Shishmaref School

Dear Shishmaref School Community,

As my year as Principal of Shishmaref School comes to a close, I want to express my sincere gratitude to our students, families, staff, and community.

It has been an honor to serve this school and to be part of a community that cares deeply about its children. Shishmaref is a special place, and I am thankful for the relationships, lessons, and memories I will carry with me.

Acknowledgments

To the elders in the community, thank you for sharing your wisdom. I learned a lot simply by having kuupianaaziġa with elders who have a lifetime of memories and experiences to share. Growing up in the South, we were taught to listen in the presence of elders. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with me.

To our school board members and AEC members who provided support and feedback throughout the year, thank you. You were strong voices for the community and helped our administrative team make meaningful decisions.

To our staff, thank you for your hard work, resilience, and dedication. Working with someone who has a “Type A” personality is not always easy, but you all sure did make my job easier. The elderly in Louisiana always said “sure did” when I was coming up, so I say it with love and appreciation. Thank you for giving our administrative team a chance to lead. One thing I particularly loved was that when we had meals, get-togethers, or holiday parties, nobody talked about work. Oh, and even when I know I took too long to finish cooking (since literally Day 1), you never told me =].

To our families and community members, thank you for your support and partnership. We were truly motivated to start the year when we had such a strong turnout at Open House. I also loved how the community was always the perfect balance of competitive and positive at student athletic events and city league games. It was also pretty special how everyone says, “Welcome to Shishmaref,” when someone visits for the first time. I have been to a few communities in Alaska, but nobody is as friendly as SHH.

Most importantly, to our students, thank you for the joy, energy, and purpose you bring to the school each day. Whether it was kindergarten and first grade students tackling me at open gym, eighth grade students teaching me Iñupiaq when their bilingual teacher was out, or high school students beating me in a game of Around the World at lunchtime, seeing you enjoy coming to school made the year meaningful. When I am around other principals, I always mention your great behavior, strong attendance, and wonderful personalities.

I am proud of the work we have done together, and I hope Shishmaref School continues to grow, strengthen, and serve students well for many years to come.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve this community.

With appreciation,

Gary Perkins, Ed.D. aka Dr. P.
Principal, Shishmaref School ’26

☀️🌊 Last Day of School! 🌊☀️

That’s a wrap on another school year at Shishmaref School! Thank you to our students, staff, families, and community for all of your hard work, support, and dedication throughout the year. We are so proud of all that our students accomplished this year. 💚🤍

We hope everyone has a fun, relaxing, and safe summer filled with family, adventures, and sunshine! Please remember to stay safe and take care of one another.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back for FY27 on Thursday, August 27, 2026! ✨

Until then — have an amazing summer, Shishmaref!
#NorthernLightsShineOnMe #ShineBrightSHH #LastDayOfSchool

Bering Strait Portrait of a Graduate Survey. Click the survey link or scan the QR code.
Survey link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfKPDQkrVPce14B9qY2JK3RhMIvnI2DDKjQE-ccS65b-QibuQ/viewform

We value your voice. This survey will help us define what it means for students in our district to be successful as graduates.

Our goal is to create a shared vision that reflects our community, culture, and ways of life. Your input will guide how we prepare students for their future—both in our community and beyond.

This survey is being administered by the Association of Alaska School Board. All responses are anonymous.

✨ Shishmaref Community ✨

Tonight is the night! Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of our students during the Shishmaref School End of Year Celebrations! 🎓💚🤍

We are excited to recognize and honor our:
🌟 Pre-K 4 / ECE Graduates
🌟 8th Grade Promotion Students
🌟 Class of 2026 Graduates

This is a special time for our students, families, school, and community as we celebrate milestones, growth, hard work, and new beginnings. We would love for our community to come together to support and cheer on our students as they shine bright and take their next steps forward.

📅 Tonight — Monday, May 18, 2026
⏰ 7:00 PM
📍 Shishmaref School Gym

🎥 Livestream Link:
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/shishmaref-high-school-shishmaref-ak/evt7a9970f3ee

Let’s fill the gym and celebrate our students together as a community. Northern Lights shine bright! 💚✨

Huge congratulations to our 2026 BSSD Battle of the Books Champions! 🏆📚

Your dedication, teamwork, and love for reading have truly paid off. We are incredibly proud of your hard work and the way you represented your schools and the entire Bering Strait School District!

Keep turning those pages! 👏👏👏

#BSSD #BattleOfTheBooks2026 #BeringStraitStrong #LiteracyChampions

*UPDATED times, admission, & grade level groups

✨ End of Year Celebrations at Shishmaref School ✨
“Shining Bright Like the Northern Lights” 💚🤍

We’re excited to celebrate our students during this special time of year! Please join us for Prom 2026 and Graduation as we recognize memories, milestones, and achievements across all grade levels.

🌌 Shishmaref School Prom 2026 🌌
📅 Saturday, May 16, 2026

💃 Dance Times 🕺

🌟 ECE–3rd Grade
⏰ 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

🌟 4th–7th Grade
⏰ 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

🌟 8th–12th Grade
⏰ 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM

🎟️ Admission Prices
✨ ECE–7th Grade: $5 Admission
✨ 8th–12th Grade Prom Tickets
• $15 — Single Ticket
• $25 — Double Ticket

🌠 Dress up, dance, and make memories under the Northern Lights! 🌠

⏰ 45 minutes left at our Saturday Market! ⏰ There’s still time to stop by the MPR and check out all the amazing items our students, staff, and community vendors have for sale! 🛍✨ From handmade items and goodies to crafts and more — come support local and take a look at what everyone has been working hard on! 💚🤍 We’ll be here until 4:00 PM!

✨ Shishmaref School Prom 2026 ✨
“Aurora Borealis”

📅 Saturday, May 16, 2026

💃 Dance Times 🕺

🌟 ECE–3rd Grade
⏰ 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

🌟 4th–6th Grade
⏰ 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

🌟 7th–12th Grade
⏰ 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM

🎟️ Admission Prices

✨ ECE–6th Grade: $5 Admission

✨ 7th–12th Grade Prom Tickets:
• $15 — Single Ticket
• $25 — Double Ticket

🌌 Dress up, dance, and make memories under the Northern Lights! 🌌

🛌✨ P is for Pajama Day! ✨🛌 P — Pajama Day Wear your favorite pajamas, comfy clothes, slippers, or cozy gear to school and enjoy a relaxed, fun day as we continue counting down the last days of the school year 🌌✨ 📚 Perfect day for: * Cozy reading * Relaxing classroom activities * Comfy vibes with friends 👉 Families and community members are welcome to join the fun too! Let’s continue Shining Bright like the Northern Lights 💚💜 #ShishmarefSchool #PajamaDay #ABCountdown #NorthernLights #CozyDay #ShiningBright

🌟 Shishmaref School Saturday Market 🌟 Don’t miss our LAST Saturday Market of the school year! Let's enjoy another fun community afternoon together before summer break! 💚🤍 🗓 Saturday, May 9 ⏰ 2:00–4:00 PM 📍 Shishmaref School We hope to see you there! ✨ #ShishmarefSchool #NorthernLightsShine #CommunityStrong

✨ Shishmaref Community – Join Us Tomorrow! ✨

We’re excited to partner with Norton Sound Health Corporation to bring a Health & Career Fair to our school on Tuesday, April 28!

📍 Location: Shishmaref School Gym
🕒 Time: 3:00–5:00 PM

Come by for an afternoon of:
✔️ Health services (vaccines & lab tests)
✔️ Information on local programs & support services
✔️ Job opportunities with NSHC
✔️ Activities & door prizes
🎟️ PLUS – enter to win a mileage ticket by completing a health needs assessment!

This is a great opportunity for our families, students, and community to connect, learn, and take advantage of valuable resources.

We hope to see you there—let’s keep shining bright, Shishmaref! 💚✨
#ShishmarefSchool #NorthernLightsShine #CommunityStrong

💜💚 Northern Lights Showing Up & Showing Out! 💚💜

We are so proud of our Shishmaref Little Dribblers and Jr. High basketball teams for their strong showing at the Elim Invitational this weekend! 🏀✨

🏀 Little Dribblers – 2nd Place
🏀 Jr. High – 1st Place

Our students competed with heart, hustle, and pride—and it showed on and off the court.

👏🏽 Special recognition to our All-Tournament players:
✨ Cason & Tyrese – Little Dribblers
✨ Craig, Jace & Kalaia – Jr. High


Thank you to our coaches, families, and community for supporting our athletes. We love seeing our students shine bright and represent Shishmaref with pride wherever they go!

Keep shining, Northern Lights ✨💜💚
#ShishmarefNorthernLights #StudentAthletes #ShineBright #NorthernLightsPride

💜💚 Shishmaref Northern Lights Shine at ANSEP! 💚💜

We are so proud of our students for their participation in last week’s ANSEP activities—what an incredible experience! ✨

Our students dove into hands-on learning, challenged their thinking, and worked together as a team. Even more impressive was how responsibly and respectfully they represented Shishmaref School and our district throughout the week.

🏆 Huge shoutout to Marjorie O. and Karmen, along with their teammates from Brevig, for taking 1st place in the Bridge Building activity! 👏🏽

Beyond the awards, our students showed strong critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills every step of the way—and we couldn’t be prouder.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this opportunity possible for our students. They continue to shine bright and represent our community with pride.

Keep shining, Northern Lights ✨💜💚
#ShishmarefNorthernLights #ANSEP #StudentSuccess #ShineBright

💚🏀💜

Our Shishmaref Northern Lights Middle School team and our Lil Dribblers are headed to Elim for a weekend basketball tournament!

Wishing our athletes safe travels, strong teamwork, and lots of fun on the court. We are so proud of you all!

✨ Shine bright like the Northern Lights! ✨

#NorthernLights #ShishmarefStrong #ShineBright #LilDribblers #MSBall