Knik Elementary Newsletter

TraciPedersen,Principal POBox877830~Wasilla,Alaska99687 Ph(907)3520300Fax(907)3520380

ANotefromthePrincipal: SpringisawelcomeseasonformostAlaskans.Thedays get longer and brighter, and slowly the temperatures rise. For kids (and adults), the longer days can mean less sleep. Our school counselor, Ms. Harter, has been talking to students about the importance of getting enough sleep and how sleep impacts our health and happiness. I was so intrigued by her lessons and what she learned from our students that I wanted to share someinformationwithyou. When Ms. Harter asked students how much sleep they needed and why they needed adequate sleep, many students werent sure. They were surprised to learn that children their age need 1011 hours of sleep per night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. While many students in our school reported that they get adequate sleep each night, a large number of students said they get much less than the recommended 1011 hours of sleep. Some students even reported that they get less than 6 hours of sleep per night. Yikes! We want students to know that getting adequate sleep has a huge impact on their health and how well they do in school and other activities.Lackofsleepcausesavarietyofpsychological and physical problems, including moodiness, irritability, inability to pay attention, difficulty retaining information, and poor performance on tasks. As parents, we know this is true, because weve all dealt with tired, cranky kids at one time or another. Its no fundealingwithsleepdeprivedchildren! So what can we do to insure our children get enough sleep? Experts on this topic suggest that kids have a bedtime routine that includes calming activities like readingortakingabath.Goingtobedaroundthesame time every night helps the body get into a routine. Its important to limit television, computer time, and video games before bedtime. Research shows that kids who have a TV in their room get less sleep, so this is something for parents to consider. We all want our children to be wellrested so that they can be healthy and able to perform to the best of their ability. Adequatesleepisoneofthekeystoachieving thisgoal. As the days get longer, one of the most important things parents can do to help their children be successful in school is to insure they are getting enough sleep. We have our statewide Standards Based Assessments (SBAs) April 1st4th. Our students have worked hard this year to increase their knowledge and skills, and we want them to do their very best on the SBAs. We have some tips for families in this newsletter. Parents, thank you for all you do to support your child and our school. HappySpring! Traci Pedersen

Traci Pedersen

Dates to Remember
April 1 3 SBA Testing April 4 & 7 SBA Science and Make Ups April 5 District Chess Tournament April 8 Track Starts (Info to come) April 9 Y Reward Games April 11 Bake a Book Cake Contest April 11 Camp Read a Lot April 11 Kid2College Career Panel Guests Visit 5th grade classes April 12 District Science Olympiad April 14 WMS 5th Grade Orientation April 15 Elementary Music Festival Palmer High April 16 Parenting Class April 23 Special Olympics Experience Field Trip April 28 Bus Drivers Appreciation Week Begins April 29 3rd Grade Parent Orientation Night May 6 Staff Appreciation Day

SBA Testing
Testing starts on Tuesday morning April 1, and continues through the week. Remember these tips to help a student succeed. Students should Get a good nights sleep. Eat a healthy breakfast. Arrive to school on time. Listen to directions. Take your time. Plan to be at school All Day Every Day. Plan outdoor activity for after school, to burn energy and get some fresh air.

Knik Elementary Track and Field 2014 Track and Field permission slips and information went home on Friday March 28. Track and field is open to all 4th and 5th graders. Track and field practice will begin on April 8th and continue until the district meet on May 17th. Practices will be on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday each week from 3:45 5:00pm. Mr. Seamans will be heading the coaching staff, assisted by Mr. Fischer, Ms. Austin and Mrs. Davidson. This is a fun and competitive opportunity for students to be physically active, learn about track and field, build teamwork, generate school spirit, and form a foundation for future participation. We look forward to the season and working with your child.

Track & Field for 2nd and 3rd Grade Students!!!

During the Wednesdays of the Elementary Track & Field Season, Knik 3rd graders and Goose Bay 2nd graders will have the opportunity to learn about track & field with the Knik King runners! Kurt Seamans and Nancy Blake will be coaching 2nd and 3rd graders in an effort to: (1) introduce this great sport to our future track & field athletes, and (2) connect our 2nd graders to their future school, schoolmates, AND their next PE teacher! We hope that this opportunity will make the transition easier for some of the 2nd grade students .If you are interested in volunteering your time to be a part of this exciting opportunity, please send an email to nancy.blake @matsuk12.us for more information. The more, the merrier!!!Practices will take place in the Knik gym and playing field, from 4:00 5:15 pm. The Wednesday dates for *APRIL 16 *APRIL 23 *APRIL 30 * MAY 7 *MAY 14 T&F practice are:

STAFF APPRECIATION DAY

WearepreparingforStaffAppreciationDayonTuesday,May6th.Wearegoingtobeputtingtogethergiftbagsforour 40staffmembers.Parentsoftenaskforwaystosupportourstaff.Oneideaistopurchaseanyofthefollowingitemsin anyquantityanddropthemoffatthefrontofficebyFriday,April25th.Thesearesomeideas,butanythingwillbeloved andappreciatedbythestaff!! cool penshighlightersBINDER CLIPS magnetsNOTEPADS- sticky notesstickers lotionscandy sanitizing wipeshandsanitizerRUBBER STAMPSchocolatesnackspencils PERMANENT MARKERS individual tissue packs-pencil sharpenersSCHOOL SUPPLIES

Thankyouforshowingyoursupport!!

COME JOIN US! KNIK ELEMENTARY FAMILY NIGHT CAMP READ-A-LOT FRIDAY APRILL 11TH 6:00 7:30pm
Our school will be transformed into a fun filled reading camp. Come enjoy a hot dog dinner, fun activities, cake walk, and reading tents to explore. ~ FREE BOOKS ~ DOOR PRIZES ~

Dress Up Day Mark the date, April 18, we are celebrating National Library Week by dressing up this day as our favorite book characters. Please join in and dress up with us. Please remember, NO full face masks! We need to see who you are! Please, nothing gory and NO weapons! Be creative and share in the fun! Fifth Grade Library Book Policy Parents of fifth graders need to make sure all student library fines and lost books are turned in and taken care of BEFORE they leave Knik. If your child has overdue books or fines that are outstanding, they will NOT be able to check books out of any Middle School library at the start of next year! Please make sure your childs library account is taken care of. These fines do follow them, even if the fine was accrued at Goose Bay! Last Day for Book Check Out Last day for library book check out is May 5. All books MUST be returned by May 16. Any book not returned on your childs account will be marked missing and they will NOT be allowed to check out books at the beginning of next year until their account is cleared. If you have questions feel free to call Chris Stegall at 352-0345. Library Spring Cleaning The library is holding a Spring Cleaning Event for parents who would like to donate books to our library. We are opening a Titlewave Account in Anchorage to purchase replacement books for those that wear out and we would love to take your used books off your hands to open that account. Since we are trading books in, we can take adult books and young adult books in and transform them into books appropriate for our library! Please bring them in boxed or bagged to make it easier for us to transport. Thanks! Mrs. Stegall

Volunteers Bring a Little Sunshine Knik Elementary is very lucky to have an outstanding group of volunteers that add some sunshine to our school. Whether it be leading a reading group, helping with classroom projects like bulletin boards or making copies, these people bring their talent and time to Knik, sharing their sunshine. We would like to recognize them as well as offer them an enormous THANK YOU!

Amy Campbell ~ Lisa Goodwin ~ Amanda Bekker ~ Lynne Cassanova ~ Angela Creegan ~ Mary Everett Jennifer Gosh ~ Christina Brown ~ Pam Horton ~ Laurie Lashlee ~ Stormy Powers

Dress Code Reminder The appearance of spring it is a good time to remind students of expectations.

DRESS CODE at KNIK ELEMENTARY

Knik's policy follows the School District's Handbook for Dress and Appearance. Since our appearance reflects our respect for ourselves and others, we will be following and enforcing this policy. It is also a safety issue and in the event of an emergency or cold weather your child needs to have the proper clothing. Inappropriate/appropriate clothing for school include but are not limited to: Shorts are allowed on good weather days during the months of August and May. NO shorts, dresses or skirts higher than 3" above the knee. NO wheeled shoes of any kind. NO strap tank tops, low cut tops, crop tops or shirts that expose the midriff. NO flip-flops or slippers. Closed toed, low-heeled shoes or sport shoes are great. Shoe strings need to be tied to prevent injury. NO pajamas, sleepwear or clothing resembling sleepwear. NO hats or hoods to be worn in the school. NO studded jewelry, collars or hoods with spikes, chains or any other object harmful to others. NO trousers that sag and need to be held up with a belt. NO clothing with offensive words, slogans or pictures. NO clothing that promotes violence, racism, alcohol, drugs or tobacco products. Students wearing prohibited attire will be asked to cover it, change it, or call/go home until proper attire is worn. This is a shared responsibility between the students, parents and school. Thank you for your help in securing safe and appropriate attire for our children.

3rd Quarter Perfect Attendance

5th Grade ~ Elizabeth Holbrook, Willie Lake, Kedrick White, Trinity Wilson, Shauna Campbell, Caden Fish, John Wilson, Amanda Burnem, Steven Larson, Jacob Hansen, Cheyanne Hanley, Katelyn Burnem, Kennedie Garcia 4th Grade ~ Grace Merideth, Tucker Mocan, Cort Sandefur, Kadin Ewing, Nicole Abadia, Scott Earl, Sam Schachle, Twyla Anderstrom, Maverick Bowlan, Dawson Conant, Kolten Greathouse 3rd Grade ~ Jayce Allen, Brody Mocan, Brett Widman, Joshua Kirn, Valerie Bailey, Joshua Burnem, Tara Bowlan, William Crume, Joseph McEnnis, Jenna Reece, Kegan Sheild, Sasha Hall, Janae Manley, Mychael Chuitt, Avilon Mantz, Lily Plew.

Boundary Exemptions:

Boundary exemption request forms will be accepted until April 30, 2014. Forms can be obtained in the office or on the district website at www.matsuk12.us. When you hover on the parents icon, choose quick links, on the new page you will see the link Parent Forms & Docs, boundary exemptions can be found there. If your student is on a current Boundary Exemption for Knik, you will still need to fill out a new request every year.

2014 Summer Kick Off Craft Show

Plans are in the works to hold our first craft show here at Knik Elementary. Mark the date on your calendar, Friday May 9, 11:00am 6:00 pm. Are you interested in being a vendor at this event, are you able to volunteer to work the barbeque and concessions? Watch for more information, for questions, details, or to reserve your space please contact Rachel at 631-9828 or rachel_gobbell@ yahoo.com.

BAKE A BOOK K CAKE CON NTEST

Hey K Knik Families! It's th ear where we e hold our Bake A Book Ca ake Competitiion to help Ce elebrate Natio onal Library W Week. We are e hat time of ye doing g things a bit differently this year. We e would like the cakes yo ou bake to h help us raise money for o our library by y dona ating your ent try into our Cake C Walk at t Camp Read-A-Lot that n ight. If you don't want to o donate you ur cake to the e cake walk, PLEASE E MARK ON ENTRANCE E CA ARD: NOT FO OR DONATION N! y Guidelines: Entry Entries ca an be any baked b good (cake, set of o cupcakes, pie or bread d) that clear rly relates to o a children's book. Some part of the book setting, characters s, plot, title, a uthor must b be included as s part of the b baked good. Each entr ry must have a 5x7 card that t states what book the e baked good represents and if it conta ains nuts, tree e nuts, dairy y or eggs so that t people who w are allerg gic to those fo oods are awar re and do not t handle those e items. Include what w category you would lik ke to enter yo our baked goo od in on the 5 5X7 card as w well. All entries s MUST be on n a tin foil co overed piece of cardboard d or other dis sposable plate e so they don n't have to be e returned and a we don't lose your pre ecious, costly plates! Categories for entry ar re: est Fantasy genre g cake or baked good o Be o Be est Mystery genre g cake or r baked good o Be est Non-fictio on genre o Be est Picture Bo ook genre o St tudent's choic ce o St taff choice All cont test entries are due April 11, Friday mo rning before 9:00 am m in the library. NO O EXCEPTI IONS. IF YO OU DO NOT T WISH TO HAVE YOUR R CAKE JUD DGED BUT W WOULD STI ILL LIKE TO O DONATE ITEMS TO THE T CAKE WALK W YOU MAY M TURN T THEM IN ALL L DAY FRIDA AY UP TO 6: :00 FOR THE E CAKE WA ALK. Prize for r winner in each catego ory is winne er's choice o of book ord dered from A Amazon by Mrs. Stegal ll and deliv vered by the e end of the year. Maximum of $10 0.00. Any cake not picked up by 4:15 on n Friday, April 11th will aut e entered int to the Cake W Walk for Camp p tomatically be ot! Read-A-Lo

We a are so excited to do our Ba ake a Book Ca ake and see where w your cr reativity leads s you! Thank you for supp porting literacy y and o our Knik Elem mentary Dickin nson Library! Any question ns please call Mrs. Stegall at 352-0345 or 352-0346

201 15 Alaska a and Na ational Te eacher of f the Yea ar

The c candidate sho ould: Be e employed as s a teacher in any state-app proved or accredited schoo ol, pre-kinderg garten throug gh grade twelv ve; Ha ave exception nal dedication n, knowledge, and skills; Ins spire students s of all backgr rounds and ab bilities to lear rn; Ha ave the respec ct and admira ation of studen nts, parents, and a colleague es; Pla ay an active and a useful rol le in the comm munity as wel ll as in the sch hool; and Be e poised, artic culate, and po ossess the ener rgy to withsta and a taxing s schedule. Nom minations can be b made by colleagues, pa arents or comm munity memb bers no later t than Wednesd day, April 30, , 2014. You may submit nomin nations via fa ax: 907-269-5070, email: Atiya.barlow@ A @alaska.gov o or mail: 344 W West 3rd Ave., Suite 127, Anch horage, Alask ka 99501.

201 15 Ala aska a and N Nation nal Teach T her of f the Y Year
The g goal of the Tea acher of the Year Y program is i to honor a te eacher who pr rovides except tional service to the student ts of today, the e leade ers of tomorrow w. Nominate a teacher in your y district wh ho exemplifie es excellence in om; a teacher w who n the classroo demo onstrates the characteristics and profession nalism represe entative of all teachers in A Alaska. Submit his/her name e for consi ideration as Alaskas Teacher of the Year r.
The A Alaska Teache er of the Year is often called d upon to spea ak at education n conferences, , testify before e the Alaska L Legislature, and to o participate in education working w groups s throughout the t state and th he nation. The e Alaska Teac cher of the Year is the state s nominee for r National Tea acher of the Year.* Addition nally, the Alas ska Teacher of f the Year awa ardee will: Re eceive technol logy for their school s and cla assroom; At ttend a ceremo ony in the Ros se Garden hon noring teachers s; At ttend International Space Ca amp; At ttend national educational policy forums; Netwo ork with the St tate Teachers nationally; Create e and publish a video clip ab bout teaching; Receiv ve a scholarshi ip to pursue an n advanced de egree; Meet w with the Presid dent of the Un nited States.

Teacher r Nomina ation

Nom minees Nam me: First Scho ool Name Addr ress Distr rict Scho ool Website Nom minees Emai il Address Grad de/ or Subjec cts taught of f the Nomine ee Criter ria/Achievem ment which make m the tea acher eligible e for the Tea acher of the Year award: Mid ddle Initial Last N Name

(wor rk)

Nominees Contact Num mbers (cell) (

(home) D Date

Complete th he section by y signing the e nomination n form Nom minator- Plea ase print, sign n and includ de your title (teacher, ( pri incipal, paren nt, etc)

Menus for

Tuesday, April 1
Sweet Potato Crusted Fish Sticks Tater Tots Strawberry Cup WG Panbread* Sliced Cucumbers
2nd choice depending on availability: Chicken Nuggets & Beans

Wednesday, April 2
WG Mini Corndog Nuggets Green Beans Pineapple Tidbits Romaine Garden Salad
2nd choice depending on availability: WG Pepperoni Pizza

Thursday, April 3 Sesame Chicken* over WG Rice and Vegetables Diced Peaches Fresh Cauliflower & Dip* Milk
2nd choice depending on availability: WG Grilled Cheese

Friday, April 4

2014
MSBSD Palmer Wasilla elementary
This institution is an equal opportunity provider and
Monday, April 7 WG French Toast Sticks Sausage Links Fruit Cocktail Fresh Baby Carrots Milk
2nd choice depending on availability: Cheese Pizza

April

COOKS CHOICE!

Milk

Milk

Tuesday, April 8

Wednesday, April 9 Teriyaki Beef Bites WG Seasoned Rice* Pineapple Tidbits Romaine Garden Salad Milk
2nd choice depending on availability: Bean & Cheese Burrito

Thursday, April 10

Friday, April 11 Battered Alaskan Fish Fillets Sweet Potato Tots Diced Pears Fresh Baby Carrots Milk
2nd choice depending on availability: WG Beef & Bean Burrito

Cheeseburger Tater Tots Applesauce Sliced Cucumbers Milk

2nd choice depending on availability: Chicken Patty & Tots

Mexi Mac* Diced Peaches Fresh Broccoli Milk

2nd choice depending on availability: WG Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Breakfast Prices Elementary Student Reduce/Free Student Elementary Adult /Visitor Milk, 1/2 pint variety Lunch Prices Elementary Student Reduce/Free Student Elementary Adult /Visitor Milk, 1/2 pint variety

Monday, April 14
$1.60 $0.00 $3.50 $0.50 $2.95 $0.00 $4.75 $0.50

Tuesday, April 15

Wednesday, April 16 Cheeseburger Tater Tots Pineapple Tidbits Romaine Garden Salad Milk
2nd choice depending on availability: Chicken Patty on bun

Thursday, April 17
BBQ* Meatball Sub Steamed Mixed Vegetables Diced Peaches Fresh Cauliflower & Dip*
2nd choice depending on availability:
WG Grilled Cheese

Friday, April 18 Baked Ham Mashed Sweet Potato* Diced Pears Fresh Baby Carrots Milk
2nd choice depending on availability: WG Beef & Bean Burrito

WG Pork Eggroll Steamed Corn Fruit Cocktail

Popcorn Chicken Baked Beans Applesauce

Fresh Baby Carrots Sliced Cucumbers Milk

2nd choice depending on availability: Mozz Cheese Sticks & Corn

As a promotion, the MSBSD Nutrition Services Department will be serving reduced priced students free. MENU SUBJECT TO CHANGE DEPENDING UPON

Milk
2nd choice depending on availability: Sweet Potato Crusted Fish Sticks

Milk

Monday, April 21 Cinnamon Glazed Toast Sausage Patty

Safety and cleanliness. Nothing happens in our kitchens until those two crucial ingredients are in place. Our staff receives comprehensive and on-going training in sanitation and safety practices.
In accordance with Federal law and US Dept. of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability or retaliation. If you require this information in alternative format (Braille, large print, audiotape) contact the USDA TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice or TDD). To file a complaint alleging discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 TDD users can contact USDA through local relay or the Federal relay at (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (relay voice users). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Menu subject to change without notice due to availability of product. Menu items may contain peanut or peanut products.

Tuesday, April 22 WG Pepperoni Pizza Applesauce Sliced Cucumbers Graham Crackers Milk
2nd choice depending on availability: Chicken Nuggets & Corn

Wednesday, April 23

Thursday, April 24

Friday, April 25
Alaskan Salmon Patty w/ Cheese Sandwich Steamed Mixed Vegetables Diced Pears Fresh Baby Carrots
2nd choice depending on availability: WG Beef & Bean Burrito

WG Bean & Cheese Burrito Pineapple Tidbits Romaine Garden Salad Milk
2nd choice depending on availability: WG Mini Corndog Nuggets

Chili* Cheese Dog Diced Peaches Fresh Broccoli Milk

2nd choice depending on availability: WG Grilled Cheese

Fruit Cocktail Fresh Baby Carrots Milk

2nd choice depending on availability: Cheese Pizza

Milk

Monday, April 28
Mozzarella Cheese Sticks Scandinavian Vegetables Fruit Cocktail Fresh Baby Carrots
2nd choice depending on availability: WG Beef & Bean Burrito

Tuesday, April 29
Alaskan Sweet Potato Crusted Fish Sticks Tater Tots Panbread* Sliced Cucumbers
2nd choice depending on availability: Chicken Nuggets & Beans

Wednesday, April 30

Cheese Pizza Pineapple Tidbits Romaine Garden Salad Milk

2nd choice depending on availability: Mini Corndog Nuggets & Green Beans

*Food Item is made with love from scratch right here at our Central Kitchen!
WG = Whole Grain

Milk

Milk