If you would like to read any of these particular articles in the newsletter, click on the title:
Pumpkin Walk Home School Connection Birthdays and Healthy Treats Turkey Trot Taxes
Important dates in November and December/January.
A Note From Sharon . . .
Dear Parents/Guardians,
I am very proud to share that we have attained for the fifth straight year, “Excelling” status as awarded by the state of Arizona. In addition, we have also achieved for the fifth straight year our Average Yearly Progress (AYP) as well. Congratulations to our school and community for our continued work together for the benefit of our students!
Thank you parents, students, and teachers for attending our annual Pumpkin Walk. As usual, we had lots of families who attended this event and had lots of fun. Thank you also to JaNae Beckstead, Kate Sheedy and Maureen Delaney for the hard work it took coordinating this event. Congratulations to our fifth grade teachers, George Caldwell, Randy Middleton, Donna Morrissey, and Deborah Rosenblum for winning 1st place for the teacher’s best decorated pumpkin contest. Such a work of art they had!!
Mrs. Iosca is busy planning for our Ninth Annual Turkey Trot. We look forward to having our families and extended families visit our campus again for this fall event. The Estrella Student Council will be busy conducting a community-service project this school year again. A table will be set up at the Turkey Trot to accept donations for the Kyrene Family Resource Center. More information will be sent home in the near future. Our Turkey Trot will be held Wednesday, Nov. 21st, watch for a flyer with grade level times. Please plan to attend and enjoy the day with us.
Speaking of Estrella Student Council…. Let’s thank Donna Morrissey and Anna MacDonald for coordinating our Student Council and also congratulate our officers for the 2007/2008 school year. They are: Brooke Cambareri, President; Alexa Ryder, Vice President; Ally Doehler, Secretary and Nicole Malamas, Treasurer.
Finally, all grade levels including gifted and resource are now participating in KTTP (Kyrene Teaches with Technology Project) this school year. KTTP is a program designed to teach our curriculum through cutting-edge, high tech equipment. Digital Whiteboards (Smart Boards), projection systems, wireless laptops, and Document Cameras are some examples of the equipment used in our classrooms. Lynette Nield, our district liaison, meets regularly with grade levels to create projects to infuse technology into the curriculum. Professional Development classes at the district in the area of technology are also available to our staff. It’s quite impressive and our students and teachers are very skilled. Recently, Kyrene was one of four districts in the United States recognized as a Technology Salute District and because of this, in February the National School Board Association has planned a site visit to our district to view the amount of technology we use.
Thank you JaNae Beckstead for coordinating the dinners for P/T conferences. The food was delicious and we so appreciate dinners being provided for those long evenings.
Finally, congratulations to 5th grader James Mejdrich. James has been selected by our Superintendent, Dr. David Schauer to be a member of the Student Superintendent Advisory Council. James will be a member of this group that has a total of 12 students from all over the school district and are in 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th grade This student group will be giving Dr. Schauer student perspective relative to school life and provide advisory information as well. Congratulations, James!
Thank you Estrella parents for your continued support of our school. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Warmly,
Sharon
The Pumpkin Walk was a great success. On behalf of Maureen Delaney, Kate Sheedy and myself, thank you to the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, Akimal NJHS Students, Parent Volunteers, Estrella Student Volunteers, Teacher's, Office Staff, Gabe and the Custodial Crew, and Nancy Keibert for all of the spectacular goodies she handmade for the bake sale to benefit the 5th Grade Promotion Fund, PTO Board Members, and anyone who helped in any way with this event. We really appreciate each and every one of you.
Thank You
JaNae Beckstead
Pumpkin Walk Chairperson
The Annual Turkey Trot will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 21st. Parent volunteers will be needed and appreciated. Please come join the fun!
Warm up & trot Lunch
Kinder 9:15 10:00-10:25
1st grade 9:45 10:15-10:40
4th grade 10:15 10:45-11:10
3rd grade 10:45 11:15-11:40
2nd grade 11:15 11:40-12:05
5th grade 11:40 12:05-12:25
Support Kyrene Schools
Save on State Taxes
Donate to Kyrene Schools and receive a dollar-for-dollar credit of up to $400 on your 2007 Arizona State taxes!
Here’s how it works
Under Arizona State Law ARS43-1089.01, Arizona taxpayers can get a dollar-for-dollar tax credit when they donate up to $200 per year ($400 for married couples filing a joint return) to public schools. Simply make your check payable to the Kyrene School District and either take it to the school office, mail it to 2620 E. Liberty Lane, Phoenix, 85048 or log on to our website at www.kyrene.org/ksdporta/taxcredit. We will mail you a receipt for your records and report your donation as required by Arizona State Law ARS43-1089. Donations postmarked after December 31, 2007 will apply to the 2008 tax year. Please consult with your tax consultant regarding this contribution. This information should not be considered legal advice.
Thank you for your generous donation.
DID YOU KNOW?
Sharing family meals is more than just fun—it’s educational! According to a recent study, children who take part in family mealtime conversation become better readers. They also score higher on tests of verbal skills.
Schools + Parents = Success
What happens when parents get involved in their children’s education? Grades go up—and behavior improves, too. Whether it’s reading together or attending a teacher conference, parent involvement does make a difference.
Parents, please help us plan better by letting the classroom teacher know in advance if you plan to bring in a healthy treat for a birthday. Thank you