Ravenwood Elementary School

Ravens:

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

Dear Families,

As we enter the holiday season, I want to express my gratitude for your continued support and involvement in our school community. This month is filled with wonderful opportunities to connect and celebrate together!

We look forward to seeing you in the building for PTSO's Holiday Bazaar this Saturday, Dec. 7th (our Ravenwood Choir performance is at 12 PM), exciting field trips, and festive class parties.

On behalf of the Ravenwood staff, we wish you a season full of joy and cherished moments with loved ones. Here's to a wonderful month ahead!

Warm regards,

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

Students are grateful to have "Miss Eileen" serving up hot meals. Elementary student lunches are $5.75 and milk only is $1.00. Go to the Student Nutrition website for more info, to put money on your child’s account, or to apply for free/reduced priced meals.

The Student Council would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our entire Ravenwood school community for the incredible food donations for Food Fight! Your generosity is truly inspiring. We’re still waiting on the final totals from the Chugiak/Eagle River Food Bank to announce the winning school, but one thing is certain: our community is the real winner!

Thank you for making a difference, Ravens!

• Ravenwood's Holiday Bazaar will take place Saturday, December 7th. As a treat for PTSO members, the doors will open at 9:30 AM for you! Stop by early and beat the crowds! The event will be open to the public from 10 AM to 4 PM. And, don't forget your Merry Merchant Munch guide, you'll notice that we are on the map this year!
  While you're there, check out the Silent Auction Baskets! Bidding will take place until 3PM and you do not need to be present to win.
  We do still need a LOT of help to make this event a success, check out all the volunteer opportunities here.

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

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.

Volunteer Opportunities -

• Popcorn Helpers (click here), Thursday (Dec 5) from 12-3.

Happy Holidays!

We know the holidays can be stressful and a financial struggle for families. If you require assistance during the holiday season, please contact me for support at 907-742-3254 or via email. There are many in the community that provide assistance during this time and I would be happy to connect families with these resources.

Bundle up and stay warm,

Nurse Cottle

Looking for something STEMulating to do over the holidays? You may want to get your students started on their Science Fair Project to showcase our upcoming STEM Night/Science Fair on February 19th, 5-7p.

To help you plan and prepare, there will be a Science Fair Meeting for Parents on Tuesday, December 10th, at 5:30p in the library hosted by former parent Shannon Oelkers and Nurse Cottle. To join Tuesday's Meeting live:

Topic: Parent Information Meeting: 2025 Science Fair

Time: Dec 10, 2024 05:30 PM Alaska

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 949 9363 3931

Passcode: 299050

*This meeting will be recorded, and the recording link will be shared with parents.

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 of 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: parentconnect.asdk12.org

Please remember to stay safe & healthy while you are outside.

Safety First: Do not play in snow berms made from plow trucks!

Moose & Bear Aware: Remember to be moose & bear aware while outside.

Be Seen: Make sure you can be seen by wearing reflective gear.

Students need to bring and wear ALL their snow gear (coat, hat, gloves, snowpants and BOOTS) for outdoor recess and PE classes. We got outside daily, unless temperature drops below -10. Thank you for helping us keep them safe and warm during the cold days of winter!

Please label your child’s winter gear, so if they lose or misplace items, they can be reunited! Already missing something? Don't forget to check our Lost and Found.

Dec. 3 - mClass Benchmark Testing

Dec. 4 - mClass Benchmark Testing

Dec. 4 – PTSO Meeting in the Art Room and via Zoom, 5p

Dec. 5 – 3rd Grade MAP Reading

Dec. 6 - Popcorn Friday

Dec. 6 – Eagle River Tree Lighting (Choir Performance)

Dec. 7 – PTSO Holiday Bazaar, 10a-4p (Choir performs at 12p)

Dec. 10 – 4th Grade MAP Reading, 5th Grade MAP

Dec. 10 – Science Fair Parent Info Zoom at 5:30p

Dec. 11 – 3rd Grade MAP Math

Dec. 12 – 4th Grade MAP Math and 5th Grade MAP

Dec. 13 – MAP Make-ups

Dec. 13 – Choir Tour, 9:45a-1:30p

Dec. 17-18 – 5th Grade Am. Revolution Wax Museum

Dec. 19 – 2nd Grade Winter Solstice

Dec. 20 – End of 2nd Qtr/Semester/No School for Students/Grade Day

Jan. 6 – Spelling Bee Practice (optional)

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

In an effort to make our schools even safer, the Raptor Visitor Management System has arrived at Ravenwood!

Here’s how it works: All adult visitors will need to show a government-issued photo ID (drivers license, CAC card) when checking in during school hours. This quick scan will verify visitor identities and help us maintain accurate records of everyone in the building. The system also checks names against a national database to ensure safety, but don’t worry—only basic information is recorded, and privacy is a top priority.

We appreciate your support as we work together to implement these safety measures.

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.