JANUARY 2020 | VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 1

IN THIS ISSUE:

decletter

Superintendent Search

The Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board has narrowed the list of candidates to succeed Dr. John Kriekard as superintendent to three.  They are:
  • Dr. Kimberly Guerin, Assistant Superintendent, Educational Services, Scottsdale Unified School District, Scottsdale, Ariz.
  • Dr. Scott Menzel, Superintendent, Washtenaw Intermediate School District, Ann Arbor, Mich.
  • Dr. Shelley Redinger, Superintendent, Spokane Public Schools, Spokane, Wash.
Twenty-nine applications were submitted for the post.

  • Data-driven decision making that has produced successful academic outcomes for all children
  • A culture of accountability to all stakeholders of the schools and community
  • A strategic approach to identifying the needs of the district and our students and possess the ability to develop plans that target measurable growth in identified critical areas
  • An understanding of the importance of creating an exceptional educational experience that enables the district to attract and retain students, parents and staff
Governing Board


Bond Projects





  • Students and staff will remain on campus throughout the project's duration.
  • Cherokee students shared their excitement about their new school, helping design vinyl fence signs that now decorate the bus lane on the school's west side.






Hohokam Update:
  • Planning continues for the combined renovation/new construction at Hohokam Elementary School, 8451 E. Oak St., Scottsdale.  On Dec. 18, the Hohokam community got a first look at SPS+ architects' first sketches of what the revitalized school could look like.
  • To date, the feasibility study has found that the original Ralph Haver-designed buildings have held up well over the past 60 years, although they will require new mechanical and electrical systems.
  • An arborist has determined that about 60 trees will have to be removed because of their poor health.  New trees will be added.
  • In what is being called an "adaptive reuse," SPS+ reported that it is their intention to keep the current slope lines, brick and lattice blocks, and courtyards for which Hohokam is known, while also increasing security by adding inner hallways in classroom buildings (rather than classrooms opening up to the outside) and moving the school office to the front of the campus.
  • Asbestos abatement will be finished soon.
Navajo Restoration:
  • Plans to move the school back to its Granite Reef campus after Winter Break were postponed.



Coronado High School:

 

The parking lot on the northeast corner of the Coronado campus is looking a little different these days:  covered parking was added while students were away on Winter Break.  Solar panels have been added on top of the new parking structure.  Last summer, solar panels were removed from the rooftop of the main school building as part of a roof repair project.

High School Front Offices:

As part of the ongoing work to make SUSD schools more secure for students and staff, construction took place over Winter Break on the front offices of four of our five high schools - Arcadia, Chaparral, Coronado and Saguaro.  The Desert Mountain High School office will see upgrades, as well.





nbct2020


Make That 90 Board Certified Teachers

The ranks of SUSD's National Board Certified teachers have grown by a half dozen, bringing the District's total to 90.  National Board Certification is the most respected professional certification available to U.S. educators.  Teachers who commit to the arduous process of becoming certified dedicate themselves to continuing to improve and further master their classroom skills.

Congratulations to:

Brittany Bouslog
Cocopah Middle School
Carmen Buchanan Arcadia High School
Lori Campos Cherokee Elementary School
Tammy Kohli Desert Canyon Elementary School
Lindsey Saylor Cheyenne Traditional School
Sarah Wagner-Boustila Arcadia High School

Six other SUSD educators recently successfully renewed their National Board certifications and are also to be congratulated:

Tammy Andreas Cochise Elementary School
Katheryn Honeycutt
Desert Canyon Elementary School
Laurie Jones-Ritt Cherokee Elementary School
Laura Kamka Desert Mountain High School
Kelly O'Rourke Desert Canyon Middle School
Debbie Voris Hopi Elementary School

SUSD is fortunate to have a group of current and former educators to help guide National Board candidates along the certification path.  They are:

Abbey Bobbett, Laguna Elementary School
Bobbie Faulkner
Susan Leonard, Ingleside Middle School
Mary Zongolowicz

The group was recognized with plaques and SUSD Challenge Coins at the Jan. 21 Governing Board meeting.  Thank you, all, for the time you invest in making SUSD teachers the best!
FLL
SUSD Robots on a Roll









Mohave Middle School once again hosted a state-qualifying   FIRST Lego League ™ (FLL) tournament before the holidays.  Coordinated by Saguaro High School's award-winning robotics team, the event saw teams from elementary and middle schools around the Valley - more than 20 of them from SUSD schools alone - compete on the robot game tables.

This year, the challenge was to design, build and program a LEGO robot to tackle a problem that a future city will have to deal with, such as transportation, accessibility or a natural disaster.  Teams were also required to identify a problem with a building or public space, design a solution and share it.  Throughout, FLL teams must be guided by FIRST Core Values: discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork and fun.

Six SUSD teams qualified at the Mohave tournament for the state championship tournament at Arizona State University Jan. 18 - 19:  Cheyenne's Roadrunners, Desert Canyon Middle's DC Voltz and Gnomes, Echo Canyon's Echobots, Tonalea's Tiborgs and Yavapai/Hohokam's Thunderbots, with the Thunderbots and Tiborgs going 1-2 with the best robot performance scores and Cheyenne placing 2nd for the Champion's Award.  Congratulations, SUSD!
herm



 





posters
Ingleside Artists Draw Their Way to ASU MLK Awards

Posters submitted by Ingleside Middle School 8th grade students Trinity Herwig and Bruna Aprile are winners in Arizona State University's 2020 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Student Art Contest.  Out of more than 1,600 entries, Trinity's and Bruna's posters received first and third place recognition, respectively.  Their achievements were celebrated at ASU's 35th annual MLK Breakfast Jan. 23.  Well done!



spell
Bee Title Lands on Copper Ridge Speller

If Emma McGreevy's goal was to t-r-u-n-c-a-t-e the annual SUSD Spelling Bee, she was successful.  The Copper Ridge 7th grade student stood alone on the Saguaro High School Auditorium stage after 16 rounds to become this year's District spelling champ.

She and the five runners-up in the Jan. 24 bee - Cheyenne Traditional School 7th grader Makenna Shenberger, Kiva Elementary School 5th grader Gigi Root, Mountainside Middle School 8th grader Victoria Leung, (champion McGreevy), Cocopah Middle School 6th grader Lianna Nguyen and Redfield Elementary School 5th grader Braden Van Horne, pictured from left to right - go on to the Maricopa County Region 2 Bee in Deer Valley in late February.
paradads
See You at the Parada!
"The West's Most Western Town" will be all gussied up Feb. 8 for the 67th Annual Parada del Sol Parade.  The Parada has grown to be one of the world's longest horse-drawn parades and boasts more than 100 entries, including SUSD high school marching bands and school and District wagons!

The parade starts at 10 a.m. at Drinkwater Boulevard and Scottsdale Road, and winds its way through Old Town before ending at Brown Avenue and Indian School Road, so grab a curbside seat and say 'howdy' as your favorite SUSD school passes by!

For more information on this fun family event, as well as the Trail's End block party that follows, go to www.scottsdaleparade.com.

taxcredit
Have You Done Your Taxes Yet?

Tax credit contributions can be made anytime throughout the school year, but must be made by April 15 (not Dec. 31 anymore) - and you get to decide which tax year to apply it to, 2019 or 2020!  Anyone who pays Arizona state income tax is eligible to make a tax credit contribution to SUSD schools.

To learn more about making a tax credit contribution to SUSD, please click here.  Students and school programs depend on you to be able to offer learning opportunities beyond those made possible by state and district funding.  We are most grateful for your ongoing generosity - thank you!
Events
Upcoming Events

Feb. 1:
Middle School Athletics Quarter 3 Sports Festival , 8:30 a.m, Mountainside Middle School and Desert Mountain High School - Girls Basketball and Flag Football 
Feb. 4:
Governing Board Special Meeting, 5 p.m., Rooms A & B, Mohave District Annex, 8500 E. Jackrabbit Rd., Scottsdale
Feb. 5:
SUSD High School Dance Festival, 7 p.m., Auditorium, Desert Mountain High School, 12575 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale
Feb. 8:
67th Annual Scottsdale Parada del Sol, 10 a.m., Old Town Scottsdale
Feb. 11:
SUSD Gifted Education Parent Seminar:  "Kid in the Corner - Mental Wellness,"
6 p.m., Mohave District Annex, Rooms A-B, 8500 E. Jackrabbit Rd., Scottsdale
Feb. 12:
Early Release - All grades
Feb. 17:
Presidents' Day - All SUSD schools and offices closed
Feb. 18:
SUSD Governing Board Regular Meeting, 5 p.m., Board Room, Coronado High School, 7501 E. Virginia Ave., Scottsdale
Feb. 26:
"Coffee with Kriekard" - Desert Mountain Learning Community, 8 - 10 a.m., Desert Mountain High School, 12575 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale
Feb. 26:
Special Kids Field Day, 9 - 11 a.m., Mountain View Park, 8625 E. Mountain View Rd., Scottsdale
Feb. 27:
SUSD 2020-2021 Budget Public Forum, 6 p.m., Mohave District Annex, 8500 E. Jackrabbit Rd., Scottsdale


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