Newsletter | May and June 2023
Dear Dragon Family~

We want to stress the importance of attendance as many catch "spring fever" this time of year, and it is VERY important that we stay the course of learning as we close out the school year. 4th quarter includes many projects and extra activities as well as many opportunities to celebrate our time together.

The second week of May is Teacher Appreciation Week. This year, we are going to take this week to celebrate ALL STAFF, from facilities and paraprofessionals to teachers and admin, we are celebrating all of our Dragon work family as ample efforts have been displayed and we want to show our appreciation to our full staff. To help us with this celebration we are asking for donations to STOCK THE SHELVES of the EMPLOYEE LOUNGE. Please feel free t send in goodies all week for employees to enjoy. We are also doing something extra special and just for teachers as we send out a list of favorite things to teachers that completed our survey so that families know what teachers enjoy. If your teacher filled out that survey, we sent you the results via Dojo. Let's have a fun time celebrating teachers and all employees this week!

Do not forget to join our daily morning announcements so you are in the loop on all things Desert Sky. Here is the link: MeLisa Thalacker - YouTube

Be sure to read this entire newsletter as we included important updates and Desert Sky happenings and we want you to BE IN THE KNOW! Important dates are displayed at the bottom.

PS~ We have a new website: https://desertsky.amsschools.org/
#DragonPRIDE #AMSpride #BREATHEFIRE #DRAGONfamiliesAREtheBEST

Thank you for choosing Desert Sky,

Principal  (Do Whatever it Takes ~ Act with Honor ~ Be Vulnerable, Candid, and Kind)
Academy of Math & Science | Desert Sky
5701 W. McDowell Rd., AZ 85035
O: (623) 242-2597 ext. 11504  
Uniforms
Just a reminder that uniforms are REQUIRED EVERY DAY! On Fridays, scholars are welcome to dress down for a $1.00 donation. All dress down funds are used to support field trips.

May 12th
is
Kona Day
at
Desert Sky
Coaches' Corner
Hello Dragon Families,

Understanding Your Student’s Diagnostic Results

What is the Diagnostic?
The Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that adjusts its questions for each student. As a student answers correctly, the questions get more difficult. As a student answers incorrectly, the questions get easier. This adaptability allows the Diagnostic to identify the strengths and opportunities for growth of each student.

Why is my student taking it?
The purpose of the Diagnostic is not to give your student a grade, but instead to determine how best to support their learning. It will help your student’s teacher(s) determine their needs, personalize their learning, and monitor progress throughout the year.

What if my student is performing below grade level?
This situation can happen, and teachers and schools have many strategies and programs to help accelerate your student’s learning. Having this information can help you, your student, and their teachers have the right conversations to make the needed progress.

What does it mean if my student scored lower on the second Diagnostic than the first?
A lower score does not mean your student did not learn or lost skills. Scores can be affected by things like stress, distraction, taking the Diagnostic in a different place, and receiving help. This can be particularly common when students are learning in different environments and under unique circumstances. Teachers take this into account and use the data from the Diagnostic as one of many tools to understand your student’s unique needs and progress.

What can I do to help my student?
• Discuss these results with your student. Celebrate their strengths and progress, and collaborate with them on planning how they will reach their goals.
• Reach out to your student’s teacher to get more ideas and resources to support your student in specific domains and/or skills.
• If your student uses i-Ready Personalized Instruction, review their progress on the student dashboard.

We use this data to support your scholar for the remainder of this year and going into next year.


Thank you for all your support and commitment to finishing strong.

Jenna Ortega and Christopher Jaime
Desert Sky Instructional Coaches
Assistant Principal of Academics Updates

Testing Information

Hello Desert Sky Families,

It's May, yay! As we wrap up the school year, we will also be finishing our DIBELS benchmark #3 for our K-3 scholars this month, as well as i-Ready Diagnostic #3. Here are the important testing dates:

April 17, 2023-May 17, 2023: DIBELS Benchmark 3 Reading Assessment
Our kinder through 3rd grade scholars will be tested in the areas of phonological/phonemic awareness, basic reading and spelling skills, reading fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

May 1, 2023-May 10, 2023: i-Ready Diagnostic #3
Our kinder through 8th grade scholars will be tested in the areas of math and reading. This is a computer-based assessment.

Your scholars have put in so much effort and hard work this year. I am so grateful to work in partnership with the Desert Sky community, and look forward to all the future has to bring!

With Gratitude,
Stephanie Jenkins
Desert Sky Assistant Principal of Academics
Assistant Principal of Scholars
Grade Level Updates
Happy May and June Dragons!
As we are coming into the home stretch of our school year-there are still many exciting and fun things to do and see!

K-Kinder promotion is June 5th and 6th- More information to come to our Kinder Families!

K-8 Remember to practice reading every day for at least 20 minutes and do something kind for someone today!

8th grade Fieldtrip and Promotion-Field Trip to Six Flags is May 17.
Promotion is June 6th (more details to come to our 8th grade families!)

All Grades-The first week of May is our Spirit week! Next week is teacher appreciation week!

We hope you have a wonderful last few weeks of school Dragons! Have Fun and Stay Safe over the Summer!

Warmest Regards,
Brittany Colby
Desert Sky Assistant Principal of Scholars
Deans' Corner
F.I.R.E. Breathing Families,
As our year is coming to an end we would like to thank everyone who donated to the F.I.R.E store. Please continue to send in your donations.
Here is a quick look at what some parents have already donated.



Here is the Amazon Wish List. Please keep those donations coming!
Amazon F.I.R.E Store Wish List
 
Daniel Bremer and Robin Young
Desert Sky Deans of Scholars
Head of Operations
Hello Dragon Families! 
 
What a GREAT PICTURE of our facilities team. We appreciate all they do for us.

With the end of the school year is quickly approaching, please keep in mind that our driveline policies still have to be followed! During drop off, scholars can only be dropped off in the driveline. Please do not drop your child off at the front office. We want to ensure scholar safety and have ample supervision in the back at driveline but no one in our parking lot so please make sure scholars are always being dropped off in the driveline! 
 
Our parking lot is closed during dismissal in order to keep our walking scholars safe as they make their way home. Please remember that the only way to pick up your scholar at dismissal is through the driveline or parent gate if you walk to campus. There is no parking in our lot during this time. Please make sure you are always following the posted signs in our parking lot-let's keep our scholars and staff safe! 

With Gratitude,

Karla Espinoza
Desert Sky Head of Operations
AMS Desert Sky Data
In an effort to be transparent about our school's priorities, we are posting the following data to ensure that our Dragon Family is aware of the state of affairs at Desert Sky. You can find this data in our front lobby, as well as in our monthly newsletters.

Student Enrollment: How many scholars are currently enrolled at Desert Sky.

Average Daily Attendance: The average percentage of scholars who attend school on a daily basis.

Student Persistence: The percentage of scholars who have stayed with Desert Sky since the beginning of the school year.

Staff Retention: The percentage of teachers and staff who have stayed with Desert Sky since the beginning of the school year.

Interim Data: The percentage of how many 3rd-8th grade scholars tested proficient or highly proficient on the interim assessments.

i-Ready Data: The average annual growth for a scholar at this grade and baseline placement level.

Here is AMS Desert Sky's up-to-date data.
Student Enrollment

1,316 Scholars
Average Daily Attendance

90%
Student Persistence

91%

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Staff
Retention

83%

Interim Data

Reading Proficiency
  • Interim #1: 21%
  • Interim #2: 19%
  • Interim #3: 15%


Math Proficiency
  • Interim #1: 24%
  • Interim #2: 14%
  • Interim #3: 15%


Writing Proficiency
  • Interim #1: 32%
  • Interim #2: 29%
  • Interim #3: 40%

Science Proficiency
  • Interim #1: N/A
  • Interim #2: N/A
  • Interim #3: 40%


i-Ready Data

Reading Typical Annual Growth
  • Kindergarten - 59%
  • 1st Grade - 46%
  • 2nd Grade - 49%
  • 3rd Grade - 44%
  • 4th Grade - 69%
  • 5th Grade - 61%
  • 6th Grade - 61%
  • 7th Grade - 55%
  • 8th Grade - 61%

Math Typical Annual Growth
  • Kindergarten - 69%
  • 1st Grade - 49%
  • 2nd Grade - 35%
  • 3rd Grade - 53%
  • 4th Grade - 39%
  • 5th Grade - 51%
  • 6th Grade - 70%
  • 7th Grade - 66%
  • 8th Grade - 52%
Counselor's Corner

Parent Monthly

Please reserve a spot to sell or advertise for your local businesses. We are excited to open our doors to the community for this event.

We will have Kona and food trucks and lots of fun bounce houses for kids to enjoy.

Please contact me ASAP to secure your booth. SEE YOU on May 20th!!!

Berenice Alvarez
Desert Sky Counselor
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Important
May Dates:
May 6: Girls who Code 9am-1pm
May 8:12: Teacher Appreciation Week 
May 12: Kona Day! 
May 17: Kinder Round Up 4:30-5:30
May 18: Literacy Performance Night 
May 19: 8th Grade Six Flags Field Trip! 
May 20: Spring Pop Up Shops 11am-2pm and K-2 Dance Performance at 11:30 
May 23rd: 4th Grade field trip to Phoenix Herpetalogical Society 
May 25: 7th Grade field trip to the Musical Instrument Museum 
May 25: Kindergarten Music Program and Ice Cream Social 4:30-5:30
June 1: Field Day 
June 2: 8th Grade Promotion Dance 
June 5: Kindergarten Promotions (KA: 8:30-9:30; KB: 9:45-10:45; KC: 11:00-12:00)
June 6: Kindergarten Promotions (KD: 8:30-9:30; KE: 9:45-10:45) & 8th Grade Promotions: 8A and 8C: 5:00-6:00; 8B and 8D: 6:30-7:30
 
**Every Friday is DRESS DOWN for $1.00**
Proceeds to 8th Grade Promotion Fund/FIELD TRIP
2022-2023 Calendar:
Connect with the AMS Desert Sky Office Team
623-242-2597