Deer Canyon Echoes
March 29, 2024
To Do
- Volunteer on Sign Up Genius for the Glow Party on April 5.
- Order your DCES Yearbook by April 18.
- Fifth-grade families: Here's a link to the Mesa Verde Middle School parent night presentation.
- Order DCES Spirit Wear.
Save the Date
March
- 3/31 - Deadline for PUSD Continuing Student Registration (required for all continuing students)
- 3/31 - Deadline for Interdistrict Transfer Requests at 5 pm
April
- 4/1 - Principal Bendix's Crazy Costume Day
- 4/2 - Read-a-Thon Kona Ice Party (Parks, Friedman, Graham)
- 4/3 - Paraprofessionals (Instructional Assistant) Day
- 4/4 - School Librarian Day (Send Ms. Lewis some love via the DCES Library Amazon Wishlist)
- 4/4 - Read-a-Thon Daytime Campout (Graham, Friedman)
- 4/5 - Glow Party for students
- 4/8 to 4/12 No School - Spring Break
- 4/15 to 4/19 - Career Café for students
- 4/19 - STEAM Night @ 5:30 pm
- 4/26 - DC Dining: Chuck E. Cheese, 3 to 9 pm
SAVE THE DATE! 5th Grade Promotion will be held on Wednesday, June 5, at 9 am.
Principal's Message 📚
Good evening, Deer Canyon Families,
This week kicked off with a 5th grade field trip to Biz Town! Students were visibly excited as they exited campus to climb onto the bus, and word on the street is that our Deer Canyon 5th graders represented our campus with pride and maturity…and had a ton of fun!
Tuesday brought a future Eagle Scout to campus to start work on their special campus contribution: a garden bed near our PreK, TK, and Kindergarten classrooms! We are grateful and excited to begin a small DC garden.
Wednesday and Thursday brought back-to-back pizza picnics with bingo for our Read-a-Thon milestone winners. We had a blast lounging in the grass in front of the office. Pictures to come on Instagram @deercanyonpusd.
Thursday, our PBIS Committee met again for strategic planning, and Friday was jam-packed with fun! We started the day together with a sea of crazy hair (for Crazy Hair Day) at FUNky Friday, where we celebrated students, engaged with our Westview Ambassadors, and were presented with our Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship banner. I’m so proud of our students and staff!
Finally, our school community came together tonight at Family Heritage Night (and it’s still going!) to celebrate, appreciate, and learn about the many beautiful cultures and backgrounds of our Deer Canyon families. Embracing and honoring our varied heritages not only strengthens our sense of unity but also contributes to a vibrant and dynamic learning environment. I was glad to see so many countries represented and look forward to sharing pictures and videos for those unable to join us.
Next week will blaze by while we continue to celebrate Read-a-Thon milestones with class parties, funny costumes, and the Glow Party on Friday. We need parent volunteers for the Glow Party to help ensure its success and the safety of our students; thank you in advance for considering signing up! On Thursday, I look forward to watching our Kindergarteners’ Spring Fling. They’ve been working hard, and I know their performance will be too cute to handle! Students and staff alike are looking forward to the week of fun.
School Librarian and Paraprofessionals Days
Wednesday, April 3, marks Paraprofessionals Day, when we celebrate our DCES general and special education instructional assistants whose unwavering support, teamwork, and cheerful demeanor support our teaching staff in ensuring that all students are happy, safe, and learning. Our Instructional Assistants are truly invaluable assets on our campus, catering to a diverse range of campus and student needs with patience and kindness.
Join us in also celebrating School Librarian Day on April 4 by extending our heartfelt gratitude to Leah Lewis! Leah is always on the lookout for ways to infuse our library with creativity and care, making it a vibrant hub filled with engaging, relevant, and thought-provoking texts and activities that spark our curiosity and imagination. Thanks to Leah, our library is a dynamic space teeming with captivating and challenging materials, texts, and activities for our young minds. Want to thank Leah in an extra special way? Feel free to peruse the DCES Library Amazon Wishlist!
Upcoming Field Trips and Volunteers
All chaperones for field trips must be cleared volunteers. Each year, volunteer status needs to be renewed via a new application. If a chaperone will be alone at any time with a small group of students, they must have Level 2 clearance. If the field trip allows for the entire class(es) to be together at all times, Level 1 clearance is acceptable. For more, visit PUSD Volunteer Information. Visit the Front Office for a volunteer application! Unsure if you are already cleared as a volunteer? Contact mboeckman@powayusd.com.
(ACTION NEEDED for TK-4th Grade Families!) 2024-2025 Enrollment for Returning Students
Continuing Registration closes on SUNDAY! 95% of Deer Canyon families have completed the required Online Continuing Student Registration. We have the second-highest response rate in all of PUSD! All returning families are required to complete continuing registration by March 31, 2024, if you plan to return to Deer Canyon next school year.
We must receive a completed digital packet for all returning students. This will allow for proper placement of your student for the 2024-2025 school year. Please check your email for instructions. If your student is not returning to Deer Canyon next school year, please email me as soon as possible at kbendix@powayusd.com.
Continuing Registration Steps:
Login and complete the digital registration packet via the online registration portal found here.
Review and complete any required forms located at the conclusion of the process. A packet is not considered finalized until this step is completed.
Forgot your username or password? Need technical help? You can retrieve your username as well as reset your password by visiting https://password.powayusd.com and clicking the button that represents the help you require. Technical help is also available by sending an email to accounthelp@powayusd.com.
New Student Enrollment
New Student Enrollment opens on Monday, April 1. CLICK HERE for details.
Poway Unified's transfer window is open through this Sunday at 5 pm
The transfer window for the 2024-2025 school year is open until Sunday for families who live in the Poway Unified School District boundaries and would like to request their student attend a PUSD school other than their school of residence (this includes incoming siblings of current students).
Please submit your Intradistrict Transfer request by CLICKING HERE.
Important notes: If your student is new to PUSD and you would like them to attend a school other than their school of residence:
You must submit your transfer request before this Sunday, March 31, 2024, at 5 p.m.
Please enroll your new student at their school of residence when new student enrollment opens online on April 1, 2024. We cannot process transfer requests until the student is enrolled in their school of residence.
Per PUSD Board Policy 5116.1(b), the window is open each year from February 1 through March 31 for the following school year. We cannot make exceptions. For more information, please visit PUSD’s Residency & Transfers webpage.
5th Grade Families
Is your student attending Mesa Verde Middle School next school year? Please take a moment to review the 5th Grade Parent Night presentation. It includes information on how to choose your student's three electives and enter them in Synergy. Course descriptions and a video on how to enter your student’s electives can be found on slides 17 and 18.
As a reminder, electives choices must be entered by Sunday, March 31, at 5 p.m. There are additional dates you will want to mark on your calendar in the presentation as well. If you have questions or concerns about entering those elective choices, please contact your child's alpha counselor via email.
SAVE THE DATE! 5th Grade Promotion will be held on Wednesday, June 5, at 9am.
Deer Canyon Staff and the DCPSO look forward to honoring our students who are "promoting" on to middle school.
All families have the opportunity to order Promotion Yard Signs and/or tiles to personalize and have placed on our Legacy Tile wall. These are really fun ways to celebrate the time your child and family have spent here at Deer Canyon.
CLICK HERE to order a Yard Sign or Legacy Tile! Questions? Contact Heather Hall at heatherdhall07@gmail.com.
Families of students served through Special Education
Community is important to us here at Deer Canyon and our parent ambassadors want to connect with you on whatever level you need: general camaraderie, answering questions, or sharing their own experiences. Sometimes, simply connecting with another person through a shared experience can be powerful. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the PUSD parent ambassadors with students at Deer Canyon, Michael Matsuda and Stacy Zhang, using THIS FORM.
Have a wonderful weekend, Deer Canyon!
Katie Bendix
Principal
Updates from the PSO
Deer Canyon PSO Elections for 2024-2025
Our PSO is accepting nominations for next year’s Board, Chair and Staff positions. We hope you can take a moment to consider offering your talents and expertise as a volunteer.
PSO is responsible for several beloved events and programs, including Book Fair, Family Fun Night, Family Heritage Night, Character Counts, Math Olympiads, Direct Ask Fundraiser, Monster Mash, School Assemblies, Yearbook, and Echoes Newsletter.
Without Board, Committee Chair and Staff members, many of these programs would not exist year over year. Numerous PSO volunteers are wrapping up their time at Deer Canyon as their youngest children are promoting to Mesa Verde Middle come June.
Current volunteers are available to share their experiences and will support you as you begin a new volunteer role. Please consider how you can support Deer Canyon next school year!
Elections take place in April to serve the following school year; please reach out by 3/31 if you have an interest in any of the open roles below. For questions about the roles and expected time commitment, please email melissa.doctor@yahoo.com or call/text Melissa at 760-518-3757.
THANK YOU!
Upcoming Events
Let’s Glow DC!
Next Friday, April 5, all students will celebrate our Read-a-Thon success in raising over $20,000 to benefit our school!
Throughout the day, classes will join our all-school Glow Party in the MPR. We’ll have music, activities and glow-in-the-dark accessories.
Make sure your student wears white, neon colors or anything else they want that will glow or light up in the dark! We need volunteers to help set up decorations and activities, supervise during class visits and clean up.
Please review the Sign Up Genius to see how you can help out, and check out the class schedule below to see when your student will be attending. This is a very fun event that you won’t want to miss. Any amount of time you can spare will be helpful and much appreciated.
Class Party Schedule
10:40am -11:10am (Regardie, Swalley)
11:20am-11:40am (Pre-K)
11:45am-12:15pm (Friedman, Taylor, Fitzgerald)
12:25pm - 1:05pm (Leibowitz, Welty, Katsiapis)
1:15pm-1:45pm (Graham, Quinn)
1:55pm -2:25pm (Jaravata, Davis)
2:35pm - 3:05pm (Castro, Parks)
STEAM Night is Coming
Deer Canyon is excited to announce STEAM Night on Friday, April 19, from 5:30-7:30 pm. Join us in exploring science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics through engaging hands-on activities. We welcome students and families for a night of science and fun! Want to help with STEAM Night? We need volunteers! We need parents to help with set up, clean up, and run the welcome table during the event. Please contact Jamie Harris at Jaharris@powayusd.com.
Counselor's Corner
Career Cafe is Coming!
Deer Canyon will be hosting our first-ever Career Cafe on April 15-19. Students will have an opportunity to have lunch in room 22 while learning about different career paths.
Do you have a career you’d like to share with our students? Mrs. MacDougall is inviting you to share a short 10-15 minute presentation or Q&A with our TK-5th grade students. Please plan on committing to one day that week from 11 am-12:30pm.
Please email Mrs. MacDougall directly for additional details at cmacdougall@powayusd.com.
Important Updates
Get Your DCES Yearbook - Deadline is April 18
Hold on tight to those Deer Canyon memories!
Have you ordered this year's yearbook? If not, it is not too late!!
Deadline to purchase the yearbook and customize the 2 free-custom pages is Thursday, April 18.
Questions: Contact the yearbook committee at deercanyonyearbook@gmail.com.
How to Purchase:
- Visit the TreeRing website
- Enter the DCES passcode: 1015490278194159
Seeking: Pictures for the DCES Yearbook
Do you have pictures to share for our DCES Yearbook? If so, please upload them via TreeRing.com or directly from your phone using the app. We'd love to have them!
Instructions:
Show Your School Spirit with DCES Spirit Wear
Make Friday mornings a little easier by ordering Spirit Wear!
Our Spirit Wear shop is open and taking orders. Choose from a variety of options: tie-dye T-shirts (perfect for FUNky Fridays), cartoon T-shirts (perfect for kids — and adults!), school logo T-shirts, hoodies (perfect for the cold weather), zip-up jackets and more.
Orders are placed online and can be delivered to DCES for free.
Questions: Please contact Razan Lin rbattikha@gmail.com