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Desert Willow Elementary Learning for life and loving to learn March 30, 2022

AzSCI (5TH) & AASA (3rd-6th) TESTING SCHEDULE

AzSCI (Grade 5th)

March 29-30, 2022

AASA (Grades 3rd - 6th)

April 4-5, 2022

April 11-14, 2022

April 18-19, 2022

We have the AzSCI and AASA (formerly known as AzMerit) state testing coming up soon! Let's work together and make your child’s experience positive and successful. Here are some ways you can help:

  • Ensure that your child arrives to school on time and stays for the entire day
  • Schedule appointments and vacations around these dates
  • Enjoy a healthy breakfast and good night’s sleep
  • Remind your Roadrunner that this is just another opportunity to show what has been learned throughout the year

Your child’s teacher will be sharing the specific topics and dates with you at a later time. Thank you!

Please read the following letter from the CCUSD District Office

April is the time of year where many of our CCUSD students participate in Arizona state testing across all our elementary, middle and high schools. In all of our schools we take great pride in providing individualized instruction for all students so they can perform well.

We ask for your support during this month of testing with the following:

Ensuring consistent attendance at school--on time, every day (please avoid scheduling appointments for your child on testing days).

Helping them find a quiet place for homework and reading.

Maintaining communication with your child’s teacher through email or phone.

Ensuring 9-12 hours of sleep each night for your child.

Making sure your child has the time to eat breakfast.

Reminding your child(ren) to do their best every day at school.

We do provide testing accommodations for students who meet Arizona eligibility criteria and our counselors and teachers work with students who may have high test anxiety so that they can experience success on these testing days. We are looking forward to another successful testing season where we can celebrate how much our students have grown in one year.

Below is some information to educate you on the basics of the changes that have occurred for 2022.

Elementary students formerly took the AzMERIT to assess their proficiency in Reading, Writing, and Math. The State of Arizona has now moved to administering the AASA (Arizona’s Academic Standards Assessment). Students throughout Arizona in grades 3-6 will take the Writing, Reading and Math assessments between April 4 and April 29. Grade 3 students will also take a new assessment this year. ORF (Oral Reading Fluency) measures the rate at which they can read an unfamiliar passage. Students will use headphones with a microphone in order to submit their test online. Grade 5 students will continue to take AzSCI, a test measuring their proficiency in science, which includes standards covered in grade 3, 4 and 5. This test must be completed by April 15. Each school has developed a testing schedule that best meets their needs and resources available to ensure all students are finished in the window of testing.

If you’d like to practice test items for AASA or AZSci on the testing platform, please use this link to access the practice tests for your grade: https://az.testnav.com/client/index.html.

Thank you for your support.

One Team

Dear DWES Families,

I hope you and your family had a wonderful and relaxing Spring Break. It was very nice to return on Monday with a treat from our favorite PTO! Thank you for always thinking of our staff!

As we return to school, we are beginning our state testing. Our 5th graders took the AzSci test this week and grades 3rd - 6th will begin the AASA (formerly known as AzM2) on Apr 4, 2022. Please see the schedule below.

AASA (Grades 3rd - 6th)

April 4-5, 2022

April 11-14, 2022

April 18-19, 2022

Respectfully,

Brandie Dunlap

Principal

***Make sure you register to VOTE!!!***

THIS FRIDAY, April 1st, is our last POPCORN FRIDAY of the year!

Wear your DWES spirit wear this Friday and receive free popcorn from our PTO during afternoon recess.

Dear DWES 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade Families:

We are beginning to learn the Recorder in music class. 2nd Grade will begin next year. Recorder Karate is a wonderful incentive program where students learn songs and earn a colored belt for their recorder each time they pass a song. The children beam with excitement when they earn a belt, therefore it is encouraged for them to have a recorder to practice with at home. However, it will not be required to practice at home.

Your child has the opportunity to purchase a recorder for $7.00. If you choose to purchase one, your child will own it, but we will keep it in the music room for the remainder of the school year. It can be taken home over the summer and brought back to school next year. I am not requiring your child to purchase one for home, but if he/she chooses they may purchase two recorders for $14.00, (one for home and one for school). I will encourage them to practice at home, and they will want to practice in order to move forward in Recorder Karate to earn belts.

Please complete the order form below and return it to your child’s teacher or Ms. Trish by Thursday, April 10, 2022. If you write a check, please make it out to DWES. If you send cash, please send it along with this form in an envelope with your child’s name, teacher, and amount enclosed (no loose change please). Ms. Trish will also be available to take orders and credit cards in the office. If you have any questions, please email me at wgazo@ccusd93.net.

Thank you,

Mrs. Gazo

Child’s Name

__________________________________

Homeroom Teacher

_________________________________

Quantity _______ x $7.00 = ___________

Total = $___________________

Dear Families

Our Kids Heart Challenge Road Trip has officially kicked off! Don’t wait to get started! Click HERE for your Virtual Envelope to meet the KHC Explorers and heart survivor Finn, and see the cool thank you gifts your student can earn! Our goal is to have 100% of our students register online and take the heart healthy challenge to Be Active or Be Kind. Thank you for supporting our school and the American Heart Association!

NEXT STEPS:

Take the Challenge to Be Active or Be Kind on our KHC website or download the FREE Kids Heart Challenge App for Apple or Android and you’ll earn a FREE Road Trip Wristband!

Follow FINN’S MISSION in your HQ to learn Hands-Only CPR, how to spot a stroke F.A.S.T., and help spread awareness by connecting to social media. Complete Finn’s Mission and you’ll earn Finn’s Lifesaver Award!

Join our Virtual Road Trip! CLICK HERE to jump on board as we travel across the U.S. through daily activities for physical health, mental wellbeing, and tips to help others with special hearts!

Special School Incentives:

When we reach our goal of raising $7,000 in lifesaving donations, the top fundraising students will get a Pizza Party with the Principal!

Top Fundraising Classroom gets a Free Choice Activity in PE!

Green, Gold and Rainbows at Stem/Makerspace Club on March 17th

Principal's Challenge for March

Anonymous Tip Line

DWES prides itself on being a community school, and we are all responsible for keeping our schools safe and orderly. Please help us if you have any information regarding vandalism or other concerns anonymously at anonymoustips.com. It takes all of us working together to keep our students and campuses focused on our primary goal - educating students. Thank you for all of your support.

Our lost and found is overflowing with items. Please come check to see if any of the items belong to your student(s).
Warmer temperatures = thirsty students. If you are able, please consider a donation of water bottles to the health clinic for students requesting additional water during recesses.

KINDERGARTEN 2022-2023

  • To register online for 2022-2023 Kindergarten click here or pick up a packet in the front office of DWES.
  • Parents applying for admission to the Spanish Immersion program must turn in both a regular application and complete the Enrollment/Family Commitment form for Spanish Immersion.
  • Upcoming Future Falcon events at DWES:

April 13th from 4:00-5:00 PM

May 13th 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Attendance Reminder

If your child will be late or absent, please call the attendance line at 480-575-2800 and leave a message or email for Ms. Jennifer at jdennison@ccusd93.net. If your child arrives late they must be signed in at the front office by an adult. Students are late if they are not in their classrooms when the 9:00 AM bell rings.

DWES VOlunteers

6th Grade SI Cooking Video

Counselor's Corner

Click this link for information and tips from our Counselor, Victoria Markowicz.

Upcoming Events

CCUSD has begun a Baby Book Drive to celebrate National Read Across America Day! We're asking students to bring a New Baby Board Book to school and drop it in the book bin in the front lobby of their school. There is one located at each CCUSD school and the District Office. These books will be delivered to local hospitals and given to mothers of newborn babies, welcoming them to join CCUSD, beginning in Preschool. If every student brings two books, we could provide a book for every baby born this year in the two most northern HonorHealth hospitals in the Valley.

Upcoming Dates to Remember

  • March 29-30, 2022 - AzSCI (Grade 5th)
  • April 4th-April 22nd - AASA Testing for Grades 3rd-6th (Formerly AZ Merit Testing)
  • April 6th - Early dismissal day at 11:50 AM
  • April 13th - Future Falcons event 4:00-5:00 PM
  • April 15th - Spring Recess - NO SCHOOL
  • May 13th -Future Falcon Buddy Day 9:30 - 11:00 AM
  • May 13th - 6th grade dance at STMS 5:30 - 7:00 PM

The Cave Creek Unified Education Foundation’s (CCUEF) biggest fundraiser, Rock the District is at Harold’s Corral on Saturday, 4/2/22 from 6-10PM and tickets start at just $20 for General Admission. It is a fun filled family friendly night where local student musicians perform on a huge stage and totally rock out.

There are a few ways our families can get involved:

Attend the event, buy tickets here: www.rockthedistrict.net

Check out our SILENT AUCTION visit the site here: https://www.32auctions.com/RTD2022, where you can find resort stays in Maui, Hotel del Coronado, Arizona Biltmore, Yeti coolers, restaurant gift cards, shopping sprees, and much more! Plus our schools have created baskets (see below) for the auction, so make sure you bid on our schools basket!

Sponsor a teacher to attend the event with our Tickets for Teachers Campaign: Send a teacher to Rock the District, just donate $20 per ticket via PayPal (just click on the paypal link in the middle of the page and for every $20 donated, we will give a ticket to a teacher)

STAFF APPRECIATION

Click on the Signup Genius button above to support the staff with snacks!

Purchase your DWES Spiritwear

We now have adult DWES tee shirts for sale click here.

VISIT THE PTO WEBSITE FOR ALL OF YOUR PTO INFORMATION

Check our new websitehttps://desertwillowpto.org/

Like us on Facebook @DWESPTO

Like us on Instagram @ DWESPTO

RECENT PTO NEWS

Membership Drive: sign up here

Volunteer Your Time

Click here for the new and improved sign up genius for the 2022-2023 school year!

Meet your New 2021-2022 PTO Board Members:

President: Sandy Lacy - dwespresident@gmail.com

Vice President: Jodi Seitz - dwesvp@gmail.com

Secretary: Katrina Harrold - dwesptosecretary@gmail.com

Treasurer: Jenny Forbes - dwestreasurer@gmail.com

Marketing & Communications: Lisa Buelna - dwespto@gmail.com

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QUICK LINKS

Become a PTO Member

Click Here to Donate & Specify Where your Money Goes

Volunteer for the 2022 - 2023 PTO

View Upcoming PTO Events

See all fundraising opportunities

PTO Website

FUNDRAISING

Shop for everyday supplies while helping earn money for DWES! Here's how.....

Fry's Community Rewards Program- If you shop at Fry's Food Grocery Store, please link up your Fry's V.I.P. card to Desert Willow or enter organization number WM786. Fry's Community Rewards Program will automatically donate to DWES on your behalf from your purchases! Here is a link to Fry's Community Rewards Program to link your card.

Amazon Smile - is a simple and automatic way for you to support DWES every time you shop at amazon.com, at no cost to you with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to DWES. Select Desert Willow PTO as the charitable organization and every eligible purchase you make on Amazon Smile will result in a donation to our school Here is a link to shop!

Tuft & Needle - Need a new mattress? Buy one the easy way - online and with FREE shipping! Tuft & Needle has partnered with our school and will donate 25% back to DWES on every purchase. You can order through Tuft & Needle Gives Back or on the Tuft & Needle website and enter Desert Willow Elementary School, it's as easy as that!

Click here to see ALL of the unique and easy ways you can immediately help raise funds for DWES while you shop!

PTO PROUD SPONSORS

Nina Bella Photography is a local Cave Creek photographer specializing in families, milestones, and newborns. I am passionate about my work and having happy clients who truly treasure what I can do for them. www.ninabellaphotography.com

The Craftsman specializes in traditional, comfort food dishes with a global twist. Visit their website at thecraftsmanaz.com/

M2 Enterprise is a home remodel construction company specializing in bathroom remodels, custom showers, kitchen remodels, flooring, mudrooms, and more. Owned and operated by Mark DiGianfilippo, M2 Enterprise serves Cave Creek, North Scottsdale, North Phoenix, and Paradise Valley. M2 is licensed, bonded, and insured and offers free consultations. ROC #311513 #312046. www.m2az.com 480-256-8165 Follow us on Instagram at @m2enterpiseaz

Complete Eye Care - Comprehensive eye exams and high quality vision care for the whole family. 33717 N Scottsdale Rd, #110, Scottsdale, AZ 85266. 480-488-7007. www.completeeyecareaz.com.

Thank you Christofferson and Legge families

Click on buttons below
Dr. Cort Monroe - Superintendent

Remember to Vote!

Credits:

Created with images by Couleur - "japanese cherry blossoms pink" • zphoto83 - "Falling popcorn in box isolated on blue." • George Dolgikh - "Flute on black background" • Torbz - "hand writes chalk text on blackboard - lost and found" • Pineapple studio - "H2O water alfabet isolated on white background" • tatomm - "close up of calendar on the orange table background, planning for business meeting or travel planning concept"