This week, May 6th to May 10th, is Teacher Appreciation Week! This is an opportunity for us to celebrate and show our gratitude to our amazing teachers who work tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of our students.

Our teachers are not just educators, but they also serve as mentors, role models, and sources of inspiration for our students. They go above and beyond every day to create a safe, nurturing, and engaging learning environment for our children.

During Teacher Appreciation Week, we encourage you to take a moment to thank your child's teacher for their hard work and dedication. A simple note of appreciation, a small gift, or a kind gesture can go a long way in making our teachers feel valued and appreciated.

We would also like to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to our teachers for their unwavering commitment to our students. We are privileged to have such an exceptional team of educators who are devoted to helping our students reach their full potential.

Thank you for joining us in celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week and showing our teachers how much we appreciate them.

Principal Gill & Assistant Principal Race

Desert Sage is pleased to announce our in-person 6th grade Promotion Celebrations. The celebrations will include an awards assembly, where students receiving honors such as Principals List, Honor Roll, Super RAD Student, etcetera will be recognized. During the assembly a brief photo slide show will be shown, mini-speeches by myself and the teachers, and then presentation of the award certificates to receiving students. There will be a brief opportunity for picture-taking at the end of the assembly. Then on the last day of school, the traditional Desert Sage 6th grade Clap Out will take place. All 6th graders will walk the campus for their promotional parade and then exit the building to a celebratory clap-out by staff, students, and guests.

We are limiting the guests to 4 individuals per student, to respect the need for social distancing. Also, please no balloons of any kind as we are a latex-free campus.

We look forward to celebrating all of the extraordinary work and learning that your 6th grader has accomplished this year and wish them well as they are promoted to middle school.

• Awards Assembly
  • When: Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.
  • Where: Desert Sage Elementary School, cafeteria
  • Social Distancing: Limit 4 guests per student

• Clap-Out
  • When: Thursday, May 16, 2024 at 11:45 a.m.
  • Where: Desert Sage Elementary School, office
  • Social Distancing: No limits for guests per student for the Clap-Out event
  • Parking: Guests arriving for the clap-out must park on the school's neighboring streets. Parking will not be allowed in the school lot or the bus lane. Please be respectful of neighborhood driveways and no parking zones.

• When: Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.
• Where: Desert Sage Elementary School, cafeteria

Desert Sage is pleased to announce our in-person Kindergarten Graduation Celebration. Your child's celebration will take place on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. During the celebration a brief photo slide show will be shown, mini-speeches by myself and the teachers, and then presentations of each child's graduation portfolio (certificate with cap and gown photo). There will be an opportunity for picture taking at the end of the celebration.

We are limiting the guests to 4 individuals per student, to respect the need for social distancing. Also, please no balloons of any kind as we are a latex-free campus.

We look forward to celebrating all of the extraordinary work and learning that your kindergartener has accomplished this year with you.

Parents of students on IEPs, please look for mailed letters from the DVUSD (released the week of April 29th) that contain surveys from the AZ Department of Education. In partnership with the AZ Department of Education, DVUSD would like your input regarding special education, services and supports in DVUSD. Your voice counts! Thank you for taking the time to complete this brief survey and provide us with your feedback.

All of the 3rd through 6th grade AASA and AzSCI standardized testing is complete. Thank you to families for ensuring your child's success during their testing times. Students arrived to school on time, were well-rested, and eager to do their best. There were minimal make-up tests to complete and all have been completed. We are proud to say that we had 100% participation at each grade level for each test.

Student scores for each assessment will be available at the beginning of the new year. Parent reports will be sent home during the first quarter.

Thank you again for your support!

This year as part of Desert Sage’s efforts to build our student’s social-emotional skills we are highlighting a specific Life Skill each week. Throughout the week, students participate in class meetings that we call “Fireside Chats” as we are doing a camp theme this year. During these Fireside Chats the Life Skill of the week is defined and discussed to learn how to recognize and build this skill. Additionally, students hear information that supports the Life Skill of the week on the morning announcements and other instructional moments with their teachers.

We are taking the time each week to also recognize one student from each class, who has best exemplified the Life Skill of the week. This student will receive a certificate and a Gecko Pride Culture Camp sticker when they are recognized by Principal Gill and Assistant Principal Race.

• 5/65/10: Teacher Appreciation Week
• Monday, 5/6-Wednesday, 5/8: 6th grade Prescott CampWay Field Trip
• Tuesday, 5/7-Thursday, 5/9: Gecko Gold Store
• Wednesday, 5/8: School Nurse Appreciation Day
• Wednesday, 5/8: Last day for 4th quarter work turn-in
• Friday, 5/10: 4th quarter ends
• Friday, 5/10: Dismissal @ 2:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, 5/14: 1st grade Mandarin Naming Ceremony @ 9:00 a.m.
• Tuesday, 5/14: 6th grade Promotion Assembly @ 2:00 p.m.
  
• Tuesday, 5/14: Chorus and Strings Concert @ 6:00 p.m.
  
• Wednesday, 5/15: Kindergarten Graduation Assembly @ 2:00 p.m.
• Thursday, 5/16: Last day of school
• 11:50 a.m. 6th grade Clap-out Event
• 12:05 p.m. dismissal
• 4th quarter report cards go home

Your school tax credit donations can provide Desert Sage students with opportunities to after school and summer programs, field trips, music and athletic programs or any other extracurricular activity.

• The Arizona tax credit program (A.R.S. 43-1089.01) allows a tax credit of up to $200 for individuals and up to $400 for married couples, filing jointly, in support of extracurricular activities.
• The tax credit reduces your tax burden to the state of Arizona, dollar for dollar.

Make your tax credit donation to Desert Sage at: https://az-deervalley.intouchreceipting.com/.

We are an A school in the Deer Valley Unified District. We educate children pre-k through grade 6 & offer Mandarin Language Immersion. We are the home of the geckos. Kristy M. Gill is the proud principal and Lindsay Race is the proud assistant principal.

Website: dvusd.org/desertsage
Location: 4035 West Alameda Road, Glendale, AZ, USA
Phone: (623) 445-4700
Twitter: @DesertSageElem

Instagram: dvusd_desertsage

Facebook: DVUSD Desert Sage