Viper Voice
March 15, 2024
I hope everyone had a fantastic spring break filled with relaxation and rejuvenation. As we return, let's harness that energy to kick off Quarter 4 with enthusiasm and determination.
This quarter holds significant events for our school community. Our students in grades 3 through 8 will be participating in the AASA testing, where they can showcase their knowledge and skills. Let's offer them our full support as they prepare for these assessments. Our basketball season also starts! Be sure to check our schedule below and come to cheer on our Viper athletes!
We also have our PTSO Movie Night this week and STEAM Night is right around the corner!
Additionally, as we start to close out the academic year, it's time to capture the memories made throughout. Parents, don't forget to order a yearbook for your child to cherish these precious moments for years to come.
Let's work together to make this quarter a successful and memorable one for our students. Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school community.
Parent Tech Safety Night with Bark & Sierra Verde STEAM Academy
Need help navigating kids and tech? Sierra Verde STEAM Academy and Bark are proud to present an informational evening for parents raising kids in the digital age!
Join us via Zoom and get helpful strategies and tips to keep your children safer online and support them as they use devices for both academic and social settings. We’ll also discuss: Social Media Responsibility, Internet & Smartphone Safety and Digital Citizenship.
We look forward to seeing you there! (the session will be recorded as well)!
Also consider joining Bark's Facebook group that has 450,000+ parents providing support and sharing advice about raising kids in the digital age! https://www.facebook.com/groups/parentinggeeks
Parent and Community Satisfaction Survey
Please take a moment to fill out the DVUSD Parent and Community Satisfaction Survey. These results are used to get a feel for how we are doing as a campus, and district, and focus on improving! Your input matters!
Don't Miss Your Chance To Buy a Yearbook
Some reminders from our office:
- Please do not park in Handicap parking spots without the proper Legal License plate or placard. We have staff and families who have the proper credentials and need to park in those spots.
- If your student(s) are currently registered at this time and you plan to return next year, you will not need to register again. Your student(s) registration will automatically roll over to the next school year.
- Open enrollment is now open for the 24/25 school year.
- If your student is attending any of our before school clubs or tutoring, please pull up to the curb in front of the office and drop them off - as our parking lot is for our staff.
- If picking up your child AFTER 2:45 PM, please park in our parking lot or you may get caught in the afternoon pick up traffic.
- Please make sure that you call the attendance line if your student is going to be absent for any reason - (623) 376-4890
- Breakfast service begins at 8:10 AM, no students can be dropped off prior to 8:10 AM - as there is no adult supervision available.
- If your student has tutoring in the morning, please do not drop them off before 8:00 AM - as there is no adult supervision available.
Upcoming Events!
- Monday, March 18
- Day 4 Specials
- 3:30 PM - Basketball Practice
- 3:30 PM - Egg to Chick Club
- 3:30 PM - GenTech Club - Musical Micros
- 3:30 PM - NJHS
- 3:45 PM - Student Drama Practice
- 3:45 PM - Junior Choir Club
- 4:30 PM - MRHS Track & Field Practice
- Tuesday, March 19
- 8:00 AM - SV Honor Choir
- 3:30 PM - GenTech Club - Drone Discovery
- 3:45 PM - D and D Club
- 3:45 PM - Girls on the Run
- 4:30 PM - Home Basketball Game vs. Stetson Hills
- 4:30 PM - MRHS Track & Field Practice
- 6:30 PM - Governing Board Meeting @ District Office
- 6:30 PM - PTSO Meeting in SV Library
- Wednesday, March 20
- 8:00 AM - Team Connect Club
- 3:30 PM - Basketball Practice & Basketball Team Pictures
- 3:30 PM - Chess Emporium Club
- 3:30 PM - Egg to Chick Club
- 3:30 PM - GenTech Club - Cool Coding
- 4:30 PM - MRHS Track & Field Practice
- Thursday, March 21
- 8:00 AM - Battle of the Books Club
- 8:00 AM - Honorary Choir Club
- 9:00 AM - 3rd Battle of the Books Competition
- 3:30 PM - Athletes in Training - Basketball
- 3:30 PM - Elements of Music Club
- 3:30 PM - Right Start Golf Club
- 3:45 PM - Student Drama Practice
- 3:45 PM - Girls on the Run
- 4:30 PM - AWAY Basketball Game @ Sonoran Foothills
- 4:30 PM - MRHS Track & Field Practice
- Friday, March 22
- 7:45 AM - STUCO
- 9:00 AM - K-3 Field Day
- 2:00 EARLY RELEASE - Teacher Multi-School Collaborative Team Meetings
- 7:00 PM - PTSO Movie Night!!
SV Sports Updates
Our sports teams are all working hard and will be ready for their first games/meets the week we return from spring break! Our basketball teams will play their first game HOME vs Stetson Hills on Tuesday, March 19th and then play away on Thursday, March 21st @ Sonoran Foothills. They will have their team pictures on Wednesday, March 20th right after school!
Our Mountain Ridge Middle School Track & Field Team will have their first meet on Wednesday, March 20th @ Mountain Ridge High School for our 7th/8th grade athletes.
We wish all our athletes a great spring break (with some practice thrown in if you can) and we'll see everyone for the start of our games in 2 weeks!
Bullying or Peer Conflict?
WHAT IS NOT BULLYING? Adults must realize that not every unkind thing a child does constitutes bullying. For example:
Being left out is not always bullying. It’s natural for kids to have a select group of friends. Although they should be kind towards everyone, it’s unrealistic to expect them to be close friends with every child they know, and be invited to every function or event.
Experiencing conflict is not bullying. Learning to deal with conflict is a normal part of growing up. The key is for children to learn how to solve their problems peacefully and respectfully.
Not playing fair is not bullying. Wanting a game to be played a certain way is not bullying. Children understand the concept of sharing, and should take turns being in charge of the game.
When observing the unkind behaviors your child experiences, be sure to label them correctly. This will help you know how to handle the situation appropriately so that your child can learn and grow from it.
(Ref. Policy JICK, JICK-R, JICK-EA, JICK-EB)
Bullying may occur when a student or group of students engages in any form of behavior that includes such acts as intimidation and/or harassment that:
has the effect of physically harming a student, damaging a student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of harm or damage to property,
is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that the action, behavior, or threat creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive environment,
occurs when there is a real or perceived imbalance of power or strength, or
may constitute a violation of law
SRR handbook 2023-2024 (pages 2-4)
Connect with Us!
Volunteer Opportunities
We are always excited to be able to welcome our parents/guardians back to help volunteer and visit at SV. If you would like to visit, we welcome you to come and eat lunch with your child in the MPR. Please arrive on time, and bring lunch only for your student - as we cannot have lunches passed out to other student or friends in the MPR for their safety. If you are interested in volunteering, we will soon welcome you back in our classrooms once we have our classroom procedures setup and in place. Mandatory volunteer training dates (required for all NEW volunteers) are listed below! If you are already a trained volunteer, please be sure to stop by the office to update your information.
As a reminder, we require all parents to follow our school rules and dress code on campus and ask that you do not use any cell phones or tablets in the MPR or around our students.
PBIS Rewards
Our PBIS store is OPEN! Students can use their points earned for being a Problem-solver, being Engaged, being Accountable, and being Kind to purchase fun items. These items are delivered on Fridays. If you are interested in tracking your student through our PBIS Rewards app, download the PBIS Rewards for Family app and ask your child's teacher for their unique QR code.
If you are interested in donating to our PBIS store, we have a PBIS Store Amazon wishlist. You can also drop off any donation items to our office - new/gently loved stuffed animals are always a popular item.
1. We need parent volunteers to help keep inventory and package PBIS rewards for students.
2. The store needs rewards! There are many ways to donate – new and gently used toys, party favors – anything that kids would be excited to receive!
3. Help stock the PBIS Store Rewards Store by purchasing Rewards directly on Amazon. If you purchase from our PBIS Rewards wishlist it will ship directly to campus and our kids can purchase immediately. Stock our store here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2YZ9H9VV492G3?ref_=wl_share
If you have are available to donate your time or have questions about our PBIS program, please contact Mrs. Stephanie Hoffpauir in the front office.
Pick Up & Drop Off Procedure Reminders
- Make sure that all adults who will be picking up students at 3:30 have a purple placard with the student's Last Name and Grade clearly written in marker bold and big so we can read them. Placards are available in the office. Take as many copies as you need (one for mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, etc......).
- Please pull forward and follow all staff directions around the pick up loop, don't stop short, and stay in your car.
- We will load you kids, if they need help buckling, pull up and around the loop to the buckle zone past our bike rack
- We do not have any supervision of students until 8:30 am so please do not drop off or leave any kids unattended before 8:30 am.
- Please be patient and be kind to staff and other drivers as it takes a few weeks for all to learn our procedures. Remember out staff is out in 100+ degree weather keeping all our kids safe, and everyone's safety is more important than any individual's convenience
- If you do not have a kindergarten student, you must use the front loop for morning drop-off. We do not have enough spaces for additional vehicles, and our front loop is much more efficient and safe for our 1st-8th graders.
- Do not cross any streets outside of the designated and manned crosswalks in the am or pm. We have had some very close calls and pedestrians almost struck crossing rose garden illegally.
- If picking up on 74th, please be sure that you are not parking or waiting in the "no parking/loading zone" and please do not block any private driveways
- Please pull all the way down the loop before dropping off. Your student should not be getting out of the car when the line slows down
- Do not enter the parking lot through the EXIT
Policy Reminders
- All 1st-8th grade students should be dropped off in the front traffic loop, parking in the lot is reserved for Kindergarten parents only. It is also not permissible to park and cross Rose Garden or 74th Ave at any point other than our crosswalks.
- 8:45 is the start of our academic day, kids who are not in class at 8:45 will need a tardy pass.
- We cannot sign students out after 3:15.
- Do not text your students during the school day, phones are available for use at the office with staff permission.
- We will not interrupt instruction to relay messages or deliver items left at home (unless medically needed)
- Attendance warnings will be sent home for students who are absent more than 10% of days in session or who have accumulated 5+ tardies
- If you have a concern or question regarding progress, grades, or behavior, address the classroom level teacher per our DVUSD Problem Solving Guidance
- School staff and administration are not available to meet on demand, appointments will be made to set up meetings or phone calls for administrators and teachers. Walk-in appointments are not an option.
- SV teachers adhere to an email curfew. They will check emails Monday - Friday from 7:00 AM to 8:30 AM and 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM only
- SV staff will respond to emails within 48 hours, excluding weekends & holidays.
Food & Nutrition
For the 23-24 school year, we will once again be charging for school meals, to apply for a free or reduced meal application visit https://secure.ezmealapp.com or stop by Sierra Verde for a paper application (though the online process is much quicker). See the complete information from DVUSD Food & Nutrition below.
We will not be allowing outside food or drink for any reason on campus. DVUSD has a birthday bucket order form that will be the only method of birthday treats for 23-24. You can fill out an application for a birthday bucket and work with our Cafeteria Manger Mrs. Debbie Jasperson to arrange these birthday treats. The Birthday Bucket application is on our homepage and is linked below as well.
In order to keep meal account balances topped off, you can put money on the student account with cash or check. Please drop off any cash or check in the office, or use E-Z school pay. EZ School pay also has an app available to download and track your balance.