Alaska Native Cultural Charter

September 4 - Labor Day - No School

September 5 - Remote Learning Day - No In-Person School (ANCCS Only)

September 6-8 - mClass Benchmark Testing - Grades K-5

September 7 - Open House 5:30 - 7:00

September 12-13 - MAP Benchmark Testing - Grades 3-8

October 2 - Regular School Day*

October 9 - Indigenous People's Day - No School

October 10 - Picture Day

October 10 - Indigenous People's Day Family Night (Time TBD)*

October 10-13 - Spirit Week

October 20 - Quarter 1 Grading Day - No School

October 26 - Parent/Teacher Conference Day - No School

October 27 - State-Released Professional Development Day - No School

*Please note: These dates reflect an update to what was shared on the printed calendar distributed at the Ice Cream Social. Please mark these changes on your printed calendar!

The first few weeks of school have flown by, providing many cherished memories for our staff and students. It has been wonderful to welcome new and returning students to our building on Lake Otis Parkway and to see our students enjoying the ample space on our playground, in our library, and in each of the beautiful teacher-created classroom environments.

We look forward to a year of learning together!

Preschool - Melissa Kahler-Afelin (TA: Rebecca Lehe)

Kindergarten - Tina Sweet (TA: Ashlee Olson) & Lizzie Acuña (TA: Jamie Tiffert)

First Grade - Megan Freeman & Kim Martin

Second Grade - Elizabeth Phillips & Arika Pavadore

Third Grade - Denise Ray

Fourth Grade - Georgianna Starr & Daniel Greenwood

Fifth Grade - Georgianna Starr & Daniel Greenwood

Middle School - Clara Amidon, Joseph Kottre, Danielle Riha, Elizabeth Hancock

Yup'ik (Pre-K - 3) - Veronica Kaganak

Yup'ik (4 - 8) - Seralee Kairaiuak

Art - Sarah Hamacher

PE & Health - Lisa Ward

Instructional Coach - Christine Harrington

ELL - Pam Dupras

Reading Support - Lorlie Shield

Migrant Ed Coach - Hannah Wilson

Special Ed (K-5) - Monica Stockburger

Special Ed (6-8) - Liz Tracy

Ignite - Bradley Verneau

Speech Language Pathologist - Katelyn Tullius

Recess & Security - Bosco Olson

Recess Noon Duty - Betty Martin

BPO - James Stoll

Lead Custodian - Maisee Yang

Cafeteria Manager - Mira Luna Moser

Cafeteria Assistant - Ami Intua

Principal - Sheila Sweetsir

Assistant Principal - Sarah Osborne

School Nurse - Tracy Frost

Administrative Assistant - Shirley Kowchee

School Secretary - Ruby Egrass

Daily Attendance Schedule:

8:45 am - Doors Open - Students may pick up breakfast and proceed to their classroom to be greeted by their teacher. Only students who are enrolled in before-school programs may enter the building before 8:45 am.

9:00 am - School Day Start - Academic day begins; students arriving after 9:00 are considered tardy and must be signed in at the office.

10:00 am - Attendance Reported - Parents or guardians must excuse a student's absence prior to 10:00 am. After 10:00 am, an automated phone call will be made to the parent or guardian to report any unexcused absences.

3:30 pm - School Day Ends

No Late-Start Mondays

ANCCS has elected not to participate in ASD's late start Mondays. ANCCS opens at 8:45 am and the school day begins at 9:00 am Monday-Friday.

Less than 8 is Great!

It is very important that your child is here on time, every day, when school is in session. A missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn. There is a direct correlation between students who attend school regularly and higher academic and social emotional achievement levels. Here at ANCCS, our motto is: Less than 8 is Great! This means that we want students to strive to have fewer than 8 absences in the school year.

We know that some absences are unavoidable. If your child is sick, it is best if they stay home. If your child is going to be absent for the day for any reason, please let us know by 10:00 am. You can excuse your child's absence by calling the front office (907-742-1370) or using Parent Attendance in Q/ParentConnect.

It's OK to contact your student's teacher about attendances, but it is the parent or guardians responsibility to notify the office or submit the absence in Q/ParentConnect.

Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help with your student's attendance!

ANCCS students enjoy recess rain, snow, or shine as long as the temperature is above -10 degrees Fahrenheit! Please ensure your child comes to school dressed for the weather. Students need rain gear for the fall and spring. Students will need winter boots, a warm coat, snow pants, mittens, and a hat for winter recess. Please mark all of your student's belongings with their name so that items can be easily identified. Please contact the school nurse or your student's teacher if you are in need of weather gear.

Nobody wants to disrupt their student's learning by pulling them out of school early, but sometimes doctor's appointments and other circumstances require families to pick their student up early. If your student needs to leave school early, please park in the front parking lot and come into the office to sign them out. Our office staff will bring your student to the office to be signed out.

Please plan ahead! We cannot accommodate early dismissals between 3:10 - 3:30 as our students are already gathered in the gym for our all-school gathering. If you will need to pick up your student early, please do so before 3:00 pm.

Did you know ASD families may qualify for reduced-cost internet?

Check out the ASD webpage for more information on how to apply.

Does your family fish, berry pick, and/or engage in logging or fish processing for at least 8 nights out of the year (outside of the Anchorage area)? Do you engage in these activities to provide financially for your family?

If you answered yes to these questions, your family may be eligible for the Migrant Education Program!

Migrant Education provides extra support to your family in the form of academic programs, family events, tutoring, academic supplies, books, and more. If you have any questions or would like to apply, please contact Hannah Wilson, our Migrant Education Student Success Coach

Hannah Wilson

907-538-7558

wilson_hannah@asdk12.org

website at: https://www.asdk12.org/Page/5557

As part of The Alaska Reads Act, the State of Alaska requires that districts administer an early literacy screening tool three times a year to students in grades K-3 to identify potential reading difficulties in order to improve reading outcomes for students. Families can read more about this comprehensive K-3 reading policy at The Alaska Reads Act website: education.alaska.gov/akreads

mClass with DIBELS 8th Edition Assessments is the State of Alaska Department of Education’s and ASD’s Early Literacy benchmark screening and progress monitoring tool for students in grades K-3 in reading. mClass utilizes curriculum-based measures and is used by schools as part of the ASD Comprehensive Assessment System to support informed instructional decisions.

The Alaska Department of Education & Early Development explains the decision to adopt mClass as the statewide literacy screener here:

https://education.alaska.gov/Alaska-Reading-Resources/Statewide-Early-Literacy-Screener

mClass screening assessments will only be administered in-person during the benchmark window listed below: Fall 2023: September 5 - 15.

ANCCS will be testing on Friday, September 8, 2023

Results for K-3 students that were assessed during a benchmark window, will be available in Parent Connect by September 29, 2023 ParentConnection Login Information and Reference Guide: parentconnect.asdk12.org

MAP Growth is the ASD and State of Alaska required benchmark/interim assessment for students in grades 3-9 in reading and mathematics. Grades 10-12 students identified as needing Tier II and Tier III reading and mathematics support also take MAP Growth as part of the Anchorage School District's MTSS framework.

Alaska's Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) has partnered with NWEA to implement a creative approach to a balanced statewide assessment that connects fall and winter MAP Growth benchmark/interim assessments and the Alaska spring AK STAR summative assessment. AK STAR eliminates the spring benchmark/interim assessment window for grades 3-9 by combining the summative and benchmark assessment into one test that produces a spring benchmark score, which includes a growth measure. More information is available at the State of Alaska AK STAR website, education.alaska.gov/assessments/akstar.

MAP Growth is an online, adaptive assessment that provides each student a personalized testing experience with data that speaks to their individual progress and growth in mathematics and reading.

The MAP Growth reading and mathematics benchmark will be administered in person during the 2023-2024 fall and winter benchmark windows. The spring benchmark will be embedded in the AK STAR summative assessment as outlined above.

• Fall Benchmark 1: September 5 - September 15 (make-ups through September 22)

• Winter Benchmark 2: December 4 - December 15 (make-ups through December 21)

• Spring Benchmark 3: embedded in AK STAR administered during the summative assessment window: March 25 - April 5 (make-ups through April 26)

• MAP Growth assessment only: Grades 10-12 identified as needing Tier II and III support

ANCCS will hold Fall MAP Testing on September 12 and 13.

MAP Growth practice tests and tutorials allow students and families the opportunity to become familiar with the types of questions and tools available on the actual MAP Grow assessments such as the highlighter and calculator. An overview of these resources with links to the practice tests are compiled on the MAP Growth Practice Tests Quick Sheet.

Thank you so much to all of our parents for getting immunizations done for school and for getting Care Plans and medication forms needed to our Nurse. All medications at school go through the nurse's office. This includes cough drops. Nurse Frost has an Over-the-Counter medication form for kids that may need Tylenol, Ibuprofen, or other medications at school. Simply contact Nurse Frost and she and I can send that form home. Medication can be brought to the nurse's office, labeled with student's name, to be kept here in case it is needed during the school year. Sometimes kids take antibiotics for a short period, those can also be given in school. Please contact Nurse Frost when short-term medications are needed at school.

We are starting our school screening for vision, hearing, ht/wt, and color. Parents will hear from me about any screenings that do not come back within normal limits. Hearing and vision screening occurs for Pre-K, K, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th grade as well as any students new to district or referred by their teacher. These occur as time allows during the school day. ASD's goal is for all screenings to be completed by the end of first semester.

At ANCCS, we love celebrating our students! Students are welcome to bring a nutritious treat to share with their class to celebrate their birthday, but please save cupcakes or cakes for out-of-school celebrations. Fruit cups, popsicles, granola bars, apple sauce, popcorn, or pretzels are fun alternative treats. You student's teacher will communicate any allergy requirements. If you have any questions, please contact your student's teacher or the school nurse.

Dear ANCCS Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

This letter is to let you know that your child 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 during Health class. The focus of the lessons will be to empower students with the information and skills to protect themselves and seek help from the physical, psychological and emotional harm that can occur from abusive situations and is part of the Anchorage School District’s plan to enact the Alaska Safe Children’s Act and will be handled in a sensitive, respectful manner.

K-6 students will receive instruction during two lessons (one lesson each semester).

Information about the Elementary lessons can be viewed HERE.

7-8 students will receive instruction over 5 lessons during this school year.

The five lessons/modules for each grade are organized around the following topics:

● Module 1: Defining Healthy Relationships

● Module 2: Building Healthy Relationships

● Module 3: Defining Unhealthy Relationships

● Module 4: Warning Signs

● Module 5: Help and Support

Module information and scripts can be viewed HERE.

If you do NOT want your child to receive the instruction under the Alaska Safe Children’s Act, you must write a letter to the school Principal requesting that your child be excused from these specific lessons by September 29, 2023.

Thank you for partnering with us as we continue to provide learning opportunities to improve the safety and well-being of our students.

Sincerely,

Lisa J. Ward, ANCCS Physical Education & Health

Teachers will be completing the school-wide behavior screener called SAEBRS (social, academic, emotional, behavior risk screener) on September 27. The teacher rating scale is used to assess various risk factors for each student in their classroom to determine students at risk for social-emotional or behavior concerns. The screening will be used to help us look at the effectiveness of our school-wide and classroom structures as well as what additional supports students might need. This screening is completed by teachers and will not take away from instructional time nor require input/answers from students. If you have any questions, please contact the office.

Student safety is our top priority! Please follow these drop-off and pick-up tips to ensure all students get to and from school safely.

• Students should enter and exit their vehicle from the left side whenever possible.
• Have your student gather their belongings and be ready to exit the vehicle before you enter the drop-off zone--this will help keep our line flowing smoothly!
• Display your student name tag at drop off and pick up.
• Student must remain in their vehicle and with their families until the building opens at 8:45 am. Only students enrolled in before-school programs may enter the building before 8:45.

In order to maintain a safe environment for our children to study and learn, it is necessary that we practice our emergency and crisis response plans by having drills designed to exercise our procedures.

Students will participate in practicing evacuation, stay put, lock down, earthquake and A.L.I.C.E intruder drills throughout the year, following state and district requirements.

If you have any questions or concerns about these drills or our safety procedures, please contact the front office at (907) 742-1370.

ANCCS APC – Board:

• President: Manny Acuna, parent
• Vice President: Caroline Wiseman
• Secretary: Michael Patterson, parent
• Treasurer: Roger Hamacher
• Pamela Dupras, staff
• Elizabeth Hancock, founder
• Ronni Weddleton, community
• Justin Ovsak, community

ANCCS APC – Elder Council:

• Lucy Brown
• Anthony Nakazawa
• Edgar Blatchford
• Agnes Baptiste
• 
  

ANCCS APC – Founders Council

• Martha Gould-Lehe
• Rosemary Savage
• Sheila Sweetsir
• Janann Kaufman
• Deborah Pungowiyi
• Elizabeth Hancock
• Virgina Juettner
• Lisa Dolcheck
• Max Dolcheck (remembered fondly for faithful service)

• Superintendent: Dr. Jharrett Bryantt
• President: Margo Bellamy
• Vice President: Carl Jacobs, Seat G
• Treasurer: Kelly Lessens, Seat B
• Clerk: Dora Wilson, Seat F
• Seat C: Dave Donley
• Seat D: Andy Holleman
• Seat E: Pat Higgins