Scorpion families,

Happy Sunday and welcome to our final week of August! We have had an incredible start to the school year and are excited for our Fall Over the Edge Spirit Week this week. We will host our first pep assembly of the year on Thursday and celebrate our Fall sports teams. This week, we have some important information to maintain the safety of our students. Please take a moment to read below.

Student Password Reset:

In recent days, our students district wide have been subject to a few phishing scams offering a part time job and seeking student banking information. To keep students safe online, passwords for all school accounts and devices are changed regularly. On Monday, students will receive a new password from their teacher. Students not on campus can receive their updated passwords by calling the front office and verifying their identity.

Teachers will also be delivering a lesson reinforcing the need for students to protect their data online, and the types of messages that are suspicious. The District remains committed to student and staff online security and will continue to provide training and support on cyber-security best practices.

Parents can reinforce responsible technology habits by reminding their children to avoid sharing personal information online, be cautious with unfamiliar email and links, and always

"Report, Don’t Repost!" any inappropriate content.

Please see this resource from the FTC called “Kids and Computer Security” for additional tips.

Safety Reminder – Crosswalk on Sherman:
For the safety of all our students, please remind your child to use the crosswalk on Sherman when heading home after school. With parents picking up students at both DEHS and BASIS, it's essential that our students cross the street safely. Jaywalking is illegal and Goodyear PD has been issuing citations. Let's work together to keep our students safe.

Our Commitment to Service and Communication:
We are dedicated to providing excellent service and timely communication to all our families. Please note that we aim to respond to any communication within 2 business days. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to address your concerns and questions.

Upcoming Holiday Break:
Please remember that there will be no school on Friday, August 30, and Monday, September 2, in observance of Labor Day. Our offices will be closed as well. We hope you have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend.

First Home Varsity Football Game:
We are thrilled to invite you to our first home varsity football game on Friday night against Liberty. Join us to cheer on our football team, and enjoy performances by our cheer, pom, and band. It's going to be an exciting night, and we look forward to seeing you there! As a reminder, for your safety, our weapon detectors will be in use to enter the stadium. We ask that no outside food or reusable water bottles are brought in. Our concessions are available to purchase food and beverages and proceeds support our team booster clubs.

Thank you so much for your continued support of Desert Edge. We appreciate all of our parents and students for making the first two weeks of school so fantastic! It is a great year to be a Scorpion!

Gretchen Hann

Principal

Desert Edge High School

Engaging ALL Scorpions in a Culture of Learning

Desert Edge is part of the Agua Fria High School District family of schools.

Parent HUB

"Senior Assassins" is a common game played by seniors that entails students using water guns to “tag” their targets. Please be advised that the game of "Senior Assassins" is not a Desert Edge or AFUHSD sanctioned event. Participation in this game is prohibited on any district property, including parking lots and school events. Seniors are not allowed to bring water guns, water balloons, or any similar items on campus or to school events. Violations will result in confiscation of the items and could lead to additional disciplinary action.

We also urge you to be cautious in our community. Please do not chase cars, throw water balloons, or engage in any actions that could lead to dangerous situations due to the game. Please prioritize safety and good judgment.

We are asking for your assistance with our dress code. We have seen a lot of strapless and backless tops as well as t-shirts with nudity, drugs, alcohol, or weapons on them. These both violate the student dress code as stated in the AFHSD Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. Students wearing these items will be asked to change for the remainder of the day. We understand these tops are fashionable, but we ask that they are not worn during the school day to adhere to district expectations. We appreciate your support. Please speak to your child about following this policy.

As we kick off the new school year, we want to remind everyone to practice safe driving habits, especially around our school zones. The Goodyear Police Department is increasing enforcement to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and community. We urge all parents and students to be vigilant, obey traffic laws, and drive responsibly. Let's work together to keep everyone safe!

Don’t fall into this cycle of violence!

We are joining various agencies to help spread awareness of teen violence.

If you come across a video of teen violence make sure you report it, don’t repost it! Learn more at MaricopaCountyAttorney.org/RDR

🚸 Attention Students: Use the Crosswalk for Safety! 🚸

As we all settle into our routines, we want to take a moment to remind everyone about the importance of pedestrian safety. Your safety is our top priority, both inside and outside of the school grounds. We have noticed a growing concern regarding students not using the designated crosswalks when crossing the streets around our campus. We want to ensure that all students arrive at school and return home safely every day.

🙌 Huge shoutout to Raising Canes for their generous donation to Desert Edge High School! 📚🍗 Your support means the world to us and will make a big difference in our school community. Thank you for investing in our students! 🧡🦂🖤

Located near the Estrella Mountains, Desert Edge High School is the third high school in Agua Fria Union High School District, opening in the Fall of 2002. Desert Edge was the first "Green" Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certificate high school in Arizona, and the fourth in the nation.

Desert Edge is an A+ School of Excellence! (2016 and 2020). The A+ School of Excellence™ Program is a comprehensive school assessment program that celebrates outstanding schools and brings to light the positive stories and successes happening in public schools every day.

Desert Edge has consistently been awarded the Washington Post's America's Most Challenging High School and US News and World Report Best High School in America. Desert Edge is the only high school in Arizona to earn gold medal status in the Beat the Odds program for the 2018-2019 school year. Additionally, Desert Edge was recognized in 2019 for building "a college-going community" with The Most Innovative Player Award from the Governor’s Office of Education and The Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education.

Desert Edge is located on Estrella Parkway and Yuma Road near the Goodyear Ballpark, Spring Training home of the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians.

Website: www.aguafria.org/dehs
Location: 15778 West Yuma Road, Goodyear, AZ, USA
Phone: 623-932-7500