Hawk Happenings
May 23, 2022
Principal's Message
We've had a busy and fun last month of school! From the return of Night of the Arts, to Field Trips (on and off site), the unveiling of our newest 6th grade sculpture (see below), 4th Quarter SOAR Awards, to our Millionaire Celebration and End of Year Bash! What a great way to end the school year! Thank you for your support throughout the year. We wish you all a safe, restful, and joy-filled summer break. Please watch your email over the summer for information regarding the start of school, and all the activities we have planned for 2022-23. Take care!
Upcoming Important School Dates
- 5/26 6th Grade Clap Out
- 5/26 Early Release 12:30 - Last Day of School!
August 8th
- Back to School Social 9 AM
August 9th
- 1st Day of school
August 15th
- Curriculum Night
6th Grade Class of 2022
Kelly Buenker, 6th Grade Artist
What a wonderful district partnership with DTES and PVHS!
Title: Our Future Is Brighter Together
Theme: Our Future
“Throughout life, everyone can have their own hoops to jump through and their own challenges to overcome. Although we are all different, we are also all human beings who deserve tolerance and acceptance. This statue represents that even when you are feeling lost and hopeless, success and happiness can always be achieved if we express care and teamwork. If we all trust each other and collaborate, we can more effectively fulfill our goals. Together, we can reach for the stars and together, we can achieve anything.”
Health Office
As another school year winds down, this letter is to advise that your child has medication in the health office. In accordance with the Arizona School Health Guidelines Manual for Registered Nurses and for safety purposes, the district encourages the parent/guardian to personally pick up any medication, including over-the-counter medications, by the last day of school.
Additionally, in accordance with the district’s School Year Medication Record/Permission form and the Handbook of Policies, Procedures, and Guidelines for PVUSD Health Services, any medication that is not picked up on the last day of school shall be discarded. Please contact the health office with any questions. 602-449-4103.
Thank you and have a wonderful summer!
Cate Walter, DTES Nurse
EduKit School Supplies
ORDER BY JUNE 15, 2022 FOR BEST PRICING AND FREE SHIPPING.
Desert Trails Elementary School offers the EduKit program as a convenient option for busy families to order school supplies for the 2022/2023 year. EduKits include the supplies approved by our school.
Your student's order will be delivered by the Welcome Back Social, the day before school starts.
Extended ordering is available from June 16 - July 10 for an additional fee and will be delivered to your home shortly before school begins.
Staffing Updates
Movement-
1st Grade- Mrs. Jones will be moving up from SCG Kindergarten
5th Grade - Ms. Prescott will be moving up from 4th into the 5th grade ELA position.
Ms. Weiner will be moving into the SEL role full time.
Ms. Nilsen is staying at Desert Trails in the Self-Contained Preschool!
In addition to her .5 ELL position, Ms. McRae will be taking on the new role of .5 Math Specialist/Interventionist
Goodbyes-
Mrs. Nasr and Mrs. Gentry will be staying home with their newborns. Mrs. Cook is moving back home to Illinois, Ms. Frank is moving to Texas, and Mrs. Smirnoff is heading out of the country to care for her mother. Mrs. Tait will be teaching Kindergarten at North Ranch Elementary school. Mrs. Tilburt is looking forward to traveling, while Ms. Coppola and Ms. Droge are both stepping away from the teaching profession (hopefully only temporarily!) Nurse Cate is considering stepping back into the classroom. We wish all of them well in their new adventures!
Additions- We have several new additions to our Desert Trails family next year.. Please join me in welcoming them!
Kylie Hodgeson- Self-Contained Gifted Kindergarten
My name is Kylie Hodgson and I am so excited to join the Desert Trails family! I have taught 1st Grade for 4 years as the gifted cluster teacher, and I absolutely love the primary grades. The connections I make with my students are so special to me, and the littles are always so excited about learning. I am also part of the Center for Teacher Development (CTD) program here in PV, where new or developing teachers can observe my instruction and classroom management practices. Also, I am proud to be graduating with my masters in educational leadership this May!
In my free time I love to take indoor cycling classes and read! One of my favorite hobbies is taking care of my houseplants. I have quite the collection, and I am so obsessed with learning how to make each of my plants successful.
I am looking forward to making connections with all of the Desert Trails families this fall!
Christy Mauk - 1st Grade
Hello!! My name is Christy Mauk and I am so excited to be joining the Desert Trails team as a 1st Grade Teacher! I grew up in South Bend, Indiana (go Irish!) and have been living in the Phoenix area for 20 years now. I am an empty nester and have three adult children, two stepchildren and am also a doting grandmother to two amazing grandbabies. We have four dogs at home who keep us on our toes every day.
I am very passionate about teaching and always seek new ways to improve and grow in my teaching practices. I have been teaching for 11 years in Kindergarten through Second Grade and love working with the young learners. I am looking forward to working with all of you and helping our students grow both socially and academically.
Misty Hoyt - 4th Grade
Hi! My name is Misty Hoyt and I am so excited to be joining the Desert Trails family this coming year! I am a proud product of the Paradise Valley School District. In fact, I am married to my high school sweetheart and together we have two daughters. Justice, who attends NAU and Taylor who is a senior at PVHS headed to PVCC this fall.
I'm going into my 10th year of teaching in the district and my 3rd year in 4th grade. I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Northern Arizona University with my Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and I am currently pursuing my National Board Certification. I absolutely love teaching and being with kids all day, there is no better job on the planet!!
In my non-teaching time, I regularly attend Broadway shows and concerts, go camping, and explore the country & world with my family. I am "slightly" obsessed with Harry Potter and love keeping up with all of the incredible books that my students are enjoying at the moment. I look forward to a wonderful future with the DTES community!
Lori Leyba - Resource
Hello! My name is Lori Leyba. I am a proud mother of Landon, Laine, and Elle. I graduated from Northern Arizona University with a dual certification in Elementary and Special Education. This is my first year teaching at Desert Trails, and I am excited to join the Hawk family. When I am not in the classroom, you can find me cheering my kids on from the sidelines, traveling with family and friends, and always looking for new adventures. My summers are spent escaping the heat in Northern Arizona, the California coast, and South Lake Tahoe.
Aimee Bolenbach- Gifted Specialist
I am an Arizona native and proud ASU graduate. I am completing my 27th year of teaching, including nine years in Scottsdale, two in Deer Valley, and 16 in Paradise Valley. I have taught all grades first through sixth including multi-grade classes and looping classes. I have been a gifted specialist in Paradise Valley for four years. I am married with two adult children and two crazy dogs. My interests include gardening, swimming, hiking, baking, music, and photography. I look forward to joining the Desert Trails community!
Judy Stefaniak - Nurse
I have been a nurse for 35 years. I graduated from Phoenix College with an Associate Degree in Nursing 1987 and finished my Bachelors of Nursing in 2009. I completed my Masters in Nursing in 2014. I have been the school nurse at Cactus View Elementary for the last 19 years and one of the district's Lead nurses for the last 5 years. I have been married for 27 years and have 1 daughter. I look forward to this new journey at Desert Trails Elementary.
Kindergarten - Announcing Soon
2nd Grade - Announcing Soon
Art - Announcing Soon
3/4 SCG - Announcing Soon
4th Grade - OPEN
A Note from the Gifted Department
Greetings, Parents,
Our Gifted Preschool Programs, located at Fireside, North Ranch, and Desert Trails, are currently looking to hire assistants for the upcoming school year. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please see the links below. If you have specific questions about the position you may also email Jennifer Kelly at jkelly@pvschools.net or call our gifted office at 602-449-2113 to speak with our administrative assistant, Jessican Lindberg.
Desert Trails
North Ranch:
Thank you,
Dr. Brulles
4th Grade In the Spotlight
Our next amazing Desert Trails Team in the Spotlight is…..4th grade! Introducing our awesome 4th grade teachers: Mrs. Tapia, Ms. Prescott, Mrs. Gentry and Mrs. Tilburt (3/4). We are so fortunate to have such a strong, fun and collaborative 4th grade team at Desert Trails!
Mrs. Gentry
Caring, Creative, Dependable
What is your favorite thing about Desert Trails? My favorite thing about Desert Trails is the community feeling. Everyone is so warm and welcoming and it truly feels like you are part of a family here!
When did you realize you wanted to be a teacher and who was your favorite teacher? I have wanted to be a teacher ever since I was a little girl! I was playing "school" everyday with my little brother for as long as I can remember. I always loved my teachers growing up and I wanted to be just like them! I had two favorite teachers growing up, 4th and 5th grade. They were my favorite because they paid attention to the things I was interested in and got to know me as a person, not just a student. I am still very close with both of these teachers and keep in contact with them regularly!
What is your best advice you would give to a student? Always put forth your best effort and do not be afraid to make mistakes! Also, do not be afraid to ask a teacher for help, we are here to help you grow!
If you could watch or play a sport or a game, what would it be? I enjoy watching basketball games with my husband! Go Suns!!!
Ms. Prescott
Silly, Outgoing, Caring
What is your favorite thing about Desert Trails? My amazing students and wonderfully supportive families.
When did you realize you wanted to be a teacher and who was your favorite teacher? I realized that I wanted to be a teacher in college when I decided to shift focus on money to happiness, so I changed majors and never looked back! Yes! Mrs. Haugner in 6th grade was my favorite. She was dynamic, loud, engaging, and no nonsense. She made kids want to work harder and achieve more! She made me believe in myself and see my potential and she did it with setting high expectations and showing us love.
What is something that might surprise us about you? I have 5 kids, love water sports like wake boarding, taught Swing Dance, and have been selected as Arizona Middle Level Teacher of the year two times after teaching 7th Grade ELA for 15 years!
What is your best advice you would give to a student? Always strive to do your personal best, ask questions, and learn how to organize and manage your time.
If you could watch or play a sport or a game, what would it be? I love watching my own children play sports. The big ones in our household right now are football and dance! I coached volleyball for years and love playing myself.
Mrs. Tapia
Kind-hearted - Tenacious - Charismatic
What is your favorite thing about Desert Trails? I love the unity of our school community!
When did you realize you wanted to be a teacher and who was your favorite teacher? When I was four years old, I used to teach all of my stuffed animals that were in my play trunk! My mother always wondered who I was talking to, but she soon realized my passion for teaching. She was my #1 encourager! Without question, my favorite teacher was Mr. Bill Stark at SCA. No words would do this great man justice.Not only was he a phenomenal Geometry teacher, but he never gave up on me. His strong moral compass, and unending devotion to all of us in high school inspired me to be the teacher I am today.
What is something that might surprise us about you? I love playing old country music while fishing on the small dock at our family ranch! And, if I wasn't a teacher, I'd be a singer.
What is your best advice you would give to a student? You are not alone. Your feelings are validated. When you acknowledge your mistakes, you grow. Set short and long-term goals for yourself. Then, achievement is yours! Everything else will fall into place.
If you could watch or play a sport or a game, what would it be? Tennis
Mrs. Tilburt
What is your favorite thing about Desert Trails? The students - kind, respectful and loads of fun.
Who was your favorite teacher growing up? I had so many great teachers growing up, but my favorite was probably my 5th grade teacher who wove environmental studies throughout the curriculum. She read the best books to us too.
What is your best advice you would give to a student? Be curious and cultivate friendships with lots of different kinds of people.
If you could watch or play a sport or a game, what would it be? Hiking
THANK YOU for ALL you do to help our students SOAR! Desert Trails is very lucky to have such an AMAZING 4th grade team! Way to go!
Desert Trails Staff Shout Outs!
Please take a moment to share your child's positive experiences in class and/or some of the fabulous things your child's teacher is doing. Your response will be shared. Thank you in advance for your submission.
PVUSD is Hiring
Potential candidates can view and apply for open positions at www.pvschools.net/hiring. If assistance with the online application is needed, please call 602-449-2000.
PVUSD Open Enrollment for the 2022/2023 School year is here!
- Open Enrollment form is Online
USNews Best Schools
I am excited to share that Desert Trails ranked #9 in the state of Arizona for Best Middle Schools (6-8th grades) and #21 for Best Elementary Schools in Arizona!
Best Elementary Schools in Arizona
PVSchools Website
DTES PTO
Desert Trails Elementary
Every Child ~ Every Day!
About Desert Trails
Location: 4315 East Cashman Drive, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Phone: 602-449-4100