Desert Edge Community Quarterly
Spring 2022
Rigor, Relevance, Relationships
A Message from Principal Hann
March 2022
Dear Desert Edge Community:
I am excited for the opportunity to serve our community as the Principal at Desert Edge High School. I have worked in the Agua Fria High School District for the past 15 years in many roles, most recently as an Assistant Principal at Verrado High School. I have enjoyed my Interim time at DEHS and quickly fell in love with the students, staff, and campus. I am honored that I have been chosen and gladly accept this role.
I am passionate about building on the successes at Desert Edge and narrowing our focus on high-quality instruction, impacting student achievement, connecting our students to their community in positive ways, and providing them with opportunities to find their path. I look forward to partnering with our families and community to engage students.
It is vital to students’ successes that we work closely with our families and community. I want to hear from you. Please join me on Thursday, March 24, 2022, at 8:15 AM for Pastries with the Principal in our library. This meet and greet will enable me to hear your thoughts for the future of DE and what you as parents/guardians want for your children.
It is our shared goal that the rigor, relevance, and relationships at Desert Edge High School remain strong. I firmly believe in the philosophy of leading by doing what is best for students. I am committed to your child’s success and am excited to be a part of the Scorpion family.
Regards,
Gretchen Hann
Principal
Pastries with the Principal
Please join Mrs. Hann on Thursday, March 24, 2022, at 8:15 AM for Pastries with the Principal in our library. This meet and greet will enable her to hear your thoughts for the future of DE and what you as parents/guardians want for your children.
Please click HERE to RSVP
Testimonial Tuesday
From the Counseling Department
Spring is in the air, and senioritis is flowing through the hallways. Many seniors are feeling the pressure of being close to the end of their high school days! It's a great time to continue offering support and guidance to your senior student on planning for what happens next.
The Counseling Department, including our College & Career specialist and EMCC advisors on campus, are continuing to support our seniors with applying to college, scholarship searching, technical school research and resume writing and job opportunities. All hands are on deck - it has been a rough few years for this group of seniors!
The College Consortium held a college fair on our campus and over 20 schools were in attendance! With the support of our teachers, students were able to spend time with recruiters.
We continue to have college, career, and military visitors available during lunch so that all students have access to find out more about how to plan for their future!
FAFSA completion is a mandatory component for college going students & families. It does require parent/guardian involvement. If you need assistance, please refer to resources provided on the DEHS website: FAFSA Resources.
ACT Testing for current Juniors will be held April 5th during the school day. Though ACT’s are not always required by colleges & universities, scores can set your student apart from their peers and often scholarships are awarded based on ACT scores! FREE practice material is available! Refer to the ACT website for test prep materials and resources. More information will be shared in the next Counselor Corner Newsletter.
Credit recovery is for students who have failed a required class. Our district offers a few options for students to make up classes.
Online credit recovery- counselors can help students get signed up
Summer School- in person at DE this summer or online at home this summer
Repeat the course at school
Summer school sign-ups will be limited this year. As soon as the registration opens, we will send out information. Do not delay- as soon as the registration is available please get signed up quickly! If you have any questions, reach out to your students’ school counselor.
Original Credit Opportunities: If your student is wanting to get ahead on credits, Edgenuity is available. Edgenuity is an online curriculum that is a self-paced opportunity for students to work on a class outside of the school day. If your student is interested in taking a class for original credit, have them speak with their counselor about Edgenuity.
Course Selections for next year's classes will be available for review March 2-16th. Counselors met with students to review credits and assist in choosing courses. Students & parents will have the opportunity to view chosen courses and ask for changes during this time. After March 16th, course selections will be finalized and schedules will be made. It is imperative to review your students' choices. If you have any questions please contact your students counselor.
As always, if you have any questions you would like to discuss please contact your student's counselor.
- A - D Mr. Vernier rvernier@aguafria.org
- E - H & 504’s Mrs. Bethel cbethel@aguafria.org
- I - M & Department Chair Mrs. Sears ksears@aguafria.org
- N - R & ELL Mrs. Padilla ipadilla@aguafria.org
- S - Z Ms. Hurley ahurley@aguafria.org
College & Career Center
Spring is in the air, and there are so many exciting college and career things to share.
Estrella Mountain Community College has been working with sophomore students who applied in the ACE-Achieving a College Education Scholar Program. This program assists those students in making a smooth transition from high school through college, and on to a university.
Our Grand Canyon University Representatives, along with juniors and seniors have been working together to completing applications, enrolling in classes, meeting admittance requirements, and exploring future opportunities.
Our Senior AVID Students completed a Career and Employable Skills unit, participated in a culminating activity, and presented to their classmates, and peers.
Universal Technical Institute (UTI) visited campus and brought an interactive high performance vehicle/motorcycle display which was available for students to experience hands on STEM activities, and take photos.
A College and Career Fair was held on campus with twenty five representatives available for students to gather information, speak with representatives, and learn about programs offered, careers, and military opportunities.
As we continue moving through this school year, it is exciting to see our students, families and the community continuing to work together accomplishing and achieving success and assisting our students with their College and Career Readiness, and look forward in sharing their achievements.
As always, if you need anything, feel free to reach out to me directly at kniko@aguafria.org
College & Career Fair
College & Career Fair
Universal Technical Institute
News from DE Athletics
Greetings Scorpion Nation!! Springs sports are in full swing! The Spring Season officially started on February 7, 2022, and our teams are doing great in the early season. The Spring Sports include:
- Softball
- Baseball
- Boys Tennis
- Girls Tennis
- Beach Volleyball
- Boys Volleyball
- Track & Field
We are very excited to watch our Scorpions compete this Spring!
Our Winter Sports Athletes had a wonderful season. We would like to recognize the teams for their hard work this year:
Girls Soccer
They ended the season with a record of 9-3, scoring 76 goals on the season, and made it to the play-is where they were defeated 3-2. The following Student-Athletes deserved to be recognized:
All-Region 1st Team
- Kayla Garcia - Defender
- Tatum Iler - Midfielder
- Valeria Llamas - Forward
All-Region 2nd Team
- Makayla Franklin - Defender
- Jesslyn Guerrero - Defender
- Jazmin Mayo - Midfielder
- Mia Robles - Forward
Your Region Co-Offensive Player of the Year is Valerie Llamas, and our coach, Malissa Iler, was named 4A West Valley Region Coach of the Year.
Boys Soccer
Our JV team finished the season 7-4, ending the season with 6 straight wins and the best record in the region. Varsity finished 8-4 and made the playoffs for the first time in 14 years. The following Soccer Student-Athletes deserved to be recognized:
- Cesar Feliciano - 1st Team All-Region
- Dominic DeBenedetto - 2nd Team All-Region
- Clifton Hodge - 2nd Team All-Region
- Gabriel Afrigana - Honorable Mention
- JeanPierre Fernandez - Honorable Mention
- Fernando Botello - Region Defensive Player of the Year and 1st Team All-Region
Boys Basketball
Under the helm of the new Head-Coach Andra Rogers, our Boys Basketball team made it to the playoffs. Congratulations Amahni Hunter, Amir Hunter, and Dominick Tarrant for earning Honorable Mention honors this season!! Amahni was our point guard and leading assist man with nearly 5 a game, Amir scored it well averaging 10 points a game and Dom did it all, landing in the top 3 in all categories. Congratulations also to Joven Allen on making 2nd Team All-Region!! Jo averaged 11 points and 6 rebounds a game!
Girls Basketball
The Freshmen/Sophomore team had a tough season record-wise but most of them hadn't played much-organized basketball before. They worked really hard and showed a lot of improvement as the season progressed
The Junior Varsity team finished above .500 and had a solid season. There is a large sophomore class and they will be expected to take on a lot of responsibility next year.
The Varsity team finished with a 12-15 overall record, 9-9 in power points contests, and 5-5 in region play. The team came together toward the end of the season and earned a trip to the state play-in game with the #23 ranking in the state. We were certainly disappointed that we missed the state playoffs but the girls gave their best effort.
Below are some individual highlights from the season:
West Valley All-Region Recognition:
- 1st Team: Christina Sausedo
- 2nd Team: DaVyne Johnson
- Honorable Mention: Anysia Gallego, Uzariah Imes
They also have 20 young ladies (players & managers) earning a 3.0+ GPA
Wrestling
Our Wrestling Team had a recovery year. In recovering ground that had been lost to the COVID pandemic, your scorpion wrestlers qualified three athletes for the DII State Tournament, including sophomore Jaylen Dawson.
Pom
We would like to congratulate our Pommies in a successful Nationals trip!
Over the past few days, Varsity and JV Pom traveled to Anaheim, CA to compete at the United Spirit Association National Competition. Both teams earned a bid to Nationals back in November and had the opportunity to compete against so many talented teams across the Nation!
JV Pom competed in the Novice Division and received 6th place in the JV Pom category! We are so proud of our JV Pommies as this was only their second competition they have competed in. Many of them just started dancing when they made the team. To see the amount of growth in such a short period of time has been a joy! Great job JV Dancers!!!
Varsity Pom competed in the Intermediate division and we are excited to announce that they placed at Nationals! While earning 10th place in the nation, they were also 1 of 2 AZ teams to have placed in the competition. This is an extreme accomplishment with being in such a tough category competing with many talented teams across the nation. This was one of the largest categories we have competed in this season
We have attached links to both performances if you are interested in watching:
- Varsity Pom - https://youtu.be/ksL9zEXwpYg
- JV Pom - https://youtu.be/UrQdnLVpgsU
Athletic Eligibility:
Keep in mind our student-athletes must be academically eligible to participate in athletic competitions. We run several grade checks to ensure students are meeting those requirements. Each grading period a report will be used to determine eligibility. Students who are failing any class(es) on the date of grade reports, will face a one-week minimum sit period. After that week, grades will be re-checked. If the student is passing the class they were failing, they are eligible. If they are still failing, they remain out until the grade is passing and the Athletic Department verifies the grades. It is important that your student contact Mr. Linn or Mrs. Keanini for verification. Please see the Athletic Eligibility calendar below for more information pertaining to Athletic Eligibility periods.
Athletic Eligibility Calendar
3rd Quarter Grades: March 4, 2022
- Mandatory Sit Week: March 5-11
4th Quarter Progress: April 13, 2022
- Mandatory Sit Week: April 16-22
2nd Semester Grades: May 19, 2022
- Credit Evaluation for 2022-23 School Year
Get all your DE Athletics information here: https://linktr.ee/dehsathletics
From the Library
We started out 2022 strong:
Scorpions completed 709 transactions in Sora (ebooks and audiobooks) and 343 Library transactions since January 1st.
Over 70 titles (ebooks and audiobooks) have been added to Sora. The Library has added almost 50 books and continues to purchase books regularly.
The DE Library Punch Card has been successful. Students check out books and collect stamps for awesome prizes!
The DE Library continues to add resources and would like to add more patrons, too!
The Library is available before school and during lunches/Power Hour.
Teachers can also give students passes to visit the library during class time.
Upcoming Events:
March is National Crafts Month - View Sora’s Crafts & Cooking collection.
March 6 through 12 is Read an Ebook Week - View Sora’s BookTok Recommendations collection.
March 21 is World Poetry Day and April is National Poetry Month - View Sora’s Poetry collection.
April 12 is D.E.A.R. Drop Everything and Read Day!
Find information about resources and activities on Instagram@de_scorpions_read.
Students can view Library resources at:
bit.ly/DEDestinyDiscover - books on the Library shelves
bit.ly/DESora - ebooks and audiobooks through OverDrive
Audiobooks, ebooks, magazines, music, videos, and more are available through the Phoenix Public Library. Get your ecard at bit.ly/ecardreg
Desert Edge Student Government
At the beginning of the quarter, Student Government went to Anaheim, California. On this 3 day trip, we attended the Disneyland Leadership Conference. At this conference, we were given the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes tour of what it takes to run Disneyland. The tour guides showed us around and different learning opportunities we can implement into StuGo.
Last month, we sold our Valentine’s grams for Valentine’s Day. Students had the option to purchase either a goodie bag or a rose lollipop for their friends and significant others. Our rose lollipops were sold for $1, which included a handmade rose made of colored tissue paper, a lollipop, and a personalized note. Our goodie bags included a variety of candies, temporary Valentine’s tattoos, stickers, and also personalized notes. We had success in selling out our items thanks to our DE students!
On Feb 26 we hosted our annual Winter Chill. The evening consisted of roller skating, music, vendors, and time to hang out with friends. This event is always a hit as the kids at the school love to roller skate around the school. We sold tickets for $10 at the bookstore and $15 at the door. We had a churro food truck and a street taco food truck.
Student Government started our last week before Spring Break with our final spirit week of the school year (February 28 - March 4). Our Spirit Days were fun and filled with students showing their school spirit. We had a school-wide assembly that allowed us to recognize the Spring Sports athletes and compete for the Spirit Stick.
After returning from break the Junior Class will continue to work on the preparations for Prom, which is taking place on Saturday, April 9.
2022 Prom
We are happy to announce the details of our 2022 Prom Reveal! The theme of this year's prom is: A Royal Affair. Prom will take place on Saturday, April 9, 2022, at The Phoenix Art Museum from 7-11 PM.
Tickets went on sale on March 1 in the Bookstore. The price breakdown is as follows:
- March 2-4: $65 each
- March 14-25: $75 each
- March 28 - April 8: $85 each
If you would like to bring a guest from another school, a guest form must be completed and approved by Administration PRIOR to purchasing tickets.
All class fees must be paid prior to purchasing tickets. You may check to see if you have any outstanding fees through Touchbase. Please click HERE to view a quick video that shows you how to check for outstanding fees, and pay these fees.
Desert Edge High School - By Department
Conservatory of Arts and Design
Throughout this school year, Conservatory students have been developing individual performances or visual arts exhibitions to complete their capstone. In the past, the Conservatory has had students create portfolios, choreograph parts of a musical, create student art classes, and research the psychology of music. The capstone is due on March 25, 2022. In order to evaluate the capstone, it is the student artist's responsibility to schedule a time with his or her mentor teacher. We are looking forward to viewing the completed capstone projects.
Thirteen Conservatory student artists are working on completing the Arizona Arts Proficiency Seal requirements. Students who meet all of the requirements for the seal will receive recognition at graduation.
The Arizona Arts Proficiency Seal celebrates students who demonstrate high levels of proficiency in the Arizona Arts Education Standards through personal expression and creative experiences in arts education programs.
Student artists who successfully complete the Arizona Arts Proficiency Seal requirements will have the proficiency seal adhered to their diploma at graduation. This achievement is a marketable tool for future job and college application opportunities.
In order to receive the seal, students must complete 4 credit hours in a Fine Arts program and or CTE Design, maintain a Fine Arts G.P.A at a 3.0 or higher, complete 45 hours in fine arts extracurricular activities, and complete a capstone. For further information please contact Mr. Williams at rwilliams@aguafria.org.
Conservatory Artists Featured at 2022 AFUHSD Fine Arts Showcase
Fine Arts
Band
Choir
Happy spring, families, and friends! Thank you so much for all your support in our Fine Arts programs. All our choir students are getting ready, rehearsing daily, and excited to perform for you starting in March. Please add these events to your calendar.
AFUHSD FINE ARTS SHOWCASE
Saturday, March 19 from 9 AM - 1 PM at Millenium High School
All five schools will feature performances and art displays throughout the day and this event is free to the public. Students from Concert and Show Choir, as well as other district choirs will be performing in the auditorium that day between 10:45 AM - 11:30 AM. There will be food trucks and a finale with all choirs at 1:00 PM. Please come and support our arts programs, bring your kids, your extended family, and friends for a fun Saturday morning!
Spring Musical: “The Lightning Thief”
March 31 - 7 PM
April 1 - 7 PM
April 2 - 2 PM Matinee and 7 PM at Performing Arts Center - DE
Many choir students are involved in this musical, both on and off stage. Production by Ms. Royal’s Cutting Edge Theater, I will be conducting, playing piano, and keyboard bass. Our pit rock band stars our band director, Mr. Traugott on drums, and our very own choir student, Elias Panduro Beltran on guitar.
Senior Honors Concert
April 27 & 28 - 7 PM at Performing Arts Center - DE
Come see all 7 choirs perform at this fun-filled event, which features songs from the ’70s as well as many from “Guardians of the Galaxy." Wear your favorite superhero costume, or outrageous disco attire if you’d like! We have a special guest teacher working with our student emcees and a medley to wrap up the show which may have you standing and dancing in the aisles. Of course, you may just sit and enjoy yourself as well. We will also be celebrating our seniors, many of who have been with the choir program since their freshman year. Tickets will be $5.00 at the bookstore and $6.00 at the door, but we do expect to sell out, so purchase your tickets early. They will be available in April.
Dance
Happy New Year DE families, we are so excited for another amazing year of Fine Arts at DE. The Scorpion Dance Company has been learning, preparing, and working hard in preparation for our upcoming Spring Dance Concert. Students have been working on technique, group dances, and class dances. This month has been full of new and exciting things in the dance department. We held auditions for our Production Number for our Spring Dance Concert and had an amazing turnout! We have a total of 70 dancers in our Wizard of OZ production number this spring. We have 5 Lead dancers and 65 Ensemble dancers in this 5 min 47 seconds dance. Production dancers are rehearsing weekly during Power Hour and making great progress. Our Spring Dance Concert will be May 4th, 5th, & 6th in the Desert Edge Performing Arts Center. Tickets will go on sale on April 25th at the DE Bookstore. Performance Dance dancers are also preparing for our 2nd Annual District Fine Arts Showcase being held at Millennium High School on March 19th.
Theatre
In February, Theatre II students had an awesome opportunity to be guests of GCU attending a production of “The Lady’s Not for Burning” by Christopher Fry. For many, this was the first time they have ever seen a “live play” and the magic of seeing their eyes light up in the glow of stage lights was brilliant.
Lastly, Cutting Edge Theatre is currently in rehearsals for our spring musical, “The Lightning Thief – The Percy Jackson Musical” based on the Rick Riordan series about a “half-blood” son of Poseidon discovering the truth about who he is and going on a quest to the Underworld to rescue his mother. The show opens March 31st with (4) shows running through April 2nd. Tickets go on sale on March 1st.
Tableau recreating famous “Washington Crossing the Delaware” painting
Theatre II students at GCU – Feb. 17, 2022
Rehearsal for our Spring Play
Visual Arts
Visual Arts Gallery Video
To best summarize and celebrate the third quarter achievements from the DEHS Visual Arts Department, please enjoy this short video that features student artwork. Our student artists are creating, experimenting, and producing dynamic pieces of art. DEHS art students are strong!
Art Show March 19, 2022
Please join the DEHS Conservatory Visual Arts students at Millennium High School on March 19, 2022, from 9 AM - 1 PM. Their artwork will be featured in the district-wide art exhibition for all community members to view. Please come out and support our art students.
Agriscience
Ag 1 classes have been learning about all the things we need to be aware of in raising livestock animals such as their perceptions, shelter needs, feed requirements, and management practices (such as climate control, castration, separating males and females).
Ag 2 classes have filled our greenhouse with plants they propagate from seeds, layerings, and cuttings. We plan to transplant many of our veggie starts into our spring gardens.
Ag 3 & Ag 4 classes started the semester learning some basic parliamentary procedures and how to lead meetings in an efficient manner. They then started welding - Ag 3 is learning Mig welding and Ag 4 is learning stick/arc welding.
All classes have been observing some chicks incubate and hatch in our ag room - we’re now the proud ‘parents’ of 32 chicks!
We received our Trout in the Classroom Rainbow Trout eggs on Feb 22nd…we’ll keep an eye on them as they develop from egg to fish!
Our FFA has been busy competing in Regionals in Food Science, Floriculture, and Ag Mechanics. We placed really well! The Ag Mechanics team has been learning a lot about solar power - as they have to design a solar-powered fountain for the competition. They have also been practicing their skills in electrical wiring, stick/arc welding, map reading, PVC plumbing, and much more! The Food Science team hones their skills at aroma identification, triangle tests of foods, product development, and food safety & sanitation. The Floriculture team is focused on making corsages, round arrangements, plant ID, identifying and controlling plant diseases.
Graphic Design
Graphic Design 1 students are learning how to design for target audiences and for different mediums and social media platforms. They are developing their skills in industry-standard software as they use Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to build the skills necessary to carry out their design concepts. They are currently focusing on combining photographs and graphics into single compositions using the tools and techniques they’ve acquired this year; applying their understanding of the elements and principles of design to create layouts for product packaging and social media advertisements. These students are also preparing to build resumes and showcase the professional skills we have focused on over the year thus far.
Graphic Design 2 students are working with one another to build communication skills and collaborate with their peers. They are focused on understanding different types of design briefs and how to communicate with a target audience, as well as how to present their designs to a group. These students are finishing up a project where they are expressing themselves through the design of a product and its packaging. The students will be presenting their projects to the class for critiques and feedback.
Graphic Design 3 students are building the skills necessary for a career in Graphic Design by working both with Design 2 students and independently on freelance projects while remaining on campus. Students are working with various staff members to complete work based on their needs; designing posters, banners, shirts, and program advertisements.
Interior Design
Interior Design 1 Students spent most of January learning about fibers and fabrics. They used cardboard looms to practice the three main types of weaves, plain, twill, and satin. They also did a burn lab where they tried to figure out what fiber a fabric sample was made from by burning it. The next two units were space planning and floor plans. Students converted a typical two-car garage into a one-bedroom apartment. We will finish out the quarter learning about architectural features. They have designed window treatments for a famous client of their choice, and are now designing doors for a character from the Disney movie Monsters Inc.
Interior Design 2 & 3 students have been working on The FCCLA Interior Design Star Project which is a scenario given to high school students across America. This year they have to redesign a home for a family of three with the following features: playroom/study for an autistic child, work from home space for two adults, redesign a kitchen to include an eating bar, and redesign the primary bathroom to have a double sink. They need to create a floor plan using the Chief Architect CAD program as well. They will finish off the quarter by presenting and competing in the class for spots at the AZ state leadership conference. They also made window displays for their favorite stores which were displayed in the main hall area.
Sports Medicine
In Sports Med 2, students learned about the psychological impact an injury could have on an athlete and ways to help the athlete through the difficult time and return to sport. Students also got to use common therapeutic modalities that are frequently used in Physical therapy clinics. These modalities included paraffin baths, slush buckets, and electrical stimulation machines.
Marketing
Marketing 1 classes are just finishing up learning about Product development, Channel
Distribution, and Product Service Management. They are working on a project where they are making their own product line. The students will have to create a Sports Product Line from an existing company. The students are going to present the project at our 1st annual Sports Expo and to the class.
Marketing 2: DECA is a club that helps emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management. We competed in mock trials, role plays, and interviews. Some of the competition events include BUSINESS MANAGEMENT + ADMINISTRATION, HOSPITALITY + TOURISM, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, MARKETING, FINANCE, PERSONAL FINANCIAL LITERACY.
DE Film/TV
The Desert Edge Film/TV Program just returned from the Student Television Network Convention in Long Beach California. This was the first time that DE had attended the convention in the last 4 years and the first time in two years that the convention has been held in person. On Friday, 9 students competed in a crazy 8 competition where they were given the them “Self Expression,” and had to create an 8-minute news show around the theme in just 8 hours. Then on Saturday, the students attended various breakout sessions by industry professionals as well as post-secondary educational institutions. On Sunday, the students competed in individual contests including News Feature, Silent Film, Short Film, Silent Film, and Convention Promo. Though we didn’t return with any awards, all of the students worked hard and turned in all their projects on time. The convention was a great experience and the students are excited to return next year with the knowledge and skills they gained this year.
DESERT EDGE HIGH SCHOOL BY DEPARTMENT
English Department
Wow, time flies! In the English department, students have been working with the new curriculum and are finally catching their groove.
Read 180 students are finishing the unit, “Money Matters”, with a culminating activity in which they will write a business plan. The business plan will include a business statement, a marketing strategy, a management plan, or a financial plan. ELL is preparing for the AZELLA test by reviewing writing, speaking, listening, and grammar skills.
At the freshman level, students are reading the short story "The Most Dangerous Game" and will begin an argumentative writing assignment with an emphasis on character development. English 2 is reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, focusing on how her cells contributed to numerous medical advancements. Junior English finished a unit on poetry and they are writing a literary analysis about how different poets used figurative language to express themselves. English 4 has been reading Frankenstein and they are currently working on a literary analysis regarding theme and allusion.
In AP Language & Composition, students are in the midst of a dialectical journal where they are reading an American novel of their choice and analyzing the rhetorical choices made by the author. They are also learning about how to recognize the elements of satire.AP Literature students have been analyzing longer pieces of fiction with a focus on characterization, structure, setting, narrative, and figurative language. They are about to begin their unit assessment for AP.
Exceptional Student Services Department
Mrs. Alarcon's first-period class celebrated Valentine's Day by cooking a delicious breakfast. Our budding chefs made pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, burritos, and more.
Mr. Lee's class has been on the move lately. They have traveled to the zoo and attended Brophy's Game Day. They also participated in a friendly game of kickball against Millennium High School.
Mrs. Alarcon's 1st Period
Mrs. Alarcon's 1st Period
Mrs. Alarcon's 1st Period
International Languages Department
Math Department
The DE Math Department is having a great year even with the challenges of COVID. Teachers are applying technology to engage students in learning with programs like Google Classroom, ALEKS, Get More Math, Socratic, Tinkercad, and many others. Students are utilizing this benefit of technology to further deepen their understanding and raise their performance markers.
Each of the areas of the Math Content Areas are busy working towards their Project Based Learning goals. These are designed to enrich student learning and further build the association of learning to the world around them. Some of the PBLs are listed below.
- Algebra: Computer Model math challenge involving polynomials. Food Recipe construction with fractions.
- Geometry: Consumer Retail Box Challenge that involves scale factor.
- Algebra 2: Continuous Travel Loop Project that involves polynomials. Buying a vehicle and using depreciations models.
- Upper-Level Math: Engineering Solid Constructs with technology. Statistical Problem Analysis of a Current Community Issue that involves testing a hypothesis with concrete sample data.
Our intervention program Math Lab and others have made an incredible difference in helping students who are struggling in math to become competent and confident learners. The Math Lab, alone, has provided over 400 students this year with the opportunity to remediate Standards. We have seen its impact in helping a majority of students who attend Math Lab to master the remediated standards. We are looking forward to the continued development of these programs and the positive impact they will have on the Desert Edge Community.
Physical Education Department
The Adaptive PE class recently competed in a West Valley soccer tournament and earned 2nd place! Our group also went 3-0 in a basketball tournament at Sunrise Mountain High School. We will be hosting a kickball tournament so we are currently preparing for that event as well as working on cardiovascular fitness improvements.
Our Personal Development classes will be repeating some of their favorite units in PE for the rest of the school year. These classes have participated in lacrosse, basketball, flag football, kickball, floor hockey, volleyball, pickleball, and ultimate frisbee over the past nine weeks. Students are also continuing to improve their cardiorespiratory fitness in preparation for their fitness testing at the end of the school year. In health class, students have learned about the importance of physical activity and the risks of living a sedentary lifestyle.
Strength Training and Conditioning and Advanced PE classes recently completed a week of maximum effort testing for the bench press, back squat, and deadlift. Many students were excited to see their growth from the beginning of the school year. They are now in a power cycle of training.
Sports and Fitness classes have participated in basketball and ultimate frisbee. Lifetime Fitness has been training hard as well as learning human anatomy. This class will be taking their hiking trip to Skyline Regional Park the week before spring break.
Try to get outside and enjoy the weather! The Physical Education Department wishes you a wonderful Spring Break!
Personal Development Lacrosse
Personal Development Lacrosse
Personal Development Lacrosse
Personal Development Lacrosse
Personal Development Lacrosse
Personal Development Lacrosse
Science Department
Science students are actively doing experiments/activities to give them tools and skills to investigate and solve problems.
Principles of Science
In Principles of Science, students are learning about components of living organisms. They argued whether viruses are living or nonliving based on evidence, and they are making predictions about how cells maintain homeostasis, or an internal balance, in different solutions. In their current lab, they are leaving gummy bears in different solutions overnight to see how water moves through a permeable membrane.
In addition to this, some classes used various sizes of potato cubes submerged in iodine to demonstrate why cells are smaller rather than larger. Their surface area to volume ratio is far better for the diffusion of nutrients across a membrane. There are more “doors” to get in when you have a bunch of small cells rather than one large one.
Environmental Science
Climate change is one of the largest threats to humanity. We explored how and why it is happening. We looked at data, which supports the claim that climate change is happening and that it is human-caused. The graph below is one that we analyzed. It shows that carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas most responsible for climate change, levels are at the highest compared to the last 800,000 years. This data was collected by analyzing air bubbles trapped in ice sheets that are hundreds of thousands of years old.
AP Environmental Science
The AP classes have performed some extensive labs/activities that explore agriculture, energy production, and aquatic pollution. One such activity had students burning food to calculate how many calories were in various types of food and comparing that with the number of resources it takes to grow that food. One of the student's favorite activities was a competition to design and test wind turbine blades to see which teams’ would produce the most electricity. AP and regular classes did this. Most used cardboard to create the blades. The winning team (Members: Jasmine Rodriguez, Jesse Ernest-Mpi, Isaiah Sesma, and Avante Williams) produced 163 mW.
Honors Biology
In Honors Biology, students created infographics to inform each other about genetic technologies as well as their implications in society. See some examples of their work here. In addition, they created brochures to highlight genetic disorders and how they are inherited.
AP Biology
In AP Biology, students have been learning about genetics and how we can use statistics to measure traits in populations. We found out which students have a gene to taste bitterness and analyzed whether M&M packages are distributed evenly by color to practice these computational skills.
Physics
Students built and tested a roller coaster using foam and marbles. This demonstrated the conservation of energy. Potential, stored energy, is converted to kinetic energy, energy in action.
Principles of Science
Principles of Science
Environmental Science
Social Studies Department
AP World History and World History students have been learning about the major turning points in history beginning with the Age of Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. DE students are hard at work determining the causes of nationalist movements and the push for independence in the Americas and Europe. We moved onto the Age of Imperialism to learn that the European world, including the United States and Japan, continued the old age habit of empire-building and how it set the stage for the world's first global war. This semester students have amped up their historical thinking skills by analyzing primary and secondary sources, responding to document-based essay prompts, and researching economic systems from around the world. It's been a busy quarter and most students are happy to be learning about modern history and how it's relevant to the world they live in today.
The US History team has spent this last quarter moving into the 20th Century. America is finally starting to look like the modern society that we recognize today as we learn about Teddy Roosevelt, US involvement in WWI, and the boom and bust of the economy during the 1920s and 1930s. In respect to current events, each class has spent some time discussing how historical events have led to the current conflict in Ukraine. APUSH students are training for the writing section of the AP exam.
World Religions kicked off the semester with students creating talk shows about the gods of the ancient religions. Students had fun writing scripts and "interviewing" gods and followers of the Greek, Egyptian, Aztec, and Norse faiths. We have also studied Hinduism and Buddhism and will be wrapping up this quarter with guest speaker Devinder Singh, as we learn about the Sikh faith.
Economics students in Mr. O'Malley, Mr. Greenwell, and Mr. Rizzi's classes have been learning about important economic principles such as scarcity, opportunity cost, and cost-benefit analysis. Students have explored current events regarding the impact of supply and demand on our prices and the impact record inflation has had on employment and real income. We have also analyzed the pros and cons of a minimum wage.
Street Law students are working through Evidence law.
Student Support Services
Upcoming Events & Dates to Remember
March
March 7: No School ~ Spring Break ~ School and District Offices Closed
March 8: No School ~ Spring Break ~ School and District Offices Closed
March 9: No School ~ Spring Break ~ School and District Offices Closed
March 10: No School ~ Spring Break ~ School and District Offices Closed
March 11: No School ~ Spring Break ~ School and District Offices Closed
March 14: Cap and Gown Distribution during Lunch
March 16: Governing Board Meeting
March 16: Blood Drive sponsored by StuGo
March 19: AFUHSD Fine Arts Showcase; 9 AM - 1 PM; Millennium HS
March 21: Graduation Speeches due
March 24: Pastries with the Principal; 8:15 AM; DEHS Library
March 31: Spring Musical: The Lightning Thief; 7 PM; Performing Arts Center
March 31: ASVAB Testing; Aux Gym; Juniors Only
April
April 1: Spring Musical: The Lightning Thief; 7 PM; Performing Arts Center
April 2: Spring Musical: The Lightning Thief; 2 PM AND 7 PM; Performing Arts Center
April 5: ACT testing - ONLY 11th-grade students report to campus
April 6: AzSci Testing - ONLY 11th-grade students report to campus
April 6: District Early Release; 8:15 AM - 11:15 AM
April 7: ACT Aspire/Practice ACT - ONLY 9th and 10th-grade students report to campus
April 9: Prom; 7-11 PM
April 13: Governing Board Meeting
April 15: No School ~ School and District Offices Closed
April 18: Work and Learn from Home day for staff and students
April 21: CTE - TSA Testing
April 27: Spring Choir Concert; 7 PM; Performing Arts Center
April 28: Spring Choir Concert; 7 PM; Performing Arts Center
April 29: Senior Scholarship and Awards Information due to Mrs. Niko
May
May 4: Governing Board Meeting
May 4: Spring Dance Concert; Performing Arts Center; 7 PM
May 5: Spring Dance Concert; Performing Arts Center; 7 PM
May 6: ESS Prom; 10 AM - 1 PM
May 6: Spring Dance Concert; Performing Arts Center; 7 PM
May 10: Band Concert; Performing Arts Center; 7 PM
May 11: Senior Honors Awards Ceremony; 6 PM; Performing Arts Center
May 13: Work and Learn from Home day for staff and students
May 18: MANDATORY Graduation Rehearsal; 8:30 AM; Main Gym
May 18: Class of 2022 Celebration; 9:30 AM
May 18: Senior Checkout; 11:00 AM
May 21: Graduation; 1 PM; State Farm Stadium
Please visit www.aguafria.org/dehs for the most up-to-date calendar information
DEHS Site Council
Want to be a member? Desert Edge Site Council is open to all parents and community members. The main focus is to exchange information about what is happening at Desert Edge High School between the principal and Site Council members. Members are encouraged to attend as we discuss things that impact our campus. Due to the current pandemic, no meeting is currently scheduled, but when a meeting is scheduled, the information will be posted in our Weekly Scorpion Scoop newsletter. Meetings are quarterly and are announced in each newsletter, as well as on our website. We invite you to join us as we partner in making Desert Edge a premier school in the West Valley. Thank you for your participation in education!
What the "Title 1" Label Means for Desert Edge
How the Title I funds are used primarily rests with Desert Edge. However, there are guidelines that must be followed regarding school spending. Title I funds can be used to improve curriculum, instructional activities, counseling, parental involvement, increase staff, and program improvement. In the past, Desert Edge has used Title I funding to provide tutoring, summer school, and supplemental courses in English and Math. Technology has been infused into the classroom in the form of chrome books, laptops, iPads, and printers. Class sizes have been reduced through the hiring of additional teachers, and extra instructional materials have been purchased to enhance learning. Guest speakers with motivational messages have been invited to the campus to make connections with students. As a result of Title I funding, Desert Edge has been able to bring valuable resources and supports (that it would not normally have) to its students, teachers, and parents.
Overall, being a Title I school should be embraced rather than being viewed as a negative representation of the student demographics. Desert Edge is flourishing and it is these types of positive programs that will help it achieve its vision of "All Students College and Career Ready."
Tax Credit Information
Support DEHS - Extra-Curricular Tax Credits Made Easy!
You can donate up to $400 and receive it all back with your Arizona taxes! It is so easy, and so beneficial to you, your student, and our school; that everyone should do it.
Here are some fun facts that will help you to donate:
- You can donate $200 if you are filing single or $400 if filing jointly.
- You can donate for the tax year 2020 up until April 15, 2022, Tax Day.
- You can donate to any extra-curricular club, participation fees, sports, and/or co-curricular activity fees.
- You can donate in installments. You don’t have to donate all at once.
- You can divide it between different activities if the student you are helping has more than one.
- You don’t have to donate the maximum amount. Donate what you need to, or you can afford.
- You can share the love and simply donate to any deserving program or help out any of our deserving students.
The easiest, and best, way to process your Extra-Curricular Tax Credit donation is to visit the DEHS web store website, print out the extra-curricular tax credit form, and come on into the bookstore at DEHS. Our bookstore employees can assist you in filling it out and making sure it is applied where you want it.
Please do not try and pay online, we have had the money go to places other than DEHS.
Support our students and programs by donating to our school. You can receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit and help out in a major way!! For more information, visit our district's tax credit page by clicking HERE
DEHS Parent Specialist
Please stay up to date with your students' grades and attendance through ParentVue. If you need help activating your account or resetting the account, please contact Ms. Koblinski at ckoblinski@aguafria.org or 623-932-7500 ext. 3160
About DEHS
Located near the Estrella Mountains, Desert Edge High School is the third high school in Agua Fria Union High School District, opening in the Fall of 2002. Desert Edge was the first "Green" Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) silver certificate high school in Arizona, and the fourth in the nation.
Desert Edge is an A+ School of Excellence! (2016 and 2020). The A+ School of Excellence™ Program is a comprehensive school assessment program that celebrates outstanding schools and brings to light the positive stories and successes happening in public schools every day.
Desert Edge has consistently been awarded the Washington Post's America's Most Challenging High School and US News and World Report Best High School in America. Desert Edge is the only high school in Arizona to earn gold medal status in the Beat the Odds program for the 2018-2019 school year. Additionally, Desert Edge was recognized in 2019 for building "a college-going community" with The Most Innovative Player Award from the Governor’s Office of Education and The Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education.
Desert Edge is located on Estrella Parkway and Yuma Road near the Goodyear Ballpark, Spring Training home of the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians.
Website: www.aguafria.org/dehs
Location: 15778 W Yuma Rd, Goodyear, AZ 85338, USA
Phone: 623-932-7500
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DesertEdgeHS
Twitter: @DesertEdgeHS
Counseling Department Information
Counselors are available daily to support students with Academic, College/Career and Social/Emotional needs. Please reach out if you have any questions.
· Mr. Vernier A - D rvernier@aguafria.org
· Mrs. Bethel E - H cbethel@aguafria.org
· Mrs. Sears I - M ksears@aguafria.org
· Mrs. Padilla N - R ipadilla@aguafria.org
· Ms. Hurley S – Z ahurley@aguafria.org
· Mrs. Niko (College and Career Specialist) kniko@aguafria.org
Website: http://www.aguafria.org/dehscounseling
Facebook: facebook.com/DEHSCounseling
Twitter: @dehscounseling