Congratulations to Mears Middle School 7th grader Rachel Retzinge for winning this year’s Rondy Button Contest!

Even cooler, it’s the first time in contest history a salmon has been featured on the official button! Go Panthers!

Don’t forget! Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, March 8, 2026.

Spring forward one hour and set those clocks ahead!

Come out to ASD’s Springing into Summer Fair on Wednesday, March 11th from 11AM to 3PM at Clark Middle School!

Get ready for a fun-filled day with free resources, free food, teen job & internship opportunities, and summer camp info!

It's the perfect chance to get ready for the summer and enjoy the community.

The Lottery application window has been extended and will now close on March 31, 2026 at 5 p.m. and families will be notified April 7, 2026 starting at 4 p.m.

Learn more and apply: asdk12.org/schools/enrollment/lottery

Pre‑Enrollment for Kindergarten will be available from 

April 23 through May 29 and will re-open on July 15th.

Monthly tips, resources and events for our incoming Kindergartners and their families

Is your child starting kindergarten in the Anchorage School District?

Get ready with us!

Ready, Set…Kindergarten! helps families prepare for kindergarten with simple, practical supports focused on what matters most before the first day of school.

Preparation

• Help your child feel confident and comfortable starting school.
• Understand routines, attendance, and daily schedules
• Get clear information about enrollment and requirements
• Tour your neighborhood school

Independence

• Build skills your child will use every day at school.
• Practice following directions 
• Encourage self-help skills like dressing and cleaning up
• Support social-emotional skills like sharing and problem-solving

Make learning fun—at home and in your community.

• Easy activities to support early reading and counting
• Simple ways to learn through play 
• Resources to practice learning in everyday moments
• Attend events to practice social skills

Sign up for monthly readiness resources delivered to your family.

The 54th Annual Student Art Show 

Youth Art Month Celebrations Are Here 🎨

Join student artists from across the District as their creativity takes center stage during the 54th Annual Youth Art Month, running February 27 – March 29!

🎉 Grand Opening – Anchorage Museum

📅 March 6 | 🕕 6–8 PM (free during First Friday hours)

📅 April 3 | 🕕 6–8 PM (free during First Friday hours)

📍 Additional artwork on display Feb 27 – March 27 at:

MK Gallery, 5th Avenue Mall (1st floor next to JCPenney)

Muldoon Library

Loussac Library

Eagle River/Chugiak Library

Come celebrate student voice, creativity, and imagination — you won’t want to miss it!

For more information on ASD 2026 Graduations, please click here.

Celebrating Chin'an (Thank you in Upper Cook Inlet Dena’ina), we continue to highlight messages of gratitude from across our school community. 

Here is a note from parents April and Jonathan Halpern:

"Many thanks to Dawn Spyker for spending countless hours of her own time coordinating and hosting the West Side Throw Down. It was inspiring to see students, parents, teachers, and community members come together to craft more than 200 bowls for donation to the Empty Bowl Project benefiting Bean’s Cafe."

— April and Jonathan Halpern, Parents

To read more Chin’an recognitions, please visit: https://www.asdk12.org/district/chinan/chinan

STEAM Meets Speed

2nd Annual Birchwood Elementary Derby

🏁 Shake and Bake Birchwood 🏁

The 2nd Annual Birchwood Derby is racing into action! 

Nearly 90 Birchwood ABC Elementary fourth and fifth-graders designed and built their Pinewood cars in art class with Mrs. Turner — putting STEAM and math proficiency (School Board Goals & Guardrails) learning to the test with gravity, friction, balance, and a whole lot of creativity.

With help from their amazing Student Council and partners from the Boy Scouts, race day was full of school pride, sportsmanship, and friendly competition. 

Each car raced multiple times to determine who would face off in the ultimate showdown.

If you ain’t first, you’re learning 😉

Way to roll, Birchwood!

Check out our podcast, ASD Shine Bright, which highlights the awesome things students and staff are doing in the Anchorage School District.

Listen to amazing stories, journeys, challenges, and successes.

Check out the latest episodes below:

This episode of ASD Shine Bright highlights the ASD Fine Arts Department and Mi Casey, a Dimond High School senior and Silver Key award winner in Alaska for her outstanding art portfolio.

Mi’s work is currently featured at the Anchorage Museum as part of the 54th Annual ASD Youth Art Show collaboration and National Youth Art Month.

Hear from Mi as she shares her passion for art and how creativity inspires both her journey and others around her.

As part of our Black History Month celebration, this episode of ASD Shine Bright features longtime educator and Wendler Middle School Principal Marcus Wilson.

Principal Wilson shares his educational journey and reflects on how the guidance of elders shaped his leadership and how he has used that wisdom to mentor students and staff to find success in ASD and beyond.

It’s a powerful conversation about legacy, leadership, and lifting others up.

This month, we honor the achievements, leadership, and lasting impact of women throughout history and right here in our schools.

From classrooms to communities, women continue to inspire, innovate, and lead the way for future generations.

Here’s to strong women past, present, and future.

ASD Secondary Transition Expo

Planning for Life After High School?

Students with disabilities (ages 14–21) and their families are invited to attend the ASD Secondary Transition Expo — your one-stop opportunity to connect with adult service agencies, employment providers, and postsecondary programs.

Saturday, April 25, from 12:00–4:00 PM at the ASD Education Center

Learn about available supports, eligibility requirements, and how services align with goals in employment, education, and independent living.

🔎 Breakout sessions include:

• DVR Step-by-Step: From Referral to Employment

• Will My Child Qualify for Disability Services? A Waiver Guide for Families

• Supported Employment: What It Actually Looks Like

🤝 Participating agencies include:

• Stone Soup Group
• Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education
• State of Alaska, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
• UAA Center for Human Development
• Hope Community Resources
• The Arc of Anchorage
• Assets, Inc.

Take the next step with confidence — we hope to see you there!

On February 24th, 2026, the Anchorage School Board finalized and passed a balanced Fiscal Year 2027 budget and approved the Rightsizing ASD plan.

These decisions were among the most difficult this Board has faced, and they were made with careful deliberation and a clear focus on long-term stability.

You can read more on the School Board Recap

This year’s school bond has been assigned Proposition 1 on the April 2026 ballot for the Municipality of Anchorage.

You can learn more on the 2026 Bond webpage.

Special School Tax Levy

Also on the April 2026 ballot is Proposition 9, a one-time school tax levy.

If approved, it would allow the Municipality to fund ASD to the maximum level allowed by state law, generating up to $11.8 million.

The School Board has directed that every dollar go toward protecting classrooms by retaining 80 plus educators and reducing the projected class size increases.

You can learn more on the Special School Tax Levy webpage.

Anchorage School District

5530 E Northern Lights Blvd.

Anchorage, AK 99504

907-742-4000

asdk12.org