Coyote Howler
March 2020
Home of the Kind Coyotes
Email: zorea_wendy@asdk12.org
Website: https://www.asdk12.org/kincaid
Location: 4900 Raspberry Road, Anchorage, AK, USA
Phone: 907-245-5530
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KincaidElementarySchoolAnchorage/?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: @PrincipalZorea
Principal's Blog
What a month! February was full of opportunities for our students. Kincaid Coyotes participated in Battle of the Books, Spelling Bee, Varsity and JV basketball tournaments and STEAM Week. We are proud of our students and their school spirit. Our students represented Kincaid very well outside of the classroom. We want to thank our students, their coaches, and our parents for supporting extracurricular activities. We want to thank our PTA for sponsoring many of the activities that take place outside of the classroom. We believe that extracurricular activities help to build assets for our students and positive connections to the school community.
We look forward to spring and the added daylight hours in Alaska. When students return from spring break, we will begin our fourth quarter. We hope all students come back refreshed and ready to finish strong during fourth quarter.
Sincerely,
Wendy Zorea
Principal
Spelling Bee
Sam - Second Place
Jaydin - Third Place
Varsity Basketball
JV Basketball
Top Coyote: Ms. Danielle Lesko
For the month of March we would like to recognize one of our fourth grade teachers, Ms. Danielle Lesko. She was nominated by her colleagues as an outstanding member of our school community. One of her colleagues had this to say about Ms. Lesko:
"Just being near Ms. Lesko for a few moments and one will quickly know they are in the presence of a rare gem. She is so giving and generous. Her loving and accepting nature of EVERYONE is immediate and genuine. Danielle loves all and accepts all. She gives so much of her time to her students, colleagues and profession. She is passionate about creating well rounded, capable, understanding, love-one-another and loving one's self, human beings. She is not recognized nearly enough for her talents."
Ms. Lesko supports students and colleagues in many ways. She is one our Student Council Advisors, she is on the Leadership Team, and she is a Teacher-In-Charge when Mrs. Zorea is out of the building. She participates in most all school activities. Ms. Lesko gives of her time and her talents throughout the year! Thank you Ms. Lesko!
Principal's 200 Club
STEAM WEEK Prizes
Rolling Boxcar Museum Project
STEAM Week
Coronavirus Update from ASD
Dear ASD Families,
The coronavirus, known as COVID-19, is a significant topic of concern in Anchorage and globally. While Alaska presently has no confirmed cases of this illness, the possibility remains real. To that end, please know your District is prepared. Here is helpful information for you to make informed decisions.
Prevention Measures - The best defense against any contagious illness is frequent and effective handwashing. Based on guidance from healthcare professionals, masks are not allowed unless specifically coordinated with the school nurse, as they are generally not used appropriately by children.
Family Actions:
Wash hands frequently
Use soap & water for 20 seconds; sing “Happy Birthday” or the “ABCs” to time the task
Use hand sanitizer when water is unavailable
Practice coughing/sneezing into the elbow or a tissue
Keep hands below the chin
Keep children home when sick
ASD Actions:
Teach proper hand washing
Purchase hand sanitizer for use in schools
Suspend handshaking routines
Increase sanitization of schools and buses
Educate all staff on current protocols
Suspend attendance awards
Encourage staff to stay home when sick
District Closure Preparation - ASD has an Infectious Disease Plan in place, and school nurses have the most up-to-date information. In an extreme situation, the District may need to close for a time. If a closure takes place, we want everyone to be prepared.
If the District were to close, the effects to families and across the entire community would be significant. Families should take the time to consider how a potential closure would impact their daily lives and take steps to plan ahead. Childcare, work/activity schedules, and other family logistics are a few areas that may be affected if ASD is forced to close.
Family Actions:
Plan for short and long-term closures
Work schedules
Childcare
Activity Schedules
Know how to reach your child’s teacher(s) via email
ASD Actions:
Communicate regularly with our communit
ASD website
Social media/text
Local media
Engage e-learning opportunities
Coordinate continuation of meal service for students in need
Plan for employee absences
Maintain facilities
Travel Considerations - Due to the risk of contracting the virus or being isolated outside of Alaska, ASD has canceled all school sponsored domestic and international travel for students and staff through April 2020. In-state travel is not affected.
During spring break, many ASD families have personal vacation plans. We encourage them to stay current with the latest travel advisories and the specific status of their travel location. The CDC travel page has reliable and accurate information.
Family Actions:
Monitor travel advisories
Plan for long-term stays
Check regularly for school updates and/or assignments
nform your school of absences (stipulate illness, travel restriction, or isolation)
ASD Actions:
Communicate regularly
Welcome students back to school
Reduce stigma related to travel locations
Be flexible with missed assignments
Manage fear and misinformation
You may find these reputable websites useful in your effort to stay informed:
Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
ASD will keep you updated with new developments. Thank you for your continued engagement and cooperation.
Sincerely,
Anchorage School District
2020 PEAKS State Assessment
Each spring, Alaskan students are provided an opportunity to show what they know. When students show what they know, teachers and parents can partner to promote student success.
The Performance Evaluation for Alaska’s Schools (PEAKS) is Alaska’s summative assessment administered to students in Grades 3-9 (English language arts and mathematics) and grades 4, 8 and 10 (science) each spring.
The purpose of a large-scale, summative assessment is to provide parents and schools an overall picture of a student’s progress in meeting the Alaska standards at his/her grade level. The assessment is taken on the computer and is not timed, but each content area takes approximately 100-180 minutes.
Parents can locate resources for the PEAKS assessment, including directions for PEAKS Practice tests, called Online Tools Training and PEAKS Tutorials on the ASD website at www.asdk12.org/PEAKS.
Parents can also help by ensuring their children are well rested, eat a nutritious breakfast, and are at school on time for the days of testing. Please avoid scheduling appointments on your child’s testing days.
Students! Get ready to reach new peaks of learning and earn a PEAKS sticker set for showing what you know during our school’s PEAKS testing dates March 30-April 7.
6th Grade: March 30-31
5th Grade: April 1-2
4th Grade: April 8-10
3rd Grade: April 6-7
Students who miss a testing session will make up the session when they are present.
Important Dates
March 6: End of Quarter Grading Day.
March 9-13: Spring Break
March 30-April 10: PEAKS Assessments 3rd-6th
Student Nutrition
Reminder that families may apply for free and reduced-price lunches at any time of the school year. If your family has lost job hours, experienced layoffs or had a change in circumstances, please visit student nutrition at http://asdk12.org/nutrition to apply. Online applications process in just 48 hours!! Please list all ASD students on the application. Email snadmin@asdk12.org if you need assistance with your application or call 348-5142, Option 1.
Family Survey
We value input from our families. You are an important partner as we work to continually improve each school’s environment. The Family Survey window is open between January 17 - March 20. If you have more than one child attending this school, you only need to fill out one survey. Everyone should go to surveys.panoramaed.com/aasb or https://goo.gl/Enqoi2 to take the survey and enter the appropriate access code. Our code is kincaidfamily
School Business Partners
School Board
Starr Marsett -President
Deena Mitchell -Vice President
Elisa Snelling -Treasurer
Alisha Hilde -Clerk
Mark Foster -Member
Andy Holleman -Member
Dave Donley -Member