2006 Summer Newsletter - Marana Unified School District

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Summer 2006
Message from the Superintendent
T
Dennis W. Dearden
he Marana Unified School District has experienced a tremendous year
committed to quality public education and preparing our students for success today and in the future. It is with pride and honor that a Superintendent has the opportunity to work with individuals and groups whose contributions continue to improve our educational system and improve the lives
of the youth within our community. Whether visiting a classroom, staff
meeting, event, or activity throughout the year, I have observed teachers
enriching the lives of those they educate, support staff, maintenance, cafDennis W. Dearden,
eteria workers and bus drivers delivering quality services, students engaged
Superintendent of Schools
in learning activities and administrators effectively leading.
I applaud the outstanding leadership, dedication to excellence and successful contributions that were highlights throughout the year. Two more of our schools, Thornydale Elementary
and Marana Middle, were recognized as A+ Schools of Excellence by the Arizona Educational
Foundation-schools that exemplify excellence in student focus and support, active teaching and
learning, curriculum, community and parent involvement, leadership and assessment. One of our
high schools, Marana High School, received the Arizona Department of Education Spotlight on
Success Award for their leadership in development of Smaller Learning Communities. We also had
schools labeled as “excelling”, employees recognized at the state and national level for their expertise within their fields, students excelling academically and through extracurricular activities, a
student selected to receive the prestigious Flinn Scholarship, and an educator recognized as a State
Ambassador for Excellence. In addition, Coyote Trail Elementary and Picture Rocks Intermediate,
celebrated their 10-year anniversary where students, staff, parents and community joined together
to commemorate their successes.
After years of working towards the implementation of AIMS, the Marana District can
take pride in the fact that all of our seniors in the class of 2006, over 700 students, received their
diplomas. During a time of high stakes testing and AIMS criteria for graduation, it is a remarkable
testament to the instruction in our District. In addition, our District continues to be a leader within
the state, with the implementation of Smaller Learning Communities in our High Schools, where
we are committed to offering our students the best in instruction to equip them with the most marketable skills for success.
The implementation of our Roadmap to Renewed Excellence Strategic Plan has been
evidenced through the identification of the District’s six Priorities that will guide the District in
achieving high performance: Student Learning & Achievement; Safe and Healthy Environments;
Effective Use of Resources; Effective Relationships to Support Student Success; Highly Performing Personnel; and Effective Communication. Priority committees have been actively engaged the
last couple of months in identifying the “how-to”, the key work processes that will be the driving
force for moving our District to the world-class system we are all empowered to become. These
key work processes identify what we need to do to get to where we want to be-a world-class system. They are a product of assessing the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. While we have
already accomplished a great deal on our journey to high performance we are committed to excellence and working hard to achieve these Priorities.
The District has also adopted a Mission Statement this year reflective of our values and
goals and aligned with our Strategic Plan.
The Marana Unified School District,
in collaboration with parents and community,
will challenge all students to achieve academic and
personal excellence in a rigorous, relevant and
supportive learning environment.
On behalf of the Marana Unified School District Governing Board and myself, I thank each member of our District, our students, parents and community members for a fantastic year and for your commitment to the District. I look forward to
another year in which we continue to move towards a world-class system.
Best wishes for a safe and restful summer.
Marana United School District 682-3243
THE GOVERNING BOARD
THE ADMINISTRATION
Patricia Teager, President
Maribel Lopez, Vice President
Bill Kuhn, Member
Dan Post, Member
Albert Siqueiros, Ed.D., Member
Dennis W. Dearden, Superintendent
Carolyn Dumler, Assistant Superintendent
Jan Truitt, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent
Dan Contorno, Chief Financial Officer
Marana Unified School District
“working together for a healthier community”
5th ANNUAL
MARANA CARE FAIR
Sponsored by The Marana Health Center and The Marana Unified School District
Saturday, August 5th
7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Marana Middle School
11279 W. Grier Rd, Marana
Bring the whole family for a day of healthy fun!
� Free Immunizations for K-12 Students
� Free Dental & Health Screenings for K-12 Students
� School Sports Physicals for 7th-12th grade Students
($20.00, cash only, wear shorts/tank tops)*
� HealthE Arizona Insurance Signup
� Information/Health Services Booths
� Outdoor activities for children, finger printing for
children, a school supply give away, food booths and
more.
Localmuch
businesses
are encouraged to participate in the Care Fair by
Local
businesses
aresponsorship
encouraged and/or
to participate
in theFor
Care
Fair by
hosting
a booth,
donation.
further
hosting ainformation,
booth, sponsorship
donation.
For further
pleaseand/or
contact
579-4920.
information, please contact 579-4920.
*All students participating in sports will require a physical every year
*All students
participating
in sports
will require
a physical
every year
Immunization
services
provided
by MUSD's
Vaccines
For Children
Clinic
Immunization services provided by MUSD's Vaccines For Children Clinic
Health & dental services provided by Marana Health Center
Health & dental services provided by Marana Health Center
Congratulations to John Madden, Mountain View
High School Science Teacher, for receiving the
2005 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the Nation’s highest
honor for teaching in these fields. Mr. Madden is the
only science winner from Arizona and one of 100
7th-12th grade teachers nationwide to receive this
prestigious award.
In a citation given to Mr. Madden, President Bush
commended him “for embodying excellence in teaching, for devotion
to the learning needs of the students, and for upholding the high standards that exemplify American education at its finest.”
Marana Unified School District No. 6
11279 W. Grier Road
Marana, AZ 85653
ECR - WSS
RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER
NONPROFIT ORG
US POSTAGE
PAID
MARANA, AZ
PERMIT NO. 2
2
Summer, 2006
High Schools Name Top Ten Graduates
Travis Mattson, son of Eric and Joyce Mattson, is graduating as the Valedictorian of the Marana High School
class of 2006.
Travis has been very active in the Marana High School
community. He was a member of the Key Club in ninth
grade and has since taken part in the tennis club, the golf
club, and National Honor Society (NHS). As a two year
member of NHS, Travis has participated in the Adopt
a Roadway program, Habitat for Humanity, and volunteered his time at the Marana Parks and Recreation,
mentoring young children. He also has helped out at the
local food bank, helping to feed the homeless. During
his senior year, he went to Picture Rocks Elementary
with a group of other student athletes and read books to
Travis Mattson
the children as part of Love of Reading Week.
Travis absolutely loves sports. He made the varsity tennis team in tenth grade which was his first year ever
playing the sport and continued to play varsity tennis through his junior and senior
years. He also made the varsity gold team in both eleventh and twelfth grade.
Over his high school career, Travis has received many awards and scholarship nominations. In tenth grade, he achieved the top ten percent in the entire state on the state
math contest. He was Marana High School’s top nominee for the High School Heisman
Award. He has been nominated for the Tucson Citizen’s Scholarship, as well as the
National Youth Leadership Conference which he attended as a sophomore.
Travis plans to attend the Honors College of the University of Arizona with a major in
an engineering field. He has received the President’s Award of Excellence from the U
of A.
Travis would like to thank his mom and dad, two brothers, and all the teachers that
helped him through school for all of their love, support, and guidance, without which
he could never have achieved so much.
Daniel Forrest, son of Alan and Linda Forrest, is
graduating as the Valedictorian of the Mountain View
High School class of 2006.
Daniel Forrest has filled his high school years with
various activities to supplement his education. He
has been a member of Mountain View’s varsity swim
team since his freshman year, served as the boys’
swim team captain his senior year, and has served alternately as the swim club’s secretary and president.
In the off season, he has also been on various club
swim teams in both SAAA and USA leagues. Daniel
has also been a member of the Mountain View Academic Decathlon team in the Honors division for the
last 3 years and has won numerous awards at AcaDee
Daniel Forrest
competitions including Top-scoring Team Member
at the regional and state competitions all three years;
the Most Outstanding Overall Essay, 2nd place in
Music, and 3rd place in Economics and Essay at state; and 1st place medals in Essay and Social Science and the 3rd place Ten-Event award at regionals. Daniel also
served as team captain and club president for AcaDee his senior year and helped lead
his team to a 2nd place finish at regionals and 12th place at state, tying Mountain
View’s record placements that he helped set his junior year. In addition Daniel has
been a member of several other school clubs and organizations, including National
Honor Society, the Asian-Pacific Islander Culture Club, Latin Club, and has been a
Peer Tutor in the Mountain View library for 2 years.
Daniel has also found several other ways to occupy his time outside of school. He
has been a member of the Governor’s Youth Commission (GYC), a statewide group
of 40 high school students commissioned by the Governor of Arizona to advise the
Governor’s Office on Children, Youth, and Families on issues concerning youth in
Arizona and to organize several events and projects to benefit them. The GYC has
organized several Governors’ Youth Summits, including underage drinking summits
for high school and middle school students, Middle School Leadership Academies to
encourage community service among middle school students, mostly in rural areas,
and a public service announcement currently under development to educate Arizona
parent’s about the state’s underage drinking problems. Daniel has also volunteered
with such organizations as Work Care, the Town of Oro Valley Public Library, and
Arizona Shelter Services as well as serving as a facilitator at the Arizona National Service Conference in both 2003 and 2004. Daniel was also a member of the
Boy Scouts of America, Troop 241, for several years and attained the rank of Eagle
Scout.
Other awards Daniel has received in recognition of his academic, extracurricular and
community activities and achievements include Student of the Month for every year
he has been at Mountain View, Student of the Year at Mountain View in 2004, the
Veterans of Foreign Wars Citizenship Award, and swim team awards for Character,
Most Improved Swimmer, and a Coaches’ award.
Scholarships that Daniel has received include the Exchange Club of Northern Tucson Essay Scholarship, the National Merit Corporation Scholarship, the Arizona
State University National Merit Finalist Scholarship, and was recently named as a
recipient of the prestigious Flinn Foundation Scholarship.
Daniel plans to attend Arizona State University and major in psychology and is considering a second major in philosophy. Although unsure of what exactly he would
like to do beyond college, he intends to pursue a graduate degree and hopefully find
a way to leave a positive mark on the world.
Allison Laulusa, daughter of Gilbert and Tina Laulusa, is graduating as the Salutatorian of Marana High
School’s class of 2006.
Allison loved being involved in activities because
through them she was able to meet new people. She
participated in three varsity sports at Marana: soccer,
volleyball, and track. She was elected varsity soccer
captain both her junior and senior year as well as Most
Inspirational Player for two years and best midfielder.
She also made All City Honorable Mention for her midfielder position. Allison has been a member of National
Honor Society for two years and serves as the club’s
Historian. She was also a member of Key Club for three
years. Allison also acted as a Link Leader and enjoyed
Allison Laulusa
working with the freshmen very much. This year Allison worked as a D.C.E. student. Allison had tons of fun
serving as Head Coach for a U-8 girl’s soccer team and
Assistant Coach for a U-6 soccer team with her sister.
Allison has been recognized with scholastic and athletic awards while she attended
Marana High School. She has been chosen to represent her school as a Senior Class
Achiever in the Arizona Daily Star and
nominated as Tucson Citizen’s StuGarrett Pfau, son of Zeno and Teresa Pfau, is graduating as the Salutatorian of Mountain View
dent Athlete of the Year. She has been
High School’s class of 2006.
on honor roll and the principal’s list all
Garrett Pfau started his schooling in kindergarten at Ironwood elementary and is now happy to be
4 years and was on the National Honor
graduating from Mountain View High School. He’s been active at school, in his church, and in the
Roll. Allison is a very active member
community. He has attained the rank of an Eagle Scout which required numerous hours of service
of her church and its youth group servto the community and which he still continues to this day. He has volunteered with his dad for the
ing in leadership positions and attending
past ten years to help maintain fields for the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO). Garearly-morning seminary throughout high
rett is more readily known as an athlete than a scholar or a volunteer. He played varsity soccer for
school. Although she has spent much
two years, varsity cross country for four years and a captain for one year, and varsity track for four
of her time doing schoolwork and extrayears. Garrett has run and played in state games on numerous occasions.
curricular activities, Allison also loves to
Garrett has received several awards throughout his high school career. He has been named a
watch movies, play with her brothers and
Scholar of the Year, in ninth grade, a scholar of the month every year of high school and has been
sisters and eat.
nominated for the Senior Class Achiever Recognition in the Arizona Daily Star newspaper. He has
Allison has earned several in-state Presireceived his varsity letter in three different sports each year for the last two years in high school.
dential Scholarships but intends to atGarrett Pfau
Garrett plans to major in Biochemistry at the Honors College of the University of Arizona on the
tend Brigham Young University with the
President’s Award of Excellence Scholarship. After one year of college, he plans to serve a two
Brigham Young Scholar award and scholyear mission for his church, The Church of Latter-day Saints, and then return to the U of A to finish
arship. Allison would like to thank her
his studies. He eventually hopes to become an Ophthalmologist. Garrett would like to thank his dedicated parents, siblings, and
parents and siblings for everything they
the many teachers who have helped him achieve what he has.
have done, and all the support, love and
fun times.
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Summer, 2006
Marana High School
Maren Lee Wilson, the daughter of Tim and Jill Wilson, is graduating third in Marana High School’s class
of 2006.
Throughout high school, Maren has worked to take
advantage of every opportunity presented. During her
freshman and sophomore years, she participated in volleyball, and then volunteered as a line referee-statician
for the boys’ volleyball team. Her junior year, Maren
was inducted into National Honor Society, and over the
past two years she has participated in peer tutoring and
served as a volunteer at the Community Food Bank,
Habitat for Humanity, and the YMCA Triangle Y Camp.
Her senior year, Maren joined Key Club, where she became especially affectionate of Trico Tree Day!
Maren Wilson
An active member of MHS’s MedStart Academy, Maren took concurrent enrollment courses throughout high
school to jumpstart her post-secondary education, including college biology, medical terminology, writing and psychology. She is currently
serving an internship as a dental assistant.
Outside of school, Maren can be found playing the piano, creating jewelry masterpieces, or watching The Phantom of the Opera. However, Maren most enjoys participating
as a member of the LDS church. She is a regular attendant of her weekly youth group
and has served in various leadership positions within that group. Maren also attends
early-morning seminary classes, and she served as president of the Seminary Council
in her senior year.
A nominee to several national leadership conventions, Maren is also an inductee to the
National Honor Roll. She also received the President’s Award for Excellence from
both the U of A and NAU and is hoping to receive the Byrd Scholarship.
Maren is ecstatic to be attending Northern Arizona University this
fall on the Arizona Board of Regents Scholarship, which was extended due to her excellent performance on the AIMS test. In Flagstaff, she will achieve her childhood dream of becoming a dental
hygienist with a minor in Spanish.
Maren loves her family tons and
tons!
Lauren Krasner, daughter of Scott
and Terri Krasner, is graduating
sixth in Marana High School’s
class of 2006.
Lauren Krasner has been involved
in Drama for four years, a thespian for two, and a club official
her senior year. She has been an
active member of National Honor
Society for two years. Lauren has
Lauren Krasner
been an athletic trainer for three
years, which helped to increase her
knowledge of fixing sports injuries
as well as their rehabilitation. Lauren has been involved in the
medical academy for two years. She has really enjoyed learning
about Anatomy and Physiology and Medical Terminology. Her
favorite part was the many cadaver trips she was lucky enough
to go see. With some help from Marana’s Pima offered courses,
Lauren has earned many college credit hours and her 4.0 GPA in
college has earned her the acceptance into Phi Theta Kappa Honor
Society. Lauren has worked as a teacher’s assistant for four years
for Congregation Or Chadash’s Sunday school which helped her
decide to be a link leader her senior year. Lauren is moving on to
Northern Arizona University to be an Athletic Trainer and eventually a Physical Therapist.
Nikita Henderson, the daughter of John and Janice
Henderson, is graduating fourth in Marana High
School’s class of 2006.
A member of National Honor Society, Nikita has
achieved academic excellence throughout her high
school career. Her academic achievements have
earned her much recognition including awards such
as Honor Roll, Student of the Month, National Society of High School Scholars, Who’s Who Among
American High School Students, and National Honor Roll. She has been offered The President’s Award
for Excellence from the University of Arizona for a 4
year scholarship as well as a 2 year Academic Scholarship to both Central Arizona College and Pima
Nikita Henderson
Community College.
Nikita has played the clarinet in band and participated in marching band, all four years of high school.
She was the manager for the JV Girls’ Softball team and a Red Cross Volunteer.
Nikita is currently interning in the Intensive Care Unit at Tucson Medical Center.
After graduating, she will begin a summer internship at TMC to become a Patient
Care Technician and will work as such in TMC’s Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. As
a high school student, Nikita had already taken some college courses in preparation
for the nursing program. She will continue to follow her passion in medicine, and
plans on pursuing a career as a critical care nurse.
Nikita would like to thank her teachers, friends, family and especially her parents
and sister for all of their love and encouragement. She would not be where she is
without their support and guidance.
Kristen Danae Sepulveda, first-born daughter of David Sepulveda and
Laura Vaughn, is graduating fifth in Marana High School’s class of
2006.
Kristen has been a proud three-year member of Marana High School’s
Medstart Academy and hopes to continue her interest in the medical field
in the years to come. Kristen has been a successful part of the Marana
Unified School District for thirteen years. She also has earned a membership to Marana High School’s National Honor Society, which aims to
strengthen the connection and participation between youth and the surrounding community. During her senior year, Kristen spent many after
school hours (aside from homework) volunteering at her former grade
school assisting in Roadrunner Elementary’s after school reading program. Here, she has enjoyed revisiting this memory-filled facility in order to aid in the education of Arizona’s generation to come. In addition to
Kristen Sepulveda
her dedication to learning, Kristen Sepulveda has participated in numerous clubs including: Photography Club, Pima Youth Partnership’s Youth
Advisory Council, and Treasurer of Earth Club. This year Kristen will be
finishing her training at Desert Life Rehabilitation as a student-nursing assistant, as part of her nursing
assistant certification class.
Kristen’s primary hobby both inside and outside the classroom is Photography, and she gives special
thanks to Mr. Mark Sawyer for providing a creative (and stress-reducing) outlet from her daily routine.
Miss Sepulveda’s success has been apparent through the majority of her entire education. She has received numerous awards for her citizenship and academic performance during her seven years attending
Roadrunner Elementary School. These educational accomplishments would soon repeat themselves
while completing her student career at Marana High School. This honor student would later be nominated for the Senior Class Achiever Recognition in the Arizona Daily Newspaper.
Kristen Sepulveda has treasured the years spent at Marana and will be attending the University of Arizona in fall 2006. As a Wildcat student she plans to enroll and major in classes that will further her goal
of becoming a physician.
For all her achievements (and the successes that await) Kristen
thanks her parents, grandparents and siblings along with the many
inspirational educators and friends for their persistent support, encouragement, and love throughout her education.
Kristine Koontz will be graduating seventh in Marana High School’s class of 2006.
Kristine Koontz has been an excellent student and leader throughout her years in high school. She spent the first two years of her high school
career at Glenbrook South in Glenview Illinois. There she was a member of the award winning Glenbrook South Marching Titans and played the
Clarinet. Her freshman year, they performed at the 2002 Thanksgiving Day Parade in Chicago which was televised nation-wide. Because of the
marching band’s superior performance there, her band got the opportunity to perform in the 2004 Gator Bowl Parade and Pre-game show. Kristine’s sophomore year, she got the surprise of a lifetime—her family would be moving to Arizona that spring, which would be the first time she
had ever moved in her life. She finished up the year while living at her grandparent’s house and took her first trip on an airplane to Arizona.
Kristine started her junior year at Marana High School. It was a huge transition—she did not even know schools with an outdoor campus existed!
She continued participation in music and played in the Marana High School Marching Band. Her senior
Continued on page 4
year she was invited to join the MHS chapter of National Honor Society. Kristine also became a member
Kristine Koontz
4
Summer, 2006
Jacob Finnell, son of David and Anita Finnell, is graduating eighth in Marana High School’s class
of 2006.
Jacob Finnell has been a very avid scholar at Marana High School. During his academic career,
of the Arizona Academic Decathlon team.
he’s been honored several times for his achievements, such as induction to the National Society
In the 2006 State competition, she was the
of High School Scholars (NHSHSS), been invited to countless leadership meetings ranging from
Team Highest Scoring Student.
the state capitol to Washington D.C. Throughout his academic career, Jacob has enjoyed helping
Kristine will attend the University of
his peers, from being a peer mediator in elementary school to tutoring his friends throughout high
Southern California next fall. She plans
school. Jacob serves as senior alter server/trainer at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church.
to major in Engineering, although she has
Until recently, Jacob was an avid soccer player, although he did not play soccer for Marana High,
not yet decided what field.
he did play for Tucson Mountains S.F.C. His career as a player recently ended due to repeated
Kristine owes her success to her parents
injury, but he plans to continue his involvement in the sport through coaching and officiating
and three brothers who have always supgames.
ported her.
In the near future, Jacob plans on attending Arizona State University, on the President’s Award
for Excellence
Scholarship,
Jacob Finnell
where he will
Jesus Leon, son of Jesus and Myra Leon, is graduating ninth in Marana High School’s class of
major in sec2006.
ondary education, social studies, with a midJesus has given an exceptional effort to represent the Marana High School community throughdle school endorsement that will allow him
out his years there. He has been a member of the Orchestra for four years and has held positions
to teach children ranging from 6-12 grades.
in the Orchestra as both Concert Master for multiple concerts, and as Orchestra President. He
Jacob chose such a career path because of his
participated in Key Club for two years, and for one of them, served as Treasurer. In Key Club
talent for explaining things and a desire to
he assisted in multiple capacities in the planning and execution of a Relay for Life event at
help others.
MHS for cancer research. Jesus was a member of the Philosophy Club at MHS, represented the
Jacob thanks his parents, brothers, friends,
school in the National Honors Society and at Arizona’s Boys State. Jesus also represented the
and outstanding teachers for helping him
student body in the planning efforts for creating Smaller Learning Communities at the school,
along in his high school experience.
as a member of the Student Committee for the project. Jesus helped in providing student input
and outreach into the project, and also served as a primary spokesman for the
committee. Jesus also founded the Earth Club at MHS and established a recycling program at the school.
Bobby Weigand, the son of
Jesus Leon
Outside of school, Jesus has volunteered many hours at the Tucson Museum
Robert and Claudia Weigand,
of Art and at the Tucson Children’s Museum, educating children through art
is graduating tenth in Marana
and creativity. Also, Jesus is a primary volunteer in a political campaign for a
High School’s class of 2006.
candidate of the 2006 congressional elections.
Bobby has been very acJesus will be attending the Honors College at the University of Arizona with a major in Interdisciplinary Studtive in his years at Marana
ies. Jesus plans to use his education of the environment and of international relations that he will receive there
High School. He has been a
to influence the environment and poverty through means of policy and humanitarianism.
four-year member in Student
Council, serving as class President for the past two years.
Throughout the years, he has
helped with many blood drives,
canned food drives, adopt-aSean Harte, son of Jim and Gerri Ann Harte, is graduating third in Mountain
family and MANY pep assemView High School’s class of 2006.
Robert Weigand
bles. Bobby has been a memSean has been very involved within his school and throughout the community
ber for the group STAND for
during his four years of high school. He has run competitively on Mountain
the past two years and is curView’s track and cross country team all four years of high school and has
rently the Vice President of the club. While in this group, he
been a member of the varsity teams since his sophomore year. Sean has also
has tried to help put a stop to underage drinking and drug use
marched with the Mountain Lion Band for four years and has been a member
at Marana High School and has helped put on the After Prom
of the concert and jazz bands playing the trumpet. He also served as president
Party at Bedroxx to keep students safe after prom. Also, for
of the bank council for his senior year. Sean has helped incoming freshmen
the past two years, Bobby has been a active member in the Nathrough the LINK program and has been involved in National Honor Society
tional Honor Society volunteering his time to help with Habitat
as its president his senior year. Through National Honor Society, Sean has
for Humanity, road way clean ups, tutoring, and helping out
done a great deal of community service such as the Habitat for Humanity
little league teams.
Program. Sean has also received the Scholar of the Month award every year
Bobby has also been very active in athletics during his four
of high school and received the Scholar of the Year award as a junior. He also
years in high school. He has played baseball all four years,
Sean Harte
represented his school at the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference as
and has been on the Varsity team for the past two years, he
well as the Boy’s State Leadership Seminar.
was voted captain of the team for his senior season. His ultiOutside of school, Sean has done a great deal of community service through
mate goal is to play baseball in college. During his senior year
his involvement with Boy Scouts. Within his troop he has held various leadership positions and was also a
Bobby joined the swim team, and was able to make it to the
member of the Order of the Arrow, the honor society of Boy Scouts. He has also earned the rank of Eagle
State Meet, and be a part of a relay team that owns the school
Scout.
record.
Sean plans to represent Mountain View High School as well as the state of
Bobby plans to study Business Management or Secondary EdArizona at the United States Air Force Academy where he plans to major in
ucation next year as college. Through his hard work, Bobby
Military Strategic Studies.
has been awarded with Scholarships to the U of A (The PresiSean would like to thank his teachers, brother and sister, and most of all his
dents Award of Excellence), ASU, and NAU, but he is still deparents for their love and encouragement throughout his years at Mountain
ciding were he will attend next fall.
View.
Bobby would like to thank his friends and teachers for all their
encouragement and support and most of all he would like to
thank his parents because without their love and knowledge he
Rebecca Larson, the youngest of four girls, is honored to continue her tradition
wouldn’t be where he is today.
of being “fourth” in Mountain View High School’s class of 2006.
Her involvement in extracurricular activities has helped make her experience
at Mountain View a true success. As a member of the MVHS marching band
and Asian/Pacific Islander Club, Rebecca expanded her knowledge of culture and arts. Rebecca also served as secretary of the MVHS Chapter of
the National Honor Society, allowing her the opportunity to help plan and participate in multiple community service projects. Through volunteering for programs such as “Care Bears” (an organization to help care for children in the custody of the state) and “Habitat for Humanity,” Rebecca
furthered her passion for helping others. Serving on the Mountain View Seminary Council and as a
Rebecca Larson
Continued on page 5
Peer Tutor also allowed Rebecca to recognize her ability to serve. She plans on attending Brigham
Continued from page 3
Mountain View High School
5
Summer, 2006
Continued from page 4
Young University this fall where she hopes
to continue serving others with a degree in
the medical field in biopsychology.
Rebecca’s diligence has been recognized
by numerous awards. She was a “Scholar of the Year” during tenth grade and a
scholar of the month every year of high
school. She was also awarded the National Honor Society certificate of merit for
her leadership skills and service to NHS.
Rebecca would like to thank her wonderful family for their continual support and
guidance. They never cease to amaze her
with their incredible wisdom and insight.
Danielle Raines
Danielle Raines, the proud daughter of Richard Raines and Pamela Clark-Raines, is graduating
fifth in Mountain View High School’s class of 2006.
Danielle is active both on campus and in the community. She has been very involved in Student
Government, serving as Junior Class President, and sophomore and Senior Class Representative.
Also, as a LINK Crew Officer, she has helped freshmen along with her peers have excellent high
school experiences. Danielle has been on the staff of MV’s Black and Silver newspaper for 3
years, and will be sadly departing her role as Editor-in-Chief. The MV Bowling Team has been
a large part of her life for the past two years and she enjoyed being a member of the Thespian
Troupe since she was a sophomore. When Danielle was a junior she had the honor of serving
as a U.S. House of Representatives Page and lived in the nation’s capitol for the spring semester.
While in Washington DC, she tutored inner-city children and upon her return, she continued giving back by volunteering at Northwest Medical Center weekly at the information desk.
Danielle intends to major in International Relations at Johns Hopkins University this upcoming fall. She hopes to go on to law school and pursue her lifetime aspiration of becoming a
Politician.
Danielle would like to infinitely thank her amazing parents for their unwavering support and love,
her incredible boyfriend for always being there, her immaculate friends for never leaving her side,
and the teachers who have inspired her to reach for the moon.
Erica Johnson, daughter of Richard and Cristina Johnson, is
graduating seventh in Mountain View High School’s class
of 2006.
After four years of being an active participant in the Mountain View High School community, Erica was plagued with
“senioritis” and is looking forward to attending the University of California in Santa Barbara in the fall.
Helping others has always been a passion for Erica. She
has been a Peer Tutor for the past three years and she has
mentored Special Education students since her junior year.
Erica also tutors local elementary school students. Furthermore, she supported incoming freshmen with their transition into high school for the past two years in Mountain
View’s LINK Program.
Erica Johnson
Erica was a member of the orchestra for her first two years
of high school. She was involved in the Asian/Pacific Islander club during her junior and senior year. In addition,
Erica is currently a Reader Contributor for Seventeen Magazine.
Erica has been honored with various awards throughout her high school career. Each year
of high school, she has been a Scholar of the Month and she has been on the Principal’s
Honor Roll. Erica was also named Scholar of the Year this April.
Erica would like to thank her parents for their support and direction, her teachers for their
guidance and instruction, and her friends for the laughs they have shared over the years.
Valerie Allegrezza is graduating eighth in Mountain View
High School’s class of 2006.
Valerie has been involved at Mountain View in mainly extracurricular activities. She ran for the cross country and
track teams all four years of high school. She was on the
varsity cross country team since her freshman year and received the “rookie of the year” award for her hard work
and diligence. This year she was able to contribute to another successful girl’s team that won the 5A Division II
championship title which was a fun and exciting experience for her. She was also recognized as an Arizona Daily
Star “prep star” in the beginning of the season.
Valerie is also very involved in her church, The Church
of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, where she is the first
Valerie Allegrezza
counselor of her women’s youth group. She was also a
member of the Seminary Leadership Council for her
church youth seminary program her sophomore year. She
also volunteers with her church putting together humanitarian aid kits, preparing blankets
for other countries, and helping with the Special Olympics.
At school, Valerie has been a two year member of the National Honors Society. Through
this club she has gained an interest in volunteering for Habitat for Humanity where she enjoys helping build houses for others. She also helps her mother put together books for her
first grade class in the Sunnyside School District so that her students have the opportunity
to read at home.
Valerie’s academic achievements include being Scholar of the Month every year of high
school and being nominated as Senior Class Achiever in the Arizona Daily Star. She has
received the President’s Award for Excellence Scholarship from the University of Arizona
and plans to attend their Honors College majoring in pharmacy.
Valerie would like to thank her church leaders, teachers, and especially her family for all
their love and support throughout her years of schooling. She appreciates all they have
done for her.
Kara Curtis, daughter of Mark and Katia Curtis, is graduating sixth in Mountain View High
School’s class of 2006.
Although she was born in Torrance, California,
she has lived in Arizona for all of her life. She has
done various community service projects such as
Habitat for Humanity, LEAP, and Vacation Bible
School, but the most significant one was the time
she spent volunteering at Northwest Medical
Center every week at the Information Desk. She
has been a member of the National Honors Society for 2 years. She was also involved in band
for 6 years and was a Girl Scout for 10 years in
which she has achieved her Silver Award. While
Kara Curtis
going to school, she also has a part-time job at
Pizzeria on Ina.
Kara plans to attend the University of Arizona
with the President’s Award for Excellence Scholarship in the Honors College,
but she has not yet declared her major. Kara would like to thank the people that
matter to her most – her parents, her sister and her friends for helping her get so
far and always believing in her.
Elyse Sharp is graduating ninth in Mountain View
High School’s class of 2006.
Elyse Sharp has greatly contributed to the atmosphere of Mountain View High School for the past
four years. She has been a member of the National Honor Society for two years and has served
as treasurer of the club. Elyse has also been the
president of Key Club as well as a participating
member for two years. She is also involved in the
French Club. Elyse has served as a group leader
for the LINK Crew, a program of assistance to
incoming freshmen. She has also played soccer
for the school for all four years. Elyse is a member of the Youth Volunteer Corp and volunteers at
Elyse Sharp
DeGrazia Elementary as a classroom helper and
tutor. She is also involved heavily in church and
thus participates in youth group and Seminary.
She has been the 2nd councilor in the Seminary Council for the past year. Elyse
has received such awards as: National Honor Roll, Scholar of the Month, Young
Woman in Excellence, Seminary Award of Excellence, and a scholarship from
Raytheon R-Team. She has also been nominated for the Senior Class Achiever
Recognition in the Arizona Daily Newspaper and the Tucson Citizen Student of
the Year Award.
Elyse will be attending Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah next year. She
plans to major in Special Education.
Elyse is thankful for her parents, brothers, sisters and friends for their encouragement and love. She is also ceaselessly grateful to God for her blessing and
talents.
Top Ten Continued on page 6
News & Views is published during the year for the community served by the
Marana Unified School District. Tamara M. Crawley, Editor
Comments regarding News & Views: Call 682-1009
6
Summer 2006
Rachael Adelstein is graduating tenth in
Mountain View High School’s class of
2006.
During the past four years of high school she has had
some of the greatest moments in her lifetime. She
has been involved in many activities and has achieved
numerous things. She has been involved in company
dance class all four years of high school, danced at
Show Biz Kids and Gotta Dance. She was awarded
Dancer of the Year in her junior year and was also on
Varsity Dance line her first three years of high school.
Rachael has been in National Honor Society for the
past two years.
Rachael’s volunteering is something else that is extremely important to her as well. She has volunteered
at Ronald McDonald House and is a 4th and 5th grade
Rachael Adelstein
teacher at her synagogue.
Having received the President’s Award for Excellence
Scholarship, Rachael is very excited to attend the University of Arizona in the fall. She believes that her parents have guided her to be the
best person she can be throughout all of her life-teaching her to never give up and
work to her highest potential. Rachael gives her parents the greatest thanks for all
they have given her and taught her. She feels that all of her hard work has paid off and
she will be more than ready for new adventures in college.
MUSD Congratulates State Honorees
Continued from page 5
Dennis Dearden, Superintendent, Patricia Teager, Governing
Board President, and Jim Doty, Marana High School Principal, congratulate Joe Hajek, Marana High School Associate
Principal and Athletic Director, for being named the 2006 Arizona Interscholastic Association of Athletic Administrators
State 4A Athletic Director of the Year.
Wal-Mart Recognizes Local Teachers
Congratulations to Randal Shotwell, Marana Middle School, and Michelle Montanaro, Picture Rocks Intermediate School, for receiving Teacher of the Year
awards from Wal-Mart.
Support a Safe and Sober Graduation Night 2007
Your Assistance is Needed
A 2007 Graduation Night celebration at Mountain View High School is being planned by a voluntary group of parents. The goal is to provide an exciting, fun-filled, safe celebration. The Grad
Night event will begin immediately following the graduation ceremony and will end with a breakfast at 5:00 a.m. the following morning. All Mountain View High School seniors are invited to attend. The evening will be filled with music, games, activities, and food. Door prizes will be given
away and a grand prize will be given away at the end of the event.
The Grad Night committee requests your help in planning this exciting evening. Although Grad
Night is a year away we need your commitment now to make this evening a success. Assistance is
needed in the following ways:
• Part of making this party a success is having a large number of prizes. Please consider making
a cash donation or purchasing a gift (gas cards, movie tickets, cd’s, etc), anything you think a teen
would like to receive.
• Merchant donations of equipment, food, decoration materials,
prizes, etc are greatly appreciated. Please consider this if you are a
business owner, or have an association with a company that could
supply such items.
Please contact Anna Janezic, at 744-0867
or [email protected], to assist.
Dennis Dearden, Superintendent, Patricia Teager, Governing
Board President, and Don Powers, Director of Transportation,
congratulate Manon Keepers, District bus driver since 1985,
for her success in placing first in the Arizona Association for
Pupil Transportation Roadeo state competition.
Immunization
Requirements for 2006 School Year
Be sure your child’s immunizations are current when entering Preschool, Kindergarten, or attending 1st through 12th grade in the fall of
2006. All grades are required to have received the Hepatitis B series and
a 2nd Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine in order to attend
school. A Tetanus/Diphtheria (Td) booster vaccine is due ten years after
their last Tetanus and Diphtheria vaccine.
Preschool, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 7th, and 8th grade students must have
had a history of Chicken Pox (Varicella) disease or a Varicella vaccine.
Recall of your child having had the Chicken Pox disease is accepted.
The following vaccines are recommended but not required: Hepatitis A
vaccine for all children, Diphtheria, Tetanus, and Pertussis (Tdap) and
Meningococcal vaccines for adolescents. If you have questions, please
call your school health office, family doctor or clinic, Pima County
Health Department at 740-8315 or the website: www.pimahealth.org.
You must bring your child’s immunization record to school for registration and each time they receive a vaccine. All student immunization
records must be current in order to begin school on August 14, 2006.
SCHOOL NOTES
Butterfield Elementary
Family Fun Night
Family Fun Night, April 27th, was a big luau, with a limbo contest, sack races, a cookie walk, and lots of other games and prizes. Butterfield families brought blankets and a
picnic supper, and had loads of fun doing the hula! Hawaiian punch and pineapple were provided to add to the atmosphere. Clifford the Big Red Dog was there to tell people
to visit the Book Fair in the library.
Multicultural Night
The big event of the year, Multicultural Night, was held May 12. Classes learned about their chosen countries and prepared a booth about their country, with crafts and
finger foods for all the visitors to sample. The classes paraded through the courtyard with banners and costumes from their country, and each class presented a dance or
song from their country during the evening. This night involved all our students and all our parents, a big crowd and lots of activities for everyone.
Sock Hop
The final event of the year, the Sock Hop, was held May 18. This was another fun family activity, with 50’s dress-up and 50’s music – even a real DJ! There were games and
prizes and lessons on how to do many different dances. Whole families did the Lindy, Calypso, and the Electric Slide!
Music at Butterfield
The end of the school year was a busy time in the music department. Our music teacher, Ms. Day, had directed class musicals for the fourth, third, second and first grades, in
addition to taking the Bobcat Chorus on a tour to some of the Marana schools, and working with the classes for Multicultural performances. The year was capped off, by the
all-school talent show on the last day of school.
TV Turnoff Week
As usual, TV Turnoff Week – April 24-30 – was a big event at Butterfield. Last year, 252 students made it through the week without watching any TV, movies or videos, or playing any electronic games. It was tough to do, so BCAC, our parent group, provided prizes for all who completed the week. The prizes were outdoor games and toys, puzzles,
crafts, and other non-TV related items.
Congratulations
Butterfield students won awards at the Southern Arizona Regional Science and Engineering Fair. Juliet Auld took third place in the second grade level, and A.J. Del Castillo took
third place in the 4th grade section. Sixth graders Gabrielle Sanchez and Stephanie Alonso took second place in their section, Emily Windes got second place in the DCYSC,
and Justin Neuber and Brandon Witbeck also got second place.
7
Summer, 2006
DeGrazia Elementary School
15th annual Castle Fair 2006
(a 6th grade Middle Ages unit)
The recent flurry in building activity around DeGrazia Elementary
School was not new housing construction but construction of 81 castles.
DeGrazia’s 6th grade vassals built feudal castles as a part of a recently
completed four week unit of study on the Middle Ages. The students
learned about life in Europe during the Middle Ages focusing on the rise of feudalism.
Utilizing the science of heraldry, each student designed his or her own coat of arms.
As a culminating activity, each student built a model of a castle. Held on March 29th,
2006 in the DeGrazia library, the castle fair showcased the diversity of ways in which
students successfully fulfilled the requirements of the project, dazzling the judges, parents, and visitors with the quality and workmanship of the student castles. The castles
were judged on creativity, originality, authenticity, and quality of workmanship. The
DeGrazia Castle Fair has previously been featured in several news articles by our local media. The judges for the castle fair were Dr. Jan Truitt (assistant superintendent),
Mr. Dan Johnson (principal Coyote Trail Elementary School), and Mrs. Gayle Schmidt
(principal Butterfield Elementary School). We would like to thank the judges for their
time and effort in supporting our school activity.
The grand prize castle was built by Nicole Castillo.
1st place Individual castle was built by Danyell Clauer.
1st place Theme castle was built by Tanner Sharp and Sean Roberts.
1st place Partner castle was built by Brandon Hiller and Ruben Lema.
Mission
The Marana Unified School District,
in collaboration with parents and community,
will challenge all students to achieve academic and
personal excellence in a rigorous, relevant and
supportive learning environment.
Coyote Trail
Elementary
Summer Homework
Best wishes this summer. Until we meet again in the fall, your three homework assignments this summer are 1.) Read 2.) Read some more and 3.) Read for fun.
Next Fall
All new or curious returning families can meet the Coyote Trail staff and tour the
school grounds on Friday, August 11 at 11:00 in the school cafeteria. Join us as we
prepare for the first day of school. All class lists will be posted on the classroom
doors.
Congratulations to the DeGrazia Chess team for their superior performance in the Southern Regional State Qualifier #2. The elementary team
of Armando Navarro, Ricky Hicks, Josh Dettloff, Brandon Hiller, and Edward Tu won the 1st place elementary trophy. The primary team of Taylor
Schmitt, Nick Hanson, Jadon Trout, Vincent Trujillo, Riley Esteban, and
Nicolas Bonneau won the 1st place primary trophy. Nick Hanson, Jadon
Trout, Riley Esteban, Brandon Hiller, and Josh Dettloff won medallions.
Ricky Hicks, Taylor Schmitt, and Armando Navarro won individual trophies. Armando Navarro went undefeated and won all 5 rounds of chess.
Thank you to all of the chess team members and parents that attended this
exciting event. Without your help and support this event would not have
been possible.
Estes Elementary
School
Regional Science
Fair
We would like to congratulate
three 6th grade students, Lauren Adoram-Kershner, Derek
Wengert, and Kyle Johnson on
winning and taking their Science fair projects to the regional
SARSEF Science Fair held on
March 24. In addition, Kyle Johnson won second place in the 6th
Grade Life Science category and
was nominated for the Discovery
Channel Young Scientists’ Challenge. His project, Breakfast Sausgae, advances to the next level of
national competition. Good luck
Kyle!
Race For The Cure
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation held their annual
Race For The Cure on April 2. This
year there were three young adults
that put on their walking shoes in
celebration of their mother, who
is a survivor, and four friends that
joined them. Alicia Perkins, Nicki
James, Derek Wengert, and Kyle
Johsnon of the Care Bears Team
joined their friends Mark, Willy,
and Joey Liles of the Earth Angels Team. These past and present
students of Estes Elementary got
up at the crack of dawn and wore
their shirts proud for this great
foundation. These young adults
were troopers that understood the
meaning of caring.
Adopted by Governing Board April 6, 2006
Ironwood Elementary School
Celebrating Arizona
Congratulations to the fourth grade students at Ironwood Elementary! Mrs. Hindman’s and Ms. Williams’ classes were invited to
sing their original composition “The Arizona Song” at the Celebrating Arizona awards assembly. Celebrating Arizona is an annual contest sponsored by the Tucson Presidio Trust. Fourth grade
students around the city are invited to submit fiction and non-fiction pieces, poetry, artwork, and original songs. These students put
a lot of time and effort into composing the song with songwriter
and volunteer, Dr. Steve Sisson. Many other fourth graders from
Ironwood and other Marana Elementary Schools participated and
will be published. Everyone was invited to attend the ceremony on
Sunday, May 7th at 2:00 p.m. at the Manning House, Morning Star
Ballroom, 450 W. Paseo Redondo. Every student who participated
will receive a copy of the Celebrating Arizona 2006 book where
all the participants’ names are listed.
Marana Middle School
Diversity Day
On Friday, April 21 the Marana Middle School Culture Club in
partnership with Tortolita Middle School, sponsored a 7th grade
Culture Day from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the school’s football field. Approximately 1,200, 7th grade students from Marana
Middle School and Tortolita Middle School had the opportunity
to experience the blending of multiple cultures that exist within
their own community, enjoy diverse guest performers and a cookout. Diversity Day provides students the opportunity to learn that
by understanding other people’s culture individuals have more in
common than not. This event also teaches students to be more
tolerant of others; understanding tears down barriers.
Marana High School Recognized
Congratulations to Marana High School who was awarded the
Spotlight on Success Award for Collaborative Leadership by the
Arizona Department of Education for implementing high school
reform through their development of Smaller Learning Communities across all grades.
Desert Winds Elementary School
Desert Winds 3rd grade students celebrate their “graduation”
at a festive outdoor barbecue luau.
Mountain View High School
Counseling Department Semester in Review
This past semester has been a busy one for the counselors
at Mountain View High School. January began with the Financial Aid Night for our Juniors and Seniors. This was followed
by our going into the 9th grade science classrooms to administer
the Holland’s SDS (Self Directed Search) and work on a 4-year
academic plan with all of the Freshmen. January 31 we undertook our first Career Exploration Day - “Creating Possibilities”.
The entire student body participated, hosting over 150 community members with careers ranging from private entrepreneurs to
a Federal District Judge to our own teachers. The day was tremendously successful and is something that we look forward to
making a bicentennial event.
February started off with our participation in the 8th
Grade Parent Information Fair, which was geared toward incoming freshmen and their parents. Next, we hosted the Junior College
Information Night, which was well attended by both students and
their parents. February 15 we collaborated with various school
and community groups to host a spaghetti dinner for students,
parents and community members, followed by a presentation on
Methamphetamine and Substance Abuse.
Mid-March we brought in the members of C.A.S.T.
(Clean And Sober Theater) to promote substance abuse awareness
with our freshmen. The players relayed their own personal experiences with substance abuse and answered questions from the
students. The following day we accompanied a group of students
to the LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) Youth
Leadership Conference at Pima Community College. There was
a small career fair and a number of different presentations the students could choose to attend. The keynote speaker was Luis Valdez, who wrote the screenplay for the movie La Bamba and wrote
Zoot Suit. He spoke on empowerment and working to reach ones
goals.
An ongoing project for the counselors this semester has
been the creation and co-facilitation of the Principal’s Advisory
Council. This group is made up of motivated, enthusiastic students who work with our principal to improve campus morale.
They are off to a great start, working on a campus beautification
project. Their first order of business is to re-paint and update some
of the more frequently used bathrooms.
On a different note, we would like to say goodbye and
congratulations to Lori
Continued on page 8
Melich, who has been
8
Summer, 2006
Picture Rocks
Intermediate
School
Continued from page 7
our counseling secretary for the past three
years. We would also like to welcome our
new counselors, Rochelle Long and Kevin
Webb, to the team.
It’s been a great semester and we
are looking forward to another great year!
GO MOUNTAIN LIONS!!
Quail Run
Elementary School
Quail Run completes another successful
school year. Our continued focus on academic success has kept all of us very busy
and focused. As the year ended, we had a
number of events to celebrate with the students and parents. The Annual Art Auction held on May 4th, along with a Book
Fair, and Band performance from the 5th
and 6th grade students. A Carne Asada
was available, with all proceeds going to
the Fine Arts of Quail Run. The last week
of school held a number of activities for
the students and the most favorite was the
Yearly Talent Show, held on May 22nd,
which included our award winning Quick
Steppin” Quails Jumping Roping Team,
band soloists and the many talented students and teachers of Quail Run.
Join PTF
PTF will be looking for “new and old”
parents to participate on committees for
school events for the coming school year.
Plans are being made for Back to School
Nights for Aug. 10 & 17th. Details will be
coming home with our summer mailings.
Congratulations
Congratulations to our 4/5 grade Odyssey
of the Minds team who received 4th place
at the State competition on April 1st.
Many thanks to the wonderful and dedicated Oasis and Reading Seed tutors who
come faithfully to Quail Run and work
with their students and build the students
reading confidence and skills. We can’t
thank you enough for your commitment
to our young people.
Thank You
We want to thank all of our parents for
their continued support of keeping Quail
Run as excelling as it has been and to the
District, Mr. Dearden and School Board
members for their continued guidance
and positive feedback for the success of
all the students of Marana Unified School
District.
10
Congratulations to the Mountain View Ensemble who earned a
“superior with distinction”, April 28th, at the state music festival
in Phoenix.
Congratulations to Hannah Palmquist, a sophomore at Mountain
View High School, who was featured with the Tucson Pops Orchestra on Sunday, May 14 with their highlights of “stars of the
future”. This is the first time a Marana Unified School District
student has been selected by a local professional orchestra to be
featured as a “rising star”. Hannah is a member of the Mountain
View Orchestra and the Tucson Philharmonia Youth Orchestra. In
April, she earned the first chair position with Arizona Regional and
All-State Orchestra.
Roadrunner Elementary School
Who’s Who Program
Literacy requires that students have access to a wide range
of literature, people and experiences. Often living within a rural
area, students’ access to information outside the classroom can be
limited to television or the school library. Since we cannot provide
all of the opportunities for students to go out to meet the world, we
need to bring those experiences and people to our students vicariously. Providing a rich variety of reading materials in the school
library helps to expose Roadrunner students to those experiences
and people which will encourage literacy and a love of learning.
The Who’s Who program, created as a result of being
awarded a grant to promote literacy from the First Page Literacy
Foundation Fund at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, will be administered by Denise Muto, the Roadrunner librarian,
in partnership with Roadrunner classroom teachers. This program
is an innovative approach to developing literacy. It will target the
approximate 320 students in first, second and third grades at Roadrunner Elementary, and will provide books about famous people in
all walks of life. The books will be housed in the school library,
and first- to third grade students will be allowed to check them out
for leisure time reading. As a part of the program, students will
“adopt” persons who are subjects of these books. Each student
involved in the program will read the book and take an Accelerated
Reading quiz on the book to check for comprehension. The student
will then prepare a poster and/or give a Power Point presentation on
the person during regularly scheduled library classes.
Although the initial program is designed for the 2006-2007
school year, the reading materials will continue to benefit the Roadrunner students, and promote literacy for the life of the books.
Thornydale Elementary School
After months of preparation, students had the opportunity to showcase their work when they presented their “Play Real”, a simulated society
where students learned by experience. “Play Real” is a part of the Real game
series (Real Game Inc.) that is meant to be fun and bring to learning specific
aspects of real life that students will increasingly face as they grow towards
adulthood.
Students had the opportunity to learn about real neighborhoods, real
businesses, real services, needs, how people find jobs (real jobs, skills, etc.),
and even learn how to interview for jobs. Students designed homes, learned
how to work in teams and learned extensive vocabulary to name a few of
the activities. All “neighborhoods” created by students were put together to Thornydale elementary students and Mr. Dearden, Superform a “town” which the students then named.
intendent, participate in “Play Real” on April 5.
As a surprise grand finale, Mr. Dearden, Superintendent, arrived at
Thornydale pretending to be an imaginary representative from a business company. Mr. Dearden interviewed
students and asked questions regarding why his company would want to locate in the “town” they had created.
The students were quite convincing, very knowledgeable and articulate in educating Mr. Dearden regarding the
benefits of their town.
10 year Celebration
Picture Rocks Intermediate School celebrated their
10 year anniversary on May 5 with a commemorative event
recognizing their successes in serving the Picture Rocks community over the last decade. Many exciting festivities were
planned to celebrate this important milestone.
A special mural has been created in Picture Rocks Library by
MUSD’s painter, Joe Malina. This inspiring design will be
enjoyed by students for many years to come.
Southern Arizona Regional Science Fair
Ten students participated in the Southern Arizona Regional
Science Fair in which five students won honors:
3rd Place Ribbons:
Melissa Cavell - Check Out the Beat!
Serena Aguiyo - Comparison of Plant Growth
2nd Place Ribbons:
Courtney Gourdin - Could You Make it Grow?
Rachel Yanagawa - How Sweet it Is...
Will people prefer commercial yogurt to
homemade since it has more sugar?
Tyler Mitchell - Venus Fly Traps With More Than
Flies In Their Mouths...
Will Venus Fly Traps survive the digestive
process when fed desert bugs instead of
flies?
Tortolita Middle School
Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Congratulations to Ginny
Shaw and her cast and crew
for their roles in the delightful performance of Willie
Wonka and the Chocolate
Factory. The props were
colorful and amusing, the
sets were amazingly technicolored and huge, and the
performances were flawless.
The bright, cleverly masked oompa-loompas were charming
and energetic, the narrators were dramatic, beautiful and oh
so sophisticated, and the characters were funny and serious
in turns as they reveled in just the right amount of slapstick
mixed with lots of shock, dismay, anger and chagrin. The
spoiled children (and their parents) were hilarious, and the
boat scene was especially fun! Special kudos to Daniel Sligar
for his role as Willie, which he played with a tongue-in-cheek,
droll and very professional flair......Johnny Depp, move over!
Toothless Grandpa Joe...and the other grandpa were always
able to draw a laugh from the audience too!
Orientation Days at Tortolita
Looking ahead to the new 2006-2007 school year – we will
be conducting our all school Orientation days Tuesday, August 8 and Wednesday, August 9. These are the two days set
aside before school begins in the fall for 7th and 8th grade
students to come on campus; have their pictures taken; pick
up their schedules with locker assignments; purchase PE uniforms, yearbooks, and agendas; and are encouraged to walk
through the building to become familiar with classroom and
locker locations.
Please watch for the “Welcome Back” letter that will be
mailed to all pre-registered students’ homes before the end of
July for more details.