Coyote Connection
Desert Sage Elementary Newsletter- October 2023
Upcoming Dates
- October 3: PTO Meeting 4:30-5:30pm (in the staff room)
- October 9: Picture Day
- October 11: Parent Teacher Conferences in the evening
- October 11: PTO Food Trucks 4-6:30 pm
- October 12: No School (Parent Teacher Conferences)
- October 13: No school (End of Quarter)
- October 27: First PTO Popcorn Friday
- November 14: Off the Grid Pizza Food Truck 4-6:30 pm
- November 15: No School (Professional Learning / Collaboration)
Family Engagement Meetings at 8:15am (in the library)
- October 6
- November 3
A message from the principal
Fall is here! The weather is changing and we are in the full swing of school here at Desert Sage. Make sure to dress warmly on the cooler days!
We have a few important things coming up that you should be aware of. Information regarding Parent - Teacher conferences will be coming out shortly. Please schedule with teachers and reach out if you need any more clarity. We will also have our book fair going during the conferences, so make sure to stop by and get some great books. In addition, we will have a food truck out during the conferences so you will have one thing less to worry about. Come on down and enjoy some food from the trucks and support our PTO.
As we come in to October, please continue the great work you have been doing towards our goal of high levels of learning for all.
Beau Dahlgren
From the Library
From the Health Office
Please go into Power School and sign the medical consents so the school nurse can help your child if they come into the health office. This is VERY important, the nurse is NOT allowed to see them unless these are signed! Hearing and vision screening will not be done on the kids who are missing consents. Thanks!
Here are the steps.
1-log into PowerSchool
2-open the menu toolbar on the left
3-click into School Forms
4-scroll to the bottom
5-click into the Medical link
6-edit if there are changes to medical/health history
7-scroll to the bottom, sign, and save form
8-this should take you right to the medical consent page. read through and answer EVERY one
9-save/submit at the bottom
Community School
Did you know?
West Ada Community School Coordinators have completed over 350 resource requests since the beginning of the school year.
If you or your student need assistance, please complete the Desert Sage Resource Request Form
Our Community School closet is always in need of gently used clothing, shoes, non-perishable food, and cleaning supplies. We have a diaper drive coming up on Oct 16-27 please donate if you can. Amazon Gift List
Family Engagement
Community Schools offer more than just resources. They provide enriching learning opportunities as well as family engagement events and activities.
Meet the Masters – In October our 5th grade students and parents are invited to participate in an evening art class. More details to follow. If you are interested in volunteering at the event or have questions please contact Rainbow Dye our Community Schools Liaison at dye.rainbow@westada.org
Survey – What kind of extra activities or programs do you think would benefit your student? Please fill out a survey to help us better serve our students.
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.
Community School Thank Yous
· Sept. 17-Sept 23rd was National Community School Coordinators Appreciation Week. - I truly appreciate all the support and encouragement from my colleagues and community.
· Shout out to the Cathedral of the Rockies Amity Campus – they would like to thank the Desert Sage teachers and staff. They plan to bring in a treat for everyone on the last Thursday of each month.
· Thank you! Meridian Food Bank for providing 37-weekend food bags to Desert Sage students each week!
· Thank you! Assistance League of Boise and Operation School Bell for providing clothes and shoes to our students in need. Our trips are coming up on Oct 4th and Nov 9th
From PTO
PTO Thanks to You...
Thanks to everyone that was able to come enjoy some last warm weather with Kona Ice.
Looking Forward...
When you come to evening conferences or if you just need a night off from cooking, come enjoy Bite Me Food Trailer and Tony's Tamales on October 11th. A portion of the sales will be returned to the Desert Sage Elementary PTO to be used for the students throughout the year.
October 27th will be our first Popcorn Friday. 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. Money will be collected October 25th after morning bell.
November will begin our Thankful Giving. More information will be coming home with your students in October.
Next Meeting
Come join the PTO at their next meeting, October 3rd 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
Donate
If you would like to donate funds to the PTO to be used for activities such as Snowball Reading, Spring Break Bingo Prizes, or other student and staff activities for the school year but are unsure of how to; we have Venmo.
From previous newsletters
Breakfast and Lunch services
WELCOME, SRO ARNOLD!
SRO Arnold will also serve four other neighboring West Ada elementary schools, as well as assist at Lake Hazel Middle School as needed. As the SRO, his job is to promote a positive and safe school environment. In addition to training staff on emergency protocols, SRO Arnold will focus on cultivating positive relationships with students through mentorship as well as educating students and families on various topics including internet safety and bullying.
We are fortunate to have SRO Arnold as another adult that our students can turn to for help! If you see SRO Arnold, be sure to say hi and introduce yourself.
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/