Alpenglow School Newsletter
October 2022
Home of the Snow Leopard
Land Acknowledgement
We would like to acknowledge that our school is on the traditional lands of the Dena’ina Athabascan people. It is with gratitude and respect that we recognize the past and present contributions of Alaska’s first people. Chin/an (thank you).
From the Principal
Dear Snow Leopards,
October brings beautiful autumn colors, cooler weather, and shorter days. As a school community, it brings the end of the first quarter on the 21st. It is time to celebrate the hard work our students and staff have been doing as our daily routines and procedures have been internalized, thus creating a positive learning environment. I hope you can see the growth happening in your child. It is our goal to develop all our students into passionate, confident, and lifelong learners.
This edition contains important information about parent-teacher conferences, safety protocols, and winter preparation.
Best regards,
Denise Demetree-Trombley
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences are on Wednesday, October 26th, and Thursday, October 27th. On conference days, students are released from school at 12:30 pm. There is no school on Friday, October 28th.
The ultimate goal for both parents and teachers should be to get a well-rounded understanding of what is happening with the child in their day-to-day life. For parents, it gives insight into how the day goes for their child while they are in school - academically, socially, and emotionally. For teachers, it is similar, they gain insight into how things go at home. Having a healthy partnership with your child’s teacher can make all the difference in his/her school experience.
Question to ask at a parent-teacher conference
May I tell you about my child?
May I tell you about what is going on at home?
How is my child doing socially?
How is my child doing emotionally?
What are my child’s academic strengths and weaknesses?
is my child performing on grade level?
What do academic performance assessments mean?
Does my child need extra help in any areas?
May I share a concern?
Can you fill me in on a particular situation?
How can I help at home to support what you’re doing in the classroom?
What is the best way to communicate with you?
Please visit the online scheduler at: https://www.asdk12.org/Page/5584 to access the Conference Scheduler. The online Conference Scheduler will be available for your convenience beginning Monday, October 3, 2022. Early Scheduling offers you the opportunity to secure conference times that work best for your family.
Safety is Our Top Priority
I want to take a few moments to explain the practices and protocols we have in place to
keep everyone safe and prepared in the event of an emergency. We conduct three safety drills: an evacuation drill, an earthquake drill, and either a lockdown or stay-put drill.
An evacuation drill is conducted once a month – during this drill, an alarm is sounded, and students, staff, and visitors evacuated the building and meet in a central location. We have a main route and a secondary route. We inform the fire department and the alarm security company of this. A team of staff check the building. Teachers take their emergency backpack with supplies and a current class roster for these drills. There are procedures in place for locating students who may not be with their homeroom class when the evacuation takes place (i.e. visiting the nurse or in the restroom).
An earthquake drill is conducted once per semester - for this drill, an announcement is made in which students and staff duck, cover, and hold either under tables or against walls. In the event of a real earthquake, students and staff will know what to do. Again, a team of staff checks each classroom.
A lockdown or stay-put drill is conducted once per semester – for both these drills, an announcement is made, and the classroom doors and the exterior doors are locked. The stay-put indicates a concern in the community but not in the building. Learning continues in the classroom, but hallway passing is limited and only under adult supervision. The lockdown indicates a building security concern. The children, along with the teacher, locate themselves out of sight of all windows and doors. No one moves until the all-clear is announced. For both these drills, a team of staff check the building and all rooms.
An A.L.I.C.E. drill is conducted once per quarter. In this drill, an announcement is made before the drill takes place. During our first quarter drill, everyone evacuated the building and walked to our primary rally point, which is the parking lot of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Driftwood Bay Drive. For future drills, they are scenario based. As we prepare to practice, more information will be sent home.
We completed our first A.L.I.C.E. drill on Monday, September 26, 2022.
In the event of a catastrophic disaster, we have an emergency plan in place. The plan is
updated each August, and staff are trained. We hold a monthly safety committee meeting and welcome parent input. Practice develops automaticity. This is why we practice these safety drills on a continual basis.
Four 'B's
At the conclusion of the morning announcements each day, I remind students to Be Safe, Be Respectful and Kind, Be Responsible and Be Ready. These four guiding principles represent the framework that governs our school’s positive behavior expectations. We are a caring learning community that needs each person to take an active role in establishing and maintaining a positive school climate. Please help us reinforce safe and respectful behaviors at Alpenglow Elementary School.
Be Safe is our number one priority. Being safe means we are following classroom, school, and district rules. We will not bully; we will help others who are bullied; we will include others who are easily left out; when we know someone is being bullied, we will tell an adult at school and an adult at home.
Be Respectful and Kind means we need to be very careful with each other and very intentional about how we speak and act toward others and ourselves. Treating others the same as you would want them to treat you is key. We honor each person’s unique experiences and gifts. We are in many ways alike, but we also celebrate and treasure our differences. We as adults are the role model of what respect and kindness look like.
Re Responsible means acting appropriately without guidance or supervision. Students don’t rely on adults to remind them when they’re supposed to be somewhere, what they’re supposed to bring or how they’re supposed to behave. You take responsibility. Being responsible means answering for your own actions. This means not making excuses or blaming others for what you do.
Be Ready means coming to school ready to learn and make good choices.
Be Prepared
The weather is getting cooler, and it is time to start our preparation for winter’s arrival. As you begin to winterize your home, car, and garden to handle the winter weather, don’t forget to dig out those winter clothes for your child to wear on their way to and from school and during recess.
Please make sure your child comes to school prepared to spend 30 minutes outdoors. By ASD policy, we have outdoor recess unless the wind chill factor is below -10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Exposure to cold weather can lead to tissue damage. The best prevention is wearing appropriate, well-fitting clothing (hat, jacket, gloves, snow pants, and boots) plus a face mask or scarf for especially sensitive skin.
Join the Team
Would you like to work at Alpenglow? We need you! We need Noon Supervisors to supervise and assist students during lunch and at recess to ensure student safety. The hours are Monday – Friday from 10:45 to 1:15. You can find the application HERE.
We are also looking for a Cafeteria Manager to ensure meals are prepared on schedule and according to food safety guidelines. The work day is 5 hours. You can find the application HERE.
We are also in great need of Substitute Teachers. Follow this LINK for more details and qualifications.
Please contact Mrs. Demetree-Trombley if you have any questions or plan to apply.
From the Nurse
Attention parents! Routine Health Screening is scheduled for October 14th and 19th here at school. Students in Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th grades and all new to district students will be screened. We will track their height, weight, vision and hearing. If your student wears glasses/contacts and/or hearing devices please ensure they have them on these dates for accurate screening results. Please encourage maximum attendance on these days. Thank you for your assistance and cooperation!
From the Health Teacher
Dear Parents and 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. 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 our Elem. Health Specialist, Theresa Moore moore_theresa@asdk12.org.
Thank you for partnering with us as we continue to provide learning opportunities to improve the safety and well being of our students.
Sincerely,
Theresa Moore
News from PE
Recently students participated in a Frisbee unit (1-3 grade) and football unit (4-6 grade). Students were able to play frisbee golf and Frisbee can jam. Students in grades 4-6 learned how to play ultimate football and flag football.
Earlier in the school year, students participated in a soccer unit and a training camp unit in which students learned gym expectations and how to respect their teachers and classmates.
Coming up, students will have the opportunity to test their fitness skills. Students in 4th-6th grade will be completing elements of the FitnessGram test. This will be for an effort grade only, as this allows your student to see where their fitness skills compare to other boys and girls at their age level. Students will be focusing on cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and endurance, flexibility, and body composition.
At the end of October (Oct 24-28) there will be both a ninja course and the haunted gym set up in the gymnasium. This will allow students to test their agility skills as they travel through a fun, challenging obstacle course.
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. If your child is in Kindergarten-2nd grade, they will be able to receive help in tying their shoes until December. Once 3rd quarter begins, I no longer help students tie their shoes. Please help your student learn how to tie. Tying shoes for both classroom and physical education teachers takes away from valuable learning time. Slip on shoes, crocs, and boots are dangerous to participate in during class and are not recommended for gym shoes. This is also a reminder that students should not be wearing their gym shoes outside. If your student needs additional shoes and you are unable to afford them, please email me and I will provide your child with a pair of shoes.
This is also a friendly reminder that students should not have gum at school. Gum is especially dangerous in physical education class, as it can cause a choking hazard. Please leave gum at home.
After School Activities
Cross Country Running just finished up at the end of September. Congratulations to those students who participated in both the Kincaid Coyote Classic, and Beach Lake Running Jamboree. Great season, Snow Leopards!!
Thank you for keeping your child healthy and active,
Sincerely,
Kim Reed Resheske_kimberly@asdk12.org
Dates to Remember
October is Anti-Bullying, be Kind Month
Every Friday – Show your Alpenglow school spirit. Wear an Alpenglow shirt or school colors – black, teal, and white
- Oct 3 - PTA Meeting
- Oct 4 - Battle of the Books Begins
- Oct 7 - Popcorn Friday
- Oct 10 - Indigenous Peoples’ Day
- Oct 13 - Breast Cancer Awareness Day - Wear Pink
- Oct 14 - Health Screening
- Oct 19 - Health Screening
- Oct 20 - Great Alaska Shake-out
- Fall Harvest Family Game Night and Choir Concert
- Oct 21 - No School - End of First Quarter
- Oct 24 - 27 - Scholastic Book Fair
- Ninja Course in PE
- Oct 26 Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Early Dismissal @ 12:30
- Flu Shot Clinic
- Oct 27 - Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Early Dismissal @ 12:30
- Flu Shot Clinic
- Oct 28 - No School
- Oct 31 - Halloween - Costumes allowed. No Face coverings or look-a-like weapons
November
- Nov. 4 - Popcorn Friday
- Nov 6 - Daylight Saving Time ends
- Nov 7 - PTA Meeting
- Spirit Day – 50th day of school – Wear a white t-shirt, rolled-up blue jeans, and poodle skirts.
- Nov 8 - Asynchronous Learning Day - Learning continues at home
- Election Day
- Nov 10 - Picture Retake Day
PTA News
Happy Fall Ya’ll!!!
Fall Festival & Spooky Nights Choir Concert – October 20th
With the changing of the leaves and the cooler temps, Fall is upon us! Which means our Fall Festival and Spooky Nights Choir Concert is almost here! We have partnered up with the Choir and Student Council to bring you guys a fun filled night! Games, crafts, an Ewww Wall, Trick-or-Treat the halls, and a concert by our very own Choir!! Wear your costumes and come have some fun! See below for the time schedule:
- 5:30pm – Event starts - Gym opens for games, crafts, Ewww Wall
- 6:00pm – Concert begins (games will be closed during the concert)
- 6:30pm – Games open back up, and Trick-or-Treating the Halls begins
- 7:30pm – Event Ends
This is going to be an event you don’t want to miss!!
Jog-a-thon
Wow!! What a fun day we had! We want to start by saying THANK YOU to everyone who participated. Whether you donated, volunteered, or came to cheer on your Snow Leopard, we appreciate your support! This year we raised a total of $16,624!!! That’s amazing!! If we add in our fantastic Business Sponsors, we have a total of $19,124!! These donations will go towards purchasing the remainder of the classroom projectors, as well as continuing to support our school with classroom enrichments, teacher & staff support, and special events. We couldn’t be prouder of our Snow Leopard community!
Our top 3 classrooms that earned the most pledges and will receive a special treat are:
- Mrs. Petrie’s class w/$2,750 – Pizza & Ice Cream Party
- Mrs. Williams class w/ $2.255 – Ice Cream Party
- Mrs. Lawson’s class w/ $2,070 – Ice Cream Party
Congratulations to all of us!! This Jog-a-thon was a huge success!!
Yearbook Club
The Yearbook Club, hosted by the PTA, is off to a great start!! Our club members have been working hard and coming up with some awesome ideas to preserve this year’s memories. I’m so excited to see it when it’s all finished!
Next PTA Meeting is this Monday, October 3rd @ 4:00pm in the Library
Volunteer Opportunities!!!
Decorations -
If you enjoy decorating, then we NEED you! The PTA is looking for some creative decorators to help with decorating the school’s halls for our Fall Festival! Sign up with the link below: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4AA4AD2DABFEC07-decorations
Fall Festival –
We have a couple different volunteer opportunities, as well as time slots. Please select what works best for you!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4AA4AD2DABFEC07-fall
Popcorn Hands (Not Popcorn Friday) –
Come pop some popcorn and make popcorn hands for our Fall Festival!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4AA4AD2DABFEC07-popcorn1
Popcorn Fridays –
We still have a couple volunteer opportunities for Popcorn Fridays!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E4AA4AD2DABFEC07-popcorn
PTA Dates to Remember
October 3rd – PTA Meeting @ 4:00pm in the Library
October 7th – Popcorn Friday
October 20th – Fall Festival & Choir Concert