Alaska Native Cultural Charter

October

October 5 - Picture Day

October 5-8 - Spirit Week

October 9 - NO SCHOOL (Waiver day)

October 12 - NO SCHOOL (Indigenous Peoples Day)

October 13 - Maantua Monday

October 13 - Indigenous Peoples Day Family Night

October 15 - Great Alaska Shakeout

October 16 - Last Day of Quarter NO SCHOOL for Students

October 24 - Halloween Carnival, 5:00 - 9:00 pm

October 26 - Maantua Monday

October 26 - Quarter 1 Attendance Celebration Less than 8 is great popsicles

October 29 - Parent/Teacher Day - No School

October 30 - State-released in-service day - No School

As we come to the end of quarter 1, we look forward to connecting with our ANCCS families at our annual Indigenous Peoples' Day family Night (October 13, 5:30 - 7:00 pm), our Fall Festival, as well as parent/teacher conferences! October is a quick month for students with two weeks in a row with days off. While we hope that students enjoy the extra-long weekends with family, we know they also can present challenges to students as they disrupt routines. Our teachers plan for this and refresh students on classroom expectations and procedures; however, supporting your kiddo at home by integrating extra reading time and math practice and by maintaining a consistent bedtime and schedule can help students navigate these wonky weeks and maintain their learning growth.

Picture day is this Monday, October 5! Please see the information below regarding ordering photos.

Picture Day is coming on Monday, October 5!

You can place your order on mylifetouch.com using your Picture Day ID: EVTX88VFD. Order before midnight on Picture Day to get FREE shipping!

Your child can also bring their completed flyer with cash or check on Picture Day. Orders after Picture Day must be placed online on mylifetouch.com

ASD Chat within the ASD Mobile App

Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, the Anchorage School District (ASD) is introducing ASD Chat, a new messaging tool within the ASD Mobile App. ASD Chat will replace Remind as the district-supported platform schools and teachers may use to communicate with students and families.

ASD Chat provides a secure, centralized way for teachers to share classroom updates, reminders and important information with families and students age 13 and older.

Benefits of ASD Chat include:

• Receive classroom messages directly through the ASD Mobile App.
• Secure, district-supported communication between teachers, families and students age 13 and older.

What families should know:

• Teacher participation is optional.
• Schools/teachers who opt to use ASD Chat will contact their school/classroom families directly.

Additional information, including how to access and begin using ASD Chat, will be shared on this page as it becomes available.

Learn more at the following link https://www.asdk12.org/departments/administrative-services/communications-publications-and-external-affairs/asd-chat

Join us for our 5th annual Indigenous Peoples' Day Celebration on Tuesday, October 13, from 5:30 - 7:00 pm. There will be bingo, NYO, beading, pizza, and more! We look forward to connecting with you during this fun family evening.

We will be participating in the Great Alaska Shake Out on October 15th. This will give our students the opportunity to practice their drop, cover, and hold which is a required drill for the school district.

Every week, our students reflect on the Yup'ik Word of the Week as well as the Elder Wisdom for the week. This focus is shared during Yuuyaraq Gathering, our whole-school community gathering at 8:45 am each morning, and then is touched on throughout the day in each classroom's community circle and through connections to the academic curriculum.

Below is the Yup'ik Word of the Week and Elder Wisdom for weeks 5 and 6. We encourage you to continue these conversations at home by asking your student what they're learning about Ilakucaraq and sharing stories about your kinship, family history, and values.

Students who miss more than 10% of school are considered chronically absent. So far this school year, about 79% of ANCCS students have regular attendance while 10% are chronically absent. Not only does chronic absenteeism diminish students' academic learning and social connectedness at school, it also has lifelong impacts. Studies show that students who are chronically absent from school also have absenteeism in the workplace, impacting wages, job performance, and job satisfaction. We want to set our students up for success now and into the future.

Let's work together to reduce chronic absenteeism! The percentage of students who were chronically absent decreased by 3% from August to September. Let's keep this momentum going! Families, please talk with your student about how you can ensure they attend 90-100% of school days in October.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are just around the corner! Conference day is an opportunity to meet with your child's teacher, discuss your student's learning and growth, and ask questions. Teachers will be offering sessions on October 29th. Please login to ParentConnect in order to schedule your conference: further information will come out as it gets closer to the date via email.

Join us on Saturday, October 24, for a fun-filled night at the fall festival--sponsored by Friends of ANCCS. There will be carnival games, a trick-or-treat hall, as well as a spooky haunted house! All students and children must be accompanied by an adult.

At ANCCS, we take care of others. Our families show commitment to their students' learning every day by driving their students to and from school. However, it takes a community to support our ANCCS students. We encourage carpooling and trading drop-off and pick-up duties.

Need help connecting to other families to coordinate transportation? Check out our Facebook Ride Share group for ANCCS families! https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1AGcr5h6F5/.

Getting outside at recess is an important part of the student day. Not only are the fresh air and exercise at recess healthy for students' bodies, but play at recess is essential for students' social emotional development. In addition to friendships, students develop problem-solving skills, cooperation, and teamwork through play.

At ANCCS, we go outside rain, shine, or snow! Students go outside as long as it is above -10 degrees. Please ensure your student comes to school with the correct gear for the weather. Teachers may also request that a change of clothes be kept at school in each student's cubby.

Fall & Spring

* Warm Jacket

* Rain gear (jacket and pants)

* Rain boots

* Hat, gloves, or mittens (optional)

Winter

* Warm Coat

* Snow pants

* Winter boots

* Hat

* Gloves or mittens

If your child is in need of gear for recess, please reach out to your student's teacher or the front office (907-742-1370).

At ANCCS, all students can have breakfast and lunch every day at school for free. Ms. Lee and Ms. Amy in our cafeteria prepare a balanced, healthy option daily. Additionally, ANCCS students receive fresh produce at least 2 days/week for snack as part of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program (FFVP). Classroom teachers may request that families donate snack options for non-produce days.

In addition to the school-provided meals, students may opt to bring their own lunch from home. When packing lunch from home, please be mindful of what your student's stomach can handle. We have had several students visit the nurse's office for tummy aches due to spicy chips and soups. Additionally, please be mindful of what your student can prepare on their own in a small amount of time. While we do have a microwave available, we cannot accommodate every student microwaving a meal for 5-10 minutes during the 30-minute lunch period. Similarly, our teachers cannot heat and prepare cup of noodles for an entire class. We kindly request that cup of noodles and meals requiring boiling water be left at home. Students with these meals will be asked to get a school lunch instead. Soups from home may be brought pre-heated in a thermos.

Please take a few minutes to complete the ASD Volunteer application online. These applications must be completed annually and can take a few weeks for ASD to approve, so we encourage all parents and family members to complete an application now. That way, you will be approved and ready when an exciting field trip or volunteer opportunity comes up!

For more information on the ASD volunteer process, please visit: www.asdk12.org/volunteer