Susitna Elementary News
E-Newsletter
March 2, 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 -
I hope you are enjoying all the additional daylight! The Susitna learning community appreciates Mr. Yanis (our BPO) for the incredible job putting ice melt and gravel on our walkways and playground to keep us all safe and upright! As daylight increases, many students stay up later. This is really good time to keep bedtime routines in place so students are rested and ready to learn at school. It is also a good reminder that our state testing for grades 3 - 5 begins later this month - watch for more information regarding that.
Please take a few minutes to read and look at the pictures of all the exciting things our students are enjoying. You’ll also find some activities available for students over the upcoming Spring Break (Mar. 12-16). Please stop by our Lost and Found, too, as we have many coats, boots, hats, etc. waiting to find their way home. Enjoy the sun - play outside!
Email: Hoffbauer_diane@asdk12.org
Phone: 907-742-1400
Upcoming Dates of Importance
March
1st - Safety Committee meeting 8 am
2nd - Idita-Read breakfast 8 am (formerly Dr. Seuss Bash)
2nd - Optional k/1 learning breakfast
2nd - Idita-Read Assembly 9:15 am MPR
5th - Club Ki'l 3:30-5pm Room 26
6th - Talent Show 2-3pm MPR 6:30-8pm MPR
6th - Optional PACT and Community Celebration
6th-8th - Homework Club 3:30-4: 30 pm Room 12
7th - Optional Parent Work Night 3:30-7pm
8th - Dreamer Spotted Lunches
8th- February Birthday Celebration
9th - Inservice for Teachers. NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
12th - 16th - SPRING BREAK. NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
19TH - Spring pictures 9:15-11am (individual, classroom, and clubs)
19th - Club Ki'l 3:30-5pm
20th - PTA Meeting 4-6pm
22nd - Optional Program lottery closes at 5 pm
22nd - Spring Spirit Wear Drive begins
23rd- Earth Home 10 am
23rd - Popcorn Friday
23rd - Optional Lottery is drawn
23rd - PTA Movie Night 5:30-8pm Movie starts at 6 pm
27th - Peaks State Assessment starts for grades 3-5
26th- 3rd Qtr Award Assembly
26th - Club Ki'l 3:30-5pm in Room 26
29th - Susitna Science Fair and STEM night 6-7: 30 pm
Traffic Pattern
Musical Notes
All things musical .......
Physical Education Activities
Junior Native Youth Olympics
Kristi Therriault and Codie Malloy
Susitna Teachers
Physical Education Opportunities
Health News
This month in health we will be discussing communicable diseases and illnesses that could affect us. We will talk about various symptoms associated with different illnesses and how to avoid some illness by washing our hands and keeping our bodies clean. Plenty of rest, proper nutrition, water consumption, and hand washing throughout the day as just a few examples of how we can stay clean and healthy. Have a Healthy and Safe Spring Break!!!!
Mr. Peterson, Susitna Health Teacher
Good Job!
Saniah Reynolds from Ms. Jennifer's class. She won Susitna's Spelling Bee and will be attending the State Spelling Bee on March 29th, 2018. Dylan was runner-up. Congratulations!
46th Annual Anchorage School District Student art Exhibition
The community is cordially invited to attend the:
Artists’ Reception, Friday, March 2, 2018 from 6-8pm. The reception is to honor artists from all exhibit locations.
Mayor Ethan Berkowitz and Museum Director, Julie Decker will speak at 6:30. Admission to the reception is free.
Exhibition Sites & Dates:
Primary Exhibit Location
Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center March 2 – April 8, 2018
Anchorage City Hall
March 2 – April 6, 2018
Chugiak-Eagle River Municipal Library
March 2 – April 6, 2018 ZJ
Loussac Municipal Library
March 2 – April 6, 2018
The Mall at Sears
March 5 – April 6, 2018 (delayed start) 2018
Youth Art Month Committee Members Elementary: Megan Henry, Scott McDonald, Ricki Morton Secondary: Liz Gailey, Adele George, Kelly Hebert For further information, contact Mary Wilts, Coordinator, ASD Fine Arts Department, 742-0151.
Loussac Library- Jebeziahs Edmond-Mavaega (Ms. Tammy)
Anchorage Museum- Zaden Barron (Mr. Froehlich)
Eva Hopewell (Ms. Brittany)
Soren Briggs (Mr. Allen)
Mall at Sears- Kaden Robinson (Mr. Allen)
Mrs. Hernandez,
Susitna Art teacher
News from the Librarian
• Monday - Friday, 11 am - 7:00 pm
• Saturday - Sunday, 10 am - 6:00 pm Cats may be read to in various locations: Lobby, Cattery, the Cat Room to the left of the double-doors and the classroom (when kenneled there). Cats will not be removed from their kennels to be read to. This program was begun by Ashley Perry, an energetic and driven young lady who wants to make a difference in the world despite facing her own obstacle: Ashley has been diagnosed with Turner syndrome, a disorder which can cause a variety of medical issues. AACC is thrilled to be able to help her meet her goal of establishing a shelter reading program. For More Information:
o Animal Care & ControlManager: Dr. Myra Wilson o 4711 Elmore Road, Anchorage, AK 99507 (907)343-8122
Thank you From the Librarian
Thank you!
Happy Reading, Mrs. Benfield, Teacher-Librarian ☺
PEAKS Testing
2018 PEAKS State Assessment
The Performance Evaluation for Alaska’s Schools (PEAKS) is Alaska’s summative assessment administered to students in Grades 3-9 (English language arts and mathematics) and grades 4, 8 and 10 (science) each spring. The purpose of a large-scale, summative assessment is to provide parents and schools an overall picture of a student’s progress in meeting the Alaska standards at his/her grade level. The assessment is taken on the computer and is not timed, but each content area takes approximately 100-180 minutes.
Parents can locate resources for the PEAKS assessment, including directions for PEAKS Practice tests, called Online Tools Training and PEAKS Tutorials (under Frequently Asked Questions), on the ASD website at www.asdk12.org/PEAKS.
Parents can also help by ensuring their children are well rested, eat a nutritious breakfast, and are at school on time for the days of testing. Please avoid scheduling appointments on your child’s testing days.
Our school will be testing March 26th to April 13th, 2018.
News From the Nurse
• Below is information that comes from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. It is rather long (despite my editing), however, I think it is interesting and can be beneficial to those of you who have children with allergies.
• What are IgE-mediated Food allergies?
• IgE-mediated food allergies cause your child’s immune system to react abnormally when exposed to one or more specific foods such as milk, egg, wheat or nuts. Children with this type of food allergy will react quickly - within a few minutes to a few hours. Immediate reactions are caused by an allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibody that floats around in the bloodstream. The most common food allergens include Milk, egg, soy, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish. All of these foods can trigger anaphylaxis (a severe, whole-body allergic reaction) in patients who are allergic. Five percent of children under the age of five have a food allergy and roughly four percent of adolescents and adults have a food allergy. The prevalence of food allergies is increasing. Researchers believe many factors may play a role in food allergy development including maternal diet during pregnancy, the timing of food introduction, and breastfeeding status. If you have family members who have environmental allergies, eczema or asthma, your child has an increased risk for allergy. Causes When IgE is working properly, it identifies triggers that could be harmful to the body — and tells the body to release histamine. Histamine causes symptoms such as a cough, wheeze, and hives. However, IgE can sometimes react to normal proteins, causing your child’s body to react to a specific food protein or proteins. Once a food is eaten, the protein is absorbed during digestion and enters the bloodstream. That food will cause symptoms throughout the body because of IgE. For example, if your child has an IgE-mediated allergy to the protein in milk, he may experience symptoms in the skin (hives), stomach (vomiting), lungs (coughing, wheezing), and circulatory system (decreasing blood pressure). Signs and symptoms When your child has a food allergy, her body’s IgE antibodies identify that specific food as an invader and can produce symptoms in multiple areas of the body, including
-Skin: “hives” (red blotches or welts that itch), mild to severe swelling
• Eyes: tearing, redness, itch
• Nose: clear discharge, itch, congestion
• Mouth: itch, lip swelling, tongue swelling
• Throat: tightness, trouble speaking, trouble to inhale
Lungs: shortness of breath, rapid breathing, cough, wheeze
• Stomach: repeated vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea (usually later)
• Heart and circulation: weak pulse, loss of consciousness
• Brain: anxiety, agitation, loss of consciousness Reactions to food can be different every time. Your child’s reaction can depend on a variety of factors including the amount of food eaten, uncontrolled asthma, and illness. In addition, the way the food was prepared and the amount of food protein ingested can affect your child’s reaction. Testing and diagnosis Diagnosing food allergies can happen a few ways: (1) Your child may have had a reaction to a food which led to an evaluation by an allergist (2) Your child may have had a flare of eczema, which led to concerns about a food allergy. (3) You may have discussed concerns about your child with her pediatrician, who recommended consultation with a specialist The gold standard for diagnosing a food allergy is to give the child the suspected trigger food in a controlled setting and monitor the results. This is called a food challenge test and it can also help determine if your child has outgrown a food allergy. Skin test Your child’s provider may recommend skin testing. Skin-prick testing involves introducing a small quantity of the specific food on your child’s skin, typically on the forearms. Intradermal testing — injecting a small amount of the suspected allergen under the surface of the skin — is not recommended for foods. Blood test Another useful tool for diagnosing and managing food allergies is blood testing, called allergen-specific IgE testing. This test measures the level of antibody produced in the blood in response to a food allergen. This is a useful tool your allergist may use to measure trends in blood work, in addition to skin testing and reaction history. The blood test should not be done on foods that are currently being consumed. There is also a newer type of blood test, known as component testing, which may help to identify true allergens compared to false positives. Treatments Allergic reactions can occur quickly. Whenever more than one body system is involved in a food reaction (i.e. throat and skin), the best treatment available is Epinephrine. Epinephrine comes in a variety of forms, including auto-injectors such as Epi-Pen, AuviQ, and other generic forms. If your child’s reaction is mild at first — and you’ve given him an antihistamine — then the reaction quickly worsens, you should give epinephrine. Children with food allergies should always carry epinephrine with them, or it should be readily available at places where they routinely spend time such as school, daycare, and home. When to call 911 If your child is experiencing a severe allergic reaction – whether you gave him epinephrine or not – you should call 911. This is because your child has experienced a significant allergic reaction, not because of the epinephrine. This drug works well, but wears off quickly. Medical personnel should evaluate your child. If a reaction is getting worse, your child may need other medicines such as:
• Antihistamines (such as Diphenhydramine and Cetirizine)
• Albuterol, a bronchodilator inhaler used for breathing issues
• Oxygen
• Steroids
• Medications to reduce stomach acid, such as Ranitidine Outlook Some children with IgE-mediated food allergies will outgrow their sensitivity. For example, we know that milk, egg and soy allergies are more commonly outgrown during childhood and adolescence, while peanut and tree nut allergies are more likely to persist. Only about 20 percent of patients with peanut and tree nut allergies will outgrow them. Certain factors have been associated with the persistence of food allergies, including: (1) Age of first allergic reaction. (2) Severity of allergic reaction. (3) Whether the child has asthma. (4) History of eczema. The majority of children with an egg allergy are able to tolerate cooked eggs as part of another food, such as cake (about two eggs per cake, heated at 350 degrees and cooked for 30 minutes). These same children typically would not tolerate a lightly heated egg, such as scrambled eggs or as part of French toast. Similarly, many children with a milk allergy are able to tolerate small amounts of heated milk in other food products. If your child is able to tolerate these heated forms, there is a better chance of outgrowing his food allergen. Speak with your allergist about a food challenge to the baked form of egg and milk. If your child is not able to tolerate the heated form of these foods, it is more likely she will have an IgE-mediated food allergy throughout their lives. As always, please let me know if your child has any allergies or has a change in allergens. The cafeteria manager needs to be updated and it must be documented in our computer system. Thank you for your attention to this very important topic. Nurse Anne, Susitna Elementary School Nurse (907-742-1401)
OPEN OPTIONAL NEWS
Important Optional Lottery News
I wanted to make sure that the Susitna Optional families are all aware of what will happen next school year. If a fifth grade student lives OUTSIDE of the Begich zone the school district automatically will add them to the roster for the school in which their address of record is zoned. Regardless of all other factors. Period.
NOW - should the parents or guardians wish for their student to attend another school, we have this nifty system called the LOTTERY.
It is the policy of Begich Middle school to automatically approve all the Susitna Optional student's lottery applications if they apply for the first round. THIS IS IMPORTANT!
Please help these parents know that it is very important to know this policy. They had to enter the lottery into Sustina Optional and now their student will have to go to their zoned school or enter the lottery into the school of their choice. Lottery approvals are good for the length of the program.
Please feel free to contact Sylvia at Begich, or Nicole and Amy at Susitna to get help with knowing your student's future track and determining whether or not you need to fill out a lottery application. To submit an application must be done online at the ASD website by March 22, 2018, at 5 pm. The drawing will start March 23. https://lotapp.asdk12.org/apply/login.php
Thank you for your help.
Sylvia Field Biondich, CEOE
Middle School Registrar
Nicholas J Begich Middle School
907-742-0593
Check out our Susitna Optional Program:
sites.google.com/site/susitnaoptionalparentgroup
The program is known for family involvement, high learning expectations, developmental teaching for kindergarten and first grade, individualized instruction to continue your child's development, and integration of science, social emotional learning, art and social studies.
READ! MUSH!
Dear Families,
READ! MUSH! The Great Reading Race has begun! "Idita-Read" is a school-wide reading incentive program that will run through the month of March. Students will read a set number of minutes, then mush their dog to Nome. Everyone who makes it there by March 30 will be invited to a Finisher's Banquet. Ask your teacher for a reading log. Read and keep track of your minutes. Have a parent verify it. Show your teacher. Move your dog along the display.
Remeber to read over spring break!
Check out our display in the hallway between the Office and the Library.
Special prizes for top finishers in each category!
Can you beat the first real Iditarod Musher to Nome?
Our course will follow the Southern Route.
Teachers Lindsey Huberty and Brittany Meyers at their first Iditarod on Crystal Lake.
Box Top Heroes
Save Energy
Earth Hour
We are signed up to do the Earth Hour with the Alaska Zoo on March 23rd from 10:00-11:00 am. This is the hour that we celebrate with the zoo and turn out our lights and not use any electricity... computers/technology for a whole hour!
Everyone around the world
Anchorage School Board
President: Tam Agosti-Gisler
Vice President: Starr Marsett
Treasurer: Elisa Snelling
Clerk: Kathleen Plunkett
Members: Bettye Davis, Andy Holleman, Dave Donley
Superintendent: Dr. Deena Bishop