Glendale Union High School District
Graduates earn $109 million in scholarships
The 2023-2024 Glendale Union High School District (GUHSD) school year ended with excellent measures of success. Three thousand students graduated from all nine of GUHSD’s high schools this year, and the Class of 2024 earned more than $109 million in scholarships. Sunnyslope High School, Thunderbird High School and Washington High School received a combined total of over $41 million in scholarships.
The district said, “GUHSD is incredibly proud of the Class of 2024’s achievements and wishes all of the graduates continued success in their future endeavors.”
District to host support staff job fair
Join GUHSD on Thursday, July 11, at Moon Valley High School’s cafeteria from 4 to 5:30 p.m. for a support staff job fair. Representatives from GUHSD’s human resources will be on hand to interview individuals who are interested in working in transportation, clerical positions, food services, and maintenance.
GUHSD employees can expect a comprehensive compensation package for most positions, which includes health insurance, paid holidays, retirement planning and much more. For more information, call 623-435-6000 or visit www.guhsdaz.org/domain/68.
Walk-through registration set for July
Glendale Union High School District’s nine high schools will hold Walkthrough Registration for the 2024-25 school year from July 23-25. During this event, students will have their photos taken for IDs and receive their class schedules. For more details, visit your school’s website. The first day of school is Aug. 5.
District office is open through summer
The Glendale Union High School District Office will remain open throughout the summer. Summer hours will be in effect through July 12 and are as follows: Monday through Wednesday, 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, closed. The office will be closed on July 4 for Independence Day. For additional information, call 623-435-6000.
Madison School District
Meadows named ‘Top New School’
Madison Meadows Middle School recently received the 2023-24 Best Buddies “Top New School” award. The school was selected for its outstanding performance in promoting inclusion and friendship within their community through the Best Buddies program.
Teacher Lauren Robuck and parent Blaire Hinks introduced Madison Meadows’ Best Buddies program this past school year. The program promotes inclusion, spreads awareness and acceptance of all individuals and provides students with the opportunity to form friendships with students with special needs. It empowers people with an IDD (intellectual and developmental disability) to form meaningful friendships with peers and improve communication and advocacy skills.
Volunteers honored at event
Madison School District held its annual recognition event May 7 to honor students, staff and volunteers for their achievements, contributions and dedication over the past year.
Student-athletes were recognized for their performance in the Valley Athletic Conference, with 13 teams placing in the championship competitions and several students receiving individual honors. Sixteen athletic teams were also named Madison Scholar Athlete Teams for having a team average GPA of 3.8 or higher during the first semester.
Madison Simis and Meadows Odyssey of the Mind teams were recognized for their strong performance at this year’s regional and state competitions. Eliana Moskowitz and Addison Briggs were recognized as International Baccalaureate Program Students of the Year by the Arizona International Baccalaureate organization. Briggs was also recognized for receiving the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) Outstanding Achievement Award.
Osborn School District
New principal to serve at Encanto
Kimberly Fernandez
The Osborn School District announced on June 15 that Kimberly Fernandez will serve as the new principal of Encanto Elementary. Fernandez has 18 years’ experience in public education, with 16 as a teacher and the past two as a principal at the Tempe Learning Center of Student Choice High School, an alternative and credit recovery program for students. She holds two master’s degrees (curriculum and instruction and educational leadership).
Fernandez’s classroom instruction came in grades 2-5 in the Union Elementary School District, where she taught for seven years. She then spent three years as an instructional coach and ELD reading specialist in Dysart Unified. She then spent seven years as a K-5 reading and math specialist in Litchfield Elementary School District. She entered administration as a high school principal for the past two years.
Fernandez has worked on a variety of school and district initiatives including new teacher mentors, peer evaluators, and as an RTI coordinator. She has been honored as the Westside Impact Teacher of the Year.
Donations spark imagination
When students return to Clarendon Elementary School in the fall, they will have new opportunities to strut their STEM stuff, thanks in part to the generosity of the Osborn Educational Foundation and Phoenix West Rotary Club.
At an event held at the end of the 2023-24 school year, students and staff showed off the STEM projects and materials that were funded during the school year by the two organizations, including a Knex roller coaster, 3D pen, micro:bit chips, scan markers. The celebratory day was topped off with performances by a cheer and dance team performance, whose uniforms were funded by these groups as well.
Bioscience seniors (pictured left to right) Elizabeth Sanchez Castaneda, Juliet Hernandez, Ronald Tran, Adayla Mendoza, Taylor Price and Luis Hernandez Anaya each earned more than $1 million in scholarships (photo courtesy of Phoenix Union High School District).
Phoenix Union High School District
Bioscience students receive millions in scholarships
The Bioscience High School Class of 2024 collectively earned more than $28.5 million and counting in scholarships, including six students who individually earned more than $1 million.
Juliet Hernandez more than $2.3 million, Taylor Price earned more than $2 million, Adayla Mendoza earned more than $1.6 million, Luis Hernandez Anaya earned more than $1.3 million, Ronald Tran earned $1.06 million, and Elizabeth Sanchez Castaneda earned $1 million in total awarded scholarships.
Washington Elementary School District
Enrollment open for 2024-25 school year
Whether it is free, full-day kindergarten, premiere special education and gifted services, art, music, PE, STEM or online learning, the Washington Elementary School District (WESD) aims to provide a program to meet the individual needs of each child.
With multiple A+ Schools of Excellence, a National Blue Ribbon and a National Title I Distinguished School, WESD also is a Top 20 school district in the country in student growth. Additionally, 84 percent of WESD schools are an A or B and, of WESD’s nine A-rated schools, four of them are in the North Central corridor – Desert View (K-6), Moon Mountain (K-6), Orangewood (K-8) and Royal Palm (6-8), the first and only middle school in WESD to achieve an “A” letter grade.
The district is currently enrolling kindergarten through eighth grade students for the 2024-25 school year. To start the enrollment process, visit the WESD Welcome and Registration Center, located at 3200 W. Cholla St., in person or enroll online at www.wesdschools.org/registration.
District seeks curriculum feedback
WESD is in the process of reviewing and adopting science materials to support teachers with instruction that is aligned to the K-8 state standards. The standards are based on three core ideas for knowing science: physical science, Earth and space science and life science. The materials also will address the science and engineering practices that provide students with authentic science experiences such as constructing explanations, planning investigations and developing models to make sense of the core ideas of science.
Parents and guardians are invited to visit the community display until July 8 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the WESD Administrative Center, located at 4650 W. Sweetwater Ave., with an option to provide feedback digitally.
WESD has job openings for teachers and staff
WESD currently has several job openings for certified and classified positions including teachers, psychologists, paraprofessionals, custodians, childcare assistants, cafeteria workers, office technicians, bus drivers and much more. The district offers paid holidays and personal leave, vacation time, employer-matched contributions to Arizona State Retirement, insurance benefits for employees working 30 hours a week, discounts on WESD-sponsored childcare, extensive training, and opportunities for advancement.
To apply online, visit https://jobs.wesdschools.org. To learn more, please call 602-347-2622.
