Deer Canyon Echoes

Good evening, Deer Canyon Families:

Next week is not only the end of October and beginning of November, it’s also the final week of Trimester 1! I want to acknowledge the steadfast commitment and dedication of our amazing Deer Canyon certificated and classified staff. Each day, they strive toward ensuring all students experience a sense of belonging while engaging in joyful, high-quality instruction. I feel such a sense of pride in the academic, social, and emotional growth of our students this trimester!

This week was National Red Ribbon Week: Be Kind to your Mind. Our days were jam-packed with activities, including spirit days, double lap day, a relaxation station at recess, a dance party, and a poster contest. On Monday, we look forward to welcoming special guests from the DEA for an informational assembly with multiple stations for learning. This week, members of Westview’s Women in STEM club joined our first graders for an amazing lesson about density. Check out our Instagram page for fun pictures (@deercanyonpusd)!

As mentioned in previous Echoes, we have collaboratively developed a Cell Phone and SmartWatch policy due to the rise of SmartWatch use on campus. Please review the policy (now linked on the DC website), so you are able to reiterate school expectations with your student. We will be explicitly sharing these expectations with students next week. We appreciate your support in limiting potential disruptions to student learning.

I am greatly looking forward to next week’s festivities and reveling in the joy of the Halloween spirit through the lens of our students! Please review a few announcements and reminders related to next week:

• We are looking for parent volunteers to help organize and implement a small lunch or recess craft on Wednesday and Thursday in recognition of Dia de los Muertos. Please contact melmeniawy@powayusd.com if you are interested in helping plan or supervise.

• I hope you are/were able to join us for Monster Mash tonight from 5:30-8:30pm. I am so excited to bring my family to our campus to celebrate!

• Our student and staff Halloween Parade is on Tuesday, October 31 at 9:10am and students are encouraged to wear or bring a costume (see costume conditions below).

• Families are encouraged to watch our students parade across the front of school; no check-in required. The parade route will travel through the hallways, out the MPR, down the sidewalk in front of school, and back in through the Kindergarten/PreK gate. Families, please stand on the grassy area in the front of school. As always, there is no parking in the drop-off zone as we need unobstructed views of our students!

• Costume reminders:

• Props that resemble a weapon are NOT permitted (pirate hooks, swords, fake guns, knives, etc.).

• Students may wear face paint or masks during the parade, but masks are not permitted during the remainder of the school day for safety, comfort, and student identification purposes.

• Some of our younger children on campus may be frightened by very scary or gory costumes; please refrain from wearing “bloody” clothes, masks, etc.

• Get creative!! Can’t wait to see our students’ interests shine through in their costumes.

• Please join us for FUNky Friday on 11/3 from 9 to 9:10am. Families may enter through the ESS gate at 8:55am. Our 4th graders will be performing; the character trait we are recognizing is Respect.

Noon Duty (Character Coach) Position to become available starting November 6. If you are interested in serving on the Deer Canyon staff as a Noon Duty (Character Coach), please visit the PUSD Classified Jobs listing to apply. Deer Canyon Noon Duty Hours are Mon, Tu, Wed, Fri (10:45am-1:45pm) and Thurs (9:45-12:45pm). Email mastanley@powayusd.com if you are interested or have questions.

Finally, The PUSD Special Education Department has partnered with Exceptional Family Resource Center to provide a parent engagement series for our families of students with IEPs. The next session will be November 1 from 6 to 7:30 pm in the District Office Community Room. The topic is “Beyond the Basics of the IEP” and we will dig into specific portions of the IEP in greater detail and connect the concepts to the IEP forms used by PUSD. Save the date: “Getting Unstuck: Strategies & Options for Reaching Agreement” will be held on November 28.

Have a wonderful, safe weekend, Deer Canyon!

Katie Bendix
Principal