upcoming events
A note from your amc secretaryImportant Items to Note School Lunch & School Store:
Transportation Update from the District MSBSD Families, We are glad to share that the bus strike has been resolved, pending a ratification vote by the Teamsters tomorrow. We recognize how challenging this has been for many of our families and appreciate the effort it has taken to manage transportation and daily routines. If ratified, Durham School Services will conduct driver in-service on Friday and Monday for training and route dry runs, with bus service expected to resume as early as Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Durham is currently assessing driver availability and retention as part of the restart. If there are any impacts to specific routes when transportation resumes, families will receive direct communication with updates. We will continue to share information as it becomes available and keep families informed as service is restored. Yearbooks: Yearbooks have been delivered and will be sent home the week of May 11th. Lost & Found: Your items miss you! Please check the lost and found rack at the top of the stairs, outside the front office for any lost items. There are many coats, shoes, gloves, and water bottles on the rack. Any unclaimed items after May 27th will be donated to local charities. student highlightsmrs. maynard's classroom"Kindergarten and first grade students in Mrs. Maynard's class are enjoying a few brain breaks during their April testing weeks. They are decorating the courtyard with chalk, enjoying sunny days at the playground, and creating some special projects for the upcoming art show. They are also working on a few top-secret Mother's Day crafts. They are working hard and playing hard!" 
mrs. brady's classroomSecond graders quickly learn the art of blind typing, which enables them to compose their thoughts without looking at the keys! It’s a good day in the typing world!  mrs. kerkove's classroom Mrs. Kerkove’s classroom has been full of excitement as the students have been observing the fascinating life cycle of caterpillars up close, and the students are loving every moment of it! Each day, we check in on our tiny visitors, noticing how they grow and change. From tiny caterpillars to their transformation into chrysalises, the students are learning patience and curiosity as they watch this incredible process unfold. This hands-on experience has been such a meaningful way to learn about nature, growth, and change. We can’t wait to see what happens next as our caterpillars continue their amazing journey!
mrs. worley's classroomDuring our middle school PE softball unit, batting practice is all about getting comfortable with the basics and having some fun while improving. We go over things like how to hold the bat, where to stand, and how to swing before anyone starts hitting. Safety is our number one focus—only one person is up to bat at a time, everyone else stays back behind the safety lines, and we only use equipment when the teacher says it’s okay. As long as everyone pays attention and follows the rules, it’s a great way to build skills and enjoy the game together.
amc clubs and sportsmade for the stage performance amc kidwind advances to world competitionCongratulations to seventh-grade students Justice Lite and Olivia Rudder, Team Breszie Besties, who were selected to attend the World Clean Energy Olympics in Madison, Wisconsin, May 17-20. KIDWIND is an AMC Quest club coached by Carol, Dan Drake, and Shana Blankenship, and managed by team manager Leigha Bird. 30 students were involved in the club for over six months in preparation for the competition. This year’s Alaska competition was challenging, with 82 teams competing statewide for just five invitations to the World event in May. Congratulations to all AMC teams that competed!
Best wishes to all participants! Mrs. Blankenship, Mrs. Drake, Mr. Drake, and Leigha Bird Breezie Besties are seeking sponsorships from local businesses: To make this trip to Wisconsin a reality, we are seeking financial support to cover travel, accommodations, and participation expenses. We would be deeply grateful for any donation your business can contribute to help us send our talented team to Madison. Your generosity will help provide our students with an invaluable opportunity to present their work, gain hands-on experience, and connect with like-minded innovators from around the world. Click here to donate. We are excited about the opportunity for our students to make a real impact, and your support would mean the world to us. 
chess clubThe AMC Chess Club had 16 members who competed in both the elementary and middle school Matanuska Borough School District tournaments. The students fought hard and showed strong sportsmanship throughout the competition. Zion Johnson earned 5th place in the middle school tournament, a strong finish for AMC. Great job for all who participated. 
garden clubAMC students enjoying getting their hands dirty while they learn to garden.
may kidwind fundraiser AMC Kidwind's monthly fundraiser at Raising Caines will be on Monday the 18th of this month. Please come out and support our students. Your order at Caines will only count toward our fundraiser if you mention the word "fundraiser." amc's new school updateAmerican Charter families were able to visit the new school site for a guided tour. The move in date is scheduled for November 10th, 2026. The school year 2027 calendar includes days off in November for the move. Photos taken 04.21.26 
attendance and timeliness data April- 188 Tardies, 6.49% absenteeism (No buses) March- 111 Tardies (Spring Break), 9.17% absenteeism (No buses) February- 164 Tardies, 6.45% absenteeism January- 166 Tardies, 6.68% absenteeism December- 107 Tardies, 4.69% absenteeism November- 144 Tardies, 5.31% absenteeism October- 144 Tardies, 5.59% absenteeism September- 135 Tardies, 5.35% absenteeism Can AMC get fewer than 100 tardies in a month? Can AMC keep the absenteeism rate under 5%? principal's corner Hello AMC Families,
The Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test scores are in, and AMC families met the challenge, and AMC staff knocked it out of the park. Thank you to AMC's testing coordinators Mrs. McElvain and Mrs. Skiff for making the testing schedule, having everything ready, trouble shooting problems, and completing all the necessary paperwork, and thank you families for preparing students and supporting their learning. As a school, proficiency rates increased or remained steady from Spring 2025 rates. Schoolwide Data Reading Increased- 5% to 72% proficient or above Language Increased- 1% to 72% proficient or above Math Stayed the Same- at 78% proficient or above Some Grade Levels had Substantially Increased Proficiency Rates from Spring 2025 rates. Grade Level Data Reading: K Increased- to 69% proficient or above 1st Increased- to 70% proficient or above 4th Increased- to 94% proficient or above 7th Increased- to 86% proficient or above 8th Increased- to 88% proficient or above Math: 1st Increased- to 83% proficient or above 4th Increased- to 91% proficient or above 7th Increased- to 90% proficient or above 8th Increased- to 94% proficient or above ~Achieving Academic Excellence... the American Way! This data represents the effort and time AMC staff, students, and families demonstrated on a daily basis throughout SY 26, and I am so proud, thankful, and amazed with the positive results! Wow, way to go AMC!!! Can you imagine how those proficiency rates would increase with improved attendance!?! "Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still." — Chinese Proverb Thank you for partnering with AMC as we..."Stay True to Our Mission and Plan for Our Future." Sincerely, Ms. Farren 
Upcoming events
APRIL, Summative Assessments Tues., April 7th: 5th and 8th Grade AK Science Summative Assessment Mon., April 13th - Thur., April 16th: 3rd - 5th Grade Math & ELA AK STAR Summative Assessment and K-2 MAP Testing Tues., April 14th: 6th - 8th Grade ELA AK STAR Summative Assessment Tues., April 21st: 6th - 8th Grade Math AK STAR Summative Assessment A note from your AMC SecretaryImportant Items to Note School Lunch: Subway and pizza order forms for April went home Monday. If you need another copy, your student can grab one from the front office. Bus Transportation and Field Trips Due to a contract dispute between our bus contractor, Durham School Services, and the bus employee union, Teamsters Local 959, bus services will continue to be disrupted for the foreseeable future. AMC thanks you for ensuring your student(s) arrive to school daily and on time. Due to the ongoing strike, AMC has been forced to cancel the multi-aged classrooms' field trip to Talkeetna on April 2nd. Unfortunately, we are unable to reschedule at this time. AMC has also not be able to reschedule the middle school students' field trip to Government's Peak. If we are unable to do so, the $5 fee will be refunded. As of now, the April 8th Primary Prep field trip is still scheduled with the hopes the strike will have ended by then. More information to follow. Yearbooks: Yearbooks have gone on sale this week and must be preordered by April 15th. We will not have extra on hand for purchase after they are delivered. Yearbooks can be ordered online through ParentVue, or by cash or check made out to AMC. Payment Link Lost & Found: Your items miss you! Please check the lost and found rack at the top of the stairs, outside the front office for any lost items. There are many coats, shoes, gloves, and water bottles on the rack. Student highlightsMrs. voigt's classroomStudents participated in the Idita-READ reading challenge. They came back from break and compare their speed reading through the miles (minutes read = miles) to teams that were racing over the break in the actual Iditarod. It was fantastic to have RoseMary Maixner also join and give insight as a Junior Iditarod 6th place finisher. We used this as a great note-taking opportunity and filled out Compare & Contrast, Order & Sequence, and Frayer Models. 
mrs. ostendorf's classroomEver want to read a TON of different types of books? Mrs. Ostendorf's class played READING BINGO. Students selected their grade level or an above grade level and then matched selections to books. Choices ranged from grade 2 to grade 12. If one achieved a "blackout," it meant every square on the READING BINGO sheet was completed.  Mrs. beech's classroomMrs. Beech's students were challenged with an amazing art activity. First students drew geometric solids sketched with charcoal, and then students applied paint. Thank you, Mrs. Beech and Mrs. Hoppe for providing engaging and challenging art activities for students. Thank you, students for demonstrating perseverance and attention to details!
mr. johnson's classroomIn Mr. Johnson’s Career Readiness class, students recently practiced important workplace soft skills by creating and performing short skits. Each group acted out scenarios that demonstrated skills such as communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and professionalism. Through these creative performances, students were able to explore real-world situations and better understand the behaviors that help people succeed in the workplace.
middle schoolThe middle school advisories added some friendly competition to the end of the week with the Human Foosball Tournament. In this activity, students hold onto a rope like players on a foosball table while working together to move and score the ball. Weather permitting, advisories compete against each other on Friday afternoons, creating an exciting way to build teamwork, communication, and school spirit as students cheer on their classmates.
amc clubs and sportsvolleyballFourth and fifth grade students participated in volleyball during the 3rd Session of Quest Clubs. They played games throughout January and February and finished the final Jamboree February 28th with two wins and a loss. Thank you Mrs. Worley for coaching; thank you AMC families for supporting AMC Quest Clubs! Congratulations, AMC students who demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and showed substantial growth in their volleyball skills.  running clubDespite the below freezing temperature, nearly 30 kids came out for our first run of the spring season! Our focus over the next month and a half will be training for the May 9th district wide track and field meet where the 4th and 5th graders will compete in sprints, relays, long jumps and more!
Aleskya 5th Grade and Honor Roll Ski Trip AMC rewarded the 5th-grade class and those middle school students who earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher during the first three quarters with a special trip to Alyeska Resort. This initiative encourages academic excellence and healthy, active lifestyles, giving high-achieving students the opportunity to spend a day skiing or snowboarding, some for the very first time. Beyond the classroom, the program helps students build confidence, embrace new challenges, and create lasting memories. 
april kidwind fundraiser AMC Kidwind's monthly fundraiser at Raising Caines will be on Monday the 20th of this month. Please come out and support our students. Your order at Caines will only count toward our fundraiser if you mention the word "fundraiser." amc's new school updateThe progress on the new school has continued at a quick pace now that the building is closed in. All of the windows are in, the sheetrock is almost all up in the main building, and the gymnasium is being wired. Next year's move in date is scheduled for November 10th. The school year 2027 calendar has included days off in November for the move. Photo taken 03.24.26 
attendance and timeliness data March- 111 Tardies (Spring Break), 9.17% absenteeism (YIKES! We can do better.) February- 164 Tardies, 6.45% absenteeism January- 166 Tardies, 6.68% absenteeism December- 107 Tardies, 4.69% absenteeism November- 144 Tardies, 5.31% absenteeism October- 144 Tardies, 5.59% absenteeism September- 135 Tardies, 5.35% absenteeism Can AMC get fewer than 100 tardies in a month? Can AMC keep the absenteeism rate under 5%? principal's corner Hello AMC Families,
I have been thinking a lot about AMC's move to our new school, so I decided to capture all of the quotes that can be found above the doors and on the walls of our current school and share them with you. Enjoy reading the quotes, and pondering them! I never dreamed about success; I WORKED FOR IT. ~Estee’ Lauder IMPROVEMENT begins with “I” Anyone who says something is IMPOSSIBLE is ALWAYS being interrupted by someone DOING IT. The US Constitution Doesn’t Guarantee Happiness ‘Only the Pursuit of It’ You have to catch up with it yourself. ~Benjamin Franklin Wish it * Dream it * Do it! …two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. ~Robert Frost If you are too busy to LAUGH, you are too BUSY. ~Proverb In a world of possibilities… Imagine yourself as one. It’s a JOB that’s never STARTED that takes the longest to FINISH. ~J.R.R. Tolkien INTEGRITY is DOING THE RIGHT THING even WHEN NO ONE is WATCHING. ~C.S. Lewis ACCIDENTS DON’T HAPPEN. Chance favors the prepared mind. ~Goodyear The DIFFERENCE between TRY and TRIUMPH is a little ‘UMPH’ LEADERS THINK AND TALK ABOUT SOLUTIONS followers think and talk about the problems. ~Brian Tracy A #2 pencil and a dream can take you anywhere ~Joyce Myer THE happiness OF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON THE QUALITY OF YOUR thoughts. MAN’S MIND, ONCE STRETCHED BY A NEW IDEA NEVER REGAINS ITS ORIGINAL DIMENSIONS. ~Oliver Wendel Homes a GENIUS is a TALENTED person who does his HOMEWORK Oh, the places you will go!! ~Dr. Suess Pondering these quotes is quite timely with the end of the year summative assessments right around the corner. Whether you think you CAN or you CAN’T YOU’RE RIGHT ~Henry Ford Thank you for partnering with AMC as we..."Stay True to Our Mission and Plan for Our Future." Sincerely, Ms. Farren 
Upcoming Events
Sat., Feb. 28th: 4/5 Volleyball Jamboree @ Wasilla MS MARCH
APRIL, Summative Assessments Tues., April 7th: 5th and 8th Grade AK Science Summative Assessment Mon., April 13th - Thur., April 16th: 3rd - 5th Grade Math & ELA AK STAR Summative Assessment and K-2 MAP Testing Tues., April 14th: 6th - 8th Grade ELA AK STAR Summative Assessment Thur., April 16th: Spring Family Night & Art Show Tues., April 21st: 6th - 8th Grade Math AK STAR Summative Assessment Safety during morning drop off This is a reminder that students must remain in vehicles in the morning until after an AMC staff member opens the front gate. AMC staff supervision is necessary for safety purposes and students must not exit vehicles until an AMC staff member is present. Thank you for supporting AMC's safety procedures to help keep AMC students safe. Ms. Farren A Note from your amc secretaryImportant Items to Note Buses - For planning purposes: Message from the Mat-Su Borough School District: We are aware of a notice indicating that a transportation service disruption could occur as soon as Monday, March 2, 2026, due to a contract dispute between our bus contractor, Durham School Services, and the bus employee union, Teamsters Local 959. While we remain hopeful that no job action occurs and scheduled bargaining continues, families should plan for no bus service to begin Monday, March 2. Regardless of any potential transportation disruption, schools will remain open, and classes will continue as scheduled. If transportation is able to operate on Monday, we will notify families as soon as possible via text, email, and social media. If bus services are impacted, we will continue to provide timely updates through those same channels and on the district website. Even if buses are running next week, AMC will not have bus service Friday, March 6th. School Lunch: Subway and pizza order forms for March went home on 2/23. If you need another copy, your student can grab one from the front office. Picture Day was February 19th with Fitzgerald Photography and are now ready for purchase. Parents are able to view and purchase pictures by logging into Fitzgerald's website. The password is your student's school ID. Annual Alyeska 5th grade and Honor Roll Ski Trip: This year's trip to Alyeska will be on March 25th. All 5th grade students are invited to participate as a way of marking their exit from multiage and entry into secondary. Secondary students who have a cumulative GPA average from Q1-Q3 of a 3.0 or higher will be invited to attend. IMPORTANT DEADLINE for Alyeska: Invitational/Permission Slip packets for those who reached the honor roll status and for all 5th grade students will be sent home on March 17th. It will consists of 2 forms: an AMC Permission Slip & Waiver and an Alyeska Resort Waiver and Liability form. Both forms must be completed in its entirety by March 19th. There are no exceptions to this deadline. Incomplete forms and forms submitted to the front office after 3PM on March 19th will not be accepted, forfeiting the student's invitation. Student HighlightsMrs. Kerkove's CLassroomThe primary prep had a wonderful time celebrating the 100th day of school. Throughout the day they built creations with 100 Legos, stacked 100 cups, made necklaces with 100 beads, put 100 “gumballs” in the gumball machine, licked their Tootsie Roll Pop 100 times, and completed 100 exercises. Many of the students even dressed up as 100 years old! It was a great way to celebrate being 100 days smarter.
Mrs. Voigt's ClassroomMrs. Voigt's class is having a blast using the unique events happening this February-March. They kicked it off with learning about the Winter Olympics and writing informed opinions about the Luge. Then, they are racing three Iditarod Teams to Nome in their I-dita-READ challenge. They are reading 'miles-per-minutes' and journaling summaries of the stories they read. Each team is tracking their progress on the Northern Route from Anchorage to Nome. When we return from Spring Break, we will look at the progress of the actual racers and see who raced through their check points and at what pace. The class is on sled teams by grade and are pushing hard to read farther and faster than the other teams.  Mrs. crum's classroomStudents in 6th grade math worked together brainstorming vocabulary to help them write expressions and equations.
Made for the stage Made for the Stage will be performing A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare in May. One highlight of the production will be a 3-D sculpture headdress used by the character named Bottom. The ears of the creature will be able to move as the actor performs. The mask was created and designed by Herb Flower of Utah. He is the uncle to Saskia and Kalina Martin, AMC student performers. March Kidwind Fundaiser, March 24th AMC Kidwind's monthly fundraiser at Raising Caines will be on Tuesday the 24th of this month. Please come out and support our students. Your order at Caines will only count toward our fundraiser if you mention the word "fundraiser." AMC's New School UpdateA few delays have caused the finish date of the new school to be pushed to the middle of October, with the move-in date scheduled for November 10th, 2026. Windows are in, the gym trusses are installed, and the building is being heated with a temporary heat source. Photo taken 02.25.26 
Attendance and timeliness Data February- 164 Tardies, 6.45% absenteeism January- 166 Tardies, 6.68% absenteeism December- 107 Tardies, 4.69% absenteeism November- 144 Tardies, 5.31% absenteeism October- 144 Tardies, 5.59% absenteeism September- 135 Tardies, 5.35% absenteeism Can AMC get fewer than 100 tardies in a month? Can AMC keep the absenteeism rate under 5%? Principal's corner Hello AMC Families,
As we welcome upcoming Spring Break, AMC staff remain focused on covering important academic content and supporting students’ positive learning trajectories. AMC staff members have been thoughtfully preparing students academically by reinforcing key concepts, building confidence, and practicing effective strategies for sustaining stamina. Dedication to learning is essential as we approach April and the standardized testing season. I encourage families to stay on course by ensuring students remain focused on academics, attend school consistently, and arrive at school on time each day. Spring break will be a wonderful time to recharge and reset, and then the school days will stay laser focused on learning. Thank you for your continued partnership in making this a successful and vibrant school year as students 'Achieve Academic Excellence.... the American Way.' I look forward to a strong Spring together as we ‘Stay True to Our Mission and Plan for the Future.’ Sincerely, Ms. Farren |
AboutOur newsletters are published at the end of each month during the school year. Archives
June 2026
Categories |
RSS Feed