A Message From the Mountain

Dear Blackhawk Families,

We hope you had a restful Thanksgiving Break! It was so nice seeing all of our students and staff return to us looking refreshed and rejuvenated. We are looking forward to a productive 3 weeks leading up to Winter Break.

Our first round of window wraps are up and installed. In addition to the wraps on the front office, each classroom door window has been wrapped. This helps increase security during a lockdown as it prevents intruders from seeing into classrooms. Thanks to the generosity of our community during our last PTO Kindness Campaign fundraiser, we will be purchasing additional wraps for our campus. These wraps not only beautify the campus, but are practical and safety-minded. Thank you for your contributions and we are excited to see how the campus turns out!

DMS PTO is hosting our annual movie night on Friday, December 6th. This is a fun event for families to grab a blanket and head on over to campus for some food, friends, and a movie. This year, they will be showing the movie Elf. We will also have student entrepreneurs joining us to sell their items in the gym. Students keep 100% of the profits from their sales. Let's help foster that drive our student entrepreneurs have! Don't forget to bring some cash.

If a staff member has made your experience at DMS a positive one, please take a moment to fill out the very brief survey link below. The staff would love to hear your feedback on their hard work! Have a great week!

Respectfully,

Jessica Brunk, Principal

"It's a great day to be a Blackhawk!"

Has a staff member gone above and beyond for your student or the school community? If so, please fill out a staff shout out! They would LOVE to hear it! Here is the link.

Join us for a winter themed sing-along at our next Blackhawk Bonanza! This event will take place on Friday, December 13th at 8:15 a.m. in the gym. Please sign in at the front office upon arrival.

Desert Mountain School proudly hosted a memorable Veterans Day Parade, honoring the brave individuals who have served our country. The parade was led by a fire truck, which escorted our esteemed Veterans down the breezeway, followed closely by a student's donkey adorned in festive patriotic gear. After the parade, all guests gathered in the gym for a heartfelt assembly where each grade level presented special tributes they had prepared to express their gratitude. The event was a beautiful celebration of patriotism and appreciation, bringing the entire school community together in honor of our Veterans.

Save the date for our Quarter 2 Awards Assembly on Friday, January 17th. K-2nd grade will be held from 8:15-8:45 and 3rd-5th grades will be held from 9:00-9:45 in the gym. Gradebooks close the week before Winter Break, so please check to see if your student earned Honor Roll (all A's and B's) or Principal's List (all A's.) Teachers will not notify individual families for Honor Roll or Principal's List, but they will be notifying families if their student is receiving an additional school award. We look forward to seeing you there!

Our amazing DMS PTO will be hosting our annual movie night featuring the film Elf. Please join us for a fun evening!

Desert Mountain School recently held its annual spelling bee, showcasing the incredible talent and dedication of our students. Participants impressed the audience with their hard work and poise under pressure, making it a memorable event for all. Congratulations to all who competed—you did an amazing job representing our school!

In celebration of National Kindness Day, Desert Mountain School’s 6th-grade students wrote heartfelt appreciation letters. Each letter reflected the students’ thoughtfulness and gratitude, spreading positivity within our school community. These messages served as a wonderful reminder of the importance of kindness and the impact of simple, meaningful gestures. We are so proud of our 6th graders for embracing this opportunity to make a difference!

Created in 2016, the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program grants classroom wishes to teachers across the state of Arizona. The Fiesta Bowl Organization saw that many teachers spent their own money to enhance their classroom experience and developed a program to aid teachers in that effort. As a way to support, celebrate and honor Arizona educators, teachers were invited to fill out an online application detailing their school and classroom wish. Wishes were selected by a random drawing to receive a grant. Our own 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Teri Price, won a grant! She is using the funds to help purchase whiteboards for her students to practice collaborative learning, playground balls for each grade level, as well as other fun materials for her students. Congratulations, Mrs. Price!

Families, please remember that there will be no school Monday, December 23rd to Monday, January 6th. School will resume Tuesday, January 7th. We hope you enjoy your break with your family!

Please note that all athletic payments must be made online. Cash or checks are not accepted. Please reach out to Mr. Booth or Ms. Patti with questions on how to make a payment.

Here are the game schedules.