DVUSD News - Around Our Schools December 7, 2009

From: "DVUSD News" <no-reply@dvusd.org>
Subject: DVUSD News - Around Our Schools December 7, 2009
Date: December 7th 2009

Around Our Schools - December 7, 2009

Deer Valley Elementary Schools

Arrowhead
Arrowhead first graders in Mrs. Flynn�s class are trying to raise $500 in order to buy a dairy cow through the nonprofit organization, Heifer International which will be delivered to an orphanage in Africa to supply milk to children who have lost their parents to AIDS and war. The class is having a drawing and selling $1 tickets until Thursday, December 10th. Several prizes include a nine foot lit Christmas tree, a four foot wooden Santa and reindeer, a holiday wreath, and more.

Gavilan Peak
The Gavilan Peak band and choir students will be performing at their winter concert on Tuesday, December 15th at 6:30 p.m. in the Multi-purpose room.

Greenbrier
Greenbrier will be hosting PTA Spirit Night at Panda Express on Thursday, December 10th located on 75th Ave. and Bell Road.

Greenbrier is one of the several schools applying to become a Core Knowledge site beginning in the 2010-11 school year. This type of school provides an academic focus and encourages consistency in instruction and a plan for coherent, sequenced learning from grade to grade. Students receive a broad base of knowledge and a rich vocabulary necessary for higher levels of learning.

Highland Lakes
Highland Lakes students participated in a cookie dough fund raiser last month which earned them individual prizes and a BMX show for the entire school. Last week, the BMX team performed for the entire school with their death defying stunts which included flying over principal Mark Anderson�s head at full speed.

Las Brisas
Las Brisas fifth graders participated in Space Missions while on a field trip to the Challenger Space Center last week. Students worked as teams in simulated space missions where communication is essential and participated in research activities.

Actors from Childsplay Theater visited Las Brisas last week to perform �Androcles and the Lion.� The first and second graders were treated to this humorous adaptation of one of Aesop�s favorite fables, presented in classic Commedia deli�arte style and exploring issues of friendship, trust, and freedom.

Las Brisas is collecting gifts, toiletries, and food for needy families until Wednesday, December 9th. All donations can be dropped off in the front office.

Las Brisas PTSA is sponsoring a holiday event for the whole family, Cookies with Santa on Friday, December 4th. Families will make a holiday craft, Santa will arrive for milk and cookies, and pictures will be taken.

Stetson Hills
Stetson Hills seventh grade students and teachers participated in a service learning project to help kids in need enrolled in the Deer Valley Head Start program. The seventh grade teachers created a project in which student groups adopted a DV Head Start student and raised money to purchase gifts the children wanted and needed.

The seventh graders spent a half day using mini-Dell laptops creating an action plan for their day of shopping at Arrowhead mall. They researched where to pick up the items, where to purchase them for the best price, and how much it would cost (including taxes). Finally, students, chaperones, and teachers headed to the mall to shop. The seventh graders also created personalized poems for their "adopted child" and wrote them letters. The gifts were delivered to the district office.

Sierra Verde
The Sierra Verde chorus club will be performing their winter concert along with students form the middle school chorus class on Thursday, December 10th at 6 p.m. in the multi purpose room.

Sunrise
Sunrise has been approved to receive a STEM mini grant from the Arizona Department of Education which will be used for the 21st Century Learning After School program. Students will participate in a STEM focused class that will integrate science and technology components while wearing scrubs. The grant was submitted by 5th grade teacher Alicia Herron.

Deer Valley High Schools
Sandra Day O�Connor
Sandra Day O�Connor students enrolled in media productions classes and art classes will have the chance to attend a guest speaker assembly with Don Bluth on Tuesday, December 15th. Bluth is a world renowned animator/film director/producer/studio owner and will talk to student about the movie making process and the art that goes into making feature films.

The Sandra Day O�Connor HS athletic program celebrated several successes which included the football, girls golf, and girls cross country teams winning all regions championships. Head football coach John Rodriguez, head girls golf coach Greg Rice, and head girls cross country coach Brian Dempsey were all selected as the Northwest Region Coaches of the Year.