Wolf Pup Weekly
Woodriver Issue #28 - 3/22/24
A WORD FROM MR. GUY
Hello Wolf Pup parents.
After a tense week of school board meetings, we have a recommended budget. The number of students in each class (PTR) will increase by 1 in each grade level except kindergarten, which will stay at 25. Kindergarten aides were also added back which is all wonderful news. However, we will see drastic cuts to our supply budget, activities budget, and cuts to the ELP program. At a district level the board approved the closure of Eielson Jr/Sr. High. No elementary schools were closed. With the slight shift in PTR, Woodriver is scheduled to only lose one teacher instead of three.
While closing any school in our district is a horrible experience, the cuts to Woodriver are not anywhere near as dire as projected, however, I want to express that we are not done with our budget. The district recommending a budget is just the first step. The board's budget cuts are small because they are counting on the borough to provide a large increase in funding. If that funding doesn’t come through, or is less than what the board is asking for, we will have to cut more from the recommended budget. The board is also depending on 340 dollars from the state. While I hope that both the state and the borough come through with the funding we are hoping for, or in the case of the state provides more, (keep in mind the state would need to increase the BSA by 1413 dollars just to match inflation) we might be back in a month talking about large increases to our classrooms again.
I want to thank everyone who has been reaching out to legislators at the state level, and sharing their thoughts at the local level with our school board. As we move forward, there is a new bill that could benefit our district, HB 392, would increase the BSA by 680 dollars and provide support for the Alaska Reads Act. It also includes elements that Governor Dunleavy wanted like teacher bonuses. I am hopeful that this bill can quickly pass the house and senate and then be signed into law by our Governor.
WOLF PUPS IN ACTION
Congratulations!
A HUGE Congratulations to our Wolf pups who participated in the Interior Science Fair this week. They worked very hard on their projects, and did an amazing job representing our school! Way to go Pups!
Also note, they are sporting the Science Fair's official t-shirts in these photos, which were designed by our very own 4th grade wolf pup, Logan Gianni! Congratulations Logan on creating such a beautiful design!
A few of our new Pawsitive Pups this week! Great job guys!
Enjoying the Sunshine and Warm Weather!
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
UPCOMING SCHOOL EVENTS
We are starting a new, school-wide, positive behavior rewards and attendance program!
Students will be recognized for acts of kindness, good deeds, and helpful and positive behavior. When a student is recognized as a "Pawsitive Pup" they will get a small prize, their name up on a bulletin board for a month, a mention in the weekly newsletter, and a call home from school staff to share the good news with their parents and caregivers. They will also win entry to an exclusive Wolf Pup Super Star themed party, thrown at the end of each month during their recess and lunch period!
Students that have perfect attendance for the month, with no absences or tardies, (Attendance H.E.R.O.'s) will get a certificate, their name up on a bulletin board for the month, and a mention in the weekly newsletter. They will also win entry to the exclusive Wolf Pup Super Star monthly party!
We are excited for this new way to celebrate our Wolf Pups, and to recognize them for their accomplishments! Stay tuned for more updates on our Pawsitive Pups and Attendance HERO's!
To help fund our new program, please consider donating to the Donor's Choose project for it linked below!
Upcoming Life Skills Lesson: Personal Safety
The week of April 1-5, Mrs. Brashear, School Counselor, will be teaching a lesson on Personal Safety to all students. This lesson is mandated by the Alaska Safe Children's Act.
The lesson will teach students to use the safety rule: "NO, GO TELL!" It will also include teaching students to name 3 adults that they know and trust that they can tell about an unsafe situation. We call that their "trusted triangle" of adults.
If you have any questions, or your would like for your child to NOT participate in the lesson, please call Mrs. Brashear at 907-479-4211 or email at dawn.brashear@k12northstar.org.
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Greetings Wolfpups. Over the next several weeks we will be spotlighting a few of
Woodriver’s amazing staff members. Each staff member will be interviewed by Mr. Kinder's third
graders!
This week we proudly present one of our 2nd Grade Teachers, Ms. Flowers!
Staff Spotlight: Ms. Flowers, 2nd Grade Teacher
Interviewed by 3rd Graders August, Mitchell, Olivia, and Remington
Ms. Flowers is originally from the small town of Lyons, Georgia. She came here in 2014 to finish her bachelor's degree in wildlife biology. She moved here permanently after she graduated in 2016.
Throughout Ms. Flowers’s previous jobs, she felt so much joy in seeing other people learn and grow through her sharing of knowledge. She realized that she could do that through teaching and help the future generation grow and succeed. Ms. Flowers completed a teaching internship at Woodriver last year and this is her first-year teaching. She teaches second grade.
Ms. Flowers enjoys mushing with her two huskies, whether it be skijoring, bikejoring, or sledding. Her dogs are named Chicken and Falcon. Skijoring and bikejoring means you hook a dog to yourself when you ski or bike, and the dog pulls you.
Ms. Flowers enjoys being able to share her hobbies and experiences with the kids and incorporate them into the classroom. For example, she uses sled dog commands when walking through the hallway and the table groups in the classroom are named after dogs she’s owned. Her students wrote a class book where they created, wrote, and illustrated their own sled dogs.
Ms. Flowers is a hockey goalie with the local women's league. She loves reading and playing video games during her downtime. She’s a Dungeons and Dragons nerd and anime fan. Her favorite video game is Baldur’s Gate 3, and she enjoys playing druid and ranger characters.
She wants to encourage girls to learn about science careers and play competitive sports. She says, “Go for it and don’t be afraid of trying new things.”
PTA UPDATES
COMMUNITY EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Free Symphony Performance on Saturday!
UAF Summer Camps has a scholarship program for all students who qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. For camps that cost up to $250, qualifying families will only pay $25. Information about the scholarship program can be found at the link below. Additionally, the FNSBSD Migrant Education Program, the Alaska Native Education Program, and the McKinney Vento Education Program all provide funds for eligible students enrolled in their programs. Contact your program coordinator for a coupon code that you can use at registration to cover tuition.
AVAILABLE FAMILY RESOURCES
SLED/ Live Homework Help
Live Homework Help provides free, online tutoring to Alaskan students in grade K-12 and intro level college students. Offered Monday through Friday, 8am to 2am; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 2 am Alaska Time. Students can work with a live tutor or use the study resources independently. Click the button below for more information.
Bright Futures Fairbanks | Student Support Services
We firmly believe that every child in our community deserves an equal opportunity to succeed. Unfortunately, many of them come to school without the basic necessities that most people often take for granted, such as food, school supplies, and winter gear.
If your family needs assistance in any of these ways, please reach out to Bright Futures Fairbanks by following the link below.
Our Social Emotional Learning & Prevention department is fully committed to supporting and uplifting our community. Our primary aim is to effectively identify and align local resources, with the ultimate goal of overcoming challenges and barriers faced by students in our district.
Through collaboration, we can ensure that every child's basic needs are fulfilled. Let us be the bridge that brings positivity and support to those who need it the most.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
An online application for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is now available. Alaska SNAP provides food benefits to low-income households. The new online application is a “smart form,” streamlining the process and the amount of time it takes to complete the form by only populating fields that the applicant needs based on their responses. Learn more about SNAP by clicking below.
SCHOOL LUNCH MENU
SchoolCafe/Free & Reduced Meal Applications | Nutrition Services
SchoolCafe/Free & Reduced Meal Applications | Nutrition Services
If you previously had a free and reduced meal application processed and feel your children might qualify for a better meal eligibility, please complete a new meals application by clicking the link below, and send the following information to foodservice@k12northstar.org:
- Income documentation for the prior 30 days
- Student(s) names and meal application number (if completed online)
*With the new calendar year, the 2023 PFD value is required by the USDA to be used when calculating household income on the meals application.
BECOME A SUBSTITUTE!
DISTRICT SCHOOL CALENDAR
IMPORTANT DATES
April
April 8-12 | AK STAR testing
April 26 | Early Dismissal @ 2:15
May
May 15, 16, & 17 | Early Dismissal @ 2:15
May 17 | LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
Welcome to Woodriver Elementary School
OFFICE HOURS: 8:45-4:15
SCHOOL HOURS 9:15 - 3:45
Email: nicole.wells@k12northstar.org
Website: www.k12northstar.org/woodriver
Location: 5000 Palo Verde Ave
Phone: 907-479-4211