Desert Mirage Elementary School

November, 2014
S P E C I A L
P O I N T S O F
I N T E R E S T :

Letter from the
administration

Early Release
Schedules
Desert Mirage
Elementary School
F r o m
I N S I D E TH I S
I S S U E :
Soccer Game
11/3
Early Release
11/5
Box Tops
11/6
Soccer Game
11/10
No School
11/11
Early Release
11/12
Kids @ Hope
Luncheon
11/14
Soccer Game
11/17
Early Release
11/19
No School
11/2628
Santa Shop
y o u r
p r i n c i p a l
Dear Parents,
Thank you to everyone for attending our Fall Carnival. It was great to
see students enjoying the games and many wearing their costumes. I
want to thank Central Christian Church for providing the carnival games
and music.
On Monday, Nov. 10th, we hope you will join us for our Desert Mirage
Veterans’ Day Assembly. We will be honoring our veterans and active
duty service members with a short ceremony on the lawn behind the
cafeteria. The DM choir will be singing a variety of patriotic songs; and
our own Mr. Clawson, Staff Sargent in the Air Force, will be sharing his
thoughts on Veteran’s Day. We would love to have any Veterans,
current members of the armed forces, family members and community
members join us for this event.
On the evening of Nov. 10th, the Desert Mirage Choir will be having
their Patriotic Concert at 6:00 pm. It is sure to be a wonderful
evening.
Desert Mirage will be hosting a Kids at Hope Luncheon on Nov. 14th for
12/1-10 the ACES that support our Bobcats. We hope to see parents,
guardians, grandparents, aunts, uncles and important friends join us for
lunch.
We will have Thanksgiving Break Nov. 26th, 27th and 28th. I am very thankful for the wonderful
students, teachers, staff, parents and community members that make Desert Mirage such a
wonderful place.
Please look for educational articles we will be including in our monthly newsletters. This month’s
article is called “Autism Defined”.
Susie Torrejos
Principal
Margie Suero
Assistant Principal
A C A D E M I C
A C H I E V E M E N T
Congratulations to the students at Desert Mirage who excelled in the academic instruction. We are proud of you!
Honor Roll
Kaley Campbell
Miyah Davis
Zemzem Elemo
Elizandra Herrera,
Joaquin Hoskie
Melanie Sanchez
Aisha Khan
Honor Roll
Brett Baehr
Jenessa Estorga
Brianna Grady
Jada Johnson
Layne Marquez
Yasmin Mendoza
Jacee Noriega
Joey Orta
Rachel Reynolds
Mrs. Heroux’s Homeroom
Mrs. Garcia’s Homeroom
Principal's List
Zeen Alqaraghuli
Thomos Del Cid de Santiago
Kiley Fratt
Mia Hernandez
Raquel Nowakowski
Brianna Saenz
Principal's List
Jordan Hall
Mackenzie Carlos
Makayla Byus
Mrs. Knoebel’s Homeroom
Honor Roll
Kendre Godson
Priscilla Knoebel
Robert Kramer
Miguel Nowakowski
Honor Roll
Josafat Alexander
Sean Ball
Jacob Caballero
Omar Canales
Robert Lincoln
Ally Nguyen
Angelica Sanchez
Darren Strauch
Mrs. Pacheco’s Homeroom
Ms. Bridgford’s Homeroom
Principal's List
Hannah Cisneros
Bella Farmer
Ciara Smothers
Principal's List
Sidney Casillas
Liam Costello
Jocelyn Lopez
Brianna Maldonado
Honor Roll
Alisson Acosta Corrales
Alexis Frederick
Roselyn Gutierrez
Samir Noriega Agamez
Mrs. Richardson's
Homeroom
Principal's List
Hayden Camp
Maci Danowski
Sarah Garcia
Mackenzie Parkhouse
Maritza Pimental Salazar
Honor Roll
Dominic Medina
Luis Bernia Rodriguez
Mr. Martinez’s
Homeroom
Scholastic Merit
Samantha Lu
Alexa Maestras
Principal's List
Rook Bowman
Tony Chavez
Marrisa Cintron
Honor Roll
Zahraa Alqaraghuli
Amnesty Chavira
Jordan Hammes
Tank Hodge
Roselin Ramos
Kristen Trieb
Catherine Zarate
A C A D E M I C
A C H I E V E M E N T
Congratulations to the students at Desert Mirage who excelled in the academic instruction. We are proud of you!
Mr. Clawson’s Homeroom
Principal's List
Jenesis Barajas
Kayden Blakely
Landon Davis
Raymond Gerkitz
Haydn Kelly
Charisma Medina
Danielle Thomas
Honor Roll
Leslie Giron-Castro
Elizabeth Negrete
Kelly Grady
Isaiah Lopez
Weaver's Warriors
Scholastic Merit
Lizveth Rodriguez Carrillo
Ms. Robertson-Tate’s
Homeroom
Principal's List
Anton Benedetto
Isabella Gutierrez
Kimberly Sanchez
Amanda Smith
Tommy Thompson
Andrea Villezcas
Principal's List
Miranda Beltran
Sarayah Levert
Jael Noriega Agamez
Daniela Nunez
Sally Phan
Kayla Souza
Dominic Torricelli
Honor Roll
Erickson Cabera
Desiree Para
Mrs. Necaise’s
Homeroom
Principal's List
Victoria Cisneros
Samantha Lopez
Eric Machado
Ivran Romero
Ariana Saiz
Honor Roll
Jailyn Crenshaw
Andrew Lacrosse
Aiden Ly
Matthew Messer
Aaron Socaciu
Samantha Velazquez
Robertson’s Rockstars
Scholastic Merit
Kierstin Smothers
Principal's List
Genesis Gonzales
Mohammad Khan
A diana Perez
Sara Shorty
Allen Vega
Honor Roll
Marina Castaneda
Angela Wilson Earegood
Geiger Nation
Principal's List
Sienna Blakely
Michelle Lemka
Arisa Mora
Honor Roll
Xavier Gomez
Robert Sanchez
Kevin Trieb
Daniel Vides
Fall Festival-Fun for Everyone
Bobcat Pride Awardees
We are proud of our students and the excellent behavior they model.
Here are the students selected for the month of September.
The names published in the October Newsletter were the winners for August.
KG– Alexis Stewart and Frances Duenas
1st - Dino Haley and Isabel Lopez
2nd - Evelyn Silva and Nicole Zarate
3rd - Yanexa Mendoza and Nicholas Saenz
4th - Zeen Alqaraghuli and Kaley Campbell
5th - Gabby Barba and Jacob Caballero
6th - Sarah Garcia and Jordan Hammes
7th - Victoria Cisneros and Andrea Villezcas
8th - Elizabeth Nunez and Dominic Torricelli EARLY RELEASE
DESERT MIRAGE
ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
8605 W Maryland Ave.
November 5, 12, and 19
Glendale, Arizona
A.M. Preschool
8:10 A.M. —
10:10 A.M.
P.M. Preschool
10:40 P.M. —
12:40 P.M.
A.M. Kindergarten
7:30 A.M. —
9:30 A.M.
All-Day Kindergarten
7:30 A.M. —
12:00 P.M.
Grades 1-8
7:30 A.M. —
12:00 P.M All children are capable
of success…
Dear Parents of 6th-8th grade students,
Please come to our 8th Annual High School Expo! Attending the expo will give students and
families a wonderful opportunity to see what high school options are available in our community. With local high school representatives being there, many of your questions can be answered
as you plan for your child’s future. Students will have a chance to win door prizes by entering
their names into our expo drawing. Refreshments will also be available. Come join us as we
plan for the future!
Questions:
Asking questions is a great way to help narrow your school search. Be sure to consider your
child’s needs when asking questions. Create a sheet of pros and cons for each school. Here
are some questions you may want to ask:
¨ Is this school public, private, charter or alternative?
¨ Where is the school located?
¨ If your child has special needs, what kind of support can the school provide?
¨ What kinds of facilities are provided at the school? (i.e. modern buildings,
wireless/laptops, computer lab, playing field/sports facilities, etc.)
¨ How many students attend the school? (Do you want your child to attend a larger
or smaller school?)
¨ Does the school have a traditional academic program or an alternative/creative
approach to learning?
¨ What is the school’s level of academic performance on AIMS?
¨ How much technology is used in the classroom?
¨ What extracurricular activities are offered?
¨ What are the expectations of parent involvement?
¨ What is the school’s discipline policies?
¨ How does the school communicate with parents?
8th Annual High School Expo November 5, 2014 The Hope Center 10550 West Mariposa St. Phoenix, AZ 85037 5pm—7pm If you have any questions please email Mr. Zañartu fzanartu@pesd92.org
Mr. Zañartu, School Counselor
Autism Defined
1 in 68 children nationally are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, making it the most prevalent childhood developmental disorder in the U.S. (CDC 2014)
WHAT IS AUTISM?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive developmental disorder that encompasses Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder- Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS).
Formerly, each disorder had distinct criteria. Now only one set of criteria exists with all three under a single
diagnosis: ASD. ASD is characterized by social impairments, communication difficulties, and restricted,
repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior.
Although the presentation of ASD varies significantly among individuals, it affects every age group and occurs in all ethnic and socioeconomic groups. It can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in
motor coordination, sensory processing and attention, as well as physical health issues such as sleep and
gastrointestinal disturbances.
While there is no known cause for ASD, it likely begins in very early brain development (quite possibly
even before birth) long before observable symptoms of the disorder ever emerge. The disruption in brain
development leads to an interrupted learning process and as a result, development occurs more slowly.
Currently trained professionals can only diagnose ASD by observing emerging behavior or by noting significant differences from how a person's peers function. For many, the most obvious signs and symptoms of
ASD tend to emerge between 2 and 3 years of age. For others, differences may not become obvious until
childhood, adolescence, or, for some, even adulthood.
VERY EARLY INDICATORS
As early detection improves, we are heading toward a shift in our consideration of ASD as a behavioral disorder. We need to stop waiting for behaviors to emerge before we consider an individual to have ASD. As
we develop more accurate early detection methods, we may be able to identify the learning disruption that
leads to ASD. Then we can develop more effective treatments that can improve learning and prevent ASD
related behaviors from ever emerging.
CURRENT VERY EARLY INDICATORS
 No babbling or pointing by age 1  No single words by 16 months or two-word phrases by age 2  No response to name  Loss of language or social skills  Poor eye contact  Excessive lining up of toys or objects  No smiling or social responsiveness  Difficulty with engaging Does not seem to enjoy or seek interaction with others
LATER
INDICATORS
 Impaired ability to make friends with peers  Impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others  Absence or impairment of imaginative and social play  Stereotyped, repetitive, or unusual use of language  Restricted patterns of interest that are abnormal in intensity or focus  Preoccupation with certain objects or subjects Inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals
WIDE VARIATIONS FROM PERSON TO PERSON
The presentation of ASD can vary widely from person to person in three areas:
1. Cognition - Some people may have a significant cognitive impairment, while others are gifted in
some areas. Many have average or near average IQ. 2. Communication - Some people with ASD may not develop functional communication, while others
may have speech, but not use it functionally. Still others will develop language on time and use it appropriately, but have limited social communication skills. 3. Socialization - Social impairment is a hallmark feature of ASD. Some may have little or no desire to
socialize, and therefore, do not develop age appropriate skills. Others may have a strong desire to socialize, but because of ASD, they have difficulty interacting appropriately. As a result, they don’t get to socialize as much as they would like.
4. No one presentation fits ever yone with ASD. It’s impor tant to avoid ster eotypes like, “All people with
autism do . . . .” Remember, there are just as many individual differences among people with autism as there
are among people without autism. Each person has his or her own combination of strengths and weaknesses.
As with anyone, we at SARRC choose to emphasize people’s strengths, while also recognizing and supporting their challenges.
Autism Incidence Rates
The most recent prevalence report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates 1 in every
68 children have ASD, but that's a national aver age acr oss specific states that contr ibute data to the
CDC's surveillance study. In Arizona, the rates are slightly higher at 1 in 64. This doesn't mean living in Arizona presents any increased risk for having a child with ASD. It actually means we're better at detecting
ASD in Arizona, par ticular ly among Hispanics. The r ates will likely continue climbing as detection
and awareness improves. In fact, other studies of population rates indicate they could be as high as 1 in 50.
Regardless of the specific rates, many people live with ASD in our society today. We need to do our best to
provide opportunities for them to improve the quality of their life.