Coyote Connection
Desert Sage Elementary Newsletter- December 2023
Upcoming Dates
- December 1-15: PTO Krispy Kreme Fundraiser
- December 7: PTO Meeting 4:30 in Staff Room
- December 8: Boys and Girls Club is closed in the afternoon
- December 20: Popcorn Money Pickup
- December 22: Unclaimed Lost and Found items will be donated
- December 22: Krispy Kreme Donuts Delivered and Popcorn Friday
- December 23-January 7: No School- Winter Break with Snowball Reading
- January 8 : No School (Teacher Prep Day)
- January 9-11: Return Snowball Reading to be entered for Prizes
- January 9: PTO Meeting 4:30 in Staff Room
- January 15: No School - Martin Luther King, Jr./Human Rights Day
- January 24: No School (Professional Learning/Collaboration)
Family Engagement Meetings at 8:15am (in the library)
- December 1
- January 12
A Message from the Principal
Hello Desert Sage Families!
Thank you all for coming out to learn about Math. It seems that everyone had a great time and we did a lot of fantastic learning. This is a great example of how high levels of learning for all can also be fun. Thank you for supporting Desert Sage and your scholars by participating in this event. Stay tuned for more events coming up put on by our Family Engagement Committee. Feel free to attend these meetings as well to give input on future events.
As we look forward to this month, keep an eye out for a PTO event which we are doing again over this winter break, the snowballs! Please encourage your students to read throughout the break to be entered to win some great prizes. I've heard it suggested that dying my moustache might be on the list of prizes so get excited!
Please also make sure that you reach out to our school Community Liaison, Rainbow Dye, should you need any support over the holiday. We are here to help.
Beau Dahlgren
From our Community School:
A thank you to Desert Sage families for their donation of clothes and food.
If you have any concerns about making ends meet, or need help with food or clothes please reach out to our community liaison, Rainbow Dye at dye.rainbow@westada.org
Thank you to Revive Church for Thanksgiving day food boxes.
Thank you to Albertsons and Cathedral of the Rockies for their ongoing support.
Attendance
Did You Know? – Missing 10% or just 2 days a month can cause a student to fall behind. Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school and about their own ability to learn. Good attendance is a skill that will help them succeed in high school and college.
Attendance Tips – set a regular bedtime, avoid screen time at least 30 minutes before bed and develop a nighttime and morning routine.
Desert Sage is doing attendance competitions. Classes with the best attendance and students who meet attendance goals will receive rewards. Standby for more details and announcements.
From PTO
PTO Thanks to You...
Thanks to everyone that donated to our Thankful Giving food and clothing drive.
Thanks for coming out to Off the Grid Pizza and enjoying some yummy pizza.
Thanks for making Friday more fun with an outstanding response to Popcorn Friday. We will be continuing making Friday fun with Popcorn.
Looking Forward...
Krispy Kreme Donut Fundraiser:
We will be selling dozens of glazed or assorted donuts in December. Look for the order forms to come home. Order forms and money will be collected on December 8th and December 15th. Donuts will be delivered to students for taking home on December 22nd. Join us in kicking off your holiday break with something yummy for you or you and the family that will be coming to town.
Popcorn Friday:
December 22nd is Popcorn Friday. Money will be due back December 20th. Each bag of popcorn is $0.50 with a limit of 2 per student. Keep an eye out for the form to come home for payment options.
Snowball Reading
Your students will have the opportunity to participate in Snowball Reading over the December Holiday break again this year. Their reading participation will earn them the opportunity at a chance for some prizes after the Holiday Break. Snowballs will be coming home with your students this month. When your student reads the amount of minutes needed for their grade they earn a snowball to return for a chance to win a prize. If you need more snowballs during break, you can print more off from the website, linked here: PTO - Parent Teacher Organization | Desert Sage Elementary (westada.org) Snowballs will be turned in January 9th - 11th during their lunch break. Some of the great prizes are a Nerf Scooter, board games, blocks and lunch with Mr. Dahlgren.
Donations for Jog-A-Thon
We are beginning our planning for prizes for our second annual Jog-A-Thon that is scheduled for April. We heard from many families last year that they or a business they work for would like to offer a donation. If you or someone you work for would like to donate a prize for Jog-A-Thon, please reach out to us at desertsagepto25@gmail.com
Another Way to Donate
If you would like to donate funds to the PTO to be used for activities such as Snowball Reading, Spring Break Bingo Prizes, or other student and staff activities for the school year but are unsure of how to; we have Venmo (QR code to Venmo included at the top of this message) .
Next Meeting
Come join the PTO at their next meeting, December 7th from 4:30-5:30.
Our January meeting is January 9th from 4:30-5:30. If you can't come to the meeting but have time to volunteer or have questions or suggestions please email desertsagepto25@gmail.com
FROM PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS...
Breakfast and Lunch services
Birthday Celebrations
At Desert Sage, we want families to have the opportunity to celebrate their child's birthday at school in ways that fall within West Ada School District's Wellness Policy. To ensure that you are able to plan accordingly, please note the following:
- Birthday celebrations will happen the last Friday of the month. Please consider sending non-food items such as a favorite book to be read, a game to be played, or donating a book/game to the class in your child's name.
- If the teacher is accepting food for monthly celebrations, healthy options must be included. It is the teachers discretion whether or not to accept any food and to coordinate the inclusion of healthy options.
For more information regarding the Wellness Policy, click on the following link: Wellness Policy
Student Drop-off Times
- K-5 (M/T/Th/F): 8:45-9:05am*
- Wednesday K-5: 9:00-9:20am*
- AM Preschool (M-Th): 9:00am
- PM Preschool (M-Th): 12:55pm
*There is no adult supervision outside of these drop-off times. Please do not drop off students before the indicated times. Students are to go to the playground and line-up when the bell rings. If a student arrives after the drop-off times, they will need to enter through the office.
Breakfast is served starting at 8:45am every day except for Wednesdays when it is served starting at 9:00am.
All West Ada elementary schools are closed campuses, meaning parents and community members are not allowed to enter campus without checking in at the front office when students are present. Parents are asked not to access classrooms and hallways for the first two weeks of school as we build routines for students. Therefore, please be sure to drop off your child outside of the campus gates that access the playground or in front of the school.
For the elementary school bell schedule, click here: Bell schedule
Important Safety Information
- All roads surrounding Desert Sage are 20 mph speed limit.
- On school grounds, speed limit is 10 mph or slower as traffic allows.
- Use the loop at the front of the school for drop-off and pick-up of students. The back of the school building is reserved for staff parking and school buses only.
- There is no double-parking or double drop-off/pick-up. Students must be dropped off and picked up at the curb. All drivers need to stay in the line and continuously pull forward so as not to leave any gaps in the line. Other cars will follow in line and move forward as the line moves.
- Do not pass other cars in drop-off/pick-up area. Please wait patiently in the line until the car ahead of you moves.
- Do not block crosswalks.
- Have student ready to exit the car immediately.
- If you need to get out of your vehicle, please park in the marked spaces in the parking lot. Do not park in the loop or in the daycare line.
- Unless your vehicle is clearly defined as being qualified to use the handicap parking, please be aware and refrain from parking or sitting in your car in these spots. Signs are posted as a reminder.
- Keep the area directly in front of the gate at parent pick-up clear so students can exit the gate and navigate to their parent/guardian.
- Please cross at the crosswalks.
- When conditions are wet/snowy/icy, please slow down and plan on additional time.
- Please refrain from using/checking your cell phone while in the drop-off/pick-up line.
We appreciate your help in keeping our students safe!
Visitor Check-in Procedures
We also want to make all of our families aware that pets are not allowed on campus when students are present.
Thank you for helping us keep our students safe!
Student Absences
If your child will be absent from school, we ask that you please call our attendance line at (208) 350-4021 by 9:30am and leave a message with your child's name, date(s) of absence, and reason for absence.
End-of-Day Transportation Change?
Desert Sage Elementary
Website: https://www.westada.org/desertsage
Location: 9325 West Mossywood Drive, Boise, ID, USA
Phone: (208) 350-4020
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/desertsageelementary/