In this issue...

March 7, 2008
Editor's note: Schools and the District offices will be closed the week of March 10 for Spring Break. Classes will resume on Monday, March 17.

Facility Usage Community Forums

Scottsdale Unified School District is hosting Facility Usage Community Forums at each complex to inform the community about proposed options and offer the community an opportunity to provide input.

All meetings are scheduled at 6 p.m. The dates and locations for the five meetings are:

View the Superintendent's Blue Ribbon Advisory Council Facility Utilization Presentation that was presented to the Governing Board on March 4^th.

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Quest for the Best!

Would you like to work for Arizona’s Most Excelling School District? If you are about to graduate or are already an experienced teacher, simply stop by Scottsdale Unified School District’s booth at the Great Arizona Teach-In Career Fair for more information about a rewarding career with SUSD.

The Great Arizona Teach-In is from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Saturday, March 15th, at the Phoenix Civic Plaza, 111 N. 3rd St., Phoenix 85004. For more information about the Great Arizona Teach-In, please visit: www.teachinaz.com/ecf.html.

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“Spring into Action”

Spring Break means more time to be physically active and healthy… but it can also mean more time to sit around surfing the Internet, watching TV and playing video games.

Did you know? American children spend about five hours a day in front of various screen media for entertainment, including television, video games, and the Web. This means that over the course of a year they spend more time in front of a screen than in school. Read more...

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Daniel Winnick of the Phoenix Coyotes made a special visit and read a book to several primary classes at Anasazi Elementary School

Read Across America

Scottsdale Unified School District students are honoring a literary legend. Along with The National Education Association, students and teachers are saluting Dr. Seuss as part of Read Across America Week.

In celebration, members of the community visited several classrooms at SUSD schools to read stories to the students. At many elementary schools, students and teachers dressed up as literary characters to get into the spirit. This year marks the 51st anniversary of "The Cat in the Hat."

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Kids Club District Recess Camp

What are your children doing on March 21 - District Recess? Kids Club will have camps at Hopi Elementary School and Cheyenne Traditional School on March 21. Camp hours are from 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m. The cost is $40. Children must bring their own lunch, three drinks and two snacks. For more information, please view the flyer.

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2008-2009 Kids Club Registration

Kids Club registration for the 2008-2009 school year is now open to currently enrolled families as well as families that have enrolled their children in Pre-Kindergarten for next year. Registration packets are available at the Community Schools office, the Education Center, every Kids Club site and the School Offices at Anasazi, ANLC, Aztec, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Cochise, Copper Ridge, Desert Canyon, Hopi, Kiva, Laguna, Pima, Pueblo, Tavan and Zuni elementary schools.

If you register your child for Summer Camp, you will not have to fill out another Emergency Information and Immunization Record Card (Yellow Card) for the 2008-2009 school year, but another copy of your children’s immunization records is needed.

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Southern Scottsdale Community Area Plan

The City of Scottsdale is seeking extensive public participation as part of the Southern Scottsdale Community Area Plan. The plan will be a tool used to guide future development and redevelopment in Southern Scottsdale. It will include long-range goals, policies and maps addressing important community topics ranging from sustainability, to economic vitality, to land use and mobility. If you live south of Indian Bend Road, now is the time to get involved in Scottsdale’s planning process.

To kick-off the process, the City will be hosting a Southern Scottsdale Vision Week from Wednesday, March 26 through Saturday, March 29. Vision Week will offer numerous opportunities for discussion between community members and the City. The goal of the process is to achieve workable visions, values and ideas for the future of Southern Scottsdale that will provide a framework for preparing the Community Area Plan.

For more information and to register, visit www.scottsdaleaz.gov/planning/areaplans or call 480-312-7990.

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Scottsdale Republic to Feature SUSD Teachers

Do you know an outstanding teacher in the Scottsdale Unified School District? Would you like that teacher to be recognized in the newspaper? The Scottsdale Republic is running a weekly feature highlighting a different SUSD teacher each week. To nominate a teacher for this feature, simply fill out the online Teacher Nomination Form.

*Please note that a high resolution photo must be submitted to be considered for publication.

To view Cherokee Elementary teacher Robin Ostroff's nomination that ran in the Scottsdale Republic , please visit: www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/0304sr-teacher0305ostroff-ON.html

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Kindergarten Round-Ups

Schools throughout the District will be hosting tours and open houses in preparation for enrolling children in Kindergarten for the 2008-2009 school year. Come visit us to meet teachers and principals and learn about great features offered by schools in the Scottsdale Unified School District.

For more information, please view the schedule for Kindergarten Round-Up at a school in your area.

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Comprehensive Gifted Self-Contained School Tours

Gifted Services is hosting Comprehensive Gifted Program Tours at the following schools:

• Desert Canyon Middle, 10203 E. McDowell Mountain Ranch Road, Scottsdale, from 2-4 p.m. on March 26^th, April 23^rd and May 21^st
• Zuni Elementary, 9181 Redfield Road, Scottsdale, from 1-3 p.m. on April 16^th, and May 14^th
• Mohave Middle, 5520 N. 86th St., Scottsdale, from 11 a.m.-12:30p.m. on May 7^th

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.

You may view frequently asked questions, the criteria for acceptance into the program and download the application at www.susd.org/district/gifted/Comprehensive.cfm.

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Upcoming Events

• Scottsdale Unified School District and Kaplan are offering SAT Classes at Arcadia, Chaparral and Desert Mountain High Schools in the spring. For dates and times, please view the flyer.
   
• Governing Board meeting is at 5:30 p.m. on March 18 at the Education Center, 3811 N. 44th St., Phoenix.
   
• Coronado High School is hosting the Eugene L. Hanson Auditorium Dedication, Gatti Mosaic Unveiling and Open House at 6 p.m. on March 19, 2501 N. 74th St., Scottsdale. The ceremony will include performances by the Dons Band, the Advanced Choral Ensemble singing the CHS hymn and the 2008 Dancing Donettes performing to the Dons' fight song.
   
• Scottsdale Community College (SCC) Piper Scholars Program will offer scholarships to eight Scottsdale Unified School District Seniors (Class of 2008). Scholarship recipients will receive $1,500 for the Fall semester and $1,500 for the Spring semester for a maximum of four semesters if all eligibility requirements are maintained.

  This unique program is only available to students in the Scottsdale Unified School District. The application deadline is May 9, 2008. Application process and complete details for this and any other SCC Scholarship can be found by clicking on “Available Scholarships” at www.scottsdalecc.edu/financial or calling 480-423-6549.

• AAA Arizona and the Maricopa Association of Governments are currently seeking candidates for the 2^nd Annual Crossing Guard of the Year Award. Applications are due no later than May 31. For more information and the nomination form, please view the flyer.
  

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Excellence in the Classroom Arcadia High School teachers brought Darfur survivors and speakers from the Darfur holocaust to explain first-hand the horrors of genocide. Two survivors spoke to students and a family from Darfur explained their current situation. The goal was to tie in past genocides with current ones to teach students tolerance. Participants included American & World History classes and sophomore English classes that have read “Night” by Elie Wiesel.

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