SUSD's Successful Audit Season
To ensure that state and federal funding is being spent as intended, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) conducts annual audits of certain SUSD programs, and we are pleased to report their outcome.
SUSD's English Language Development (ELD) program has been found to be fully compliant at every level and in all areas following a rigorous audit this spring by the ADE. This success was celebrated at the June 11 Governing Board meeting at which State and Federal Programs Director Dr. David Priniski recognized not only the efforts of his team and SUSD's ELD teachers but also the achievements of several ELD students from Hohokam and Yavapai Elementary and Desert Canyon Middle schools who recently passed the state's AZELLA test of English language proficiency.
SUSD's Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at Arcadia, Chaparral, Coronado, Desert Mountain and Saguaro High schools also secured top ratings from the ADE, earning full compliance in all areas, including alignment with state standards, engaging and effective instruction, access and equity, business and community partnerships, and work-based learning.
SUSD is also responsible for the education of 61 students who are in foster care. As part of its Title I Cycle 4 audit, the ADE wanted to know about the district's transportation processes that ensure school continuity for these students.
The collaboration of SUSD's Transportation, State and Federal Grants, Student Information, Support Service and Legal departments, along with the Arizona Department of Child Safety (DCS), led to revisions in SUSD’s 2024 Foster Care Transportation Plan, which received a score of 94 out of 100 points. After additional collaboration with DCS, a few minor modifications will be made, which will be posted on the Support Services website.
Poised for Success
Congratulations to the latest batch of SUSD National Merit Scholarship recipients, Saguaro's Alex Stephenson (pictured with Assistant Principal Dan Milligan) and Alyssa Perrine, Chaparral's Morgan Tefft (pictured with Assistant Principal Amy Hardy) and Desert Mountain's David Ortloff.
Alex and David are off to ASU's Barrett Honors College to study Electrical Engineering. Morgan is headed for the University of Tulsa to major in Biology and minor in Spanish, and Alyssa, who actually graduated last December, will study Neuroscience at the University of Alabama this fall. Hats off to this fabulous quartet from SUSD's Class of 2024!
Yavapai's Alvarez-Jackson Receives Resilient Leader Scholarship
Teachers, like all of us, endure a lot to follow their dreams, so it was especially exciting for Yavapai Elementary third grade teacher Mary Alvarez-Jackson (center) to receive the Education Research and Development Institute’s (ERDI) Resilient Leader Scholarship
Through it, Mary, shown with her principal, Kelley Perry (L), and Executive Director of Elementary Education Margaret Serna (R), who not only was Mary's kindergarten teacher but also her first boss, at Tavan, will earn a master's degree from the online American College of Education and further hone her leadership skills.
Recognitions Galore for the Class of '24
SUSD's Class of 2024 is one for the history books! The 1,800 students who graduated on May 23 from Arcadia, Chaparral, Coronado, Desert Mountain and Saguaro High schools were each amazing in their own unique way.
Talon Watchman, Chaparral, was chosen for the UNITY (United National Tribal Indian Youth) 25 Under 25 natinal youth leadership program. The awards program is designed to celebrate the achievements of Native American and Alaskan Native youth ages 14-24 who embody UNITY's core mission and exude living a balanced life, developing their spiritual, mental, physical, and social well-being to help build a strong, unified and self-reliant Native America through greater youth involvement.
Lauren Matz, Arcadia; Sania Patel, Chaparral; Jake Weiss, Saguaro; Victoria Leung, Desert Mountain; and Amutha Rajasundaram, Saguaro are each National Merit Scholarship winners.
Lauren's scholarship is sponsored by Northrup Grummon and she is one of just 10 Arizona seniors and 770 nationwide to receive a corporate-supported scholarship.
Sania, Victoria, Amutha and Jake are National Merit Scholarship $2,500 winners. They were chosen from a talent pool of 15,000 outstanding finalists and are among just 58 Arizona students to receive this scholarship.
Jonathan Guevara, Coronado, is a multi-scholarship recipient, having received more than $100,000 toward his computer engineering studies at Arizona State University. A first-generation college student, Jonathan won a Dorrance Scholarship and a Phoenix Suns/Phoenix Mercury Foundation and Helios Education Foundation Scholarship.
Adelina Grotenhuis, Desert Mountain, received a QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship that covers the full cost of tuition, room and board, books and supplies, and travel. She's headed to Pomona College in the fall. She also was one of 720 people last year to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest civilian honor awarded in the U.S.
Vivian Saavedra, Chaparral, is a 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholar. The program, established in 1964 by presidential executive order, recognizes some of the nation's most distinguished graduating seniors. While no dollars are attached to this award, it is among the nation's most respected programs. Each applicant is asked to name a teacher who has most influenced them during their high school years. Vivian chose Chaparral Honors/Advanced Placement/Duale Enrollment Chemistry teacher Sadie Puerner, who can now call herself a U.S. Presidential Scholars Program Distinguished Teacher!
SUSD's Flinn Scholar this year is Chaparral's Chloe Greetis. Chloe is one of just 20 Arizona high school seniors to be named a 2024 Flinn Scholar. Her scholarship package to study at Arizona State University is valued at more than $130,000 and includes tuition, housing, meals and at least two study-abroad experiences during the coming four years.
The merit-based Flinn Scholarship is Arizona’s most competitive and prestigious home-grown scholarship programs and is supported by the Phoenix-based Flinn Foundation. More than 1,000 applications were received last fall for the merit-based, home-grown scholarship. Flinn Scholars are typically in the top 5% of their graduating class (Chloe is in Chaparral’s top 2%) and demonstrate leadership in extracurricular activities at school and in their communities.
Chloe has been an outstanding leader at Chaparral. She is an artist, a scientist and a philanthropist. She took all AP classes this year. She is the Science Olympiad President, Art Club President, Pioneer of Humanitarian Fundraising for the International Club, Vice President of the Math Club, and was awarded the Scottsdale Sister Cities Youth Leadership Award in 2023, a huge honor! She also tutors her fellow Firebirds, volunteers for Gigi’s Playhouse, has organized two significant fundraisers for Ukraine families, and for two summers has been part of the Honor Healthcare Teen Volunteer Program.
Look out, ASU ... here she comes!
Climate Expressions
SUSD high school students made significant contributions once again this year to Scottsdale Sister Cities' Young Artists and Authors competition.
Addressing the contest's theme, "Climatescape: Resilient Cities for Tomorrow’s Climate," College English course students of Coronado High School's Dr. JoAnn Markette swept the essay category, with senior Chris Lopez-Jolly taking top honors. His essay, "Reshaping Our Future," encouraged local and state leaders to embrace the implementation of cleaner energy sources.
On the art side, Desert Mountain High School junior Hannah Fitzgerald was awarded best-in-show for her acrylic painting on canvas, Journey to Change. Hannah, who is also a member of the Wolves' outstanding tennis team, is a Drawing and Painting III Honors student of longtime art teacher Anne Wilkins and will be taking AP Art next school year.
U.S. History, Brochure Style
The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, or SAR, sponsors a brochure contest for middle school students each year, challenging them to create an informational brochure based on our nation’s founding documents.
Three SUSD students – Azul Ortiz Tinoco and Leilani Quinonez Montanez from Tonalea Middle School (pictured here) and Katherine Hunter from Desert Canyon Middle School – fared extraordinarily well in this year's local competition, sponsored by the local Barry M. Goldwater SAR chapter. Azul's design placed first, Katherine's second, and Leilani's third! All three brochures are now headed for state competition!
Congratulations to our trio of artistic historians and their teachers, Grant Barron and Sarah Battaglia!
London Calling
Come July, you won't find Cameron Friedman designing Saguaro High School's latest PBIS t-shirt, working on an Eagle Scout project or shagging balls on the baseball field.
Rather, the multi-talented Sabercat junior will be part of the percussion section of the National High School Honor Band that will perform at London's Royal Festival Hall. Nearly 10,000 applications were submitted this year by the most talented student performers from around the world and Cameron's was among those selected. Drum roll, please!
36 x 7
Each spring, Arizona's high school juniors take the ACT Test, a multiple-choice test covering English, math, reading, and science. The test measures a high school student's readiness for college and provides colleges with a common data point that can be used to compare college applicants when the students are seniors.
The number 7 is usually reserved for good luck, but luck had nothing to do with seven SUSD juniors scoring perfect 36 scores on their ACTs this year. It took a fair degree of smarts!
Congratulations to:
Ari Schott, Arcadia High School
Daniel Bucher, Luis Chiapetti, Ashley Fu, Raghav Gupta, Chaparral High School
Maximilien Farkas, Charlie Heron, Desert Mountain High School
We can't wait to see what these students do as seniors!
Nathan Slater
He has worn many hats in SUSD: Nathan Slater attended Yavapai, Tonalea, and Coronado. He taught math and P.E. at Coronado, coached baseball and football, as well, and served as the school's athletic director. He was an assistant principal at Saguaro, then was Arcadia's principal. And, since 2017, Nathan has been SUSD's Athletic Director, overseeing middle school and high school athletics.
This work found Nathan working closely with the Arizona Interscholastic Association, or AIA, serving 20 years on the organization's 4A and 5A Conferences boards, as 5A Conference President, and, currently on the AIA Executive Board.
Now, the organization of the state’s athletic directors – the A-I-triple A, as it’s known, will induct Nathan into its Hall of Fame at its annual conference in Prescott in September.
In this achievement, Nathan becomes just the fourth SUSD leader to earn this prestigious honor, joining Bob Keller from Saguaro, Joe Corte from Coronado, and Steve Harris from Desert Mountain. In the world of Arizona Athletics, this is a pretty big deal, cementing Nathan’s legacy as one of the all-time most impactful athletic administrators in the state of Arizona. Congratulations, Nathan Slater!!
Team 4146 Houston-Bound
To say Sabercat Robotics is known in Arizona robotics circles is an understatement and this year qualified to compete in the late April FIRST Robotics World Championships in Houston.
Along the way, Team 4146 collected the FIRST Impact Award at the spring break regional robotics tournament hosted at Chaparral High School. Then, at the Arizona East regional tournament a few weeks later, Sabercat Noah Shoup received the Arizona FIRST organization’s $20,000 Steve Sanghi Scholarship, named after the longtime CEO of local chipmaker Microchip. And that was followed by team member Jake Weiss earning the $40,000 Dr. Bart Kamen Memorial FIRST Scholarship!
Even better than the competitive accolades is the work Sabercats Robotics does in the SUSD community. It hosts and oversees each December’s elementary/middle school LEGO League state-qualifying tournament, supports Saguaro’s annual Sisters in STEM event, builds child-size electric cars for disabled children through a partnership with NAU, and, this year, has taken its new Melody Makers program on the road to our elementary schools to show our youngest students the many ways in which STEM and music overlap.
Thank you, Team 4146, and teacher leaders Susan Lindberg and Chris Brandt!!
New Scottsdale Charros Recognition
Congratulations to SUSD Executive Director of Elementary Education Margaret Serna, recipient of the Scottsdale Charros' new Dr. John A. Kriekard Lifetime Achievement Award!
It was Kriekard who hired Serna away from Tavan in 2018 to lead the district’s Title I program as Director of State and Federal Programs. Her work to develop and establish a plan for SUSD’s English Language Learners has helped drive the success of the district’s Title I schools, all nine of which have earned either an A or B state letter grade the past two school years.
Serna was honored, along with the Charros' 2024 Teachers and Students of the Year at the organization's annual Education Awards on April 19.
Hitting All the Right Notes
Chaparral High School's award-winning a capella group provided pre-Board meeting entertainment in April. Gold Dust Avenue, under the direction of Dr. Sammy Brauer, had an outstanding year, bringing home a second place finish in the annual SingStrong competition in the Big Apple. Senior Lillian Apostolou was also honored with the award for Best Arrangement.
DCES A+ Celebration
Students dressed in traditional Chinese celebratory wear entertained the April 9 SUSD Governing Board meeting with a presentation showing off their Desert Canyon Elementary-acquired Mandarin language skills. The DCES students, staff and parents were there to share the school's recent designation as an Arizona Educational Foundation A+ School of Excellence. DCES is the starting point of SUSD's Dual Language Immersion Mandarin program.
Yavapai's Winning Postcard Artist
Meet Jose Hernandez Salgado, winner of this year's Arizona Historical Society postcard contest. The Yavapai Elementary 3rd grade student was one of 10 winners in the state in this year's competition. What's more Arizona than the sun, cacti, cactus wren, the state flag and a bald eagle?
Now That's The Spirit!
Whether he's leading his school's annual Parada del Sol entry down Scottsdale Road or shepherding students into their classrooms, it would be hard to find a Navajo Elementary School Buffalo with more spirit than Principal Matt Patzlaff. Mr. P. was recently honored at a Scottsdale City Council meeting with the city's 2023 Spirit of Scottsdale Award.
Engaging Students in World-Class, Future-Focused Education
At SUSD, we're known for giving our educators the tools and means to be creative in their classrooms. One of the ways we do that is through the StartUp Innovation grant program. The spring 2024 recipients of the up-to-$10,000 grants, Redfield Elementary and Echo Canyon School, were recognized at the April 9 Governing Board meeting. At Redfield, Principal Amanda Rand will lead a teacher group to pursue a project they call, "Bot-ify the Classroom: Enhancing Education Through Coding Bots." At Echo Canyon, teacher Kelley Tully, with the support of Principal Kat Hughes, plans to implement her project, "TechTinkerers: Junior Engineers' Workshop" with the innovation funding.
2023 Best of Scottsdale Awards
SUSD is thrilled to be chosen as the Scottsdale Progress Scottsdale’s Best 2023 Public School/District and so pleased that Arcadia High School’s CMAS teacher Richard Maxwell was voted the Best High School Teacher. The two runners-up are SUSD teachers, too!
December Governing Board Celebration
Last month, the SUSD Governing Board celebrated Desert Mountain High School senior Layla Gregory, winner of the Jerome McDonough Award at the recent Arizona Thespians’ festival. The event brings together budding playwrights, such as Layla, actors, student directors, and behind-the-scenes theatre tech crews from high schools across the state for two days of workshops on all aspects of bringing a theatrical production to life, from lighting and sets, to costumes, choreography, improv, auditioning and … writing!
Layla’s original stage play, I’m Not the Main Character, was chosen as the festival’s top original play. The story follows a side character in a romance novel who, despite his best efforts, is massively unsuccessful in his pursuit of the play’s main character.
Layla is a talented performer, appearing as Alice in Desert Mountain’s recent production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. She takes her considerable talents to Northern Arizona University next year to major in Theatre.
The Board also celebrated the selection of Saguaro High School senior Alex Stephenson as Scottsdale Leadership’s 2023 Bill Jenkins Youth Leadership Award. Alex is well-known at Saguaro for his enthusiasm for helping others. He has worked on the art installations for the city’s Canal Convergence event and is, pardon the pun, the “driving” force of the Go Baby Go program between Saguaro and NAU that adapts toy cars for special-needs children.
If you aren’t yet convinced that Alex is worthy of recognition, he is part of SUSD’s new CTE Work-Based Learning program and is the youngest employee at Axon where, as an engineer contractor, he advises on R & D engineering projects, creates prototypes, and works with various police and fire departments. Alex is also a candidate for recognition in May as Math and Science Academy Distinguished graduate.
The Governing Board also celebrated the most recent achievements of several SUSD employees.
Chaparral High School Economics and AP U.S. History teacher Chris Haak is the Arizona Council on Economic Education’s 2023 High School Teacher of the Year! Mr. Haak recognized that the economics curriculum was a bit dry, so with the assistance of Chaparral Assistant Principal Megan Bird (a former winner of this same award for elementary school teachers!), he reworked its content to make it more engaging for students, and they are loving it!
Saguaro High School Honors Biotechnology/Pre-AP Biology teacher Scott Milne and SUSD Facilities Grounds Lead Joe Arteca were recognized for their work to bring a “Living Labs” project to life on the Saguaro campus. The labs are part of an extension of the school’s powerful partnership with the Scottsdale-based McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. Its mission is to preserve and advance our community’s natural, open space through science, education and stewardship, and Saguaro students are pitching in.
Last school year, under Mr. Milne’s direction, students jumped in to create three locations on campus to further their and their fellow Sabercats’ understanding of the Sonoran Desert environment we call ‘home,’ and enable them to be able to contribute scientific data to the Conservancy’s research.
Invasive plant species were removed from a central part of the campus and replaced with native plants to create a pollinator garden. An unused planter between the Innovation Center and the cafeteria was turned into a cactus garden to study … you guessed it … Saguaro cacti! The third project was to create a learning corridor in the 300 Building, turning an empty hallway trophy case into a display about biological soil crust.
In a true collaboration of efforts, Mr. Arteca and his team of Facilities workers handled the construction sides of the project, with students pitching in, too, and Mr. Milne handled the science side. Thank you, gentlemen!
And Now You Know the Rest of the Story …
Last spring, we told you about Tonalea 8th grade student Roselyn Pliego Figueroa, whose brochure design had was chosen as the Arizona Sons of the American Revolution Sergeant Moses Adams founding documents brochure contest winner.
In November, Roselyn, now a freshman at Coronado High School, attended the local organization’s event to be celebrated as the 3rd place winner of the group’s national brochure competition! Shown here with SAR Arizona President Robert Hoover, SAR Barry M. Goldwater Chapter President Mark Seifert, her parents, and SUSD’s Coordinator of State and Federal Programs, Shawn Crosier, we won’t be surprised to see Roselyn’s future artwork also winning awards. She is studying Studio Art this year at Coronado.
2023 Best of Scottsdale Awards
SUSD is thrilled to be chosen as the Scottsdale Progress Scottsdale’s Best 2023 Public School/District and so pleased that Arcadia High School’s CMAS teacher Richard Maxwell was voted the Best High School Teacher. The two runners-up are SUSD teachers, too!
December Governing Board Celebrations
Layla’s original stage play, I’m Not the Main Character, was chosen as the festival’s top original play. The story follows a side character in a romance novel who, despite his best efforts, is massively unsuccessful in his pursuit of the play’s main character.
Layla is a talented performer, appearing as Alice in Desert Mountain’s recent production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. She takes her considerable talents to Northern Arizona University next year to major in Theatre.
If you aren’t yet convinced that Alex is worthy of recognition, he is part of SUSD’s new CTE Work-Based Learning program and is the youngest employee at Axon where, as an engineer contractor, he advises on R & D engineering projects, creates prototypes, and works with various police and fire departments. Alex is also a candidate for recognition in May as Math and Science Academy Distinguished graduate.
The Governing Board also celebrated the most recent achievements of several SUSD employees.
Chaparral High School economics and AP U.S. History teacher Chris Haak is the Arizona Council on Economic Education’s 2023 High School Teacher of the Year! Mr. Haak recognized that the economics curriculum was a bit dry, so with the assistance of Chaparral Assistant Principal Megan Bird (a former winner of this same award for elementary school teachers!), he reworked its content to make it more engaging for students, and they are loving it!
Saguaro High School Honors Biotechnology/Pre-AP Biology teacher Scott Milne and SUSD Facilities Grounds Lead Joe Arteca were recognized for their work to bring a “Living Labs” project to life on the Saguaro campus. The labs are part of an extension of the school’s powerful partnership with the Scottsdale-based McDowell Sonoran Conservancy. Its mission is to preserve and advance our community’s natural, open space through science, education and stewardship, and Saguaro students are pitching in.
Last school year, under Mr. Milne’s direction, students jumped in to create three locations on campus to further their and their fellow Sabercats’ understanding of the Sonoran Desert environment we call ‘home,’ and enable them to be able to contribute scientific data to the Conservancy’s research.
Invasive plant species were removed from a central part of the campus and replaced with native plants to create a pollinator garden. An unused planter between the Innovation Center and the cafeteria was turned into a cactus garden to study … you guessed it … Saguaro cacti! The third project was to create a learning corridor in the 300 Building, turning an empty hallway trophy case into a display about biological soil crust.
In a true collaboration of efforts, Mr. Arteca and his team of Facilities workers handled the construction sides of the project, with students pitching in, too, and Mr. Milne handled the science side. Thank you, gentlemen!
And Now You Know the Rest of the Story …
Last spring, we told you about Tonalea 8th grade student Roselyn Pliego Figueroa, whose brochure design was chosen as the Arizona Sons of the American Revolution Sergeant Moses Adams founding documents brochure contest winner.
In November, Roselyn, now a freshman at Coronado High School, attended the local organization’s event to be celebrated as the 3rd place winner of the group’s national brochure competition! Shown here with SAR Arizona President Robert Hoover, SAR Barry M. Goldwater Chapter President Mark Seifert, her parents, and SUSD’s Coordinator of State and Federal Programs, Shawn Crosier, we won’t be surprised to see Roselyn’s future artwork also winning awards. She is studying Studio Art this year at Coronado.
