Dear Families,

I hope you are enjoying your fall break! It was a great first quarter and we are looking forward to the 2nd quarter to start. We ended with a great event holding the Bike Rodeo. We want to thank Oro Valley Police Department for organizing the Bike Rodeo! Our students had so much fun learning and perfecting their bike skills as well as bike safety. We LOVED having Ari the dog cheer us on!

As we move forward I want to share the Painted Sky academic goals for the 2025-2026 school year. During the first quarter we reviewed a lot of data and discussed what our priorities were in attendance, reading, writing, and math. After the goals were written, each grade level then wrote commitment statements as to how they were going to support those goals. Those statements will be reviewed each quarter. You can find the goals HERE. 

Enjoy the rest of your break!

Stephanie Hillig

Principal, Painted Sky Elementary

Just a reminder that students will be released early at 12:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. We look forward to connecting with you and celebrating your child’s progress!

At conferences, many parents ask, “How can I help my child with reading and writing?” To support you, we’ve attached a helpful guide based on the Science of Reading.

The Science of Reading is a research-based approach to teaching reading that focuses on how children actually learn to read. It emphasizes:

• Phonemic awareness: understanding and hearing the sounds in words

• Phonics: connecting sounds to letters and patterns

• Fluency: reading smoothly and accurately

• Vocabulary: understanding the meaning of words

• Comprehension: making meaning from text

Using these strategies at home—through reading aloud, practicing word sounds, and talking about stories—can make a big difference in your child’s reading and writing growth.

Dyslexia is a common learning difference that affects reading, writing, and spelling skills. While schools play an important role in identifying students who show characteristics of dyslexia—such as difficulty with phonics, decoding words, or reading fluently—they are not able to provide a formal diagnosis. Instead, schools monitor these signs and may recommend further evaluation by qualified specialists, such as a school psychologist to confirm a reading or writing disability and guide appropriate support. Attached are some helpful references for parents to learn more about dyslexia and available resources.

All About Dyslexia Flip Book

Resource Guide For Families

Dyslexia Handout

Students in PreK, Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, and 5th grades, along with new students and those receiving speech or special education services in 2nd and 4th grades, will have their hearing screening on Tuesday, October 14th.

Vision Screening is scheduled for Thursday, October 16th.If any parents prefer their child not be screened, please contact the health office as soon as possible at jshipton@amphi.com.

This year students will be allowed to celebrate Halloween on October 31st with their classmates. Please follow the costume guidelines below when picking out a costume. We want this to be an enjoyable day for everyone.

1. Students may wear facial make-up. Make-up needs to be applied before coming to school, not during school hours. We have many young students on campus so please avoid blood or depictions of violence.

2. Please avoid masks, students will not be able to wear them during the school day.

3. Costumes must adhere to our clothing guidelines regarding modesty.

4. Students should keep any props at home. Props include but are not limited to: swords, brooms, crutches, etc. Props cause a distraction during the school day and may become lost or broken.

5. Please ensure that your child's costume is conducive to a learning environment.

6. Students may wear inflatable costumes, but teachers may ask for them to not have them inflated during class time. 

7. Students MUST wear shoes - slippers are not permitted. 

Students had fun collaborating with all the boxes from the book fair. Enjoy!

The town of Oro Valley will be performing chip sealing on Woodburne. Please see the attached pictures for reference. While we don’t have exact start times for construction each morning, your patience will be greatly appreciated. The school will accommodate any late arrivals caused by traffic delays; please be especially patient during dismissal. To help reduce traffic, you might consider using the bus on these two days.

October 14: Hearing Screening

October 14: 1st grade @ Pumpkin Patch

October 15: Kinder walk to Fire Station

October 16: Vision Screening 

October 17: Fire Drill 

October 22: Mini-Muster w/GRFD for 2nd Grade 

October 22: Step-It Up Assembly 

October 23: United Nations Concert - 4th Grade @ 6pm 

October 24: United Nations Concert for school @ 7:45am 

October 27: Lockdown Drill

October 28: Picture Retakes 

October 31: Costume Parade 

November 4: Fire Drill 

November 6: Site Council Meeting 

November 11: No School 

November 14: This is High School @ IRHS - 5th Grade 

November 14: Day of Awesomeness! 

November 25: Catalina State Park - 4th Grade 

November 26 - 28 Thanksgiving BREAK 

December 2: Fire Drill 

December 8: Concert 7:45am for school; 6pm for parents 

December 9: Art presentation at Board Meeting 

December 10: Spelling Bee

December 16: Winter Concert - 3rd Grade 7:45am for students; 6:000pm for parents 

December 19 - January 4: Winter Break

Amphitheater Unified School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion/religious beliefs, gender, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, creed, citizenship status, marital status, political beliefs/affiliation, disability, home language, family, social or cultural background in its programs or activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Inquiries regarding the District’s non-discrimination policies are handled at 701 W. Wetmore Road, Tucson, Arizona 85705 by the Equity & Safety Compliance Officer and Title IX Coordinator, (520) 696-5164, TitleIXCoordinator@amphi.com, or the Executive Director of Student Services, (520) 696-5230, studentservices@amphi.com.

Email: shillig@amphi.com
Website: https://www.amphi.com/36094_1

Location: 12620 N. Woodburne Avenue | Oro Valley, AZ 85755

Phone: (520) 696-3800