Desert Shadows Community,

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! We hope you were able to spend time rejuvenating over the summer. Whether you spent time going on adventures, taking care of appointments, or resting at home, we are happy that you will be joining us at Desert Shadows Middle School this year! 

Student Dress Code

As you are planning back to school outfits, please note that DSMS follows Governing Board Policy with respect to student dress. Students will be asked to change their clothing if they are not following our guidelines. This dress code will continue for the entire school year. All students need to be dressed appropriately for a successful and safe learning environment. Please wear: 

·       Clothing that is not see-through and covers a student’s undergarments, chest and torso when standing or sitting. Clothing should have a back and straps and should fit closely under the arms.  

·       Clothing that is of adequate length to cover the student’s bottom at all times. 

·       Clothing that has appropriate language. Clothing should be free from references to violent images, tobacco/vaping, drugs, alcohol, sexual references, profanity, or language that demeans others. 

·       Appropriate footwear for a safe learning environment. When selecting footwear, students should be responsive to the specific safety needs of each school and/or classroom, as determined by the teachers and administration.

·       Headwear may be worn on campus but should be removed in the building and classrooms. Students will not be asked to remove headwear that is worn for cultural and/or religious reasons. 

Annual Update

Please log into Infinite Campus to complete your child’s annual emergency information. This will allow us to finalize your child’s enrollment and will allow you to access their schedule beginning on July 30. If you need any assistance accessing Infinite Campus please use Pvassist.pvschools.net. If you need more help you can also call 602-449-2375.

Curriculum Night

Desert Shadows Middle School Curriculum Night is scheduled for August 17, 2023 from 5:30pm-8:30pm. This is the night when you will have the opportunity to meet the teachers and learn about their curriculum. In addition, we will have a presentation the same night to share more about our Festival Sports athletic program.

Engineering and STEAM

We know how important the DSMS Academies are to our families, especially to our students who have a variety of interests. One of my priorities was to make sure that we have continuity in as many programs as possible. I am happy to announce that Mr. Patrick Hartzel has accepted the position of Engineering. Mr. Hartzel has been part of the DSMS Science team for 5 years. In his new role as Engineering Teacher, he will continue to help students develop real-world problem-solving skills using Project Lead the Way Curriculum. In addition, he will be offering a new semester long class called Technology through STEAM. The goal of this class is for students to find projects at DSMS, discuss and consider options and solutions, and to implement their ideas. Click STEAM to express interest in this new class. I look forward to new perspectives and ideas that Mr. Hartzel will bring to our current and new Engineering students.

DLSI and Honors Spanish 3-4

Students enrolled in Spanish 3-4 Honors and/or DLSI received a separate email from me this morning.

Our DLSI Students will be enrolled in DLSI Social Studies, and DLSI Spanish 1-2 (7th grade) or Honors Spanish 3-4 (8th grade). We will be offering Honors Spanish 3-4 on campus at DSMS for 8th grade students who have successfully completed either DLSI Spanish 1-2 or Spanish 1-2 with the necessary placement test. Our DLSI students will be placed in one of our amazing science classes.

Sincerely,

Leah Knaeble, Principal and

Shawn Bell, Assistant Principal