Sitka, Alaska is located on the west coast of 100-mile-long Baranof Island in Southeast Alaska. A myriad of fjords and small wooded islands dot the coastline of the island. The snow-capped peaks of the Tongass National Forest serve as a spectacular backdrop. Sitka is an isolated community with only 14 miles of state road. Mt. Edgecumbe, a Fujiyama-like extinct volcano, rising to 3,200 feet, is a prominent view. Sitka is 592 air miles southeast of Anchorage (Alaska's largest city) and 870 air miles northwest of Seattle. With a population of 8,834, the main source of revenue comes from the fishing and tourist industries. There is a private college and a university branch located in our town. Sitka is host to a Coast Guard Base.

The Sitka School District is a small public school district with an enrollment of 1,750 students. The student population includes 60% white, 30% Native Americans, 6% Asian, 3% Hispanic and 1% Black. Students are housed in a high school and an alternative high school, a middle school, an intermediate school (grades 2-5) and a primary school (K-2). There is a special needs preschool located in another building.

My school, Baranof Elementary School, has a population of 250 students. There are five Kindergarten teachers and five first grade teachers on staff. There are two multiage K-2 classrooms. Four of the first grade teachers split their day between the classroom and Reading Recovery. There is a part-time counselor on staff. Our building houses a before/after school Latchkey(daycare) Program.

There are 22 students in my K-2 multiage classroom---6 kindergartners, 12 first graders and 6 second graders. Most students come into this multiage classroom as "kinders" and remain with me for three years. Over the three years they are together, students bond with one another, creating a warm and accepting learning community. Experienced students assist emerging learners. Grade levels are downplayed so that flexible groups can be created with a minimal amount of anxiety. All students work at developing leadership skills. Families also benefit from the three-year multiage program. Trust is nurtured over time with open and frequent communication.

Mrs. Renoux' Multiage Classroom Web Site