• There’s a half-day for Conferences on Friday but Circle is open. 
• Research notecards are due one week from today (1/26) for the Art History Fair!
• Our class has a field trip to Gammage Theatre this Thursday morning for Step Afrika! 

• First Annual Valentine’s Dance! Villa is hosting its first-ever Elementary Valentine’s Day Dance, proudly planned and organized by a committee of our amazing students! This event is designed for one parent or grown-up to attend with one student, with the option for siblings to join as well. Enjoy a fun evening of music, dancing, a photo booth, pizza included with admission, and roses available for purchase. Tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/villa-valentines-dance-tickets-1979740967527
• Valentine’s Grams: 
  • Day Of Prep and Delivery: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F4FAEAD29A6F58-valentine3
  • At Home Kisses Assembly: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090F4FAEAD29A6F58-valentine4
• We’re getting ready for our annual Elementary II Valentine Gram fundraiser and we are in need of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Kisses donations. No nuts, please. Valentine Gram sales will run January 30–February 13, and all donations help us keep prices low and participation high for our Elementary II Overnight trips. Donations can be dropped off in the Elementary Front Office or the Elementary Library. Thank you for supporting this fun tradition!
• We also need volunteers to help assemble. You can help day of with prep and delivery or assemble at home. See these links to sign up:

• Open Enrollment: We are grateful that so many of our new families come to Villa because of referrals from current and past Villa parents. As we approach enrollment season, we would love your help in spreading the word about open enrollment. We will be accepting new charter applications for the 2026–2027 school-year lottery from January 20–23, 2026. Applications submitted after this window are still welcome and will be added to our waitlists. If your child is currently attending Villa in kindergarten through seventh grade and you plan to return for the 2026-2027 school year, please complete the Charter Notice of Intent to Return and return it to the Admin Office by Friday, February 6, 2026. 
• 2025 Tax Credit Campaign: If you’re getting a head start on your taxes, don’t forget to include a check to Villa. Every dollar comes back to you as an Arizona state tax credit and funds the things our kids love most — music, art, drama, and gardening. You can submit up to $200 if filing single or $400 if filing jointly. Contribute here. 
• Annual Villa Gala: Dandelion Dreams are floating through Villa this April! Our 2026 Week of Giving Gala and Online Auction is set, so mark your calendars for April 26, 2026. Tickets are available here: https://app.galabid.com/villa2026auction/items

• Support for Neia Nagum: Margo shared information on Neia Nagum, beloved former Villa student and staff member who was diagnosed with aggressive cancer. There are two ways we can lend support for her and her family during this time: Join in on the Meal Train: https://mealtrain.com/lgn58d or go to her GoFundMe page by clicking here.

Hello Classroom Families,

Field Trip Adventures

Thank you to everyone who helped make Thursday’s trip to ASU such a huge success! We have several more exciting trips planned, and I’m looking forward to sharing even more memorable experiences with everyone on board.

Our next adventure will take us to the Phoenix Art Museum on November 20th, where we’ll explore the galleries and enjoy a special presentation on global art perspectives.

Field trip volunteer Morgan Domaracki and I are also exploring ways to bring our novel study, The Lemonade War, to life! We plan to visit local Phoenix based companies and farmers markets so students can connect their reading to real world experiences in business and entrepreneurship.

Spooky Stories and Writing

Over the past two weeks, Sarah Vap, mother of 6th grader Archie, has been visiting our classroom to share her expertise in writing horror (or as our students love to call them, “Spooky Stories!”). We’ve loved hearing Sarah read aloud from Coraline while teaching the students how to craft suspense and develop their own original stories.

Growing Our Garden

A huge thank you to Johnny Garippa for getting our garden started! I plan to bring all of our garden experts together soon to design lessons that connect our outdoor space with our curriculum. I’d love for us to explore the garden through our upcoming studies in early humans and chemistry, bringing science and history to life right outside our classroom.

Looking Up at the Night Sky

Coming up, we’ll begin a study of the phases of the moon and constellations. This will include nightly moon journaling, creative writing prompts, and opportunities to connect art, science, poetry, and mindfulness.

September 8, 2025

 Homework: Students received new homework packets on Friday. Students should do one lesson per night. Please continue to check and initial your student’s math homework. 

We will be starting Math Tests on Monday mornings based on the homework tests start next Monday, September 15^th. To help your student be successful you can have them review the previous 4 lessons over the weekend. For example, the first test will be going over the concepts learned in Lessons 1-4.

Safety Week: This week is Safety Week we will be going over the different drills and practicing an off-site evacuation. A permission slip was sent home today for your student to walk off campus, please turn it in by this Wednesday, September 10^th. We will be doing the evacuation Thursday morning, September 11^th.

This Friday, September 15^th is a Half-Day for Staff Professional Development, there will be No Circle. All of the school will be out at 11:30 am.