Packing & Shipping

Your shipped items may be traveling quite a distance. So, it is important to remember that they may be tossed around during transit. We suggest mailing items in Rubbermaid brand totes. Use Sharpie markers to label your tote lids clearly. To make for easier use of the totes in the future, number lids and bottoms to match. Drill 4-6 holes in the top for cable ties. We also suggest that you keep a list of totes or boxes that you have mailed because they do not always arrive together.

What do I do with totes when traveling back to Anchorage? After a while, you will accumulate many totes. When you travel back through Anchorage, you can take them with you to stock your shelves. Stack the empty totes together, with lids on top, and duct tape all together. They travel pretty easily.

Now you can begin mailing your personal items to your assigned school site. Each school site has a designated person to pick up boxes and deliver them to the school. Address your boxes:

Your Name
c/o “School Name”
General Delivery
Community Name, AK Zip Code

You may locate each school address on the Schools page. Being at the school, they are in a safe place. If you do not put the school address on your boxes, the rural post offices may send them back. These small locations normally don’t have adequate storage space to hold boxes for any length of time. When you get to your site, you will transfer your boxes to your housing unit.

The U.S. Postal Service accepts packages weighing up to 70 lbs. As a general rule, the heavier the box, the cheaper the postage. For example, two boxes weighing 5 lbs will cost as much or more than a single box weighing 10 lbs. You may also insure in case of damage or loss. Items shipped “Parcel Post” ride on the same planes as “Priority” mail, so do not worry with priority prices. It may take up to two or more weeks for arrival.

• Totes (Rubbermaid)
• Sturdy boxes
• Clear packing tape
• Sharpie markers
• Cable ties

Daily dress tends to be more casual than in school districts “Outside” of Alaska, but it also varies from community to community. Temperatures are not as extreme as in the interior region of Alaska or northern parts of the Lower 48 states. You should expect rain and mud in the fall and spring. Most find knee-high rubber boots to be indispensable!

Here are a few of the essentials:

• Warm jacket (with layers)
• Insulated pants
• Boots (rain and snow)
• Outerwear accessories

It may prove beneficial to speak to a local staff member before any larger purchases to aid with determining items that will best suit your needs. Here are some of the favorite brands of weather gear from the LPSD team: