Colt Weekly Update
Accountability Equals Love
MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
August 11, 2023
Colt Parents,
Thank you for another great week. Week two is officially in the books. We have had a very successful start to the school year. Our students have been great in following our rituals and routines. They are being safe, respectful and responsible. I am very proud of them.
This year we are working on increasing our attendance. Students need to be in school every day. Teachers are working very hard and they miss out on valuable instruction when they are absent. Students who are here the entire month of August will be invited to attend a Root Beer Float party towards the end of the month. We will also be having raffles for students who have good attendance.
Your child should be receiving homework daily. Homework should be an extension of what they are learning in the class and should not be excessive. Please contact your child's teacher if you have any concerns.
Punctuality is a life skill. Please ensure your child is in school ready to learn by 7:45 daily. Breakfast in the classroom is from7:30-7:45. The tardy bell rings at 7:45. We will begin asking parents to sign their children in when they are late. Having your child in school on time allows them to have a great start to their day. Being late anywhere only brings on stress and the sense of being rushed. Working together and getting things ready the night before is a huge help in getting to school on time.
If we work together we can accomplish many things:
- read 20 minutes daily
- practice addition and subtraction facts
- practice multiplication facts 0-12 (commit to memory)
- check your child's grades
- communicate with your child's teacher frequently
- being in school every day and on time
- completes daily homework
- attends tutorials when invited
Wishing you a great week!
Educationally Yours,
Leticia Terrazas
Proud Principal of Desert Wind PK8 School
School Number: 915-937-7800
Email: lterra01@sisd.net
Twitter: @DW_K8S
#Accountablility=Love
ATHLETICS
Father Son Conference
SAFETY
Drills
Desert Wind School's number one priority is student safety. With that in mind, we follow the Standard Response Protocols, which is a team approach to emergency preparedness. We continuously practice school emergency drills to ensure that students, faculty and staff are well trained in the event of any emergency.
Please talk to your child about taking these drills seriously. Conversations can be about walking quietly, paying attention to details, listening to instructions, and directing any visitors to the main office. You may also talk to them about not opening any exterior doors to any adult.
This month, we will practice Fire Evacuation Drill and Secure Drill.
Sincerly,
R. Guerrero
Assistant Principal
Campus Behavior Coordinator
Campus Safety
Attendance Matters!
Staying ahead of your Average Daily Attendance (ADA)
Staying ahead of your Average Daily Attendance (ADA)
Our goal each week is to maintain a 98% attendance rate. It is extremely important to remember after 17 absences for yearlong courses, 8 absences for fall semester courses and 9 absences for spring semester courses, a student will lose credit for the class and must make up the time or master a module within the content.
Reporting absences to DWS
Please report your child’s absence to attendancedesertwind@sisd.net.
Include the following information when reporting the absence:
· Child’s name
· ID number
· Grade
· Teacher
· Reason for absence
All notes are collected via email, please include details of when your child will return to school.
This year, the district will not quarantine scholars for COVID, it will be treated like the flu. It is vital to submit any COVID-19 absence and E-SWIPE to help alleviate any chance of losing credit. Remember, a doctor’s note must always be submitted to attendance; however, does not necessarily excuse the absence.
No Tardies
It is extremely important to arrive to school on time. Class begins promptly at 7:45 am. Breakfast in the classroom is from 7:30 am to 7:45 am. Students who arrive late to school will require an adult to sign them in the front office.
There is a definite need to address students who consistently arrive late to school. Please help us make the learning process a top priority by recognizing and adhering to a start time of 7:45 am. Tardies are being documented and will be carried over to a progressive discipline plan our instructional leaders follow within their classrooms.
All students must follow dress code
- PK/K-Red Polo with uniform bottoms
- 1st-8th Blue/White Polo with uniform bottom
- ONLY Desert Wind Hoodies Allowed
- Zip up sweaters allowed
- Spirit Shirts may be worn Friday ONLY! (NO JEANS!!)
Care Solace
Socorro ISD teams up with Care Solace for mental health care coordination services
The Socorro Independent School District has partnered with Care Solace, an organization determined to calm the chaos of mental health care coordination, to expand access to community mental health and substance use treatment providers for students, staff, and their families.
Care Solace provides a Care Companion™ team who can quickly and confidentially find available providers in the community. Care Solace also equips SISD with a customized online tool that gives community members a way to anonymously search for community-based providers matched to their needs.
“Socorro ISD provides endless opportunities for students and staff to succeed. We are proud to partner with Care Solace to give our students, staff, and their families even more support, especially in times of need,” said SISD Superintendent Nate Carman, Ed.D. “This is a great resource that will enable us to enhance the care and support that our dedicated SISD leadership team strives to deliver daily for all students and staff.”
SISD will use Care Solace to support its mission of optimizing each student’s academic, artistic, athletic, career and interpersonal opportunities and to provide another layer of assistance for each student’s social and emotional well-being.
With Care Solace, families and staff gain access to a dedicated Care Companion™ to navigate the mental health care system on their behalf, calling providers to find the right fit and availability. They help families with private insurance, Medicaid, and no insurance, and are available 24/7/365 in any language.
Care Solace’s care navigation system uses proprietary technology and a vast database of behavioral and mental health care resources to find carefully verified therapists and programs in minutes.
"The effects of loss, isolation, uncertainty, and fatigue brought on by the pandemic continue to pose new challenges for students, staff, and their families," said Chad Castruita, Founder and CEO of Care Solace. "We are proud to support Socorro Independent School District in prioritizing the well-being of its school community by providing timely access into mental health care and substance use treatment services.”
The Care Solace service is now available at no cost to Socorro Independent School District students, staff, and their families. For more information about Care Solace, please visit https://www.caresolace.org
August Calendar
From our Library
Check out our Technology News this week,
Reminders:
- Update student devices at LEAST once a week.
- Skyward is replacing TylerSIS (Access to students' grades, schedules, etc.).
- Parents, sign up with MySchoolBucks for easy access to school fees and payments.
- Review Laptop expectations to avoid additional school repair fees.
Parents,
Add the MackinVia App to your phones to access thousands of ebooks.
Safety
Desert Wind is a Texas Purple Star Distinction School
We are very excited to announce that Desert Wind is now a Texas Purple Star Distinction School.
The Purple Star Campus Designation recognizes Texas district and charter schools that show their support and commitment to meeting the unique needs of military-connected students and their families.
This special honor was created by the 86th Texas Legislature through SB 1557 and further described in agency rule (19 TAC, § 61.1063), effective April 9, 2020.
In August 2021, TEA will be awarding the Purple Star Campus designation for campuses that apply and meet the established criteria (see below). Campuses that are selected will receive a special Purple Star recognition to display on campus or on the school website. Campuses selected will also have their designation featured on the TxSchools.gov web page.
CAMPUS PERSONNEL
Ms. L. Terrazas: Principal
Email: lterra01@sisd.net
Assistant Principals
Mr. Guerrero: rguerr09@isd.net
Mrs. Valverde: hvalve@sisd.net
Principal Intern
Andrea Carrasco acarra02@sisd.net
Counselors
Natalia Schwarz: ncshwa@sisd.net
Ms. Judith Huizar: jhuiza@sisd.net
Campus Librarian and Media Specialist
Desiree Avila: davila414@sisd.net
Parent Liaison
Ms. Morales: bmoral15@sisd.net
Community in Schools
Janeth Guzman: janeth.guzman@sisd.net