October
2, 2009
SUSD Hosts Informal
Discussions
Scottsdale Unified School District invites you to join Dr.
Gary T. Catalani, Governing Board members and school administrators
at an informal discussion on several topics including K-3
Override, class sizes, enrollment, budget and goals. The meetings
will include a presentation followed by a Q&A session
for the public.
The remaining meetings are scheduled for 6 p.m. on the dates
indicated for the following sites:
- 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.
- October 5 from 8-10 a.m. at Sierra Vista Academy, 7501
E. Oak St., Scottsdale 85257
- October 7 from 8-10 a.m. at Pima Elementary School, 8330
E. Osborn Road, Scottsdale 85251
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, Mountainside, Desert Canyon and
Mohave middle schools, ANLC, Copper Ridge and Cheyenne Traditional
School and Anasazi, Laguna, Desert Canyon, Sequoya, Tonalea,
Yavapai, Hohokam, Navajo, Pima, Tavan and Redfield elementary
schools. Installation is in progress at Cochise Elementary
School.
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Volunteers Make
A Difference at SUSD
From making copies to chaperoning an overnight field trip,
the work that volunteers at Scottsdale Unified School District
(SUSD) do is important and rewarding.
Volunteers at Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) play
an important role in our schools, not only to thousands of
students, but also to teachers, support staff and principals.
SUSD is fortunate to have more than 2,500 volunteers who assist
in classrooms, libraries and school and District offices,
on field trips and playgrounds and as tutors throughout the
District. Read
more...
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21 SUSD Students
Named Commended Students in the 2010 National Merit® Scholarship
Program
In late September, the National Merit® Scholarship Corporation
(NMSC) announced the names of more than two-thirds or about
34,000 of the approximately 50,000 high scorers on the PSAT/NMSQT®
who received Letters of Commendation in recognition of their
outstanding academic promise. Commended Students are named
on the basis of a nationally applied Selection Index score
that may vary from year to year but is below the level required
for participants to be named Semifinalists in their respective
states. Although Commended Students do not continue in the
competition for Merit Scholarship® awards, some of these
students do become candidates for Special Scholarships sponsored
by corporations and businesses.
The following Scottsdale Unified School District students
were named as Commended Students for 2010 National Merit:
Arcadia High School
Ethan Bendau, Rachel Farnsworth, Madison Heath, Erica Lieberman,
Valerie Slade and James Upton
Chaparral High School:
Michael Bull, Madeleine Evans, Judith Giller-Leinwohl, Cailey
Indech, Elizabeth Portanova, Madison Schutt, Alexandre Secunda,
Shayna Steingard and Stephanie Zucker
Desert Mountain High School
Tyler Conklin, Tiffany Evans, Sarah Murphy, John Owens, Luke
Sandblom and Aliza Vaccher
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 CCS
Presentation Systems Awarded Scottsdale Unified School District
Contract
Enhanced classroom technology project set for 2009-10
school year
CCS Presentation Systems, the largest integrator of audio
and visual equipment in the Southwest, has announced a new
project with the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD).
CCS will design and install new state-of-the-art presentation
technology in 1,000 classrooms throughout the school district
over the next school year. Read
more...
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Sierra
Vista Student to Participate on the Scottsdale Mayor's Youth
Council
Elizabeth Garcia, a student at Sierra
Vista Academy, was recently appointed to the Scottsdale Mayor's
Youth Council. The Scottsdale Mayor’s Youth Council
is comprised of sophomores, juniors and seniors that either
live in or attend school in the City of Scottsdale.
The Scottsdale Mayor’s Youth Council aims to educate,
motivate and empower Scottsdale youth through experience in
leadership, knowledge of local government and experience in
group decision making. It encourages and supports youth voices
with the hope of fostering continued community involvement.
For more information on the Scottsdale Mayor's Youth Council,
please visit http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/education/SMYC
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 Navajo's
Students Find New Way to Build Skills
Navajo Elementary School offers lunch
time Building Clubs for its Kindergarten through third graders.
Students choose activities that involve the development of
small motor skills, hand and eye coordination, visual and
spatial relations and social interaction and cooperation while
playing and having fun with their friends. Lego WeDo robotics
is now available for second and third graders during this
time. These programs are run through and supervised by Navajo's
Science Specialist, Diana Campbell.
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Ron Heagy Inspires Saguaro's Freshman Class
Today, Ron Heagy spoke to the freshman
class at Saguaro High School. Students listened to a very
inspiring message courtesy of the SaberLinks PTO. Ron is a
quadriplegic who, the day before his 18th birthday, had a
terrible accident. Before his accident, he had it all. His
message was inspiring, motivational, touching and very informative.
Ron has a unique speaking manner that draws everyone in. One
minute your laughing, the next he will bring tears to your
eyes.
Ron will be speaking at Desert Mountain
High School on October 5.
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 Fall
Break Kids Club Camp
Community Schools Fall Break Camps will be held at two schools
— ANLC, 4330 N. 62nd St., Scottsdale and Redfield Elementary
School, 9181 E. Redfield Road, Scottsdale
The camps will operate Monday-Friday, October 12-16, from
6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Children will not be accepted prior to
6:30 a.m.
The fee is $40 per day per child for the day and $30 per
day for the programs (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Please send along a
lunch and drink per child each day. A trip to the Phoenix
Zoo is planned for October 16. Further details of the trip
will be supplied at the camp.
For more information, please view the Community Schools Web
page at: http://susd.communityschools.schoolfusion.us/
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Help
Our Schools While Reducing Your State Tax Bill!
It’s never too early to make a donation that can be
claimed when you file your 2009 State tax return.
Did you know that Arizona law allows taxpayers to receive
a tax credit of up to $200 for individual filers and up to
$400 for married filers for donations made to SUSD schools?
You can claim the tax credit when filing your 2009 Arizona
State Income Tax return. The school must receive the funds
by December 31, 2009. It’s a win, win situation for
you and the school!
Your tax credit donation is used for:
- Tutoring
- Field trips
- Overnight trips
- Athletic programs
To contribute online, please visit: https://touchbase.susd.org/TouchBase/
If you have additional questions, please contact Scottsdale
Unified School District at 480-484-6143, or the Arizona Department
of Revenue at: www.azdor.gov/ResearchStats/Schooltaxcredit.htm.
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 What
are You Doing Next Summer?
Phoenix Sister Cities Youth Ambassador Exchange Program offers
opportunities for selected Phoenix high school students to
spend part of their summer living with a family in one of
Phoenix's 10 exciting Sister Cities around the world. Upon
returning to the U.S., local students host their new foreign
friends in their own homes, sharing Phoenix culture and activities.
Applications are due by Friday, December 4 at 4 p.m. For more
information, please visit www.phoenixsistercities.org.
This program is open to City of Phoenix high school sophomore
and junior students for travel the summer of 2010.
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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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Cherokee
Elementary School celebrated its1st Sock Hop to collect
socks for the Boys and Girls Club. The event was attended
by half of the school (300 students) and their family members.
AmyAnne Pickett and Jennifer Harmon chaired the fundraiser
which brought in 100 pairs of socks. The cafeteria was transformed
into a '50s diner with hot dogs, cotton candy, root beer floats
and more! Entertainment included a DJ and hula hoop and costume
contests. Special guest Mr. Cami, Cherokee’s new art
teacher, also sketched remarkable caricature drawings of many
of the children. A great time was had by all!
Students
in Mohave Middle School's Comprehensive Gifted
Program received an award for the Greatest Percentage
Middle School Participation at the Constitution Commemoration
Ceremony.
