District Dialogue Bi-weekly news from the Laveen Elementary School District
August 18, 2017
Welcome back, Laveen families. Let’s grow together! Laveen started another great school year with a number of activities welcoming back staff and families. Teachers new to Laveen participated in the annual New Teacher Induction the week of July 24. Participants were grouped by grade level and rotated through a number of sessions to become familiar with academic resources. A keynote on classroom management and parent communication was offered by guest speaker Jim Littlejohn. Laveen welcomed all staff members back to a “Growing Together” themed kick-off event held at Cheatham Elementary on August 2. Staff reviewed last year’s accomplishments and looked ahead at what the new year has in store for our community. Each staff member left with a pack of seeds and a small planter to further inspire them. Once they begin to grow, staff members will share pictures of themselves with their growing plants at the Laveen Education Center and on the district’s flickr page. Meet the Teacher Night was a great success as families braved the storm on August 3 to come out and become acquainted with their child’s school and teachers. All events helped prepare Laveen’s staff, students, and families for a positive new year when classes resumed on August 7. There were lots of smiles and hugs and plenty of photo ops as students returned to school. .
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Laveen – One of the Nation’s “Googliest” School Districts
District shows enrollment growth
The Laveen Elementary School District has been named a Google for Education Reference District for its strong vision and transformation of education with technology. Reference Districts demonstrate excellence and thought leadership through the innovative use of technology to drive impact and positive learning outcomes. Laveen was invited to become part of the program due to its strong adoption of G Suite for Education tools and Chromebooks. The district is now considered one of the “Googliest” in the nation.
Student enrollment in the Laveen Elementary School District has increased since last year. There were 6,873 students in attendance during the first week which is an increase of 141 students from the year prior. Paseo Pointe School had the largest increase with growth of 51 students bringing their student population above 900 in Grades K-8. While Paseo opened several preschool sections this year, those students are not included in the enrollment figures as tuition-based programs do not generate state funding. The district traditionally shows an even larger increase a few weeks after school starts and is expecting that trend to continue.
Do we have your email address? Laveen schools are moving towards electronic communication. All Laveen schools are now utilizing the Peachjar e-flyer system to send school newsletters and details on campus-wide happenings as well as notifications on ball leagues and community events. To ensure you receive these notices, please make sure your child’s school has your email address on file. Visit our e-flyer page for more details.
School administrator changes take place Administrator openings for the 2017-18 school year led to changes in school administration across the district. J.P. Ketcham returned to Desert Meadows as principal, replacing Steve Preis who retired in June. Ketcham had previously served as the school’s assistant principal and was most recently at Laveen School. Joining him at Desert Meadows is assistant principal Steve Gerace who served as the A.P. at Cheatham. Tanya Whiteford moved from Desert Meadows to Cheatham as assistant principal. Asia Glover is the new assistant principal at Rogers Ranch where she previously served as an instructional coach. She replaces Ashley Grant who moved to Laveen School as assistant principal. Richard Pino joined the Laveen Education Center as Coordinator of Technology Integration. He was previously an instructional coach at Desert Meadows. Delphina Avila is the new Federal Programs coordinator joining Laveen from the Isaac District.
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Gerace
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Avila August 18, 2017
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Officer remembered through backpack drive, giveaway Every first grader at Cheatham Elementary School in Laveen received a new backpack filled with school supplies in honor of a fallen police officer. The David Glasser Foundation invited the students to the local Peter Piper Pizza before the start of school to pick out a new backpack and interact with police officers. Phoenix Police officer David Glasser was killed in the line of duty last year while responding to a call in the Cheatham neighborhood. The foundation created in his name has one goal -- to provide opportunities for law enforcement officers and the people they serve to connect and learn through community events and resources. This event gave officers the opportunity to interact in a positive environment with the community that they serve. Before being treated to pizza and games, each student was partnered with an officer to help them select a backpack from the hundreds that were available. Then it was out to the restaurant parking lot where families had the opportunity to watch a K9 demonstration, jump in the SWAT Bearcat vehicle, and test their robot maneuvering skills. Even McGruff, the crime dog stopped by to visit with the kids. Each backpack contained all the school supplies needed for the new school year. The backpacks were collected a week prior to the giveaway at the same location. The goal of collecting 100 backpacks was surpassed in the first half hour with the foundation bringing in 400 backpacks at their very first drive.
Laveen Lions donate 400 backpacks
Hundreds of school uniforms collected
The Laveen Lions provided backpacks and school supplies to each of our eight schools. Each school received 50 backpacks, composition notebooks, eraser packs, boxes of pencils, and pencil bags. They also received 250 notebooks, 100 packs of loose leaf paper, and 150 pocket folders. The schools determined how the supplies were to be distributed to students.
Members of CrossWalk Church collected hundreds of gently-used school uniforms and personal hygiene items as part of their 6th annual clothing and hygiene drive to benefit Laveen students Members cleaned, sorted, and delivered 40 boxes of the uniforms to Laveen schools. The clothing and items were distributed to our health offices where they will be given to students as needed.
Senator Catherine Miranda LD-27 welcomes back the Laveen community. Read her message here.
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August 18, 2017