DSA Families,

Students and staff had a fantastic time participating in the winter edition of Spirit Week! Be sure to check out the pictures below to see all the fun.

A big thank you to our families for attending this month’s events, including our movie night, choir and band performances, and the Winter of the Arts Concert. We’re so proud of our talented students at DSA, and it was wonderful to see such a great turnout for our first movie night!

We appreciate all of our volunteers at DSA! Thank you for helping our teachers with our winter class parties.

We also want to give a special shoutout to our PTO and Scottsdale Bible Church for providing delicious meals for our staff this month—your generosity is greatly appreciated!

On a personal note, I want to thank you for the kind words I’ve received about DSA in your messages. This is truly a special place with an incredible staff dedicated to supporting our students.

Thank you for your continued support of DSA and positive comments about CCUSD. Together, we will navigate challenges with the best interests of our students and staff at heart. I encourage all families to attend the public forums for our district and stay engaged in our community.

The public forums would be held as follows:

● Wednesday, January 8 at 6:00 PM at Desert Sun.

● Thursday, January 9 at 6:00 PM at Lone Mountain.

● And Monday, January 13 at 6:00 PM at the Fine Arts Center.

The CCUSD District Office sent out information to families about the public forums today.

I also encourage you to visit the link below which includes information from our CCUSD Facilities Focus Group. You can also find FAQs in this section of our district website.

https://www.ccusd93.org/about-ccusd/facilities-focus-group

Thank you again for your ongoing support and I hope all of you enjoy time with family and friends during our winter break.

Sincerely,

Kelly Zywczyk

Principal, Desert Sun Academy

12/23-01/03/25- No School- Winter Break

01/06- School Resumes

01/06- Site Council Meeting

01/06- DSA Dines Out- Tailgaters

01/08- Early Release-Dismissal at 2:00

01/10- Flag Raising- 9:15

01/15- Early Release-Dismissal at 2:00

01/20- No School- Martin Luther King Jr. Day

01/21- Volunteer Training- 9:15

01/22- Early Release- Dismissal at 2:00

01/29- Early Release-Dismissal at 2:00

01/31- Be You Day

If your child has a fever, has thrown up, or has diarrhea they need to remain home. Students have to be fever free WITHOUT the assistance of medication for 24 hours before returning to school. Same with vomit or diarrhea, they need to be free of symptoms for 24 hours prior to returning to school

Coaching Opportunities at DSA

We have exciting coaching opportunities here at DSA in the new school year. Each club is a season of 10 sessions and 1 culminating district activity. Typically these clubs are held before school but could happen after school. Coaches will be compensated for their time and energy. Please reach out to our P.E. Teacher Shaunna Baldyga if you are interested or have any questions. sbaldyga@ccusd93.net

Jan/Feb: Cross Country

Mar/Apr: Track & Field

Cross Country is open to all DSA students in Grades 4-6. Our coaching philosophy is to encourage physical fitness, promote good sportsmanship, support Team DSA, and of course, have a lot of fun running.

There will be two after school intramural meets on 2/13 and 2/25 at 4:15 - 5:51 p.m. at CSHS Track/Football Stadium.

Parents provide transportation to/from meets. More information will be shared as soon as it is available.

T-shirts are included

Instructor: Shaunna Baldyga

ECS Link to sign-up:

Cross Country (Grade 4-6) DSA - Education & Community Services

Mrs. Baldyga is also looking for a volunteer to coach Cross Country on Tuesdays. Please let her know if you are interested.

Are you interested in giving time to DSA students and teachers? We would love to have you! Below are some volunteer opportunities here at DSA:

• Classroom parent
• Classroom parties
• Field Days, picture days, and bookfair helpers
• Small group help in the classroom
• Chaperoning field trips

Per our District Office, we will be offering volunteer training sessions monthly in the front office conference room. In order to volunteer in any of the above mentioned capacities, volunteers are required to take one of the trainings. Unfortunately, if you do not attend one of the sessions you will not be able to volunteer at DSA. Please see the dates and times listed below and RSVP to Dot Silva at 480-575-2901 if you would like to volunteer.

• January 21st- 9:15 AM
• February 27th- 4:00 PM
• March 27th- 9:15 AM
• April 24th- 4:00 PM

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF DSA!!

• Teshya Hutchison- President
• Amy Kessinger- Vice President
• Kylee Steier- Secretary
• Kelsi Westhoff- Treasurer

Calling all 6th graders!

CCUSD is pleased to invite you to an important presentation on Tuesday, January 21st where national speaker Officer Jermaine Galloway, aka “The Tall Cop” will present his insights of our community and how we can keep our community safe and informed in regards to drugs and alcohol. Officer Galloway will share data from our own community and cover topics on how to recognize signs of substance use, prevention strategies, and resources available for support.

We believe that coming together as a community, we can make a significant impact in addressing this critical issue. Your participation and engagement are vital to our shared efforts.

We hope you will join us in learning and discussing how we can protect our loved ones and strengthen our community. We will provide food and drinks prior to the presentation as well.

Please RSVP by Wednesday, January 8th. You can use the QR code in the flyer or click on this link: https://forms.gle/7uDxs2ipDJwrqxWy9

Thank you for your continued commitment to the well-being of our community.

My name is Jessie Spencer, and I am proud to serve as the president of the Cave Creek Unified Education Foundation (CCUEF).

I’m reaching out today to personally invite you, your family, and your friends to join us for our 4th Annual CCUEF Run the District 5K on Saturday, January 25, 2025, at the beautiful CSHS campus. This fun and energetic event directly supports our annual grant program, and we’d love to see as many of our incredible staff members there as possible. Please see the link below to sign up!

Sign up here: https://ccuef.org/run-the-district-5k/

"Thanks to a generous donation, CCUSD is thrilled to be able to partner with SmartSocial, an online platform that helps parents understand tech and social media to keep kids safe and successful online. SmartSocial hosts live online Q&A events that address different themes each month. You can watch these events live, or watch them after the fact when it fits your schedule! With over 400 online resources at your disposal, SmartSocial can help parents navigate the challenges associated with technology, including parental controls, screen time, online safety, and more. CCUSD parents can register with SmartSocial using this link: https://smartsocial.com/members?org=cavecreekunified

Your subscription is free when you register through CCUSD. We believe that this will be a valuable resource for our families and encourage you to register and see what they have to offer!"

Information for Voluntary Student Accident and Sickness Insurance plans for purchase including plans for athletics can be found at https://myers-stevens.com/enrollment/

Arizona 's tax law (ARS 43-1089.01) allows families a tax credit of up to $400 if they contribute to extracurricular activities in public schools. Individuals can give up to $200. Contributions that are made on or before the fifteenth day of the fourth month (April 15), following the close of the taxable year, may be applied to either the current or preceding taxable year and is considered to have been made the last day of that taxable year.

(Please see the picture below to show the simplicity of how it works)

Extracurricular activities are school-sponsored activities that may require enrolled students to pay a fee, including fees for:

• Extracurricular activities, such as field trips, student council and our amazing science lab!
• Character education programs.

From and after June 30, 2019 through June 30, 2024, these items are also Tax Credit eligible:

• Capital items (example: furniture, furnishings, athletic equipment, computer software, pupil & non pupil transportation vehicles & equipment, textbooks, instructional aids, library books)
• Student consumable health care supplies (example: tissues, hand wipes, bandages)
• Playground equipment, shade structures for playground equipment

A single individual or a head of household can use the tax credit for $200. A married couple filing a joint return can use the tax credit for $400. Tax credit donations made on or before April 15th may be applied to either the current or preceding tax year.

How to contribute in a few easy steps!

1. Write a personal check to the school of your choice
   (checks CANNOT be accepted from Partnerships, S Corporations, Regular Corporations, Trusts, Estates and LLCs)
2. Mail or deliver the check to the school with a completed tax credit form.
3. You will be provided with a receipt verifying your contribution.
4. You can claim your tax credit of up to $400.

Email: kzywczyk@ccusd93.net
Website: https://www.ccusd93.org/dsa
Phone: 480-575-2900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Desertsunacademy
Twitter: @CCUSD_93