Aquarian News

September

9/2- Labor Day (No School)

9/3- Math Starts 8:35-9:50

9/3-9/13 mClass and MAP Testing

9/9- 5:30 PTO Meeting in the Library

9/11-9/13- 5th Graders at Camp

9/16-5:45 APC Meeting in the Library

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 945 3161 5121

Passcode: 871491

9/19- Dress Like a Pirate

9/21 2:00-4:00 Bowling Night

9/25- 10:00-10:50 Student Council Speeches

9/26- Voting for Student Council

9/27- Jog Athon starting at 10:00

9/29- Nic's Race

October

10/4- ASA Ends

10/7- 5:30 PTO Meeting in the Library

10/14- Indigenous Peoples' Day (No School for Students)

10/18- End of First Quarter -Grading Day (No School for Students)

TBD- Trunk or Treat

10/21 5:45 APC Meeting in the Library

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 945 3161 5121

Passcode: 871491

10/22- Explorations

10/23- Conferences (No School for Students)

10/24- Professional Development (No School for Students)

10/25-Conferences (No School for Students)

10/28- ASA for Second Quarter Begins

10/31- Halloween

November

11/1- Picture Retakes and Class Pictures

11/4- 5:30 PTO

11/11- Professional Development Day (No School for Students)

11/14- Bingo Potluck

11/18- 5:45 APC Meeting

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 945 3161 5121

Passcode: 871491

11/28-11/29- Thanksgiving Holiday (No School)

Attention families Aquarian Charter School is excited to announce our 10th annual Jog A-thon!!! What is a Jog A-Thon you ask? Well this event is our schools first major FUNdraiser that is sponsored by our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). The monies raised during this event help support our school in so many ways for the entire year. On September 27th, students will run the loop on school grounds. Second through sixth graders will run for 45 minutes and kindergartners and first graders will run for 30 minutes. Students will collect pledges from friends, family, neighbors and whoever is willing to donate! The more pledges brought in, the more prizes the kids can win!

We are looking for SPONSORS for this event. If you own a small business, know someone who owns a small business, or work for a company that would like to sponsor our event please let us know!!

The money we raise through this event helps support Aquarian staff and students. In the past we have been able to provide funding to restart the Robotics Club and Student Council. It also helps provide training for our teaching staff and numerous school wide events including Trunk or Treat, Bowling Night, Winter Festival, Movie Night and Skating. The money raised also sends our 5th graders to space camp and provides support for our end of the year all school field day! These events help to build the Aquarian community throughout the school year.

If you or your business would like to be a sponsor, please contact Sarah Boice at aquarianpto@gmail.com

We’re excited to announce that our Back to School 2024 Spirit Wear Store is now open! Every Friday, we encourage our students to show their school and house pride by wearing spirit wear, and now is the perfect time to stock up.

Important: Our spirit wear store is only open twice a year, now and in January. Once the store closes on September 4th, it will not open again until January. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to grab your gear!

Shop Details:

• Shop Now: https://bsnteamsports.com/shop/kmG9YqEjNR
• Store Open From: August 20 - September 4, 2024
• Double-check sizes, as we do not do returns for sizing.
• Once the store closes, allow four weeks for delivery and distribution.
• 
  

Thank you for supporting our school community! Five Houses, One Family!

Are you interested in leadership, community service, and creating change? Are you creative, communicative, and full of ideas? If so, consider joining Student Council. See the information below!

Students in 4th—6th grade can run for an elected office position. The position of Aquarian President is only open to 5th and 6th graders. The office of the Vice President is open to 5th and 6th graders. The secretary and Treasurer positions are open to 4th—6th-grade students.

• September 5: All interested students will meet in Ms. Danielle’s room, room 16, during lunch for more information and to receive an application packet. Packets can be accessed at this link: Studco Packet

  
  

• September 16: Student applications, including speeches and a poster, are due to Ms. Danielle and Ms. Sarah P

• September 19, 23, and 24: Speech practice in Ms. Danielle’s room during lunch

• September 25: Candidates will deliver speeches in the Gym from 10:00-10:50

• September 26: Voting will take place before school (8:00-8:30) and at Recess(11:40-12:10)

• September 27: Votes are tallied, and elected officers are announced at the end of the day.

** Elected officials will meet every Thursday at lunch for Aquarian Student Council meetings. Student Council is a year-long commitment. Only serious students should apply.**

We are looking forward to another year of growing student leadership at Aquarian!

Your AQ Student Council Teacher Representatives,

Ms. Sarah P. and Ms. Danielle

Please Help Support Third Grade Field Trips

Pizza order forms were sent home last week. You can also access them at this link. Please staple cash only to the order form. Return the form to your child's teacher or to Ms. Stacy/Ms. Danielle.

Lunch will be delivered to your child on Thursday, September 12, and will include a slice of cheese pizza, carrots, and an applesauce pouch for $7. Order forms are due this Thursday, September 5.

Thank you for your support!

Dear Aquarian Families,

Welcome to the new school year! We will again be doing the Healthy Futures Challenge to encourage everyone to get outside and get activity during this time (even in the rain!)

Please read below for more information.

What is Healthy Futures and Why? Founded by concerned parents, Healthy Futures is a statewide, grassroots movement to help youth build positive, lifelong physical fitness habits. Kids need daily vigorous physical activity to build strength, endurance, healthy muscles, and bones or they may face tough problems like obesity, diabetes, and lower self-esteem.

How does a child participate in Healthy Futures? With your assistance, your child records physical activity on the Healthy Futures Activity Log. Qualifying logs must show at least 60 minutes of physical activity during a day, for at least 15 days of the month. The good news is that your students can spread out their 60 minutes of activity during the day. These can include active brain breaks and other times of exercise totaling 60 minutes.

How to turn in Challenge Logs- Students fill out logs at home to watch their progress getting activity each month. (calendar attached) At the end of each month (Sept, Oct, Nov) or once they have 15 days with 60 or more minutes, you will use the link below, or go to this address bit.ly/AquarianHealthyFutures to let us know they’ve done it. Please fill out the online form. You should fill out the form for each child in your family that completes a log. The form opens Sept 15th.

THE ONLINE ACTIVITY FORM MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE October 5, TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR PARTICIPATION INCENTIVES.

The online form will open September 15th.

Go here https://bit.ly/HealthyFutureLog to print a log for your child to use to see their progress.

And here, bit.ly/AquarianHealthyFutures once 15 days are accomplished.

Incentives. In addition to being happier and healthier, students are rewarded for participating in Healthy Futures. The fall contest will run for the months of Sept, Oct., and Nov. In exchange for turning in a completed log (online) each month, students will receive a small prize and will be entered for a grand prize drawing at the end of the school year.

This is a wonderful program that is sure to benefit your child and our school. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sarah Fineman

Aquarian has established clear expectations for students with these 25 school-wide rules. They are posted in every classroom ensuring that everyone is aware of the standards. This also helps create a consistent environment where these rules are reinforced.

We believe holding students to a high standard is important for maintaining a positive and productive learning environment. We ask that parents help us reinforce these expectations at home.

MAP Growth is the ASD and State of Alaska required benchmark/interim reading and mathematics assessment for students in grades 3-9. Grades 10-12 students identified as needing Tier II and Tier III reading and mathematics support also take MAP Growth as part of the Anchorage School District's MTSS framework.

Alaska's Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) has partnered with NWEA to implement a creative approach to a balanced statewide assessment that connects fall and winter MAP Growth benchmark/interim assessments and the Alaska spring AK STAR summative assessment. AK STAR eliminates the spring benchmark/interim assessment window for grades 3-9 by combining the summative and benchmark assessment into one test that produces a spring benchmark score, which includes a growth measure. More information is available at the State of Alaska AK STAR website, education.alaska.gov/assessments/akstar.

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.

Aquarian families are asked to pay a $125.00 non-refundable student activity fee each year per child. The activity fee is due before the end of the first quarter. This fee will be used to pay for field trips, explorations, and other student events throughout the school year.

You will need to log in to your Parent Connect. You will select your child, under ASD Quick Links click online payments, and then select Activity Fee.

If you are having any difficulties with the online payment system, please contact the front office at 742-4900.