Ms. Acosta 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 are heading into one of the most exciting times of the school year, and I can't wait to share a quick preview of what’s coming in our Coyote Pride newsletter!

🐾 Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week – Let’s Celebrate!

Next week (May 05-May 09), we’re pulling out all the stops to celebrate our amazing teachers and staff! They have given so much to our students all year long, and now it’s our turn to show them some major Coyote love. Stay tuned for ways you can help make it extra special!

🧮 Exciting Math News for Next Year!

Big things are happening in math at Desert Heights! We’ll be introducing new tools and resources next year to make math even more fun, challenging, and engaging for all of our Coyotes. Get ready for a fantastic year ahead!

🏫 Class Placement and Staffing Updates for 2025–2026

We’re hard at work preparing for an incredible 2025–2026 school year! Our upcoming newsletter will share important reminders about the class placement process and highlight some exciting staffing updates as we continue building a strong future for every Desert Heights student.

Thank you for being such an important part of our Coyote community. Your support, encouragement, and partnership make all the difference — and there’s so much to look forward to!

Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week is coming up May 5–9, and we’re pulling out all the stops to make it unforgettable for our incredible staff!

We’re planning a fun-filled, top-secret themed week packed with surprises, contests, and treats for our teachers and staff. (Let’s just say… there may be costumes, games, and lots of laughter involved!) While the theme is still under wraps, we promise it will be just as fun for our students as it is for the staff.

To help make this week extra special, we’re reaching out for support in two ways:

🎁 Gift Cards for Prizes:
We’re collecting $10 gift cards to use as prizes for our staff contests. Think coffee shops, restaurants, Target, Amazon—anywhere a teacher might enjoy a treat! If you’d like to donate, please drop them off at the front office by May 2, or send e-gift cards to izaraco@washoeschools.net.

🍪 Snacks for the Staff Lounge:
We’re transforming our staff lounge into a VIP retreat for the week and would love to keep it stocked with goodies. If you’re able to contribute cookies, brownies or any special treats, please email FACE Liaison Irene Zaraco so we can schedule a day for your drop-off.

Thank you for helping us show our teachers and staff how much they’re appreciated. Your support means the world to us—and to them!

With gratitude,

We’re excited to share that starting next school year, our students will be using a new and improved math program called Reveal Math! This new curriculum is all about helping kids get hands-on with math, solve real-life problems, and think in new ways. It gives students chances to talk about their ideas, explore different strategies, and truly understand what they’re learning.

As we make this change, your child may come home at the end of this school year with workbooks or math tools from our current program. Feel free to use these materials over the summer for some extra practice, fun math games, or just exploring math together in a relaxed way.

Our teachers will be trained and ready to use Reveal Math when we return in the fall, and we’re confident it will help our students grow into confident, curious math thinkers.

Thanks for your continued support—we’ll keep you updated along the way! If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher or the school office.

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.

What a game! Our Desert Heights Soccer Team showed amazing heart, hustle, and perseverance against Stead Elementary. While the final score didn’t go our way, the effort, teamwork, and spirit were unbeatable! Huge shoutout to Coach Camacho, Coach Todd, and Coach Helen for inspiring our players every step of the way. We’re proud of our Coyotes—keep playing with passion!

📅 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. Inskeep Elementary (Home 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! 🎉🐺💙

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