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Fiesta Bowl Charities received a record 4,000 applications for its Wishes for Teachers program this year, which granted $2,500 to 500 deserving teachers across Arizona.
Hopi Elementary fifth-grade teachers Laura Mitchell and Margo Shein and Tavan Elementary second- and third-grade gifted teacher Michelle Moreno Bilger are the three Arcadia recipients of the 2024-2025 Fiesta Bowl Wishes for Teachers grants.
- Hopi-Story
- Tavan-Story
Laguna Elementary School, 10475 E. Lakeview Drive., Scottsdale, will host its annual community STEAM night, Thursday, Jan. 30 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Interactive experiments and classroom tours will be offered, and Laguna’s teachers will be in their classrooms to greet both current and future Laguna families. Gifted Specialist Stephanie Shamy was recently named the recipient of a 2025 National Science Foundation Presidential Award for excellence in mathematics and science teaching.
In addition to being a Cognia-certified STEM school, Laguna is home to Scottsdale Unified School District’s only toddler program for two-year-olds, offered by the school district’s Community Education department, along with preschool and pre-kindergarten classes.
- Laguna-Story
Michael Longfellow felt overwhelmed when he was hired as a featured player on “Saturday Night Live” two seasons ago.
“It was so big,” said the Desert Mountain High School graduate. “There was panic, dread, excitement, numbness. I thought, ‘Shouldn’t I high-five everyone in the area?’ I didn’t know how to feel, so I just sort of got ready for work. But this has been the greatest thing ever.”
- Desert-Mountain-Story
February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, the ideal time to recognize the exceptional CTE programs offered by Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD). These robust programs provide students with comprehensive preparation for both the workforce and higher education.
“SUSD students are fortunate to have 18 different CTE pathways offered across the five high schools,” explained Amy Downs, SUSD’s Director of College and Career Readiness. “Every campus has at least one Healthcare pathway, such as Sports Medicine, and at least one STEAM pathway, such as Digital Publishing, Technical Theater or Engineering. All SUSD’s CTE programs embed academic standards as well as technical and professional standards. When students complete a CTE program, they are eligible for an internship and a graduation distinction, as well.”
SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Marching band and orchestra students at Desert Mountain High School will be taking the trip of a lifetime to start 2025.
They'll get to perform in the New Year's Day Parade across the pond in London.
It's a trip the students at Desert Mountain get to make every handful of years, but this is the first time the students have gotten to go since the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Desert-Mountain-Story
As Principal Margaret Serna prepares for retirement in 2025, her 48-year career with Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) leaves countless memories, celebrations, and success stories behind. Among those is that of Phoenix Jose, a student whose journey has been defined by perseverance and the support of family, friends, and educators.
- Arcadia-Story
As captain of the varsity girls’ soccer team, senior Sadie Schwartz is kicking it both on and off the field this season. Known for her leadership, determination, and fierce competitive spirit, Sadie has been a pillar of positivity for the team.
What has your soccer journey been like?
I started as the JV starting goalkeeper my freshman year. The next year, I was bumped up to varsity, where I have continued to start and play for the past three years.
- Arcadia-Story
As we usher in 2025, it is the perfect time to reflect on the remarkable achievements of the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) in 2024 and look forward to the exciting year ahead.
We hope the new year brings health, happiness and success to all of our students, staff, families and community.
- District-Story
The Lady Titans had the opportunity to cheer for freshman, JV, and varsity football this season and are currently supporting both the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams. This year, they competed in the USA Regional 1 Competition, earning second place in JV Show Cheer Novice and third place in Varsity Show Cheer Advanced, along with national qualifications for both teams.
- Arcadia-Story
For the sixth time in the school’s 30-year history, Scottsdale Unified School District’s Desert Mountain High School marching band and orchestra will ring in the New Year in London, England.
The 68-strong member band, joined by its color guard, will take part in the Jan. 1 London New Year’s Day Parade, known for its nearly two-mile route past some of central London’s most iconic landmarks. The parade is expected to draw an in-person audience of up to 500,000 people and a television audience of at least 500 million. Here at home, KAET-TV(Channel 8) will carry the parade, tape-delayed, at 1:30 p.m. on New Year’s Day.
- Desert-Mountain-Story
The Desert Mountain High School Marching Band will be welcoming 2025 over 5,000 miles from home.
Band members will be joining some 8,000 other entrants in the 39th annual New Year’s Day Parade in London, England, which will be broadcast worldwide.
The globally renowned street spectacular makes a hugely popular return to the heart of the West End of London and will be shown in its entirety on network television across the U.S. and beyond. Hundreds of thousands of spectators will fill the iconic 2-mile route.
- Desert-Mountain-Story
SUSD Families Share Their Reasons, Experiences
SUSD families choose their specific schools for a variety of reasons. Some families gravitate toward the rigorous academics and numerous unique program offerings like IB, STEM, gifted, dual language immersion, CTE, AP and Honors. Others choose schools for their stand out athletics and arts programs. And, many families choose their schools for the community, parent involvement and neighborhood feel.
The students of Arcadia are always looking for ways to give back to their community. Some – the members of the National Honor Society, to be more specific – actively volunteer on and off campus to help those in need.
“NHS allows for its members to be more hands-on and connected to their surrounding communities,” NHS President Siddha Lennox said. “With the effort the club puts into bettering the community, the community feels appreciated and gives back in return, creating a more positive environment and culture.”
- Arcadia-Story
At Hopi Elementary School, Library Resource Specialist Traci Fish discovered a way to bridge the gap between her elementary students and the middle school they’ll soon attend through a creative art project.
Fish challenged Hopi students to design tissue boxes based on characters from their favorite books. It gave them a chance to work on their art skills and create an item that could be helpful for other students.
“I saw the idea on a librarian’s social media page and thought it would be fun to try,” Fish said. “The librarian had been doing it for years, and almost every student in her school participated. It had become a tradition within the school.”
- Hopi-Story
- Yavapai-Story
The Arizona School Administrators (ASA) organization has named Scottsdale Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel Arizona’s 2024-2025 Superintendent of the Year.
As such he is now a candidate for the ASA’s national organization, the AASA’s, contest for National Superintendent of the Year, according to a press release from the Scottsdale Unified School District.
The ASA is a nonprofit organization formed in 1971 and represents more than 1,500 school administrators across Arizona. The School Superintendents Association, known as AASA, is the organization of school system leaders that serves as the national voice for public education and school district leadership in Washington, D.C.
“Without a doubt, Dr. Menzel works tirelessly to the betterment of our school district and community,” Scottsdale Unified School District Governing Board President Dr. Libby Hart-Wells said in the release. “This award is yet another testament to his leadership and dedication to quality education for all. On behalf of the Governing Board, we sincerely congratulate Dr. Menzel on this well-earned and well-deserved honor.”
Lea Mitchell SUSD Lea Mitchell, assistant superintendent of Educational Services “It’s the first time we’re putting all 30 of our schools, district departments, family and community services in one place so that all of our Scottsdale families and families across the Valley can really see everything that’s going on here,” Lea Mitchell, assistant superintendent of Educational Services, said.
In an exciting initiative that bridges the Atlantic, Arcadia High School joined forces with Lënster Lycée International School in Luxembourg to embark on a student exchange program that began with a musical flourish in 2023. This exchange, helmed by music teachers Louise Hottias and Richard Maxwell, brought students closer through the universal language of music and set the stage for a more profound cultural exchange.
Thanks to a social media message – and the power of the internet – Arcadia High’s Contemporary Music and Sound Class has been playing music with students from Lënster Lycée International School through virtual music sessions.
- Arcadia-Story
The students of Arcadia are all about working hard – but they don’t forget to play hard, too. Senior Ava Bramini has brought together the school’s most exuberant students through a brand new organization: Bingo Club.
- Arcadia-Story
Titan Times founder Ahva Ghazanfari was a junior at Arcadia High when one of her dreams became a reality. Now a year older, she has written many stories and expanded her dream of a school paper to one the whole Arcadia community reads in each month of the Arcadia News. The column shares stories that may not have otherwise been told while also providing high school students experience in the journalism industry.
“I think that more kids in high school should get out and start exploring what they like to do outside the classroom,” co-editor and writer Maya Campbell said. “Some kids like to write but essay writing is not for them, so I think that opportunities like this are a really good way to get involved.”
- Arcadia-Story
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