Anchorage School District - Educating All Students for Success in Life |
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A Message From Our Superintendent |
As 2020 comes to a close, I would like to reflect on the challenges we’ve faced as a community, and the trails we have blazed as we found new and innovative ways to re-envision education as we know it.
As we end this chapter and look to the hope 2021 brings, I celebrate the tremendous partnering efforts of the ASD with Anchorage families. We all have worked harder than ever to pursue education for all students. Your determination gives me hope that together we can face any challenges that arise.
I also commend the ingenuity and determination of our principals and teachers, who have proposed and developed from scratch small face-to-face support groups for students most in need of in-person instruction. The idea began with six small groups in September, and as principals and teachers at other schools witnessed the success of the instruction and the mitigation plans, the concept has grown. There are presently 52 different small group programs in place at elementary school sites. Small group support sessions are also taking place at Goldenview and Mirror Lake middle schools and Chugiak and South high schools.
These small groups have built confidence in the success of our mitigation plans. A recent AEA survey showed teachers from the current programs responded with a higher level of confidence in the return to school. This demonstrates that when students and staff experience the mitigation plans in action, they feel comfortable with in-person education.
I shared in this week’s Board meeting a draft Back in School Plan that returns students at all grade levels back into buildings in stages. The plan brings back our Pre-K – grade 2 students first, as well as small groups of students most in need of academic support, along with self-contained special education students. Grades 3-6 and middle and high school students will follow gradually as the District develops confidence in safety protocols while continuing to monitor the community COVID situation.
We hope to finalize the Back-in-School plan and announce a start date before the December winter break.
Reducing the spread of COVID-19 continues to take the cooperation of our entire community to bring conditions to a point where we can safely bring all students back to classrooms where they thrive. As we near the end of the second quarter and the year 2020, I call on our community to put education first.
I know 2020 has brought uncertainty to our everyday lives. With the hope of a vaccine in sight, a plan to bring students back to buildings, and the cooperation of our community, I see light ahead. I wish you a peaceful holiday season and winter break. I look to 2021 with joy and hope…in school buildings!
Sincerely,
Deena M. Bishop Ed.D.
Superintendent
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Join the Dec. 9 Anchorage School Board Town Hall: Goals and Guardrails |
The Anchorage School Board is in the middle of its Strategic Planning Process to provide specific guidance and direction for the District through 2026. Last fall, the Board conducted a series of steering committee meetings, community forums and listening sessions to solicit feedback and provide direction for shaping the District’s priorities.
Based on this feedback, the School Board drafted three overarching goals and four guardrails to provide clear direction and focus for the District.
The Board is excited to announce its hosting a second community Town Hall on Wednesday, December 9 from 6 to 7 p.m. This will be a time to hear about the draft goals and guardrails, the process of how they were developed, ask questions, and provide feedback. Spanish interpretation and close captioning will be available.
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ASD Asks Community to Put Education First |
The pandemic has affected everyone in this community. With schools closed, students continue to bear more than their share of the burden. Every day our students are out of the classroom, they are missing out on essential skills and services they can’t get anywhere else. Getting our students back into the classroom is going to require a commitment from the entire community. The sooner Anchorage can reduce the spread of COVID-19, the sooner students can be back in school. Let’s put education first. Our students deserve it.
The ASD Public Service Announcement Put Education First was developed to highlight students and staff advocating for a safe return to school in school. While some families are managing school well from home, students overall learn more when they are in school. While everyone is impacted by the pandemic in different ways, students are bearing an undue burden, and lack necessary educational, physical, and mental health supports.
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ASD Awarded for Exemplary Elementary Foreign Language Programs |
The Anchorage School District’s World
for Exemplary Elementary Foreign Language Programs. The national award was presented to ASD on Nov. 20 at the 2020 American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Professional Awards Ceremony, which took place during the first day of the ACTFL 2020 Virtual conference.
The award honors Melba D. Woodruff, a classroom teacher for over 40 years, and recognizes an exemplary K-6 world language program.
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Help AHBA Fill Backpacks for ASD Students in Need |
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The Anchorage Home Builders Association (AHBA) is proud to host its 18th Annual Shoebox Program. The program has grown from shoeboxes to backpacks and partners with ASD nurses to identify families of more than 1,200 students needing a gift this holiday season. Every year, members fill backpacks with goodies and toys to be distributed to these children.
How You Can Help: AHBA will give you an empty backpack, child’s age, and gender. Fill the backpack with gifts and goodies. If you are unable to fill a backpack yourself, you can sponsor a child by donating $50. The elves on the Shoebox Committee will then purchase gifts and stuff the backpack for you. Monetary donations are tax deductible. To sponsor a child call (907) 522-3605.
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ASD Testing Sites in December |
Throughout the month of December, the Municipality of Anchorage will be conducting COVID-19 testing at select ASD sites. This COVID-19 PCR testing service is open to the public and free of charge. Testing will be conducted by Visit Healthcare. It is helpful to schedule your visit ahead of time online; however, you may also register onsite.
All testing sites will be open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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Highland Academy recognized by Forbes |
Highland Academy is a competency-based program that meets the learners where they are. Each standard that students work on is assessed individually, preparing them for the next level of instruction. Teachers masterfully provide learning opportunities for each standard, and often focus on interdisciplinary projects, giving students a more holistic view of their educational journey.
The article acknowledges Highland Academy Charter School for its innovation in competency and tools.
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ASD ELL Hosts Weekly Family Zoom Meetings |
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Did you know the ASD English Language Learners Liaison team holds regular family outreach meetings over Zoom to share District updates, community resources, and answer family questions? The meetings take place in Spanish, Samoan, and Hmong. Recordings of past meetings are posted
online. The District encourages our ELL families to
attend!
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Romig Middle School and Office Max Team Up for Attendance |
The Romig Middle School counseling, teaching, and administration staff have adopted the mantra of an attitude of gratitude and appreciation as a way to increase attendance, student engagement, focus and acknowledge the positives they are seeing in school.
It is really two-fold, said Romig Middle School Principal Carrie Sumner. “Yes, we want to incentivize our students to attend their class, show up on time, stay engaged and focused, but we also want to acknowledge the students that are already doing that to keep them motivated.”
Sumner said each teacher does a “student of the month” recognition, but they wanted to add to that momentum of recognizing student perseverance. She said because the school received a very generous donation from Office Max on Tudor Road this year, they were able to launch the new program.
When you make a purchase at Office Max, you can choose to make a donation to a particular school, and they have always been amazing at helping out when asked she said.
“We often get supplies to help our students, but this year the store manager went above and beyond,” said Sumner. “We got so much great stuff."
Because of the Office Max donation, Romig will be able to give out school supplies to students that are in need, and have some leftover for the new incentive/acknowledgment program, said Sumner. “It really is amazing. We got enough three-ring binders for any student that wants one.”
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Elisa Vakalis, President
Margo Bellamy, Vice President
Starr Marsett, Treasurer
Andy Holleman, Clerk
Dave Donley
Alisha Hilde
Deena Mitchell
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Wed. Dec 9
ASD Townhall Goals and Guardrails
Thurs. Dec. 17
Fri. Dec. 18
State Released Grade Reporting Day - End of Second Quarter
Mon. Dec. 21
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5530 E Northern Lights Blvd.
Anchorage, AK 99504
907-742-4000
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