Phoenix Union Commencement Exercises are a Non-stop Celebration

Over 4,800 students from 15 schools will graduate during 26 hours of commencement exercises in front of 60,000 family members and friends on Phoenix Union High School District’s graduation days, May 23-24.

It is the third year all 11 large schools will hold graduation at one venue- the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, beginning with Cesar Chavez High School at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 23, and ending with Betty Fairfax High School in the final ceremony at 8:30 p.m., Thursday, May 24. Four small schools will have graduations at other venues, beginning with Bioscience High School at 4:30 p.m., Wednesday at the Herberger Theatre.

The Coliseum ceremonies begin every 2 ½ hours, spanning 12 hours on Wednesday and 14 hours on Thursday. Schools have 90 minutes to march in, give speeches, hand out diplomas and march out of the building. As one student body is crossing the stage, another school is lining up in an adjacent exhibit hall. To avoid a collision course, the parking, arena entrance and exits and staging areas per school alternate on the north and south sides of the Coliseum. Gates open for guests a half-hour prior to each ceremony, allowing approximately 30 minutes for set-up and a cleaning crew to get ready for the next show. Some schools draw upwards of 9,000 attendees. There is no guest limit per student, and tickets are not required.

The large schools will take over the Coliseum with five ceremonies on Wednesday, and six more on Thursday. The graduation ceremony schedule for Wednesday, May 23 is: Cesar Chavez, 10:30 a.m.; Maryvale, 1 p.m.; Alhambra, 3:30 p.m.; Trevor Browne, 6 p.m. and Carl Hayden, 8:30 p.m. On Thursday, May 24, the line-up is.; Metro Tech, 8 a.m.; Central, 10:30 a.m.; Camelback, 1 p.m.; North, 3:30 p.m.; South Mountain, 6 p.m., and Betty Fairfax, 8:30 p.m.

Both Bioscience and Franklin Police and Fire High School will utilize the Herberger Theatre for the second year, with Franklin following Bioscience, Wednesday at 6 p.m. Both schools will have graduating classes of 51 students. Franklin, the small school that specializes in public safety career training such as law enforcement, firefighting and emergency medical services almost doubled last year’s first senior class of 26 students. Small schools Suns-Diamondbacks Education Academy and Bostrom will utilize other District high school auditoriums for commencement exercises. Suns-Diamondbacks’ ceremony is at Central High Auditorium, Wednesday evening, and Bostrom holds its graduation ceremony at Trevor Browne High School, Thursday evening.

Phoenix Union Graduations: Wednesday, May 23 @ Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Cesar Chavez High School, 10:30 a.m., Valedictorian: Liliana Espinoza Ornelas; Salutatorian: Reena Villariz. Estimated graduating class: 441

Maryvale High School, 1 p.m., Valedictorian: Reyna Rivera; Salutatorian: Nicole Mosqueira. Estimated graduating class: 500

Alhambra High School, 3:30 p.m., Valedictorian: Diane Arce; Salutatorian: Alexa Parra Cabrera. Estimated graduating class: 498

Trevor G. Browne High School, 6 p.m., Valedictorian: Joseth Hermosillo; Salutatorian: Rafael Nunez. Estimated graduating class: 450

Carl Hayden Community High School, 8:30 p.m., Valedictorian: Miguel Santoyo; Salutatorian: Edwin Avalos Goday. Estimated graduating class: 450

Phoenix Union Graduations: Thursday, May 24 @ Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Metro Tech High School, 8 a.m., Valedictorian: Danh Vu; Salutatorian: Rebeca Gutierrez Estimated graduating class: 287

Central High School, 10:30 a.m., Valedictorian: Luz Elena Lopez; Salutatorian: Michael Geraldo. Estimated graduating class: 423

Camelback High School, 1 p.m., Valedictorian: Jazmine Tamayo; Salutatorian: Dulce Ponti. Estimated graduating class: 300

North High School, 3:30 p.m., Valedictorian: Farzana Abjulla; Salutatorian: Richa Nathaniel. Estimated graduating class: 510

South Mountain High School, 6 p.m., Valedictorian: Lorena Pina Nunez; Salutatorian: Kartia Nash. Estimated graduating class: 340

Betty Fairfax High School, 8:30 p.m., Valedictorian: Marisol Avitia; Salutatorian: James Edward Farmer II. Estimated graduating class: 355

Phoenix Union Small Schools Graduations: Wednesday, May 23

Bioscience High School, 4:30 p.m. at Herberger Theatre, 222 E. Monroe Street. Valedictorian: Nehal Jolly; Salutatorian: Aldin Malkoc. Estimated graduating class: 51

Franklin Police and Fire High School, 6 p.m. at Herberger Theatre, 222 E. Monroe Street. Valedictorian: Maria G. Chavez; Salutatorian: Denise Olivas. Estimated graduating class: 51

Suns-Diamondbacks Education Academy, 7 p.m. at Central High School Auditorium, 4525 N. Central Ave., Valedictorian: Daniel Cervantes; Salutatorian: Jose Ordonez. Estimated graduating class: 64

Phoenix Union Small Schools Graduations: Thursday, May 24

Bostrom High School, 6 p.m. at Trevor Browne High School Auditorium, 7402 W. Catalina Drive. Valedictorian: Edward Leyvas; Salutatorian: Natasha Mazon. Estimated graduating class: 84

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

PHOENIX UNION JOINS SUMMER FOOD PROGRAM FOR 31st YEAR

For the 31st summer, the Phoenix Union High School District, along with other agencies, will provide breakfast and lunch for needy children 18 years of age and younger at 12 high schools, Monday through Friday, May 29 – June 27

Funded through the U.S. Department of Education food and nutrition programs, the Summer Food Program has, for over three decades, prepared and served more than 3 million meals at as many as 60 sites throughout Phoenix. Summer lunches are an extension of the National School Lunch Program.

Meals are prepared at PUHSD’s various high school campuses, listed below, serving thousands of meals per day. New foodstuffs are purchased at the beginning of the program to support the nutritional needs of children in impoverished areas. Food left over at the end of the program, like that at the end of the school year, is donated to local food banks for distribution.

Meals will be made available to all children 18 years of age and under within the approved geographical area without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation or marital or family status.

Meals will be served at the following PUHSD campus: Central High School--4525 N Central Avenue;

This campus will be hosting Summer School. Food will be prepared, as it is during the regular school year, at each location in the school cafeteria. Participating community members will be directed to the designated areas of each campus.

Breakfast will be served from 7:30 A.M. until 8:30 A.M., with lunch being served from 10:45 A.M. until 12:45 P.M. Adults are welcome to accompany children and can purchase breakfast for $2 and lunch for $3.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Osborn School News‏

District News

Kindergarten Registration will begin on Thursday, March 22 from 2:15 – 6:00 pm at the Osborn Schools listed below. Each school offers unique award-winning programs for students beginning in Kindergarten. Longview offers an Inquiry-based Global Curriculum. Encanto offers the award-winning Spanish Dual Language program which continues through seventh grade at Clarendon and Osborn Middle School for families seeking a bilingual education for their children. Solano is offering a Modified Traditional School approach to education, and received a first place Golden Bell award for their Writing Program. Please call the school below for more information or visit the website http://www.OsbornSchools.org for the 2012 Kindergarten application. Please bring immunization records and birth certificate. All children who will be five before September 1, 2012 are eligible to register for Kindergarten.

Encanto School 1420 W. Osborn Rd. (15th Ave. x Osborn Rd.) (602) 707-2300

Longview School 1209 E. Indian School Rd. (12th St. south of Indian School Rd.) (602) 707-2700

Solano School 1526 W. Missouri Ave. (15th Ave. x Montebello) (602) 707-2600

Mark your calendar for the OMS EXPO 2012 (Camelback x 11th Ave) on March 23 from 5:00.pm to 7:30 pm. The event is free and families are encouraged to attend with their children. The Phoenix Fire Department will have a fire truck for children. The Expo brings together many Phoenix health and educational resources for families: Association for Supportive Childcare/ Phone Friend, Birth to Five Help Line, Early Head Start/ Head Start, First Things First, Healthy Families, Osborn Early Learning Project, Valley of the Sun United Way, NHW Community Health Center, NATIVE HEALTH, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center (now Dignity Health), Native American Connections, Phoenix Boys and Girls Club, WIC – Women Infants and Children, Women’s Health Coalition, YMCA, South Phoenix Healthy Start, St. Mary’s Food Bank, Fresh Start Women’s Foundation, and the Greater Phoenix Child Abuse Prevention Council. Additionally, Osborn district programs will be represented: Osborn Summer School, Spanish Dual Language Immersion Program, Parent Academy, Native American Summer School, Indian Program Educational Community (IPEC), Osborn Child Nutrition Recipes, ASU ASPIRE Program, and iTeach. Various Phoenix High Schools will also be present. For more information please call Principal Marty Makar: 602-707-2410.

Congratulations to the winners of the Block-Kids Building competition. The program was organized by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and the Nawic Education Foundation. In the first through third grade competition, two Osborn students placed: third grade Longview student Jonathan Herrada won first place and second grade Encanto student Safiya Goff won third place. At the fourth through sixth grade competition two Clarendon students placed: sixth grade Erik Barraza won second place and fifth grade Gema Bustillos won third place. Students were given five types of material: blocks, string, paper, foil and a stone. They could utilize four of the materials and were given 60 minutes to construct a structure. The Block-Kids Building Program is a national building program competition that is sponsored on the local level by NAWIC chapters and other organizations. The award winning program introduces children to the construction industry in an effort to create an awareness of and to promote an interest in future careers in one of the many facets of the industry.

Clarendon School (4-6)

Thanks to the generosity of the John C Lincoln Health Foundation the sixth grade will go on an educational fieldtrip to the Grand Canyon. Teachers Kristi Wilhelms, Ruth Ruiz, Ben Baldner, Doug Gerstner, and Donna Spano have organized the fieldtrip so that students can use Grand Canyon National Park as an outdoor classroom to develop awareness and skills related to understanding the world. The fieldtrip will provide opportunities for students to restore, preserve, and protect the environment. Students will go to the Canyon in two groups in April and May participating in either the Discovery Pack or the Life on the Edge program while at the Grand Canyon. Both programs are curriculum-based, and address specific Arizona academic standards. Students are selected based on their academic effort over the past three months. Tuition Tax Credits to Clarendon School are welcomed. Visit http://www.OsbornSchools.org.

When Arizona turned 100, Clarendon school turned 58- The school was opened on Feb 14, 1954! Students and staff celebrated in a special way. Each class will perform a short skit about a decade in the history of our great state

Congratulations to Clarendon School who celebrated their 58th birthday on Valentine’s Day along with Arizona’s Centennial celebration. It was delightful to have the opportunity to hear former Governor Jane Hull speak to staff, students and parents in attendance. Her children attended Clarendon when they were growing up. She had great things to say about Clarendon and was very impressed with our students and the campus. Various classes gave spirited performances reflecting major themes for each of the ten decades in Arizona- complete with a Governor Rose Mofford look-alike. Thanks to all of the teachers who worked hard on the event and to Board Members Corbin and Maxine Radtke who were able to attend the celebration.

Encanto School (K-3)

Encanto students participated in their Annual Reading Picnic. Families were invited to the spend lunch with their students and spent their time reading in the courtyard and enjoying a nutritious picnic lunch of chicken burgers, apples, carrots and chips.

Longview (K-6)

Excited Longview fifth grade students attended Ballet Arizona’s Student Matinee performance of Sleeping Beauty. Students gave an account of their Symphony Hall experience—a first for some of them: “The costumes were beautiful!”; One student said her favorite part was “When the witch was trying to open the gate—the way she was dressed was shiny and colorful; “The lighting was dim and there was fog!”; “I like how Sleeping Beauty fell asleep and how she woke up. They kissed!! —on the cheek!!” and another student said she enjoyed the costumes “Fairies had big tutus that looked like hay”.

In honor of Read Across America Day and to promote literacy in our school teachers put together special literacy activities and participated in a “door decorating” contest. Classes discussed their favorite books and or authors and decided which one they would like to represent on their door. The ideas and designs were student lead and encouraged teamwork and creativity. The students did a wonderful job and the winning classrooms belonged to the following teachers: Michelle Carrillo, Katherine Dethlefsen and Nora Ryszka.

Osborn Middle School (7-8)

Congratulations to the students who earned a place on the Principal’s Honor Roll during the second trimester by having a grade point average higher than 3.6, with no grade lower than a 3 in the core areas of Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. Seventh grade students: Calista Celaya, Shelby Gabel, Cassaundra Gomez, Karen Herrera Carbajal, Erik Johnson, Bethani Lechuga Suarez, Jerome McNeal, Lizethe Millan Ramos, and Greta Westberg; and eighth grade students: Jesus Achutegui Garcia, Fukuyoshi Ashino, Brianna Bedonie, Christian Cleveland, Yanet Duran Solis, Samuel Hunter, Elizabeth Matlock, Jousy Ramirez, and Frances Kelly Zozobrado.

Solano School (K-6)

Congratulations to the students who earned a place on the Principal’s List during the second trimester. The Principal’s List distinction is intended for those students receiving the grade of ‘Exceeding’ the state standard in the overall Math and Reading and ‘Meeting’ or ‘Exceeding’ the standard in the other assessed academic subject areas and no marks of ‘not satisfactory’ in social/study skills. Kindergarten students True Skeens and Aujawan Williams; second grade students Kayla Bedonie, Ashley Rios, German Juarez Sales, Angel Claudio Santos, Jamilynn Shorten, and Lindsay Smith; third grade students Kayden Davis, Masaran Keita, Jorge Navarrete, Yvonne Orantes, and Michael To; fifth grade students Jarom Davis, Brenda Garcia, and Vi Nguyen; and sixth grade student Payton Davis.

Congratulations are also due to the Solano Boys Soccer players who won the district tournament in the combined fourth and fifth grade team as well as the sixth grade team.

Solano celebrated Read Across America with students studying Theodor Seuss Geisel and his writings. Each third grade student received a copy of a Dr Seuss book of their choice as well, thanks to the Osborn Educational Foundation’s KidsRead program founded in 1996. Please visit http://www.osbornnet.org/oef/KidsRead.htm for more information.

Source: Cynthia West, Osborn School District

PUHSD offers online mapping for redistricting‏

Residents Can Try Hand at Redistricting Phoenix Union Wards with Online Mapping Tool

Residents living in the Phoenix Union High School District boundaries will have a chance at redrawing the maps of its five single-member governing board districts or wards through the use of an online mapping program that is now available on the District’s website at http://www.phoenixunion.org/redistricting.

The online mapping tool allows individuals to draw and submit proposed maps that adhere to the key principles of redistricting--equal distribution of population and preserving minority voting representation-- in each of the five wards. Users can move precincts and neighborhoods from existing wards to create new ward boundaries, while the mapping program simultaneously updates the demographics of each ward.

According to Tony Sissons of Research Advisory Services, Inc., who is managing Phoenix Union’s redistricting process, online mapping by residents in other Arizona jurisdictions has produced maps that were ultimately adopted. “Using this cutting edge mapping technology, coupled with District Governing Board and Superintendent’s sincere desire to seek active resident input and engagement will ultimately produce a new map that is reflective of the community’s best collective interest,” said Sissons.

The online tool will be active until February 20 to gather additional community input into the redistricting process. Five community meetings, one in each ward, were held, January 18-25.

To complete the process by the required April 1 deadline, the following timetable has been developed:

Thurs., March 1, 6:30 p.m. - Research Advisory Services, Inc., with its collected community input, will present 4-5 alternative maps to the Governing Board at its regular monthly meeting.

Mon., March 5, 6:00 p.m. - Draft maps will be presented to the community at a public meeting for any and all interested residents to provide their input. Additional community input will be considered through March 22.

Tues., March 27, 6:00 p.m. - At a special Governing Board meeting, the Governing Board will adopt one final map, which will be submitted to the Department of Justice.

All meetings will be held at the PUHSD district office, 4502 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85012

Based on 2010 census data, each ward should have an “ideal” total population size of 130,518. Currently Ward 1 in southwest Phoenix and Laveen, which experienced rapid growth in the last ten years, has 30 percent more residents than the targeted population, while three wards in the north and east of the school district have up to 13 percent less than the 130,000 mark. The new wards should also be geographically compact and connected.

The reapportioned wards will not be in effect until 2014, when the five single-district governing board terms end. The two at-large governing board seats will be determined in the 2012 election.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

News for the Osborn School District‏

Congratulations to our Spelling Bee winners:

First Place—Hannah Zozobrado, 4th grade at Solano

Second Place—San Juana Cruz, 5th grade at Clarendon

Third Place—Ericka Morales, 4th grade at Clarendon

Lori Sanders, retired Media Specialist from Encanto, served as pronouncer and Sue Corbin, Board Member, Veronica Griffin, Director of iTeach and to Roberta Figueroa, PreSchool Coordinator served as judges.

The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and the Nawic Education Foundation (NEF) plan to hold their annual Block-Kids Building competition at Clarendon School on February 25 to raise awareness of career opportunities in the construction industry. The Block-Kids Building Program is a national building program competition that is sponsored on the local level by NAWIC chapters and other organizations. The award winning program introduces children to the construction industry in an effort to create an awareness of and to promote an interest in future careers in one of the many facets of the industry. The program is open to elementary school children in grades 1- 6. Osborn plans to select one student from each classroom and two from sixth grade classrooms to represent the district. The competition involves the construction of various structures with interlocking blocks and three additional items. Local winners advance to Regional competition, and one semi-finalist from each region is entered in the National Program competition. National prizes are awarded to the top three projects.

The Osborn Educational Foundation supports innovation in education through Mini-grants to district teachers and staff in amounts up to $300 in support of projects which improve students’ physical and mental health; enhance literacy, math, science and the arts; and promote innovation and enhancement in education. The projects take place during the school year, with a Completion Report due in mid May. Teacher Mini-grants are supported through donations to Osborn Educational Foundation, visit http://www.OsbornNet.org/OEF for more information or to donate to this unique program.

Clarendon School (4-6)

The following mini-grant recipients submitted winning projects: Dual Language Teachers Jon Gorter and Ann Aken whose project Chasing Vermeer will use the funds to purchase thirty copies of the novel and four sets of pentaminos puzzles. Students will study the book Chasing Vermeer and then work with pentaminos puzzles, similar to the character in the novel. Ben Baldner’s project Expanding Non Fiction Resources will purchase comprehension cards, folders and leveled nonfiction books in order to get students excited about non-fiction. Art Teacher Barbara Middleton’s project Weaving will purchase cotton warp, plastic weaving needles, and ten classes worth of yarn. Fourth and fifth grade students will learn the basics tapestry techniques of weaving shapes and planning simple designs.

Clarendon and OMS Band Teacher Theresa Hulihan’s project Composer Workshop will have her sixth grade Advanced Band and OMS Symphonic Band students work intensively with composer and educator Dr. Sy Brandon, focusing on composition, musical interpretation, and artistic performance. The Advanced Band will perform his Civil War Suite in the spring. The Symphonic Band will perform his Legend of 10,000 Lakes.

Encanto School (K-3)

Mini-grant recipients are: Dual Language Teacher Michele Doherty whose project When It Comes to Learning, "One Size Does Not Fit All!" will use the funds to purchase a math work station kit in order to have first graders work independently, with a partner, or teacher to make their own "A-Ha" or "O-Oh" discoveries about mathematics. Jennifer Cook’s project From Tadpole to Frog will purchase tadpole kits and extra tadpoles so that students observe and understand the life cycle of frogs. Rachel Sartori’s project I'm a Smart One! will purchase SMART board counting games and measurement activities to engage, challenge and inform Kindergarten students.

Longview (K-6)

Fifty 6th graders accompanied Band Teacher Helena Elling to attend the Arizona Opera’s “Community Night” final dress rehearsal performance of Madame Butterfly. There were many high schools, middle schools and fine arts charters represented, but Longview was unique from the moment the elementary students pulled up in their charter bus equivalent of a Cinderella coach--all white and beautiful. Needless to say, students were very excited. One student recalled, “My favorite singer in the opera was Madame Butterfly because she had an amazing voice and she didn’t have a hard time to make her voice very great and clear.” Another student said, “My favorite character was Suzuki because she pushed down that guy.” They were enthralled with Symphony Hall—the lobby, “fancy” restrooms, “soft couches”, and the balconies in the hall. When asked if they would consider attending the opera again, they all raised their hands.

New afterschool tutoring groups and Enrichment Clubs are forming at Longview. Some of the Enrichment Clubs are: Yoga Monday, Shred Fitness, Ballet, Tennis, Yoga, Crime Scenes Investigators (CSI), Open Library, Scrapbooking, Fitness Fun, Robotics, Nail Design, Tetherball, and Girls & Boys Baseball

Longview mini-grant recipients include: Special Education Teacher Nora Ryszka whose project I Am Part of the Puzzle. I Am The Peace will use the funds to purchase children's literature and develop lesson plans to support the school’s Positive Behavior program. Bill Lightfoot’s project World History Studies Weekly Newspaper will use newspapers in small group reading instruction to target specific needs of the students. The students can use them to research written reports and as story starters.

Kindergarten teacher Renee Schlenker and sixth grade teacher Stephanie Saclarides are coordinating Longview’s Talent Show, which will take place on March 9. Parents are invited to attend.

Osborn Middle School (7-8)

OMS mini-grant recipients are: Master Teacher Brendan Mann’s project Boys Can Read Too! will purchase book sets by Chris Crutcher, motivating reluctant readers to read inspiring books about boys who overcome odds. Art Teacher Panthea Begay’s project Ceramics at the Middle School will purchase clay, glaze and books to introduce students to ceramics, incorporating art history, cultures, time periods and the progression of ceramics from craft to fine art. AmeriCorps Member Elizabeth VanderLeest’s project Sister To Sister will purchase items for an after-school girls group designed to help young teenage girls develop healthy attitudes and lifestyles through various topic discussions.

Solano School (K-6)

Kindergarten teacher Sammi Miller received a mini-grant from the Osborn Educational Foundation: Her project Interactive Mathematics will purchase early math games, simple addition and word problem centers in order to promote Mathematics with her Kindergarten class through hands-on activities.

Solano School will host the district Soccer Tournament on February 25.

Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser for the student council will be on February 23.

Source: Cynthia Westberg, EdM, Osborn School District

Phoenix Union Begins Redistricting Process for Governing Board Election Wards

Phoenix Union High School District will begin the process of re-defining the boundaries of its five single-member governing board districts or wards in January, with community meetings scheduled in each ward for citizen input.

The school district is complying with a 1990 consent decree born out of a court case to review, and if necessary, re-draw the boundaries based on decennial census information in order to keep each ward as “nearly equal” in population, as possible, and in conformance with voting rights requirements. Because of rapid population growth in some areas of the school district, and population loss in other areas, new ward boundaries have to be created. A map of the current governing board wards is included.

Residents of the five wards will have the opportunity to learn about the process and provide input at the following community meetings:

Ward 4 (located within the Phoenix Central Neighborhood boundaries): Monday, January 23 at Metro Tech High School, 1900 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix, 85015. Banquet Room @ 6 p.m.

The reapportioned wards will not be in effect until 2014, when the five single-district governing board terms end. The two at-large governing board seats will be determined in the 2012 election.

The new wards should be equal in population size, and should not dilute minority voting strength. The population of each ward should be approximately 130,000. However, based on the 2010 Census, Ward 1 in southwest Phoenix and Laveen has grown to 169,642 residents, while Wards 2, 3 and 4 in South and Central Phoenix are all less than 120,000. Ward 5 in West Phoenix is at 134,846, which is close to the ideal size.

Phoenix Union has selected Research Advisory Services, Inc. to manage the redistricting process, including the community meetings. Research Advisory Services will make a preliminary presentation to the Governing Board regarding the process and timeline, Thursday, January 12 at 6:30 p.m.at the district office, 4502 N. Central Avenue. This company also provides an online feature to enable citizens to create their own ward map for consideration. Research Advisory Services, Inc. will present options to the Governing Board in March.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Osborn School News‏

Superintendent Wilma Basnett is pleased to announce that two Osborn schools have won the prestigious first place Golden Bell Award from the Arizona School Board Association. Golden Bell Awards are one of the most important and coveted education awards in Arizona and are given to school districts from throughout the state that have shown outstanding successes in student achievement. First Place and Runner Up awards are given state-wide in four categories: District-wide Curriculum Delivery and Accountability Program; High School (Grades 9-12); Middle Years (Grades 4-9); and Elementary Years (Pre-K-Grade 6).

Solano Modified Traditional School won a first place Golden Bell in the Elementary Years category. The Solano Writing Project is a school-wide program designed to empower students as writers. Solano staff members believe that one of our most important tasks as educators is to introduce students to written language and to teach them how to use it to communicate effectively and creatively. The Writing Project has not only been a positive experience for the Solano community, it has also contributed to improved achievement for Solano students as they grow and mature in the school. For more information, see http://www.osbornnet.org/programs/A+Writing.htm

Osborn Middle School won a first place Golden Bell in the Middle Years category. Osborn Middle School’s Honors Mathematics program was designed to increase academic opportunities for students by accelerating mathematics coursework and curriculum. The timing of a student’s successful completion of Algebra 1 in their academic career is critical to opportunities afforded them during high school and beyond. Accelerating students’ mathematics curriculum facilitates their enrollment in advanced mathematics courses at the high school level. Our Honors Mathematics Program has grown in both strength and numbers over the past five years. It has grown so large that more than a third of Osborn’s 2011 graduating eighth grade class started high school this fall one or two years accelerated in Mathematics. For more information, see http://www.osbornnet.org/programs/A+Math.htm

Superintendent Wilma Basnett and Principal Karen Epps are also pleased to announce that Solano Modified Traditional School has earned a Highly Performing label from the Arizona Department of Education. Students and staff have worked very hard for this honor. Last year Solano had a high percentage of students who exceeded the state standards!

Clarendon, Longview, and the Osborn Middle School all earned Performing Plus labels and Encanto earned the Performing label. At Encanto, only the third grade is tested for AIMS, and thus the school is unable to demonstrate growth between two tested grade levels (a significant part of Arizona’s formula for determining both types of school labels). Encanto students consistently perform very well on the AIMS. Under Arizona’s new letter labeling system, three district schools are labeled ‘B’ (Clarendon, Osborn Middle and Solano) and the remaining two are labeled ‘C’ (Encanto and Longview).

Volunteers from Rotary 100 brought dictionaries to Osborn fifth graders. This year all 307 fifth graders received their own dictionary to take home. Extra dictionaries are available for students who enroll during the school year. They commented on how polite the children were and how delighted they seemed with their books. Each student received a paperback copy of A Student’s Dictionary & Gazetteer personalized with their name inscribed inside. Research indicates that a dictionary in the home is shared by at least four people- giving the entire family the opportunity to increase their vocabulary. Fifth grade teachers also provide many opportunities for students to increase their word power through the use of their dictionaries throughout the school year.

Source: Osborn School District

Still Time for Fall Classes; Learn About Camp Colley‏

Though some classes are filled, there's still time to register for openings in some fall classes, programs and sports leagues. Check out the Classes and Programs link at the top left of the Parks and Recreation Department webpage to see a full listing of available fall classes, programs and sports leagues for kids and adults of all ages.

Did you know that the Parks and Recreation Department operates an outdoor adventure camp in the cool pines of the Mogollon Rim? Camp Colley, operated with the support of the non-profit Camp Colley Foundation, offers a host of family camps that introduce people to camping and outdoor recreation. Check out the Camp Colley Foundation webpage for details on this great facility and its programs and the ways you can support this wonderful resource

Source: City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department

Phoenix Union Students Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists

It was a first-ever for a Bioscience High School student and business-as-usual for students from North High who were named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program.

Steven Alley becomes the first National Merit Semifinalist from Bioscience while Andrew Herschfelt and Steve Jozef join a long tradition of North students who have qualified as semifinalists by being among the highest-scoring entrants in Arizona in the 2010 Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT.) Alley is in the engineering pathway at Bioscience. The two North students are in the school’s International Baccalaureate Program.

The 16,000 semifinalists this year represent less than one percent of the 1.5 million juniors from over 22,000 high schools who take the PSAT. National Merit Finalists are highly coveted as prospective students to every college and university in the country, and the designation often leads to academic scholarships.

Alley becomes the first Bioscience student in the six-year history of the school to earn the prestigious recognition. He is a member of the third graduating class at the science and math-focused small school in downtown Phoenix. Alley scored a 223 (of 240 points) on his PSAT, and had a 34 composite score on his ACT last year. Alley arrived at Bioscience as an 11th grader, after attending North Canyon High School his first two years. The Laveen resident has not decided on a college, but has applied to ASU and Arizona. His brother is a sophomore who also attends Bioscience.

Herschfelt’s two favorite classes reflect his interest in engineering and music- physics and advanced concert/marching band. Herschfelt is the percussionist section leader in the band and was selected to regional band last year. He is auditioning for national and international percussion ensembles and drum corps this year, and would like to play in his college band. However, Herschfelt wants to become an engineer, like his father, and complete graduate school. He plans to attend ASU’s Barrett College, and would like to apply electrical engineering in the musical field, possibly in sound technology development or recording.

Jozef would like to use his creativity in the entertainment industry. He loves acting, and has been a cast member for five school drama productions, played guitar in Godspell and was the student director for another play. He is a member of the National Thespian Society, and has spent summers in Wisconsin, working in theatre teaching young actors. While he has always been good in math, Jozef loves writing and says he enjoys words and what they do. He placed second in a school poetry contest last year. His career goals include becoming an entertainment journalist or screenwriter, or working on the creative side of video game production. He plans to major in creative writing, and minor in film or journalism at ASU’s Barrett College.

About 90% of semi-finalists become finalists, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC.) North had six National Merit Scholar Finalists last year and three others received NMSC Letters of Commendation. Since 1990, North has had 90 National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists and finalists and 105 Commended students. This year’s Commended students have not yet been announced.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Osborn School News‏

School started this morning and we have some great news that will impact the safety of our neighborhoods!

All five Osborn schools received School Safety Grants to support having a School Resource Officer or Probation Officer on campus. Officers are certified and highly trained to work effectively with students, teachers and families in the school community. They provide Law Related Education to students, contribute to the assessment of School Safety and Prevention, are a resource for the students and their families in need of community based services; and serve as a liaison between the school community and law enforcement. The officers also serve as role models and talk with students about issues that have real-life importance, building their trust and confidence to turn to law enforcement if and when the occasion arises.

Officer Marcus Matthews (Police): Osborn Middle School

Officer Jose Morales (Police): Clarendon & Encanto Schools

Officer Stephanie Gardner (Probation): Longview School

Officer Rosario Lopez (Police): Solano School

Osborn Middle School

Literacy Master Teacher Brendan Mann received a $10,000 Media and Technology grant from the Arizona Republic. He plans to use the funds to purchase a classroom set of netbook computers for an Electronic Literacy project. With the daily integration of technology, students can increase their literacy comprehension skills, critical thinking, and problem solving.

Cynthia Westberg, EdM

Source: Osborn School District
602-707-2032
602-670-8226 (cell)

Phoenix Union has new method to monitor concussions as sports season begins

Serious measures are being taken to ensure the health and safety of youth athletes playing contact sports. Even the State of Arizona recently passed legislation regarding players at risk of sustaining a concussion. But one of the most important measures that can be utilized lies inside each player.

Phoenix Union High School District will now use a software program to implement a baseline testing and post-injury neurocognitive testing program for contact sport team members. ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) is a widely used, computerized concussion evaluation system that has been donated to the school district by the Maricopa Health Foundation and will be implemented for the first time, this school year.

Previously, Phoenix Union employed the Standard Assessment of Concussion paper testing to run through cognitive evaluations, which are comparable to ImPACT’s system. Camelback High School’s Athletic Trainer Marisa Medrano is eager to implement the software and take advantage of the ease of data generation regarding a student’s recovery progress after being concussed. She noted coaches especially will benefit the statistics provided by ImPACT and that the test results may be more accurate.

“Teenagers will always tell you that they’re fine because they want to get back in the game,” said Dr. Thomas Eccles, Director of Adolescent Medicine at Maricopa Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics. “But we have recognized that continued concussions without adequate recovery will lead to long term problems. ImPACT gives coaches and trainers the data to make better informed decisions about whether or not a player can come off the sidelines.”

Purchase and licensing of the ImPACT software for the Phoenix Union High School District was a project initiated by the Adolescent Medicine Section of the Department of Pediatrics at Maricopa Medical Center and the Arizona Children's Center. After literally waiting on the bench as a sidelines medical service volunteer at Camelback High School football games, Dr. Eccles is pleased to see the school district have an opportunity to magnify its ability to treat its athletes.

“I’ve told my athletes that they don’t want to be drooling on themselves when they are 60 because they played when they should have been recovering,” said Medrano. “I am glad to say through annual education of athletes, parents, trainers and coaches there is more awareness of how costly a hit that a player took could be. And now with ImPACT we will be better able to monitor concussions and work with a physician to read the scores in order to clear students for play.”

About ImPACT

ImPACT is a 20-minute test that has become a standard tool used in comprehensive clinical management of concussions for athletes of all ages. Inherent difficulties make it important to manage concussions on an individualized basis and to implement baseline testing and/or post-injury neurocognitive testing. This type of concussion assessment can help to objectively evaluate the concussed athlete's post-injury condition and track recovery for safe return to play, thus preventing the cumulative effects of concussion. The program measures multiple aspects of cognitive functioning in athletes, including: attention span, working memory, sustained and selective attention time, response variability, non-verbal problem solving and reaction time.

Maricopa Health Foundation

The Maricopa Health Foundation exists solely to support the services of Maricopa Integrated Health System (MIHS) which touches the lives of nearly all residents of Maricopa County one way or another. The Phoenix Cancer Center is a leading provider for cancer care, where patients have access to receive high quality cancer treatment through the latest technology with top physicians and specialists. Programs include the Level I Trauma Center, The Arizona Burn Center and the Arizona Children’s Center. MIHS trains more than 400 physicians a year and provides care to the uninsured and underinsured. For more information, please visit http://www.mihs.org/foundation.

Phoenix Union High School District

Phoenix Union High School District serves 25,000 students at 16 schools covering 220 square miles of central Phoenix. Ten comprehensive schools are members of the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) and compete in football. Football practices have begun this week. Over 1,000 student-athletes participate in football each year. Each school has a certified athletic trainer who works closely with the athletic director, coaches and students to ensure the health and safety of each athlete.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

Phoenix Union High School District Classes Start August 8

The 2011-2012 Phoenix Union school year begins Monday, August 8 for an estimated 25,000 students at 16 campuses. The start is a week later than previous years, and winter break will consist of two weeks after Christmas.

Improving instruction across the curriculum is the theme of the new year. The Cambridge International Curriculum will begin at Central, International Baccalaureate at Betty Fairfax and ACT Quality Core will be implemented in English and math at the other schools. The curricula not only fulfill state standards, but align with national common core standards, and are considered more rigorous and focused on college-readiness. Annual student performance progress will also be closely monitored through district-wide ACT-based testing in 9th grade, 10th grade and 11th grade.

Five schools will have new principals, 125 new teachers have been hired and the District will begin to pilot a new performance-based teacher and principal evaluation system.

Phoenix Union schools follow a traditional school calendar. There are 180 instructional days, with 90 days in each semester. Students have fall break, October 12-16, a two-week winter break beginning Friday, December 23, and spring break, March 12-16. Graduation Days are May 23-24.

Students not yet pre-registered may enroll at the schools or on-line at http://www.phoenixunion.org/experience. Students will need to provide a birth certificate and immunization records to complete the enrollment process.

All Phoenix Union schools, including magnet program schools, Metro Tech, Bioscience and Franklin Police and Fire afford open enrollment to anyone residing within the District. Students outside the District may enroll as space permits.

Freshman orientation programs are offered by campus. Visit the Phoenix Central Neighborhood Association's calendar for Central High School's (servicing the Phoenix Central Neighborhood) schedule. New teacher induction is July 27-29, and teachers report Tuesday, August 2.

Source: Phoenix Union High School District

FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

Two major changes will affect Osborn Schools next year:

1. Montecito Community School is Closed

After discussion and input from community and staff during two public hearings, the Governing Board voted to close Montecito School. This decision, while painful, addressed declining enrollment and declining dollars that created a budget deficit of $712,000. The decision had nothing to do with the caliber of the staff or programs at Montecito—it was strictly
financial. This change will require minimal disruption to other district schools because Montecito students will simply be transferred to Longview School.

Montecito teaching staff will be teaching at Longview and other district schools. Even with budget cuts, the district will maintain the current level of special area programs including Art, Music and Physical Education. We believe An Osborn Education must include these special areas taught by specialists in each field. The District will maintain a presence at Montecito and assure
that the community investment will be properly maintained at all times. We will consider possible leasing of the facility.

We have wonderful programs and facilities in the district—we simply need more children. Please encourage your friends and neighbors to consider enrolling in Osborn. This Reporter is filled will lots of reasons why that would be a wise choice.

2. Two-Hour Early Dismissal Every Wednesday

The state is releasing new Math and Language Arts Standards for the 2011-12 school year. Mastering these standards and working with fellow teachers to incorporate them into daily
lessons is a vital part of improving student achievement. As a result, the Governing Board has agreed to replace the current 45-minute Tuesday early dismissals with a two-hour early
dismissal every Wednesday afternoon for all students to allow for staff development and team planning for teachers. This longer released period weekly is consistent with and often
shorter than early dismissals of surrounding districts. Afters chool program options will be available for students who need it during the weekly early dismissal time.

Despite these changes and the resulting adjustments that will be required, we look forward to a successful year.

Wilma Basnett, PhD

Source: Osborn School District

EXTRA CURRICULAR EXCELLENCE

Six Osborn teachers were honored by the
AZ Department of Education as “2010
Outstanding 21st Century Community
Learning Centers After School
Teachers”: Kindergarten Teacher Alicia
Pierson at Encanto teaches Cooking with
Math in which students learn about
volume and fractions while creating
delicious snacks; Ballet Instructor
Camden Lloyd at Clarendon teaches the
district’s A+ Ballet Program to 108 third
through eighth grade boys and girls;
Substitute Teacher Erin Johnston teaches
Tap Dance to students at Longview,
Sixth Grade Teacher Danielle McKay
teaches the Yearbook Club in which
Montecito students learn a new computer
program, photograph students, design the
layout, and produce the school’s
yearbook; Literacy/Math Intervention
Teacher Pat Beck teaches Culinary Arts
to Osborn Middle School students; First
Grade Teacher Hilary Rooze teaches a
program called Girls on the Run to
Solano students who learn about
nutrition and fitness while training to run
a 5 km race.

While Osborn’s after school classes have
academic and enrichment components to
assist students with school-day skills,
they are also fun and engaging. They are
supported through special partnerships,
grants, and tax credit donations.

Source: Osborn School District

PERFORMANCE PAY PROGRAM BEGINS AT OSBORN

Reform and accountability are the focus of national and state
efforts to improve education. Osborn is at the forefront through
a grant-funded partnership with Arizona State University.
Osborn is the first school district in Arizona to implement the
Teacher-Student Advancement Program (TAP) district-wide.
TAP has a track record of improving quality of instruction and
level of student achievement. Teachers are held accountable for
meeting TAP teaching, knowledge and responsibility standards
as well as academic growth of their students. Each teacher is
evaluated multiple times yearly by trained and certified
evaluators, including master and mentor teachers, the principal
and district office administrators. In addition, teachers
participate in rigorous professional development. Teachers will
receive Performance Pay based on their roles and
responsibilities, performance in the classroom, and student
achievement. This is a rigorous undertaking, but one that will
help Osborn School District reach our goal of increasing
student achievement.

Source: Osborn School District