- Check out the minutes from last week's DCPSO meeting.
- Sign up to volunteer for the Winter Wonderland Holiday Shop.
- Consider a donation to DCPSO on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28, and/or participating in this year's Giving Tree program.
- Contact Maha at melmeniawy@powayusd.com if you’re interested in helping organize a lunchtime activity in recognition of a December cultural celebration.
Save the Date
- 11/20 to 11/24 - No school (Thanksgiving Break)
- 11/28 to 11/30 - Winter Wonderland Holiday Shop
- 11/29 - Progress reports available in Synergy ParentVue @ 5 pm
- 12/6 - DCPSO meeting @ 5 pm
- 12/8 - DC Choir Concert & Family Movie Night @5:45 pm
- 12/13 - DC Dining: The Stand
- 12/25 to 1/5 - Winter Break (no school)
Good evening, Deer Canyon Families:
With the first trimester behind us and gratitude in the air, now is a perfect time to reflect on all the things we are thankful for.
As I think about each student, family, staff member, and day on our special campus, I am overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude. It’s the little moments, the laughs, the hugs, the smiles, and waves for which I am most grateful. Thank you for sharing your wonderful students with me and trusting them in our collective care. Before we launch into our week off school, let’s recap this past week!
We kicked our week off with all classes viewing a brief video presentation reviewing playground expectations for all 1st-5th grade students. Lately, staff and I have noticed an uptick in tardiness at line-up after the bell rings and an increase in students accessing unsupervised areas of campus during lunch and recess. The expectations I review included the following reminders:
Each student is responsible for picking up their own trash in the lunch table area. Students are expected to pick up two additional pieces of trash (for those accidental fly-aways!) before leaving their space.
Students must have Character Coach permission to access the hallways during their lunch, via a “hall pass.” This minimizes foot traffic and possible disruptions to the learning environment for other students still in class, and allows other adults to know when students have permission to be in the hallway (e.g., to grab their forgotten water bottle, lunch card, etc.).
Only half of the field may be used at recess/lunch. This allows our Character Coaches to actively supervise play and still provides ample space for playing a variety of games, including kickball. This week, we placed cones out on the field each day to indicate where students may play. We will continue this practice after Fall Break.
Students are expected to use the restrooms nearest the playground during lunch. There is limited supervision near the restrooms at the far end of the field. After careful observation of restroom use during lunch and recess this week, it has been determined that this system provides ample restroom availability for students.
Students are expected to line up immediately after their grade level bell rings.
When it’s time to line up, students will hear two long whistles and a grade level announcement on the bullhorn
We do not recommend starting a Mileage Club lap within 5 minutes of a student’s grade level lunch ending.
Students will not get credit for laps after their grade level bell rings. We have observed many students starting a lap when their grade level bell rings, then taking 4-6 minutes to complete the lap and line up with their class. This causes an unexpected interference with instructional time.
We experienced great improvement in punctuality to line-up, resulting in less missed instructional time. Staff also noticed that students more clearly understood the expectations for available play areas, which resulted in improved ability to supervise student activities. So many wins!
Additional events this week included a Kindergarten ABC parade that was full of adorable, crafty, and educational alphabet vests! Check out @deercanyonpusd on Instagram for pictures!
We also wrapped up our two-part workshop, hosted by Westview HS students from Project Binary and Boba 4 Books. This joint storytelling and coding workshop for our 5th grade students combined aspects of literature and coding by having students craft a short story, then use pseudocode to “program” that story. Our students were able to explore computer science with peer models, and they had a blast!
The week we return from Fall Break, many classes will begin their journey with PUSD Global Languages. Deer Canyon is beginning our first 5-week session with learning about the Filipino language and culture!
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A note from the PUSD Parent Ambassadors Program (Special Education):
Hello families of students served through PUSD Special Education programs and services.
I am the new PUSD Parent Engagement Liaison, and I wanted to share my contact information as well as another wonderful resource we offer: the PUSD Parent Ambassadors program.
Parent Ambassadors are parent volunteers whose own child(ren) accesses special education services through PUSD. Ambassadors serve as mentors to guide and support parents of children with IEPs or those exploring special education options. Drawing from their own experiences, they offer invaluable insights and advice to encourage collaboration among parents and school staff on behalf of students.
To reach out to a Parent Ambassador, please submit a request through the get connected form. To apply to become a Parent Ambassador, please complete this application form.
Winter Wonderland Holiday Shop: Nov. 28 to 30
DCPSO is excited to host our annual Winter Wonderland Holiday Shop for students on November 28 to 30.
Students will have a chance to shop with their classes and surprise loved ones with small holiday gifts. Gifts range from $0.50- $12. Items include pens, magnets, mugs, jewelry, small toys, and more. Budget envelopes and gift certificate information will be sent home Monday, Nov. 27.
It takes a village to host this holiday shop! Please sign up for an hour-long shift (or more!).
Sign up to volunteer and check your student's class shopping time. Financial assistance is also available.
If you have any questions, please email Razan Lin at rbattikha@gmail.com.
Thank you!
Winter Wonderland Holiday Shop Co-chairs: Maha Elmeniawy, Heather Hall and Razan Lin
DC Choir Concert & Family Movie Night: Dec. 8
Save the date for a special event! Join us on Friday, December 8, for a DC Choir Concert and Family Movie Night on the blacktop.
Our DC Choir will kick off the evening at 5:45 pm with a few songs celebrating various holidays and the winter season. Then, we'll enjoy watching “The Grinch” at 6 pm on our outdoor movie screen. Bring your own chairs and blankets and get ready to cozy up with family and friends! DC chairs will also be provided for those who don’t bring their own.
This is the first of several small fundraising movie nights we hope to host this year. We will feature two local food vendors to sell dinner (TBD) and popcorn (Party Pop Popcorn) as part of our DC Dining program. Stay tuned for more details soon. DCPSO will also sell hot chocolate and treats.
Entry fee for adults is $5. Children receive free entry.
We hope to see you there!
Save the Dates: Winter Recital & Talent Show
Students, start planning your performances! The DCPSO Winter Recital and Talent Shows will be here before you know it.
Winter Recital
Auditions: Tuesday, Jan. 23 (after school)
Recital: Thursday, Feb. 1 (evening)
Types of Performances:
Instrumental solos, duets, or group acts
Instrument accompanied by vocals
Talent Show
Auditions: Tuesday, Jan. 16 (after school)
Recital: Friday, March 1 (evening: 6-8 pm)
5th Grade Emcees/Dancers: More info to come!
Types of Performances:
Singing, dancing, gymnastics
Acting, joke-telling, Rubik's cube
This is a variety show — get creative!
Instruments are only allowed with vocal accompaniment. Strictly instrumental pieces will perform at Winter Recital 🙂
Details about both will be in Echoes after Thanksgiving break!
Giving Tuesday: November 28
Created in 2012, Giving Tuesday encourages people to do good. This global movement inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
Many people perform an act of kindness or volunteer work on this day, while others donate to their philanthropy of choice. Companies often use it as another opportunity to put their company matching programs to good use before the end of the year.
If you haven’t already donated to DCPSO this year, please consider a personal donation toward our annual goal and/or check with your employer to see if they will enable a company match in honor of Giving Tuesday. Every little bit helps a lot! Thank you for your consideration and support
Options for Contribution:
- Donate w/Paypal
- Donate with Venmo - @DeerCanyonFoundation
- Donate with check payable to “Deer Canyon Parent Staff Organization” or “DCPSO”
- PUSD Company Matching Search Here
