Mustang Bulletin

We are excited to have just completed our first full week of school! Our students worked hard all week practicing our school-wide expectations: Respect, Compassion, and Integrity. We discuss these every day on announcements and throughout the school day in all classrooms. Please talk with your child about our school-wide expectations and help them reflect on the positive things that they are doing at school to focus on learning, growing, and succeeding!

This week we have a family PTSA event at Statosphere Adventure Park! Kids can play and parents can also enjoy some fun playing Pickleball! Check out the flier below for more details! We can't wait to hear all about the fun!

I've provided some important facts about out upcoming Bond and Override election. These two initiatives have been in place since 1991 and are not a new taxes, just a continuation of the approximately $22 per month that is paid through your property tax. If you have any questions regarding the bond, please explore the information below and the links to additional information. We apprectiate your support!

Have a great week ahead,

Mrs. Schubert

Proud Principal

On November 5, 2024, voters living within the DVUSD boundaries will have the opportunity to vote on two initiatives passed by the DVUSD governing board for public authorization:

• Special Bond Election in the amount of $325 million to fund safety, security, instructional resources, technology, building renewal, conservation, buses, and student growth through the year 2029.
• Continuation of the existing 15% maintenance and operation (M&O) override. The 2019 voter approved override will be entering the phase down period, and vital funds (approximately $33 million) will no longer be available after December 31, 2024.

Learn what this special bond would fund at our Bond FAQ page.

Learn what the M&O Override funds at our Override FAQ page.

A bond provides funding for capital projects such as purchasing property for schools, constructing new schools, or modernizing existing schools. Bonds are sold to investors who are repaid with interest over time from property tax collections, generally between 10–25 years. Without bond funding, many major projects that focus on school safety, security, and growth cannot be started, often putting school districts years behind residential growth trends.

The continuation of the DVUSD M&O override is a voter authorization to exceed the amount of the budget otherwise allowed by the State of Arizona. This additional amount provides local support of instructional programs deemed important by the community.

• Maintaining Class Size

• Supporting Co-curricular/Extracurricular Activities such as Arts, Chorus, Band, Theater, Dance, Physical Education, and Athletics

• Supporting Specialized Programs for Students, such as Language Immersion, Gifted Services, online Education (Aspire), ROTC, Fine Arts, International Baccalaureate

• Funding to Attract and Retain Teachers & Staff

• Dedicated Funding Source for Free Full-Day Kindergarten, including transportation

• Supporting School and Department Needs

• Continuing Support Services Staff, such as Counseling, Nursing, Literacy, Instructional Technology

Our students in 6th and 8th grade share the cafeteria at lunch time. We captured some great pictures of them on Friday! We love our students!!

DVUSD heat advisory precautions are designed to protect students from incurring heat related illnesses or problems. West Wing follows the heat index chart (pictured) from the National Weather Service to determine heat advisory levels. In the event of a heat advisory students will receive indoor recess options. Please make sure your child has a labeled water bottle daily.

• Free Full-Day Program
• Dedicated team of teachers who truly care about your child.
• Special Classes offered every day including: Art, Physical Education and Music
• Before and After School care programs
• Last year, over 94.5% of our students graduated with more than $88 million dollars in scholarships.
• West Wing received an “A” rating (the highest distinction) for Accountability and Achievement by the Department of Education.
• DVUSD received AdvancED district-wide accreditation by the AdvancED Accreditation Commission, the most respected accrediting organization worldwide.
• DVUSD is one of the top districts in Arizona with the highest number of dollars invested back into students’ education.

We are excited to introduce a new way of reporting your child's absences. We have created a Google Form for your convenience. Please use this form anytime to let us know that your child will not be present at school. You can of course still call our attendance line if that is more convenient for you.

We all play a part in ensuring the safety of our students. Please comply with the arrival and dismissal procedures and refrain from parking in the neighborhood or obstructing traffic flow. The Peoria police will be rigorously enforcing all traffic laws in the interest of our students' safety. Remember, student safety should never be compromised for the sake of adult convenience. Thank you for your cooperation.

Download the new DVUSD Bus App

• Bus stop location and pickup/drop-off times
• Bus arrival notifications
• Messages directly from DVUSD transportation
• Ability to view the location and gauge arrival times each day
• Information to help parents feel secure about their child's trip on the school bus!

Make sure to download the Edulog Parent Portal App

Get Started with Edulog Parent Portal (2024)

We have switched to a new school picture company this year, Dorian. We are excited for this change and hope that you are pleased with the change. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office.

• We do not sign out kids 15 minutes before dismissal (3:15 is the cutoff).
• Phone messages are delivered to students at 2:30. If there is a pick up change, please call our office before 2:30.
• For those who are interested in volunteering in classrooms and/or attending field trips, you will need to attend a one time district volunteer training (class locations and times can be found at www.dvusd.org). If you have already taken the training you must come in to the front office to update your information. Volunteers only need to attend the training once for the entire time their child attends a DVUSD school.

Please be sure to bring your ID into the office when you check-in. All volunteers and visitors are scanned in and a sticker is printed for you to wear while on campus. Please stop in the office to scan your badge when you depart campus. Thank you for your cooperation with this.

6-8th grade girls, Mountain Ridge HS is having a fall camp. If you are thinking of being a manager for West Wing OR trying out for the West Wing basketball season. This would be a great opportunity to help you get ready for the Spring season. Coach Preston will also be coaching at this camp. Hope to see you there!

If you have a 4th-8th grade student, DVUSD offers an Optional Device Protection Plan. This plan helps alleviate some of the cost when a device (Chromebook) is damaged.

You can purchase it at https://az-deervalley.intouchreceipting.com/ .

You must purchase it within 3 weeks from the receipt of the device. Devices are handed out the first & second day of school.

Accidents happen, make sure you are covered!

I will be going to the 5th/6th grade classes on Monday to talk to students about joining Battle of the Books. Above is the list of books they will be reading for each Battle.

I will be sending how packets with them. Please look through the the packet with your student.

For the next month, our campus will focus on respecting each other's physical, emotional, and social boundaries. We are talking each day about respecting personal space, aplogizing when we make a mistake, and accepting apologies so that we can all learn from the situations we encounter in life.

• Treat others the way you want to be treated
• Communicate effectively
• Work together
• Listen attentively
• See something, say something

Monday, August 12th, 2024

• Day 2 Of Specials
• 11:00-1:00 - Chess Emporium Demonstration (During Lunches)
• 3:45-5:00 - Baseball & Softball Pre Tryouts
• 3:45-4:45 - Honor Choir Society (Choir Room)

Tuesday, August 13th

• Day 3 For Specials
• 7:30-8:30 DayBreak Chorus (Chorus Room)
• 3:45-5:00 - Baseball & Softball Tryouts

Wednesday, August 14th

• Day 4 For Specials
• 3:45-4:30 - 7/8 Band Conservatory Club (Band Room)
  

Thursday, August 15th

• Day 5 For Specials
• 7:30-8:30 - DayBreak Chorus (Chorus Room)
• 3:45 - PTSA Meeting

Friday, August 16th

• Day 6 For Specials
• 2:00 Early Release

During our 2:00 pm dismissal time teachers meet in together and we call these Collaborative Team meetings. West Wing is a PLC school (Professional Learning Community). Our 90 minute early release days support planning for student learning, interventions, and targeted support. This time is invaluable to our teachers, and our students, as it gives critical time to our teacher teams to design skill-based instruction and assessments, review student progress data, and design supports and interventions. Learn more about what happens in PLC at DVUSD.org/PLC.

PreK-8

Mustangs: Learn, Grow, Succeed!

Proud Home of the Mustangs!

An A+ School of Excellence

"A" Rated by the Arizona Department of Education

Deer Valley Unified School District

Attendance Line 623-376-5090

Main: 623-376-5000