MUSTANG MINUTE

The Mission of Chugiak High School: Inspire Students. Excel Academically. Strengthen Community.

Welcome to the 2026–2027 School Year!

The Stampede Starts Now!

Dear Mustang Families,

I hope you and your family had a wonderful summer filled with opportunities to rest, recharge, and make lasting memories. We are thrilled to welcome you back for another exciting school year at Chugiak High School!

This edition marks the first Mustang Minute of the 2026–2027 school year. The Mustang Minute is our weekly newsletter designed to keep students, families, staff, and our community connected and informed about everything happening at CHS. Each Monday evening, you'll receive updates highlighting upcoming events, student achievements, important deadlines, athletic competitions, and opportunities to get involved. Archived editions will also be available on our school website, so you never miss an update.

Our theme this year is "The Stampede Starts Now!" It's more than just a slogan as it reflects our commitment to making every day count. Success isn't something we wait for; it's something we create through our daily choices, hard work, and the relationships we build with one another. Whether you are a freshman taking your first steps through our doors or a senior preparing for graduation, your journey begins now. Together, we'll create a school year filled with learning, growth, school pride, and memorable experiences.

At Chugiak High School, our mission remains at the heart of everything we do: Inspire Students, Excel Academically, and Strengthen Community. As we begin this new year, we are committed to creating a learning environment where every student feels connected, challenged, and supported.

One important expectation that supports this mission is our "Phone Off, Minds On" initiative. In alignment with Anchorage School District policy and Alaska state legislation regarding personal electronic devices in schools, student cell phones will not be permitted for use during the instructional day, including passing periods. Students may access their phones during lunch only.

If you need to reach your student during the school day, please contact our front office, and we will ensure your message is delivered. Likewise, if a student needs to contact home, they may request to use the front office phone. We also encourage all families to log into ParentConnect before school begins to verify that emergency contacts and other information are current.

As students return in August, we ask that cell phones remain put away during the school day. Whether that means leaving them at home, securing them in a locker, or keeping them in their vehicle. Together, we can minimize distractions and maximize learning so every Mustang is fully engaged in the classroom.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of Chugiak High School. We are excited to begin another incredible year together and can't wait to see all that our students will accomplish.

The Stampede Starts Now!

Go Mustangs!

Megan Hatswell
Principal
Chugiak High School

Chugiak is excited to welcome all 9th grade students to school on August 19! We have a fun filled and informative day planned for our freshman students.

All students 9-12 will be at school beginning August 20, 2026!

ASD is staggering the first day of school to support students in a new school environment - ninth-graders in the Freshman Academy. All neighborhood and comprehensive schools will follow the staggered first day schedule. Classes will begin at 8:45 a.m. for high school.

Have you registered for the 2026-2027 school year? If you have, Thank you! If not, please register your student so we have the correct numbers for filling classes. As time goes by, classes will fill up and some electives may not be available.

For new-to-district students whose pre-enrollment has been processed, online registration also allows you to share items such as health issues for your student or information that may make them eligible for district programs.

If you are not sure, please confirm that Online Registration has been completed for all students on your ParentConnect Portal. Login, select your student, and click ASD Quick Links to check if Online Registration is Complete or Incomplete.

Professional Learning Communities (PLC) is a research-based collaborative structure used by educators to continuously learn, improve, and adapt teaching methods to help improve student outcomes.

What is it? PLC's have been in the Anchorage School District since 2016 at the high school level. Consistent professional development and collaboration time is a valuable tool that will help teachers and school staff support and adjust to student learning needs. We believe that the hour dedicated to teacher learning and collaboration on Mondays will move the needle for student achievement and greatly benefit your student! PLC’s equals improved classroom experiences, which leads to better student outcomes.

Bus transportation will start one hour later on PLC Mondays only.

Chugiak is gearing up for our annual AP Bootcamp next week for students who are taking their first AP class in the 26/27 school year. This two day program, held on August 12th and 13th from 8:45am to 3:15pm, helps students prepare for the rigorous course work of college level classes. The goal of AP Bootcamp is for your child to discuss and develop the skills they will need for success in high school, in college, and beyond. We will be skill building, as well as modeling and discussing what their AP experience might look like. In addition, this event will allow students to establish bonds with their peers that will promote solidarity in the classroom. AP Bootcamp is NOT a military recruitment event or a highly physical endeavor. The “bootcamp” theme is simply a fun way to get students excited about demonstrating their skills! Please see the attached flyer and register online at https://tinyurl.com/CHSAPBootcamp26. The cost is $15 and can be paid on Parent Connect under "AP Test". If you have any please contact Mrs. Logan at logan_alyssa@asdk12.org.

If your student accrues more than 8 absences, please review their Daily Attendance. Per district policy, students that have 15 or more Absences (Excused or Unexcused) may have credit withdrawn from their respective class.

If you receive an Unexcused Absence notification and you feel that this is inaccurate, please be sure to contact the Attendance Office (907) 742-3334. An Unexcused Absence is considered a Truancy; 5 or more may result in having credit withdrawn, or unenrollment from school.

Here at Chugiak High School, we take individual circumstances into consideration to ensure that we find the best fit for students. Please be sure to keep us in the loop!

Sincerely,

Andrew Baalerud, M.Ed.

Student/Staff Services Assistant Principal

Chugiak High School

At CHS, we believe that punctuality is a virtue that prepares students for the workforce and post-graduation. To better uphold this belief, the changes below will help foster a more efficient learning environment.

Students will be allowed 4 cumulative tardies amongst all scheduled classes before a consequence is issued. Following the fifth tardy, the following progressive disciplinary actions will be put in place:

• 5th tardy: 1 lunch detention
• 9th tardy: 2 lunch detentions and Attendance Contract (signed by parents)
• 12th tardy: Extended Day Detention - Thursday 3:15-5:15 (parent notification)
• 15th tardy: Referral to Student Services Team and Parent Meeting
• 16th tardy: Referral to Administrator and Parent Meeting to determine additional sanctions.

Tardy counts resets at the end of semester.

Andrew Baalerud, M.Ed.

Student/Staff Services Assistant Principal

Chugiak High School

The Activities Office is open and we are here to help families get their student(s) registered for Sports and Activities.

I want to highlight the biggest change to this school year - Sports and Activities Registration is no longer in BigTeams; everyone will need to register through our new streamlined platform called Arbiter.

Please visit the Chugiak High School Activities page for more detailed information regarding sports sign-up and coach contact info. Below is the list of sports that have started or will be starting on the dated provided. (approximately)

Eligibility Requirements:

· Athletes must be enrolled on at least 5 ASD classes to participate*
· Grades will be verified for a 2.0 minimum & 5 classes passed.

IF you are a homeschooled student, it is your responsibility to bring an official transcript and class schedule to the Activities Office.
* Seniors who are on track to graduate (have at least 17.5 credits) may enroll in 4 classes and still be eligible.

You must complete the eligibility process with the Activities Office before you are allowed to practice with your team. You will receive a Golden Ticket when you are eligible (all forms completed and payment made).

For more information contact:
Bruce Templeton
(907) 742-3067
templeton_bruce@asdk12.org

High School Sports & Activities Pre-Participation Registration

Once online registration is complete, please visit your school's Activities Office to verify online payment, complete your GPA eligibility check and receive your golden ticket to participate BEFORE practice starts.

No golden ticket = No practice

Student schedules will be available to view on Student and Parent Connect starting August 11th.

Registration Required

If a student is not registered, their schedule may not be viewable. Please complete online registration as soon as possible. Unregistered students risk having their schedules deleted.

-Log in to STUDENT CONNECT

-Go to ENROLLMENT TAB

-SCROLL DOWN until you see LOCKER INFORMATION(this will show you locker #)

-There is a GOLD LOCK SYMBOL, next to LOCKER #, CLICK ON the lock to reveal COMBINATION.

**Please note that some locker locations have been updated as we will no longer be using the basement for freshman lockers.

Payment for high school parking permits has been suspended again for the 26-27 school year.

YOU WILL STILL NEED A PERMIT.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE PARKING AT CHUGIAK HIGH SCHOOL - YOU WILL STILL NEED A PERMIT.

(part-time as well as full time)

The permit form will be available for sign up starting next week.

Bus transportation will start one hour later on PLC Mondays only. Check your bus route information on ParentConnect for the exact time or call 907-742-1200. School will end at the regular time.

Bus Transportation- Hours: 5:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. | Main Phone: (907) 742-1200

• Transportation page link - https://www.asdk12.org/transportation

Throughout the year fines and or fees may be attributed to a student if they have lost or damaged an item or received a parking ticket. We will send letters home twice during the year (just prior to Parent/Teacher conferences) for the entire student population to let parents know if their child has any fines or fees. Thank you for your prompt payments so that we can continue to support students in their education.

Welcome back Mustangs to the 2026-2027 school year! Please visit the Chugiak High School Activities page for more detailed information regarding Sports sign-up and coach contact info!

General Admission: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10.00

* Students with Activity Stickers: . . . . . . . . . . . . FREE

(All regular season ASD events)

Middle & High School Students: . . .. . . . . . . . . . . $5.00

Senior Citizens: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $5.00

(Ages 65 and older)

Military. . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$5.00

Elementary & Pre-School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FREE

(if accompanied by parent)

CHUGIAK HIGH SCHOOL

Website: asdk12.org/Chugiakhigh

Location: 16525 South Birchwood Loop Road, Chugiak, AK, USA
Phone: 907-742-3050
Twitter: @ChugiakHS