Welcome to Ravenwood!
September 2022
Hello Ravenwood Families,
I hope you and your students R2 excited about their school year so far! We have welcomed 489 new and returning PK-6th grade students into our school making us the largest elementary school in Eagle River/Chugiak, and the 6th largest in ASD! Thank you for entrusting your students to us!
We appreciate everyone's efforts to be understanding with the bus shortage. The cooling temperatures means we will have frosty roads and walkways soon, so PLEASE continue to:
- be cautious (prioritizing safety)
- use our dismissal traffic patterns (see below), and
- yield to school buses (as they need to get to school for pick-up).
The force is STRONG in this school community and we hope to have all of our students and their families here for Open House next week, Wednesday, Sept. 21. We'll have informational tables set up in the gym and library starting at 5:30p, so you can learn more about things like: Cafeteria, Campfire, Health Services, PTSO, Scouts, and meet author Julia Cook. In the library, learn more about the math curriculum and iReady from Erin Hall, ASD Math Coordinator. Classrooms will be open from 6-7p for tours, scavenger hunts, and to showcase student work. This will give you a great idea of what your student is learning, and questions you may want to follow-up with at Parent/Teacher Conferences next month, Oct. 26-27.
Please take a few minutes to read this month's newsletter and learn more about: Picture Day, Volunteering, Bus Transportation, Author Visit, PTSO, Nurse Info, Health Education Notice, Library News, and so much more!
May the force be with you,
Kim Bautista
Principal, Ravenwood Elementary School
“Truly wonderful the mind of a child is.”
-Master Jedi Yoda
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School Picture Day is Tuesday, Sept. 13th
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In order to drive for a field trip, volunteers must complete the same Volunteer Application and Waiver PLUS provide the following to the office:
- completed Volunteer Driver Form (attached)
- copy of their driver's license
- copy of their current vehicle registration
- 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
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BUS TRANSPORTATION
Thank you for your patience and understanding contending with the challenge of increased traffic and time at dismissal. The loop, parking lot, and Ptarmigan are consistently clear by 3:45 daily - so way to go! PLEASE continue to:
- be cautious (prioritizing safety)
- use our dismissal traffic patterns (see below), and please
- yield to school buses (as they need to get to school for pick-up).
We anticipate many families will continue their current transportation plans when limited bus service starts for Cohort 3 (only October 3-20), so the traffic lines will likely continue to be heavy at dismissal.
If you are planning to have your student ride the bus, please confirm bus stops and times, as routes have been condensed, and students will likely be walking further to bus stops. ASD Bus Stop Information
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Welcome AnJanet Doehling, our new Cafeteria Manager! Starting Monday, Sept. 12, hot lunch service will resume at Ravenwood. Parents can add money to student lunch accounts through Parent Connect, or send in cash or checks made payable to "Anchorage School District". We really do not want students to accumulate a lot of charges, which will add up fast. Families can apply online for free and reduced meals. Click here for more information
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Upcoming Dates of Importance
Sept. 12 – Hot Meal Service Scheduled to begin/$$Pay to Eat
Sept. 13 – Picture Day with Lifetouch
Sept. 14 – 4th Grade Field Trip to Campbell Creek Science Center
Sept. 21 – Author Visit – Julia Cook - Student Assemblies throughout the day
Sept. 21 - Ravenwood OPEN HOUSE - Join us!!
------------5:30-6:00 - MPR/GYM/Library info booths
------------6:00-7:00 Classes Open for Visits
Sept. 22 – Lions Club Photo Screening PK-2 and new students - during school day
Sept. 22 – Beach Lake Jamboree (see schedule below)
Oct. 7 - Popcorn Friday
Oct. 12 - PTSO Meeting at 6p in the Art Room or join on Zoom
------------Zoom Mtg link - Meeting ID: 892 9651 2730 and Passcode: ptso
Oct. 20 - Class Pictures /Picture Retakes with LifeTouch
Oct. 20 –Great AK Shakeout – District-wide Earthquake Drill 10:20a
Oct. 21 - No School / In-Service Day / End of 1st Quarter
Oct. 24 – 6th grade Peace Poster entries due
Oct. 24 - 27 - Scholastic Book Fair in the Library
Oct. 26-27 - Parent/Teacher Conferences/Early Dismissal at 12:30p
Oct. 28 - Inservice Day/No School for Students
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Ravenwood families!
I wanted to communicate with our families on our policies for when your child(ren) is sick and the current 22/23 return to school policy.
What Has Changed?
- ASD is NO longer requiring Covid testing to return to school following an illness
- ASD nurses are no longer providing testing for Covid at their schools and no drive-thru sites are available on school grounds.
What to do if my child is ill or sent home ill by the nurse:
- If you are calling your child out absent from school due to illness or for any other reason- please call the attendance line to notify the front office or mark the absence in Q under Parent Connect so they can be excused.
- Please see ASD’s “When To Keep Your Child Home >From School” guidelines below.
- If your child tests positive for Covid, please contact Nurse Cottle for isolation period and return to school guidelines – see below
- Once your child’s symptoms have resolved/resolving and NO fever for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medications, they can return to school.
- Vomiting/Diarrhea: Children should not return to school until 24 hours after the last episode of vomiting or diarrhea.
Current 22/23 ASD Covid Protocol
ASD does not plan to offer any form of COVID testing in the schools for 22/23 school year and testing is not a requirement. If your child is ill and you choose to test for COVID and they are positive, they will need to follow current CDC guidelines for isolation. You can find those guidelines on the CDC website and summarized below:
- If your child has a positive test, isolate for 5 days. Day 0 is day symptoms started or if no symptoms, day test was administered.
- Child may return to school/work with symptoms resolving on day 6. They will need to wear a mask day 6-10. May resume optional mask wearing on Day 11.
- Please contact Nurse Cottle if your child has tested positive for Covid. You will be notified of your child’s 5-day isolation status, return to school date and guidelines for Day 6-10 masking and Day 11 date to resume optional mask wearing. They will be excused from school until they are ready to return to school should that extend past their 5 day isolation period.
I am strongly encouraging parents and our teachers to reinforce preventative measures against infectious disease:
- HAND WASHING- after using the restroom, before eating, and as needed
- Cover Nose/Mouth when coughing or sneezing- use the inside of the elbow to cover the nose and mouth- this prevents contaminating hands and spreading germs. Wash hands if you accidentally sneeze/cough in your hands.
- Keep student(s) home when ill and keep them home until symptoms are resolved as mentioned above. This will decrease the spread of Covid, Flu and many other viral illnesses in our school. Please be conscious of other Ravenwood families and staff.
- ASD will be providing community Flu Vaccine Clinics this Fall free to students and families for those that choose to immunize.
- Healthy Eating - eating 3 well balanced meals throughout the day and nutritious snacks to fuel the brain and body.
- Water- Provide your child with a water bottle that they can refill throughout the school day. Keeping the body hydrated has many positive effects on the body to include: regulating body temperature, alleviating headaches, regulating bowel movements, helping with dry skin/eyes and has zero sugar!
- SLEEP- 8 hours of sleep per night and a bedtime routine. Sleep allows the body to rest and recover, improving health and wellness. A bedtime routine helps children fall asleep faster. Removing electronics an hour before bedtime also allows the brain to rest and prepare for sleep.
- Winter Gear- Please provide appropriate winter gear for your child as the weather changes. Hats, Gloves, Rain Gear, Winter Jackets, Snow Pants and Boots. Children will be outside to temperatures as low as -10 degrees for recess and PE. If you need assistance with winter gear, please contact Nurse Cottle.
I will keep our Ravenwood community up to date on any changes or adjustments should they arise throughout the year. My office hours are 8am-4pm Mon-Fri and I can be reached by phone @ 907-742-3254 or via email - cottle_jennifer@asdk12.org.
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Notice of Health Screenings 2022/2023
Alaska Statute Sec. 14.30.127. The statute is amended to read: (a) A vision, weight, height, and hearing screening examination shall be given to each child attending school in the state. The examination shall be made when the child enters school or as soon thereafter as is practical, and at regular intervals specified by regulation and/or by the governing body of the district.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of the school health screening program is to detect certain health problems that may be barriers to student learning, and to determine if further evaluation or assistance is needed in any of the areas screened. The program assures that all ASD students are appropriately screened as required by Alaska state statute Sec. 14.30.127, 7 AAC.27.213, or school board policy, or if there is reason to suspect a problem.
Vision, color, eye muscle balance/photo screening, hearing, height and weight screening tests are conducted at select intervals in grades Pre-K, K, 1, 3, and 5 at the elementary school level, and all New to District Students grades 1-6, according to state requirements. You will be notified by Nurse Cottle if a referral for further evaluation by a specialist is recommended based on the school screening.
Mass Photo Screening is scheduled @ Ravenwood on Thursday, 09/22/22 with volunteers from our local Lions Club. Photo screening takes a picture/measurement of a child’s eye and identifies children with possible visual defects which place a child at risk for developing amblyopia. Photoscreeners use an optical image or invisible wavelength of light to detect significant refractive errors, opacities that block transmission of light to the retina, and abnormal ocular alignment.
Please contact Nurse Cottle @ 907-742-3254 or via email @ cottle_jennifer@asdk12.org with any questions. Thank you.
Jennifer Cottle, BSN, RN, NCSN
Ravenwood Elementary School Nurse
907-742-3254
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Health Lesson Info for 22-23
Dear Ravenwood Parents/Guardians,
This letter is to let you know that your child’s class will be receiving age-appropriate lessons on child sexual abuse and assault prevention education as required under the state’s Alaska Safe Children’s Act (Erin’s Law).
Erin’s Law Education is comprised of quarterly grade level lessons will be taught during the Health classes by your child’s teacher. Combined, these lessons meet the full requirements for student training under the Alaska Safe Children’s Act, Erin’s Law, and are designed to help prevent childhood sexual abuse. These lessons will be presented in a non-threatening way, along with the skills needed for self-protection and will be handled in a sensitive, respectful manner.Information about the quarterly lessons can be viewed HERE.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1J4mCSGZi6GBUv14WBpiO-7gsrj7DbXtA?usp=sharing
If you have any questions about the content of the program or if you wish to inquire about opting out, please contact your child’s teacher.
Thank you for partnering with us as we continue to provide learning opportunities to improve the safety and wellbeing of our students.
Sincerely,
Kim Bautista
Principal, Ravenwood Elementary School
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Beach Lake Cross-Country Running Jamboree
COME JOIN THE FUN!!
Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022 at Chugiak High School Soccer Field and Trails
Complete the registration form and ASD waiver and return to Ms. Nielsen by Sept. 20th.
5:00pm Welcome & National Anthem by our Ravenwood Choir
5:15pm PreK Tot Trot (1/8 mile)
5:30pm Kindergarten girls and boys (3/4 mile)
5:45pm 1st & 2nd Grade girls (1 mile)
6:00pm 1st & 2nd Grade boys (1 mile)
6:15pm 3rd & 4th Grade girls (1.25 miles)
6:30pm 3rd & 4th Grade boys (1.25 miles)
6:45pm 5th & 6th Grade girls (1.5 miles)
7:00pm 5th & 6th Grade boys (1.5 miles)
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Ravenwood friends and families! Your PTSO wants to say hello and welcome, and to let you know about our upcoming events! There's always a lot going on, pretty much it's all amazing and you probably won't want to miss anything! You can follow us on FaceBook - Ravenwood Elementary PTSO, or checkout our website - www.ravenwoodptso.net.
We had our first PTSO meeting of the year last week, and invite everyone to join and become an active part! We are always looking for new volunteers to lead and lend an extra pair of hands, so mark your calendar and plan to join us at our next meeting, Wednesday, Oct. 12th, at 6pm in the Art Room, or you can also join us on our Zoom Mtg link. PTSO sponsors a lot of events and fun here at Ravenwood, such as Spirtwear Orders, Popcorn Fridays, Picture Day with LifeTouch, Movie Nights, Fall Harvest Festival, and much more! Next week, author Julia Cook is coming to meet students during the day, and will be available for families to meet at Open House because our PTSO Members voted yes last year-so she's coming because of the voices of our parents! Thank you!
Warmly,
Sarah Aubin, PTSO President
PTSO Sponsors Author Visit for Ravenwood Students and Parents
Julia Cook, a former teacher and school counselor with a Master’s Degree in Elementary School Counseling will be here to share her books and the writing process at student assemblies on Wednesday, September 21. Her children’s books are geared toward making a positive difference in the lives of all who read them. Some of her titles include: My Mouth Is A Volcano, A Bad Case of Tattle Tongue, Personal Space Camp, But It’s Not My Fault, Smarter Than the Scoopers, Lying Up a Storm, Gas Happens, I Am A Booger, Treat Me With Respect!, The Bubble Wrap Queen, It’s Hard to Be a Verb!, Melvin the Magnificent Molar, Cell Phoney, Bully Beans, and over 60 more!
Parents are invited to meet her and her adorable little dogs Jake, Kirby and Angus at Open House, September 21, at 5:30 in the gym where she will be doing book signing, and taking orders for books. You can learn more about her and order her books at: https://www.juliacookonline.com/
Back to School Social and Teacher Meet and Greet, Spirit Wear, Popcorn Fridays, and more . . .
Popcorn Friday is quite the production! Thank you PTSO!
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RAVENWOOD PICK-UP PROCEDURE
We really appreciate everyone's continued patience and understanding as we try to reduce traffic backing up on/across Eagle River Road, and maintain the SAFE flow of traffic at dismissal. Please talk with your children about any changes in pick-up locations - so we get them to the correct area at dismissal.
- 3rd - 6th graders -use both sides of Ptarmigan (see diagram below), pulling as close to curb as possible to allow for through traffic and BUSES. Parents/staff will assist students crossing to their vehicles (since this is 2-way traffic).
- Kindergarten - 2nd graders AND those with older siblings - use the car rider loop for pick-up.
- Preschool and those who need to assist students use parking lot to park and assist students crossing the street.
- Student who live in Eaglewood, if not walking home, please consider arranging pick-up of students on Montague.
Safety Reminders:
- Please avoid U-turns or using private driveways on Ptarmigan - please continue with flow of traffic - pulling as far to the curb as possible to allow for through traffic.
- Students are not allowed to cross Eagle River Road - it is far too dangerous.
- Speed limit is only 5 mph on campus/parking lot.
- Stay alert for students and watching the road (no cell phones or distracted driving)
- If your student is walking/riding a bike - please have them wear reflective gear/clothing to be more visible. Bike riders must wear a helmet.
- Smiles and waves to staff on duty is always appreciated!
Thank you for prioritizing student safety! Please contact our front office, if you need additional clarification, have questions, or still have transportation needs/suggestions.
“Your focus determines your reality.”
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School Business Partners
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Statement of Nondiscrimination
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.
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Anchorage School Board Members
Vice President, Carl Jacobs
Treasurer, Kelly Lessens
Clerk, Dora Wilson
Seat C, Dave Donley
Seat D, Andy Holleman
Seat E, Pat Higgins
Dr. Jharrett Bryantt, Superintendent