Peoria Unified Sch�l District JAN 2016 | MONTHLY NEWSLETTER & MENUS PEORI Calendar Highlights: Jan 7 | Elem. Report Card Distribu�on Jan 8 | HS Report Card Distribu�on Jan 14 | Governing Board mee�ng, 5 p.m. Jan 18 | Mar�n Luther King, Jr. Day | All schools and district offices closed Jan 19 | Full Day Staff Development | All schools are closed, district offices are open Jan 22 | District Spelling Bee at District Admin. Center
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Peoria Unified AzMERIT Scores Above State, Peer Averages AzMERIT scores for Peoria Uni�ied came in above state averages in just about every category and grade; eighth-grade math scores led all other peer districts. There are six students that received the highest scale score possible on both
Jan 26 | 100th Day Jan 28 | Governing Board mee�ng, 5 p.m. Amanda Pace Vistancia Elementary
the English Language Arts (ELA) assessment and Mathematics assessment. These high achievers are fourth-graders: Riley Lawrence at Copperwood; Ashlyn Pace at Frontier; Mallory Forsberg at Oakwood; and Peyton Dennis at Sunset Heights; �ifthgrader Ephraim Joel Esmas at Oasis; and seventh-grader Amanda Pace at Vistancia. There are 295 Peoria Uni�ied students that received the highest possible score on the AzMERIT
Mathematics assessment or ELA assessment. Peoria Uni�ied schools had an average of 41.75
Riley Lawrence Copperwood Elementary
percent of students pass the ELA, and 37.35 percent of students pass the math portion of the test.
Thank You for Your Help! Peoria Unified, one of Arizona’s largest unified school districts, prides itself on a 95 percent high school graduation rate, excelling schools, award-winning teachers, high AIMS test scores, specialized signature programs and championship sports programs. WWW.PEORIAUD.K12.AZ.US
It seems the news is dominated by stories which don’t really motivate: budget cuts to schools; political argum e n t s a b o u t how to correctly fund education; Ma� Bullock the loomGoverning Board ing statewide teacher shortage, etc. However, 2015 saw a surge in awareness and support for Peoria Uni�ied, its em-
ployees and students. So, thank you for your support and extra effort to correctly prepare our children for the global workforce. Thank you for your �inancial support with tax credit donations. Thank you for becoming more informed about our budget override last November to help fund our programs. Thank you for spending a little extra time with your child by reading with them, making sure they get their homework �inished
and learning to take education seriously. Thank you for supporting your kids’ teachers and giving them words of encouragement. Thank you for contacting your Governing Board and district administration when you needed more information about policy or budget. Thank you for reaching out to your neighbors to involve them in shaping how we educate our children. Thank you for your help – it is appreciated!
EVERY STUDENT, EVERY DAY, PREPARED TO SHAPE TOMORROW
Former Peoria Elementary Student Songwriter/Rapper Makes Donation to School Ali Tomineek, a YouTube sensa�on, recently returned to his old stomping grounds at Peoria Elementary to present a check to sixthgrade teacher Bri�any Mengel, Band teacher Thomas Ogilvie and Principal CJ Smith. The $500 dona�on, from the sale of his music and merchandise, was the remaining amount needed in order to buy a new stage curtain, which costs around $5,000. The rapper/ songwriter also sang about bully preven�on to an enthusias�c assembly of students.
Copperwood Elementary Students Read to Patrons at Barnes & Noble Fundraiser First-grade students in Kris� von Aspen’s class Copperwood Elementary: Lili Sadler, Benjamin Tran, Cailyn Hendryx, Johnathan Selby, Caiden Trou� and Lauren Wirt, read Twas the Night Before Christmas during a school-wide fundraiser at the Arrowhead Barnes & Noble Booksellers.
Peoria High Encore Choir Takes First Place in Annual Festival Competition Peoria High Encore Choir took first place in the City of Peoria’s Annual Old Town Holiday Fes�val Choir Compe��on. Choirs from Cactus, Centennial, Ironwood, Peoria and Sunrise Mountain high schools competed in the annual tradi�on.
JAN 2016 PULSE | PG 2
Peoria Unified Provides Leadership in State Education Organizations Three top Peoria Uni�ied leaders will head up state organizations in 2016 whose purpose is to promote the best interests of education in the state of Arizona. • Governing Board member Kathy Knecht presides as president of the Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA). The ASBA provides training, leadership and essential services to public school governing boards across the state. More than 240 governing boards, representing nearly one million Arizona students, are members of ASBA. • Chief Financial Of�icer Ken Hicks is president of the Arizona Association of School Business Of�icials (AASBO). For 40 years, AASBO has promoted the high-
est standards of school business management and currently has a membership base of 2,000 school employees and business leaders. The district’s Food & Nutrition Department director, Sandra Schossow, is also on the AASBO board as Director of Child Nutrition. • Deputy Superintendent Dr. Heather Cruz provides leadership for the Arizona School Administrators (ASA) to promote the best interests of education in the state. ASA provides training and support services for its membership and serves as a voice in the legislature, in communities and in organizations that promote educational improvements to bene�it students and schools.
Peoria Police Chief Roy Minter recognized the following high school students with a 2015 Community Partnership Award: Olivia Thomas and Angela Bell from Centennial; Madelyn Benavidez from Liberty; Sydney Jenner and Javon Free-
man from Peoria High; Joshua Freid and Megan Zimbelman from Sunrise Mountain. Each recipient was selected based on their civic involvement, volunteer work and dedication to the community.
Peoria Police Honor Students As Community Partners
Heritage Elementary Participates in #HourofCode
Cianna and Isaih Brown, and all fi�h-through eighth-grade students, par�cipated in the International #HourofCode initiative at Heritage Elementary during Computer Science Educa�on Week. Sara Bellestri, their parent, was one of many who volunteered �me to learn about computer programming with their children. #HeritatgeSTEM is one of 12 Signature Program schools in Peoria Unified.
Local Foundation Funds Grants for Peoria Unified Classroom Projects Just 22 teacher projects were selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks 2015 School Challenge and two Peoria Uni�ied schools will bene�it from a $5,000 grant: Kachina Elementary teacher Sheryl Fisher, was awarded a grant for “I Ride for Autism”; and Cactus High science teacher Rebecca Jarnian will fund a project called,“Picture This: A Snapshot of Desert Ecology.” APS and the Phoenix Suns recently awarded STEM mini-grants and �ive Peoria Uni�ied teachers received funding for classroom projects: Melinda
Soland, science teacher at Cactus High will fund a desert data collection project; Raymond Wilson at Alta Loma Elementary will build a garden with fourth-grade students; David Hill at Peoria High will fund experiments for students in the after-school M.E.S.A. Club; �ifth-grade students in Richard Yates class at Sunset Heights Elementary will develop and program electrical circuitry; and Darrell Kidd at the MET Professional Academy will make microprocessors available to his high school students.
JAN 2016 PULSE | PG 3
Announcing with Pride Constitution Contest Winners Peoria Uni�ied recognizes a number of top achievers in the 15th Annual City of Peoria Celebrate the Constitution Contest. Centennial High senior Tyler Manning won the grand prize, a $1,500 college scholarship for his award-winning essay. Many Peoria Uni�ied students were recognized for their winning entries at the Peoria City Council meeting on Dec. 15, including: kindergarten student Liliana Torres of Apache Elementary who took �irst place for her poster depicting “What America means to me.” In the �irst-through second grade division, Ella Carlson in second-grade at Paseo Verde Elementary took �irst place and Milana Adendorff, in �irst grade at Oakwood Elementary, earned third place. Parkridge Elementary third-grader Tuscan Zahn won �irst place in the third- and fourth-grade division, for the second
year. Third-grader Alison Jayme of Oakwood Elementary placed second. All �irst- through fourthgrade participants won for their poster depicting “What does America Mean to Me?” In the �ifth-through sixth-grade division, sixthgrade student Kyle Duffy of Foothills Elementary received �irst place for his award-winning essay. Sixth-grader Izaak Kary of Santa Fe Elementary earned second place and sixth-grader Elena Yoder of Parkridge Elementary won third place. Eighthgrade students from Sunset Heights Elementary took the top three places in the seventh- through eighthgrade division; Shondeen Lucero earned �irst place, Zain Syed took second and Esabella Brown placed third. Fifth- through eighth-grade students won for their essays answering the question, “How do the different branches of government ensure a balance
Centennial Football Coach Taylor Recognized at Ariz. Cardinals Game Centennial High football coach Richard Taylor was recognized as the High School Coach-of-the-Year by Wells Fargo and the Arizona Cardinals, presented to him by team president Michael Bidwell.
JAN 2016 PULSE | PG 4
Sunset Heights Elementary eighth-grade students Shondeen Lucero, Esabella Brown and Zain Syed took the top three places in the seventhand eighth-grade division of the City of Peoria’s Cons�tu�on Contest. Also pictured: Sunset Heights Principal Rae Conelley.
of power?” In the ninth-through tenth-grade division, Centennial High celebrates three winners for their essays. Tenth-graders Balin Overstolz earned �irst place, Christina Leisten received second place and Jonathan Berthiaume achieved third place. Centennial High senior Beth Dillard received the �irst prize in the eleventh-
through twelfth-grade division, eleventh-grade student Arissa Mayer placed second and Abbass Bah, in eleventh-grade at Peoria High earned third place. All essayists answered the question, “What types of character traits, behaviors or actions are important to preserve and uphold the Constitution?”
High School Graduation Schedule
Oakwood Elementary Community Stocks the Shelves of Food Bank
The following high school graduations will take place at the University of Phoenix Stadium: Thursday, May 19, 2016 1 p.m. Centennial 3 p.m. Sunrise Mountain 5 p.m. Raymond S. Kellis 7 p.m. Ironwood Friday, May 20, 2016 1 p.m. Peoria 3 p.m. Liberty 5 p.m. Cactus The Peoria Flex Academy will hold a graduation ceremony, 5:30 p.m., May 18 at Peoria High Performing Arts Center.
Pesticide Application Schedule
Peoria Unified is required to provide wri�en no�fica�on at least 48 hours prior to the applica�on of any pesticides at any school site. Pes�cides are applied in the late afternoon, after school is dismissed. Jan 4 Pioneer, Sahuaro Ranch Jan 5 Oakwood, Peoria Elementary, Santa Fe Jan 6 Sundance, Sun Valley Jan 7 Co�on Boll, Fron�er, Parkridge, Sunrise Mountain, Zuni Hills Jan 8 Desert Palms, Heritage, Kachina, Paseo Verde Jan 11 Cactus, Desert Valley, Foothills, Ironwood Jan 12 Centennial, Oasis Jan 13 Ira A. Murphy, Peoria High Jan 14 Alta Loma, Apache, Cheyenne, Sunset Heights Jan 15 Country Meadows, Desert Harbor, Raymond S. Kellis Jan 20 Support Services Complex Jan 22 Vistancia, District Admin. Center Jan 26 Coyote Hills, Lake Pleasant, Liberty Jan 27 Sky View, Cholla Annex, District Maintenance Feb 1 Pioneer, Sahuaro Ranch Feb 2 Oakwood, Peoria Elementary, Santa Fe Feb 3 Sundance, Sun Valley Feb 4 Co�on Boll, Fron�er, Parkridge, Sunrise Mountain, Zuni Hills Feb 5 Canyon, Copperwood, Marshall Ranch Feb 8 Cactus, Desert Valley, Foothills, Ironwood
The Oakwood Elementary community donated an astonishing 13,445 of non-perishable food items to the St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance.
Sunrise Mountain Cross Country Team Placed in State Championship Sunrise Mountain High Cross Country team members: Sydney La�e, Jordan Michaele, Megan Gilbert, Paige Hildebrant, Abigail Datria , Emma Janzen and Nikki Curtis were Runners-up in the Division II State Championship.
Ironwood Senior Chosen as ACES Student of the Month Ironwood High senior Jacob Fischer is student of the month in the City of Glendale Police Department Awarding Character Excellence in Students (ACES) recogni�on program. Students who demonstrate and commit to promo�ng character excellence in their everyday lives by incorpora�ng the core values of the police department: integrity, courage, excellence, respect, compassion and dedica�on. Presen�ng the award: Gerald Snyder, Ironwood School Resource Officer from the Glendale Police Department.
JAN 2016 PULSE | PG 5
Peoria Unified School District
BREAKFAST & LUNCH MENUS Numbers to the right of calendar date indicate the 6-day rota�on schedule.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Holiday Break
School Resumes January 4th, 2016. HAPPY
December 17th through Januar y 1st
1
NEW YEAR!
2
Mini Maple Pancakes Cereal Kits
French Toast Sticks Cereal Kits
Breakfast Bagel Pizza Cereal Kits
Egg & Bacon Breakfast Sandwich Cereal or Yogurt Kits
Cherry Frudel Cereal Kits
Mini Cheeseburgers Fun Fish W/ Muffin Cereal Kits
Chicken Nuggets W/ Muffin Nacho Bites W/ Salsa Harvest Plates
Corn Dog Veggie Sandwich Sweet Southern Brunch
Turkey & Gravy W/ Biscuit Garden Salad W/ Muffin Shrimp Bites
Stuffed Crust Pizza Gordita Taco Oriental Chicken Salad
Oranges Fruit Cups Green Beans
Banana Potato Cubes Kale Salad
Grapefruit Jicama Mandarin Oranges
Apples Side Salad Carrots
Apple Corn Chilled Peaches
4/2
5/3
6/4
W/ Crunch Bar
7/5
8/6
Chocolate Chip French Toast Cereal Kits
Biscuits & Gravy Cereal Kits
Mini Donuts Cereal Kits
Cinnamon Stuffed Bagel Cereal Kits
Strawberry Pancakes Cereal Kits
Teriyaki Chicken Bowl Cheeseburger Veggie Wrap
Chicken Nuggets W/ Muffin Mac & Cheese W/ Roll PB&J Pack*
Pretzel Melt Chicken Pa�y Sandwich Garden Salad W/ Roll
Personal Pan Pizza Enchilada Style Burrito Spicy Popcorn Chicken Salad
Oranges Celery Garbanzo Beans
Chilled Mangos Bell Peppers Broccoli
Grilled Cheese Meatball Sub Sandwich Southwest Chicken Salad W/ Scoops Grapes Carrots Chilled Mixed Fruit
Tangerines Cauliflower Side Salad
Apples Fruit Ice Curly Fries
Glazed Breakfast Bar Cereal Kits
Breakfast Pizza Cereal Kits
Cinnamon Roll Cereal Kits
Mini Corn Dogs Cheese Crisp Mediterranean Wrap
Beef Fingers W/ Rice Spaghe� W/ Meatballs Garden Salad w/ Roll
Sicilian Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Fajitas Veggie Wrap
Banana Cucumber Black Beans
Side Salad Cauliflower Grapefruit
Crinkle Fries Cucumbers Chilled Pears
11/1
Mar�n Luther King Jr Day NO SCHOOL
12/2
Teacher Work Day
NO SCHOOL
18
19
13/3
20/6
14/4
Board Mee�ng 5:30
21/1
Mini Blueberry Waffles Cereal Kits
Pancake on a Stick Cereal Kits
Combo (Omelet & Biscuit) Cereal Kits
Yogurt & Gripz Cereal Kits
Mini Maple Pancakes Cereal Kits
Pizza Bites Stuffed Breads�cks W/ Marinara California Turkey Sandwich
Chicken Nuggets W/ Muffin Breakfast Lunch Box Teriyaki Beef Dippers W/ Rice
Chicken Tenders Popcorn Chicken Bowl Garden Salad W/ Roll
French Bread Pizza Veggie Wrap Hot Dog
Oranges Carrots Applesauce
Frozen Berries Bell Peppers Side Salad
Bean & Cheese Burrito Taco Salad Bowl Beef Taco Churro Grapes Carrots Pinto Beans
Tangerines Mashed Potatoes Jicama
Fruit Ice Cucumbers Apples
25/3
Elementary Breakfast Includes: Choice of Hot Entrée or Breakfast Kit Fruit & 100% Fruit Juice White or Chocolate Milk
Meal Price, $1.50 Reduced Price, 30-cents Milk Carton, 35-cents
26/4
27/5
28/6
Board Mee�ng 5:30
*PB&J is not served at peanut-free schools. Subs�tu�ons will be made. The Peoria Unified School District is an equal opportunity provider and employer. The Na�onal Clearing House Associa�on requires the following nonsufficient funds disclaimer: if a child brings a check to school, the parent is giving authoriza�on to electronically debit his/her account for the returned check plus fees if the check should be returned. For more informa�on, contact CCM/Restaurant Fund.1-888423-8974.
15/5
22/2
29/1
Elementary Lunch Includes:
Choice from 2 Hot & 1 Cold Entrée Fruit & Vegetable Bar (Minimum 5 choices) White, Strawberry or Chocolate Milk Meal Price, $2.50 Reduced Price, 40-cents Milk Carton, 35-cents
Peoria Unified School District is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Peoria Unified School District
High School Menu 2016
Breakfast Meal Includes Entrée, Fruit & Milk
Breakfast Prices Student Meal $1.75 Reduced Price Meal $0.30 Adult Meal $1.75
Breakfast Entrées Available Daily Assorted Cereal, Granola Bars with choice of side item (Cheese, Yogurt or Graham Crackers) Breakfast Pizza, Bagel with Cream Cheese, Mini Donuts, Bread Slices, Pop-Tarts, & Benefit Bars available daily Monday
Tuesday
Super Bun
Mini Pancakes
11
18
25
Chocolate Chip French Toast
5
Sausage Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich
6
12
Sausage Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich
13
20
Mar�n Luther King Jr. Day 19 NO SCHOOL 26
French Toast S�cks
Thursday
Fruit & Yogurt Parfait
NO SCHOOL Sausage Biscuit Breakfast Sandwich
December 21- January 1
Ham English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich
8
Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Burrito
Fresh Baked Cinnamon Roll
14
Ham English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich
15
Green Chili Egg & Cheese Burrito
Breakfast Pla�er
21
Ham English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich
22
Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Burrito
28
Ham English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich
29
Green Chili Egg & Cheese Burrito
Biscuits & Gravy
Breakfast Bowl
Lunch Meal Includes Entrée, Fruit, Vegetable & Beverage Lunch Entrées Available Daily
Garden Salad Chef Salad Co�age Cheese & Fruit Bean & Cheese Burrito Spicy Chicken Sandwich Pizza
Monday
Grilled Chicken Sandwich Chicken Pa�y Sandwich PB&J Sandwich Chicken Nuggets or Strips Hamburger/Cheeseburger
Chicken Quesadilla General Tso Bowl
Tuesday
Chicken Fajitas Mac & Cheese w/ Roll
Gordita Taco Teriyaki Chicken Bowl Mar�n Luther King Jr Day NO SCHOOL
18
25
12
19
Gordita Taco Orange Chicken Bowl
Wednesday
Thursday
WINTER BREAK 5
14 11
Student Meal $2.75 Reduced Price Meal $0.40 Adult Lunch $3.75
Raspberry Chicken Salad Chicken Caesar Salad Raspberry Chicken Salad Cobb Salad Southwest Chicken Salad Cobb Salad Bagel Lunch Box Popcorn Chicken Salad Bagel Lunch Box Protein Pack w/ Bread Slice Crunch Bar Lunch Box Protein Pack w/ Bread Slice Pastrami Sandwich Yogurt, Granola, & Cheese Italian Combo Sub Turkey Bacon Wrap California Turkey Sandwich Chicken Caesar Wrap Veggie Sub Veggie Wrap Veggie Sub Super Nachos So� Tacos Meatball Sub
NO SCHOOL 4
26
Cheese Quesadilla Fe�uccini Alfredo Staff Professional Development Day NO SCHOOL
Chicken Parm Cheese Quesadilla
Lunch Prices
Beverages Flavored & White Skim Milk 1% White Milk Bo�led Water Assorted Fountain Drinks Sides Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Bar Hot Vegetables (Varies Daily)
Lunch Entrée Specials for January Chicken Caesar Salad Mandarin Orange Salad Popcorn Chicken Salad Crunch Bar Lunch Box Yogurt, Granola, & Cheese Ham Sandwich Veggie Wrap Taco Salad Cheesy Fajita Chicken Sub
Glazed Breakfast Bar
7
(Omelet, Biscuit, Hash Brown) 27
Friday
Yogurt & Muffin
WINTER BREAK
NO SCHOOL 4
Wednesday
Yogurt & Muffin
Red Enchiladas Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
6
13
7
Friday
Chicken Caesar Salad An�pasto Salad Popcorn Chicken Salad Crunch Bar Lunch Box Yogurt, Granola, & Cheese Turkey Sandwich Veggie Wrap Cheesy Fish Sandwich
December 21- January 1
Popcorn Chicken Mashed Potato Bowl
8
Philly Cheesesteak Clux Delux Sandwich
14
15
20
21
22
27
28
29
Sichuan Chicken Bowl
Popcorn Chicken Mashed Potato Bowl
Enchilada Style Burrito
Red Enchiladas Orange Chicken Bowl
General Tso Bowl Enchilada Style Burrito
Popcorn Chicken Mashed Potato Bowl
Popcorn Chicken Mashed Potato Bowl
Clux Delux Sandwich BBQ Turkey Sandwich Bacon Cheeseburger Clux Delux Sandwich
Clux Delux Sandwich Baked Potato w/ Muffin
Menu items are subject to change without no�fica�on. If the first choice is not available, an alternate will be served. Peoria Unified School District is an equal opportunity provider and employer.