Birchwood Banner

Mission: Birchwood ABC promotes a positive Attitude, excellent Behavior, and a Commitment to lifelong learning

Vision: Our commitment is to ensure all students receive a high quality education and to produce responsible students in a safe environment that values lifelong learning

At Birchwood ABC, we are committed to providing a nurturing and engaging environment that fosters your child's academic and personal growth. Regular attendance not only ensures that your child receives the necessary instruction but also enables them to actively participate in classroom discussions, collaborate with peers, and fully engage in the learning process. We firmly believe that consistent attendance directly correlates with improved academic performance and a better understanding of the curriculum. Birchwood ABC Elementary School and the ASD have a goal of having everyone attend school at least 90% of the time.

Consistent attendance helps students develop essential life skills, such as discipline, time management, and responsibility, which are critical for their future success. By attending school regularly, students develop a routine that prepares them for the demands of higher education and the professional world.

We understand that unavoidable circumstances may arise, leading to occasional absences. However, we kindly request your support in prioritizing your child's attendance to ensure their continuous progress and development. Should you encounter any challenges regarding attendance, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to provide support and guidance to help overcome any obstacles that may hinder your child's attendance.

Tammy Hershman M.Ed.

​Principal, Birchwood ABC

Current snapshot of BWABC attendance data for August and September. Birchwood has 77.93% of students attending 90% of the time.

Flu season is upon us with Alaska currently experiencing a High Activity Level of Influenza.

Influenza, the "flu," is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and lungs. Flu symptoms begin suddenly and can include fever, headache, chills, body/muscle aches, extreme tiredness, dry cough, and sore throat. Young children may also have nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Nausea and vomiting alone, commonly referred to as the "stomach flu," are often caused by other factors and are not influenza.

The flu can be spread easily from person to person through the air by coughing or sneezing. The virus can also be spread on surfaces or hands that have been contaminated with secretions from the mouth, nose, and throat. An infected person can begin spreading the flu one day before having symptoms and up to seven days after becoming sick.

To try to minimize exposure to the flu, do your best to keep your distance from those who are sick; cover your mouth and nose with tissue when coughing or sneezing; wash hands often with soap and water; avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.

Students should NOT be sent to school if:

* They have a temperature of 100.4 or higher; your child should stay home until they are fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medicine for 24 hours.

* They have a constant runny nose.

* They have a cough that is frequent and wet.

* They are experiencing nausea.

* They are too tired or uncomfortable to function at school.

For more information please visit:

Alaska Public Health Influenza Page: https://health.alaska.gov/dph/Epi/id/Pages/influenza/fluinfo.aspx

When to Keep Your Child Home from School: https://www.asdk12.org/Page/6622

Healthy Future Activity Logs

October activity logs are due Friday, November 3rd. They can be turned into your teacher, Mr. Olson, or the office.

Begin your November Activity Log Today! Due by Dec 5th

November is the FINAL month of the FALL CHALLENGE. Activity logs will not be passed out in P.E. as we try to encourage students to take on the responsibility of this task. Students may get logs from the media rack in front of the school office, from the folder as they exit school, print a log at home (click HERE) or my favorite is when they make their own log or calendar on a scratch sheet of paper.

After November, The next Healthy Future Challenge will begin in February, but students are always encouraged to continue logging activities throughout the year!

Mrs. Turner's art students are embarking on an exciting journey to explore colors from diverse corners of the world. We invite you to be a part of this STEAM-driven project on your upcoming vacation by bringing back a small sample of soil. This will allow us to study and appreciate how the soil's unique characteristics differ from one place to another, enhancing our understanding of the global spectrum of colors. Your contribution to this creative endeavor will be greatly appreciated.

This month's Health Unit is on Nutrition. I love the timing for this as we prepare to be bombarded with all things Holidays and Sugar. Kids have been learning about healthful foods that fuel their bodies using the My Plate model. Please discuss healthful food choices, and limit sending in candy for lunch time to help students focus on good nutrition:)

Alaska Life @ Our Library™

2023 – 2024 Bookmark Design Contest

sponsored by ASD Librarians

This contest is open to all ASD students in grades K-12. There are four levels: Primary (K-3), Intermediate (4-6), Middle School, and High School.

Entries must:

• fit the theme and include the phrase Alaska Life @ Our Library™

• be the original work of the student, whether hand drawn, digital art, or computer generated

• be the correct size: 7” x 2 ¾” either horizontal or vertical

• be submitted with the student's full name and grade on the back of the bookmark

• No copyrighted characters may be included on the bookmark.

Use your imagination and any ideas relating to reading, literacy and the love of the library!

Entries are due Friday, December 15. Submit your entry to your school librarian. The winning school entries will go to district judging. Entries become the property of the Anchorage School District and may be used in other advertisements.The winning designs will be reproduced and distributed to ASD schools!

Tanya Tyson

Birchwood ABC K-5 Librarian

What a whirlwind, I can’t believe that we’re already finished with first quarter! Choir is going strong for 4th and 5th graders, they’re working hard toward a performance at the Winter Wonderland Celebration in Eagle River Town Square (time and date TBD), and Honor Choir auditions are Nov 1st and 2nd for 5th graders; we hope to have a great turn-out this year! All classes are working toward music literacy this quarter - reading notes and rhythms and decoding notation, building up skills to translate to instruments and other activities throughout the year.

Also happening in the music room this year are Box Tops For Education! We are already off to a great start for the year and would love to invite families to join us in raising money for the music room from items you’re already buying for your house. In the Box Tops app, you can scan your receipt and for every participating product you purchase the music room gets 10¢! Participating products are General Mills cereals, Lysol cleaning supplies, PaperMate pens and pencils, Annie’s food products, Pillsbury, and many more. Scan the QR for more information: Thank you for all your support!

Best, Caiti Hopper

Birchwood ABC,

Congratulations to the newly elected student council officers. It's wonderful to see students stepping up to take on leadership roles and make a positive impact on their school or organization. I'm sure they will do a fantastic job in their new positions.

We are excited to share an initiative that promotes healthy eating and supports our Student Council: Fresh & Healthy Food Delivery from Full Circle!

Here's what you need to know:

🌽 **Fresh & Nutritious:** Full Circle delivers a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables all year round, ensuring you and your family have access to healthy options.

💙 **Supporting Our Student Council:** When you subscribe, 12% of each order goes directly to our Student Council, helping us fund important projects and activities.

Ready to get started? Click the link below and use code "ABC" to register for the convenience of home delivery:

https://www.fullcircle.com/

Don't miss out on this opportunity to make healthy eating easier and support our Student Council's initiatives. We encourage you to take advantage of this partnership with Full Circle.

Thank you for your continued support!

Thank you for supporting our Believe kids Fall Catalog Fundraiser! We couldn’t do the fun things we do without your donations and support! Items that were purchased with the ‘ship to school’ option are on the way and will be sent home as soon as we get them. Prizes will be included in that delivery. Thank you all so much!

The Holiday Market is next month! If you would like to sign up to help run the market or wrap gifts, we would appreciate any help! Follow this link to sign up:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A054BA8AF2BA4F85-45587143-2023

If you have any new items to donate for the holiday market, please reach out to Sarah at birchwoodpta@gmail.com

(examples could be; keychains, earrings, ornaments, zipper pulls.)

Looking for some new books to read over the Christmas break? Come shop our book fair and find some wonderful titles!

Birchwood Advisory Committee (BAC)

Birchwood places a strong emphasis on respect, caring, fairness, responsibility, trustworthiness, and citizenship.

Please consider coming and joining us for the principal’s report and discussing any new news or concerns about the school.

BAC Meeting: Nov 16th in the school library from 6-7 PM

All Meeting Notes can be viewed at https://www.asdk12.org/domain/4692

Any questions can be emailed to bacbirchwood@gmail.com

Leadership: The action of leading a group of people or an organization.

Nov 3rd Red, White, and Blue Assembly

Nov 6th-9th Book Fair

Nov 8th Superhero Dress Up Day

Nov 10th In Service Day

Nov 16th BAC Meeting

Nov 23-24 Thanksgiving Holiday

Tara Murdoch-Barndt and 773d Logistics Readiness Squadron