs to the little ones!

🏀 6:30–8:30 PM — 6th Grade & Up

Middle school, high school, and older community members are welcome to come out for scrimmages and pickup games. Let's get some good games going!

🚫 SCHOOL PROPERTY — ZERO TOLERANCE

No smoking, va**ng, alcohol, or illegal drugs are permitted inside the school or on school property. Anyone who brings these items onto school property will be subject to removal and a one-year ban from Open Gym and other school activities, consistent with district policy.

📚 OPEN GYM IS A PRIVILEGE

For students, participation in Open Gym is based on school grades, behavior, citizenship, and respect toward teachers and staff.

Take care of business in school, treat people with respect, and earn the privilege to participate.

We want Open Gym to be a safe, positive, and fun place for everyone. Come out, play hard, show good sportsmanship, and take care of our gym!

Respect Each Other • Honor Our Past & Traditions • Build Our Future Together

GO EAGLES! 🦅🏀

08/24/2026

GOOD MORNING, SHUNGNAK!

Good morning, Shungnak! It’s Monday, and we are ready for another great week of learning!

RAINY WEEK AHEAD
It looks like we are in for a rainy week, so please make sure your student comes to school dressed appropriately for the weather. Rain gear, warm clothing, and waterproof boots will help keep everyone comfortable and ready to learn.

LET’S KEEP EACH OTHER HEALTHY!
We are already seeing sore throats, coughs, and flu-like illnesses making their way around the school. Students, wash your hands often and cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. Parents, if your student is running a fever or is clearly sick, please keep them home until they are feeling better. We want everyone healthy and ready to learn!

ASBESTOS MANAGEMENT PLAN NOTICE
As required, I am notifying parents, staff, and community members that the school's Asbestos Management Plan is available for anyone who would like to review it. Safety will always remain one of our highest priorities at Shungnak School.

ADVISORY SCHOOL COUNCIL MEETING — SEPTEMBER 1
Our monthly Advisory School Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, September 1. As always, the public is encouraged to attend. Your involvement and input are important as we continue working together to make Shungnak School stronger.

NO CELL — BELL TO BELL!
Please remind your student to leave their cell phone at home. Cell phones are not allowed during the school day from bell to bell. Thank you to our parents and families for helping us consistently enforce this state law, district policy, and school rule. Keeping phones out of the classroom helps our students stay focused on what matters — LEARNING!

LET’S HAVE A GREAT DAY!
It is going to be another great day of teaching and learning at Shungnak School! We are building a school culture where RESPECT, LEADERSHIP, RESPONSIBILITY, and ACCOUNTABILITY matter every single day.

Come to school ready to learn. Work hard. Help each other. Make good choices. And let’s make today better than yesterday!

Respect Each Other • Honor Our Past & Traditions • Build Our Future Together

GO EAGLES!

08/24/2026

To: Shungnak School Parents and Families
From: Dennis Slaton, Principal
Subject: Student Accountability and School Expectations

Shungnak School is committed to providing every student with a safe, respectful, and productive place to learn. To accomplish this, our teachers are expected to hold students accountable for their actions and consistently enforce school and classroom expectations.

For far too long, some inappropriate behaviors have occurred without meaningful or consistent consequences. This has not helped our students. In fact, it has been harmful both to the students making poor choices and to the students who come to school ready to learn.

Accountability is not punishment—it is part of teaching. Students must learn that their choices have consequences, that teachers and staff deserve respect, and that the rights of other students to learn must be protected.

Our teachers and I are determined to improve Shungnak School and strengthen our school culture. This will require consistency from our staff, responsibility from our students, and support from our parents and community.

We care about our students, and because we care about them, we will hold them to high expectations. Our students are capable of meeting those expectations, and we will work together to help them succeed.

Thank you for supporting our teachers as they work to create the school environment our students deserve.

Respect Each Other • Honor Our Past & Traditions • Build Our Future Together

GO EAGLES!

08/21/2026

🦅 Good Morning, Shungnak! 🦅

It is finally Friday! Today is a great day to be kind to your neighbor, help someone who may need a hand, and offer an encouraging word to someone who needs to hear it. Kindness and respect cost nothing, but they can make a big difference in someone's day.

🏫 OPEN HOUSE, COMPUTER ROLLOUT & COMMUNITY POTLUCK — TONIGHT!

Please join us tonight from 5:00–7:00 PM for our Open House, student computer rollout, and community potluck!

We will also be handing out our Student-Parent Handbooks. This is an important document that explains school expectations, procedures, and guidelines for our students and families. Please pick up a copy, take time to read it, and help us work together to help your student make good decisions and have a successful school year.

The school will not be cooking for tonight's potluck, so please bring one of your favorite dishes to share. We look forward to seeing our families and community members tonight!

🎣 CULTURAL FISHING CAMP TRIP

We are still planning to move forward with our cultural trip to fishing camp next week. I will continue to keep a close eye on the weather and work with the district and Raymond Woods to determine whether conditions are safe and whether proceeding with the trip makes sense.

Safety comes first. We want our students to have an authentic, hands-on opportunity to learn cultural traditions, fishing skills, survival skills, camp responsibilities, and important lessons from our elders and community members. However, we will only go if the weather and conditions allow us to do so safely.

Permission slips must be returned by 1:30 PM TODAY! If your student plans to attend and you have not signed the permission slip, please get it to the school this morning. I need an accurate student count to complete our planning and report our numbers to the district.

📚 READING & MATH — SCHOOL AND HOME WORKING TOGETHER

Our teachers are dedicated to improving our students' reading, writing, and math skills this year. We are asking our students to work hard every day, and we are already seeing students actively engaged in their learning.

Parents and families, you are an important part of this effort. Please take 15–30 minutes each evening to read with your student, listen to them read, practice math, or simply ask them to show you what they learned that day.

Those few focused minutes at home can make a tremendous difference. Ask questions. Listen to them read. Celebrate their improvement. Let them know that their education matters to you.

📵 NO CELL — BELL TO BELL!

Please continue helping us keep personal communication devices out of school during the school day. No Cell — Bell to Bell means exactly that.

This includes cell phones, VHF radios, walkie-talkies, and other personal communication devices. Students need to be focused on their teachers, their classmates, and their education during the school day.

Thank you to our parents and families for helping us reinforce this expectation at home.

We have had a good start to the school year, and now we want to keep building on it.

Attendance matters. Respect matters. Citizenship matters. Learning matters.

When our students, families, teachers, elders, and community work together, we give our students the greatest opportunity to succeed.

Have a wonderful Friday, Shungnak, and we hope to see everyone tonight from 5:00–7:00!

Respect Each Other • Honor Our Past & Traditions • Build Our Future Together

🦅 GO EAGLES! 🦅

08/20/2026

🦅 GOOD MORNING, SHUNGNAK! 🦅

The cultural education trip planned for next week is still moving forward, and we are excited about this opportunity for our students!

Parents and guardians, please take time to read, sign, and return the release and information forms that were sent home yesterday. The packet includes important information about the trip, including our chaperones, the agenda, and a list of items students are expected to bring.

Safety is our number one priority. Please talk with your student about the importance of following directions from teachers, chaperones, cultural leaders, and volunteers at all times. Opportunities like this provide our students with valuable hands-on cultural learning and experiences that cannot always happen inside a classroom.

We want to continue providing these kinds of opportunities throughout the school year, but it will take the full cooperation of our students, parents, school, and village. Thank you to everyone who is helping make this trip possible!

🏫 OPEN HOUSE & COMMUNITY POTLUCK — FRIDAY!

Don't forget that Friday is our Open House!
2:30 - early release
5:00–6:00 PM — Open House & Meet Your Teachers
6:00–7:00 PM — Community Potluck

The school will not be preparing the meal, so please bring your favorite dish to share with everyone! We will also be issuing student computers and sharing our Student-Parent Handbooks. Please make plans to attend. This is an important opportunity to meet our teachers, learn about expectations for the year, and strengthen the partnership between our school and families.

Our teachers are dedicated to TEACHING your students this year and helping every student grow academically. We need our families working alongside us to make that happen.

📵 NO CELL — BELL TO BELL!

Parents, please continue reminding your students to leave their cell phones at home.

NO CELL — BELL TO BELL means NO CELL PHONES from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM every school day.

This is a state law, district policy, and Shungnak School rule. Please help us keep phones out of the school so our teachers can teach and our students can focus on learning.

Thank you, Shungnak, for supporting our students, our teachers, and our school. We have a lot of exciting things happening, and we are looking forward to a great year!

Respect Each Other • Honor Our Past & Traditions • Build Our Future Together

🦅 GO EAGLES! 🦅

08/19/2026

GOOD MORNING, SHUNGNAK!
Today is a great day to be kind! Say a kind word to your neighbor, lend someone a helping hand, and look for an opportunity to make someone else's day a little better.

GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING AT SHUNGNAK SCHOOL!
I am pleased to report that our students are actively working to improve their reading and writing skills. Our teachers are focused, dedicated, and working hard to help every student grow and reach their greatest potential.
We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we are moving in the right direction! When our school, families, and community work together, our students benefit.

CULTURAL EDUCATION TRIP
A Cultural Education Trip Information Packet and Permission Form will be coming home with students today. Parents and guardians, please take a few minutes to read the information carefully, sign the permission form, and return it to the school.
This trip is a tremendous opportunity for our students to learn from some of the knowledgeable and experienced people in our village. Students will have hands-on opportunities to learn about our local culture, traditions, survival skills, responsibilities, and the expectations that have helped generations live and thrive here.
Thank you to our families, elders, cultural leaders, volunteers, and community members who are helping make this possible. These experiences are an important part of our students' education, and we hope to provide several cultural learning opportunities throughout the school year.

Let's have a great day of learning, kindness, and Eagle Pride!

Respect Each Other • Honor Our Past & Traditions • Build Our Future Together

GO EAGLES!

08/18/2026

GOOD MORNING, SHUNGNAK!

Today is a great day to say hello to your neighbor, lend a helping hand, and look for someone who may need a little help. Small acts of kindness make our community stronger. Be kind. Be helpful. Take care of one another.

CULTURAL FISHING CAMP TRIP

Shungnak School and Raymond Woods are planning an exciting cultural trip for our 6th–12th grade students to Raymond's fishing camp, approximately 11 miles upriver from Shungnak.

Students will experience authentic, hands-on cultural learning while learning from Raymond, elders, and community members. Activities will include:

Traditional fishing skills
Setting and checking fishing nets
Camp setup
Outdoor and survival skills
Traditional knowledge and practices
Teamwork, responsibility, and other important life skills

Permission slips will be going home this week.

This is a big undertaking, and we need our community's help! We are looking for four responsible adults, age 21 or older, to help with boat transportation and student supervision. If you are able to volunteer, and can pass a background check, please contact the school.

This is going to be a tremendous opportunity for our young people to learn from our elders, strengthen their cultural knowledge, and spend meaningful time on the land and river.

OPEN HOUSE & COMMUNITY POTLUCK — THIS FRIDAY!

Please join us at Shungnak School this Friday for our Open House, computer rollout, and community potluck!

5:00–6:00 PM — Open House & Computer Rollout
Come meet our new teachers, visit classrooms, and see what is happening at Shungnak School!

7:00–8:00 PM — Community Potluck
Bring a dish to share, come hungry, visit with old friends, and help us celebrate the beginning of a great school year.

Everyone is welcome! We hope to see the whole community there!

Respect Each Other • Honor Our Past & Traditions • Build Our Future Together
GO EAGLES!

08/18/2026

08/17/2026

Good Morning, Shungnak!

Today begins our first full week of school! We are off to a good start, and our teachers are continuing to work with students on classroom rules, routines, and expectations.

NO CELL — BELL TO BELL!

We still have a few students bringing cell phones to school. Parents and families, please help us enforce this state law, district policy, and Shungnak School rule. Cell phones are not allowed in school from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

READING STARTS AT SCHOOL — BUT IT GROWS AT HOME!

Reading is a major focus for us this year. Please spend 15–30 minutes each evening listening to your child read. That little bit of time can make a big difference. Ask them questions about what they read, talk about the story, and show them that their education matters.

Parents and families are an important part of a child's education. When school and home work together, students are more likely to succeed academically, attend school regularly, stay motivated, and make good choices.

OPEN HOUSE & COMMUNITY POTLUCK — THIS FRIDAY!

Please come to Shungnak School this Friday, visit your child's classroom, and meet our new teachers. Bring your best food and a good story to share! We look forward to spending the evening together as a school and community.

A LITTLE KINDNESS GOES A LONG WAY

Today is a great day to be kind, show respect, and have compassion for one another. Take a moment to say a kind word, help someone who needs it, or simply let someone know you appreciate them. Our children are watching us and learning from our example.

Respect Each Other • Honor Our Past & Traditions • Build Our Future Together

GO EAGLES!

08/14/2026

Today is blueberry-picking day! Our students will be heading out this morning to enjoy some time outdoors, gather blueberries, and learn together.

Parents, please remember to sign and return the permission slips that were sent home yesterday. We plan to leave the school around 9:30 AM and return before lunch at approximately 11:30 AM.

This should be a fun experience for our students and a great opportunity for our new teachers to get to know them outside the classroom.

Parents and elders, we would love to have you join us! Your knowledge, experience, and help supervising our students are always appreciated.

Please make sure your student wears waterproof boots. The ground may be wet and muddy in some of the best berry-picking areas.

Let's have a safe, fun morning and hopefully come back with plenty of blueberries!

Respect Each Other • Honor Our Past & Traditions • Build Our Future Together

GO EAGLES!