Deer Canyon Echoes
February 9, 2024
To Do
Seeking volunteers to help with Vision and Hearing Screenings on Monday, February 12, starting at 8:50 am. Please contact Miral Kanafani if you can help at mkanafani@powayusd.com.
- Check out the minutes from this week's DCPSO meeting.
- Please submit your feedback via the PUSD LCAP Survey.
- Start collecting gently used books for TK-5th graders for the Book Swap starting 2/26.
- Order DCES Spirit Wear.
- Parent volunteers are needed for February Black History Month and Leap Day lunchtime activities: Contact Maha (melmeniawy@powayusd.com) if you’re interested!
Save the Date
February
- 2/13 - Nothing Bundt Cakes pick up (12-3:30 pm)
- 2/19 to 2/23 - District Recess (school closed)
2/26 to 2/28 - Book Swap book collection
March
- 3/1 - Talent Show @ 6 pm
- 3/1 and 3/4 - Book Swap for student selection (during school hours)
- 3/4 to 3/10 - Read-a-Thon
- 3/11 - Pro Grow Day (no school for students)
- 3/19 and 3/20 - DC Dining: California Pizza Kitchen
- 3/20 - MVMS Incoming 6th Grade Parent Night
Principal's Message 📚
Good evening, Deer Canyon Families!
We made it through the rain (knock on wood…)! Our students and teachers demonstrated flexibility and resilience throughout the week of on-and-off rain. We spent many lunches and recesses inside the MPR, cozily sharing the space with our incredible Book Fair. Thank you to the DCPSO, our event chairs (Maha and Kumiko), and all parent volunteers who helped make this week one for the books ;)
And a special shout out to families that helped our teachers’ wishes come true by donating books from teacher wish lists; we’re excited to restock some of our classroom libraries! Check out our Instagram for photos of the Book Fair fun.
This week, we also celebrated National School Counseling Week by writing notes to Mrs. MacDougall on a poster board. I have the deepest appreciation for Mrs. MacDougall and her dedication to Deer Canyon. Her efforts in supporting our classrooms, individual students, and overall campus environment through initiatives like DC Leaders, PBIS, Character Coach support, and more are noticed and greatly appreciated. Her commitment to creating a positive and inclusive campus where students can learn, grow, and thrive has made a significant impact on us all. Thank you for all you do, Mrs. MacDougall!
Next week is Random Acts of Kindness week at Deer Canyon. I look forward to recess activities planned by our DC Leaders, including Kindness Cards and the Positive Affirmation Station. On Tuesday, we will practice kindness toward ourselves and wear pajamas to school for Pajama Day! I anticipate a whole bunch of students will be "Caught You Being Kind" throughout the week.
The Deer Canyon Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) team will meet with other PUSD committees on Thursday to dive deeper into the framework and our school practices. On Friday, parent volunteers will partner with a community organization to provide Lunar New Year lunchtime activities for interested students. I look forward to the fun!
Lunar New Year
The 15-day Lunar New Year Spring Festival begins tomorrow, February 10. Lunar New Year marks the first new moon of the lunar calendar, and celebrations are filled with food and treats, traditional banners, cleaning, activities, gifts, family and loved ones. The Lunar New Year celebration culminates with a Lantern Festival, symbolizing driving out darkness and bringing in hope for the new year. Happy Lunar New Year to our families that celebrate!
On Friday, February 16, students will have the opportunity to participate in a Lunar New Year activity during their lunch. I look forward to highlighting the fun in next week’s Echoes edition!
Happy Lunar New Year from PUSD
February is Black History Month
This February and always, we aim to learn about, bring to light, and celebrate the many important contributions of Black Americans to our country and the world. The Black History Month 2024 theme, “African Americans and the Arts,” explores the key influence African Americans have had in the fields of visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, language, film, music, architecture, culinary and other forms of cultural expression.
We look forward to threading meaningful conversations and instructional activities into our recognition of these important contributions in the world of art. For parents at home, feel free to peruse Common Sense Media resources for shows, readings, movies, and more.
Here are a few resources for adults, including a documentary on the history of jazz:
Black History Month Resource Guide for Educators and Families (hyperlink located on SDCOE website)
Watch Black History Month Special | Artbound Season 7 | PBS SoCal
PUSD LCAP
This is the last week that we will be gathering input on PUSD’s Local Control Accountability Plan, or LCAP, which shapes the District’s goals and guides our budgeting priorities for the 2024-25 school year. We want to hear from you: “What existing or additional programs or specific supports should we prioritize to ensure our students’ future success?”
Your responses are confidential, and you can respond with as few or as many different ideas as you’d like. After sharing your own thoughts, you’ll be asked to assign stars to the ideas shared by others, and read what’s most important to fellow stakeholders.
Click here to get started: bit.ly/2024pusdlcap
The survey closes on Friday, February 16. Until then, you can return to the survey as often as you’d like. In fact, we ask that you do come back to some of the new ideas shared since you first participated. Thank you in advance for your participation and partnership.
Digital Citizenship
We continue our work and emphasis on the importance of digital citizenship and will soon begin applying for our Digital Citizenship Badge through Common Sense Media. Our teachers regularly implement lessons around digital citizenship and are often engaged in organic conversations about safe, responsible use of technology. Check out the Common Sense Media resource Parenting, Media and Everything in Between.
2024-2025 Transfer Information
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 also enroll your student at their school of residence when new student enrollment opens online on April 1, 2024. 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.
Parent/Guardians of Multilingual Learners
Today through Friday, March 1, Poway Unified will conduct our Family Engagement and Accountability Survey to gather input from all families of English Learner students. This survey helps shape the District’s goals and guide priorities for the 2024-2025 school year. Your feedback is extremely helpful as we continue to seek ways to better our English Learner program. Please click HERE to complete the survey.
Positive Attendance Incentives
We have more positive attendance data to celebrate, Deer Canyon! We are noticing student and family efforts to attend school regularly — thank you! I am proud to see that our attendance rate and chronic absenteeism have remained steady. I am hopeful this is also an indication that many of our students are healthy and taking care of their bodies. Each new day is a new opportunity to continue our improvement, and I look forward to more celebrations ahead.
Families of students served through Special Education
PUSD and EFRC are hosting a 3-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. CLICK HERE to 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.
I hope you find time and space to enjoy the sunshine this weekend! Let’s head into next week with our hearts filled with happiness, love, and kindness.
Katie Bendix
Principal
Updates from the PSO
Seeking Donations for DCES Staff Lounge
Let's show our Deer Canyon Staff some love this Valentine's Day by filling up their staff lounge with snacks and treats! To donate, CLICK HERE, and please drop off items by Tuesday Feb. 13.
You can also purchase a Nothing Bundt Cake as one of the items. All Nothing Bundt Cake orders must be placed by Monday, Feb 5 (link in signup genius). We will take care of the rest (we'll pick up your order and bring it to school on Valentine's Day for the staff).
If you have any questions, please contact Razan Lin at VPPrograms@deercanyonpso.org.
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 and first come, first served, so don't delay!
Email Angie Serrano at jserrano@me.com with any questions..
DCES Winter Recital
Deer Canyon students participated in our Winter Recital last Thursday, showcasing the power and beauty of musical expression present in our talented community.
Congratulations to our students and thank you to parents, office staff members: Malia, Maha, Michelle, Javier, Pete and our principal, Ms. Bendix, for supporting this event. We appreciate the National Honor Society members at Westview who for volunteered and Mrs. Kubleck for graciously photographing our performers. Finally, a BIG shout out to Mrs. Heather Hall and Sohum Nemlekar for helping the auditions and program run smoothly.
Way to go Deer Canyon!
Upcoming Events
Talent Show is Here!
Our beloved Talent Show is happening on March 1, and it wouldn't be an amazing event without the help of our volunteers.
To volunteer at the Talent Show, please use THIS link.
Book Swap is Coming!
Are you ready to clean out your student’s book collection and make room for some new titles? Well, get ready!
From February 26-28, the DCPSO will be accepting book donations by the front gate and hosting a "swap" on Friday, March 1, and Monday, March 4. Students will have the chance to select a book from the collection during school hours.
This is a great way to reduce clutter, recycle and help inspire our readers just in time for our Read-a-thon! All books should be in good condition and appropriate for TK - 5th graders.
Please donate baby board books, young adult or adult books to your local library.
Thank you!
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
Important Updates
New Student Enrollment for ESS Summer 2024
We anticipate very limited capacity to enroll new students in the ESS Summer Program in 2024.
Space in the summer program is subject to the availability of staff, transportation, and priority enrollment for continuing students and unduplicated pupils.
To apply for the 2024 summer program, families must complete a separate interest application by completing this INTEREST FORM. The interest list for SUMMER will be open February 5- March 1.
If space is available, ESS will notify parents/guardians whether their child(ren) has been accepted to enroll in the summer program or placed on a waitlist by April 1, 2024.
Acceptance into ESS Summer 2024 does not guarantee enrollment in the program for the 2024-25 school year. Parents/guardians must complete the separate application process for new student enrollment in ESS for 2024-25 that will be available online beginning Monday, March 4, at 9 am.
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