Here’s what’s coming up for our Boys Varsity Basketball team this season. Come support our Aklaqs at home or follow them on the road!
📅 Game Schedule
January 16 – 🏠 Home Game vs. Koyuk
January 23–24 – ✈️ Away Games at White Mountain
January 30–31 – 🏠 Home Games vs. St. Michael
February 13–14 – ✈️ Away Games at Savoonga
February 20–21 – ✈️ Away Games at Brevig Mission
February 24–28 – 🏆 Bering Sea 1A BSSD Conference Regionals
📍 Unalakleet
👧 Girls Varsity Basketball Schedule
Coming soon — still in the works!
Let’s fill the gym, cheer loud, and show our pride wherever we play.
*post and poster created by Lucy :)
Go Aklaqs!
#AklaqPride #TellerPride #GoAklaqs
Cross country skiing and biathlon practice will begin Tuesday, January 13th, after school.
📣 Important Meeting Today
There will be a quick informational meeting today, Friday, January 9th, starting at 1:30 PM in the school office. Any students interested in competing in cross country skiing or biathlon should attend.
We are also looking for a community volunteer to help support and set up students for the biathlon portion—your help would be greatly appreciated!
📅 Upcoming Meets
Our first meet is tentatively scheduled for February 20–21 or April 10.
⚠️ Important Note for Athletes
Students will need to choose one winter activity for the season:
Cross Country Skiing
Biathlon
Basketball
For questions or more information, please contact the coach or the school secretary.
Let’s get ready for an exciting season—Go Aklaqs!
#GoAklaqs #TellerPride #AklaqPride
I hope everyone had a restful break. Thank you for continuing to support our students and their success both in and out of school. While it is starting to get lighter outside, I know this can still be a tiring time of year.
I have heard students share that their parents and guardians set screen-time limits and bedtime routines. Thank you for helping ensure our Aklaqs are well-rested and ready for both academic learning and sports competitions.
I have noticed an uptick in bullying-related behaviors. While it can be difficult to document and address every incident with clear evidence, we can still be proactive together—both at school and at home—to support positive behavior and respectful relationships.
Proximity online learning is still in its early stages, and we are actively working through the process. Thank you to our high school families for your patience and partnership during this transition.
We have a new basketball schedule, which will be posted to the school calendar soon. The next two months will be busy with games and travel, so thank you in advance for your flexibility and continued support.
Our AEC meeting will be held tomorrow night, Friday, January 9th, from 7:00–8:00 PM in the school library. Community members are invited and encouraged to attend.
We are also aware that the dabbing trend has made its way to Teller. While it is not dangerous, it can be a learning distraction. On a positive note, the paper dart trend has mostly faded away—thank you for your support in helping address this.
It is truly a blessing to work in such a strong and supportive community with amazing students, families, and staff.
With love and gratitude,
Mr. Reid Jackowick
Principal
James C. Isabell School — Teller, Alaska
Upcoming Dates and Events
January 8th: 4pm, School Board Meeting
January 8th: 7pm Bake walk
January 9th: End of the quarter/semester, all assignments must be turned in
January 9th: 7:00-8:00pm AEC meeting in Library
January 13th, 7:00, Family Literacy Night
January 15th: 3:00-3:30 Awards Ceremony (Semester 1 grades and attendance)
January 15th: 3:30-5:30, Parent Teacher conferences
January 16th: Basketball Home Game Against Koyuk
January 19th: Student council spirit week
January 23rd-24th: Basketball goes to White Mountain
January 30th-31st: Basketball Home Game Against St. Michael
February 10: Norton Sound Mitten Making, Community Welcome
February 13th-14th: Basketball goes to Savoonga
February 13th: Valentines Dance
February 20th-21st: Basketball goes to Brevig Mission
February 24th-28th: Bering Sea 1A BSSD Conference Regionals at Unalakleet
March 13th: 3:00, end of the quarter celebration
March 15th-20th: No School, Spring break
April 6th-10th: Pike Fishing
Full Newsletter Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YM4Y-FqtXGSllz36gVl5OWCNmnVCcVVXUQEknn5bqUs/edit?usp=sharing
AFEC is running two free workshops in January for parents and caregivers for life after high school:
Planning for Life After High School
Tuesday, Jan 7, 12:00–1 pm
Tuesday, Jan 21, 6:00–7 pm (same content)
Virtual (Zoom)
Topics:
Helping teens figure out what's next (college? trade school? work?)
Financial planning basics (529 plans, scholarships, FAFSA timeline).
Save-The-Date!
How to help your child thrive this school year (Repeat)
FEBRUARY 4 @ 12:00pm - 1:30pm & FEBRUARY 18 @ 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Helping our kids (and us!) keep calm & carry on (Repeat)
MARCH 4 @ 12:00pm - 1:30pm & MARCH 18 @ 6:00pm - 7:30pm
Link to register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Rw9RYhyEQ1q8sYghwTIZgg#/registration
The morning of January 6th is very windy in Teller. We understand if you feel that your student(s) would be safer staying home instead of commuting in this weather.
We had a staff vs. student basketball game this past week, and it was a blast! Students who earned perfect attendance for November and December had the chance to play, and the energy in the gym was amazing. It was just as fun for the staff, with lots of friendly competition and great sportsmanship all around.
We loved seeing so many staff members join in, Mr. Randy, Ms. Rowena, Mr. Jackowick, Coach Boring, Coach Fred, Ms. Iris, Ms. Coleen, and even Ms. Anna hitting the court! Moments like these remind us how fun it is to come to school and build connections through activities like basketball.
Keep up the great attendance, Aklaqs, we can’t wait for the next one!
#AklaqPride #TellerPride #PerfectAttendance
Merry Christmas and happy holidays from all of us at James C. Isabell School!
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #HappyHolidays #HappyKwanza
After our Christmas program, we had a very special visitor stop by James C. Isabell School — Santa Claus! 🎄 Students had the chance to visit with Santa, share smiles, and take pictures to wrap up a wonderful evening full of holiday cheer.
Thank you to everyone who stayed to enjoy this special moment and helped make the night magical for our Aklaqs. 🎁✨
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #SantaVisit #HolidayJoy #JamesCIsabellSchool
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #JamesCIsabellSchool #ChristmasProgram
We had a great turnout at today’s fishing derby, and so much fun out on the ice! Fishers were busy pulling in smelt and tomcods, and the competition was exciting from start to finish. We even had a tie for the smallest fish, making four total winners overall. We’re already looking forward to hosting another fishing derby very soon!
🐟 Biggest Fish
Roan — 10.75
Reuben — 11.25
Levi — 11.25
Dominic — 11.75
Kiera — 11.25
Krista — 10.75
Wes — 11
Reggie — 11.5
Zen — 12.5
Reid — 10.25
🐠 Smallest Fish
Dominic — 7
Krista — 8
Jerry — 7
Wes — 7.5
🎣 Most Fish
Dominic — 16
Wes — 21
Rose — 14
Reuben — 18
Thank you to everyone who came out and participated—what a fun community event!
We have a lot of pictures coming in for our school spirit week, Christmas program, staff vs student basketball game, and toys for tots. Please stick around over break to see how busy we were this last week of school before our winter break.
#TellerPride #GoAklaqs #AklaqPride #TellerFishingDerby #JamesCIsabellSchool #2025FishingDerby
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #TellerAlaska
Goal:
A friendly fishing competition where participants try to catch fish to win prizes in three categories:
Biggest Fish
Most Fish
Smallest Fish
📅 Event Details
Date: December 19th
Time: 2:00-3:00
Location: In front of old school
Who Can Participate: [Kids, families, open to all, etc.]
🐟 Competition Rules
Fishing Area:
All fishing must take place within the designated area.
Time Limit:
2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (1 hours of fishing).
Measuring Catches:
Use a ruler or meter stick for length
We will gather around in front of the school to measure fish
🏆 Award Categories
🐠 Biggest Fish Winner – Turkey Dinner
🎣 Most Fish Winner – Ham Dinner
🐟 Smallest Fish Winner – Box of Chocolates
✅ Safety & Fair Play
Supervise children at all times.
Link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Bi6jxzzSXgPWIm7PdsZ1R0WGWudrjTuGjnrFvPDxsc4/edit?usp=sharing
Good Afternoon Aklaq Families,
As we begin to close out the 2025 year, I want to share how grateful I am to be part of such a strong and supportive community. Our students are amazing, and the dedication from families at home truly helps our Aklaqs succeed in school and prepare for life beyond it. I have never seen a community as supportive as Teller.
Tonight, we celebrate the holidays with our Annual Holiday Program.
🎄 Doors open at 6:00 PM
🎶 Program begins at 7:00 PM
Please note that open gym is closed tonight due to decorating and the holiday program. Open gym will remain closed until January 5th because of tournaments and the Eskimo Games.
We also have many exciting things coming up after winter break:
December 19th – Fishing Derby from 2:00–3:00 PM in front of the old school
January 5th – Open gym resumes & proximity (virtual) learning begins for high school math
January 6th – Norton Sound Behavioral Health will be at the school to help the community make ice fishing rods (community welcome)
January 9th – End of quarter; attendance and academic celebrations begin at 1:00 PM, sponsored by Teller Traditional
January 9th – AEC Meeting from 7:00–8:00 PM in the school library (community welcome)
January 12th – 7-8pm, Family Literacy Night
We would also like to remind parents and guardians to stay aware of current social media trends. Some trends can be unsafe or carry negative meanings, such as eating raw ramen noodles followed by water, or phrases like “Aiden, your bus is here.” Please monitor your student’s online activity to help keep them safe.
Thank you for your continued support, involvement, and partnership. We are proud to serve this community and your amazing Aklaqs.
With love and gratitude,
Mr. Reid Jackowick
#TellerPride 💙 | #GoAklaqs!
Our Holiday Program will begin tonight at 7:00 PM, with doors opening at 6:00 PM. The theme is Christmas Around the World, and we are excited to share a wonderful evening of student performances and community celebration.
✨ Tonight’s Schedule:
Doors Open — 6:00 PM
Opening Remarks — 7:00 PM
K–2nd Grade Singing
3rd–4th Grade Performances
6th Grade Performance
Special Play by 7th–8th Graders
Community Singing
🎅 Santa Visit & Picture Taking
The beautiful artwork for the program was designed by Ms. Rowena. Thank you for helping make tonight extra special!
We hope to see everyone there for an evening filled with music, creativity, and holiday cheer.
#TellerPride #AklaqPride 🎄
Good luck in the 2025 ASAA/First National Bank Alaska Wrestling Championships!
To watch the live stream click the link below:
https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/associations/asaa/wrestling
