Susitna Elementary News
E-Newsletter
April 5th, 2018
Please take a few minutes to read over all the exciting things happening at Susitna Elementary School. The newsletter is sent directly to your email address(es) once a month, so please make sure to keep the front office current on your preferred email contacts. Paper copies are available in the front office, or you can go to our school’s website to read this issue, or any others in the archive library.
Principal's Corner
Dear Susitna Families -
Our students are zipping right into Spring! It was awesome to recognize many students for their academic and, social progress, and even more students for perfect attendance! Thank you to the parents and family members who took time out of their busy schedules to attend and cheer at the assemblies. We have a great community of compassionate learners. This week we are talking about folks outside of school who support our students. During announcements, students remind each other daily by sharing examples of people who support them. We heard many nice things about many of you. Please continue to reinforce this at home. Way to go, Susitna!
Our school schedule has changed just a little bit - the 8:45 a.m. bell will tell students to line up appropriately at the doors. At 8:47 students will come inside to take off their outside gear and hang up their backpacks. Teachers will welcome students into their classrooms at 8:50 to have breakfast and start the day. Please consider dropping your students off just a couple of minutes later to help support this minor change. Thank you.
PEAK Testing - our state's annual testing for 3rd - 10th graders is nearly done. Next week we have a few make-up assessments and then we can put it away for this year. I really appreciate everyone's scheduling flexibility and hard work to prepare. Thank you for getting your children here on time and encouraging them to do their best. Results should be available near the end of the school year.
Walkathon - The 3rd Annual Walkathon is coming next month. We are in the process of finalizing our school needs and a flyer will go home soon with more details. Last year Susitna students earned money by being physically active. We raised nearly $8,000 that was put to use purchasing new PE equipment, musical instruments, library books and more. It was a huge success and we had a lot of fun in the sun staying active and benefitting our school.
We are trying to embed links into the newsletter to make it shorter. So wherever you see the heading and it says link you can click on it for more information.
Please read on to see more of the latest happenings at Susitna, and enjoy the pictures we've included in this issue of our newsletter!
Warmly,
Diane Hoffbauer
Email: Hoffbauer_diane@asdk12.org
Phone: 907-742-1400
Stone Soup Yummy!!!
2nd Grade students in Ms. Dottie and Mr. Froehlich's classes enjoyed making and eating Stone Soup after reading several versions of the old folktale, Stone Soup.
Stone Soup
Yumm
Stone Soup
Upcoming Dates of Importance
April
6th - Popcorn Friday and Yearbook ordering ends
9th - Dreamer Spotted Subway lunches,
9th - March Birthday celebration
9th - Club Ki'L
13th - 8:00 a.m. School safety meeting
13th - Bear Safety Assembly
16th - Club Ki'L
17th - OPT K/1 Learning Breakfast
17th - Annual Meeting
17th - retreat all day
18th - Visit from Begich Counselors 2 pm for 5th graders
19th - Olive Garden Lunch Party for winners of Pennies for Patients
19th - Walkathon pledge sheet goes home
20th - UAA Kids to College (Mott, Anteau, Therriault)
20th - Optional Family Dance 6-8pm
23rd - Club Ki'L
25th - Jump Rope for Heart kick-off assembly
25th - Kindergarten Roundup 4 pm
26th - Begich Middle School Open House 5:30-7 P.M. (see flyer)
27th - Highland Academy Open House (9 - 12:00)
27th - Super Sweepers
30th - Army Rock Band concert
30th - Club Ki'L
May
1st - OPT - PACT and Community Partnership
2nd - Last day to check out library books from Susitna Library
2nd - First-grade field trip to zoo
3rd - Susitna Jump Rope for Heart event
4th - Dreamer Spotted Subway lunch and April birthday celebration
6th - 12th - Susitna Educators Appreciation Week (teachers and anyone who works with your child here at Susitna)
8th - Second grade to AK Native Heritage Center
9th - Walkathon
9th - Bike to School Day
10th - 11th - Optional Intensives
11th - Popcorn Friday
11th - Susitna Orff Concert (2 pm and 6:30 pm)
11th - May, June, July birthday celebration
13th - Mother's Day
15th - Optional 5th Grade Trip - Birchwood Camp
15th - PTA meeting
16th - All library books returned to Susitna Library
16th - Optional Jump Up Tea
17th - 5th Grade Kick Ball
18th - Field Day K-2 in the a.m. and 3-5 in the p.m.
21st - Dreamer Spotted Subway lunch
21st - Fourth quarter awards assemblies
22nd - Optional Bike Trip
22nd - Optional K/1 Celebration
23rd - 5th Grade Completion
23rd - LAST DAY FOR STUDENTS
PLEASE CHECK THE CALENDAR ON SUSITNA'S WEBSITE FOR NEW ACTIVITIES AND POSSIBLE CHANGES OF DATES AND EVENTS!
Talent show
Thank you for participating in the talent show
BEGICH MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
All 5th-grade parents, students and families are invited to attend the Open House for Incoming Students at Nicholas J Begich Middle School on Thursday, April 26th from 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm. You are encouraged to arrive on time for the Greeting from Begich Administration and Introduction of 6th grade Instructional Staff. Then enjoy tours of the building, including the PE department, Music Department, and 6th-grade classrooms. Following the tours, students will be invited into the classrooms for learning more about Student Connect while Parents and Guardians attend an informational session on Parent Connect.
~Parent and Guardians are also highly encouraged to download the ASD App and add Begich as a school to follow. Information about the app can be found at https://www.asdk12.org/mobileapp .
Begich communication tools also include their website, and social media sites including FaceBook (https://www.facebook.com/BegichSnowleopards/), Twitter (@BegichMiddle) and Instagram (@begichsnowleopard)
~Snow Leopard Camp, the orientation camp for incoming sixth graders is scheduled July 30 - Aug 2 from 10 am - 2 pm. This is a free orientation camp which includes lunch and busing. More information and registration forms will be available about Snow Leopard Camp at the Open House for Incoming Students on April 26th.
Musical Notes
All things musical .......
Susitna Alumni
Congratulations
Can you find our students?
Yearbooks On Sale Now
Your yearbook committee has been hard at work preparing our yearbook to commemorate this year at Susitna. The price of the yearbook is $15. Every student was sent with a form to fill out and order the yearbooks. You can also Order Online at ybpay.lifetouch.com with Yearbook ID Code 12937318. Yearbooks will be available in the office for $20 after April, 15th, 2018.
Please remember without a signed media release your child will not be pictured in the yearbook. The forms can be signed in the office anytime.
Physical Education Activities
Dodgeball Club
K-2 is on Mondays 3:30-4:30 P.M.
3-5 is on Wednesdays 3:30-4:30 P.M.
Dodgeball will run from Monday, April 9th - Wednesday, May 2nd. Please pick up your child promptly by 4:30 P.M. If your child is not picked up by 4:30 pm the first time is a warning, the 2nd time a student will no longer be able to attend this club. We had nearly 75 students apply for the K-2 group. Since we could only take 50 (as was on the flyer), we held a computer-based lottery. The remaining students were put on a waitlist and may be called if other students choose to not participate.
Thanks,
Chris Putman
Susitna Elementary Physical Education
News from the Librarian
Overdue library books
Dear Parents,
FYI on end of the year overdue library books.
The last day for children to check out library books for this school year is Wednesday, May 2, 2018. All library books need be returned by Wednesday, May 16th. This is a standard ASD date that applies to all schools. If the book(s) is/are not found, the fee to replace the book(s) will need to be paid. In past years, students who have not returned their book(s) or paid the book replacement fee(s) stay in the library during part of their Field Day activity on May 18th and work off the amount owed by dusting, sharpening pencils, shelving books... I highly encourage students to be responsible by asking them to search and return their library book(s) before Field Day Friday. Book overdue notices will be sent home frequently in May. This policy works well, and children actually look for their overdue library books when faced with losing out on a Fun Field Day. Please help your child be responsible by encouraging on-time book return. All of us count on students returning borrowed books so other children and staff may read them next school. If you have any questions about this supported book policy, please call or email me.
Happy Reading,
Mrs. Benfield
Teacher-Librarian
News From The NURSE
Food Allergies
Parents,
I want to talk to you about meal accommodations for food allergies and food preferences. The meal accommodations form says that a recognized “Medical Authority” (physician, physician’s assistant, or nurse practitioner) must fill out a Medical Statement to Request Special Meals and /or Accommodations form and it must be returned to the school.
ASD has an obligation to provide alternative foods to those students who have a true disability. Anaphylactic shock is considered a true disability. A person with a disability is described as, “Having a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more life activities, has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment.”
The request for special meals specifically says that the district is not obligated to provide food substitutions to those students who are not disabled and have a simple food allergy. Allergies that result in a rash are not considered a disability unless it is associated with anaphylaxis. The district tries to accommodate all health concerns, food preferences, and religious preferences, however, by law; they are only required to make accommodation for disabilities. Our cafeteria manager has almost 500 students to oversee for food disabilities, allergies, and preferences. It is not an easy task.
It is your responsibility as a parent to keep the teacher, the nurse and the cafeteria manager informed of requests for accommodations. It is also your responsibility to teach your child what he can and cannot eat and encourage him or her to avoid food at school that he or she is not supposed to eat. The cafeteria manager receives a copy of the Medical Statement form from the medical authority. The original form goes in the cum folder to be transferred with the child when he/she changes schools. If you do not supply the form, there is not one on record.
Parents who have a child with a disability need to supply the nurse with an epinephrine pen if the disability is due to a potential anaphylactic reaction. In addition, a care plan from the medical authority must be supplied authorizing the nurse to administer the pen if necessary (or a teacher who has been trained to use the pen, if the child is on a field trip). When a child does not have an epi-pen at school and there is an emergency, life-threatening time is wasted before the paramedics arrive. A few minutes or even a few seconds could mean the difference between life and death.
Any assistance you can provide to our staff to keep your child safe from life-threatening disabilities is greatly appreciated. Please keep us informed about food disabilities or other accommodations. Also, take the opportunity to thank classroom teachers, the cafeteria manager, and others for doing such a great job of making food substitutions for your child/children when they are requested.
Thank you,
Anne McCarron RN (907 742-1401)
STEM Night
Kristi Therriault
4th Grade Teacher
Susitna Elementary School
Anchorage School Board
Tam Agosti-Gisler - President
Elisa Snelling
Starr Marsett
Kathleen Plunkett
Bettye Davis
Pat Higgins
Kameron Perez-Verdia
Superintendent - Dr. Deena Bishop