DVUSD News - Around Our Schools - October 25 - 29, 2010
From:
"DVUSD News" <no-reply@dvusd.org>
Subject:
DVUSD News - Around Our Schools - October 25 - 29, 2010
Date:
November 1st 2010
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The Week of October 25 - 29, 2010 |
Deer Valley Elementary Schools
Arrowhead
 Congratulations to Arrowhead 6th grader Haleigh Sanchez, who was recently cast Peoria Theater Works’ The Littlest Angel musical which includes singing, acting and dancing. The show will run from December 3 – 19 at Peoria Theater Works located at 8355 W. Peoria Ave. To order tickets or for more information go to www.theaterworks.org.  The Arrowhead 2nd and 3rd grade drama group recently performed “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” on Friday evening, October 22 under the direction of Mrs. Bierner. The cast included: Alyssa Schneider, Ashleigh Van Dahm, Ryan Ortwein, Jenna Marks, Rachel Morgan, Madeline Robertson, Devyn Mook, Xavier Balicki, Tatum Dowell, Kaelan Singleton, Brian Ridenour, Mrs. Bierner, Colette Considine, Katie Du Bois, Ciara Proch, and Makala Kisling. The Arrowhead 4th grade team is hosting Arizona Fish and Game on Wednesday, November 10.
Arrowhead’s student council is holding a toy drive from Monday, November 29 – Friday, December 3. The toy drive will benefit the Positive Network Alliance with the collection going to our Constitution Elementary. Sixth grade teachers, Susan Stewart and Susan Peck along with student council advisors, will oversee this student council sponsored event.
Constitution
 Congratulations to Elizabeth Guerrero, a sixth grader who was presented a $50 gift card by DVUSD Superintendent Dr. McElyea for winning the Health and Wellness Fair postcard contest. Thank you to community business partner Jeanne Getz from Horace Mann for donating bicycles each quarter to two lucky Constitution students. Teachers award students raffle tickets for a chance to win the bikes based on attendance, grades, and/or character. The first quarter bike winners are Celina Carrasco from Mrs. Willson’s class and Brian Navarro from Mrs. Martinez’ class.
Copper Creek
Copper Creek’s 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students are working on their Volleyball skills. Students from these grade levels have signed up to participate in the Copper Creek Volleyball Intramural program. Games will be held from November 1- December 16. Students from this program are selected by their peers to play in the third annual Teacher vs. Students game, which will be played on Thursday, December 16.
Copper Creek’s PTSA is hosting their first ever Neighborhood Family Fall Carnival on Saturday, November 6from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with your family and friends and participate in wholesome, kid friendly activities. Activities will include inflatables, giant obstacle courses, game booths, food, music, cake walk, a silent auction of baskets and more.
Desert Winds
 Desert Winds Elementary students crossed safely at a cross walk, accompanied by their marching band during the annual Walk to School Day. Students participate annually with the City of Phoenix in International Walk to School Day to promote exercise and safety. Desert Winds and Constitution are the only two K-6 elementary schools in the Deer Valley District with marching bands. Kathy McNeill, principal, and Don Cross from the City of Phoenix led the walkers. The band is directed by Mr. Robert Shultz. Greenbrier
 Mrs. Tricia White led Greenbrier 5th and 6th graders throughout the first quarter in their music classes to learn the dance “THRILLER”. On Friday, October 22 the students performed the dance in front of the entire school, many parents and staff members. The dance in its entirety posted on the Greenbrier website, greenbrier.dvusd.org. Hillcrest
Hillcrest Yearbook, NJHS, Student Council and the Character Counts Student Committee will be holding a stuffed animal fundraiser from Monday, November 1- Tuesday, November 30. For the third year in a row Hillcrest has decided to partner with the Glendale Fire Department’s Crisis Response Center and Mendy’s Place at John C. Lincoln Hospital to collect new toys and stuffed animals for those children who are in crisis and left without for the holidays. Donations can be brought to the front office, Room B7 or your child’s 4th hour teacher.
Hillcrest Yearbook students will volunteer their time to wrap gifts in front of Barnes and Noble (Happy Valley Towne Center) on Saturday, December 4 from 9a.m. -1 p.m., with all proceeds being donated to purchase more toys and stuffed animals.
Legend Springs
Mr. Gephart’s art students individually entered a poster contest for Character Counts. Each grade level was assigned a Pillar of Character to represent on their posters. The winning poster, one from each grade, will be displayed in the front office for all to see and enjoy.
All of the Legend Springs 1st grade classes are using real pumpkins in their math units. They are comparing, measuring and estimating.
Mrs. Nelson’s 2nd grade class collected small, personal hygiene products for students in need at Barry Goldwater High School. A former Legend Springs student left a flier in Mrs. Nelson’s mailbox and her students and their families really came through to help out.
All Legend Springs fourth grade teachers now have Smart Boards. Students and teachers alike are very excited to integrate this technology into the classroom.
Fourth Grade students put functional reading to the test. After reading about the history of kites students were able to follow directions to create their very own kites. This was a great way to tie in real world reading with the classroom.
Mrs. Stafford's fourth grade class is wrapping up their Environments unit by hatching brine shrimp. Students will learn about salinity, viability, range of tolerance, and the optimal environment through hands on experiences.
Fireman John visited Bridget Lawson’s 4th grade classroom. The students learned that the heart pumps a gallon and a half of blood every 90 seconds.
Mountain Shadows
Thank You to community business partner Jeanne Getz of Horace Mann for donating a 24 inch Road Master Mountain Bike to Mountain Shadows for the October Coyote Cash drawing. Students earn “Coyote Cash” for demonstrating good character. The “cash” was put in a big container and one bill was drawn and that lucky student won. The lucky student was a 5th grader in Mr. Will’s class, Tatum Hays. She was presented with her new bike by principal Mrs. Debra Roets.
The Mountain Shadows PTSA will again be hosting the “Trunk or Treat” event. This is a safe alternative to trick or treating in the neighborhood. For more information call 623-445-4300.
All Fridays are Spirit Days at Mountain Shadows. Students are encouraged to wear blue and orange (school colors) or a Mountain Shadows Coyote spirit t-shirt. Student Council Spirit Days are on all Early Release Days. On Friday, October 29 it is Crazy Hair Day. The class in primary grades and the class in intermediate grades with the highest percent of participation win the privilege of carrying the Spirit Stick for the week.
Truancy Program Information - School attendance is not only a good habit, state law requires it. Arizona State Law (15-802.E, 15-803.) requires every person who has custody of a child between the ages of six and sixteen years shall make sure the child attends school for the full time school is in session unless unable to attend due to illness or another legitimate reason.
To encourage and improve student attendance, Mountain Shadows has implemented a truancy program in partnership with Maricopa County Juvenile Court. The truancy program is called C.U.T.S. (Court Unified Truancy Suppression).
Mountain Shadows is participating in a partnership with the Swift Charities Clothing Collection Drive. On the campus is a blue collection box where donations are being gathered of clothing and other small household items. For every pound of clothing collected, a donation is earned. The goal is $1000 which can be raised quickly with everyone’s support. Swift Charities also donates funds to other children’s charities such as YMCA, Boys & Girls Club, and Banner Children’s Hospital. Every donation helps Mountain Shadows and the children who benefit from these other charities. It is a win-win situation.
Upcoming Events:
Congratulations to Mrs. Mabee’s 4th grade class. They have received the Deer Valley Technology Innovations Grant and will be receiving a set of five Net books.
Band Notes: 1…2…Ready…GO! Band at Mountain Shadows is off to a great start! There has been a great retention rate in the 6th grade advanced band as well as starting with over 40 beginners this year.
Mountain Shadows will be hosting a band/choir performance on Tuesday, December 7. More information will be sent home with students and in the next newsletter. Parents of band students can find additional information at www.charmsoffice.com. Under the heading “Parents/Students,” type in “mountainshadowsband.” On the next screen type in your/your child’s school ID number. The entire calendar is there, plus an area to record practicing, and any forthcoming announcements.
Mountain Shadows chorus meets every Monday and Wednesday morning from 8-8:45 a.m. in the music room.
Mrs. Marklund's 1st grade class learned about the life-cycle of corn this past week. Students also sequenced how corn goes from the farmer, to a factory, to the store, and then to their house. Students learned different ways corn is served and at the end of the week, they ate canned corn, popcorn, and corn cereal. Students voted on which tasted best to them and graphed their results.
 Mrs. Couture's 1st grade class has been studying the human body. Students learned about the cardiovascular system, the digestive system, the respiratory system, the skeletal system, the muscular system, and the brain. Students researched organs and various body parts and then created power points and presented them to the class. The students created life sized models of their bodies which are on exhibit in the 100 building. Flat Stanley has become the favorite book in Mrs. Couture’s classroom. The students have created their own Flat Stanley and have sent him off to visit with friends and relatives in other parts of the country. When the Stanley’s have finished visiting, they will be mailed back to the classroom. The students are looking forward to their return so that they can read their travel journals and hear about all of their adventures.
Fourth grade has been busy investigating characteristics of magnets. Through hands on experiments, the students have discovered that magnets do not stick to all metals and yes, a nail can pick up another paperclip. Now the fourth graders are in the middle of learning about electricity.
Fifth grade students are off to a great start. They have been working hard on learning the procedures and expectations. The students will be keeping portfolios again this year with their work and progress throughout the year to share with their parents at their Student Led Conference. The students have begun a hands-on experiment with Pendulums using different variables. In Social Studies the students have begun with learning the continents and oceans. They will be doing writing in all subject areas and reading many different genres through the year.
Sierra Verde
Sierra Verde is celebrating Character Counts week. Throughout the campus classroom windows are adorned with the character counts themes. Students are reminded of the importance of character traits: caring, respect, fairness, citizenship, responsibility, and trustworthiness just by looking at these beautiful window displays. Throughout the week students are encouraged to show the importance of character by wearing certain colors. Sierra Verde's campus was a sea of pink, red, orange, and of course purple and green.
To recognize the importance of perfect attendance students who did not miss any days first quarter were in the running to win a brand new bike. Thank you to community business partner Jeanne Getz from Horace Mann for making this opportunity possible. Congratulations to eighth grade student Albert Autieri for being the lucky winner. The Lady Vipers volleyball team earned two 2nd place tournament trophies and made it to the semi-finals in conference play. The boys' volleyball team made it to the quarter-finals in conference play.
The cross country team competed in four meets and the championship. Several of the runners placed very high in the final meet.
To honor and recognize athletes and coaches, Sierra Verde celebrated with a 7th/8th grade assembly on Tuesday, October 19. During the assembly seventh and eighth grade teachers played volleyball against the student teams. Fun was had by all and teachers reported that they were grateful that the students went easy on them as clearly the students were the experts on the court.
 In partnership with the City of Glendale, Sierra Verde held a bike rodeo on Saturday, October 23 to promote bicycle safety. Fun was had by all who attended the rodeo. Professional freestyle bike experts showed off their talents by performing stunts for the crowd. Participants began the safety circuit with a helmet check. If helmets did not fit properly, adjustments were made or new helmets were available for purchase. After completing the four safety circuits, participants received a certificate of completion, a t-shirt and backpack filled with goodies. NJHS members volunteered their time to run each of the safety checkpoints and did a fabulous job of instructing bicycle safety. Thank you to Miss Hilary Blanchard for organizing the bike rodeo. Stetson Hills
Stetson Hills held their Annual Homecoming Parade on Friday, October 29. O’Connor and Stetson Hills participated in the parade which included wonderful floats, The Eagle Pride Band, The Eagle ROTC, football players and cheerleaders as they geared up for their homecoming game that night.
Stetson Hills raised over $1,000 at their first rummage sale held last week. Any items that did not sale were donated to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona. Stetson Hills wants to thank all of the families who lent tables, display boards and any other items to use for viewing the rummage sale products, and those who donated gently used household items and clothing to help the school raise money for technology.
Stetson Hills will be hosting a free Family Night - Stargazing Event on Wednesday, November 3 from 7 – 9 p.m. Parents and students are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs, blankets, telescopes, binoculars and digital cameras. The experts will be there with several high-powered telescopes for everyone to view the moon. Learn star names, see the constellations, and listen to multicultural folklore and historical stories of the night sky. Glow sticks and refreshments will be for sale.
West Wing
 A big congratulation goes out to two West Wing students who placed in the Constitution Contest in the 1st and 2nd grade category. West Wing Winners are:
Nathan Edlebeck – 1st grade, 1st place - Mrs. Nebel Class
Kawehi Chang – 2nd grade, 2nd place - Mrs. Patti Class
Deer Valley High Schools
Barry Goldwater
Congratulations to thefollowing students who were Commended Students in the 2011 National Merit Program: Ashlie M. Flood, Taylor J. Killion, Anuvind V. Menon, Anderw T. Vo
Boulder Creek
Congratulations to the Jaguar Pride Band who qualified for the State Marching Festival with a 3rd place finish at the Barry Goldwater Invitational on Saturday, October 23. (see attached photo)
The Boulder Creek High School Homecoming Football game can be viewed on live online at http://bouldercreek.aia365.com/ on Friday, October 29. Boulder Creek football team has the honor of being one of three games being broadcast throughout the state of Arizona.
In the future Boulder Creek will be looking to use its Media Production classes and NFS Students in broadcasting not just athletic contests but other events throughout the year. Your feedback is appreciated. The Daisy Mountain Fire Department will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the development of the CPR program by hosting a training/demonstration for Boulder Creek High School students and staff on Friday, November 5.
Daisy Mtn. along with the assistance of the Army and additional volunteers will be bringing out 200+ CPR mannequins to train Boulder Creek students and staff in CCC - Continuous Chest Compressions. The training will be held during 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th periods out on the football field unless we have inclement whether then the event will take place indoors in the gym.
Deer Valley
The Deer Valley High School Band competed in the Valencia High School "Classic" Field Tournament on Saturday, October 23 in Placentia, CA. Deer Valley was class 3A for this competition (bands competed in classes 1A, 2A and 3A and also against one another).
Results for Deer Valley were as follows:
Music Performance – Sweepstakes Winner (out of all classes)
Percussion – 1st Place
Band – 2nd Place
The students represented Deer Valley High School and DVUSD with dignity, both on and off of the field.
Mountain Ridge
 Twenty-four students from the Mountain Ridge community service club Interact painted the exterior of a house owned by an 84 year-old low income senior on Saturday as part of the annual valley-wide Rock & Roll Paint-a-thon. Close to 140 houses were painted over the weekend in the Phoenix area. This house is the 10th that Interact has painted since the program began. The students set a personal record by finishing the whole house in four hours. |
Don't forget to vote on Tuesday, November 2nd.
(Late delivery of Around Our Schools was due to some technical difficulties.)
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