ISSUE #4 SEPTEMBER 28 , 2012

Principals Message
Conferences
MARCH 23, 2012

October 8, 9 and 10 are half-days for Parent-Teacher Conferences. School will dismiss at 11:30 AM (before lunch). These conferences are designed to promote conversations between school and home in order to optimize each students educational experience. , 2010 NEWSLETTER OF VENTANA VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL How can you help make your childs conference a success? Please let your childs teacher know in advance if you have a particular concern or topic to discuss. XZXC0000 Please arrive on time. Teachers will strive to stay on schedule, but appreciate your 09 patience if they are running slightly behind. Once in the conference, listen to understand. Share information with the teacher that may assist him/her in teaching your child most effectively. Be prepared to hear about relative strengths, as well as to work with the teacher to set goals for APRIL 24, 2009 the remainder of the year. After the conference, celebrate your childs progress! Talk with your child about what you can do at home to support their academic and personal goals.

I hope that every parent is able to participate in these important meetings. Doing so , 2008 presents you with the chance to discuss aspects of your childs education and specific , concerns with the teacher. We look forward to seeing you on campus! Growing Leaders at Ventana Vista Leadership is an important 21st Century Skill, and one that we want to foster in all of our students. The Student Council at our school is one way in which we do this. Student Council is open to all students in grades 3-5 at Ventana Vista. To participate, students must complete and return an application to our Student Council advisors, Ms. Stigler and Mrs. Knutson. The application requires students to obtain a recommendation from a peer, as well as a recommendation from a teacher or staff member. It also requires them to write about why they want to serve on the Council. Below are some examples of what students wrote: "I would like not only to help our school, but our community and our city. I would love to help out by being in Student Council. I would like not just to be a Bobcat at school, but everywhere." Kaitlyn M. 4th grade "I would like to be in Student Council because I am interested in being a leader. I would like to dedicate my time to charity and making a difference in my community." Bella W. 4th grade "I want to help the school and other students. I want to make new friends." Ashton R. 3rd grade

"I think it is important to be a leader and help our environment. I think that together we can make a difference at our school." Chloe G. 3rd grade "I would like to be on Student Council because of the opportunity to help the community, support the school, and show that I care about the world. I want to take on leadership and responsibility in this journey to support all communities. For example, I would like to help and support disabled people. I am dedicated to being a Bobcat." Anna K. 4th grade The Student Council meets once a week during lunch and lunch recess. Currently, almost 80 students have expressed an interest AND completed the application to participate; and anyone who does so may serve! This year, Student Council is organized into three subgroups: The Green Team will have an environmental focus (beginning with recycling); the Service Committee will focus on a service project (beginning with Bens Bells Kind Kids program); and the Ad Team will be responsible for advertising/public service announcements for the work of the other two sub-groups. Students will serve on a different sub-group each trimester. Were proud of the work of these dedicated students! Gifted Education in CFSD There are numerous ways of reaching gifted learners in Catalina Foothills School District. At the elementary level, there is Classroom Differentiation, Extended Reading and/or Extended Math, Extended Studies Clusters, and Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS). How do I know if my child is in need of gifted services? Classroom performance is important in determining a need for gifted services in the elementary grades. Placement into Extended Reading and Extended Math is determined by district assessments administered within the regular classroom. Other factors taken into consideration for placement are previous AIMS or Stanford 10 Scores, as well as previous year class performance. Qualification for Extended Studies Clusters (ESC) at third grade, and Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS) at fourth and fifth grades, is determined by Cognitive Abilities Testing (CogAt) scores, AIMS scores AND regular classroom assessments. Further explanations on placement into gifted services are available on the website of our Gifted Specialist, Liane Cooper. Mrs. Coopers IDS website can be accessed through the Ventana Vista, along with other teacher websites. Once there, click on Testing Information, Identification and Placement Chart of Advanced and Gifted Students or Pertinent Sections of K-12 Gifted Education Programming Framework (for portions of district overview). They are available on the left sidebar. You can also contact Mrs. Cooper at LCooper@cfsd16.org or 209-8000.

DATES OF INTEREST Tuesday, October 2nd EARLY RELEASE AM Kinder 8:00-10:15 PM Kinder 11:15-1:30 Grades 1-5 8:00-1:30 Friday, October 5th Plant/Science Family Night at VVE 5:00-8:00 PM Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, October 8th, 9th and 10th Half Days for Fall Conferences AM Kinder 8:00-9:30 PM Kinder 10:00-11:30 Grades 1-5 8:00-11:30 (no lunch served) Thursday and Friday, October 11th and 12th No School Fall Break Tuesday, October 16th EARLY RELEASE AM Kinder 8:00-10:15 PM Kinder 11:15-1:30 Grades 1-5 8:00-1:30 Thursday, October 18th FFO General Mtg. @ 8:30 AM Friday, October 19th School Picture Day!

If you have trouble viewing or submitting this form, you can fill it out online: https://docs.google.com/spread sheet/viewform?fromEmail=true &formkey=dHIzdUxMRWtRREF pcFBVbVpkVS05eGc6MQ

Catalina Foothills School District Dr. Mary Kamerzell, Superintendent 209-7500 mkam@cfsd16.org Governing Board Members Sherri Silverberg, President 615-9224 ssilverberg@cfsd16.org Todd Camenisch, Vice President 615-9855 tcamenisch@cfsd16.org John Bergan, Member 878-6180 jbergan@cfsd16.org Mary Lou Richerson, Member 299-4746 mlricherson@cfsd16.org Carole Siegler, Member 529-1379 csiegler@cfsd16.org State of Arizona Legislative Representatives for CFSD (check www.azleg.state.az.us for contact information) Legislative District 26 Senator Al Melvin Rep. Vic Williams Rep. Terri Proud Legislative District 30 Senator Frank Antenori Rep. David Gowan Rep. Ted Vogt

Eye on Improvement: Math in the Real World

This year, based on a careful analysis of student achievement data and their own teaching practices, Ventana Vista teachers have selected the area of MATHEMATICS on which to focus for the year. Our goal is to increase student achievement by designing quality work experiences in mathematics for students that are engaging and foster critical thinking skills. The Ventana Vista Site Council has begun a plan to support this work. One way they would like to do this is to enlist the help of parents in sharing how they use MATH IN THE REAL WORLD. If YOU use mathematics in your daily work, please consider helping the Site Council compile a resource directory may be accessed by teachers to share your expertise and experiences with students by completing the brief form using the link above.

Mission Statement The mission of Catalina Foothills School District and Ventana Vista Elementary School is to guarantee that each student achieves academic and personal excellence, becomes a lifelong learner and is a responsible citizen of the world, by engaging all students in meaningful programs which meet the highest educational and ethical standards within a caring, collaborative learning community.

Office Hours for 2012-2013 are: 7:30 AM 3:30 PM 7:30 AM 2:00 PM (Early Release Tuesdays) Main Office Health Office Attendance Line FAX Durham (Bus) 209-8000 209-8004 209-8090 209-8070 615-7635
Lost and Found There are lunch boxes, water bottles, caps and clothing that need to be picked up! Please come by and check, if you have any missing items. The lost and found is located in the MPR at the top of the stage. Any items not picked up by October 26th will be donated.

Currently in art we are working on still life drawings in second grade. The students are concentrating on drawing from observation. In third grade we have just finished looking at the works of Keith Haring, and now we're learning about cave paintings from 17,000 years ago! We have to work as a clan to make a rock wall that is covered in ancient art. The fourth graders have been learning color theory by painting color wheels. Now we're moving on to a monochromatic painting using tints and shades. The fifth grade students have just finished some amazing kaleidoscope designs that show radial symmetry. I'm seeing some great craftsmanship from the 5th graders! There are no kinder or first graders in this rotation, but we will have some art to share very shortly. That's all from the art room! Piper Lapinsky Art Teacher

First grade/Multi-age is off to a great start! We have been so busy in Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Writing! In Reading, we are choosing good fit books to read and following reading strategies to help us understand books and become better readers! We have also been learning more about Spanish literacy and vocabulary words. In Math, we have been practicing our number sense and are off to study Geometry next! In Social Studies, we have learned how to be good citizens in school and in our community and are going to study like Scientists next! In Writing, we have been writing about things we care about and things we know lots about...we have so much to share! That's it for now!...Stay tuned! Maria Baca and Brittany DeFazio First Grade Spanish Immersion Allison Dickey Kindergarten/First Multiage Michelle Ingargiola First Grade

The following students were invited to have lunch with Principal Boling on Friday, September 21st. Each student was recognized for individual achievements in the classroom. Aiden Payne Ciara Emerson Jake Rydberg Riley Gilbert Sabrina Shulick Zoe Iacomini Andres Martinez Edison Tsai Gloria Macon Natalie Richardson Ashton Clingan Isabella DiPonio Renee Li Alyssa Michelle Gilbert Matthew Lueders Kathryn Jie Logan Hicks Emilie Mak Ashley Brown Suzie Rucker Bridget Curtin Ethan Pezzulo Madison Bonomolo Emma Jewell Emily Mokhtarian Christina Chen Alison Chuang Bo Jewell Macy Goode Paula Ehiri Diego Marquez Sally Bittner Mason Casper-Milam Ryan Chen Patrick Keefe Tarina Aleamoni Hiroshi Arai

Date: September 28, 2012 To all parents, faculty and staff of Ventana Vista Elementary; Ventana Vista Elementary does not have any asbestos-containing building materials in its school buildings. However, Ventana Vista Elementary is required to comply with the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA). AHERA rules regulate activities involving asbestos-containing materials in school buildings. An asbestos management plan detailing AHERA required information is available for review at the Catalina Foothills Facilities Office located at 4300 East Sunrise Drive, Tucson, Arizona. If you have any questions regarding asbestos-containing building materials you are encouraged to review the management plan or contact the Director of Facilities, Basil Callimanis, at 209-8508.

www.VVFFO.org
Stay informed! Get involved!
October and November will be busy months here at Ventana Vista. There are a lot of great school activities planned, including Plant Family Science Night, Halloween Night, 5th Grade Camp, Bobcat Run Also the VVFFO General meeting coming up October 18th. Make sure to check www.VVFFO.org weekly so you dont miss out these are just a few of the things you will find online: Teacher wish lists (teachers please send updates to info@vvffo.org) Volunteer opportunities Amazon Shopping Link - click the button right on the home page before you shop Event forms/downloads/information VVFFO Meeting minutes Helpful links to other school and district websites Full VVFFO 2012-2013 calendar

Oct. 5, 2012 5 8 pm

When and Where? Plant Science Family Night is October 5, 2012 at Ventana Vista School located north of Sunrise at 6085 N Kolb Road from 5 - 8pm. The amazing night of SCIENCE is FREE.. except dinner which needs to be pre-paid! Use the order form at the bottom of this page.

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a r ne . S ustr s st Play with wiggly worms, learn the life cycle, explore vermiculture & plant composting nge rt with shas on help u co Explore your nutritional choices with food labels and plant parts. B ING comfoa lesson in a Jimmy Stewart Weather Bus d to Plants need water, plants are impacted byK weather.. take s at the hea R our e in A HOT PEPPERS. You bet youe P learn from the best Arizona DirtiFarmer d use ng a th can 5at or design ooocean Phytoplankton. d to Sneeze . Ri h an l b plann Learn about Pollen: Nothng :1 voi i candy c Extract DNA fromA fruit, build l 8 model s DNA, and for basic DNA t labels, he discover u exploreof seeds/beans/cereals 45food eet t and k yo the value Make healthy snacks, : 5 read M Magnify those giant spines, twisted roots an awesome blooms of our desert cactus ts. Th and Take action.. learn lo Water Conservation in our desert or start your own Community Garden about ise. Observe the cells of plants to r Sun better understand the living organism

o r p Our Theme this year is Feeding the 9 Bon nover 30 he c helSCIENCE Centers! i illion O f t hands-on

What is Plant Science Family Night? Plant Science Family Night is hours of engaging, hands-on fun exploring plant sciences. As a family, your K-5 children will work with University of Arizona scientists and Tucson community experts in the fields of genomics, agriculture, chemistry, optics, and botanical sciences to explore m fro to observe, DNA, cells, plants, nutrition, survival and adaptations of plants. There are numerous opportunities g in stop compare, analyze, and create you can design a microbe, build DNA candy, non- will ark extract DNA and you p even d ur lb Caf from a plant. The evening is open to all CFSD families and friends. Except un your dinner (Createan and for in es r oFUN!o of Ko Jamba Juice) the whole evening is FREE to participants. JOIN THEttl i r u SCIENCE n t h !

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You are invited to join the fun with your family!

Build a Cactus to learn about our desert plants, parts of a cactus, functions of the parts and focus on survival in our ecology. Design a microbe or phytoplankton, make an Earth Bracelet or build a cactus.. it is all fun while learning about plants! Herbivores are everywhere.. animals need plants and plants need animals.. systems are interaction. Take home to grow a live cactus, win a tour of the UA BIO5 labs, or other free gifts Discover how could DNA research about rice or maize can Feed the World Our thanks in advance to the over 50 University of Arizona researchers, scientists, Tucson community experts, CFHS Honor students for their E3 (energy, expertise, efforts) and time to make PLANT SCIENCES come ALIVE and oh oh oh so much FUN!

Our thanks to Dr. Rod Wing and NSF for encouraging and supporting our PSFN. To volunteer or ask questions, please contact Caryl Jones at cjones@cals.arizona.edu

 The doors open at 5 p.m. Here is a general map of the 30 hands-on science activities and other areas of interest at PSFN on October 5th from 5-8pm at Ventana Vista. You may want to plan ahead your choices. Two areas have limited seating and tickets will be available at the front gate when you arrive. Jimmy Stewarts Weather Bus (5pm, 6pm, 7pm) and Dr. Uwe Hilgerts presentation (6:30pm) Is there DNA in Baby Food? will help you understand the mysteries of DNA.

 Plant Science Family Night (PSFN) will: Cultivate and sustain a community informed by the content of science, inspired by its wonder, convinced of its value, and prepared to engage with its implications for our future.
Engage your family in science. Families will enjoy the freedom of learning together. PSFN is organized around plant science concepts, knowledge and scientific skills. The awe and wonderment of plant sciences is enhanced with an organization that is designed to help students discover answers to these questions: What is a plant? How do we use and enjoy plants? How do plants reproduce and grow? How do plants interact with animals in nature? How do plants adapt to different and changing environments? Inspire exploration and learning. PSFN will provide a structured learning environment where families have the opportunity to explore their understanding of plant science concepts. Stations are organized with professional expertise, clear instructions and ample materials to enhance the family's learning experience. Center formats are presented in hands-on, demonstration or lecture. Students will be given SCIENCE NOTEBOOKS to record their ideas, observations and what they've learned during the evening. Connect with classroom instruction. PSFN provides an environment where students can enhanced their understanding of plant science content and important process skills by applying their knowledge in a "laboratory-type" environment. The centers connect to our CFSD and Arizona science curricula and to the 12 Principles of Plant Biology. Encourage positive attitudes about science. Plant Science and the scientific thinking process are part of our daily life. Show your children "science" in everyday life. Discover the mysteries of plant DNA and build a model of DNA, learn about farming and the economy in Arizona- cotton and chili peppers, explore the parts of plants and their functions, observe bees - our important pollinators, build your own saguaro cactus and uncover what each part does to help survival, dig into soils from around the world and test the chemistry of soil, compare seeds so small you need a microscope and seeds so weird they do not look like seeds, examine the nutrition labels on food boxes, identify the taxonomy of plant families, understand the interdependence of plants and animals, classify leaves of plants to understand our Tucson trees, observe the tree rings in trees many hundreds of years old, explore the nature of wiggly worms, see how gravity influences plant growth, observe the impact of light/optics making a difference and discover Mastodons are herbivores - are you? Native Plants in Tucson. So much to do so little time. Arrive at 5:00, pick up your SCIENCE JOURNALS, plan your schedule on the map. Get going with SCIENCE! Invite your friends and families. This is a CFSD community event supported through an NSF grant awarded to VV Parent, Dr. Rod Wing, University of Arizona Genomics Institute and Ag Department. Thank you to our other essential sponsor Ventana Vista FFO. Questions: cjones@cals.arizona.edu

2012 Halloween BINGO Night

Friday October 26
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
NO TRICK OR TREATING, BUT A GOODY BAG FOR EACH CHILD! BINGO PRIZES GALORE!
*Wear Your Costumes* *Pizza/Eegees For Sale* *Every Kid Goes Home With A Treat*
VIP Parking and Buses Parking will be $5 per space at the school. Please fill out the form to pre-purchase a parking pass, detach and send in with payment. FIRST COME FIRST SERVE! FREE shuttle buses will run from Bashas at Sunrise and Kolb beginning at 4:45 p.m. and running every 15 minutes through 7:15 p.m.

YES! I would like to purchase a parking pass for the Halloween Extravaganza for $5. I understand that the limited spaces are FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE. Cash or checks must be returned with

this form to the front office. Cash or checks accepted. (Checks can be made out to VV FFO). NAME: ______________________________________________________________ CHILD/TEACHER: ______________________________________________________ All parking pass orders must be received by WEDNESDAY, OCT. 24. Passes will come home in your childs folder by FRIDAY, OCT. 26th.

2012 Halloween BINGO Night

Friday October 26
5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. NO TRICK OR TREATING, BUT A GOODY BAG FOR EACH CHILD! BINGO PRIZES GALORE!!!
*Wear Your Costumes* *Pizza/Eegees for Sale* *Every Child Goes Home with a Treat*
Donations Needed!! Please donate 1 or 2 bags of individually wrapped candy, pencils or other party-favor goodies. You can drop them off at the office. We Need Volunteers! This is a big event and we really need your help. All volunteers receive a pass to park at Ventana Vista the night of the event ($5 value). Please detach the slip below if you are interested in helping out. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Yes! Id like to volunteer for Ventana Vistas HALLOWEEN BINGO NIGHT: ___ Set up & Decorating (30-minute shifts, Fri. afternoon) ___Clean up ____Bingo Callers ___ Help with parking ____Sell Food Name: ______________________________ Email: ____________________________ Childs Name/Teacher ______________________________________________________

Please return this form to school by MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, if you can help and to get pass.

2nd annual

BOBCAT RUN
GET FIT ON November 3rd, 2012 Fun Family Event ( run or walk 2 miles)
SATURDAY 7AM- 9AM AT SABINO CANYON PROMPTLY STARTS AT 7AM $5.00 PARKING at Sabino Canyon or FREE if you have a park pass NO PARKING ON SABINO CANYON ROAD REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED

T-SHIRT ORDER FORM: Make Checks Payable to VVFFO

LAST DAY TO ORDER T-SHIRTS WILL BE OCTOBER 5th
PLEASE INDICATE HOW MANY OF EACH SIZE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ORDER. PRINT AND RETURN FORM ALONG WITH YOUR PAYMENT TO THE FRONT OFFICE. Youth T: $15.00
Quantity XS (4)) _____ S (6-8) _____

Adult T: $20.00
Quantity S (35-37) _____ M (38-40) _____ L (41-43) _____ XL (44-46) _____ XXL____(add 2.00)

M (10-12) _____ L (14-16) _____

T-SHIRTS MUST BE WORN DAY OF RACE FOR PARTICIPATION

CONTACT INFORMATION NAME: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ TELEPHONE NUMBER OR EMAIL: ________________________________________________________________________________ CHILDS NAME, GRADE AND TEACHER : _________________________________________________________________________ I, the parent or legal guardian of the minor named below, hereby give my permission for my child or ward to participate in Bobcat run. I hereby waive, release and absolve Ventana Vista Elementary School, its officers, agents, employees and all other participants in this program, from any and all claims, rights or causes of action, whether for property damage or personal injury, including death, which may arise out of my child or wards participation in the recreational activity named on this form. Further, I hereby agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Ventana Vista Elementary School, its officers, agents, employees and all other participants in such activity from any claim arising out of injury to my child or ward arising from his or her participation in any way in the activities described on this form.

Thank you,

Ventana Vista families,

for supporting our Fall Book Fair We sold $11,518.00 worth of books! As a result, our library will keep $5,700.00 for new books and new shelves Thank you so much for continuing to support your Ventana Vista Library! Happy Reading!!!

Whats Happening in Community Schools?

Friday Night Nets
!

Early Release Classes

The fall session of Friday Night Nets is underway with basketball fun for boys and girls. CFHS basketball ! coaches are imparting valuable skills as students work on ball-handling, dribbling, shooting, layups, passing, catching and footwork.
If you missed the fall session, dont worryFriday Night Nets will return in March for the Spring session of this very popular camp.

Golf Mad Science Guitar Double Dutch

These are some of the exciting opportunities that our students are enjoying during the first fall session on early release days.
Registration for the 2nd fall session begins on October 1st. Look for the Community Schools brochure in your childs backpack on Friday, September 28th .

Coming Soon:

October 8-12

Register beginning September 24th.

Fall Break Activities

School dismissal will be at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the 2nd week of October for parent-teacher conferences. No school on Thursday and Friday of that week. What to do with all that time? Join Community Schools for field trips and special on-campus activities. Check out the Fall Break brochure going home with students on September 21st.

Coming Soon for Adults: Community Schools Adult Program

Classes begin October 1st. Flamenco Guitar Yoga Tai Chi Facebook and more. Tap Dance

www.cfsd16.org/schools/communityschools/adult.html

www.cfsd16.org/schools/communityschools (520) 209-7551

Catalina Foothills School District FFO

Candidates Forum

Education
Invited Candidates include

On

Congressional District 2 Candidates AZ Legislative District 9 Candidates Pima County Supervisor, District 1 Candidates and

Entering District 16 Governing Board Members Monday, October 15 at 6:30 PM

The program will begin promptly at 6:30 PM and seating is limited. Please dont miss this opportunity to find out more about the candidates during this important election year. Be prepared with questions.

Catalina Foothills High School

For More Information: Cafeteria 4300 E. Sunrise Drive Julie_Farbarik@mac.com

SPARTANS LACROSSE
FASTEST GAME ON 2 FEET
4th/5th/6th grades 7th/8th grades No prior playing experience required Practice starts November 26th Season runs January through early March Sports physical and US Lacrosse membership required.
Learn more!

Parent meeting: October 24th - 6:30pm

La Paloma Urgent Care 4001 East Sunrise Drive
Questions? Contact Julie Janey at 520-245-3010 or Patricia Shaffer at 520-440-6852