Welcome to Canyon Springs Preschool
The Canyon Springs preschool team is looking forward to a great year
with your preschooler!!
I am Robyn Harper (commonly known to my preschoolers as Ms. Robyn), your child’s
preschool teacher. This is my fourth year as a preschool teacher at Canyon Spring
Stem Academy and I am proud to be a part of such a dedicated group of teachers,
staff and administration! I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and I am a
product of a Deer Valley Unified School District education. I earned my dual
certification in elementary and early childhood special education from Northern
Arizona University. I am now mom to a 8 year old daughter, Sedona, and a 4 year
old son, Harrison. My husband and I enjoy spending time with our kiddos doing
anything outside; biking, hiking, going to the water park, barbequeing, camping,
etc… Yep, anything outside! (And if it includes Diet Dr. Pepper, macaroni and
cheese or chocolate - EVEN better!) 
Ms. Bina is one of the the amazing paraprofessionals who will be working with your
preschooler daily. She has worked in the district for several years and has been
extensive experience working with young children in a variety of settings. She is
dedicated to helping your preschooler learn, have fun and succeed!
We will be welcoming another para into our preschool shortly – I will keep you
updated and let you know when and who will be joining us.
We also have a Speech Therapist, Occupational Therapist and Physical Therapist
who join our class throughout the week.
A TYPICAL PRESCHOOL DAY
Our days are FULL on Monday-Thursday from 8:45-11:15
for our AM class and from 12:15-2:45 for our PM class.
On Fridays we do not have preschool, but the preschool
staff is busily preparing all the fun things for the next
week, attending meetings and professional development.
Throughout the preschool day your child will have the opportunity for outside play,
art activities, large group movement activities, writing center, computers/IPADS,
dramatic play, small group and one on one learning time. We also get to go to the
library 1 day a week. We are able to check out books, but the books stay here at
school. Activities are developmentally appropriate, engaging and while it may look
like fun and play, your child is actively engaging in learning at all times throughout
his/her preschool day. Our preschool mission is: WE PLAY TO LEARN!!
We utilize the TELL curriculum developed by ASU as well as the Teaching
Strategies Gold Assessment to help guide teaching for our early childhood
learners.
PRESCHOOL BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS:
Each week each child will have the opportunity to RIDE THE WAVE TO THE
TREASURE BOX!! Each child has a paper surf board which is hanging on the wall in
our classroom. Everyday your child has the opportunity to earn a sticker for
following classroom rules and expectation; listening to teachers, playing nicely with
others, and participating appropriately in activities. When a child earns a sticker,
he or she will move their surfboard over one wave. On Thursday every child who
has moved their surfboard 3 or more waves will be able to make a trip to the
treasure box!!
If a child is having a difficult time making good choices through the day, a staff
member will encourage the child to make a good decision and discuss why we need
to follow the rules. If multiple warnings are needed or a child is hurting
themselves or others, he/she will be asked to leave the area and go to the quiet
spot until he/she is ready to join the group again. I will be in touch with you if your
child had a difficult time making good decisions while at school.
All District Rules will be adhered to at Canyon Springs School. Please refer to the DVUSD Student
Rights and Responsibilities Handbook. We believe that students must treat others with the same respect
with which they are treated by the adults in our school. We also believe that student’s actions, dress,
possessions, etc., must not cause a problem for themselves or anyone else.
COMMUNICATION
At the beginning of each week I will send out an email newsletter. If you do not
have access to email, I will provide a paper copy. You will also be able to access the
PRESCHOOL NEWS via the classroom website. The newsletter will let you know
what we will be working on for the week including specific letters, colors, numbers,
shapes, songs, stories we will be reading and activities you can do at home to help
encourage learning. Each day your child will have a folder in his/her backpack.
Please return the folder daily. Your child is learning responsibility and working on
fine motor skills each day has he/she retrieves or puts their folder in/out of their
backpack, zips it up, etc. Independence and responsibility are two lifelong skills! 
Email is the best way to reach me, but you are always welcome to call or put a note
into your child’s folder as well. During the school day the children are my priority
so I typically cannot be reached while students are here. However if there is an
emergency or changes need to be made for pick up or drop off you can contact the
office and they will be able to be sure the preschool staff is notified. We also
have a preschool classroom website. I will post pictures of some of the awesome
activities we are doing in the classroom so you can see your child actively engaged
in learning. I also encourage you to check the class website periodically. I will
update the website calendar, provide links to activities and information that may
be useful at home as well as provide our snack menus and the preschool newsletter
online.
If your preschooler will be absent, please call the Canyon Springs attendance line.
It’s always nice to get an email or phone call, too, just to know that everyone is ok.
 We definitely miss our preschool friends when they can’t be at school!!
Please schedule specific times to meet with me, as we need time to communicate effectively. I often
have professional duties directly before and after school hours. Please understand that I will not be
able to meet or discuss issues while I am teaching or supervising students. However, I will contact you
as soon as I can.
Classroom phone number is 623-376-5277
Office phone number is 623-376-5200
Attendance line is 623-376-5290
Email address is robyn.harper@dvusd.org
Preschool website http://www.dvusd.org/Domain/1785
Canyon Springs Website is www.canyonsprings.dvusd.org
Parent Involvement is all about the children. Participation in your child’s education is proven to boost
his or her achievement in school. We are committed to treat parents as partners while keeping lines of
communication open and focused on the needs of your child. Mutual trust and respect between parents
and teachers is required to maintain a positive learning experience at any school. We believe that your
trust in Canyon Springs is required to ensure your child’s success.
CLASSROOM VOLUNTEERS
Volunteerism in any form is greatly appreciated at Canyon Springs School. Deer Valley Unified School
District requires all school volunteers to take the DVUSD Volunteer training course offered
throughout the year (if you have taken this in previous years, you are all set). Volunteers must set
specific dates and times with the teachers. It is imperative to establish an important role for the
volunteer without interrupting the learning environment. Parent volunteerism in the classroom during
the school-day varies based on need, teachers, and grade levels.
Volunteer classes are held throughout the district all through the school year. You
only have to take the one hour training ONE time and you are good to go for your
child’s entire school career in the DVUSD. We hope to go on at least one field trip
this year and we would appreciate any volunteers. We also have opportunities for
volunteering through the school year during special events and classroom activities.
SNACKS AND CELEBRATIONS
We have snack time in the classroom daily. A monthly snack calendar will be sent
home at the beginning of the month via email. Please notify me immediately if your
child has any food allergies!!
Birthdays are a BIG deal in preschool!! We enjoy celebrating and typically do so
during our snack time. Some children enjoy bringing a little something to share
with their preschool friends on celebration day and that is ok, but we ask that all
treats be non-edible due to the large number of students at Canyon Springs
with life threatening food allergies. We truly appreciate your understanding and
support while we ensure the safety of all students!
We are excited to be a part of your child’s preschool
experience here at Canyon Springs!
Ms. Robyn & Ms. Bina