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Allstate donates supplies to schools Employees of Allstate Insurance’s Southwest Regional Office, located at 16th Street and Missouri, conducted a school supply drive this summer to benefit the Madison School District. The office collected thousands of supplies including backpacks, glue sticks, pencils, notebook paper, crayons, and Kleenex.  Getting ready to deliver a mound of donated school supplies to three Madison schools are Daniel Hamar, Bree Hansen, Krisha Saunders, Jason Duttle, and Gerard Richards, all of Allstate Insurance’s Southwest Regional Office (submitted photo). Three schools within the Madison District were selected as this year’s recipients: Madison Camelview, Madison Park, and Madison Rose Lane. All three were chosen based on the number of students with the greatest need. Employees delivered the goods to the three schools on Aug. 11, the first day of school. Allstate employees started collecting school supplies for the Madison district eight years ago. “We began the program back in 2001, to give employees the opportunity to give back to the schools in our community,” said Daniel Hamar, Senior Financial Analyst for the Southwest’s Regional Office and this year’s supply drive coordinator. “This has been one of our most popular annual events since its inception.” The Madison School District has many families that cannot afford basic school supplies and welcomes donations throughout the year. For more information, call the district office at 602-664-7900. Become a volunteer tutor The Madison School District’s Literacy Tutoring Program is for community members who are interested in sharing the love of reading with a child. By becoming a literacy tutor, you will support a student once a week for an hour in the skills of reading and writing. This tutoring program serves children in Madison School District’s four elementary schools (Heights, Camelview, Rose Lane and Simis) and targets children needing additional academic support in literacy. The program is run by OASIS, a nonprofit organization that partners with school districts to support adult community members and students needing literacy support. Tutors will receive training by a reading specialist from Madison School District along with a tutor handbook, bag and supplies. The training will be held at Madison Heights Elementary from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sept. 22-24. If you are interested in this rewarding tutoring program, contact Maggie Kraft at Madison Heights Elementary, 602-664-7839 or e-mail her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Phoenix Union High School District Bioscience charts high AIMS scores Bioscience High School, Phoenix Union High School District’s newest entry into the AIMS race, had 97 percent of its 10th graders meet or exceed the Math exam, the highest public (non-charter) school percentage in the Valley, and second-best in the state. The science and math-focused small school, located at 735 E. Fillmore, also had the fifth-best score in Reading with 93 percent of students passing in its first attempt at the high stakes tests last spring. District-wide, Phoenix Union scores were flat, with small gains in Reading, while Writing scores were down from 2007. That trend mirrored Arizona’s averages. Bioscience tested 53 students, and all but two passed the AIMS Math, including 13 who exceeded the standards, the best score one can receive. In writing, Bioscience was at 85 percent, but again 13 scored “Exceeds.” The students who tested are the first class at the rigorous school that began in 2006. Now juniors, they are joined this year with freshman and sophomore classes that bring the school enrollment to about 200 students. Besides Bioscience, Metro Tech, 1900 W. Thomas Road, showed the strongest district scores in the 10th grade category, gaining in all three areas. Metro’s 70 percent in Math surpassed the state average, a 70 percent Reading score improved by 7 percentage points from last year, and the magnet school was the only Phoenix Union school to gain in Writing. Washington Elementary School District: Kraft not to seek re-election to board Bev Kraft, current president of the Washington Elementary School District Governing Board, announced that she will not be seeking another term as a Governing Board member. Since being elected in 2004, Kraft has served as board member, two years as vice president and her last year as president. “I feel that I have accomplished my goals these last four years for the WESD by being a part in bringing parity to the district which brought back art, music and PE to our schools,” stated Kraft. “I feel this is one of my greatest accomplishments, and I will always be proud of my fellow board members for bringing this to fruition.” Kraft has served the community for more than 35 years and will continue to be an active member within the WESD arena. She is a past president of Executive Women International, past program chair for two years for Cactus Wren Republican Women and will continue working diligently for her community and the Republican Party. Roberts takes helm at Maryland School Ann Roberts comes to the Washington Elementary School District as the new 5-8 principal at Maryland School, 6503 N. 21st Ave. Most recently, Roberts was the principal of Madison No. 1 in the Madison School District. She believes the most important thing one can teach a child is “to be inquisitive and curious. This will foster an interest in learning.” Private/Charter Schools: After-school sports at AmeriSchools AmeriSchools Academy is participating in the Independent Youth Athletic Conference with several other charter schools around the Valley. The fall sports include flag football and volleyball, winter is boys basketball and girls basketball and spring is co-ed softball. Students in grades 5-8 are eligible to participate. AmeriSchools receives grant A matching grant of $2,750 was awarded to AmeriSchools from the city of Phoenix’s Office of Arts and Culture. The school has teamed up with Phoenix Theatre’s Cookie Company in a Books Alive Program. The middle school students will be engaged in many theatrical activities with a final performance for students and families in December. New faces, other changes at MHT When second-year principal Michael C. Brennan threw open the gates of Most Holy Trinity Catholic School for the 2008-09 school year, students met the faculty’s two new teachers and stepped onto a campus with significant improvements over the prior year. Paula Watkins is the new homeroom teacher for the eighth grade. A graduate of Grand Canyon University with a master’s degree from Northern Arizona University, she joins the MHT staff from St. Theresa Catholic School. The new homeroom teacher for the sixth grade is Patrick Anglim, a former Mesa police officer who has a master’s degree in theology from the University of San Francisco. Anglim comes to Most Holy Trinity from Notre Dame Preparatory High School, where he taught theology. Among the campus improvements finished over the summer were the completion of a restroom renovation that added a new sink to the school’s science lab, new restrooms in the preschool area, a new Smart Board in the computer lab and eight new tables in the science lab. Grants from Our Lady of Joy Parish in Carefree and AZ Civil Engineers helped bring the improvements to fruition. Parents and students had an early chance to meet the new teachers at an Aug. 7 barbecue hosted by MHT’s School and Family Committee, which this year is led by Christy Fadden. Most Holy Trinity Catholic Elementary School, located at 535 E. Alice Ave., is a fully accredited kindergarten through eighth-grade school with a state-licensed, full-day preschool. For more information on the school, visit www.mht.org, or for a campus tour, call 602-943-9058. |
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