HUSKY UPDATE

Happy October and as always, it was another amazing month to be a Homestead Husky! October is action packed, so please save the following dates:

• October 7, 2024 - World Day of Bullying Prevention - wear blue
• October 14, 2024 - Indigenous Peoples Day - no school
• October 17, 2024 - First quarter assembly
• October 18, 2024 - Grading Day - no school
• October 21, 2024 - PTO meeting
• October 22, 2024 - Picture re-take day AM
• October 23, 2024 - Half day - school dismisses at 11:30 AM
• October 24, 2024 - Half day - school dismisses at 11:30 AM
• October 25, 2024 - Inservice day - no school
• October 25, 2024 - Fall Carnival hosted by PTO (5:30 PM - 7:00 PM)
• Red Ribbon Week - October 28 - November 1, 2024
• Monday October 28, 2024 - Dress like your Favorite Movie Snack- "Say yes to snacks, no to drugs"
• Tuesday, October 29, 2024 - Hat day- "Hats on for a drug free life"
  
• Wednesday, October 30, 2024 - Dress like your favorite movie star- "We ACT drug free"
  
• Thursday, October 31, 2024 - Halloween costumes- "Scaring drugs Away"
  
• Friday, November 1, 2024 - Fancy Day - "We are TOO classy for drugs"

Students are encouraged to wear costumes on October 31, 2024. Please do not send your student with a mask, anything with gore, or props of any type.

Hello Husky Families,

October is an exciting month at Homestead Elementary, filled with learning, creativity, and community engagement. As the leaves change, our students are diving deeper into their studies, developing new skills, and working hard each day. We are so proud of their dedication and enthusiasm!

As we approach the end of the first quarter, Homestead Elementary teachers will be holding personal conferences with parents to discuss students’ progress. These conferences are a valuable opportunity to better understand and meet the needs of each student.

Conference days are scheduled for Wednesday, October 23rd, and Thursday, October 24th. All students will be released at 11:30 a.m. on both days, and lunch will be served on a slightly adjusted schedule. Teachers also have the option to hold conferences Monday through Wednesday, so you may see available times on those days as well.

We are excited to be using the online Conference Scheduler this year. The online scheduler will open on Monday, October 7th. You can access it at the following link:
https://www.asdk12.org/conferences

Keep up the great work getting your children to school every single day! Last month, our attendance rate was an impressive 94.4%. Nicely done, Huskies!

If you need assistance, please contact our office at 742-3550, and we will be happy to help. We look forward to sharing your child’s progress with you.

Maranda Stone

MUSEUM

On 10/10 our 5th graders are heading to the Museum and will see the Planetarium Show (live), participate in the constellation activity, and explore the Smithsonian Arctic Studies exhibit, the Alaska Exhibit, and the Discovery Center. It's going to be an action packed day, and we are excited for our students. Thanks to Chevron grant funds, the 5th graders entrance to the Museum is covered. Please log onto Parent Connect and pay $8.00 per student for the bus.

360 ALLSTARS

The classes below are heading to the Performing Arts Center on Friday, November 8, 2024, to see 360 Allstars, an action packed urban circus which includes world record holding athletes. Field trips to the PAC are through Alaska Junior Theater and each ticket is $10.00, which includes busing to the event. Payment is due in full to AJT on 10/8, so we ask that you log onto Parent Connect and pay for your student's field trip. We understand communication for payment went out prior to notice of the field trip, and we apologize to parents and teachers. Future AJT field trips will be communicated through the Husky update well in advance.

• Mandrell
• Johnson
• Rauenhorst
• Johannes
• Reza
• Lenoir
• Marlee

Please let the front office or your student's teacher know if your student will attend the event on a scholarship from Homestead. Permission slips will be sent home closer to the event date.

Please submit original cover artwork to the office no later than October 18, 2024. The student body will vote on their favorites; one winner from k-2 and one winner from 3-4 will be chosen. Art will be featured on the cover of the 2024/2025 Homestead yearbook.

Please contact Jenny Kosin with any questions at bales.jenny@gmail.com!

Thank you Mrs. Kosin for organizing the contest and designing the yearbook!

We are excited to announce that quarterly award assemblies are back at Homestead. Our first of the year will be held on October 17, 2024 at 8:30 AM. If your student is receiving an award, you will be notified by their teacher and invited to attend.

Our student leaders from SLC will be assisting during the assembly and will be hosting an introduction to Red Ribbon Week.

Thank you to everyone who came out to movie night! It was a HUGE success and fun was had by all. Thank you for supporting SLC and our community. With the support of our community SLC raised over $1,000.00, which is very exciting! SLC will use the funds to purchase materials for community service projects, prizes for RRW, school contests, class parties and so much more!

October is a busy month for SLC and students appreciate the support! Students can look forward to Halloween pop sales, Red Ribbon Week, Trunk or Treat, and a bake sale at conferences. Students are also planning a Halloween dance and the Chugiak-Eagle River Food Fight in November. Our Husky leaders sure have a HUGE impact on our community!

Shout out to Mrs. Branda and Mrs. Lenoir for fostering such an amazing environment for our young leaders!

Halloween pop sales are officially OPEN! Order forms went home last week so get those orders in!

This year SLC is offering bats, ghosts, vampires, and Frankensteins. $2.00 per pop, 5 pops for $8.00, or a class set for $20.00.

Halloween Pops are a long standing SLC tradition; they are lollipops that are dressed up spooky!

• Monday, October 28th - Friday, November 1st

• Monday: Dress like your Favorite Movie Snack "Say yes to snacks, no to drugs"

• Tuesday: Hat day "Hats on for a drug free life"

• Wednesday: Dress like your favorite movie star "We ACT drug free"

• Thursday: Halloween Costumes "Scaring drugs Away"

• Friday: Fancy Day - "We are TOO classy for drugs'

What is Red Ribbon Week?

"National Family Partnership, formerly the National Federation of Parents for Drug Free Youth, was established as a grassroots, nonprofit organization in 1980 by a handful of concerned and determined parents who were convinced they should begin to play a leadership role in drug prevention. Since its founding thirty years ago, NFP has devoted its efforts to the well-being of youth. Today, NFP is a national leader in drug prevention education & advocacy. Our mission is to lead and support our nation’s families and communities in nurturing the full potential of healthy, drug free youth."

Please click HERE for more information on RRW.

SLC will be hosting "Trunk or Treat" at the Fall Festival. More details will be released after the next SLC meeting.

If you're interested in hosting a trunk please fill out the google form HERE. It's going to be a spooktacular good time.

Parents and students can look forward to a bake sale during conference week hosted by SLC. More details will be available as the dates approach.

SLC will be hosting a Halloween themed dance on November 8, 2024. The fantastic Mr. Johnston will be turning tables at the Deejay station and costumes are encouraged! Save those costumes after Halloween for this fun-filled night at Homestead! More details will be available after the next SLC meeting.

SLC is sponsoring a costume drive and will collect cleaned and gently used Halloween costumes of all sizes during the week of November 11th- November 15th. We will donate these to our friends at Eagle River Elementary who will provide them next Halloween season to students in need.

Students can drop off costumes to the donation bin in the front office. We appreciate your help!

SLC is sponsoring the fourth-annual Chugiak-Eagle River Food Fight again this year. We are competing against Fire Lake, Ravenwood, Alpenglow, Chugiak Elementary, and Birchwood to collect the greatest weight in canned and shelf stable food. (Scores will be totaled in weight per student to account for different student populations).

All donations are picked up by the Chugiak-Eagle River Food Pantry! We love our friends down at the pantry and all our Chugiak-Eagle River schools. Our goal this year is to collect a combined total of 10,000 pounds of food for the pantry. Can we do it? YES!

Food pantry needs currently include:

• Crackers
• Cup of Noodles/soup
• Long grain rice
• Cereals
• Pasta
• Canned beans
• Tuna
• Canned fruit
• Condiments

SLC is sponsoring a prize for the class who collects the most canned good. We love a friendly school-wide competition!

Thank you for signing up for Box Tops and supporting Homestead and our students!

Facts:

• Funds raised this year: $108.10
• Number of school supporters: 11 in September
• 5th grade is on top with 260 Box Tops

Does your student qualify for Indigenous Education? If so, please reach out to Quyana Caknek, Rosa Luhrs, Student Support Specialist, Indigenous Education at 907-742-7574. Students will receive academic and school support, access to cultural events, summer enrichment programs and cultural identity and awareness resources.

Running club wrapped up last week and what a great session it was. Thank you for everyone who joined! Thank you Coach Payne for a great season! Students can look forward to more clubs with Coach in the upcoming weeks.

What a fun season! Tomorrow the team heads to Trailside Elementary for a jamboree. Good Luck Huskies!

Join the Homestead Huskies PTO on October 25th for the Fall Carnival. Doors open at 5:30 PM and close at 7:00 PM. We hope to see you there! Costumes are welcomed and encouraged.

If you would like to volunteer at the carnival in any capacity (decorating, organizing, planning) please reach out to the PTO or front office.

huskieshomesteadpto@gmail.com

-or-

907-742-3550

3/4 Battle of Books started September 23rd in room 19 with Mrs. VanLandingham. There is still time to join, and practices will be held on Mondays and Fridays from 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM.

Thank you Mrs. VanLandingham for hosting and getting our huskies ready for competition! GO HUSKIES!

Thank you PTO for purchasing multiple copies of each book. Books are located in your student's classroom and/or with the BOB coach and can be checked out for battle practice!

3/4 Battle Books:

13-Story Treehouse by Andy Griffiths Andy and Terry live in the most amazing treehouse in the world! This treehouse has thirteen stories, a bowling alley, a see-through swimming pool, a secret underground laboratory, and a marshmallow machine. Life would be perfect for Andy and Terry if they didn’t have to write their next book!

Amelia Six by Kristin L. Gray Eleven-year-old Millie is given the opportunity to spend the night in Amelia Earhart’s childhood home with five other girls. But a fun night of scavenger hunts and sweets takes a nosedive and the girls aren’t sure who to trust when the famous flight goggles go missing. It’s up to the Amelia Six to band together and find the culprit and return the goggles to their rightful place!

High and Dry by Eric Walters Dylan lives on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest with his parents. When they have to go to the mainland, his grandfather weathers a storm to come spend time with him. While they are exploring the coast they find a young orca stuck on the rocks. Racing against time, Dylan and Grandpa work together to save the calf while his pod circles nearby.

I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964 by Lauren Tarshis It was 1964 when the most powerful earthquake in American history struck. The 9.2 magnitude quake lasted nearly five minutes, destroying downtown Anchorage and sending 30-foot tsunamis into coastal cities.

JD and the Great Barber Battle by J. Dillard J.D. has a big problem--it's the night before the start of third grade and his mom has just given him his worst home haircut. JD takes matters into his own hands and discovers that he's a genius with the clippers. His work makes him the talk of the town and brings him enough hair business to open a barbershop from his bedroom!

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor by Patricia Valdez While other girls played with dolls, Joan preferred the company of reptiles. She carried her favorite lizard with her everywhere. When Joan grew older, she became the Curator of Reptiles at the British Museum. She went on to design the Reptile House at the London Zoo.

Marya Khan and the Incredible Henna Party by Saadia Faruqi Marya’s birthday is coming up and when snobby Alexa parades into school with fancy invitations, Marya can’t help herself—she claims that she’s having the most epic henna party ever. Now she has to convince her family to make it happen. One

Dead Spy by Nathan Hale “I regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” These are the famous last words of Nathan Hale, a spy in the Revolutionary War. Who was this Nathan Hale? And how did the rebels defeat an army that was bigger, stronger, and more armed than they were?

Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech Louie doesn't have the best luck when it comes to nurturing small creatures. So when his father brings home a sickly newborn mini donkey, he's determined to save him. He names him Winslow. Taking care of him helps Louie feel closer to his brother, Gus, who’s away in the army.

Stella Diaz Has Something to Say by Angela Dominguez Stella Díaz loves marine animals and spending time with her mom, brother and best friend Jenny. But Jenny is in another class this year, and Stella feels lonely. When a new boy arrives in Stella's class, she wants to be his friend, but sometimes Stella accidentally speaks Spanish instead of English and pronounces words wrong.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin In the valley of Fruitless mountain, Minli lives in a ramshackle hut with her parents. In the evenings, her father tells her old folktales of the Jade Dragon and the Old Man on the Moon. Inspired by these stories, Minli sets off on a journey to find the Old Man on the Moon to ask him how she can change her family's fortune.

Willa the Wisp by Jonathan Auxier Welcome to the Fabled Stables, a magical building filled with one-of-a-kind creatures and… Auggie. He is the only human at the Stables, and he takes care of all the animals. Now it’s Auggie’s job to venture out and rescue a new creature from mortal danger. But will he be able to complete his mission before it’s too late?

5th grade Battle of the Books with Mrs. Gale started last week, but there is still time to join. Practices will be held during 5th grade recess on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Thank you Mrs. Gale for hosting 5th grade Battle of the Books.

Thank you PTO for purchasing multiple copies of each book. Books are located in your student's classroom and can be checked out for battle practice!

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston Amari Peters has never stopped believing her missing brother, Quinton, is alive. When she finds a ticking briefcase in his closet that contains a nomination for a summer tryout at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, she’s certain the secretive organization holds the key to locating Quinton.

Beauty and the Beak by Deborah Lee Rose and Jane Veltkamp The incredible true story about an injured wild bald eagle who received a pioneering, 3D-printed beak―and made world news! Follow Beauty close up and in photographs through her journey.

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea It’s the start of a new year at Snow Hill School, and seven students find themselves thrown together in Mr. Terupt’s fifth grade class. They don’t have much in common and they’ve never gotten along. Not until a certain new teacher arrives and helps them find strength inside themselves—and in each other.

Best Nerds Forever by James Patterson One minute, Finn was biking home from school, and the next, he's a ghost. He can do lots of fun things, like sneak up on people and play as many video games as he wants. But he also has a lot of BIG questions, like: who wanted him dead? And can he stop the maniac from striking again?

City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race but now, two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are starting to dim. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. Now, she and her friend Doon must race to find the clues to keep the lights on.

City Spies by James Ponti Sara Martinez recently broke into the New York City foster care system to expose her foster parents as cheats. But instead of being hailed as a hero, Sara finds herself facing years in juvenile detention and banned from using computers. Enter Mother, a British spy who not only gets Sara released but also offers her a home within a secret MI6 agency.

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech Jack finds his voice with the help of a teacher, a pencil, some yellow paper, and of course, a dog. Written as a series of free-verse poems from Jack's point of view with classic poetry included in the back matters.

Raising Lumie by Joan Bauer Olive Hudson desperately wants a dog. But that doesn't seem to be a possibility right now. Then something wonderful happens: Olive gets a chance to raise Lumie, a guide dog puppy. Only the best of the best puppies continue on to become guide dogs, and of course Olive wants Lumie to be chosen. But if she is, that means that Olive will lose her.

Smile by Raina Telgemeier Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. This is a beloved graphic novel.

Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke Two orphaned brothers, Prosper and Bo, have run away to Venice, where crumbling canals and misty alleyways shelter a secret community of street urchins with a leader known as the Thief Lord. But their cruel aunt, a bumbling detective, and something from a forgotten past threaten their freedom.

Unteachables by Gordon Korman The Unteachables are a notorious class of misfits, delinquents, and academic train wrecks. Their teacher is Mr. Zachary Kermit, the most burned-out teacher in all of Greenwich. He was once a rising star, but his career was shattered by a cheating scandal that still haunts him. The Unteachables never thought they’d find a teacher who had a worse attitude than they did. And Mr. Kermit never thought he would actually care about teaching again.

Yummy by Victoria Grace Elliott Have you ever wondered who first thought to freeze cream? Learn about the true stories behind everyone’s favorite treats, paired with fun and easy recipes to try at home.