Ravenwood Elementary School

Ravens:

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

October is a vibrant month at Ravenwood Elementary, brimming with learning, creativity, and community spirit. As the leaves change, our students are immersing themselves in their studies, honing new skills, and showing incredible dedication every day. Our students are actively participating in a range of exciting extra-curricular activities, including Battle of the Books, Choir, Explorer’s Club, and Student Council. We are so proud of their enthusiasm!

As we near the end of the first quarter, we eagerly anticipate Parent/Teacher Conferences on Wednesday, October 23rd, and Thursday, October 24th. Please remember that all students will be released at 11:30 a.m. on both days, with a shortened recess/brunch.

This is the final week for our PTSO Run for Ravenwood fundraiser! Donations can be made through the 99Pledges website to ensure students do not have to handle money or go door-to-door. Your support for this important fundraiser is greatly appreciated!

A huge thank you for getting our Ravens to school daily! We’ve achieved a 94.5% attendance rate, and 100% of our students completed their Fall Benchmark Assessments. Fantastic job, everyone!

Be sure to read on to learn more about our activities this month, including Run for Ravenwood, PTSO News, Nurse Notes, the Book Fair, and much, much more!

With heartfelt gratitude for your support,

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

Join us on Friday, October 4th, for a fun walk, jog, or run with your Raven! Check below for your child's grade level and the scheduled time to join us on the field—rain, snow, or shine! This fundraiser helps support field trip buses, school equipment, technology, camps, and so much more. Thank you for your continued support!

As the termination dust appears on the mountains, it’s time to prepare our winter gear! Please take a moment to label your child’s coat, hat, gloves, snow pants, and boots. With winter gear costs adding up, labeled items make it much easier to reunite lost or misplaced belongings.

Also, remember to check our Lost and Found for any missing items. Let’s keep everyone warm and cozy this winter!

You can still sign up if you have not had a chance by clicking here: 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!
• Please don't miss out: students will not be able to purchase popcorn in any other way.

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

Volunteer Opportunities -

• Popcorn Helpers (click here), Thursday (3 Oct) from 12-3.
• Run for Ravenwood (click here), Friday (4 Oct). Flyers should have made it home yesterday with more information. We will have a DJ throughout the day and need helpers to keep track of laps for each Raven, and lots of parents to cheer them on! If the timeblock you'd like is full - you're still welcome to come down and join the fun!
• Harvest Festival (click here), Friday (25 Oct). We need LOTS of volunteers to make this event happen.

Donation Requests:

• Run for Ravenwood, (donate here) it's not too late to donate. We're so close to our primary goal of $25,000 and hope to reach $30K by the end of the week. The deadline for donations has been extended through Sunday! Ravenwood PTSO is a non-profit and donations ARE tax deductible. So, if your family knows (or owns) a local business - this is a great way to give back to our community.
• Harvest Festival (volunteer here), we are trying to give the festival a face lift this year. If you have any gently used decorations (Halloween, or fall themed) that you'd like to donate - we'd appreciate it! Alternatively, if you'd like to help with our efforts, a gift card to Michael's would go a long way. Their Halloween themed decor is on clearance now and we could stock to make the night spooktacular!
• Candy donations, you might have seen the "candy drop" bin outside the front office. We are asking for individually wrapped candy donations anytime through Harvest Fest.
• Cake donations, we plan to host our beloved cake walk this year and need lots of baked goods to make it happen. We can accept donations (homemade or store bought) during conferences (23-24 October), or until 3PM on the 25th.

I am happy to announce that I will once again be able to offer Flu Vaccinations to Ravenwood staff, students and their families free of charge onsite here at Ravenwood Elementary. I have scheduled this vaccination clinic for Thursday, 10/10/24. Parents do not need to be present for their child to be vaccinated. I do, however, need a completed and signed Consent form, per student and adult who would like to receive a vaccination. Students WITHOUT a consent on file WILL NOT be vaccinated.

Consent forms are linked below. Paper copies will also be available at the front office. Completed consent forms need to be turned in to Nurse Cottle no later than, Tuesday, 10/08/24.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are Vaccinations free or do I need to show my insurance card?

Flu Vaccination is free for everyone. You will be asked on the consent form whether you have insurance or not, go ahead and select the box that reflects your insurance status, however:

Flu vaccine is free = No insurance will be billed.

2. Are Flu Vaccine available for anyone in the family?

Yes, the Flu vaccine is available for all members of the family age >6mos. or older. Please inform the nurse if you are 65 or older and are interested in a 65 years of age or older Flu Vaccine (High Dose) – if available, they can be administered while while supplies last.

3. Will other vaccines be available at the clinic?

Yes, I will be offering DTaP vaccinations for anyone that would like a booster. DTaP vaccine (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis) is recommended every 7-10 years from last vaccination after age 5 if compliant with childhood series. If you or your child are interested in receiving this vaccine, please complete the General Vaccine Consent and notify Nurse Cottle no later than 10/07/24. Please call or email Nurse Cottle @ 742-3254 or cottle_jennifer@asdk12.org so she can confirm this vaccination is due. With the public health alert regarding increased cases of Pertussis in the community, it is recommended to be up to date with this vaccination.

Please contact Nurse Cottle @ cottle_jennifer@asdk12.org or 907-742-3254 with any questions.

Nurse Cottle

907-742-2354

cottle_jennifer@asdk12.org

The much-anticipated Ravenwood Scholastic Book Fair is just around the corner!

October 21 - 22 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm

October 23 - 24 7:30 am - 5:30 pm

Join us for this delightful event, where every book purchased helps nourish our library! Visit our book fair homepage for further information and opportunities to lend a helping hand:

https://bit.ly/RavenBookFair2024

Thanks so much!

Heather Tierney

Teacher Librarian

School pictures are ready and have been sent home!

To order, log in to your account on mylifetouch.com or create an account using your student's student ID number.

All families can also log on and order a FREE Digital SmileSafe card.

More about the Smilesafe program here.

Remember, Picture Retake Day is Thursday, Oct. 17th!

On October 23 and 24, students will be released at 11:30 a.m. for Parent/Teacher Conferences. Please make sure to schedule your conference(s) using the Online Scheduler, which opens on Tuesday, October 15. If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact our office at 742-3250—we're here to help!

We look forward to discussing your child’s progress with you.

Reminder: There will be no school for students on Friday, October 18 and also Friday, October 25 due to teacher in-service. Thank you!

K-3 teachers are focusing on reading proficiency as part of the Alaska Reads Act, which became law last summer. All Kindergarten - 3rd grade students will bring home their Fall mClass Assessments by October 7th.

During upcoming conferences, teachers will review this initial diagnostic assessment with you and discuss how they are tailoring their instruction and daily WIN (What I Need) time to support your child's growth in this vital area. We appreciate your partnership in fostering a love for reading and ensuring our students thrive!

Oct. 1 – Reading Club, 2:30-3:30p

Oct. 2 – Explorer's Club, 2:30-3:30p

Oct. 2 – 3rd & 4th Battle of Books, 2:30-3:30p

Oct. 2 – PTSO Meeting (in person & Zoom options), 5-6p

Oct. 3 – Reflector/Winter Safety Assemblies

Oct. 3 – Student Council Mtg, 2:30-3:30p

Oct. 3 –Explorer's Club, 2:30-3:30p

Oct. 3 –Reading Club, 2:30-3:30p

Oct. 4 – Run for Ravenwood Fundraiser

Oct. 4 – Popcorn Friday

Oct. 4 – Explorer's Club, 2:30-3:30p

Oct. 4 – Last day this semester to order your Ravenwear from the online store

Oct. 8 – 17 – 5th graders take Activities Interest Survey

Oct. 10 – Sunshine Committee Mtg, 2:55p

Oct. 14 – Indigenous Peoples’ Day – No School for Students

Oct. 15 – Online Conference Scheduler opens for Parents

Oct. 17 – Picture Make-Up Day

Oct. 17 – Great AK Shakeout/Earthquake Drill at 10:17

Oct. 17 – Student Council Mtg, 2:30-3:30p

Oct. 18 – No School for Students/End of 1st Qtr

Oct. 21-24 – Scholastic Book Fair in the library

Oct. 23-24 – Parent/Teacher Conferences/Early Release for Students @ 11:30a

Oct. 25 – No School for Students

Oct. 25 – PTSO Harvest Fest at Ravenwood

Oct. 28- Nov. 1 - Red Ribbon Week (details coming)

Nov. 1–15 – ER Area School Food Fight Collection

Nov. 5 – Election Day/Remote Learning Day

Join us on October 17 for International ShakeOut Day! At 10:17 a.m., our students will practice earthquake safety alongside millions worldwide. Let’s be prepared! 🏫💪 #ShakeOut2024

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

Does your student qualify for Indigenous Education? If so, please reach out to Crystal Wendell, Ravenwood’s Student Support Specialist, Indigenous Education at 907-742-7875. Students will receive academic and school support, access to cultural events, summer enrichment programs and cultural identity and awareness resources.

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.