Union Park Toro Times

Hola Toro Families!

We are officially one month into the school year, and it has been phenomenal! Our students have done an amazing job learning and practicing our Toro expectations, following routines, and procedures in the classroom, the café, and throughout our campus. We are so proud of the way our students are showing what it means to be a Toro each day!

Our students have also been earning Toro Tickets for following our Toro expectations. Every Friday, students have the chance to be selected for a prize in the front office with these tickets!

We also enjoyed a special treat from Kona Ice this month! With the Arizona heat keeping us indoors for recess much of August, the cool treat was perfect.

As we continue through the first quarter, please remember these important reminders:

• Water Bottles: Please make sure your child brings a water bottle to school every day. Staying hydrated is especially important in our Arizona heat!

• Snacks: Please send your child to school with a healthy snack each day.

• PowerSchool: As we move further into Q1, please check PowerSchool regularly to monitor your child’s grades, assignments, and progress.

• Get Involved: If you are interested in supporting our Toro community, we would love to have you join PTSA and/or complete our volunteer training so you can help around campus or in your child’s classroom.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. It takes all of us students, families, teachers, and staff to make Union Park such a special place. We are excited about the year ahead and all that our Toros will accomplish!

Lauren Ghanooni
Principal
Union Park School

September 7: Labor Day NO SCHOOL

September 8: Governing Board Meeting 7:00 pm

September 11: Full Day Friday

September 14-18 Penny Wars K-6

September 16: Kona Ice on campus during lunch

September 22-25: Mini-Cheer Camp

September 22: Governing Board Meeting 7:00 pm

September 23: PTSA General Meeting 5:00 pm

September 24: Campus Tour 3:20 pm

All new AND returning volunteers must complete the online registration and volunteer training each school year before volunteering on campus or attending a field trip as a volunteer.

When completing the registration, you will be asked:

“Is this your first time registering as a volunteer in DVUSD?”

• Answer YES if you have never attended a DVUSD volunteer training before.
• Answer NO if you have attended a DVUSD volunteer training in a previous year.

Please answer this question carefully! New and returning volunteers are assigned different training videos based on this response.

Be sure to complete both the Registration Form and Attestation Form before volunteering.

DVUSD Volunteer Registration & Training:
https://www.dvusd.org/departments/human-resources/volunteering

If you are planning to volunteer for an overnight field trip, such as 5th Grade Camp Way or a Choir/Band trip to Disneyland, you will also need a valid IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card.

Please begin the fingerprint clearance process early. Processing can take approximately 6–8 weeks, so do not wait until the field trip is approaching to get started.

Please complete all volunteer requirements early! Volunteer training opportunities become limited later in the school year.

The following dates are 1:30 PM release days:

• October 2

• October 23

• October 30

On these early release Fridays, our teachers are engaged in valuable professional learning. Grade-level teams collaborate with colleagues from multiple schools to plan instruction and analyze student data, all with the goal of increasing student achievement.

Additionally, our Spanish Immersion teachers are participating in specialized professional development focused on analyzing students’ reading levels in a second language to better support their learning and growth.

Make sure to follow our school’s Facebook page and Instagram—we love sharing all the fun and excellence happening across campus!

To stay informed, please text be sure you are opted in to Blackboard (see below) to receive important updates from both our school and the district. This is one of our most essential communication tools, especially for urgent situations like lockdowns or safety alerts.

We also send out a monthly Smore newsletter packed with school news and updates. We aim to make it a quick and worthwhile read to help you stay in the loop.

At Union Park, we want our community to be part of all the wonderful things happening here!

The District and our schools sends out communication via a mass notification tool. All parents/guardians can receive emails, calls and texts from their schools or the district.

If you didn’t receive the email, please check your email’s Spam and/or Junk folders. We understand that some of the emails from DVUSD maybe going into junk or spam folders, especially for GMail users.

Also check with your school registrar to ensure your email account is correct and current in the school's system.

Please note: If you unsubscribe from an email from either a teacher, school or the district, you will NOT receive future emails from your child’s teacher, school AND the district.

• Phone calls: Call the Blackboard Phone Hotline at "855-502-STOP (855-502-7867)" from the phone line that has been opted out.
• Text (SMS) messages: Reply START to 623-401-2065 from the phone line that has been opted out for non-emergency messages. Reply START to "54968" for emergency messages.
• Email: Contact your student's school and inform the staff you would like to opt back into receiving email.

This is a great time to save our attendance line to your phone! The number is 623-445-5890, this line is accessible 24/7. Please leave your students name, their teacher or grade level, your name and relationship to them and the reason for the absence in your message. Please do not leave attendance messages on the main school number.

Safety First at Union Park!
The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. Please take a moment to review the following parking lot and drop-off/pick-up procedures to help us maintain a safe and efficient campus:

🚗 Parking Lot Guidelines

• Park only in designated spaces. Do not leave your vehicle unattended unless it is in a marked parking spot.

• Turn off cell phones, before entering the drop-off lane to give your full attention to student safety.

• Always escort your children when walking through the parking lot and use the crosswalks.

• Union Park is a tobacco-free campus. Smoking is not permitted on school grounds, including in your vehicle.

• Be a role model. Children observe adult behavior—please model safe and respectful conduct.

• Use handicapped parking only if you have a valid placard or license plate. Unauthorized vehicles may be ticketed or towed.

• In the drop-off/pick-up lane, pull forward as far as possible to keep traffic moving smoothly.

• No student drop-off or pick-up is allowed in the bus lane at any time.

👟 Reminders for Walkers: Drop-Off & Pick-Up Safety

For the safety of all students and families, we kindly ask that parents who walk to school do not cross the parent drop-off/pick-up lane at the front of the school. Instead, please wait on the opposite side of the lane (near the parking lot) for your child to come to you.

Our staff will be on hand to help ensure a safe and smooth dismissal. Thank you for your cooperation and continued support!

🚴‍♂️ Bicycle Safety RemindersFor the safety of all students, we ask that only pedal bikes be used for transportation to and from school.

🚫 E-bikes, scooters (electric or manual), skateboards, and skates are not allowed on campus.

If your student rides a pedal bike to school, please ensure they:
✔️ Wear a properly fitted helmet
✔️ Follow all traffic and safety laws
✔️ Walk bikes on campus sidewalks and in crosswalks
✔️ Lock their bike securely in the bike rack

👉 Please refer to the image below to view the proper flow of traffic during drop-off and pick-up.

🚗 Parent Drop-Off & Pick-Up

Please follow the green line for all student drop-off and pick-up.

🅿️ Parking & Office Entry
Use the blue line route ONLY if you are parking and entering the school through the front office.

🚫 Staff Parking Lot
Do not park in the staff parking lot located north of the school.

🚌 Bus Lane
There is NO drop-off or pick-up in the bus lane at any time.

🚦 City Traffic Laws
Please obey all posted traffic signs. Including but not limited to: Speed limits, No U-turns, No left turns, No passing, No parking

Your cooperation helps keep our students and staff safe—thank you!

It's not too late to join Union Park Music and sing the National Anthem at the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. New York Yankees. This game is sold out so tickets will go very fast. Once the tickets available are gone that's it! It is a fun and exciting event for students and also a fundraiser for the Union Park Choir Program!

Union Park will join other DVUSD Choir programs to sing the National Anthem on September 18th at 6:40pm. Students will walk out on the outfield warning track and sing in front of the entire stadium! Below you will find all the information you will need if your student would like to participate.

Sign-Up

Sing the National Anthem

Rehearsals: (To learn the music!)

September 8th from 7:15-8am in the Choir Room #225

September 15th from 7:15-8am in the Choir Room #225

Meeting Time @ Chase Field (Tentative)

September 18th @ 4:30pm

-Gate J- More information to follow

Tickets

-At Minimum: 1 ticket for student & 1 ticket for parent (Admission to the game is required by the Arizona Diamondbacks)

- Purchase Tickets Here - these tickets are linked to the fundraiser and Union Park seating areas.

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions to: michael.mclean@dvusd.org

All the Best,

Dr. McLean

We are so excited for the start of Cross Country Season this year! Cross Country is a no cut sport here at Union Park and is open to all 5th through 8th graders.

Tryouts will start September 22nd @ 7:10 for 5th through 8th graders.

There is a $120 Athletic fee that is required by the DVUSD district for students to participate that will need to be paid at the start of the season.

If you are interested in playing any sport, please complete the following paperwork and upload it into Register My Athlete. All paperwork will need to be completed before tryouts begin. For more information about Register My Athlete, please visit the

Union Park Athletics page. https://www.registermyathlete.com/login/

**All physicals and emergency contact information must be up to date and completed before September 22, 2026

(NO STUDENT WILL BE ALLOWED TO TRYOUT UNLESS ALL INFORMATION IS IN REGISTER MY ATHLETE)

1. AIA Evaluation , Physicians Examination and Consent to Treat Forms -5 pages

2. Emergency Information Form - 1 Page

3. Brainbook Concussion Course (Test needs to be completed by student and upload certificate in Register My Athlete).

(The following forms need to be Read by the parent & E-Signature Required - Section 1: Register My Athlete: Electronic Documents)

• 24-48 Rule

• MTBI Concussion Form (Read & E-Signature Required)

• Parent Code of Conduct (Read & E-Signature Required)

• Release To and From Games (Read & E-Signature Required)

• Student Code of Conduct (Read & E-Signature Required)

Please remember that families enrolled in Somos Toros, our before and after school program, are the only families permitted to enter through the gates outside regular school hours. For safety and compliance with state law, Somos Toros staff and families may not allow anyone else onto campus or hold the gate open for others to enter.

We kindly ask that you do not ask or expect a Somos Toros family to let you through the gate. They are following the safety requirements of the program and should not be placed in an uncomfortable position for doing so.

If you arrive early for a before or after school activity, please wait outside the gate until your teacher, coach, or activity sponsor arrives to let you in.

Morning Drop-Off Reminder: If you arrive early and are lining up for regular morning drop-off, please do not park or line up in front of the cones. This area is intentionally blocked off to allow families participating in our before-school program to safely access the campus for drop-off. Please begin the regular drop-off line behind the cones.

Thank you,

Miss Eva

Somos Toros Lead

Make it fun and easy to celebrate your student's birthday! The Birthday Party Bucket provides healthier snacks that comply with Arizona's Healthy Schools Act and SMART Snacks guidelines, making classroom celebrations simple for both parents and teachers. The bucket will be delivered directly to your student's classroom at a designated time, making birthday celebrations convenient and stress-free.

Please note: To ensure we remain compliant with state nutrition guidelines, Union Park will be strictly following this policy this school year. Outside food, treats, and snacks for classroom birthday celebrations will no longer be permitted. Thank you for helping us create a healthy, consistent, and safe celebration experience for all students!

All items are Smart Snack compliant. Please contact your kitchen manager for questions and availability. To download and fill out the birthday party bucket form, click on the Party Emoji.

DVUSD will be offering an Optional Device Protection Program for families of 4th-8th graders utilizing take-home devices. Enrollment in the plan is optional with the understanding that if students/parents do not enroll in the protection plan they may carry full liability for the student device (iPad or Chromebook) in the same way they do for other damaged or lost school property, such as textbooks.

The fee for this protection is $35 per child/per school year.

Parents can purchase the protection plan online at https://url.dvusd.org/PaymentPortal. Instructions for using the payment portal can be found here. .

For students who damage or lose their district technology device, the deductible can be debited to the student's account in In-Touch and the parent can pay the fee online.