Gecko Gazette
Desert Sage Newsletter - August 2024
Running club is almost over, March 13th is our last official running club!
To wrap up another successful year with Running Club, we are having a fun run the morning of March 27th at 8am and all families are invited! We will have special guests joining us on this run, and we will be passing out the running club t-shirts to all our participants who came faithfully to running club. When the fun run is finished, we'll all head to the grassy area for our Gecko Gathering!
Thank you to everyone who helped us continue Mrs. Douglass' legacy this year! It was a fantastic year!
Testing for the annual AASA and AzSci standardized assessments will begin after Spring Break for all 3rd–6th grade students.
Students will be using headphones during testing. If your child would like to use headphones from home, please send them to school in a Ziplock bag with your child’s name clearly labeled.
Bluetooth or wireless headphones are not allowed.
Please make sure your child arrives at school on time. Students who arrive late will not be able to enter class until the testing session is complete. We also highly recommend that students get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast to help set them up for success.
Testing Schedule
5th Grade
Wednesday, March 27 – Science (AzSci)
3rd–6th Grade
Tuesday, March 31 – Writing
Tuesday, April 7 – Reading & Math (Part 1)
Tuesday, April 14 – Reading & Math (Part 2)
If you know in advance that your child will miss one of the testing days, please contact your child’s teacher as soon as possible so we can schedule an alternative testing day.
Thank you for helping us support our students during testing!
Tuesday, March 31st
"You are stronger than you believe!"
Superman - Wear red/yellow
Tuesday, April 7th
"Smash the test!"
Hulk - Wear green/purple
Tuesday, April 14th
"Don't get caught up in the stress!"
Spiderman - Wear red/black
Desert Sage will be a closed campus during AASA & AzSCI testing dates. Closed campus means that visitors/volunteers will not be allowed on campus at any time during the school day. Having the school operate as a closed campus limits interruptions, maintains the testing environments, and fosters strong attention to task so students can perform at their best.
Closed Campus Dates:
- Wednesday, March 25, 2026
- Tuesday, March 31, 2026
- Tuesday, April 7, 2026
- Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Desert Sage Field Days – Get Ready for Fun in the Sun! ☀️
Mark your calendars! Our annual Field Days are almost here with two full days of games, teamwork, and outdoor fun for our Desert Sage students.
📅 Schedule
Thursday, April 2 – Kindergarten through 3rd Grade
Sessions: 9:00–11:00 a.m. and 1:00–3:00 p.m.
Friday, April 10 – 4th through 6th Grade
Sessions: 9:00–11:00 a.m. and 1:00–3:00 p.m.
Parents are always welcome to stop by and watch the action!
🎒 Help Your Child Be Prepared
Please send your child with:
• A labeled water bottle
• A hat
• Sunscreen applied before school
• Class colors (if applicable—check with your teacher)
• Comfortable clothes and tennis shoes (no sandals or flip-flops)
🍧 Refreshments
We’ll have a Snack Center with energy-boosting treats and snow cones available for purchase. All snow cone proceeds will go toward new PE and recess equipment for Desert Sage students.
🍎 Snack Station Donation Request
To help stock the Snack Center, please consider donating individually wrapped, non-perishable items that hold up in the heat.
See the link for approved food items to donate.
Students may bring donations to the front office or the PE room.
Questions?
Contact your child’s teacher or the PE team. We’re looking forward to a fantastic Field Day!
Go Desert Sage!
Happy March! Did you know our 100th day of Preschool is March 4th?!
To celebrate Read Across America week we are encouraging our students to complete a reading log (read 20 books this month) and return their log for a prize!
Daily reading expands vocabulary, fosters cognitive development, and strengthens the parent-child bond while nurturing creativity. It helps children understand emotions and manage social interactions. One of the number one tips we always tell our families: read to your child.
This month we are continuing our Healthy Body study, covering healthy teeth and all about germs and how to keep them away. After Spring Break we will get into our Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Study.
March is a big month for kindergarten, as we celebrate Read Across America week March 2nd-6th, take a field trip to the Children’s Museum on March 10th, work hard to prepare for the Mandarin Speech Competition, and more!
Reading: Foundational skills lessons this month are all about longer words that include consonant blends like st and nd, double final consonants like ll and ss, and digraphs sh, ch, th, and wh. During read-alouds, students will engage in informational texts that zoom in on the amazing plant and animal life in the world around us.Writing: Students will work on their most independent writing project yet, telling a narrative about an animal (real or imaginary) that has a creative beginning, middle, and end and at least three sentences!
Social Studies: Students will study community people, objects, and things and how they have changed over time. We will learn that timelines are a way we can represent events in time in a logical order.
Math: Big things coming around here! Students are diving into addition and subtraction within 10 using drawings, numbers, and manipulatives. Lots of independent work as well as partner work will solidify these concepts.
Science: The five senses will take center stage as we work and learn about what sound and light are and how we perceive them!
Misc: As mentioned above, our field trip to the Children’s Museum of Phoenix is on March 10th. Additionally, come on down to Desert Sage the evening of March 12th for our second annual art showcase, the Gecko Gala! All students will have artwork displayed.
We can’t believe we’re already entering our fourth quarter in First Grade! This month first grade will be performing at the Gecko Gathering on March 27. Here is a quick snapshot of what we’ll be learning in First Grade this month!
Math: We are moving from double-digit addition into 2D and 3D shapes!
Science: We are wrapping up our unit on habitats and moving on to life cycles. At the very end of the month we will be starting our journey of watching the life cycle of a butterfly!
Reading: We are continuing to explore our different vowel teams in phonics. For reading comprehension we are learning to identify the main idea and key details in a narrative text.
Social Studies: We are exploring the differences between the past and now.
We are currently in an important time of the year as we work hard to prepare for State Testing, which begins at the end of the month. Over the past few weeks, students have completed their NWEA MAP testing as well as their i-Ready Diagnostic. Based on their results from these assessments, we are on the right track to show everything we have learned and achieve great scores on state testing. The third grade teachers are incredibly proud of the growth, effort, and determination students have shown in improving their test scores since the beginning of the year. Please continue supporting your child at home as we prepare for state testing. Students can practice by completing their i-Ready lessons, reading for comprehension, and working on fluency.
In Math, we will be learning about equivalent fractions, writing whole numbers as fractions, and comparing fractions using size and number lines. In Science, we are studying plant structures and how they help plants survive and reproduce.
In Mandarin, students will continue learning about emotions and how to manage them, while also practicing opinion writing.
In Reading, we are continuing our work with informational texts by identifying the author’s purpose, central or main idea, and different text structures.
In Writing, students are working on an informational essay about an animal that can survive in extreme heat or cold temperatures. They are really enjoying researching their animals and writing their essays.
In Social Studies, we are learning about the early years of Arizona when it was a territory, including important events and the role of Native Americans during that time.
We are very proud of the progress the students have made this year and the hard work they continue to show each day. We are excited to see them apply everything they have learned and show their knowledge next month during state testing.
In 4th grade, we are focusing on identifying the main idea and supporting details in a text. This is a challenging skill for many students, but with continued practice, they are beginning to show growth and understanding. We are also helping students build test-taking skills as we prepare for state testing in April.
In writing, we are working to strengthen all writing types by reviewing sample texts and discussing what high-quality writing looks like. Students will also complete one final practice writing before state testing.
In social studies, we are beginning our unit on the colonies. Students will start by learning about the 13 colonies, dividing them into three regions, and researching each region to better understand its similarities and differences.
Our 5th graders are hard at work preparing for the upcoming ELA state test! In Reading, students are practicing key test-taking skills, including identifying key details in a text and analyzing connections between individuals, events, and ideas. In Writing, they are strengthening their opinion essay writing in preparation for the state assessment.
In Social Studies, students are exploring financial literacy through BizTown and deepening their understanding of the Civil War. In Science, they are studying the Earth and the Moon and their relationship. In Math, students are learning to divide unit fractions and solve related word problems. In Mandarin, students are preparing and delivering their Mandarin speeches.
We are proud of their focus and dedication this month!
Field Day is just around the corner. We could use some donations for the snack stand. To help stock the Snack Station, please consider donating the approved food items in the link below. Your child can bring food/water donations to the front office or the PE room starting in March. All proceeds will go towards new PE and recess equipment for our Desert Sage students! Thanks for your consideration.
Wednesday, 3/11: Last day for 3rd quarter work turn in
- 3/12-3/13: Gecko Gold Store
- Thursday, 3/12: Gecko Gala Fine Arts Night 5:00 p.m.
- Friday, 3/13: 3rd quarter ends
- Friday, 3/13: PI Day
- Friday, 3/13: Running Club 8:00 a.m.
- Friday, 3/13: Early release 2:00 p.m.
- 3/16-3/20: Spring Break, no school
- 3/23-3/27: STUCO Penny Wars Fundraiser
- Wednesday, 3/25: 5th grade AzSci Testing
- Thursday, 3.26: Volunteer Training 8:00 a.m.
- Friday, 3/27: Kinder Cap & Gown Photos
- Friday, 3/27: Running Club 8:00 a.m.
- Friday, 3/27: Gecko Gathering 8:30 a.m.
- Friday, 3/27: Early release 2:00 p.m.
- Friday, 3/27: PTO Family Spring Carnival
- Tuesday, 3/31: 3rd-6th grade AASA Writing Testing
- Wednesday, 4/1: Paraprofessional Appreciation Day
- Wednesday, 4/1: Kona Ice Fundraiser
- Thursday, 4/2: K-3rd grade Field Day
- Thursday, 4/2: School Librarian Appreciation Day
- Thursday, 4/2: PTO Meeting Zoom 5:00 p.m.
- Friday, 4/3: Spring Break Day, no school
- 4/6-4/10: Assistant Principal Appreciation Week
- Tuesday, 4/7: 3rd-6th grade AASA Reading/Math part 1 testing
- Wednesday, 4/8: 2nd grade Music Concert 5:00 p.m.
- Friday, 4/10: 4th-6th grade Field Day
- Friday, 4/10: Dismissal at 3:30 p.m.
AZ School Tax Credit for Desert Sage
Your school tax credit donations can provide Desert Sage students with opportunities to after school and summer programs, field trips, music and athletic programs or any other extracurricular activity.
- The Arizona tax credit program (A.R.S. 43-1089.01) allows a tax credit of up to $200 for individuals and up to $400 for married couples, filing jointly, in support of extracurricular activities.
- The tax credit reduces your tax burden to the state of Arizona, dollar for dollar.
Make your tax credit donation to Desert Sage at: https://az-deervalley.intouchreceipting.com/.
Desert Sage Elementary
- Website: dvusd.org/desertsage
- Location: 4035 West Alameda Road, Glendale, AZ, USA
- Phone: (623) 445-4700
- Twitter: @DesertSageElem
- Instagram: dvusd_desertsage
- Facebook: DVUSD Desert Sage
School tours are available by appointment only on the first Friday of each month through June. Appointments can be scheduled between 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.
To arrange a tour of Desert Sage, please email our School Secretary, Elisa Anderson, at elisa.anderson@dvusd.org.