The Glacier Bear Connection

Sherrod Parents and Guardians,

Sherrod Elementary is a Community Eligibility Program (CEP) school, which means we provide 100% free breakfast and lunch to all students. However, to maintain our Title I status, we are required to collect completed income declaration forms.

The information provided on this form is confidential and will only be used to determine Title 1 funding for the 2025-2026 school year. Your participation is crucial in helping Sherrod secure funding that supports essential Title 1 programs and events such as the Family Fun Run, Hello Summer Family Event, BINGO Night, Art Night, STEM Night, Love and Logic Parenting Classes, staffing and many other activities.

Please note that individual family data will not be reported. A separate form must be completed for each student in grades K-12 in your household.

Please complete the “Income Declaration form” (link below). Forms must be completed by January 27. Thank you for your support in helping Sherrod continue to offer these valuable programs through our Title 1 funds!

Sincerely,

Principal Cook

Acts of Kindness Challenge

Sherrod is excited to focus on Acts of Kindness, which have been shown to boost self-esteem, empathy, compassion, and overall mood. Kindness is a powerful tool that helps students foster a culture of compassion, acceptance, unity, and respect. By encouraging thoughtful gestures—big or small—we aim to inspire greater harmony and kindness among everyone. Think of this as planting positive seeds in the “garden of your mind.” After all, where focus goes, energy flows!

To promote kindness, we’ve created a variety of incentives for students. Ask your child about the exciting rewards being offered during our Kindness Challenge!

How it works:
Students will receive a BINGO card filled with ideas for acts of kindness. The challenge is simple: complete the card and aim for a BLACKOUT by completing every square! Parents must sign the completed BINGO card. Students can submit as many BLACKOUT BINGO cards as they like throughout the challenge. Each BLACKOUT card submitted will earn a prize from the Bear Paw Store.

Want to take it a step further? Get the whole family involved in this month-long kindness initiative! Together, you can spread positivity through random acts of kindness and watch your “mind garden” flourish with positive energy.

Thank you for supporting and participating in this wonderful effort. Let’s make kindness contagious!

~ Principal Cook

Please join us for a fun night of BINGO! It's sure to be a night filled with laughter, fun and prizes.

Please complete click the link below to register your family, so we will have enough food for Sherrod's Title 1 Family BINGO Night.

• Friday, January 31, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in Sherrod's gym.
• Families can play BINGO, eat a sandwich, and perhaps win a door prize.
• CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT FOR THIS EVENT!

Sherrod Families,

We have begun a food drive for the Palmer Food Bank. Each class is trying to collect 100 cans, bags, or boxes of non-perishable food or basic grocery store items before the 100th Day of School.

We are teaming this year with Swanson Elementary.

A popcorn or Popsicle party goes to the class to reach 100 cans/items first, and a popcorn/Popsicle party also goes to the class with the most cans/items by Feb 7.

Please help your child to bring winter outerwear EVERY DAY.

Send your child with appropriate winter gear including a warm coat, snow pants, boots, a hat, and gloves. Per district policy, students will be going outside for recess to 10 below zero.

Hoodies and tennis shoes are not appropriate winter gear, especially when the temps get below freezing.

Appropriate gear will help to ensure your child enjoys his/her time at recess this winter.

SORRY, CROCS ARE NOT APPROPRIATE WINTER SHOES. Please choose other footwear!

Students who have on all 5 items of winter gear can use the sledding hill.

1. warm coat
2. snow pants
3. hat
4. gloves
5. snow boot

Message from Nurse Laurie

See the checklist below to help determine if your child is too sick to attend school:

1. Does your child have a fever of 100 deg F or higher?
2. Has your child vomited two or more times in a 24-hour period?
3. Does your child have diarrhea?
4. Are your child's eyes crusty, bright red, and/or discharging yellow or green fluid (pink eye)?
5. If your child complains of a sore throat, is it accompanied by fever, headache, stomachache, or swollen glands?
6. Does your child have a persistent, phlegmy cough?
7. Does your child have lice (white, translucent eggs the size of a pinpoint on the hair or insects on the scalp)?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, please keep your child home from school and consider seeking medical attention.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Nurse Laurie 761-4103

The virtue this week is KINDNESS.

Kindness is showing you care, doing some good to make life better for others. Be thoughtful about people's needs. Show love and compassion to someone who is sad or needs your help. When you are tempted to be cruel, to criticize or tease, decide to be kind instead.

Each week classes will select a student of the week who has demonstrated the week's virtue. Those students will be part of the morning show and get to announce their name at the end of the morning show on Fridays. Look for their names in next weeks newsletter.

At Sherrod, math fact fluency is of top priority. Our goal is for 3rd grade students to be Math Masters in MULTIPLICATION. Congratulations to the following students who are now recognized as official Math Masters!

Multiplication

Benson Fiscus

Huck Johnson

Lovena Kameroff

Multiplication/Division Combo

Nora Allen

Way to go Glacier Bears!! Keep practicing those math facts.

JANUARY

• 1/19: Virtue of the Week: Kindness
• 1/26: Virtue of the Week: Friendliness
• 1/27: PLC Monday Doors open 10:05 am
• 1/28: Niekamp and Wilson Field Trip Anchorage Museum 9:30-1:30 pm
• 1/28: Schoolwide Spelling Bee 2:00 pm (call office for zoom link if you would like to virtually attend)
• 1/29: Burdick, Johnson, Lutz Field Trip Anchorage Museum 9:30-1:30 pm
• 1/31: Title 1 Cabin Fever Family BINGO Night - dinner provided 5:30 pm- 6:30 pm

FEBRUARY

• 2/2: Virtue of the Week: Forgiveness
• 2/9: Virtue of the Week: Truthfulness
• 2/10: No school: Parent Teacher Conferences
• 2/13: Spring Picture Day
• 2/16: Virtue of the Week: Cooperation
• 2/17: No school: Parent Teacher Conferences
• 2/21: Northern Lights Glow Sherrod Family Dance Night 5:30-7:00 pm
• 2/23: Virtue of the Week: Enthusiasm

Thank you

"Our Children, Our Focus, Our Future!

Website: https://www.matsuk12.us/she
Location: 561 North Gulkana Street, Palmer, AK, USA
Phone: (907) 761-4100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sherrodschoolak/