News

American Dream Academy is planning an event to introduce the families and students of Western Valley Elementary School to the ASU American Dream Academy. Come learn about how you can support your child's academic dreams! The event is on Wednesday, February 19. There will be two sessions: one at 8:30 a.m. (in Spanish) and one at 6:00 p.m. (in English and Spanish.) Please see our American Dream Academy flyer and program flyer for more details.

We are pleased to welcome you to our new and improved, responsive (mobile friendly) website. We are grateful to the many district and school staff members who worked together to envision a website that reflects how much we care about our students. Our partnership with School Webmasters has made our vision a reality. Working with School Webmasters also helps us keep our websites ADA compliant for those with disabilities. We hope you’ll check back in with us often!

The students in Mrs. Adame’s S.T.E.M. club participated in an engineering tower challenge. Our young scientists figured out how to create a hat tower for Cat In The Hat by stacking cups as high as they possibly could. After talking, planning, and designing, they put their plans to the test and completed the challenge. 

This activity is part of S.T.E.M. education, which utilizes interdisciplinary skills from science, technology, engineering, and math to engage kids in inquiry and solution-based learning by challenging kids to explore, create, inquire, observe relationships, predict outcomes, and find solutions to problems

ClassDojo is a school communication platform that teachers, students, and families use every day to build close-knit communities by sharing what’s being learned in the classroom through photos, videos, and messages. You can access Class Dojo from your cell phone and computers. Ask your child’s teacher for the class code and download it today.

Arizona allows taxpayers to dedicate dollars to education while reducing the amount you owe on your income taxes through the tax credit program. If you do not owe taxes, the amount you donate may be carried forward for up to five years to offset the tax liabilities. For every dollar you donate, the amount you owe on your Arizona taxes will be that much less. For example, if a single person owes $300 on their state taxes for 2019 and donates the maximum amount of $200, they will only owe the state $100. 

Couples filing jointly may donate up to $400, and Individuals may contribute up to $200. Anyone can participate—grandparents, neighbors, friends, married, single— no kids required! 

You have until March 31 to donate funds for the prior calendar year. Learn more about Arizona state tax credits and make your donation using our secure, online payment portal or print out a donation form and mail or deliver your donation to our office.

Certain key practices will make life easier for everyone in the family when it comes to study time and organization. However, some of them may require an adjustment for other members of the family. 

Turn off the TV set. Make a house rule that “study time” means “no TV time.” A television set that is on attracts youngsters like bees to honey. 

Designate specific areas for homework and studying. Possibilities include the child's room, the kitchen, or dining room table. Eliminate as much distraction as possible.

Since many young people study in their own rooms, function is more important than beauty. Most desks really don't have sufficient space to spread out materials. A table that allows for all necessary supplies such as pencils, pens, paper, books, and other essentials works extremely well. 

Regularity is a key factor in academic success. Try to organize the household so that study time, dinner, and bedtimes occur at the same time each day. 

Consider you child's developmental level when setting the amount of time designated for homework. High school students can focus for over an hour; however, your first grader is unlikely to last more than 15 minutes on a single task. Allow children to take breaks as a reward for finishing a section of the work.