Ms. Godinez is a Speech and Language Pathologist

Our theme this year is inspired by the book *We're All Wonders* by R.J. Palacio, which focuses on acceptance, kindness, and celebrating differences. The story encourages readers to look beyond appearances and appreciate the unique beauty within everyone. It fosters empathy and teaches the importance of treating others with kindness and respect, regardless of physical differences.

To uplift our staff, we're inviting everyone to submit a message on our Kindness Wonder Wall. These messages, whether about specific individuals or the school as a whole, will be displayed for all to see.

We hope this message finds you well! As we move into the final stretch of the school year, we have some important updates and reminders to share with you.

📅 Attendance Matters!
Daily attendance is critical to student success. We’re encouraging all students to be at school on time, every day. Every minute of instruction counts—especially as we prepare for end-of-year assessments and wrap up important learning. Please continue to partner with us by scheduling appointments outside of school hours when possible and reporting absences promptly.

🧠 SBAC Test Prep
Our 3rd–5th grade students are preparing for the SBAC state assessments. You can support your child at home by:

• Encouraging a consistent bedtime and morning routine

• Providing a healthy breakfast each day

• Reinforcing a positive mindset: remind your child to try their best and not give up!

• Talking with your child about using strategies like rereading questions, eliminating wrong answers, and checking their work

Here’s a sample question you can try at home with your 3rd grader:

Sample ELA Question (Grade 3):
Read this sentence: "The puppy dashed through the park, chasing after the flying leaves."
Question: What does the word dashed mean in this sentence?
A. Sat still
B. Ran quickly
C. Barked loudly
D. Hid behind a tree
(Correct Answer: B. Ran quickly)

Practicing these types of questions at home can help build your child’s confidence and comprehension skills.

📚 Student Placement for Next Year
We’re beginning the process of planning student placements for the 2025–2026 school year. Our goal is to ensure that each child is placed in an environment where they can thrive academically and socially. While we do not accept specific teacher requests, we do welcome input that helps us understand your child’s learning style or unique needs. If you'd like to provide input, please fill out the online form in the Coyote Pride.

As always, thank you for your continued support. Together, we are building a strong, connected, and empowered community at Desert Heights.

As we begin planning for the upcoming school year, one important part of that work is placing students in classrooms where they will feel safe, supported, and set up for success. Our goal is to create well-balanced classrooms that support students’ academic, social, and emotional growth.

How are placements decided?
Our team considers many factors when forming class lists, including teacher input, academic needs, social dynamics, learning styles, and class size. Families are welcome to share child-specific input using the optional placement form. This form is not for requesting specific teachers, and forms that include teacher requests will need to be resubmitted. Please submit by May 16, 2025.

Class lists will be finalized this spring, and families will be notified of their child’s teacher before school begins in August.

Staffing Updates
We’re excited to share a few staffing changes for next year:

• Ms. Sachs will be joining the kindergarten team

• Ms. Sinocruz will be moving to 3rd grade

• Ms. Zoe Lawrence will be teaching 1st grade

We will also be welcoming new teachers in 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grades—more details to come soon!

We’re looking forward to another great year ahead and are grateful for your continued partnership. Please feel free to reach out with any questions.

Although the Desert Heights Coyotes suffered a tough loss to Lemmon Valley Elementary this week, our team played with incredible heart, resilience, and toughness from start to finish. I truly couldn’t be prouder of their effort, teamwork, and sportsmanship on the field.

A huge thank you to Coach Camacho, Coach Todd, and Coach Helen for your unwavering dedication and commitment to our students. Your leadership and passion are what make this team so special. Go Coyotes! 🐾💙⚽

📅 Practice Schedule:

✅ Monday: 3:30 - 4:30 PM
✅ Wednesday: 3:00 - 4:15 PM

🔥 Game Day:

🏆 Friday, 4/25 at 11:30 AM – Desert Heights vs. Stead Elementary (Away Game!)

At Desert Heights, we believe in the strength of community, the beauty of diversity, and the importance of coming together—especially during times when the world can feel divided. Our 2025 Multicultural Night is a chance to celebrate everyone's background, identity, and story, including American culture in all of its unique and regional traditions.

We’re tentatively planning the event for Tuesday, May 20th or Wednesday, May 21st, and we need your help to make it a true reflection of the people who make our school so special.

Whether your family roots trace back generations in the U.S., come from another part of the world, or are a blend of many cultures—you are an important part of our school story. We invite you to share what makes your culture meaningful to you.

Please take a moment to fill out our short survey and let us know how you'd like to participate:

• Sharing a dish, tradition, or artifact

• Performing a dance or song

• Creating a cultural poster display

• Collaborating with others to present together

• Or offering any suggestions that help us celebrate all voices and backgrounds

🔗 Click here to complete the Multicultural Night Survey

Let’s create a night that brings us all together in the spirit of respect, joy, and community pride. We can’t wait to celebrate with you! 🐾

🔹 Online Registration is Open!

All families must complete online registration for the 2025-26 school year through Infinite Campus. This ensures your child’s information is up to date and helps with school planning. Registration is required each year for all students, whether returning or new to WCSD.

💡 Key Steps:
✅ Log in to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal to register returning students.
✅ New to WCSD? Register online and bring birth certificate, immunization records, and proof of address to the school.
✅ Update emergency contact information to ensure school records are accurate.

📌 School of Choice
Families can apply to attend a school outside their zoned area through School of Choice. If space and staffing allow, requests are generally approved. Online Registration must be completed first to apply for School of Choice.

🔗 Need More Info?

• Online Registration & School of Choice details: [WCSD Website]
• Questions? Contact 775-333-6099 or schoolofchoice@washoeschools.net

Register today to secure your child’s spot for next school year! 🎉🐺💙

The 2025 Family Climate Survey is now open! This is your chance to share feedback about your child’s school and help us improve the climate and safety of all WCSD schools.

📌 How to Participate:

• Click on the button below to fill a survey out for Desert Heights Elementary
• If you have multiple children in WCSD, you can either complete a survey for each child’s school or submit just one.

🎟 Bonus! By participating, you’ll be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a prize from one of our sponsors!

📅 Survey Open: February 10, 2025 – April 25, 2025
📊 Results Available: June 2025 on the school climate website

Your input makes a difference—thank you for helping us create a positive and supportive school environment! 💙🐺

A big shoutout to the following classes for earning PAWS by consistently following the HOWL expectations and demonstrating outstanding behavior in their classrooms! These students have worked hard and earned some exciting reinforcements:

• Neumann: 203 Paws, Escape Room
• Sandoval: 128 Paws, Class DJ Day
• Carter: 130 Paws, Class DJ Day

School Wide PBIS

19 out of 21 classrooms have reached 50 Paws! When we all reach 50, we will have Fun Hat Day!!

Way to go, students! Keep up the amazing work and continue to show us how to HOWL! 🐾

The Dads of Great Students (D.O.G.S.) and Moms of Marvelous Students (M.O.M.S.) program is a volunteer initiative that encourages fathers and father figures and moms to spend time in their children's schools. The goal is to provide positive male/female role models, enhance school safety, and foster a supportive learning environment.

Key aspects of the program include:

• Volunteerism: Fathers and father figures volunteer their time to be present in their children's schools.
• Positive role models: They serve as positive examples for students, demonstrating the importance of education and community involvement.
• Enhanced safety: Their presence helps create a safer and more welcoming school environment.
• Community engagement: The program fosters stronger connections between families and schools.

By participating in the D.O.G.S. program, fathers can make a meaningful impact on their children's education and contribute to a positive school culture.

😅Every Friday is Dad Joke Friday.. On the announcements, I share some of my favorite appropriate dad jokes.

Here are the ones from Mr. Frydman on Friday, 04/18/25:

• What do you call 2 bananas peels- A pair of Slippers (Ethan Pham Joke)

• What is Spring’s favorite kind of pickles? Daffo-dills.

• What do bees need in order to fly in the rain? Their yellowjackets.

This month’s newsletter focuses on building essential habits and skills that support student success at school and home. Topics include:

• Attendance Matters: Encourages families to prioritize on-time attendance and offers routines to support it.

• Decision-Making Skills: Recommends offering children small, age-appropriate choices to build reasoning skills.

• Math Help: Suggests creating a “math tips” poster with problem-solving strategies to keep students from feeling stuck.

• Respect & Responsibility: Highlights the importance of teaching respectful behavior with specific examples and modeling positive habits like timeliness and follow-through.

• Family Volunteering: Explains how volunteering during National Volunteer Week (April 20–26) can boost student success and strengthen school communities.

• Reading Role Models: Emphasizes the power of parents modeling reading and sharing the joy of books with their children.

• Handling Emotions: Offers advice on helping children express and reframe negative emotions constructively.

• Fostering Motivation: Includes a short quiz to help parents reflect on how they support their child’s intrinsic motivation.

he latest issue of Autism Parenting Magazine (Issue 177) covers a range of topics aimed at supporting families and individuals with autism. Some highlights include:

1. Advocacy and Acceptance: Articles like "Advocating for Your Autistic Child" by Jan Stewart and "Fostering Connection with Autism Awareness" by Danny L. McGuire focus on helping parents advocate for their children and promote autism awareness in communities.

2. Behavior Management: Leo Custodio provides insights in "Supporting Repetitive Behaviors: Tools That Work" to help parents understand and manage repetitive behaviors.

3. Communication: Mallory Griffith's article "Building Communication Through Core Words" offers strategies for parents to encourage communication development using core vocabulary.

4. Education: James Watts shares guidance in "Supporting Your Child with Autism at School" on how to collaborate with educators for optimal learning experiences.

5. Health and Nutrition: Vicky Finlayson discusses the importance of mindful eating and recognizing hunger cues in autistic children.

6. Life Stories and Success: The magazine features success stories like "Students and the Autism Quilt - Max" by Karen Kaplan, showcasing inspiring experiences from the autism community.

7. Special Topics: Additional articles explore apraxia, understanding autism spectrum levels, and navigating adulthood, including remote work options for autistic individuals.

This issue provides a well-rounded collection of resources and personal experiences designed to support families on their autism journey. Let me know if you'd like more information on any specific article!

David Frydman, Principal

Chrystal Thayer, Assistant Principal

Juana Maya, Admin. Secretary

13948 Mount Bismark Street, Reno, NV, USA

Phone: (775) 677-5444