Creighton Elementary School District
Two schools earn Apple recognition
Monte Vista School and Biltmore Preparatory Academy were recently recognized as Apple Distinguished Schools for 2019–2022 for inventive practices incorporating Apple technology into classrooms. Schools are honored for three years at a time and may renew their distinction during the invitation period in which school leaders must submit an application request. Apple then reviews them to ensure the campuses meet current program criteria.
Schools receive banners to mark their accomplishments and were recognized at a governing board meeting.
Glendale Union High School District
Sunnyslope High holding career fair
Students at Sunnyslope High School can find out about jobs for the summer or to start immediately at a career fair on Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the school. Companies will send representatives and talk to students about entry-level positions for immediate hire and summer positions.
The career fair is open to Sunnyslope High juniors and seniors only. Companies interested in participating in the event should contact Deirdre Eagar, College & Career Center advisor, at 623-915-8705.
Sunnyslope High to orient incoming freshmen
Sunnyslope High School will host Future Freshman Night on Thursday, Jan. 16, at 6:30 p.m. at the school at 35 W. Dunlap Ave. Students and their parents will meet teachers and administrators and learn about academics, sports and other extracurricular activities.
Sunnyslope High School senior Victoria Arora was named a 2020 Coca-Cola Scholar Semifinalist (photo courtesy of Glendale Union High School District).
Sunnyslope seniors earn recognition
Two Sunnyslope High School seniors are on their way to bright futures based on their accomplishments.
Yoslyn Salcido Vega was awarded among 16 high school seniors in Phoenix and Glendale to receive the Students Inspiring Students (SIS) Full-Tuition Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship to Grand Canyon University (GCU). Designed to boost educational opportunities for students with limited financial means, the scholarship is a collaboration between GCU, area high schools and business and philanthropic leaders. Yoslyn plans to study psychology at GCU.
Yoslyn Salcido Vega, a senior at Sunnyslope High School, received a full-tuition scholarship to Grand Canyon University (photo courtesy of Grand Canyon University).
Victoria Arora, also a senior at Sunnyslope High School, recently has been named a 2020 Coca-Cola Scholar Semifinalist from more than 93,000 applicants around the country. A committee will review the Semifinalists and choose 250 students to move on as Regional Finalists; 150 of whom will
become Coca-Cola Scholars, who are students committed to leadership, service and taking action that helps others.
High school receives Special Olympics honor
Sunnyslope High School was recently named a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, a distinction that goes to schools with an inclusive climate that demonstrates a sense of collaboration, engagement and respect for everyone in the student body and on the staff. Sunnyslope High met national standards of excellence to obtain this honor, including hosting unified sports activities, where traditional students and students with disabilities competed and trained as teammates. The campus is among six schools in Arizona to receive the recognition.
Washington High students give back at local event
Students at Washington High School collaborated with the 19North organization and Valley Metro to host Winter World Express at the light rail station on 19th Avenue at Dunlap Avenue last month. Washington High students in the National Honor Society, dance, theater, choir and student council took part in the gathering. They helped run different activities for children and some of them danced and sang songs for the crowd.
Madison Elementary School District
Traditional Academy earns award for good behavior
Madison Traditional Academy recently received a 2019 Silver PBISaz Achievement Award, which honors schools for successfully implementing and demonstrating outcomes of Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS). Madison Traditional Academy focuses on the emotional, social and academic development of its students by offering a positive, safe learning environment for the youths and community. The PBISaz Award is given to schools based on their scores on national fidelity and integrity measurements, as well as student outcome data.
Vicki Porell, a tutor with Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring Program, works with Joseph Correa Guttierrez, a student at Camelview Elementary School recently. Oasis is looking for more tutors (photo by Kim Gullo).
Tutors needed to help kids with literacy
The Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring Program is looking for volunteers to help Madison School District students successfully finish this second semester of school. Oasis works with the Madison district to match adults with students who need help with literacy. Tutors work with kindergarten through fourth-grade students in four elementary schools in the district: Madison Camelview, Madison Heights, Madison Rose Lane and Madison Simis. Tutors, usually those 55 years old or older, meet with students an hour per week during the school day to try to help them develop a positive self-image.
Kim Gullo, Oasis tutor coordinator, trains new tutors twice a year and will hold the next tutor session from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at Madison Camelview at 2002 E. Campbell Ave. To register and learn more, contact Gullo at 602-664-7285 or kgullo@madisoned.org.
Phoenix Union High School District
Camelback cheerleader going to London
A Camelback High School student Asante Mathews is one of more than 800 high school cheerleaders from across the country who will represent Varsity Spirit in the London New Year’s Day Parade. Varsity Spirit, based in Memphis, is a global source for cheerleading and dance that offers educational camps, clinics and competitions.
Asante and the other cheerleaders invited to perform in the parade are part of the All-American program and were chosen from Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) and National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) at summer camps around the United States. The All-Americans are selected based on their athletic and leadership skills. Only the top 12 percent of athletes who attend a camp have the opportunity to perform in the holiday parade.
Abia Khan
North High senior gets full ride to Harvard
North High School senior Abia Khan has received a full ride for all four years at Harvard University, where she will start in the fall.
The valedictorian at North High wants to study political science, psychology and math and pursue a career in public service and law, according to her school counselor Abigail Dolin. Abia has taken many advanced placement (AP) exams and applied for and matriculated into the rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program on campus.
Abia has been involved in many activities at school including the National Honor Society, Science! Club, math tutoring and yearbook.
Washington Elementary School District
Learn about kindergarten at open houses
A Kindergarten Open House will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 6 p.m. at 27 schools in the Washington Elementary School District. Parents will meet teachers, see the classrooms and learn more about the community. It will take place at all the elementary schools where kindergarten is offered.
You may enroll your child for kindergarten for the 2020-21 school year at the Welcome and Registration Center at 3200 W. Cholla St.
To learn more about the open house, visit wesdschools.org/registration and click on “Kindergarten Night.”
Private And Charter Schools
Isabella Romero, a third-grader at St. Francis Xavier School, recently was chosen as one of the winners of the Valley Metro Cool Transit STUFF Contest. She is pictured here with her winning artwork and (from left) Bry Lauck, third-grade teacher, Helen Romesburg of Valley Metro, Ryan Watson, principal at St. Francis Xavier School, Abby Aspen, art teacher and Allyson Ladd, third-grade teacher at the school (photo by Sara Hogan).
St. Francis Xavier School student wins art contest
St. Francis Xavier School third-grader Isabella Romero is on a roll after being chosen as one of the winners of the Valley Metro Cool Transit STUFF Contest. Isabella’s artwork is among the creations chosen for the 2020 Transit Education Calendar. Valley Metro received 330 entries from third-graders and the judges selected 17 winners. The children were encouraged to make a piece of art with the theme, “Ride Valley Metro, it’s a New Journey Every Day!”
Her artwork will appear in the 2020 Valley Metro calendar.
Second-graders report fire, receive reward
Second-grade students at St. Francis Xavier School are heroes on campus after they reported seeing small flames burning from the Xavier College Preparatory Convent nearby.
The children were playing at recess when they saw the fire and told their teachers, who called 9-1-1. Officials say a Christmas wreath caught on fire outside and firefighters quickly extinguished it. The nuns who live in the convent were so grateful to the students for reporting the blaze, including Sister Mary Lou Wetzell, who made fire safety coloring books for them. She delivered the coloring books to the second-grade classes.
MHP senior earns Hispanic Scholar honor
The College Board recently named Noemi Soto, Madison Highland Prep senior. a 2020 National Hispanic Scholar. Students are chosen every year for the award based on the results of their PSAT/NMSQT exam. Noemi, 17, performed in the top 2.5 percent among Hispanic high school students in the country to earn the distinction.
Students take the qualifying PSAT in October of their junior years and are honored in the fall of their senior years. In order to qualify for the award, a student must be at least one-quarter Hispanic-Latino, earn the minimum required PSAT Selection Index score their junior year and have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher by the middle of their junior year.
AmeriSchools Academy kids learn about aquaponics
Christabel Faith Gloria, an eighth-grader at AmeriSchools Academy – Camelback, works in the aquaponics garden on campus (photo courtesy of AmeriSchools Academy – Camelback).
AmeriSchools Academy – Camelback students are digging into lessons about gardening through an aquaponics garden on their campus.
Aquaponics combines aquaculture (growth fish) and hydroponics (growing vegetables with soil). The method of raising vegetables is organic because the fish produce natural fertilizer that the plants use. The Grow Club, which Danny Starkins runs, maintains the beds of vegetables while students grow and harvest their own vegetables. Students use the vegetables in cooking projects on campus and also sell them at area pop-up markets in the community.
Principal Lorie Eastep said the aquaponics garden gives students a chance to engage in hands-on learning. Teachers also use the aquaponics garden for science, math and language activities for students.
