Western Peaks News

The Preschool team working together with all related service providers. We read a story and did a workshop to go along with the story "Build it." We worked on all areas of development. 

March 30, 2023

2nd & 3rd grade at 9:15 am

4th grade at 9:50 am

Kindergarten & 1st grade at 10:25 am

Parents will be notified by their teacher if a student is receiving an award.

PTSA will be sponsoring a dance on May 5, 2023, 6 to 8 pm.

Thank you to the City of Surprise, Mayor Skip Hall and assistant Gina Neria, who brought pizza to Mrs. Wilson's 3rd grade class to celebrate winning the City of Surprise Reading Challenge! Congratulations to Mrs. Wilson's 3rd grade class!

In Music class, 2nd grade students compose their own music on their Chromebook and then play their music on Xylophones. Musicians in the making!

A HUGE congratulations to Bianca Reynolds who was nominated and won the Dysart Hero Award for excellence in volunteering at Western Peaks Elementary.  Bianca has been serving Western Peaks as a PTSA member for many years.  Our students and staff appreciate and love the service both Bianca Reynolds, our PTSA and other volunteers donate to our school!  Well deserved Bianca!

Fourth graders are busy learning all about animal adaptations. They completed a Seed Grasping Investigation which allowed them to mimic different bird beaks using tweezers/tongs and attempt to pick up a variety of seeds. They collaborated to determine which "bird beak" was best adapted for each seed. 

Together, we can do so much!  Students in third grade have been trying out a strategy called Rally Coach.  Students are getting to coach their peers to give feedback and be their biggest supporter.  Go team!

Monday, 2-27-23:  Crazy Sock Day, wear a wild and crazy pair of socks.

Tuesday, 2-28-23:  Crazy Hat Day, wear a crazy hat to school today.

Wednesday, 3-1-23:  Wear all your wacky patterns, stripes, and polka dots.

Thursday, 3-2-23:  Dress what you want to be when you grow up.

Friday, 3-3-23:  Wear some comfy cozy pajamas.

Western Peaks is hosting Read Across American Night on March 2, 2023 from 5 to 6:30 pm.  Come join the fun!

On Valentines Willow Canyon's basketball team along with Coach Colletti assisted Mrs. Spindler's kindergarten class in making Valentine Day crafts.  We love our volunteers!

Students in Mrs. Dominguez's 1st grade class has been learning about a plants life cycle. They have planted popcorn kernels and are observing the growth of the plant.

If parents want to set up an e-wallet for their student/child/ren book fair you can set up one up on the Scholastic website. This is a safe way to allow students to purchase books and more. You can put any amount on the Scholastic electronic wallet, students can then use e-wallet and parents don’t have to worry about them losing their money.  Link to Create a Scholastic Wallet   Late hours for parents to view and purchase from the book fair is Thursday, Feb 9,  2023 until 6 pm.

The students at Western Peaks Elementary School had a blast on the 100th Day of School on January 23. The Kinder classrooms had a ton of fun and dressed the part of Centenarians! The day featured learning activities involving the number 100. They stacked 100 cups, counted 100 fruit loops, built a masterpiece journal, stamped to 100, and answered this question during an ELA writing exercise - What would you be doing at 100 years old?

The Color Run will be held on the field behind the Gym-Basketball Courts on 1-27-23

1:15-1:45 pm-(am&pm) & Kindergarten

2:00 - 2:30 pm-3rd & 4th Grades

2:45 - 3:15 pm-1st & 2nd Grades

Don't forget to pre-order a yearbook today!  The cost to purchase a basic Western Peaks yearbook starts at $30.00.  

Purchase online:  

• step #1  go to, gradsyearbook.com 
• step #2 SELECT SHOP ONLINE, (select location, "Surprise")  and school (WesternPeaks) 
• step #3 Follow the online instructions.  (*Yearbooks can be personalized at an additional cost, see the online instructions.)

Western Peak's staff was treated to a scrumptious breakfast celebrating an "A," rating from the Arizona State Board of Education.  To view pictures click the following link: A rating celebration

January 17th is the kick off day of Western Peak's goal  of raising $20,000 to go towards shading, playground equipment, and wall wraps. If we meet our goal, students will get to try to dunk Principal Brown & Assistant Principal Ireland in a dunk tank! 

The actual run will take place on January 27, 2023. Parents are welcome to watch and/or volunteer to run with your child/ren. 

Donate now!

January 27th Color Run Schedule ~

• 1:15 - 1:45 pm ~ Preschool (am & pm) & Kindergarten 
•  2:00 - 2:30 pm ~ 3rd & 4th Grade 
•  2:45 - 3:15 pm ~ 1st & 2nd Grade

Winter Breaks starts on 12-21-22, school resumes on Thursday, January 5, 2023.

Second Quarter Awards Assembly takes place on January 13, 2023

K-2nd Grades:  3:00 pm

3rd & 4th Grades:  2:00 pm

Third grade students used collaboration, ingenuity, and STEAM skills to create and build turkey traps!  They had to be sure their trap was sturdy enough so that it could be raised and lowered with a pulley system to trap a turkey! 

Fourth grade participated in Computer Science Education Week last week. The students joined the rest of the world in "The Hour of Code," where they were able to pick a self-guided activity (or multiple) to complete and learn more about coding.

In the spirit of the holidays our 3rd grade teachers showed the spirit of Buddy Elf Day by twining times five!

Monday, 12-12-22-Deck the Halls (Wear holiday colors)

Tuesday, 12-13-22-Buddy Elf Day (Find a buddy & wear matching holiday gear)

Wednesday, 12-14-22-Fleece Navidad, Joy to the Wool (Wear a holiday sweater & fuzzy socks)

Thursday, 12-15-22-Heads up Whoville (Wear your hair like a Who, or wear a holiday hat)

Friday, 12-16-22-Comfy & Cozy (Wear some cozy pajamas.)

Monday, 12-19-22-Bah Humbug (Wear your Grinchiest outfit.)

Mrs. Akin’s first grade class were learning about how animals grow and change. They started discussing the different life cycles of animals. One of their favorites was learning about the life cycle of a butterfly. They are excited to learn more!

In honor of Veteran's Day, Mrs. Spindler's class learned about the five branches of the United States Military.  They then wrote letters to military members thanking them for their service.

The PTSA is hosting a fundraiser on Tuesday, 11-15-22 at Panda Express, located at 16760 W. Waddell Rd, Surprise, AZ 85388  A portion of the sales will be donated to Western Peaks Elementary School.  Show the flier when ordering, or if ordering online use the code 339964.  You can visit or order online starting at 9:30 am and ending at 9:30 pm on 11-15-22.  

Monday-"Merica Monday:  Wear red, white, and blue!

Tuesday-Twinning Tuesday:  Grab a friend, or two and dress alike!

Wednesday-Wake me up Wednesday:  Wear pajamas today!

Thursday-Tye Dye Thursday:  Wear tye dye clothing today.

Friday-Falcon Family Friday:  Wear your Western Peaks spirit wear or black, silver/gray, and yellow.

All three Preschool classrooms worked to create a Preschool spirt shirt.  They all had a blast creating them from preparing to picking the colors.  Preschool spirit is strong at Western Peaks!  #Falconfamily

Western Peaks Student Council is working in conjunction with Western and Northern Maricopa County Foster Care to collect toys for children in the foster care system.  They will be collecting new unwrapped toys for boys and girls ages from newborn to sixteen, from November 7, 2022 to December 7, 2022.  The toys will be picked up on December 8, 2022.  If you have questions please contact Leigh.Johnson@dysart.org or Kristen.Roemer@dysart.org 

Come out and support Western Peak's fantastic PTSA, by attending their  Board Meeting, Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 3:50 pm.  

All of the Second Grade classes went on a field trip to Tolmachoff Farms and learned about the lifecycle of plants. They were excited to bring home the fruits of the lifecycle at the end of the day.

Principal Brown and Assistant Principal Ireland worked with volunteers on Saturday morning to beautify Western Peaks courtyard.  We are thankful to our volunteers Leigh Johnson, Carmen Johnson, Nancy Palmer and her parents, as well as Zeta Amicae of Surprise.  #LoveOurSchoolsDay!

Congratulations to our school level Spelling Bee winners!  Chase Horton is our first place winner, and David Smith is the runner up.  Chase Horton will go on to represent our school in the Dysart District competition.  In the event that Chase Horton is unable to attend, David Smith will represent the school.  Way to go Chase and David, we are proud of you!

In recognition of November, a month of thankfulness, Western Peaks is thankful for the support of our parents.  Speaking of thankfulness, this picture is of a beautiful table made and donated to Western Peaks by Cadence's father, Matt Sleyzak.  Thank you so much!

Mrs. Akin's 1st grade class finished their Science unit on force & motion by doing a Science investigation with mini golf.  Students created a golf course & then played golf.  Learning and play is a good combination!

Western Peaks Elementary School is excited to announce that we have received an A-rating from the newly-released 2022 State of Arizona accountability labels. This letter grade provides us a glimpse into many areas of proficiency and growth for our school, including information about student achievement, college and career readiness, student growth, and other key areas of interest. We appreciate our hardworking students, staff and parents for their contributions in making our school an A-rated school! 

This is the first time the state has issued new labels since 2018-2019, due to House Bill’s 2910 and 2402, which temporarily paused the issuing of A-F letter grades. It is important to note that this year the state used the same cut marks as they did in 2019 for K-8 schools, the last year they issued letter grades. However, this year's K-8 growth score is only based on growth percentile and does not include growth-to-target.

About School Letter Grades: Arizona Revised Statutes § 15-241 requires the Arizona Department of Education, subject to final adoption by the State Board of Education, to develop an annual achievement profile for every public school in the state based on an A through F scale. The system measures year to year student academic growth, proficiency on English language arts, math and science, the proficiency and academic growth of English language learners, indicators that an elementary student is ready for success in high school and that high school students are ready to succeed in a career or higher education and high school graduation rates. 

Lots of imaginations at work  decorating pumpkins this week to go along with the coming holiday!  Click the link to see some of the storybook pumpkins students decorated  Storybook pumpkins

 Dysart Unified School District invites parents and students to a Career and College Expo on Wednesday, October 26 from 5:30 - 7:30pm at the Dysart District Office, located at 15802 N. Parkview Place in Surprise.  

The expo showcases Dysart's Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, West-MEC, colleges and universities, and military representatives so families can explore opportunities to pursue in and after high school. This is a great way for 5th through 11th grade students and their parents to get hands-on with all of the career pathway classes and programs offered at Dysart Schools. The event is free and open to the public. Details can be found at www.dysart.org/CTEexpo. 

Dysart Schools currently offer 17 CTE programs at four high schools (Dysart High School, Shadow Ridge High School, Valley Vista High School, and Willow Canyon High School.) Program options include Automotive Technology, Culinary Arts, Digital Animation, Digital Photography, Education Professions, Engineering, Film and TV Production, Fire Science, Graphic Design, Laboratory Assisting, Law and Public Safety, Marketing, Nursing Services, Software and App Design, Sports Medicine, Stagecraft Design and Production and Technology Device Maintenance. Learn more at www.dysart.org/CTE. 

Western Peak's Kindergarten class learned all about shapes by making a pizza with all sorts of shapes!

Families were invited to attend Western Peaks 1st Quarter Awards Assembly.  Students had the opportunities to win awards all of 1st quarter which cumulates into an all campus celebration at the end of the quarter.  Western Peaks had a wonderful turn out with families coming out to honor the students!  We are proud of all of our students and their hard work!

Please join us in welcoming our newest Falcon Family member Tony Cox.  If you see him out and about on our campus please give him a warm welcome!

Western Peaks is happy to add an additional School Aide-Crossing Guard, Becky LaBrie.  Becky will be helping Western Peaks students in the cafeteria as well as crossing students in the morning and afternoon.  We are happy to welcome Becky to the Falcon Family!

Western Peaks welcomes its newest Crossing Guard, Jill Brown.  Please join us in welcoming our newest Falcon Family member!

Western Peaks Elementary will be hosting a Thanksgiving Luncheon on 11-18-22.  The Thanksgiving menu includes the following:  Oven-Roasted Turkey, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Stuffing, Green Beans and Fresh-Baked Rolls, as well as Scratch-made Pumpkin Cake.  Cost per person is at follows:  Free student price-$0, Reduced student price-$.40, Full paid student-$2.60, District staff and non-student-$3.50.  Only cash or checks will be accepted, small bills please!  Credit/Debit cards are not accepted.  Lunch times are as follows:  Kindergarten...10:30 to 11:00 am, 1st Grade....11:10 to 11:40 am, 2nd Grade....11:40 am-12:10 pm, 4th Grade....12:20-12:50 pm, 3rd Grade....1:00 pm-1:30 pm  **Students will go to recess after their lunch time. Visitors will exit through the courtyard, as visitors are not permitted on the playgrounds during the school day.  Paper invites was sent home through your students and is posted here.  If you plan to attend please fill out the RSVP NO LATER THAN November 4th, with the number of non-student guests and return to the school.  Thank you!

Thanksgiving Luncheon 2022 Invite-RSVP

Mrs. Garon's 4th grade scientists created an electromagnet in class.  Students were able to build their own electromagnet and explain how a electromagnet works.  Students used academic vocabulary terms like attract, repel, circuit, and electromagnetic properties. 

Third grade students were able to show their multiplication equations using multiple strategies such as repeated addition and equal groups.  Look at those cereal arrays! Which strategy would you choose?

Western Peaks 4th grade students celebrated doing well on the AASA tests, from last year when they were in the 3rd grade.  Part of their celebration included eating cookies with Principal Brown and Assistant Principal Ireland

Western Peaks has the best PTSA members!  They along with Western Peaks staff helped hand out over 350 donuts, for their annual bookfair and donut morning!  Thanks to every Western Peaks family members for making this a success! 

Mrs. Cline's 2nd grade class explored the different properties of materials used for clothing, such as texture, flexibility, and absorbency. Students then used this information to design and build a hat that protects them from the Sun.

Yearbooks are now on sale!  This the perfect gift for a birthday or Christmas.  Purchase a yearbook before the price rises on January , 2023. Select (Surprise) as your location, and your school, (Western Peaks) from the drop down list.  Continue to follow the instructions.  Price is $28.00 until January 1, 2023 

Second graders are working on subtracting two digit numbers using different strategies, one being an open number line, taking away tens and ones.

Parent, teacher, student conferences take place the week of October 3rd thru the 6th.  Make an appointment with your child's, teacher.  October 3rd, 6th and 7th are early release days, school lets out at 1:45 pm.

Western Peaks students enjoyed an in-house field trip!  Fragile Planet Wildlife visited us from Texas.  Students learned about the Mexican morelet crocodile, the tortoise, parrots & silkie chicken!

Mrs. Akin’s first graders are discovering new things about sound. This week they created kazoos to see what happens when objects vibrate. They were working to answer the question “How can objects vibrate to make sounds of a different pitch?”.They had so much fun making new sounds in the classroom! They also discussed “Why can’t we always see vibrations?”. They then took their kazoos home to share with families.

Students are finishing the unit on the “Five Senses” in Science class. They made paint from Kool-Aid, water, and glue. They then used their sense of smell to guess which flavor of Kool-Aid they were using to paint their picture.

Grads Photography will be at Western Peaks Elementary on September 21, 2022 for Fall Picture Day.  You may pre-order by clicking here.  **Your student will receive a specific QR code on picture day to order their Fall pictures. Please note that school dress code will be in effect.  Direct questions for the photographer to Grads Photography at 623-580-4723.  

The results of our Read-a-Thon fundraiser are in! We raised $28,197!! We almost made our goal of $30,000. Thank you to our families and community for your generous support! We will be using these funds to add equipment to our playgrounds. 

Play is simple and complex. There are many types of play: symbolic, socio-dramatic, functional, and games with rules-–to name just a few. Researchers study play’s many aspects: how children learn through play, how outdoor play impacts children’s health, the effects of screen time on play, to the need for recess in the school day.

The PTSA Board Meeting takes place on September 15, 2022.  The PTSA invites the Western Peaks family to be a part of the PTSA. 

Join us for a free family event, the PTSA will be selling concessions, September 23, 2022.  Bring chairs or blankets to sit and watch, "Lightyear!"

The Scholastic Book Fair will be held in the school library.  Books, pens, pencils, erasers, and more.  More information to follow.  Please note that prices do not include tax. 

We hope your family will join us this Friday, August 19th from 6-8 pm for Welcome Back Bingo Night, hosted by the PTSA! Food will be available for purchase.  Hot Dogs - $3, Chips - $1, Drinks - $1, Candy - $1, Meal - $5

Students in Mr. Bedolla's 1st grade classes have been learning the names of the musical notes on the staff, and learning how to read and play music from sheet music on their xylophones! 

Every Friday students can pay $1 to wear a hat all day at school! 

We can't wait to see everyone for Meet the Teacher and Curriculum Night!

• August 1, 2022
• 4:30-6:30 pm
• Parking is limited

We can't wait to see everyone back for the first day of school on August 3! Make sure you mark your calendars for event and activity dates and keep an eye on our new website for important information as the start of school approaches. 

Our Meet the Teacher night will be on August 1 from 4:30-6:30pm. Please join us to see the campus, meet your child's teachers, and get information on what to expect this year.  

Still need to enroll? There's still time to get your children enrolled for the 2022-2023 school year! Parents and guardians can complete the necessary registration information online at Dysart.org/enroll at any time.  Please note that in order to finalize registration the following documents will be required: government issued photo identification; birth certificate; proof of residency; and immunization records. For additional assistance with student registration, families are welcome to contact our front office. 

Don't forget to make sure you have access to the Parent Portal to keep up with your child’s academic progress throughout the year! Sign up or access the site online at Dysart.org/parentportal or via the Campus Parent app. 

Dysart Schools have many opportunities for the community to assist schools in providing an amazing educational experience to each and every student. Volunteers help to enrich children’s learning opportunities, provide individual attention to children who need one-on-one assistance, promote a school-home-community partnership for quality education, provide staff members with more time to work with students, and assist staff members and support personnel with non-instructional tasks.

Where is Help Needed?

• Classroom and teacher support 
• One-on-one student assistance 
• Event help (preparations, setup, operations, tear-down)  
• Guest speakers (experts or retirees in various fields) 
• Front office assistance

How to Become a Volunteer:

1. Review the volunteer handbook and complete the volunteer application at Dysart.org/Volunteer 
2. Make an appointment for your volunteer orientation 
3. Coordinate your schedule through the school office 
4. Put on your volunteer badge and have fun!

Who Should Apply to Volunteer?

Anyone who cares about children and education is a potential volunteer. Parents, grandparents and community members 18 years of age or older who want to make a difference in the lives of children and support educators are encouraged to apply to become a volunteer with Dysart Unified School District. Volunteers are welcome in all of our schools and prior teaching experience is not necessary.

Learn more or apply here.

Dysart Nutrition Services ensures that students at all schools have fresh, wholesome and nutritious breakfast and lunch options to support their education and focus in class. Learn more about Nutrition Services at Dysart.org/Nutrition. Menus and nutritional information may be viewed at Dysart.Nutrislice.com.

Apply for Free and Reduced Meals

Beginning July 1, 2022 the USDA is returning to income eligibility guidelines for free or reduced meals. All families should complete a Free and Reduced Lunch Application at SchoolCafe.com to help maintain school funding and make sure that qualified families receive this and other benefits. Only one application is required per family, and may be completed at SchoolCafe.com.

How to Add Meal Funds to an Account

Cash and checks are accepted for meal purchases, or families may utilize SchoolCafe.com to prepay for meals online, view their balances, or place restrictions on purchases. Online payments take 24 hours to post to student accounts.  

Meal Prices 

• Elementary Lunch $2.60, Reduced $.40, Adult $3.50  
• Elementary Breakfast $1.25, Reduced $.30, Adult $1.75  High School Lunch $2.85, Reduced $.40, Adult $3.50  
• High School Breakfast $1.25, Reduced $.30, Adult $1.75 

A la carte and snack items are available for purchase on each campus, and additional meals are available for an added charge. Parents are always welcome to dine with their child, but please be sure to call in advance and check-in at the school office. Adult meals may be purchased for $1.75 for breakfast or $3.50 for lunch. 

Dysart is the largest employer in both the cities of Surprise and El Mirage with over 2,700 employees. Dysart Schools offer highly competitive salaries, full benefits and an inviting school-year calendar with holidays and weekends off for most positions. 

With a wide-variety of positions ranging from groundskeeper, to mechanic, to office staff, and teachers, we’re always looking for great people to join our Dysart team!

Current High Need Areas: 

•  Bus Drivers and Aides
•  Childcare and Preschool Aides
•  Paraprofessionals
•  Behavioral Technicians 
•  Speech and Language Pathologists 
•  Special Education Teachers 
•  Math Teachers 
•  Science Teachers 
•  ASL Teachers 
•  Health Services Assistants 
•  Crossing Guards 
•  Maintenance Workers and Plant Managers 
•  Social Workers

Check out our current openings at Dysart.org/Careers and apply today!

The Parent Portal is a great tool to stay informed 24/7 about your child’s academic progress. Grades, attendance, assignments and more are viewable in real time online or via the app, Campus Parent. A single login allows parents with multiple students to access information for all of their children in one place. Learn more at Dysart.org/ParentPortal.

Update Your Communication Preferences and Contact Info

To make sure that we can keep you informed in emergency situations, please ensure that your contact information is current in the Parent Portal. You are also able to adjust your communication preferences (phone, text, and/or email) at Dysart.org/ParentPortal or on the Campus Parent app to ensure you are getting the various message types in the way that you would like. Remember that if you select more than one type of communication per category, you will receive the message multiple times via each of those avenues.

Three Dysart Schools teachers were recently named D-backs Most Valuable Teachers in STEM by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Huda Clemens from Western Peaks Elementary School received the honor along with Canyon Ridge School teachers Stefanie Lump and Lacey Merritt.

This recognition supports ten outstanding educators monthly from April through August and provides an opportunity to showcase the state's teachers and acknowledge their commitment to students for going above and beyond.  

Below are excerpts from each nomination letter.

Huda Clemons was nominated by Lisa Garon. “She certainly deserves to be recognized for all her extra time, patience and desire to help students become better in the area of STEM,” shared Garon. 

 “Mrs. Clemens is our iExplore teacher and also runs an after-school Robotics Club.  Since she designs and records the morning announcements for our building, she engages our students in those so they can be a part of the process.” 

Stefanie Lump was nominated by Justean Palmer. “Mrs. Lump inspires students on a daily basis as she teaches STEM to her 5th graders,” said Palmer.

 “She supports all the teachers at Canyon Ridge with their Scientific Process, giving them ideas for STEM buckets with kindergarten classrooms and unique STEM projects with the upper grade levels. Her students build STEM projects monthly and she is our main contact for the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE): A World in Motion program where retired engineers from General Motors provide valuable presentations to our students.

Lacey Merritt was nominated by Justean Palmer. “Lacey Merritt is a remarkable STEM educator and leader,” shared Palmer.  

“Being the Instructional Coach on campus, I see the dedication she has put into building our STEM program from attending workshops to teaching what STEM truly means, supporting teachers in the Engineering Design Process and challenging the students' thinking at Canyon Ridge. Her students thrive through her hands-on STEM projects that push their understanding of the human body to building structures that withstand a hurricane, all while being able to utilize the design and redesign process.”

The educators received a $1,000 classroom grant courtesy of the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation and Honeywell.  Additionally, the educators received tickets to a recent Diamondbacks game and on-field recognition.  They will be considered for the Most Valuable Teacher of the Year, which includes a $5,000 classroom grant and on-field recognition.