The Glacier Bear Connection

Dear Parent(s) and Guardian(s):

Recently the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) released the 2023-2024 Report Cards to the Public for each school district and school in Alaska. These Report Cards present information about performance for the 2023-2024 school year. During this third administration of The Alaska System of Academic Readiness (AK STAR) assessment, students in grades 3-9 were assessed in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Students in grades 5, 8, and 10 took the Alaska Science Assessment.

To view a 2023-2024 School or District Report Card to the Public, go to https://education.alaska.gov/compass/Report/2023-2024/33/330060#overview. This user-friendly website aims to provide families with clear, common information. The Report Card to the Public contains data and information about academics, school environment, teacher quality, and more. If you are unable to access the Report Card to the Public online, please contact us.

We know that the Report Card to the Public is just one of many ways you will engage with us at Sherrod Elementary. We look forward to sharing our school’s successes with you and working together to make our school better every day. We are proud that at Sherrod Elementary the report card to the public shows us doing well on increasing student attendance, we currently have attendance rate of 89.93%.

We hope you will closely follow your student’s academic progress and work with his or her teacher(s) to help ensure academic success. Working together as a team, we can improve not only how well our students are performing individually, but how our school and district is performing as a whole. There is nothing more important to administrators and teachers at Sherrod Elementary than ensuring that students are ready for the next step in their academic career. We look forward to partnering with you.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding our School or District Report Card to the Public, please don’t hesitate to contact us at (907)761-4100.

Sincerely,

Principal Cook

The Office of Teaching and Learning is gathering feedback from MSBSD families and community members on K-12 art, music, and physical curricula that are being considered for adoption. The surveys for each subject area (linked below) outline the top choices for each subject with links and login information for online review.

• Art Curriculum Survey
• Music Curriculum Survey
• Physical Education Curriculum Survey

There will also be two in-person meetings that families and community members are welcome to attend to discuss these materials in person:

• Tuesday, February 4 from 1:00 to 3:00, or
• Tuesday, February 4 from 5:00 to 6:00

Both meetings will be held at the MSBSD Administration Building at 501 North Gulkana Street, Palmer. The same information will be presented at both sessions. Families and community members are also welcome to come to district office to view materials in person during regular business hours any time between Thursday, January 23 and Friday, February 14.

If you have any questions, reach out to Juli Hardy (Juliana.Hardy@matsuk12.us) or Nikki Henry (Nichelle.Henry@matsuk12.us).

The District has developed a budget website that can be accessed here. This website hosts links to flyers, presentations, and other useful information. It also links to the Budget Priority Survey and Balancing Act.

Balancing Act is a tool that allows users to interactively view the District’s Preliminary Budget for the General Fund, see the impact of adjustments to revenues or expenditures, and provide recommendations and comments that will be considered as a balanced budget is developed.

The Budget Priority Survey & Balancing Act will be available through January 31st. All feedback will be submitted to the School Board and will also be presented at the February 19th Board meeting. All school board meetings start at 6 PM and can be attended in person or watched online.

Acts of Kindness Challenge

Sherrod is excited to focus on Acts of Kindness, which have been shown to boost self-esteem, empathy, compassion, and overall mood. Kindness is a powerful tool that helps students foster a culture of compassion, acceptance, unity, and respect. By encouraging thoughtful gestures—big or small—we aim to inspire greater harmony and kindness among everyone. Think of this as planting positive seeds in the “garden of your mind.” After all, where focus goes, energy flows!

To promote kindness, we’ve created a variety of incentives for students. Ask your child about the exciting rewards being offered during our Kindness Challenge!

How it works:
Students will receive a BINGO card filled with ideas for acts of kindness. The challenge is simple: complete the card and aim for a BLACKOUT by completing every square! Parents must sign the completed BINGO card. Students can submit as many BLACKOUT BINGO cards as they like throughout the challenge. Each BLACKOUT card submitted will earn a prize from the Bear Paw Store.

Want to take it a step further? Get the whole family involved in this month-long kindness initiative! Together, you can spread positivity through random acts of kindness and watch your “mind garden” flourish with positive energy.

Thank you for supporting and participating in this wonderful effort. Let’s make kindness contagious!

~ Principal Cook

Please join us for a fun night of BINGO! It's sure to be a night filled with laughter, fun and prizes.

Please complete click the link below to register your family, so we will have enough food for Sherrod's Title 1 Family BINGO Night.

• Friday, January 31, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in Sherrod's gym.
• Families can play BINGO, eat a sandwich, and perhaps win a door prize.
• CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT FOR THIS EVENT!

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Nurse Laurie 761-4103

The virtue this week is FRIENDLINESS.

Friendliness is being a friend, through good times and bad. You take an interest in other people and make them feel welcome. You share your belongings, your time and yourself. Friendliness is the best cure for loneliness.

Each week classes will select a student of the week who has demonstrated the week's virtue. Those students will be part of the morning show and get to announce their name at the end of the morning show on Fridays. Look for their names in next weeks newsletter.

At Sherrod, math fact fluency is of top priority. Our goal is for 3rd grade students to be Math Masters in MULTIPLICATION. Congratulations to the following students who are now recognized as official Math Masters!

Addition

Carson Erickson

Multiplication

Jenica Daugherty

Mia Soriano

Way to go Glacier Bears!! Keep practicing those math facts.

JANUARY

• 1/26: Virtue of the Week: Friendliness
• 1/28: Niekamp and Wilson Field Trip Anchorage Museum 9:30-1:30 pm
• 1/28: Schoolwide Spelling Bee 2:00 pm (call office for zoom link if you would like to virtually attend)
• 1/29: Burdick, Johnson, Lutz Field Trip Anchorage Museum 9:30-1:30 pm
• 1/31: Title 1 Cabin Fever Family BINGO Night - dinner provided 5:30 pm- 6:30 pm

FEBRUARY

• 2/2: Virtue of the Week: Forgiveness
• 2/9: Virtue of the Week: Truthfulness
• 2/10: No school: Parent Teacher Conferences
• 2/13: Spring Picture Day
• 2/16: Virtue of the Week: Cooperation
• 2/17: No school: Parent Teacher Conferences
• 2/21: Northern Lights Glow Sherrod Family Dance Night 5:30-7:00 pm
• 2/23: Virtue of the Week: Enthusiasm

MARCH

• 3/1: Volleyball Tournament @ WMS
• 3/3: Virtue of the Week: Determination
• 3/3-3/6: Dr. Suess Read Across America Week
• 3/3: Dr. Suess Spirit Week: Western Day🤠
• 3/4: Author Shelley Gill visit - 📖📙see presentation schedule 📖📙
• 3/4: Dr. Suess Spirit Week: Dress like an Alaskan Animal🫎🐻🐻‍❄️🦅
• 3/5: Dr. Suess Spirit Week: Twin Day👩🏻‍🌾👨🏻‍🌾👩🏻‍🏫👨🏻‍🏫
• 3/6: Dr. Suess Spirit Week: Mismatch and Crazy Hair Day🧦
• 3/6: End of Quarter 3
• 3/7: No School: Teacher Work Day
• 3/8-3/16: SPRING BREAK
• 3/17: Virtue of the Week: Confidence
• 3/21: Yearbook orders due
• 3/22: Science O District Competition-CTHS
• 3/23: Virtue of the Week: Perseverance
• 3/25: PJMS Counselors meet with 5th gr students
• 3/27: 3rd gr Music Concert 2:40 and 6:00 pm
• 3/31: Virtue of the Week: Trustworthiness

Thank you

"Our Children, Our Focus, Our Future!

Website: https://www.matsuk12.us/she
Location: 561 North Gulkana Street, Palmer, AK, USA
Phone: (907) 761-4100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sherrodschoolak/