Polaris K-12 School is a lottery-entry

magnet school In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities (usually school boards) as school ...

serving grades

Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

through

12th grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

Anchorage, Alaska Anchorage () is the largest city in the U.S. state of Alaska by population. With a population of 291,247 in 2020, it contains nearly 40% of the state's population. The Anchorage metropolitan area, which includes Anchorage and the neighboring Ma ...

. It serves the

Anchorage School District The Anchorage School District (ASD) manages all public schools within the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the 107th largest school district in the United States, serving over 45,000 students in more than 90 schools. ...

Student Government

The Polaris student government Is not a typical student government model consisting of a president, a vice president, etc., but is run by an operational board, or op. board, consisting of four Senior Operational Board Members (Juniors/Seniors), two High School Student Advisory Board Positions (High Schoolers), four Junior Operational Board Positions (9th-10th Graders),two Middle School Mentees (6th-8th Graders), and Middle School Student Advisory Board Positions (6th-8th Graders).

Programs

In addition to typical programs found in schools serving its grade levels, Polaris's other programs include: * Intensives - 2-week courses which allow students to study topics not offered in a typical school curriculum. These are offered at the beginning of the school year, after winter break, and at the end of the school year. * The Habitat - an outdoor learning environment.

Tent City Project

On February 27, 2015, the school celebrated Anchorage's 100th anniversary with a "tent city". The project was initiated by two students who wondered what life in Anchorage was like in 1915.

Alaska State Dog

Polaris School students were instrumental in having the

Alaskan malamute The Alaskan Malamute () is a large breed of dog that was originally bred for its strength and endurance to haul heavy freight as a sled dog and hound. It is similar to other arctic breeds such as the husky, the spitz, the Greenland Dog, Canad ...

designated as Alaska's official state dog. Over a three-year period, students did research and testified before the state legislature.

References

External links

* Public K-12 schools in Alaska Anchorage School District Magnet schools in Alaska {{authority control