Anchorage Public School

The Anchorage Independent School Board will meet in the APS Library for their monthly meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, July 26, 2021.  Visitors are welcome to attend. Please enter through the library stairwell door in the rear of the school.

If you would like to sign-up to speak at the meeting, please complete the form at the following link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050448aaad2babfc1-board.

To help school districts across the nation rebuild after the pandemic the federal government established several rounds of stimulus funding.  The first two rounds of funding provided resources to the Anchorage Independent School District that assisted with preventing COVID-19 transmission and with providing the resources and staffing needed during the pandemic to provide quality virtual instruction and when possible, safe in-person instruction.  The next round of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding, following the enactment of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), is by far the largest, and will provide up to $212,923 to Anchorage Independent School District.  

As we plan for expending available ARP ESSER funding in a manner that will make the needed impact for students we need stakeholder input from our staff, parents, students and community members!  To collect that input we are providing three opportunities as follows:

• Coffee and Conversation with the Anchorage Superintendent and Principal, July 6, 2021, 8:30 a.m. in the school library (please use back library entrance).
• Anchorage Stakeholder ARP ESSER Survey due July 8, 2021.
• School Board Working Meeting, July 12, at 8:00 a.m. in the APS library (please use back library entrance). All those attending that would like the opportunity to speak to provide input into development of the school district’s ARP ESSER Plan will be provided the opportunity to do so.

The School Board will consider approval of a plan at their July 26, 2021 regular meeting which begins at 7:00 p.m. in the school library.  Community members are welcome to attend.  If you would like to sign-up to speak at the meeting, please complete the form at the following link:  https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050448aaad2babfc1-board.

To help inform your input, we have assembled the following “Fast Facts” that pertain to ARP ESSER allowable expenditures and timelines:

• May be used for eligible costs dating back to March 12, 2020.  
• Must be obligated by September 30, 2023.  
• No less than twenty percent ($42,585) must be spent to address learning loss through implementing evidence-based interventions (summer learning, extended day, or after-school programs).  These programs must respond to students’ academic, social, and emotional needs, and they must address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on underrepresented student subgroups.
• The following areas, taken directly from guidance received by the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE), are eligible for expenditures:
• Any activity authorized by the ESEA of 1965, including the Native Hawaiian Education Act and the Alaska Native Educational Equity, Support and Assistance Act (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) (‘‘IDEA’’), the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.), the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.) (‘‘the Perkins Act’’) or subtitle B of Title VII of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq.).
• Coordination of preparedness and response efforts of local educational agencies with state, local, tribal and territorial public health departments and other relevant agencies to improve coordinated responses among such entities to prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus.
• Providing principals and other school leaders with the resources necessary to address the needs of their individual schools.
• Activities to address the unique needs of low-income children or students, children with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness and foster care youth, including how outreach and service delivery will meet the needs of each population.
• Developing and implementing procedures and systems to improve the preparedness and response efforts of local educational agencies.
• Training and professional development for staff of the local educational agency on sanitation and minimizing the spread of infectious diseases.
• Purchasing supplies to sanitize and clean the facilities of a local educational agency, including buildings operated by such agency.
• Planning for and coordinating during long-term closures, including how to provide meals to eligible students, technology for online learning to all students, guidance for carrying out requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.), and how to ensure other educational services can continue to be provided consistent with all federal, state and local requirements.
• Purchasing educational technology (including hardware, software and connectivity) for students who are served by the local educational agency that aids in regular and substantive educational interaction between students and their classroom instructors, including low-income students and students with disabilities, which may include assistive technology or adaptive equipment.
• Providing mental health services and supports.
• Planning and implementing activities related to summer learning and supplemental afterschool programs, including providing classroom instruction or online learning during the summer months and addressing the needs of low-income students, students with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness and children in foster care.
• Addressing learning loss among students, including low-income students, children with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness and children and youth in foster care, of the local educational agency, including by: (A) Administering and using high-quality assessments that are valid and reliable to accurately assess students’ academic progress and assists educators in meeting students’ academic needs, including through differentiating instruction. (B) Implementing evidence-based activities to meet the comprehensive needs of students. (C) Providing information and assistance to parents and families on how they can effectively support students, including in a distance learning environment. (D)Tracking student attendance and improving student engagement in distance education.
• School facility repairs and improvements to enable operation of schools to reduce risk of virus transmission and exposure to environmental health hazards, and to support student health needs.
• Inspection, testing, maintenance, repair, replacement and upgrade projects to improve the indoor air quality in school facilities, including mechanical and non-mechanical heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, filtering, purification and other air cleaning, fans, control systems and window and door repair and replacement.
• Other activities that are necessary to maintain the operation of and continuity of services in local educational agencies and continuing to employ existing staff of the local educational agency.
• Developing strategies and implementing public health protocols, including, to the greatest extent practicable, policies in line with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the reopening and operation of school facilities to effectively maintain the health and safety of students, educators and other staff. 

The eventual narrative that our school district submits along with a budget to KDE to support our plans for expenditure of ARP ESSER funds must address the following areas: 

• The extent to which and  how funds will be used to implement prevention and mitigation strategies consistent with CDC guidance on reopening schools.
• How the school district will use funds to address the academic impact of lost instructional time through the implementation of evidence-based interventions.
• How the LEA (school district) will spend the remainder of its funds.
• How the LEA (school district) will ensure that interventions address the academic impact of lost instructional time and respond to the academic, social, emotional and mental health needs of all students.

We appreciate your time to study this information and to provide meaningful input to inform our planning efforts.  If you have related questions, please email Superintendent Kelley Ransdell, with subject line “APS ESSER Planning” at kelley.ransdell@anchorage.kyschools.us.  

Renew your Buzz Book app subscription for school year 2021-22 now! 

For just $10, you will have access to two downloads. If you need more downloads, you of course may purchase more. In order to gather family information, please complete the form on Cheddar Up by clicking here. You may purchase your downloads at the same time you complete your registration allowing your family to be published. Don’t want the download? That’s ok – you do not need to purchase, but we do need you to complete the registration form by Friday, July 30, 2021. If you currently are a Buzz Book user, your username and email will not change and you will have no disruption of service in your current app. For new users, information on how to download will be sent out at the start of school in August.

Below are some important dates for the 2021-2022 school year.

Back to School Night

Parents/Guardians & Students

Monday, August 9

5:00 – 7:00

To ensure parking availability, please arrive within the assigned time frame.

What to Expect:  

Meet teacher             See classroom        Drop off supplies

Pick up chromebook (6th – 8th Grades)  

Open House Parents/Guardians Only

The 2021 Cultural Pass offers families in Greater Louisville with children ages 0-21 access to participate in arts and cultural activities provided by 51 venues, free of charge, from June 1 through August 8, 2021. To read more about how to register, click here.

It’s hard to believe the summer sun is upon us.  Soon our Anchors will be trading in their backpacks for beach towels and diving into all that summer has to offer them.  As you are busy planning summer trips and activities, we wanted to put Summer Reading on your short list, as well.  Is there anything better than a sunny space, warm breeze, and a good book to get lost in as you forget the time, the day, and even the ground beneath you? This document will be available in the information included in report card packets that will be collected by parents, or can be downloaded here.

APS teachers’ supply lists for the 2021-2022 school year are now available online!  Support your APTA and save tons of time by ordering school supplies (Grades K-8) at www.schooltoolbox.com!  Just a few clicks and supplies will be boxed and delivered directly to your doorstep. All orders can still be customized to remove any items you don’t need!  Complete your online order by July 26 to ensure your supplies arrive before school starts. 

Important Supply Reminders and Updates

• When using schooltoolbox.com, select your student’s appropriate grade for next school year.
• Academic Planners – This year the APTA will provide planners free of charge only to students whose teachers require the APS standard academic planner (see below).  Planners will be distributed in the classroom by the teacher at the start of school, only in the grades where the APS standard planner is required. Please review the list below and note the grade level plan. 
  • Kindergarten and 1st Grade – No Planners Used
  • 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grades – APS Standard Planner Required
  • 5th Grade – Digital Planner to Be Used, APS Standard Planner Optional
  • 6th Grade – Digital Planner to Be Used, APS Standard Planner Optional
  • 7th and 8th Grades – Digital Planner to Be Used, Paper Planner Optional (7/8 students may choose their own brand)
• 7th/8th Grade Additional Items – All 7th and 8th grade students need the following items that are not included in schooltoolbox : 1) A TI-84 Plus CE Calculator (NOT Nspire CAS).  2) Two Five Star Advance Spiral Notebooks, 2 Subject, College Ruled Paper, 100 Sheets, 9-1/2″ x 6″, – One in Red and One in Blue.  These can be ordered as a two pack or individually (see amazon links here: Two Pack; Red; Blue )
• Headphones – All students are required to have a set of plain (no decorations) “over ear” headphones (no earbuds or wireless) for use in the computer lab.  They are used throughout students’ school career at Anchorage School. Your child may also need a second pair of headphones for his or her classroom – if so, these will be included on the school supply list on schooltoolbox.com.
• Rising 6th graders and New Middle School Students will need to purchase a padded case for their Chromebook computers.  The bag must be available for use before a Chromebook will be issued to the student.  Students may select a padded “Case-It” with a laptop sleeve or a standalone padded laptop zip up sleeve. 
• Wishlist Items – Any additional items requested by your teacher for the classroom will be included in your classroom assignment packet or communicated by the teacher.
• Questions? – Contact Leslie McClure at lesmcclure123@gmail.com or 864-525-0570.

In an effort to prepare for the 2021-22 school year and help parents check a summer “to-do” item off their list early, we are requesting that you complete an enrollment form online and submit it by Thursday, July 15.  

The document is conveniently located on the school website at https://anchorage-school.org/welcome/school-forms/ and is titled, “Enrollment Form.” If you have any issues locating the form please email Misty and she will make sure you get one.

You may submit this form by emailing it to enroll@anchorage.kyschools.us

If you have any questions at all, please feel free to email Misty Killinder, RN/Registrar at Misty.killinder@anchorage.kyschools.us

We appreciate your efforts in facilitating a smooth enrollment process for the 2021/22 school year.

During the 2021-22 fall season, APSAP is offering K-8 Girls Cheer, K-4 Coed Cross Country, 5-8 Coed Cross Country, 5-8 Girls Field Hockey and 5-8 Coed Soccer. The participation fee is $125.00 for all APSAP sports during the 2021-22 fall season. Coaches will be in touch with families with further information on parent meetings and practice schedules over the summer.  Team practices may begin in early August.

Please use this link to register and pay your child’s participation fees by July 30: https://go.teamsnap.com/forms/267482

*Note that athletes will not be added to a team’s roster until all six pages of a current athletic physical are on file in Athletic Director’s office.  There is a place to upload your child’s physical within the registration site.  A blank physical form can be accessed from the school website at this link: https://anchorageschool.files.wordpress.com/2019/08/sports-physical.pdf

If you are interested in coaching, assisting or have questions about the APSAP fall season, please contact Andrew Terry at andrew.terry@anchorage.kyschools.us.

Click here to view the student calendar for the upcoming school year as approved by the Board.  The calendar mirrors the calendar recommended by the Calendar Committee, with the exception of the inclusion of a non-flex staff professional development day on Friday, March 11, 2022.  The insertion of the day will reduce student learning days from 174 to 173 and will increase the opportunity for staff to engage in professional development to support their work.  The conversion of the day from an instructional day to a professional development day is in keeping with our Board’s commitment to investing in our staff. Should any school days be missed, they will be made up at the end of the school year, as there are now additional days built in the calendar.

If your child plans to purchase lunch when we return to school, and you have not created a lunch account or added funds to an exisiting one, please get that taken care of now. Go online to add money to your child’s lunch account at MySchoolBucks. If you are new to Anchorage School and do not yet have a MySchoolBucks account, or have not yet utilized the online payment option, to sign-up for MySchoolBucks please click here for the parent letter, which includes instructions. Upon signing up you will be able to make payments and see up to 90 days of transaction history, all from one site. It’s a great way to monitor your child’s cafeteria purchases.

In the case of severe weather, emergency status or unexpected closings, delays and dismissals we will enable the ​REACH Alert System​ that sends school alerts via text messages, phone calls (cell or landline) and/or emails.

To register for REACH Alert, simply follow the following steps:

• Go to ​reachalert.com and click on MY ACCOUNT ​and then select CREATE ACCOUNT ​to establish your initial account.
• Follow the prompts.
• When prompted for Network Name, enter Anchorage School and click on the school name when it appears in the dropdown list.
• When prompted for a role, select parent.
• Be sure to select to receive “alerts”.  Individuals only registering to receive “Reminders” will not receive school closing information.
• Upon joining the school network you may also want to click on​ JOIN ​and select the​ City of Anchorage ​network.