Newcomers:
Military

Student counseling and deployment related services

Alaska National Guard Family Program
www.jointservicessupport.org

Any branch of the service can access this website.

Some components of the AKNG Family Program:

Military and Family Life Consultants (MFLC)

Confidential Cell phones: (907) 382-1795 or (907) 382-1408

or Phone: (907) 428-6662 and ask for an “MFLC”

Consultants may help with managing and coping with stress; returning to familial and social relationships; dealing with anger effectively; education and support for families experiencing deployment, reunion or homecoming issues; restoring hope, optimism and direction.

 

Alaska Military Family Assistance Center

Anchorage (statewide) Office: (907) 428-6663 or 1-888-917-3608

Can help direct military families to a wide variety of resources.

 

Alaskan National Guard Child and Youth Program

Phone: (907) 428-6670 or 1-888-917-3608 for the State Youth Coordinator, Joan Boltz (joan.boltz@us.army.mil) or the State Youth Specialist, Wendy Ogden

673d ABW Military and Family Readiness Center
Marc Derosier, (907) 552-7545, Marc.derosier@elmendorf.af.mil, Chief of the Military and Family Readiness Center
The CARE team coordinates and collaborates on all preventive, educational programs aimed at individual/family well-being and readiness. It ensures there are no redundancies or gaps in available programs/services by using information and referral as its foundation.

• Health and wellness 552-2361
• Youth Activities – 552-5437
• Military and Family Readiness – 552-4943
• Life Skills Support Center – 580-2181
• Family Advocacy – 580-5858
• Chaplain – 552-4422
• School Liaison Program –384-2369

673d Force Support Squadron

Visit the 673d Force Support Squadron website for a myriad of activities, programs and services to participate in while stationed at JBER.

Photos Courtesy of Elmendorf AFB, U.S. Dept of Defense

Free programs help students develop skills

SOAR

Parents interested in supporting their child’s development in math, reading and language arts skills can access the Student Online Achievement Resources (SOAR). SOAR is a free Web-based program designed for military families, but can be used by others as well. It allows parents to identify areas where students may need improvement and select instructional or remediation activities to meet those specific needs. See this brochure for more details, contact the district's SOAR coordinator, Joe Hackenmueller or check out the SOAR Web site.

Free SAT/ACT preparation software available to all students in military communities
All ASD students and staff may request a DVD or CD of the PowerPrep software for free. Shipping and handling charges will still need to be paid. More information can be found here or order the software from eKnowledge's Web site.

673d ABW School Liaisons

Brian Griggs

(907) 240-3265

Fax (907) 384-1013

brian.griggs@elmendorf.af.mil

Jena L. Bienia

(907) 384-2369

Fax (907) 552-8499

jena.bienia@elmendorf.af.mil

www.elmendorf-richardson.com

Don Cole

907-384-7500

don.cole@elmendorf.af.mil

Adele Daniels

907-384-1505

adele.daniels@elmendorf.af.mil

School principals

(Schools serving main military areas)

Ursa Major
Ben Hardwick, 742-1600

Ursa Minor
Wendy Brons, 428-1311

Aurora
Gary Webb, 753-6223

Mount Spurr
Helen Mullings, 742-0200

Orion
Jon Forbes, 742-0250

Gruening Middle School
Bobby Jefts, 742-3600

Clark Middle School

Cessilye Williams, 742-4700

Central Middle School
Lisa Prince, 742-5100

Begich Middle School
Jeanne Fischer, 742-0500

Mirror Lake Middle School
Sherry Ellers, 742-3500

Eagle River High School
Martin Lang, 742-2700

Bartlett High School
Dan Gallego, 742-1820

Chugiak High School
Sam Spinella, 742-3050

Get involved
Time spent in the school, on field trips, doing homework, or engaged in other educational activities demonstrates parent’s belief in the importance of education.

Be prepared
Students need to be equipped with the materials and clothing necessary for travel to and from school and activities in and out of the classroom. Warm winter coat, snowpants, hat, gloves, and boots are required winter-wear for elementary students, who attend recess in weather to -10 degrees. Secondary students should also dress to stay warm and safe for school (buses run late, fire alarms require being outside of the building for 10-30 minutes).

Get information
Read school newsletters, frequently visit the district website, attend open houses and parent teacher conferences, and take advantage of teacher / class websites and e-mail communication accommodations.

Communicate
Talk regularly with your student and their teacher /teachers

Network
Get acquainted with teachers, principal, front desk staff, school nurse, PTA representatives, and other parents in your child’s class. Make a concerted effort to establish these connections early on and under positive circumstances.

Volunteer (serve)
Look for opportunities to participate and volunteer in school and extracurricular activities. Encourage students to participate in programs that serve others.

Read
Encourage frequent required and extracurricular reading. Familiarize yourself with the material your child is reading and discuss it with them. Limit student television and computer consumption. Make books available in the home.

Bus behavior
Strategize with your student how to occupy their time on the bus and avoid improper behavior. Inappropriate behavior on the bus can risk safety and lives of other students, is not tolerated, and bus suspension is often inconvenient for parents.

Healthy diet / active lifestyle
Students perform much better in school when they start the day with a healthy breakfast and get regular adequate exercise.

Strive for academic excellence
Work together with your student to set goals and strive for excellence in school. Become familiar with the 40 developmental assets. Students will increase their academic and emotional success in proportion to the number of assets they attain.

Source: Brian Griggs, school liaison