In This Issue

Message from the Principal P1

Monthly Events P1

Math P2

Electives P2

Science P3

Social Studies P3

English P4

Counselor’s Corner P4

Message from the Principal It is our goal every year to provide our students rich academic opportunities, to

find success and eventually earn their diploma in a supportive, safe and nurturing

learning environment. We strive to prepare our graduates to be career, college

and life ready once leaving the Dysart Unified School District.

Sundown Mountain continues to implement the PBIS program (Positive Be-

haviors Interventions and Support) as a vehicle to promote positive student aca-

demic and behavioral outcomes. In addition, we emphasize the 3 R’s as part of the

PBIS program. The 3 R’s are Respect, Responsibilities and Readiness. They

are the guiding principles that each student and staff member adheres to each

and every day. Last year, Sundown Mountain had over 90 graduating seniors,

and the number of graduates is expected to surpass last year’s totals.

As we continue this school year, Sundown Mountain is always looking for par-

ent and community involvement in supporting and fostering our educational mis-

sion. Volunteering is a great and simple way to get involved and make a powerful

impact in a student’s life and serve the community you reside in. If you have the

time, have a special talent or expertise, we would be glad to have you become part

of our Sundown Mountain team. Please find additional information regarding

volunteering in the Dysart District website or call 623-876-7250.

We look forward to a continuation of a very positive and successful year here at

Sundown Mountain.

Sundown Mountain Newsletter November 2016

Ms. Miller

It is amazing how time flies and here we are in November. In Algebra students are learning about factoring and solving equa-tions. Next is everyone’s favorite, Quadratic equations. Students will learn how to solve quadratic equations by using FOIL, completing the square, roots. They will also learn how to solve by graphing. This historically is a tough unit for students, but I believe they are up for the task.

In Financial Math, we are finishing up with Income Taxes and next be focused on the Stock Market. This includes reading a stock market ticker, evaluating trends and determining when it is best to buy or sell. Students learn just how exciting the stock market can be.

AZ Merit is also in full swing and Algebra students will be taking the test soon. It is important students are in attendance every day in order to be fully prepared. Many students are preparing to graduate in December and are working hard to reach this goal. Please keep them in your thoughts and encourage them in their endeavors.

Mr. Brook

We posted the midterm grades last week which means that we al-

ready started the second half of the second quarter. In algebra, we

will work on solving quadratic equations by graphing, factoring, and

completing the square which will eventually lead us to the quadratic

formula. We will also look into the complex number system. Even

though, the ancient Egyptian mathematicians tried to solve the square root of negative numbers during the construction of

the pyramids around 50 AD, it was in 1637 that the French philosopher and mathematician Rene Descartes came up with

the standard form of complex number which is ( a + bi ), where “ i “ is the so called imaginary unit when squared gives -1, while a

and b are the real part. Now, the complex number system is our best tool to solve quadratic equations with negative discrimi-

nant. In geometry, we will go over ratios, proportions and similarities. Similar polygons, similarity transformations and continue

on geometric mean, pythagorean theorem and trigonometry. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Mrs. Fontes

Students have been working hard on their electives this quarter. 2nd quarter electives need to be finished by December 22, 2016 if stu-

dents want to earn the credit for the 2nd quarter. Students can log into ischool.agilixbuzz.com to work on their classes using their normal

district login. Tests and quizzes must be taken at school, but students can complete the lesson activities and questions at home or

school. If you have any questions about the elective courses, please contact Mrs. Fontes by email at shanin.fontes@dysart.org.

Mrs. England

We are at the halfway point of the quarter!

Time for a few reminders for success in Ms. England's class:

-I am available before school and during Academic Enrich-

ment for one-on-one assistance and for Quiz retakes/

corrections.

-Quizzes may be retaken ONLY before school or during

AE WITH NOTES.

-Late work is still being accepted for full credit.

-Students should focus on Project and Assessment grades

to make the biggest impact on their grade.

-Attendance matters! We learn and do a lot every day and I

don't want you to fall behind.

World History is currently studying World War II. We start-

ed with the rise of fascism and analyzed whether appeasement

was a good or bad idea. Next we study the Holocaust, ana-

lyzing the decision to drop the atomic bomb and the begin-

nings of the Cold War.

Government just spent a lot of time covering Election

2016. We are currently learning about the Political Spec-

trum and the political party platforms. Students now know

whether they are more likely to be Democrats or Republicans

in the future. Next we study Interest Groups and PACs and

then begin studying our Legislative Branch.

Hope everyone has a very safe Thanksgiving holiday- full of

good food and family fun.

Mrs. Gorosics All Science classes are in full swing.

Biology is focusing on DNA, Heredity and Genetics. Students just completed their learning about how humans have impacted the Earth.

Botany-Zoology is dissecting every week. We are studying a variety of Phyla. As we move along the specimens we study are becoming more com-

plex. This class will be dissecting a shark for their final lab in the class.

Anatomy-Physiology is working their way inward on the body. Currently, we are studying the Heart and Lungs and will be performing various lab ex-

periments on each other as well as themselves. We will also dissect cow hearts. Their next unit will focus on diet, nutrition and the digestive sys-

tem. We will promote a Healthy Lifestyle and research various claims that are promoted on social media. The final unit will be the reproductive.

Mrs. Wilfong’s Classroom News

AZ/US History 2 is currently working on the Roaring 20s and will

quickly move into the causes for the Great Depression of the 1930s.

At the beginning of the month we studied World War I: causes, battles,

players, and the reason the United States joined the crisis. We dis-

cussed the League of Nations and compared the reasons for the US

to join or not to participate. The 1920s was a time of culture change

with women’s voting, Prohibition and buying on credit. After the 1930s,

we once again will study the world at war with World War II. This month

also brought the 2016 Presidential Election and all the excitement that

created. Some of the students were able to vote and exercise their

rights as citizens.

Economics was also involved with the elections and the economic

ramifications that the United States is facing with signet growth. Which

candidate will bring prosperity to the US? This month we compared

economic systems and just finished the benefits of free enterprise. Our

government is extremely linked to free enterprise and the Constitution

protects many of the principals. We will take a close look in the next few

weeks at Demand and Supply along with the Business Cycle.

Can’t believe the quarter is almost over.

Mrs. Santacasa’s English Classes Mrs. Santacasa’s English Classes

This month, the English 4 students have been creating

their own consulting firm. They were given the data from a

local ice cream shop and asked to analyze the information

looking for ways to earn more money and make their cus-

tomers happy. They created a proposal to go along with

their findings and then created a visual to present to their

customer. The kids did a great job creating a business

name and logo and they put a lot of hard work into their vis-

uals.

The English 8 students have been working on reflective

essays. Writing narratives isn’t new to these seniors, but

they took it a step further analyzing why the event they are

writing about impacted their views on a bigger concepts

such as courage and hate. There have been plenty of is-

sues for them to write about recently, but the hard part is

them realizing how these events and issues impact the way

Mrs. Saeed

English 8 students are exploring the key ideas of equality as they analyze coun-

ter arguments in the Wollstonecraft's: A Vindication of the Rights of a Woman.

Before we dove into this great literary work, we focused on the Big Idea of What

makes Equality elusive? Students learned about the world's youngest Nobel

Peace Prize recipient Malala Yousaf from Pakistan in her journey of fighting for

rights of young girls to receive an education. This unit of study connects on many

levels ranging from society and culture from the 18th century till today. Our culmi-

nating activities will consist of routine Socratic seminars and an Argumentative

essay. I truly enjoy the level of engagement and appreciate the enthusiasm stu-

dents have displayed in the classroom!

Happy Holidays to all Sundown Mountain Students!

With the holidays quickly approaching means the end of Q2

is also approaching. Students please make sure you are keep-

ing tracks of your credits by using Infinite Campus’ student

portal. Students who will graduate in December 2016 or hop-

ing to return to your home-school in December, please remem-

ber to schedule an appointment with Ms. Jones before winter

break. Due to the amount of time it takes to go over your

credits appointments will need to be scheduled. To schedule

an appointment you must email Ms. Jones at Tami-

ka.jones@dysart.org, NO walk-ins will take place.

Seniors who have not received their senior graduation pack-

ets are welcomed to stop by Ms. Jones’ office, located across

from the school nurse’s office. Home-school senior time lines

are located on your home-school web page. Seniors seeking

an official transcript can submit a request under the Dysart

Unified School District’s web page under the Parchment tab. 23251 N. 166th Drive

Surprise, AZ. 85387

(623) 876-7250

Mrs. Kuettel

A primary goal for English 6 (Junior English) and English 2

(Freshman English) this quarter has been to use writing to not only

express our opinions, but to challenge us to a deeper level of reflection

and understanding by supporting those thoughts with specific evi-

dence.

In English 6, students are exploring the time period of NATURAL-

ISM. We are viewing the “The Law of Life” by Jack London as a lens

to examine the changing psyche in the early 1900’s. We are also using it

as vehicle to discuss contemporary society’s guiding principles or “laws”

that define us – and sometimes confine us. In English 2, the culminating

project for our expository (informational reading) unit will challenge

students to select their own “problem” to investigate. Students will

compile research in an outline format that will be used as to support the

writing process for a problem and solution essay. After completing this

project, we will switch gears and launch into a different genre of reading

that requires as much, if not more, investigation and personal introspec-

tion – poetry.