Aquarian News

October

10/7- 5:30 PTO Meeting in the Library

10/14- Indigenous Peoples' Day (No School )

10/16- 2nd Quarter ASA Forms Emailed to Families

10/17- 2nd Quarter ASA Forms Collected on the Blacktop

10/17- House Hour

10/18- End of First Quarter -Grading Day (No School for Students)

10/19- Trunk or Treat 5:00-7:00 at West High School

10/21 5:45 APC Meeting in the Library

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 945 3161 5121

Passcode: 871491

10/22- Explorations

• Lunch will be from 11:30-12:30

10/23- Conferences (No School for Students)

10/24- Professional Development (No School for Students)

10/25-Conferences (No School for Students)

10/28- ASA for Second Quarter Begins

10/31- Halloween

November

11/1- Picture Retakes and Class Pictures

11/2- UAA STEM Day 10:00-4:00

11/4- 5:30 PTO

11/5- Remote Learning Day

11/11- Professional Development Day (No School for Students)

11/14- Bingo Potluck

11/18- Texas Roadhouse- Dine to Donate

11/18- 5:45 APC Meeting

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 945 3161 5121

Passcode: 871491

11/28-11/29- Thanksgiving Holiday (No School)

https://sites.google.com/asdk12.net/aquarian-news/monthly-issues-2024-25?authuser=0

Check out the publication created by the first quarter Newspaper After School Activity!

The student newspaper for 2024-25 is listed at the top of the site, but please be aware that the link also contains prior news articles.

We're so proud of all the students' efforts during the Jog A-Thon! This is just a friendly reminder that Jog A-Thon donations are due this Friday, October 11th. Every bit of support helps fund important resources and activities for our students, from field trips to school-wide community events and teacher professional development.

Thank you for encouraging your students to participate and for helping us reach our fundraising goal!

Help our fifth graders by supporting our fundraiser for next year’s trip to Alaska Outdoor School! Show your school and house pride with stickers, car magnets, and buttons—proceeds will go toward our camp fundraising goals. Printed copies of the order forms will be coming home this week, but you can also print your own here if you just can't wait! Thank you for supporting our amazing fifth grade field trips!

Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17mN2GBPwhPkQ1QVoayb4A4X_AuKISagE/view?usp=sharing

Muchísimas gracias to all who have volunteered to help set up the Nacho Average Bake Sale and for all the generous donations to cover the cost of the nachos! Aquarian families are the BEST!

We are excited to serve up some delicious nachos this Friday!

❤️ Señora Lisa

The House of Compassion and Student Council will be hosting a Sock-tober Sock Drive during the entire month of October! All socks collected will be donated to support Beacon Hill. Beacon Hill hands out approximately 500 pairs of socks every month! Please place NEW socks, ranging from Infant to Adult sizes, in your house donation box in Gym Hall starting October 1st. The house with the most donated socks will win a pizza lunch!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oS_gn0UK24LNnRr-2Xn_pe3z0EZqAsg_/view?usp=drive_link

Dear Aquarian Parents,

It’s almost that time again….Aquarian’s Annual Trunk or Treat event! This year’s event will take place on October 19th from 5:00-7:00 in the West High Parking lot! To make this event spooktacular we need a little help from you. First, we need families to host a trunk with treats. If your family would like to participate, please sign up at this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdkTlPR4kquuQgVeK7Gx7I7K-ct9lGY4WAE86ZxjxcTQCqPZg/viewform .

Second, our teachers need bags of candy for their classroom trunks. Please bring candy to teachers by Thursday, October 10th. And finally, we are looking to borrow four generators to help run a hot chocolate stand, music, and some festive inflatable items. If you have a generator you are willing to donate, please contact Jody Best at (907) 351-8981.

Tickets are on sale now at https://aquarianpto.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/147402327, or you can purchase them after school any Friday leading up to the event. PTO will have a table on the blacktop.

Aquarian students have the opportunity to participate in the Original Works Art Fundraiser again this year! The Original Works Company scans your child’s artwork and prints it on quality items such as notecards, magnets, mugs, towels, and more. Proceeds from this fundraiser directly benefit Aquarian’s art program and supply budget.

Original Works order packets will come home this week! If you would like to place an order, please fill out the form included in the packet and return it to school with cash or check payment (made out to Aquarian PTO) by October 15th. Please return both copies of the order form back to school in the packet and take a photo for your records. Items will arrive at school by late November.

Students created artwork in class that may be used for the order, but you are welcome to select other original artwork in its place, just be sure to view the size and art medium guidelines included in the packet. I included a list of FAQ’s and answers on the back of the price sheet that you might find helpful.

A portion of the funds collected for Original Works will directly benefit Aquarian’s visual arts program. Thank you so much for your support!

Please let me know if you have any questions.

chelmo_lisa@asdk12.org

Please Help Support Third Grade Field Trips

Pizza order forms were sent home last week. You can also access them at this link. Please staple cash only to the order form. Return the form to your child's teacher or to Ms. Stacy/Ms. Danielle.

Lunch will be delivered to your child on Thursday, October 17th, and will include a slice of cheese pizza, carrots, and an applesauce pouch for $7. Order forms are due this Thursday, October 10th. Thank you for your support!

Dear Aquarian Families,

It's October, and that means it's time to seriously start thinking about the science fair! If your child is a 3rd-6th grader (or if your kindergarten-2nd grade child is choosing to do a science fair project), it is time to find and select a topic and make a project plan. This month will fly by, but by deciding on a topic now your child will be ready to start working on a project soon. This is just a suggested timeline. Starting early allows for adjustments and unexpected occurrences and, best of all, a positive science fair experience!

Please thoroughly read the descriptions of the types of projects (Experiment, Research, Demonstration and Model) in the 2024/25 Science Fair Packet. The packet is available for download on Aquarian's website, and there is also a hard copy in the office.

Individual Science Fair Projects are required for students in the third through sixth grades. Kindergarten through second-grade classrooms will be completing in-class group projects with their teachers, but they are welcome to complete individual projects as well.

Dates to remember:

Science Fair Entry Forms Due to Teachers: December 6th

Science Fair: February 6th (Projects may be due to teachers before then)

Volunteers: We are looking for 30-40 volunteer judges on February 6th from approximately 8:00-11:30 am. Parents, family members, and friends are welcome. For more information, or if you’re interested in committing, sign up at bit.ly/AQSciFairJudge

or contact Sarah Fineman.

Please let us know if you have any questions,

The Science Fair Committee

Lisa Botero botero_lisa@asdk12.org

Sarah Fineman Fineman_Sarah@asdk12.org

Monica Severson severson_monica@asdk12.org

Connie Tracy tracy_connie@asdk12.org

Drop Off/ Pick Up

General Guidance
Drop Off is from 8:00-8:15. Students are welcome to enter the building through the gym doors at 8:15. Until then they will wait outside on the blacktop. Students are not allowed on the playground or in the woods without a parent. This is because we do not have enough staff outside to supervise students in those areas, and we want to make sure everyone stays safe.

Pickup is from 3:15-3:30. Classes have specials until 3:15. Please do not plan on picking up earlier than 3:15. You will just be waiting in line. We do a staggered dismissal. Students in 3rd-6th will be dismissed at 3:15. Students in kindergarten through the 2/3 multiage will be released at 3:25. If you have a student in the upper grades and another in the lower grades, come at the 3:25 pickup time.

• No Cell Phone Usage in the Pickup/ Drop Off-Line (This includes texting!)
• Parents and students must cross at a crosswalk.
• Please be kind and patient. Our kids are watching.

Drop Off

• All students will enter through the gym doors.
• Please pull all the way forward. Do not leave space between you and the car in front of you.
• If your child needs assistance getting in and out of the vehicle, please park and walk them across the crosswalk.
• Please do not drop students off in the parking lot.

Pickup

• You have two options for pickup:
  Go through the pickup line. OR Park and meet your child at their line spot on the fence. (Do not meet your child at their classroom. Our halls get crowded during dismissal. We need to safely be able to exit.)

Using the Pickup Line

• Have your yellow card (These will be sent home on the first day and handed out during pick up the first week.) displayed on the right-hand side of your windshield. Staff will be looking for this to call your child to the pickup line.
• When you enter the pickup line, pull all the way forward. Do not leave space between you and the next vehicle.
• A staff member will call your child on the radio. They will be waiting for you in front of the fence, where their class is lined up.
• Students must enter the vehicle from the sidewalk. They may not walk around the vehicle, as cars pass on that side.
• You may not get out of your car in the pickup line.
• As soon as your child is safely inside, please exit the pickup line.
• When exiting the school grounds whether from the parking lot or pickup line, you must turn right. (This is new this year!)

Parking

• Park
• Cross at a crosswalk.
• Meet your child at their line spot on the fence.
• Check-in with the teacher before leaving with your child.
• Do NOT park on the side street. Our neighbors get very frustrated.
• If you want to park, you must use the Lois to 32nd route. All vehicles coming from Minnesota, will need to use the pickup/ drop off line. (This is new this year.)
• When exiting the school grounds whether from the parking lot or pickup line, you must turn right. (This is new this year!)

Remember:

You can use the pickup/ drop off line coming from Minnesota or 32nd. However, you can only use the parking lot if you’re coming from 32nd. This is to keep the flow of traffic going on Minnesota.

Also, when leaving school property, you MUST turn right.

We try to have staff members outside to help remind everyone, but sometimes we simply do not have enough folks. So, thank you again for doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.