April 25, 2014 District Dialogue

District Dialogue Biweekly news from the Laveen Elementary School District

April 25, 2014

Trailside Point team takes Bronze

Cheatham participates in Relay for Life

Trailside Point’s middle school gifted team took Third Place and won a bronze medal in the recent Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Day State On-Site Competition.

Competition participants work on engineering challenges and problem solving. Trailside’s challenge was to build a tall tower out of spaghetti, marshmallows and a limited amount of tape.

Teams from Rogers Ranch and Vista del Sur also participated in the event.

Cheatham’s student council members, teachers, and staff walked together at the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life held at Betty Fairfax High School on March 29.

Relay participants took turns either walking, or running, around the track from noon until midnight — representing the fact that cancer never sleeps.

Cheatham was not only the largest team in attendance but was also named the most spirited team at the relay.

The team raised over $600 to donate to Relay for Life to help aide cancer research and join the fight against it.

Trailside’s team, from left: Sadie Check, Faith Stockton, Michael Lynd, Victor Martinez with Mrs. Sarah Zembruski, principal and Mrs. Betty Ehret, Gifted Coach

Laveen art students showcase work Students in Laveen School’s Art Club showcased their work in a recent art exhibit. The event was held in conjunction with the Laveen Art League’s Art Walk.

Members from the Art League have been visiting with the Art Club students to teach them a variety of techniques. The artists helped Art Club students create pieces such as gourd drums, ceramics, papermaking, jewelry, and copper pins.

The art exhibit was held April 11 in Building A. Special thanks to Laveen Art League member Michael Dicken for organizing the event.

Visiting artists include: Susan Sanborn, ceramics; Andrea Berusqui, cardboard bracelets; Michael Dicken, papermaking; Laura Zelins, copper pins; and Shelley Fletcher, gourd drums. Ms. Jamie Polich is Laveen School’s art teacher and Art Club sponsor.

The District Dialogue is issued on the second and fourth Friday of the month.

Parents or Not, Young Kids Impact Us All

Information from First Things First

Lions recognize student artwork Each year, the Laveen Lions Foundation sponsors a Peace Poster Art Contest within the Laveen District.

The group selects one winner from each school.

These students were recognized at the April board meeting. The First Place winners from each school are: Jacqueline Ruiz, Cheatham; Francisco Herrera, Desert Meadows; Guadalupe Barraza, Laveen; Lizbet Suarez, M.C.Cash; Carlos Grijalva, Rogers Ranch; Sarah Lynd, Trailside Point; and Vicky Ross, Vista del Sur.

Twenty Laveen students are Barrett Summer Scholars Twenty seventh and eighth grade students from the Laveen District were accepted to attend the Barrett Summer Scholars program hosted by Arizona State University and Barrett, The Honors College.

These students will have the unique opportunity to live on the ASU campus for one week and experience college life through a variety of intensive-study courses, taught by Arizona State University instructors, while covering subject matter not typically presented at their grade level.

Only 200 students are selected, from each grade level, from across the state. In addition to the honor of being selected, many students also were awarded full or partial scholarships for the program.

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This month, communities across the nation hosted events aimed at raising awareness of the importance of early childhood as part of Week of the Young Child.

While some may think these activities are exclusively for parents or individuals who work with young kids, they really were aimed at showing how early childhood affects us all.

Research shows that a child’s early experiences have a tremendous impact – not just on kids – but on their communities, too. Children who are prepared for kindergarten are more likely to do well in school, graduate and go on to college. As adults, they tend to be healthier and earn more. They also are less likely to become part of the criminal justice system or the welfare system.

So – whether you have a child 5 and younger in your life or not – investing time, energy and resources in helping kids arrive at kindergarten prepared to be successful is not only right, it’s smart.

Here are just a few ways that you can make a difference in their future – and the future of our state.

Spend Time with Young Children – Talk, play, sing and read with the young kids in your life every chance you get. Those quality interactions help build brain connections that give them a strong foundation upon which all their future learning will be built.

Work With Young Kids – Kids need as many caring adults in their lives as possible. If being a preschool teacher or other early childhood professional is not for you, consider volunteering with community organizations that work with children 5 and younger and their families.

Be A Voice for Children –Help build awareness of the importance of early childhood and what can be done to promote school readiness for all children.

By working together, we can keep the conversation about what young children need going beyond a week or month’s worth of events and ensure that all kids have the opportunity to succeed in kindergarten and beyond!

To learn more, visit azftf.gov.

April 25, 2014

CONGRATULATIONS

M.C. Cash & Trailside Point

School of + A Excellence Announced April 24, 2014