The Scoop

Chugach parents, staff, and community;

I had such a warm welcome from staff, students, and parents. Thank you so much for making me feel at home. This is truly a remarkable school and I’m looking forward to getting to see more of how it works in the month of October.

The good news is that Joel is feeling better every day and will hopefully be back with all of you very soon. On Saturday, October 14, there will be a Fall Carnival and the Fall Auction is on November 3rd. Last year, Joel asked for parent volunteers to help organize, gather donations, and set up for both events. I’m hoping that there are veteran parents and staff that know what has been done in the past and can help with the planning of these two events.

In September, 3rd-6th grade took their MAP testing in Reading and Math, and K-3rd grade were tested in Reading using mCLASS. mCLASS is the state assessment that is part of the AK Reads Act that was passed last year (please see pdf Alaska Reads Parent Resource below). According to the state of Alaska, for any student that performs far below benchmark, a plan will be put in place for additional supports and interventions. During the week of October 2nd-6th, K-3 parents will be getting a report from mClass home connect. If a student is considered far below, the classroom teacher will begin developing an Individual Reading Plan. This plan is a partnership with school and home, so the teachers and parents will complete the plan and supports at the October's Parent Teacher Conferences. PTC's are on October 25-26, but teachers and parents can meet earlier if it is more convenient for both. This is a new and heavy lift for all, but hopefully it will be successful in meeting the State's expectations that every 3rd grade student will read on grade level.

Thank you once again for welcoming me to Chugach. It’s been an honor and a privilege to be here for a short while. Amazing things are happening at this school!

Chantel

Wednesday, October 4 - Flag Football Jamboree @ Wendler (4pm-530pm), Garden Club 3pm-4:30pm

Friday, October 6 - Parent Coordinator Meeting 8:30am - 9:30am

Monday, October 9 - Indigenous Peoples Day [[NO SCHOOL]]

Wednesday, October 11 - Garden Club 3pm-4:30pm

Friday, October 13 - EARLY RELEASE DAY (dismissal@ 11:15am)

Saturday, October 14 - FALL CARNIVAL @ Chugach (5pm-7pm)

Monday, October 16 - Primary Portfolio Share (8:10am-8:45am)

Tuesday, October 17 - Primary Portfolio Share (8:10am-8:45am)

Wednesday, October 18 - Primary Portfolio Share (8:10am-8:45am), Garden Club 3pm-4pm, Community Assembly Meeting 6pm-7:30pm

Thursday, October 19 - Primary Portfolio Share (8:10am-8:45am)

Friday, October 20 - In-service Day [[NO SCHOOL]]

Tuesday, October 24 - Girl Scout Discovery Night 5:30pm-6:30pm

Wednesday, October 25 - Parent Teacher conferences; EARLY RELEASE DAY @11:15am, Gear Swap 12pm-3pm

Thursday, October 26 - Parent Teacher conferences; EARLY RELEASE DAY @11:15am, Gear Swap 12pm-3pm

Friday, October 27 - In-service [[NO SCHOOL]]

Big Simple Update!

We are getting closer to our goal! We have almost raised $20,000 for Big Simple and are 75% of the way to our goal of $27,000. Let’s take it all the way, Chugach!

There is still time to donate – remember, your contribution directly supports our curriculum and classrooms. Big Simple funds the projects and enrichment that make Chugach Optional so special!

Parent-Teacher conferences will be held on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 25th and Thursday, October 26th. On both of these days, students will be released at 11:15am (please be sure to have your pick-up plan in place!).

The Online Conference Scheduler will be available for parents to schedule a meeting time starting on Tuesday, October 10th. More information on how to set up your parent-teacher meeting will be sent out on that day.

Chugach Optional community members are invited to sign up to receive a carton of our fresh Chugach Chicken eggs. We have a suggested donation of $6.00 per carton. The funds raised help offset the cost of feed, chicken care and general garden club needs. Families can also sign up for weekend/holiday chicken care to keep the eggs they collect. Thanks for considering donating or volunteering!

Running Club culminated with our Jamboree on Tuesday, September 26. There were about 1000 runners from all the North Anchorage schools and our runners did amazing! They ran on the Bartlett trails and enjoyed the sunshine and the Fall colors! Plus they put all their hard work at practice to work and many came away with personal bests on their time! I'm proud of all our runners and so thankful to all the parents who helped make our practices a success! Go Chugach Cheetahs!

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the new school year! I am looking forward to working with you and your child, and pleased to announce our school will be participating in the Healthy Futures Challenge this year.

The contest will run for three months, September, October and November. In addition to students winning prizes, our school can win up to a $200 grant for equipment or educational materials that support the mission of developing the habit of daily physical activity. Twenty-five schools who have 20% participation and higher will be drawn for the $200 grant prizes.

What is Healthy Futures? Founded by concerned parents, Healthy Futures is a statewide, grassroots movement to help youth build positive, lifelong physical fitness habits through two core programs: the Healthy Futures Activity Log Challenge and the promotion of youth attendance at local recreational events.

Why Healthy Futures? Kids are not as active as they should be. They need daily vigorous physical activity to build strength, endurance, healthy muscles and bones or they may face tough problems like obesity, diabetes, and lower self-esteem. At Chugach Optional, we are committed to helping students develop the skills, knowledge and desire they need in order to be physically active now and for the rest of their lives. Parents and the community also play a critical role in the solution for healthier, active children by providing motivation, encouragement and daily opportunities for recreation beyond the classroom.

How does your child participate in Healthy Futures? With your assistance, your child records physical activity on the Healthy Futures Activity Log for a consecutive 4-week period. The goal is a minimum of 60 minutes of physical activity with increased heart rate fifteen times for 1 month. This helps children get closer to the national recommendation of 60 minutes of physical activity every day for the best health. Students turn in completed logs to me in exchange for prizes, including the chance to win a grand prize sports package of their choice, worth up to $300.

Incentives. In addition to being happier and healthier, students are rewarded for participating in Healthy Futures. The contest will run for the months of September, October and November. In exchange for turning in a completed log, students will receive the following prizes:

Log 1: Boomerang

Log 2: Yoyo

Log 3:Splat ball

This is a wonderful program that is sure to benefit your child and our school. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I’ve attached some ideas for activities the whole family can enjoy.

Thank you for your help in achieving our Physical Fitness Goals!

Sincerely,

Polly

School Pictures were taken at Chugach on September 18th. Pictures can still be be ordered online at mylifetouch.com. The Student School ID is EVTRZKDKQ (use for individual student picture). The Picture Day ID for family group pictures is EVTDVGB22.

Picture Re-take day for those that missed Picture Day or just need a "Take Two" is scheduled for the morning of Monday, November 13.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding regarding our limited parking spots at Chugach Optional. In addition to the school parking lot, parents are also welcome to park at:

• New Hope Compassionate Ministries on the other side of E Street
• Municipal Emergency Management Building to the south of the school
• Along 12th Ave

In each of these areas, please be mindful of your speed and watch out for pedestrians. Also, please

refrain from parking in any of the "RESERVED" parking spots, fire lanes or the loading dock area. For both safety and courtesy reasons these areas/spots must be respected.

Finally, we have had a few calls from residents on our neighborhood streets concerning congestion, illegal parking, failure to stop at stop signs and excessive speed. If you do choose to park on the neighborhood street, please be considerate of others and follow all parking and driving regulations.

Outdoor School is one of those unforgettable Chugach experiences enjoyed by students at the end of their tenure here. It's a biggie. Upper students explore the outdoors and learn about local ecosystems for three days and two nights at Birchwood Camp. This year's upper event included over thirty parent volunteers, seventy-five students, six staff members, and monetary support from the CEC. Please help support this experience through your participation in future fundraising events.

In our 50th year, we are adding a new section to The Scoop where we explore the Chugach Philosopy. Please click the button below to read an article by Alan Bailey, a former Chugach parent, regarding Growing a Chugach Family. Below Else and Jihee expand on his thoughts.

Kindergarten teachers Jihee and Else expand on how parents are a part of starting to grow as a family:

Kindergarten is the time when the foundation is laid for the relationships and habits of mind that are built throughout a family's time at Chugach. The first year is a lot to take in, and Jihee and Else work to help families learn about how the Chugach philosophy plays out through our days in kindergarten. They also try to help families establish routines of participation at Chugach and engagement with their child. There are many opportunities for family involvement in kindy.

The sign-in process in kindergarten each day is intended to be done primarily by the child, with grown-ups helping the child sound out words and confirming that all the steps are being completed. The process helps build school-home connections and supports development of reading and direction-following skills. Regularly, there is a self-assessment aspect to the sign-in. What am I proud of? What would I like to do differently if I did it again?,” Jihee explained.

Often there are projects underway during morning play time, and extra grown-up hands are always welcome to work with friends as they complete their task. Jihee and Else sometimes perform assessments or support friends who need additional work on a skill during playtime, and having grown-ups present and helping to redirect other friends as needed allows teachers to focus more easily on the task at hand. Sometimes Jihee will ask a grown-up to teach kindy friends how to play a game, allowing those friends to play it independently next time.

Besides the start-of-day, later in the day there is project work or writing for which grown-up help is especially useful. Preplanning a visit can be productive in the classroom to allow teachers to strategize when help is most needed. But family members are welcome in the classroom at any time, perhaps to help with a lesson, or to help guide students through an activity. Just popping in and asking what needs to be done can be very helpful!

Also, supporting a child at home with Itty Bitty Notes, reading together every night, and talking with your child about their day - both academically and socially - is important work in support of your child. Joining at Chugach Optional evening events supports your child as well.

To parents who worry they don’t do enough, “It's always good to keep in mind the Chugach handbook expectation of 36 hours of volunteer time for the first child, and ten for each additional child, but I would share with them that we all do what we can. Some years you may be able to be present and help out a great deal; during others your circumstances may not allow that same level of volunteering. Just maximizing your presence in the classroom, supporting other tasks as you are able, and interacting with both your child and others in the classroom is key.” Jihee added, “There are many ways to support your child at Chugach even when it is difficult to get in the classroom. There are plenty of take-home tasks and volunteer opportunities that require outside-of-school time that still may fit into a busy schedule.”

By finding ways to support both their child and the school as a whole, grown-ups send a message to their child that their education matters.

All schools must perform the drills listed below, per ASD Board Policy 6114, federal and state laws.

Types of Drills

Drop, Cover & Hold on (Earthquake)

Two per school year, due by:

• October 19th (Mandatory - Great Alaska Shakeout)

• March 7th

Evacuation (Fire)

One full school evacuation each calendar month school

Violent intruder, Active Shooter (ALICE - Interior)

Once per quarter with no drill fourth quarter, due by:

• September 29 - Full ALICE evacuation to rally point or secondary location, barricade discussion.

• December 1 - Full ALICE Barricade with discussion - Counter

• March 1 - School choice ALICE Drill (see options - Drills Read Me)

Lock-down (Exterior Attacker)

Once, due first semester

Stay Put

Once, due first semester

Shelter-in-place (volcano, hazmat, etc.)

Tabletop exercise, once per school year

Chugach Optional has already completed our August and September Evacuation Drills, our first quarter ALICE Drill and our yearly Lockdown, Stay Put and Shelter-in-place.

Chugach Merchandise will be for sale in the MPR every Thursday in October during school dismissal/student pick-up. We have t-shirts, hats, stickers, and more! Please stop by if you are interested in purchasing some Chugach wear!

We are definitely seeing the signs that Cold & Flu Season has arrived! 🤧 Lots of sniffly noses, coughing down the hallways and days taken off to rest and recover.

If your child has a cold with a nose that is constantly running or a cough that is frequent and wet, it would be best to let them stay home for a day or two of rest.

Students should ALWAYS stay home for fever (100.4) and/or vomiting. Current ASD policy does not require COVID testing for illness, however if you believe your child’s illness is related to COVID and choose to test we do require that the current CDC guidelines for isolation are followed when positive:

• If you have a positive test, isolate for 5 days.

• You may return to school/work with symptoms resolving on day 6. You will need to wear a mask at school days 6-10.

Please look HERE for ASD guidelines on When to Keep Your Child Home from School. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

DID YOU KNOW……. you can get four free at-⁠home COVID-⁠19 tests this fall on COVIDTests.gov

ASD OCTOBER FLU CLINIC 💉🦠

ASD will be offering Free Flu Shots for students. This will take place on Oct 25th & 26th at most Middle and High Schools. More information will be shared soon.

We are only 2 weeks away from our main social event of this fall season! This year, the theme is "All things Halloween!". Please check around your house for items you could be able to share or donate (pumpkins, hay bales, friendly ghosts, bats, spiderwebs, friendly witches and inflatables!) We are currently receiving these items at the front office. If you need them back, make sure they have a piece of yellow tape with your name/phone number.

Families: please remember to check the sign up form (outside of your family group classroom) and look for a need that you can support! Don't forget to write your name down ;) We need all hands on board to make our community event a success. Lastly, Fall Carnival coordinators: we only have 2 meetings left before the event. Make sure you or your class PC are in attendance

Our new water fountain/water bottle filling station is being put to good use! As of September 29th we have saved 441 plastic bottles by using our re-usable water bottles. That is 341 saved in just one month!

Outer wear

• Chugach Optional students go outside for morning and lunch time recess in almost all weather. The only exception is when the outdoor temperature falls below -10F. Please make sure your student(s) come to school with the appropriate outdoor gear.

Please encourage your student(s) to be prepared.

Parent/Visitor Sign-in

• All parents, visitors, and volunteers who are going to be in the school after 9:00 am need to sign in at the office.

Opportunities

• We are in need of Noon Duty attendants and a Cafeteria Manager at the school. Please go to the ASD website to apply if interested in these positions.

The Chugach Optional Office is open from 7:30am - 4:00pm every school day. We can be reached at 907-742-3730 or by email at ChugachOffice@asdk12.org