Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Tongass School students present Ocean Guardian projects; exchange students thanked
Summary
Tongass School of Arts and Sciences students described ocean-guardian projects including reusable bags and beach-cleanup stations while visiting exchange students from Kanayama, Japan, thanked the district for the program.
Students from Tongass School of Arts and Sciences presented the school’s Ocean Guardian School projects to the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District board on March 26, highlighting student-designed reusable bags, on-campus spork reuse and beach-cleanup stations equipped with buckets and tongs for public use.
Teachers and students described year-three accomplishments of the Ocean Guardian program, which is intended to engage students in watershed stewardship. Fourth-grade teacher Mrs. Raul Wolf explained that students design projects to protect the local watershed and that student input directs activities. The school showcased reusable shopping and swim bags designed by students; the most recent winning design carries the slogan “less ocean trash, more marine life.”
Fifth- and sixth-grade staff described construction of three beach-cleanup stations (posts, buckets, tongs) to be installed at local beaches such as Rotary Beach and South Point Higgins Beach; Tonga School staff said student teams designed stickers for the buckets and will coordinate upkeep.
Board members also welcomed visiting exchange students from Kanayama and Gero, Japan, and their chaperones. Several exchange students thanked Ketchikan residents for hosting them; Mahiro Toyama, a Japanese teacher and chaperone, said she hoped the exchange will continue for many years despite recent visa and travel challenges. The board and presenters exchanged small gifts as a sign of thanks.
In the student report, Ketchikan High student Lily Peder updated the board on recent school activities: SAT and ACT scheduling, AP exam preparation in May, CNA midterms, fundraising by advisory classes, band travel to the Juneau music festival and sport teams traveling to state tournaments. Student leaders were also credited with successful resolutions that included a crosswalk proposal approved for Ketchikan High.
