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Vol. 2, Issue 8
The FUNd Stuff!
Stories from the Office of Advancement at Pacific Northern Academy
Vision Courage Integrity
Dear Linda,
"If your actions inspire others
to dream more, learn more,
do more and become more,
you are a leader."
- John Quincy Adams
Running Club concluded this week at the
Service HS-hosted Southside Cross Country
Running Jamboree (elementary age kids only).
Parent Shannon Brockman has led this pack to
total running happiness! And the kids were fast
like the wind.
Your active participation in PNA's
Annual Fund does just that, and we
thank you
for leading the pack!
This is our last week of the Annual Fund Campaign.
We are deeply grateful to the PNA community for
their incredible show of support, and applaud
(loudly!) everyone who came forward with a pledge.
Your leadership inspires us all.
Your Annual Fund
contribution has helped
boost us to over 85% of
our financial goal!!
100% - A myth or a reality?
Any gift, no matter how big or how
small, makes a difference to each
student.
Please, give today.
Gaining 100% participation during an Annual
Campaign can be compared to finding the mythical
unicorn. Well guess what? I just saw that unicorn slip
around the corner and I'm hot on his trail. As of
publication we have 77 of 81 families that have given
which is an amazing 95%! We are so very close to
capturing 100% and that elusive unicorn. If you are one
of our final families we hope you will consider giving by
Tuesday when the campaign closes out. For those who
have already generously given, thank you.
From top to bottom,
head to toe,
old to young,
WE THANK YOU!
Does 100% really matter?
Yes it does. We have mentioned many times that
outside agencies such as our accrediting body NWAIS
consider the percentage of parent participation in the
annual fund when reviewing the school. Last week an
advance team from NWAIS visited PNA to get to know
the school better before our accreditation. They were
blown away (and a little envious) of our family
participation. And remember that was last week when
our participation was at 81%. Imagine what they will
say when they view our final number. Will it be 100%?
Five weeks and over?
Yes, as promised, the Annual Fund campaign will close
out for you at the five week mark. However, we will
continue to solicit alumni, grandparents and friends.
These groups will continue to add their square (really a
triangle) to our quilt throughout the year creating a
lovely frame around our current quilt. Do you know
someone who would be interested in supporting PNA?
Grandparent? Friend? Please let Laurie Hoefer know
and she will contact them.
So far we've raised $150,006.
That's almost 86% of our financial goal!
What's So Special
About PNA?
Lots and lots of things! But we've picked
just 7 things to highlight that are integral
to PNA. These "PNA pillars" support the
myriad of small things that make our
school vibrant, rigorous, fun, and most of
all, unique.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
How's Your Class Doing in Giving to
the Annual Fund?
Beginners - Come on you can do it!
Early Kindergarten - Wow!..
Kindergarten - THANK YOU!
First Grade - THANK YOU!
Second Grade - THANK YOU!
Third Grade - Almost there!
Fourth grade - You can do it!
Fifth Grade - Nose-to-nose with 6th!
Sixth Grade - Nose-to-nose with 5th!
Seventh Grade - THANK YOU!
Eighth Grade - THANK YOU!
86%
90%
100%
100%
100%
89%
86%
92%
92%
100%
100%
What Is Leadership?
"Leadership is not being the boss. Leadership is
getting the best idea accomplished, even if it's
not your own."
The Middle School voted for its Student Council this
week. That meant each class nominated and voted on
its representative (representatives for 8th grade). Just
about everyone (8th grade's past council members
excused themselves) was nominated, either by
themselves or someone else, so the field was rich with
choice, and the voting showed very tight races.
5th grade is the new class on the scene in Middle
School and school government - but the 5th graders
are no strangers to governance or leadership. Just last
year they were 4th graders - the head of the Lower
School - and they studied (in many cases, acted out),
the Revolutionary War. They are well versed in rhetoric,
diplomacy, democracy and Taking The Next Step
(though we are not sure what The Next Step will look
like in Student Council, and trust that the 5 person
council keeps its discourse civil and fair. No revolutions
necessary).
Education for the 21st Century
Dynamic Curriculum
Passionate Faculty
Small Class Size
Commitment to the Arts
Encouraging Leadership
Global Citizenship
What's most important to you? Let us
know!
Collaboration
Leadership is often interpreted as a unit
of one. That's misguided though,
especially if one is looking for the very
best outcome. Collaboration is absolutely
key when it comes to brainstorming,
assessing and implementing the best
idea. PNA fosters collaboration from the
get-go, laying the foundation with the
Beginners by stressing the "sharing" part
and emphasizing "cooperation" in
Kindergarten. By the older Lower School
grades, the concept of collaboration is
well developed. The kids are used to
working with many different sized groups,
sometimes of their own choosing,
sometimes not, but always with a shared
responsibility for excellent work and a
personal sense of accountability.
The Beginners are "all-hands-in" the
sensory table to scrub, organize and
share the African animal collection.
In one 5th grader's speech to her classmates, she
defined leadership this way: "Leadership is not being
the boss. Leadership is getting the best idea
accomplished, even if it's not your own."
That's a mature understanding of leadership, and one
that reveals a PNA-education's worth of learning and
reflecting on what it means to be a role model, what it
means to be a good friend, what it means to be an
active participant.
That definition also demonstrates how very fully PNA's
program and PNA's teachers reference and live by
PNA's mission:
We educate students to be exceptional learners
and independent thinkers of vision, courage, and
integrity.
This is a mission that expects all our students to be
leaders. That does not mean we expect every student
to be the president or CEO or captain of the softball
team. It DOES means that we expect every student to
lead their own best lives to the best of their ability.
Keeva and Christian compare what they
find in their extra-large books, and ask
each other for help. They're on the lookout for certain sight words (like "the" and
"are" which don't follow the rules of
pronunciation). Then they list them their
white board tablets.
Nevaeh, Killian and Mr. Frodella huddle.
PNA's emphasis on public speaking and performance
contributes to how comfortable Megan and Isaiah are
as they field questions from the rest of the 5th grade
about their presentation. And though not everyone
wants (or needs!) to be the one making the big speech,
everyone should graduate from PNA with the
confidence that they have every right and ability to say
their piece (and peace) in public.
3rd grade noticed that the tables were
arranged differently after the weekend.
Now they have rectangles and squares.
But to be a true square, the sides have to
be identical, so they all went to measure.
Fall Festival Frivolity
Dylan and Marty confer in the stairway
window seat.
What a spectacular night on Friday! Thank you so
much to the Parent Association for organizing the
event, deep appreciation to the hosts of the tables for
facilitating hours of fun, congratulations to the winners
of the Chili Cook-Off for outstanding deliciousness, our
compliments to the blue-grass band for great music,
and kudos to all for your dancing spirit and fine fettle!
For pictures, head to the PNA Media Gallery.
LINKS WE LOVE,
NOTABLE QUOTES
Go to our website for more Links We Love
Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to
an environment where excellence is expected.
Steve Jobs
A leader is best when people barely know he exists,
when his work is done, his aim fulfilled,
they will say: we did it ourselves.
Lao Tzu
Morgan and Silas are looking at the
process of mitosis in the replication of
cells.
Love What You See?
You Can Support It!
Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than
anybody expects of you. Never excuse yourself.
Henry Ward Beecher
A leader is a dealer in hope.
Napoleon Bonaparte
If you want a quality, act as if you already have it.
William James
Go as far as you can see; when you get there,
you'll be able to see farther.
J. P. Morgan
Leadership is unlocking people's
potential to become better.
Bill Bradley
Support educational excellence in
Alaska! Your gift benefits today's students
and everyone's future.
Call (907) 333-1080
Dear Community,
to pledge your gift!
When I accepted the position of Director of
Development, I realized the Annual Fund would be one
of my major duties. I thought to myself, "I can drive
that bus." I jumped into the driver seat and put on my
seat belt expecting a lonely ride. However, I didn't
cruise for long before I was waved down and my first
passenger boarded, Heidi Baines my Fund Chair. I
welcomed her eagerly and prepared to shut the door."
No," she said," the rest are coming." How right she
was - the rest were coming. The first to board were her
crew: Archana Mishra, Jacob Dunston, Tiffinie
Edwards, Stephanie Cooper, Debby Deal, and Sarah
Mariner. Not bad I thought; this journey was not going
to be so overwhelming with all this support. Next came
Amy Rhyneer and Jennie Case who helped map out
our route. Now we were ready to go. We started up
again only to be stopped and boarded by another
enthusiastic crew - all of the trustees and faculty. By
now my bus was filling up and my journey had just
started.
Construction
Update
For five weeks every day I would stop and pick up new
passengers - new families and old friends. It was
gratifying to be a part of a school where so many were
willing to 'board the bus' and support the annual fund.
At the end of my first journey, I look behind me and see
a full bus, almost every seat is taken. My bus is filled
with families, alumni, board members, grandparents,
and friends - all united and focused on achieving
greatness for PNA. Thank you for a wonderful ride
called the Annual Fund.
So why the bus analogy? In the classic book Good to
Great, Jim Collins says, "...to build a successful
organization and team you must get the right people on
the bus." His research shows that great companies and
organizations do this. They get the right people and put
them in the right seats. From my experience as a bus
driver, I would have to agree. At PNA, we have the
right people, in the right seat and it is our time to go
from good to great! Now hold on for a fabulous and
unforgettable ride.
Wood chips come via an 18-wheeler to
blanket the playground floor. Excellent
entertainment for the little kids, and an
excellent opportunity for the big-GER kids
to flaunt their moves. (The workmen were
delighted to strut their stuff for the
photographer. It took a while for the
photographer to notice, but the workers
were patient (and persistent) about
getting their paparazzi moment.)
Laurie
Coming Right Up:
''
Laurie Hoefer
Director of Development
[email protected]
!
Coffee Time!
Every Thursday Morning
Step inside for a cuppa joe!
Just Run With Us A Little Longer...
Parent Association Meeting
Thursday, Oct. 10, 8:30-9:30 am
Common Area (Upstairs)
Grade Reporting Day
No School
Friday, Oct. 11
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Thursday, Oct 17
Doodle sign-up will be emailed
Professional Development Day
No School
Friday, Oct 18th
Picture Re-Takes
Tuesday, Oct. 22
A 6th grade "brain break" to refresh and
reboot for the afternoon.
All-School Halloween Parade
Thursday, Oct. 31, 8:30-9:30 am
Come on by to participate or picture-ate!
For a full calendar, visit
pacificnorthern.org
A 7/8th grade "jail break" in Capture the Flag.
The woods behind the school have turned out to be
the
Best. Playground. Ever. for the older kids.
Pacific Northern Academy Website
We educate students to be exceptional learners and independent thinkers
of vision, courage, and integrity.
Pacific Northern Academy * 9251 Lake Otis Parkway * Anchorage, Alaska 99507
Arnie Cohen, Head of School
Krystal Boyechko, Director of Admissions & Marketing
Laurie Hoefer, Director of Development
TEL: (907) 333-1080 FAX: (907) 333-1652
www.pacificnorthern.org
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Pacific Northern Academy | 9251 Lake Otis Parkway | Anchorage | AK | 99507