September 11, 2009
SUSD Hosts K-3 Override Road Shows
Scottsdale Unified School District is hosting K-3 Override Road Shows at each complex to provide factual information to the community about the upcoming K-3 Override. The meetings will include a presentation from Superintendent Dr. Gary T. Catalani followed by a Q&A session for the public. SUSD Administrators and Governing Board members will also be present.
The remaining meetings are scheduled for 6 p.m. on the dates indicated for the following sites:
- Wednesday, September 16
Chaparral Complex
Chaparral High School
Media Center
6935 E. Gold Dust Ave., Scottsdale
- Thursday, October 1
Desert Mountain Complex
Desert Mountain High School
Cafeteria
12575 E. Via Linda, Scottsdale
- Wednesday, October 7
Saguaro Complex
Saguaro High School
Media Center
6250 N. 82nd St., Scottsdale
- Wednesday, October 28
Coronado Complex
Coronado High School
Media Center
7501 E. Virginia Ave., Scottsdale
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Dr. Catalani's Office Hours at Schools
Superintendent Dr. Catalani will be visiting schools throughout the year.
- September 14 from 8-10 a.m. at Yavapai Elementary School, 701 N. Miller Road, Scottsdale 85257
- September 18 from 8-10 a.m. at Tonalea Elementary School, 6801 E. Oak St., Scottsdale 85257
View the complete schedule
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Factual Override Information Available Online
On November 3rd, a K-3 Renewal Override will be on the ballot.
The K-3 Override is a continuation of an existing override approved initially by voters in 2005. The K-3 Override reduces Kindergarten class size to a District-wide target of 21 students to 1 teacher. These funds also allow us to reduce class sizes in grades 1-3 below current staffing ratios. Additional funds are used for instructional assistants in Kindergarten and first grade as needed. The override raises about $3.4 million per year.
To view a complete Fact Sheet about the K-3 Override, please visit www.susd.org.
Classroom Technology Installation Update
The Classroom Technology Implementation has been completed at Saguaro, Chaparral and Desert Mountain high schools and Sierra Vista Academy, Supai and Mohave middle schools and Anasazi, Tonalea, Yavapai, Hohokam, Navajo, Pima, Tavan and Redfield elementary schools, ANLC and Cheyenne Traditional School. Installation is in progress at Copper Ridge.
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Mountainside Science Teacher Participated in Summer Training at Biosphere 2
 This summer, Tracey Dodrill, a science teacher at Mountainside Middle School, attended the University of Arizona's Biosphere 2 for the Summer Institute of the Arizona Center for Science Teachers. Dodrill was one of 35 STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) teachers to participate in the 3-week institute.
“The B2 Summer Institute was designed to merge practice with the world of STEM by immersing teachers in inquiry, discovery and exploration of the diverse opportunities at Biosphere 2,” said Dodrill. “Working alongside scientists, we were able to experience an in-depth discovery and exploration of STEM,” she said.
Dodrill is a member of the National Science Teacher's Association (NSTA) and the Arizona Science Teacher's Association (ASTA) and sits on the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics – Phoenix Board of Directors. She is also a GLOBE Teacher Researcher, an ACST STEM Teacher and a Science Teacher Mentor. She has been with SUSD for four years.
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Remembering 9/11  Students and staff marked the eighth anniversary of the tragic September 11th attacks with special assemblies.
Many students gathered together to show their patriotism and to say a few words in honor of those that lost their lives.
- Cherokee Elementary School – Laura Batko, a 2nd grade teacher, read several picture books about September 11th, policemen and firemen. The class had a hero writing assignment in which the students explained in their own words what a hero is and why people like policemen, firemen and people in the armed services should be called heroes. She also spoke about the day as a day of remembrance to keep the people who were hurt or died in our hearts.
- Kiva Elementary School - Mr. Obermayer's 4th grade classroom invited military personnel to conduct a flag raising ceremony this morning. Six military personnel were involved along with some distinguished guests including Dr. Eric Meyer and Paradise Valley Mayor Parker.
- Pima Elementary School – In honor of Patriot Day, Maria Rivera, a 2nd grade teacher, invited two war veterans from the Joe Foss Institute to present their "Veterans Inspiring Patriotism" program.
- Pueblo Elementary School – Merrill Bauer, a 2nd grade teacher, plans to read the book The Man Who Walked Between the Towers, by Mordicai Gerstein, to the class at story time. The story does not give details as to how and why the towers are gone.
- Redfield Elementary School – The school hosted an assembly to celebrate Patriot’s Day. They invited several guests and children read speeches.
- Yavapai Elementary School – There was a moment of silence during the morning news. Teachers read different stories to the classes. Some classes drew flags and pictures of children from around the world. For younger students, there was a history lesson about the events.
- Cocopah Middle School – Service Learning students showed their appreciation for those that serve. On the morning of 9/11, each teacher, staff member and aide found a message, thanking them for serving Cocopah Middle School students on his/her door. “Teachers, firefighters, police officers, principals, superintendents, mayors, and many others serve in our community every single day to keep us safe and able to learn, so this is just a small way to say thank you,” said Tori Mueller, 7th grade and Madison Shapiro, 8th grade.
Service Learning Students also were guests on the live television announcements with Superintendent Dr. Catalani, Police Officer Julee Patterson, Principal Susan Thomas and Assistant Principal Steve Salcito and gave each of them a hand painted picture frame with the famous quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Anybody can be great because anyone can serve.”
Service Learning also baked cookies for firefighters and police officers that were delivered to The Scottsdale Police and Fire Departments and decorated red, white and blue around the school.
- Mohave Middle School – Teachers showed videos in reference to 9/11, and the band students worked on patriotic music entitled “Salute to America.” The band piece is also connected to the history curriculum.
- Desert Mountain High School – The Sultans of Rock Guitar Club once again held its Speisfest 9/11 Remembrance event on September 10th. The event was held during all three lunches so that the whole school could attend. Students and staff played songs and read stories and poems, all of which reflected feelings about that day. Steve Speisman, a special ed teacher, worked with Carol Warren of the State Ed Department and wrote a curriculum for September 11. In his class, Steve used many of the activities that they created. Steve’s brother Bob was on Flight #77 that crashed into the Pentagon.
- Saguaro High School – Members of the Chamber Orchestra will perform for Constitution Day on September 17th at 5:30p.m. outside of The Scottsdale Center for the Arts. They are performing a piece entitled Variations on America, September 2001 by Percy Hall. This piece reflects our country before 9/11 as well as after.
back to top Parent Involvement at Tonalea
Principal Lesa Friend and Tonalea Elementary School teachers know that one key to student success is parental involvement at school. At Tonalea Elementary School, parent involvement continues to rise each year. At the beginning of the new school year, the school hosted the Tonalea Parent Breakfast. The meeting included a presentation by Scottsdale Health Care which focused on strategies to help parents establish routines at home. Tony Garcia, Nutritional Services, provided a light breakfast and encouraged attendees to participate in the parent involvement activity. To view the video from the breakfast, please visit Tonalea's Web site at: www.susd.org/tonalea.
Tonalea will host its Family Story Night on Thursday, September 24 at 6 p.m. with special guest reader Savanna Troupe, Miss Arizona 2009.
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Hispanic Heritage Month Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the United States and celebrates Hispanic heritage and culture. The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988 when Public Law 100-402 was approved.
September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively.
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Service Learning Guest Speakers Needed Do you believe in giving back? Is your organization in need of volunteers? Would your organization be interested in speaking to 7th and 8th grade students that are taking a community service class? Service Learning guest speakers are wanted for Cocopah Middle School’s Service Learning classes. If you are interested, please contact Ann Achtziger at 480-484-4400 x4311. This is a great way to promote awareness for an important cause and/or obtain volunteers. The speaking times would be: 8:55 a.m.-12 p.m. with an hour and a half break and then from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
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Sharing Healthy Experience (s.h.e.) Forum
Teens and Parents Participate in Interactive Workshop That Teaches Them to Thrive in Today’s World
Scottsdale Unified School District and Scottsdale Prevention Institute will host the 3rd Annual Sharing Healthy Experiences Forum (s.h.e.) from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, September 12th at Mountainside Middle School, 11256 N. 128th St., Scottsdale.
Hundreds of girls, parents and educators will rock out to live music, enjoy a delicious lunch and participate in interactive experiences all relating to the teen and “tween” girl years. The event is open to all girls in grades 5-8, with or without a parent in attendance. All materials and presentations will be available in English and Spanish. Read more... Registration Form
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Scottsdale Mayor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities Seeks Nominations
The Scottsdale Mayor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities is seeking applications for its annual awards presentation scheduled for Thursday, October 22. These awards recognize students and employees with disabilities and what they have done to overcome them to reach their educational and employment goals. It is also an opportunity to nominate a deserving special education teacher and/or instructional aide for exemplary work with disabled students.
Completed nomination forms should be sent to the following address no later than September 16:
Keti Voss
Scottsdale Mayor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities
City of Scottsdale
7575 E. Main St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
If you have any questions about the nomination process, please contact Jacquelyn Bell at 480-312-2477. For more information, please view the application.
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Constitution Commemoration Day
Celebrate the signing of our Constitution at the Constitution Commemoration Day Celebration at 5:30 p.m. on September 17 at the Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza, 3839 Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale.
Find time to join the community with families and friends at the Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza for lots of free family fun and entertainment. For more information, please view the flyer. View the rules and regulations for the contest or visit www.CCDScottsdale.com.
This annual celebration is sponsored by the Scottsdale Area Association of REALTORS®.
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SUSD Foundation Night with the Arizona Diamondbacks
Please join the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) Foundation for a night out with the Arizona Diamondbacks to support SUSD on September 22 at 6:40 p.m. at Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix 85004. The SUSD Foundation is a non-profit group that raises money to support teachers, student programs, projects and scholarships that would otherwise be unfunded.
Tickets are available at three different price levels. Additionally, a portion of every ticket sold will go directly to the SUSD Foundation. To purchase tickets, please visit www.dbacks.com/groups.
Sign-in ID : susd and Password : ballgame
For more information, please view Flyer
back to top SUSD Offers All Day Kindergarten
The Benefits of All Day Kindergarten and K-3 Override
- The K-3 Override was originally approved to provide all day Kindergarten for Scottsdale Unified School District.
- When the State provided funding for all day Kindergarten, we were able to support smaller class sizes in Kindergarten and grades 1, 2 and 3.
- The current State budget challenges may impact the funds provided by the State for all day Kindergarten. District leadership is continually monitoring the State budget process and will update this information as often as possible.
- If the State does not provide funding for all day Kindergarten, the K-3 Override will be used to continue our current all day Kindergarten program. We would not be able to continue to reduce class sizes in grades 1, 2 and 3.
Thank You
- The K-3 Override was passed by voters in 2005. A voter-approved K-3 Override runs for a period of seven years.
- The first five years of this override allow for a school district to budget an additional 5% of K-8 funding capacity.
- If the Override is not renewed after five years, it will be reduced by 1/3 of the approved funds in year six and an additional 1/3 reduction will occur in year seven.
- The K-3 Override allows $3.4 million per year of additional education funding so that the District has reduced Kindergarten class sizes targeted at 21 students to 1 teacher.
- These funds also allow reduced class sizes in grades 1-3, during the important early years of a student’s education. Funds also provide for instructional assistants in kindergarten and first grade.
The Benefits of the K-3 Override to Our Children Are:
- Better academic preparation.
- The opportunity for enrichment of the curriculum.
- More interaction between teachers and students.
- More focused participation during early childhood education which positively impacts later academic performance.
- A more productive learning environment and the opportunity to learn to work well with peers.
Thank you for your continued support of public education! Your support has made excelling education possible in the Scottsdale Unified School District. Thank you!
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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, simply fill out the online Teacher Nomination Form.
*Please note that a high resolution digital photo must be submitted to be considered for publication.
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H1N1 (Swine Flu) Update
08-09 - Parent Letter Update
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