Terramar Times
2023-2024 School Year
November/December NEWSLETTER
School Letter Grades Are Out--- Terramar is an "A" School as rated by Arizona Department of Ed
What do school letter grades measure?
The grades measure five factors: student growth from year to year, proficiency on statewide assessments, English language proficiency and growth, preparedness for high school among elementary students, preparedness for post-secondary settings among high school students, and high school graduation rates.
Where can I find a school's letter grade?
While letter grades are "important considerations" for parents when selecting a school, they're not the only indicators of a school's performance. Things like school programs and extracurriculars.
Additional information about schools can be found at https://azreportcards.azed.gov/.
Letter grades can be found at https://azsbe.az.gov/parents/a-f-school-letter-grades.
Important Dates- November
Important Dates:
11/01-Candy for the Troops Begins
11/02-Future Kinder Preview Night 4:45pm (Media Center)
11/03-Early Release K-1st: 1:20pm 2nd-8th: 1:30pm
6th/7th/8th Dance 5:30pm
11/06-Volleyball Tryouts Begin
11/08-Veterans Day Assembly
11/10-No School for Veterans Day
11/13-Middle School Honor Choir at Sandra Day O’Connor HS
11/14-PTSA Turkey Bingo at 6:30pm
11/16-Thanksgiving Feast Day
Band Concert 5pm
11/17-Early Release K-1st: 1:20 2nd-8th: 1:30pm
11/20 to 11/24-No School for Thanksgiving Break
11/30-Choir Concert for K-6 6:30pm
12/1-Early Release K-1st: 1:20 2nd-8th: 1:30pm
12/5-PTSA Sonic Night
Volunteer Training 3:30pm Media Center
12/6-Volleyball Home game vs Gavilan Peak
12/7-Volleyball Home vs West Wing
12/8-Early Release K-1st: 1:20 2nd-8th: 1:30pm
12/11 to 12/15-Spirit Week
12/11-Choir Concert 7th/8th 6:30pm
12/12-Volleyball Away at Sierra Verde
PTSA Talent Show 6pm
12/15- HALF DAY RELEASE 11:25 K/1 11:35 2ND-8TH
12/18 to 01/02-Winter Break
Lunch Times for November 16th
Are you wanting to eat school Thanksgiving lunch with your student?
November 7th Bond and Overrride Election Information
The total cost of the override for homeowners is a continuation of $21.27 per month property tax on the average assessed home value. Your taxes will NOT increase as a result of passage of this override.
Without your support, the district will have to reduce the operational budget by over $10 million each of the next three years of the phase down. Passage of the override will ensure that your District will avoid cutting elective classes, programs, and services that directly benefit students and positively impact our community. Supporting the override will allow the continuation of quality educational programs for our students.
Funding for Student Safety Special Bond Election
The Deer Valley Unified School District’s Governing Board called for a 2023 Special Bond Election in the amount of $325,000,000 to fund safety, security, instructional resources, technology, building renewal, conservation, buses and student growth through the year 2029. The total cost is $15.12 per month on average assessed home value.
This funding is being structured to NOT INCREASE the projected tax levy.
Click on image above for more information
CELL PHONE POLICY
Terramar PTSA Information
Hello Terramar Community,
Our Fall Step it up fundraiser wrapped up last week and you all brought it! We were able to raise $61,538. This fundraiser keeps our programs going throughout the year. Thank you for your support.
Speaking of programs, we have a lot happening in the next few weeks. We are excited to see you there. Volunteer if you can.
- Day of Awesome, November 2nd: volunteer here
- Titan Store; November 1st - November 3rd: Volunteers needed
- Terramar's Got Talent Show: Auditions due November 3rd.
- Veterans Day Ceremony and Breakfast: November 8th. Volunteers needed.
- Turkey Bingo (see flier), November 14th: Volunteer here
- Thanksgiving Lunch at Terramar Cafeteria: Thursday, November 16th: Volunteers needed.
- Donation needs: If you can provide any of these items, that supports our programs directly.
- If you are looking to take a more active roll in the PTSA, let us know.
- Visit our website
- Visit us on Facebook and Instagram.
Thank you for all you do to support Terramar School and the Terramar PTSA.
Woody Mason, President
Miranda Woodward-Duran, Vice President
Stephanie Walaszek, Treasurer
Morgan Gaertner, Secretary
Library Corner
THANK YOU to our wonderful Terramar volunteers that helped with our Fall Book Fair! And a BIG thank you to all of the awesome Terramar families that came and shopped at our book fair. We appreciate you so much!
This year, we were able to purchase $727.00 in new books from the fair and earned $1,276.00 future credit to purchase new books for our library! The funds we earned will make a big difference in the library.
We are seeing an increase in water damage to our library books. The best way to keep your library books safe from water damage is to give your child a large resealable bag for his or her backpack. It can save you from having to replace a library book and will help us keep the books in our library looking nice.
Cafeteria Information
No outside food deliveries (no uber eats, grub hub).
VISITORS AT LUNCH MUST BE ON CONTACTS/EMERGENCY FORMS
If you visit your student during lunch, please understand the following procedures.
*We have two lunch schedules. One is for heat advisory/rainy day and the second is normal.https://www.dvusd.org/Domain/5834 They differ in times. Please call the office to find out which schedule we are on before you arrive.
*Lunch visits are in the cafe only. Not on the playground.
*Take note of the grade level lunch times.
*Sit at spot in the cafe marked "lunch with loved ones" with your student ONLY
*Food brought during lunch is for your student only.
*No sharing of home brought or store bought food at all.
*If you are staying for lunch for multiple children in your family and the times are not back to back, please come to the office to wait.
Q2 Ends on December 13th
The powerschools APP doesn't show standards. Please view grades on the website to see standards marked.
Additional Terramar Information regarding Late Work/Missing Work, and Reassessment can be found on our school website.
Click on image above for more information
Updated Parking Information
If you are entering the parking lot and drop off in front of the school, please follow the following procedures.
*pull forward along the curb to pick up students. You can idle your car in the RED fire lane. Don't leave big gaps
*enter on the correct side of the concrete drive break. One side is for RIGHT hand turns, the other is for LEFT only. Peoria Police will issue tickets for drivers who jump the right lane and turn in where the left hand entrance is located.
*student exit is along the BLUE/RED curb only.
*no drop off in parking lot spaces
*if there is no parking in the parking lot spaces, park at CCV or swing back around to enter again.
Dress Code for Students
Click on image below for more information
Need to pay for Sports or Field Trips?
If you need to pay for sports or field trips use this link https://az-deervalley.intouchreceipting.com/
Calendar Link
Terramar Website Link
Register My Athlete Link
Birthday Treats
No Balloons at Terramar
Birthday treats are to be a cookie treat that is a small snack for students. Drinks are not permitted (only water in the classroom) Pizza is not allowed.
There are two options for treats.
Option 1- Purchase the "Birthday Bucket" (TWO WEEKS IN ADVANCE) from the cafe using the following link https://www.dvusd.org/Page/65635
Option 2- Bring in small store bought peanut free item.
Birthday Items are not allowed to be shared during lunch time.
Check with teacher for additional allergy concerns.
Bullying or Peer Conflict?
WHAT IS NOT BULLYING? Adults must realize that not every unkind thing a child does constitutes bullying. For example:
Being left out is not always bullying. It’s natural for kids to have a select group of friends. Although they should be kind towards everyone, it’s unrealistic to expect them to be close friends with every child they know, and be invited to every function or event.
Experiencing conflict is not bullying. Learning to deal with conflict is a normal part of growing up. The key is for children to learn how to solve their problems peacefully and respectfully.
Not playing fair is not bullying. Wanting a game to be played a certain way is not bullying. Children understand the concept of sharing, and should take turns being in charge of the game.
When observing the unkind behaviors your child experiences, be sure to label them correctly. This will help you know how to handle the situation appropriately so that your child can learn and grow from it.
(Ref. Policy JICK, JICK-R, JICK-EA, JICK-EB)
Bullying may occur when a student or group of students engages in any form of behavior that includes such acts as intimidation and/or harassment that:
has the effect of physically harming a student, damaging a student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of harm or damage to property,
is sufficiently severe, persistent or pervasive that the action, behavior, or threat creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive environment,
occurs when there is a real or perceived imbalance of power or strength, or
may constitute a violation of law
SRR handbook 2022-2023 (pages 2-4)
Friday Early Release (Professional Learning Community PLC time)- Why do we have it? What do the teachers do once the students leave?
School ends early on most Fridays so that Terramar teachers can collaborate with other teachers at other schools who teach the same subject/grade on best teaching practices to meet the needs of all learners. Our teachers will compare student data with teachers at other schools to discuss best teaching practices.
A Professional Learning Community AKA PLC is the formal name for teachers meeting to share/compare data to make sure that all students receive the best teaching practices to master the standards.
There are four guiding questions that are answered in each PLC as standards are taught. They are:
1. What do you we want students to know and be able to do?
2. How will we know students have learned?
2a. What instructional practices will produce our best results?
3. What do we do if students have not learned?
4. What do we do when students have already shown mastery?
Please visit this website for more information on what is a PLC https://www.dvusd.org/Page/76959
Watch this video for more information:
Link for District Calendar
https://www.dvusd.org/Page/84757
Click on image above for more information
What is Top 20- Terramar's Social Emotional Learning Program
What is TOP 20?
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Top 20 Training provides effective strategies and practices to develop potential, eliminate negativity, address challenges, and enhance the culture in schools, at home, and in the workplace through one-of-a-kind, live and on-line trainings, books, journals, and curriculum.
This month in class during our Top 20 time middle school is continuing to focus on “The Line”. Within “The Line” we are working on “Do You See or Are You Blind” These lessons help our students see things differently and help them understand that every situation has a different perspective. The way we see a situation can influence the outcome. For Kindergarten through 6th grade your child will be learning about Star Qualities.They should be able to understand the definition of EQ/IQ . They are also learning how developing our Star Qualities is important, and what valuable Star Quality are. Below are a few Dinner discussions questions you can have with your child to bring Top20 home and help your child use it in all aspects of their day.
Middle school dinner discussion questions:
How can you apply the lesson “Do you see or are you blind” into your daily life?
Did the lesson help you with something in school last week?
Kindergarten-6th grade dinner discussion questions:
What does EQ mean? What does IQ mean?
What are some of your star qualities? How do they help you in school or at home?
December
This month in class during our Top 20 time middle school is learning how to respond to hits. The students are learning that negative, random, or unexpected things will happen in life and how to respond to those hits. Our Kindergarten through 6th grade are learning about “Other People Opinion’s”(OPO) and how to know our true self and how to respond to OPO’s. Below are a few dinner questions you can have with your child to bring Top20 home and help your child use it in all aspects of their day.
Middle school dinner discussion questions:
What ways have you learned to respond to hits? What are some things that would be considered a hit?
Kindergarten-6th grade dinner discussion questions:
What are OPO’s? What are you supposed to do with OPO’s?
TITAN weekly and monthly winners!
Be A Titan-- Positive Behavior Intervention System
Titan Passport
The Titan Passport was designed to represent a structured behavior program designed for students in Kindergarten through 8th grade. The Titan Passport is a communication tool between school and home that shares positive interactions and infractions on students’ behavior while on campus. Students have the opportunity to earn monthly rewards based on their positive behavior at school.
The Titan passport will be utilized during all classes, to give students the reinforcement of positive behaviors and reminders of school expectations. The passports are designed to travel between home and school, to give parents an idea on how students are performing behaviorally. Each teacher/administrator has the right to use his/her professional judgment to modify this plan for individual students as needed.
Titan Passports are utilized on a monthly basis, students will have the opportunity to restart each month earning positives and infractions. For the first few months students will be given grace and patience with lost and/or damaged cards. After the 1st quarter, students will be charged $0.50 for each replacement card and will also receive an infraction for not being prepared. For every 3 infractions students will receive a lunch detention. If teachers are seeing that students are earning more infractions than positives, they will work with administration to determine if the Passport is right for the student.
At the end of every month, students will have the opportunity to turn their passports points into prizes at the Titan Store. Identifiable points are Positives - Infractions = Final Points. In addition to the Titan Store, some grade levels have identified “extra rewards” for those students who meet a specific point value. The school will also hold random days to celebrate students’ positive achievements.
The Passports will be collected by the school to review any trends, analyze the data, and determine outcomes that can help identify necessary positive interventions for the campus.
Physical/verbal aggression, theft, vandalism, threatening acts, fighting, or any other major infraction listed in the DVUSD Student Rights and Responsibilities Handbook will warrant bypassing the Titan Passport guidelines and will result in immediate consequences.