Vista del Sur recognized by

national center

The National Center for Educational

Achievement (NCEA) has recognized Vista

del Sur as a 2013 NCEA Higher Perform-

ing 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 desig-

nation by having a high number of students exceed state stand-

ards in math, reading, and writing.

The NCEA honor indicates a school’s deep commitment to rais-

ing student achievement and putting more students on the path to

college and career readiness — regardless of socioeconomic barri-

ers 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 Quar-

tile 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.

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

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Elementary School District No. 59

from

The Latest

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 suc-

cessful schools, and schools can’t be suc-

cessful without the support of their communities. We ap-

preciate your support and strive to be worthy of it by serv-

ing you well.

In spite of the slowdown in the housing market, enroll-

ment 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 district-

wide. 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 leader-

ship. 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 Ed-

ucational 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 volley-

ball, and in afterschool clubs such as chess, robotics, mu-

sic, art, dance, drama, foreign language, and even rock

climbing. For the past several years, many Laveen stu-

dents 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 stu-

dents 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 dedi-

cated 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 Eng-

lish language arts programs for grades 4-8.

The review and evaluation will conclude in

January, after which the recommended pro-

grams 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 de-

velopment using

the new math cur-

riculum, with the

program fully im-

plemented 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 steadi-

ly increasing year after year, the negotiated

contract rate will save the district an estimated

$400,000 over 20 years.

Page 3

Each year seven teachers from across the district are selected to receive the Excellence in Educa-

tion 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; Mi-

nerva Villa, Desert Meadows; and Ashley Wendling, Vista del Sur.

These recipients were recognized at the November Governing Board Meeting.

E xcellence in ducation

Page 4

Trailside Point School was officially named a

"No Place for Hate" school by the Arizona Anti-

Defamation 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 oth-

er’s diversity.

An assembly was held on November 20 to rec-

ognize 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.

Trailside Point is

No Place for Hate

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

Seventh grader Maliya Jones shows her Resolution of Respect.

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

Page 5

Laveen District continues to grow

The Laveen Elementary District has seen a 3.45% increase in its student popula-

tion 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.

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*

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

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, newspa-

per, bubble wrap, and other materials students performed two trial tests by drop-

ping 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.

Children registered on this date will receive a free

gift!

Children turning 5 after August 31, but by December 31, may be evaluated for early entrance at a later date.

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

Laveen offers FREE Full Day Kindergarten

Register ● Meet the Teachers ● Visit Classrooms

*Except Vista del Sur

Page 6

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 bounda-

ries 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.

In our Community

Church provides Thanksgiving meals

Approximately 800 people in our community

enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal thanks to the gen-

erosity 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 build-

ings held a penny drive and collected canned

food for the club’s food boxes. Community mem-

bers and employees also provided toys for 140

children.

Lions members sorted the goods and deliv-

ered them to the

families just before

the holidays.

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

First graders receive flags

Every first grade student in the district received their own Ameri-

can 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 dis-

cussed 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.

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

Page 7

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 fin-

ished 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 Mead-

ows), 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.

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 grad-

ers 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 wa-

ter and ice in a modified soda bottle.

Preschoolers spruce up park Forty Laveen preschoolers, their families, and

teachers cleaned up Cesar Chavez park one Satur-

day 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.

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

Around our Schools

Preschool

More than 100 Little Hawks and family mem-

bers gathered at Tolmachoff Farm in Glendale for a

Saturday family field trip to support the class-

room’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 cucum-

bers, squash, radishes, tur-

nips, carrots, and more. T h e

g r o u p e x p e r i e n c e d a

"classroom in the corn" lesson

about different kinds of corn,

then walked through a mini

corn maze.

Rogers Ranch

Rogers Ranch received its National Junior Hon-

or 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 demon-

strate excellence in the areas of scholarship, leader-

ship, service, and character.

Page 8

Trailside Point Sixth grade students have been studying busi-

ness, 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 simu-

lated town where they could work on a business

team, buy and sell goods, and manage personal fi-

nances. They also discussed the strategies behind

pricing, inventory, marketing, and selling products

to generate revenue.

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 spe-

cial card and T-shirt that identify them as a Re-

naissance 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 Sil-

ver, 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 strate-

gies to be successful stu-

dents such as taking

Cornell notes and being

organized.

A preschool student picks a radish at Tolmachoff Farm.

NJHS members participate in the induction ceremony.

Renaissance Club members can be identified with this shirt.

Laveen 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 opera-

tions and other skills.

Page 9

M.C. Cash

M.C. Cash students are participating in a peer

mediation program where students help other stu-

dents to work together to solve their problems.

The mediators are neutral parties trained to as-

sist in finding positive solutions to conflicts. Media-

tors help other students take more responsibility

for peacefully resolving disputes without the inter-

vention of staff members. They help prevent conflict

situations from escalating and create a school cul-

ture characterized by cooperation and collabora-

tion.

The peer mediation process also teaches stu-

dents the important life skills of communicating,

understanding differences, and problem solving.

Peer mediation is

completely volun-

tary, is kept private

and confidential, and

can be requested by

any student or staff

member.

Desert Meadows Desert Meadows is fortunate to host a full time

counselor, Jessica Schild, from Southwest Behavior-

al Community Youth Development Program.

Since September Schild has worked, in conjunc-

tion with school counselors from throughout the dis-

trict, 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, South-

west Behavioral will expand the number of counse-

lors 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.

Vista del Sur Students at Vista del Sur learned about the Na-

tive American culture thanks to a visit by the fami-

ly 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 cloth-

ing, 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 en-

joyed the information and

were excited to learn piec-

es of the Navajo code and

language.

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

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

Page 10

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 pre-

sented 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.

Vista teacher receives

Golden Gator Award

Vista del Sur teacher Frincine Tait is a recipient of Xavier College Prepara-

tory’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 suc-

cessful 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 learn-

ing 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 instruc-

tional 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.

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. Cred-

its may carry over for up to five years.

I would like my donation to go to: (check one) the school most in need or specific school

I would like my donation to support: (check one)

Program where there is the greatest need Activity Bus Art Band Choir Equestrian

Field Trips Intramural Sports Gifted Enrichment Preschool Tutoring

Signature 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.

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 ex-

tracurricular activities such as after-school tu-

toring and clubs, academic enrichment, field

trips, fine art programs, and athletics.

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

Reduce your taxes by

supporting Laveen schools

5001 W. Dobbins Rd.

Laveen, AZ 85339

Non-Profit Org

U.S. Postage

PAID

Laveen, AZ

Permit #6

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. Be-

cause 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.

Residential Customer

Visit us online at www.laveeneld.org