- Participate in the Fall Fundraising Extravaganza!
- Does your child love math? Register for the DCES Math Club!
- UPDATE: Movie Night has been postponed to Friday, October 4. We need volunteers!
- Contact melmeniawy@powayusd.com if you are interested in volunteering for a lunchtime activity to celebrate Latino/Hispanic Heritage Month.
- Order DCES Spirit Wear.
Save the Date
September
- 9/16 - DC Dining @ Panda Express in Carmel Mountain
- 9/17 - Room Parent Training @ 7 pm via Zoom
- 9/20 - Movie Night (volunteers needed)
- 9/23 - School Site Council Meeting @7:35 am in Room 14 or Zoom
- 9/23 - Charleston Gift Wrap orders due by end of day
- 9/25 - PSO meeting @ 4 pm
- 9/30 - Staff Professional Day – No School for Students and No ESS
Good evening, Deer Canyon families!
This week, we started our Library and STEAM visits. Students were so excited to jump into their learning in both spaces. We can’t wait for the exploration and discovery to come this year!
On Tuesday, each student on campus participated in a bus evacuation drill by watching an instructional video and practicing emergency procedures on PUSD school buses. We are primed for safe and educational field trips this school year. In classes, we observed Patriot Day on September 11
through participation in developmentally appropriate activities. Yesterday, Associate Superintendent Shelley Peterson was on campus visiting classrooms and chatting with students about what they were learning. It was wonderful to show her all of the joyful learning and creativity permeating our campus!
Today was our first VAPA Vision day of the school year. Be sure to ask your student about their experience. VAPA Vision will come to campus biweekly. During a 1 hour, 45 minute block, students experience a standards-based Visual and Performing Arts lesson, in addition to a 20 minute Global Language and Culture lesson. What a program, what a day, what a week!
Next week, our staff Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) Committee will participate in a district-wide professional learning opportunity to strengthen our practices and continue to define our framework at Deer Canyon. I look forward to the opportunity to celebrate our great work and reflect on areas for growth!
Please note: We will NOT be hosting a Movie Night this Friday, September 20. The event has been postponed to October 4. We are in need to volunteers to support this event, so please consider contacting the PSO if you are able to help in any way! (see information below)
In the next few weeks, we are also looking for parent volunteers to host a lunchtime activity in celebration of LatinX Heritage Month. Please be in touch with melmeniawy@powayusd.com if you are interested in supporting this event; dates are flexible!
September is Attendance Awareness Month
Help your child be an Attendance H.E.R.O.: Here. Everyday. Ready. On-time.
Parent partnership is crucial to ensuring our students are receiving the full advantage of consistent school attendance. Students who attend school regularly are significantly more likely to achieve proficient academic levels in reading and math, do better on tests, as well as likelier to graduate and be successful in future endeavors. Help us accomplish this by:
Establishing consistent bed times and wake up times
Planning ahead to avoid scheduling appointments and vacations during school
Communicating with teachers regarding illnesses or religious/cultural holidays
Staying engaged and regularly checking in with your children about their experiences
Emphasizing the importance of attendance with your children
Reaching out to us for help to address any barriers to attendance
Thank you for your support and partnership! For more attendance tips and resources, visit bit.ly/attendancehero.
Please be sure to bookmark the Deer Canyon school calendar and follow us on Instagram (@DeerCanyonPUSD) for event information, reminders, and celebrations!
Have a wonderful weekend, Deer Canyon!
Katie Bendix
Principal
This week at Deer Canyon, we had a very impressive number of DC Leader applications submitted. It’s inspiring to see that we have so many students willing to participate and work to make our school as safe, beautiful, and positive as we collectively can. Ms. Bendix and I will be reviewing the applications Monday, so expect to see the final roster posted later that same day or Tuesday morning.
I was grateful to attend some very informative training sessions this past week, which unfortunately kept me off campus for a couple days. However, I’m continuing to meet with and get to know as many students as possible. I’ve also been conferring with teachers regarding their suggested candidates for our small counseling groups, which will likely begin the first week of October. We’re also currently coordinating our schedules for the year’s Second Step and SEL lessons.
Please note, our district’s Caring Connections Parent Education website has new and exciting courses being offered this Fall. Each term we have different parent education courses; therefore, we recommend periodically checking the website at the beginning of each term for the new courses offered to parents, families, and our school community.
Click HERE to view the PUSD CCC Parent Education Fall Courses.
We Need Your Help: PSO Open Positions
We're still seeking volunteers for a few key PSO positions this year:
Movie Night Chair: This person is responsible for coordinating two to three movie nights a year for our community. This position is a voting chair on the PSO. The first movie night is coming on October 4.
Volunteer Engagement Chair: This person helps coordinate volunteers on campus to help run various events that take place throughout the year. This person also organizes Room Parent volunteers. This position is a voting chair on the PSO.
Promotion Chair: This person will help lead a committee of volunteers, in conjunction with office staff, to plan Promotion for the 5th graders. This position is a voting chair on the PSO.
If you are interested in any of those roles, please contact the PSO president at president@deercanyonpso.org.
Art Adventure Training
Are you passionate about art and eager to make a difference in the lives of our students? We need YOU to help bring creativity into the classroom! The Deer Canyon PSO funds and sponsors all the art supplies and curriculum, but it’s our amazing volunteers who bring these lessons to life for the children.
We’re excited to invite you to join our **Art Docent team**. No experience is necessary—just a willingness to inspire and engage with students. Training will be provided!
- Training Date: Friday, September 20
- Time: 9 am
- Location: DCES, Room TBD
By volunteering as an Art Docent, you’ll have the opportunity to guide students through fun and educational art projects once a month, fostering their imagination and artistic skills. Whether you're a seasoned artist or simply enjoy creative activities, your time and effort will make a lasting impact.
Sign up today with your classroom teachers and help us spark the love for art in the next generation!
We can’t wait to see you there!
Your Art Adventure Chair,
Annie Baig
858-330-8056
Email: ArtAdventure@DeerCanyonPSO.org
Get Your DCES Spirit Wear
Let's start off the school year with some Deer Canyon Spirit Wear!
Our Spirit Wear shop is open and taking orders. There is a variety of options to choose from: tie-dye (perfect for FUNky Fridays), cartoon (fun for lower grade students — and adults!), school logo, hoodies (perfect for cold weather), zip-up jackets and more. Orders are placed online and can be delivered to school for free or you can pick up at Big Frog (next to Stater Bros).
Place your Spirit Wear order here.
If you have any questions, please contact Razan Lin vpprograms@deercanyonpso.org
Calling all Lego Fans!
Got a kid interested in Lego? Join Deer Canyon's Jr. First Lego League!
First Lego League Jr. is a parent-run extracurricular activity for 1st to 3rd grade students. This year's theme is SUBMERGED where teams will use their creativity and Lego technology to explore the layers of the ocean and bring their learnings and ideas to the surface as they "sea" into the future.
Teams will have 4-6 students, and we will need at least 2 parent coaches.
Deadline to register is Friday, September 20.
Short turn around to meet the deadline for Westview mentorship program for those interested in it.
Each student has to be registered, even if the interest form was previously filled out.
To register, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/1vtj8jHunpNfoVwv9
Zoom info session on Monday, September 16, at 7 pm! Session will be recorded if unable to attend.
Meeting ID: 927 634 7897
Passcode: JrFLL2024
Please reach out to Ersin Sengul (ersinsengul@gmail.com) and/or Razan Lin (rbattikha@gmail.com) for this year’s Jr. FLL program
