Desert Mountain Hawk's Eye View

Fifth Grader River Hall and Eight Grader Cameron Grunet represented Desert Mountain School at the District Spelling Bee. Cameron placed 4th overall and will be participating in the Regional Spelling Bee on February 8th. Make us proud Cameron!

We are very excited to announce that Desert Mountain School is looking for parent volunteers to join our FFA Chapter Steering Committee. We need your help to research and create a proposal for an Agricultural Science Program for our Middle School! What is the FFA you ask? Here's a brief summary for the FFA.org website:

The Desert Edge FFA Chapter in Arizona raises chickens and donates the eggs to charity. Members of the Hernando FFA Chapter in Florida are restoring coastal wetlands. Each spring, Choteau FFA members in Montana plants a community garden. The Woodbury FFA Chapter in Vermont hosts pet adoptions in their hometown.

FFA chapters like these all across the nation grow leaders. They strengthen communities. And they support the local agriculture industry. An FFA chapter is the student organization arm of a school-based agricultural education program. That’s why FFA is considered intracurricular and not a “club.” Students learn about an area of agriculture that interests them, then they gain hands-on experience in that field through FFA.

For students interested in science and research.: The National FFA Agriscience Fair recognizes students who gain real-world, hands-on experiences in agricultural enterprises. Students use scientific principles and emerging technologies to solve complex problems related to agriculture, food, and natural resources.

What could this mean for the students at DMS? More hands-on experiences, more field trips to local businesses, more leadership opportunities and greater connections within our community! If you, or someone you know in the Agri-Science Industry, may be interested in serving on the DMS FFA Steering Committee, please contact Mrs. Gillett molly.gillett@dvusd.org

This month we say farewell to Mrs. Sue Morgan as she retires from teaching to move with her husband to Harris Ranch in California. Here's a brief snippet from her farewell message:

As I retire after 13 rewarding years at Desert Mountain, I want to express my deepest gratitude. Your support, camaraderie, and joy have made this journey unforgettable. While I will miss our daily interactions, I look forward to staying connected. Thank you for being an integral part of my teaching journey.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Sue Morgan

Please join me in saying thank you to Mrs. Morgan for everything she has done to make Desert Mountain the most amazing school for our students!

*Mrs. Morgan will return to campus in May to celebrate the end of the school year and join staff as we promote our 8th grade students to high school.

Deer Valley Unified School District is in the process of constructing a new 3,000 square foot vehicle service center at our Northern Services Center (adjacent to Desert Mountain School) located at 35959 N. 7th Avenue, Desert Hills, AZ. This facility will enhance efficiencies in how the bus fleet is maintained. Construction is scheduled to commence in January 2024 with a target completion of June 2024.

For project related questions, please contact: Jim Migliorino, Deputy Superintendent, Fiscal and Business Services email: jim.migliorino@dvusd.org

Feb. 2th: Flag Pole Assembly

Feb. 5-9th: Parent Teacher Conferences

Feb. 8-16th: Book Fair

Feb. 10th: Cross Country Championships @ BCHS

Feb. 12th: Volleyball and Cross Country Banquet

Feb. 12-16th: SPIRIT WEEK

Feb. 13th: PTO Family Dance

Feb. 14th: Spring Pictures

Students at Desert Mountain School have been tracking their data and are excited to share their progress with their families during Student-led Conferences. Please see your teacher's weekly email for sign-ups!

Please join us February 8th-16th from 8:15-3:30pm for our Winter Book Fair in the library. This season the Book Fair will not be open before school hours. Classes will visit the Fair on prescheduled days and students may visit with their parents from 3:00-3:30 after school ends.

SPIRIT WEEK is coming February 12-16th!

• Monday: Pajama Party! What's better than a pajama party with all your best friends?! (TBD: K-2 may bring their favorite stuffy to spend the day with them at school???)

• Tuesday: Yellow Out the campus! Yellow is the color of friendship.

• Wednesday: Wear red or hearts for Valentines Day.

• Thursday: Twin with a friend or wear a shirt with a positive message.

• Friday: Workout wear-because friends work things out!

Come celebrate Valentine's Day early with the Desert Mountain family! PTO will be hosting a family dance on Tuesday, February 13th. The event is free for all families and we hope everyone is able to come celebrate with the people they love the most! 5:00-7:00pm. Get dressed up or come in your favorite comfy outfit!

Please join us and cheer on our fantastic runners as they compete against schools from across the district at Boulder Creek HS Saturday 2/10 for the District Championships!

8th grade Averi Farsvedt has placed first in our division all season and is seated to bring home a solo championship title. 8th grade Grayson Levingston has battled between first and second place all season and the 7/8th grade boys team are on the verge of being District Champs for the 2nd year in a row. You don't want to miss this meet!

Boys and Girls Basketball

When: Tuesday, February 20th, 21st, 22nd and 26th. Dates may be extended if the coach needs more time. Where: Gym Time: 3:00-5:00, Students stay after school for tryouts. Students need to be picked up no later than 5:00.

Cheer Tryouts

When: Wednesday, February 21st, 22nd, 26th, 27th. Dates may be extended if the coach needs more time. Where: Wrestling Room Time: 3:00-4:30, Students stay after school for tryouts.

Students need to be picked up no later than 4:30.

To try out, the students need a physical from a doctor and Register My Athlete completed and approved by Mr. Booth. All forms can be downloaded from Register My Athlete: https://registermyathlete.com

Email Mr. Booth with any questions at dan.booth@dvusd.org

Who: Desert Mountain, 5th-8th grade boys and girls

When: February 12th and 15th Time: 3:00 – 5:00 (Student must be picked up no later than 5:00)

Cost: $15 per participant

Bring: Athletic clothes, shoes and water bottle

● This camp is designed to work on general basketball skills.

● In no way is this a try-out for the Desert Mountain basketball teams. DMS Payment Link

● The camp will be in the gym with the basketball coaches

Who: Desert Mountain, 5th-8th graders

When: February 12th, 15th, and 20th.

Time: 3:00 – 4:30 (Student must be picked up no later than 4:30)

Cost: $15 per participant

Bring: Athletic clothes and shoes and water bottle

● This camp is designed to work on general cheer skills.

● In no way is this a try-out for the Desert Mountain cheer teams. DMS Payment Link

● The camp will be in the wrestling room with the DMS Cheer Coach

Be part of a winning team, learn new skills and test your limits! Join the Boulder Creek Middle School Track and Field Program! Mandatory PARENT MEETING Wednesday, February 7th @ 6:00pm Anthem Community Center Pioneer Room. All BCHS area schools (Anthem, Canyon Springs, Desert Mountain, Diamond Canyon, Gavilan Peak, New River, Sonoran Foothills, and Sunset Ridge) encouraged to participate.

Practices are 4:30-6:30pm Monday-Thursday @ BCHS

Please contact Coach Diana DeReese for more information diana.dereese@dvusd.org

Desert Mountain PTO is inviting all families to join the team! This year we are hosting our first membership drive since 2018. We need your support! To accommodate all families, we have two membership options this year.

• The "No Fuss" membership for $15: I do not plan on volunteering but I'll be attending PTO events. I'd also like to vote on how fundraising dollars are spent.
• The "Volunteer Membership" for $10: I plan to volunteer at a PTO event and I'd also like to vote in how dollars are spent.

Click HERE to follow the Desert Mountain PTO on Facebook.

Click HERE to Join the Desert Mountain PTO.

Upcoming Events:

Feb. 13th Family Dance 5:00-7:00pm in the GYM