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A publication of Desert Sands Unified School District
May 9, 2016
Palm Desert High Student Named Top in County
The top high school students from the class of 2016 in
Riverside County—including the top 10 students—
were honored on Wednesday, April 20, at the 11th
Annual Riverside County Student Academic Awards
Dinner held at the Riverside Convention Center.
Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Kenneth
M. Young, announced the names of the top 10 students
in the county—the 2016 All-County Academic Team.
Among the top ten was Rachael Phillips of Palm
Desert High School.
In attendance were more than 600 parents, principals,
and superintendents who came to support the 139
Riverside County high school students who were
recognized for outstanding academic achievement.
Each high school was asked to select between one and
three students, based on their enrollments, GPAs,
college entrance exams, class rank, extracurricular
activities, and community service.
The average GPA for the 2016 All-County Academic
Team is 4.7 and the average SAT score is 2253,
compared to the national average of 1490.
Palm Desert High School students Jacqueline Orfield and Racheal
Phillips with DSUSD Superintendent Gary Rutherford, Ed.D. and
Principal Robert Hicks. At right is Riverside County
Superintendent Kenneth Young.
Desert Sands Unified School District students earning
this distinction are:

Monica Pelayo, Indio High School

Guadalupe Torres, Indio High School

Jordan Andrie, La Quinta High School

Yvonne Carrillo, La Quinta High School

Madeline Davis, La Quinta High School

Jacqueline Orfield, Palm Desert High School

Rachael Phillips, Palm Desert High School

Ibrahim Kastiro, Shadow Hills High Schoo l

Yousif Kastiro, Shadow Hills High School

Ambrocio Rivas, Shadow Hills High School
Shadow Hills High School students Ibrahim Kastiro, Yousif
Kastiro, and Ambrosio Rivas with DSUSD Superintendent Gary
Rutherford, Ed.D. and Principal Marcus Wood, Ed.D. At right is
Riverside County Superintendent Kenneth Young.
(Additional photos can be found on page 13.)
1
May 21: After School Program Ballroom Dance
Competition, 9:00 am, Shadow Hills High
May 23: Carrillo Ranch Elementary School presents
Spring Visual and Performing Arts Program at 6:00 pm
in the MPR.
May 24: Benjamin Franklin Elementary School 5th
Grade IB Exhibition from 6:00-7:30. See flyer.
May 25: Elementary School Battle of the Books, 5:00
pm, Benjamin Franklin Elementary School.
May 25: Palm Desert Charter Middle School Spring
Choir Concert at 6:30 pm at Palm Desert High School.
May 26: Palm Desert Charter Middle School Spring
Band Concert at 7:00 pm in the multipurpose room.
May 26: Sands of Time from 5:30-8:30 at District
Education Center North to recognize all certificated and
classified retirees, services pin recognition, and
employees of the year.
May 30: Memorial Day Holiday. Schools and offices
closed.
May 31: World No Tobacco Day
May 31/June 1: Carrillo Ranch Elementary School 3rd
graders present Summer Camp, The Musical at 1:00 pm
in the MPR.
June 2: Red Carpet Awards Ceremony at Carrillo Ranch
Elementary School at 6:00 pm in the MPR.
June 3: Desert Association of Claifornia School
Administrators (DACSA) honors regional administrators
of the year at the Hilton Palm Springs.
June 7: John Adams Elementary School, Legacy in
Learning Celebration, 5:00-7:00 pm. See flyer.
June 10: Last day of school
Dates To Note
May 9-13: School Nutrition Employee Week
May 10: Palm Desert High School Film Production and
Management Academy to hold an advisory meeting on
direction, curriculum, equipment, and facilities.
May 11: National School Nurse Day
May 11: California Day of the Teacher
May 11: John Glenn Middle School Art Show. See flyer.
May 12: DSUSD Health & Fitness Fair. See flyer.
May 12: Desert Ridge Academy AVID Family Night,
5:30-7:00 pm in the multi-purpose room. For families or
current AVID students and those interested in next year.
May 12, 13, 14: Eight student directed plays. 7:00 pm at
the PDHS Performing Arts Center. See flyer.
May 13: La Quinta Middle School Health Fair
12:20 am-1:45 pm
May 13/14: James Carter Elementary School presents
7th Annual Carter Cabaret; 6:00 pm both nights and a
1:00 pm matinee on the 14th.
May 14: DSUSD Middle School Math Day at John
Glenn Middle School beginning at 8:30 am.
May 14: Shadow Hills High School H2O TO GO.
See flyer.
May 14: Shadow Hills High School Golf Tournament.
See flyer.
May 14: Palm Desert Charter Middle School’s second
annual evening of jazz fundraiser. Tickets are $60 per
person. Call 213-448-2505 for information.
May 15: Peace Officers Memorial Day
May 15-21: Classified School Employee Week
May 17: Front and Center: IB, 6:30 pm, prior to the
school board meeting.
May 17: John Glenn Middle School Academy Awards
from 6:00 t0 8:00 pm at La Quinta High School.
May 18: Palm Desert High School fundraiser, 11:00 am8:00 pm, Grill-a-Burger
May 18: Amelia Earhart Elementary School IB PYP
Exhibition 5:00-6:30 pm. See flyer.
May 18: Special Education Parent Advisory Committee
Annual Awards Night, DEC North from 6:00-8:00 pm.
See flyer.
May 18: 2016 La Quinta High
School Blackhawk Showdown
season begins. Chef Andie from
Cork and Fork vs Chef Jenna
from La Quinta Resort. Contact
Sean.Webb@desertsands.us for
more information.
May 20: Lunch With The Chief
at John Kennedy Elementary
School, noon to 12:45 pm. See
flyer.
High School Graduations:
June 1: Amistad, 7:00 pm, Fantasy Springs Special
Event Center
June 1: La Quinta, 7:00 pm, Blackhawk Stadium
June 2: Indio, 7:00 pm, Ed White Stadium
June 3: Shadow Hills, 7:00 pm, Knight Stadium
June 4: Palm Desert, 8:00 am, Aztec Stadium
June 8: Summit, 4:00 pm; Horizon, 7:00 pm, Palm
Desert High School gym
2
Palm Desert High School
State Seal of Biliteracy
In an effort to encourage students to
study languages, provide employers
with a method of identifying people
with language/biliteracy skills,
strengthen intergroup relationships,
and affirm the value of diversity while
honoring multiple cultures/languages of a community,
California Education Code Section 52460 recognizes
students who speak, read, and write multiple languages.
A State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB) became effective
January 1, 2012, per Assembly Bill 815.
Jessica Acosta
Abdullah Alwishah
Elizabeth Barajas
Natalie Bautista
Taly Bautista
Josue Bojorquez
Camille Carrion
Anthony Cervantes
Brian Cervantes
Jasmine Cruz
Alberto Dauto
Ingmar Diaz
Leiah Elisarraras
Manuel Fernandez Aguilera
Alexander Gallardo
Azalia Gomez-Camacho
Artemisa Gutierrez
Yuridia Javier-Gomez
Martha Lamas
Saul Lira
Victor Lopez-Rocha
Fernando Meza
James Solomon Musni
Cruzangel Salvador Nava
Escarlett Olvera Flores
Jorge Pacheco
Monica Pelayo
Angel Quiroz-Hernandez
Alora Reed-Garcia
Manuel Robles-Perez
Marleen Romero
Gabriela Rosales
Destiny Rosas
Jose Salinas
Francisco Serrato
Aracely Simental-Ramos
Adilene Talamante
Guadalupe Torres
Israel Vargas
Paul Zavala
Beginning with graduates in this year’s classes, Desert
Sands Unified School District will recognize high
school graduates meeting the following criteria.

Completion of all English Language Arts (ELA)
requirements for graduation with an overall grade
point average (GPA) of 2.0 or above in those
classes.

Passing the California Assessment of Student
Performance and Progress (CAASPP) in 11th grade
at “meeting” or “exceeding” (3 or 4) standards.

Proficiency in one or more languages in addition to
English, demonstrated through one of the following
methods:
Passing a foreign language advanced placement
(AP) exam with a score of 3 or higher, or an
International Baccalaureate (IB) examination with a
score of 4 or higher.
Successful completion of a four-year high school
course of study in a foreign (world) language and
attaining an overall GPA of 3.0 or above in that
course of study.
The list of the 222 DSUSD students who will graduate
with this honor can be found here and on the next page.
French French & Latin Spanish Total
Spanish
Indio
15
1
41
57
La Quinta
18
42
60
Palm Desert
6
12
26
44
Shadow Hills
2
59
67
Total
41
1
12
168 222
Indio High School
Chinese
Li-Chi Liu
3
Spanish
La Quinta High School
Amaray Alvarez
Valeria Arellano
Madeline Brisceno
Adriane Ceballos
Jessica Celis
Gustavo Cisneros
Maritza Cuevas-Curiel
Madeline Davis
Brianna Frias
Tarcisio Gallo
Joann Garcia
Maritza Lojero
Marilyn Lora
Emigdio Lua
Michael Lua
Trenton Mellard
Valeria Mendez-Mondragon
Karen Meza
Joel Montalvo
Mellissa Moreno-Garcia
Genna Munoz
Joseph Murillo
Carlos Ortega
Adithya Parvatharajan
Adithya Parvatharajan
Shivam Patel
Angelique Pena
Juliana Perez Durazo
William Phelps
Julissa Quintero
Danielle Ramirez
Anthony Rocha
Daisy Rodriguez
Daniela Rodriguez
Andres Ruiz-Felix
Salvador Sanchez
Dominick Servin
Jason Slater
Anabel Suarez
Colette Ussery
Diego Valdez
Alexis Vargas-Barajas
Rita Villarino-Uribe
Walter Vong
Spanish
Palm Desert High School
Aiden Brossfield
Daniel Cornejo
Josmar Flores
Sebastian Gomez Romero
Kalena Gottwald
Skyler Greenberg
Sofia Haile
Jasmine Hassan
Carlos Hernandez Garibay
Thomas Jacobsson
Kevin Leyva
Nathan Lopez
Milaena Martinez
Justin McKendry
Giselle Meza
Daniela Mitre
Jordan Myers
Jacqueline Orfield
Alyssa Perri
Rachel Phillips
Sylvie Sparks
Victoria Tran
Paul Valenzuela
Ethan Weiss
Cloe Wood
French
Palm Desert High School
Sim Beauchamp
Caleb Clark
Stephanie Contreras
Kaylie Dudelson
Elise Holcombe
Maria Trujillo-Morales
Alba Villagrana
Spanish
Shadow Hills High School
Sierra Allard
Erica Alvarez
Eduardo Arce Cardenas
Alondra Arevalos
Ellie Arias
Alexis Armendariz
Alexandra Arreola
Kassandra Benitez-Cervantes
Luz Bernal
Nayera Boyd
Fernando Calderon
Christopher Castaneda
Ivanna Castro
Bella Celedon
Laodibet Chavarria
Elsie Covarrubias
Valeria Cruz
Annesley Duran
Bryan Duran
Gabrielle Esquivel
Jesus Felix
Cathryn Flores
Genesis Flores
Gabriela Garcia
Barrett Gonzalez
Destiny Gonzalez
Jose Hernandez Alday
Amanda Jauregui
Kylie Johnson
Jessie Lerma
Karen Lopez
Tiana Lopez
Yesenia Lopez-Cortez
Misael Magana-Sanchez
Joshua Mann
Samantha Martin
Cassandra Melvin
Arlyn Meza
Silvia Meza-Rendon
Carolina Miranda
Armando Munoz
Jennifer Ojeda
Samuel Osuna
Gavin Palazzo
Leslie Lizbeth Perez
Vaneza Elena Perez
Ameyalli Ponce
Liliana Quintero
Alejandro Reyes
Devin Rockwell
Isabel Rodriguez
Luis Rodriguez
Morgan Rodriguez
Rebecca Ruiz
Rebbeca Saltijeral
Vanessa Shelly
Jacqueline Solis
Lisa Solis
Nancy Valenzuela
Leslie Villegas
French
Shadow Hills High School
French & Spanish
Indio High School
Mia Arnold
Thea Reyes
4
French
Indio High School
Jacqueline Arroyo
Guadalupe Avalos
Marlen Cardona-Recio
Andrea De La Torre
Benito Miguel Diaz
Cristal Escobedo
Sonia Gamez Vasquez
Melissa Godoy
Jose Henrriquez
Lisette Hernandez
Salud Lemus
Alejandra Mancilla-Serrano
Ailed Mendes Gonzalez
Janelli Pedroza
Jarleen Pedroza
Marissa Ramirez
Maria Talamantes
French
La Quinta High School
Jordan Andrie
Kaylee Angulo
Adrian Cardona
Yvonne Carrillo
Uriel Esparza-Gonzalez
Nadia Fuentes
Diana Gomez
Kiara Hurtado
Harmeet Kaur
Isabel Mateus
Andrea Ordaz
Cassandra Ramirez
Cesar Reyes
Kayley Serna
Chloe Vent
Shendra Stevens
Christine Zuniga
Mary Jane Tran
LQHS WorldQuest Team in DC
Congratulations to the La
Quinta High School
WorldQuest team and their
participation in the national
competition. The team
ranked 27 out of 50.
From left to right (standing in
front of the White House) are
Jensen Roe, Diego Valdez, Adi
Parvatharajan, Walter Vong,
Shivam Patel and coach Justin
Klockenteger. In the second
photo, students are ready to begin
there competition.
Work in Progress
Not far from the lunch tables at James Madison Elementary School is a magnificent new mural featuring faces and
events that helped found the nation, including President Madison, himself. Muralist is Keith Blum whose work
already graces a wall at Dr. Carreon Academy. The mural is expected to be complete prior to the delivery of this
newsletter. A dedication ceremony is planned for June 1.
Stop, Drop, and Roll
There were some VIP visitors at the Palm Desert preschool in April. Firefighters stopped by to meet the students and
talk about fire safety. The most important lesson of the day was what to do if you are in a building during a fire. In
full turnout gear, a firefighter dropped to the level of the students explaining that this is what he would look like if he
entered the building to find them. What may look scary is really a super hero coming to their rescue. The highlight
was getting a chance to see the firetruck! Thanks to Debra Hoffman, Mrs. Sweeney, Sheila Ribas, Connie Dauto, and
Dolores Meza.
5
Music to Our Ears
The following is a message from La Quinta High School’s Michael
Fleischmann, reporting on the success of his students who recently
returned from playing in Chicago.
It is my pleasure to report back that our trip to Chicago
was an enormous success! The students had an
opportunity to attend a concert by one of the finest
orchestras in the world, experience some of the finest
museums in the world, (and ate some of the best pizza in
the world), and were extremely well behaved the entire
time. The highlight of the trip for all of us was our
concert a week ago. We shared a concert with an honor
choir, and we had the privilege of closing the concert
(and received a standing ovation at the conclusion of our
performance). Over 1,000 people purchased tickets to
see us!
Catch the LQHS musicians at these May events!
Sunday, May 15: the COD All-Valley Honor Band is
performing at McCallum Theater at 2:00 pm. This
concert features the BEST musicians in the entire valley
and, of course, a large number of our kids are among
them. The guest conductor, H. Robert Reynolds, is
(without exaggeration) one of the best in the world.
This will surely be a great experience for our students.
Wednesday, May 18: the Jazz Band is appearing at the
first ever "Battle of the Bands" at the Indian Wells
Resort. We play at 8:20 pm.
Thursday, May 19: many of our best students will be
performing with the COD Symphonic Band at the Indian
Wells Theater at 7:00 pm (Cook & Gerald Ford in the
UCR/CSUSB campus).
Saturday, May 21: our Wind Symphony will be
performing at the SCSBOA Regional Festival at Palm
Desert High School in the morning (time still to be
arranged). We earned eligibility for this festival for our
quality performance at the district festival in March.
Tuesday, May 24: our end of the year concert is
scheduled to take place in the LQHS theater at 6:30 pm.
Saturday, May 28: the Jazz Band will be performing at
the LQ Block Party in Old Town La Quinta, time to be
announced.
Correction: A story in the April 25 Beacon misidentified a
group of teachers who participated in the Ragnar Relay. The
teachers were from Desert Ridge Academy. (Photo at right.)
Editor’s Note: It has come to our attention that the name of Patricia Pearce was inadvertently left out of a story on the
Elementary School Math Field Day. Tricia is the coach for the second/third graders. Thanks for all your hard work!
Correction: There was a photo switch in the April 11 Beacon. The photos of Samantha Schuessler and Isabella
Gutierrez were switched.
6
Essay Contest Winners
Seven Palm Desert High School students
were recently recognized by the City of
Palm Desert for their winning essays. All
seven are students of Gary Wise in either
his 10th grade Honors English class or
his 11th grade CP English.
Winners are:
 Patricia Dan, Mayor's Award for
Best Essay
 Camille Hauswirth, 11th Grade
1st Place Essay Winner
 Joshua Phillips, 10th Grade
1st Place Essay Winner
 Ryan Cieslikowski, 10th Grade 2nd Place Essay Winner
 Emon Shaaf, 10th Grade 3rd Place Essay Winner
 Not Pictured: Jasmine Martinez, 11th grade 2nd Place Essay Winner and Juan Noquez, 11th Grade 3rd Place
Essay Winner
Art and Authors
The annual Andrew Jackson Elementary School Art and Authors Fair was held in May. Parents, students, and staff
viewed the showcased art and writing projects and the school’s Kidz Rock performed.
7
Every Penny Makes A Difference
Opportunity of a Lifetime
(Thanks to Laurie Pike, Ronald Reagan Elementary School.)
(The following article appeared in the May/June edition of Desert
Health Magazine. It was written by Ashley Young, a student in the
Palm Desert High School Health Academy.)
My Student
Council/
Interact Club
recently
completed our
Pennies for
Honduras
campaign,
raising money
to buy/build
better desks
and chairs for
students living
in poor areas of Honduras. The following is an email
that I received and the story of a generous boy in PreK.
The Palm Desert High School
Health Careers Academy junior
class participated in a job shadow
day on March 16. Three vans
transported 43 students to 20
medical-related locations including
JFK Memorial Hospital,
Eisenhower Medical Center,
medical clinics, dental offices, senior centers, JW
Marriot Desert Springs Resort & Spa, and even animal
care facilities. The students volunteered for six hours at
these sites.
“The experience was unforgettable,” says Ashley Young
who volunteered with two friends at the Joselyn Senior
Center. “I had no idea what to expect; however, once we
got there, we were warmly welcomed and immediately
given tasks. The three of us met with some very down-to
-earth seniors and absorbed their wisdom through their
hear-touching stories.”
From Katie Zapcart~
I have a student, James Rubio, who has been learning a
lot about being selfless this year. Over this week, I have
noticed his curiosity and interest in our donation drive.
Yesterday after school, I received the following email
from his mother...
Nydia Aguayo had an eye-opening experience at JFK
Memorial Hospital. “Getting the opportunity to shadow
a phlebotomist was a life-changing experience,” she
said. “It allowed me to see what a day in a hospital looks
like. Meeting new people and seeing all the different
departments was just absolutely amazing.”
A few months ago he mentioned to me and his dad
that he wanted an Xbox game. We told him he would
have to earn the money to buy the game. He worked
with my dad a couple times (gardening) and came to
work with me here at Indio Middle to help
with Saturday School to earn money. He was also
given money for having a good day in school if he
finished all his work in class and didn't sit out for
recess. Last week, he received the Xbox game he
wanted.
“Knowing I was helping someone become stronger and
healthy again brought a smile to my face,” said Paola
Ayon adding that she likes the way it feels to serve other
people. “That is when I realized the medical field is for
me.”
When I explained about the school in Honduras he
brought up the money he's been saving. He would
like to bring in his shoe box of money to donate to
the school in need.
Migel Espinola learned more about what it takes to work
in health care. “I was once confused about what I needed
to do to achieve my goals,” he said. “But after absorbing
the advice from medical professionals, I know the reality
of what is expected from me, how to get there, and most
importantly, why I love the field.”
If he doesn't change his mind by tomorrow morning
(hopefully he won't), I will put his box in his
backpack if I don't catch up to you before school
starts. I asked him if he was sure he wants to donate
all his money and he said yes."
This real world exposure gave students a glimpse of the
variety of possibilities in health care. Through the
Health Careers Academy, students learn through a prism
of career preparation in a three-year “school within a
school.” In addition, they learn how to take vital signs
and perform CPR for core studies. They also earn first
aid certificates and learn about medical specialties and
terminology, infection control, and HIPAA privacy and
security, as well as portfolio building and interviewing
skills. As seniors, students are assigned to intern at a
profession site.
This morning James showed up with his shoebox. I
asked him if he wanted to donate and why. He
responded, "Yes" and "To help others."
We just totaled it all up and this young man is donating
$67.85 of money that he earned by doing little jobs,
chores, and working hard.
WOW! I am so moved!
8
that says “Clear Browsing Data”, hit that and another
menu pops up that allows you to select what type of data
is cleared and for which period of time (from recent to
the beginning of time).
Tech Advice
by Chuck King, Manager, Computer Network Services
Using computers, tablets, and
phones, sometimes someone will
say “did you clear your cache”. It
may give rise to the thought,
“Yes, I just went to the market
and my cash has been cleared
from my wallet”. Here is the
definition: Cache /kaSH/: a
collection of items of the same
type stored in a hidden or
inaccessible place ("an arms
cache").
Here are links to the Chrome and IE instructions for
clearing history (cache):
https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95582?hl=en
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/internetexplorer/manage-delete-browsing-history-internetexplorer#ie=ie-11
So whether its cache, history, data files, temporary files,
or whatever it might be called, there is a way in each
browser type, to remove these hidden, saved files so that
outdated or corrupt information is no longer getting in
the way of smooth operation. If your browser is acting
up, and not showing web sites the way you like, or is
even not connecting to it, Keep Calm and Clear Cache.
It may be just the thing needed to get a fresh start on a
new web page experience.
When devices use an internet
browser, they need to store downloaded information on
the device, at least temporarily, and then assemble the
elements of this information into what you see on the
screen.
Internet browsers that are used at DSUSD on computers
and Chromebooks are typically Chrome Browser and
Internet Explorer. They all work pretty much the same—
you type in an internet address into the browser address
line, hit “Enter”, and then it finds the website for you.
Record Number of SHHS Students
Accepted to UCR
The admissions team of the University of California
Riverside made a special visit to Shadow Hills High
School as a record number of students from that school
were accepted to the college. Thirty-seven 2016
graduates were offered acceptance to the college so the
school provided some extra support and offered
information and advice to their incoming freshmen.
What you might not notice is that the website
information you see graphically is built from a large
number of hidden components including text files and
graphical elements. It is the browser that looks at these
files and pictures and assembles them into a
recognizable presentation on the screen. These small
pieces are stored in a—YOU GUESSED IT—a
CACHE, or hidden storage area.
One of the benefits of having this stored information is
that, the FIRST time you go to a particular site, they
push many of these elements to your device, into the
cache, and leave them there. The NEXT time you go to
that same site, they use what is already there, and it
makes the use of the website seem faster.
Sometimes, these elements get corrupted or are outdated and they interfer with how your browser displays
that site or even other sites. So, it’s a good idea to “clear
your cache” occasionally to remove these elements.
Now for the final twist—the browsers do not call this
CACHE, they call it HISTORY. So, instead of
“clearing the cache”, you are “clearing history”. In the
Chrome Browser, go to settings, the “three horizontal
lines” in the upper right of the browser window. A menu
pops-up, then go to the fourth line which says “History”.
Another menu pops up with the word “history” at the
top. Take that—and NOW there is an option showing
9
COMETS Mileage Club Awards Bike
Making A Difference
(Thanks to Jory Kirchhevel for this article.)
Ava McGihon, 2nd grader at Amelia Earhart Elementary
School, used her IB Make A Difference Project and
donated and planted a lemon tree on her campus next to
the kickball field. (Thanks to Ava’s mother Katie McGihon for
With the help of the nutrition services team and a
vendor, the Dr. Carreon Elementary School Mileage
Club was able to award its first bike to a runner. In
October, we began with a five mile card that students
were given along with a number five toe token. Every
five miles students were given a toe token up to a 50
mile toe token.
the photos.)
We had over 660
miles logged
with over 70
students
completing a five
mile card. Frank
Sauceda, a 5th
grader had the
most miles with
55 miles. Mrs.
Marinez, a 4th
grade teacher ran
40 miles. Jayden
Garcia, a 4th
Ivan Corantes and his mother along with Coach
Kirchhevel and teacher Bethany Marinez.
grader and Isai
Ramirez, a 1st
grader ran 35 miles. Ivan Dorantes, a 4th grader ran 30
miles along with the PE teacher. Coach Kirchhevel and
a 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Trubee, ran over 25 miles. Ivan
was randomly selected to win the bike on Thursday,
April 28. At the same awards assembly, Ivan was also
awarded Scholar of the Month which is Dr. Carreon
Academy’s award for Academic Excellence.
Earhart Mystery Reader
In other news from Amelia Earhart
Elementary
School...can you
identify the
mystery reader
who stopped by
Ashley Hayball’s
4th grade class?
Each month, we had a CHALLENGE run such as Keep
your HEART Healthy Run in March, Twinkle Tree Trot
in December, President’s Day Run in February and
others. Next year we are looking forward to even more
amazing things with our Mileage Club. Mileage Club
coaches are Coach K, Mrs. Marinez, and Mrs.
Trubee. Marta Shand, the Running Banana, has even
stopped out to join us for some of our challenge runs
along with a grandfather and parents.
May is Better Hearing and Speech Month
Special kudos to our speech team!!!!
DSUSD FACTS:
 Serve over 1,200 of the 3,000+ students with special
education services in DSUSD.
 Have approximately 22 full time employees.
 Each sees an average of 55+ students.
 Complete 30+ evaluations per school year.
 Complete 40+
consultations per school year.
 Are case manager for
approximately half of the
students on our caseloads,
adding the additional tasks
required to organize and
maintain state/federal
compliance.
10
Students at Desert Literary Society
Eight students and two staff members from Amistad High School recently attended a luncheon hosted by the Desert
Literary Society.
Staff who accompanied them were English teacher Katie Stahl and librarian Tami Meyers. Students from Palm
Desert High School also attended the event with English teacher Alissa Marshall.
The event featured a sit-down discussion with New York Times bestselling author Paula McLain, author of The Paris
Wife, a fictionalized account of Ernest Hemingway's marriage to his first wife, Hadley Richardson. Her latest
novel, Circling the Sun, is also a realistic fictional account of Beryl Markham, who was a famous horse trainer and
aviator in Kenya in the early 1900s.
Following the discussion, the students joined the rest of the Desert Literary Society members for a luncheon, after
which the author spoke about her novels and the inspiration that led her to become a writer. Ms. McLain described her
passion for writing as being completely immersed in her characters' lives, wanting to know every detail about what
made them who they were. One of the more personal things Ms. McLain shared with the audience was that she grew
up in the California foster care system and worked many menial jobs before she went back to college to pursue her
true passion, writing.
Photo: back row-left to
right: Samuel Zazueta, Ivan
Amador, Tami Meyers
(librarian), author Paula
McLain, Katie Stahl
(English teacher), Erika
Aguilar, Anahi Garibay, and
Rogelio Garcia. Front rowleft to right: Destiny
Martinez, Kathy Parra, and
Alexia Gonzalez.
To Be or Not To Be
Congratulations to the
Shadow Hills High
School Theater Team
for participating in the
Chapman University
Shakespeare
Competition. Javier
Mendoza and Tyler
Houghton won Best Set
Design for their staging
of Twelfth Night. Emely
Smith won Outstanding
Monologue as Juliet
from Romeo and Juliet.
11
Continued from page 1 Riverside County Student Awards
Indio High School students Monica Pelayo and Guadalupe Torres
with DSUSD Superintendent Gary Rutherford, Ed.D. and Assistant
Principal Margo McCormick. At right is Riverside County
Superintendent Kenneth Young.
La Quinta High School students Jordan Andrie, Yvonne Carrillo, and
Madeline Davis with DSUSD Superintendent Gary Rutherford, Ed.D. and
Principal Rebecca Cook. At right is Riverside County Superintendent
Kenneth Young.
Adams Celebrates Earth Day
Deanna De La Cruz’s kindergarten class at John Adams
Elementary School celebrated Earth Day making chalk
drawings on the playground. They spent time in their
classroom learning about the 3 Rs: Reduce, Recycle, Reuse.
District Personnel—Safety Trained
The safety and security team spent six hours on the last
several weeks conducting training for school site staff and
DEC staff on prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and
recovery. The enthusiastic class of close to 70 people
participated in scenarios that would require immediate and
thoughtful response. Below are photos of the teams in action.
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LCAP In Review
The Desert Sands Unified School District’s LCAP
(Local Control Accountability Plan) annual update was
held in late April. Participating community members
listened to the stories of success and the areas for
increased focus as presented by Superintendent Gary
Rutherford, Ed.D. and Melinda Wallace, director of state
and federal programs. A copy of the survey results can
be found at DSUSD.us. The morning session ended with
a video presentation of the district’s year in review as
taken from the headlines of local media. As participants
left the room they were asked to stop at the white board
and write a headline for next year.
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Outstanding Cadet
Cadet Philip Ross, La Quinta
High School Air Force ROTC,
was recently recognized by
Congressman Raul Ruiz.
Dr. Ruiz selected Ross as this
year’s outstanding cadet.
Philip was similarly
recognized by Congressman
Jeff Stone and Indio Mayor
Glenn Miller.
Healthy Students-Healthy Schools
The Alliance for a Healthier
Generation recently announced
that they have awarded a 2016
Gold Award to Theodore
Roosevelt Elementary School
and Bronze Awards to Amelia
Earhart and John F. Kennedy Elementary Schools.
Congratulations to all students and staff. All winners
will be able to accept their awards at a ceremony in
Washington, D.C. in September. Gold Award winners
attend a special dinner with Michele Obama.
According to the submission
for consideration made by Sergeant Charles Hays,
“Cadet Colonel Phillip Ross is a stellar student and I
would like to recommend for consideration as Veterans
Expo Cadet. His academic prowess has been evident
from day one. His intellectual curiosity and willingness
to help others also lend itself to his credit as an ideal
member of the Blackhawk community. Phillip was
selected to lead the La Quinta Air Force ROTC corps for
2015; with a responsibility of 148 cadets. He has
sponsored four fundraisers with the goal of reducing the
price of our Military Awards Ball, a food drive for
Martha’s Village & Kitchen with the goal of collecting
over 2,000 items, and the organization of volunteers for
this year Veterans Day Expo. He has served as a mentor
to the younger cadets. He’s competent, thorough, and
always comes prepared with a professional and positive
attitude. I am proud to call him both my student and my
Cadet Corps Group Commander. It is with utmost
sincerity that I recommend Phillip Ross for the
outstanding recognition.”
Additional schools in DSUSD are being considered for
awards. Continue to check The Beacon for
announcements as they are made.
BEST Awards
Bilingual Educators Succeeding Together (B.E.S.T.)
Awards are an annual county event, where districts
throughout Riverside County recognize teachers,
parents, administrators, and support personnel for their
on-going commitment to the academic success of
English Learners.
Each school site submitted nominees to the State and
Federal Programs Department from each of the
categories listed above. The selection committee
selected one nominee from each category and winners
were honored at the BEST Awards Recognition
Program on April 29 at the South Coast Resort and Spa
in Temecula.
The following Desert Sands awardees were recognized
for their contribution to the advancement of academic
achievement of English learners:
Sarahi Nunez, Amelia Earhart Elementary School,
parent/DELAC president
Jessie Ruiz, Indio High School, teacher/instructional
coach
Enriqueta Martinez, Indio High School, bilingual
paraeducator
Majid Salehi, John Glenn Middle School, principal
Philip Solis, Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle School,
instructional coach
In other ROTC news, the detachment presented the
colors at the recent 2016 Southern California
Association of Governments Regional Conference and
Assembly held in La Quinta. Below is a photo of Mayor
Linda Evans with Cadet 2Lt Crystal Zamora, Cadet
Major Treavor Voght, Cadet 2Lt Dustin Simpson, and
Cadet Lt Col Mario Velasquez.
NOTE: Cadet Joshua Mann from Shadow Hill High
School also received an outstanding cadet award.
14
Number 1
(Thanks to Nancy Kounovsky, Indio Middle School pre-med instructor for this information.)
Indio Middle School is proud to announce that we have reached sixth place this year among all the high schools who
organize blood drives in the Coachella Valley. We are honored to be recognized by Lifestream, along with the local
high schools, as a major contributor to valley's blood supply.
Through the contributions of staff members, parents, community, and students, IMS has over the last 11 years of
blood drives been able to collect 1561 pints.
Fuentes Sworn In as Board Member
DSUSD Students Receive Scholarships
Nadia Fuentes was sworn
in at the May 3 DSUSD
School Board meeting as
the student representative
from La Quinta High
School. Nadia is president
of the school’s ASB
(Associate Student Body)
and an active member of
the La Quinta community.
Seems only appropriate
that Nadia was sworn in on the day that the after
school programs were featured to the board members
as she is a product of Tools for Tomorrow, one of the
evening’s participants. One of Nadia’s 2008 pieces of
art hangs in the Tools for Tomorrow office.
Four young ladies from DSUSD high schools were
recently awarded scholarships from the Women’s Club
of Indio.
Award winners were:
Elizabeth Barrajas Alon
Indio High School
Silvia Meza-Rendon
Shadow Hills High School
Monica Pelayo
Indio High School
Lupe Torre
Indio High School
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Serrano Performs at Stagecoach
Gold Ribbon Awards Continue
There were some big-name
performers at Stagecoach this year
but, for DSUSD, the biggest name of
all was Kayley Serrano, a senior at La
Quinta High School. Kayley could be
found on the Hootenanny Half Pint
tent on both Saturday and Sunday.
Seven DSUSD Schools will
soon be recognized as 2016
Gold Ribbon Schools. The
Gold Ribbon awards recognize
California schools that have
made gains in implementing
the academic content and
performance standards adopted
by the State Board of
Education. These include the California Standards for
English language arts and mathematics, California
English language development standards, and “Next
Generation Science Standards”.
Paige Students Win DAR Awards
Colonel Mitchell Paige
Middle School student
Camyle Thompson
recently received a
scholarship from the
Daughters of the
American Revolution’s
local chapter. She wrote
an essay title A Colonial
Family's Reaction to the
Stamp Act.
Schools named were:
 James Carter Elementary School
 Amelia Earhart Elementary School
 Gerald Ford Elementary School
 Benjamin Franklin Elementary School
 Ronald Reagan Elementary School
 Martin Van Buren Elementary School
 George Washington Charter Elementary School
Dylan Duthaler was selected for the DAR Good Citizen
award as someone possessing the qualities of
dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism in the
home, school, and community.
In the latest announcement from California
Superintendent Tom Torlakson, Earhart and Carter were
also recognized as “Exemplary Program” schools for
their academic achievement as Title I schools. Reagan
was also named an “Exemplary Program” school for
their physical education activities.
Board of Trustees member Matt Monica was on hand
along with his wife Mary Ann, a member of the local
DAR chapter.
Flag Salute
Rae of Hope
Students
representing a
variety of after
school
programs led
the members of
the DSUSD
Board of
Education and
guests in the
Pledge of Allegiance on May 2.
The 3rd Annual Rae of Hope Retreat for middle school
girls is set for Saturday, September 17 at the
Renaissance Indian Wells. The day-long event provides
opportunities for girls to participate in a leadershiporiented learning opportunity. The event fee is $10 but
scholarships are available courtesy of the H.N. And
Frances C. Berger Foundation. For more information go
to biancaraefoundation.org. For early registration stop
by the Summer Social on Saturday, June 4 at The Arrive
Hotel in Palm Springs from noon to 4:00 pm. (See flyer)
Some Challenges Never End
The latest in a continuing series of
Blackhawk Challenges pitted the La
Quinta High School sophomore
culinary art students against the
juniors. Judges noted that it was a
touch decision but awarded the
evening to the junior class by the
narrowest of margins. Bianca Rae,
KESQ TV morning anchor, once
again hosted the event. (Photo by Gary
Tomak.)
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21st Annual Chili Dog Open
Sixteen foursomes took to the links on April 25 for one of the windiest golf experiences of their lives! Not even the
intermittent rain showers could stop these folks from raising money for the United Way. Total money raised was
$2,324.09! (Thanks to Cynthia Mulvey for some great photos.)
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Winners Announced
Model School
The Tolerance Education Center and the Jewish
Federation of the Desert are pleased to announce the
winners of the 2016 Holocaust Essay Contest.
Accepting the 2016 CCEA Model Continuation School
Award (California Continuation Education Association)
from Riverside County Superintendent of Schools
Kenneth Young are Principal David Gustafson, Clyde
“Pops” Carter (seated), counselor Ralph Reyes, teacher
John Greene, Jacie Ragland, coordinated student
support, and Mike Ilic, CCEA president.
ESSAYS
Senior Division, 10th - 12th Grades
First Place, Katherine Peterson, 11th
Grade, Palm Desert High School ($300)
Second Place, Alexander Campbell,
12th grade, Palm Springs High School
($200)
Third Place, Mariana Villarroel, 10th Grade, Palm
Desert High School ($100)
Junior Division, 8th and 9th Grades
First Place, Zoe Slater, 9th Grade, Palm Desert High
School ($300)
Second Place, Emma Vanderwerf, 9th Grade, Palm
Desert High School ($200)
Third Place, Stefan Pejovic, 8th Grade, Palm Desert
Charter Middle School ($100)
ART
Junior Division, 8th and 9th Grades
Second Place, Alyssa Ramos,
Horizon ($200)
Farewell
Third Place, Shea Hauswirth,
Palm Desert High ($100)
The Shadow Hills High School
family has said farewell to
beloved teacher Duane Styles
who unexpectedly passed away in
April. Duane was a teacher in the
Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH)
class at SHHS and a familiar face
to all students and staff. As a deaf
person, himself, he was a strong
and positive role model for the
students and families he served.
According to Principal Marcus
Wood, Ed.D., “The church that held his
service was packed with friends, family,
colleagues, past and present high school
students, and past and present college
students.” Marcus also noted that,
“Thanks to the help of our signers and
support staff, we were able to have all
our DHH students attend the services.”
Contest winners were presented with
their awards at the annual Yom
Ha'Shoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) Ceremony
on May 1.
One on One
It was THE soccer game of the year as local ROTC and
cadet corps played for the win. The victors were the La
Quinta High School Air Force ROTC cadets.
NOTE: The In The News
section of The Beacon will
return next week.
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Proud Mama
Front and Center: ASES
(Thanks to Connie
Jeffredo for sharing!)
The tradition of informative presentations to the DSUSD
Board of Education as part of the Front and Center
program continued on May 2 as various partners from
the After School Education and Safety Program (ASES)
brought over a dozen partners and their participating
students to showcase the activities that take place after
the classroom closes. Partners taking part in the event
were (apologies to any organizations that were left off
this list):
My daughter,
Allyson Jeffredo,
recently published a
short book of poetry,
Songs After Memory
Fractures; dedicated
to her dad James
Jeffredo and
Grandfather Carlos
Rodriguez. In
Allyson’s book
about memory, she
deals with how
memory fades no matter how much we don’t want it to
and how we inevitably have to come to terms with
diminishing nature of memories as time passes on.
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Needless to say, I am so proud of Allyson’s
achievements and would like to invite my friends and co
-workers to check out Songs After Memory Fractures at:
https://finishinglinepress.com/index.php?
cPath=2&sort=2a&filter_id=2196&osCsid=ucbo43g13e
d5k33bh9njcrl5u2
YMCA
First Tee
Sewing
Gardening
Intermural Sports
Red Hot Ballroom
Cheerleading
Tools for Tomorrow
Youth Development
Desert Recreation District
Coachella Valley Boys and Girls Club
National Junior Tennis League
National Geographic eBook Explorer Series
Recycled Fashion Design
Since graduating from Indio High School in 2009,
Allyson has accomplished so much. She went on to get
her A.A. in English Literature from College of the
Desert in Spring 2012. She then went on to study
English at California State University, San Bernardino’s
Palm Desert Campus where she received her B.A. in
English Literature in Spring 2014. Presently, she is
attending CSU San Bernardino’s main campus where
she is about to complete her Master’s degree in creative
writing this June.
In December 2015, she received a grant to teach creative
writing at a San Bernardino Elementary School, as an
after school program, to approximately 30 students,
which she hopes to continue doing after she finishes her
M.F.A.
In these last few years, Allyson has worked hard to
improve her writing ability, which I know she will
succeed in doing and be the splendid writer she has
aspired to become.
Enjoy this newsletter?
Share it!
Subscribe at: dsusd.us
News and photos always welcome!
Send to mary.perry@desertsands.us
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
Kindly submit all informational flyers
as jpgs (not pdfs).
19
Charter Schools Present to School Board
George Washington Charter Elementary School and Palm Desert Charter Middle School presented their annual
review to the school board in May. Both schools utilized the outstanding services of their students to tell the board
about the accomplishments taking place on their campuses.
20
ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
Palm Desert High School
Theater Department
presents
Eight Student Directed Plays
May 12, 13, and 14
7:00 pm at PDHS Performing Arts Center
$7 per ticket
The Test
directed by Sandra Chen
How to Take a Test
directed by Abby Mighell
Flowers for Algernon
directed by Jonah Eadie
The Kiss
directed by Megan Eslamboly
If Men Played Cards as Women Do
directed by Aaron Ortega
If Girls Asked Boys for Dates
directed by Thea McLean
Actors Nightmare
directed by Stephee Bonifacio
‘Dentity Crisis
directed by Heather Echeverria
21
ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
25 pages of desert-themed coloring fun!
$6 per coloring book. Email
Patrice.Healy@desertsands.us to order yours.
22
ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
Internet Use During the SBAC Testing Cycle
DSUSD is experiencing an unusual increase in the total amount of
Internet traffic coming from sites. This is partially due to increased
Internet use when not in testing periods, and more widespread use
of DS-BYOD for video-streaming and other casual activities.
We are asking teachers, staff, and students, to reduce non-essential
use of the Internet for the next four weeks, while
the CAASPP\SBAC testing is performed at sites across the district.
It is also necessary that student's and non-DSUSD personal devices
be connected to the DS-BYOD network only.
DSUSDWIRELESS is intended to be used by DSUSD staff and
specialty accounts only, and CBOOK is intended to be used by
chrome books and district tablets only.
Thank you for your help with this issue.
DSUSD Technology Department
Each month KMIR will make two $500
donations to a program or student in
need of financial help.
Do you need help sending a student to
an event? Does a department (sports
included) needs supplies? These are just
some of the stories they are looking for!
Each donation will be featured on KMIR.
The program begins in May. Call Andrew
Johnston at KMIR at 760.797.8435 or
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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
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ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
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ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
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ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
A variety of organizations are in the process of
accepting applications for summer camps. Desert Sands
Unified School District neither endorses nor sponsors
the organization or activities. The distribution of this
material is provided as a community service. Any camp
wishing to be listed can send information to
Mary.Perry@desertsands.us
2016 Young at Art
Coachella Valley History Museum
760-219-9758 or 760-200-4355
Journey with George and His Junior Historians
Coachella Valley History Museum
760-610-4209 or paolacalderon81@yahoo.com
Children’s Discovery Museum
of the Desert
760-321-0602 or cdmod.org
YMCA of the Desert
www.ymcaofthedesert.org
Summer Zoo Camp
The Living Desert
760-346-5694 ext. 2501
Palm Valley School Summer Camp
760-328-0861
Museum Art Camp
Palm Springs Art Museum
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ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
APRIL 6, 2016, TO JUNE 17, 2016
AT DESERT SANDS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Desert Sands Unified School District elementary schools are accepting
kindergarten registrations for the 2016-2017 school year.
Parents or guardians of children who will be 5 years old on or before
September 1, 2016, are to register their children for kindergarten at the
school their child will be attending. The new law SB 1381, Kindergarten
Readiness Act, established a 2-year kindergarten program known as
Transitional Kindergarten. Parents or guardians of children whose 5 the
birthday occurs on or between September and December 2, 2016, will
be allowed to register, for Transitional Kindergarten at the school site
the child will be attending.
Parents are to call the school their child will be attending for registration times. The following are the district’s elementary schools and phone numbers.
Carrillo Ranch 238-9700
Lincoln 862-4340
Earhart 200-3720
Monroe 772-4130
Franklin 238-9424
Truman 777-4240
Johnson 863-3680
Kennedy 775-3840
Dr. Carreon Academy 863-1544
Madison 775-3850
Ford 772-4120
Roosevelt 775-3860
Horizon 238-9720
Carter 862-4370
Jackson 775-3830
Eisenhower 775-3810
Reagan 772-0456
Hoover 775-3820
Van Buren 775-3870
For admission to kindergarten, children will have had their 5th birthday on or before September 1of that school
year. Transitional kindergarten children will have their 5th birthday between September and December 2 of that
school year.
The following documents are required for a completed registration:
1. Proof of residency—one of the following is required:  current utility bill (gas or electric) with physical address
(P.O. Box is not acceptable);  or, lease or rental agreement on letterhead, listing name of the parent/guardian;
 or, escrow papers listing the name of the parent/guardian; closing date must be within four weeks of the start
of the school term;  or, affidavit of residency from person with whom the guardian and student are residing
with, and a current utility bill (gas or electric) of that resident, and a copy of both parties’ driver licenses.
2. Proof of birth – one of the following is required: (NO PHOTOCOPIES WILL BE ACCEPTED)  birth certificate;  hospital certificate;  notarized affidavit;  immigration document;  baptismal record/church certificate;  physician's certificate;  other (adoption papers, court decree, passport)
3. Proof of guardianship, if student does not live with parents—one of the following is required:  legal guardianship—court ordered (foster care, etc.);  affidavit of parental responsibility (signature must be witnessed by
school district official) (definition: any person with whom the minor is residing, and with whom the
parent/guardian is in agreement, and who is willing to complete the form);  caregiver’s authorization affidavit
(signature must be witnessed by school district official) (definition: a "qualified relative" of the minor child and
with whom the minor child resides, and the parents are not accessible to give consent. (F.C. Div 11, Sect. 6550)
- “qualified relative,” means a spouse, parent, stepparent, brother, sister, stepbrother, half-brother, uncle, aunt,
niece, nephew, first cousin, or any person denoted by the prefix, “grand” or “great,” or the spouse of any of the
persons specified in this definition, even after the marriage has been terminated by death or dissolution.
(continued next page)
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ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
APRIL 6, 2016, TO JUNE 17, 2016
AT DESERT SANDS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT (continued)
4. Proof of residency—one of the following is required:  current utility bill (gas or electric) with physical address
(P.O. Box is not acceptable);  or, lease or rental agreement on letterhead, listing name of the parent/guardian;
 or, escrow papers listing the name of the parent/guardian; closing date must be within four weeks of the start of
the school term;  or, affidavit of residency from person with whom the guardian and student are residing with,
and a current utility bill (gas or electric) of that resident, and a copy of both parties’ driver licenses.
5. Proof of birth – one of the following is required: (NO PHOTOCOPIES WILL BE ACCEPTED)  birth
certificate;  hospital certificate;  notarized affidavit;  immigration document;  baptismal record/church
certificate;  physician's certificate;  other (adoption papers, court decree, passport)
6. Proof of guardianship, if student does not live with parents—one of the following is required:  legal
guardianship—court ordered (foster care, etc.);  affidavit of parental responsibility (signature must be witnessed
by school district official) (definition: any person with whom the minor is residing, and with whom the
parent/guardian is in agreement, and who is willing to complete the form);  caregiver’s authorization affidavit
(signature must be witnessed by school district official) (definition: a "qualified relative" of the minor child and
with whom the minor child resides, and the parents are not accessible to give consent. (F.C. Div 11, Sect. 6550) “qualified relative,” means a spouse, parent, stepparent, brother, sister, stepbrother, half-brother, uncle, aunt,
niece, nephew, first cousin, or any person denoted by the prefix, “grand” or “great,” or the spouse of any of the
persons specified in this definition, even after the marriage has been terminated by death or dissolution.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR KINDERGARTEN/TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN, GRADE 1
AND GRADE 7 STUDENTS:
 Physical examination: (form PM 171A) - completed within six months of the date child is entering
kindergarten/transitional kindergarten, or within 18 months of entering first grade. Note: if the child has a
preschool exam under Medi-Cal or CHDP, he/she may not be eligible for another exam for 1-2 years. Parents must
sign a wavier (form PM 171B).
 MMR: kindergarten/transitional kindergarten and above grade 7 students require two (2) doses given on or after
the first birthday.
 Hepatitis B: kindergarten/transitional kindergarten above require three doses.
 Polio – Four (4) doses at any age, but three (3) doses meet the requirement for ages 4-6 if at least one (1) was
given on or after the fourth birthday.
 DTP/DTaP – Five (5) doses, at any age, but four (4) doses meet requirements for ages 4-6, if at least one (1) was
given on or after the fourth birthday.
 Tdap or DTap or DTP - One dose is given on or after the 7th birthday for ALL students promoting to 7th grade
and all NEW students entering 7th -12th grade.
 Varicella/Chickenpox immunization – verification/vaccine prior to enrolling in school. One (1) dose of the
varicella vaccine is required for all children who have not had the
disease. If the child has already had chickenpox, a physician or medical
clinic must verify. Out of state students grades 1-12 one (1) dose for
children under 13 years; two (2) doses are needed if immunized on
or after 13th birthday, or physician/medical clinic verification of
having had the disease.
 Dental exam - oral health assessment completed by a licensed dental
professional for children entering public school for the first time at
kindergarten/transitional kindergarten or first (1st) grade. The exam
may be completed 12 months prior to school entry or by May 31st
of the school year during which the child is enrolled.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS, FUNDRAISERS, AND EVENTS
ATTENTION
DESERT SANDS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
STAFF MEMBERS
Picture this...it is a Sunday night,
11:30 pm, there is a loss of
electricity in the neighborhood of
your school site,. It will take 24
hours to be repaired. School is
called off for the next day. Students
and their families are notified via
SchoolMessenger. But, if disaster
strikes during non-school hours,
how can we reach you to provide
you with instructions or updates?
Please provide an email or phone
number for calling and/or texting.
This information will be kept
strictly confidential and only used
for this purpose.
????
To provide the information, contact
us at:
Adriana.Romero@desertsands.us.
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