Last Blog

Dear Parents and fellow blog followers,

This little blog has served his purpose well, however, with the new communication system that now is delivered directly into over 700 email boxes, the time has come to end this blog.

Should you not be one of the 700+ please know you can always find my communications through this website: https://sites.google.com/a/pvlearners.net/dtes-monday-morning-communications/

Thank you!

Family Tech Night/P.T.O. Fundraiser/April Events/

D.T.E.S. Technology Family Night Coming in May....



History is made!
P.T.O. sponsored the annual Read-a-Thon challenging every student to read! Read they did!
The school read a total of 44, 228 minutes~raising $5,345.38!
Thank you Mrs. Porambo and P.T.O. for all of your support!

April Events
4/3 Early Release Students Dismissed at 12:30pm (No Lunch)
4/4 Safety meeting 8:00am Principal’s Office
4/5 School Council meeting 7:45am Principal’s Office
4/5 Governing Board meeting 7pm District Board Room
4/16----4/25 AIMS
4/16 Parent meeting 6th grade Human Growth & Development 6pm Library
4/19 Governing Board meeting 7pm District Board Room
4/23 Book Fair begins Library
4/25 PTO General meeting 6:30pm Library
4/27 Arbor Day~ Girl Scout Tree Presentation to DTES 10am Playground

Vote/Special Meeting/District Field Day/Gov. Board/Spring Break

Vote here: on the right side of this blog you will find a way to share your thoughts on whether you would like D.T. to become a Core Knowledge school. This will be just one of many ways we will be gathering input on this subject. Thank you for your input.

School Council Special Meeting: Join us in the Library, 3/13 Tuesday at 7-8pm. We will be discussing staffing, technology, 5/6 class, and the many ways to get involved at Desert Trails! Please use the Kindergarten parking lot, and look for the orange cone. Enter through the outside Library door.
We'll be looking for you!

District Field Day is 3/14 Wednesday at Horizon High School. Come cheer on our Desert Trails' students! Contact Coach E. for further information.

Governing Board Meeting is 3/15 Thursday 7pm

Spring Break 3/19-3/23 Have a great week!

Kindergarten Round-Up!

3/5/12 Tonight is a very special night as we will hold our annual Kindergarten Round-Up Event!

6:00 to 7:00pm we will proudly show off our beautiful school, ingenious Imagination Center,

Smart board Kindergarten rooms, and our established, master Kinder Teachers will be present to meet incoming students and parents!

We are currently accepting registrations! Come join the wonderful Desert Trails' Community of Learners!

UPC's LINC Resource and Vendor Showcase

Great Event!

DOOR PRIZES
NETWORKING
NEW IDEAS

Who should attend: Parent Group Leaders, Booster Club, Presidents, Treasures, Fundraisers, and anyone that is looking for new ideas for their groups whether it is in fundraising and/or new programs. Vendors such as Butterbraids, Girls on the Run, and lots more...
Also, hear remarks from Dr. James P. Lee, PVUSD Superintendent

Why attend: You won't want to miss this "ONE STOP SHOP" for all of your groups, programming, fundraising and informational needs! Mingle, talk, and discover new ideas and resources.

When: Wednesday, Feb. 8, 6:30-8:00pm
Where: Greenway Middle School Cafeteria 3002 E. Nisbet (32nd Street & Greenway)

If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Jen Mozilo, LINC Chairman at jmozilo@cox.net or 480.473.0701

Survey/Conference Success/Dance/Feb.Events/

Just a few days left for you to participate in the Paradise Valley Parent Satisfaction Survey! The link is on our school website, top of my blog and also provided right here.
We appreciate hearing from you! http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22DVY8AQ8LD

Parent~Teacher Conferences were a huge success, once again! Thank you to all parents who rearranged schedules, found a babysitter, and carved one more thing into your week, to come and allow us to share the progress of your child(ren). For those of you who participated in a Student-Led Conference, I trust you enjoyed seeing the growth and hearing directly from your child on their progress!

Sweetheart Dance is in full gear for the evening of Feb. 17- THANKS to parent volunteers Millie Stevenson, Suzanne van Dobben and Christina Porambo!
This PTO provided fun night will be held in the DT cafeteria, starting at 7pm and ending at 9pm.
Current students attending Desert Trails will be allowed entrance with a parent.
DROP OFFS will NOT be admitted. Parents must stay during the dance, and take advantage of getting to know your Desert Trails community!!!!

Events
2/2 Governing Board meeting 7pm
2/6 Safety meeting 8am
2/7 Half Day~ Students Dismissed at 12:30 (No Lunch)
2/13-2/17 DTES Field Days
2/16 STAR Student Lunch with Mrs. Lee Mimi's Cafe
2/17 Regional Spelling Bee "Good Luck Sammi!"
2/17 PTO DANCE 7pm-9pm NO DROP OFFS!
2/20 No School~ President's Day Recess
2/22-2/24 6th Grade to Catalina
2/27-3/2 PTO READ-A-THON!
3/1 School Council meeting 7:45 am

S/S/S/S

Sammi S. is our Desert Trails' Spelling Bee Champ who came out in the top 9 at the District wide Spelling Bee Contest! Sammi will now move on to the Regional Spelling Contest to be held this March. CONGRATULATIONS to Sammi!

Survey for PV Parents is now available! At the top of this blog and posted on our school website you will find the link to this super quick survey! We would love to hear from you~
While you are at school for drop off/pick up/volunteering please know a computer is available in our front lobby for you to take this quick survey! Your feedback is appreciated. Thank you~

Solar project still on the Desert Trails horizon! Stop by the front lobby and take a look at the beautiful poster display of this GREEN money saving project!

Student On-Line Tutoring for your child~ another reminder that your child can contact the PV On-Line Tutoring FREE to receive homework help! This new service is going strong throughout our district and students of all grade levels are encouraged to call. The flyer can be found at the top of my blog!!

PTO PLEA

NEEDED & WANTED: Dance Night Chair

WHY: If you don't Chair we won't have a dance! Please consider volunteering!!!
Our Students look forward to dancing the night away with friends!!!

PTO is busy making plans now to host a fun-filled evening for all D.T. students.

Food & Music & Sock Hop & Bee Bop!
Date: Friday, February 17,
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
In the Multipurpose Room @ DTES

This is a great time for parents to mingle, arrange play dates, and get to know their neighbors!

Contact Karrie Bakkila, Desert Trails PTO President, kkbakkila@gmail.com for any questions!

THANK YOU!

Talk to us!/District Parent Survey/SOLAR/IMPACT 2/

Let us hear from you! ~ Your ideas, your concerns and questions are very important to me. Establishing lines of communication are important to me and over the years I have initiated several avenues for you to provide your thoughts: Quick responses to your emails and phone calls, Feedback to Grow link, Parent survey 2 times a year, open door policy, invitations to special school meetings, Coffee with the Principal, etc.... So many times parents have offered great suggestions and ideas that we have put into place! I appreciate hearing from you!

This month parents will have 2 opportunities to provide feedback. One survey, School Council Parent survey, will be offered at our Parent~Teacher Conferences where we will be using paper surveys to gather your input, and the other~ our annual District Parent Satisfaction survey will be offered on-line, in which we will have computers in the lobby for parents to access that survey. We would like to get 100% participation on both surveys as we will rely on your input as we move forward with programs, curriculum, and staffing decisions. THANK YOU!!!

Annual Parent Satisfaction Survey – Thursday, January 12– Saturday, February 4 at midnight.

Parents are encouraged to provide input about the schools their children attend in the online, district-wide parent satisfaction survey. The survey is available from Thursday, January 12 through Saturday, February 4, 2012 at midnight. Parents are invited to complete the survey one time for each school in which they have a student enrolled. Parent feedback will be used to provide input to improve services for children and families. At the top of this blog and on our school website the link has been provided. Watch for reminders coming home!

SOLAR at Desert Trails is coming soon! Displayed in our Lobby is a beautiful poster showing the plan for the solar panels soon to be going in at D.T. You will see how well the panels are laid out, and the area to be covered. During the many phases of this project our parking lots will be under construction. Please keep in mind Cashman park parking lot will become a life saver for pick up & dropping off students as we move through this timeline of work. I will be asking all staff to be parking in the Cashman parking lot to leave our school parking spaces for our parents. Your patience and support as we undergo this great energy efficient venture, will be greatly appreciated! I will keep you posted as we move closer to the launching date- in the meantime, stop in a take a look at the poster!

IMPACT Part 2~ As the past blog shared, teachers have redesigned their instructional day to carve out an IMPACT time to reach all learners in the area of math. Our Kinder and First grade teachers collectively have agreed to utilize their IMPACT time in the area of reading. With the new state law establishing a possible retention by the year 2013 for all 3rd grade students not reading at grade level, our teachers felt that every possible minute that could be devoted to reading would be extremely valuable for all of our students. We are excited about this new direction and we are confident that great results will be obtained.

Impact Time/Parent Survey/Speaker/Conference Dates

At Desert Trails we are continually striving to identify and meet our student's needs. Today, during our Teacher In-Service, teachers will be collaborating together in a Professional Learning Community, where they will use data to pinpoint specific weaknesses and strengths our students possess. All students from time to time need a little "polishing" on certain concepts and skills but as quickly as the day goes by- we can be left with the question "When do we get to that?"
One of my goals, is to never accept the status quo, but to make a difference. Working with the teachers, we have done just that. We will not accept that our students have needs, or that students could be doing more, and we don't have the time- so we will make some changes!
We did!
I have asked teachers to build into their days a 30-40 minute IMPACT time for ALL students! In the subject of Math, student's who need the polishing, students who need the reinforcement, and students who are ready for the next jump up will get this embedded time during their school day! Teachers have worked diligently to move from teaching subjects in isolation to integrating and blending subjects together. An example would be to move away from a "writing block" to integrating writing in Social Studies or Science, still using the same writing objectives and goals but with a Social Studies or Science topic. Be sure to ask your child(ren) about this special time and during your Parent~Teacher Conference be sure to get more information from your child's teacher.
We are all really excited about this new opportunity for our students, and we are sure it will IMPACT them in a very positive way!

On-Line District Parent Survey is coming out soon! Be on the look out for this opportunity for you to share your input. This important survey will take "2 minutes" to complete, but will provide valuable input to daily operations! I will send out the link asap!

Our Kindness Committee invited Mr. Andy Cohn as our guest speaker to talk with our students about developing positive social skills. Andy, who is now in a wheelchair, due to a car accident at age 16- is a Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby player and is part of the Team USA. They won the Gold Medal in Beijing China, the Bronze in Athens, and many more major achievements! We will watch for Andy in the London Paralympics this coming Septemeber, once again representing the USA!
Some of the things Andy stated that I thought were important to note:
"See the person IN the chair, not the chair - Look out for each other and we all succeed." Andy also challenged the kids to find other ways to treat each other besides saying unkind things. Thank you PTO and KINDNESS for bringing such a positive role model to Desert Trails!

Jan. 23-26 Parent~Teacher Conferences

2012/Safety/Get Involved/Jan. Events/Link

Write it on your heart that each day will be the best day of the year. Emerson.

Happy New Year to all of our Desert Trails' families! I eagerly look forward to all of the
positive and innovative challenges that come with a new year! Our Parent~Teacher Conferences are right around the corner, and we relish this time to share your child(ren)'s many accomplishments during the first semester. Be watching for conference information coming home soon. Also, this will be the time when we offer a survey to our parents to gather input on different items. Your input is valued by each School Council member, so please take the time to let us hear from you! Surveys will be distributed during Conference Week and will also be available in the Office starting 1/23 through 1/27. THANK YOU!

Safety First~ is always a priority at Desert Trails, but we need your help. Please continue to drive slowly while in parking lots, and within the crosswalk zones. Dropping off & parking within the crosswalk zones is illegal and can cause serious complications for drivers who are then forced to pass (which is also illegal within the crosswalk zone). Let's take an extra minute and do all we can to make sure not only your child, but all of our children are safe coming and going to school.

Get involved~at Desert Trails! We can't do what we do, without YOU, our wonderful parents. If you have an hour a week or an hour a day we have lots of ways for you to get to know us better and be involved! Reading with students in a small group, working one on one with a student in math or reading, assisting the teacher in the classroom, copying, helping in the Library, etc... Contact your child's teacher, PTO, or the office!!

January Events
1/4 Back in School
1/5 School Council
1/9 Author Gary Hogg visit to 2nd Grade
1/9 Kindness Assembly Andy Cohn Guest Speaker
1/10 Early Release Students Dismissed at 12:30 (NO LUNCH)
1/12 Governing Board Meeting 7pm
1/16 MLK No School
1/17 Catalina 6th Grade Parent meeting 6:30 pm
1/19 STAR Student lunch with Mrs. Lee @ Mimi's Cafe
1/23-1/26 Parent~Teacher Conferences
1/26 Early Release Students Dismissed at 12:30 (NO LUNCH)
1/27 Early Release Students Dismissed at 12:30 (NO LUNCH)
2/2 School Council meeting 7:45 am
1/20 District Spelling Bee (Good Luck~Sammi)

New Link~At the top of my blog you will find several links to give you access to more information. Today I have added a link for easier access to our School Council agendas & minutes. Enjoy!

Spelling Bee/January Events/SpeakUp!Community 5K Run

From~Jane Howard, Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one! The Staff and I wish you the Happiest of Holidays to you and your families!

Spelling Champs! On Dec. 9, Desert Trails held its annual Spelling Bee. However, this was not our usual Bee. This was a first for Desert Trails, as we were running out of words!
This group of excellent spellers just kept spelling correctly!!!! Nice Job!
Participants and Alternates: Sydney B./Chloe F./Evan F./Harrison G./Hannah H./Jennifer I./Brian M./Hannah H./Kylie K./Taylor M./Ethan N./Emilio P.-R./Ashton R./Aliyah S./Julia S./Sammi S./Matt W./Adain W./Samantha B./Nathan O./Abby B./Mary B./Alex J./Matthew L./Sam M./Serena P./Kylie S.
Mrs. Bier and Mrs. Warner planned a very successful Bee. Our judges: Mike Lee, Pinnacle Peak, Principal; Jennifer Minor, Sonoran Sky, Principal; Tammy Hall, District Title Coordinator;
Dr. Rob Allen, District Director of Assessment.
Our Spelling Bee winner for the 2011-2012 school year~ Sammi S. &
Runner up~Ashton R.
CONGRATULATIONS to ALL participants!!!

January Events
1/4 School Resumes
1/5 School Council meeting 7:45 am
1/10 Early Release Students Dismissed at 12:30 (No Lunch)
1/12 Governing Board Meeting 7:00 pm
1/16 MLK No School
1/17 Catalina Parent meeting Chaperones 6:00/ All 6th grade parents 6:30 pm
1/17-2/2 Parent Satisfaction Survey window ( link to come )
1/19 STAR Student lunch with Mrs. Lee~ Mimi's Cafe
1/20 District Spelling Bee
1/23-1/27 Parent~Teacher Conferences
1/26 & 1/27 Early Release Days Students Dismissed at 12:30 (No Lunch)

SpeakUp! window closes Dec. 28~your input provides valuable feedback for the technology direction in PV. Please take just a minute to complete! Thank you! (link at the top of my blog)
Tax Credit! deadline is Dec. 31. On-line donation link can be found at the top of my blog!

Paradise Valley schools Community 5K Run will be held on Saturday, February 11, 2012
Find the flyer at the top of my blog! See you there! ( you can also walk & bring the family!)

ON-LINE TAX CREDIT DONATION!

LINK FOR ON-LINE TAX CREDIT DONATION NOW HERE!!!! Go to my blog!

A letter from a *parent at Desert Trails:
You can make a huge difference in your child’s education!
Do you know that if we mobilize a large majority of our families, we have the potential to direct up to $120,000 to Desert Trails’ before & after school programs, without any additional cost to us? (And that is a very conservative estimate). These are dollars that we are already paying in taxes to the State of Arizona, but instead of going directly to support your child, they go into a state fund. Put your tax money to work where it matters: for your child.

· If you are already due to pay state taxes you can donate up to $200 for singles and $400 for married couples. Then you can make this donation and get every dollar back (deducted) when you file your tax return!

· Decrease your federal tax liability when you make this contribution!

· Increase your miles or points on your credit card when you make this contribution!

· Many large corporations have a ‘Gift Matching’ program! Use the program to double your support to your child’s school~Desert Trails (at no extra cost to you)!

· Support the school and your community!
Spread the word to your neighbors! Some of them might not have kids in school any longer and you think they will not care. However, research shows that communities with excelling schools attract buyers and increase property value. There is a direct correlation between the performance of the school and the value of the properties in the community the school serves.
*This Desert Trails' parent has offered to answer any of your questions. Please contact the office for the phone number.
We are very excited to introduce our district tax credit donation website. Making a contribution to receive your Arizona Public Education Tax Credit is simple when doing it through this site.
TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE 2011 TAX YEAR DONATIONS MUST BE MADE BY 12/31/11

Tax Credit Made Easy!

We are happy to announce the Paradise Valley Unified School District has launched an Online Webstore for Tax Credit Donations.
A link is provided: http://www.pvschools.net/taxCreditInfo.htm so that donors will be taken to an online site where you may donate using their debt or credit card. I am also in the process of getting a link set up on our school website! Anyone using this avenue of making a donation will be issued an email receipt that you may use for tax purposes. Donations can be made via this link up until the deadline~ Midnight~Dec. 31, 2011.

THANK YOU!!!!

Finally, Homework Without Tears!

In Paradise, we are always investing in opportunities for your child to have the best academic experience~ that includes doing their homework!!! Paradise Valley School District is now offering free, on-line, homework support to students of all ages, and all subject areas.
Read on....

Every Monday through Thursday 3pm to 7pm students needing tutoring can be accessed from home - tutors are "in your home!!!"

Students, parents and teacher-parents are highly complimenting the program!
Visit my blog, and click on the link "On-Line Tutoring" for the Super Amazing flyer for more details!

Happy Homework! (Happy Learning!)

Holiday Shop/SpeakUp!/Tax Credit/Dec. Events

Tuesday, Nov. 29 through Dec. 2, our Holiday Shop is back & open for business! Students will have the opportunity to purchase small gifts for family and friends while using their math skills! Our wonderful PTO has brought this fun experience back to Desert Trails to emphasize thoughtfulness, friendship, and love toward others; some of the most important Life Skills we want for all of our children! The Holiday shopping list should have gone home last week. If you need another one, please contact your child's teacher or drop by the office to pick one up!

In keeping with four years running now, SpeakUp! 2011 is now open. Perhaps now more than ever, participation is warranted. Parents, staff and students are encouraged to participate. The data is used in many small and large forums. Please go directly to my blog and click on the SpeakUp! link. Thank you!!

Do you pay Az. Taxes? Well, the Tax Credit deadline is approaching quickly and we need your help! Our iCamp, GenYes, Reading Rocks, Spanish, Drama, & Homework Clubs are all funded through your Tax Credit. PLUS---- the Tax Credit is available to all State of Az taxpayers, regardless of whether you have children in school. The amount you donate-up to $200 (or$400 per married couple)- will be the amount you may claim as a state tax credit. For example, if you donate $50, your state tax credit would be $50. A receipt will be mailed to you by the school.
We appreciate your Tax Credit as it allows us to offer wonderful before & after school programs for all of our students! Please call the office if you have any questions or go directly to the link provided on my blog. THANK YOU!!!

Events
12/1 School Council meeting 7:45 am
12/1 Governing Board meeting 7pm
12/7 Chorus Holiday Show @ DTES 6:30pm
12/14 PTO BINGO @ DTES 6:00-9:00pm
12/15 STAR Lunch with Mrs. Lee @ Mimi's Cafe
12/15 Governing Board meeting 7pm
12/21-1/3 Winter Break
1/10 Half Day Students dismissed at 12:30 (no lunch)

YOU DID IT AGAIN!

Desert Trails Parents~THANK YOU for supporting us!!!

I am happy to report that both bonds have officially passed. The capital bond was approved and the money will be used to renovate and maintain schools, improve school grounds, and purchase school furniture, equipment, technology and school buses. Work is already beginning at sites where need is greatest. The rest will be phased-in over multiple years to honor our commitment to maintain the district tax burden at current levels. The capital override was also approved. That money will be spent on instructional materials and support vehicles.

Our United Parent Council, Principals, and Teachers, were all important factors in the final results by their collective effort in getting the word out about this important issue.
Thank you for once again supporting your excelling Desert Trail's PV School.
I am proud to be your principal and work with such great, supportive parents.

Troops/Socks/Pediatrics

At Desert Trails we strive to Cultivate World Thinkers but we also take an active role in cultivating community awareness~

From Our Tents To Yours is a partnership between Maricopa County Sheriff's Office and local schools. The Sheriff's Office will be assembling and shipping soldier care packages to our troops. If you would like to let the men and women who serve our country know that we are thinking about them this season of giving, please see the attached list of needs. Then simply drop your item(s) off at school. The program runs Nov. 14-21st.

PTO and Shoebox Ministry is currently collecting warm, new socks for all size feet! Desert Trails has always been a big contributor in stepping up and providing warm socks for those less fortunate. This year we will be collecting Nov. 14 through Nov. 18th. Drop off at school all this week!

Do you know any "Twi-Hards"? Breaking Dawn comes out Friday November 18 and if you know anyone who wants to be one of the first to see it here in the Valley, then you need to pass on this fantastic info. The attached flyer "TWILIGHT" has details for the midnight showing at the new Studio Movie Grill in Scottsdale. A $20 dollar donation gets you a ticket to the movie and popcorn with proceeds going to Jordan's Jungle! Jordan is a past Desert Trails student who created his service oriented outreach to assist ill children. You'll also get a pass for two free movies at Studio Movie Grill, so it's basically a wash and it benefit's charity!!! What could be better? For more info on Jordan's Jungle, please check out www.JordansJungle.org.

The Mouse that.../Red Ribbon Success/PTO

Paradise Valley High School's Drama students will be presenting "The Mouse that Roared"
on Nov. 8, 9, and 10th. 7:00pm curtain! Children & Students with ID $5.00 Adults & Students without ID $7.00. One of our very own past Desert Trails' students, Ms. Garcia, will be in this wonderful production! Flyers available in the Office.
Red Ribbon was once again a huge success! Many thanks go out to all parents who helped during the week long celebration & learning. Mr. & Mrs. Chase, Mrs. Hanna, Mrs. Henderson, Mrs. DeLine, Ms. Domingo and a SPECIAL THANKS to Mrs. Owens for organizing the entire week! The helicopter arrival is such an awesome event!

Grades 4, 5, & 6 attended an assembly on Friday that reviewed new football protocols, and cafeteria incentives! As we move forward allowing "FLAG" football at Desert Trails, Coach E. and our Duty Aides will be communicating with students the importance of good sportsmanship, self control, and following safety rules. Students are well aware that they may be removed from football if they chose to not follow the rules now firmly in place. Please speak with your child's classroom teacher should you have any questions.

Rainy Days procedures are now in place as our weather has taken its long awaited turn! Upon arrival, should the playgrounds be wet, have puddles, or it is raining we have established that our Library will open at 8:30 for all K-3 grade students. Also, our Cafeteria will be open at 8:30 for all 4, 5, & 6th graders. Teachers will come to each of these locations to retrieve their students at 8:55. During the day should it remain a "Rainy Day" students will go to lunch at the regular time, and instead of going outside, they simply return to their classroom for free time determined by the classroom teacher. Duty Aides will supervise during this time however, we can always use parents for this coverage time! Please plan some extra driving time on these days as there will be more cars dropping off and picking up students. SLOW DOWN in cross walks!

Parent Input

If you missed the opportunity to share your input by filling out the survey during Parent~Teacher Conferences, I've created a link with the same form.
Please simply go to this pvlearners site CLICK HERE and answer the two questions regarding our Special Areas. Your feedback is important! If you already completed the survey, please do not fill it out again. We would like to have the most reliable feedback as possible.
THANK YOU!