Dimond News Blast

It was a pleasure seeing you during the parent conferences! We hope that you enjoyed meeting your student’s teachers and talking about how they can continue to make excellent progress. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any concerns or questions. We appreciate your support and partnership!

If you missed parent teacher conferences last Thursday and would still like to connect with your student’s teacher please don’t hesitate to email them with your questions or concerns.

If by chance you need to know your students' teachers, you can log-on to Q Parent Connect at https://parentconnect.asdk12.org/production/parentportal.

If you need help accessing Parent Connect, please call Dimond’s Counseling and Curriculum office. 907-742-7008.

You can also find all of our Teachers on our website: https://www.asdk12.org/domain/1441.

School Start Times for 2024-2025 School Year

On May 9, 2023, the Anchorage School Board approved changing school start times to be implemented at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, giving the District and the community additional time to plan for the adjusted start times.

For the 2024/2025 school year, High School start times will look like this:

Mondays (PLC Late Start): 9:15am - 3:15pm

Tuesday-Friday: 8:45am-3:45pm

A preview of our 24/25 bell schedule:

If you have any questions about the start time next year visit ASD’s website: https://www.asdk12.org/schoolstarttimes

Safe Student Driving - a message from the School Resource Officer

Winter is coming which means road conditions will get icy and unpredictable. It is important for student drivers and their families to understand the expectations and the penalties for unsafe driving. From our SRO:

• Doing “Donuts” is ILLEGAL in any public parking lot, roadway, street or Cul de sac

• Drivers could be charged with a Misdemeanor Crime for Reckless Driving or cited for Careless Driving (which is 4 Points off your license and $320 fine)

• Minors are charged as adults with traffic citations, which increase insurance costs

• Speeding citations in school zones can take 6 points off a license!

• Failing to clear a windshield properly before driving can result in a citation

Please have a conversation with student drivers about safe driving practices, especially in winter conditions, and help all of us arrive safely to our destinations.

Student Drop-off AND Pick-up

Your child’s safety is our top priority. We have noticed an up-tick recently of drop-offs and pick-ups in the Staff Parking Lot. The staff parking lot is not safe for drop-off or pick-up because staff are coming and going via their cars or walking to and from the building during that time.

Please Only use the roundabout for Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up.

Student Nutrition

Student Nutrition has put together a PDF on how to pay your students’ lunch account online, check your balance and set your notification preferences.

https://www.asdk12.org/cms/lib/AK02207157/Centricity/Domain/1246/Parent%20Connect%20Step%20by%20Step.pdf

Please take advantage of the options to prepay your student's meal accounts. Prepaid meal accounts help the lunch lines go faster and will give students more time to eat.

It also gives you the peace of mind of not having to worry about looking for lunch money every day or worry that it might get lost, stolen or used for other things other than lunch.

We encourage parents to make payments online using a Credit or Debit card. It is safe and secure and the funds are available on your child's account within one to two school days.

You may make check or cash payments at your student's cafeteria. Please make checks payable to "Anchorage School District" and be sure to include your child's first and last name and student ID# on the memo line.

Mail a Check payable to "Anchorage School District" with your student's full name and student ID or Date of Birth in the Memo line to:

Student Nutrition Finance
1307 Labar St.
Anchorage, AK 99515

*For your financial protection, please do not mail cash.

UPCOMING SPORTS START DATES AND SIGNUPS:

Please make sure to complete all forms on Planeths, before the start date of the sport you are interested in participating in. Each student must check in with Chelsea Hunt in the Activities office to receive an Eligibility Slip before they are eligible to participate in their desired sport.

Payments:

Each sport costs $200.00, there is now a student cap of $400.00 per year. Once you have reached this amount, all other sports will be free for the remainder of the current school year. If your family is interested in a waiver, you will need to apply and be approved for the free and reduced lunch program. You can find this on the Student Nutrition website.

If you have any questions, please contact Chelsea Hunt in the Activities office at 742-7005. Office hours are & 7:00 am - 3:00 pm with a closure at 12:00 pm for 30 minutes.

Upcoming Sports

November 11

Cross Country Skiing

Grades Matter! Academic Eligibility for Sports and Activities

Students participating in sports or all-state academic/ fine arts activities must remain academically eligible. Eligibility is checked at the beginning of the 1st and 2nd semesters, as well as the beginning of the 2nd and 3rd quarters.

ASD VIRTUAL STUDENTS be aware that although virtual courses are self-paced, a quarter grade will be given based on your work completed during the grading period. This grade counts towards your academic eligibility.

Students that are not eligible will not be able to participate in their sport or activity.

King Tech

Juniors and Seniors! Registration is open for King Tech 2nd semester, please see your counselor ASAP to find out which classes are being offered and if the program fits with your schedule.

Visit King Tech’s home page for more information.

HOUSEKEEPING

Anti-Bullying and Social Media Awareness

Bullying is not a new issue for teenagers, but social media seems to exacerbate the impact bullying and cyberbullying can have on the health and wellness of adolescents.

At Dimond, we have had a recent increase in reports of cyberbullying through social media posts. Students thought these groups were school sanctioned, but Dimond staff did not create, nor do we monitor, any social media groups unrelated to specific clubs and/or sports.

The app at the center of this is Snap Chat, and the group that is named in the reports is DHS 2027, although we have knowledge that a group exists for each grade level, created by the app itself.

We are asking families to speak with their teenagers about the dangers of social media, the very real impact words and images can have on others, and how to be a kind digital citizen. We are having these same conversations at school and hope that a team approach will have a positive influence on the culture at Dimond.

High School Remote Learning Days

If there are weather-related closure days this school year, these days will be declared by the District as remote learning days for ASD schools.

In the event of a school closure, students should bring their Chromebooks and chargers home every day. Teachers will post assignments on Canvas the morning of the closure day. Assignments can include continued focus on previously assigned content or a new assignment for the day.

Zoom office hours from 9:00 a.m-10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m will be available for students to consult with their teacher. The Zoom links should be posted on the teacher’s Canvas page.

This general information will be communicated to families on remote learning days as a part of the District's communication plan.

Early Dismissal

If you need to pick up your student between 1:30 pm and 2:00 pm, please call the front desk, 907-742-7000, prior 1:30 pm for a Blue Pass.

We will make our best effort to get a Blue Pass to your student; however, the last 30 minutes of the school day tends to be a very busy time in the front office.

Unfortunately, this makes it so blue passes called in after 1:30 pm are not guaranteed to get to your student before the final bell rings at 2:00 pm.

Warm Regards,

Principal Johnson-Harris