FAIRBANKS — Ryan CAfE Night, a new event at Ryan Middle School, kicked off Friday evening with the thumping rhythm of Hawaiian music accompanied by swaying hips and flowing hand gestures to the delight of students, families and staff.

CAfE is an acronym for Cultivating Awareness for Everyone, explained Kristie Calvin, assistant principal intern at the middle school.

Shortly after coming to Ryan, Calvin noticed the great variety of cultural backgrounds among the student population and thought that celebrating and sharing those differences would provide an interesting and fun event.

“We need to celebrate the diversity,” she said. “So we are celebrating the diversity.”

FAIRBANKS — From cakewalks to science nights and hockey games to robot rallies, the days at Joy Elementary School bustle with diverse activities for students and families. However, the spirited atmosphere is nothing new for the small school on Margaret Avenue. Joy Elementary has a long history of inspired community involvement and engaging family events.

Unique from the beginning, Joy Elementary opened its doors in 1961 with a circular design in which classrooms were built around the center of the school. The design was not only notable in the local community but also on the global stage where it was honored with an award at the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. At the time, the name “Joy” could have reflected the school setting but it was in honor of the admired school board member Louis F. Joy, a dedicated school supporter who served on the board for 25 years and oversaw the growth of the school district throughout the 1950s.

In the early years of Joy Elementary, students turned their attention to the expanse of land near the school. Recognizing the importance of the property to migrating birds, students raised funds to protect the area and helped establish what we recognize today as Creamer’s Field, a wildlife refuge and a treasure of Fairbanks.

A thoughtful concern for the environment continued on, generations later, in 1997 when Joy Elementary was the first school in the Fairbanks School District to receive a Green Star Award. The school earned the honor by successfully implementing a series of waste reduction and energy conservation measures.

FAIRBANKS — The last class of the day filed into the music room at Weller Elementary on Thursday afternoon. With the sun shining outside and a room full of restless third graders, it could have been a recipe for an unproductive 30 minutes, but not to music teacher David Wilcoxson, who greeted them with guitar in hand.

In a matter of minutes, two and a half dozen young voices, with the occasional burst of laughter, were joined in song as the children hopped and danced around in unison to a game.

Thousands of students have passed through Wilcoxson’s classroom at Weller Elementary during his 17 years. But with a retirement looming at the end of the school year, the students in Wilcoxson’s Thursday afternoon class will be among the last to share a song with the 61-year-old teacher.

Wilcoxson said one of his main goals in class was to help the children find something they can enjoy and find pride in.  

FAIRBANKS — Ryan Middle School is celebrating the diversity of its students and holding its first Ryan C.A.f.E. (Cultivating Awareness for Everyone) event from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, featuring a night of cultural entertainment. There will be live music and entertainment, potluck dishes to share, cultural displays and artifacts.

The community is welcome. If attending, please consider bringing a dish to share that shows your cultural heritage.