Welcome to the website of the Calabasas School Cougars! We are located in beautiful Rio Rico, Arizona, and are part of Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District #35.

Backed by a strong community of supporters and highly qualified teachers, we are ready and excited to take on the challenges of educating Pre-K through middle school students. Please enjoy your visit to our website, as you learn more about us and find out what makes Calabasas and the Cougars the best in Arizona.

Dear Families,

Wow, what a quarter! I cannot believe that quarter one is over! We had a lot to celebrate including Fiesta Mexicana, Sonita Fair Art competitions, and Fine Dining with the Principals. Thank you to all of the families that came to the fiesta to make it a success. It is one of my favorite events in the district!

We are looking forward to the family conferences on October 17 from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. (closed for dinner from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.) and October 18 from 8:00 a.m. to noon. We would love to see all of our families at the conferences to build a solid learning environment at home and at school. Having said that, we encourage you to have your student attend school every day so they can have the best educational opportunity. Each day that they miss, they miss a lot of instruction and start to fall behind. Please continue to help support your child in the following ways:

• Help your child get to school on time every day.
• Follow the school's guidelines and attendance policy and report excused absences immediately. At the beginning of the school year, review the school's rules and make sure you understand whom you need to call if your child is going to be absent.
• Check homework each night to see that your child understands and completes the day's homework assignments.
• Take an active role. Stay involved with your child's daily experiences at school by asking how the school day went and then listen carefully to what your child shares with you — both the successes and struggles. Make it a point to meet your child's teacher and friends.
• Locate potential sources of anxiety. If your child frequently appears upset or reluctant to go to school and cannot tell you why, schedule an appointment with his or her teacher or school counselor to talk about possible sources of the anxiety.
• Keep updated on school events and announcements. Read the school documents that your child brings home and take note of important announcements and dates such as back-to-school night and parent-teacher conferences.
• Try to limit the amount of time that your child misses school due to medical appointments or illness. If possible, avoid scheduling doctor's appointments during the school day. Allow your child to stay home only in the case of contagious or severe illnesses.
• Plan ahead. Schedule family events with your child's school schedule in mind. Plan holiday celebrations or family trips during weekends or school vacations. In the case of family emergencies or unexpected trips, talk to your child's teacher as far in advance as possible and set up a way that your child can work ahead or bring important homework on the trip.

Thank you again for your continued support and please let us know if you have any questions at all.

With kind regards,

Bethany Patterson

Bethany Patterson, Principal