The Latest from Fall 2018 .
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LAVEEN STUDENTS SERVE THE COMMUNITY Page 6
Letter from the Superintendent From neighborhood beautification projects to hosting a book drive for children, helping the homeless to preparing food bags for malnourished children, students in Laveen District schools have been involved in planning and implementing numerous service projects—providing assistance to others and striving to build a better community. (Page 6) This year has been no exception. Laveen’s students have been very active this past fall in serving others. These students aren’t just going to be the leaders of tomorrow; they are, in very real and meaningful ways, leading the way today. We are very proud of our students’ academic achievement, and we are likewise very pleased with their accomplishments and contributions outside the classroom. The quality of any community is a direct reflection of the dedication, commitment, and character of its citizens. Our schools excel because we have great teachers providing quality instruction, and also because we have wonderful students who are not only eager to learn, but are also proving themselves to be great citizens that are happy to serve others and benefit their community. Laveen District students are amazing and we are very proud of what they accomplish and, even more importantly, of their good character and willingness to serve. We are grateful to their parents and for the opportunity we have to be a part of our students’ lives. We are also very grateful to the people of Laveen who support our schools. We know that great communities have great schools, and that schools can only be great with the support of their communities. Thank you for your support and for the example you give to help make Laveen the great community that it is. -Dr. Bill Johnson, Superintendent
Laveen Elementary School District’s KINDERGARTEN ROUND UP For students starting in August 2019 REGISTER● MEET THE TEACHERS ● VISIT CLASSROOMS Free gift for children registered on this date.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5 4:30 P.M. - 6:30 P.M. At all Laveen schools*
FREE FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN AT ALL SCHOOLS
Students may be enrolled in any of our schools regardless of where they live, space permitting. Families living outside of a particular school’s transportation zone will be responsible for providing transportation.
*Vista del Sur is an accelerated academy and requires an assessment prior to enrolling. Kindergartners enrolled at Paseo Pointe must be part of the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program.
Preschool (ages 3-4) is offered at Desert Meadows, Paseo Pointe (DLI), and Vista del Sur. Page 2
Governing Board to welcome new member in January Laveen’s Governing Board will welcome a new member to the dais beginning in January following the election held in November. There were four candidates vying for the two available seats. Current board president Jill Barragan and long-time resident Fern Ward received the most votes. Barragan has served on the board since 2013. She has vast knowledge of education issues as she is currently the Executive Director of Business Services for the Avondale Elementary School District. She previously worked for the Arizona Department of Education in the school Barragan finance division. She also serves on the executive board of the Arizona Association of School Business Officials (AASBO) and is part of the EQUIP leadership team which works to educate legislators and constituents on public education matters. Ward has lived in Laveen for 36 years. She has served in various community capacities including chair of the Laveen BBQ, Laveen School PTSA President, 4H leader, Sunday school teacher, AWANA leader, and sports coach. She is currently chair of the sod Legislative The football field’s was usedDistrict in the 27 2017 Cactus Bowl and donated to Laveen. Ward Democratic Party, Laveen Fire District Governing Board member, and sits on the Latino Pride Alliance Advisory Board. She is retired from US Airways/America West and works part-time for the Phoenix Police Foundation.
Do you know what to do during a lockdown? Laveen’s schools routinely conduct lockdown drills to practice for situations in which students and staff should stay behind locked doors for safety reasons. Most often these occur due to active police investigations, in which a suspect is being pursued, occurring in close proximity to a school. When a school goes into lockdown the school will secure all buildings, account for all persons, and communicate pertinent information over the course of the incident. Lockdowns typically last less than 20 minutes. Parents should follow these tips for when their child’s school is in lockdown: Do not call the school. Office staff cannot answer phones during a lockdown. Once the school is secure and information is verified, a robocall and text message will be sent to families. Oftentimes, the situation is resolved before communication can be sent. In this case, parents will receive a message informing them of the lockdown event (please make sure your child's school has your
current phone number on file). Do not come to the school. Once a school is in lockdown, they are unable to open the doors for anyone, including parents. Persons gathering outside a school put themselves at risk while police work to apprehend a suspect. Driving to a school during a lockdown can create a traffic jam preventing first responders from reaching the school in a timely manner. In a true emergency situation, students will be relocated to an alternate site for parent reunification. Check district homepage. An alert message will be posted on the district web page, www.laveeneld.org, along with details and instructions. Messages will also be sent via the robocall system. Laveen’s highest priority is the safety of its students and staff. Staff has worked closely with Phoenix Police to develop best practices for handling emergency situations.
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Accomplishments .
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Laveen’s Mind, Body, & Spirit wins Golden Bell Promise Award Laveen School’s “Mind, Body & Spirit” program is the recipient of the Arizona School Boards Association’s (ASBA) Golden Bell Promise Award. The Golden Bell Award recognizes school initiatives that maximize the promise in each student and have shown outstanding student growth and success. An awards luncheon, held in conjunction with the ASBA and Arizona School Administrators winter conference, recognizes the educators who implement these initiatives. Laveen principal Dr. Robert Caplinger, teacher Gavin Tucker, and volunteer Jackie Morales will be recognized at this upcoming event. Additionally, they will present a breakout session at the conference for other school districts to learn about the program.
Laveen schools recognized for positive behavior programs All eight Laveen schools were recognized with the 2018 PBISaz Achievement Award for demonstrating high fidelity implementation and improved student behavior from using Positive Behavioral Interventions & Support (PBIS) systems. Laveen School received the Merit Award; Rogers Ranch received the Bronze; Vista del Sur, Paseo Pointe, Cheatham, Desert Meadows and M.C.
Cash all received the Silver Award; and Trailside Point received the Gold. In addition to the achievement awards, Paseo Pointe School was the recipient of the Film Festival Award for their video, "A Day in the Life of a Ram," showcasing Downs their principles Conley of PBIS. Serio Pazak District community engagement coordinator Dr. Joe Roselle received the Director’s Award for making a substantial impact on PBIS implementation in the state. All were recognized at the recent Arizona PBIS Oden Smith Conference.
Administrators honored with leadership award Three Laveen administrators were recognized with the district's Pinnacle of Leadership Award. Desert Meadows Principal J.P. Ketcham, Rogers Ranch Assistant Principal Asia Glover, and district Network Supervisor Butch Neal, were recognized at the September Governing Board meeting. The award recognizes outstanding accomplishments and dedication to the Laveen community. Page 4
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Vista alum is Million Dollar Scholar, studies Pharmacy at Xavier University of Louisiana Vista del Sur alum Eden Jenkins is a “million dollar scholar” having received over $1 million in meritbased scholarship and award offers from colleges and universities across the nation. To maximize her options for higher education, Jenkins applied to 53 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) via the Common Black College Application, three additional HBCUs, three Arizona universities, and three Ivy League universities. Jenkins received acceptance letters from 48 schools, but ultimately selected Xavier University of Louisiana. She received the President’s Scholarship, valued at $88,000 over four years, and will begin her pursuit of a doctoral degree in Pharmacy. After graduating from Betty Fairfax High School in 2018, Jenkins was accepted to Xavier’s College of Pharmacy Contingent Admit Program for high school seniors who demonstrate exceptional academic
achievement. She also received an invitation-only opportunity to participate in Xavier’s Pharmacy Prep Program last summer, as well as their Honors Exponential Program which began in the fall. While at Fairfax, Jenkins obtained a 4.6 grade point average while simultaneously earning over 48 college credits through the South Mountain Community College ACE Program with a 4.0 GPA. At Fairfax, she played tennis and volleyball, was HBCU Club President, Black Students Union Club Treasurer, National Honor Society member, Fairfax Gifted Program member, ASCEND Educational Enrichment Program participant, and Arizona Ivy League Project participant. Know a Laveen alum doing amazing things? Tell us about it at www.laveeneld.org/alumni-survey
Schools benefit from Wake Up! Club grants The Laveen School District has been awarded over $22,000 in grants to provide Wake Up! clubs at three of our schools. Sponsored by the City of Phoenix, Wake Up! clubs are designed to teach middle school students social and personal responsibility, community pride, life management skills, and conflict resolution. Led by School Resource Officers, the clubs offer field trips and guest speakers while emphasizing leadership skills, substance abuse prevention, and violence reduction. The grants were provided to the neighborhood block watches serving Trailside Point, Rogers Ranch, and M.C. Cash. The schools’ School Resource Officers moderate the programs.
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In Our Community .
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This semester, each of Laveen’s eight schools selected a community service project. Projects ranged from neighborhood cleanups to serving children in other countries. Some students volunteered over fall break and many schools selected multiple projects. Below are some of the ways our students have been serving the community.
Vista book drive benefits Kids Need to Read
Desert Meadows conducts hygiene drive
Coinciding with the school’s annual Kindness Challenge, Vista students conducted a book drive to benefit the non-profit foundation Kids Need to Read. The school’s goal was to collect 1,500 books. In the end, almost 4,000 new and gently used books were donated. Kids Need to Read partners with local community groups to ensure all students have access to books as literacy is crucial to student success. They estimate 32.4 million American children do not have books in their home.
Students at Desert Meadows held a collection drive to assist the homeless in our area. Students collected travel-sized toiletry items including soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, lotion, sunscreen, deodorant, baby wipes, and diapers. National Junior Honor Society members organized and bagged the nearly 1,500 items for distribution. On November 4, Desert Meadows worked with the nonprofit group "Arizona Friends For Homeless" to distribute care packages to those in need. The distribution took place at Cesar Chavez Park.
350 volunteers join M.C. Cash for neighborhood clean-up On October 20, M.C. Cash students involved in extra-curricular programs joined their club and/or sports sponsors, as well as almost 350 volunteers from the Sky Harbor Coalition, to take part in the Cash Community Clean-Up. This project took months of planning by city leaders and community groups to identify the areas that need the most attention. On the day of the event, streets were filled with commercial trash bins, tractors, front loaders, and hundreds of volunteers with shovels, picks, gloves, and garbage bags. The day began with a breakfast for all volunteers and words of appreciation and encouragement from Jim Burton, General Manager of Sky Harbor Airport and community leader, Isaac Serna. As the clean-up began, multitudes of families joined in as they cleaned their own yards.
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Cheatham students prepare food bags
Laveen students care
Cheatham’s 8th grade AVID students volunteered at Feed My Starving Children. This was the group’s first community service project of the year. Students hand packed rice, soy, dried vegetables, and a nutritionally complete blend of vitamins and minerals into bags. The bags are then shipped to Feed My Starving Children’s food partners for distribution to malnourished children around the world. Students prepared enough meals to feed 93 children one meal per day for an entire year.
Laveen Elementary School’s fifth and sixth grade students participated in a community service day on September 21. Wearing navy blue t-shirts which read “Laveen Students Care,” the students volunteered at a number of locations across the Laveen community. Projects included working at the Arizona Humane Society, cleaning up Cesar Chavez Park, and mentoring younger students at their own school.
Trailside Point’s Wake Up! members volunteer at food bank Trailside Point's Wake Up! Club members spent some time over the fall break preparing food boxes at St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance. The Wake Up! Club is sponsored by community block watch organizations and Phoenix Police to teach social and personal responsibility, community pride, life management skills, and conflict resolution. School Resource Officer Jason Groen leads Trailside’s Wake Up! Club.
Paseo Pointe collects hygiene products
Rogers Ranch club cleans neighborhood
Paseo Pointe’s National Junior Honor Society members conducted a hygiene product drive. Paseo students donated enough to create 250 hygiene bags. The bags were then donated to The Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
On every early release Wednesday, Rogers Ranch’s Wake-Up! Club goes out into the community and conducts a neighborhood clean-up. After The school has partnered with the neighborhood HOAs and received their input on key areas needing attention. Page 7
Around Our Schools .
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Desert Meadows
Rogers Ranch
Desert Meadows School’s preschool students finished their first unit of “Who we are” and made paper statues of themselves to express how individual and special they are. Students brought home outlines of themselves and, with the help of their families, listed all the things that make them special. The statues were returned to school and displayed around the cafeteria so families could view them.
A team of four students from Rogers Ranch competed in the national Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) competition in Philadelphia this summer. Students Thomas Beltran, Ana Fritts, Isabel Cardenas, and Brenan Wesolek were 5th graders last school year when they won the state competition for the middle school division in Arizona. The teams were judged in four areas — a 10-page report, a detailed poster, a technical interview with the judges, and a “pitch” presentation. The Rogers Ranch team came in 2nd Place in the poster category for the middle school division. The team also scored 4th Place overall when the scores were averaged for all categories. Eleven states were represented at the national competition.
Laveen Laveen School celebrated this year’s first day of yoga with some special guests. Mascots from professional sports teams, the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks, and universities, Northern Arizona University and Grand Canyon University, all practiced yoga with students and their families.
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Paseo Pointe Paseo Pointe School’s Dual Language Immersion classrooms held their 2nd Annual Hispanic Heritage Parade on September 21. Each class selected a Spanish speaking country to study and created displays as part of their research. During the parade, they held their designed flags and banners to represent the country their class selected. Many students and staff dressed in traditional attire for the parade.
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Trailside Point
M.C. Cash
Trailside Point student Andrew Capono was invited to join Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps for the Michael Phelps Foundation’s 10 Years of Water Safety celebration. Andrew is in his fourth year of swimming with Special Olympics and his team was selected to attend the private event. Andrew is in the advanced level this year and will be swimming the 50 meter freestyle and 50 meter breaststroke. He has taken at least 3rd Place each year that he has competed.
M.C. Cash School welcomed the family of the late Maurice C. Cash in for a visit. The daughters and a granddaughter of Cash stopped by the school named in his honor to present the school with a portrait of him along with a summary of his life. They also toured the school. The women shared stories of the many things their father did for the Laveen community.
Vista del Sur Cheatham Six Cheatham students competed in the mathleague.org competition and took 2nd Place in their division and 3rd Place overall. Congratulations to Cheatham Mathletes: Kiara Ince, Ryan Neisch, Xavia Roberts, Cherece Carter, Virgil Hartman, and Kevin Nguyen. Club sponsor is Ms. Carrie Taylor.
Third grade gifted students at Vista del Sur entered Valley Metro's 14th Annual Cool Transit STUFF Art Contest. Winning artwork is showcased in the 2019 Transit Education calendar and artists receive prize packages. Student Sophia Kinnaird was chosen as one of the published artists. Her work will be featured in the calendar for the month of December 2019. Valley Metro stopped by the school to surprise her and present her with an award in her class. They also provided calendars for her classmates.
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Your Tax Dollars At Work .
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Preschool program expanding in 2019-20
Laveen’s 9th school slated for 2020 opening
In 2017, the Laveen District launched two new preschool programs at Paseo Pointe School - with general education and Spanish immersion offerings. The following year, the general education program expanded to Desert Meadows School allowing Paseo Pointe to focus on dual language immersion. Both preschool programs have surpassed all expectations. They have been extremely popular, filling up quickly and remaining full throughout the year. Because of this great success, a third preschool will open in August 2019 at Vista del Sur. Vista’s preschool will also be a general education preschool, but will prepare students to perform at an accelerated pace. Construction of the preschool addition at Vista will take place in the spring in preparation of opening in the fall. The addition is designed by EMC2 architects and will be built by SD Crane Builders, Inc. Laveen also operates a developmental preschool for children with special needs on the campus of Laveen School.
The Laveen community continues to grow. This growth, coupled with the expansion of the Loop 202 will bring more children into Laveen’s schools. In an effort prepare for this growth, the Laveen District is planning to open its ninth school in August 2020. The school will be located in Taylor Morrison’s Tierra Montana subdivision near 55th Avenue and Carver on an 18-acre site. The school’s signature program is expected to be global studies based. A variety of global studies programs are currently being investigated. EMC2 has been selected as the architect. The contractor has not yet been selected. It will primarily be funded by the district’s bond and capital funds.
Laveen voters approve override In November, Laveen voters overwhelmingly approved the continuation of the district additional assistance override to provide capital items for Laveen schools. This support allows the district to exceed the state’s limited funding allocation, which has not been increased in almost 20 years, and provide the tools our schools need to deliver a modern education where technology and student safety are at the forefront. As a direct result of voter support, the Laveen District will purchase new textbooks and digital textbook subscriptions, library books, and other instructional materials. The district will be able to replace aging school buses, upgrade classroom technology and software, enhance safety and security systems, and renovate school facilities as needed. The district appreciates the community’s ongoing support in supporting its schools over that which the state provides. Page 10
Reduce Your Taxes by Supporting Laveen Schools By making a tax credit contribution you can support a variety of programs at no cost to you.
Fine Arts
Academic Enrichment
Field Trips
Intramural Sports
Arizona allows taxpayers to dedicate dollars to education while reducing the amount you owe on your income taxes through the tax credit program. If you do not owe taxes, the amount you donate may be carried forward for up to five years to offset future tax liabilities. For every dollar you donate, the amount you owe on your Arizona taxes will be that much less. (For example, if a single person owes $300 on their state taxes for 2018 and donates the maximum amount of $200, they will then only owe the state $100.) Couples filing jointly may donate up to $400. Individuals may contribute up to $200. Anyone can participate, married or single, with or without children.
Visit www.laveeneld.org/tax-credit to make a secure online donation or print a donation form. Non-refundable donations are eligible for the Arizona State Income Tax Credit as allowed by ARS ยง43-1089.01. Please consult with your personal tax preparer to determine the application of this credit. Donations must be received by April 15, 2019 to be eligible for a 2018 Tax Credit.
Tax credit contributions may only be used to support character education and fee-based extracurricular activities such as after-school tutoring and clubs, academic enrichment, field trips, fine art programs, and athletics. CHILD FIND NOTICE Child Find is a comprehensive developmental screening assessment process which identifies children, 3 to 21 years of age who have disabilities that may hinder their learning. If you live in the Laveen Elementary School District boundaries and are parents or guardians of a student enrolled in private school within the district, home-schooled, or if you know of a child who might be in need of services for a disabling condition such as speech, learning disability, etc., please call the Special Education Department at 602-237-9100 ext. 3058. Free special education services are available to eligible students. For more information, visit the Child Find website at http://www.azed.gov/specialeducation/az-find/ or call Child Find at (602) 364-4015. MCKINNEY-VENTO HOMELESS ASSISTANCE ACT Are you currently experiencing temporary living arrangements due to eviction, job loss, or a traumatic event? Laveen Elementary School District offers services to families through the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The act requires that children and families who are in a temporary living situation be offered services and supports. Services provided may include enrollment assistance, nutrition services, clothing or school supplies, community referrals, and in some cases transportation. If you are living in any of the following temporary circumstances: with another family or friend due to financial hardship, living in a shelter, transitional housing, in a hotel/motel, or an unaccompanied youth waiting for foster care, you may fit the criteria for assistance under this act. Please call 602-237-9100, ext. 3051 to inquire further about qualifying for this program.
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The Latest from Laveen is published by the Laveen Communications Department. Kristen Landry • 602-237-9100 • klandry@laveeneld.org
Laveen Education Center 5001 W. Dobbins Laveen, AZ 85339 602-237-9100 M.C. Cash School 3851 W. Roeser Phoenix, AZ 85041 602-237-9120 Cheatham Elementary 4725 W. South Mountain Laveen, AZ 85339 602-237-7040 Desert Meadows School 6855 W. Meadows Loop East Laveen, AZ 85339 602-304-2020 Laveen Elementary 4141 W. McNeil Laveen, AZ 85339 602-237-9110 Paseo Pointe School 8800 S. 55th Avenue Laveen, AZ 85339 602-304-2040 Rogers Ranch School 6735 S. 47th Avenue Laveen, AZ 85339 602-304-2030 Trailside Point Performing Arts Academy 7275 W. Vineyard Laveen, AZ 85339 602-605-8540 Vista del Sur Accelerated Academy 3908 W. South Mountain Laveen, AZ 85339 602-237-3046
Enroll your child in a Laveen school Parents wishing to register their incoming child(ren) should visit the school of their choice* to complete the registration process. Registration packets are available online at www.laveeneld.org and in our schools’ front offices. You will need to bring the following documents to complete your child’s registration: Child’s original birth certificate Child’s immunization record Proof of Residence, such as utility receipt or lease agreement (refer to Arizona Residency Guidelines) Legal papers, if applicable, for custody Withdrawal form and report card from previous school Photo identification for parent/guardian *Please note, Vista del Sur is an accelerated school and students must take an assessment prior to enrolling. Paseo Pointe is a dual language immersion (DLI) school. Incoming students in Grades PK-2, beginning in 2019-20, must enroll in the DLI program (DLI will expand a grade level each year). Laveen schools also accept open enrollment of non-resident (out-ofdistrict) students on a space available basis. Bus transportation is only provided to those students who live within designated transportation zones of their neighborhood school. Enrollment applications for the 2019-2020 school year will be accepted beginning in February.
Visit us online at www.laveeneld.org