ASD welcomes students back for new school year
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The Anchorage School District is welcoming back its students for the first day of the 2024-25 school year.
Anchorage’s elementary, middle and high schoolers start class either Thursday or Friday. First grade through seventh grade — plus incoming high school freshmen — start on Thursday.
“By providing students in grades 6-7 and 9 a day at school with smaller student populations, schools can prioritize onboarding activities and supports,” the district said on its website.
All other grade levels, except kindergarten and preschool, will return to class on Friday. Preschool and kindergarten are not set to start until Thursday, Aug. 22.
“That first-day exposure where everybody kind of comes in and practices a lot of routines right off the bat, that’s going to be really helpful for their success when the curriculum starts in about a week,” MiCall Sweet, a first grade teacher at Gladys Wood Elementary School, said.
Sweet, who has been teaching with ASD for 10 years, started preparing her classroom on Monday. During a break from work on Wednesday, Sweet said her key advice is for families to practice flexibility as their students start a new chapter in their academic careers.
“Just go into your school with a positive attitude and be ready for all the things that come your way by just adjusting as the ball rolls,” Sweet said. “I feel like I need to be flexible for families, because I’m not always sure what to expect, and I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
One of the big changes coming to Anchorage schools this year is the implementation of new start times, including elementary school starting earlier as other grade levels start later.
New school start times — for Tuesday through Friday — go into effect starting the first day of school. The new hours, listed below, include a later start time for both middle school and high schoolers.
- Elementary school 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- High school 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
- Middle school 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Along with the new hours, ASD is advising the public to expect additional foot and road traffic 45 minutes before and after each school’s respective start and end times.
“Definitely in our parking lot, making sure they’re driving the speed limit,” Government Hill Elementary Principal Julie Santaella said. “Staying off of cellphones and staying alert and aware of their surroundings.”
Families and students should know that teachers and staff are there to provide support, Santaella said.
“We’re here to help with anything that they need and that they just need to come happy and prepare to learn this year,” she said.
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