Carrillo Community Update
October 29 - November 4
Message from Ms. Bittel
I hope you all had a lovely weekend. It was wonderful to see so many families at our annual Fall Fest this weekend. This event has a long history at Carrillo and based on ticket sales, this was our best-attended Fall Fest in the past 3 years. With food, games, and a real pumpkin patch, it was a great way to start off the weekend. Thank you for making time to celebrate with us at school.
This Tuesday we will have our annual Costume Parade around the basketball court at 8:30, followed by a trip down the Carrillo Treat Trail. As a reminder, students may not wear full face masks, have bloody costumes, or bring weapons to the parade. Once the parade is over, we will resume school as usual so students will need the backpacks and other school materials for the day.
Last week, we announced our students' success on the benchmark exams. Finally, the state has released our letter grade. I am extremely proud to report that Carrillo has retained its A-letter grade for another year. Students showed both higher pass and growth rates this year than last year, and our students scored well above the state average in science!
We are still working to bring our ELA score up. 60% of students passed last year, compared to 41% in the state, but we would like to see this number increase to at least 65% this year. You can help us achieve this goal by encouraging your student to read nightly for 20 minutes and to work on 2 low skills on IXL over the weekend if they scored below proficient on their benchmark exams in ELA or math. Of course, getting your student to school on time every day and allowing them to spend the full day in school also helps us to reach that goal. Thank you!
-Ms. Bittel
Save the Date
Upcoming Events
- Tuesday, October 31 - Student costume parade (8:30 am)
- Wednesday, November 1 - Fitness Day (please wear sneakers and bring a water bottle)
- Tuesday, November 7 - Carrillo's Family Game Night
- Wednesday, November 8 - Magnet Fair @ the Children's Museum (5:30 - 8:00 pm)
- Thursday , November 9 - Peter Piper Pizza Night (5 - 7:30 pm)
- Friday, November 10 - NO CLASSES for Veteran's Day
- Tuesday, November 14 - Middle School Night
- Wednesday, November 15 - PTO Meeting (6:00 pm on ZOOM)
Kind Campus Weekly Activity
Kindness in Action: Asking for Help
- Consider asking your student to tell you about the last time they helped someone. How did it make them feel?
- Next, have your student tell you about the last time they asked for help. What was the response? If positive, how did receiving the help make them feel?
- Discuss why asking for help when needed is a form of self-kindness.
School News and Updates
The Book Fair is Coming! (October 30 - Nov 3)
Get ready! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming our way (YAY!). Choosing their own books empowers kids and inspires them on their journey to becoming lifelong readers. and—as always—every purchase at the Fair benefits our school.
Here’s what you need to know about the big event, which will occur from October 30 - November 3 in the Carrillo Library.
Say goodbye to cash and hello to eWallet—your child’s digital payment account. Before the Fair, set up eWallet for worry-free, cash-free purchases. Anyone can contribute! Share each child’s eWallet so friends and family can add funds and give your kids more books to enjoy.
If you can’t attend the Fair, shop at our school’s Book Fair online. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25. Every online purchase will also benefit our school.
Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more and get started with eWallet and online shopping.
If you would like to volunteer to work at the bookfair, please sign up using our online form.
The countdown to more Bookjoy is on! Catch you at the Fair!
Carrillo Dia De Los Muertos Ofrenda
The 4th Grade, as part of its Cultures Unit, will have its Dia De Los Muertos ofrenda set up in the gallery by 12:00 tomorrow. The entire Carrillo community is invited to add pictures and write a message/memory about someone dear to you. If you bring a picture, please write your name on the back of the photo so we can return it.
EL Tour De Tucson Coloring Contest
Last year, and again this year, El Tour de Tucson, utilized space at Carrillo to support the Southern Arizona Adaptive Sports nonprofit. To celebrate this partnership, Carrillo students are invited to participate in the Tour de Tucson Coloring Content. Simply print out the attached sheet and turn it in by Friday. We will have copies available in the office as well.
Improving Reading and Math at Home
All students at Carrillo have access to a wonderful resource to support their continued growth in Reading and Math. That resource is IXL. Research shows that doing just 1 extra session a day can have a tremendous impact on student learning.
Our younger students also have access to RAZ-Plus to support literacy.
To access IXL or RAZ Plus students just log into their Clever accounts and select the icons. Please contact your student's teacher if they have any trouble.
Social Media
Parents, we are asking for your help with social media. As a reminder, most social media user agreements state that users must be 13 or older to have an account. Please take a moment to discuss the reasons for the age limits with your students.
Most social media sites do not allow attacks or abuse based on race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability or disease. Please encourage students to be socially conscious and report any accounts that violate those policies directly to the social media platform before blocking the account.
Parent-Teacher Meetings
The teaching staff is quite busy preparing for daily instruction in the morning. Thank you for emailing to schedule a meeting time with them rather than just dropping in. Teacher email addresses can be found on our staff webpage. Thank you for your help!
Cafeteria Offerings
We are encouraging every family to apply for Free/Reduced Lunch. The number of accepted applications directly impacts our Title I funding, so thank you for taking a moment to complete it, even if your student doesn't plan to eat school lunch. The application is located on the TUSD Meals website.
The Food Services website also has a page dedicated to this month's breakfast offerings as well as this month's lunch offerings. You can even even get a mobile app for your phone online.
Carrillo Online Spirit Store
Looking for Carrillo spirit gear? Adrian from Big Frog has set up this year's online store. You can purchase this year's "Success Across the Eduverse" shirt as well as classic Carrillo spirit gear.
Transportation and Parent Pick Up and Drop Off Reminders
TUSD Buses
For more information, visit Transportation's website to see if your student qualifies for FREE transportation and to begin routing.
Morning Drop Off Reminders
Just a friendly reminder that the earliest students can be dropped off is 7:35 a.m. at 17th Street. The office does not open until 8:00 and while Ms. Bittel is usually on campus well before 8:00, she is often in meetings or other parts of the building and unable to hear the doorbell. From 7:35 - 8:00 the only safe drop off is 17th Street. Thank you for helping us to keep all our cougars safe in the morning.
Affter school Pick-Up Updates and Request
We know that the 17th Street area can get a bit congested at pickup. To help alleviate the situation, the City of Tucson has installed new signs to direct traffic and changed the direction of Samaniego Street.
The City of Tucson is requesting that families picking up on 17th Street exit the neighborhood using the following route.
- Travel west on 17th Street
- Turn south on 11th Avenue
- Turn west to access the frontage road or turn east to return to Main Avenue and 22nd Street.
Our neighbors kindly ask that you leave the driveways and corners open when you park so they can enter and exit their homes safely. If you do wait in your car along Samaniego, thank you for waiting at the bottom of the hill on the east side of the street so the roadway is clear for all vehicles and families crossing the street.
We are also asking families to arrive no earlier than 2:35 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and no earlier than 1:35 on Wednesdays. Parents of intermediate students, if you plan to arrive at 2:50 or 1:50, that will give the primary students time to load up and reduce your wait time.
Thank you also for being patient, driving slowly, and watching the road carefully. The streets behind Carrillo are narrow and we want to avoid any further accidents. Thank you for helping us keep our Cougars and our community safe.
Follow these signs.
Thank you for exiting via S. 11th Ave.
Attendance and Absence Reporting
Attendance Reporting Made Easy
- Log into ParentVue from App or Computer
- Click the "Attendance" tab on the left column on the computer or on the App as soon as you log in the blue "report absence" with a small bell icon is there.
- On the top right corner of the page it will have a blue link that says "Report Absence" click on this
- Use the calendar to select dates and the drop-down for the reason for the absence.
- You may also add notes or upload a doctor's note and hit "save".
Of course, you may still give Ms. Diane Quiroz a ring at (520) 225-1200 if you prefer. Thank you for reporting all absences!
Attendance Matters
Missing a day of school here and there may not seem like much, but it adds up.
When a student misses 2 days a month they will miss...
- 20 days a year (the equivalent of a month of instruction)
- 30 hours of math instruction
- 60 hours of reading and writing instruction
- Over a 1 year of instruction by graduation
When a student misses 4 days a month they will miss...
- 40 days a year (the equivalent of two months of instruction)
- 60 hours of math instruction
- 120 hours of reading and writing instruction
- Over a 2 year of instruction by graduation
PTO News and Volunteering Opportunities
PTO Meeting this week.
Thank you for all your help at the Fall Fest! It was a great success. Your support at the ticket booth, the cake walk, and donating items to the PTO and classrooms makes the event a success! Thank you to everyone!
Our next meeting is November 15th on Zoom at 6 pm. See you there!
Please email PTO if you have any questions.
Art Volunteers
Ms. Dal Pra is seeking First Grade art volunteers on Thursdays from 12:35-2:35. You can help students build a mini-town. The art classroom needs two or three volunteers to help students during the “construction” process. Students will be house painters and landscapers as they create their own parcel of land within “Cougar Town.” Contact the art room via email or just stop by after signing in at the front office.
Volunteers / Visitors
We encourage all parents to register as volunteers on the TUSD website as the process takes a few weeks to complete. Parents cannot volunteer on field trips without completing this in advance.
We ask non-parental volunteers (grandparents, aunts, uncles, community members, etc.) to contact the office before registering as a volunteer so we can explain the process and help identify volunteer opportunities.
Box Tops for Education
The Top Classes are...
- #1 - Grade 4 with 54 box tops
- #2 - Kindergarten with 21 box tops
- #3 - Grade 1 with 20 box tops
- #4 - Grade 5 with 10 box tops
- #5 - Grade 3 with 2 box tops
Community Events
Please check back here to learn about upcoming community events of interest to Carrillo families.
Tucson Community Tennis Program
When: Saturday mornings
Where: Pueblo High School
Time: 8:00 - 9:30 am
Don't have a racquet? No worries, TCTP has loaner racquets students can use at the clinic.
For more information about TCTP, please visit their website.
Discovery Nights at the Children's Museum
Join us for Free Discovery Nights
from 5-7 pm every Thursday
at Children’s Museum Tucson!
Enjoy free admission, bilingual programming, and extended hours every Thursday! Reserve your tickets on the Discovery Nights webpage.
Art After Dark
Every Second Saturday, come learn about Tucson's vibrant arts community!
- Guest artists each month
- Hands-on activities
- Free museum admission 5:30 - 7:30 pm
- First 400 people receive a free return-visit pass.
Stay in Touch!
Stay current on our events by visiting our Facebook Page as well as the school website. If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or concerns please reach out. It is our mission to provide all students with a first-rate education in a kind and respectful environment.
Email the Principal:
Visit Our Website:
Location: 440 South Main Avenue, Tucson, AZ, USA
Phone: (520) 225-1200
Like Us On Facebook:
Mission Statement
Carrillo K-5 Communication and Creative Arts Magnet School engages children's minds, bodies, and senses using multiple modes of learning, thought, and self-expression.
Vision Statement
At Carrillo K-5 Communication and Creative Arts Magnet School, students become 21st Century leaders in a diverse world, through the development of a strong academic core, communication skills and creative arts abilities.