Laveen Elementary School District Fall '13 Newsletter

The Latest

from Elementary School District No. 59

In this Issue Message from the Superintendent………………..2 New curriculum selected…………………………….2 District utilizes solar energy………………………..2 Excellence in Education Award Recipients………………….3 Trailside Point Recognized………………………...4

Enrollment up in district………………………...5 Gifted students study engineering………………………...5 Kindergarten Round Up…………………………..5 In our Community………………….6 Around our Schools……………….8

Vista teacher honored……………………………10 TEC award launched…………….10 Board seat to be filled………………………....10 Reduce your taxes and support Laveen……………...11 Enroll your Child………………………………..12

Vista del Sur recognized by national center The National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA) has recognized Vista del Sur as a 2013 NCEA Higher Performing School.

NCEA reviewed student test results for the past three years to create this year's higher performing schools list. Vista qualified for the higher performing school designation by having a high number of students exceed state standards in math, reading, and writing.

The NCEA honor indicates a school’s deep commitment to raising student achievement and putting more students on the path to college and career readiness — regardless of socioeconomic barriers or other obstacles that might otherwise impede success.

Vista joins only 145 elementary, charter, and high schools across the entire state in receiving this honor.

In addition to NCEA’s recognition, Vista was named a Reward School through Arizona's A-F Letter Grade Accountability System.

They were selected for significantly closing the achievement gap.

Reward Schools are those that show high levels of academic growth over several years and must meet specific criteria from their 2012 AIMS results, which include: receiving an A-F Letter Grade of “A” or “B”, having growth points greater than 59, having a Student Growth Percentile greater than 50 for the Bottom Quartile subgroup, and having more than 35% of their Bottom Quartile subgroup passing AIMS in mathematics and reading.

Vista was an “Excelling” school under the former Legacy school labeling system and has been an “A” rated school each year since the new A-F labels have been in effect.

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Dear Community Members, As the Laveen School District, we are honored and proud to be an integral part of the community and to be able to serve you in important and meaningful ways.

Communities can’t be great without successful schools, and schools can’t be successful without the support of their communities. We appreciate your support and strive to be worthy of it by serving you well.

In spite of the slowdown in the housing market, enrollment in the Laveen Schools has continued to grow. Each of our seven schools has an increase in students this year.

Last year, enrollments grew by over 400 students districtwide. The recent rebuilding of Laveen and M. C. Cash schools, along with the opening of Rogers Ranch, enabled us to accommodate the growth. Depending on the rate of growth moving forward, we expect to build and open our next new school in about three years.

The Laveen community has good reason to be proud of its schools and its students. Our students have received recognition at the local, state, and even national levels in the areas of science, art, spelling, grammar, and leadership. Laveen School is now a model for the Leader in Me program based on Stephen R. Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Cheatham is an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) school. Trailside Point was recognized by the Anti-Defamation League as a No Place for Hate school. Rogers Ranch is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) school.

M. C. Cash is a Kids at Hope school, and Vista del Sur is consistently among the very top elementary schools in Arizona for student achievement and is recognized as a Higher Performing School by the National Center for Educational Achievement (NCEA).

In addition to classroom studies, Laveen students are involved throughout the school year in after-school sports including football, softball, soccer, basketball, and volleyball, and in afterschool clubs such as chess, robotics, music, art, dance, drama, foreign language, and even rock climbing. For the past several years, many Laveen students have participated in a sunrise trip to the Grand Canyon, a leadership camp in Prescott, and an overnight field trip to the Phoenix Zoo. This year, a group of our students will be traveling to Washington D. C. Laveen is a wonderful place to live and raise a family.

We are very pleased to be a part of what makes Laveen so great!

— Dr. Bill Johnson, Superintendent Page 2

Curriculum changes coming soon The Laveen Elementary School District is committed to providing instructional resources that will help our students successfully master Arizona's College and Career Ready Standards.

Earlier this school year a team of teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators dedicated several weeks to research, review, and evaluate English language arts programs aligned to the new standards for kindergarten through third grade.

A second team of educators has now been formed to continue the process, looking at English language arts programs for grades 4-8.

The review and evaluation will conclude in January, after which the recommended programs for all grade levels will be presented to the Governing Board for adoption.

In August, the Governing Board adopted mathematics curriculum. McGraw-Hill My Math will be used in grades K-5 and Glencoe Mathematics will be used in grades 6-8. The 2013-14 school year will be devoted to teacher professional development using the new math curriculum, with the program fully implemented in the 2014-15 school year.

Laveen utilizes solar energy It may look like covered parking, but the structures going up in our school parking lots are actually solar panels.

The structures were installed by SolarCity through Salt River Project’s Community Solar Program at no cost to the district.

The program allows the Laveen district to purchase solar energy at approximately $.07 per kWh for 20 years. With energy rates steadily increasing year after year, the negotiated contract rate will save the district an estimated $400,000 over 20 years.

E

xcellence in ducation

Each year seven teachers from across the district are selected to receive the Excellence in Education Award. This prestigious award is given to those who attain high academic achievement for their students, provide exceptional service and leadership at their school, and make a positive difference outside of the classroom and in the community.

Recipients of the 2013-2014 award are: Kendall Detlaff, M.C. Cash; Melissa Junkulis, Trailside Point; Natalia Luebke, Rogers Ranch; Jordan Osinski, Cheatham; Jessica Shermetaro, Laveen; Minerva Villa, Desert Meadows; and Ashley Wendling, Vista del Sur. These recipients were recognized at the November Governing Board Meeting.

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Trailside Point is

No Place for Hate

Trailside Point School was officially named a "No Place for Hate" school by the Arizona AntiDefamation League (ADL).

To earn the distinction, the school participated in a number of activities to celebrate diversity while curbing bullying. These included inviting motivational speaker and little person Mark Trombino to discuss his experiences and having each student sign a promise respecting each other’s diversity.

An assembly was held on November 20 to recognize the school’s achievements. City of Phoenix First Lady Nicole Stanton spoke to the students before the Anti-Defamation League presented the school with a banner.

Asst. Principal Matt Pierson, Principal Sarah Zembruski, and Miriam Weisman of the ADL unveil the school’s banner.

Bill Strauss of the ADL, Instructional Associate Julian Wyatt, Principal Sarah Zembruski, and Phoenix First Lady Nicole Stanton

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Seventh grader Maliya Jones shows her Resolution of Respect.

Laveen District continues to grow The Laveen Elementary District has seen a 3.45% increase in its student population over the same time last year.

As of November, 6,211 students were enrolled in the district compared to 6,004 in the 2012-13 year.

Trailside Point has shown the largest increase in enrollment, gaining over 50 new students this year.

Gifted students become package engineers Laveen’s first through eighth grade gifted students studied engineering design cycles during the fall semester and faced weekly engineering challenges. Recently the challenge was to become package engineers and ship a single potato chip to another school without the chip breaking.

Using various boxes and containers, a limited number of cotton balls, newspaper, bubble wrap, and other materials students performed two trial tests by dropping and squeezing the chip boxes to assess and redesign the packaging.

The school who received the chip package scored the design using a formula with the box’s weight, volume and the condition of the chip upon arrival.

Gifted students work on safely packing a potato chip for shipping.

Children registered on this date will receive a free gift!

Laveen Elementary School District’s

Kindergarten Round Up For students starting in August 2014

Thursday, February 20, 2014

5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at all Laveen schools* Register ● Meet the Teachers ● Visit Classrooms

Laveen offers FREE Full Day Kindergarten Please bring the following items to register your child:  Proof of Residence (Utility Bill, Rental Agreement, Mortgage Statement)  Child’s Immunization Record  Child’s Original Birth Certificate (Copies will not be accepted)  Parent/Guardian’s Photo ID Children turning 5 after August 31, but by December 31, may be evaluated for early entrance at a later date. *Except Vista del Sur Page 5

In our Community First graders receive flags Every first grade student in the district received their own American flag thanks to the Laveen Lions Club.

Members of the Lions visited each school to provide a lesson on the American flag. Dressed as Paul Revere, Lion Harry Tolliver discussed the history of the flag including what the numbers of stars and stripes represent.

After the discussion, each student received their very own flag.

Lion Harry Tolliver explains the history of the American flag to students at Cheatham.

Church provides Thanksgiving meals Approximately 800 people in our community enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal thanks to the generosity of CrossWalk Church’s volunteers.

Volunteers from the church donated food and packed boxes for over 100 Laveen families. Each food box contained a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetables, and a pie.

Lions sponsor holiday food and toy drive The Laveen Lions adopted 35 Laveen families in their annual holiday food and toy drive.

All Laveen schools and district support buildings held a penny drive and collected canned food for the club’s food boxes. Community members and employees also provided toys for 140 children.

Lions members sorted the goods and delivered them to the families just before the holidays.

CrossWalk volunteers load up their carts with items for Thanksgiving food boxes.

Canned food and personal hygiene items are sorted and stacked in preparation of the Lions holiday delivery.

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.ade.az.gov/ess/childfind or call Child Find at (602) 364-4015.

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Preschoolers spruce up park Forty Laveen preschoolers, their families, and teachers cleaned up Cesar Chavez park one Saturday this month as a community service project.

In collaboration with Keep Phoenix Beautiful, the group raked leaves, swept sidewalks, and picked up trash.

This opportunity helped teach children the value of giving back to one’s community to ensure it is around for future generations.

A Laveen preschool student helps clean up Cesar Chavez park.

Weather Road Show comes to Laveen KPHO Channel 5’s meteorologist Paul Horton brought the weather to all Laveen schools this semester. As part of the station’s Weather Road Show, Horton visited all fourth graders and gave them a brief lesson on weather systems.

Students learned about the dew point, barometric pressure and high and low pressure systems.

He simulated weather systems by using a leaf blower to show the power of hurricanes and created rain using hot water and ice in a modified soda bottle.

CBS5 meteorologist Paul Horton creates rain with the help of a student at M.C. Cash School.

Laveen Alumni place in Army JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl Five former Laveen students attended, and placed, in the Army JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl in Washington D.C this past June.

The students attend Betty Fairfax High School which was the only Arizona finalist. The group finished 11th in the nation among the 40 finalists.

The competition testing students' knowledge of leadership principles and Army values began with 3,000 JROTC teams. Fairfax advanced through the first round, "The Challenge," and qualified in the “Zero Hour Threat" second round. They were one of 40 teams to compete in the Leadership Bowl to earn an all-expenses paid trip to George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

The team is made up of former Laveen students Cadet Major Sharon J. Guerra (Desert Meadows), who is also the Battalion Commander and Team Captain; Cadet Lieutenant Jordan A. Esparza (Desert Meadows); Cadet/Command Sergeant Major Jesus Avila (Cheatham); Cadet Staff Sergeant Ashley N. Stifanos (Desert Meadows); and Cadet Corporal Denisha Gregory (Laveen), the Battalion Public Affairs Officer and first alternate.

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Around our Schools Rogers Ranch Rogers Ranch received its National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) charter this year.

Upon receiving their charter, the school held an induction ceremony for the seventh and eighth grade NJHS members. Over 40 members pledged to uphold the NJHS principles.

The National Junior Honor Society recognizes outstanding middle school students who demonstrate excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, and character.

NJHS members participate in the induction ceremony.

Preschool More than 100 Little Hawks and family members gathered at Tolmachoff Farm in Glendale for a Saturday family field trip to support the classroom’s November "Farm" theme.

Students had the opportunity to pet and feed farm animals, grind corn to feed the chickens, climb a hay pyramid, and take a ride on a farm train. A favorite activity for all included a walk through the field to pick vegetables.

The preschoolers filled their bags with cucumbers, squash, radishes, turnips, carrots, and more. T h e group experienced a "classroom in the corn" lesson about different kinds of corn, then walked through a mini corn maze.

A preschool student picks a radish at Tolmachoff Farm.

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Cheatham Over 170 students in grades 6-8 at Cheatham have qualified for the school’s Renaissance Club — an increase of approximately 40 students from last year.

The Renaissance Club is made up of students who meet certain GPA, behavior, and attendance standards.

Students may apply for membership at the end of each quarter. Those who qualify receive a special card and T-shirt that identify them as a Renaissance Club member. There are three levels of membership based on the student’s GPA. Students with a GPA of 3.5 - 4.0 are Gold, 3.0 - 3.5 are Silver, and 2.5 - 3.0 are Bronze.

The school credits their new Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program for the jump in Renaissance members. AVID keeps the students focused on their academics by helping them set goals for college and giving them strategies to be successful students such as taking Cornell notes and being organized.

Renaissance Club members can be identified with this shirt.

Trailside Point Sixth grade students have been studying business, economics, and free enterprise through the Junior Achievement BizTown program.

Through the program students learned how to create business plans, calculate operating costs, and design marketing campaigns.

This month students visited JA Biztown, a simulated town where they could work on a business team, buy and sell goods, and manage personal finances. They also discussed the strategies behind pricing, inventory, marketing, and selling products to generate revenue.

Desert Meadows

Laveen

Desert Meadows is fortunate to host a full time counselor, Jessica Schild, from Southwest Behavioral Community Youth Development Program.

Since September Schild has worked, in conjunction with school counselors from throughout the district, to coordinate public mental health services to students and families experiencing emotional and behavioral challenges in the home and at school.

As the number of student referrals grows, Southwest Behavioral will expand the number of counselors serving the students of Laveen to other district campuses.

Desert Meadows believes that to find academic success, students must also find success in their personal lives.

Laveen School welcomed their families in for math and literacy nights providing parents with new strategies to help their children learn.

At Math Night, over 100 parents and students participated in a variety of games and activities to learn about number sense, mathematical operations and other skills.

M.C. Cash

Vista del Sur

M.C. Cash students are participating in a peer mediation program where students help other students to work together to solve their problems.

The mediators are neutral parties trained to assist in finding positive solutions to conflicts. Mediators help other students take more responsibility for peacefully resolving disputes without the intervention of staff members. They help prevent conflict situations from escalating and create a school culture characterized by cooperation and collaboration.

The peer mediation process also teaches students the important life skills of communicating, understanding differences, and problem solving.

Peer mediation is completely voluntary, is kept private and confidential, and can be requested by any student or staff member.

Students at Vista del Sur learned about the Native American culture thanks to a visit by the family of a Vista student.

The presenters discussed their culture as well as the role that Navajo Native Americans played in World War II as Code Talkers.

Dressed in traditional Native American clothing, the presenters also brought several artifacts to show the students. These included an eagle feather (along with a special certificate from the federal government to possess the feather), pottery, and art.

The Vista students enjoyed the information and were excited to learn pieces of the Navajo code and language.

Laveen parents learn new strategies to help their children succeed at the school’s math and literacy nights.

Vista students Cassandra Brown and Winnifer Brown show classmates their traditional Native American clothing.

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Vista teacher receives Golden Gator Award Vista del Sur teacher Frincine Tait is a recipient of Xavier College Preparatory’s Golden Gator Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Each year Xavier freshman nominate one of their middle school teachers who inspired them and helped them along their academic route. Tait was nominated by one of her former students.

Tait teaches 8th grade. This is her second year at Vista.

District launches technology award Laveen has launched a new award for teachers who effectively integrate technology into instruction.

The Technology Excellence in the Classroom Award recognizes one full-time teacher each month for successful technology integration, student engagement, and innovation.

To be considered for the award, teachers must integrate technology in their teaching of specific content, engage students in more active learning of content using the technology, demonstrate skills in instructional technology integration, and be innovative in the use of technology to meet student-learning objectives.

Two award recipients will be eligible for one of the yearly awards of either a classroom set of student devices or equivalent instructional technology for their classroom.

Desert Meadows teacher Ashley Gruenberg is the first teacher to receive the monthly award. She submitted a video showcasing how her students use Chromebooks to create projects and engage in digital learning.

Ashley Gruenberg with, from left, Principal Steve Preis, Technology Director Jordy Fuentes, and Assistant Principal James Ketchum.

From the Board Room The Laveen Elementary School District is working to fill a seat on the Governing Board that was vacated by Anita Sakkis.

Ten Laveen residents initially applied with the Maricopa County Education Service Agency (MCESA), which administers school elections. Of those who filed their paperwork, seven attended a district orientation meeting.

A district committee then invited applicants in for an interview. From there, the committee presented three names to MCESA which will make the final decision.

The seat is expected to be filled by January. It will be up for election in November 2014.

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Reduce your taxes by supporting Laveen schools Arizona allows taxpayers to dedicate dollars to education while reducing the amount you owe on your 2013 taxes through the tax credit program.

For every dollar you donate, the amount you owe on your Arizona taxes will be that much less. 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 example, if a single person owes $300 on their state taxes for 2013 and donates the maximum amount of $200, they will then only owe the state $100.

Couples filing jointly may donate any amount up to $400. Individuals may contribute up to $200.

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.

Anyone can participate, married or single, with or without children.

Complete and return this form, along with your payment, to your child’s school or mail to Laveen Tax Credit Program, 5001 W. Dobbins, Laveen, AZ 85339 You may also donate online at www.laveeneld.org.

Donor Information: Name

Address

City, State Zip

Donation Amount: $ The maximum donation for a married couple is $400 and $200 for a single person. Credits may carry over for up to five years.

I would like my donation to go to: (check one) I would like my donation to support: (check one) Program where there is the greatest need Field Trips

Signature

Intramural Sports

the school most in need or Activity Bus

Gifted Enrichment

Art

specific school Band

Preschool

Choir

Equestrian

Tutoring

Phone Number

This non-refundable donation is eligible for the Arizona State Income Tax Credit as allowed by ARS §43-1089.01.

Please consult with your personal tax preparer to determine the application of this credit.

Hand delivered donations must be received by December 20 or postmarked by December 31 to be eligible for a 2013 tax credit.

Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage PAID Laveen, AZ Permit #6

5001 W. Dobbins Rd. Laveen, AZ 85339

Residential Customer

The Latest from Laveen is published by the Laveen Community Relations 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 Rogers Ranch School 6735 S. 47th Avenue Laveen, AZ 85339 602-304-2030 Trailside Point School 7275 W. Vineyard Laveen, AZ 85339 602-605-8540 Vista del Sur Traditional 3908 W. South Mountain Laveen, AZ 85339 602-237-3046

Enroll your child in a Laveen school You may enroll your child in your neighborhood* school at any time throughout the year.

Registration packets are available online at www.laveeneld.org or 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 Traditional

is a school of choice and, therefore, does not have attendance boundaries. Because this is an accelerated school, your child must take an assessment prior to enrolling. Enrollment opportunities are based on available space.

Open Enrollment Open enrollment laws allow parents to enroll their child in any Laveen school outside of their neighborhood. Applications are accepted annually until May 1. Approval is based on space.

Parents/ guardians are responsible for transportation if your child does not attend your neighborhood school.

Visit us online at www.laveeneld.org