Ravenwood Elementary School

Ravens:

• Striving for academic success
• Connecting with community
• Soaring to our highest potential

The new school year is now well underway, and we have about 370 - PK - 5th grade students here at Ravenwood Elementary’s Big Top! This is about 100 students less as a result of 6th grade moving to Middle School. This move has given us a little extra elbow room, a couple of empty classrooms, and a "little" less congestion in the car rider loop/parking lot at arrival and dismissal.

As our new and returning Ravens have embarked on the magic and excitement of a new school year, and you have learned to juggle new school start times and PLC late start Mondays, I hope your children are sharing many positive things about their learning day. To learn more about their classrooms and our school, we hope to see you at our Open House next week, Sept. 12, from 5:30-6:30pm. This will also be a great opportunity to check out our rapidly growing Lost and Found Collection. We try to reunite students with their lost gear, so please remember to label those hoodies, raincoats, water bottles, etc.

Please take a few minutes to read on and find out more about what is happening in Ravenwood’s Big Top: Arrival/Dismissal Traffic Pattern, Open House, PTSO, Nurse Info, Benchmark Assessments, AK State Required Health/Safety lessons, Attendance, Volunteering, Cross-Country Jamboree, and so much more!

We're looking forward to another exciting year full of lots of learning and fun! Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or celebrations!

With boundless excitement,

Kim Bautista, Principal, Ravenwood Elementary School

🎪“Whatever you do, do it with all your might.” 🎪

P. T. Barnum

Please contact our front office, if you have questions or need assistance.

• School Day: 8:00a - 2:30p
• Arrival: no earlier than 7:45a (doors open at 7:50a with 1st bell)
• Late Arrival Mondays for PLCs: 9:00a (doors open at 8:45a)
• Dismissal: 2:30p
• Office Number: (907) 742-3250
• Front Office Team: Beth Kutyba and Tatiana Perez

Come one, come all, to visit the greatest school of all for Open House on Thursday, Sept. 12, from 5:30-6:30p. We look forward to having students and their families visit classrooms and tour the school, as well as stopping by the gym to meet Specialists (Art, Library, PE, STEM), learn more about PTSO, Student Nutrition, and community activities like Scouts etc.

Please use the below map for student drop-off/pick-up. We will have extra staff to help with arrival/dismissal for the first several days.

Safety Reminders:

• Students are not allowed to cross Eagle River Road - it is far too dangerous.
• Speed limit is only 5 mph on campus/parking lot.
• Please plan to walk with your child(ren) across parking lot.
• Stay alert for students and watch the road (no cell phones or distracted driving)
• If your student is walking/riding a bike - please have them wear reflective gear/clothing to be more visible. Bike riders must wear a helmet.

Thank you in advance for your patience, as we always prioritize student safety!

Don't forget that popcorn sign-ups are due for the year by Wednesday, September 4th. If you haven't had a chance - you can sign up by clickinghere: Popcorn Pre-Order Link.

• First Friday of every month is Popcorn Friday (with January 10 being the exception due to winter break, and March 6 being a Thursday).
• Popcorn is delivered to your Ravens' classroom to take home at the end of the day. Popcorn is not to be eaten on the bus, or in class please!
• Parents and caregivers may prepay for the year by completing this form and paying $10 (per student).
• Please don't miss out: students will not be able to purchase popcorn in any other way.
• We are not able to accommodate make-ups or refunds.

Our PTSO meetings will be held on the first Wednesday every month in the Art Room (first door on your right once you enter the building) from 5 PM - 6 PM unless otherwise noted. Occasionally we have a scheduling conflict, or this date falls under a holiday - we will always do our best to give as much notice as possible for changes.
If you are unable to attend in person, we always welcome you to join us over zoom. Join Zoom Meeting Link:

Ravenwood PTSO Meeting Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 471 495 3198
Passcode: Ravens

It has been so wonderful to see the halls filled with the smiling faces of Ravenwood students and families. I am looking forward to getting to know all of our new families and students this school year. For those of you who do not know, my name is Jennifer Cottle and I am the school nurse at Ravenwood. My office hours are Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. I am celebrating my 25th year as a registered nurse in the Anchorage School District and certified as a National Certified School Nurse, since 2007. I absolutely love what I do. I have also been a Ravenwood parent, as all three of my now, young adult children, attended Ravenwood. Your children are in an amazing school community for learning and growth. I look forward to a fun, healthy and safe school year.

Please remember to fill out the necessary paperwork, available in the nurse’s office or on the ASD website, if your child should need any medication administration at school. Visit Health Services page here for more information.

This includes ALL over-the-counter medications (nonprescription) to include cough drops. The OTC medication paperwork only requires the parent signature if the dosing request is consistent with dosing instructions listed on the product.

A physician’s signature is required for prescription medications that need to be kept in the nurse’s office for the school year. Short-term prescribed medications such as antibiotics can be administered at school if needed, for up to 15 days, with parent signature only. Please bring all medications to the nurse’s office in the original bottle with the manufacturer label and child’s name.

Herbal remedies/medications/oils require special permission and paperwork from an MD and pharmacists, to be administered at school by the nurse. I advise parents to choose to administer these outside school hours, at home. Students should never bring vitamins, essential oils or herbal remedies (just like medications) to school in their pockets, backpacks or lunchboxes. This is against school district policy and is most importantly a safety issue. What may be safe for one child to use or ingest may be dangerous to another with various allergies and/or medical conditions. Please contact me if you have any questions regarding medication administration at school.

Nurse Cottle

907-742-2354

cottle_jennifer@asdk12.org

Sept. 4 and 5 - Running/Active Kids Club, 2:30-3:30p (with permission slip)

Sept. 4 - PTSO Meeting, 5-6p in the Art Room or on Zoom link

Sept. 6 - PTSO Popcorn Friday (prepay orders due by Thursday, Sept. 5)

Sept. 9 - Choir Begins (permission slips required)

Sept. 12 - Ravenwood Open House, 5:30-6:30p

Sept. 16 - ALICE Drill, 12:30-1:00p (info about this required drill coming soon)

Sept. 17 - School Picture Day w/LifeTouch Photography

Sept. 17 - Beach Lake Jamboree (see schedule below)

Sept. 24 - Nurse and Lady Lions Photoscreening at Ravenwood

Beach Lake Jamboree Schedule of Events: 5:00p National Anthem & Welcome 5:15p PreK Tot Trot (1/8th mile) 5:30p Kindergarten (3/4 mile) 5:45p 1st Grade (1 mile) 6:00p 2nd Grade (1 mile) 6:15p 3rd Grade (1.25 mile) 6:30p 4th Grade (1.25 mile) 6:45p 5th Grade (1.5 mile)

MAP Growth is an online, adaptive assessment that provides each student a personalized testing experience with data that speaks to their individual progress and growth in mathematics and reading.

The MAP Growth reading and mathematics benchmark will be administered in person during the 2024-2025 fall and winter benchmark windows. The spring benchmark will be embedded in the AK STAR summative assessment as outlined above.

• Fall Benchmark 1: September 3 - September 13 (make-ups through September 20)

• Winter Benchmark 2: December 2 - December 13 (make-ups through December 19)

• Spring Benchmark 3: embedded in AK STAR administered during the summative assessment window: March 24 - April 4 (make-ups through April 25)

• MAP Growth assessment only: Grades 10-12 identified as needing Tier II and III support

MAP Growth practice tests and tutorials allow students and families the opportunity to become familiar with the types of questions and tools available on the actual MAP Grow assessments such as the highlighter and calculator. An overview of these resources with links to the practice tests are compiled on the MAP Growth Practice Tests Quick Sheet.

Our K-5 students will be completing their fall benchmark assessments this week, as follows:

Sept. 4 and 5 - K-3 - District Assessment team here to complete mClass

Sept. 3 and 4 - Grade 5 MAP Growth Assessments

Sept. 5 and 6 - Grade 3 and 4 MAP Growth Assessments

*Make-ups will be completed from Sept. 9 - 20.

We use this data to help us determine student placement in needed intervention or enrichment groups.

School for all grades starts one hour later, each Mondays to allow for PLCs (Professional Learning Communities) in all ASD schools. Bus transportation will start one hour later on PLC Mondays only. School still ends at regular time.

We are still looking for a Café Manager. It is part-time, Mon. – Fri. 8:30 – 1:00. If you, or someone you know, wants to be part of our school team, let them know about this opportunity. Until the position is filled, we will only be able to provide shelf-stable meals (including shelf stable milk). These meals are provided at no cost to students; however, you may want to send an extra snack with your student to make sure they have enough to eat during the day.

Apply today:

· Go to: Work for ASD: https://www.asdk12.org/Page/2390

· Click: View external applicant positions

· Left column, under Vacancies, click: Food Service

· Under Openings, click: Elementary School Cafeteria Manager II, JobID: 16481

Improving Student Attendance

A missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn. There is a direct correlation between students who attend school regularly and higher academic achievement levels. Students can miss no more than 17 days of school per year. This may seem like a lot, but it's less than two absences per month.

Excused Absences

The Superintendent or designee may excuse student absences for health reasons, family emergencies, participation in religious activities, or other reasons that constitute a good cause.

Unexcused Absences/Truancy

The School Board is committed to keeping students in school. Truancy is defined as the absence of a student from class without the knowledge or prior consent of the parent/guardian. The Superintendent or designee shall implement all steps appropriate to reduce student absences and to ensure that all children residing within the district are receiving appropriate educational services as required by law.

Tardiness

Children arriving after the 9:01 AM (Monday) and 8:01 AM ( Tuesday-Friday) bell report to the office to get a pass. This lets our teachers know the office staff has documented the tardy. If you have questions, please contact Tatiana Perez, our School Secretary.

Excuse Your Child’s Absence through Q/ParentConnection!

There’s a new feature in Q/ParentConnection that you can also access from

the ASD mobile app!

Look for the Attendance Manager icon when you log into the ASD app.

Excuse an absence through the ASD App up to three days prior and three days after the absence for the following reasons: illness,

medical, or religious.

Parents need to complete the Volunteer Application AND the Waiver through the Office of Equity and Compliance. It is linked here: ASD Volunteer Application and Waiver

This form is required every school year, even if it was completed last spring.

In order to drive for a field trip, volunteers must complete the same Volunteer Application AND Waiver, plus provide the following to the front office:

• A completed Volunteer Driver Form (attached)
• A copy of their driver's license
• A copy of their current vehicle registration
• A copy of their current insurance policy showing minimum coverage of $100,000/$300,000 bodily injury and $25,000 property damage*

*Please note that this level of insurance coverage is higher than what is required by the State of Alaska

Need a winter activity for your kids - look no further! Saturday youth leagues begin September 7 at 9:30 am! Leagues available for ages 3+. All age divisions bowl at the same time so you won't need to shuffle kids to multiple practices! Even better - your kids can start earning SCHOLARSHIP money as early as age 6! What other sport does this?!

Come on down on Saturday the 7th and see what it's all about!

The School Board is committed to equal opportunity for all individuals in education. District programs and activities shall be free from discrimination based on sex, race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, changes in marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, physical or mental disability, Vietnam era veteran status, genetic information, good faith reporting to the board on a matter of public concern, or any other unlawful consideration. The Board shall promote programs which ensure that discriminatory practices are eliminated in all District activities.