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The Scoop
March 20, 2015
Issue 27
The Chugach Way
An ongoing conversation about why we do things at Chugach
the way that we do
“Battle of the Books” by Heather Ireland & Michelle Bittner
We volunteered to coach Battle of the Books (BOB) this year because we witnessed the huge, positive impact the program has had many Chugach students, including our own. Between us, we have four kids, two boys and two girls, who had very different reading abilities and personalities. One was a late reader who still struggled to read and @inish books. Imagine the surprise when he announced in 4th grade that he was going to participate in BOB just before Thanksgiving and had to @inish 15 books before Winter Break. But he did it, slowly, with help and support. We discovered that he had a talent for recalling even the smallest details from the books. Participating in BOB helped change the way he thought of himself – from struggling reader to successful reader. BOB is a statewide reading program sponsored by the Alaska Association of School Librarians. Participating students are encouraged, but not required, to read as many books as possible from a pre-‐
selected list of 15 titles. The list includes books for ALL reading abilities. Since all students read at different levels and speeds, it is acceptable and encouraged for parents to read the books aloud with your child or to listen to audiobooks. Success in BOB is not solely dependent on your child’s reading ability. A child who might not remember to turn off the light in their room, can remember in which book a character ate a piece of pumpkin pie, for example. For approximately four months, students give up their lunch/recess to attend Battle practice to prepare for the School and District Battles. Lots of time is devoted to discussing the books and what aspects of the books students liked or didn’t like. There is a delay in assigning teams to keep things as non-‐competitive as possible. After teams of three or four kids are assigned, Chugach Battle of the Books is held where teams compete to answer questions about the books. The top two teams represent the school at the District Battle of the Books.
While the BOB program is similar throughout the Anchorage School District and the State, the Chugach approach has led to lots of success – not just in placement at District or State competitions, but in the volume of students that participate. Like running club, or building castles, Battle of the Books is part of the culture of our school. For example, many years have over 1/3 of middle group students participate! From the beginning, and throughout the program, we remind students and parents of the goals of the program:
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Have fun
Motivate kids to read
Broaden reading interests
Increase reading comprehension and vocabulary
Promote teamwork
Different kids have bene@itted from BOB in different ways. Some bene@it from BOB because they branch out and read a wide variety of books, or they are shy and have to learn to speak up and work together as a team, or they learn to work with their teammates to @igure out what they need to do to
excel at the School and District Battles. There’s something about BOB that engages certain kids, even if other aspects of the Chugach reading program are not working as well. Reading can be a solitary
endeavor, but in BOB all the kids are reading the same 15 books. The program offers camaraderie, competition, and variety they might need to boost their interest and ability in reading. In the past, Chugach was lucky to have Alice and Dagmara coach the 3rd/4th graders and 5th/6th graders, respectively. Even after they retired, they came back for a year to coach BOB. This year, we volunteered to coach BOB because we both enjoy the program and appreciate the huge, positive impact that BOB has had on our and other kids. Next year, Chugach will need an additional coach. BOB is a great way to share a love of books and reading with a very enthusiastic group of kids. The State Library Association provides practice questions and other materials, minimizing prep time. If you have an interest in being involved, please contact Heather Ireland at alaskaheather@hotmail.com. Thank you to the Chugach Community Assembly for their support in purchasing the books, which remain in the library for the entire school to enjoy. Music Scoop From Kelly
It’s recorder time in middle group! During the next few weeks we will be
exploring how to play the soprano recorder and reading music for the treble clef.
I have enough recorders here to assign each student his/her own recorder for the
duration of the recorder unit. If students would like to bring their own recorders
they are welcome to do so. Please be sure they are labeled with your child’s name.
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• Basketball
• Jewelry-making
• Beading
• Knitting
• Cake making
• Law and Debate
• Chocolate studies
• Model rocketry
• Crocheting
• Orienteering
• Cross-country skiing
• Rock climbing
• Face painting
• Sidewalks & our Community
• Fairy Fun
• Sign language
• Games Galore
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Golf
• Wall-hanging crafts
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Chugach Science Share Week
When: March 23-27 2015
Online Registration open now Click here to go to Online Registration
Bring in projects Tuesday morning March 24th
Thursday March 26th 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm Family Science Share Night
Adult Science Mentors arrive at 6:00 pm to Thursdayʼs event
PLEASE NOTE: The State Science and Engineering Fair is before our Share:
March 20-22
The Chugach Science Share is a non-competitive Science Fair that challenges children
to practice the scientific method with their own experiment and share their findings with
our Chugach community. All students Kindergarten through 4th grade are invited to
participate. Students in 5th and 6th grades are required to participate.
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Students will informally present their projects to their classes throughout the week. On
Family Science Share Night they will have an assigned time to speak with an Adult
Science Mentor about their project. Other activities on Science Share Night include a
science scavenger hunt, and professional science talks.
Come visit Chugachʼs website under STUDENTS tab
for important Forms and Tips!
Volunteers:
Parent Volunteers are needed! Please contact Angela Palmer
palmerfischer@gci.net, 223-5224 cell
Web Resources:
• Science Buddies (http://www.sciencebuddies.org.) Find ideas, get help, and view
resources
• Elementary School Science Fair Project Ideas http://www.education.com/
science-fair/elementary-school/
• Science Fair Projects, Ideas, and Experiments http://
www.sciencefairadventure.com/Default.aspx
• Science Fair Projects Resource Guide http://www.ipl.org/div/projectguide/
• Science Fair Projects World http://www.sciencefair-projects.org/index.html
• Alaska State Science and Engineering Fair http://www.alaskasciencefair.org/
provides guidelines if you want to take part in statewide competition (March
20-22.
Chugach Science Share
Online Registration is NOW OPEN
through Fri. March 20th
(Go to the Chugach Optional Website under STUDENTS to find the link.)
Bring posters to school Tuesday March 24th
(Late Registration will be available that day in person)
***Parents
please sign up on our Bulletin Board to help***
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Please join us for
Family Science Share Night
Thursday March 26th 6:30 to 8:00 pm
(Adult Science Share Mentors arrive at 6:00 pm)
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Project Reviews with adult Science Share Mentors for participants
Multi-age Scavenger Hunts for all
Bring Cookies or Fruit snacks to share
Don’t miss our special guest speakers: Chris Tew & Cheryl Rosa
Special Guest Speaker Schedule:
Speaker: Chris Tew, Chief of Contracting, US Army Corps of Engineers/Alaska
Title: How to Build a School in Afghanistan
Description: Chugach Parent, Chris Tew, will describe engineering concepts such as
basic design, resources, and cultural implications that affect building a school in
Afghanistan.!
Times: 6:30 to 6:45 (15 minutes) , repeats at 7:15 to 7:35 (20 minutes)
Speaker: Dr. Cheryl Rosa, DVM, PhD, Deputy Director, US Arctic Research Commission
Title: Whale Line Entanglement
Description: Chugach Parent, Cheryl Rosa, will discuss her arctic research on whales
and the health of subsistence and other wildlife species.
Times: 6:50 to 7:10 (15 minutes), repeats at 7:35 to 7:55 (20 minutes)
EVENTS
Monday, March 23
2:50pm
Spanish Class - Session II
Tuesday, March 24
8:10am
Science Share Projects Due
8:30am
SBA Testing - 4th Grade
2:50pm
Spanish Class - Session II
5:00pm
Cone Ball Jamboree - Central
6:30pm
Family Science Share Night
Thursday, March 26
Friday, March 27
11:15am Early Release
Monday, March 30
2:50pm
Spanish Class - Session II
Tuesday, March 31
7:30pm
West Area Band Festival
Thursday, April 2
2:50pm
Spanish Class - Session II
Monday, April 6
2:50pm
Spanish Class - Session II
4:30pm
Community Assembly Mtg - Library
Thursday, April 9
2:50pm
Spanish Class - Session II
Friday, April 10
11:15am Early Release
Monday, April 13
2:50pm
Spanish Class - Session II
Wednesday, April 15
5:00pm
Track Meet - Central
Thursday, April 16
2:50pm
Spanish Class - Session II
Friday, April 17
12:30pm
Mini Courses
Tuesday, April 21
5:00pm
Track Meet - Central
Friday, April 24
11:15am
Early Release
5:30pm
Spring Fling - Gym
To see a full list of upcoming events, please visit our Chugach website calendar
at: chugachoptional.asdk12.org/calendar/
ASD Non Discrimination Statement:
It is the policy of the Anchorage School District to provide equal educational and employment opportunities, and to provide services and benefits to all
students and employees without regard to race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, marital status, change in marital status, pregnancy,
parenthood or other prohibitions. This policy of the Anchorage School District is consistent with numerous laws, regulations, and executive orders enforced
by various federal, state, and municipal agencies, including but not limited to Executive Order 11246, Title 41, part 60-1, 60-2, 60-3, 60-20, Title VI and
VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the School District
Equal Employment Opportunity Office, the Alaska State Commission for Human Rights, the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission, or the Director of the
Office for Civil Rights, the Department of Education or the Department of Health and Human Services.