Deer Canyon Echoes
Oct. 20, 2023
Action Items
- Check out the minutes from this week's DCPSO meeting.
- Monster Mash: Sign up to Host a Trunk for Trunk or Treat.
- Last chance to get 10% off your DCES Yearbook (see info below)
Save the Date:
- Week of Oct. 23 - Red Ribbon Week
- 10/24 - DC Dining: Mendocino Farms, 4S Ranch @11 am to close
- 10/27 - Monster Mash @ 5:30-8:30 pm
- 10/31 - Halloween Parade @ 9:10 am
- 11/7 - Evening with the Principal @ 5:30-6:30 pm (in lieu of November's Coffee with the Principal)
- November 13-17 - Teacher Conference Week
Principal's Message đź“š
Good evening, Deer Canyon Families:
We are rounding the corner of our first trimester, which ends on November 3. Please be on the lookout for information from your student’s teacher regarding conference week, November 13-17. As a reminder, these are minimum days at Deer Canyon, and we have no school November 20-24. Parents will be able to access progress reports in Synergy ParentVue starting November 29 at 5 pm.
Last week at Coffee with the Principal, we discussed safety, Positive Behavior Interventions and Support, and the Illustrative Math curriculum. If you're interested in learning more about PUSD’s new math curriculum, check out the Illustrative Math presentation for parents on the PUSD Parent Resources Canvas page.
This week flew by in a hurry! We had a number of site visitors, including PUSD leadership, restorative practice experts, and former Deer Canyon students (now at MVMS)! On Monday, we celebrated twenty-eight students who were Caught Being Kind last week…WOW! That makes me so proud. On Thursday, a multidisciplinary team of staff members participated in a Leadership Transition Workshop, facilitated by the SDCOE. At Coffee with the Principal on December 15, we will share school goals that came from this workshop and subsequent staff discussions. Today, our 5th graders attended a robotics presentation by MVMS students and participated in interactive experiences with their robots. Check Instagram for the fun and celebrations from this week (@deercanyonpusd)!
Noon Duty (Character Coach) Position available: We will have a vacant Noon Duty (Character Coach) position starting November 6. If you are interested in serving on the Deer Canyon staff as a Noon Duty (Character Coach), please visit the PUSD Classified Jobs listing to apply. Hours are Mon, Tu, Wed, Fri (10:45am-1:45pm) and Thurs (9:45-12:45pm). Email mastanley@powayusd.com if you are interested or have questions.
Red Ribbon Week is next week! The week of October 23 is Character Counts! & Red Ribbon Week for Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drugs Prevention. Mrs. Macdougall and our DC leaders have done a fantastic job planning a week full of activities for Deer Canyon students and staff, including an assembly on Monday, October 30. See more information below.
Halloween Information:
Monster Mash is on Friday, October 27, from 5:30-8:30pm, and I am so excited to bring my family to our campus to celebrate. Please join us for the fun! (More info below)
Our student and staff Halloween Parade is Tuesday, October 31, at 9:10am, and students are encouraged to wear or bring a costume (see costume conditions below).
Families are encouraged to watch our students parade across the front of school; no check-in required. The parade route will travel through the hallways, out the ESS gate, down the sidewalk in front of school, and back in through the Kindergarten/PreK gate. Families, please stand on the grassy area in the front of school. As always, there is no parking in the drop-off zone as we need unobstructed views of our students!
Costume reminders:
Staff costumes are still in the works! Mrs. Welty is a crafting machine!!
Props that resemble a weapon are NOT permitted (pirate hooks, swords, fake guns, knives, etc.).
Students may wear face paint or masks during the parade, but masks are not permitted during the remainder of the school day for safety, comfort, and student identification purposes.
Some of our younger children on campus may be frightened by very scary or gory costumes; please refrain from wearing “bloody” clothes, masks, etc.
Get creative!! Can’t wait to see our students’ interests shine through in their costumes.
Digital Citizenship and Monitoring Screen Time: Encouragement and Reminders
With the growing use of technology, Deer Canyon staff understand the importance of teaching our students to be digital citizens by respecting themselves and others, staying safe online, protecting private information, standing up to cyberbullying, and balancing screen time. It is important that families remain involved in their child’s digital experiences by previewing content, teaching kindness, and keeping in mind that the quality of the media your child is exposed to is more important than the type of technology or amount of time spent on devices. We encourage families to discuss their home rules and boundaries around screen time, engagement in age-appropriate video games, and more.
Here are some resources for families:
VIDEO: Kids & Tech: How Much is Too Much? - Common Sense Media
What should I teach my child about safe online behavior? - Common Sense Media
Help Kids Balance their Media Lives - Common Sense Media
Screen time and children: How to guide your child - Mayo Clinic
Screen time and school-aged kids - Ed Tech article
Finally, don’t forget to check out PUSD’s October 2023 Parent Education Courses (ENROLL HERE).
Have a wonderful, safe weekend, Deer Canyon!
Katie Bendix
Principal
Upcoming Events
DC Dining on Oct. 24: Mendocino Farms
Get ready for some creatively delicious sandwiches, salads, deli sides and soups from Mendocino Farms in 4S Ranch!
On Tuesday, Oct. 24, from 11 am to close, Mendocino Farms will provide 50% of all proceeds to benefit the DCPSO. This level of generosity is rare! Please join us and help support our school.
Order online for pickup or delivery using the promo code “GIVEBACK.” You can also show the printed or mobile flyer (see below) when you visit. Thank you for your support. Bon appetit!
See the Mendocino Farms menu, including kid-friendly items.
Monster Mash: Oct. 27
Save the date for Deer Canyon's annual Monster Mash on Friday, Oct. 27. More details below.
Halloween Candy Buy Back: Nov 1-3
Want to know what to do with those extra M&Ms and Twizzlers? We got you covered.
Bring your extra Halloween candy to the front office! From November 1-3, we’ll have collection bins for Sunray Pediatric Dentistry's Candy Buy Back program. Sunray will contribute 50¢ per pound of candy collected to benefit our DCPSO and then send the candy to U.S. troops overseas through the Soldiers Angels Program.
It’s a simple act of kindness for our troops and an easy way to support our school.
We look forward to your participation!
DCES Yearbook Discount Available
Hold tight onto those Deer Canyon memories!
Order Deer Canyon yearbooks now and take advantage of 10% off if ordered by Oct 31. You get two free custom pages when purchasing a yearbook! Even if the yearbook is purchased now, the custom pages can be completed at a later date (deadline is mid April).
If you have any questions, please reach out to the yearbook committee at deercanyonyearbook@gmail.com.