💙🐻 THANK YOU, LUCY — A TRUE AKLAQ LEGEND 🐻💙
Today is a deeply bittersweet day as we honor a true legend of our community on her very last day at James C. Isabell School.
For more than 33 years, Lucy has been a steady heartbeat of our school. Throughout the many roles and positions she has held, she has been a remarkable leader who never settled for anything less than excellence.
Lucy held our students, parents and guardians, and staff to high standards because she always believed in what our school and our students could become. At the heart of everything she did was one simple truth: she always, unequivocally, wanted the absolute best for our kids.
💙 Our staff shared how warm and welcoming Lucy was when they first arrived in Teller and at James C. Isabell School. She has always been friendly, helpful, and willing to go the extra mile. Some of our staff are already saying they hope Lucy will come back to visit because of how much she meant to our school.
And there is one thing our staff can all agree on:
🏆 Lucy gets the “Best Secretary in the World” award! 🏆
Our students are going to miss seeing Lucy in the office, too. They know her as someone who was always willing to help them, listen to them, and go out of her way to make sure they were taken care of.
While we are selfishly sad to see her go, we are overwhelmingly grateful for the decades of dedication, care, leadership, and love she has given to James C. Isabell School and the Teller community.
Lucy, thank you for your leadership, your unwavering standards, your kindness, and the incredible legacy you leave behind. Your impact on generations of Aklaqs will not be forgotten and is difficult to explain in words.
We wish you the absolute best in this well-deserved next chapter! 💙
Pictures and photography done by Rowena's Journalism class: Matt Jr., Freya, and Vinnie O.
Once an Aklaq, always an Aklaq. 🐻💙
Thank you, Lucy!
We will miss you!
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #BSSDTeller #JamesCIsabellSchool #TellerAlaska #ThankYouLucy #AklaqFamily #OnceAnAklaqAlwaysAnAklaq
🏃♂️💙 CROSS COUNTRY MEET TODAY! 💙🏃♂️
Today, our Aklaq Cross Country runners headed to White Mountain for a Cross Country Invitational! 🏃♂️🏃♀️
This is an especially important meet because Cross Country Regionals will also be held in White Mountain, giving our runners a great opportunity to experience the course and prepare for what’s ahead.
Today, we’re cheering on:
🏃 Alex
🏃 Wilhelm
🏃 McCade
We are proud of these athletes for putting in the work, representing James C. Isabell School and Teller, and continuing to push themselves against strong competition.
Pictures and photography done by Mrs. Rowena's Journalism class: Matt Jr., Freya, and Vinnie O.
Good luck, Aklaqs! Run hard, have fun, and represent Teller with pride! 💙🐻
Imagine. Believe. Achieve. GO AKLAQS! 📣
#ImagineBelieveAchieveGoAklaqs #GoAklaqs #TellerPride #AklaqPride #JamesCIsabellSchool #BSSDTeller #TellerAlaska #CrossCountry #AklaqAthletics
Our sincerest condolences to the Thomas / Miller family.
With permission from the family, The Welcome Back Tournament will still be held tonight, Thursday, September 17th, 2026.
All absences related to the passing will be excused with no loss of activity privileges.
The Aklaq Spotlight is on Nellie Kakoona! 🌟
Nellie is being recognized for her hard work and helpful attitude in the classroom. She consistently completes her work quickly while maintaining a high level of quality, and she is always ready to take on more challenging work. Nellie is also eager to help her classmates, demonstrating the Iñupiaq value of Cooperation, Paammaaġiigñiq.
Nellie always has a smile on her face and is willing to try new material. You can often find her hand raised, ready to participate and share her ideas. One of the qualities that stands out most is her ability to learn from mistakes. While she doesn't make many, Nellie isn't afraid to tackle challenging tasks, persevere, and use a growth mindset when things get difficult.
Great job, Nellie! Keep shining! 🌟🐻
#TellerPride #AklaqPride
The Alaska Native Heritage Center (ANHC) is excited to announce that they are now recruiting for their Ilakucaraq Cohort Program! 🌿✨
This yearlong program will connect 45 Alaska Native high school students from across the state through three cohorts. Participants will travel throughout Alaska’s rural and urban communities, immersing themselves in Alaska Native cultures, traditions, and values while learning directly from Elders, Culture Bearers, and Artists.
✨ Program Highlights:
✈️ Travel: Visit one rural and one urban Alaska community
👵 Cultural Connection: Participate in Elder- and Culture Bearer-led activities
🤝 Community: Engage in group sessions, explore personal values, and build lasting friendships
🎓 Future Planning: Prepare for life after high school while earning dual-credit!
💰 Fully Covered: ANHC provides all necessary accommodations, including food, lodging, transportation, and essentials.
They are seeking students who are eager to learn, grow, and engage with Alaska Native traditions. Please help us spread the word by sharing this opportunity with eligible students and families!
🔗 Apply here: https://loom.ly/KfdLuWk
⏰ Application Deadline: September 30
#AlaskaNativeHeritageCenter #Ilakucaraq #AlaskaNative #YouthOpportunity #AlaskaYouth #CulturalIdentity #CommunityFirst
Wednesday, September 16th, 2026
Parent/Guardian and Community Newsletter
Dear Families and Community Members,
The beginning of a new school year can sometimes be challenging as students, parents/guardians, and staff review expectations, establish routines, and begin learning new material. As we reach the middle of our fourth week of school, we are excited to see students becoming more comfortable with their routines and engaging in new and meaningful learning opportunities.
We are especially excited to have NACTEC here with us. Our middle and high school students have been busy learning about and exploring different career pathways. We look forward to sharing pictures and highlights of their experiences with our families and community.
Our elementary students are also working hard to build strong mathematical foundations. They are learning essential math skills while practicing how to apply different strategies and techniques to solve real-world problems.
Nome Field Trips
We will continue our tradition of taking students on Nome field trips with the amazing help of Teller Traditional Council, during the first full week of October. Last year, our students had a very successful experience with very few issues while visiting locations such as the recreation center and fire station.
This year, we are looking forward to exploring additional educational and interesting locations in Nome, like the fishery. Students are expected to follow all school expectations outlined in the Student-Parent Handbook while participating in school-sponsored trips. Additional copies of the handbook are available in the school office for families who need one.
Aklaq Athletics
There is a great deal of excitement surrounding athletics at James C. Isabell School this year!
This Friday, our cross-country runners will travel to White Mountain to compete. We are proud of the hard work our student-athletes have been putting into their training.
We are also excited about the possibility of hosting Volleyball Regionals in Teller this year, should our team qualify by finishing among the top eight teams in our region. Our volleyball team has been working hard and continues to show significant growth.
Our Aklaq basketball program has also had voluntary practices. We are excited about the commitment and additional opportunities these practices provide for students to develop their skills and work together as a team.
Our NYO team is also looking stronger and more experienced this year. There is a great deal of positive energy surrounding Aklaq athletics, and we look forward to supporting our students throughout the season.
Supporting Healthy Routines
I have heard several students share that their parents and guardians are establishing screen-time limits and consistent bedtime routines at home. Thank you! These routines play an important role in helping our students arrive at school rested, focused, and prepared to learn.
Adequate rest is especially important as our students balance academics, athletics, activities, and the many opportunities available to them throughout the school year.
A Safe and Respectful School
We want to continue working closely with our families to maintain a safe, respectful, and welcoming school environment. Please report bullying or concerns about student safety immediately so that we can respond appropriately and work together to address concerns.
Every student, staff member, and visitor should feel safe and respected in our shared school community.
Cell Phones
As a reminder, cell phones are not permitted in the school. We sincerely appreciate the families who are helping us support this expectation by keeping these expensive devices at home. Your partnership makes it easier for students to remain focused on learning and engaged with their classmates and teachers.
It is truly a blessing to work in such a strong and supportive community. We are grateful for our amazing students, families, and staff and for the continued support you provide to James C. Isabell School.
We are looking forward to a successful year filled with learning, growth, teamwork, and opportunities for our students to discover their strengths and potential.
With love and gratitude,
Mr. Reid Jackowick
Principal
James C. Isabell School
Teller, Alaska
Schedule (with possibility to change):
9/16: Early Release at 2:30
9/17-9/20: Basketball, Welcome back tournament
9/22: NSHC Career Fair
9/25-9/27: Teller Cultural Festival
10/5-10/9: Nome Field Trips
10/12: Indigenous People’s Day
10/13: Staff vs. Student Basketball Game
10/14: Family Literacy Night
10/23: End of Quarter 1
10/27: First Quarter Awards Ceremony
10/30: Halloween Carnival
11/4: Family Literacy Night
11/11: Veterans Day
11/26-11/27: Thanksgiving Break, no school
12/2: Family Literacy Night
12/3: Staff vs Students Basketball Game
12/17: Christmas Program
12/21-1/1: Winter Break, no school
1 /8: End of quarter 2, end of Semester 1
1/12: Staff vs Students Basketball Game
Join us tonight for an action-packed hour of culture, learning, and community! We're fitting four great events into one awesome evening.
📅 Tonight, September 15th | 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
📍 James C. Isabell School Cafeteria
What’s Happening:
🪘 Eskimo Dancing: Bring your drums and dancing foot covers—we are going to have some fun!
📖 Family Literacy Night: Engaging reading activities for the whole family.
🎓 Portrait of a Graduate: Learn what students need to accomplish and know before graduation.
📋 Title I Meeting: Key updates and information regarding school programming.
Bring the whole family for an hour of fun and connection. See you all at 7:00 PM!
#GoAklaqs #Jamescisabellschool #Aklaqs #tellerAklaqs #TellerAlaska
Agnes has been selected by the Teller Traditional Council to represent our community at the 2026 Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) Convention in Anchorage! 🏔️💙
This is a well-deserved honor. The school proudly highlighted Agnes for her unwavering dedication to high-quality academic work and her exceptional talents in Alaska Native Arts. 🎨📚 Her commitment to excellence and cultural heritage makes our entire community proud.
We are celebrating you, Agnes! Fantastic work, keep shining, and represent Teller with pride at AFN! 🐻✨
#TellerAlaska #Aklaqs #jamescisabellschool #GoAklaqs #AFN #NativePride #YouthExcellence #AlaskaNativeArts
James C. Isabell School will have an Early Release Day on Wednesday, September 16th.
🏫 School will dismiss at 2:30 PM.
Our staff will be participating in professional training and development after students are dismissed. This training helps us continue to strengthen our instruction, support our students, and provide the best educational experience possible.
Thank you to our students, families, and community for your continued support and understanding!
💙 Go Aklaqs!
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #JamesCIsabellSchool #GoAklaqs #TellerAlaska
We are excited to share that Kevin Busk and his NACTEC crew are willing to offer the permit test after school this week, along with Driver Education at the listed times.
This is a great opportunity for our students and community members to work toward earning their driver's permits while also participating in Driver Education. We appreciate Kevin and the NACTEC team for supporting our students and providing this valuable opportunity right here in our community!
📅 After School This Week
🚘 Permit Testing + Driver Education
⏰ Please see the listed times for the specific schedule.
If you are interested, please make sure to take advantage of this opportunity and come prepared!
Thank you, Kevin Busk and the NACTEC crew, for continuing to support the students of James C. Isabell School! 👏
🚙 Go Aklaqs! 💙
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #JamesCIsabellSchool #GoAklaqs #TellerAlaska #NACTEC
🐻💙 AKLAQ ELEMENTARY CROSS COUNTRY IS READY! 💙🐻
Tomorrow is the Elementary Cross Country Invitational in Nome, and today we had an awesome Pep Rally to get our three Aklaq XC runners ready to compete! 🏃♀️🏃♂️📣
We had a great time building team spirit, excitement, and confidence as we sent our runners off to represent James C. Isabell School and Teller!
📅 Saturday, September 12th
📍 Nome
🏃 Elementary Cross Country Invitational
We are proud of our young athletes and can’t wait to see them hit the course! Let’s send them some BIG Aklaq energy from Teller! 💙🐻📣
Good luck, Aklaqs! Run hard, have fun, and represent Teller with pride!
Thank you so much Aklaq Journalism Course Students for the pictures!
Imagine. Believe. Achieve. GO AKLAQS! 💙🐻
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #JamesCIsabellSchool #BSSDTeller #TellerAlaska #AklaqAthletics #CrossCountry #GoAklaqs
We are excited to celebrate our James C. Isabell School Aklaq runners and their outstanding efforts at the Cross Country Race in Nome last weekend! 🎉
We had some great runners compete, and you can truly see the determination, effort, and perseverance in the pictures. We are incredibly proud of each of you!
👏 HS BOYS RESULTS
🥇 Foxlee Miller — 8th Place | 21:09
🏃 Alex Topkok — 16th Place | 23:18
🏃 Wilhelm Garnie-Risinger — 19th Place | 24:26
🏃 Matthew Thomas Jr. — 20th Place | 24:29
👏 HS GIRLS RESULTS
🏃♀️ Agnes Okbaok — 9th Place | 27:38
A huge THANK YOU to KNOM Radio Mission for the amazing pictures and for capturing our runners in action! We appreciate everything you do to highlight our students and communities.
🌐 KNOM.ORG
📻 780 AM
📻 96.1 FM
Keep pushing, keep working, and keep representing Teller with pride!
💪 Go Aklaqs! Keep up the good work! 💙
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #MuskoxClassicCrossCountryMeet #JamesCIsabellSchool #GoAklaqs #TellerAlaska
Our Middle School Cross Country runners competed against athletes from Nome, Kotzebue, and Galena this weekend—and even though we had just two runners, they brought Aklaq Pride and plenty of excitement! 📣🏃♀️🏃♂️
Both Mia Weyanna and McCade Ablowaluk worked hard and earned their spots competing against much larger schools. They showed determination, represented Teller with pride, and gave us plenty to cheer about!
🏃♂️ McCade Ablowaluk | 27:23
🏃♀️ Mia Weyanna | 33:59
We are proud of both of you for getting out there, working hard, and representing James C. Isabell School and Teller! 💙🐻
Two runners. One Aklaq Family. BIG Aklaq Pride!
📸 Thank you so much to KNOM, KNOM.org, 780 AM, and 96.1 FM for the amazing photography!
Great job, Aklaqs! GO AKLAQS! 🐻💙📣
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #JamesCIsabellSchool #BSSDTeller #TellerAlaska #AklaqAthletics #CrossCountry #GoAklaqs
Last Friday, we sent our Aklaq Cross Country runners off to Nome with a LOUD and proud Pep Rally! 📣🏃♀️🏃♂️
It was so loud that people around the building were asking, “What is going on in the gym?” 😂 It may have been the loudest we have ever heard our gym!
And honestly… our athletes are giving us plenty to be excited about this year!
🏃 Cross Country: We have runners who are competing right alongside athletes from 2A and 3A schools. They are working hard, pushing themselves, and representing Teller with pride.
🏐 Volleyball: Our players and coaches are putting in the work, and we think they’re going to turn some heads this season!
🏀 Basketball: We also have some exciting developments happening that we can’t wait to share as things come together.
Last Friday, we got LOUD for our runners—and they deserved every bit of it! We are incredibly proud of our Aklaqs and the way they are representing James C. Isabell School and Teller.
Let’s keep that energy going all year! We have another Elementary XC meet in Nome this weekend! 📣🐻💙
📸 Thank you to our Aklaq Journalism Class for the amazing photography!
One School. One Community. One Aklaq Family.
GO AKLAQS! 🐻💙
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #JamesCIsabellSchool #BSSDTeller #TellerAlaska #AklaqAthletics #CrossCountry #Volleyball #Basketball #GoAklaqs
Looking to get your driver’s permit? NACTEC will be offering Adult Driver’s Education at James C. Isabell School! 🐻💙
📅 September 14–16, 2026
⏰ 5:00–6:00 PM
📍 James C. Isabell School
We’ll be studying for the driver’s education permit, and adults will have the opportunity to take the permit test online.
📚 You can start studying now at:
www.tinyurl.com/bssddmv
🪪 Please bring an ID.
This is a great opportunity for adults in our community to work toward getting their permit. We hope to see you there!
Teller Pride. Teller Strong. Go Aklaqs! 🐻💙
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #JamesCIsabellSchool #BSSDTeller #TellerAlaska #NACTEC #AdultDriversEducation #GoAklaqs
Tundra Health Initiative is providing vision services for our students today and tomorrow in Teller!
📋 IMPORTANT: Parents/guardians must complete the Vision Exam Consent Form BEFORE a vision exam can be completed.
You have two easy options:
💻 Complete the consent form virtually — we can print it for you at the school.
📝 Pick up a paper copy at James C. Isabell School and complete it there.
Please help us get these forms completed so our students can take advantage of this great opportunity! 👓🐻💙
Questions? Stop by the school and we’ll be happy to help!
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #JamesCIsabellSchool #BSSDTeller #TellerAlaska #StudentHealth #VisionCare #GoAklaqs
James C. Isabell School is excited to share that Tundra Health Initiative and Last Frontier Eye Care will be in Teller Wednesday, September 9th through Thursday, September 10th providing vision services for school-age students!
✨ Tundra Health Initiative will provide NO-COST:
👀 Vision screenings
👓 Eye exams
🕶️ Glasses
📋 Parents/Guardians: Please complete the vision screening/eye exam consent form for your child and return it to their teacher.
👓 Last Frontier Eye Care will also be available for:
Routine vision exams
Contact lens fittings
Glasses and contact lens sales
Red eye/medical eye exams
📞 Questions or appointments:
907-443-3553
907-434-1554
📍 Teller
📅 Wednesday, September 9th – Thursday, September 10th
Please take advantage of this great opportunity to help make sure our Aklaqs are seeing their best and ready to learn! 💙🐻
Imagine. Believe. Achieve. GO AKLAQS!
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #JamesCIsabellSchool #BSSDTeller #TellerAlaska #StudentHealth #VisionCare #GoAklaqs
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0R3c-aEIBYNgtKmRRO1R304Emp_dy_KzHQkZRvfuhPmeIiA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=111915121647173674528
The Aklaq Spotlight is on Dawson Menadelook! 🌟
Dawson is being recognized for his hard work this week. He was here and ready to learn every day, and he created some wonderful artwork. Dawson is kind and polite to everyone and brings a positive attitude wherever he goes.
Dawson should be proud to be an Aklaq because of his strong work ethic and his ability to put a smile on everyone’s face.
Great job, Dawson! Keep shining! 🐻💙🤍
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #TellerAlaska #GoAklaqs
James C. Isabell School will be closed Monday, September 7th in observance of Labor Day.
Enjoy the long weekend, Teller! 💙🐻
We’ll see our Aklaqs back at school on Tuesday!
Imagine. Believe. Achieve. GO AKLAQS! 🐻💙
#TellerPride #AklaqPride #BSSDTeller #JamesCIsabellSchool #TellerAlaska #GoAklaqs
