April 25, 2008
Scottsdale Unified School District Superintendent Announces Retirement
The Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) Governing Board will be acting upon the retirement notice from Superintendent John M. Baracy on May 6th. Dr. Baracy will be retiring on Friday, October 3, 2008.
“The Governing Board has been very pleased with Dr. Baracy’s leadership and would like to have him stay. We feel very fortunate to have worked with him for the past four years and are glad to have his expertise as we continue to work through the upcoming facility usage issues. We are confident that the culture of collaboration he helped create will continue and that the leadership team he has assembled will allow us to achieve great things with our next leader,” said Karen Beckvar, SUSD Governing Board President. Read more... 
Please read a letter from Dr. Baracy back to top
Scottsdale Unified School District Goes Green
Multiple Programs and Increased Awareness Save Money While Preserving the Environment for Future Students  Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) is going green by implementing numerous “Earth-friendly” programs and increasing awareness among employees.
SUSD has made efforts to “get greener” in lots of areas ranging from energy-efficient appliances to artificial turf to upgraded lighting fixtures and bulbs. “Our efforts don’t end there,” said John Muir, director of Building Services for the District. “We have also switched to green cleaning products and systems that limit electricity and water use. Our efforts are paying off, too. We’ve received hundreds of thousands of dollars in rebates.” In fact, the District has received more than $400,000 in rebates from APS, SRP and GE. Read more... back to top
The Stars of Scottsdale Schools
Charros honor District’s top teachers and students
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Charro George Jackson, scholarship
chairman, and Claren Mortenson |
Gianna Miller and Charro George
Jackson, scholarship chairman |
Students and staff of the Scottsdale Unified School District were center stage as the Scottsdale Charros rewarded excellence in education.
The civic group honored 34 teachers, one from each school, and 11 high school students at its annual banquet held last Friday night at the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort.
The Scottsdale Unified School District would like to extend our sincerest thanks to the Scottsdale Charros for their continued generous support of our teachers and students. The Charros named Gianna Miller from Desert Mountain High and Claren Mortenson from Chaparral High as recipients of the Future Teacher Scholarship award. Each will receive scholarships valued at $75,000 to pursue degrees in education at any in-state University. Upon completion of their education degree, these scholars They were also offered teaching positions in the Scottsdale Unified School District upon graduation from college. The Charros announced that next year they will offer five scholarships and will also award three scholarships to SUSD teachers pursuing their Masters Degree.
Thank you Scottsdale Charros, for all you do for our school district! back to top
Two Principals Nominated for National Distinguished Principals Program
Dr. Michael Helminski, principal at Kiva Elementary School, and Jeff Quisberg, principal at Anasazi Elementary School, have been nominated for the National Distinguished Principals (NDP) Program.
The NDP Program was established in 1984 as an annual event to honor exemplary elementary and middle school principals who set the pace, character and quality of the education children receive during their early school years.
One principal is chosen annually from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Public school principals are nominated by peers in their home states, and the final selection for each state's NDP is made by the National Association of Elementary School Principals state affiliate.
The awards ceremonies take place in Washington, D.C. each fall. They include special tours and activities as well as professional interaction among the honorees. The two-day celebration culminates in a formal awards banquet.
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Arcadia Hosts DNA Week
 Approximately 300 8th through 12th grade students from Arcadia Neighborhood Learning Center, Ingleside Middle School and Arcadia High School and 75 teachers participated in lead-in activities during DNA Week at Arcadia High School this week. The event was designed to inspire, advance and promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) opportunities for students, teachers and community.
Students and teachers rotated through DNA fingerprinting and extractions labs in an onsite CCS Presentation Mobile equipped with the latest technology. Arcadia High School's Biotechnology and Advanced Placement student leaders and teachers provided direction and support.
Eighth grade students had the opportunity to enter both the national DNA essay and poster contests, with interdisciplinary support provided by middle school Language Arts, Science and Art teachers and the Arcadia High School team. Parents, students and community members engaged in Arizona Science Center outreach activities, CCS Presentation Mobile labs and toured the Biotechnology facility at Arcadia High School.
Arcadia hopes to provide the STEM opportunity annually and expand the event to include other Scottsdale Unified School District schools.
The SUSD Foundation contributed $2,500 toward this event.
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April Pools Day is this Saturday
Event to focus on ABC’s of drowning prevention and water safety
Residents are invited to learn water safety while participating in aquatic fun and games during Scottsdale's annual April Pools Day. The event takes place from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 26 at Eldorado Aquatic & Fitness Center, 2301 N. Miller Road.
Scottsdale’s water safety mascot, Scotty the Shark, will be on hand to teach the ABCs of water safety, focusing on:
A — Adult Supervision
B — Barriers
C — Classes
There will be pool awareness exhibits, water safety demonstrations and a “Kids Zone” with water games, contests and prizes. The event also will feature a live rescue drill conducted by the Scottsdale Fire Department, PMT, Native Air and City of Scottsdale lifeguards.
Water safety is an important skill – especially for children. Drowning remains the second leading cause of injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years old, according to the Center for Disease Control. Among children ages 1 to 4 years, most drownings occur in residential swimming pools.
For more information April Pools Day, please call 480-312-2484 or visit www.ScottsdaleAZ.gov/parks .
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Governor's Office for Children, Youth and Families Accepting Applications
The Governor's Youth Commission (GYC), a diverse and representative body of Arizona high school students who advise Governor Napolitano on important youth issues, is now accepting applications for the 2008-2009 year. Applications and instructions are available online at http://www.gocyf.az.gov/CYD/BRD_AGYC.asp. All applications must be received no later than Friday, May 16 at 3 p.m.
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Southern Scottsdale and Greater Airpark Area Visioning Workshops The City of Scottsdale is in the process of updating its General Plan. In preparation for this process, the City has identified six “Community Areas” within the City. A Community Area Plan will be prepared for each of the six areas, including Southern Scottsdale and the Greater Airpark Area, to ensure that the long term vision for Scottsdale is completed with the 2011 General Plan Update. For more information and to register, please visit http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/planning/areaplans or call the Scottsdale Advance Planning Division at 480-312-7990.
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Scottsdale Republic Features 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 runs 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 digital photo must be submitted to be considered for publication.
To view Kiva teacher Julaine Erickson's nomination that ran in the Scottsdale Republic , please visit: http://www.azcentral.com/community/scottsdale/articles/2008/04/22/20080422sr-teacher0423erickson-ON.html
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The Teen CERT program at Desert Mountain High School was the first of its kind in Scottsdale. The Scottsdale Police and Fire Departments collaborated on this project and chose Desert Mountain based on the participation by students and administration. The participants learned about disaster preparedness, fire suppression, first aid, search and rescue, incident command system, terrorism and disaster psychology. Teen CERT is now a club at DMHS, and the group will be receiving additional training in CPR, more intensive first aid instruction and the police and fire teen academy. The school is also planning on finding a niche for the club when it comes to the school’s emergency response plan. The DMHS Teen CERT Club will continue to hold the 8-week training program on a yearly basis to incorporate new members and hopes to help other high schools create their own Teen CERT Club.