Quail Run Community Newsletter

Dear Quail Run Families,

Spring Break is almost here! Did you know that the last quarter of the school year is the most important? Students and their teachers have spent all year working together and have hit a groove. Typically, students learn the most and show the most growth during the last quarter. Make the most out of this time and make sure your child is in school every day. Every day is important!

A huge thanks to all who planned, volunteered, and came to our Spring Carnival last month. It was a blast and it was great to see our whole community to come together for some fun and games.

We are very excited to be able to offer our teachers a refresh on their teacher furniture this year - each teacher is receiving a new standing desk, book case, rolling chair, and rolling drawers. We took a budget-friendly Amazon approach - but now we need help!!! Can you spend a couple of hours at your convenience and build the furniture for your child's teacher? It can be any time beginning at 7:30 am until 5 pm. We can also let volunteers come and work on this until 8 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you can help out, please sign up here!

With warmest regards,

Vicky Raymond

Proud Principal

AASA and AzSci

This Spring, PVSchools students in grades 3rd-8th will complete a REQUIRED state test titled, Arizona Academic Standards Assessment, AASA. Students in 5th, 8th, and 11th will also take a state science test titled, AZSci. Statewide testing is very important because it is intended to objectively evaluate whether your child has mastered grade-level standards for their specific grade level.

The AASA and AzSci will provide information that will improve how students are taught, how teachers are coached, and how we can better support students. The state test is intended to give teachers an objective measure of how students are progressing and measure how they are academically growing compared to other students in the state.

Additionally, the AASA can provide benchmarks for parents, teachers, students, and schools. All public schools are required to administer state-standardized assessments to fulfill the requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act. The scores/information from these required tests is also used as a part of the formula to determine a school and district letter grade from the state.

If you would like to read more information about Arizona state testing, please visit the following website: https://www.azed.gov/assessment

Quail Run Testing Schedule:

3rd & 4th Grades

Writing: Tuesday, April 1st

ELA & Math part 1: Tuesday, April 15th

ELA & Math part 2: Thursday, April 17th

3rd Grade Oral Reading Fluency

Wednesday April 3rd & 4th

5th & 6th Grades

Writing: Thursday, April 3rd

ELA & Math part 1: Tuesday, April 8th

ELA & Math part 2: Thursday April 10th

5th Grade AzSci

Part 1&2: Wednesday, March 26th

Part 3: Thursday, March 27th

How to help your child prepare for state testing:

• Talk about the test with your child. Wish them luck and send them off with a smile each morning.
• When they take the test, ask them about it and show interest.
• It is extremely important that students are well-rested and arrive at school on time. Students at this age need nine to ten hours of sleep nightly.
• Students need to eat breakfast in order to have the energy to take the test. Research shows students who have eaten breakfast will have more endurance to complete academic activities in a successful manner.
• Please do not schedule any appointments on testing days. Please be on time for school and stay the entirety of the day. Any absences on a scheduled test day will result in makeup testing and affect classroom learning time.

Our tax credit donations provide countless opportunities to our QR students. We need your help to replenish this fund! Please consider making your tax-credit donation to our school and speaking with family and friends to join you. Our tax credit funds have been used this year to scholarship students for field trips and provide materials for our Quails ROCK! PBIS program.

It is easy to do this online - just visit this website! Make sure to select Quail Run Elementary School.

Making a contribution to receive an Arizona public education tax credit is simple. You can get a tax credit of up to $200 for an individual or $400 per married couple.

Tax credit eligible fees paid and contributions made to a public school from January 1 through April 15 of any calendar year may be used as a tax credit on either the prior or current year's tax return. For additional information, contact the Finance Department at 602-449-2033.

Arizona tax law allows taxpayers a credit for contributions made or fees paid to a public school for support of extracurricular activities or character education (as defined in ARS 15-719). If married, taxpayers file separate returns: Each spouse may claim one-half of the credit that would have been allowed on a joint return. Extracurricular activities such as sports, band, speech and debate, or overnight field trips are generally not fully funded by school districts, so your donation directly supports students.

Want to help inspire our students to change the world? Are you interested in becoming a Mentor for our 6th Grade Exhibition? Click on the links below to learn more about Mentorship and volunteer.

1. What is Exhibition?

2. The Role of a Mentor

3. Mentor Timeline

Interested? Submit this quick Google Form and Ms. Hubbs, our IB Coordinator, will get back to you!

As we move into the cooler weather and the season of layering, please label your children´s outerwear. Last year, we had over 300 unlabeled jackets in the lost and found. If the clothing item has a name on it, we can return it to the student. We appreciate it!

Attention all Quail Run 5th and 6th Grade students! We want to invite you to take action and join our Quail Run Safeties team.

Our student leaders can help make our campus safer from 8:15 am - 8:40 am by signing up to volunteer in three designated areas. They can help Mr. Roy and Ms. Nina by opening car doors and greeting/assisting students out of their cars at car drop off or with our baby quails on the kindergarten playground.

Please sign up here if your 5th or 6th grade student is interested. They can help as many days as you choose. Students will check in at the front office at 8:15 am to pick up a safety vest on the days they sign up.

Questions? Email Mrs. Sanborn at jsanborn@pvschools.net

Does your student share with you what is happening in Art, P.E. Spanish, and STEAM?

Check out our March Special Area Update to see the engaging experiences and activities your students have been up to in all their special area classes! They are exploring so many concepts - gardening, hot air balloons, abstract art, volleyball, and more!

The QRES School Council is composed of staff, parents, and community members. The purpose of the School Council is to assist in planning, coordinating, and facilitating safety and instructional ideas that will promote and enhance the safety and learning of the students at Quail Run Elementary School.

School Council meetings are open to the public and generally meets monthly. Meeting dates can be found on our website.

If you have an item of interest you would like for the School Council to review, please complete this form. Complete the form once for every issue or interest you would like discussed.

All parents at Quail Run are valued members of our Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). We do not collect membership dues. Our goal is to provide support to our QR staff and enrich our students’ learning environment and experience. The PTO organizes many fun family activities and student programs as well as fundraising events to support these programs. All are welcome!

Have you signed up for our PTO website? It will help keep you up to date with all things PTO- check it out here, create an account and join our school directory!

https://quailrunpto.membershiptoolkit.com/

To keep up to date and get involved, please follow Quail Run PTO on Facebook and Instagram!

Amanda Bunney

Quail Run PTO President

ptoquailrun@gmail.com

The PTO is so excited to announce our next monthly fundraiser will be at Uptown Jungle on 32nd St. and Shea. This "spirit night" will be the WHOLE WEEK of Spring Break, including both weekends. So starting Saturday, March 8th until Sunday the 16th from open to close, bring your family, friends, neighbors to Uptown Jungle and show this flyer to give our school 35% of proceeds. This is a great activity to occupy the kids during Spring Break as well as benefit our school!

Dear Quail Run Families,

Every year the PV United Parent Council (UPC) honors teachers and staff members through its Teacher-Staff Appreciation Program. This is a time for parents and students to help recognize teachers and staff members (excluding principals and administrators) who have made a difference in their lives during the current school year. Just click on the link Teacher Staff Appreciation - United Parent Council and complete a nomination form, along with a brief explanation as to why you are nominating this person. You can also print a nomination form from this link and handwrite it, if you prefer. You can nominate as many staff members as you like who have made an impact during this school year. So, think about teachers, bus drivers, office staff, lunch staff, duty aids, etc. Please see the attached Quail Run Staff list for your reference. Nominations can be completed by students, parents/guardians, or other family members. The deadline is March 7, 2025. We have amazing teachers and staff members at Quail Run--let's help to make sure they get recognized!

If you have any questions, please email the Quail Run PTO at ptoquailrun@gmail.com and one of our UPC representatives will get back to you.

• If you need to relay a message to your student during school hours, you can call the office or leave a message directly on our Voicelink account at (602) 449-5465. The office staff will NOT transfer calls to classrooms, as this will interrupt important instructional time.

• If your child forgets their lunch, you may bring it to the front office before 10:30 am.

• Be sure to communicate end-of-day arrangements with your student in the morning, prior to coming to school. We want to ensure all students get home safely. If there are any changes in how students get home, please notify the office and the teacher.
  

• School hours are from 8:45 am - 3:15 pm. If you are picking up a student early, please be aware that every minute counts and minutes missed accumulate throughout the school year. Also, be aware that students cannot be called to the office early for an appointment. Students will be called from class at the time you arrive to check them out.

• If your child is late to school, arriving after 8:45 am, a parent is required to walk them into the front office to sign them in tardy.

• No early pick-ups are allowed after 3:00 pm. You cannot sign out your student from 3:00 - 3:15. This is a change from previous years.

• School breakfast is available beginning at 8:30 am. Please drop off at 8:30 am if your child is eating breakfast. It is the same purchasing system as our school lunches. Students are not allowed to bring Starbucks drinks, smoothies, etc. on campus in the morning.

• Birthday treats must be store-bought and easy to pass out for the teacher. No cakes that need cutting, please. Cupcakes are allowed. Balloons are not allowed on campus.

• You will need your ID every time you pick up students prior to dismissal.

• Your student will not be released if the person picking her/him up is not on the contact list. If you need to add a friend or family member to the contact list you will need to go to Infinite Campus to update Emergency Contact information through your annual update.

• You can check your child's grades by downloading the Infinite Campus app or logging on online. Click here for directions.

If your child is ill or unable to attend school for any part of the day, please notify the office at (602) 449-4401. Please give your student’s name, teacher's name, and reason for absence.

**For your child’s safety, please make sure to notify the school office before 9:10 a.m.

**Fever or vomiting requires a 24-hour period in the absence of those symptoms without the use of medication before they may return to school.

Lunch Reminders:

• If your child forgets their lunch, you may bring it to the front office before 10:30 am. Any student that does not bring a lunch will choose a hot lunch and their meal account will be charged.

• There is no hot fast food allowed for lunch if you are dropping off a lunch. Visitors may bring in hot lunches (see visitor section below). Subway, Jimmy Johns, and Jersey Mikes are all good options for a special drop-off lunch.

• Students are not allowed to share food.

• We will have a special table for students with food allergies. Your student may be invited to join a friend at this table. If your child is invited to sit at this table, peanut butter is not allowed.

• When packing your student´s lunch, please be mindful that they are able to open the food or containers themselves. No glass containers.

• Based on the recommended State Nutritional Recommendations, sodas/carbonated beverages are not to be brought to school.

Lunch Visitors:

• You must sign into the front office and get a visitor sticker.
  

• You may bring lunch for your child. If you are coming to visit and stay with your child during lunch, the lunch may be a hot lunch. Sodas/carbonated beverages are not to be brought to school.

• You may not bring lunch for any student other than your own.

• You may not pass out treats to any students due to allergies.

Purchasing a School Lunch:

The Nutrition & Wellness Department will charge students for their meals based on their free, reduced, and paid meal application status during the 2024-2025 SY.

PVSchools provides meals at no cost to students qualifying for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Click on the link below to see if your child is eligible.

National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program

Visit the Lunch Menu section of our website for more information about menus, meal prices, and to load money into your student´s lunch account.

Do you shop at Fry's Food? You can link your Fry's VIP card to Quail Run PTA and effortlessly earn money for our school simply by doing your normal shopping. Signup once and the school will reap the benefits all year!

Looking to get more involved in your child’s education? Want to be among the first to know what is happening in the district? If so, I encourage you to attend United Parent Council meetings. Paradise Valley United Parent Council is a district-wide parent group that has been active in Paradise Valley Unified School District for more than 30 years and is a 501(c)(3) organization. Looking out for the interest of students is their primary goal. They do this by offering parents support, information, and opportunities to be influential voices in the decisions that affect their children's education. UPC meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month in the District Administration Center East/West Conference Rooms on the grounds of the PVUSD complex at 15002 North 32nd Street. Visitors are always welcome. Click here to visit their website for information on this month’s meeting.

We welcome site volunteers on our campus as well as chaperones for field trips.

Site volunteers must be parents, guardians, or grandparents of a current student.

School chaperones perform an invaluable service, helping to ensure the safety of students attending events and field trips. Parents, guardians, grandparents, or relatives are eligible to be a school chaperone after completing a background screening. Chaperones are fingerprinted and must agree to a background check.

Apply to be a Site Volunteer or Chaperone

1. Visit the PVSchools job search page.
2. Search for "Volunteer" or "Chaperone."
3. Select the opportunity that best fits your interest.
4. Click on the "Apply Online" button.
5. Create a login and password.
6. Complete the application process.

Please be aware that this application can take up to 12 weeks to clear, so be sure to get it in early. Please contact our front office if you have any questions.

If you or anyone you know needs to enroll a student for the 2025-2026 school year, please know we are still accepting applications for students both inside and outside of our school enrollment boundaries. Open enrollment enables Arizona students to attend public schools outside their district attendance areas or outside their district of residence. It is open to all Arizona-based students.

Click here to enroll for the 2025-2026 school year.

Required Documents for Enrollment

• A certified copy of your child's birth certificate

• Your child's immunization records

• Proof of Arizona residency (e.g., utility bill, house payment, lease/purchase agreement)

• IEP/504 forms (if applicable)

Please note, to register for kindergarten, your student must be 5 years old PRIOR to September 1st, 2025.

You will also be required to complete an Annual Update on Infinite Campus. Please visit the PV Assist website for links and more information.

Mar. 6: Kinder Hotel Sahuaro Puppet Show at 9:00 am

Mar. 6: PVSchools Governing Board Meeting at 6:30 pm

Mar. 7: STEAM Day

Mar. 7: Spirit Day: Full STEAM Ahead!

Mar. 8 - 16: Spring Break Fundraiser at Uptown Jungle

Mar. 10 - Mar. 14: Spring Break, No School

Mar. 17: Spirit Day: ShamROCK it Day! Wear green!

Mar. 17-19: 5th Grade STEAM Leadership Camp in Prescott

Mar. 20: School Council Meeting at 3:30 pm

Mar. 21: QR Spirit Day: Wear blue or a QR shirt

Mar. 21: 4th Grade Desert Cavern Quest Field Trip in Tucson

Mar. 25: K-3 Fun Field Day

Mar. 25: Karate Bill visiting grades 4-6

Mar. 25: Early Release at 12:30 pm

Mar. 26-27: 5th Grade AZSci Testing

Mar. 27: Student Council Campus Pride at 7:45 am

Mar. 28: Kinder Field Trip to the MIM

Mar. 28: PTO Movie Night

Apr. 1: AASA Writing Test - Grades 3-4

Apr. 3: AASA Writing Test - Grades 5-6

Apr. 3: PVSchools Governing Board Meeting at 6:30 pm

Apr. 8: AASA ELA/Math Part 1 - Grades 5-6

Apr. 8: Kinder & 2nd Grade PVCC Performance

Apr. 8: Battle of the Books Meeting at 3:15 pm

Apr. 10: AASA ELA/Math Part 2 - Grades 5-6

Apr. 10: SERT Meeting at 9:30 am

Apr. 11: PTO Bingo Night

Apr. 11: Disney Spirit Day

Apr. 15: AASA ELA/Math Part 1 - Grades 3-4

Apr. 17: AASA ELA/Math Part 2 - Grades 3-4

Apr. 17: PVSchools Governing Board Meeting at 6:30 pm

Apr. 18: No School, K-12 Recess

Apr. 21: PTO Meeting at 3:30 pm

Apr. 23: PTO Fundraiser - Bruster's Ice Cream, 4-7:00 pm

Apr. 24: Student Council Campus Pride at 7:45 am

Apr. 25: 2nd Grade MIM Field Trip

Apr. 25: Spirit Day - Wear blue or a QR shirt!

Apr. 28: Battle of the Books: Grades 3-4

Apr. 29: Strings Concert at 6:30 pm

Apr. 30: Battle of the Books: Grades 5-6

Attendance Line: 602-449-4401

Nurse Kate: 602-449-4403

School Cafeteria: 602-449-4407

Principal, Quail Run Elementary School

Email: vraymond@pvschools.net
Quail Run Website
Location: 3303 E. Utopia Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85050
Phone: 602-449-4400

Assistant Principal, Quail Run Elementary School

Email: jsanborn@pvschools.net

Quail Run Website

Location: 3303 E. Utopia Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85050
Phone: 602-449-4400