Carrillo Community Update

Happy Sunday, Carrillo Families!

I hope everyone had another incredible weekend. The weather forecast says this week will be cooler, so please remind students to bring their jackets home with them at the end of the school ay. We still have many unclaimed jackets that need to be reunited with their owners. Please drop by the Carrillo Art Gallery if your student is missing a jacket or sweater.

All year, we have been preparing students to take their AASA exams. These annual exams measure students' mastery of grade-level concepts. Student performance and growth are the major components of Carrillo's letter grade, so we need students to be ready to do their very best. Thank you for reminding students to go to bed early the night before their test and for making sure they eat a healthy dinner the night before. We will continue offering community breakfast on the day students take their exams to help ensure everyone is ready both physically and mentally. Students do have the full day to take their tests, so thank you for reminding students not to worry about what their classmates are doing, but to take the time they need to do their best. Finally, thank you for not scheduling any appointments on test day so that students don't rush.

Next, please join us for the April PTO Meeting on Wednesday, the 2nd at 6:00 pm on ZOOM. This month's agenda is in the PTO section of the update.

Finally, the TUSD City Track Meet is on Saturday, the 5th, at Palo Verde High School. If you have time, please come cheer the team on!

Let's close out March and welcome April by making it a kind and productive week!

Sincerely,

Ms. Bittel

THIS WEEK - WELCOME BACK!

Tuesday, April 1

• AASA Writing - Grade 4

Wednesday, April 2

• PTO Meeting (online)

Thursday, April 3

• Paraprofessional Appreciation Day 🙏
• AASA Writing - Grade 3

Friday, April 4

• School Librarian Appreciation Day 📚
• AASA Writing - Grade 3

Saturday, April 5

• TUSD City Track Meet 🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏃🏻‍♂️

COMING SOON

Tuesday, April 8

• AASA ELA Pt 1- Grade 4 and 5

Wednesday, April 9

• AASA ELA Pt 1- Grade 3

Thursday, April 10

• AASA ELA Pt 2- Grade 4 and 5

Friday, April 11

• AASA ELA Pt 2- Grade 3

Saturday, April 12

• TUSD Job Fair

Tuesday, April 15

• AASA Math Pt 1- Grade 4 and 5

Wednesday, April 16

• AASA Math Pt 1- Grade 3

Thursday, April 17

• AASA Math Pt 2- Grade 3
• Peter Piper Pizza Night 🍕

Friday, April 18

• Spring Holiday - No Classes

Tuesday, April 22

• AASA Math Pt 2 - Grades 4/5
• STEM Night 🔬

This week, we kick off the ELA and Math portions of state testing for all students in grades 3 - 5 with the AASA Exam.

This week, students will be taking their writing exams. Students will be given passages to read, and they will have to respond to a prompt. Thank you for reminding your student to...

1. Read the passage(s) carefully
2. Read the passage(s) as many times as needed to make sense
3. Take time to brainstorm and pre-write their responses.
4. Write a quality response using the OREO technique they learned in school
5. Take a quick brain break before editing for content, grammar, and spelling. (It's ok to read it multiple times to review the multiple pieces they are editing for.)
6. Carefully type their writing into the computer. Reread their typed response one more time to make sure they didn't leave anything out.

This process will help ensure that students perform their very best.

The City Track Meet is this Saturday, April 5th.

Thank you to everyone who attended our practices last week. There will be no practice this week.

Please email Coach Freeman if you have any questions and be sure to check Remind for updates.

Remind Class Code = 3gb4fk

Thank you to the families that participated in last week's family discussion question. Here is this week's discussion starter. Remember, if you share your family discussion, we are raffling off a Panda Kids Meal!

If you had a time machine for a day, what would you do with it?

Enter your response HERE to enter your student in the weekly raffle.

* This is the second week for this family question. We'll pull a winner next week so if you didn't have a chance to enter your family response, you have another week. Good luck!

Thank you to everyone who entered the Yearbook Cover Contest. The deadline for submissions has passed.

We will announce the winner soon. Stay tuned to pre-order yearbooks.

Attendance is a major factor in a student's success. Absences can add up quickly and have a longer impact than you may realize. Aside from schools losing state funding, your students miss important learning opportunities, which can cause learning gaps. Thank you for getting your students to school by 8:30 and allowing them to stay in school until the dismissal bell!

With just 1 day left in March, we have 76 students with perfect attendance for March, that's 25%.

Our top 3 classes are...

#1 - Ms.Peralta with 46% of students having perfect attendance.

#2 - Ms. Barraza and Ms. Acosta's class, with 36% of students having perfect attendance.

#3 - Ms. Maldonado's class with 32% of students having perfect attendance.

In most classes, we have seen an increase in attendance and we want to thank families for their help. We cannot do our best work when your students are not here. We appreciate your efforts to get students to school before the 8:30 bell and for waiting until after school to schedule appointments. If we keep it up, we might hit that 95% goal for quarter 4! How nice it would be for every class to earn a treat for hitting that goal!

We are kicking off a new attendance incentive this month. Any class with 95% attendance or better will earn a popsicle party! The class with the highest will earn a little something extra.

We are continuing our weekly perfect attendance drawings as well as our quarterly awards and incentives for students with perfect as well as exemplary attendance. Thank you for helping us to finish the year strong!

Absences can add up quickly.

• Missing a day a month means over 12 years, a student will miss 3/4 of a school year.
• Missing a day a month means over 12 years a student will miss 2.5 years of school.
• Missing 2 days a week over 12 years a student will miss 5 years of schooling.

Tardies (and early withdrawals) add up as well.

• Arriving 10 minutes late each day is equal to missing a full week of school each year.
• Arriving 30 minutes late each day is equal to missing 3 full weeks of school.
• Arriving an hour late each day is equal to missing almost 2 months of school.

Thank you for helping us meet our school goal of 95% and helping your students learn all they can by being present and engaged.

Being kind to our bodies by getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, and eating healthfully has a strong impact on our attention, mood, mindset, and ability to focus on our kindness practice. For instance, sleep deprivation negatively impacts our attention span, memory, cognitive functions, and overall quality of life. Elsewhere, reports show that students who regularly exercise achieve more academic success, improve their cognitive performance, cultivate positive classroom behaviors, and even improve their attendance. We also know that when students eat healthfully, they have stronger academic records, better attendance, fewer behavior challenges, and improved overall cognitive function. Healthy eating isn’t just what we eat, but how we eat— eating mindfully, limiting distractions, and practicing gratitude for the food’s source and its chef.

Help students build mindfulness and self-awareness around being kind to their bodies with guiding questions:

• How does your body feel after you get a good night’s sleep/exercise/eat healthy food?
• What sensations do you notice?
• What are your mood and energy levels like as you go about the rest of your day?
• Why is it important to be kind to your body?

Here are some Self-Kindness Behaviors that we encourage students to practice.

• Taking a break when you need to
• Engaging in positive self-talk
• Asking for help
• Setting boundaries
• Expressing gratitude and appreciation

Thank you to everyone who attended the March PTO meeting.

Nominations for the PTO Board were taken at that meeting. The PTO would like to extend nominations to community members who were unable to attend the meeting. If you would like to nominate yourself or a friend to the PTO board, please complete the form here.

Our next meeting is THIS Wednesday, April 2nd, online at 6:00 pm. Please click the link to see the meeting agenda. See you online!

PTO Board

• President - Matt Swanson
• VP - Roy Massani
• Secretary - Margaret Zuniga
• Treasurer - Angelina Celix

Please email PTO if you have any questions.

Parents volunteers are welcome on campus. Speak with our office manager (Kenia Alvarado-Martinez) or our Magnet Coordinator (Rebecca Stroup) to learn how you can volunteer! We also encourage families to attend PTO meetings to learn about other ways to support our Carrillo Cougars. We encourage all parents to register as volunteers on the TUSD website as the process takes a few weeks. We ask non-parental volunteers to contact the office before registering as a volunteer so we can explain the process and coordinate volunteer opportunities.

Thank you to everyone who supported our "Box Tops for Education" fundraiser this year! As of Sunday, March 30th, Carrillo has raised $209.00. Keep checking out the Bonus offers and monthly challenges for ways to earn extra box tops.

This month, there are several big opportunities for bonus box tops, including the March challenge, which rewards 16 bonus box tops when you purchase 8 products, as well as several other shorter bonus opportunities. Check the app for other bonus offers or ways to combine them to earn even more for Carrillo. And remember, scan even if you don't have a participating item. Last year, we won $20 through the Box Tops Sweepstakes.

LEADERBOARD

1st Place - Kindergarten (303 box tops)

2nd Place - 4th Grade (209 box tops)

3rd Place - 2nd Grade (129 box tops)

4th Place - 1st Grade (94 box tops)

5th Place - 5th Grade (34 box tops)

6th Place - 3rd Grade (9 box tops)

**Reminder: please be sure you select "Carrillo K 5 Magnet School" from the app.

Thank you to everyone who supported the Portillo's Fundraiser. Once we receive a total we will let you know what was raised.

PTO has 1 more restaurant night fundraiser planned. This is a great way to enjoy a family evening out and help PTO. Please share the word with your friends. The more the merrier and the better for the Carrillo students!

MAY 17th from 4-8pm

Chipotle on 3510 S. Kino Parkway

Order online using the code GMCNJZL or show the linked flier if you dine in.

Casa de los Ninos offers FREE parent education classes to anyone looking for support and resources to be a great parent.

Visit their website HERE for more information and to sign up

Upcoming classes include:

• Guiding your Child through Adolescence (03/04/2025)
• Spanish Facilitation- Guiding your Child through Adolescence (03/06/2025)
• Criticism, Confrontation and Rules for Fair Fighting (03/11/2025)
• Spanish Facilitation- Criticism, Confrontation and Rules for Fair Fighting (03/13/2025)
• Sexuality, Personal Space and Respect (03/18/2025)
• Spanish Facilitation- Sexuality, Personal Space and Respect (03/20/2025)
• Ignoring as a Parenting Technique (03/25/2025)
• Spanish Facilitation- Ignoring as a Parenting Technique (03/27/2025)

Casa offers 3 series to support students with self regulation

• Mood Masters (for students in grades K-2)
• Regulation Rangers (for students in grades 3-5)
• Growth Spurts (for students in grades 6-8)

Contact Casa de los Ninos to inquire about class meeting dates and times.

Literacy Connects provides free Adult English classes for parents, guardians, or caregivers of TUSD-registered students. The program creates opportunities for all community members to expand their potential through learning and teaching the English language. Students come from different countries and have educational levels that vary from college graduates to those who do not read and write in their native language.

HOW TO SIGN UP

Please look at the schedule listed below.

1. Choose the location most convenient for you, then give us a call to sign up.

OR

2. Visit the center nearest to you and sign up in person.

Catalina Family Resource Center (Beginning Level)

Mondays & Thursdays | 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

March 31- May 22, 2025
3645 E. Pima St., 85716 |📱520-232-8684

Menlo Family Resource Center (Intermediate Level)

Mondays & Wednesdays | 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

March 31- May 21, 2025

1100 W Fresno St., 85745 | 📱520-225-2172

Palo Verde Family Resource Center (Intermediate Level)

Mondays & Wednesdays | 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

March 31- May 21, 2025

1302 S. Avenida Vega, 85710 |📱 520-584-7455

Southwest Family Resource Center (Beginning Level)

Mondays & Wednesdays | 10:00 a.m.- 11:30 a.m.

March 31- May 21, 2025

6855 S. Mark Rd., 85757 |📱 520-908-3980

Thank you to the parent who let us know about the many summer camp options at the U of A this summer. There are 13 different camps going on, each with a different timeline, cost, and focus. Some are geared for elementary students, and some will support past Cougars in middle and high school.

We want to highlight a few that seemed of possible interest to Carrillo families...

1. The Summer Literacy Camp is geared to support students with reading disabilities. While the cost is $150 there are scholarships available. Click the link or call Jennifer White to schedule a screening to see if your child qualifies.
2. The Summer Fusion Camp features science activities, arts and crafts, exploration of science exhibits, planetarium shows and outdoor activity time for kids starting second through eighth grade. Cost $395 per week.
3. Camp G.R.I.T. is a six-day, five-night residential camp where kids will engage in a variety of fun activities such as arts and crafts, hiking, GPS navigation, archery and canoeing, plus evening activities including campfires, a scavenger hunt and a talent show. Cost $600 with a $100 discount for early birds.

Check out the full listing of U of A Camps here.

Parents, we are asking you to help us spread the word. We are trying to raise $20,000 to fund next year's after-school tutoring program. We work hard to keep tutoring free so that we can continue to ensure that all students make adequate growth and that students are ready for middle school by 5th grade.

Each tax credit donation, no matter how small adds up.

• $400 funds 3 weeks of tutoring for a classroom.
• $150 funds a full week.

To hit our goal, we only need 50 people to donate the full amount. If every family can find 3 people to donate $25, we'll reach that goal! So if you can donate, thank you! If you cannot, can you spread the word to help raise funds for tutoring? Donors can donate online here! See below for how to complete the donation. Thank you for helping us keep tutoring free at Carrillo!

School: Carrillo K-5 Magnet

Item: Extended Day Program

Amount: Whatever they are willing to donate

Memo: Keep Tutoring Free at Carrillo

Thank you to Adrian at Big Frog! This year, when you purchase Cougar spirit gear, $5 will come back to the school to support students. The store has this year's "Growing Together" shirts for students and parents, as well as our classic shirts and some designs from previous years. Check out the store online.

The TUSD Mexican American Student Services Department is holding FREE Saturday academic tutoring by qualified teachers to help students with reading, writing, and math.

Limited space available for students in grades 3rd to 8th

When: September through May

Register by calling 520.232.8566 or by email.

Tucson Community Tennis Program is starting its FREE spring tennis clinics for students.

Who – ​Children grades 1st through 12th​

How Much - $5 donation for the semester

What – ​Tennis clinic with certified coaches​

Where -​ Pueblo High School Tennis courts​

When -​ Saturdays​, starting January 18th!

Time - 12 and Under - 8 – 9:30 and 18 and Under – 8 - 10*

*Please confirm starting tines with TCTP as they do start late on cold mornings.

Contact – ​If interested email: ​Stacy Renner or call 520-591-8904​

Parents, we are asking for your help with social media. As a reminder, most social media user agreements state that users must be 13 or older to have an account. Please take a moment to discuss the reasons for the age limits with your students.

Most social media sites do not allow attacks or abuse based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability or disease. Please encourage students to be socially conscious and report any accounts that violate those policies directly to the social media platform before blocking the account.

Attendance at school is directly correlated to student achievement, so it is extremely important they are in school every single day to be successful. Research shows that missing more than 8 days of school can cause significant gaps in a student’s education. Please try to schedule appointments or family outings around the school schedule and during school holidays. To help track attendance goals, we've created a "Path to Success" attendance tracker you can use at home to help us make our 95% goal. You can download it by opening the attachment on your computer.

A student is considered "chronically absent" if they miss more than 10% of the school year. Students who miss more than 5 days a quarter are considered at risk for chronic absenteeism. If your student reaches this number, we will be reaching out to see how we can support you in getting your students to school on time.

State law requires parents to call in to report student absences. Parents, you can now immediately report an absence from school using ParentVue. This reduces the calls in our attendance office and allows you to directly enter the reason students are absent. To self-report simply follow the steps below.

1. Log into ParentVue from App or Computer
2. Click the "Attendance" tab on the left column on the computer or on the App as soon as you log in the blue "report absence" with a small bell icon is there.
3. On the top right corner of the page it will have a blue link that says "Report Absence" click on this
4. Use the calendar to select dates and the drop-down for the reason for the absence.
5. You may also add notes or upload a doctor's note and hit "save".

Of course, you may still give Ms. Diane Quiroz a ring at (520) 225-1200 if you prefer. Thank you for reporting all absences!

**Students who attend Carrillo as Magnet students may be asked to return to their home school if they accumulate excessive absences and/or tardies.**

Did you know that all TUSD elementary magnet students are eligible for transportation if they live more than 1.5 miles from the school?

For more information, visit Transportation's website to see if your student qualifies for FREE transportation and to begin routing. We strongly encourage families to consider this option for this school year. It's a great way to help your student develop independence and responsibility. You can also call them at 520-225-6262.

Due to some budget changes, the earliest students can be dropped off is 7:35 am at 17th Street. The office does not open until 8:00 and while Ms. Bittel is usually on campus well before 8:00, she is often in meetings or other parts of the building and unable to hear the doorbell. From 7:35 - 8:00 the only safe drop off is 17th Street. Thank you for helping us to keep all our cougars safe in the morning.

Parent Pickup will continue to be at 17th street. Thank you for remaining in your car. We’ll be using radios and a loudspeaker to call for students this year in hopes of speeding up the process. Please note that the city has redefined some fire lanes that must be kept open along Samaniego with bright red paint. Thank you for not parking or stopping in those spaces. Thank you also for keeping the neighborhood driveways and mailboxes open as a courtesy to our neighbors. Thank you for your help!

We know that the 17th Street area can get a bit congested at pickup. To help alleviate the situation, the City of Tucson has installed new signs to direct traffic and changed the direction of Samaniego Street. The City of Tucson is requesting that families picking up on 17th Street exit the neighborhood using the following route.

• Travel west on 17th Street
• Turn south on 11th Avenue
• Turn west to access the frontage road or turn east to return to Main Avenue and 22nd Street.

Our neighbors kindly ask that you leave the driveways and corners open when you park so they can enter and exit their homes safely. If you do wait in your car along Samaniego, thank you for waiting at the bottom of the hill on the east side of the street so the roadway is clear for all vehicles and families crossing the street.

We are also asking families to arrive no earlier than 2:35 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and no earlier than 1:35 on Wednesdays. Parents of intermediate students, if you plan to arrive at 2:50 or 1:50, that will give the primary students time to load up and reduce your wait time.

Thank you also for being patient, driving slowly, and watching the road carefully. The streets behind Carrillo are narrow and we want to avoid any accidents. Our neighbors kindly request that everyone drive like they live in the neighborhood, and many of our cougars do. Thank you for helping us keep our Cougars and our community safe.

If your child is walking/riding home, thank you for ensuring the office has a note giving permission at the beginning of every school year. Thank you for making any pickup arrangements with your student prior to your student coming to school.

Stay current on our events by visiting our Facebook Page as well as the school website. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns please reach out. It is our mission to provide all students with a first-rate education in a kind and respectful environment.

Email the Principal
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Location: 440 South Main Avenue, Tucson, AZ, USA
Phone: (520) 225-1200

Mission Statement

Carrillo K-5 Communication and Creative Arts Magnet School engages children's minds, bodies, and senses using multiple modes of learning, thought, and self-expression.

Vision Statement

At Carrillo K-5 Communication and Creative Arts Magnet School, students become 21st Century leaders in a diverse world, through the development of a strong academic core, communication skills and creative arts abilities.