Hello Thunder Families,

I hope your children enjoyed their break.  For those who traveled, I am glad that you experienced a safe return.  My husband and my fourth son, Adonis, traveled to Rocky Pointe with friends for a few days.  The weather was great, we enjoyed lots of sun and even had a chance to go fishing on a boat.  What a blast!  Okay, I am rested and ready to get to work.  This quarter is the last stretch.  I am certain that you have all spoken to your children about the importance of each quarter.  If you have not, you still have time.  This quarter flies by so here are some helpful hints to assist your child to continue with their successes.

1.  Check agendas every Monday.

2.  Plan ahead for extra-curricular events that may impact studying for important exams.

3.  Ensure that your child has completed all homework and that it is correct before it is due.

4.  Encourage your child to speak with the teacher if they need assistance.

5.  Celebrate good performances!

6.  Give your child a kiss and tell them that you love them every day.  (They love it!)

Update on Superintendent Selection:

I was not selected as a finalist for the superintendent position, but what a wonderful experience!  I appreciated the opportunity to interview for the position.  I am confident that we will be well-served by the quality leader who will be selected by the Tempe Union High School District Board members. You may provide feedback regarding the candidates to the TUHSD Board, through the district office website.  tuhsd.k12.az.us/

Parent Survey:

Our school district is committed to providing quality schools in our district.  We are asking parents to visit the URL below to complete the survey.  We look forward to your feedback as we assess our goals and objectives as members of the Tempe Union High School District.  Thank you in advance. http://www.tuhsd.k12.az.us/surveys/2011parentschoolchoice.htm

Student Recognition:

Sammi Saunders

“The National Forensic League calls on coaches to nominate a deserving graduating senior NFL member for the District Student of the Year award, making her/him eligible for the National Student of the Year, who will become a spokesperson for the activity of debate and speech, and the benefits it brings young people.  The NFL has several mechanisms for recognizing competitive achievement, but this program annually rewards students whose attitude transcends trophies and accolades; a student who characterizes the very traits of humility, integrity, leadership, respect and service touted by the NFL’s Code of Honor.  The Arizona district unanimously awarded Ms. Sammi Saunders as Arizona District Student of the Year!

“Each District Student of the Year is eligible for consideration as one of six National Students of the Year finalists, who will be interviewed at the National Tournament in June by a panel of distinguished, neutral coaches from across the country.  All of these finalists will be honored as the winner is announced at the awards ceremony at the end of the National Tournament.  Congratulations to Sammi.” (Erik Dominquez, 2011)

Stephen Binning

This past Saturday I attended an ASU track meet where DV sophomore Stephen Binning competed in the 100-meter wheelchair competition and finished in third place.  Stephen is by far the youngest and also has a higher level of injury.  Wheelchair athletes are classified based on their level of function, so even though they were all in the same heat, Stephen is in a different classification than the first and second place finishers.  Congratulations Stephen!

Michael Mazzella

Michael Mazzella learned this week that he has earned the National Forensic League’s degree of Premier Distinction, the highest student degree in the honor society.  This honor reflects sustained excellence in classroom activities, competition rounds and service projects.  Students may earn points in six separate categories: speech, debate, congress, service, district, and national.  Only about four hundred students out of NFL’s 112,000 student members receive the degree of Premier Distinction each year – about 1/3 of 1 percent.  Congratulations Michael!

Speech Theatre and Debate:

Congratulations to the Thunder Speech Theater and Debate Company who competed at the 5A AIA State Tournament this past weekend and brought home Desert Vista’s EIGHTH consecutive state title.  The tournament hosted 15 of the largest schools in Arizona to compete for the spot as the number one school in the state!  Way to go Coaches Erik Dominquez, Matt Bennett, Vic Silva, assistants and members of the Speech Theatre and Debate Team.  Bring on the Nationals!

Extemporaneous Speaking:

Aaron Madsen — Semifinalist

Brooke Serack — Semifinalist

Caitlin Feldewerth — Semifinalist

Jenny Chen — Semifinalist

Brendan Porter — 3rd Place

Expository Speaking:

Priyanka Atreya — Semifinalist

Austin Kennedy — 6th Place

Alison Brown — 5th Place

Christopher Binning — 4th Place

Nicholas Selby — 3rd Place

Hannah Sager — STATE RUNNER-UP!

Original Oratory:

Lauren Berry — Semifinalist

Nicole Salsburg — Semifinalist

Katy Miller — 6th Place

Kylie Hrabe — 5th Place

Brooke Serack — 4th Place

Priyanka Atreya — STATE RUNNER-UP!

Impromptu Speaking:

Brendan Porter — Semifinalist

Caitlin Feldewerth — Semifinalist

Casey Cantor — 6th Place

Joseph Kim — STATE CHAMPION!

Student Congress:

Joseph Kim — 6th Place

Alison Brown — 5th Place

Jordan Spurlin — 5th Place

Brendan Porter — 3rd Place

Michael Mazzella — 3rd Place

Dramatic Interpretation:

Ashley Swazey — Semifinalist

Sydney Yount — Semifinalist

Brandea Bidelspach — 6th Place

Casey Cantor — 4th Place

Rebecca DeCarlo — STATE RUNNER-UP!

Alexa Saunders — STATE CHAMPION!

Humorous Interpretation:

Alexa Saunders — Semifinalist

Courtney Van Zanten — Semifinalist

Rachel Chada — Semifinalist

Samuel Abney — 4th Place

Peter Calvillo — STATE CHAMPION!

Prose Interpretation:

Nicole Minarcik — Semifinalist

Rebecca DeCarlo — Semifinalist

Lindsey Gomez — 5th Place

Hannah Sager — 3rd Place

Kelsea Moore — STATE RUNNER-UP!

Michael Mazzella — STATE CHAMPION!

Poetry Interpretation:

Ashley Swazey — Semifinalist

Kara Schaffer — Semifinalist

Sammi Saunders — Semifinalist

Isabela Schwartz — 4th Place

Kelsea Moore — STATE RUNNER-UP!

Nicholas Selby — STATE CHAMPION!

Lincoln-Douglass Debate:

David Volant — Octafinalist

Duo Interpretation:

Austin Kennedy & Ben DeCarlo — 6th Place

Michael Mazzella & Dillon Olmanson — STATE RUNNERS-UP!

Duo Acting:

Alexandra Johnston & Mallory Costabile — 6th Place

Kyle Fisher & Alison Brown — 5th Place

Samuel Abney & Christopher Binning — 4th Place

Dillon Olmanson & Sammi Saunders — STATE CHAMPIONS!

Public Forum Debate:

Michael Mazzella & Priyanka Atreya — Quarterfinalists

Katie Giel & Jenny Zou — Quarterfinalists

Jay Raju & Corrine Carlton — Quarterfinalists

Haani Jafri & Priyanka Mohanty — 3rd Place

Jordan Spurlin & Steven Limitone — STATE CHAMPIONS!

Latin Club:

Thirty-four Latin students will be inducted into the National Latin Society this year.  This organization, which is sponsored by the American Classical League, requires that students not only be excelling Latin students, but also exemplify good citizenship.  These students, as a result of their membership into the elite organization, must tutor those Latin students in need.  When these amazing students are seniors (and if they maintain a certain GPA), they are eligible to apply for the number of academic and service-based scholarships provided by this organization.  Optime factum to the following students:  Paul Berg, Saymya Bollam, Alison Brown, Chelsea Cook, Kaitlin Dickson, Ellie Haluska, Sue Han, Josh Hedeby, Sara Herman, Annie Huang, Daniel Johnson, David Kaptur, Charnjeet Khaira, John Kim, Saeyoung Kim, Sebastian Klype, Kelsey Krug, Joe Lagas, Mandisa Lam, Lisa Li, Andy Lopez, McKenna Mulhern, Akhila Murella, Micah Musheno, Brianna Nielson, Miri Park, Jay Raju, Olivia Reeves, Chloe Roush, Eliza Skidmore, Victoria Spencer, Jade Tang, Susan Tu, Peter Tueller, Tristan Chan, and Maggie Frace.  Congratulations Mrs. Sarah Palumbo and the Latin Club students!
Thunder Band:

The Band students performed exceptionally well at the recent All-State auditions.  For the second year in a row, Desert Vista Band placed FIRST with a total of 13 students selected.  Outstanding work, Mr. Josh Thye and the Thunder Band students!

Congratulations to the following students from the DV Band Program:  Kate Gallagher–Piccolo; Amanda Ryan–1st Flutes; Bomi Johnson–2nd Flutes; Leslie Sato–1st Oboes; Susan Tu–English Horn; Nick Topping–1st Clarinets; Robert Yang–2nd Clarinets; Lydia Pan–3rd Clarinets; Marlee Walters–3rd Clarinets; Sean Torrellas–Tenor Sax; Kaitlin Dickson–Horn; Brad Hughes–Euphonium; and Thomas Doehrman–Percussion.  Alternates include Andy Tran,Tenor Sax and Scott Corell, Percussion.

Orchestra:

Congratulations to the following students who will represent Desert Vista High School at the upcoming Arizona All-State Music Festival.  They are:  Anes Sung–Violin I; Joann Nam–Violin I; Jennifer Wu–Violin II; Gina Ha–Viola; Connor Thunshell–Viola; and Amit Sen–Double Bass.

Baseball:

The Thunder Baseball team continued with competitions over the break, winning three out of five games in the Mesquite tourney.  I am always impressed with the dedication of the coaches and student athletes over the breaks.  Great work Coach Luketich, assistants and Thunder Baseball team members!
Boys Volleyball:

Before the Spring  Break, Coach Tolman, Coach Orr and the Thunder Volleyball teams were very impressive.  Check out the results!  Great job to you all!

3/8 vs. Mt. Pointe:  JV win 2-1, Varsity win in five, 3-2–great game!
3/9 vs. Perry:  JV win 2-1, Varsity win in five, 3-2

Softball:

The Girls Softball teams worked very hard and achieved some impressive wins against very challenging opponents.  They are a young team but are doing great things.  Congratulations Coach Crowl, assistants and the Thunder Girls Softball team members.
3/8 vs. Mesquite:  Varsity lost 18-7; JV lost 13-9; Freshmen win 15-6
3/10 vs. Horizon:  Varsity lost 3-9; JV lost 13-14; Freshmen win 12-2
3/11 vs. Salpointe:  Varsity lost 1-8; JV lost 12-13

Tennis:

Our Girls Tennis Team had another winning week!  Our girls beat Westwood 8 to 1 then triumphed in a hard-fought match over Highland by a score of 5 to 4!  That brought our girls up to the number two spot in the power rankings!  Way to go Girls Desert Vista Tennis Team!  Many thanks to Coach Angel Singer!

Thunder Boys Tennis:

The boys also competed exceptionally well the week before break.  They are a very impressive team.  Come out and support the Girls and Boys Tennis teams!

3/8 vs. Westwood:   Both JV & Varsity won 9-0.

3/9 vs. Salpointe:  Varsity lost 3-6.

3/11 vs. Highland:  Varsity won 5-4.
Track and Field:
Before the break the Freshmen and JV teams competed against Skyline.  Mrs. Barela and I enjoyed watching the student athletes give their all in every performance.  Great job Coach Cline, Coach Hanson and all of the assistants for the track program.  They have some big meets ahead of them and are working hard to prepare.

Lacrosse:

Our Freshmen team is 3-0 with wins against Brophy 11-3, Gilbert Tigers 13-7, and Gilbert Wildcats JV 14-8.  Our JV team is 4-0 with wins against Corona 13-2, Brophy 10-3, Salpointe 17-1, Saguaro 20-3.

Varsity is also undefeated at 3-0 with big wins against tough opponents.  Although we haven’t beat Corona in four years, we finally won last week by a score of 12-3!  Colton Valadez had five goals and two assists to lead the team in our season opener.  The team then travelled down to Tucson to play Salpointe and came away with a 15-12 victory, with Chad Hyslop leading the offense with five goals.  This past Friday the boys played Saguaro in their stadium and had a battle on their hands.  The defense, led by Jonathon DeSimone, Anthony Zingale, Chris Shaffer and goalie Robby Miller, held the Sabercats’ powerful offense at critical times.  Unfortunately, Saguaro was able to get a goal with a minute left in the game to tie the score at nine.  It took two overtime periods to settle this one, with our winning goal scored by Anthony Abbadessa!

This Thursday we have one of our biggest games of the season against Chaparral in our stadium.  We are hoping for a big turnout to give us the advantage over a team we have never defeated in lacrosse.  Go Thunder Lacrosse!

Paper distribution process:

In order to reduce our printing costs and paper waste, we will be implementing new practices relating to student printing.  We are instructing teachers to encourage students to use electronic means to obtain, proofread, and edit their work.  If a hard copy is necessary it should be printed at home.  We understand that there will be times when it will be necessary to print on campus, so we will be utilizing an account system for each student.  Every student will be allowed a designated number of sheets of printing per quarter without charge—the amount is yet to be determined.   If they require additional printing they will be able to add to their account in the Bookstore at a rate of five cents per page.

Wow!  I guess I had a lot to share this week.  It is because we have an amazing staff and unbelievably talented students at Desert Vista High School.  Parents, thank you so much for all that you do for Desert Vista High School!  Go Thunder!

Thank you Thunder for rolling with Battle!

Sincerely,

Dr. Anna Battle, Principal

Hello Thunder Families,

I hope all is well with you and your families. I want to take this opportunity to remind you of the
importance of attendance and punctuality. The spring season includes an opportunity for a break at the
end of the third quarter. If you are planning family vacations, please be sure to schedule them during
the week of March 12, 2011. Scheduling vacations outside of that time may negatively impact the
ability for your child to gain the knowledge necessary to perform on classroom assessments and state
tests scheduled during this semester. The first of our two AIMS days and their schedules are provided at
the end of this letter. The teachers at Desert Vista have worked collaboratively to prepare lessons to
maximize performance. Absences and tardies interfere with that process. I ask that you have a
discussion with your students about the importance of punctuality. While not every student has issues
with tardiness, it never hurts our children to use teachable moments. Thank you for your assistance and
partnership; we value each and every minute that we have with your children.

AIMS Preparation

DVHS embraces the opportunity to perform on the Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards.
Students from Desert Vista have raised the bar each and every year. The Arizona Department of
Education has honored Desert Vista for the most students receiving the Regents’ Scholarship because of
AIMS results and academic achievement. Desert Vista’s motto, Excellence through Performance, is
clearly at work, as evidenced by the results and outstanding achievement of our students on the state
tests, AP tests and the SAT and ACT. I ask you to stress the importance of exceeding on the AIMS tests.
Please remind your children that their performance is extremely important for graduation requirements,
college entrance scholarships and teacher/school accountability. We use the results as diagnostic tools
to determine what standards need more attention, as well as to determine the knowledge students
have retained. Thank you, DV parents, for your communication with your children!

Black History Month

This past week, students at Desert Vista, McClintock and Tempe High Schools were given history
lessons by a panel of African American Historians of Tempe, Arizona. Students in attendance were given

opportunities to ask questions to the panel members regarding their experiences growing up black in
Tempe, Arizona. A wealth of knowledge was communicated to all teachers and students in attendance.
We would like to thank the following members of the panel.

From left to right: Dr. Fred Warren, Earl Oats, Councilman Corey Woods, Mary Bishop, Judge Cecil
Patterson, Dr. Betty Greathouse

Teacher Recognition

Another amazing DV teacher was recognized this past week. Desert Vista’s Birgit Musheno has
been named Grand Canyon University’s Teacher of the Month. This honor comes as no surprise to the
students, faculty, staff and administration at Desert Vista High School as Mrs. Musheno is an exceptional
Science teacher at Desert Vista. She has assisted in the academic development of many outstanding DV
alumni currently excelling at colleges and universities around the nation, as well as to those who are
blessed to have her as a teacher currently. Mrs. Musheno is committed to all students’ academic
success. Many hours are spent outside of the classroom to ensure that students experience direct
connections daily, learning the importance of innovation and the ongoing development of the Sciences
in the future. Because of her nomination by a student, she received the opportunity to attend the Suns
vs. Dallas Mavericks game on Thursday, February 17. Congratulations and thank you, Mrs. Musheno!

On a related note, I am attaching a nomination form that I ask you to consider completing for a
Desert Vista teacher, classified employee, student, parent, or community member who deserves
recognition for a job well done. The Desert Vista Site Base Council recognizes winners quarterly but
accepts nominations at any time, and you may make multiple nominations in any or all categories.
Thank you for your willingness to help us honor those who make a difference.
Link to PDF of Site Based Council Award Nomination Form

Arizona Brain Bee

Last Wednesday our Brain Bee team traveled to the Arizona Brain Bee at Midwestern University
in Glendale, Arizona, to defend our state championship from last year! Our fourteen participating
students spent three hours answering questions on all aspects of neurobiology and the brain, along with

80 students from many high schools across the state. After the first several rounds of competition, five
of our students advanced to the final playoffs! Please congratulate Saumya Bollam, Koustubh
Kondapalli, Anna Quian, Cinthia Garcia and Brandon Djaja for this accomplishment. At the end of the
evening it was a thrill to watch Brandon fight off the competition to win second place in the state! This
is the third year in a row that a Desert Vista student has placed first or second at the Brain Bee.
After the individual play-off round, the Brain Bee officials totaled the points earned by each
school to determine the school team rankings, and our top five competitors put us right back in first
place again this year (tied with the Rancho Solano Private School team)! Congratulations Brain Bee
team!

Community Service

Students from Desert Vista’s Track and Field/Cross Country teams volunteered at the Lagos
Elementary 5K Fun Run. Lagos’ Principal Yaloung, the teachers and students were very appreciative.
Thank you, Coach Chris Hanson, for providing support to our neighbors in the community. Great job
DVHS Thunder Track and Field/ Cross Country teams!

Performing Arts

Desert Vista Choir:

Our Jazz/Madrigal Choir participated in the Northern Arizona University Jazz and Madrigal
Festival. DV’s singers earned Superior ratings in both Jazz and Madrigal. This is the highest rating ever
received by the Jazz/Madrigal choir. Thank you Mr. Devalk for all you do, and congratulations to the
students in the Jazz/Madrigal Choir!

Fine Arts Department:

The Performing Arts students presented the play Little Foxes, and it was absolutely hilarious.
Thank you to Mr. Kenny Fajman and the drama students of Desert Vista High School.

Band Concert:

The Band performed last week in the Dr. Joe McDonald auditorium. They were outstanding, as
always. Thank you Mr. Josh Thye and band students from Desert Vista High School!

Desert Vista Student Recognition

Congratulations go out to Timothy Lee, who has received the Siemens Scholarship! The Siemens
Foundation provides more than $7 million annually in support of educational initiatives in the areas of
science, technology, engineering and math in the United States. Great job, Tim!

Nathan Yamaguchi, a US Olympic Archery Junior Dream Team member competing in the mostly-
adult recurve flights division, won the group, shooting an 856 to end the tournament. Congratulations,
Nathan!

Basketball

Last week our Boys and Girls Basketball teams completed their regular season schedules. The
Boys fell to Corona del Sol, but the girls won handily. The Girls played last night in the first round of the
5A1 State Championship at Mountain View. The Boys will face off against Salpointe High School
Wednesday night at 7:00 pm. Go Thunder Basketball!

Tennis

Our Desert Vista Girls Tennis teams went undefeated Tuesday, February 15th against Mountain
Pointe, winning 9-0. Lead by our strong girls varsity team of Justine Quaggan, Kat Hunnicutt, Kasey
Buttock and Nicole Flanagan, all of whom won their singles and doubles matches! Last Thursday, they
competed against Chaparral High School, but unfortunately were not successful. Good luck this season
to the Girls Tennis teams and Coach Angel Singer!

The Junior Varsity Boys defeated Mountain Pointe last Tuesday, but the Varsity fell to the Pride.
Again, the JV team experienced success against Chaparral, but although the Varsity Tennis team fought
hard, they went down in defeat. Have a great season, Boys Tennis and Coach Wayne Brimley!

DV Hockey

Congratulations to Vinny Branciforte and Jake Smets who have been named AHSHA January
Players of the Month.

This week’s events

Girls Basketball 5A1 playoff game at Mountain View at 7:00 pm, February 22

Boys Basketball 5A1 playoff game at Sal Pointe at 7:00 pm, February 23

Jazz Band Concert at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, February 23

Thank you Thunder for rolling with Battle!

Sincerely,

Dr. Anna Battle, Principal

Hello Thunder Family,

I hope that you all enjoyed your Valentine’s Day and the day served as a reminder to tell others that you care for them.  I hope that you all took full advantage of yesterday’s purpose.  If not, it is never too late!  So, with that said, thank you for all that you do for Desert Vista High School.  I am truly grateful to each and every one of you!

Black History Month

Mrs. Christine Barela and I took a few students to the state capital to participate in the African American Legislative Conference last Friday.  It was a wonderful learning opportunity for our students   Detorrian Harvey, Lorenzo Melvin and Aaron Williamson.  Thank you young men for attending this event.

In honor of Black History month, I want to share words from Maya Angelou, an amazing African American poet and author.

“I’ve learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow. I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. I’ve learned that regardless of your relationship with your parents, you’ll miss them when they’re gone from your life.  I’ve learned that making a “living” is not the same thing as making a “life.” I’ve learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.  I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.  I’ve learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision. I’ve learned that even when I have pains, I don’t have to be one.  I’ve learned that every day you should reach out and touch someone.  People love a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.  I’ve learned that I still have a lot to learn.  I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
— Maya Angelou

Latin Quiz Bowl

In ancient times, instead of celebrating St. Valentine’s Day, the ancient Romans celebrated Lupercalia in honor of the Lupa Romana, the legendary care taker of the founder of Rome. Every year, our Latin students celebrate by hosting the yearly Lupercalia event, sponsored by the Arizona Junior Classical League.  The Latin students were given a lecture by Dr. Tueller of ASU about the ancient site of the celebration and students also had the opportunity to engage in Certamen (Latin quiz bowl) about the Latin derivations of Pokemon!?!   Finally, the students concluded the event by creating cards (an ancient tradition) giving thanks to our troops overseas.  Special thanks to Dr. Tueller for providing the lecture and Ian Merrill (class of 2010) for helping out at the event.

Teacher Recognition

Last week, one of our Physical Education teachers and the Thunder Girls Basketball Head Coach was honored as one of KNIX’s teachers of the week.  Her students, athletes and administration were there as she was recognized for this honor. Congratulations, Coach Rachel Proudfoot!

Wrestling

Our Thunder Wrestlers concluded their season with an amazing finish.  They finished in third place in the 5A Division 1 State Championships.  They were only 12 points away from second place, which is not an easy feat.  The top finishers were as follows:

125 Robbie Mathers – State Champion

135 Kendell Love – State Champion

160 Ace Martinez – Fourth Place

215 Alex Bambic – State Champion

285 Michael Arredondo – Sixth Place

Two athletes were only one match away from placing: Matthew Mathers and Sam Schoepf.

We are so proud of all of you.  Parents, thank you for your support all season long.  These boys worked hard and were very dedicated each and every day–they are outstanding young men.  Congratulations Coach Gonzales, assistant coaches and Desert Vista Thunder Wrestlers!

Soccer

The Thunder Boys Soccer team competed in the first round of the 5A Division 1 State Championships.  They were successful the first round, but lost a hard fought battle to Brophy 0-1.  Brophy scored in the last two minutes of the game.  The Thunder Boys Soccer boys also were phenomenal this season.  They defeated the Brophy Broncos in the regular season, who were national ranked, and were gearing up for an upset in the playoffs.  We are so proud of the coaches, team and parents who were there through thick and thin. Great job Coach Rabasca, assistants, parents and Thunder Boys Soccer team!

The Thunder Girls Soccer team began the 5A Division 1 State Championship run by defeating Buena 3-0.  Next on the platter was Gilbert High School.  What a game against Xavier!  Unfortunately, we lost to the Gators in the semifinals.  The girls are tough and will be competitive for the next several years as well.  Great job, Coach Paul Manoogian, assistants, parents and the Thunder Girls Soccer team.

Hockey

Last Friday, February 11, the DV Hockey club recognized its senior players before their game against Pinnacle at Polar Ice.  Congratulations to all of the senior players, including Will Argeros, Matt Au, Vinny Branciforte, Joey Castor, Michael Christianson, Connor Howell, McGregor Lippincott, Zach McKeown, Tyler O’Shea, Spencer Ryan, Jake Smets and Mark Ward.  The team really hustled but unfortunately were not able to pull out a win.

Saturday evening our Varsity took on the best team in the league, Notre Dame, but suffered a loss of 6-0.  Playoffs will begin on February 25.

Last night, the JV team beat Desert Mountain by a score of 3 to 1.  Ethan Schottke scored a go-ahead goal with just over two minutes remaining, and Colin Teague added on another goal with just seconds remaining, to “ice” the game.  Good job, Jv Hockey!

Basketball
The Thunder Boys Basketball team were able to play in the US Airways Center last Tuesday night, compliments of the Boys Basketball Boosters’ hard work, organization and servitude.  The Freshman and Junior Varsity teams handled the Broncos, but unfortunately, our Varsity boys were not as successful.  The experience in a large arena will only assist the boys in the near future, the 5A Division 1 state playoffs.  The boys came back with a vengeance on Friday night by defeating Red Mountain on our home court.  Congratulations Coach Williams, assistants and Boys Basketball teams.

Our Girls Basketball teams experienced losses against Xavier on Tuesday; however, last Friday there was nothing but wins for the Junior Varsity and Varsity teams.  Congratulations Coach Proudfoot and the Thunder Girls Basketball teams.

Thunder Speech Theater and Debate

Congratulations to the Thunder Speech Theater and Debate Company who competed at the Central Bobcat Bonanza a few weekends ago.  The tournament hosted over 40 schools from around the state with event entries reaching 88 per category!  Great job Mr. Erik Dominquez, Mr. Matt Bennett, Mr. Vic Silva, assistants and Thunder Debaters!  Check out the results below!

Congressional Debate:

Alison Brown — fifth place

Brendan Porter — Runner-Up

Varsity Policy Debate:

Lily Luo & Anna Moe — Runners-Up

Varsity Public Forum Debate:

Brendan Porter & Alison Brown — Quarterfinalists

Dramatic Interpretation:

Jamie Kleshock — Semifinalist

Sydney Yount — sixth place

Casey Cantor — Runner-Up!

Humorous Interpretation:

Kara Schaffer — Semifinallist

Michael Mazzella — fourth place

Samuel Abney — Runner-Up

Duo Interpretation:

Katy Miller &Peter Calvillo — Semifinalists

Nicole Salsburg & Bridgett Ott — Semifinalists

Michael Mazzella & Damien Saenz — sixth place

Christopher Binning & Nicholas Selby — fifth place

Ben DeCarlo & Austin Kennedy — fourth place

Impromptu Speaking:

Jenny Chen — Semifinalist

Brendan Porter — sixth place

Joseph Kim — fifth place

Kohi Gill — fourth place

Poetry Interpretation:

Kara Schaffer — Semifinalist

Prose Interpretation:

Lindsey Gomez — Semifinalist

Kylie Hrabe — fifth place

Brandea Bidelspach — third place

Expository Speaking:

Alison Brown — third place

Austin Kennedy — Champion!

Extemporaneous Speaking:

Brooke Serack — Semifinalist

Brendan Porter — fourth place

Caitlin Feldewerth — Runner-Up

Kohi Gill — Champion!

Duet Acting:

Priyanka Atreya & Samuel Abney — fifth place

Original Oratory:

Katy Miller — Semifinalist

Priyanka Atreya — Semifinalist

Sammi Saunders — fourth place

Brooke Serack — Runner-Up

Radio Broadcasting:

Kylie Hrabe — Semifinalist

Sammi Saunders — fourth place

Rachel Chada — Runner-Up

The team now gears up for the Harvard Invitational on February 19-21.  Go Thunder!

Events this week at Desert Vista

• DVHS has the esteemed pleasure of hosting a special panel discussion on Thursday, February 17 at the beginning of 6th hour in the Dr. Joe McDonald Auditorium.  The presentation will be during 6th hour only and will end by 2:10 pm.  The panel will feature African-American “firsts” in the City of Tempe.
• Play “Little Foxes” Tuesday at 7:00 pm, Wednesday and Thursday at 4:00 pm in the Black Box Theater.
• Band concert on Thursday at 7:00 pm.
• No School Monday, February 21—Presidents’ Day

Thank you, Thunder, for rolling with Battle!

Sincerely,

Dr. Anna Battle, Principal

Hello Thunder Family,

It has been unusually cold in Phoenix so our students have definitely pepped up their pace to get to class during passing periods.  Classroom instruction is where it matters most, right?  With that said, I would like to recognize students who are Flinn scholarship finalists.  There are only 44 Flinn finalists and Desert Vista has four of them, including Priyanka Atreya, Cody Frear, Timothy Lee and Yiling Luo.  Congratulations to DVHS Flinn finalists!

Presidential Scholar information:

The United State Department of Education and the Commission on Presidential Scholars have reported that three DVHS students have been named candidates for the prestigious United States Scholars Program.  Timothy Lee, Anna Quain and Jordan Spurlin will have the opportunity to become U.S. Presidential Scholars in the areas of visual arts, performing arts or creative writing.  Congratulations!

Diablo Teacher Awards

I would like to recognize two exceptional teachers who have been recognized as finalists for Diablo Teacher Awards.  Dabney Lienberger teaches Business classes at Desert Vista and she is a finalist for the “Above and Beyond” award.  Not only does Mrs. Lienberger provide excellent learning opportunities for students in her classes, she also is a great support for all staff at Desert Vista.  As one of our website managers, Dabney makes herself available to assist staff in creating exceptional communications for our customers.  As you know, Desert Vista launched a new website this year to provide immediate communications to the Desert Vista Community.  Without Dabney’s knowledge, competence and leadership, Desert Vista would not be able to communicate as effectively as we do now.  With assistance from Abie Contract, Michele Coro and Dabney Lienberger, teachers receive in-services, individual support and department support as tutorials towards use of publishing grades, lessons, Google documents, etc.  Congratulations and thank you, Mrs. Dabney Lienberger!

Mrs. Katrina Montoya is a finalist for the Innovative Award.  An English teacher/leader, she is a member of the School Improvement team/AdvancEd team and also the Freshman Level English team leader.  She has modeled the importance of collaboration and use of data to analyze student performance.  Mrs. Montoya works diligently year round to ensure that effective teaching strategies are incorporated in English classes throughout our school.  Parents and students have expressed how effective Mrs. Montoya is as a teacher.  As principal of Desert Vista, I value the leadership that she provides.  Congratulations and thank you, Mrs. Katrina Montoya!

Latin Students Field Trip:

On Friday, February 4, juniors and seniors in the Desert Vista Latin program had the opportunity to partake in a college-level experience at the University of Arizona in Tucson.  Students first had the opportunity to listen in on a 100-level class concerning the relevance of classics in the modern world.  Latin students readily answered questions by the professor.  Following the lecture the group visited Desert Vista alumni Ian Merill and Nina Martin and participated in a fun interactive Latin class at a 400-level.

Through all the introductions and togations, the Desert Vista students surprised both the college pupils and the professor when they demonstrated the ability to follow grammar and form sentences.  The U of A and DV students worked together to create Valentine cards, written in Latin, of course.  Finally, our students had the unique opportunity to see, feel, and learn about genuine medieval manuscripts, facsimiles, and recreations of books collected at the University.  Dr. White, Department Chair of Classics at the U of A, was gracious enough to allow the students to interact with the priceless books themselves.  This field trip undoubtedly prepared our students for their college experiences and future careers.  Special thanks to the Classics Department at the U of A and to Ms. Kaptur for serving as chaperone.

Coach Recognition:

This past weekend our DV Track & Field Pole Vault coach, Jeff Guy, was honored at the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, NV as the US HS National Coach of the year.  We are so proud that he is a member of the Thunder staff.  Thank you Coach Guy for all that you do for the boys and girls at Desert Vista High School

Student Athlete Scholarships

This past week 13 seniors signed Letters of Intent to universities/colleges across the nation.  College athletes who are offered scholarships must be both exceptional student and gifted athletes in the sport for which they are recruited.  Please join us in congratulating the following students who have been outstanding in the classroom and in the athletic programs at Desert Vista.

Sean Coffinger                                 Football, Columbia

Jalon Bibbs                                      Football, Northwestern Univ, SD

Lauren Torres                                  Swim, Vanderbilt

Mary Kate Olsen                             Swim, Stanford

Connor Dignan                               Dive, ASU

Christopher Gosselin                     Soccer, Viterbo University, Wisc.

Katelynn Tupponce                        Soccer, New Mexico State Univ.

Nicole Adams                                  Soccer, University of Idaho

Kyla Neale                                        Soccer, Alabama State

MacKenzie Semerad                      Soccer, East Carolina

Ellen Trotter                                    Soccer, NW Ohio State Univ

Connor McLaughlin                     Lacrosse, Grand Canyon University,

David Sartori                                   Lacrosse, Grand Canyon University

Soccer–Boys and Girls

Thunder Boys Soccer competed in Quarter Finals of the State Championship this past Saturday.  Although they lost to Brophy 0-1, the team had a great season.  They were disciplined and well-prepared under the guidance of Coach Rabasca and Assistant Coach Lamb.  I want to thank the parents for your support.  Congratulations to the Thunder Boys Soccer team!

The Girls Soccer team defeated Gilbert last Saturday.  They will play in the 5A Semi-Finals against Xavier on Wednesday at 5:00 pm at Campo Verde High School in Gilbert.  Great job, Coach Manoogian, Coach Dompier and the Girls Soccer team!  Let’s defeat the Gators on Wednesday!

Basketball Boys and Girls

Our Girls Basketball team defeated the Mesa Jack Rabbits last week, but fell to the Chandler Wolves.  The girls will host Xavier on Wednesday and will play at Red Mountain on Friday evening.

The Boys Basketball team will play Brophy today at the US Airways Center at 7:00 pm.  On Friday night our Boys will host the Red Mountain Lions for Senior Night.

Wrestling

The Desert Vista High School Wrestlers competed in the 5A1 Sectionals this past weekend.  The team placed second and will send ten wrestlers to the 5A1 State Championships in Prescott this Thursday and Friday.  Great Job Coach Gonzalez, assistant coaches and Thunder Wrestlers!  Good luck at State!

1st place

Robbie Mathers 125

Alex Bambic 215

2nd place

Ace Martinez 160

Kendell Love 135

3rd place

Michael Arredondo Hvy

Tyler Struck 119

Jimmi Dixie 189

Sam Schoepf 171

4th place

Cooper Gardner 130

Matthew Mathers 103

Performing Arts: Once Act Plays

The Performing Arts students performed “One Act Plays” last week in the Desert Vista Black Box theatre.  Once again the students were amazing.  Thank you to Mr. Fajman and the Performing Arts students!

Band: Wind Ensemble

As I reported earlier, our Desert Vista Wind Ensemble was invited to perform at the very prestigious Arizona Music Educators Association State Conference.  Our students were honored to perform.  Thanks to Mr. Adolph, our Tempe Union High School Superintendent, for attending.  Congratulations to Mr. Thye and the Wind Ensemble members.  Go Thunder Band!

Events this week:

Here is a list of many of the events on the school calendar this week:

Tuesday, February 8:                   American Math Test (please refer to the SRA I sent last week)

Boys Basketball-Ball v. Brophy at US AIRWAYS Center

Orchestra/Guitar Concert at 7:00 pm in the Dr. Joe McDonald Auditorium

Wednesday, February 8:            Senior Panoramic Photo (picture to be taken during first period)

Girls Basketball v. Xavier (Storm Center)

Girls Soccer Semi-finals at Campo Verde HS v. Xavier at-5:00 pm

Friday, February 11:                     Boys Basketball v. Red Mountain (Senior night)

Hoopcoming Dance (Theme Hearts and Hoops) join us after the Varsity Basketball game
Saturday, February 12:                Pam Olsson Tribute Concert,7:00 pm in the Dr. Joe McDonald Auditorium

Thank you Thunder for rolling with Battle!

Sincerely,

Dr. Anna Battle, Principal

Band:
Kate Gallagher – Piccolo 1
Amanda Ryan – Flute 1
Bomi Johnson* – Flute 2
Steve Rhee – Flute 10
Tiffany Wong – Flute 12
Kate Gallagher – Flute 14
Leslie Sato – Oboe 3
Susan Tu – Oboe 5
Susan Tu – English Horn 1
na Rodriguez – Bassoon 4
Paul Allen* – Bassoon 5
Nick Topping – Clarinet 2
Robert Yang* – Clarinet 5
Brandon Djaja – Clarinet 6
Lydia Pan* – Clarinet 7
Marlee Walters – Clarinet 8
Amy White* – Clarinet 15
Josh Robbins – Clarinet 22
Maggie Frace – Clarinet 25
Ni Hsieh – Clarinet 31
Andy Tran – Tenor Sax 1
Sean Torrellas – Tenor Sax 2
Shannon Newell – Bari Sax 1
Caitlyn Kellogg – Bass Clarinet 1
Lucas Robbins – Bass Clarinet 4
Laura Hockenberger – Trumpet 5
Anita Nath – Trumpet 7
Lauren Kemmer – Trumpet 10
Julie Gerrish – Trumpet 15
Kaitlin Dickson – Horn 2
Courtney Jones – Horn 4
Josh Newell* – Horn 7
Justin Lopez – Horn 10
Allen Janis – Horn 11
Christian Lopez* – Horn 12
Josh Fassett – Horn 13
Alli DeKatch – Trombone 2
David Willers- Trombone 4
Brian Huft – Trombone 7
Thomas Anderson – Trombone 11
Brad Hughes – Euphonium 1
Stephen Gerrish* – Tuba 3
Haram Kang* – Tuba 4
Darrien McFarlin – Tuba 6
Jeff McCleve – Tuba 8
Scott Corell – Percussion 1
Jonathon Bernat – Percussion 2
Thomas Doehrman – Percussion 4
Dalton Danks* – Percussion 8
Nate Ray – Percussion 11
Colin Pakulis – Percussion 12
Elliott Travis – Percussion 14

Solos/Superiors:
Josh Robbins – clarinet
Bomi Johnson – flute

Ensembles/Superiors:-
Kacey Fassett, Bill Nick, Sean Torrellas, & Andy Tran – sax quartet
Anna Quian & Tiffany Wong – flute duet
Rachel Hughes & Sarah Stewart – sax/horn duet
Heather Alexander, Shannon Newell, & Valeria Herrera – sax trio
Zach Elwell, Jason Petras, & Chris Worth – sax trio
Julia Kemmer & Erik Naranjo – bari sax duet
Carson Mohr, Robbie Highfield, Andrew Sweeney, & Terrance Toyser – alto sax quartet
Sue Han & Jennifer Zhang – flute duet

Orchestra:
Anes Sung
Jennifer Wu
Joann Nam
Cece Byers
Annie Dai
Kevin Zheng
Chris Tanf
Jay Min
Conner Thunshelle
Gi-Na Han
Sauyama Bollam
Kendrick Chaney
Pauli Li,
Derek Li
Helend Sung
Micah Musheno
Amit Sen
Rajeev Paryathala
Aaron Smith
Ryan Smith
Jessica Hines
Jean Hsu
Lauren Berry
Smya Bhatnagar
Saheba Bhatnagar
Conner Robertson
Ashley Ballard
Alexandria Jones
Nicholas Carney
Him Kim

Choir:
Ashley Swazey
Jenna Mallon
Priyanka Atreya
Vivian Benjes
Dana Cobb
Sam Abney
Kevin Bowling
Austin Smith
Ryan Zwiefelhofer

Alternates:
Holly Brown
David Kaptur
Koustubh Kondapalli

Orchestra
The Orchestra and Guitar students Participated in the Solo & Ensemble Festival. There were many Excellent and Superior Awards given. Ryan Smith received a Superior rating for his piano solo, and the following students received superior ratings for their guitar solos: Nathaniel Baumann, Casey Cantor, Carmine Deblasio, and William Ciccone. Both the Cantor Guitar Quartet and the DeBlasior/Vansickle Guitar Duet received superior ratings.
Wrestling
Last week the Thunder Wrestling teams defeated Mesa High School and Brophy High School, which was no easy feat. The Freshman wrestlers competed in the Freshman State Wrestling Meet, and wow, did they perform! Here are the results:
First place wrestlers: Adam Ortega-215, DJ Butler-189, Pat McCarty-130. Jesse Lefevre-125, Conner Dols-119, and Jordan Robinson-103.
Second place wrestlers: Nico Campbell-112, Zack Byrant-125, Jalen Jelks-189, and Mitchell White-152.
Fourth place wrestlers: Richie Haywood-130, Brandon Rowley-112, Andrew Conroy-160, and John Devlin-112.
Congratulations on a successful season to Coach David Gonzales, assistants, volunteers, parents and students; you all have many reasons to be very proud. The Varsity team is preparing for the next chapter–individual and team honors. What a program! Let’s go, Thunder Wrestlers!
Basketball
Tuesday our Girls Basketball teams competed against Red Mountain. The Freshman and JV teams defeated the Lions; however, the Varsity team lost a hard-fought battle. Friday was challenging for all levels as the Thunder girls were defeated by the Hamilton Huskies. The Thunder Girls look forward to this week’s competitions. Keep working, Lady Thunder!
The Thunder Boys Basketball teams defeated Red Mountain on Tuesday night. The JV team defeated Hamilton, but the Freshman and Varsity teams fell short. They have very important home games this week; come out and support the Thunder Boys Basketball teams!
Soccer:
I would like to thank the parents of the Boys and Girls Soccer teams for allowing the administration to participate in a memorable event this past weekend. Parent’s night is a very significant event. The senior athletes are honored along with their parents. The parents who organized this did an outstanding job. Thank you so much!
The Thunder Girls Soccer teams defeated Red Mountain on Tuesday. The JV handled Hamilton on Friday night and the Varsity just fell short to the Huskies 0-1. The JV team ends their season undefeated! Great job Coach Dompier, Coach Monoogian, parents and Thunder Girls Soccer teams. Good luck in the State tournament!
Our Boys Thunder Soccer teams competed against Red Mountain on Tuesday also. The JV team lost, but the Varsity team beat the Lions. Friday, the JV struggled but our Varsity team took down the Hamilton Huskies. The Varsity boys are also gearing up for the State Tournament. I look forward to watching them challenge every team we meet. Good luck Coach Rabasca, assistants, parents and Thunder Boys Soccer team!
Winter Athletic Scholarship Signing Day
This coming Wednesday morning at 7:30 am in the Dr. Joe McDonald Auditorium, Desert Vista will honor senior athletes who are signing letters of intent. The athletes will make public commitments to colleges/universities. In turn, these student athletes are receiving commitments from higher educational institutions to compete at the next level. Desert Vista has been very fortunate to have talented student athletes who have excelled both in the classroom and on the field of competition. Excelling in both arenas has placed them in a position to be recognized/recruited as student athletes worthy of athletic scholarships. I will share the names of all athletes honored at this event next week. This spring, additional students who have informed us of their school of choice will be honored. Congratulations to all athletes, coaches and parents involved in the Desert Vista signing celebration.
Registration reminder
To all students returning next fall, be sure to gather all signatures and information required for your registration paperwork. Thursday will be the first day that you may begin to turning in your registration materials. Parents, thank you for assisting your child with registering for courses at DVHS next year. Some of you have asked questions about the dual credit courses/Associate’s Degree program previously discussed. I plan to send more information specific to the program in the coming week. Stay tuned!
Seniors
Parents, please continue to compliment your senior students. They have been great leaders and models for our underclassmen. I truly appreciate their positive attitudes and willingness to finish what they have started, to EXCEL!

Thank you Thunder for rolling with Battle!
Sincerely,
Dr. Anna Battle, Principal

Hello Thunder Family,

Desert Vista High School has been preparing students for registration for the 2011-12 academic year.  Students have been given ample information about possible courses to take next year, and our seniors are completing scholarship applications and school admission documents for post-graduation schools they are considering.  This semester will include many events designed to facilitate success in the coming year, whether your child will be a student or will be a graduate.  Please continue to work with your children toward success on homework, tests, state assessments, and/or college entrance exams.

Monday night (tonight!) our teachers, counselors, coaches, department instructional leaders and administrators look forward to meeting our 8^th grade parents and new families at Desert Vista’s open house.  At 6:00 pm parents will see the presentation students were given at Akimal and Altadena in the Dr. Joe McDonald Auditorium.  I appreciate the foresight of our guidance counselors.  They have planned and prepared quality information with the input of our department leaders about courses offered at DVHS.  After that , parents and students are invited to the Storm Center to hear a brief presentation and to ask questions of teachers, coaches, sponsors, students, parents and administrators.  This evening is open to all; however, the focus is on new and incoming families to Desert Vista High School.

Visual Arts

Ms. Stacy Marko and Mr. Chris Klein invited some of the talented artists from their classes to participate in the Sister Cities Young Artist Contest.  The reception was held on January 12^th, and the Desert Vista students who received recognition include Joseph Raiton, Makena Scheller and Holly Tappan.  Congratulations Ms. Marko, Mr. Klein and Visual Arts students of DVHS!

Girls Soccer

We can be very proud of the week our Girls Soccer teams had.  While the Varsity squad defeated both Mesa and Chandler and lost only to Brophy, our JV Girls pulled out big wins against all three of their opponents.  Great job, girls!

Wrestling

Congratulations to all three wrestling teams as they swept Chandler last Wednesday in a Fiesta region wrestling dual meet.  Varsity rolled 47-25, the JV dominated 56-10, and the freshman crushed Chandler 72-12.  Unfortunately, the Varsity team lost 36-28 to Mesa on Friday.  Go Thunder!

Boys Basketball

Our Boys Basketball teams played Chandler on Tuesday night.  The Freshmen were defeated but both JV and Varsity had wins.  Against Brophy on Friday night, our Varsity and Freshmen teams won but the JV suffered a loss.  Keep working hard, boys!

Girls Basketball

Our Girls Basketballs teams also played Chandler on Tuesday night, with all three teams going down in defeat.  However on Friday night, while the Varsity and JV teams were defeated, our Freshmen girls pulled out a big win!  Go Thunder!

Boys Soccer

Our Boys Soccer teams fought hard this past week, with the Varsity registering a win against Mesa and suffering a loss against Chandler.  Thunder Boys Varsity Soccer team beat the ESPN Rise #3 nationally ranked team, the Brophy Broncos, by a score of 3 – 1.  Brophy had an impressive record of 17-0-1 with four victories being a 10-0 score or more. In 18 games Brophy has compiled 90 goals.  Never the less, the Thunder came to play and was victorious over the Brophy Broncos!  The JV defeated Brophy as well, but lost to both Mesa and Chandler.

Spring Sports

If your son or daughter has not been on a sports team and is interested in extracurricular athletics this spring, please contact the coach of that sport for more information.  Schedule your child’s physical as soon as possible.  Visit the Athletic Department webpage for additional information.  If your son or daughter is currently on a team, they will be given an opportunity to participate/tryout at the conclusion of their current sport’s season.  The following is a list of the Head Coaches for the spring season:

Baseball: Stan Luketich  sluketich@tuhsd.k12.az.us

Softball: Chris Crowl  ccrowl@tuhsd.k12.az.us

Tennis-Boys: Walter Brimley  wbrimley@tuhsd.k12.az.us

Tennis-Girls: Angel Singer  flyangelair@cox.net

Track & Field: Chris Hanson chanso@kyrene.org

Cassandra Cline ccline@tuhsd.k12.az.us

Volleyball-Boys: Ryan Tolman  ryantolman@hotmail.com

DVHS Spirit Line

I entered the Storm Center on Saturday afternoon and was both proud and impressed by the number of little Thunder girls participating in a cheer clinic hosted by the Thunder Spirit Line.  Miss Butts, Mrs. Bozek and the young ladies on our Thunder Spirit Lines are absolutely amazing.  Often they are the support for both sports teams and community functions.  Always willing to serve others, I want to take the opportunity to thank them for all they do for Desert Vista.  Their hard work does not go unnoticed; we value the service, skills and talent that you possess.  This cheer is for you!  Go Thunder Spirit Line!

Speech and Debate

Congratulations to the Thunder Speech Theater and Debate Company who competed at the Mountain View Invitational.  The  tournament had over 40 schools from Arizona.  Here’s as sample of how the Thunder rolled:

Novice Policy
Alena Chang – 1st place Novice Speaker

Varsity Policy
Alisa Partlan – Amrut Chowdhury – 1st place

Senate 1
Brendan Porter – 1st place

Prose Interp
Ashley Swazey – 1st place

Poetry Interp
Alexa Saunders- 1st place

Duo Acting

Ashley Swazey – Nicholas Selby – 1st place

Individual Sweepstakes Award:
Ashley Swazey – 2^nd place

Team Sweepstakes Award
1st place – Desert Vista

Thank you Thunder for rolling with Battle!

Sincerely,

Dr. Anna Battle, Principal

Hello Thunder Family,

We are extremely excited to share with you another milestone achieved by your school.  As you know, Desert Vista partners with the Maricopa County Colleges to offer dual credit courses.  It is our desire to ensure that your students are well prepared to succeed in their post secondary educational endeavors.  We offer very competitive AP courses and Honors Courses that are proven to offer the challenge to prepare our students to excel in any university/college in the nation.  We challenge our students with rigorous curriculums and strategies that develop skills in all areas needed to achieve their academic and career goals. We have nearly connected the dots!  Graduates from Desert Vista High School will soon be able to achieve an Associate in Arts Degree and/or an Arizona General Education Certificate.  You can access additional information on the program in documents attached.  We are the only Arizona school that is prepared to offer these programs.  Because our teachers have completed their Master’s degrees and completed all necessary requirements to offer dual credit courses, our students will be able to enter College/University with their general studies courses completed and will have been taught by exemplary teachers at Desert Vista High School!  Parents, be sure to read through the material attached and communicate with your child’s counselor as you assist her/him with selecting courses for the future.  Go Thunder!

Click Here for College Planning Flyer PDF

Click Here for Associate in Arts Degree Check Sheet PDF

Open House

If you have children in the 8^th grade and plan on enrolling them at Desert Vista High School next year, we will open the Storm Center doors to our incoming Thunder next Monday at 7:00 pm. Desert Vista administration, teachers, counselors, coaches, students and parents will have information for our new and returning families.  Enter the Storm Center, have a seat, listen to the opening presentation by our Administration, and then you will be given an opportunity to move about to sign up for extra-curricular clubs/sports teams and ask our professionals questions about courses offered at Desert Vista High School.  Have your child bring a notepad, there will be much to consider.

DVHS Storm Center Logo and Mascot

Speaking of the Storm Center, check out the picture of our new floor with our new mascot, “Thunder!”  He is not Mr. Thunder; he is named “Thunder!”  I want to thank Mr. Doug Christofis for assuming the role of “Thunder” until we find the right people.  Tryouts will be held this spring.  We will publish more about requirements and skills needed for the tryouts very soon.

Performing Arts

Band: Desert Vista’s Wind Ensemble (top band) has been selected to perform at the Arizona Music Educators Association Conference in February.  The event will be held on Friday, February 4^th, from 9:15 to 10:15 am in the Arizona Ballroom at the Phoenix Mesa Marriott located at 200 North Centennial Way in Mesa.  Click here for directions to the hotel: http://maps.google.com/maps?rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&oe=&um=1&ie=UTF8&q=mesa+marriott&fb=1&gl=us&hq=mesa+marriott&hnear=Tempe,+AZ&ei=0EkrTfX9N5HSsAPxotyZCA&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=image&resnum=2&ved=0CAQQtgMwAQ&iwloc=7132500152151484882)

This is the first time in school history that a band has been invited to play at the conference.  This is a very prestigious event and we are truly excited for the opportunity to see our Wind Ensemble perform.  Congratulations to Mr. Thye and the Wind Ensemble.

Dance

As you all may recall, Desert Vista lost an amazing Dance teacher earlier this school year.  We informed you of a scholarship that would be established in Mrs. Pam Olsson’s name.  On December 4th a local dance studio, Center Pointe Dance, held its annual Holiday Benefit Show at DVHS.  The organization raised $3,500 for the Pam Olsson Scholarship Fund!  The event was its largest and most successful benefit show to date.

One of our current Dance teachers, Mrs. Bianca Caryl, has been working with Tempe Dollars for Scholars on the Pam Olsson Scholarship.   Applications have been distributed to the schools and students are applying now.  The deadline for applications is March 1^st, with the awards presentation scheduled for April 19th.  Two thousand dollars has been guaranteed for this year’s Pam Olsson Memorial Scholarship.

Additionally, The Pam Olsson Friends and Alumni Tribute Concert has been scheduled for February 12th at DVHS.  So far, the following dance companies will participate: Desert Vista, McClintock, Corona, Mountain Pointe and Center Pointe Dance.  DVHS alumni are working on a few dance numbers as well.  Some alumni will be attending from out of town, and it is our hope that you will all be able to attend this event as well.  Thank you to all of the teachers, parents, students and alumni for all of your hard work and dedication.

Thunder Speech Theater and Debate Company

Congratulations to the Thunder Speech Theater and Debate Company who competed at the Arizona State University Southwest Championships two weekends ago.  The tournament had over 60 schools from five different states.  Here’s how the Thunder rolled:

Team Sweepstakes

5th place: Hamilton High School

4th place: Albuquerque Academy (New Mexico)

3rd place: Dobson High School

2nd place: Brophy College Prep

1st place: Desert Vista High School

Our students did an absolutely amazing job!  I have provided a sample of their results.  Way to go Mr. Eric Dominguez, Mr. Matt Bennett, Mr. Vic Silva, all assistants, parents and the DVHS Speech Theater and Debate team!

Prose Interp:  Ashley Swazey – semifinalist; Brandea Bidelspach – semifinalist; Casey Cantor – second place; Isabela Schwartz – semifinalist; Kelsea Moore – fifth place; Kylie Hrabe – semifinalist; Michael Mazzella – FIRST PLACE!;  Rebecca DeCarlo – semifinalist; Sammi Saunders – sisth place; and Samuel Abney – semifinalist.

Congressional Debate:  Alison Brown – second place – TOC Qualifying LEG; Brendan Porter – FIRST PLACE – TOC Qualifying LEG; Kyle Hein – sixth place – TOC Qualifying LEG; and Tyler Adamson – Finalist.

Poetry Interp:  Alexa Saunders – semifinalist; Ashley Swazey – fourth place; Casey Cantor–sixth place; Kara Schaffer -–semifinalist;  Kelsea Moore – FIRST PLACE; and Sammi Saunders – second place.

Extemporaneous Speaking:  All finalists received an Extemp TOC Qualifying Leg!   Brendan Porter – second place ; Caitlin Feldewerth – fourth place; Kohi Gill – FIRST PLACE.

Varsity Lincoln Douglas: Jordan Spurlin – quarterfinalist, seventh place speaker award; Joseph Kim – octafinalist, FIRST PLACE speaker award.

Math and Science Field Day

A group of 18 students, accompanied by Math and Science teachers Dr. Francoise Dastous and Mrs. Birgit Musheno, traveled to Scottsdale Community College to compete at the 15th annual Math and Science Field Day.  This competition involves math exams at three levels, a one-hour oral competition in biology/chemistry/physics, and a projectile-rocket engineering/launching competition.

After these competitions, the three top-scoring schools advance to the final round, where their four top students would face sixteen questions drawn from math, biology, chemistry and physics in a quiz bowl-type format in front of a very large crowd of their peers.  Desert Vista qualified for the finals, along with Westwood and Xavier College Prep!  A team of four SCC professors judged the students’ answers and explanations, and Desert Vista students WON the very close competition in a nail-biting finish!

At the end of the day, our Desert Vista students earned enough points to capture the overall top school award, as well as several individual awards of merit.  In addition to an achievement plaque and bragging rights for DV, five students received $150 scholarships to Scottsdale Community College, as well as gift cards for Border’s, Barnes & Noble, and Best Buy.  Simply outstanding!  Thank you Dr. Dastous and Mrs. Musheno for all of the time and effort you spend preparing our students for competition!  Great job, students!

Desert Vista Hockey Club

Desert Vista Varsity Hockey beat the Brophy Broncos 5-3 this past weekend.  Cody Larkin had two goals, Jake Smets and Taylor Lang each had a goal and assist, Joey Castor had two assists, Eric Calcavecchia had a goal, Vinny Branciforte had four assists, and goalie McGregor Lippincott made 31 saves.   Great job, gentlemen!  Go Thunder!

Desert Vista Basketball Teams

The Desert Vista Girls Basketball teams lost to Hamilton on Tuesday.  However, the JV and Varsity teams returned with a vengeance on Friday to defeat the Mesa High Jack Rabbits.  Thursday, the Freshman Girls Basketball team defeated Taylor Junior High School handedly, as well as Shepard Junior High on Friday.  Great work, Coach Proudfoot, assistants and the Thunder Girls Basketball Teams!

Last Tuesday, the Freshman Boys defeated Taylor Junior High, but unfortunately fell to Hamilton later in the week.  The Junior Varsity defeated both the Hamilton Huskies and the Mesa Jack Rabbits last week.  The Varsity lost two very close games last week against the Hamilton Huskies the Mesa Jack Rabbits, but no worries, Thunder!  We have an exceptional team and under Coach William’s leadership, the best is yet to come.  Keep up the hard work, Coach Williams, assistants and the Thunder Boys Basketball teams!

DVHS Soccer

The Thunder Girls Soccer teams defeated Boulder Creek this past Tuesday.  On Thursday, DVHS took on Sal Pointe Catholic, and both the JV and Varsity defeated this determined team from Tucson.

The Thunder Boys competed and were successful, also.  The JV team lost, but the Varsity team was victorious.  The JV returned on Thursday to tie against Sal Pointe Catholic.  The Varsity Boys fell to the number one team in the state, Sal Pointe Catholic, by one point.  We fought hard and every point that Sal Pointe had was not easily achieved.  What an exciting game!  Great effort to both Coach Rabasca and Coach Paul Manoogian, assistants and Thunder Soccer teams!

Wrestling

The DVHS Wrestling team competed against The Hamilton Huskies this past week.  The Varsity and JV team won handedly.  The freshman lost by one point, but competed very well.  Additionally, this past weekend the Varsity team placed tenth at the Flowing Wells Invitational with four placers:

1st – Robbie Mathers, 125 lb

2nd – Ace Martinez, 160 lb

3rd – Alex Bambic, 215 lb

4th – Michael Arredondo, Heavyweight

Congratulations to Coach Gonzales, assistant coaches and the Desert Vista Thunder Wrestlers!  Go Thunder!

Whew!  What a week of absolute EXCELLENCE.

My husband and I ran the full marathon this past weekend.  I want to thank all of the parents and students who volunteered at the P.F. Chang’s Half Marathon and Full Marathon races.  I appreciated the encouragement.  I am a little sore but I look forward to moving around this week to see our students do what they do best.

Thank you Thunder for rolling with Battle!

Sincerely,

Dr. Anna Battle, Principal

Hello Thunder Family,

I hope that you all enjoyed time with your families over the past holiday season.  Greg and I really miss the days when the boys were small.  It was a blessing to have all of our boys home with us.  After all the gifts were opened I was entertained by the Battle boys dancing along with Michael Jackson’s Wii game. Of course, Greg and I had to give it a shot; we lost.  It was great!

Happy New Year!  I have the pleasure of delivering you great news about one of our amazing teachers!   The Ahwatukee News counted over 43,000 votes and Deb Benedict has been voted in the top five for Best Teacher.  We recognized her at the Winter Pep Assembly this past week.  Ms. Benedict is the English Department Instructional Leader, the AdvancEd School Improvement Team Leader and the Desert Vista Site Council Representative.  She is an exceptional leader and an excellent teacher.  We look forward to more from The Ahwatukee News at the end of this month this recognition.  Way to go, Ms. Benedict!

Desert Vista’s faculty and staff make intentional efforts to connect learning to post secondary education.  While there have been recent modifications in the Regents Scholarship (AIMS scholarship), Desert Vista was recognized by the Arizona Department of Education because of the number of students who have exceeded areas on AIMS and maintained the necessary academic requirements to receive full tuition at Arizona’s universities.  Representatives from Desert Vista were present to receive the “Spotlight on Success Award”, and the following is what was read to all educators present at the conference.

“Since the scholarship’s inception in 2006 schools, parents, students, and school have been challenged to understand and achieve the rigorous criteria.  Desert Vista High School has successfully advertised, advised, and informed parents, students and staff.  As a result, Desert Vista is being recognized for certifying the largest number of students year after year.  Since 2006, Desert Vista has certified over 880 students as meeting the qualifications of the scholarship.  This number almost doubles any other high school in Arizona.  This can be attributed to the hard work of the administrators, staff, counselors, and students.  Congratulations, Desert Vista High School.”

In addition, the following two messages have been received from Arizona State University and the Dean of the University of Arizona Honors College:

“Desert Vista’s Class of 2010 had the third highest number of applicants to ASU’s Barrett Honors College and is considered one of its ‘top feeder schools.”

“Desert Vista has the distinction of having the largest number of students in the state admitted to Honors for 2010 and Desert Vista is second in terms of the number of Honors students enrolling at the UA.  University High in Tucson had more students enrolling, but only by a few (2).”

Many of our clubs and athletic teams were busy with competitions over the holiday break and in the first week of 2011.  The following is a summary of some of their activities and exciting successes:

WRESTLING

Over the break, our Wresters and coaching staff competed in two tournaments, placing second at the Moon Valley Tournament and First at a tournament in California.  Here are the results of those competitions:

Moon Valley:

1st place – Robbie Mathers (125) and Sam Schoepf (171)

2nd place – Alex Bambic (215)

3rd place – Cooper Gardner (130) and Kendall Love (135)

5th place – Tyler Struck (119), Matthew Mathers (103) and Ace Martinez (160)

6th place – Jimi Dixie (189)

California:

1st place – Ace Martinez (160), Sam Schoepf (171) and Alex Bambic (215)

4th place – Robbie Mathers (125)

7th place – Cooper Gardner (130) and Tyler Struck (119)

Ace Martinez was named Outstanding Wrestler for the upper weights.  Going into the finals we were 5.5 points behind with three finalists, and Santa Fe had one finalist.  Santa Fe won; we were down by 10.5 before we started our three.  Desert Vista’s athletes pinned all three finalists to win the tournament.

This past week, our Wrestling teams defeated Red Mountain High School to move their season records to 5-0.  The Varsity won 30-28 with pins from Robbie Mathers, Sam Schoepf and Mike Arredondo.  The JV defeated Red Mountain 39-33 and the freshman cruised to a 42-21 victory.

And finally, our wrestlers had a sixth place finish at the Peoria Invitational with the following results:

2nd place -  Ace Martinez (160) and Alex Bambic (215)

3rd place – Robbie Mathers (125) and Jimi Dixie (189)

4th place – Matthew Mathers (103) and Sam Schoepf (171)

Way to go, Coach Gonzales and Desert Vista’s wrestlers!

THE THUNDER MARCHING BAND

The Desert Vista Thunder Marching Band recently competed in the Fiesta Bowl National Band Championships and Fort McDowell Fiesta Bowl Parade.  DV represented the State of Arizona and Tempe Union High School District against nine bands from seven states while competing in this prestigious event. DV finished in second place with a score of 92.7.  They took first overall in “Visual General Effect.”  Their score and finish was the highest recorded score by an Arizona school in the 33-year history of the event.  The Thunder Marching Band also finished in second place in the Fiesta Bowl Parade, ahead of 12 other bands from across the country.  Thanks to the Thunder band members, parents, Mr. Thye, Mr. Morales and Mr. Krill for all of your hard work and dedication.  It was the administration team’s pleasure to be there to support one of the best bands in the nation!  Go Big Blue!”

DESERT VISTA SPEECH THEATER AND DEBATE

Congratulations to the Thunder Speech Theater and Debate Company who competed at the Fullerton Joint Union Winter Classic.  The following are the results of the tournament:

Dramatic Interpretation:

Michael Mazzella — Semifinalist

Ashley Swazey — Semifinalist

Rebecca DeCarlo — Semifinalist

Isabella Schwartz — Runner-Up

Alexa Saunders — Champion!

Duo Interpretation:

Rachel Cada-Carissa Guell — Semifinalists

Michael Mazzella-Dillon Olmanson — sixth place

Expository Speaking:

Alison Brown — Semifinalist

Hannah Sager — fourth place

Nicholas Selby — third place

Sports Broadcasting:

Brendan Porter — Champion!

Humorous Interpretation:

Nicholas Selby — Semifinalist

Hannah Sager — Semifinalist

Jessica Tueller — Semifinalist

Christopher Binning — fifth place

Rachel Chada — third place

Impromptu Speaking:

Michael Mazzella — Semifinalist

Casey Cantor — Champion!

Original Oratory:

Katy Miller — Semifinalist

Kylie Hrabe — Semifinalist

Sammi Saunders — Semifinalist

Thematic Interpretation:

Ashley Swazey — fifth place

Nicholas Selby — Champion!

BOYS BASKETBALL

Desert Vista’s Boys Basketball team competed in the Las Vegas Prep Championship at Las Vegas High.  Our boys (14-3) defeated Las Vegas Liberty 45-42 in the final last week.  Junior swingman Danny Powell was named the tournament’s MVP after averaging 26 points and 14 rebounds.  Jeff Lowery also had a strong tournament.  Danny Powell had 11 points and Lowery nine points in the championship game. The Thunder overcame an ankle injury on Thursday to senior guard Khamari Broom.  Additionally, the Thunder Boys Basketball teams defeated Saint Mary’s (the 2010 5A1 State Champions) this past Friday.  Great job Coach Williams, staff and boys!

BOYS SOCCER

Last week the Boys Soccer team defeated Centennial High School by a score of 2-1, while the JV suffered a 4-3 loss.  The boys also competed against Highland last Friday, with both the JV and Varsity teams victorious.  Way to go boys, Coach Rabasca and Coach Lamb!

GIRLS SOCCER

Last Friday our Girls Soccer team hosted the Highland Hawks.  The JV team defeated the Hawks and the Varsity game ended regulation in a tie.  After overtime, penalty kicks unfortunately left the Varsity Girls with a 7-6 loss.  Keep up the hard work, girls!

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Our Girls Basketball Team also competed over the break, facing some talented teams and fighting hard.  This past week, they met one of the best teams in the state.  The Freshman and JV teams defeated Saint Mary’s, but unfortunately, the Varsity team was defeated.  I am extremely proud of how hard the girls are working with very impressive teamwork and defense.  They prepare for Region play this week; come out and support the Thunder Girls Basketball team.  Good luck Coach Proudfoot, staff and Lady Thunder Basketball players.

BOYS HOCKEY

Our Boys Hockey team defeated Notre Dame this past weekend by a score of 5-2.  Brad Hookam and Matt Au each scored two goals, and Ryan Cutter had one.  Assists were provided by Willie Bieberdorf, Sam Lang, Colin Quinn, Ryan Sanders and Cheyenne Boyd.  Great job, DV Boys hockey!

STUDENT COUNCIL

Desert Vista Student Council planned a fun and exciting pep assembly last Friday.  The students made some noise in the Storm Center when the new Desert Vista logo in the Storm Center was unveiled.  There was another first, DVHS revealed its new mascot, “Thunder”!.  He is blue, mean and lean, and will be present at many Desert Vista functions!  Come out to see the new and improved THUNDER!  We will provide photographs of the assembly in next week’s letter.  Tryouts to be the Thunder mascot will be coming up this spring.  Stay tuned!  Go Thunder!

Desert Vista’s faculty and staff recognize the importance of keeping parents and guardians informed.  You all recently received the current newsletter.  Please keep that as a resource as it includes information on many important dates and events.

Welcome Back Thunder!  Thank you for Rolling with Battle.

Sincerely,

Dr. Anna Battle, Principal

Hello Thunder Family,

Thanksgiving was wonderful at the Battle house.  I did not have all of my boys home, but three were in eye sight and I loved spending time with them.  Avory will be able to come home for Christmas. I hope that you all enjoyed family, friends and great meals with loved ones.

Before the Thanksgiving break our Academic Decathlon team, along with sponsors Birgit Musheno, Adrian Boyarsky and Michele Stanley, attended the Mountain Pointe Invitational.  Seven Honors, three Scholastic and two Varsity players tested their skills in Language/Literature, Music, Art, Science, Math, Social Science, Super Quiz, Essay, Interview and Speech events, all centered around this year’s theme of the Great Depression.  The team did well and despite having several team members unable to attend, they earned four recognition awards.  Members who spent many hours studying for the two-day competition include:  Matt Au, Ian Bainbridge, Joe Beck, Rudy Chen (first place in Music and third in Super Quiz for his division), Ryan Dias, Steven Hines, Henry Kim, Jay Min (second place in both Essay and Math for his division), Akhila Murella, Varsha Parthasarathy, Neil Talanki and Kevin Zheng.

Our Quiz Bowl team also had two competitive events this past week, including a league meet at Verrado High School and the ASU Fall Invitational Tournament.  Several students competed for the first time and made significant contributions to the teams!  At the ASU event, DV captured the third place school award.  Tim Lee was the top-scoring competitor of the tournament, going up against some of the best academic schools in the state.  Mrs. Musheno says these students do all of their preparation in their spare time, familiarizing themselves with African geography, Norse mythology, German philosophers, and European artists.  Congratulations DV Quiz Bowl League players!

Congratulations also go out to the Thunder Speech Theater and Debate Company who split their squad and efforts to continue their coast-to-coast successes before the break.  The novice and junior varsity team competed against the best schools in the state at the Red Mountain Invitational.  The freshman and sophomore-dominated squad took second place competing against everyone else’s junior and senior varsity squads.  There were many semifinalists and finalists among our competitors, and individual champions included Freshman Jessica Tueller in Storytelling and Sophomore Jenny Chen in Impromptu Speaking.  Across the country in Chicago, Illinois our Varsity Squad competed against the best schools in the nation.  Finalists included: Brendan Porter taking sixth in the nation in Congressional Debate; Izzy Schwartz, second in the nation in Dramatic Interpretation; Casey Cantor, fourth place in the nation in Prose/Poetry; Kelsea Moore, third place in the nation in Prose/Poetry; and Michael Mazzella and Dillon Olmanson, first place in the nation in Duo Interpretation.  Our team took second place overall, being defeated by only three points and beating the third place team by almost 20 points.  It was a great weekend for TSTDC and the Thunder, and we congratulate them all!

Our winter sports are up and competing.  Desert Vista’s Boys Basketball team competed in a holiday weekend tournament with a finish of 3 and 2.  They defeated McClintock, Rincon and Palo Verde, but came up short against Red Mountain and North High School.  This was a nice way to open a new season, and Coach David Williams, his staff and young men are exciting to see in action.  Come out and support the Thunder!

Our Lady Thunder Basketball team will begin its season tonight, November 30, in the Storm Center.  Freshman girls compete at 4:00, JV at 5:30, and Varsity at 7:00 pm.  Good luck Coach Proudfoot, staff and girls.  Go Thunder!

Thunder’s Wrestlers are off to a great start.  Coach Gonzales, staff and team are contending in many areas this year.  The freshman, JV and Varsity squads all defeated Highland last week.  They will take on the Pride in the Storm Center, Wednesday, December 1.  The freshman will compete at 4:00, JV at 5:30 and the Varsity will compete at 7:00 pm.  Good luck, boys!

Coach Paul Manoogian, staff and the Girls Soccer teams have been preparing for another amazing year.  They open up at home, tonight, November 30 against Mountain Pointe.  That is always a fun game to watch.  Bring your coat and a blanket and purchase a warm cup of hot chocolate and support the Lady Thunder Soccer program this season.  Good Luck Coach Paul Manoogian and girls.

Our Boys Soccer program has always been competitive in the 5A1 Division, and this year will be no different.  Coach Rabasca, his staff and the boys challenge themselves every year to be the very best on and off the field.  We look forward to a great season.  They will compete at home on Thursday night at our stadium.  Good luck, Boys Soccer!  Go Thunder!

You do not want to miss the Winter Dance Productions held in the Dr. Joe McDonald Auditorium on Thursday, December 2, at 7:00 pm and Friday, December 3 at 4:00 pm.  Mrs. Caryl, Miss Pease and the DV Dancers are absolutely amazing!   The Performing Arts program will perform the play Harvey, Wednesday at 7:00 pm, and on Thursday and Friday at 4:00 pm.  These events are a great way to enjoy the holiday seasons!  You do not want to miss these opportunities!

Our Football team has been preparing to defeat Desert Ridge High School over the past two weeks.  They are ready!  The game will take place at Mesquite High School off of McQueen and Warner, this Friday night.  Game time is 7:00 pm.  Be there and on time, as they will need us from start to finish. Let’s bring the Thunder home with a victory.  They are one game away from competing for the 5A1 State Championship.  Come and be the 12th man this Friday at Mesquite High School.  Good Luck to Coach Hinds, his staff, and Desert Vista’s Thunder Football team.  Go Thunder!

As I have mentioned in the past, Desert Vista has the best parents in the whole wide world.  I appreciate your enthusiasm and passion about your children.  Please continue to model exemplary behavior in the areas of competition, both on campus and off.  Desert Vista High School teachers, staff and administration look forward to serving you every day.

Remember to… Give your All in All that you do.  When you need your BEST it will be there for you!

Excellence Through Performance

Thank you for Rolling with Battle!

Dr. Anna Battle, Principal

Hello Thunder Family,

It is my pleasure to share with you that Desert Vista High School experienced an extremely successful AdvancED accreditation visit November 9th and 10th.   We were ranked Highly Functional (the top ranking) in all seven standards – a perfect score!  The visitation chair informed all faculty and staff that this is a very rare occurance.  Way to go, Thunder!   I want to thank the AdvancED team members pictured below, including: Christina Barela, Annette Haynes, Michele Lucas, Jeanne Scanlon, Shawna Thue, Cassandra Cline, Karen Calianno, Maggie Fountain, Katrina Montoya, Ryan Tolman, Rachel Proudfoot and Deb Benedict.  Check out the video results on Desert Vista’s website!

Parent leadership from Cindy Collins and Tina Oliveira were greatly appreciated.  All parents who provided food and drinks for both days, and who do so for our staff development days during the school year, we thank you very much.

The Thunder Marching Band was named Division 1 Arizona State Champions Saturday night. Receiving the highest score, 89.2, nearly four points ahead of second place Mountain Ridge High School, Director Josh Thye, teachers and band members were simply outstanding!  The group’s first place finish placed them atop 60 qualifying bands.  In addition, the Thunder Band was awarded the High Music Caption.

The Thunder Band will represent Arizona on December 30, 2010 at the Fiesta Bowl National Tournament of Bands at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.  Congratulations and Good Luck Thunder Marching Band!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 the Desert Vista Chamber Orchestra provided a sensational performance in the Desert Vista Black Box Theater.  Congratulations Dr. Wedington-Clark and The DVHS Chamber Orchestra students.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010, Desert Vista’s Student Council hosted our annual Battle of the Bands.  As you have read, Desert Vista has many talented musicians and this evening included gifted musicians and singers on display, resulting in an exciting competition.  The 2010 Battle of the Bands winners were Senior Aaron Smith in a duet with 2009 DV graduate Holly Nordquist, and the band “DSL”, which includes DV seniors Nick Giovannucci and Nathaniel Baumann, as well as 2008 graduate Tyler Gaston.

Eighty Desert Vista students attended the Latin Fall Forum at ASU last week. This was an amazing event hosted by the ASU School of Languages and Literature.  Besides spending the day in a number of lectures and workshops presented by the classics faculty, students also had the opportunity to engage in a number of competitions against Scottsdale Preparatory Academy, Tempe Preparatory Academy, Chandler Preparatory Academy, and Phoenix Country Day School.  In Mosaics, Tassie Saunders earned third place and Jasmine Hadaad achieved second.  In architecture, Andy Lopez, Victoria Spencer, and Susan Tu achieved second place.  In Certamen, DV teams earned second and third place finishes.  In the poster competition, Susan Tu earned a first, Morgan Caron earned an honorable mention, and Elliott Travis received a second.  There was a scavenger hunt as well, which was won by our group of Latin 3-4 boys.  Special thanks must be given to the following students for presenting at the event:  Kelsey Pearson, Sara Herman, OIivia Reeves, Katy Miller, Charnjeet Khaira, David Kaptur, and Roddy Nikpour. Also, thanks must be given to parents Ms. Papacek, Ms. Kaptur, and Ms. Roush for serving as chaperones.

This past Saturday the Desert Vista Spirit Line hosted over 50 schools and competed in the UCA Desert Southwest Regional and National Qualifying competition.  The JV Squad took first place in their category, and Mr. TJ Snyder reported an exceptional performance.  The Varsity squad took second and will compete again this weekend in the AIA state qualifying event.

The Thunder Speech Theater and Debate Company competed this past weekend as well, at the 25th annual Dobson Invitational Tournament.  I was so impressed with the preparedness that was displayed by the students and coaching staff.   Individual champions included Isabela Schwartz in Dramatic Interpretation, Christopher Binning and Samuel Abney in Duet Acting, Michael Mazzella and Dillon Olmanson in Duo Interpretation, Brendan Porter in Congressional Debate, Michael Mazzella in Radio Broadcasting, and Sammi Saunders in Prose Interpretation.  Out of 46 schools from all over Arizona, Desert Vista placed first in team competition!

The DV JV Hockey Team had two games this past weekend.  They lost to Notre Dame and they tied Desert Mountain with a score of 1-1. Daniel Skrome scored the Thunder’s lone goal.

Friday night football will continue to roll for the Thunder.  With an exciting double overtime finish, Coach Hind’s Thunder defeated Mesa Mountain View 31-28.  The Thunder will host Salpointe Catholic this Friday night at 7:00 pm.   Come out and support Desert Vista football, Thunder Marching Band and the Desert Vista Spirit Line!  Way to go Coach Hinds, coaches and Thunder Football!

All of our winter teams are practicing very hard, anticipating the beginning (and in some cases, the continuation) of their competitive seasons.  Good luck to all of the following programs:  Wrestling, Girls and Boys Basketball, Boys and Girls Soccer, Spirit Line, Marching Band, Speech and Debate and all class/club groups that will be competing this winter! This past week the Academic Departments began emailing progress reports.  Please be sure that you have received all of your children’s progress reports by the end of this week.

And finally, last week I reported the following regarding our Boys Cross Country team:  “As 167 competitors passed the first mile, Desert Vista was in perfect position to finish among the best teams in the race.  With the lowest number indicating the best score, team results for 5A1 were Alhambra with 102 points, Mountain View with 112 and a close fourth place was Desert Vista with 117.”  The Boys CC team was third in the state, not fourth.  My apologies for the error.

Remember to… Give your All in All that you do.  When you need your BEST it will be there for you!

Excellence Through Performance

Thank you for rolling with Battle!

Dr. Anna Battle, Principal