Xavier’s College Preparatory’s International Studies Program sent several young women to Quito, Ecuador earlier this summer (submitted photo).
Creighton Elementary School District
Students attempt world record
PwC US last month partnered with 20 different schools, including Loma Linda Elementary School in Phoenix, to host financial literacy classes for more than 6,000 third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada.
As part of the effort, PwC is joining forces with community organizations Playworks and Junior Achievement to set the Guinness World Record title for “The Largest Simultaneous Financial Literacy Lesson in Multiple Locations.”
This latest initiative is part of PwC’s larger Earn Your Future campaign, a $160 million investment—$60 million in cash donations and 1 million service hours—to address youth education with a focus on financial literacy, impacting more than 2.5 million students and educators.
On Sept. 24, PwC volunteers taught Loma Linda students lessons on credits and debits, savings and investments, and planning and money management. Following the class lessons, PwC hosted a celebration of the day’s record-setting achievement with the community organizations.
Madison Elementary School District
Parent of kindergarteners invited to Oct. 25 tour
Madison School District invites any parents who have children entering kindergarten next year to attend its Discover Madison Tour, set for 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25.
The tour starts in the Governing Board Room at the Madison District Office, 5601 N. 16th St. There will be a brief welcome and overview, after which families will board a bus for a tour of Madison Camelview, Madison Heights, Madison Simis, Madison Rose Lane, and Madison Traditional Academy. These tours will be led by the principal of each site.
The bus will then return to the Madison District Office for lunch and a brief wrap-up that will be completed by noon. RSVPs for attendees need to be received by Oct. 11, and can be completed by filling out a short form at www.madisonaz.org/discovertour or by calling 602-664-7944.
Osborn Elementary School District
Osborn looks to pass budget override
The Osborn Elementary School District will have a budget override item on the Nov. 5 Maricopa County Elections Ballot. Currently there are just under 17,000 residents registered to vote for this item (Phoenicians living in the school district’s boundaries).
Osborn School District currently has a 15-percent budget override in place, passed by voters in 2009 and set to expire in 2016. The Nov. 5 election is a request to continue the override until 2020, which means homeowners in the school district will continue to pay approximately $45 per year, on average.
If the budget override fails, approximately $2 million will have to be cut from the district’s budget over the next two years. Prior to its original 2016 sunset, the override would decrease in increments in its final two years.
Osborn School District offers full-day kindergarten, English language proficiency support and materials, and technology support staff, as well as art, music and physical education. It’s likely many of these programs will face steep cuts if the override doesn’t pass.
A group called “YES for Osborn Students” has formed to help pass the override. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/YESforOsbornStudents.
Phoenix Union High School District
Requests for academy nominations due
Students interested in one of the military academies must first be nominated by a U.S. representative or senator. Congressman Ed Pastor is accepting applications from high school seniors for the Air Force, Naval, Merchant Marine and Army Academies.
Requests for nominations must be received by Friday, Oct. 11 and completed applications must be returned by Friday, Oct. 18.
For more information, visit www.pastor.house.gov, click on Services and then Academy Nominations, or call Pastor’s office at 602-256-0551.
STEM Symposium held at Central High
Central High School hosted hundreds of Phoenix Union seniors for a STEM Symposium, presented by the Basketball Hall of Fame/First Impressions Foundation on Sept. 26. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
The basketball stars were in town for the Jerry Colangelo Hall of Fame Golf Classic and Dinner, and visited the students, introducing them to a day of education and career exploration during breakout sessions.
The sessions included engineering, medicine, project management, financial management, computer networks, programming and energy and environmental engineering.
Students cater event for Phoenix Suns
Six of Central High’s culinary students were chosen to help cater an event for the Phoenix Suns on Aug. 22. The event, called A Taste of the NBA, was directed at current and potential season ticket holders.
Each student was placed at a station where a different region from the United States was being showcased. The students were able to refill the stations as well as serve as the runners for all the stations.
The students learned about the different foods from the regions and worked with professional chefs. Culinary teacher Erin Sullivan is networking with the general manager of the Levy Corporation to get more experiences like this for her culinary students.
North High to host a College Planning night
North High School will host a district-wide College Planning Night for students of all grade levels and their parents, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16 in the North Library, 1101 E. Thomas Road.
Topics will include the application process; college interviews for admission; The College Experience, hosted by former North student Sarah Simms of Princeton; and financial aid and scholarships. In addition, officials from the Burton Barr Central Library’s College Depot will present a writing workshop for personal statements and application essays.
Schools such as Princeton, Arizona State University, University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, Carnegie Mellon, Grand Canyon University, MIT, St. Mary’s, Tulsa and Westminster will have representatives. The event is free.
Washington Elementary School District
Sunnyslope featured in solar commercial
Sunnyslope School students and staff will be featured in a solar commercial recently filmed by Arizona Public Service (APS). Since the Sunnsylope School solar system was installed last year, more than 80 percent of school’s electrical load has been met by solar energy.
More than 1,400 solar panels were installed on rooftops, over parking areas and over the school’s playground in 2012. This solar installation is owned and maintained by Tioga Energy, at no cost to the school district. WESD buys the power back as a rate lower than utility company rates.
Solar incentives from Arizona Public Service Company combined with federal and state tax credits make this project, and other WESD solar projects, affordable. The school district has no ownership in these systems and is not responsible for maintaining them. Savings in the first year are expected to be $17,300.
Parent University coming Nov. 2
Hundreds of parents from throughout the Washington Elementary School District are expected to attend the fourth-annual Parent University 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2 at Mountain Sky Junior High School, located at 16225 N. 7th Ave.
Parent University is a special half-day educational opportunity designed to help parents and guardians assist their children with academics and behavior as well as provide important health and human service information and support.
The free event begins with breakfast. Parents will then attend an inspiring keynote address by Dr. Jennifer Johnson, deputy superintendent for Program and Policy, Arizona Department of Education.
Parents may take part in informative sessions on such topics as Common Core and language arts, nutrition, bullying, preparing children for kindergarten (for parents of young children), managing difficult behaviors in young children, understanding the new math, and parenting with love and logic.
In addition, parents can also learn about sensible couponing to save money on things they already purchase, effective budgeting, how to teach their children about money, the importance of credit, and even how to make full use of the public library and transportation systems.
Guests will have the opportunity to visit the Community Resource area where numerous organizations will provide information helpful to parents and families in the community.
For more information on Parent University, visit www.wesdschools.org.
Private and Charter Schools
Teachers, students compete in essay event
Like most sisters, Kelly Maguire and Anne Sanford have competed for recognition throughout the years. Native Arizonans, they both attended and graduated from St. Francis Xavier Elementary and St. Mary’s High School.
Although nearly 10 years apart in age, they both sought degrees in education: Maguire from the University of Arizona, and Sanford from Grand Canyon University. Both went on to pursue master’s degrees in education as well.
Maguire currently teaches English at Bios Christian Academy in Gilbert, and Sanford teaches English at St. Francis Xavier Elementary in North Central Phoenix.
Fond of friendly competition, the sisters recently discovered that they both had students who placed in a well-known essay contest, “Letters About Literature,” a reading and writing contest for students in grades 4-12. Students are asked to read a book, poem or speech and write to that author (living or dead) about how the book affected them personally. Letters are judged on state and national levels. This year more than 49,000 students from across the country entered the contest.
Maguire and Sanford accompanied their winning students to an awards reception on Sept. 13 that recognized the Arizona Letters About Literature winners and their teachers.
Olmsted dedicates new Bourgade chapel
Diocese of Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmsted on Sept. 10 officiated the grand opening of the remodel of Bourgade Catholic High School’s Chapel, Hillmann Center and brand new Blue Angels Hall. The school is located at 4602 N. 31st Ave.
Hillmann Center was originally built in 1962 to house the priests who served as administrators and faculty/staff for the school. The center later served as a retreat house for the Diocese of Phoenix.
In its new life, Hillmann Center houses Bourgade Catholic’s music program with classroom and practice spaces, instrument storage, an expanded Campus Ministry Office, and space for a warming kitchen on the first floor.
Blue Angels Hall is a new 4,125-square-foot multi-purpose room named after Bourgade Catholic’s first mascot, the United States Navy Blue Angels.
The chapel remodel includes a carved altar and presider’s chair. A relic of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized and founder of the first Catholic school in the United States, will be placed beneath the table of the altar.
Xavier girls spend summer around globe
More than 40 Xavier College Preparatory students and faculty members participated in the school’s International Studies Program offerings in Ecuador, France and Nicaragua during the summer. The program marked Xavier’s second year of international studies offerings since it expanded its program beyond an annual Easter pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, that began 31 years ago.
Xavier also offers an exchange program in Aachen, Germany. German students come to Phoenix each October, and Xavier students travel to Aachen each February.
Eighth Grade Day, Open House at Xavier
Xavier College Preparatory will host its annual “8th Grade Day” on Friday, Oct. 25, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and its Open House on Sunday, Nov. 3, from 12 to 2:30 p.m. Both events are free, and will take place on Xavier’s campus, 4710 N. 5th St.
The first event offers eighth-grade students from around the Valley an opportunity to experience Xavier on a school day. Scheduled activities will include a welcome assembly, student-led tours, classroom visits, an all-school pep rally, and lunch. Participation is free, but interested students are asked to register online by visiting www.xcp.org, clicking “Admissions,” then “8th Grade Day.” Please note that this is a student event, so there will not be any planned activities for parents on this day.
The Open House is an opportunity for students of all ages and their parents to attend a Xavier information session, tour the school, and meet the faculty and coaches. Information sessions begin at 12:15 p.m. and 1:15 p.m. in the Virginia G. Piper Performing Arts Center, and campus tours will be available after each session. Registration is not necessary.
