iafrmgrl77 Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 I just did a search, and the last time anyone posted in the Alaska thread was 2010! Come on mamas, I know you're out there! :) We are currently in Texas and will be moving back to Alaska soon. My dh grew up in Palmer, and we plan to live in the Palmer-Wasilla area (otherwise known as "The Valley"!) to be near family. We were stationed at Elmendorf AFB from 2003-2006 and lived in Eagle River during that time. So I would love to hear from some of you! I do have a question, as well. How is the library system up there? Availability, interlibrary loan, etc? I am trying to make most of my curriculum purchases for next year before we move, in order to avoid shipping costs. We are doing Truthquest history, though, and I am trying to decide whether to purchase all of my readers or rely on the libraries for some of them. Thanks! Looking forward to moving back north! We were not made for these triple-digit temps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I'm not overly impressed with the library system. Eagle River has an odd mix of books- some things I would not expect to find (several volumes of SWB's Story of the World on CDs) but not others (very few match science books to supplement curriculums). It is fairly easy to request books from other libraries BUT once an item arrives in your designated bracnh, it must be picked up within 7 days. Otherwise, it is retured and you are charged $1.00. This makes it really inconvenient for anythng you might want in a specific order. It makes tryinf to watch complete seasons of DVDs terribly difficult. Of course, if you don't want to watch an entire season of something in order, you should be fine. :glare: INTER-library loan is problamatic. The cost is $3.00/book. There is no renew option after 3 weeks and the few times I used it, the books took ages to arrive. If you will be using the Anchorage library, you can check out their website and look through the catalogue. http://www.muni.org/departments/library/pages/default.aspx However, in my opinion (and the opinion of a few librarians I've spoken with) this may be the absolute worst aspect of the library system. The catalogue is HORRIBLE. Things aren't tagged correctly. Author search doesn't always bring up the author you ask for but instead gives you 10 alternatives - even when you want IS in the system. It drives me crazy! Chickabiddy Books in Anchorage carries quite a lot of 'typical' curriculum and is quite popular, although I believe they are planning to close the retail store in the future. I'm not sure of their time frame. I have really learned to rely on Amazon. There shipping here (to Eagle River) is every bit as good and just as inexpensive as it is in the lower 48. (-for books through Amazon directly. Independent retailers frequently charge more or won't ship at all to AK.) But, Amazon has great service, free super saver shipping and frequently upgrades to FedEx free of charge. I know you lived here before but if there is anything you forgot or want to check on before you move back, please feel free to ask! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iafrmgrl77 Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 Thank you so much, Tammi! That is very helpful! We are doing Truthquest history next year, so we will be doing a whole lot of reading! I was hoping to rely on the libraries some, but it sounds as though I'd better stock up before we head that way. Between library sales, Goodwill and mamas selling used items, I haven't paid much more than 3.00 for most of our readers so far (many of them much less than that), so paying 3.00/book to BORROW them seems a bit crazy! I wonder why they have such strange rules. You would think they would want to help people out a bit, since we are rather disconnected from other sources up there. Amazon will definitely be a lifesaver! I plan to keep my Prime membership for sure! Thanks for your offer to help me get re-acquainted with the area. We are excited to be heading back that way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iafrmgrl77 Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 Oops! Double post! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I would check the library catalog to see what there is. You can pay to be part of the Anchorage library system too so you might check that. Another option is to see what books can be found as e-books and use an e-reader. I wasn't too keen on that for a long time but we are heading more and more in that direction. http://ibistro.matsulibraries.org/uhtbin/cgisirsi.exe/x/0/0/49 Book requests between the Mat-Su libraries do not have a charge. I've never been charged a fee for having to a book returned because I didn't pick up a hold on time but that has only happened a couple times. And maybe that varies by library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iafrmgrl77 Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 I would check the library catalog to see what there is. You can pay to be part of the Anchorage library system too so you might check that. Another option is to see what books can be found as e-books and use an e-reader. I wasn't too keen on that for a long time but we are heading more and more in that direction. http://ibistro.matsulibraries.org/uhtbin/cgisirsi.exe/x/0/0/49 Book requests between the Mat-Su libraries do not have a charge. I've never been charged a fee for having to a book returned because I didn't pick up a hold on time but that has only happened a couple times. And maybe that varies by library. Thank you! I am going to check out the links you ladies have provided, and will try not to be too hasty in writing the libraries off completely! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Just to clarify..... I'm not sure about Mat-Su as we live in ER and use Anchorage libraries, BUT the $3.00 fee is for books out of the system (Inter-Library loans) The $1.00 fee I mentioned is a new fee that began March 1st of this year. It's ALL Anchorage libraries (at least according to the sign posted in the Library) All books requested through the Anchorage system (i.e. from Muldoon to ER, or Girdwood to ER, etc) are subject to a $1.00 charge if not picked up within one week. Books are pulled after 1 week and returned to circulation. Again, new policy as of March 1. Mat-Su may be a whole different animal. I'm not at all familiar with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iafrmgrl77 Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 Just to clarify..... I'm not sure about Mat-Su as we live in ER and use Anchorage libraries, BUT the $3.00 fee is for books out of the system (Inter-Library loans) The $1.00 fee I mentioned is a new fee that began March 1st of this year. It's ALL Anchorage libraries (at least according to the sign posted in the Library) All books requested through the Anchorage system (i.e. from Muldoon to ER, or Girdwood to ER, etc) are subject to a $1.00 charge if not picked up within one week. Books are pulled after 1 week and returned to circulation. Again, new policy as of March 1. Mat-Su may be a whole different animal. I'm not at all familiar with it. Thanks for that additional info. It sounds like I need to do some more catalog browsing. I really need to be able to find specific books quickly and easily. I need them to be available when we are ready for them, but I also don't want to be tied to using them just because they are about to be sent back or cannot be renewed. I will probably go ahead and purchase the readers/read-alouds that I consider "must-haves" and then try to use the libraries for additional literature. TQ history is lots and lots and LOTS of books, so not having to purchase them al would be very helpful! Side note: Did y'all see the story about the guy who got mauled near Girdwood by the mama brown bear? I try not to get nervous about that stuff. My husband carries a .44 when we hike, and we always say the children make so much noise that there probably aren't any moose or bear for miles! Lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Side note: Did y'all see the story about the guy who got mauled near Girdwood by the mama brown bear? I try not to get nervous about that stuff. My husband carries a .44 when we hike, and we always say the children make so much noise that there probably aren't any moose or bear for miles! Lol! I don't know about the bears right now, but the mama moose are really skittish because the babies are here. We had a friend get attacked by one the other weekend when he and his wife came around the corner on a trail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 My daughter's AHG troop was planning a hike and an overnight on that trail. :001_huh: Yeah, they changed locations! The trail is closed for now. There was another recently - a hiker came upon a bear defending a moose carcass. Just a typical summer in Alaska, I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iafrmgrl77 Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 I don't know about the bears right now, but the mama moose are really skittish because the babies are here. We had a friend get attacked by one the other weekend when he and his wife came around the corner on a trail. Those mama moose can be so dangerous! When we lived in Eagle River, our house backed up to the Alpenglow Elementary soccer fields, so we often played at their playground. I often had my children do "mama moose" drills, where they would run as fast as they could and climb up high on the play equipment. My husband teased me...until the day a mama moose and her calf came down out of the woods right onto the playground. My oldest headed straight for that jungle gym! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iafrmgrl77 Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 My daughter's AHG troop was planning a hike and an overnight on that trail. :001_huh: Yeah, they changed locations! The trail is closed for now. There was another recently - a hiker came upon a bear defending a moose carcass. Just a typical summer in Alaska, I guess. When we were there, we hardly ever heard of anyone being harmed by moose or bear. I think as the area becomes more populated, though, there are just bound to be more encounters. People always ask whether I'm afraid of all the big scary animals in Alaska. I just tell them that at least there is no possibility of them hiding in my bed like the spiders and scorpions can here! Blech! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 People always ask whether I'm afraid of all the big scary animals in Alaska. I just tell them that at least there is no possibility of them hiding in my bed like the spiders and scorpions can here! Blech! That's funny...I say almost the same thing: We lived in Australia and had to content with redbacks (spiders) and in Hawaii it was centipedes. At least here the beasties are big enough to see! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKamp Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Hello! I'm new to this sight, so I didn't realize there was an AK group :) I live in Wasilla. I think Tammi summed up the system pretty well. I was able to find quite a few classics for our curriculum next year, but I think I will rely on Amazon. I did find some at Annabell's the other day. They are a used bookstore and carry some (minimal compared to Chickabiddy) curr. It's located in the Meta Rose Square building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 Hello! I'm new to this sight, so I didn't realize there was an AK group :) I live in Wasilla. Hi, and welcome. I'm fairly new to this site. Actually I've been a lurker on and off for years, but I finally started posting. I'm also fairly new to Alaska. We've been here just shy of 2 years. (Hmmmm, guess I'm not that 'new'.) I love it. But, would it be too much to ask for just a little sun thins summer? Not much...just a little...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iafrmgrl77 Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 Hello! I'm new to this sight, so I didn't realize there was an AK group :) I live in Wasilla. I think Tammi summed up the system pretty well. I was able to find quite a few classics for our curriculum next year, but I think I will rely on Amazon. I did find some at Annabell's the other day. They are a used bookstore and carry some (minimal compared to Chickabiddy) curr. It's located in the Meta Rose Square building. Welcome! We just got this thread going! There was an old thread that had been neglected for quite a while, but hopefully we will be able to keep this one hopping! :) Thanks for the input on the library system. I think I have decided that I will make sure I have my "spines" before we head up, as well as the "don't miss" books that are listed in our history guide. Between those and the libraries, that should give us a good start. I don't expect to never have to order, but I also don't want to spend all of this next year trying to locate books! So nice to meet you. It would be great to all meet up this fall! We should be getting up there sometime in September or October. Can't wait to get back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKamp Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 I guess our bit of sun is here today :) I'm about ready to move to Fairbanks for the summer. Have you seen their sunny weather?! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iafrmgrl77 Posted June 14, 2012 Author Share Posted June 14, 2012 I guess our bit of sun is here today :) I'm about ready to move to Fairbanks for the summer. Have you seen their sunny weather?! lol Wow! Fairbanks: 60 below in the winter; 95 in the summer! Lol! They get all the extremes up there! Have fun!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Wow! Fairbanks: 60 below in the winter; 95 in the summer! Lol! They get all the extremes up there! Have fun!! Wow, 95 in summer!?!?! Really??? That's hotter than Hawaii where we lived before here. And HERE is my reward for tolerating the heat of Hawaii. I'm glad we're in Anchorage and not Fairbanks.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iafrmgrl77 Posted June 16, 2012 Author Share Posted June 16, 2012 Wow, 95 in summer!?!?! Really??? That's hotter than Hawaii where we lived before here. And HERE is my reward for tolerating the heat of Hawaii. I'm glad we're in Anchorage and not Fairbanks.:tongue_smilie: I was being a bit sarcastic. I really need to stop doing that! :) The highest recorded temp in Fairbanks is 94 degrees F, I believe. It is not abnormal for temps to be in the high 80's in July! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammi K Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 High 80's is still way too high, IMHO! I just heard on the radio today, "Mid June and we still haven't seen temperatures over 70. And this weekend isn't promising to be any better." To which I say: What could be better than the nice, cool weather we are having? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKamp Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Lol, we're not actually moving to Fairbanks. I had just looked at the weather and saw sun and 70's up there, sure would be nice to see the sun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iafrmgrl77 Posted June 16, 2012 Author Share Posted June 16, 2012 High 80's is still way too high, IMHO!I just heard on the radio today, "Mid June and we still haven't seen temperatures over 70. And this weekend isn't promising to be any better." To which I say: What could be better than the nice, cool weather we are having? I agree! The Air Force has had us in Oklahoma and Texas since 2006, and we were simply not made for this weather! And I keep having all these summer babies down here! The ONLY time I have been pregnant in the winter was in Alaska! I really needed to do things the other way around! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labellavita Posted July 5, 2012 Share Posted July 5, 2012 Those mama moose can be so dangerous! When we lived in Eagle River, our house backed up to the Alpenglow Elementary soccer fields, so we often played at their playground. I often had my children do "mama moose" drills, where they would run as fast as they could and climb up high on the play equipment. My husband teased me...until the day a mama moose and her calf came down out of the woods right onto the playground. My oldest headed straight for that jungle gym! :) I lived in Fort Richardson as a kid for 3 years, been to Elmendorf Air Force base many times, funny you mention the park thing, our playground at school was right next to the woods and we would often see moose come out of the woods and onto the playground while we were there. They just looked at us and we'd look at them, nothing ever happened, but this was not calving season, it was Winter. I still have a thing for moose. :001_smile: Our goal is to visit AK in 2013, I'm really excited! Can't wait! :willy_nilly: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gw2gold Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 Thank you so much Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iafrmgrl77 Posted July 9, 2012 Author Share Posted July 9, 2012 My husband just made our reservations for the ferry the other day. Looks like we should be up there by the end of September!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiddenJewel Posted July 9, 2012 Share Posted July 9, 2012 My husband just made our reservations for the ferry the other day. Looks like we should be up there by the end of September!!! At least you should get a few short weeks before the snow settles in (unless, of course, you guys love the snow). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iafrmgrl77 Posted July 9, 2012 Author Share Posted July 9, 2012 At least you should get a few short weeks before the snow settles in (unless, of course, you guys love the snow). We do love the snow! We have been in OK and TX for the last five years, and for the first few, our children kept asking when all the snow was coming! We will see what five years down here has done to us; we may be a bit on the wimpy side at first, but we are pretty excited! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iafrmgrl77 Posted October 15, 2012 Author Share Posted October 15, 2012 We're here! And now my question is, are there any good homeschool groups out here in the valley? I am still flip-flopping on whether to do Classical Conversations. Our homeschool has become much more CM in nature, but my children really miss CC. I think they really just miss the social aspect of it. Any other good groups out here? We are in Wasilla, so I am hoping to stay out this way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackWoodsMomma Posted March 19, 2013 Share Posted March 19, 2013 HELLO!! :hurray: My family will be moving (from Maine) into your area at the end of next month. My husband and 1-year-old son will be living off of the Yentna River. We will be traveling into Wasilla for supplies, mail etc. I'm trying to find information on homeschooling or playgroups in the area so that I can find some friends for my little boy. If you have any information at all- even about places in the area for kids I would greatly appreciate it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
echoterry Posted May 14, 2013 Share Posted May 14, 2013 Hello! I am in Anchorage. I don't know of anything in Wasilla area but I am sure there is something. Alaska is a very friendly homeschooling state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackWoodsMomma Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 Hello! I am in Anchorage. I don't know of anything in Wasilla area but I am sure there is something. Alaska is a very friendly homeschooling state. I heard on the radio about a Matsu Homeschooling center, do you know anything about it? I've been trying to find out the requirements for homeschooling in Alaska and I would like to find a homeschooling group to socialize my boy now and then. We're going to be living pretty far out in the woods so we wont always be able to get into town. And he's only 14 months old now so I have some time to figure it all out but I've had a difficult time finding information online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ondreeuh Posted May 21, 2013 Share Posted May 21, 2013 I heard on the radio about a Matsu Homeschooling center, do you know anything about it? I've been trying to find out the requirements for homeschooling in Alaska and I would like to find a homeschooling group to socialize my boy now and then. We're going to be living pretty far out in the woods so we wont always be able to get into town. And he's only 14 months old now so I have some time to figure it all out but I've had a difficult time finding information online. There are no homeschooling requirements for the state of Alaska. You don't have to report to anyone or do any tests. "Children schooled at home by their parents or guardians are exempt from the Compulsory School Attendance Law. Parents are not required to register with the state or their local school district, and no testing or other requirements are placed on home schools not funded with public dollars." http://education.alaska.gov/faq.html#A13 If you choose to join a public school program, you have many to choose from. Mat-Su Central is part of the Mat-Su school district, and is considered a correspondence program. I think you have to live in district (not sure if you do!). They host classes and activities in their own building. Twindly Bridge is a charter that is part of the Mat-Su district - the charter works a little differently than the correspondence program. They have "sessions" and co-ops on site. There are many correspondence programs open to anyone in the state. http://education.ala...l_directory.pdf is a little outdated, but gives you a good idea. Some program have lots of activities, others don't. Some are up in your business about which materials you use, attendance, testing, etc. and others pretty much leave you alone unless you have problems. Allotments range from about $1500 to $2200 but don't begin until K (although some programs give you a few hundred for a preschooler if you have an older enrolled student). There are Facebook groups for Mat-Su Valley Homeschoolers, Anchorage Life Learners, etc. and each program probably has their own group. Welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackWoodsMomma Posted June 12, 2013 Share Posted June 12, 2013 Thank you so much for the info Hive Mind Queen Bee! I will look into it further. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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