Two of my favorite October things: Parent~Teacher conferences & cooler weather!
Mark your calendar Oct. 26-29 for our first 09-10 Parent-Teacher conferences. Communications will be coming home soon seeking your choice of day and time! This is always a wonderful time for teachers to share student progress, goals, and showcase student work!!!
Authentic grading continues to be a focus as we work through Ken O'Conner's book "Repair Kit for Broken Grades." As I mentioned at the PTO meeting, I will be sharing our study with parents via the monthly eNews. Our November eNews will launch the first online parent~staff book study. Currently Desert Trails is not grading homework and we have eliminated zero. We are allowing students to make up any incomplete work, missed work or late work. Grades will not be reduced due to any of these "behaviors" but the knowledge demonstrated is what will be graded. Be watching and learn along with us!
October events:
Oct. 1 Governing Board meeting 7 pm
Oct. 2 Student Council speeches
Oct. 9 STAR Citizen lunch with Mrs. Lee at Mimi's Cafe 11:30
Oct. 12 No school~K-12 Recess
Oct. 14 UPC meeting 8:30
Oct. 15 Governing Board meeting 7 pm
Oct. 19 School Council meeting 7:45 am
Oct. 19 Red Ribbon Week
Oct. 23 DEA helicopter fly in
Oct. 24 PTO~ Pizza in the Park
Oct. 26-29 Parent Teacher Conference Week
Oct. 28& 29 12:30 dismissal
Oct. 30 No School~ K-8 Recess
School Council Bites
At the last School Council meeting some of the discussion focused on spreading the word about Tax Credit! Using our phone blast, teachers generating ideas for new classes, setting a goal for this year and many more ideas were shared. The Council is seeking input as to what parents would like to see offered before or after school! Please email me with your ideas! Another item School Council is seeking input is for our school grounds improvement. The district is gathering data to see where and what the greatest needs are surrounding the issue of maintenance. If you know of something on our campus that needs to be replaced or updated, please email me your input. The Council also established the 2009-2010 meeting dates: 10/19-11/16-12/14-1/11-2/8-3/15-4/19-5/17
Also, Mollen Health clinic will be at Desert Trails offering the flu and swine flu shots to students. Dates and permission slips will be coming home soon. Next meeting the Council will continue Tax Credit & school improvement ideas! For further information check out our School Council page on our school website @ http://cmweb.pvschools.net/dtesweb/
Red Ribbon Week
This year Desert Trails' students will have a thrilling and exciting opportunity to watch not only the arrival of a DEA helicopter, but also the landing!!! That's right, the DEA helicopter will land in the Desert Trails' playground. The engine will be shut off, and the DEA agents will emerge! Students will then be able to walk down to the playground and around the helicopter. Thanks to a Desert Trails' parent with great connections and our wonderful PTO, this will be a great day for our students!!! Permission slips will be coming home soon.
After School Enrichment Classes
Are you looking for extra academic support for your child? Desert Trails offers after school Tutoring and Homework Club. Perhaps you are looking to keep your child active?
Take a look at the brand new class offered by Coach E. ~
First Semester Activities
1st-6th Grade Boys and Girls Basketball
1st-6th Grade Boys and Girls Cross Country Activities
Get involved in an outstanding opportunity for grades 4-6 boys and girls to learn great fundamental skills such as running, passing, catching, agility, teamwork, and strategy. This is a chance to enhance and showcase your skills, while developing your level of physical fitness. The continual movement will strengthen your aerobic capacity without realizing how much movement is occurring. Most importantly, you will have fun while learning. We have 40 spots open for this activity but they will fill up rapidly. Signup quickly to secure your spot!! To be eligible, please return the Parent Permission and Medical Release form to Coach E. before the deadline of 10-9-09. The fee is $50.00, which is non-refundable. Check or cash is acceptable.
Important Dates and Times to Remember:
Last day to return paperwork is 10-9-09
Scheduled days are Tuesdays and Thursdays
Times are from 3:00 – 4:00
Students MUST be picked up by 3:55 OR PROMPTLY at 4:00
Activity dates for Basketball are 10/13, 10/15, 10/50, 10/22, 10/27, 11/3, 11/5.
Activity dates for Cross Country are 11/17, 11/19, 11/24, 12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/17.
School Office hours 8:00-4:00 Phone # 602.449.4100 Attendance # 602.449.4001
Desert Trails Elementary
4315 E. Cashman Dr. Phoenix, Az 85050
Paradise Valley Unified School District
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
WIn~Win with Tax Credit
The word is getting out! You can give to Desert Trails' enrichment classes AND give yourself a tax credit!!! That's right- a family can give up to $400 and a single can give up to $200. Desert Trails will then give you a tax receipt and you deduct the amount you gave right on your tax form!!!
Some of the excellent enrichment classes currently taking place are Tutoring Club, Homework Club, our Technology Club~ GenYes, and a new after school Sports program is starting soon!! Our tax credits also assist students in financial need so they can attend Catalina and Grand Canyon field trips with their classmates!!! If you would like to see a new enrichment class offered at Desert Trails please drop me an email and let me know! The Tax Credit form will be coming home soon, and for easy access I will post it on our school website for you to print.
Please pass this super benefit on to grandparents, neighbors, and business partners!! Everyone can use a tax break and Desert Trails will use these funds to enrich our student's learning journey!!! Thank you for your partnership!
Some of the excellent enrichment classes currently taking place are Tutoring Club, Homework Club, our Technology Club~ GenYes, and a new after school Sports program is starting soon!! Our tax credits also assist students in financial need so they can attend Catalina and Grand Canyon field trips with their classmates!!! If you would like to see a new enrichment class offered at Desert Trails please drop me an email and let me know! The Tax Credit form will be coming home soon, and for easy access I will post it on our school website for you to print.
Please pass this super benefit on to grandparents, neighbors, and business partners!! Everyone can use a tax break and Desert Trails will use these funds to enrich our student's learning journey!!! Thank you for your partnership!
Monday, September 14, 2009
PTO & Up Coming Events
WOW! What a great turn out for the PTO General meeting! Thank you for your participation and attendance. PTO had a jam packed, high information night planned just for you!
V-Reps~ Thanks to all parents who joined us for the reading training. This is a K-6 reading support program provided by parent volunteers. If you would like to be a part of our team you still can be! Simply contact Mrs. Bier at school and she will provide you with the information necessary.
Here are some upcoming events you need to know about:
Sept. 15 Early Release Students dismissed at 12:30
Sept. 21 Picture Day! SMILE!
Sept. 28 No School K-12 Recess
Sept. 29 Catalina 6th grade Parent night
Also, be sure to check out our current enrichment classes offered at Desert Trails:
GenYes
Piano & Keyboarding
All Star Athletes
Gymnastics
SW Martial Arts
Metz Tennis
Cheer
V-Reps~ Thanks to all parents who joined us for the reading training. This is a K-6 reading support program provided by parent volunteers. If you would like to be a part of our team you still can be! Simply contact Mrs. Bier at school and she will provide you with the information necessary.
Here are some upcoming events you need to know about:
Sept. 15 Early Release Students dismissed at 12:30
Sept. 21 Picture Day! SMILE!
Sept. 28 No School K-12 Recess
Sept. 29 Catalina 6th grade Parent night
Also, be sure to check out our current enrichment classes offered at Desert Trails:
GenYes
Piano & Keyboarding
All Star Athletes
Gymnastics
SW Martial Arts
Metz Tennis
Cheer
Saturday, September 12, 2009
School Council Off & Working!
Our first 2009-2010 School Council meeting was held the first week of school and we are working hard to do what is best for kids! At this meeting Tax Credits were approved by the Council which means our Tutoring program, Homework Club, GenYes, and many more before and after school enrichment activities will be starting soon! Also, along with the approval of Tax Credits, the Council approved our 6th graders going to Catalina and our 4th graders going to the Grand Canyon. The Council was very interested in the new V-Rep reading training and they supported that direction as well.
The Council will be gathering input from teachers, parents, and community members on how to best educate our community about Tax Credits. If you have any ideas or suggestions on how to get the word out, please see one of your representatives or go to our school site, click on School Council and you will find a direct email link. Your input is important and we appreciate it.
Also, please know all agendas and minutes are posted on our school site @ http://cmweb.pvschools.net/dtesweb/
The Council will be gathering input from teachers, parents, and community members on how to best educate our community about Tax Credits. If you have any ideas or suggestions on how to get the word out, please see one of your representatives or go to our school site, click on School Council and you will find a direct email link. Your input is important and we appreciate it.
Also, please know all agendas and minutes are posted on our school site @ http://cmweb.pvschools.net/dtesweb/
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
H1N1 or "Swine" Flu
Understandably we all have concerns with what we are hearing in the news regarding the upcoming Flu season. Here is what we know and are doing at this time:
This novel flu is still circulating in Arizona and it appears that it is affecting our younger population at a disproportionally higher rate than our normal “seasonal” flu. The Maricopa County Department of Public Health reports that more than half of those hospitalized have been school or per-school aged children, and confirms one pediatric death this summer in our county attributed to novel H1N1. Many more cases are possible this fall. Because of this, we all need to become much more vigilant in our efforts to keep our school community and your home environment flu-free.
1.) Teach your kids good hygiene (we will be doing the same at school): This means teaching them how to cover coughs/sneezes with their elbows, good hand washing habits and to keep their hands away from their face.
2.) Keep your kids home when they are sick: When a child comes to school sick, he/she can infect classmates at amazing rates. If too many kids are sick at school, we may be required to implement extreme measures such as closing the school, which has a negative effect on all of us.
3.) Consider seasonal flu vaccine: Although there won’t be a vaccine for the novel flu until later this fall, our regular seasonal flu vaccine should be available in September. The more students (and staff) who are vaccinated with seasonal flu vaccine, the better chance we have of keeping this virus from jumping from child to child in our school and then bringing it home to your family. If your primary care doctor does not have flu vaccine, contact Community Information and Referral at 602-263-8856 for vaccine locations.
We are monitoring both the novel and seasonal flu closely and will be reporting abnormal absentee rates in our school to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. However, we cannot stress enough that it will be our parents who will ultimately make the largest impact on the health of our school.
Please contact Nurse Trudy should you need further information.
Thank you,
This novel flu is still circulating in Arizona and it appears that it is affecting our younger population at a disproportionally higher rate than our normal “seasonal” flu. The Maricopa County Department of Public Health reports that more than half of those hospitalized have been school or per-school aged children, and confirms one pediatric death this summer in our county attributed to novel H1N1. Many more cases are possible this fall. Because of this, we all need to become much more vigilant in our efforts to keep our school community and your home environment flu-free.
1.) Teach your kids good hygiene (we will be doing the same at school): This means teaching them how to cover coughs/sneezes with their elbows, good hand washing habits and to keep their hands away from their face.
2.) Keep your kids home when they are sick: When a child comes to school sick, he/she can infect classmates at amazing rates. If too many kids are sick at school, we may be required to implement extreme measures such as closing the school, which has a negative effect on all of us.
3.) Consider seasonal flu vaccine: Although there won’t be a vaccine for the novel flu until later this fall, our regular seasonal flu vaccine should be available in September. The more students (and staff) who are vaccinated with seasonal flu vaccine, the better chance we have of keeping this virus from jumping from child to child in our school and then bringing it home to your family. If your primary care doctor does not have flu vaccine, contact Community Information and Referral at 602-263-8856 for vaccine locations.
We are monitoring both the novel and seasonal flu closely and will be reporting abnormal absentee rates in our school to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. However, we cannot stress enough that it will be our parents who will ultimately make the largest impact on the health of our school.
Please contact Nurse Trudy should you need further information.
Thank you,
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