Alpenglow School Newsletter

Dear Alpenglow Families,

We had an amazing first quarter of learning! November and December are such a special time of the year where we reflect on the many blessings we have. Please take a moment to celebrate our amazing students who come to school everyday, excited to be here and ready to learn. Our PTA who provide support with engaging programs and activities for our learning community and raise money to support the needs of our school. Our partnership with caring and supportive families to develop lifelong learners. And, the most outstanding teachers and staff in the Anchorage School District who go above and beyond every day to create a positive learning environment for our scholars.

This time of year also brings many festivities and excitement. Our minds and bodies are anxiously awaiting the upcoming holiday season and break from work and school. It has been rewarding to visit classrooms and observe students interacting with each other and with their teacher as they apply the concepts that they are learning. There is still plenty of learning going on. Please take a few moments to remind your student to stay focused on schoolwork and to follow our positive school-wide behavior expectations: Be Safe, Be Respectful and Kind, Be Responsible and Be Ready from the classroom to the playground and everywhere in between. With your continued support and encouragement at home, our children will indeed benefit.

Now that the winter months are upon us, please be sure your child is dressed appropriately for the cold weather. More days than not, we go outside for recess unless the chill factor is colder than 10 degrees below zero. It is important that students come to school with their winter gear.

With winter comes more snow, and soon the snow will be crowding our streets and parking lot, making things more challenging. And, things will get icy. No pun intended. One of the busiest times of the day on our campus is the arrival and dismissal of over 300 students.

We need YOU to continue to practice and follow driving etiquette.

• If you need to get out of your vehicle, please park in the parking lot. Parking in front of the building impedes the flow of traffic. Please check out the 22-23 Arrival and Dismissal Map.

• Don’t block the crosswalk.

• Pull all the way forward to drop-off/pick-up your child.

• Drive the speed limit (5 mph).

• Be patient.

• Always model what you want to see.

• Pay attention to what is going on all around you.

• Using your cell phone and making u-turns are unsafe and illegal in a school zone.

• Let other drivers for your child know the guidelines for safe drop-off and pick-up.

The staff and volunteers are parents just like you. They want their student to arrive and depart safely too. Your continued cooperation is essential to keeping our students and community members safe.

Anchorage Municipal Ordinance requires drivers to obey school crossing guards. Violators are subject to fines and points removed from their license.

9.20.110 - Obedience to school crossing guards.

No person shall fail or refuse to comply with a lawful signal of an authorized school crossing guard in reference to the movement of vehicles in areas where crosswalks exist.

4th Graders

Everett Keene

Tony Lara

Merckysiah Shriver

Hadley Smith

Ava Suavillo

Austen Walker

Jacob Brazina

Scarlett Elwood

Alzada Farrell

Ruth Glasser

Leonel Merritt

Jesalyn Parker

Valerie Pelfrey

Emily Rosales

Aidan Schmidt

Rowan Stanfield

Etta Strunk

5th Graders

Penelope Priest

Hezekiah Davis

Marlee Johnson

Khalyse Rollins

Maggie Wells

Juliet Wells

Teagan McMinn

Noelle Snyder

6th Graders

Jacob Goebel

McKenzie Long

Payton Nelson

Shelby Smith

Kyler Rozanski

Daniella Murray

Elias McMullen

Titan Dunn

Ella Matlock

Desirae Morris

Lucas Morton

Alex Myers

Jenna Steffey

Levi Taylor-Daniels

With Cold and Flu season upon us, here are some things to consider:

1. Influenza, commonly known as “the Flu,” has a rapid onset. Symptoms may include fever, chills, headache, body aches, fatigue, dry cough, chest discomfort and sore throat. Occasionally you may have nausea/vomiting and/or diarrhea.
2. Covid also has a rapid onset and similar symptoms as the flu: fever, chills, headache, body aches, fatigue, sore throat, dry cough, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and/or diarrhea. The only way to differentiate between the two is a lab test.
3. Viral Upper Respiratory Illness, commonly known as "Colds," come on more gradually. Symptoms may include a runny nose, sinus congestion, cough, sore throat, sneezing and mild body aches.
4. Antibiotics will not cure the flu, Covid-19 or colds as they are caused by viruses, not bacteria. The BEST way to prevent viruses from spreading is to wash your hands with soap and water frequently, cover your coughs/sneezes, and stay home when you are sick. Another great way to prevent the flu is the flu shot! It’s not too late to get one…call your doctor or local pharmacy today!
5. If you are sick, wash your hands often, drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest. Some symptoms can be improved with over-the-counter medications. Any child suspected of having the Flu/Covid should not attend school and should see their doctor right away. If a child has a cold, is coughing and has a runny/congested nose, or sore throat they may be better off staying home from school in order to rest and recover. Any child with a fever (100.4 Fahrenheit or more) must stay home. Students may return to school once their symptoms are improving and they are fever-free for a full 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medication (such as Tylenol or Ibuprofen). Flu/Covid tests are not required for a student to return to school. Always feel free to give Nurse Caitlin a call if you have any questions about your student's symptoms: 907-742-3304.

Curriculum

Welcome to 2nd quarter Snow Leopards! Students recently finished up with a cooperative unit. Students also had the opportunity to travel through the haunted gym and ninja obstacle course during the last week of October. Currently students are participating in a basketball unit. During this time, they will get the opportunity to work on their dribble, passing, and shooting skills. Other units that students will participate in during the 2nd quarter include scooters, ropes, floor hockey, and gymnastics/body awareness.

Reminders

This is a big reminder to please make sure your student is prepared for physical education class. Thank you to those students who are responsible and have been remembering to wear their gym shoes. Students should be wearing a pair of athletic, tie or strap shoes to class. These shoes remain inside and are not used for outdoor play. Slip on shoes and boots are dangerous to participate in during class. If you are unable to afford a pair of shoes, please contact me and I can try to find a pair for your child.

This is also a reminder that gum is not allowed during class. There have been several students this year who have shown up at the gym with gum in their mouth. Please remind your child that gum is not allowed at school.

After School Activities

Basketball will be starting on Tuesday, November 15th for 3rd and 4th graders and Thursday, November 3rd for 5th and 6th graders. This year, the first sixteen students (boys or girls) for each grade group (3/4 and 5/6) that turn in their permission slip can come and work on skills and game play after school. There will be a 3-on-3 Basketball Jamboree at Homestead Elementary on Thursday, December 8th. Basketball club will run Tuesdays for 3rd and 4th graders and Thursdays from 3:30-4:30p for 5th and 6th graders. Permission slips will be handed out to their classroom teacher. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.

Thank you for keeping your child healthy and active,

Sincerely,

Kim Reed Resheske_kimberly@asdk12.org

All Pro Dad breakfast meeting/ Monday, November 7th

7:45-8:45 am

Alpenglow Dads and all students (K-6th)! Please join us for a continental breakfast + conversation, activities, and prizes. A great way to start your day!

RSVP (barber_jane@asdk12.org) ! See you there!

Kelso’s Choices (K, 1, 2, 3rd) and Choose 2 and Diffuse (4, 5, 6th)

-Peaceful Conflict Resolution Programs-

I continue to visit classrooms and review the program skills that will last a lifetime. Students learn how to manage their own small problems by choosing strategies that encourage peaceful resolutions from a calm perspective. (Serious problems are always shared with an adult.)

Character Trait Program

We continue our year-long character trait program by highlighting a different trait each month. November’s trait: Patience. ‘Patience is the ability to wait, or to continue doing something despite difficulties, or to suffer without complaining or becoming annoyed.’

As we find ways for students to practice patience at school, perhaps there are ways to encourage it at home: Daily chores? Learning new things? Baking? Working a puzzle? Have fun finding new ways to be aware of and practice this trait!

As always, I enjoy hearing from parents about their students. Please feel free to reach out!

Jane Barber

Alpenglow School Counselor Barber_jane@asdk12.org

November

Nov 3 - 5th/6th - Basketball Practice Begins

Nov 4 - Popcorn Friday

Nov 6 - Daylight Saving Time ends

Nov 7 - All Pro Dad

Nov 7 - PTA Meeting

Nov 8 - Asynchronous Learning Day - Learning continues at home

Nov 8 - Election Day

Nov 7 - Spirit Day – 50th day of school – Wear a white t-shirt, rolled-up blue jeans, and poodle skirts.

Nov 10 - Picture Retake Day

Nov 11 - In-Service, No School for Students

Nov 14 - ALICE Drill #2

Nov 15 - 3rd/4th Basketball Practice Begins

Nov 15 - Battle of the Books Test

Nov 24 - Happy Thanksgiving

Nov 25 - No School

December

Dec 2 - Popcorn Friday

Dec 5 - PTA Meeting

Dec 8 - Baskeball Jamboree

Dec 9 - PTA Family Night

Dec 15 - 6th grade Band and Orchestra Concert

Dec 23 - Jan 8 - No School

January

Jan 9 - Return to School

Jan 13 - Popcorn Friday

Jan 17 - All Pro Dad

Hello Snow Leopard Families!

First, I would like to say WOW, what a turnout for our Fall Harvest Festival! We were so blown away by all the support shown by our Snow Leopard Families! We had a much larger crowd than we anticipated and will be taking that into consideration for future events. Thank you to those who came and participated in the event. We hope you had as much fun as we did!

With the Fall Harvest Festival over, we are turning our attention to WinterFest! WinterFest will be on December 9th. Mark your calendars and watch for more details to come as we get closer. If you are interested in helping organize the event or if you have some ideas that you think we should incorporate, please let us know! We are always open to new ideas and any help we can get. This is one of our largest events, and it’s sure to be a good time!

This December, we will be hosting the Penguin Patch again! The Penguin Patch is a holiday shop where our Snow Leopards will have the opportunity to buy small gifts of their choice for family and friends. More details will be sent home as we get closer to the event in mid-December.

November 4th – Popcorn Friday

November 7th – PTA Meeting

December 2nd – Popcorn Friday

December 5th – PTA Meeting

December 9th – Winterfest

Mid-December – Penguin Patch