The Scoop
Chugach Optional Elementary Newsletter - April 2024
Message from Joel
Happy Spring to all of our Chugach Families!
As the snow begins to melt, our playground continues to become a series of small ponds. I would like students in all grades to continue wearing boots outside to keep them from having wet feet all day. I would also like kindergarten and primary school students to continue to wear snow gear since they tend to like to play on the ground a little more than middle and upper school students.
We will continue our AKSTAR/Map Growth testing for our Upper students next week. Please ensure that if you have a 5th or 6th grader, they are well rested and on time for testing days at the school. Our K-3 students will be doing their mClass testing towards the end of April, and we will keep you posted on those testing days.
Have a great month, and as always, stop by and say hello if you can.
Joel
April's Important Dates
Monday, April 1 - CEC Board Meeting (8:30am-9:30am in conference room), Badminton practice (11:30am-12:30pm)
Tuesday, April 2 - Badminton Practice (11:30am - 12:30pm); Badminton Games @ Kincaid Elementary (4:00pm - 5:30 pm)
Wednesday, April 3 - Garden Club (2:50pm-4:30pm)
Friday, April 5 - Parent Coordinator Meeting (8:30am-9:30am); Talent Show Tryouts (3:00pm-6:00pm)
Wednesday, April 10 - Garden Club (2:50pm-4:30pm); Community Assembly Meeting (6:00pm-7:00pm in Library)
Friday, April 12 - EARLY RELEASE DAY (Dismissal @ 11:15am)
Wednesday, April 17 - Garden Club (2:50pm-4:30pm)
Thursday, April 18 - Chugach's GOT TALENT (5:30pm-7:30pm in gym)
Friday, April 19 - April Closure Day - NO SCHOOL!!
Monday, April 22 - Track Club practice (3:00pm-4:00pm)
Wednesday, April 24 - Garden Club (2:50pm-4:30pm), Track Club practice (3:00pm-4:00pm)
Thursday, April 25 - Online Registration for Returning Students Opens!
Friday, April 26 - EARLY RELEASE DAY (Dismissal @ 11:15am)
Monday, April 29 - Track Club practice (3:00pm-4:00pm)
Tuesday, April 30 - mClass testing K-3rd
Online Registration for Next School Year
Online Registration for students returning to Chugach Optional for the 2024-2025 school year opens on Thursday, April 25th. If you know that your student(s) will be returning to Chugach next year, please go into your ParentConnect Account starting on April 25th and complete the online registration process in the Quick Links section.
Class lists for next year cannot be confirmed until we have all students registered. The number of teachers a school is allotted is also highly connected to enrollment/registration numbers, so the sooner we have everyone registered the more secure our teacher number remains.
For more information about registering your student(s) for next year, please check out the ASD website (https://www.asdk12.org/register) or give us a call in the front office. A more detailed "How to" guide for Online registration will be sent out to families on April 25th.
Nurse Notes
Immunizations:
The State of Alaska and the ASD require all students to be up-to-date on immunizations. Routine vaccination for Tdap occurs at 11 –12 years of age. Now is a great time for 5 & 6th grade students to get scheduled and stay up-to-date with vaccines. HPV & Meningococcal are not required for school, but are also recommended vaccines at this age.
Religious Exemptions forms for immunizations, must be completed each school year. You can find the form HERE
**Student are required by State Law to be excluded from school if immunizations and/or Religious Exemption forms are not up-to-date**
Care Plans & Medication Forms for Next School Year:
April is a great time to schedule those appointments or contact your child’s healthcare provider to get updated Care Plans & Medication forms. You can find the forms HERE
My door is always open if you have any questions or need support.
April’s Community Assembly Meeting (CAM) is soon!
Hello Chugach families! The next Community Assembly Meeting (CAM) is Wednesday, April 10, from 6-7:30 p.m. in the library. The April CAM is dedicated to reviewing and discussing the proposed budget for the 2024-25 school year. If you want to know more about how we plan the CEC budget (funded primarily by our community fundraising), this is an opportunity to learn about and participate in this process – and we want to hear from you!
Also, have you ever considered serving as a CEC board member? We will also present CEC board vacancies for the 2024-25 school year and discuss the nomination process at the April CAM. Please feel free to reach out to any of the current CEC board members to learn more about being part of the CEC. If you are interested in running for a board position, please email chugachoptionalcecboard@gmail.com.
Chugach 50th Anniversary - SAVE THE DATE
Spread the Word!
Parking Etiquette
Friends - please help our community to ensure a safe and efficient parking lot for arrival and dismissal.
We know parking is limited but please refrain from parking in any of the "RESERVED" parking spots, the fire lane or the loading dock area. We would appreciate your help keeping these areas clear for emergency and delivery vehicles at all times.
Also, please do not park in the handicapped parking spaces unless you are permitted to do so. We need to have these spots accessible to those who need them. We would also appreciate it if you could park in such a way as to not block others from getting out of their parking spots or that blocks the flow of traffic.
Chugach families are welcome to park at the New Hope Church across the street and in the Municipal EOC parking lot but please be good neighbors and do not park in their reserved parking areas and be mindful of your speed at all times.
Kindy Bread Sale Update
Our Kindy Bread Sale for the Mauni School earned $1,650!
Thank you to our families who made/brought in the bread dough, spent the day in front of the ovens, and supported kids in selling bread. Huge thanks also go to our Chugach community members who bought bread. The effort was a wonderful learning experience for our kindy friends, and the funds will have a huge impact on the lives of Mauni School students!
Chugach Track Club
All in grades 3-6 that are interested in participating in track after school, please sign the attached sheet and return it to Polly. The practice days and times will be Monday and Wednesday from 3:00pm – 4:00pm. Our first practice will be April 22nd. Meet in the gym with running clothes, running shoes and a water bottle. We will be outside most of the time, so please have appropriate weather gear.
If any parents would like to help out with the practices I would greatly appreciate it!
I am looking forward to having a fun season with learning about all the different aspects of track: short distance, long distance, relays, long jump, and softball throw!
April 22 Practice 3-4
April 24 Practice 3-4
April 29 Practice 3-4
May 1 Track Meet @ Chugach snow dependent 430-730
May 6 Practice 3-4
May 8 Track Meet @ Hanshew snow dependent 430-730
May 13 End of Season Party
May 15 Practice for those going to the Invitational Track Meet
May 17 Invitational Track Meet @ Mears 4-7
@ Our Library
How is it April already?!?! While the sun is getting warmer and higher, I am realizing that our year is wrapping up. I celebrate that we have had over 12,600 books being checked out from our library this year. Unfortunately quite a few have not been returned…yet. Thank you for supporting your child in finding and returning library books. On my Clever page, there is a video on how to look in the library catalog for checked out books. There are bonuses for using the online catalog: *being able to see the cover of the book, *saving paper and trees, and *supporting our students being in-charge library users. If your student is unsure of their ASD username and password, I can help!
Last day of library book check-out
There comes a time each year that we need to say it is the last day to check out books. This year it is Friday, May 3rd. While this doesn’t feel very ‘love of library’ for me, I do need two weeks to find all of the books that have not been returned…yet. If a student needs to finish a book and is unable to return the book by May 3rd, I will absolutely work with each student on a plan.
Missing a library book?
If a library book is missing and/or needs to be replaced, please use the following guide to help you: Missing a library book plan. If, for whatever reason, you are unable to replace a book, please connect with me and we will make a plan. I feel very strongly about the following quote:
“schools … can make it easy and unrisky for children to take books home … by worrying less about losing books to children and more about losing children to illiteracy.” Richard L. Allington
Someone recently asked me what it is like to be a librarian. My response: best job in the world. I have the privilege of connecting students with books and witnessing their growth up and down our hallway…such joy!
Please connect if there is any way I can support!
Many thanks!
Amy
mClass Testing 2023-2024
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:
https://education.alaska.gov/Alaska-Reading-Resources/Statewide-Early-Literacy-Screener
mClass screening assessments will only be administered in-person during the benchmark window listed below:
Spring(EOY) 2023-24: April 22-May 3
Results for K-3 students that were assessed during a benchmark window, will be available in Parent Connect by May 17, 2024: ParentConnection Login Information and Reference Guide: parentconnect.asdk12.org
Music Notes
Chugach Optional Talent Show
"Chugach's Got Talent!" tryouts will be held Friday, April 5th at 3pm in the Gym. "Chugach's Got Talent!" The Show will be held on April 18th, from 5:30-7:30 in the Gym. All acts must come rehearsed and prepared for the tryout. Please see Lauralee for audition slips which are due back by Wednesday, April 3.
Chugach Stage Upgrades
Your one-time donation will directly support Chugach Productions and Presentations: sound, light and technology. Currently, Chugach students have been participating in the full cycle of sound production, light engineering and technology at limited capacity. We have had to beg, borrow and steal the equipment from other schools to pull off our A class performances and presentations. Suggested donation is $100. A personal mic with wireless receiver costs $1598 dollars. If you are interested in being a founding donor or personal mic sponsor please contact Lauralee. Visit our Chugach YouTube page to see examples of our work and applaud our amazing students and staff.
Outdoor Adventurers
Outdoor Adventurers after-school playgroup is starting next Tuesday, April 2, through the end of the school year. Every Tuesday we will explore different locations and activities based on the weather, such as sandplay at the Kincaid dunes, roller sports at Cuddy Oval, biking the coastal trail, and Kincaid beach outings. This is not a drop-off program, each student should have a grownup responsible for them present, although the emphasis is on child-led unstructured play. The plan for the week will be sent the day before through the Remind app. To join, text @907outdoor to 81010, visit https://www.remind.com/join/907outdoor, or find the Outdoor Adventurers class on Chugach's Remind list. For questions, contact Jeanette Renaudineau at (907)382-4349.
Donation Opportunities
Dear Chugach Families!
Mountain View Elementary is one of the most diverse schools in the United States! We have so many beautiful gifts here but there are also challenges, with 95% high-poverty. Right now, there are 41 refugee children in the elementary schools and Mountain View is proud to be the home for 30 of them! This year our refugee students have been coming from Congo and in the past few years Afghanistan.
Through a Mayor's Grant, we were able to remodel our old computer lab and turn it into a Family Resource Center. The idea behind this room is to support families in need with gently used or brand-new clothing. We also take brand new hygiene products, hats, and gloves. One of the first thing the team at Catholic Social Services does when they bring a refugee student to our school to enroll, is go to the Family Resource Center to grab items.
We have been very fortunate to have donations from the community. However, right now we have a need for children's shoes (gym shoes) and clothing. We also are always taking brand new: hygiene products, socks, underwear, etc.
I know the Chugach community is an AMAZING community that holds service projects close to your hearts as that is an important part of the philosophy and growth of the whole child. Thank you for considering the Family Resource Center at Mountain View. I can work with the parent leads to determine the best way to collect items if there is an interest.
Sending you all a big warm hello. Miss you and thank you for the gifts you brought to me that are helping me serve Mountain View.
Warm Regards,
Clare
Please note - Chugach Optional will need parents/families to work together to take any donations over to Mountain View Elementary