Ms. Paulson is a special education teacher who teaches Strategies this year.

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.

I hope this message finds you well and ready for a strong week ahead! We have some exciting and important things happening here at Desert Heights, and I wanted to share a few updates.

📚 SBAC Testing Begins!
This week, our 4th and 5th grade students begin SBAC testing. These assessments help us measure progress and celebrate all the academic growth happening in our classrooms. Our students have been working hard all year—and now it’s time to show what they know!

To help students feel confident and prepared, here are a few helpful test-taking tips:

• Get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast each morning.

• Arrive to school on time, with a positive mindset.

• Encourage students to take their time, read questions carefully, and double-check their answers.

🎯 Smart Test-Taking Strategies:

• Eliminate obviously wrong answers to narrow down choices.

• Reread the question and look for key words to stay focused.

• Use evidence from the text or problem to support the answer.

• If stuck, make your best educated guess—never leave a question blank!

📆 Attendance Matters!
Whether testing or not, attendance is important every single day. Students thrive when they are present, engaged, and connected to their teachers and peers. Let’s make every day count!

Thank you for your continued support and encouragement at home. I’m so proud to be the principal of this amazing school community. Let’s have a great week—Go Coyotes! 🐺💙

Get ready, Coyotes—BBQ Day is coming! On Thursday April 17, our Nutrition Services team is bringing the grill to you! We’ll be cooking up hot, fresh cheeseburgers, hamburgers, and hot dogs right outside. Don’t miss out on this special event! All your favorite sides will still be available. Mark your calendar and get excited—it’s almost BBQ time! - KIDS EAT FREE

Coyote Soccer Update ⚽🐾

Although our Desert Heights soccer team came up short in their game against Lois Allen, they truly played their hearts out and demonstrated incredible teamwork. It was without a doubt their best game yet! 💪🔥

A huge thank you to Coach Camacho, Coach Todd, and Coach Helen for volunteering their time and sharing their expertise with our students. Your support and dedication mean the world to our team! 🙌

The Coyotes will take the field again next week against Lemmon Valley Elementary, with kickoff at 11:30 AM. Come cheer them on—let’s keep the momentum going! 🐺❤️

📅 Practice Schedule:

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

🔥 Game Day:

🏆 Friday, 4/18 at 11:30 AM – Desert Heights vs. Lemmon Valley 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:

• Erickson: 204 Paws: Escape Room
• Hendrix: 152 Paws: Cookies and Story with Admin
• Hoffman: 175 Paws: Glow Party
• Kelsey: 52 Paws: Stickers
• Konyshev: 78 Paws, Eat lunch with teacher

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, 04/11/25:

• Where do sheep go for spring break? The Baa-hamas.

• What did the baker’s son do over spring break? He loafed around.

• What do clouds wear during spring showers? Thunderwear.

The Daily Learning Planner provides fun, simple, and educational activities for each day of April that families can do together to support learning at home. Activities are designed to reinforce skills in reading, writing, math, science, social studies, and character development—all through meaningful conversations, hands-on experiences, and daily routines.

Weekly Themes Include:

• Reading & Writing: DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) time, writing poems, creating book covers, and sharing family stories.

• Math Skills: Calculating averages, solving silly math problems, and playing math games like "Math Jeopardy."

• Science Exploration: Observing signs of spring, learning about rain, and experiencing friction with rocks.

• Cultural Awareness: Trying foods from other cultures, identifying borrowed words, and exploring global time zones.

• Creativity & Critical Thinking: Hosting a talent show, designing pizza toppings, imagining space picnics, and making decisions together.

• Character & Social-Emotional Learning: Learning about kindness, practicing sportsmanship, and honoring Earth Day.

Each day is an opportunity to build connections, deepen learning, and make memories—all while reinforcing classroom skills at home.

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