May 2015 - Desert Sky Middle School

May 2015
A publication of
Desert Sky Middle School
“Building a Community of Learners”
9850 E. Rankin Loop
Principal, Katie Dabney
E-mail:
dabneyk@vail.k12.az.us
Assistant Principal,
Brent Edwards
E-mail:
edwardsb@vail.k12.az.us
Office: (520) 879-2702
Fax: (520) 879-2701
Website:
http://dsms.vail.k12.az.us
Desert Sky Office Hours:
7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Site Council
Robert Hays
(Parent/Community)
Chach Jackson
(Parent/Community)
Kiki Ngo
(Parent/Community)
Kirk Perrini
(Parent/Community)
Rayna Kruszewski
(Support Staff)
Sheri Aken
(Certified Staff)
Ryan Shea
(Certified Staff)
May
1 – 8 AzMERIT Testing Continues
1, 2
Chasing Charming - Drama Performance – MPR – 7:00pm
4 – 8 Team Request Window for 2015/2016 School Year
4 – 8 Staff Appreciation Week
4
Baseball & Softball @ CFMS – 3:45pm (B)
5
NJHS Induction Ceremony – Gym – 6:00PM
6
Baseball & Softball vs. CFMS – home – 3:45pm (A)
6
Track & Field @ EHS – 3:45pm
6
Steel and Band Concerts @ DSMS – 5:30pm/6:00pm
6
Choir Concert @ CHS – 7:30pm
7
Science Benchmark #3 – 6th and 7th Grade Only
8
Spirit Assembly – Gym – 1:30pm
11
STEEP Screening – Schoolwide
11 – 15 CIMI Trip
11 – 15 New York/Washington DC Trip
11
Talent Show Rehearsal – Gym – 3:00pm – 5:00pm
11
Baseball & Softball @ RVMS – 3:45pm (B)
12 – 14 Textbook Return
12
PTA Meeting – Media Center – 3:30pm
13
Track & Field @ EHS – 3:45pm
13
5th Grade Visitation – 9:00am – 11:00am
13
5th Grade Parent Night – Gym – 6:00pm – 7:30pm
14
4th Quarter PRIDE Reward – 1:45pm
15
Talent Show – Gym – 1:30pm
16
Baseball, Softball & Track Championships
18
8th Grade Awards Assembly - MPR - 8:15am
18
7th Grade Awards Assembly - MPR - 9:45am
18
6th Grade Awards Assembly - MPR - 1:45pm
19
Principal’s Award Breakfast - MPR - 8:15am
19
8th Grade Trip to Breakers - 9:00am
19
Yearbook Signing Party - 3:00pm - 4:00pm
20
8th Grade Breakfast - 8:15am
21
8th Grade Promotion - Gym - 10:30am
21
Last Day of School - 12:00pm Dismissal
21
Report Cards Mailed Home
From the Principal..
Dear Parents,
The 14/15 school year has been a great success! As the school year comes to a close and summer vacation
plans and preparations begin, it is important to look back and reflect on the year that we’ve had. Desert Sky
Middle School received our 3rd consecutive A label from the Arizona Department of Education. Desert Sky was
ranked as one of the top four Middle Schools in the State of Arizona. Teachers continue to utilize instructional
practices that ensure the success of every student. High expectations and standards have created a climate of
excellence. Go A+ Desert Sky!
As you already know, the ending of the school year is just as busy as its beginning in July. Students,
teachers, and staff are working hard to complete learning activities and projects, meet IEP goals, and finish
projects and benchmark/State testing.
This is also the time of year that teaching placements for the 2015-2016 school year are tentatively assigned. I am
very pleased with the tentative teacher list and feel confident that all of our teachers will provide quality
instruction in the classroom.
We strongly believe that classrooms should be balanced, not only with boys and girls, but also with
academic abilities. We also respect the fact that parents may have specific requests for a teaching team who they
believe may be a good match for their child. Please read carefully as we have made some changes to how
teacher requests will be accepted. Teacher requests must be written and emailed to Mr. Edwards at
edwardsb@vail.k12.az.us or brought to the office between May 4th- May 8th. Only written requests
submitted during this time frame will be accepted. Sixty (60) requests will be accepted for teaching teams
consisting of 4 teachers and thirty (30) requests will be accepted for teaching teams consisting of 2 teachers. For
teams that receive more requests then the capped amount (60 requests for four teacher teams or 30 requests for
two teacher teams), we will randomly select students until the cap is reached. Please know that we work hard to
honor requests and most requests are accommodated. Per Governing Board policy, administration makes the final
decisions regarding class assignments. Conversations about specific teams at a grade level should be directed to
administration. Also, please keep in mind that the teacher list is tentative and not guaranteed. Teachers might
move or take other positions prior to the start of school. The tentative teacher list is included in this newsletter. It
is important to have a conversation with your child explaining that a team request is not a guarantee. It is
a request.
Be sure to mark your calendar for the upcoming dates. WEB Orientation for all incoming 6th graders will be
on July 17th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Advisory Teacher lists/Team assignments will be posted outside of the
Desert Sky office at noon on Friday, July 17th. Stop by after noon to be notified of your child’s advisory teacher
and feel free to drop by classrooms to informally meet your child’s teachers. Teachers will be available until
4:00 p.m. that day. Your child will receive their full schedule on the first day of school. The first day of school is
July 20th. All necessary paperwork for the 2015-2016 school year (emergency cards, updated contact information,
etc.) will be sent home with students during the first week of school.
We have had a very successful year at Desert Sky Middle School and we could not have had done it without
your partnership. Thank you for your continued involvement and support as we finish another successful year!
Sincerely,
Katie Dabney
Desert Sky Middle School – 2015/2016 TENTATIVE Certified Staff
6th Grade Team
Science/Math
Social Studies/Lang. Arts
TBA
Lauren Button
6th Grade Team
Science/Math
Social Studies/Lang. Arts
Melissa Thach
Kryssie Beard
6th Grade Team
Science/Math
Lang. Arts/Social Studies
Carol Golembiewski
Karen Bettenhausen
6th Grade Team
Science/Math
Lang. Arts/Social Studies
Tanya Hoose
TBA
6th Grade Team
Science/Math
Social Studies/Lang. Arts
Morghan Chavez
Kristi Hill
Team A
8th Grade
Math
Social Studies
Science
Language Arts
Tammy Buchanan
Amanda Galvan
Sheri Aken
Abby Jackson
Team B
7th Grade
Math
Social Studies
Science
Language Arts
Becky Tanner
Kevin Jordan
Sharon Goldwasser
Jennifer Roberts
Team C
7th Grade
Math
Social Studies
Science
Language Arts
Jose Lara
Luke Kollasch
Steven Vuturo
Shinae Reid
Team D
8th Grade
Math
Social Studies
Science
Language Arts
Julie Gremel
Katie Vera
Matt Ricciardelli
Ryan Shea
Team E
7th Grade
Science/Math
Social Studies/Lang. Arts
Josh Little
Nic Costa
Specialists
PE
Choir/ELP
Leadership/WEB/PE
Band/Music
Art
Resource
Student Achievement Teacher
Advanced Math
ELL
Inclusion
Technology Coordinator
Psychologist
Student Services Coordinator
Speech
Sal Rodriguez, TBA
Rebecca Frericks
Christina Nickerson
Anka Mischel
Heidi Herboldsheimer
Deana Irvin, Seana Kamb, Katelyn Ewing
Rebecca Marsh
Eileen Short
Sheri Aken
Christina Hernandez & Stephanie Johnson
Dave Jones
Celina La Forge
Jennifer Wright
Yvonne Barnett
This teacher list is very tentative. Teachers may move or take other
positions prior to the start of school.
STUDENT
RECOGNITIONS
In early April, Desert Sky held assemblies to recognize many of its students for their
achievements on the 2014 AIMS test. Per the Vail School District’s Raising Expectations
program, students who have taken the AIMS test are eligible to earn up to three ribbons, a
plaque and a trophy. The criteria to earn each award is as follows:
Students who “meet” the reading, writing, or math sections of the AIMS test will receive a
ribbon. Students who pass all three sections of the AIMS test and “exceed” the standard on one
or more tests will receive a plaque. Students who “exceed” all three sections of the AIMS test
will receive a trophy.
Following are a list of students who earned a trophy or plaque
6TH GRADE PLAQUE AWARDS
Alvarez, Victoria
Brtitton, Mikayla
Chen, Shih
Davila, Pablo
Eklund, Lucas
Garcia, Phoenix
Gulli, Nicole
Hill, Clara
Kemp, Jared
Louis, Sarah
Martzke, Kristin
Barber, Grady
Caffrey, Sarah
Choquette, Chloe
Del Rasso, Luis
Foley, Ashlyn
Gervacio, Joshua
Hairston, Tailyn
Infante, Victoria
Lail, Jolie
Mann, Rylee
Maxwell, Ashleigh
Meeker-Hackett, Matthew
Miller, Riley
Mortensen, Amaya
Ngo, An
Odenweller, Heather
Othic, Zackary
Post, Madison
Rains, William
Rascon-Campana, Hector Rath, Nicholas
Rousseau, Alyssa
Saffioti, Eric
Shaw, David
Sherwood, Aubrilyn
Stevens, Aaliyah
Tainatongo, Mano
Warren, Cameron
Werner, Carissa
Yeager, Kyle
Yelifari, Adam
Barrios, Monserrat
Carnes, Caleb
Collins, Christopher
Edwards, Isaac
Fuentes, Brianna
Gonsior, Jessica
Henely, Daniel
Jimenez, Bryanna
Lamm, Gannon
Manoleas, Sophia
Mayfield, Brandon
Mondeau, Braeden
Nichols, Tara
Owens, Noah
Ramirez, Mireya
Ravenell, Amaya
Schilb, Ayden
Sorenson, Brock
Walker, Alexander
Williams, Izabelle
Yu, Jenny
Brick, Christian
Cheatham, Dylan
Copfer, Jonah
Ehrmantraut, Kayla
Garcia, Nina
Greene, Kayla
Hilden, Jordan
Johnson, Kenzie
Langford, Jack
Marsalek, Samantha
Mendez, Isabella
Mooney, Francesca
O’Toole, Sarah
Pate, Michael
Ramirez, Sophia
Rodriguez, Zoe
Schulenberg, Emma
Soza, Lorraine
Ward, Haley
Wright, Bailey
Zozaya, Esai
7th Grade Plaque Awards
Adams, Taylor
Alvarez, Hemelyn
Atchison, Jacquelyn
Beil-Adaskin, Samuel
Bernard, Jai
Bucinell, Sophia
Castagnaro, Carlo
Cordova, Isabel
Curtis, Brigham
Drake, Mary
Fajardo, Diego
Glennon, Elisabeth
Hanson, Marshall
Hill, Jason
Ibanez, Mireya
Kale, Paul
Lindley, Lauren
Macias, David
McLauglin, Faith
Monahan, Carlita
O’Daniel, Alyssa
Parker, Abigail
Richardson, Tahir
Ruyle, Kelsi
Silva, Carlos
Sorenson, Savannah
Strout, Mikayla
Ward, Danielle
Agee, Feleicity
Anderson, Zachary
Azzopardi, Noah
Bell, Avery
Brooks, Bethany
Cahill, Kortney
Chase, Brandi
Cota, Daniel
Dabney. Victoria
Dulam, Satyaarathi
Freeman, Hans
Golembiewski, Hana
Hargis, Nya
Hoose, Ryan
Infante, Maximiliano
Kinser, Miranda
Lonigan, Sean
Mannings, DeAngelo
Medina, Marco
Morando, Naidene
Olson, Sean
Pourier, Alexander
Rodriguez, Joshua
Sanders, Giovanna
Silvers, Brendan
Spann, Isaiah-Zakai
Teague, Ariana
Weinzinger, Ella
Albin, Gabriella
Andrews, Andrea
Baranello, Aaron
Bell, Keaira
Bryant, Eli
Campos, Tara
Chau, Nadine
Crawford, Trinity
Dills, Hailey
Ely, Justin
Garcia, Andreas
Gordon, Amber
Hasenstab, Jonathan
Horner, Matthew
Irvin, Kyle
La Pierre Shope, Julia
Lopez, Domynic
Marks, Bryce
Meek, Liberty
Morgan, Andrew
Ormsby, Amanda
Raymond, Jeremy
Rodriguez, Tristian
Sasselli, Annabella
Smith, Michael
Spendlove, Lucy
Turner, Megan
Young, Faith
Alexander, Aeryn
Angulo, Daniel
Barela, Eli
Bell, McKei
Buchanan, Allyson
Cardenas, Felicia
Conarroe-Figueroa, Ainarey
Curtin, Austin
Dorsey, Brennan
Evans, Rachel
Gerber, kayla
Greer, Jasmine
Hill, Anastacia
Hutchison, Noelle
Jung, Devaj
Lason, Mia
Lopez, Mariah
McInnes, Riley
Mendez, Marilynn
Mortensen, Logan
Pargas, Antonio
Richardson, Gabriela
Romo, Luis
Schlotterer-O’Neal, Darian
Soich, Clayton
Starks, Abigail
Walkosak, Bodie
Zadro, Shayne
8th Grade Plaque Awards
Acevedo, Bruno
Barber, Delaney
Beaulieu, Annie
Brown, Emily
Carley, Kianna
Contreras, Kendall
Davila, Christina
Dickerson, Julianne
Emerick, Kenneth
Garard, Collin
Gralton, Angela
Hill, Erik
Jackson, Maya
Lewis, Tarik
Lopez, Damian
Maestas, Gilbert
Martinez, Rene
Allen, Aaron
Barnes, Hailey
Bensing, Ezekiel
Brown, Weston
Carnes, Caitlyn
Cota-Jones, Sage
Deckter, Jozette
Drake, Abigail
Figueroa, Ezra
Garcia, Paris
Gregory, Makynzie
Hough, Caitlin
Knoepfle, Kaitlyn
Lindley, Ian
Louis, Kate
Mann, Caleb
Masters, Natalie
Anderson, Kalah
Barnes, Nastassja
Blanco, Isabelle
Byrd, Douglas
Christensen, Ava
Cozzens, Alyssa
Delaney, Ayla
Egan, Robbie
Flanagan, Shawn
Garza, Carlos
Halvorson, Cameron
Hutchison, Jayden
Lara-Rodriguez, Elisa
Lipman, Madison
Luzunaris, Jasmine
Mann, Zachary
Maxwell, Sarah
Babauta, Arik
Batterham, Kyra
Booth, Rachel
Caffrey, Wesley
Clarke, Sydney
Dardini, Samantha
Desmedt-Lopez, Mateo
Eklund, Maxwell
Fulcher, Ana
Grabosch, Ryan
Hanzlick, Rebecca
Ibanez, Omar
Leavitt, Regan
Long, Dillon
Mabry, Trevor
Manoleas, Chloe
McGoffin, Johnna
McLaughlin, Payton
Mischel, Emma
Nichols, Natalie
Parks, Victoria
Rainns, Evan
Rios, Brianna
Schulenberg, Brady
Stoe, Jacob
Tribolet, Chloe
Wissinger, Kendra
Miller, Amanda
Montano, Sarah
Nickerson, Alison
Perrin, Ethan
Randolpg, Madison
Rodriguez, Emiliano
Sooy, Jacob
Saurez, Nicholas
Whaples, Kavaan
Wright, Leanna
Miller, Zachary
Moody, Skye
Ornelas, Samuel
Placencia, Alexandra
Ravinthiran, Yashwini
Sanchez, Eric
Stevens, Christian
Swanson, Matthew
White, Baileya
Zwierlein, Heather
Minard, Alexander
Morton, Autum
Pablo, D’Ezra
Polkiewicz, William
Raymond, Hope
Sauls, Kainoa
Stocksdale, Tyler
Tainatongo, Maya
Wilson, Bryce
6th Grade Trophy Awards
Chen, Shih
Ramirez, Sophia
Choquette, Chloe
Rousseau, Alyssa
Garcia, Phoenix
Sorensen, Brock
Nichols, Tara
Tainatongo, Mano
7th Grade Trophy Awards
Bell, Avery
Hanson, Marshall
Bell, MeKei
Monahan, Carlita
Evans, Rachel
Sorenson, Savannah
Gerber, Kayla
Spendlove, Lucy
8th Grade Trophy awards
Beaulieu, Annie
Louis, Kate
Rains, Evan
Brown, Emily
Mabry, Trevor
Tainatongo, Maya
Christensen, Ava
Nichols, Natalie
Drake, Abigail
Parks, Victoria
It is no secret that the staff at Desert Sky Middle School truly values and appreciates
the efforts of its hard-working students. With this in mind, we would like to take the
time to recognize and celebrate the many accomplishments of several of our students
in each monthly edition of The Cougar Communiqué. These accomplishments may
be school or non-school related.
Alexandra Basurto (Team D): Team D has the pleasure of recognizing one of the hardest workers on
our team--Alexandra Basurto. All year, Alexandra has gone above and beyond with her studies and
extra curricular activities. In fact, Alexandra has recently been accepted as a new member of the DSMS
National Junior Honor Society. She represents the R (resilience) in our GRIT program. Way to go!
Pablo Davila (Saenz/Tiffany): It is our pleasure to recognize Pablo Davila for his effort this school
year. His consistently positive attitude, willingness to help peers, and contributions to in-class
discussions truly exemplify a model Desert Sky student. It is evident that Pablo has a thirst for
knowledge, and his classmates truly benefit from his presence. He is constantly sharing the personal
connections he has with the content, and in doing so, helps strengthen his classmates' understanding
of the content as well. We are lucky to have a student like Pablo on our team!
Breanna Henry (Button/Hoose): We would like to recognize Breanna as a "Stand Out" student
here at Desert Sky MIddle School. Breanna is a role model for her peers. Her work ethic is admirable
and she excels academically. She tackles complicated problems with courage, and always shows a
desire to improve. Breanna treats others with respect and stands out as a student with exceptional
personal character. Thank you, Breanna, for your Enthusiasm for Learning and continued Hard Work!
Jessica Hernandez (Team E): Team E would like to recognize Jessica Hernandez for being a stellar
student on our team! Jessica joined Desert Sky at the end of November and was also new to the Vail
School District. We all know moving to a new school can be a difficult process but Jessica has really
stepped up to the plate! She works so hard in class, she asks questions, she puts a lot of thought and
detail in her work. We really appreciate Jessica for not giving up and continuing to push herself
everyday! Way to go!
Sabastion Kolep (Bettenhausen/Golembiewski): Team BeeGee would like to recognize Sabastion
Kolep for his attitude and his humor. Sabastion is a very bright young man and he sees the
positiveness of each day. In addition, Sabastion has a killer sense of humor that always puts a smile on
the faces of his teachers.
Alex Minard (Team A): We are proud to name Alex as our Student of the Month, as he represents all
the things we look for in a GRITty student! He is one of the hardest working young men we’ve ever had
the honor to teach. Overcoming obstacles and turning them to good is the key to his success. When
asked what his teachers think of him, they said things like, “amazing”, “helpful”, “positive”, “respectful”,
“inspiring”, “inquisitive”, “analytical” and “clever”. WOW!! That’s our Alex, and we know this is just the
beginning! His plan is to do high school in 3 years and pursue a career in engineering, and we have
absolutely no doubt that he will succeed.
Braeden Mondeau (Chavez/Hill): Mrs. Chavez and Mrs. Hill would like to recognize Braeden
Mondeau as our student of the month. Braeden not only works very hard academically, he puts forth
his full effort into everything he does including baseball. Braeden also has the incredible ability to make
anyone he meets instantly welcome and at ease. In addition to his outstanding work ethic, wonderful
sense of humor and caring disposition; Braeden is also an exemplary classroom citizen and embodies
all of the character traits that we value here at Desert Sky! Thank you for being such an enjoyable part
of our day, Braeden! You are an amazing young man!
Amanda Ormsby (Specialists): I would like to take the opportunity to publicly recognize an
outstanding student and person by the name of Amanda Ormsby. Amanda comes to class each day
with a huge smile on her face and is always offering to help out in any way she can. Her interaction
with other students is amazing, she is very caring and compassionate and I often see her assisting
other students that are in need. Amanda is a joy to have in class.
Bella Sasselli (Team B): Team B would like to recognize Bella Sasselli as our student of the month.
Bella goes above and beyond in everything she does. From her meticulous work, to her willingness to
help out whenever anyone (including her teachers) are in need, Bella is a true role model. Bella
brightens the room upon entrance and her positive and can-do attitude is amazing. Team B is truly
lucky to have this lovely young lady on our team.
Aaliyah Stevens (Beard/Buchanan): We are proud to recognize Aaliyah Stevens this month. She
is an amazing student and citizen. She works hard for her education, which is evidenced by keeping
her Pride Plus Card for most of the year and an outstanding GPA. In addition to her regular academic
duties, she participated and placed third in the DSMS Science Fair and is a part of ELP, Gift Making
Club, Art Club, and Yearbook. She is respectful and pleasant to all staff and students. She was
instrumental in helping a new student feel welcomed in quarter 3. We are blessed to have Aaliyah on
our team.
Sierra Vander Hulst (Team C): It is our pleasure to recognize Sierra Vander Hulst as the student of
the month for Team C. Sierra is an extremely hard working student and always does her best with her
homework, in class assignments and participating in class. She is a shining star and great example for
other students on Team C. We appreciate her gentle personality and willingness to help other students.
Great job Sierra. Team C is honored to have you on our team this year!
LOST AND FOUND NOTICE
Items in our Lost and Found Box that have not been claimed by the end of the school year will be
donated to a local charity. These items have been laid out several times this year for students to claim,
but we still have MANY clothes and other items that remain. If you’ve lost a jacket, lunchbox, or other
personal item this school year, please come check out our Lost and Found Box before it’s too late.
Thank you.
If your band student is going to high school next year, or if
he/she will not be in band next year, consider donating their
band books or instrument to Desert Sky's band programs to
help those who are less fortunate.
8th Grade Promotion Ceremony
This year’s 8th grade promotion ceremony will be held on Thursday, May 21st
at 10:30am in the Desert Sky Gymnasium. We look forward to seeing you in
attendance to help honor our 14th class of promoting 8th graders!
Desert Sky Cougars and Parents,
As the end of the school year quickly approaches, we would like to thank everyone for supporting
DSMS PTA. With your support we've been able to support our students and staff throughout the
year. Thank you for everyone who came out to our McTeacher Night in March. We'd especially like
to thank all of the staff that volunteered to work! Thank you for the amazing amount of Box Tops
that have been donated. We've been holding classroom contests and they have been a success.
In April (and continuing into May) our school began the AzMerit Testing. The PTA provided water
bottles and daily snacks for all students. This is one of our large expenses that our Fall Fundraiser,
McTeacher Nights, and Box Tops provide the funding.
Our next PTA meeting will be on May 12th at 3:30 in the Media Center. We were planning on
possibly changing from a PTA to a PTO, but some further information has changed that decision. We
will be discussing why and holding elections for next year's officers. We hope to see you there!
REMEDIATION HOURS
This is a reminder that students should be making up any hours owed for failing core subjects or benchmark tests
in after school remediation. The deadline for hours to be completed is May 15th. Remediation schedules can be
found on Desert Sky’s website and posted in classrooms.
Rebecca Marsh, Student Achievement Teacher, 879-2709
DESERT SKY SUMMER SCHOOL 2015
The Remedial coursework is designed to meet the “Raising Expectations” document that can be found at:
dsms.vail.k12.az.us/raising-expectations.
Summer school is designed for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students for the following reasons:
If, at the end of any grading period, a student has an F in Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, or Science, or nine
or more absences during the 2nd semester of school, students will be required to successfully complete a
minimum of 12 hours of remediation for each failing grade or 12 hours for nine or more absences.
Requirements:
Only those students that fail a course 4th quarter or earned hours due to absences are eligible for summer school.
Any other hours earned prior to the end of quarter must have been served by May 15th. Students will participate
in three (3) hours of direct instruction per day in Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, or Science. Students must
successfully attend all three hours each of the four days to receive the 12 hours of credit. Students must attend the
course for the specific class(es) that were failed in order to be promoted to the next grade level. Students who
attend a morning and afternoon session in the same day need to bring a sack lunch.
The summer school schedule will be posted on the Desert Sky website as soon as it becomes available. Classes
will be held at Desert Sky the first two weeks of the summer break; please plan out of town trips accordingly.
Bus transportation is NOT available for students.
Desert Sky Middle School
Teacher Requests for 2015-2016
Please read carefully as we have made some changes to how teacher requests will be accepted. Teacher
requests must be written and emailed to Mr. Edwards at edwardsb@vail.k12.az.us or brought to the office
between May 4th- May 8th.
Only written requests submitted during this time frame will be accepted. Sixty (60) requests will be accepted for
teaching teams consisting of 4 teachers and thirty (30) requests will be accepted for teaching teams consisting of 2
teachers. For teams that receive more requests then the capped amount (60 requests for four teacher teams or 30
requests for two teacher teams), we will randomly select students until the cap is reached. Please know that we
work hard to honor requests and most requests are accommodated. Per Governing Board policy, administration
makes the final decisions regarding class assignments. Conversations about specific teams at a grade level should
be directed to administration. Also, please keep in mind that the teacher list is tentative and not guaranteed.
Teachers might move or take other positions prior to the start of school. The tentative teacher list is included in
this newsletter. It is important to have a conversation with your child explaining that a team request is not a
guarantee. It is a request.
It is not necessary to make a team request. If you choose not to make a request, we will place your child with the
teachers and team that we feel is best suited for your child and aids us in forming balanced classrooms and teams.
Thank you, and we are excited for a great new school year!
Student Visitation and Parent Night for New Students Coming
to Desert Sky for the 2015-2016 School Year
In an effort to assist 5th graders from Desert Willow, Cottonwood, and Mesquite in making a successful transition
to the middle school environment, Desert Sky will be offering student visitation and an informational parent
night.
5th Grade Students and Parents
On Wednesday, May 13, 2015 as part of 5th Grade Visitation Day, 5th graders from Desert Willow,
Cottonwood, and Mesquite will travel to Desert Sky to participate in an informational question and answer
session with 6th grade teachers and take a brief tour of the Desert Sky campus from 9:00 -11:00 a.m.
5th grade students and parents from Desert Willow, Cottonwood, and Mesquite are then highly encouraged to
attend 5th Grade Parent Night on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. in the Desert Sky Gym.
During this event, students and parents will receive information about many of Desert Sky’s policies and
procedures.
We are looking forward to visiting with our future students and their parents during these times! If you have any
questions regarding these events, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Dabney, Desert Sky’s principal, via
e-mail at dabneyk@vail.k12.az.us or by phone 879-2704.
Adopted 1/13/15
Vail School District No. 20
Pre-K - 8 STUDENT 2015-2016 CALENDAR
S
M
July
T
W
1
T
2
F
3
5
6
7
8
9 10
NTI NTI NTI NTI NTI
12 13 14 15 16 17
W
W W
I
I
19 20 21 22 23 24
B
26 27 28 29 30 31
S M
1
2
November
15 16
T
W
3
4
Y
10 11
H
17 18
22 23
24
8
9
25
T
5
F
6
S
4
11
18
25
M
S
7
12 13
14
19 20
21
26 27
28
6
March
T
W
1
2
T
3
F
4
2
M
3
August
T
W
4
5
T
6
F
7
S
1
8
I
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Y
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
23 24 25 26 27 28 29
Y
30 31
29 30
S
S
S
5
S
6
M
7
December
T
1
W
2
8
T
3
F
4
S
5
9 10 11 12
S
M
September
F
2
8
9
10
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
C
C
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
11 12 13 14 15 16
17
18 19 20 21 22 23
24
27 28 29 30
25 26 27 28 29 30 31
S
7
M
3
4
8
T
3
5
S
5
9 10 11 12
January
T
F
4
W
T
6
7
F
1
T
8
S
2
9
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
W
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
27 28 29 30 31
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Y
31
S
April
S
2
8
9
S
1
M
2
T
5
F
6
S
7
9
10 11
12
17 18
19
10 11 12 13 14 15 16
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
20 21
22
23
24 25
26
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
T/E W
29 30 31
X
T =
Holidays/Vacations (No School for Students)
Teacher Grading Day - 1/2 day for Students
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
8
May
T W
3
4
16
Beginning/End of school
7
F
1
8
B/E =
=
6
T
15
31
5
W
7
29 30
4
T
13 14
27 28
E
3
M
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
VPD =
Y =
C =
9 10 11 12 13 14
S
M
October
T
1
6
T W
1
2
4
S
5
M
1
7
T
6
W
7
February
T W
2
3
T
4
F
5
S
S
3
6
9 10 11 12 13
C
C
14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Y VPD
21 22 23 24 25 26 27
H
28 29
S
8
M
5
6
T
7
12 13 14
X
X
19 20 21
X
X
26 27 28
X
Vail Pride Day
Inservice for Teachers - 1/2 day for Students
Conferences (Parent/Teacher) (1/2 day for Students)
June
W T
F
1
2
3
X
X
X
8
9 10
X
X
X
15 16 17
X
X
X
22 23 24
X
X
X
29 30
S
4
11
18
25