May 9, 2014 Internal News

District Dialogue For employees of the Laveen Elementary School District

May 9, 2014

Students’ artwork featured in book Five students from across the district had their artwork featured in the latest Jeremy Jackrabbit book, Jeremy Jackrabbit Captures the Sun. The book was authored by two Phoenix residents and students from all over the county could submit their artwork to be published.

Featured Laveen artists include: Celeste Lamadrid, Nathalie Pol, Stephen Purvis, Sarah Lynd, and Marissa Torres.

The book was provided to all Maricopa County kindergarten students.

Meadows students take a trip around the world Students at Desert Meadows grabbed their passports and attended the school’s annual culture night May 8.

Students and their families celebrated diversity and learned about other cultures by participating in games and activities from around the world.

Over 500 people attended the event and enjoyed refreshments and music in addition to the many displays.

Liberty Mutual Insurance and the Meadows PTSA sponsored the event.

Desert Meadows students visit China as part of the school’s annual culture night.

Laveen School receives grant Laveen School was awarded a grant from the I am a Leader Foundation for the 2014-15 school year.

As a recipient, they will receive discounted fees and free student implementation materials. This is valued at about $10,000 dollars.

I am a Leader works to provide programs and services that build students' character and leadership in elementary schools around the world.

Trailside sisters place in chess tournament

Kamila

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

Two sisters from Trailside Point competed in the recent Arizona State Scholastic Chess Championship.

Kindergartner Kamila Olson took 1st Place in the The Bug House Session.

Third grader Kitana Olson took 2nd Place in the Blitz Tournament.

Cash to provide more fruits and vegetables through grant M.C. Cash School is the recipient of a $42,500 grant by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

This funding will provide fresh fruits and vegetables to Cash students throughout next school year.

The program was established to expand the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience; increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption; and create healthier eating habits.

Lebish, Emler are April’s Employees of the Month Employees of the month for April are Erin Lebish, third grade teacher at Trailside Point, and Nichole Emler, district nurse.

Lebish was nominated for inspiring both students and teachers to love learning. She always pushes her students to the next level with various projects such as creating Charlotte’s Web board games. Her students show immense pride in their work. Lebish is also highly involved in the Trailside Point community. She has served as head coach of Girls on the Run and attends many parent nights and other PTA sponsored events. She mentors students and helps tutor them after school. Ms. Lebish pours enthusiasm into everything she does.

Nurse Nikki was nominated because, despite her enormous caseload, she remains calm, professional and enthusiastic. She demonstrates a high level of skill and professionalism as she oversees vision and hearing screenings, seizure and allergy plans, and other school health issues. She works closely with families to ensure safety procedures are in place and can find a solution to any problem. Nurse Nikki is dependable, reliable, and truly committed to the well-being and safety of students and staff.

Lebish

Emler

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month Did you know that speech/language disorder is one of the most common childhood disorders, affecting approximately 7% of children? This is important, as deficits in the development of speech and language can lead to academic difficulties. In fact, language deficits in young children are considered to be one of the most accurate predictors of long term problems with academic achievement. Children with speech language deficits may have difficulties in any one or more of the following:  articulation (accurate production of speech sounds, difficulty with producing intelligible speech)  understanding spoken language (difficulty understanding directions, needing visual cues to understand)  grammar/syntax (using appropriate parts of speech such as verb tenses, difficulty producing organized PAGE 2

sentences)  semantics (vocabulary development, such as: word meanings, analogies, synonym/antonyms, figurative language)  pragmatics (social use of language, making inferences, nonverbal communication, topic maintenance, eye contact)  fluency (fluency deficits are what is commonly known to be “stuttering”)  voice (differences in pitch, quality, or volume of voice) Early identification is important. If you have a child or student whom you suspect may have a speech or language disorder, contact your school’s Speech Language Pathologist.

— Kim Horack, M.S., CCC-SLP

May 9, 2014

Employee Benefit Annual Open Enrollment Enrollment/Change Forms are due by May 16th at 4pm to HR Attend a benefit presentation or listen to the recorded benefit overview (the recorded webinar will be sent via email to all employees the week of April 14th) to learn what is changing and what will remain the same for your 7/1/14-6/30/15 insurance programs (dates, times, and location are listed below).

REMINDER – This is your once a year opportunity to make changes to your current insurance elections, you are only allowed to make a change in the middle of the year if you have an approved qualifying event such as marriage, divorce, birth of child, spouse loses or gains coverage under another plan, etc. If you have a qualifying event you MUST notify Human Resources within 30 days of the event otherwise you are not authorized to make a change until the next open enrollment.

Your current benefit elections will automatically roll over for the 7/1/14 plan year unless you complete and submit a change form. However, if you are enrolled in any of the coverages below you will be required to submit a new enrollment form: o Flexible Spending Account (FSA) - if you wish to participate in the FSA (or continue participation) you must submit a FSA enrollment form. You will NOT automatically be re-enrolled in the FSA‌. You must re-elect each year.

LAVEEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT OFFICE

Tuesday, April 22nd

11:00am-11:30am

Thursday, April 24th

3:30pm-4:00pm