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A publication of Desert Sands Unified School District
Holiday Edition 2015-2016
DSUSD - A Look Back at 2015
Each school year brings much to be proud of and
successes were celebrated throughout the community.
While it is nearly impossible to select the top ten, here
are the ten that rose to the top of the list.
x
students have presented
their robotics projects,
filmmaking prowess, and
the use of “thinking
maps”.
Michelle Cherland was named a
California Teacher of the Year.
A teacher at Carrillo Ranch
Elementary School and a captain in
the U.S. Army reserves, Cherland
was selected from over 300,000
teachers in California.
x
Supplemental funding was used to hire attendance
facilitators to focus on the analysis of missed
school days and program creation to keep kids in
school. Additionally, assistant principal positions
were added to the high schools to strengthen CTE
programs (career technical education).
x
Following several years of tight budgets and
cutbacks, over 130 certificated staff members,
primarily teachers, were hired as DSUSD
continues to reduce class sizes.
x
Palm Desert High School was accepted into the
prestigious AP Capstone Program with
implementation in the 2015-2016 school year.
x
Two of the top ten students of Riverside County
were from Desert Sands Unified School District—
Gloria Issa of La Quinta High School and Kaylie
Yi-Jen Chen of Palm Desert High School.
x
La Quinta High School won the 2015 WorldQuest
competition sponsored by the World Affairs
Council of the Desert. Last year’s first place
winner, Palm Desert High School, placed second,
and Indio High School won the spirit award.
x
Front and Center was introduced this year. Prior
to Board of Education meetings, thirty minutes are
spent on a focused presentation by students on a
noteworthy project or program. Already this year,
1
x
Five DSUSD schools
received a top California
education award in May.
Honored as Gold Ribbon
Schools were Desert
Ridge Academy, John Glenn Middle School, La
Quinta Middle School, La Quinta High School,
and Palm Desert High School. In addition to the
Gold Ribbon awards, La Quinta Middle School
received awards for their exemplary physical
education and nutrition program and for being a
Title 1 Academic Achieving School. Desert Ridge
was also recognized as a Title 1 Academic
Achieving School.
x
Although construction continues on the Indio
High School campus, early 2015 saw the grand
opening of the administration building, the
science/business classrooms, the lecture hall, and
the gymnasium. Later in the year the performing
arts center and the swimming pool began serving
the students.
x
T.R.E.C. (trustees reaching every community)
was introduced in 2015. In May, community
leaders visited Benjamin Franklin Elementary
School, La Quinta Middle School, and La Quinta
High School. October found the bus heading to
Abraham Lincoln Elementary School, Palm
Desert Charter Middle School, and Palm Desert
High School. In December we visited Amistad
High School, Summit High School, and Horizon
School to learn more about the DSUSD
alternative education programs.
April 27: Administrative Professionals Day
Dates To Note
May 1: School Principals Day
January 11-15: Aztec Spirit Week
May 3: Teachers Appreciation Day
January 12: TAY (transitional age youth) support
group meets in Riverside. Flyer on page 25.
May 4-8: National Substitute Appreciation Week
January 12: La Quinta High School culinary arts
students and the Jazz Band at The Purple Room. See
flyer page 32.
May 9-13: School Nutrition Employee Week
May 6: National Nurses Day
May 15: Peace Officers Memorial Day
January 16: Robotics Workshop, grades 2-8 at Palm
Desert Charter Middle School. See flyer page 25.
May 15-21: Classified School Employee Week
January 18: Martin Luther King Day, no school and
offices closed
United Way Pennies
January 19: Front and Center prior to school board
meeting. Focus on nutrition and well being.
Congratulations to the students and
staff at Andrew Jackson Elementary
School for collecting $1,300.50 in
their coin drive for the United Way.
January 20: District Spelling Bee (rescheduled) at
La Quinta High School Theatre at 5:20 pm.
January 22: T.R.E.C. to Indio High School, Thomas
Jefferson Middle School, and Dr. Carreon Academy.
See invitation page 26.
A New Court Reigns
(Reprinted from the Rajah Report.)
The Riverside County Fair & National Date Festival
recently held the Queen Scheherazade Scholarship
Pageant. Fourteen young ladies competed to be crowned
queen; though only one queen and two princesses were
crowned. IHS’s very own, Selena Andrews, was crowned
Princess Jasmine. Selena was awarded a $3,000
scholarship. Selena is a senior who is passionate about
music and performing arts. Her plan is to pursue a career
in music where she would like to write and record her
own compositions; somehow using her love of music to
help children. We are very proud of Selena for
representing our school. Leiah Elisarraras and Guadalupe
Torres were also in the running and we are very proud of
them as well! Way to go, ladies!!
January 26-27: Carrillo Ranch Elementary School
presents their Variety Show.
January 27: Palm Desert High School junior class
fundraiser at Panera from 4:00-8:00 pm.
January 31: Palm Desert Charter Middle School
Panther 5-K. Go to www.dsusd.us/schools/pdcms for
information.
January 30: Aztec Impact Pancake Breakfast at
Applebee’s in Rancho Mirage from 8:00-10:00 am.
January 30 & 31: Ed Teach Google for Education
Summit. See flyer page 23.
February 1-5: National School Counseling Week.
Selena, at far left, in the recent Tamale Festival Parade.
February 9: TAY (transitional age youth) support
group meets in Riverside. Flyer on page 25.
February 20: Fiesta Educativa, presented by Riverside
County Office of Education. See flyer page 24.
March 20: Palm Desert High School Aztec Classic
Golf Tournament with an 8:00 am shotgun start. Flyers
page 31.
April 2: Paraprofessional Appreciation Day
April 12: National Library Workers Day
April 10-16: National Volunteer Week
April 22: Earth Day
April 26: School Bus Drivers Appreciation Day
2
In The News
December 15: KMIR News covered the presentation at
Indio High School by California Supreme Court Justice
Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar (see page 20).
January 1: The Neighbors section of The Desert Sun
included a review of DSUSD in 2015 included the ten
top happenings. See page 1 of this newsletter for the
complete story.
December 11: A story on the gardens at DSUSD
schools ran in the Neighbors section of The Desert Sun.
The story can be found on page 4 of this newsletter.
December 27: The choir of George Washington
Charter Elementary School’s participation in Barry
Manilow’s Gift of Love concert was noted in The
Desert Sun.
December 10: The Desert Sun interviewed DSUSD
staff members regarding the overturning of “No Child
Left Behind”. The story was picked up by Paper Clips.
December 7: A column of support of the Desert Sands
Educational Foundation’s Festival of Trees ran in The
Desert Sun.
December 27: A photo of the Palm Desert High School
Chamber Singers was featured in The Desert Sun
following their performance at the fundraising event for
Olive Crest’s Safe Home.
December 6: In coverage of a fundraiser in support for
Tools for Tomorrow, an article in The Desert Sun noted
that the entertainers included students from Washington
Charter Elementary School.
December 26: A story in The Desert Sun on the
national Hour of Code included an interview with
Amelia Earhart 4th and 5th grade teacher Noelle
Johnston.
December 5: The Desert Sun conjectured that the
kitchen featured in an upcoming episode of Top Chef
was, in fact, the culinary arts facility at La Quinta High
School.
December 23: First place to La Quinta High School;
second place to Palm Desert High School; and the
Spirit Award to Indio High were announced in The
Desert Sun’s report on the 2015 World Quest
competition. KESQ and CBS Local 2 also covered the
story. See page 14 of this newsletter for the complete
story.
December 4: A look at the Home Base Program
operated by DSUSD Early Childhood Education was
the feature of the weekly Neighbors article in The
Desert Sun. The story was picked up by Paper Clips.
December 21: Among the top 10 local arts and
entertainments personalities for 2015, The Desert Sun
included Palm Desert High School graduate Jesse
Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal.
Local media continue to provide extensive coverage
on all DSUSD winter sports.
December 18: See page 13 of this newsletter for the
story that ran in the Neighbors section of The Desert
Sun on robotics. The story was picked up by Paper
Clips, the daily news update from the Riverside County
Office of Education.
Coachella to One Direction to the Opera
The Shadow Hills High School marching band will once
again be a musical desert star. The band is working on a
video/multi-media project as part of an opera being
composed and filmed for public television and the
internet. The composer is Lisa Bielawa and KCET
public television is involved in the project. Information
on Ms. Bielawa is available at
http://www.lisabielawa.net.
December 19: A story in The Desert Sun on animal
adoptions included a photo of DSUSD teacher Casey
Purden and one of her new cats.
December 16: The Desert Sun and KMIR continued
their coverage of the review of John Adams Elementary
School being considered for closure. The story was
picked up by Paper Clips.
Shadow Hills students were featured in 2014 at
Coachella Fest, performing with Big Gigantic, and in a
One Direction music video.
December 16: The Desert Sun and the Press Oracle, as
well as Paper Clips, included the DSUSD statement on
the shootings in San Bernardino. Director of Safety and
Security, Jeff Kaye, was interviewed by KESQ and
CBS Local 2 regarding the shootings.
December 16: A Desert Sun article on the retirement
of Sunnylands’ President Geoffrey Cowan was an
interview with La Quinta High School student Shivam
Patel.
3
From Farm to Table at Desert Sands Unified
At Desert Ridge Academy in Indio, middle school
students have added art and environmental design to
their academic day. The science class is taught by 20year teaching veteran, Alex Londos, who holds a degree
in landscape architecture from UC Berkeley. Combined
with his teaching degrees and certification, Londos has
created a unique world for his students to learn about
science, math, nutrition, language arts, and art.
The days of reading, writing, and arithmetic ended a long
time ago and today’s students have a broader education.
At many Desert Sands Unified School District Schools,
gardens have become a part of a curriculum or used in
after school programs.
The Ornamental Horticulture Academy at Indio High
School is designed to provide students with an
understanding of plant anatomy and physiology,
nutrition, propagation, and pest management. The
Technology Landscape & Management Academy at
Shadow Hills High School allows students to experience
all aspects of the landscape industry including the
appropriate selection of plants for the environment. At
Palm Desert High School, the severely handicapped
students have planted a vegetable garden for the past six
year. The culinary arts students and the Medical Health
Academy students at La Quinta High School have plans
underway to revamp their existing garden space for an
herb and medicinal plant garden. In addition the honors
biology class uses a garden as part of their living
classroom. The students use the garden beds for
environmental studies, to develop a farm-to-table
mentality, and to monitor plant growth patterns.
On the day the classroom was visited, worms were a part
of the curriculum. Londos explained the difference
between the work of the nightcrawlers and the red
worms used for composting. He noted their scientific
names and explained how
they worked before we took
the nightcrawlers out to the
extensive on-site gardens.
Using a hula hoe, students
created trenches in the rows
of vegetables and
distributed the
nightcrawlers who would
begin the work of
fertilization. Although
harvest time recently ended,
there are still plants in the gardens looking for the
nutrients that will be provided by the nightcrawlers.
Londos explained that the crawly critters ingest organic
waste and then leave behind
their own waste, called
castings, which is a
compost material that then
fertilizes the garden.
La Quinta Middle School students have planted
vegetables and a variety of flowers and will be capping
off this year’s experience with a
farm field trip. John Adams,
James Earl Carter, Andrew
Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln
elementary schools offer
students an opportunity to learn
more about agronomy in their
carefully tended gardens.
Gerald Ford Elementary School
has three gardens. A
kindergarten garden, a first and
second grade garden, and the Ellison Garden. A recent
addition at Ford is a gazebo built by a loving parent and
staff hands with donated funds and materials. In addition
to the garden at Amelia Earhart Elementary School, there
is also a bird and butterfly sanctuary.
Students bragged about the
produce that this year’s
garden yielded and were
quick to point out that a
new crop of strawberries
will soon be ready for
picking. They explained the weird looking green plastic
objects covering the plants and their purpose in
protecting the strawberries while providing a tour of the
greenhouse where the strawberry plants are bigger than
Photos: At left, the new gazebo
at Gerald Ford Elementary
School. At right, top, students
at La Quinta Middle School
work in their gardens. At right,
bottom, the vegetable garden at
La Quinta Middle School.
Below, a mural at Gerald Ford
Elementary School.
Story continued, page 6
4
Student Athletes Visit
Schools
The nutrition services team
continues to use innovative ways
to spread the word about the
importance of healthy eating. One
of those that is fast becoming a
DSUSD tradition is inviting high
school athletes to share breakfast
with the students at elementary
schools. The younger students
listen intently to the advice of
their admired high school stars all while sharing a
healthy breakfast.
Desert Classic Charities has offered the Desert Sands
Educational Foundation an unprecedented opportunity
to raise money for our students. Tickets to the Career
Builder Challenge (formerly the Bob Hope Classic)
tournament are $30 each and DSUSD schools,
classrooms, clubs, and teams will receive $20 for each
ticket they sell. The remaining $10 allows the
foundation to coordinate efforts for this and other
events and establish a new “mini grants” program. The
event takes place January 18-24, 2016, and the Drive 4
Education is presented by Rabobank. The Clinton
Foundation is a partner with the event.
Recently, the Indio High Rajahs had breakfast at Dr.
Carreon Academy, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B.
Johnson elementary schools. The Knights of Shadow
Just like the Hike 4 Education, ticket sales can be
directed to a specific school, classroom, program, club,
sport, or to the foundation.
Ticket sales are underway at:
www.desertsandsef.org/drive.html
Why should someone buy a ticket????
x
Proceeds directly benefit DSUSD students.
x
It’s a great opportunity for golf lovers while
helping to fund DSUSD programs.
x
Family activities are really fun! Children 15 and
under are free. So, for the price of an adult
admission, kids get to have a great time. (A special
children’s day is planned for Sunday, January 24,
but family activities are scheduled on every day of
the event.)
See page 29 for more information.
5
Continued from page 4
Christmas Riding
Variety Charity of the
Desert awarded five
bicycles to fourth grade
students at Theodore
Roosevelt Elementary
Schoolas part of the 20th
annual Bike for Kids
December giveaway.
Children were nominated
by their school and the
selection process had
already taken place prior
to the event. Principal
Dan Martinez kindly
picked up the bikes from
Palm Springs Motors and
delivered them to the
students.
their in-ground neighbors. Students also
found a small pumpkin, an eggplant, and
radishes still growing in their garden. A
side trip to the small orchard also brought
with it the color and the smell of the
growing tangerines.
While the food grown in the Desert Ridge
Academy garden provides many lessons,
Londos also incorporates art, specifically
ceramics, into the mix. The sign post
noting what veggies are in the garden is a
stand-alone sculpture. The pressings of
leaves into what could be a beautiful holiday gift for use
as a candy dish clearly provide a visual understanding
of the veins within the plant and the science behind it.
Science in a whole new way.
CHIPs for Kids
Officer John Quintero and wife Rosa delivered more
than presents to the
children at the pre
school located at the
DSUSD offices—
they brought along
joy, sharing, and
caring. Each child
received a special
toy and a hug as
they started their
holiday celebration.
Officer Quintero
even read a story
while modeling his fashion eyewear and cape.
To unsubscribe from The Beacon, email
6
The Beacon is published weekly by Desert Sands Unified
School District. Contents are the property of the district and
reprinting or reuse of the material is available
by emailing the public information officer
mary.perry@desertsands.us.
Publisher: Gary Rutherford, Ed.D.
Editor: Mary Perry
Copy Editors: Adriana Romero and
Blanche Ramirez
Photo Editor: Roger Isabell
Enjoy this newsletter? Share it!
Subscribe at: dsusd.us
News and photos always welcome!
Send to mary.perry@desertsands.us
8
Rapping in the New Year with The
Sonnet Man at Amistad High School
I am Music, and I Write the Songs
Local resident and superstar Barry Manilow gifted 30
desert charities with the proceeds from five concerts
held at the McCallum Theatre. Tiled A Gift of Love III,
Manilow continued the tradition of supporting local
citizens in need. Among the charities gifted was Tools
for Tomorrow, an art program in many of our DSUSD
elementary schools. Below, Manilow is shown during
the finales accompanied by students from our own
George Washington Charter Elementary School.
(Press release provide by The Sonnet Man.)
The Sonnet Man
came to Amistad
High School on
January 7. He set
Shakespeare’s
love sonnets to
Hip Hop music.
The Sonnet Man
was conceived
and produced by Broadway Playwright Arje Shaw to
bring Shakespeare to young audiences through a genre
they know and enjoy. Through Hip Hop, Shakespeare
becomes exciting and fun, introducing young people to
classics. The Sonnet Man helps raise literacy, improve
communication, increase enthusiasm for learning,
expand creativity, raise confidence, and build art
appreciation.
The Sonnet Man featured rap artist Devon Glover as the
modern day Sonnet Man. He delivered sonnets as
originally written and then broke them down in to the
spoken word. Mr. Glover’s flow embodied the richness
of Shakespeare’s language.
Over the last five years, The Sonnet Man has presented
assemblies, shows, and workshops to thousands of
people across the world, and has appeared on The Today
Show and MSNBC's Melissa Perry-Harris Show. He
has performed in Stratford-Upon-Avon in England and
will be returning there again this spring for the
Shakespeare Literary Festival. In 2014, The Sonnet Man
was honored as the winner of the LA Times Festival of
Books Inspirational Poetry Award, and his music video,
Hamlet, by filmmaker Deborah Voorhees, was an
official selection in the 2015 Shakespeare Film Festival.
A number of other performances and workshops, and a
Sonnet Man documentary film are also to come. He has
been profiled on MTV, and TheatreMania hails him as
“Grand! The Way to Inspire a New Generation of
Shakespeare Lovers.”
Blood Drive Success
Nancy Kounovsky, instructor for the Indio Middle
School pre-med academy, reports the Tigers completed
two drives already this year with 115 pints donated, to
date. The only middle school to participate, IMS is now
in third place among the area high schools with
Coachella Valley High School at 172 points and La
Quinta High School at 272 pints. The lifesaving gift of
blood was especially needed and appreciated during the
holiday season. (Photo: How many IMS students does it take to
hold down Becky Hudson, assistant principal?)
Amistad teacher Bradford Buskirk noted, “It’s
important to promote arts and literature education in our
school and The Sonnet Man will help us achieve that
goal for our students.”
TheSonnetManNYC.com and on iTunes. The Sonnet Man
with Devon Glover is represented by Academic
Entertainment, Inc., a nationwide agency representing
outstanding school assemblies and camp shows for over 20
years. Find out more at www.AcademicEntertainment.com.
Check out The Sonnet Man online
at www.TheSonnetManNYC.com and on iTunes.
11
Daugherty’s broadcast and journalism classes
participated, with a handful of students being selected
for advanced training in post-production.
Animation Creates Animated Students
(Written by Thomas
Jefferson Middle School
teacher Michael
Daugherty.)
Animate Your
Tobacco Awareness
Messages, an
animation-training
program focused on
tobacco-use
prevention for
Thomas Jefferson
Middle School
English, broadcast,
and journalism
students was held
in early December
to empower
students to create
PSAs (public
service
announcements )
promoting
awareness of the
dangers of tobacco
products.
The second week was made up of two seventh grade
language arts classes taught by Daugherty and Kristen
Bossi, respectively, who plan on continuing to
differentiate instruction in their classrooms through the
integration of media-based arts.
The TUPE grant awarded to Desert Sands Unified
School District includes equipment for the ongoing
production of animated PSAs as well as instruction to
train the teachers to facilitate the program, so that it can
live on at the school’s Communication Arts Academy.
Jaguar Journal staff members animate
artwork with Liz Granite of Royer Studios
of Topanga as they produce a public
service announcement for prevention of
smoking. Photos by Ariana Olivas.
TJMS Principal Esther Lopez said that the animation
grant was a great asset for the school’s Communications
Arts Academy. “It supports the Common Core
curriculum,” she said. “This training in animation will
help our program for years to come,” said Daugherty,
ELA, broadcast, and journalism teacher. “Our students
really like working in animation, and it’s a great
addition to our daily morning broadcasts.”
Museum Adventures
A secret about field trips is that
kids think they're a fun way to get
out of class but the teachers know
that it is a great way to learn new
material in a unique adventure.
Thomas Jefferson Middle School English
Language Arts teachers Michael
Daugherty, let, and Kristin Bossi, check a
story board for an animated PSA produced
7th grade students including from left,
Francisco Salazar, Luis Rendon, Gabriel
Amaya and Isaac Escobar.
Through a Tobacco
-Use Prevention
Education (TUPE)
grant, secured by
Tori St. Johns, student assistance program consultant for
DSUSD, the training program provided 6th, 7th, and 8th
grade students hands-on experience producing animated
PSAs for the school’s television station, JROC News.
The 3rd graders from John
Adams Elementary School had an
opportunity to go on just such an adventure.
Students from Kendall Contopulos, Dawn Ross, and
Christne Lunney-Jaffe’s classes explored the museum
and took part in the exhibition-related experiences
created by the
museum staff.
The training program, which ran for two weeks, was
facilitated by Royer Studios, of Topanga, California.
Liz Granite, vice president and producer of Royer
Studios, introduced animation to four classes, where
students worked in teams to produce a total of 12 PSAs.
Students wrote awareness scripts, created original
artwork, provided voiceover, and animated their films
using 21st century technology.
“This program allows young people to become peer
educators and exhibit leadership in the classroom and
the community,” said Granite. “I was impressed by the
creativity of these students and how well they worked
together to produce their films.”
Granite was joined by animator and editor, Sean
Rohani, who oversaw the use of technology and
animation techniques to bring the films to life.
During the first week of the program, Michael
12
They’re not your little kids’ LEGOs anymore!
(The article below recently appeared in the Neighbors section of The Desert Sun.)
every pound of crayons donated, eight minifigs were
created then sold for .50 each. During their project
presentation, the team put on a play, Don't Toss 'em. Be
Awesome, that explored the process of preparing the
crayons to become minifigs.
We use the terms
Common Core and
STEM (science,
technology,
engineering,
mathematics) to
describe today’s
problem-solving
education but it isn’t
always easy to place a Students from Kennedy at a recent
FLL competition.
visual with the
concept. But you can
when you use LEGOs and robotics. First LEGO League
(FLL) was created in 1998 to inspire students to create
ideas, solve problems, and overcome obstacles using
technology. Over 15 years later, FLL continues to
inspire over 233,000 participants in 80 countries to do
just that. Each year, teams of ten students and at least
one coach participate in FLL. Several DSUSD schools
compete. This year’s challenge is “Trash Trek”. The
challenge has three parts, Robot Game, Project, and
Core Values. According to the FLL website, students
participate by “programming an autonomous robot to
score points on a themed playing field (Robot Game),
developing a solution to a problem that they have
identified (Project), all guided by the FIRST LEGO
League Core Values.” For some schools, robotics is a
class, part of the curriculum, for others, it is an
afterschool activity.
The competition level isn’t the only way that robotics is
used in DSUSD schools. A number of elementary,
middle, and high schools offer it as part of their STEM
curriculum or as clubs. Amelia Earhart Elementary
School is in its second year of hosting a robotics club.
The 24, 3rd and 4th graders, work in teams writing code
to create their designs. Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary
School students have a new robotics club open to K-5.
It includes basic coding and component circuits. Gerald
Ford Elementary School’s robotics club uses VEX IQ
robots and a VEX EDR robot. Students assemble the
robots, conduct design, and implement modifications for
different objectives. Ronald
Reagan Elementary School
incorporates robotics in
classroom curriculum as part
of the national Hour of Code
and Google’s Genius Hour.
All DSUSD middle schools
offer robotics programs and Lincoln students present their
include its application in
robotics projects at a recent
engineering. A recent project Front and Center.
at Colonel Mitchell Paige
Middle School including a civil engineering component
and the study of bridges with students modeling
structures that could hold up to
150 pounds. The school also uses
remote control cars as part of its
engineering and robotics studies
as a form of applied science. A
summer program is being
considered at the school. Palm
Desert Charter Middle School
has also expanded their program
to include workshops with the
next one offered on January 16.
Information is available at
Using your head at Thomas
pdcmsrobotics0@gmail.com. Jefferson Middle School.
Both Palm Desert Charter
Middle School and John Glenn Middle School compete
in a robotics competition called Botball and have taken
home numerous trophies after participating in bouts
around the world.
Among the teams participating this year from DSUSD
are John F. Kennedy Elementary School and Abraham
Lincoln Elementary School. Team C.A.R.E. (Coyote
Awesome Robotics Energy) from the afterschool
program at Kennedy is led by kindergarten teacher Janet
Rhodewalt. She has brought the team to the competition
for the past five years. Each time they participate—they
bring home a trophy. The team from Lincoln recently
demonstrated their FLL project to the DSUSD Board of
Education at a monthly school-informational
presentation called Front and Center. Both teams
recently competed in regional competitions at
California’s LEGOLAND.
For the Project portion of this year’s FLL, the students
from Lincoln focused on plastics, specifically the
number of water bottles in the school’s trash. Their
mathematical calculations on the amount of plastic
drove their recycling robot creation. The Kennedy
students recycled crayons. They had a drive for broken
crayons and remolded them into seven different styles
of LEGO minifig crayons. Over 50 pounds of crayons
were collected, sorted, peeled, crushed, and baked. For
For more information check out www.firstlegoleague.org/;
www.hourofcode.com; www.botball.org; and www.geniushour.com.
13
Photos from top to bottom:
Assistant principals share a
smile, Margo McCormick
(Indio), Mike Schneider (La
Quinta) and Leigh Baird
(Shadow Hills); 2) First place
La Quinta team; 3) and this is
why Indio won the spirit
award; PDHS Principal Bob
Hicks with members of his
team.
World Quest 2015
Since 2005, Desert Sands Unified School District has
been competing in the annual World Quest Competition
held by World Affairs Council of the Desert. This year,
13 schools participated. Students came from across the
valley and DSUSD fielded teams from Indio High
School, La Quinta High School, Palm Desert High
School, and Shadow Hills High School.
Welcomed by Dean Sharon Brown-Welty, Ed.D., of
California State University San Bernardino, Palm
Desert Campus, the students took their places and the
grueling questions began, posed by Bianca Rae, reporter
and anchor for KESQ News.
Each team selected a scribe to note answers on the sheet
provided. A total of five rounds of questions were
asked, three before intermission and two after.
Categories were: international trade & finance, privacy
in the digital age, the Arctic, organization of American
states, and “great decisions”.
This year, the team
from La Quinta High
School was
victorious, earning
them each a $300
scholarship and
funding for a trip to
Washington, D.C. in
April for the
National Academic
World Quest Competition at Georgetown University.
(Photo, left to right: Aditha Parvatharajan, Jensen Roe, Shivam
Patel, Diego Valdez, alternate Walter Vong, as well as team coach
Justin Klockenteger.)
Second place went to Palm Desert High School. The
Aztec team each won a $200 scholarship. The spirit
award went to Indio High School.
Since the competition began in 2005, DSUSD schools
have placed first in 2005, 2009, 2014, and 2015. A
DSUSD school took home second place in 2006, 2007,
2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Third place
winners were in 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2013.
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Teens Support Toys For Tots
Ophelia Project Field Trip
Once again this year,
Shadow Hills students
embraced the idea of
holiday giving. Their
annual “penny wars”
raised almost $2,200. The
money was used to shop at
Target and the students
filled almost ten carts with
toys. As in years past, the
toys were delivered to the
Marines from Twentynine
Palms at a Toys for Tots dinner at Sun City Shadow
Hills sponsored by the Knights of the Round Table,
residents of the community. Participating students at the
dinner were the SHHS Cadet Corps, members of ASB
(associated student body), and band.
The young ladies of Indio High School who are part of the
Ophelia Project recently toured the new College of the Desert
campus in Indio with a side visit to the offices of the City of
Indio. The Ophelia Project mentors these young ladies to help
prepare them for college, career, and the future.
SHHS Club Live Cleans North Shore
The Shadow Hills High School Club Live recently participated
in C.L.E.A.N., a clean-up campaign for the Coachella Valley.
C.L.E.A.N. is a partnership with EDA, Riverside County, and
Burrtec. The club earned $2,000.00 They cleaned up North
Shore Yacht Club,
and the students
will use the funds to
pay for a leadership
conference in
Idyllwild in March.
Dr. Carreon Twinkle Tree Trot
The holiday season began at Dr. Carreon Academy with
a “Twinkle Tree Trot”. Students ran and walked in the
unusually cold morning air in preparation for their
holiday celebrations.
15
tell who was having any challenge to access the
instruction.
Dudding Nominated Educator of the Year
Shannon Dudding, a language arts and social studies
teacher at Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle School, was
joined by Principal Derrick Lawson and DSUSD School
Board President Wendy Jonathan at a ceremony
announcing the finalists for the CLMS Educator of the
Year. California League of Middle Schools honors
teachers, administrators, counselors, and other
certificated personnel based on their leadership
characteristics, middle school awareness, and exemplary
characteristics. The Educator of the Year will be
announced at the CLMS annual conference.
Shannon provides an environment of academic
excellence for her students but gives equal attention to
the creation and maintenance of a fair, safe, and healthy
classroom environment that engages and motivates her
students. She has taken her background as a Reading
First Coach and translated that into a strong literacy push
and fostered a love of reading in her students. In an era
of “readicide” where so many students, especially at the
middle level resist reading literature books, much less for
pleasure, she has captivated them with the opportunity to
write blogs using the latest in technology and social
media that has exploded into an enormous number of
books read by her students in this short time of the new
school year.
One mother of a special needs mainstreamed student
wrote recently: “ Hello Ms. Dudding, I wanted to let you
know that I have seen a huge difference in Ryan this
year, regarding his attitude towards reading. I have
always had to "make him" read, and somehow, this year,
you have managed to encourage him and lead him in a
way that has resulted in him taking his book to his room
on his own, to read!!! I can't thank you enough for that!
I don't know exactly how you've done it, but THANK
YOU!” This is an email type I am receiving over and
over!
Her recommendation was written by Principal Larson:
In today’s education paradigm, when people speak of the
three R’s, they are discussing Rigor, Relevance, and
Relationship as the core essentials of what constitutes a
good school and a great teacher. When our school
community has that discussion, they are speaking about a
person who exemplifies these, Ms. Shannon Dudding.
She is a fine role model of a dedicated, caring, and
connected teacher who touches a life that lasts a lifetime.
Two years ago she attended a Google Summit and it
caught fire in her soul. She has since become the sole
powerhouse to transform our campus into tech
integration for learning and using a multitude of
resources to truly run an integrated program. She runs
workshops and provides modeling as a demonstration
class for the power of technology as a tool to reach this
generation of tech natives.
She has served as department chair, a textbook adoption
representative, a leadership team member, mentor
teacher, and an ASB advisor. She is an avid reader of
professional literature and seeks out opportunities to
continue growing as a professional whether it be
attending an AVID institute, Heinemann Conference, or
reading the new frameworks in depth.
I am confident that Shannon exhibits the best qualities to
represent her peers and is truly an Educator of the Year
in the eyes of all Paige Middle School Staff.
She is the epitome of the “Taking Center Stage”
recommendations. Students needing additional time or
differentiated instruction are provided that both in class
and in the giving up of her lunch and after school time,
daily. When students are not successful or satisfied with
their performance, she works with them to study and
arranges retaking of assessments and assignments with
standard mastery as the goal. She is adept at removing
barriers for students with learning disabilities and
English Language Learners so that all students can
succeed in class and a visitor would be hard pressed to
The Shannon Dudding “fan club”.
16
College Scholarships
Lunchtime Concert
Brandman University, a nationally recognized division
of the Chapman University System, announced that
scholarship funding is available for all employees of
Desert Sands Unified School District.
Shadow Hills
High School choir
shared their music
with the retired
teachers at their
December
luncheon. Desert
Roadrunner
Division #43 supplied the photo.
Congratulations, Danny!
(From the personnel office.)
We are extremely proud and glad to introduce Danny
Pizan as the new manager of transportation.
Cynthia D. Flores, who oversees the local Brandman
University campus in Palm Desert, and Dr. Cheryl
Sjostrom, School of Education faculty member,
championed for the scholarships. “We knew that the
region is faced with an increased need for skilled
professionals and we wanted to be ready to meet the
demand for higher education and professional
development with a portfolio of programs that offer the
latest in technology and academic rigor, while providing
an environment that is nurturing, accessible and
affordable.”
Danny Pizan is no stranger to Desert Sands Unified. In
fact he is a 30 year veteran at Desert Sands. Danny has
moved up the ranks since being hired back in 1985. His
love and hobby of auto restoration started in high school
when he took four years of auto shop. Upon graduating,
he continued his education by attending the Universal
Technical Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, earning his
occupational associates degree. There he also received
training in automotive and diesel engine mechanics.
Pizan also has experience in metal fabrication and
advanced welding and has received training and holds a
certificate for school bus and school pupil transportation.
Danny is a member of the California School
Transportation Officials. The experience he gained in his
previous positions as mechanic assistant, lead person
vehicle & equipment mechanic, and vehicle maintenance
supervisor provided him the experience and the
opportunity to advance into his new position.
The scholarships are available to any employee of
DSUSD until June 2016. There are specific scholarships
for undergraduate as well as graduate
programs. Brandman University offers a
transformational Ed.D. program in Organizational
Leadership, a variety of master’s and bachelor’s degrees,
and a cutting edge competency based bachelor’s degree
program. To obtain more information about our degree
programs and our scholarships, please contact Annica M.
Dawe at ameza@brandman.edu or 760-341-8051.
December Board Meeting Actions
DSUSD’s 2016 school board officers were voted in
during the December annual organizational meeting.
Information meetings will be held on February 2, March
1, and April 5, from 5:30-6:30 at the Palm Desert
campus of Brandman University, 75-105 Merle Drive,
Suite 800, Building B. RSVP to ameza@brandman.edu.
President: Michael Duran
Vice President/Clerk: Donald B. Griffith
Members: Wendy Jonathan, Matteo Monica III,
Gary Tomak
At the same meeting, Melanie Peretz was recognized as
student board member from Palm Desert High School
and her school presented the board with a video
overview of their accomplishments.
Hike 4 Education
Congratulations to Palm Desert High School cross
country coach Dr. Georgie Elliott for her team’s efforts
at the Desert Sands
Educational Foundation’s
Hike 4 Education. Her team
brought in $1,000 to help with
meet costs. In addition to her
coaching duties, Georgie
teaches psychology at all
levels.
(Left to right: DSUSD Superintendent of Schools Gary Rutherford,
Ed.D., President Duran, Vice President Griffith, members Monica,
Tomak, and Jonathan, PDHS student Peretz.)
17
Authors, Athletes, and Community Action
Broadway Debut by Cambria Blake
The awards ceremony on December 16, at Palm Desert
Charter Middle School, concluded the first portion of the
triathlon titled Authors, Athletes, and Community Action.
Winners of the essay contest received monetary prizes
for their efforts. With 155 participants this year, the
writing contest continues to grow. This year’s prompt
was “If you knew you couldn’t fail…” Students could
select from two themes: 1) If you knew you couldn’t fail
at achieving your biggest dream or goal, what would you
do? or 2) Write a narrative essay about a time when you
did something you thought you could not do.
Whispers of excitement break out through the crowd,
washing over them like a turbulent wave on sand. Fear
crawls on our skin, filling our stomachs and forcing its
way into our thoughts. For months, all the actors have
worked day and night trying to make this Broadway
performance spectacular, something people will look
back at and smile. We have practiced the
performance over and over again, waiting for this
moment. I have crafted my art for years after
countless hours of lessons, practice, and lesser
performances. Waiting and yearning to show
my talent to everyone in the audience. Trying to think of
something besides messing up in the opening scene, I
walk in circles rehearsing my part. Hyperventilating, I
start the lines, but nothing comes out. Now fear is
engulfing me, enveloping me. How could I forget my
lines? Everything is gone, every line remembered
disappearing into nothingness. The words spoken, the
songs sung, the choreographed movements, just slip out
of reach of my straining fingers.
The second portion of the
triathlon is the Palm
Desert Panther 5K on
January 31, along El
Paseo Drive. See the flyer
on page 30 for more
information. This year’s
event is dedicated to the
memory of Coach Becky
Baker.
The lights dim and come back on again, interrupting me
from my thoughts. The show is starting soon, and I have
to get to my starting spot, center stage. This is my
moment. Imagining my grave stone being carved, I walk
in with rushed steps. I just get there when the lady
introducing the musical finishes and prances off stage. A
sudden burst of silence sends blistering excitement
through the crowd. Clenching my fists repeatedly, I erase
the image of my burial and put on a smile. “ You can do
it Cambria. You were born to do this; I believe in you”, I
whisper to myself. With the last words of
encouragement, the curtain lifts.
6th Grade Winners
1st Place: Maryn Petek
2nd Place: Elliette Olson
3rd Place: Farzin
Shatavyzadeh
(Shown above, left to right.)
7th Grade Winners
1st Place: Cambria Blake
2nd Place: Ian Feldman
3rd Place: Cole Reber
(Shown above, left to right.)
A thousand eyes stare back at me. Bright lights shimmer
down on me, blinding me, making my eyes water.
Suddenly, a real smile stretches across my face. No
matter how frightening it is to be on stage, the joy of
being here always overpowers it. I love singing, acting, I
love projecting my voice to its loudest level. I love when
people stare at me like I can produce something
amazing, and the lights that glimmer down on me, telling
me this is my time to shine. Most of all, when I see
smiles on their faces, and their eyes glistening, my heart
fills with warmth. I’m not only boosting their spirits, but
I’m inspiring them. My whole life I have been waiting
for this moment to reach my goal. Not only to make it as
a star on Broadway, but to also inspire the people here to
reach their full potential. After all my hard work from
doing the audition, to traveling, the money from what it
has cost, memorizing of lines, and balancing school,
sleep and other daily routines with the practices, I made
it. Now, here on the stage as I sing my heart out and I
hear the laughter of the audience members, I can only
think one thing, I did it.
8th Grade Winners
1st Place: Anastasia
Bochnewich
2nd Place: Reilly
LaCroix (right)
3rd Place: Tenaya
Moranda (far right)
Overall Winner
Cambria Blake
(At right with mother and
brother.)
Essay begins, next
column.
18
USC, and UCLA. Each student will earn a “bachelor’s
degree” in liberal arts by the end of the school year. But
there is an added component and students who want to
be further challenged can participate in an online
“graduate school” program.
Air Sports in Harmony with Nature
The 2016 International Aviation Art Contest
Students between the ages of 6 and
17 are invited to participate in the
2016 International Aviation Art
Contest. This is an excellent
opportunity to motivate and
encourage young people to become
more familiar with and participate
in aeronautics, engineering, and
science. The Federal Aviation
Administration, Western-Pacific
Region, will coordinate the
California segment of this contest,
in cooperation with the Aeronautics
Division of the California
Department of Transportation, the
National Association of State
Aviation Administration, and the
Federation Aeronautique
Internationale (FAI).
The first graduate school class was Entrepreneurship
805: Welcome to the Shark Tank. Designed to expand
students’ knowledge of business and personal finance,
participants created their own businesses. They then
passed a written test, participated in an interview, and
then presented their concept to a panel of local business
leaders. Future graduate classes are planned including a
creative writing focus.
Each student in Entrepreneurship 805 was asked to
create a “Big Idea” and then defend their concept. Over
50 students began the process with 19 finishing. Such
businesses as Sassy Scarves, Pretty Little Cupcakes, and
A Believe were rated by a panel consisting of Monroe
Principal Mike Kint, fifth grade teachers Kirsten Hill and
Dean Forman, and two parents, as well as Cathy Doyle
from the district office, and Chris Madain owner of
Desert Alarm, and Shannon Moraga of JSP Properties.
This year’s theme is Air Sports in Harmony with Nature.
All entries must be postmarked by January 22, 2016, and
be accompanied by the contest registration form that can
be found at www.nasao.org. Computer generated art is
not accepted. Contestants will compete for state,
national, and international honors in three age groups.
Who knew that a fun project like creating your own
company could be a unique way for 5th graders to learn?
Winners from each state will compete in the national
competition and these winners will vie for the
international awards. For more information go to
www.nasao.org.
Monroe Graduate School
Nate Manderfeld is a teacher with a mission. A 5th grade
teacher at James Monroe Elementary School, he is well
known for the creative programs that he has developed
for his students. A native of Minnesota, Manderfeld has
also taught at John F. Kennedy Elementary School and
remains committed to the idea that Common Core
learning needs to apply the “four Cs” (creativity,
collaboration, communication, and critical thinking) to
real life situations.
He has been at the forefront of Chromebook use in the
classroom, used the looping technique to hold a
classroom of both 4th and 5th graders, developed a
company that sells Cocoa Loco, and a company dubbed
Mustang Records. All this in an effort to reach his
students by incorporating their interests in experiences.
This year, along with the other Monroe 5th grade
teachers, the Monroe Graduate Education Program was
created. Accessed through Google Classroom, each 5th
grade homeroom is named after a college: Stanford,
22
ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
23
ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
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ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
EMERGENCY
CONTACT
INFORMATION
Please take a moment and
share a phone number so that
we can reach you in case of
an emergency that advises
you to not report to work.
(If you have not already done so,
please email your name, location,
and phone number to
Adriana.Romero@desertsands.us.)
25
ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
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ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
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ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
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ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
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ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
This year’s race is dedicated to the memory and legacy of
Becky Baker. Becky passed away on May 16, 2015—the
same year she would have celebrated 25 years of service to
Desert Sands Unified School District. Originally hired to teach
health and physical education, Baker put her heart and soul
into using sports as a means to teach her students about
commitment, team work, and their importance in life. Becky
was Indio High School’s head cross country and track and
field coach for 23 years and her girls earned a collective 23
Desert Valley League Titles. Her legacy lives on.
30
ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
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ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
32