Glendale Union High School District
Register for classes at Glendale Union schools
There is still space for students at the campuses in the Glendale Union High School District in the coming academic year, which starts Aug. 9.
New students can register at any of the high schools in the district, all of which have received national recognition. The schools boast championship sports, extracurricular activities and modern science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) opportunities, career and technical education programs, online learning options and other offerings.
To learn more, visit www.guhsdaz.org.
Graduates earn millions in scholarships
The more than 2,900 Glendale Union High School District seniors who graduated from the district’s nine high schools in May earned a collective $98 million in scholarships to various universities. The students who earned the awards will use them to study at in- and out-of-state universities and military institutions.
The dollar amount for the scholarships for the class of 2021 was $14 million more than the previous year’s graduating class received. Sunnyslope and Washington high school graduating seniors earned $29 million altogether in scholarships.
Madison Elementary School District
Madison district earns healthy worksite honor
The Healthy Arizona Worksite Program recently honored the Madison Elementary School District with the Gold level of excellence in worksite wellness. This award distinguishes employers that are doing work to positively impact the health and well-being of their workers, families and community members by implementing comprehensive wellness strategies in the workplace.
To be eligible for this award, employers must attend a Healthy Arizona Worksites Program (HAWP) 101 training, obtain a letter of support from their leadership to announce the wellness program and demonstrate commitment to promoting health, as well as create a cohesive wellness team, among other actions.
For more information, visit https://healthyazworksites.org.
Rhett Doherty and his mother, Shawnee Doherty, and his father Shane Doherty pose near a mural that students at Madison Meadows Middle School painted to honor the memory of Rhett’s brother, Hollis (photo courtesy of the Madison Elementary School District).
Students paint mural to honor late classmate
A new mural at Madison Meadows Middle School pays tribute to a student in the district who passed away.
Madison Simis Elementary School student Hollis Doherty died in 2017 after battling brain cancer for seven months. He would have been 12 years old and a sixth-grader at Madison Meadows this year. During a lesson at Madison Meadows recently, International Baccalaureate (IB) Visual Art teacher Megan Tracy asked students to develop artwork on campus that would boost the community. The sixth-graders decided to honor Hollis by creating a mural on campus.
Shawnee and Shane Doherty, Hollis’ parents, and his brother, Rhett, recently visited the Madison Meadows campus to see the mural painted to remember students’ friendship with Hollis. It shows how Hollis will always be part of the Madison Elementary School District family.
Substitute teachers, other employees needed
The Madison Elementary School District is hiring substitute teachers and employees for other positions.
There are opportunities for math teachers, before- and after-school club leaders, secretaries, food service employees and other workers. Madison offers medical, short-term disability and life insurance. It also provides paid holidays and allows workers to participate in vision, dental, flex spending accounts and other voluntary benefits. Substitute teachers must have a bachelor’s degree, a valid Arizona teaching certificate or substitute certificate and a valid Arizona IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card. To see available positions, visit https://madisonaz.tedk12. com/hire.
Osborn Elementary School District
COVID-19 vaccines to be given at several schools
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine will be available for everyone ages 12 and older at Osborn Middle School and other campuses in the area.
The vaccines will be administered through a partnership among the 13 elementary school districts that feed into the Phoenix Union High School District, as well as Phoenix Union itself. Vaccines will be administered from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, July 9 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 10, as well as noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, July 30 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 31 at Osborn Middle School at 1102 W. Highland Ave. and the other locations.
For more information, visit www.pxu.org/COVIDvaccine.
Encanto principal receives county award
Encanto Elementary School Principal Felipe Carranza is one of eight leaders who recently received the Exemplary Principal Award from the Office of the Maricopa County School Superintendent.
Carranza was nominated for the honor in December and underwent an exhaustive, five-month selection process that included staff surveys, interviews of semi-finalists and site visits where officials walked through classrooms, interviewed staff members and observed a school leadership meeting.
To learn more about the award, visit https://schoolsup.org/principal.
Employees honored for support for students
The Technology, Child Nutrition and Maintenance/Transportation departments and employees Cristina Delgado, Alex Menendez and Desiree Barnett were recognized recently by the Osborn Education Foundation at its first Exceptional Educator Virtual Event.
Delgado is a social worker at Encanto Elementary School, Menendez is an instructional assistant at Longview Elementary School and Barnett is a kindergarten teacher at Encanto. They were honored for their excellent service to students, colleagues, parents and the community with certificates and checks for $500 each for their own personal use. The three departments received plaques and checks for $1,000 each to be used as they choose.
Jamal Dana and the Technology Department provided laptops to all students who needed one and offered help with internet access to families and support and training to employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Corey Alexander and the Child Nutrition Department ensured that no child under age 18 went hungry in the community. John Bachler and the Maintenance and Transportation staff members helped with food delivery and assisting the Technology Department in offering WiFi access to the community.
Phoenix Union High School District
District providing vaccines at many campuses
The Phoenix Union High School District is providing COVID-19 vaccines to anyone at least 12 years old in events this month.
As part of a partnership with its feeder elementary school districts, Phoenix Union will offer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at several locations including Camelback and North high schools. Residents can obtain the vaccines from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, July 9, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 10, noon to 7 p.m. Friday, July 30 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 31.
Camelback High is located at 4612 N. 28th St. and North High is at 1101 E. Thomas Road. The first and second doses of the vaccine will be provided July 9 and 10 and school-age children will receive a free backpack, as well as school supplies, while these items last. The second Pfizer dose will be administered July 30 and 31.
To learn more, visit www.pxu.org/COVIDvaccine.
Private And Charter Schools
Brophy College Prep grads earn Dorrance Scholarships
Three Brophy College Preparatory graduates are recipients of the prestigious 2021 Dorrance Scholarships.
Carlos Moreno, Luis Reyes and Mark Trusiak, who graduated from Brophy in May, received these scholarships, worth more than $100,000 over four years to attend state universities. The scholarships are given to motivated Arizona students, who will be the first in their families to go to college. These scholars must live on campus their freshmen and sophomore years, attend monthly meetings with other scholars, do volunteer service, study full-time and keep a grade-point average of at least 3.0.
Moreno, Reyes and Trusiak will attend Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University.
Jacquie and Bennett Dorrance established the Dorrance Scholarship Programs in 1999. This year’s scholars represent 48 high schools around Arizona. Several other graduates from North Central schools also received Dorrance Scholarships. They include Xavier College Preparatory graduates Victoria Aguirre, Rebecca Molina, Lady Sanchez Montoya and Alexandra Williams. Washington High School graduate Gabriella Venegas also received a Dorrance Scholarship.
To learn more, visit www.dorrancescholarship.org.
Brophy College Preparatory graduate Charlie Cobb was named the 2021 Gatorade Arizona Boys Soccer Player of the Year (submitted photo).
Brophy grad named soccer player of the year
A recent Brophy College Preparatory graduate scored big with a recent award.
Charlie Cobb, who graduated in May from Brophy, was chosen as the 2021 Gatorade Arizona Boys Soccer Player of the Year, the 10th Brophy student to win this award. The award recognizes athletic excellence, excellent standards of academic achievement and exemplary character shown on and off the field. The finalist from each state will be eligible for the Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award.
Cobb, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound midfielder and forward led the Broncos to a 15-1-1 record and a third consecutive Conference 6A state championship last season. He scored 21 goals and passed for 20 assists, including a goal during Brophy’s 2-1 shootout win over San Luis High in the state final game.
Cobb maintained a weighted 4.45 grade-point average in the classroom at Brophy and he has volunteered with the Welcome to America Project, which assists foreign refugees who have been relocated to the Valley. He also took part in many fundraising campaigns to help brain cancer research as an ambassador with Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program distinguishes one winner in the District of Columbia and one in each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, as well as boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball and other sports.
To learn more, visit https://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
Midtown Primary students get camp-themed lessons
Children at Midtown Primary School are enjoying the feel of summer camp on campus.
Forty students who are going into first through fourth grades participated in summer camp. Teachers or “camp counselors” engaged students in camping-themed activities involving art, technology and science. “Campers” learned about forest animals, took virtual canoe trips, talked about water safety and participated in thermal cooking and many other activities. Students gathered around a pretend campfire and sang songs while listening to the chirps of forest crickets.
Midtown Primary also taught children who will be starting kindergarten in the fall through its Kinder Jumpstart Program, which helps kids prepare for kindergarten. There have been 21 children in that program this summer.
Xavier grad commits to swim at Ohio college
A swimmer will take the plunge into post-high school life after signing a National Letter of Intent for Kenyon College.
Xavier College Preparatory graduate Jordan Herrera signed the letter to commit to swimming at the college in Gambier, Ohio, in the fall. She plans to major in neurosciences.
A competitive swimmer since she was 11 years old, Herrera graduated from Xavier in May. She also demonstrated her success outside of the pool as she won the Hispanic Heritage Foundation Gold Medal in the technology category. Herrera participated in Xavier’s dual enrollment program with Rio Salado College, receiving her associate and associate in general studies degrees upon graduation.
Xavier College Preparatory recent graduates (from left): Regan Gunzy, Victoria Saucedo, Kelly Scott and Zaira Reyes signed their National Letters of Intent to play sports next academic year at different universities (photo by Lisa Zuba).
Xavier graduates sign sports letters of intent
The future is promising for four Xavier College Preparatory graduates, who signed their National Letters of Intent to play sports at different universities.
Regan Gunzy, Zaira Reyes, Victoria Saucedo and Kelly Scott signed these letters during an event last month on campus. They join several other Xavier College Prep student-athletes who have signed National Letters of Intent in the 2020-21 school year.
Gunzy will swim at John Carroll University, Reyes will play volleyball at the University of Rochester, Saucedo will play basketball at Cornell College and Scott will swim at Boston College. The four students graduated from Xavier last month.
There were 18 Xavier College Prep student-athletes who signed National Letters of Intent in the 2020-21 academic year.
Xavier grads shine with awards for service, sports
Two Xavier College Preparatory graduates and a student who will be a senior at the school this fall are shining for their success in sports and service.
Meghan Schouten, Talia Novack and Jamie Stelnik were recently honored at the Arizona Interscholastic Association Annual Champions Gala, which was presented by Albertsons/Safeway and the Arizona Cardinals.
Schouten was surprised with an award of $1,000 for being a Student Leadership Advisory Council Champion. The award is for her achievements and service while she served on the council. Students gain leadership opportunities and help other athletes as part of the Arizona Interscholastic Association’s Student Leadership Advisory Council. She also was a key part of the Xavier Gators softball team winning its first state championship. Schouten will be a senior in the fall at Xavier.
Novack received the Dr. Voie Stuart Chase Coy Girls Scholar Award. While keeping a grade-point average of 3.9, Novack worked through high school, performed on a regular basis in Xavier’s dramatic and musical plays and volunteered at the Arizona Science Center. She plans to study computer science at the University of Arizona.
Stelnik was a finalist for the Girls Scholar Athlete Award. She served as captain of Xavier’s cross country & track team, leading the team to a state championship. Stelnik also volunteered 500 hours, as well as created the 5k RUNFORCOVID to help St. Vincent de Paul’s food bank. She plans to attend Johns Hopkins University in the fall and will study computer science.
Brophy chosen as one of most influential schools
The website AcademicInfluence.com recently ranked Brophy College Preparatory number 49 among the top 50 most influential private high schools in the United States. High schools were chosen for this honor based on the influencers associated with them, including faculty and alumni.
The website measured influence and mapped the relevant connections between people and schools by considering the number of citations and web mentions, as well as the authority of entities making the citations. Based on the analysis, the ranked private high schools show higher concentrations of influential people linked to them.
The website said 75 percent of staff members at Brophy have advanced degrees. Of its students, 84 percent scored a three or higher on advanced placement (AP) tests last year.
Among the notable Brophy graduates the website mentioned are J.J. Jansen, a Carolina Panthers football player, Sean O’Hair, a professional golfer, and Dean Gerard Winters, an actor known for his role as Ryan O’Reilly on the HBO’s series “Oz.”
Eleven other Jesuit high schools also made the list. To learn more, visit https://academicinfluence.com.
