Sonoran Heights News

Join us Wednesday, April 18th for spirit night at Wendy's! You can eat in or go through the drive thru - just let them know you are supporting Sonoran Heights Middle School!

There is no school on Friday, April 7th in observance of our spring holiday. Have a wonderful three day weekend!

Please join us Friday, March 31st from 5-9PM for our Spring Festival! This is open to the community and will be a fun time for all! You won't want to miss it! See you there!

Our amazing Hawks performed at Shadow Ridge High School on March 7th and did an incredible job! Thank you, Ms. Forest for all of your hard work and dedication! SHMS band is amazing and we thank them for such a beautiful performance.

Spring break is Monday, March 13th through the 17th! School resumes on Monday, March 20th.

Please perform your Annual Student Update today in 4 easy steps:

1. Log into the Campus Parent app or your online Parent Portal account at Dysart.org/parentportal
   
2. Click on "Annual Student Update"
   
3. Click “Start” for School Years 2022-2023 Annual Student Update (2nd option).
   
4. Click on the “Register New/Update Existing Information” button to begin
   

Don't forget we have no school on Monday, January 16th, in observance of MLK Day. 

We hope everyone had a restful Winter Break.  We are excited to begin the second semester.  

Monday, December 19th and Tuesday, December 20th are both early release days at 11:15 AM!

There is no school December 21st through January 4th. School resumes on Thursday, January 5th from winter break. Happy Holidays!

SHMS partnered with Ashton Ranch for a food drive to see who could collect the most. SHMS fifth graders came out with the lead, and as a reward, got to pie Principal Hamman, Assistant Principal Luna, and Surprise Police Officers Klarkowski, Sgt.  Cuthbertson and Lt. Owens. Over 3,000 items total were donated between the schools!

Our incredible Officer K showed her school spirit off on Grinch Day!

There is no school November 21st - 25th in observance of Thanksgiving. School resumes Monday, November 28th. Enjoy your break!  Check out our full school year calendar for a list of holidays and breaks! 

Sonoran Heights Middle School is currently seeking tax credit support for our school and programs.  Arizona Law (ARS 43-1089.01) allows married couples filing jointly a tax credit of up to $400 and individual taxpayers a tax credit of up to $200 when they contribute to extra-curricular activities in public schools. This tax credit is available to all who reside in Arizona and have a tax liability at least equal to that of their donation.  You do not have to be a parent of a child in a Dysart school to benefit from this law. Corporations are not eligible.  Contributions are donated directly to the schools.  This means your donations are used directly to support student activities of the Dysart school of your choice.   Donations may be submitted through April 15, 2023.

To claim the tax credit, taxpayers must contribute to an extra-curricular activity for which the school district requires a fee or funds to operate the program.  Extra-curricular activities are optional, noncredit educational activities that are offered before, during or after school hours.  Examples include enrichment activities, athletic and music programs, and after school clubs.  These programs depend on fees from students.

Sonoran Heights had a successful first day of school!  We were so excited to welcome back our students and families for another great year.  Please continue to check our website and social media to learn more about all the great activities and events planned, as well as updates on our academic progress!  We hope you have a great year, and please reach out if you need anything to help make your student successful!  

Check out the photo gallery from the first day below!

SHMS Supply Lists 22-23 

Please join us on August 1, 2022 from 5:30pm-7:00pm for our Meet the Teacher Night.

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 5:30-7pm. 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.

Shannon Frazier, a second grade teacher from Sonoran Heights Elementary School, has been selected for the 2021-2022 Maricopa County Superintendent Teacher Advisory Team (STAT).  STAT is an initiative created in 2018 with the purpose of increasing teacher voice and including classroom practitioners in discussions around education practice and policy. This team meets quarterly throughout the school year and provides valuable feedback and insight into current issues and challenges.

STAT members were chosen through an application and interview process and represent a diverse cross section of geographic locations, content specialties and experience levels. Numerous applications were received from across Maricopa districts and charters.  

“We are thrilled to have Ms. Frazier join this team and engage in important advocacy work on behalf of students and educators in Maricopa County, ” said Steve Watson, Maricopa County School Superintendent.