1. Best contact for admissions questions?
[email protected] for general inquiries into the admissions process and the school [email protected] for curricular questions
[email protected] for student support questions [email protected] for account and finance questions
2. Application Form, Deadline, and fee?
The application portal is posted on the website, click here. Registration for the following year starts February 1. We have open enrollment, so there is no deadline, but we can only guarantee a spot once registration is finalized.
3. Is a Deposit required to hold if space opens? Do you maintain a waitlist?
$395 registration fee for Transitional Kindergarten through High School. $150 registration fee for early childhood education. We do maintain a waitlist. Early registration is February 1 through March 31 with an early registration fee of $295.
4. Are you an approved vendor with homeschool partnership charter schools?
Yes, we are approved with Denali Peak, Raven, Mat-Su and IDEA. We can also become approved if your family uses an alternative vendor. We are approved for part-time students with Frontier Charter and Family Partnership.
5. Does your school calendar match the Anchorage School District (ASD) calendar? How is it different?
The Anchor Calendar follows Alaska state law for schools which includes 180 days. When building our calendar, we reference the ASD calendar to help inform building out the best calendar that fits the needs of our community. It is different in a few ways, we celebrate Good Friday and Easter Monday as a holiday, we have a professional development conference for our teachers in October, and school is not in session during that week, but we offer child care if needed. The year's start and end days may differ by 1-3 days. We have an in-service day for teachers on the first day back from Christmas Break to prepare for the term. The only half days we have are the last day of each term. Lastly, we do not follow ASD when it comes to snow days. In general, we stay open, and it is up to Anchor families to determine if their route will remain safe.
6. Do you offer an after-care program? If so, what is the cost per child?
Yes, we offer care from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. The cost for the 2024/25 school year is $9.50 per hour per child.
7. What athletics do you offer?
We offer track and field, cross country, basketball, volleyball, cross country skiing, dance, soccer, and indoor soccer. Grade 4 and higher are eligible for sports. Anchor is part of the Alaska Christian Schools Activities Association.
8. Other extracurriculars and specials do you offer?
We offer PE, Music and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) twice a week. Religion and Christian Leadership occurs everyday. We have a robust after school activities program that includes 17+ activities and clubs. For example, woodworking, choir, drama performances, intramural sports, baking, enrichment, creative writing, lego club, chess club, student council, board games, puzzles, forensic science, and youth group, among others.
9. What stands out about your curriculum?
Our curriculum is a concept-based inquiry-driven approach focusing on foundational skills that students will use in future schooling or careers. Please review our assessment guide for specific details on the concepts covered. Regarding inquiry, we want students to be the driver of their learning. Giving them agency and choice is integral to how we craft our curriculum. Regarding skills, Anchor focuses on five skill domains: self-management, collaboration, research, thinking, and communication.
10. Is your curriculum based on the science of Reading?
All subjects are language subjects, and reading is an essential part of each subject area. In lower school, we use Into Reading as curricular support for literacy and language. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a reputable research-based educational publisher, crafted this resource. We also use Step- Up to Writing a research based writing and intervention tool. As students transition from learning to read, to reading to learn, we prepare units of inquiry in language and literature that are driven by agency and concepts. We measure student learning in different ways through formative and summative assessment using criteria based assessments. Our teachers are highly qualified educators with a Master's degree or equivalent in modern educational practices. They based all of their unit plans on current research in the field of literacy and teaching, including research by John Hatti and Carol Dweck regarding growth mindset and thinking routines. A full list of our research-based practices can be obtained from the Director.
Anchor Language and Literature Concepts and Criteria :
Key Concepts - Communication, Connections, Creativity and Perspective
Related Concepts - Audience Imperatives, Character, Context, Genres, Intertextuality, Point of View, Purpose, Self-Expression, Setting, Structure, Style, Theme
Criteria A: Analyzing, Criteria B: Organizing, Criteria C: Producing text, Criteria D: Using language
11. Handwriting curriculum?
Students practice handwriting up to Grade 5. This includes some cursive training. Comparing handwriting vs. typing, students are more exposed to critical thinking when they write by hand than when they type. Handwriting allows you to think more thoroughly about the information you're recording. It encourages you to expand upon your thoughts and form connections between them. Students continue to practice handwriting in Grades 6 and above through note-taking. Upper school students intentionally practice typing once a week and are encouraged to use their typing.com account to improve typing mastery. Grade 4 and Grade 5 are introduced to typing through iPad keyboards.
12. Is there a Parent Volunteer Requirement?
Families in Partnership (FIP): Each family must complete 20 hours of Families in Partnership service, 10 of which must be in service toward Anchor's Annual Auction. Each hour not contributed will be charged to the family's account at a rate of $45 per hour. We strongly prefer your service over your money. Parent participation and support of school fundraising efforts are vital to our school's continuing excellence and growth. The primary fundraiser is the school auction. The tuition we charge per student is intentionally insufficient to cover all expenses of the education, programs, and activities we provide.
13. Do you offer a summer program? If so, for what ages and what is the cost?
We offer our summer program from May to August for students from early childhood through Grade 6. We have opportunities for Grades 7 and above students to participate in summer school activities and extended learning opportunities, but this is not part of our licensed summer school program.
14. What are your class size limits? Do any classrooms have aides?
Our maximum class size is 22. Our average class size is 15. Kindergarten has a full-time aide. We also have Student Support Coordinator who provides support for individuals and groups in class for learning differences and enrichment.
15. Have your teachers worked with children with Learning Differences and have experience with accommodations in the classroom?
Yes, we have many students with learning differences. The ANCHOR MISSION is to provide a Christ-centered community focused on the growth of the whole child by partnering with families to provide an inclusive environment where children flourish academically, spiritually, socially, and emotionally. Our Student Support Coordinator works with families and classroom teachers to provide accommodations, modifying expectations and differentiation. They also work with students individually.
16. Has your school worked on classroom accommodations with parents?
Yes, this is part of our Universal Design for Learning approach. We also use any IEP or 504 paperwork to help inform our teaching and learning practices.
17. Do you have a gifted program? What grade/age does it begin? How does it operate?
As a Universal Design for Learning school, we enrich activities for gifted students in the classroom. This includes switching grade levels for Math and Literacy, if appropriate. We also offer enrichment opportunities as after school activities.
18. How do you accommodate kids who are above grade level in certain subjects? Can they test to level up at the beginning of the year and take an academic class at another grade?
We take the NWEA MAP Test at the beginning of the year. This test and other datapoint determine placement for literacy and Math. Typically, moving up starts in Grade 3, but consideration for earlier advancement can be made on a case-by-case basis.
19. What are your indoor PE and recess facilities?
We have a large multi-purpose room that is fully equipped for physical and health education as well as recess activities. We have a dedicated PHE teacher who facilitates learning in physical and health education.
20. What are your outdoor PE and recess facilities?
We have a large playground that includes a basketball hoop and gaga ball pit. Another 3+ acres is dedicated to a field for sports. In winter, we have a sledding hill.
21. How many minutes of recess and PE do kids get per day?
This depends on grade level, but in general, students in lower school get 2-3 recesses per day. Each recess is between 15 and 30 minutes. PHE is twice a week for 45 minutes each time. In Upper School, students get two PHE classes a week at 65 minutes each and a 45-minute lunch/recess time every day. We also limit instructional time to 45-minute blocks and have brain breaks between subjects, which include light indoor activity.
[email protected] for general inquiries into the admissions process and the school [email protected] for curricular questions
[email protected] for student support questions [email protected] for account and finance questions
2. Application Form, Deadline, and fee?
The application portal is posted on the website, click here. Registration for the following year starts February 1. We have open enrollment, so there is no deadline, but we can only guarantee a spot once registration is finalized.
3. Is a Deposit required to hold if space opens? Do you maintain a waitlist?
$395 registration fee for Transitional Kindergarten through High School. $150 registration fee for early childhood education. We do maintain a waitlist. Early registration is February 1 through March 31 with an early registration fee of $295.
4. Are you an approved vendor with homeschool partnership charter schools?
Yes, we are approved with Denali Peak, Raven, Mat-Su and IDEA. We can also become approved if your family uses an alternative vendor. We are approved for part-time students with Frontier Charter and Family Partnership.
5. Does your school calendar match the Anchorage School District (ASD) calendar? How is it different?
The Anchor Calendar follows Alaska state law for schools which includes 180 days. When building our calendar, we reference the ASD calendar to help inform building out the best calendar that fits the needs of our community. It is different in a few ways, we celebrate Good Friday and Easter Monday as a holiday, we have a professional development conference for our teachers in October, and school is not in session during that week, but we offer child care if needed. The year's start and end days may differ by 1-3 days. We have an in-service day for teachers on the first day back from Christmas Break to prepare for the term. The only half days we have are the last day of each term. Lastly, we do not follow ASD when it comes to snow days. In general, we stay open, and it is up to Anchor families to determine if their route will remain safe.
6. Do you offer an after-care program? If so, what is the cost per child?
Yes, we offer care from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. The cost for the 2024/25 school year is $9.50 per hour per child.
7. What athletics do you offer?
We offer track and field, cross country, basketball, volleyball, cross country skiing, dance, soccer, and indoor soccer. Grade 4 and higher are eligible for sports. Anchor is part of the Alaska Christian Schools Activities Association.
8. Other extracurriculars and specials do you offer?
We offer PE, Music and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) twice a week. Religion and Christian Leadership occurs everyday. We have a robust after school activities program that includes 17+ activities and clubs. For example, woodworking, choir, drama performances, intramural sports, baking, enrichment, creative writing, lego club, chess club, student council, board games, puzzles, forensic science, and youth group, among others.
9. What stands out about your curriculum?
Our curriculum is a concept-based inquiry-driven approach focusing on foundational skills that students will use in future schooling or careers. Please review our assessment guide for specific details on the concepts covered. Regarding inquiry, we want students to be the driver of their learning. Giving them agency and choice is integral to how we craft our curriculum. Regarding skills, Anchor focuses on five skill domains: self-management, collaboration, research, thinking, and communication.
10. Is your curriculum based on the science of Reading?
All subjects are language subjects, and reading is an essential part of each subject area. In lower school, we use Into Reading as curricular support for literacy and language. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, a reputable research-based educational publisher, crafted this resource. We also use Step- Up to Writing a research based writing and intervention tool. As students transition from learning to read, to reading to learn, we prepare units of inquiry in language and literature that are driven by agency and concepts. We measure student learning in different ways through formative and summative assessment using criteria based assessments. Our teachers are highly qualified educators with a Master's degree or equivalent in modern educational practices. They based all of their unit plans on current research in the field of literacy and teaching, including research by John Hatti and Carol Dweck regarding growth mindset and thinking routines. A full list of our research-based practices can be obtained from the Director.
Anchor Language and Literature Concepts and Criteria :
Key Concepts - Communication, Connections, Creativity and Perspective
Related Concepts - Audience Imperatives, Character, Context, Genres, Intertextuality, Point of View, Purpose, Self-Expression, Setting, Structure, Style, Theme
Criteria A: Analyzing, Criteria B: Organizing, Criteria C: Producing text, Criteria D: Using language
11. Handwriting curriculum?
Students practice handwriting up to Grade 5. This includes some cursive training. Comparing handwriting vs. typing, students are more exposed to critical thinking when they write by hand than when they type. Handwriting allows you to think more thoroughly about the information you're recording. It encourages you to expand upon your thoughts and form connections between them. Students continue to practice handwriting in Grades 6 and above through note-taking. Upper school students intentionally practice typing once a week and are encouraged to use their typing.com account to improve typing mastery. Grade 4 and Grade 5 are introduced to typing through iPad keyboards.
12. Is there a Parent Volunteer Requirement?
Families in Partnership (FIP): Each family must complete 20 hours of Families in Partnership service, 10 of which must be in service toward Anchor's Annual Auction. Each hour not contributed will be charged to the family's account at a rate of $45 per hour. We strongly prefer your service over your money. Parent participation and support of school fundraising efforts are vital to our school's continuing excellence and growth. The primary fundraiser is the school auction. The tuition we charge per student is intentionally insufficient to cover all expenses of the education, programs, and activities we provide.
13. Do you offer a summer program? If so, for what ages and what is the cost?
We offer our summer program from May to August for students from early childhood through Grade 6. We have opportunities for Grades 7 and above students to participate in summer school activities and extended learning opportunities, but this is not part of our licensed summer school program.
14. What are your class size limits? Do any classrooms have aides?
Our maximum class size is 22. Our average class size is 15. Kindergarten has a full-time aide. We also have Student Support Coordinator who provides support for individuals and groups in class for learning differences and enrichment.
15. Have your teachers worked with children with Learning Differences and have experience with accommodations in the classroom?
Yes, we have many students with learning differences. The ANCHOR MISSION is to provide a Christ-centered community focused on the growth of the whole child by partnering with families to provide an inclusive environment where children flourish academically, spiritually, socially, and emotionally. Our Student Support Coordinator works with families and classroom teachers to provide accommodations, modifying expectations and differentiation. They also work with students individually.
16. Has your school worked on classroom accommodations with parents?
Yes, this is part of our Universal Design for Learning approach. We also use any IEP or 504 paperwork to help inform our teaching and learning practices.
17. Do you have a gifted program? What grade/age does it begin? How does it operate?
As a Universal Design for Learning school, we enrich activities for gifted students in the classroom. This includes switching grade levels for Math and Literacy, if appropriate. We also offer enrichment opportunities as after school activities.
18. How do you accommodate kids who are above grade level in certain subjects? Can they test to level up at the beginning of the year and take an academic class at another grade?
We take the NWEA MAP Test at the beginning of the year. This test and other datapoint determine placement for literacy and Math. Typically, moving up starts in Grade 3, but consideration for earlier advancement can be made on a case-by-case basis.
19. What are your indoor PE and recess facilities?
We have a large multi-purpose room that is fully equipped for physical and health education as well as recess activities. We have a dedicated PHE teacher who facilitates learning in physical and health education.
20. What are your outdoor PE and recess facilities?
We have a large playground that includes a basketball hoop and gaga ball pit. Another 3+ acres is dedicated to a field for sports. In winter, we have a sledding hill.
21. How many minutes of recess and PE do kids get per day?
This depends on grade level, but in general, students in lower school get 2-3 recesses per day. Each recess is between 15 and 30 minutes. PHE is twice a week for 45 minutes each time. In Upper School, students get two PHE classes a week at 65 minutes each and a 45-minute lunch/recess time every day. We also limit instructional time to 45-minute blocks and have brain breaks between subjects, which include light indoor activity.
