From Our Principal

University Park welcomes the 500+ energetic students and their supportive families to the University Park learning community. University Park School is located on the west side of Fairbanks near the University of Alaska. Students who live in the local neighborhood, University of Alaska family housing and the Ester area attend our school. Our student body has 34% ethnic diversity and our students speak 14 different languages. We also have students who are hearing impaired, and/or deaf, and other students with disabilities enrolled at University Park. Students in these programs are educated with their non-disabled students as much as possible. All of our students are able to participate in a variety of extracurricular academic activities such as, Spelling, Speech and Geography Contests, Science Fair, and intramural sports.

University Park’s dedicated staff accepts the challenge of structuring learning activities so our students become effective communicators, responsible citizens, and positive problem solvers. To reinforce a caring attitude and help students connect with one another, every primary class has a “buddy” intermediate class. We strive to create a welcoming, inclusive environment where positive effort yields improved skills and diversity is celebrated.

The diversity of University Park creates a kaleidoscope of unique features. Yet like all good quilts, there are strong stitches that hold the individual pieces together and shape them into a design that repeats its characteristics again and again. The staff and families of the University Park community never lose sight of quality characteristics, like the patchwork of a quilt. Our families and staff are the stitches that hold our school community together.

It is a privilege to work here and watch the design progress. - Allyson Nicholson, Principal