Deer Canyon Echoes

• Sign up to perform at this year's Talent Show (deadline is tonight!).
• Order Nothing Bundt Cakes for Valentine's Day by tomorrow (2/8).
• Sign up for the PSO-sponsored spring Musical Theater workshops.
• Sign up to host a table, perform or emcee at Family Heritage Night.
• Order DCES Spirit Wear.

Save the Date

February

• 2/9 - Nothing Bundt Cakes order deadline
• 2/10 - DC Dining @ Islands Mira Mesa
• 2/10 to 2/14 - Kindness Week
• 2/13 - Nothing Bundt Cake fundraiser delivery
• 2/17 to 2/21 - District Recess (no school)
• 2/26 - PSO meeting @ 4 pm
• 2/28 - Book Swap and Family Heritage Night @ 5 pm
  
  

March

• 3/3 - Book Swap
• 3/3 to 3/9 - DCES Read-a-Thon
• 3/14 - DC Dining @ Chuck E Cheese
• 3/26 - Incoming 6th grade Parent Night @ Mesa Verde Middle

Share your Feedback to Drive Planning!

This week, we launched our annual District wide survey. We are excited to gather your input on both a District and individual school level. Your responses will shape future budget decisions and program priorities. Your voice matters, and you’ll even be able to anonymously see and rate the thoughts of others.

Participate by Friday, February 21: bit.ly/2025pusd-parent-lcap

Take the survey today and help us create a bright future for our students. We are happy to provide you access to a device in our school office, should you need it. Come by any time!

2025 Teacher of the Year: Ms. Taylor

It is with excitement that we announce Ms. Taylor, DCES Kindergarten teacher, as our 2025 Teacher of the Year!

Ms. Taylor brings a unique brightness to every room she enters, transforming learning into a joyful adventure for her students (and the workplace into a constant laugh factory!). As a true instructional expert, Ms. Taylor lays a strong foundation for a lifelong love of learning, sending her students off to first grade with fond memories and the skills they need to succeed.

She possesses not only an exceptional ability to understand each student's individual needs, but a desire to truly and deeply know each of her students. Ms. Taylor, thank you for shining the way that you do; we are so proud to recognize you as our 2025 Teacher of the Year!

2025 Employee of the Year: Ms. Malia Stanley

It is with excitement that we announce Ms. Malia Stanley, DCES Office Manager, as our 2025 Employee of the Year!

As our Office Manager, Malia is the heart of our school's daily operations. Greeting visitors with her humor and vibrance, Malia is often the first point of contact for anyone who walks through our doors. Her tireless commitment ensures that every need is met with efficiency and warmth. Her responsiveness and positive attitude set the tone for our entire school community. As I overheard one of our colleagues say, "Without you, none of this can happen."

Malia, thank you for truly being the brains of this operation and keeping safe the keys to our mini city. We are so proud to recognize you as our 2025 Employee of the Year!

Attendance Reminders

Deer Canyon staff are committed to supporting our students' consistent attendance, as we know that positive attendance directly correlates to improved learning outcomes and successes later in life.

To support our students and families, we are implementing a new attendance initiative starting this week. Families of students who are on track for chronic absenteeism will receive a notification letter, followed by a personal phone call from our staff. This outreach is not punitive, but rather an opportunity for us to check in, answer any questions you may have, and discuss any barriers to your child's attendance.

We view this as a partnership to ensure every child has the best possible chance for success. Together, we can make a significant positive impact on your child's educational and life journey. Please reach out to me or Mr. Higgins with any questions.

Wellness Week: April 28 to May 2

Deer Canyon will be participating in a Wellness Week, a 5-day focus on Environmental, Intellectual, Social, Physical, and Emotional Wellness. We are looking to engage our community, including anyone with passion for wellness, including environmental activists, chefs, medical providers, scientists, first responders, and more!

Please email Ms. Bendix at kbendix@powayusd.com if you have community connections, bright ideas, or are interested in partnering in the planning of Wellness Week at DCES!

English Learner Family Engagement Survey

Parents of English Learners: Today through Friday, February 28, Poway Unified will be conducting our Family Engagement and Accountability survey to gather input from all families of English Learner students. This survey helps shape the District’s goals and guide priorities for the 2025-2026 school year. Your feedback is extremely helpful as we continue to seek ways to better our English Learner program. Please click HERE to complete the survey.

Managing Screen Time

Managing screen time is an essential part of supporting children’s well-being and academic success in today’s digital world. Technology offers incredible opportunities for learning and creativity, but maintaining a healthy balance is key. Setting clear boundaries and encouraging mindful tech habits at home helps children develop the skills they need to navigate their digital lives responsibly. By working together to create a balanced approach to technology use, we can empower students to thrive both in and out of the classroom.

• Elementary Resource: How Much Screentime is OK for My Kids?

• Secondary Resource: 4 Conversations to Have with Older Kids and Teens About Their Screen Time Habits

Family Resource Fair for Students with Special Needs

The Parent Ambassadors invite you to join the Family Resource Fair, an event to connect families with resources and opportunities in Poway and surrounding areas that promote inclusion, whole-person development and fun for students with special needs.

When: Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 6-8pm

Where: Community Room at PUSD District Office

15250 Avenue of Science, San Diego, CA 92128

Join us to explore:

• Social opportunities tailored to meet diverse needs

• After-school social and recreational activities

• Inclusive sports programs

• Camps for all abilities

• Vocational training opportunities

Why should you attend?

• Activities for ALL age groups including young adults

• 16 booths featuring varieties of options in Poway and surrounding areas

• Opportunity to ask questions and sign up with the providers

• Get a head start on summer planning

Join us anytime between 6 to 8 pm to meet providers, learn about programs in our community, and find activities that support your child's growth and happiness.

Kindly RSVP here so we can ensure adequate handouts to all families. See this flyer for more information.

We have just one more week before our District Recess (February 17-21). Have a wonderful weekend, Deer Canyon!

Katie Bendix

Principal

Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

Currently, the focus of our Second Step lessons is still on Emotional Management, with an emphasis on coping with anxiety. The goal is to teach students how to recognize the onset of strong feelings in their bodies, then employ strategies for maintaining control, before they lose their cool.

They learn three steps: “Stop, Name your feeling, Calm down.” First, use a “stop signal” to regain their own attention, like “Wait a minute!”, “Hang on!”, or “Relax!”. Then, they need to focus on what their bodies are telling them and name the emotion they’re struggling with, such as, “I’m mad!”, “I’m anxious!”, or “I’m scared!”. By doing these, they stop the feelings from intensifying. The third and final step is to use calm-down strategies, like taking deep breaths, counting slowly, and positive self-talk to get their bodies back to normal.

As with our school year, this Trimester’s small counseling groups are over the hump, too, continuing their focus on emotional regulation or growth mindset. Each session is 30 minutes and they meet once a week. If you received a permission slip, please indicate whether you’d like your child to participate. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.

Finally, please check out the brand new DC Counseling & SEL website. On it, you will find information about myself, our counseling vision, and a number of helpful resources for parents and students alike. It is accessible via the “Academics” tab of the Deer Canyon website, as well as right HERE.

Remember, PUSD’s Caring Connections Parent Education website has new and exciting courses being offered this Fall. Each term they have different parenting education courses. We recommend periodically checking the website for the new courses offered to parents, families, and our school community. Click HERE to view the CCC Parent Education Fall Courses.

Have a great week!

Thank you to those families who joined us for last week’s hockey game with the SD Gulls vs. Marlies! It was an exciting game and fun night out for all.

Congratulations to all of our students who performed the National Anthem so beautifully on the ice before the game with Mrs. Angie Serrano, our Performing Arts and Choir teacher. You were awesome and we are so proud of you! This event fundraiser enabled our DCPSO to earn $1,230 — amazing! We are so grateful to the families who attended and made this possible. Thank you for your support!

Tomorrow (Saturday, Feb. 8) is the last day to order Nothing Bundt Cakes for your family, friends, co-workers, clients or even yourself for the upcoming holiday. So many yummy flavors to choose from and three sizes available, starting at $8 per bundtlet!

Place Orders Here

Pick up your cakes by the Deer Canyon front gate on Thursday, February 13, from noon to 3:30 pm. ESS families can pick up their orders at ESS.

Approximately 20% of each cake sold will be donated back to the DCPSO to help support critical staff positions, enrichment programs, teacher supply budgets, all student events and much more.

Questions? Email Melissa Davis - vpfundraising@deercanyonpso.org

Wishing you and yours a sweet Valentine’s Day! Thank you for your support!

Our PSO is sponsoring after-school Musical Theatre workshops taught by Angie Serrano and Leasa Thernes. Our Spring shows will be "Annie" (K-3) and "Aladdin" (3-5).

For more information and to register, click on this link.

Class size is limited and first come first serve, so don't delay!

Email the teaching artist, Angie Serrano, at jserrano@me.com with any questions.

We're excited about the upcoming Family Heritage Night on Feb. 28. Below are the countries registered so far.

• Bulgaria
• Greece
• Italy
• India
• Iran
• Japan
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• South Korea
• Vietnam
• Turkiye

Please contact fhn@deercanyonpso.org if you are interested in hosting a table for any country not represented on this list.

Reminder: Fashion Show and Cultural Performance schedule

Pick #1 or #2:

1. Thursday, Feb. 13 @ 1:40 to 2:40 pm
2. Tuesday, Feb. 25 @ 3:10 to 4:10 pm

Mandatory for all performers an Fashion Show participants:

• Thursday, Feb. 27 @ 1:40 to 3:40 pm

Please join us at Islands in Mira Mesa (10669 Westview Parkway, San Diego) on Monday, February 10, from 4 to 9:30 pm for a fundraising event — 20% of all event sales will be donated to our PSO to help support our school.

Remember to fill out this simple google form (also on the attached flyer) so that we know that you attended this month's fundraiser. https://forms.gle/KPB5frsAnr1a7Gmd9

Mark your calendar for a week of reading and fun with the annual Deer Canyon Read-a-Thon! This year's event will run from March 3 to 9, and registration will open next week! Students will be eligible for prizes for reading minutes, as well as dollars raised for our fundraiser.

Our goal is to raise $20,000 to support opportunities for Deer Canyon students, such as art, physical education, and, of course, a well-stocked Library! If we reach our goal, Deer Canyon students will enjoy a fabulous Under the Sea glow party — and many more fun prizes along the way.

Students will kick off the event with a book swap on February 28 and March 3.- The upcoming school break is the perfect time to go through your home collection and select some books your child has outgrown and is ready to gift to a new family!

Registration information, prize details, and volunteer sign-ups will be in next week's Echoes and Friday folder. Thank you for supporting our fabulous Deer Canyon readers!

Attention incoming 6th grade Mesa Verde Middle families. Please mark your calendars for this informational parent night on March 26.

Deer Canyon is excited to announce our STEAM Night will be on Friday, April 25, from 5 to 7:30 pm. Join us in exploring science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics through engaging hands-on activities. We welcome students and families for a night of science and fun!

Want to help with STEAM Night? We need volunteers! We need parents to help with set-up, clean- up, and run the welcome table during the event.

If you can help, please fill out this link.

If you have any questions, please contact Jamie Harris at Jaharris@powayusd.com