Quarter 1 is in the books!

We have a lot to celebrate about how successful our first quarter of the school year has been. Student focus, motivation, and academic growth have been truly inspiring.

Last week, grades 2nd-6th diligently participated in the District Quarter 1 Benchmark Assessments. Thanks to your support in ensuring excellent attendance, our students were able to give their best effort.

Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences completed!

Thank you again for your continued support and partnership in your child's education, including your Fall Parent Teacher Conferences. We believe that a strong partnership between school and family is essential for your child's success. Your involvement in their education can make a significant difference. If you have not yet connected with your child's teacher please make sure to connect ASAP.

Gearing up for 2nd Quarter!

As we transition into the second quarter, we want to underscore the critical role of regular attendance in your child's academic success. While we understand the importance of keeping sick students at home, we encourage consistent school attendance whenever possible.

Please refer to the attached graphic, which illustrates how frequent absences can negatively impact academic progress. Our dedicated teachers work tirelessly to plan and deliver engaging lessons daily, and your child's presence in the classroom is essential for maximizing their learning opportunities.

We kindly remind families to review our drop-off and pick-up procedures below. We've noticed an increase in the number of cars using the Kenyon parking lot as a drive-through drop-off. This can create a safety hazard for students and disrupt traffic flow for staff.

To ensure a safe and efficient drop-off, please utilize the designated drop-off lane on Sarnoff or park in the Kenyon parking lot and walk your child to the east entrance by the flagpole.

Fall Festival October 25th 5:30-7pm: Get ready for our upcoming Fall Festival! Our staff is thrilled to host this fun-filled event for our families. If you'd like to volunteer and help run a booth, please contact our front office to sign up. We're also seeking candy donations for prizes. Please drop off your candy bags to the front office during the month of October. This is a fun evening with food, games and lots of Fall and Halloween vibes to go around. Costumes are encouraged, more specifics on ticket and food costs will be coming your way as we get closer to the festival date.

Join us for our annual Literacy Costume Parade on October 31st 8am! This exciting event celebrates a love for literature, and all parents are welcome to attend. Watch as our students showcase their favorite book characters in imaginative costumes and parade through the school. Don't miss this fun-filled celebration of reading and creativity! Please see the costume guidelines below. The parade will last approximately 15-20 minutes. Students are permitted to wear their costumes for the remainder of the day as long as they meet the costume requirements.

• No masks, full face paint, weapons or disruptive accessories.
• Students are encouraged to change out of costumes that are restrictive or disruptive to the day.
• Students will carry the book that their costume/character represents.
• Student’s who do not have a costume can still participate by holding their chosen book.

School Garden: We're excited to announce that our school garden project is ongoing! To support this initiative, we're collecting potting soil for our garden. The primary and intermediate classes that donate the most potting soil will be rewarded with an Eegee's party! The collection period ends on October 18th. Please see the flyer below.

As we approach Fall Break, I encourage you to enjoy this time with your family. Hopefully, the weather will soon begin to reflect the season. Thank you again for your continued support and partnership in your child's education.

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Girl Scout Meetings Fridays 2:00-3:15

• 10/3- 8am September Student of the Month Assembly, 6th grade presents Responsibility
  

• 10/4- Grading Day, No School
  

• 10/7-10/111- Fall Break, No School

• 10/14- 1st Day of 2nd Quarter

• 10/23- No School TUSD Professional Learning Day
  

• 10/25- Fall Festival 5:30-7:00 pm
  

• 10/31- 8am Literacy Costume Parade

• 11/1- 8am Student of the Month celebrating 4th grade presenting Gratitude
  

• 11/5- Arizona Opera at Steele: Rusalka: The Littlest Mermaid 9:30-10:10am
  

• 11/1- Veterans Day No School

• 11/28-11/29 Thanksgiving Break
  

• 12/19 - Last Day of Semester

• 1/6/25- 1st day of Semester 2

• 12/20- Grading Day, No School

Hello, I'm Mrs. Christina the Library Assistant and Monitor. I have been coming to Steele for 14 years. I started out as a parent that volunteered and now I'm part of the staff. Steele is a 2nd home to me. Working with all the children here at Steele and watching them grow is the best!! I have a husband and 2 daughters (both Steele Alumni), last but certainly not least, fur baby Bella Swan (I'm obsessed with The Twilight Saga). The kids here know that my other obsession is Disney!! Minnie and Mickey are my favorite!! Looking forward to a magical year!!

My name is Sue Montgomery, and this is my 6th year as a monitor at Steele. I was a paralegal in the Pima County Attorney's Office and retired in 2017. I am married and have 4 children and 3 step-children--all adults. My hours away from Steele are spent with any one or more of our seven grandchildren--watching their sports, band concerts, slumber parties and sometimes taking them on trips. They range in age from 2 to 13.

I swim with a Master's team a few mornings a week (5:15 am) and have been doing that for over 20 years. I participated in many triathlons through the years and my most memorable was completing the Arizona Ironman in 2011. I no longer do triathlons but stay active. My husband is a retired TUSD teacher and we enjoy reading, puzzles, biking, hiking, walking our dog, Roxy, daily and traveling. We have been to over 30 of America's National Parks and have traveled to South Korea, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Canada and Mexico.

I have enjoyed these years at Steele interacting with and getting to know the students and have a great appreciation and admiration for the hard work of all Steele's staff and administration--they are amazing!

Hi Steele Stallions! My name is Kimberly Ducsay, better known as Ms. Kim, I have worked for TUSD food service for 34 years and have been here at Steele for almost 20 years, I will be 63 years old (next month🙂) I have lived in Tucson on and off since 1976, I was born in Seattle, Washington, but at the age of 3 we moved to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, (I do know a little Arabic) I lived there until we moved to Tucson in 1976, I got married in 1981 (divorced in 1990). I have two kids, John (37) and Melissa (42), and 5 beautiful granddaughters Mila (4), Ocean (11), Isis (16), Tali (21), Mia (24) the loves of my life! I also care for my mom Julie who is 92. I don’t have a lot of free time to myself, but when I do, outside of work and the family dynamic, I enjoy sleeping, having a good lunch or dinner with a friend, going to the movies. My happiness is my family and good people in my life. Thank you, Steele for having me here all these years! ❤️

My name is Marie Taylor and I teach 2nd Grade. This year, I will have been teaching for 13 years. I obtained my Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education and Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University. I have taught in Pre-K-3rd Grade in Elementary Education and Special Education in Kindergarten-5th Grade. Prior to earning my Bachelor’s degree, I worked as a volunteer in Trujillo, Peru for 5 months and for the Boys & Girls Club.

I am a wife and a mother. I have two daughters that are 6 years old and 2 years old. I enjoy hiking, swimming, and traveling.

• Drop off window is 7:15-7:40am
• Do not drop students off prior to 7:15am.
• If your child will be eating breakfast, please ensure they are dropped off no later than 7:30 so they have time to eat. The bell rings at 7:40am and students need to be lined up and ready to start class at 7:45am otherwise they will be considered tardy.

Pick Up: 1:55pm M, T, Th, F and 12:55pm every Wednesday.

• During the first week your student should have received a colored card with their first name/teacher to put into your vehicle window. Having these name cards in the vehicle significantly speeds up the release process for everyone.
• When you pull up, we will call your child via radio and load your child in a quick and safe manner.
• If you would like to walk and pick up children, you are welcome to park in the Kenyon lot and line up down by the Sarnoff entrance doors by the flagpole so the staff member at the door can call your child out of the cafeteria. Please make sure to get in line so that our staff can call your student out as quickly and orderly as possible.

• Students load and unload on the passenger side of the car, if necessary to load on the driver’s side only do so with staff assistance.
• Adults stay in your vehicle, staff will assist student in exiting and entering vehicles. Only load and unload in the zone where adults are present.
• Do not unload down the line and pull out.
• Follow traffic laws with regards to making U-turns in and out of the pick-up/drop-off line.
• DO NOT drop students off in the Kenyon parking lot, unless you park and walk them to the door. Follow staff directions during drop-off and pick-up. This is a parking lot with cars moving in and out and is UNSAFE to drop children off here.
• Always use the crosswalks if parking across Sarnoff on Kenyon to pick up students.
• Always model patience and kindness for our students.

We are excited to welcome visitors and volunteers back on campus, all guest on campus during school hours must sign-in through the front office. Families are welcome to come onto campus and join their child for breakfast in the cafeteria or before school recess and line up with their child without signing in. If a parent is staying past the school bell to volunteer, they must sign in through the front office.

Volunteering around the school and attending field trips: To ensure the safety of our students, all parent and non-parent volunteers must complete or update their application each school year.

Link to volunteer application below. Please contact our office staff if you need assistance. Plan ahead and fill out applications 2-3 weeks in advance to ensure you will be able to volunteer.

TUSD & Steele have partnered with the City of Tucson to provide low cost, on campus child care for grades K-6. Applications are online on the link below, registration opens July 18, 2024 8:00am. Don't delay, spots fill up fast. KIDCO will be offered every school day from dismissal to 6pm for children who have registered through the City of Tucson program (including half days and early dismissal Wednesdays).

If you are in need of financial assistance for the afterschool program, discount applications are available for City of Tucson residents only and must be submitted prior to registering your child online. Go to any City of Tucson Recreation center in person to apply.

Eastside centers are: Clements Center 520-791-4355 or Udall 520-791-4931

Steele will provide all the school supplies your children need while they are at school. Throughout the year, teachers may have donation requests for special projects and events. They will communicate through their Class Dojo page.

If you need assistance with getting your child a backpack or academic supplies for home, please contact our front office staff, and they will assist you.

Additionally, if you're interested in donating to your child's classroom, feel free to reach out to their teacher to discuss donation opportunities. Your support is always welcome and appreciated.

Our Super Stallion Staff!

Tom Beech – Band (itinerant)

Robin Bizub- TA & Monitor

Courtney Braren- Teacher- 3rd grade

Julie Christy- Speech Language Pathologist

Kathy Conley- RTI Teacher

Kim Ducsay- Cafeteria Manager

Lee Ezrre- Preschool Teacher

Jennifer Ferrell- Office Manager

Emily Freed- Curriculum Support Provider/Testing Coordinator

Julie Friberg Teacher ELD (itinerant)

Camella Gabato- 3rd grade teacher

Patrice Gant- Health Assistant

Ava Han -TA Preschool (Ms. Lee’s classroom)

Sarah Howard- OMA- Art grades K-3/CCP/CCI

Kristin Kamell- 5th grade teacher

Shayla Knight – Ex. Ed-Gen Ed. TA

Eusebia Limones- Day Custodian

Samantha Munsey -Attendance & Registration Tech

Kim Lonsway – Occupational Therapist (itinerant)

Jolene Luquin (Gen. Ed. TA/small group interventions-part time)

Vanessa Matthews- TA- CCP Program

Meghan McClafferty- Gen. Ed. TA

Emily McDuffie- Counselor (part time)

Melody Morehouse – School Nurse (Itinerant)

GATE- itinerant- Judith Moritz

Susan Montgomery- Lunchtime Monitor (2hrs)

Hannah Norville 4th grade

Christina Payette Library Asst. & Monitor

Jessica Paz- TA- CCI Program

Robin Reddix- Teacher Kindergarten

Victoria Reyes- TA CCP Program

Estella Robertson Preschool Teacher Ex. Ed. Inclusion

Amy Rocha- Teacher-6th grade

Karen Seabolt- School Counselor

Cynthia “Cindy” Serafini – Teacher Ex. Ed. Resource

Peter Shibuya-School Psychologist- (itinerant)

Kimber Silva-Munsey- MTSS Facilitator

Ira Stenlund - CCI Teacher

Marie Taylor- Teacher 2nd grade

Raiden Thaler -Violin & Orchestra grades 4-6th

Victor Weerasuriya-TA Preschool (Robertson- Ex. Ed. Inclusion Pre-School Program)

Katherine “Kate” Woll- Teacher – CCP Program

Brianna Zittlosen- Teacher 5th grade/Site Council Facilitator

Celeste Zylks – Teacher 1st grade

TBD-PM Custodian

TBD- TA Preschool (Robertson- Ex. Ed. Inclusion Pre-School Program