October 2025
Christine Donnell School of the Arts
Thank you to each and every one of you for your incredible support in making our PTA Jogathon such a huge success! Together, we raised over $50,000! Whether you cheered on runners, helped with logistics, or contributed donations, your enthusiasm, encouragement, and generosity are truly appreciated. These funds will go a long way toward enriching our students' learning experiences at CDSA!
It's hard to believe, but Intent to Continue Forms for the 26-27 school year will be available in PowerSchool from October 6 - October 31st. This form MUST be completed prior to November 1st to save your child's seat for the 26-27 school year. Please reach out if you need assistance completing this form.
Our lottery will open on November 1st and will close on November 30th. If you know anyone who would like to apply for the 26-27 school year, please let them know they will need to apply in NOVEMBER to be included in our lottery draw. For more information, visit the West Ada Schools of Choice website.
I've been working to get our CDSA Spirit Store up and running. Look out for the store link on Monday, October 6!
Thank you again for your continued support. We are so grateful to be part of such an amazing community.
Jennifer Maxwell, Principal
Stretching Before the Run
3rd Grade Runners
Coach J is ALWAYS a Jogathon Fav
Fourth Grade Runners
Kindergarten Runners
Chalking the Course
Hi parents!
I wanted to let you know I will be doing vision and hearing screenings this October and November. If you have consented to screenings in PowerSchool, your child will be screened during this time. Remember, if you don’t hear from me, it means your child passed - no news is good news!
Who Will Be Screened?
- Vision Screenings: Grades K, 1st, 3rd, and 5th
- Hearing Screenings: Grades K, 1st, and 3rd
Healthy hearing is vital for learning. Even a mild impairment can affect your child’s performance in the classroom due to noise and distance from the teacher. Early detection of hearing issues is crucial to prevent delays in academic progress.
Similarly, vision screenings may reveal problems that could impact your child's learning. While vision screenings can identify certain issues, they are not a substitute for a complete eye exam by an eye doctor. Please note: Students who wear or are supposed to wear glasses will not be screened, as their needs are best met by their eye doctor.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to me. Thank you for your support in keeping our students healthy, happy and ready to learn!
Lisa, RN
stephenson.lisa@westada.org
Mrs. Moxley - Music
For Quarter 2, Kindergarten will be putting on a performance on October 23rd! An email with more information has been sent out and there will be flyers sent home in backpacks. We will be dressing up as bugs and singing about musical opposites!
Grades 2, 4, and 5 will be focusing on their ukulele skills. Our goals include reading tabs, playing rhythmic strumming patterns, and singing along as we play.
Choir will continue working on music for our concert in December. Our focuses include vocal tone and clarity in our vowel sounds.
Beginning brass class (4th grade) is coming along very nicely! Everyone has instruments that work and we have learned five notes! 5th grade continues to expand their knowledge with a fun new piece about video games! We will all continue to work on our fundamental skills so we are ready to perform at our concert in December.
Mrs. C - Music
4th and 5th Grade Band:
We are working towards our first concert of the year! The dates are December 9th for the school, and December 11th at 9:45 for families. We are working to create great band habits such as practicing your instrument after school, bringing your instrument to school every time you have class, and having your music with you as well. We are working on making quality sounds, as well as playing the correct notes and rhythms.
4th and 5th Grade Orchestra:
We are working towards our first concert of the year! The dates are November 18th for the school, and November 20th at 9:45 for families. We are working to create great band habits such as practicing your instrument after school, bringing your instrument to school every time you have class, and having your music with you as well. We are working on making quality sounds, as well as playing the correct notes and rhythms.
3rd Grade:
We are about to start playing recorders! We will be using recorders to learn how to read notes on a musical staff, learn how to improvise rhythms, and learn how to play different tempos and dynamics.
2nd Grade:
We are learning how play different rhythms that the students have created themselves. They will learn how to make rhythms up during a song, as well as know how to write the rhythms on a page as well.
1st Grade:
We are working on how to clap or play different rhythms on different instruments. We are working towards playing and singing so that we can start practicing for our first-grade performance towards the end of the quarter.
Mrs. Hall - Librarian
CHECK OUT what's happening in library the next few months!
K-1
We are learning how to find and check out books and identifying the Parts of a Book!
We are learning to use Databases to find information about things!
ABDO Zoom
2-5
We are using Call Numbers (a book's address telling us where it lives in the library) to find library books ON THE SHELF!
We are learning to use Learning Resources to find books and find out information about things:
Destiny Discover (have your student show you how to see what books they have checked out!)
SORA (online Reading App with 1,000's of district approved books to read right from your laptop!),
ABDO Zoom
Databases (World Book Kids, and more)!
4-5 - IBOB! Idaho Battle of the Books is an free, optional activity for any 4th or 5th Grader who LOVES reading! We have started forming teams. It's not too late to join if your student is interested! For more information, www.idahobattleofthebooks.org or email Mrs. Hall.
4-5 - Chess at Lunch Recess! 4th and 5th graders have the option to play chess during lunch recess Monday, Wednesday, or Friday! Welcome to all abilities!
Email me with any questions...hall.cynthia@westada.org
Coach K - PE
3rd, 4th and 5th graders will participate in their first PACER cardiovascular endurance run soon. Students will be assessed on their PACER performance two more times this year. Goals for laps are:
- 3rd Grade: 14 laps
- 4th Grade: 17 laps
- 5th grade: 20 laps
4th and 5th graders will be working on throwing and catching in game situations. 4th graders will be assessed on throwing and catching this quarter. 5th graders will be assessed on striking a pickleball with a paddle over the net to a partner back and forth.
Coach P - PE
Hi CDSA family! Wow this first quarter of school has flown by! I hope my kindergarten, first grade and second grade kiddos have had as much fun in PE as I have! The first quarter was really about setting up the rest of the year for success. My students have been reminded every day to be STARS, Safe, Truthful, A good teammate and Responsible. This second quarter we will learn a lot about various locomotor vs non locomotor movements. Think, galloping, skipping, jumping vs hopping, twisting. We're also really going to perfect our underhand toss. I try to teach these skills while having as much fun as possible!
Warmly, Coach B
Ms. Elyzabeth - Art
The second quarter in the Art Room will focus on BUILDING and CONSTRUCTION. All students will work on a paper mâché apple to learn a basic mâché technique. Students will also learn their grade level pottery skill to complete their first piece of ceramics. We will learn skills on how to make paper and cardboard sculptures. Upper elementary will learn to use hot glue guns safely. All classes will continue with TAB centers, and we will open the sewing and building centers. All students will continue practicing making their own artistic choices in the art room to become better artists.
The Art Room will be hosting the first annual FALL Art Exhibition. Ms. Elyzabeth will be taking artwork from today through Friday, October 24th. Please bring in quality artwork that you made yourself.
*Please, no more coloring book pages. Although they are showing good craftmanship, I would like artwork that shows your wonderful creativity and originality!
This will be different from the summer exhibition as artwork must be brought to me before it is submitted so it can be checked for craftsmanship. You may enter photographs, sculptures, and all other 2D mediums.
*Reminder that the PTA Reflections contest work should be getting started! The theme this year is "I Belong". You may enter one piece in any of the six categories:
Expressive Movement in Dance Choreography
Personal Documentaries in Film Production
Write a Story in Literature
Visual Arts
Instrumental Pieces in Music Composition
Symbolic Imagery in Photography
*PTA permission forms must be signed with an artist statement and a parent signature~
***Also, open studio time at lunch is a great time to come in and work on a yearbook cover! 😁😁😁 Monday & Thursday for KG-2nd graders and Tuesday-Wednesday for 3rd-5th graders.
Computer Lab - Ms. Sheldahl
October will be focusing on digital citizenship through Common Sense Media and keyboarding in Typing Club for grades K-5.
November we will be switching things up with K-2 working on word processing in MS Word and 3-5 working in their OneDrive and word processing in MS Word.
December will finish up the quarter with K-1 digital literacy and word processing. 2nd will be working on creating slides in Power Point through the Cloud.
The second week of December all grades will participate in a weeklong hour of code event. They will get a basic understanding of block coding with some advanced students having the option of using Python and JavaScript.
