Ravenwood Elementary
September 2021
Home of the Ravens
Ravenwood embodies community and thrives from the interconnected support system of Eagle River. Outdoor education, the arts, and the use of technology are all integrated into the academic experiences students are offered to optimize engagement, creativity, and independent learning.
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)
Dear Ravenwood Families,
It is pure JOY to have a FULL school of students back at Ravenwood! We have over 420 preschool–6th grade new and returning Ravens in the nest! Thank you for entrusting your children to us! You can be confident our compassionate and committed team of professionals is working tirelessly to ensure we all GROW STRONGER TOGETHER (this year’s theme)! Ravenwood is an amazing school community that offers a favorable growing environment to ensure all of our students grow, adapt, and thrive!
Thank you for your continued efforts to help us stay safe, symptom-free and maintain in-person learning. If your child has any signs of illness, please keep them home, get them tested, and await negative results and improving symptoms before having them return to school. We are happy to provide them with work and a chromebook to complete assignments at home to avoid learning loss during their absence.
Please “dig into” this newsletter to learn more about our school community and upcoming events. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or celebrations!
Joyfully growing strong together,
Kim Bautista
Josephine Mattison, Project Lead The Way Science/STEM
Heather Tierney, Librarian
Whitney Short, Special Education Resource
Heather King, IGNITE teacher (formerly one of our teachers)
Lauren Pelton, Speech Teacher
Allie Ellis, Preschool Sped TA
Leah Parks, English Language Learner Tutor
Sarah Aubin, Crossing Guard
Brooke Diaz with Teri Stover (Preschool Communications)
ASD Digital Equity Survey
Please look for a blue ASD Digital Survey to complete and return. We need to submit one for each student. Thank you!
THE FUN AND LEARNING STARTS AT 9:00am
Please try to drop your students off between 8:45a and 8:55a, every day, so they can be in their room ready to learn by 9:00a. We have morning announcements at 9:00a and many classes have Specials (Art, PE, Music, Library, STEM/PLTW) starting at 9:05a. Students who arrive after 9:00a, have to stop in the office to get a tardy slip, which further delays them from being part of the fun and learning.
ABSENCES
When your child is absent – please call our attendance line at (907)742-3256 to let us know the reason for the absence. Please understand if your child is reported sick, the nurse or front office staff will contact you to determine if the absence is related to COVID symptoms.
From Nurse Cottle...
ASD Close Contact Quarantine Policy - UPDATED
What does this mean for you and your family…………
For all close contacts, ASD recommends staff and students who are identified as close contacts to quarantine for 10-days; however, ASD is no longer requiring the quarantine. Below is the CDC recommendation for identified close contact quarantine:
- Identified as a close contact
- Day 0 is the last day that you were exposed to the positive person
- A lab-confirmed, molecular-based test on or after Day 6. If the test is negative and you remain symptom-free, you may return to school/work on or after Day 8.
- If no testing and remain symptom-free may return to school/work on Day 11
- Continue to wear a mask in public and monitor symptoms for 14-days from the last day of exposure.
If your child is identified as a close contact to a positive case, it is now the parent's decision whether to follow CDC recommendations to quarantine or return to school without quarantine. As the school nurse, I strongly advise families to continue to follow CDC recommendations to quarantine, especially if your family has one or more POSITIVE family members living in your home. ALL positive student cases at Ravenwood since returning to in-person learning in January 2021 have been from home transmission, i.e. other family members positive in the home. As of Friday, 9/17/21, Ravenwood has had NO in-person transmission of identified close contacts from school because of our adherence to the CDC recommendations.
What has NOT CHANGED:
- You will be notified by phone and an email letter if your child is identified as a close contact to a positive case in school
- All students with a positive case in their classroom will be notified by an emailed letter
- ASD symptom-free policy remains in effect for the 21/22 school year.
In accordance with ASD's symptom-free policy, anyone exhibiting symptoms that could possibly be COVID (see flyer for the list) must do one of three options to return to school:
- Stay home for 10 days from the start of the illness (Day 0 = onset of symptoms)
- Get a molecular-based COVID test and provide the negative results to the school nurse (ASD does not accept negative ANTIGEN or at-home test results)
- Go to your health care provider to request a note stating that the symptoms are based on something other than COVID-19.
Thank you all for doing your part to keep Ravenwood Symptom-Free!
Please call or email Nurse Cottle if you have any questions.
Nurse Cottle🍄
742-3254
CAR RIDER LOOP TRAFFIC FLOW
Thank you for only using the car rider loop for drop-off and pick-up. Just think, STOP, DROP, and ROLL to maintain the traffic flow! If you need to assist your child(ren), please park and walk them across the parking lot to ensure they get safely to the sidewalk. Please review our Ravenwood Drop-off/Pick-up Procedure for full details
PTSO
Hello Ravenwood Families and Fans!
We on the PTSO are so glad you are a part of this school and this community! Although this year is still going to be a little bit different, we are so pleased that we will be able to have some PTSO activities and events. You've already seen that popcorn Fridays are back, and Ravenwear has made its appearance. If you missed the Ravenwear action, have no fear, we'll still have a few opportunities for purchase throughout the year. If you have any desire to become a PTSO member, that can be done anytime during the school year. The easiest way of doing that is through our website, www.ravenwoodptso.net, but paper forms are also available. Lastly, for those who are Facebook regulars, keep an eye on our Facebook page. Our Facebook Manager does an amazing job keeping it up to date with not only PTSO but also the school as a whole.
We are so grateful for your gracious support. By supporting us, you're helping us to support our school.
PTSO President
Sarah Aubin
FIND US AND GET CONNECTED!
SignUp Genius - search Ravenwood PTSO
Facebook: Ravenwood Elementary Group
Our next PTSO meeting will be Wednesday, October 6th (the first Wednesday of every month) at 6pm. You can attend in-person (masks required) in the STEM lab or via zoom. Everyone is welcome. See membership info on our website.
PTSO Fall Fundraiser
We would love to outfit YOU with crossing guard gear . . .
We are in need of finding additional people who would be willing to substitute or take on one day a week of crossing guard duty at the intersection of Eagle River Lane and Ptarmigan. It only requires 2 hours a day to keep our students crossing safely before and after school. Please contact bautista_kim@asdk12.org for more information.
Parents are PERFECT...
to be Substitute Teachers, Crossing Guards, Noon Duty Supervisor, Cafeteria Managers . . . We are always looking for substitute teachers here, and there are lots of openings at schools throughout the Anchorage School District. Go to www.asdk12.org/workforasd for more info on current vacancies at Ravenwood or other ASD schools.
To apply to be a substitute teacher follow this LINK for more details and qualifications.
We LOVE our volunteers!
Before helping in the classroom or with other school events, please complete the ASD volunteer paper application form and waiver or complete the online application and be approved by the Anchorage School District.
Dress for Outdoors
We love the outdoors and go outside in all kinds of weather for both PE and Recess. Students need to dress and bring their gear for rain, shine, snow, cold (to -10 degrees) to allow for their safe enjoyment of the outdoors.
Please continue to support our school fundraising efforts with Boxtops, Amazon Smile, and Fred Meyer. Every little bit helps, and those little bits all go towards our amazing school.
Boxtop Update
The new and improved Box Tops mobile app uses state-of-the-art technology to scan your store receipt, find participating products and instantly add Box Tops to your school's earnings online. No more clipping box tops –just download the free Box Top App and start scanning your grocery receipts to support Ravenwood Elementary! Don’t forget to ask your family, friends, and neighbors to do the same!
October 8 - Run for Ravenwood (details coming soon!)
October 13 - Picture Retake Day
October 15 - In-Service Day / No School for Students / End of 1st Quarter
October 15 - Drive-Thru Flu Shot Clinic at Ravenwood for parents, student and staff
October 20-21 - Parent/Teacher Conferences / EARLY RELEASE at 12:30pm
October 20-21 - Scholastic Book Fair (details coming soon!)
October 22 - In-Service Day / No School for Students
October 25-29 - Red Ribbon Week
SCHOOL BUSINESS PARTNERS
Business Partners
We are always looking for new businesses to support our school! Contact bautista_kim@asdk12.org for more information.
Anchorage School District School Board
2021-2022 ASD School Board
President, MARGO BELLAMY
Vice-President, ANDY HOLLEMAN
Treasurer, KELLY LESSENS
Clerk, CARL JACOBS
Seat C, DAVE DONLEY
Seat E, PAT HIGGINS
Seat F, DORA WILSON
DR. DEENA BISHOP, SUPERINTENDENT