Coyote Connection
Desert Sage Elementary Newsletter- November 2023
Upcoming Dates
- November 3-17 Thankful Giving (Food Drive, Clothing Drive)
- November 7: PTO Meeting 4:30 in Staff Room
- November 9: Family Math Night 5:30-6:30 pm
- November 14: Popcorn Money Due
- November 14: Off the Grid Pizza Food Truck 4-6:30 pm
- November 15: No School (Professional Learning/Collaboration)
- November 17: Popcorn Friday Popcorn Delivery
- November 20-24: No School (Thanksgiving Break)
- November 29: Picture Retakes
- December 7: PTO Meeting 4:30 in Staff Room
Family Engagement Meetings at 8:15am (in the library)
- December 1
- January 12
A message from the principal
Hello Desert Sage Families!
It certainly got cold out there fast! We hope you are enjoying this harvest time with your families.
We have a lot going on coming up here this month as always. Please come to Desert Sage on November 9th for our Family Math Night! It will be a great opportunity for your students to show you what they are learning in math and the strategies to solve the problems. I know that strategies have certainly changed since we were younger. It's great to have your students take the lead and show you what's going on in their classrooms now. Our math night will definitely help with our goal of higher levels of learning for all.
We also have a few days off of school this month. November 15th is a professional learning day with no school for students. We also have our Thanksgiving break from November 20-24. Please enjoy this time with your family and we will see you back at school on November 27.
Beau Dahlgren
Community Schools
Thank you to the volunteers from the district office who did Game Changers with our 4th and 5th graders.
If you have any concerns about making ends meet during Thanksgiving or Christmas coming up, please reach out to our community liaison, Rainbow Dye at dye.rainbow@westada.org
From PTO
PTO Thanks to You...
Thanks to everyone that stopped by the food trucks for food during conferences and the book fair.
Thanks for making Friday more fun with an outstanding response to our first Popcorn Friday.
Looking Forward...
Popcorn Friday:
November 17th is our second Popcorn Friday. Money will be due back November 14th because there is no school on Wednesday of that week. 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.
Thankful Giving:
Help us Stuff our Turkeys and Dress our Scarecrows as we have a food drive and a new or gently used clothing drive from November 3rd to November 17th. Help us spread some generosity to those in need this year.
Also, if you have any new or gently used Halloween Costumes please bring those in. It will help with our Boo for the Crew next year.
Off the Grid Pizza Truck See Flyer below
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. More information will be coming home with your student in December.
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
Next Meeting
Come join the PTO at their next meeting, November 7th from 4:30-5:30.
Our December meeting has been moved to Thursday, December 7th 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
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 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/