
Ptarmigan Elementary School
May 2022-2023 Newsletter
Principal's Corner
Ptarmigan Families,
We have made it to the end to the end of an amazing school year. We still have several BIG events that will be happening at Ptarmigan:
*May 16th, starting at 2:30 P.M., several talented Timberwolves will showcase their talents to our student body. I hope you are able to attend this wonderful event.
*May 22nd, we will hold our 4th quarter assemblies. K-2nd grade will be at 9:30 A.M. and PK, 3-5th will start at 2:00 P.M. Classroom teachers will communicate with families if your student is receiving a special award.
*May 22nd is also Field Day, where students will participate in fun outdoor activities. If you are able to volunteer to monitor a planned activity, please contact your student's classroom teacher.
*May 23rd is the last day of the school year of all students.
Registration for next school year is open. All students who are returning to Ptarmigan will need to be registered on ParentConnection @ https://parentconnect.asdk12.org/production/parentportal. If you don't remember your PIN and/or password, you can request it at the login page or please call the office and they will assist you (742-0400). If you register your student before May 22nd, your student will be entered into a raffle to win prizes such as Red Robin Bucks, books, and other items.
When families wait to register, we potentially lose teachers to other schools which could result in your student having a larger class size. So, to help with this process, New-to-District students and Kindergarten students can start the registration process on July 15, 2022, by clicking on the following link https://www.asdk12.org/Page/3297.
Have a safe and restful summer with hopes to see you next school year!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Ramey
Ptarmigan Elementary Principal
MAY AT A GLANCE
May 8th - May 12th: Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week
May 12th: General Education Preschool Field Trip to Zoo
May 15th: Kindergarten Field Trip to Zoo
May 16th: Talent Showcase @ 2:30 P.M.
May 19th:
- 1st and K/1st Field Trip to Campbell Creek Science Center
- 5th Grade Kickball Game @ 9:30 A.M. -10:45 A.M.
May 22nd:
- 4th Quarter Assemblies. K-2 @ 9:30 A.M and PK and 3rd-5th @ 2:30 P.M.
- Field Day (more details TBA)
May 23rd:
- 5th Grade Promotion Picnic Potluck @ 2 P.M. - 3 P.M.
- Last day of school for Students
May 24th: Last day for Teachers and Staff
NEWS FROM NURSE JOAN
It's that time of year where parents/guardians should check the Lost & Found for items that may belong to their children. We will be donating all remaining clothing and other items to local agencies at the end of the school year. Please try to pick up all misplaced items by Wednesday, May 17th.
Summer Food available for families: The Childrens Lunchbox provides meal boxes at distribution sites around Anchorage. Each pantry box includes a breakfast, lunch, or dinner meal for a family of four. They are available at the following locations and times:
- Lighthouse Fellowship: Monday, Wednesday, Friday. 3-3:45 P.M.
- Loussac Place (not Loussac Library) Monday, Wednesday, Friday 3-4:15 P.M.
- Spenard Rec Center Monday, Wednesday, Friday 3-3:45 P.M.
- Fairview Rec Center (back of building) Monday, Wednesday, Friday 4-4:45 P.M.
- Penland Park Thursday 2:30-4 P.M.
Distribution sites are open to anyone, no questions asked. anchoragefood.org has more information on food pantries around Anchorage,
Also, below is the Community Immunization Clinics that are offering free immunizations. Summer is a perfect time to get updated vaccines that are required for students who are new to the district and/or starting Pre-School/Kindergarten next school year.
BOOKSHELF BULLETIN
We are down to the last few weeks of the school year, so please return all checked-out books to the library before the final day of school.
Also, below is a link that includes library events being offered throughout the summer.
Mrs. Giammalva
Teacher-Librarian
Meet Mrs. Bao Lo who has been teaching our Kindergarten/1st Grade Combo Class. We are so lucky she will be returning to teach at Ptarmigan again next year!
Hello Timberwolves Families!
I am Mrs. Bao. I am happy to be a part of the Ptarmigan school family. I started the 22-23 school year as a student teacher here. Then, was a long-term substitute before transitioning to a teacher in March. I worked as an early childhood educator for 8 years. I started as a lead infant teacher then transitioned to toddlers before becoming a preschool teacher.
Quick facts about me:
I am Hmong. I speak and read fluently in my primary language.
I graduated from the Grand Canyon University.
I am the oldest of 8 children.
I have four kids.
Outside of work, I enjoy exploring Alaska with my family by going on road trips during the summer. Just like bears, we like to hibernate inside our home during the winter.
I am looking forward to bringing my expertise in education to best support your child’s growth and learning.
"Notes" from the Ptarmigan Music Room
It’s May! So many fun things are happening in the music room. Fourth and third graders are playing songs on the recorder and they are doing a great job. It is so fun to hear their improvement. The fifth graders have been learning about Beethoven and listening to his music. They are preparing a short “Thank You” song to sing at the awards assembly on Monday, May 22nd.
We had Talent Showcase auditions on Thursday, May 4th. Thank you to all Timberwolves who participated. Our Talent Showcase Finalists have been announced! Congratulations to:
Daniela Orozco-Campos
Oneonepata Enosa
Kathleen Evon
Ivan Melendez
Brock Nevak
Journi Scott-Washington
Joseph Ramos-Yang
Alexander Ramos-Yang
Gino Ramos-Yang
Chance Rivera
We look forward to seeing you all perform on May 16th @ 2:30 P.M.! Parents/Guardians, I hope you can join us for the show.
All classes are preparing a song called “Good Wishes” to sing to our fifth graders on the last day of school. It is such a special tradition to have the students line the hallways as the fifth graders do their last 'walk about’ the school. When all voices lift in song and the fifth graders walk out I get a little teary eyed.
It’s a busy month and I hope to see you at our awards ceremony and the talent showcase.
Mrs. Benton
Classroom Music Specialist
HEALTH / SEL (Social Emotional Learning)
We’ve had a great school year and summer is right around the corner! It's important to continue our healthy and safe lifestyle during summer break! Togethercounts.com had some excellent tips for staying active and healthy.
Healthy Eating
Whether you’re planning for kids to be home with a caregiver while you work through the summer, maintaining the school year daycare routine, or you’ll be staying home with the kiddos through vacation, summer vacation can be a great time to reinforce healthy eating choices.
1. Keep healthy food choices on hand and within reach for everyone in the family – precut fruits and veggies, small containers of nuts, whole grain crackers, low-fat cheese sticks, turkey rolls and more not only make easy self-serve snacks – they can also mix and match into a well-rounded meal to grab on the go.
2. Leave the work to your favorite local restaurants. Not only is eating out fun, but it’s easy to find Healthy Dining and Kids LiveWell choices that everyone can be happy about… all without heating up the kitchen on a hot summer day.3. Get kids involved with family meals and food. Task kids with planning, shopping for, and cooking meals with your help for the week based on MyPlate recommendations (even restaurant meals!). Kids learn valuable skills and gain some control in meals while you, hopefully, get to spend more time on something you love.
With a little prep, you can make it easy for your kids to choose a healthy summer snack like these:
· Veggies and ranch dressing dip
· Low-fat cheese sticks and beef jerky “chips”
· Pretzels, pita, or tortilla chips with bean dip or hummus
· Fresh fruit with yogurt for dipping or smoothies
· Half a banana with a smear of nut butter
· Make your own popsicles by freezing fruit juice in the ice cube tray and adding wooden sticks
Keep Moving
Summer is loaded with opportunities for kids and parents alike to move more, but it can also be easy to fall into a less-active lifestyle. Head off the urge to laze away the days or evenings with fun ideas like these from SuperKids Nutrition:
1. After every 30 minutes of chores, summer reading, or video games, take an activity break! Skip rope, do jumping jacks, or jog in place for 5 minutes to get your blood flowing.
2. Bring the kids in the kitchen and teach them how to cook. For some family-friendly meal ideas, check out these quick dinner fixes.
3. Hop scotch: Make use of your driveway, sidewalk, or nearby pavement at a park and draw a game of hop scotch – make it as big as you can for more hopping!
4. Soccer is great for families and friends! All you need is a ball and 4 cones to mark the two goals. Play in a low traffic area (like a cul-de-sac), at a park, or in your grassy backyard.
5. Grab your baseball glove and play some catch! Baseball is a great way to work out your arms and core. Not into baseball? Gather a group of friends and family for a game of whiffle ball.
6. Grab as many friends as you can find, stand in a circle on the grass with one friend in the middle, and have a beach ball toss while the person in the middle tries to 'capture' the ball. Alternate positions when the ball is captured, and keep going until everyone gets a turn in the middle.
7. Have a water balloon toss! Fill up a bucket of water balloons and have your friends pair off into teams of two. Have each pair line up equal distance apart and toss the balloon to their teammate. Each time a teammate catches the balloon, he or she must take a step back to increase the distance between the players. Keep going until there is only one team left with an unbroken balloon!
8. Meet at a park to play ultimate frisbee, or try rollerblading on a paved trail.
9. Bike to your favorite local restaurant for breakfast, lunch, or dinner instead of driving. Or bike to your local farmers market.
Ideas to Stay Active:
- Encourage kids to be social. They spend a lot of time with other children their age during the school year. Without school to connect them, it might not be so easy to stay in touch with their friends over the summer. If your children are young, set up play dates. Encourage older children to meet up with friends “in real life” (not just by texting and social media) to ride bikes together or play outside
- Help kids stay physical. Playing video games and eating junk food is an easy idea to occupy time but not the healthiest. Recommendations are that children get 60 minutes of physical activity each day. This should include aerobic and muscle strengthening activities.
- Summer is a great time to explore your town. From story time at the library to arts and crafts, nature walks and youth sports, there are fun events planned for this summer.
- Help your children make reading a daily habit. Have them pick out something fun to read at the library to show them that it doesn’t have to be a chore (or homework assignment). Children learn when their brain is active.
I hope everyone has a wonderful restful summer!
Jamie Wolfe
Health Specialist Teacher
Ptarmigan/Baxter Elementary
News from Cafe Ptarmigan
The schools that will be participating in the summer food programs are:
Baxter
Begich
Benson
Chinook
Clark
Creekside
East High
Fairview
Lake Otis
Mountain View
Nunaka Valley
Russian Jack
Tyson
Wendler
Willow Crest
More information will be shared at a later date regarding times/availability.
Margo Bellamy (President), Carl Jacobs (Vice President), Dora Wilson (Clerk), Kelly Lessens (Treasurer), and Members: Dave Donley, Pat Higgins, and Andy Holleman.
ASD Superintendent Dr. Jharrett Bryantt.
CONTACT US:
Ptarmigan Elementary School
888 Edward St.
Anchorage, AK. 99504
Phone: (907) 742-0400
Fax: (907) 742-0425
To Leave a Message on the Attendance Line: (907) 566-0400