Deer Canyon Echoes
March 8, 2024
To Do
- Check out the agenda for the 3/13 PSO meeting. We no longer have a Deer Deck; please email president@deercanyonpso.org by 3/11 at noon if you have something to discuss at the meeting.
- Be sure to register your child(ren) for Continuing Student Registration (deadline: March 31). This is a requirement for all continuing PUSD students.
- Follow the PSO Instagram @deercanyonpso for announcements, reminders, and pictures of fun events organized by the PSO.
- Parent volunteers are needed for lunchtime activities: Developmental Disabilities Awareness and Women’s History Month activities. Please contact Maha (melmeniawy@powayusd.com) if you’re interested.
- Got design skills? The PSO is still looking for someone with graphic design experience to help us design a new logo. If you are interested in helping, please contact Eve Lanham at president@deercanyonpso.org.
- Order DCES Spirit Wear
Save the Date
March
- 3/4 to 3/10 - Read-a-Thon
- 3/11 - Pro Grow Day (no school for students)
- 3/13 - PSO meeting @ 5:30 pm (Zoom link)
- 3/14 - Trimester 2 progress reports available in ParentView @ 5 pm
- 3/14 - PUSD Safety Summit @ 6:30 pm (PUSD District Office or online)
- 3/19 and 3/20 - DC Dining: California Pizza Kitchen
- 3/20 - Coffee with the Principal @ 8:30 am in Room 14
- 3/20 - MVMS Incoming 6th Grade Parent Night
- 3/29 - Family Heritage Night @5:30 pm
April
- 4/19 - STEAM Night @ 5:30 pm
- 4/26 - DC Dining: Chuck E. Cheese, 3 to 9 pm
Principal's Message 📚
Good evening, Deer Canyon Families,
Happy International Women's Day to our wonderful Deer Canyon School community! Today, we celebrate the strength, resilience, and achievements of women around the world. We joyfully honor the remarkable women who inspire us daily, both within our families and on our incredible staff. Thank you to each of the women at home and on campus who play a pivotal role in supporting and shaping the bright futures of our students.
I would also like to extend heartfelt acknowledgments to our Muslim students and families during the month of Ramadan. Ramadan begins this Sunday, March 10. It is a time of reflection, spiritual growth, and communal unity. We understand the significance of this sacred month and recognize the commitment of those observing it. To further support our students during this period, we encourage families to reach out to classroom teachers or the school office if they wish to share information about Ramadan practices or request increased check-ins on their students. Your collaboration helps us create an inclusive and supportive environment for all members of our community.
With the start of Trimester 3, it feels strange to think that our school year is winding down when the fun activities on campus are not letting up! This week was packed with fun, recognition, prizes, and READING! Thank you to the DCPSO for leading such a successful, unifying week, when students and classes were recognized for their reading and fundraising efforts.
*Don’t forget, students can log their reading minutes through SUNDAY! I can’t wait to see the final numbers for our total reading minutes and donations. It will be time to celebrate! The entire week was so special, connecting with students over books; I was continuously inspired by the genuine pride students have in their accomplishments. I, too, am so proud of our students. Thank you, families, for your support.
This week, I had a blast reading to those in attendance at our Campfire Read-Aloud on Tuesday night. Also on Tuesday night, many of our fifth graders participated in a concert with the MVMS band; what an exciting opportunity! Great job to all who participated.
On Wednesday, our Westview Ambassadors joined us in the morning to encourage our readers, then returned at lunch for a playdate. We love having the “big kids” on campus! Next week, we will kick off the week with NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS ON MONDAY, as staff meet for professional development.
5th Grade Families:
Please join Mesa Verde Middle School on March 20 at 5:30 pm in their gym for an Incoming 6th Grade Parent Night!
Today is the last day to sign up for the MDTP (see email from PUSD for information). Assessment administration date will be communicated with you next week!
OCIS-PE applications are due to the MVMS office by Friday, March 15
ALL TK-4TH FAMILIES: ACTION NEEDED — 2024-2025 Enrollment
Online Continuing Student Registration is open now through March 31!
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.
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.
The Poway Unified transfer window is now open! Transfer requests for students who live within the Poway Unified boundaries and would like to attend a different Poway school other than their school of residence should be submitted online by visiting the PUSD webpage and clicking the “Transfers” link on the home page. This includes incoming siblings of current students. Please enroll your student at their school of residence when new student enrollment opens online on April 1. Transfer requests cannot be processed until the student is enrolled in their school of residence. The transfer window closes on March 31 at 5 pm. For more information, please visit PUSD’s Residency & Transfers webpage.
Positive Attendance Incentives
We continue to see decreased attendance rates for our students this week, dropping even further into the 92% range. While we do have a handful of OCIS contracts pending, our rate will remain around 93.5% even with their completion.
Reviewing our attendance data, we are experiencing high rates of illness and high rates of students leaving school early for various reasons. Additionally, while we still see improvement compared to last year’s chronic absenteeism, we have seen an increase in student chronic absenteeism based on absence trends in the last two weeks. We appreciate your support in ensuring your student attends school regularly, when able, and scheduling appointments or other commitments outside of the school day.
Families of students served through Special Education
PUSD and EFRC are hosting a three-session, online IEP Training Series for parents, focused on the basics of an Individualized Education Plan, further detailed exploration of the IEP, and strategies and options for collaboration and meaningful participation in IEP meetings. Register for one or all sessions!
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.
PUSD Safety Summit
The third PUSD Safety Summit for the 2023-2024 school year will be hosted Thursday, March 14, from 6:30 to 8 pm in the District Office Community Room and will focus on the topic of Substance Abuse & Addiction.
This event will also be live streamed on the PUSD Board of Education YouTube channel. Interim Superintendent Greg Mizel will be joined by an expert panel, including representatives from the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office and Department of Behavioral Health Services, in addition to local first responders. For access to previous PUSD Safety Summit presentations and recordings, visit the PUSD Safety Summit website.
Have a wonderful weekend and Monday off school with your student(s)!
Katie Bendix
Principal
Updates from the PSO
Camp Read S’more Update
Camp Read S’more is rocking! What a terrific week of reading fun. Two more full days to go!
As of Thursday evening, our amazing readers totaled 41,765 minutes and surpassed our first school-wide fundraising milestone with $12,880. That’s 64% of our event goal! As a result of your efforts, all students will experience "Rockin' Recess" for one whole week (dates tbd). Amazing job, DC families!
Congratulations to our “top fundraising classes of the day” this week, including Mrs. Leibowitz, Mrs. Welty and Mrs. Graham. Our “victory campfire trophy” made the rounds to each classroom and was a source of great pride for students and teachers.
Remember, this is our last major fundraiser for the year. The Deer Dash in May will be a fun run with no fundraising strings attached. I
f there was ever a time you wanted to support Deer Canyon with a contribution or to ask friends and family for their support, now is the time! Our goal is to raise $20,000 and we are well on our way. DCPSO will use funds raised from the Read-a-thon to pursue hiring certificated specialist personnel such as an Art or P.E. teacher. We are so excited for this opportunity to elevate our resources for our students and hope you are, too!
A few helpful reminders:
- Students can read on their own or parents can read to them - it all counts.
- The reading bingo card is optional, but can be a great way to motivate students, earn minutes and earn free prizes. We hope to see more bingos and ticket entries for our last drawing on Tuesday, 3/12, before school!
- Please have all minutes logged on your student’s webpage with the “purple button” by 11:59pm on Sunday, 3/10.
- Please share your student‘s fundraising webpage with loved ones via email, text, Facebook, LinkedIn and X, straight from their webpage (look for icons in the upper right hand corner). Every five shares earns them an entry into a special drawing for 10 winners to receive a DC mug and hot chocolate. Feel free to share their webpage in other ways that work for you as well. (NOTE: We can only track individual shares/clicks from the student webpage for the drawing.)
- Online donations can be made until end of day, Sunday, 3/17. Cash and check donations may be submitted in an envelope to the front office by Friday, 3/15. Checks should be made payable to “Deer Canyon PSO.” Please include your student’s name and classroom/teacher on the envelope. Cash and checks are a great way to contribute and not have to pay extra fees.
- Distribution of reading and fundraising prizes will continue through Tuesday, 3/12.
- Check the school event page and full classroom leaderboard to see how close a class is to achieving its goal. All classrooms that meet their goal win a daytime campout in the MPR, featuring s’mores and a movie about the outdoors. The Top 3 classrooms with highest participation receive a Kona Ice party. Check the Prizes/Incentives page for all of the ways students can win.
Thank you so much for supporting the DCPSO and our students. An enriched education today, means more possibilities for them tomorrow. Happy reading!
With gratitude,
Read-a-thon Committee
Melissa Davis, Stacy Zhang, Dani Cook, Leah Lewis
P.S. A special thanks to our guest author, Deborah Kelson, who gave a fun and informative presentation about her book, Peanut Butter or Jelly, at our campfire storytime. For those interested in purchasing her book, please click here or use the attached QR code to access a Google form.
Mrs. Graham's Class
Mrs. Leibowitz's Class
Mrs. Welty's Class
Thank you, Sunray!
Thank you, Kona Ice!
Peanut Butter or Jelly QR Code - Order Form
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!
Spring Musical Theater Workshops
Our PSO is sponsoring after-school Musical Theatre workshops taught by Angie Serrano. Details and registration form are below.
Registration is limited. Sign up soon: first come, first served. Finding Nemo (K-3) is already half full!
Email Angie Serrano at jserrano@me.com with any questions..
Upcoming Events
DC Dining: CPK — Special 2-Day Event!
Save the date for a special two-day, all-day DC Dining event at California Pizza Kitchen in Carmel Mountain!
Join us Tuesday, March 19, and Wednesday, March 20, for delicious salads, pizzas, pastas, and other delicious entrees and desserts, including plenty of vegetarian options.
CPK is generously offering a 20% donation to our DCPSO for all food and beverage sales during the event. Dine-in, take-out, catering and online orders included.
This is a great opportunity to have some yummy food and support our school. Eat with the family, dine out with friends, make a catering order for a work meeting, eat lunch with co-workers and more. So many options! Please join us — thank you for your support!
Seeking Families to Participate in Family Heritage Night: March 29
Each spring, DC students and families get to take a trip "around the world” in one night at the Deer Canyon MPR. This year's event will take place on Friday, March 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.
DC families set up tables with information about their country’s heritage, artifacts, and food samples. There are multicultural performances to enjoy, too. It’s a great way to celebrate and learn about the rich cultural tapestry here at Deer Canyon.
This is a FREE event for our families, but we need your help. We are looking for families to help host tables!
Interested in...
- Hosting a table? Sign up here! (deadline: March 1)
- Participating in the Fashion Show? Sign up here! (deadline: March 10)
- Performing for our audience? Sign up here! (deadline: March 10)
Questions/Concerns? FHN@deercanyonPSO.org
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.
For Parents: Coffee with the Counselor & Book Club
Mrs. MacDougall is inviting you to join a Book Club that will meet Thursday mornings after drop off. Come have a cup of coffee and discuss key takeaways from “The Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be.”
Let’s connect with and learn alongside each other as we dive into the work of Dr. Becky Kennedy, a clinical psychologist whose approach is based on attachment theory and the internal family systems model. We will explore the goodness of our children and prioritize connection over consequences as we take a long-term view of parenting.
We will meet at 9 am on these Thursday mornings: March 21, April 4, April 18, May 2.
Please RSVP by emailing Mrs. MacDougall at cmacdougall@powayusd.com.
Important Updates
ESS: New Student, Spring Break and Summer Enrollment
New TK/K and New Families to PUSD in '24-25
We want to inform you about a slight change in the enrollment process for our incoming Kindergarten/TK and new students to PUSD.
In previous communications, we mentioned that you could fill out the interest list for ESS before enrolling and being accepted into the school. However, we have received updated information that the process will now require you to enroll in school first and be accepted before being placed on the ESS interest list.
Once you have successfully enrolled and been accepted into the school, you will be able to proceed with the ESS Interest Application. You will need to use the Parent Vue account that you receive from the district once you are accepted into the school to fill out the application. Since enrollment will be done by lottery, there is no advantage or disadvantage having to wait to apply.
New Student Enrollment for ESS Summer 2024 ONLY:
The interest list for the 2024 summer program for new students closed on March 1. We aim to notify families by April 1 if they received a spot or were placed on a wait list.
Current ESS Families:
Spring Break registration is open through March 8. Last day to cancel is March 25.
Summer and Fall 2024-25 registration for CURRENT families only is happening now through March 15. There will be no exceptions. If current families miss the deadline, they will need to apply as a NEW student through the new application management system, which opens March 18.
Get Your DCES Yearbooks
Hold on tight to those Deer Canyon memories!
It's not too late to order a Deer Canyon yearbook — and you get two free custom pages! You can purchase the yearbook now (price: $25.06) and submit the pages by 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