Dear Neighbor,

Welcome Back to School!

School started last week, welcoming over 14,000 kids into the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. Anyone living in the neighborhoods or taking their children to school will have noticed the increase in car and foot traffic around these areas.

Please remember to slow down and beware for flashing yellow lights that keep our kids safe this school year. School zones are marked at 20 miles an hour for safety.

I also encourage you to participate in school activities that support the students in your neighborhood. Attend a musical concert, football game or tennis match or volunteer in your school. The impressions you will make on a young person is an investment that will produce successful, thoughtful and active future adults.

This is a perfect time to recognize the parents, teachers and staff that work so hard to ensure the success of our children. Get to know your student's teacher. Learning and teaching go beyond the classroom; it begins with active and engaged parents and family members.

Education Legislative Priorities for 2012

Education has always been a priority for me and this is a great time to mention the some key legislation that we will discuss when the legislature convenes in Juneau this January.

· HB 49 Parents as Teachers - Along with Rep. Chris Tuck of Anchorage, we have continued to encourage parents to play an active role in the early education of their children, with partnerships established with the Department of Education and Early Development.

· HB 154 would create a universal, voluntary Pre-K system in Alaska. Our state remains one of the few states without a pre-k education system, and I believe this has serious impacts for the future of our students. We owe it to the state and our children to continue advocating on their behalf.

· Along with Rep. David Guttenberg, I co-sponsored HB 93 which creates a grant program for non-profit organizations to operate school gardens at public schools. I believe this important legislation will begin to address issues of obesity and food security, as well as maintaining an important connection between our lands and our tables.

· Our students cannot learn if they are hungry. Along with Sen. Wielechowski and Rep. Munoz, we worked together on SB3 to fund student breakfast and lunch programs that will allow kids to focus on their studies, not their tummies!

Early Learning Begins at Home

The Alyeska Best Beginnings Family Fair is Saturday, September 10 at the Pioneer Park Civic Center from 11:00am – 3:00pm. Enjoy:

· Fun Family Activities

· Free Health Screenings (for kids 0-5; parents must be present)

· Free Immunizations

· Resources for Families

· Healthy Snacks

A new online resource for families of young children is at www.fairbanksfamilies.com. You will find great information on:

· Parenting

· Your child's health

· Early learning and care

· Resources for couples with kids

· Recreation opportunities

· Community calendar with lots of fun family events

Take advantage of these free community resources and join the adventure in raising young children!

As always, please contact our office if we can do anything to help you.

Working Hard for Fairbanks Families,

Scott Kawasaki
Alaska State Representative

p.s. The Senate Labor and Commerce Committee will meet in Fairbanks on Tuesday, September 6 to hold hearings on the oil industry's hiring of Alaskans. Public Testimony will be from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at the Westmark Hotel. If you cannot attend and would like to provide written testimony, please feel free to stop by the office or send to me electronically, and we will submit it to the committee for the record. Click here for a full agenda. Thanks to Senators Egan and Paskvan for bringing the dialogue to Fairbanks on this very important issue. Have a happy and safe Labor Day weekend!