Thursday, January 24, 2019

Dear Parents, Please put Monday, February 4 from 9:20-11:30 on your calendar. We will be walking to the Performing Arts Center to see Alaska Junior Theater’s “Stone Soup and Other Stories”. That same week on Thursday, February 7, we will be taking a bus to Jewel Lake to go ice fishing! We will leave about 9:30 and should be back about 11:30. I sent permission slips in last week’s folder and have put them in again for those that have not returned them. This week the students have been studying adverbs, classification, geometry, practicing math facts, reading, writing friendly letters, journaling, learning about the scientific method, reading comprehension and activities, measurement, penmanship, and more. Our class has also been working with Junior Great Books instructor, Kriko, this week helping the Lower Elementary teachers become more comfortable with the program. The students have been reading “Jack and the Beanstalk” and participating in various activities to increase comprehensions skills, questioning, analyzing the text, and more. The students have been fantastic! They are truly an incredible group to work with and it has been fun to share them with the other teachers this week. We have learned a lot from them! We are currently collecting spare change for Malawi Children’s Village. The money will be presented at our Peace Concert in February. There will also be a chance for families to donate and bid on desserts at the Peace Concert Dessert Auction. On Thursday, February 14 we will have a valentine exchange and small party in the afternoon. If your child wishes to participate in the exchange, he/she must bring a valentine for each student. I have provided a list of Room 177 names on the back of the newsletter. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org of call or write me a note. Sincerely, Craig Moyer Valentine Class List Room 177 Mackenzie Yunie Tressa Sean Colin Jet Dimerius Ginger Colton Amelia Alaina Aveyona Charlie Matti Jacob Jaden Raina Piper Nico Holden Kira Kylan Margaux Soren Tristan Mrs. R. Mr. Moyer

Thursday, January 10, 2019

Dear Parents, Happy New Year! I hope you all had a healthy and happy holiday season. The students seem eager to be back and are resuming their working routines. I’m looking forward to a great second semester! I have sent second quarter report cards home in today’s folder. I met with all the students before the break and had them evaluate their own behavior marks. I was impressed how self-aware and honest the students were with their assessments. Please take a few moments to talk with your child to celebrate his or her accomplishments and discuss some areas he or she needs to improve. Teaching your children how to set goals is an important tool and gift that you can give them. I sent homework for this Friday’s spelling test on Monday and we have been working on them in the classroom as well. I have attached a copy of these words to the back of this newsletter. This is a list of words that all students should be able to spell every time they write by the end of third grade. I have given them to everyone so they can see where they are at this time. These are also great words to practice reading quickly to improve their reading speed and accuracy. I have next week’s homework in today’s folder. Please put Monday, February 4 from 9:20-11:30 on your calendar. We will be walking to the Performing Arts Center to see Alaska Junior Theater’s “Stone Soup and Other Stories”. That same week on Thursday, February 7, we will be taking a bus to Jewel Lake to go ice fishing! We will leave about 9:30 and should be back about 11:30. I will send home permission slips in next week’s folder. This week the students have been studying adverbs, guide words, alphabetical order, geometry, practicing math facts, reading, writing friendly letters, journaling, learning about the scientific method, reading comprehension and activities, measurement, penmanship, and more. It is great to be back working with your children! If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org of call or write me a note. Sincerely, Craig Moyer

Thursday, December 13, 2018

Dear Parents, It’s hard to believe that the first semester has come to a close already. I’m really having a great time working with your children. They are a very kind, hard-working, fun group to work with. Every year I am amazed at the growth that the students make. Your children, once again, amaze me. It is one of the true joys of my job. Holiday Night 2018 is tomorrow Friday, December 14th from 6:30-8:30. This event will be an opportunity for parents, students, faculty & staff to celebrate the season. The evening will incorporate singing by the Denali Choir and our class (that’s correct, our class will be singing), holiday fun and more. Mr. Stafford, our wonderful music teacher and choir director, would like the students to arrive at 6:00 to be prepared to sing at 6:30. Thanks! On Wednesday, December 19 we will have our annual gingerbread house creations and decorating session from 1:40-3:00. The students have volunteered to bring the items listed on the handout to share with all when we decorate. You can send in these items any time before December 19. You are welcome to join in the fun (Craziness) if you wish. Our trip to West High Pool on Thursday, December 20 from 12:30-2:30 is in need of drivers. As of today, I have only enough drivers to take 6 students. If I don’t have enough drivers by tomorrow, I will have to cancel the trip. There will be no new homework until January 2019. We will be testing Spelling List 13 tomorrow morning. You can go to www.denalimontessori177.blogspot.com and enter your email to receive an automatic email anytime I post a newsletter or any other items. During the winter break I encourage your children to continue reading at least 20 minutes a day so they keep up some of those newly learned skills. I wish you all a happy and healthy holiday season and I look forward to seeing you all in the New Year. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org or call or write me a note. Sincerely, Craig Moyer

Monday, December 10, 2018

Dear Parents, It is so wonderful to be back working with your children! It will be nice to get back into a routine and see each other again. I hope all is well with you and your family and home. If you need anything, please let me know. I am planning to have a class meeting this morning allow those that want to talk about his or her earthquake experience. I will also give students the opportunity to write about their experience and feelings as well. Our counselor and school psychologist will be on hand if a child needs help throughout the day. I will reassure students that my number one job is to keep them safe. If there is anything you need to share with me, please don’t hesitate to email me or call. I appreciate all you do on behalf of your children. On Wednesday, December 19 we will have our annual gingerbread house creations and decorating session from 1:40-3:00. The students have volunteered to bring the items listed on the handout to share with all when we decorate. You can send in these items any time before December 19. You are welcome to join in the fun (Craziness) if you wish. Our final field trip of 2018 is Thursday, December 20. We will be driving to the West High Pool for some water fun. We will leave the school at 12:30 and return by 2:30ish. If your child requires or you prefer your child to use a booster seat and you are not driving, please send in your child’s booster seat on Thursday morning. Your child also needs to bring his or her own swimsuit, towel, goggles (optional), and plastic bag (for the wet swimsuit). Don’t worry if your child is not a swimmer. Students will all be given a life jacket, unless they choose to take the swimming test. We have use of the slide and most of the students stay together in the shallow end any way and have a good time together. I want everyone to have fun and not to worry if you can’t swim. Chaperones, I need a copy of your current valid driver’s license, a copy of your current vehicle registration, and a copy of your proof of insurance with the minimum $100,000/$300,000 bodily injury and $25,000 property damage included. Parents will need to sign the district swimming form waiver or your child may not attend. I can’t make phone calls to get permission on this trip. I have put permission slips in today’s folder. Please return them by Friday, December 14. Thanks! Let’s have fun swimming! Holiday Night 2018 will be held on Friday, December 14th from 6:30-8:30. This event will be an opportunity for parents, students, faculty & staff to celebrate the Season. The evening will incorporate singing by the Denali Choir and our class (that’s correct, our class will be singing), holiday fun and more. Mr. Stafford, our wonderful music teacher and choir director, would like the students to arrive at 6:00 to be prepared to sing at 6:30. Thanks! There will be no new homework until January 2019. We will continue to work on Spelling List 13 in class this week and take the test on Friday morning. You can go to www.denalimontessori177.blogspot.com and enter your email to receive an automatic email anytime I post a newsletter or any other items. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org or call or write me a note. Sincerely, Craig Moyer

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Dear Parents, Tomorrow we are walking to the Performing Arts Center to see Alaska Junior Theater’s “Air Play”. We will leave the school at 11:00 and should be back about 1:15. We will eat lunch in the classroom before we leave at 10:20. Chaperones are welcome to join us for lunch, but don’t need to be in Room 177 until 10:45. Thank you to all the chaperones that are able to join us. It should be a fun performance. Our final field trip of 2017 is Thursday, December 20. We will be driving to the West High Pool for some water fun. We will leave the school at 12:30 and return by 2:30ish. If your child requires or you prefer your child to use a booster seat and you are not driving, please send in your child’s booster seat on Thursday morning. Your child also needs to bring his or her own swimsuit, towel, goggles (optional), and plastic bag (for the wet swimsuit). Don’t worry if your child is not a swimmer. Students will all be given a life jacket, unless they choose to take the swimming test. We have use of the slide and most of the students stay together in the shallow end any way and have a good time together. I want everyone to have fun and not to worry if you can’t swim. Chaperones, I need a copy of your current valid driver’s license, a copy of your current vehicle registration, and a copy of your proof of insurance with the minimum $100,000/$300,000 bodily injury and $25,000 property damage included. Parents will need to sign the district swimming form waiver or your child may not attend. I can’t make phone calls to get permission on this trip. I have put permission slips in today’s folder. Please return them as soon as possible. Thanks! Let’s have fun swimming! Holiday Night 2018 will be held on Friday, December 14th from 6:30-8:30. This event will be an opportunity for parents, students, faculty & staff to celebrate the Season. The evening will incorporate singing by the Denali Choir and our class (that’s correct, our class will be singing), holiday fun and more. Please put this on your calendar. The students have had a great week working on homophones, spelling, math operations, problem solving, math facts, reading comprehension, penmanship, reading, writing letters, pronouns, vocabulary, science, classification, geometry, and more. You can go to www.denalimontessori177.blogspot.com and enter your email to receive an automatic email anytime I post a newsletter or any other items. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org or call or write me a note. Sincerely, Craig Moyer

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Dear Parents, Our next field trip is on Friday, November 30 from 11:00-1:15. We will be walking to the Performing Arts Center to see Alaska Junior Theater’s “Air Play”. I have sent home permission slips in last week’s folder and have sent more to those that have not returned them. This should be a fun show. I have sent homework home this week. It is not due until Friday, November 30. There will be no spelling test next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Holiday Night 2018 will be held on Friday, December 14th from 6:30-8:30. This event will be an opportunity for parents, students, faculty & staff to celebrate the Season. The evening will incorporate singing by the Denali Choir and our class (that’s correct, our class will be singing), holiday fun and more. Please put this on your calendar. Our school is having a canned food drive. If you are able to donate a few cans, I know it will help those in need. Thank you. The students have been working hard this week on continent and ocean studies, the verb, math facts and operations, thank you letters, reading, writing, comprehension, geometry, vocabulary, science, and more. It has been a great week in Room 177! Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It is a time for us to gather with friends and family and reflect on the many things we are thankful for. I am very thankful for your support at home with your children, all the volunteers that help listen to students read, make copies, are able to join us on field trips, and everything else that makes my job so enjoyable. I am thankful for such a great group of students who care about each other, work well together, and are not afraid to make mistakes and learn from them. I hope you all have a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving holiday. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org or call or write me a note. Sincerely, Craig Moyer

Thursday, November 8, 2018

Dear Parents, I can’t tell you how impressed I was with your children yesterday during our trip to the Apple Store. They were safe, well-behaved, engaged in the learning experience, sharing and exchanging ideas. It was impressive to see. The students and I had a lot of fun learning how to make a podcast for their creation stories. The students used i-pads and the program Garage Band to record their voices and add background music to their projects. We should be receiving the recordings in the next week, so the students can share them with you. Thank you to all the chaperones that made this trip possible and to Nico’s mom for the hot chocolates on the walk back to school. It was a wonderful experience! Our next scheduled field trip is Friday, November 30. We will walk to the Performing Arts Center to see Alaska Junior Theater’s “Air Play”. We will leave the school at 11:00 and should return by 1:15. I appreciate the gift of your time so we can attend these wonderful learning experiences. I have included permission slips in today’s folder. The cost is $8 for chaperones and students. Chaperones please meet in Room 177 by 10:45. Winter has finally arrived in Anchorage and with it comes all the winter gear. Please remember to label your child’s boots, hats, gloves, snow pants, and other gear. It will make it a lot easier to sort out whose is whose. If you haven’t had time to get your child’s snow gear, please get it soon. We want your children to enjoy outdoor recess as comfortably as possible. If some of you have gently used gloves, hats, boots, coats, or snow pants that you don’t want any more, please consider donating them to nurse Marissa. We have several families in need of snow gear for their kids. The students have had a great week working on capitalization, vocabulary, geometry, spelling, math operations, verbs, creative writing, reading, writing letters, the continents and oceans, informative writing, and more. This class is really impressive in their work habits, how they work with each other, and their love for learning. I am having a great time working with your kids. Thank you for all your hard work you do at home with them. Please don’t forget that there is no school on Monday, November 12 due to the teacher in-service. I look forward to seeing all your children ready to learn on Tuesday next week. If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at moyer_craig@asdk12.org or call or write me a note. Sincerely, Craig Moyer