Coyote Pride - Week of 10/13/25

This year, we’re inspired by Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg, which teaches that mistakes and surprises can spark creativity, learning, and connection. To celebrate, we’ve created a Beautiful Oops Kindness Wall where students, staff, and families can share notes about moments when someone turned a challenge into something positive or showed kindness and creativity. These uplifting messages will be proudly displayed for all to enjoy.

Dear Coyote Families and Community,

Thank you for the extraordinary privilege of allowing me to serve as your principal for the past five and a half years. It has been the honor of my career to learn alongside your children, partner with you, and work with an amazing staff that shows up every day for our students.

Together, we’ve accomplished a great deal. A few highlights that make me especially proud:

• Centered our Coyote values with H.O.W.L. (Have Respect, Own Your Actions and Choices, Work to Succeed, Learn by Leading) guiding daily decisions and culture.

• Expanded student supports through MTSS and PBIS, while deepening inclusion and services for our special education community.

• Sharpened teaching and learning with Teacher Clarity and PLCs so learning intentions and success criteria are clear—and student progress stays front and center.

• Strengthened family partnerships by growing our Watch D.O.G.S. and Watch M.O.M.S. programs and creating more ways for families to volunteer and engage.

• Built connectedness and joy through schoolwide events—Back-to-School experiences, Fall Festival, New Family Orientation—and meaningful school events and traditions.

• Expanded community partnerships that provided backpacks, supplies, and hands-on support for students and staff.

• Elevated achievement and love of learning with steady growth in reading and math—celebrating Wonder and the wonder in every child.

Friday, October 17th will be my last day as principal. While I’m stepping away from the role, I won’t be a stranger. I will continue to support the Desert Heights community I love—especially our students with disabilities and their families—and you will still see me cheering from the sidelines, volunteering, and rooting for our Coyotes.

I am humbled by what we’ve built together, and I hope I’ve left our school a little better than when we started. Please know that your children are in great hands—our staff is talented, caring, and deeply committed to every student’s success.

Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and for sharing your remarkable children with us. Once a Coyote, always a Coyote.

I’m pleased to share that April Coldani will serve as Interim Principal at Desert Heights, working closely with Ms. Thayer to support our students, staff, and families. To ensure a seamless handoff with no disruption to teaching and routines, April will shadow me from Tuesday, October 14 through Friday, October 17.

About April (brief):

• Elementary Principal, Bernice Mathews ES

• Assistant Principal, Sun Valley

• Assistant Principal, Lincoln Park ES

• Special Education Administrator, WCSD District Office

What’s next

• Starting next week: April will serve as Interim Principal through at least Winter Break.

• Hiring timeline: WCSD will open the principal pool and work to select a permanent principal during this period. If the right long-term fit isn’t identified by Winter Break, Ms. Coldani will continue at Desert Heights until a permanent principal is named.

Please help us give April a big Desert Heights welcome when you see her on campus. Our Coyote community remains strong, and our commitment to your children never wavers.

Parent–Teacher Conferences begin Friday, October 24. Students will be dismissed at 1:20 PM (early release). There will be no Team-Up during the week of conferences. Please make sure you’re signed up for a time with your child’s classroom teacher. During your conference, you’ll receive your child’s beginning-of-year i-Ready diagnostic results.

5 helpful questions to ask about i-Ready:

1. Which skills/domains are my child’s strengths, and which are priority growth areas (e.g., phonics, vocabulary, comprehension; numbers & operations, algebraic thinking)?

2. Is my child on, above, or below grade level in reading and math, and what does that mean for day-to-day learning?

3. What are my child’s growth goals for winter/spring, and how will we track progress (typical growth vs. stretch growth)?

4. How will these results guide small-group instruction, interventions (MTSS), and classroom supports for my child?

5. What at-home practice (minutes per week, specific lessons/skills) will best support progress between now and the next check-in?

We look forward to partnering with you—see you at conferences!

Join us for a night of fun at our annual Fall Festival on Wednesday, October 22, from 5:30–7:00 PM at Desert Heights Elementary!

Donations (thank you!)

We’re asking families to send in nut-free candy and/or bottled water to help make the night great. Please send donations as soon as you can.

New (and beloved) Feature: Trick-or-Treat Hallway 🎃

We’re bringing back a favorite—our Trick-or-Treat Hallway in A Hall from 6:30–7:00 PM.

• We’ll first invite all families to gather in the cafeteria.

• Staff will guide everyone through A Hall for trick-or-treating.

Tickets

• Pre-sale: $5 per person — includes pizza dinner + all activities.

• At the door: $3 per person — includes all activities (dinner not included).

Thank you for your support—your generosity helps us create a fun, safe, and memorable Coyote celebration for every family!

This year, we are excited to offer Parent Teacher Home Visits (PTHV) as part of our commitment to strengthening family–school partnerships. These 30-minute visits give our staff and families the chance to connect in a relaxed setting—at your home or a local park or library.

Rooted in the Dual Capacity Framework, these visits are designed to build trust, honor families’ strengths, and create meaningful two-way communication. When families and educators understand each other, students thrive—academically, socially, and emotionally.

If you are interested in participating, please return the PTHV form sent home or contact Ms. Neumann at nicole.neumann@washoeschools.net. We look forward to partnering with you!

Here is the updated the School/Family Handbook that contains important information about our school. Please take some time to read it over. We will update it throughout the year but this should give you some basic information about our school.

Right at School’s Early Adventures™ program is now available at our school! 🏫

🕖 Time: 7:00 AM – Start of school
💲 Cost: $186/month for 5 days/week (see attachment for discount)
(Flexible pricing for fewer days available!)

✨ What’s Included?
✅ Fun fitness games & team projects
✅ Crafts, reading, and more
✅ Homework help from RAS staff
✅ Flexible drop-off times
✅ Financial assistance available!

📲 Register now: RAS.fun/register

Let’s learn, play, and grow—together! 🌟

The Dads of Great Students (D.O.G.S.) and Moms of Marvelous Students (M.O.M.S.) program is a school-based volunteer initiative that invites fathers, father figures, and mothers to spend meaningful time on campus. This program:

• Provides students with positive male and female role models

• Enhances school safety through increased adult presence

• Builds a stronger, more connected school community

🌟 A heartfelt thank you to Jose, Frank, Maria, Bob, and Cathy for volunteering as WatchDOGS and WatchMOMS this past week! Your presence truly makes a difference—your time, energy, and dedication help foster a safe, welcoming, and inspiring environment for all our Desert Heights Coyotes. We appreciate all you do to support our students and staff!

Join Kimmy, Annabelle, and our Desert Heights Coyotes as they report on one of our key PBIS expectations—H: Have Respect—and how it applies in the bathrooms!

In this episode, our student news anchors interview classmates who share what respect looks like in this important school space:
💧 Waiting patiently
🧻 Using supplies responsibly
🚽 Flushing, washing, and keeping it clean

Through student voices and positive examples, this DHESTV News segment reminds us that respect is part of our Coyote HOWL—
Have Respect, Own Your Actions, Work to Succeed, and Learn by Leading.

Let’s keep showing respect everywhere we go, Coyotes!

🎬 Produced by Desert Heights Elementary | PBIS Team

This month’s newsletter encourages families to:

• Explore everyday science and nurture curiosity.

• Build online research and reading comprehension skills.

• Support independence, responsibility, and respect at home.

• Stay positive about math and connect it to real life.

• Prepare for parent-teacher conferences with questions and goals.

Simple steps at home can make a big difference in your child’s learning

The October issue focuses on addressing bullying in autism. Articles cover:

• Spotting the signs of bullying and why children with autism may be more vulnerable.

• Helping kids ask for help and building self-advocacy skills.

• School policies and parent rights in addressing bullying.

• Practical supports like buddy systems, social-emotional learning, and IEP goals to reduce bullying.

• Caregiver well-being, including understanding PTSD in caregivers.

• Other features include managing biting behaviors, supporting pragmatic language, teaching manners through a neurodivergent lens, and planning sensory-friendly field trips

The central message: early recognition, open communication, and proactive supports at home and school are key to keeping children safe and building resilience.

David Frydman, Principal

Chrystal Thayer, Assistant Principal

Juana Maya, Admin. Secretary

13948 Mount Bismark Street, Reno, NV, USA

Phone: (775) 677-5444