HUFFMAN NEWS
HUSKY TALES
Anchorage School District
http://www.asdk12.org/schools/Huffman/pages/
Volume 1, Issue 1
12000 Lorraine Street Anchorage, Alaska 99516 907-742-5650 SCHOOL BUSINESS PARTNERS http://www.alaskazoo.org/
September 2, 2016
http://www.trinityalaska.org/ http://www.h2oasiswaterpark.com/
Dear Huffman Families,
CALENDAR
Welcome to the 2016-2017 school year. We are off to a great start and looking forward to an outstanding school year! Please review a few highlights below. School-Wide Expectations & Positive Recognition System- Please read the “School Wide Expectations and Positive Behavior Supports” document in this newsletter. It outlines Huffman’s overall behavior expectations and our system to recognize positive student behavior.
September 5th Labor Day No School
September 13th Picture Day
September 13th XC Running starts
September 14th
Parking Lot-So far, so good. Thank you. Please remember, the front parking lot where busses drop off and pick up is closed in the AM and PM. Specifically, no cars may enter this lot from 8:30-9:15am and 3:15 – 4:00pm. If you happen to be parked in the front lot when busses arrive, you will need to stay parked until all busses have exited. Thank you. Gear and Rain-We love recess here at Huffman! Please ensure your student has proper rain gear. We almost always go out for recess, even if it’s raining! We all need the movement and fresh air. Thank you. SEL & Second Steps What is SEL? SEL stands for social emotional learning. The Anchorage School District is committed to teaching SEL skills organized into five general categories: Self Awareness, Self Management, Social Awareness, Social Management, and Decision Making. Huffman will be using a nationally recognized research based curriculum called Second Steps to teach these skills. According to Forbes, “The 10 Skills Employers Most Want In 2015 Graduates” are: 1. Ability to work in a team structure 2. Ability to make decisions and solve problems (tie) 3. Ability to communicate verbally with people inside and outside an organization
First Day of Choir
4. Ability to plan, organize and prioritize work
September 17th
5. Ability to obtain and process information
South Area Jamboree
6. Ability to analyze quantitative data
September 24th Huffman Family Fun Run
October 17th Picture Re-Take Day
October 21st PTA Fall Carnival 6pm –8pm
7. Technical knowledge related to the job 8. Proficiency with computer software programs 9. Ability to create and/or edit written reports 10. Ability to sell and influence others The top three skills are specifically linked to social emotional learning. ALICE -ASD is adopting a new safety and security protocol. Please use the following link to learn more about ALICE: Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. As ASD provides training and information to staff, I will be sure to share any updates with our community. Rest assured, our staff will be thoughtful in this implementation. The last thing we will do is create an environment of fear. School is a safe place and we want students to be healthy, happy, focused on learning, and being great kids! Please know we are thinking about this very carefully. Animals on Campus -Animals are prohibited on campus between 8:30am and 4:00pm. We have numerous students and staff with allergies and some who have had traumatic experiences in the past. Of course, we do accommodate documented service animals. Service animals have strict guidelines and I am happy to share these with you if you have questions. Thank you for understanding. Thank You! -Huffman appreciates all of our amazing volunteers. You all make our school what it is and we couldn’t do it without you. As always, don’t hesitate to call or email if you have questions or concerns. Have a wonderful day. All the best. Chris 907-742-5650 opitz_chris@asdk12.org
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School Wide Expectations Safe, Respectful, Responsible, Friendly, and Caring During the 2015-2016 school year, the Huffman staff collaborated to hone and simplify our school wide expectations. During the first few weeks of school, all staff will model, teach, and practice these expectations with our students. Our goal is to proactively teach positive and pro-social skills. We also have a new initiative this year called the “Please Stop” rule. We want to empower all students to have a voice and sense of personal power. If a student is being teased, picked on, feeling uncomfortable, or someone is disrupting their learning, they will be taught to say “please stop” in a firm and calm voice. All students will be taught to understand and respect these words as serious. If someone says “please stop”, it means they are serious, they are not joking, and we have a responsibility to respect their request. If the words or actions continue after the “please stop” request is made, students will be taught to ask for help from staff. Staff will help solve the problem and consequences may apply. “I was just joking” or “We were just messing around” will not be reasonable excuses if the words or actions continue after being asked to “please stop”. When students stop a disruptive behavior when asked, both students will be thanked for solving their own problem and we will carry on. Again, we want to provide all of our students a voice and sense of personal power and control. Of course, we know this will not always work, but we owe it to all students to teach them tools to handle difficult situations.
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Positive Recognition System: Husky Howl Huffman students are… Safe, Respectful, Responsible, Friendly, and Caring.
Along with the simplified school wide expectations, Huffman will be recognizing students for meeting expectations and being great school citizens. A “Husky Howl” is a positive recognition ticket. It replaces the “good job award”. 1. Everyday, staff will randomly recognize students who are Safe, Respectful, Responsible, Friendly, and Caring. If a student is recognized, they will receive a “Husky Howl”. Students will bring that to the office and put their name in the weekly Mystery Motivator drawing, sign the “Husky Howl” autograph board near the library, and bring their “Husky Howl” home to share with their family. Every staff member will recognize one student (who is not in their own class) each week. Approximately 75 random students will be recognized each week. We will not track who is and who is not recognized, but rather authentically recognize students in the moment. 2. On Monday, Mr. Opitz will randomly draw five names from the previous week’s Husky Howls. Those students will come to the office to claim their Mystery Motivator. It could be a book, tickets to H2Oasis, Husky bucks for the school store, etc. etc. 3. Not all students will be recognized in any given week and this is a random process. We will not keep track of who has earned a Husky Howl and who has not. Everyday, all students will have an opportunity to be recognized for being Safe, Respectful, Responsible, Friendly, and Caring. Everyday will be a new day to start fresh. 4. Students will be taught the following.• How to accept their recognition graciously • To not ask for a Husky Howl • How to congratulate a classmate who is recognized • How to handle disappointment appropriately if they are not recognized These are important life skills that will serve all students well.
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Health Services at School The Anchorage School District provides a wide range of health promotion services under the direction of the school nurse. Huffman’s school nurse, Lisa Sutherlin, R.N, N.C.S.N., will be available Monday-Friday. Your assistance will enable us to serve you and your children most effectively. Immunizations: Immunization requirements are established by law, and must be met for a student to enter and remain in school. Each student’s records are reviewed at the time of registration, and annually thereafter. If a student receives an immunization after the original record has been given to the school registrar, an official record of additional immunizations must be given to the school nurse. If a student needs further immunizations to meet legal requirements, you will be notified. Student Illness or Injury: Although we stress the importance of good attendance, a student who appears ill should remain at home. Please do not send sick students to school to be examined by the school nurse. This may expose many others to unnecessary illness. Students will not be allowed to stay inside for recess without a written request from a physician. Before students are excused from school for illness or injury, parents/guardians are notified. Therefore it is most important that current home and work telephone numbers be available at school for parents/guardians and a friend, or relative who may be contacted to authorize release from school, and can come to pick up the student. Your cooperation with timely notification to the school of any changes in phone numbers is vital. Accidental injuries at school will be given first aid by the school nurse, or in her absence, by a trained staff member. In a major, life-threatening emergency, the paramedics will be called. In emergencies or in a serious accidental injury the parents/guardians will be notified and advised if further medical care is needed. Medication Administration: Periodically, parents and/or physicians request that medication be given to students during school hours. Before medication can be administered at school, the parent/guardian must complete a request form. Medication needs to be brought to the office by an adult in the original container. Please do not send medications (including cold remedies, lozenges, etc.) to school for your child to take on their own. All medications must be administered through the school health office. Any student requiring medication at school for a chronic condition must have on file a medication form signed by the doctor and parent/guardian. This form must be renewed each school year. Students are not allowed to carry any medication with them at school, except inhalers for asthma or EpiPen for severe allergies with health care provider authorization. Prescription medicine must be provided in a container labeled by the pharmacy or health care provider. Medications that are to be administered for less than 15 days require completion of a Short Term Medication Form by a parent/guardian. For medications that need to be administered for longer periods of time, both parent/guardian and health care provider must complete a Long Term Medication Form. The Asthma Action Plan, Allergy Action Plan, Latex Allergy Plan and Diabetes Care Plan forms are available for students with these conditions. These forms are available in the school health office.
Nonprescription medicine: Non-prescription medications to be given at school may include over-the-counter medications, which do not contain alcohol, and/or topical preparations approved by the FDA. Parents must supply medications in the original container and complete the appropriate medication request form. Dosage will not exceed the standard recommended by the manufacturer.
Please continue on the next page.
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Health Screening: Vision and hearing testing is conducted at specific grade levels. You will be notified when a further evaluation by a specialist is recommended. Upon request, a student may be checked any time a concern arises.
Physical Education Excuse: If a physical education excuse for 1-3 days is necessary, the school nurse must be advised and can authorize the excuse. If more that 3 days out of physical education are required, a written request from a physician is necessary, specifying the length of absence needed and the reason for it.
You may access more health information and medication forms on the ASD Website: Department – Health Services. You are always welcome to call or stop by the school health office regarding your child’s health and welfare.
Lisa Sutherlin, R.N., N.C.S.N. Huffman Elementary School Nurse 742-5651
Welcome to Health I am excited that I am able to be back at Huffman for my third year teaching Health. I hope you all enjoyed a healthy and sunfilled summer. One of my highlights was taking my two boys, ages seven and nine, backpacking for their first time. I was also lucky to be able to visit my family in San Diego and enjoy some time at the beach. I am delighted to be able to present The Great Body Shop curriculum to our students with the goal of equipping children and their families with the knowledge and skills needed to make healthy choices throughout their lives. I welcome parent presenters in topics that relate to our curriculum. Each month, a different topic will be covered at an age-appropriate level. September we will focus on safety. This unit includes mandatory personal body safety lessons (AS 14.30.355). I want to sincerely thank you for the opportunity to teach your children. I look forward to working with you as we guide them on their path to good health and wellness. Kind Regards, Jennifer Phillips
School Board
phillips_jennifer@asdk12.org Name
Position
Tam Agosti-Gisler
President
Elisa Snelling
Vice president
Starr Marsett
Clerk
Kathleen Plunkett
Treasurer
Bettye Davis
Member
Pat Higgins
Member
Kameron Perez-Verdia
Member
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Huffman Physical Education News Dear Parents, Although I know most of you, I wanted to make sure to introduce myself to our new Huffman Families. My name is Tasha Bergt and I love teaching PE at Huffman. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education and a Masters degree in Education. I am passionate about developing a life long joy and appreciation for physical activity in my students and community. We are excited to welcome back Dan Pemble, our half-time PE teacher. He continues to bring a lot of experience and enthusiasm and is the perfect fit for Huffman. The following briefly describes our program and expectations: Curriculum The Anchorage School District embraces the Alaska Physical Education Standards. Physical Education, as a content area in the total educational program; -Focuses on fitness -Teaches skills that lead to enjoyment of lifelong physical activity -Enhances all aspects of development including but not limited to health, academic performance, physical fitness, movement knowledge, goal setting, self-esteem, stress management, and social skills. -Embraces the unique challenges of Alaska’s geographic location, cultural diversity, climate, and social structure. Alaska’s standards not only encourage competency in motor and movement skills, but are also designed to develop a life long joy and appreciation for physical activity, while teaching social behavior that respects self and others in physical activity settings. Our PE program will remain very similar to previous years, including our popular winter cross-country ski and skate units. (Yes, we WILL have winter this year!). We will also continue working with Healthy Futures and SQORD. We are involved with many community fitness events including our x-c running team, the Southside Jamboree, the Huffman Fun Run, Bike to School Day, the Heart Run, and many others. We look forward to meeting all of you and working with you throughout the year to make Physical Education, physical activity, and good health an important and joyful part of your children’s lives. Expectations and Grading Effort Grades K-6 For effort grades, we follow the “Hellison’s Empowerment Through Responsibility Model of Personal/Social Responsibility”. This method uses a rating scale from 1(N)-5(O) and encourages students to reflect on their own participation, behavior, and learning during each class period. To achieve an “O” or “5”, a student acts as a role model, participates at their personal best, is attentive and respectful, remains on task the entire class period, and encourages and cooperates with others. (Additional Achievement Grade in Grades 4-6) For achievement grades in PE, students work on understanding, and competency in a variety of physical activities and skill areas. The emphasis is always on the learning process and individual growth rather than results. Most of our students enjoy PE and get excellent grades. Please feel free to stop by the Gym, call the school, or send an email if you have any questions. We look forward to meeting all of you and working with you throughout the year to make good health and physical activity an important and joyful part of your children’s lives. Sincerely, Natasha Bergt, bergt_natasha@asdk12.org Dan Pemble, W, Th, F, pemble_dan@asdk12.org
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Notes from the
room
Hello and welcome back! We are already singing, playing instruments and composing in the Music Room. It’s been a terrific start to the year.
I have a student teacher this semester. Dani Bovee will be working with the fantastic Huffman students and me until December. Please feel free to introduce yourself to her when you see her. Choir will start on Wednesday, September 14th. Many students have already turned in their permission slips. We still have room for a few more 3rd-6th grade singers.
Looking forward to a wonderful year!
With a song, Mrs. Elizabeth Hunt
Lunch menu’s will no longer be sent home. Please click on the link below for the September lunch menu http://www.asdk12.org/studentnutrition/
Huge thank you to our wonderful PTA and Sharna Robbins for designing and making these wonderful Kindergarten T-shirts.
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Salutations from the library! I would like to give out a Huffman Howl of thanks to this amazing community! I am so appreciative to be working with such a great group of well behaved, ready to learn, excited to read elementary students. Also thank you to so many families who have taken time out of your day to say hello and to the new families who have stopped in introduce themselves. Whether it is a simple quick hello in the parking lot while I’m on duty, walking through the halls, or you pop in, it is appreciated. I can tell this is a special community. The last two weeks of library have been busy and exciting. We focused on:
behavior expectations
checkout procedures
where to find books in the library
how to care and be responsible for books you borrow from the library
Ask your child “What are the three main sections in the library?” Thank you for helping remind your child:
when their library day is
how to take care of their books
how to be responsible and keep track of books.
Mrs. Bergt has a bucket in the Gym for donated shoes
Typically you can expect your child to have 2-3 books checked out at a given time. They are welcome to exchange or renew books every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at open check out from (9:00-9:30) in addition to their regularly scheduled library time. They should have no excuses for not bringing home a book nightly to read. Once again thanks for such a great start to the year. Cindy Keller Huffman Librarian
Anchorage School District In agreement with the Office of Civil Rights-U. S. Department of Education, this statement must be included in all ASD publications, including student handbooks, administrative manuals, parent documents and other District publications. Compliance/Equal Employment Opportunity Office REVISED: 8/2007; 8/2012; 5/2013; 7/2014 ASD Statement of Non-discrimination for ASD Publications The Board is committed to an environment of non-discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, economic status, union affiliation, disability and other human differences. No person shall be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, any academic or extracurricular program or educational opportunity or service offered by the District. The District will comply with the applicable statutes, regulations, and executive orders adopted by Federal, State and Municipal agencies. The District notes the concurrent applicability of the Individuals with Disabilities Act, Title II of the
Americans with Disabilities Act and the relevant
disability provisions of Alaska law. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the District’s Compliance/Equal Employment Opportunity Executive Director, who also serves as the Title IX and ADA/ADAAA Coordinator, ASD Education Center, 5530 E. Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage, AK 99504-3135 (907) 742-4132, or to any of the following external agencies: Alaska State Commission for Human Rights, Anchorage Equal Rights Commission, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Director of the Office for Civil Rights-U.S. Department of Education or Office of Civil Rights-U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. EEO #024
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Huffman TEAM PTA News huffmanteampta@gmail.com
Upcoming Dates ● September 7. We are still collecting PTA membership forms! Please join us at 4 pm for our first meeting and get your forms turned in to be part of the team that helps make Huffman extra special. Kids welcome at meetings! If you are volunteering in your kiddo’s class and intimidated by the workroom tools we will have a tour at 5 pm.
● September 7 is deadline to join the Huffman Husky XC Running Program ~ Come run! Season runs September 13-29 with practice on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 3:30-4:30. ● September 13~ SCHOOL PICTURE DAY! ● September 17 ~XC Running Southside Jamboree ● September 24 ~ Huffman’s Family Fun Run
Other News ● The super cool Huffman School Store will open at the Huffman Fall Carnival on October 21! The planning for the Carnival is starting NOW so please contact us if you are interested in making this event AWESOME!
● Volunteer Opportunities ~ We have lots of opportunities (no worries...mostly small) for parents to help out. We understand all of our time is precious but it is definitely for the greater good and to top it off your kiddo will LOVE it! And honestly without parent help we could never do all of the awesome things we do for the students that enrich their school experience. So please watch for upcoming emails and flyers with more info.
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Dear Parents, Welcome to the new school year! I am looking forward to working with you and your child, and pleased to announce our school will be participating in the Healthy Futures Challenge this year. The contest will run for three months, September, October, and November. In addition to students winning prizes, our school can win up to a $200 grant for equipment or educational materials that support physical activity. Twenty-five schools who have 20% participation and higher will be drawn for the $200 grant prizes. What is Healthy Futures? Founded by concerned parents, Healthy Futures is a statewide, grassroots movement to help youth build positive, lifelong physical fitness habits through two core programs: the Healthy Futures Activity Log Challenge and the promotion of youth attendance at local recreational events. Why Healthy Futures? Kids are not as active as they should be. They need daily vigorous physical activity to build strength, endurance, healthy muscles and bones or they may face tough problems like obesity, diabetes, and lower self-esteem. At Huffman, we are committed to helping students develop the skills, knowledge and desire they need in order to be physically active now and for the rest of their lives. Parents and the community also play a critical role in the solution for healthier, active children by providing motivation, encouragement and daily opportunities for recreation beyond the classroom. How does your child participate in Healthy Futures? With your assistance, your child records physical activity on the Healthy Futures Activity Log. The good news is we model and fill out the logs at school to keep the paperwork here. Feel free to also do the log at home along with your child. You can print them right off the website. We are hoping this program will encourage families to become more active together. Effective this school year, qualifying logs must show at least 60 minutes of physical activity during a day, for at least 15 days of the month. Students can now count their active time during PE class and recess. While it is healthiest for physical activity to be distributed throughout the month, the 15 days can occur in any pattern during the month and count toward a qualifying log. The other good news is that your students can spread out their 60 minutes of activity during the day. They can even break it up into smaller chunks of time during the day — as small as 10 minutes at a time of moderate to vigorous effort. For example, it could be 20 minutes of active time during PE class, 20 minutes during recess, and 20 minutes of playing tag with their friends after school. On a weekend, it could be a 60-minute hike with their family. This helps children get closer to the national recommendation of 60 minutes of physical activity every day for the best health. Students may turn in completed logs to the gym or office in exchange for exciting prizes, including the chance to win a grand prize sports package of their choice, worth up to $300. The first prize this fall is a very cool Slinky!!! This is a wonderful program that is sure to benefit your child and our school. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Your Healthy Futures Team,
Tasha Bergt, Cheryl Armbrust, Jennifer Phillips, and lots of our awesome Teachers and Staff Members
Please see last page of newsletter for the Healthy Futures Activity log
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