December:

• 12/10 & 12/11 - MAP Testing for grades 3-8
• 12/12 - mClass Testing for grades K-5
• 12/12 - Parent Connections Night
• 12/14 - Friends of ANCCS Winter Market - 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
• 12/19 - ANCCS Winter Celebration - 1:00 - 3:00 pm
• 12/19 - Last School Day of Quarter 2
• 12/20 - Grading Day - No School - Winter Break Begins
• 12/21 - Santa's Workshop Holiday Event, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

January:

• 1/6 - ANCCS Professional Development Day - No School
• 1/7 - First Day of School for Quarter 3
• 1/9 - Parent Connections Night
• 1/13 - First day of 21st Century for Quarter 3
• 1/14 - Kids Heart Challenge, grades K-5
• 1/20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School
• 1/25 - ANCCS Family Night
• 1/27 & 1/28 - Eskimo Ninja Warrior Visit
• 1/28 - January Family Night

There are lots of exciting things going on at ANCCS as we wrap up Quarter 2 and look forward to winter break beginning. Next week, our students in grades 3-8 will show us what they know in reading and math on their winter MAP assessment and our K-5 students will showcase their reading progress on their winter mClass assessment. Please encourage your student to take their time and do their best work on these assessments. Getting a good night's sleep and eating a healthy breakfast also are important for setting students up for success. Testing takes a lot of brain power and while we do our best to pace the assessments with breaks, you may notice that your student is more tired than normal at the end of the day.

We also have several winter family events coming up! Please join us Saturday, December 14, for our Friends of ANCCS Winter Market! There will be many wonderful vendors selling unique gifts and items. Your shopping also will support our school. Our Winter Celebration will be December 19 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm. Classes are preparing songs, skits, and other performances to share with our families and community. Then, on December 21, join us for a Santa's Workshop fundraiser!

Winter break begins on December 20 for students with our last day of school for the quarter on December 19. Other ASD schools return from winter break on January 6. The first day back to school following the break is January 7 for ANCCS. We wish you all a happy and peaceful winter break. We look forward to seeing your students back in person on January 7!

Please ensure your student is present in school and ready to do their best work on the assessment. Quyana for supporting our students on these important tests.

Support our school while you do your holiday shopping! Our ANNCS Yugtun choir will perform at 1:00 pm.

Please join us from 1:00 - 3:00 pm on Tuesday, December 19 for the ANCCS Winter Celebration! Each class has been preparing a song, skit, or short performance to celebrate the season and share with our families and community.

Dismissal

If you wish to take your student home after the performance at 3:00 pm, please let your student's classroom teacher know. The front staff will be available to check students out early. We look forward to seeing you at our Winter Celebration!

Join us and an extra special guest for a holiday fundraiser on December 21! Craft and concession tickets will be sold at the door.

The Alaska Department of Education & Early Education (DEED) has put together many great resources for families about the Science of Reading and how to support your student's reading at home.

Need some tips on how to help your young reader?
Sign up to receive tips via text. Each week, ASD will send one text message with an activity idea or tip you can practice at home with your K-3 child to help support their reading. To opt-in for weekly activities text “@asdreading” to the number 81010.

This week, students are reflecting on naklekiyaraq and how they can show compassion to others. Students from preschool to eighth grade participate in a daily circle in which they reflect on and share about our Yup'ik word of the week and Elder wisdom.

Season's Greetings!

We are so grateful for you and your children. Being part of the ANCCS family means your child is receiving the highest quality education offered in the Anchorage School District. At our school, we strive to provide a nurturing environment where children can embrace their culture and learn essential skills to navigate the ever-changing tides of humanity.

As the winter break approaches, we hope you enjoy the blessings of a peaceful and joyous holiday season.

At this time, we are reaching out for your support. Our school is $2,000 short of meeting a financial requirement set by ASD, which is crucial for us to move forward in securing a permanent location and appropriate staffing. If it is within your financial means, a donation of $8.50 per student would greatly help us reach this goal. Of course, any amount you are able to contribute would make a meaningful difference.

Thank you for your continued support and for being part of our community. We wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year!

Sincerely, ANCCS APC

After three months of outstanding attendance by our ANCCS students, it seems that the cold and flu season and holiday travel has caught up to us. Our attendance rate took a dip in November. For the month of November, only 58% of students attended school 90% or more of the time. This means that 42% of ANCCS students were considered chronically absent in November.

We appreciate the dedication of our families for getting their students to school each and every day. If you have questions about school attendance or would like support navigating an attendance barrier, please reach out to the front office.

At ANCCS, we say "less than 8 is great," meaning we want all students to achieve 90% attendance and miss fewer than 8 days of school per year. To be "on track for less than 8 is great," students can miss no more than 2 days of school per quarter. While some absences are unavoidable, please make a plan to ensure your student is at school whenever possible.

What is your goal for attendance for the month of December? How about January? Set an intention to be at school every day and see if you can reach your goal.

A friendly reminder that students go out for recess as long as it is above -10*F. Please ensure that your student has proper winter gear, including a warm coat, snow pants, boots, mittens, and a hat. Many items look the same--please label EVERYTHING with your student's name.

Our Lost & Found is quickly filling up again. Any unclaimed items at the end of each month are either kept for use at ANCCS or donated. If your child is missing any clothing, water bottles, or winter gear, please stop by to take a look at the Lost & Found.

If you have questions or are in need of winter gear, please contact the front office (907) 742-1370.

JNYO season is just around the corner. We are seeking parent or community volunteers to support our program. Please consider sharing what you know about the games with our students.

Nurse Frost keeps a supply of mittens for students to borrow if they have forgotten or lost their own mittens. However, her stash of mittens has been depleted as students do not always return what they borrow. If you have new or gently-used mittens, please consider donating them to our ANCCS students. Quyana and stay warm!

Our school uses the SAEBRS screener to look at school-wide systems of support for social emotional learning and behavior. Teachers will be completing the SAEBRS screener for students between December 4 - 12. The SAEBRS screener results will be used to help us look at the effectiveness of our schoolwide and classroom structures. This screener is completed by teachers and will not take away from student instructional time nor require input/answers from students. If you have any questions, please contact Principal Sweetsir or Assistant Principal Osborne.