1. Healthcare

DOLPHIN’S MONTHLY NEWS
Dobson Academy
“Where Children Are the
Priority”
From the Desk of Dr. Bengochea:
Volume 13, Issue 6
February 1, 2015
Calendar Highlights
At the close of the first semester, students continued to earn outstanding honor
roll goals and high attendance awards. Parent and teacher conferences for
students who are having some difficulties in academic classes are important at
this time of the year. We need to ensure progress is achieved. In March, at the
end of the third quarter, we will have early release days to offer afternoon and
evening Parent and Teacher Conferences for all parents on a scheduled basis.
As the state continues not to fund full day kindergarten, Dobson Academy will be
charging a fee for the 2015-2016 school year in order to maintain the quality of
the program. We strive to give our students an excelling education and we
believe the fee is an affordable amount. The Governing Board approved $150 for
full day kindergarten.
For next year’s classroom placement process, we will be looking at what
students need in order to be successful and which classroom can provide that.
An optional Classroom Environment form will be available in the Main Office in
March. Parent input assists us in providing the best possible learning environment for all students. We also utilize Acuity, our online assessment tool, to
ensure students are at or above grade level.
Thank you to our parents and staff who participated in the 2014 AZ School Tax
Credit Program for Dobson Academy. The total proceeds were over $36,000.
This is about $10,000 more than last year. This amount is very important
because the funds support items like transportation for field trips, Character Education, science laboratory materials and extra-curricular activities. The beauty of
the program is that your contribution is a direct credit on your state taxes as well
as a qualified deduction on federal taxes. Thanks again for taking advantage of
this great way to support your school.
 01/26-02/06 Re-enrollment &
Sibling Enrollment
 02/02-06 Jump Rope for
Heart—PE Class
 02/03 Final Home BB Game
WHITE OUT See Page 3
 02/04 Progress Reports
 02/06 Jr. High Spirit Day
and Assembly
 02/06 Valentine’s Masquerade
6-8pm at North Campus Gym
Sponsored By Cheer Team
 02/09 Board Meeting
6:00pm at Dobson
 02/15 Skateland 10am
Sponsored by PLT
 02/16 President’s Day
No School
 02/20 Jr. High Spring Dance
6:30-8:30 Main Campus MPR
 02/25 Early Release-1:00pm
 02/25 $1 Dress Day
 02/26 Winter Sports Banquet
We appreciate your feedback on our surveys. There will be another survey in
March. The progress we have made from your last survey includes: cleaning up
the cafeteria, sprucing up the restrooms, adding some after school classes for
students, increased communication with parents, and adding a lunch para at the
middle school. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.
 02/27 K-6 Spirit Day and
Assembly
 03/02-05 Scholastic Book
Fair—Library
Opportunities to Serve Ball Charter Schools
BOARD VACANCY - Current opening for a Member-at-Large
We are looking for individual(s) with experience in any of the following areas: finance,
education, higher level management, human resources, fundraising, media/marketing,
construction, contracting, or development of commercial real estate properties, to serve on
the AZ Ball Charter Schools Governing Board. Interested individuals should have a passion
for education and for schools.
Inquiries regarding Board Membership can be made to the Executive Assistant to the Board,
Pam Rebel, at [email protected].
Re-Enrollment and Sibling Enrollment for the 2015-16 School Year
Monday, January 26 - Friday, February 6.
1. A completed and signed intent to Re-Enroll Form must be returned to the school by the February 6, 2015
deadline for each continuing student.
2. If the residency information for a continuing student has changed, you must compete a new Arizona
Residency Documentation Form and provide acceptable documentation.
3. To enroll a sibling not currently attending Dobson Academy, please complete the Enrollment Packet and
visit the office before February 6 between the hours of 10:00AM-12:00PM and 1:30PM-2:30PM to complete and sign the necessary paperwork.
4. An Arizona Residency Documentation Form must be completed and returned along with a photocopy of
acceptable documentation for Each New Student enrolled.
A.R.S. § 15-802(B) requires school districts and charter schools to obtain and maintain verifiable documentation of Arizona residency upon enrollment in an Arizona public school.
Please see the Arizona Residency Documentation Form for examples of acceptable residency documentation.
Enrollment must be completed no later than Friday, February 6 to ensure your
spot and avoid being entered into the lottery.
The Enrollment Packet is available on the Enrollment page at
www.dobsonacademy.org or from the school office.
For admission to Kindergarten, children must be 5 years of age prior to September 1!
As the state continues not to fund full-day Kindergarten, Dobson Academy will be charging a monthly
Kindergarten fee of $150 for the 2015-2016 school year in order to maintain the quality of our program.
Volume 13, Issue 6
Page 2
Dolphins Booster Club
Denise Cusimano
Tuesday, February 3 “ WHITE OUT “ Final Home Game of the Season!
Boys and Girls Basketball teams vs. Sabis 4:00pm & 5:00pm
Staff and Students can wear their
White FEAR THE FIN t-shirt or a plain white shirt or t-shirt during the school day!
Students must wear uniform bottoms.
Come on out and wear white to show team pride!
Upcoming Events:

Tuesday, February 3
“WHITE OUT” for last home game for the season

Friday, February 6
Cheer Team’s Valentine’s Masquerade 6-8pm at the
North Campus Gym $10 per family. Proceeds to benefit their trip to
United Spirit Association Jr. Spirit Nationals at Disneyland in
Anaheim, California Sunday, March 1, 2015

Saturday, February 7
Super Saturday—It’s Playoff Time! Times and Locations TBA

Saturday, February 14
Basketball State Championships Site: Leading Edge Academy -
Gilbert Early College, Gilbert, AZ

Thursday, February 26
Times:
Division II Girls - 10:00 am
Division II Boys - 11:30 am
Division I Girls - 1:00 pm
Division I Boys - 2:30 pm
Winter Sport Banquet for Basketball & Cheer teams
SPRING SPORTS: Listen for Try-Outs Dates during Morning Announcements for
Jr. High Girls Softball– Coach Amanda Kirby, Boys Baseball- Coach James Miller
and Co-Ed Soccer—Coach Elisha Ross!
3rd-6th grade Intramural Basketball and 2nd-6th grade Running Club
Information will be sent home soon.
Thank you to all of our Dolphin Families for supporting
Dobson Academy’s athletes and team sports at our school!
FEAR THE FIN!
Volume 13, Issue 6
Page 3
Denise Cusimano, Volunteer Program Coordinator
Meeting the Challenge of Family Involvement in the Middle Grades
Parents and students agree that adolescence is a challenging time for their relationships with each other. At
this stage in a student’s life there are overlapping areas of influence; pushes and pulls from family, school,
community, and peers. They constantly feel competing demands for how and with whom they should invest
their time; how to improve their social status; how to assess themselves. Yet, in the midst of all this change,
young people need stability and people who they can rely on. It is the adults in their families and schools,
acting in partnership, who must fill these critical needs.
Challenges can become opportunities for family involvement. Students face many new challenges when they
enter the middle grades. They must cope with more demanding academics, a variety of teachers, more afterschool choices, and more responsibility for their behavior. But these challenges also offer opportunities to
build positive relationships and interactions. Dobson Academy helps by creating more of a family-like and
caring atmosphere for students and parents, and by maintaining two-way communication with our families.
Strong relationships provide the core of family and community involvement. Students in the middle grades
place a high value on relationships. By creating a warm, caring environment in which students feel secure,
we are a place where their relationship with their parents and the community can grow and strengthen. Our
volunteer program nurtures the relationship between Dobson Academy and parents by creating an atmosphere where parents feel comfortable, welcomed, and valued.
In the middle school grades, students crave responsibility and decision-making authority, yet adults often feel
that young people need guidance in order to make good decisions. By sharing responsibility for decisions,
everyone becomes actively involved. Adults learn how and when to provide students with more independence and control, and students come to understand the parameters for decision-making and the reasons for
particular decisions.
Dobson Academy facilitates shared decision making among all school stakeholders, including parents, teachers, administrators, staff and students for the purpose of increasing students’ achievement and parent satisfaction. We involve parents in student-led conferences about their academic progress and actively engage
students’ families in decisions concerning curriculum, uniforms, and school policies and procedures. We have
parents serving on school committees. Dobson, Hearn, and Val Vista parents also serve on our Governing
Board.
Families need to know what students are learning. State standards drive curriculum and accountability is so
important; parents of middle school students need to know what their children are expected to learn and at
what levels of proficiency.
Dobson Academy shares this information with parents by providing grade level exit goals, progress reports,
report cards and Jupiter Grades too. Agenda books are provided for each student in grades 2-8 so that there
is daily communication between parents and teachers. The Parent/Student Handbook lists our basic ingredients for success at our school.
Strong school-family partnerships can go a long way in helping teenagers meet challenging academic standards while developing important personal and social skills. With consistency, communication, and attention to
relationships, these partnerships can help students positively connect with both adults and peers.
Volume 13, Issue 6
Page 4
Jr. High What’s Up?
Attention
8th Grade Students!!!
Jr. High Spring Dance for
7th and 8th Graders
is Coming Soon!
When:
Friday, February 20
Where:
Time
Main Campus—MPR
6:30-8:30pm
Only current 7th & 8th grade
Promotion Picture Day is Tuesday,
March 24 at 8:45am. Dress guidelines will be sent home soon.
All students will take an individual
picture and a group Class of 2015
picture.
Picture Order Envelopes will be going
home early March. Individual and
Class of 2015 pictures will need to
be pre-ordered.
Dobson Academy students will be allowed
to participate!
Living Energy will provide a Live Mixing DJ
Yearbook
Info
All students will receive a free folio
picture that will be included with their
Promotion Certificate.
Order Your Dobson Academy
2014-2015 Yearbook Today!
Only $19.00! Order Deadline is
Friday, March 6!
Extra Yearbook Order Forms are located in the main office.
Volume 13, Issue 6
Page 5
Classroom Teacher
Classroom Winner
Classroom
Runner-up
Mr. Bassham
Kyle Duffek
James Davis-Trail
Ms. Layeux
Isabella Ling
Afareen Amlani
Ms. Brown
Julianne Nowicki
Paolo Caraveo
Ms. Wyland
Brynn Atwood
Milan Nudi
Mrs. Belknap
KyLeisha Herder
Jackson Adlhoch
Ms. Roehl
Gabriella Pena
Jaliyah Morales
Mrs. Mahoney
Kimberly Furgeson
Dason Brooks
Mrs. Bradley
Tampa Scott
Laurelin Cook
Mrs. Orsino
Briza Saenz
Vanessa Smith
Winners:
7th grade—Beatrice Kapchan
7th grade—Rahwa Tomas
7th grade—Felicity Thomas
8th grade—Nicholas Albanese
8th grade—Marissa Hall
Runners - Up:
7th grade—Ty Miller
7th grade—Nicole Hamon
7th grade—Rachel Dennis
8th grade—Jordan West
8th grade—Trinity Garcia
Volume 13, Issue 6
Congratulations to
the winners and runners-up of the classroom Spelling Bee
competitions held in
December.
How do you spell the
School-wide Spelling
Bee champion?
B-e-a-t-r-i-c-e
K-a-p-c-h-a-n
Beatrice and Tampa Scott
battled with determination,
at the end,
with Beatrice spelling
phonics and edification
to win.
Beatrice will compete
in the Regional
Spelling Bee on
February 19, 2015 at
the Higley Center for
Performing Arts.
Congratulations and
Best of Luck!
Page 6



Skateland Fundraiser Sponsored by PLT
Sunday, February 15 10:00am-12:30pm
(Note that Monday, Feb. 16 is President's Day-No School)
$2.00 admission for everyone who attends; includes
non-skaters
Fundraiser: $1 admission back to PLT plus 15% of cafe
sales
Volume 13, Issue 6
Page 7
Dear Parents and Families:
Reading for pleasure inside and outside of school has real and long-lasting benefits. It unlocks the power of information and
imagination and helps children discover who they are. Here’s what you can do to help children develop stronger reading
skills and a love for reading:



Set the example. Let children see you read.
Have a collection of books in the home. Update this collection routinely to keep pace with changing
tastes and reading skills.
Support our school’s Book Fair. Allow your children to choose their own books to read.
Our Scholastic Book Fair is a reading event that brings to school the books kids want to read. It’s a wonderful selection of engaging and affordable books for every reading level. Please make plans to visit our Book
Fair and be involved in shaping your child’s reading habits.
Book Fair dates: Monday, March 2nd
Tuesday, March 3rd
3:00pm-5:00pm,
7:30am-8:25am and 3:00pm-5:00pm
Wednesday, March 4th 7:30am-8:25am and 1:00pm-5:00pm
Thursday, March 5th
7:30am-8:25am and 1:00pm-6:00pm
Before you visit the Book Fair, be sure to download the Book Fairs app to help you find the right books for your child. For
more information visit: scholastic.com/apps/bookfairs. And if you are unable to attend the Book Fair in person, we invite you
to visit our online Book Fair at bookfairs.scholastics.com/homepage/dobsonacadchtrsch. Our online Fair is available from
Wednesday, February 25 to Tuesday, March 17.
We look forward to seeing you and your family at our Book Fair! Remember, all purchases benefit our school.
Sincerely,
Dr. Taime Bengochea
Principal
Volume 13, Issue 6
Permission to reproduce this item is granted by Scholastic Book Fairs ®.
Page 8
© 2015 Scholastic Inc. 11908 • 151203
Dobson Academy Childcare…
Spring Break Camp
Dates: March 9 -13
th
th
We Provide :
•
•
•
•
•
Morning & Afternoon snack
Exciting themed days
Special visitors
Art projects
Fun-filled inside and outside activities
You Provide:
• Sack lunch every day (we are unable to cook or heat up any food)
• Additional snacks (if needed)
• Home toys and electronics are permitted, but childcare staff is not
responsible for any lost or damaged items.
Additional Information:
Hours of Operation are 6:00AM-6:00PM
Cost: $25/day per child or $100/week per child
(10% discount for each additional child)
> Payments must be received by Friday February 27th to reserve your spot
Have questions or want to sign up? Contact Lindsey Adams at (480)855-6325 x211
or at [email protected] **Space is limited**
Volume 13, Issue 6
Page 9
Dobson Academy’s
Valentine’s Masquerade
Friday, February 6th
All
Dobson Academy
families are invited
to dance the night
away!
6-8pm
Dobson Academy
North Campus Gym
2716 N Dobson Rd
Featuring
$10 per family
Living Energy
All Proceeds Benefit the
Dobson Academy Cheer Team’s
Trip to Nationals.
Live Mixing DJ
Please send in $10 and RSVP below to your teacher.
Tickets will also be sold at the door.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Family Name ________________________________________
Number of Family Members Attending ____________________
Please list student names and homeroom teachers
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Dobson Academy Summer Program
Program Hours:
Summer Program Includes:
6:00AM-6:00PM
*One weekly swimming field trip (weather permitting)
*Special visitors
*Daily snacks
*Fun filled inside and outside activities
*Art Projects
Program Options:
#1: All Day Care (6AM-6PM) $29/day
#2:Half-Day Care (Less than 6 hrs) $21/day
Program Sessions:
*Session 1: June 1st- June 30th
*Session 2: July 1st- July 31st
*There will be no childcare May 25 th-
29th and August 3rd-7th
Important Dates:
*Session 1 deposit due- March 27th
Final payment due- April 17th
*Session 2 deposit due- May 8th
Final payment due- June 5th
(Deposit is half of the session total)
Please contact Lindsey Adams at (480) 855-6325 x211
or [email protected] for more info!
Space is limited, so sign up TODAY!
Dolphins Booster Club Market Place
Please patronize our advertisers!
VISIT OUR
SCHOOL WEBSITE:
dobsonacademy.org
AZ LUCKY STAR
Complete Auto Repair
480-966-1442
www.azluckystar.com
10% OFF on Labor Rate
Mention this Ad & 10% off Labor will be Donated to
Dobson Academy.
We do: transmission & engine overhauls, tune-up, AC
repairs, mechanical & electrical repairs, maintenance.
We work with extended warranties!
424 W. Guadalupe Rd. Ste.101
Mesa, AZ 85210
NW corner of AZ Ave & Guadalupe Rd
For just $100 your business will be included in the Dolphins Monthly Newsletter and on our website.
For more information, please contact Denise Cusimano at 480-855-6325 x302 or by e-mail
[email protected] on how you can advertise with our school and give your business the opportunity to potentially reach over 2,000 people and support the Dolphins Booster Club!