Lake Hood Elementary
January, 2013
IN THIS ISSUE
Principal's Message
Hello Lake Hood families! I sincerely hope that everyone was able to have a restful and fun holiday break! It is so nice to be given the time to refuel and get ready for the 2nd half of the school year!
As we enter in to this second half of the year, we do have a lot going on in our school. On Feb.. 4th, the fourth graders in our school will be doing NAEP testing. This is a national assessment also known as the National Report Card. After that, the same week, on the 5th and 6th of February, our fifth graders will be taking the TerraNova assessment. These are both very important diagnostic tools that allow us to assess the progress of our students. Please make sure that if you have a 4th or 5th grader, that you do not schedule appointments on those days, that they get plenty of sleep, and eat a healthy breakfast! Thank you so much for your help and support with these!
Please make sure that you take the time to read the section of this newsletter on safety in our school and district wide. We are practicing our drills here at school, and are constantly reviewing our emergency action plan. Please do contact me here if you have any questions regarding safety here at Lake Hood.
Enjoy the longer days…there is definitely light at the end of our wintry tunnel! Thanks for sending your children to school with appropriate snow gear. I know that recess is more fun for the children when they are appropriately dressed to go outside!
Until next month, Cindy
ASD Safety Message
The tragedy in Sandy Hook, Connecticut has put school safety at the forefront. The aftermath of the shooting has many people questioning and suggesting ways to address safety in our schools.
At ASD, school safety is a top priority. Our school, and all in the Anchorage School District, has an emergency plan, staff is trained and drills are conducted regularly.
Following every significant incident, like the one in Connecticut, we work together with the Anchorage Police Department to examine a variety of options to improve safety for our children.
There is no one answer to this problem. We are reviewing a variety of different ideas. We welcome suggestions and embrace community dialogue on this important topic.
The safety of both students and staff at every school continues to be our number one priority.
CALENDAR
January 21 - NO SCHOOL Martin Luther King Holiday
January 23 - Choir begins
January 25 - Sledding Night
January 28 - Battle of the Books @ West High School 2:30 - 5:30
January 30 - Battle of the Books @ West High School 2:30 - 5:30
February 4 - NAEP Testing
Ms. Boutin - Health
Enjoying good health is Ms. Boutin's passion and she has enjoyed being our health teacher for 6 years! When students learn to make good health choices & get exited about staying healthy then Ms. Boutin knows she has made a positive difference in the world! Students will be learning about the respiratory system, germs, effects of drugs/alcohol and phases of body growth and development. When not teaching she can be found outside walking or hiking, or hanging out with her seven grandkids.
Ms. Wollrich - Kindergarten
Now in her 12th year at Lake Hood Ms. Wollrich continues to love building the educational foundation for our youngest learners. Her students are studying different kinds of rocks, writing sentences and excitedly awaiting the 100th day of kindergarten. The 100th day of school is a time for counting, collecting and reflecting on all that has been learned so far this year. This winter she organized Lake Hood's first craft fair and displayed her personal passion - making jewelry and beading!
Ms. Zerda - Kindergarten
Working with reading groups brings joy to Ms. Zerda as students discover that sounds and letters have meaning! She also is a master of developing and organizing literacy and math learning centers that students can use independently. Pebbles, Sand and Silt is the current science unit in her class. She has been at Lake Hood for 9 years, spending one of those years as a 1st grade teacher. In her spare time Ms. Zerda spends time with her husband, two teenagers and her dog Roxi.
Ms. Dreezen - Preschool
Everyday is different and the kids are always happy - that is why Ms. Dreezen keeps working with preschoolers here at Lake Hood. Snow, snowflakes and snowballs are the curriculum focus for students as they practice basic skills such as counting, coloring and writing. Coming soon is a focus on traditional folk and fairy tales. When not in her classroom Ms. Dreezen loves to play with her little dog Pebbles!
Ms. Parker - Preschool
Now in her 5th year at Lake Hood, Ms. Parker continues to love working with hands-on strategies with her preschoolers. A winter theme with shapes is the focal point for her current unit of study, with a big project based the book The Jacket I Wear in the Snow. I love the young energetic students and can see them absorb new learning everyday! Working out helps her relax after busy days and someday soon she hopes to travel to Jamica to see family.
Preschool Special Education Program
This program provides services for children ages 3 to 5 who experience developmental delays or other disabilities. Contact the ASD Special Education Department for more information. Preschool helps young children learn the skills and knowledge they need to enter school. All classrooms focus on developing each child’s thinking, language, motor skills, and social and emotional well-being.
Ms. Teekell-O - 1st Grade
Here in 1st grade Ms. Teekell-O is hard at work teaching students to read! Everyday students practice sight words, phonics, vocabulary and reading comprehension. The science kit on Alaska Animals is up next and a squid will be dissected. After school Ms. Teekell-O likes to ski, cook and hang out with her sister who teaches 6th grade!
Ms. Stewart -- 1st Grade
Water is one of the main topics in Ms. Stewart's class! They are planning to make a movie about the characteristics of water and the water cycle. A pop-up book will be created by each student to demonstrate their learning. Ms. Stewart is working toward becoming a principal in her spare time as well as spending time with her family!
ASD School Board
Anchorage School Board Jeannie Mackie, president / Tam Agosti-Gisler / Gretchen Guess / Pat Higgins / Natasha Von Imhof / Kathleen Plunkett / Don Smith / ASD Superintendent- Jim Browder, Ed.D.
iPads @ Lake Hood
- Reading & Math apps for students
- Teacher use - Using camera/apps for building real-time "social stories"
- Vocabulary Center for students
- Teacher use - progress monitoring student growth in reading
- English Language Learning apps for students
- Teacher use - going paperless!
Top 100 Children's Novels, part 1 (#1-#25) from an online survey
2 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
3 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
4 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
5 From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
6 Holes by Louis Sachar
7 The Giver by Lois Lowry
8 The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
9 Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
10 The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
11 The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
12 The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
13 Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
14 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling
15 Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
16 Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
17 Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
18 Matilda by Roald Dahl
19 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
20 Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
21 Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
22 The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo
23 Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
24 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
25 Little Women by Louisa May Alcott