Dear Baxter Families,
As we head into December, it’s amazing to reflect on how much our students have accomplished this school year! This month, our focus is on wrapping up units, reviewing key concepts, and working toward personal and academic goals. With the first semester coming to a close, report cards will be sent home soon. These reports will provide valuable insights into your child’s growth, achievements, and opportunities for continued learning as we prepare for the second half of the year.
The Winter Testing Window opens the first week of December. This is an important opportunity for us to measure student progress and identify areas for continued growth. To help your child do their best, we encourage plenty of rest the night before testing, a healthy breakfast in the morning, and positive encouragement to ease any test-day jitters. These small steps can make a big difference in helping students feel confident and prepared!
We’re also excited to bring some holiday cheer to our school with special activities and events. Please stay tuned to updates from your child’s teacher and check the school calendar for details on upcoming programs and classroom celebrations.
Lastly, I want to acknowledge the emotions and concerns that may arise from Baxter being included on the list of potential school closures. Please know that I am here to support you and our entire community through this process. The school board is scheduled to vote on the proposal on December 17th, and this decision will provide more clarity on the timeline and next steps.
As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 907-742-1750. We are here to listen, answer your questions, and work together to support our students and community.
Chelsea Garney
Acting Principal, Baxter Elementary
SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD WORK SESSION 12/7 @ 9AM OR EMAIL SCHOOLBOARD@ASDK12.ORG
Dear ASD Community,
The Administration is revising the Rightsizing ASD recommendation which will remove three elementary schools from the proposed closure list.
For the past several weeks, the ASD leadership team has gathered valuable feedback from the community, helping guide further analysis of the buildings initially recommended for rightsizing.
Updated Recommendation
The three buildings removed from the recommended closure list are Bear Valley, Tudor, and Wonder Park elementary schools.
Additionally, the recommendation has shifted from a three-year plan to having all proposed closures occur in one year. If approved, Baxter, Fire Lake, Lake Hood, and Nunaka Valley elementary schools would close at the end of this school year, in May 2025. More information can be found in this memo to the School Board.
Next steps
The revised recommendation will be discussed at the Dec. 3 School Board work session and included on the regular meeting agenda as a non-action item. A vote is scheduled for the Dec. 17 School Board meeting.
The School Board will make the final decision on this proposal. You may provide feedback by attending an upcoming Board meeting or emailing SchoolBoard@asdk12.org.
The Administration values community involvement in this process and continues to listen to the input received.
Respectfully,
Dr. Jharrett Bryantt
Superintendent
Dear Parents/Guardians, as we approach the holiday season Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can have a profound effect on a person's feelings and emotions. Some signs of Seasonal Affective Disorder is: decreased energy or fatigue, changes in sleep or appetite, feelings of sadness, anxiety of or emptiness and more. Seasonal Affective Disorder affects children and adults. As students learn to pay attention to and identify certain feelings, they know that they are feeling out of sorts yet cannot explain or pinpoint why they feel as they do.
Here are some helpful tips to help combat SAD during our long, dark winter months:
*Elementary school students need 8-9 hours of sleep each day, maybe a little more on weekends. Have your child go to bed earlier. A warm shower and light snack before bedtime makes a HUGE difference in how they feel, learn, and their outlook during the school day.
*Talk to your child(ren) and ask them how they are feeling and how you can help them. SAD is more common in younger children, usually beginning in 3rd grade students when they begin to identify their emotions and feelings. This is when they really begin to need someone to assist them in verbalizing and validating how they are feeling.
*Drink LOTS of water. With the drier weather children need 5-6 cups a day to remain hydrated.
*Vitamin D supplements. In Alaska, we do not get enough sunlight. Speak with your child's primary care doctor and ask if the daily vitamin is providing a sufficient amount of vitamin D.
*During the winter months, it is important to begin or maintain a regular routine with your child(ren). Establish a routine by getting fresh air early during the day while it is daylight by going for a walk on the beautifully groomed trails, going skiing, snowboarding or sledding (most schools & parks have sledding areas), and taking in the lovely scenery by letting your mind relax and allowing your eyes to wander. This is what children and adults of all ages can benefit from.
If you have any questions, or concerns, please feel free to call or email me. I am happy to assist our Bobcat families and our Bobcat students!
Constance H. Carlisle, LMSW
Elementary School Counselor-Room 203
Baxter Elementary (907) 742-1750
Counselor Direct (907) 742-1752
mClass Newsletter Information 2024 - 2025
As part of The Alaska Reads Act, the State of Alaska requires that districts administer an early literacy screening tool three times a year to students in grades K-3 to identify potential reading difficulties in order to improve reading outcomes for students. Families can read more about this comprehensive K-3 reading policy at The Alaska Reads Act website: education.alaska.gov/akreads
mClass with DIBELS 8th Edition Assessments is the State of Alaska Department of Education’s and ASD’s Early Literacy benchmark screening and progress monitoring tool for students in grades K-3 in reading. mClass utilizes curriculum-based measures and is used by schools as part of the ASD Comprehensive Assessment System to support informed instructional decisions.
The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development explains the decision to adopt mClass as the statewide literacy screener HERE
mClass screening assessments will only be administered in-person during the benchmark window listed below:
December 2 - 13, 2024
Results for K-3 students that were assessed during a benchmark window, will be available in Parent Connect by January 10, 2025: ParentConnection Login Information and Reference Guide
SCHOOL WIDE SPELLING BEE IS JANUARY 15!
My name is Leslie Edin and I will be running the Script School Spelling Bee along with Melody Davis again this year.
Baxter's School Spelling Bee will be held on Wednesday, January 15th at 9:15 am. Classroom Spelling Bee's will be held thru December. Three students from each classroom should have three classroom spelling champions and two alternates. Combo classes will have three classroom spelling champions and two alternates for each grade.
Script National Spelling Bee has a "Word Club" students can join for free. Also, they have book suggestions for students to read. Click on the picture below to find out more!
