In this issue...

February 9, 2007

Kiva Celebrates Golden Anniversary

Celebrate 50 years of excellence with Kiva Elementary School from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 10th.

The celebration will include a dedication of the Kiva Wall of Fame, photos of years past, memories from former and current teachers and staff, music from all eras, memorabilia from the 1950s to 2000s and fifth grade story telling directed by Artist in Residence Harriet Cole.

There is no charge to attend the event. A catered spaghetti lunch with birthday cake will be provided for $8 per person.

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Saguaro to Dedicate New Baseball Field this Saturday

Saguaro High School baseball players will be rounding the bases on a new field this season.

The dedication ceremony for the new baseball field will take place from 8:30-4:30 on Saturday, February 10th, at Saguaro 6250 N. 82nd St.

Activities at the dedication include a free baseball clinic for children between the ages of 8-14, a BBQ lunch provided by players and their parents, a varsity versus junior varsity game and a Saguaro alumni game - the pre-2000 players versus post-2000 players. Special guests at the dedication include Scottsdale Unified School District staff and architects from DLR Group.

The new baseball field cost $300,000 and was funded by the 2004 Bond and with monies donated by the Saguaro Diamond Boosters Club. The project was completed in seven months.

For more information about the dedication ceremony, please contact Richard Zuloaga, president of the Saguaro Diamond Club, at 602-778-2833 or Jodi Christiansen at 480-419-7425.

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Saguaro Community Meeting

Saguaro High School invites you to attend a Community Input Meeting regarding the selection of the next principal. The meeting will be held from 6:30-9 p.m. on Thursday, February 15 in Room 362, 6250 N. 82nd St., Scottsdale.

Dr. Althe Allen, executive director of secondary schools and excelling teaching & learning, and Jeff Thomas, employee relations administrator, will facilitate the meeting during which teachers, staff, parents and community members are encouraged to provide input on the qualities desired for Saguaro’s next principal.

For more information about the meeting, please contact Dr. Allen’s office at 480-484-6113, Andi Fourlis at 480-484-6159 or Saguaro High School at 480-484-7100.

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Why Good Attendance is so Important!

With only 180 days of instruction in the school year, it is important that your child is in class not only on the first day of school, but every day. Scottsdale Unified School District teachers come to class each day prepared to teach all students.

Due to the increase in rigor of state standards, it is more important than ever that students are in school so that they can learn. Because new skills build on skills already acquired, students are more successful on tests when they have been in the classroom.

Additionally, attendance is directly tied to Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) and the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Districts are evaluated for AYP according to the following criteria:

• Meet a 71 percent graduation rate (high schools) or a 94 percent attendance rate (elementary schools).
• Assess 95 percent of enrolled students.
• Demonstrate progress toward meeting the goal of 100 percent proficiency in state standards. This goal must be met by the 2013-2014 school year.

Learning can only happen when students are in class!

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Let it Snow in Scottsdale!

There was a blanket of white in Scottsdale as students in the integrated kindergarten/first grade classes at Aztec Elementary School enjoyed a winter wonderland.

Dressed in mittens and warm coats, students celebrated "winter" with three tons of snow provided by Arizona Iceman.

Learning about the seasons is part of the integrated kindergarten/first grade curriculum.

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Navajo Elementary Student Wins Hoop Dance Contest

Tyrese Jensen, a second grade student at Navajo Elementary School, won first place in the Youth Division at the 17th Annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest held at the Heard Museum on February 3rd and 4th.

During the contest, each dancer presented a unique variation of the intertribal hoop dance, weaving in aspects of his or her distinct traditions and cultures. Tyrese wore a costume made by his father, Lane, who won 3rd place in the Adult Division.

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Arcadia Students Learn Life Lessons - Stay Alive @ 25

Did you know that the number 1 killer of teenagers is car crashes? Arcadia High School is teaming up with Stay Alive @ 25 to bring the message straight to the students.

The Arcadia News Network simulcast the program Behind the Scenes of a Fatal Collision with Detective Weston Brown, Scottsdale Police Collision Investigator, and Captain David Folio, Scottsdale Fire Department, to the entire student body via live TV and Internet on February 8, 2007.

The Stay Alive @ 25 mini series runs from January 29-April 19 with guest speakers from the community reinforcing the importance of making safe driving decisions.

The program is designed to help teenagers make wise decisions in the early driving years, thereby improving their chances of staying alive to the age of 25.

For more information about Stay Alive @ 25, please visit http://www.stayaliveat25.org/index.htm

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Comprehensive Gifted Self-Contained School Tours

Gifted Services is hosting Comprehensive Gifted Program Tours at Pima and Zuni elementary schools.

• Pima Elementary School — Feb. 21 and May 9 from 1-3 p.m., 8330 E. Osborn Road
• Zuni Elementary School — March 7 and May 16 from 1-3 p.m., 9181 E. Redfield Road
• Mohave Middle School — March 21 from 2-4 p.m., 5520 N. 86th St.
• Desert Canyon Middle School — April 11 from 2-4 p.m., 10203 E. McDowell Mountain Ranch Road

Reserve your seat today by e-mailing your name, address and phone number to Robin Madison. Also, indicate the location and date you plan to attend. Click here to view the informational flyer.

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Scottsdale Parent Council Meeting Recap

Parents, Governing Board members, principals, administrators and community members attended the Scottsdale Parent Council’s (SPC) monthly meeting to learn more about the Governor’s P-20 Council Recommendations and her education policies and proposals.

Amy Besing, P-20 commission member, presented the Governor’s P-20 Council Recommendations. Topics in her presentation included graduation requirements, the P-20 vision, educational alignment, recommendations by committee, data, assessment, graduation and adolescent literacy.

Additionally, Lauren Kielsmeier, Governor Napolitano’s education policy advisor, presented the Governor’s Education Agenda Priorities. During her presentation, she discussed the education standard, the P-20 Pipeline, the P-20 vision, teachers and school buildings.

For more information about the SPC or to view upcoming events, please visit: www.scottsdaleparentcouncil.org/default.asp.

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Upcoming Events

• Scottsdale Public Library will host a family exhibition about homes around the world — Your House, My House. This exhibition is recommended for children 4-12 years of age. The exhibition will be open daily from February 2nd through April 14th.
   
• Kindergarten Round-Up

  Pueblo: February 15th, 6-7 p.m. in Room 1.
  Tonalea: February 20th, 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria

  To find out when a school in your area is having its Kindergarten Round-Up, please see the full schedule at www.susd.org/district/forparents/KindergartenRoundUps.htm
   
• Kiva Elementary School “Memory Lane” 1957-2007
  It was 50 years ago that Kiva Elementary School opened its educational doors. With some red bricks, eight teachers, a principal and a small staff, Kiva began 50 years of excellent education for the children in our community.
  
  Alumni, teachers, faculty, staff and their families are invited to attend a very special celebration as Kiva walks down “memory lane.” Please mark your calendars and join Kiva from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, February 10 at Kiva Elementary School. A spaghetti lunch will be served along with Kiva’s anniversary cake. The cost of the lunch is $8 per person. You do not have to purchase lunch to attend. The event includes performances by our Kiva band, story-telling by the fifth grade, special guest speakers that will share some of their favorite Kiva stories, and a memory lane of all eras will be on display. The “Kiva Wall of Fame” will be dedicated to teachers, faculty and staff. Celebrate the gift of education for children by honoring all who have helped make Kiva the special place it has been for the past 50 years.
  
  Please RSVP to this special event to Jana Davis janasbandanas@cox.net (Please indicate whether you were a teacher or alumnus at Kiva when you RSVP.) For general event questions, please contact Tami Miller tamismiller@cox.net
   
• Rachel Simmons Speech
  Cocopah Middle School proudly presents Rachel Simmons, the New York Times best-selling author of “Odd Girl Out” and “Odd Girl Speaks Out.” She is a graduate of Vassar College and a Rhodes Scholar. Rachel is also a "sold out" speaker to young adults and families across the country on combating bullying, internet safety, and developing a positive attitude about life. She will be speaking at the Cocopah cafeteria on Monday, February 12th at 7 p.m. Families and students from the Scottsdale Unified School District are invited to laugh their way through an informative evening with Rachel Simmons as your guide. Get a sneak peek of what's in store and visit her Web site at www.rachelsimmons.com.
   
• The Scottsdale Supporters of the Gifted is hosting Homework Doctor – How to Manage the Rigors of Nightly Homework presented by Victoria Olivadoti.
   
  • The student workshop (1 hour and 30 minute for each group) will be held between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on Monday, February 19th at Chaparral Park and Community Center, 5401 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale. The cost to attend is $30 and some scholarships are available. Click here for more information.
     
  • Parent and Teacher workshop is from 7-8 p.m. on Tuesday, February 20th, in the cafeteria at Pima Elementary School, 8330 E. Osborn Road, Scottsdale. The cost for parents to attend is $5. The event is free for educators. Click here for more information.
     
  "The Homework Doc" is known by hundreds of students and parents and shares how to cope with tons of nightly homework. For more information, please e-mail ssg@azgifted.org.

• The Academy 2006-2007 Awareness of Substance Use – Signs & Symptoms
  Learn about current drug trends, signs of use, what paraphernalia looks like and how it can be concealed. Education and prevention resources will also be discussed. Presented by Community Bridges.

Date / Time	Location
Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2007 6:30 p.m.	Chaparral High School 6935 E Gold Dust Ave. Media Center
Tuesday, April 24, 2007 6:30 p.m.	Desert Mountain High School 12575 E Via Linda POD (by auditorium)

• Science Symposium from 6:30-8 p.m. on Monday, March 5th at the Barnes & Nobles Bookstore, 10500 N. 90th St., Scottsdale . Guest speakers at the Science Symposium include members of the Dial Corporation Team — Jeanne Howard, Kristin M. Leisgang, Tyler Mikkelsen, Keith Molever, Debra Park, Nancy Rodgers and Jessica Walker. For more information, call Copper Ridge Math and Science Academy at 480-484-1560.

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Excellence in the Classroom
Congratulations to Matti Groll, a Desert Canyon Middle School student! He is the sixth grade winner of this year’s Grand Canyon chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest. The theme of this year’s essay was “Jamestown Colony is Settled”. Matti took on the persona of a young settler named Christopher. He wrote a letter to his “ma” who remained in England. He told of the activities he was involved in and the hardships that he faced while helping to establish the settlement. Matti will receive a $50 U.S. Savings Bond and a certificate of participation. His essay will also be forwarded to the state competition.

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