Monday, January 31, 2011

Conferences/PowerHour/Match/Feb. Events

If February give much snow, a fine Summer it doth foreshow (Old English Proverb)
Perhaps the Mid-West & the East Coast can hang on to that positive thought these next few weeks! Arizona is the place to be!

PARENT~TEACHER CONFERENCES went very well and the cherry on top was the extra pleasure of opening our D.ream Lab! It was euphoric to see how excited parents, students, and teachers were to see this wonderful addition to our school. This D.ream Lab is the only one in PVUSD that offers students K-6 a variety of technology: ipads, mac books, green screen room, clickers, and flip cameras. I am currently in the process of getting Skype up and running with a webcam for world wide connections. In just one week of talking with parents, our school has made possible world connections with Singapore, China, London, Rome, and India! How exciting and global reaching is that? We believe our advancements in technology will not only successfully prepare our students for their world- but will open up the world to them! I can't wait to take this journey with them & you! Thank you for all of your support!

POWER HOUR is our new before & after school homework club. If you would like to get your child signed up, classes are starting now!
See your child's teacher, or drop by the office for the permission slip and information! We currently have before & after school classes starting. This POWER HOUR will provide a quiet place for homework to get done and one on one support.

TECHNOLOGY MATC
H opportunity will end this week. PTO sent home a letter and a half sheet during Parent~Teacher Conferences in hopes to let you know of this great chance to double our funds. Whether your donation is $5 or $500 all monies will be matched by the District. The matching funds will allow us to put more technology into our student's hands! Speaking of more technology~in my next blog I will be able to share some very exciting news about a new pilot~Desert Trails was selected to participate in. It might have to do with Chrome...

February Events
Feb. 3 Governing Board meeting 7pm
Feb. 7 School Council meeting 7:45am
Feb. 8 Early Release-Students Dismissed at 12:30 (no lunch)
Feb. 11 PTO Dance 7-9pm (students must come with a parent~parent must stay~no drop offs)
Feb. 15 4th Grade Field Day
Feb. 16 5th Grade Field Day
Feb. 17 6th Grade Field Day
Feb. 17 STAR Student Lunch with Mrs. Lee
Feb. 17 McTeacher Technology Night at McDonalds (watch for special quest!)
Feb. 21 NO SCHOOL President's Day
Feb. 23 6th Grade leaves for Catalina 11pm meet in the cafeteria
Feb. 24 Governing Board meeting 7pm
Feb. 25 6th Grade returns from Catalina 9-10pm

Monday, January 24, 2011

D.ream Lab Officially Open!

Today we open our door to the future ----
Our D.ream Lab, has a new name submitted by Kara & Trevor C.---
Imagination Center~ Sowing seeds of imagination!!!

Thanks goes out to so many people and we could not have done this without their support:
Lauri McNeill, Jon Hanna, Mr. Preston, Mrs. Preston, Leslie Preston, Sandi Worsham, Mr. Worsham, Dave & Linda Cook, Sherri Sanders, and the entire Technology Committee.
So many hands took part, big and small, to see our D.ream come true!
Please be sure to stop by during Parent~Teacher Conferences this week and see the future!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Flu? Cold? Can you tell the difference?

If the flu hasn't hit your household---keep doing what your doing! But it's that time of year
and as a precaution this is a reminder to please keep your child(ren) home if they are showing symptoms such as: fever, body aches, chills, vomiting, or diarrhea. We are seeing several cases here at Desert Trails and sending students home.
This bug is highly contagious and as a consideration for other students, teachers, and staff we expect that children stay home so they can recover properly. Students need to be fever-free for 24 hours with no medication, before returning to school.
If you have questions about symptoms, Nurse Julie has posted outside her office door some information. Also, feel free to call Nurse Julie with any questions you may have that could help you determine whether your child should stay home or not.
Thank you for your attention to keeping everyone healthy during this season of passing germs!

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Power Hour/Islands/Conferences/D.ream

POWER HOUR~
In an effort to be efficient with our Tax Credits we are excited to announce a new club for our Desert Trails' students. POWER HOUR will be a combo tutor/homework POWER HOUR for any student looking to have a quiet place to work while under the guidance of a Desert Trails' highly qualified teacher!!! The flyer is coming home to all students- Tuesday, Jan. 18! Be watching for it!

Islands at Desert Ridge~
Tuesday, Jan. 18th 5:00-8:00 is our PTO Family Night Out! Come have dinner with your teachers & friends, and help support Desert Trails! Side note: 6th grade parents, there is plenty of time to hit Islands, then join us for the Catalina meeting starting at 6:30!

Parent-Teacher Conferences~
Monday, Jan. 24 through Thursday, Jan. 27 we will be hosting a special time for you to meet with your child's teacher! This is a great time to check in on second semester goals and to hear the many accomplishments your child has enjoyed!
Conference forms have gone out, and teachers will soon be confirming your date and time.

D.ream T.ech Lab~
We are working feverishly to get the D.ream T.ech Lab open for the launching date--Jan. 24! Many, many, many THANKS to Mrs. McNeill for all of her time, design ideas, effort, and support to get this D.ream to come true!! Be sure to stop in and see the ipads, flip cameras, and mac books that we are anxious to put into the academic day. Also, while in the lab be sure to peek in on the up and coming Green Screen room!

Welcome to Mrs. Kristi Darnell~
Our new teacher is on board in 5th grade! We are very happy to have her join our team!
Mrs. Darnell comes to D.T. with experience teaching 5th grade in California, is a Desert Ridge resident, and looks forward to meeting our wonderful D.T. families!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Report Cards Posted Online

In the Parent Portal you will now find your child's report card for second quarter grades. If you have not visited the Portal yet, you will find the links above "Sign Up &Parent Portal Info." for you to obtain a username and password. For parents who opted to receive a hard copy of the report card, they will be going home today. Feel free to contact your child's teacher or the school office at 602.449.4100 if you have any questions.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Bike Safety/Crosswalks & Zones/Stranger FYI

Bike Safety---
At Desert Trails our students must be in grades 4-5-6 to ride their bike to school. Please review these safety tips and help keep your child safe by reminding them occasionally about the rules of the road.
Here are some important tips to discuss with your child.
· Always wear a helmet.
· Pay attention. Cars are bigger than bikes and the driver may not see you.
· Ride on the right side of the road or trail in a single line in the same direction as other vehicles. Small children should be accompanied by a parent walking or riding nearby.
· Stop completely at intersections and get off of your bike. Walk your bike in the crosswalk, obeying the crosswalk signals.
· Know and use hand signals when turning and stopping.
· A bicycle bell helps pedestrians know you are nearby and helps prevent crashes.

It's the law---
Crosswalks & Zones are clearly marked and identified for drivers. Should children or the Duty Aide be in any part of the crosswalk at any time, cars are not to cross until they are on the sidewalk. Please do not park or drop off/pick up in the NO PARKING ZONE within the crosswalk area. Staggering your drop off or pick up time could help alleviate the 8:50 and 3:00 crunch.
Thank you for helping us make Desert Trails a safe place to be!

FYI---
At approximately 2:45 p.m. on Jan. 3, Shadow Mountain students were approached on 31st street south of Shea Blvd by a male with a Russian accent in a gold sedan and asked to purchase their socks. We experienced similar incidents earlier this school year. The students are safe and the incident has been reported to the Phoenix Police Department.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Happy New Year/Stranger Danger/January Events

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a very nice Winter Break. Thank you from all of us for the delicious cookies, treats, and thoughtful gifts. We appreciate your thinking of us and we appreciate your kindness!

Stranger Danger Alerts~At our last School Council meeting we decided the following:
When a Stranger Danger occurs within PVUSD I will post that information on this blog, as an FYI for you. When a Stranger Danger occurs in the surrounding areas to Desert Trails I will continue to send a letter home, and I will also post that information on this blog. All in an effort to keep parents informed and our children safe. Please see the information I received today:

This morning at approximately 7:00 AM while walking to the bus stop near 44th Street and Thunderbird, a PVHS student was approached by a male in a green pickup truck. The student describes the man as Hispanic, in his 40's and has a moustache. The student is safe and the incident has been reported to the Phoenix Police Department.

January Events
1/3 School resumes
1/10 School Council meeting 7:45am
1/10 PTO meeting 7pm
1/11 Half Day School Out at 12:30 (No lunch)
1/13 Gov. Board meeting 7pm
1/17 MLK Day No School
1/18 6th grade parents Catalina meeting 6:30pm
1/18 PTO Nights Out @ Islands
1/24 D.ream T.ech Lab opens! Be sure to stop in!
1/24-27 Parent~Teacher Conferences
1/27 Half Day School Out at 12:30 (No lunch)
1/28 Half Day School Out at 12:30 (No lunch)