The New Year seems to have come in so quickly and it is hard to believe that we are

already two weeks into 2013! I am always amazed at how quickly time flies by. As

we head into the second semester, safety continues to be on our minds. I want to

thank everyone for the excellent cooperation and understanding of new policies that

went into effect when we returned last week. I am very thankful to work in a District

that has chosen to aggressively look at all our policies and procedures and make

changes which will help strengthen the safety of our students and staff. Further

changes will be implemented as decisions continue to be made at both the District

and School level. The Chandler Police Department is working in conjunction with

our school to help us improve our safety measures as well. We will continue to

practice our routine drills which include monthly fire drills, quarterly lockdown

drills, and an off campus evacuation drill. Following our lockdown drills we will

notify parents to let you know that the drill was simply that – a drill. Prior to the off

campus evacuation drill, you will receive information about the drill so that you have

necessary information. At this month’s staff meeting we looked at all our current

procedures and continue to fine-tune as needed. I will also be asking our Site-Based

Council to help us identify and address safety concerns. Again, thank you for your

cooperation as we implement necessary changes. If you have concerns, please let us

know as we would like to address them. This goes for any concern you may have

about the school – not just safety issues. Our goal is to have 100% customer

satisfaction and you are our customers. We want to know how best to serve you. We

want to know what issues you may have. We want to know how we can be better!

We can’t work together to solve problems or improve unless we know what the

concerns are. We truly want to be a school that you brag about! Help us be that

school! We are including a page you can print in this newsletter for your suggestions,

concerns, etc. Please take the time to let us know how we are doing and what we can

do better. You can drop these off in the school office (we will have a suggestion box

Principal’s Message

School staff and Phone Numbers

School Hours

7:45am to

2:35pm Mon,

Tues, Thur. and

Fri.

7:45am to

12:35pm

Every Wed.

Mirada Memo

Inside this

issue:

2

2

3

4

6

9

10

on the counter) or send them to school with your student. Our Site-Based Council will look over any suggestions and concerns at

our January 28th meeting. Our Site-Based Council meetings are open meetings and any parent may attend. Our January

meeting begins at 3:00 p.m. For more information please refer to our website (Quicklinks: Site-Based Council).

I am always so proud of all that our school community accomplishes and the way we seek to live our vision in all that we do. As

you may recall, as part of our 20 Year Anniversary Celebration and in an effort to “Leave a Legacy,” our students and staff are

conducting 20 Random Acts of Kindness. Here are a few of the classroom projects occurring: Mrs. Buck’s first grade classroom

recently collected gloves, mittens, and scarves for a homeless shelter. Mr. Collin’s third grade classroom is corresponding with a

wounded medic (an Arizona native) who is currently at Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C. recovering from severe

injuries sustained in Afghanistan. Miss Nafziger’s third grade classroom writes notes and cards to residents of Sunrise Assisted

Living Center. They will also be visiting the Center and presenting them with a special art project. Mrs. Propp’s second graders

are showing kindness by being Mirada door greeters in the morning. You may have already had the good pleasure of being

welcomed by some enthusiastic second graders! Mr. Santillan, our P.E. teacher, is organizing our annual American Heart

Association fundraiser. Watch for more information coming home soon about our Jump Rope for Heart event. Our next School

Wide Random Act of Kindness will take place during Super Bowl Week. Students will have the opportunity to bring in canned /

boxed food items and vote for their favorite Super Bowl team! (My team lost this weekend so I am on the hunt for choosing a new

team!) Practicing random acts of kindness as a classroom or an entire school community provides us with the opportunity to

create leaders of compassion and it is our hope and desire that our students will continue to carry that compassion with them

throughout their entire lives.

Mirada is truly a great place for children and adults alike. Thank you for choosing Mirada and sharing your most precious gifts

with us!

Happy New Year!

Nancy Branch, Principal

Thank you for your tax credit donations! We fund a large percentage of our field trips with these donations. Additionally, we are

able to provide a 16-week leadership program for our third and fourth graders. Tax credit dollars also support our character

education program and our Science Fun Zone! We appreciate your continued support.

Principal’s Message cont.

Page 2 Mirada Memo

Calendar Events January 17—PTA Dinner Night—California Pizza Kitchen

January 18—Cheer Assembly—100th day

January 21—NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King Day

January 23—District Spelling Bee Competition

January 24—Kindergarten Orientation 6:30 pm

January 28—Site-Based Council Meeting 3:00 pm

Page 3

TASTE OF KYRENE IS FEBRUARY 28, 2013

Tickets for the Opportunity Drawing at Kyrene Schools Community Foundation’s 3rd Annual “Taste of Ky-

rene” event are on sale now! The Grand Prize Winner will be awarded their choice of the following vacation

packages:

4 Days/3 Nights Deluxe Hotel Stay in Anaheim

2 Adult and 2 Child (ages 3-9)

1-Day Disneyland Resort Tickets

1-Day Universal Studios Hollywood Tickets

OR

4 Days/3 Nights Deluxe Hotel Stay in San Diego

2 Adult and 2 Child (3-9)

1-Day SeaWorld San Diego Tickets

1-Day LEGOLAND California Tickets

Total Value: $1,000

The 2nd Prize Winner will be awarded two tickets (face value $322 each) to the Phoenix Suns vs. Toronto

Raptors Game on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 at 7:00 PM.

Floor seats close to the Suns bench

Valet parking pass right out front of the stadium (1st and Jefferson)

Complementary food and beverage at the Flex Print Club underneath the stadium

Total Value: $700

Wondering how you can purchase Opportunity Drawing tickets? Well, each ticket is $10.00 and from that 20%

goes back to a Kyrene school of your choosing (i.e. Mirada). If no school is designated, the money will go

directly to the Foundation. For more information about the Foundation, go to http://

kyrenefoundation.org/. Thank you for your support!

JEANS FOR TEENS

A former Kyrene student in sponsoring a program, called “Jeans for Teens” to collect used jeans that

can be donated to homeless shelters across the US and Canada to support homeless teens. Students

from the Kyrene Student Superintendent Advisory Council (SSAC) are leading this district-wide

initiative at their individual schools. Mirada 5th grade student, Jacob Flores, is our Mirada SSAC

representative. He has placed a box in the front office to collect all styles, colors and sizes of jeans that

are in fair to good condition. This is a great time to clean out those closets and drawers and donate jeans

for a good cause! Thank you

Page 4

Page 5

Our Mission Statement

Inspiring Academic Excellence

While

Celebrating Strengths,

Developing Leaders

And

Honoring Diversity.

Our Vision

We live, love, laugh, learn and leave a legacy

Congratulations, Karina Van Der Geest!

2012 Kyrene de la Mirada

Spelling Bee Champion

Karina will represent Mirada at the district

competition on January 23

at the district office

NO

SCHOOL

Monday, January 21st

Martin Luther King Day

20th Year Anniversary Celebration

Mirada will be celebrating our 20th Year Anniversary on Thursday,

April 25th. There will be a school wide celebration during the day

followed by an evening event. We are very excited about celebrating the

past 20 years of excellence. As part of our celebration, we will be

retiring our original mascot “The Golden Eagle” as well as retiring our

school colors of black and gold. Our current school students will be

voting on the new school mascot and school colors and we will reveal

them during our Anniversary Day. Mark your calendars and plan on

attending this special celebration!

Health News

FLU season is coming. Typical symptoms are fever greater than 100 with cough or sore throat,

as well as body aches, headaches, chills, tiredness and congestion (nausea, vomiting and

diarrhea are NOT typical flu symptoms). The best ways to prevent the flu in your family are to:

1. Get a flu shot (recommended for everyone older than 6 months old)

2. Wash your hands often

3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

4. Stay home when sick

This year, Maricopa County has also had a big increase in Pertussis (whooping cough) cases. Pertussis is a highly

contagious bacterial disease spread through the air by coughing or contact with infected fluids from the mouth,

nose or throat. ANYONE can get pertussis and pass it on to others. Typical symptoms are:

1. Cough which becomes worse over 1-2 weeks with bursts of violent coughing lasting several minutes but the

person feels “well” between “fits” of coughing

2. Spasms of cough (without a break for a breath; occasionally a whooping sound may be heard in young

children)

3. Gagging or vomiting after a coughing fit

4. Trouble catching your breath after a coughing fit or turning blue

5. Coughing is often worse at night and cough medicines usually do NOT help

If you observe any of these symptoms, keep your child home and contact your health care provider. If pertussis is

diagnosed, your child can return to school after completing five full days of an appropriate antibiotic.

Please remember to call your child out if they are sick and if your child is diagnosed with flu or pertussis or any

other contagious disease please let us know so we can monitor illness numbers at our schools. Also review your

families immunization status and make sure your children are up to date on their shots-especially flu and

pertussis; a new adult shot for pertussis is also recommended. Families with infants should avoid contact with

people who have coughing illnesses and adults with coughs should not be close to infants. If you have further

questions please contact your school Health Assistant.

Open Enrollment

2013-2014

The 2013-2014 Kyrene Open Enrollment Application will be available on-line beginning

January 7, 2013. Applications will also be available at schools and the district office. Open

Enrollment applications are processed on a first come first served basis. Acceptance letters will

be sent within 2 weeks of submitting the application.

Current Open Enrollment students do not need to re-apply. This application process is designed

for students who are new to Kyrene or for those who wish to attend another Kyrene school

outside of their home-school boundaries. Siblings of Open Enrollment students must apply.

5th graders transitioning to middle school will automatically roll to the feeder middle school of

the elementary they are attending. If a middle school student chooses to attend a different school

other than the feeder, they must apply for open enrollment.

For more information on Open Enrollment in Kyrene, please contact Bonny Dolinsek at

480-541-1516 or visit our website at www.kyrene.org/oe

Kindergarten Orientation

January 24, 2013

6:30 pm

Kyrene de la Mirada

Media Center

Children who will turn five years old before September 1, 2008 and their parents are invited to this

informational meeting. Our school Principal and Kindergarten teachers will present important information

about Kindergarten

KYRENE PRESCHOOL ROUND-UP

Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013

Two sessions:

10:00-11:30 AM

AND

5:30-6:30 PM

Kyrene District Office

Page 10

What’s your school cafeteria serving up this year? How about more whole grain rich breads and grains along with an increased variety of fruits and vegetables! Your students have been trying new vegetables like jicama, brussel sprouts and even beets. This fall we implemented the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), new federal legislation that focuses on improving the National School Lunch Programs nationwide. Its focal point is to lower saturated fat and sodium, increase consumption of fruits and vegetables and make student lunches trans-fat free. Additionally, this January we will be starting an “I Tried A Bite” campaign that will recognize students who try new food items to encourage them to reach outside their food comfort zone.

Did you know that if your student has qualified for Free or Reduced Lunches they can also receive Free or Reduced Breakfast?

Based on studies consolidated by FRAC (Food Research Action Committee) they show that if your student eats a healthy breakfast they will perform better in school. Join us before school and start your day right with a Healthy Breakfast. Ride the bus? Don’t worry we make sure any student counting on us for breakfast will get a healthy meal to start their day off right even if things are running a little behind.

Reduced cost Breakfast is $ .30 Full price Breakfast is $1.00.

Breakfast is served from 7:15 till 7:40 every morning in the multi purpose room.

WELCOME - ASU iTeach Candidates

My name is Mikealina Mederos and I am a teacher

candidate in Mrs. Malin’s fifth grade classroom. I am

currently a senior at Arizona State University studying

elementary education through the iTeachAZ program.

Ever since I was little I wanted to become a teacher, and

follow in my mom and sister’s path of teaching. I have

loved my experience at Mirada so far and I cannot wait

to see what the rest of the year here has in store for me! Mikealina Mederos

My name is Jenny McDaniel and I am one of the Teacher Candidates in Mrs. Malin’s 5th grade class. I am currently in my second year of the iTeachAZ program at ASU and will be graduating in May 2013. I have three older brothers and one older sister- two firemen, one engineer, and one teacher. Growing up, I always knew that I wanted to teach but I did not decide on elementary education until my first year of college. I have been involved in music my whole life. This includes playing the trumpet in the Arizona State University Sun Devil Marching Band the past four years. Some of my other interests include watching sports, hiking, camping, playing volleyball, and spending time with my nieces and nephew. As my students are well aware, my favorite place in the entire world is Disneyland. I have loved being part of the Mirada community this year and cannot wait to see my kids continue to strive for the highest!

Jenny McDaniel

Please provide us with your valuable input by

printing this page and turning into the front

office or sending it to school with your student.

Parent Superintendent Council – January 15, 2013

School Newsletter Article

Parent Superintendent Council (PSC) met on January 17 at Norte Elementary. Highlights included:

Taste of Kyrene: Tickets are still available for this event at The Castle at Ashley Manor on February 28. They may

be purchased online, along with tickets for the opportunity drawing, at www.tasteofkyrene.org.

AZ SciTech Festival: This is a state-wide festival to celebrate science and technology, which runs from February 6

through March 17. There are over 300 events and most are free. The Chandler Science Spectacular will run Feb 13

-16, with the Chandler Science Spectacular Night on Friday Feb 15 in Old Town Chandler. It is free and there will

be many hands-on activities that kids can participate in. March 2 is the Night of the Open Door at ASU with more

than 135 interactive activities hosted by ASU students. The purpose of the festival is to get people excited about

science and technology by making it fun. For more information see www.azscitechfest.org.

School Safety & Security: All Kyrene schools are required to have an Emergency Procedural Guidelines plan. Dis-

trict guidelines are provided and the plans are reviewed on a regular basis. While this is true, each of our 25

schools had developed their own Visitor Procedures over the years and they varied greatly. Therefore, new proce-

dures were implemented on January 7 that combined best practices with additional requirements for added securi-

ty. Our goal is to ensure every campus is as safe and secure as possible. A Question and Answer panel discussion

was held, and following are highlights from that discussion.

Q: Can we have a “frequent flyer” type of program to identify parents who are often on campus to speed up the

sign-in process and not take their I.D.?

A: For the first time we have a way for office staff to know who is in the building in case of an emergency. The

purpose of collecting I.D.’s is that it provides an incentive for people to come through the office and sign out,

rather than leaving by a side door.

Q: Rather than leaving a driver’s license or photo ID, could we issue a school I.D. to parents who are frequently on

campus that they would surrender in lieu of their license?

A: The best way to ensure someone will come back to the office to check out is to leave their license or photo

ID. Forgetting to pick up a school I.D. may not be as effective as not having a driver’s license or photo ID that

an individual needs to comply with the law or conduct important business.

Q: What is the plan for controlling visitors on the playground on event days, as well as before and after school?

A: We are still working on this, with input from school administrators. We want to find a balance between wel-

coming parents and having a sense of community, with having a secure environment. Playground supervisors

do not know which adults on the grounds are parents and which might be a dangerous intruder.

Q: What is the district’s perspective on arming school personnel or having School Resource Officers (SROs) on

every campus?

A: We would love to have an SRO at every campus because they are not only a safety resource but also a re-

lationship resource and help in many ways. This would be very expensive so we are financially unable to do it.

We also need to be careful about setting up a false sense of security with an SRO. They are a resource for the

kids, but are not patrolling the grounds protecting the school. To have a lay person with a weapon would re-

quire so much training to be able to respond in a crisis that it is not feasible, and could be more dangerous

than not having a weapon there. We plan to have law enforcement talk to our Crisis Team and principals

about how to respond to an intruder.

Q: We talk a lot about guns but not about mental health. How do you identify students who could potentially walk

into a school with a gun?

A: As kids grow up and move through school, we want them to be not only educated, but mentally healthy, so

we need to build our mental health resources. We should urge the government to have a national forum on

mental health. We are working to identify signs of an unstable person that staff can look for. Resources we

currently employ include programs like Rachel’s Challenge, Mini-Town, Buddy Clubs, Positive Behavior Inter-

vention Strategies (PBIS), as well as psychologists, social workers, nurses and behavior interventionists. We

partner with other organizations that can provide help in identifying and providing services for kids who need

help.