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Deer Canyon Echoes
May 24, 2024
To Do
- New Student Enrollment is open.
- Order DCES Spirit Wear.
Save the Date
May
- 5/27 - Memorial Day (no school)
- 5/28 - Choir Concert @ 6 pm
- 5/29 - Band Concert @ 6:30 pm
- 5/31 - FUNky Friday @ 9 am
- 5/31 - Family Fun Night
June
- 6/4 - Graduating Senior Walk @ 2:50pm
- 6/4 - DC Dining @ Urban Thai and Baskin Robbins
- 6/5 - 5th Grade Promotion @ 9 am
- 6/6 - Kickball Game (last student day of school year)
Principal's Message 📚
Good evening, Deer Canyon Families!
What a week! Second, fourth, and fifth graders did a lot of walking this week, participating in walking field trips to the park and Westview High School for an introduction to instruments. Thank you WVHS for having us for this valuable experience!
Our 3rd-5th grade students wrapped up CAASPP testing, and I could not be more proud of their dedicated efforts to show off their learning this year. I look forward to poring over the results to identify and learn about areas of success and growth for Deer Canyon.
It was a true treat to celebrate the Deer Canyon volunteers who were able to join us yesterday for our Volunteer Appreciation event. There were snacks, refreshments, awards, skits, and heartfelt expressions of gratitude for each other and the important work that we do together as a community to enrich each child’s school experience. For those unable to join us, thank YOU for your contributions and commitment to Deer Canyon students, staff, and families!
The final PUSD Safety Summit for the 2023-2024 school year (Student Wellness & Mental Health) was hosted at the District Office on Thursday night and can be viewed on the PUSD Board of Education YouTube channel. Panelists included mental wellness experts from SDCOE (Heather Nemour and Tami Johnson), the WVHS Mental Wellness & Connections Committee Chair, a Mending Matters Clinical Supervisor, and student representatives. It is never too early to learn about ways to talk about and support your child’s mental health.
Next week, we celebrate Memorial Day on Monday, May 27, with the closure of schools across the country. We take this day to honor and remember the brave individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the U.S. military. May we express our gratitude and pay tribute to their selflessness and dedication.
I’ll be “out of the office” on Tuesday and Friday of this coming week. A few very qualified Kindergarten, 1st, and 3rd grade Principals of the Day will be holding down the fort for us.😋 Just kidding…kind of! I look forward to spending the day with our Priceless Items Silent Auction winners, showing them what a “day in the life” looks like, and hopefully inspiring some future educators!
Please join us for our FINAL FUNky Friday of the 2023-24 school year on Friday at 9 am, then let’s tie up our last Friday of the school year with a beautiful bow at Family Fun Night!
New PUSD Elementary Visual and Performing Arts Program K-5
We are excited to share that a new District Elementary Visual and Performing Arts K-5 program will launch in the 2024-2025 school year.
How will it work? A team of teachers will visit each school site to teach lessons in the classrooms in the five VAPA disciplines: Music, Dance, Visual Arts, Theater, and Media Arts. The lessons and activities will incorporate best instructional practices, will include global languages and culture, and will be developed through collaboration with VAPA experts from the District and community. This innovative approach will enable students at every elementary school to engage with VAPA standards in creative and expressive ways, making arts learning more relevant, enjoyable, and impactful. PUSD’s new Elementary VAPA program is made possible through Prop 28 funds.
Counseling Office Update
As a reminder, Mrs. MacDougall is now out on maternity leave. We are fortunate to have Aislinn Seibel, school counseling substitute, with us on campus to support students through the remainder of the school year! If you or your student are in need of support, Ms. Seibel can be reached at aseibel@powayusd.com.
Families of students served through Special Education
Community is important to us here at Deer Canyon and our parent ambassadors want to connect with you on whatever level you need: general camaraderie, answering questions, or sharing their own experiences. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the PUSD parent ambassadors with students at Deer Canyon, Michael Matsuda and Stacy Zhang, using THIS FORM.
Have a wonderful weekend, Deer Canyon!
Katie Bendix
Principal
Updates from the PSO
Family Movie Night Wrap-Up
Thank you so much to all who helped make our second Movie Night a (Super Mario) smashing success!
Thank you to Julie Inman, Sofie Smith, Alexandra Riley, Jessica Crawford, Sena Galvez, Kristen Ting, Heather Hall, Lisa Thakkar, Janine Barrueta, Dani Cook, Cara Walsh, Tiele Hysni, Poorvi Patel, Holly & Cliff Callahan, and Jing Zhang for volunteering your delicious treats and time selling the baked goods and tickets.
Thank you to Melissa Doctor, Scott Doctor, and John Lanham, for helping with tech support on our projector screen. Thank you to Javier for helping us clean up at the end of the evening, and to Mr. Pete who graciously came on his time off to help us get everything set up and running.
Thank you to Angie Serrano for leading our choirs in song to kick off the event. Thank you to Westview student Pierce McMurry, who was there from set-up to clean up and helped the entire evening.
Thank you to Sunray Pediatric Dentistry for sponsoring the event, and to La Chiquita Catering, Kona Ice, and PartyPop Popcorn for providing delicious food!
Finally, thank you to Julie and Steve Inman for being on the clean up crew at the end of the evening. We hope everyone had a great time.
DC Legacy Wall and Signs
You may have noticed a new block of tiles added to our front school wall. Or maybe you've seen DC promotion yard signs in your neighborhood?
We'd like to extend a huge THANK YOU to the Ustick Family for their support in making our Legacy Wall a reality. Riev Ustick has installed our tiles since 2021. Each 5th grader has the opportunity to personalize a tile and be recognized for participation on the wall. It's a special way to commemorate their years here at Deer Canyon. This would NOT be possible without the generosity of Riev in donating his time and skills to install these tiles. Thank you so much from the PSO, DC Staff, and our 5th grade families!
We'd also like to thank MK Signs in Poway for working with us on the yard signs, and Ceramicafe in Del Mar for the tiles. They have been so helpful and patient with us on this project.
Your 5th Grade Promotion Committee
Call for Club Chairs 2024-2025!
We're looking for volunteers who want to help run the following clubs and programs for the 2024-2025 school year:
- Jr. FLL (First Lego League)
- Chess Club
- Choir
- Musical Theatre
Additionally, if there's a new club or after-school activity you're interested in running, please let us know!
Contact Eve Lanham: president@deercanyonpso.org to get involved.
Upcoming Events
Family Fun Night: May 31
Mark your calendars: Family Fun Night is coming soon! Our highly anticipated, annual school event will be Friday, May 31, from 5 to 8 pm.
Admission is $5 and tickets can be purchased at the gate the day of the event. Admission will include carnival games and inflatables. Food trucks will be at the event and available for purchases.
Family Fun Night - Attention, Sweet Tooth Superheroes!
Our mission is to transform our May 31 event into a sugary wonderland! We’re seeking volunteers to sprinkle extra magic on our Candyland extravaganza. Plus, we’re in need of donations for our enchanting Sweet Street Treat Walk.
Sign up here! Bring your sweet treats to the front office by noon on May 31.
Sweet Street Treat Tips
Packaging Matters 🎁
- Bag It Up: Bring your treats in a bag or securely wrapped container. This ensures they stay fresh and delightful.
- Individual Wrapping: If you’re baking or buying packages of cookies, brownies, or cupcakes, wrap each treat individually. It’s like a sweet surprise waiting to be unwrapped!
Dietary Considerations 🚫🌱
- Label Clearly: If your treats contain any specific ingredients (like nuts, gluten, or dairy), label them clearly. This helps guests with dietary restrictions make informed choices.
- Allergen Alert: Highlight treats that may trigger allergies (e.g., “Contains nuts” or “Gluten-free”).
- Cookie Bag: Fill a bag with 3-4 delicious cookies. Chocolate chip, oatmeal, or snickerdoodles—take your pick!
- Brownie Bliss: Share a fudgy brownie, perfectly portioned for a lucky winner.
- Cupcake Joy: Individually wrapped cupcakes—vanilla, chocolate, or red velvet—are sure to delight.
Final DC Dining of the Year: June 4
There’s so much to celebrate at this time of year, let’s do it in style with delicious Thai food and scrumptious ice cream treats!
Both Urban Thai Kitchen and Baskin Robbins in Carmel Mountain Ranch have graciously offered to donate 20% of the proceeds back to the DCPSO. We are so grateful for their generosity!
What’s even more special is that unlike others, Urban Thai is including all customers for the day as part of the fundraiser. No code or flyer necessary. Tell your family, friends and colleagues to join us! This is an amazing opportunity for us to make this event the best one of the year!
Also, beyond the 20% proceeds from scoop sales, Baskin Robbins is offering a special 15% donation from sales on graduation cakes ordered the same day, in store. What a fun way to celebrate your 5th graders or other promoting students in your family and help out DC! Moreover, BR is offering all students and staff a little surprise in the coming weeks. Keep your eyes open for Friday folders at the end of the month!
Just a quick update on the performance of some recent DC Dining events and their various rates of contribution back to the DCPSO:
These events may seem like small ways to help our school, but the more participation we have, the greater the impact they can have on our educational and community programs and resources at DC.
Thank you to all families that participated in our DC Dining events throughout the year! We sincerely appreciate you!
We hope to see you on Tuesday, June 4, for our special 2-in-1 DC Dining event! Thank you for your support — enjoy!
Important Updates
2024-25 School Supplies: Shop Now
Shop now for your 2024-25 school supplies! Avoid the stores and get all your school supply shopping done online. EPI School Supply Packs contain all the items and brands our teachers require. Not only is this convenient for you, but it's a fundraiser to help our school.
Order now with our School ID of DEE002 at https://www.educationalproducts.com/shoppacks/. Use our school ID: DEE002.
Interested in Science Olympiad?
Attention incoming 4th and 5th grade parents (2024-25):
We're working to start Science Olympiad at Deer Canyon and would like to assess interest. Please take a minute to answer this survey, which will help us in planning.
Science Olympiad is designed to increase a student’s interest in STEM fields and provide recognition for outstanding achievement in team events. Science topics include earth science, biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering.
Update: Unity Robotics
Thank you to all parents who attended last week's Unity Robotics interest meeting. If you missed the meeting, there is a video recording link below. If you are interested in joining our next meeting, please fill out our registration form.
Please contact Won Kim (fll@urbanenomad.com) if you have any further questions.
ESS Information: Summer Program and 2024-25 School Year
ESS Summer Program
DC ESS Summer sign ups are closed. Families that successfully registered in ProCare will receive summer information by June. This is our last summer update for this school year. Further information will be sent to summer families directly.
Families Interested in ESS for the 2024-25 School Year
New families will not be able to fill out the interest list until the registration packet has been accepted by the school and parents receive their parent account login information from IT. CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT INTEREST FORM
Please take note of important updates to the lottery draw timeline for the 2024-25 School Year.
We anticipate that interest in the ESS program will greatly exceed enrollment capacity, resulting in many families being placed on a waitlist.
Families that need alternate options for childcare can visit the San Diego County Centralized Eligibility List.
24-25 ESS Enrollment Timeline:
- Now - May 31: ESS Interest Application open (link above)
- June 1 - 14: ESS Interest Application closed for maintenance
- June 7: Lottery draw for ALL grades
- June 10 - 14: Families will be notified whether their child(ren) have been accepted to register for the program or if placed on a waitlist.
- June 17: ESS Interest Application will re-open
- June 24 - July 8: Families will need to complete registration in ProCare. Once notified of acceptance into the program for the 2024-25 school year, official ESS enrollment links will be emailed to families.
- Families MUST complete the online registration by Monday, July 8.
- Failure to complete the online registration by the date will forfeit your spot.
- August 5: Second Chance Draw, if space permits (by site)
Show Your School Spirit with DCES Spirit Wear
Make Friday mornings a little easier by ordering Spirit Wear!
Our Spirit Wear shop is open and taking orders. Choose from a variety of options: tie-dye T-shirts (perfect for FUNky Fridays), cartoon T-shirts (perfect for kids — and adults!), school logo T-shirts, hoodies (perfect for the cold weather), zip-up jackets and more.
Orders are placed online and can be delivered to DCES for free.
Questions: Please contact Razan Lin rbattikha@gmail.com