Vaccination rate for staff in Juneau Schools over 90%

• News Home
• More from News of the North

Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 8:42 AM

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Messenger
• Share on Messenger
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Whatsapp

Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - The Juneau Board of Education received a COVID-19 report from the district Superintendent during their meeting Tuesday evening, and also adopted educational standards for an Alaska Native program in the district.

During her Superintendent report, Dr. Weiss said that due to the board's recent move to require weekly testing COVID testing for any employee who has not been vaccinated, that set the district in motion to start verifying vaccination status from employees.

"We are highly vaccinated as an employee group. Given all information that we have right now, we are at least 93% to 94% vaccinated," she said. "So that's every single person that we employ, we're about between 93 and 94% vaccinated."

Monday saw the first youth vaccine clinics held by the district, Dr. Weiss reported that 278 children were vaccinated for COVID. She said she has been in consultation with the City and Borough of Juneau regarding the clinics that were held Tuesday and and will be held Thursday.

"We're anticipating possibly by those three days we'll maybe have about 600 children come through. So, again, this is an option for parents and I am again, so proud of this community and the way that our agencies have worked together. It's just another example really quite impressive."

The district has acquired 850 rapid test kits that can be sent home with kids. Dr. Weiss said through the kits, the district has had situations where they have been able to use the kits as an additional screener to lower or remove the need to quarantine.

For items up for board action, the Tlingit Culture Language and Literacy Oral Narrative Standards were presented for final consideration, the standards would be used by the Tlingit Culture Language and Literacy program, or TCLL. Ted Wilson, Teaching and Learning Director for JSD, said the standards are the first step in making official curriculum for the program.

According to Wilson, Sealaska Heritage Institute recently recieved a three-year grant to expand Tlingit language instruction in TCLL. Education Director with Sealaska Heritage, Kristy Dillingham, said the two grant goals are to support TCLL in developing more instructional autonomy, and working with the Juneau school board for adoption of a curriculum that is centered on Tlingit culture.

A teacher with TCLL, Hans Chester, said that before the Tlingit oral narrative standards were developed the program facilitated student's learning via Tlingit oral narratives.

"For years we have listened to and learned our ways from our teachers and elders, many of whom are no longer with us. We are on the same path our grandparents walked along and continue forward with the worldview and knowledge as they did."

School Board Member, Deedie Sorensen, spoke in support of the standards.

"I wish you every success with it, because as someone who believes that language is the fundamental piece of everything, it's a beautiful piece of work."

The standards were passed unanimously.

More from News of the North

• Murkowski, Klobuchar reintroduce bill to prevent Fetal Alcohol Syndrome while supporting individuals living with FASD

  Washington, D.C. (KINY) - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) Thursday reintroduced the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Respect Act of 2023, legislation which reauthorizes programs and funding to aid individuals and families impacted by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

• Aurora Behavioral Health Center readies for opening; Community Open House happening June 14

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - Bartlett Regional Hospital is opening its doors to the new crisis stabilization center on campus for a community open house on Jun. 14 from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.

• Juneau man pleads guilty to bank and credit union theft

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - A Juneau man was an armored transport guard who stole $579,400.00 entrusted to him by three banks and two federal credit unions.

• Alaska Native Language Center film wins Northwest Regional Emmy

  Fairbanks, Alaska (UAF) - The Alaska Native Language Center’s film “Awake” has won a Northwest Regional Emmy through the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

• 'Ending an Injustice': Delegation reintroduces landless legislation

  Washington, D.C. (KINY) - U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-Alaska), and Representative Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), Thursday issued statements on legislation that would allow the Alaska Native communities of Haines, Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, and Tenakee to form urban corporations and receive land entitlements under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA).

• Utah man sues Alaska troopers, says his job offer was yanked after revealing HIV status

  Anchorage, Alaska (AP) - A Salt Lake City man who says his job offer to become an Alaska State Trooper was rescinded after he disclosed he was HIV positive filed a lawsuit in state court Thursday to get his position on the statewide police force and to prevent others from suffering similar alleged discrimination.

• The Southeast Alaska Birding Trail is now a mobile application

  Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - Audubon Alaska, the state office of the National Audubon Society, has announced a new way to bird with the help of technology—the Southeast Alaska Birding Trail mobile application.

• Jacobs sentenced to 53 years for downtown Juneau murder of Scott Campbell

  Juneau, Alaska (KINY) - On Jun. 6, Superior Court Judge Amy Mead sentenced 43-year-old Fenton L. Jacobs to a composite sentence of 65 years with 12 years suspended and 53 years to serve.

• Alaska Fish and Game announces temporary liberalized regulations for Swan Lake Junior Trout Derby in Sitka

  Sitka, Alaska (KINY) - In order to provide increased opportunity for youth anglers during the annual “Swan Lake Junior Trout Derby”, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has temporarily liberalized trout regulations for Swan Lake.

• Long-term study hopes to unlock secrets of Gulf of Alaska ecosystem

  Alaska (UAF) - The University of Alaska Fairbanks is using underwater autonomous vehicles in order to learn more about the ecosystem in the Gulf of Alaska.

• Governor Dunleavy welcomes Jerry Moses as Alaska's Washington DC Office Director

  Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy announced that Jerry Moses has joined the Dunleavy administration as director of the State of Alaska's Washington DC Office.

• Avian influenza has returned to Alaska, and so have health advisories

  Juneau, Alaska (Alaska Beacon) - The highly pathogenic disease circling the globe stands out for its effects on wild birds, and Alaskans should be on the lookout for cases, experts say