GUHSD celebrated a new turf field at Washington High School with a ribbon-cutting event Aug. 25. In the front row, pictured from left to right, are Matt Belden, Assistant Superintendent of Operations & Athletics; Pam Reicks, Governing Board member; Laura Arita, Governing Board clerk; Patti Hussey, Governing Board member; and Ashley Anderson, Washington High School principal (photo courtesy of GUHSD).
Glendale Union High School District
GUHSD schools ranked among best
Since 2007, all nine Glendale Union High School District (GUHSD) high schools have ranked on U.S. News & World Report for Best High Schools, and this year is no different. The district congratulated its high schools — Apollo, Cortez, Glendale, Greenway, Independence, Moon Valley, Sunnyslope, Thunderbird and Washington — for keeping up the incredible work.
Learn more about the district at www.guhsdaz.org.
Sunnyslope wins at golf tournament
The annual district golf tournament teed off at Arizona Traditional Golf Course, and excellence was on full display. Sunnyslope High School’s team took home the District Championship, while Sunnyslope golfer Jackson Pieratt snagged the title of Individual Tournament Champion.
Washington High unveils new turf field
Washington High School’s Varsity Football team and the Purple Pride Marching Machine played and performed on a brand-new turf field at the school’s season home opener game, Aug. 25. A complete renovation took place over the summer and included the turf field as well as new lighting, stadium seating and scoreboard.
The district expressed its gratitude to the community for its support through bond dollars that allowed for the remarkable renovations at Ram Stadium. GUHSD governing board members and many of the contractors whose companies performed the work were on hand Aug. 25 to celebrate the new field with a ribbon cutting.
Madison School District
Get ready for kindergarten
While the new school year may have just started, many families with children starting kindergarten in the 2024–25 school year are already preparing for their children to begin school next fall.
It’s an exciting time, and parents and caregivers often have questions about how to help their children succeed as they begin their academic journey. Madison School District kindergarten teachers and early childhood program staff offer tips on preparing for this next big step.
Families should encourage independence, such as practicing opening lunch box containers and zip lock bags without help. It is also essential to build self-advocacy skills, such as asking when they need help or don’t understand the instructions. Families also should encourage a child’s confidence to try new things, provide opportunities to make simple decisions, and help children to accept minor disappointments, frustrations or changes in schedule.
Before school begins, children should be able to recognize all 26 upper and lowercase letters of the alphabet and their sounds, write their first and last names, count and recognize numbers zero through 20 and identify and draw basic shapes.
Children may struggle with separation when school starts, but prolonging a goodbye can make the separation more difficult. If a child is upset when they leave, parents should assure the student that they love them, their teacher will take care of them and express confidence that they can handle the school day.
Finally, finding opportunities to schedule playdates with classmates is an excellent opportunity for children to interact with friends and peers outside of school.
For families with children entering kindergarten next fall, Madison School District is hosting its annual Discover Madison Tour Friday, Nov. 3. On the tour, families will have the opportunity to learn more about Madison’s elementary schools and signature programs.
To learn more and sign up, visit www.madisonaz.org/discovermadison.
Students at two Madison schools created hibiscus-themed artwork to support their peers in Maui (photo courtesy of Madison School District).
Students hold Hibiscus for Hawaii fundraiser
Madison Meadows Middle School and Madison Park Middle School students recently held an art sale fundraiser, benefitting the Public Schools of Hawaii Foundation.
Students created various hibiscus-themed artwork using markers, pencils, watercolors and more. The 300 pieces of artwork sold raised more than $2,000 to benefit the organization and help support students impacted by the wildfire in Maui.
Part of the Bioscience High School culture is student collaboration (photo courtesy of PXU).
Phoenix Union High School District
PXU school garners high rankings
Phoenix Union High School District’s (PXU) Bioscience High School recently ranked highly on national and local rankings made by U.S. News & World Report in its “2023-2024 U.S. News Best High Schools” list.
On the 2023-24 list, the school was #359 in national rankings, #14 in Arizona schools, #10 in Phoenix metro area high schools, and #1 in Phoenix Union schools.
At Bioscience, students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement coursework and exams. The AP participation rate at the school is 60 percent. The total minority enrollment is 88 percent, and 65 percent of students are economically disadvantaged, according to the U.S. News data.
The school, one of 18 in PXU, is located at 512 E. Pierce St. in Phoenix. Learn more at www.pxu.org.
Washington Elementary School District
Teachers win ‘Supply’ award
Several WESD teachers are winners of the Arizona Public Service (APS) Supply My Class Award for the 2023–24 school year. Congratulations were extended to Desert View Elementary School teacher Karen Moreno, Moon Mountain Elementary School teachers Elena Dowers, Sarah Miller and Anita Willand, and Mountain View School teacher Donaleen McCluskey.
Entering its sixth year, the APS Supply My Class program awards $500 to 500 randomly selected teachers in APS service territory to help ensure they have the resources they need to support the success of their students.
Maryland School and WESD leadership were joined by students and Abrazo hospital staff at a recent dedication ceremony for the schools new Wellness Center (submitted photo).
Maryland welcomes wellness room
Students at Maryland School can now enjoy a new Wellness Center thanks to hospital employees from Abrazo Central Campus.
Maryland recently held a dedication ceremony to unveil the new Wellness Center, which offers students a calming environment to help with emotional needs. The room was made possible due to the support of Abrazo Central Campus employees who helped with painting and outfitting the area. Physicians from the hospital’s medical staff also provided funding for furniture and equipment, for a total contribution valued at more than $12,000.
During the ceremony, guests and students had the opportunity to tour the room and all it has to offer.
WESD continues attendance campaign
Washington Elementary School District (WESD) shared the continuation of its #AttendanceMattersWESD campaign. The theme for the month and the school year is “Showing Up Together.” The district initiated the campaign last school year with a focus on emphasizing the importance of being in school each day and improving student attendance across the district.
According to the district, the attendance rate for the 2022–23 school year was 91.95 percent, which was an increase of 3.95 percent from the previous year. Additionally, the WESD reduced chronic absenteeism by more than 11 percent. This year, the goal is to increase daily attendance by 2 percent and decrease chronic absenteeism by 8 percent.
In support of these goals, the district will share important attendance tips and resources on social media all school year long. Visit www.wesdschools.org/attendancematterswesd.
