Madison Elementary  School District

Park raises funds for Komen foundation
    Madison Park students raised more than $1,300 for the Susan G. Komen breast cancer research foundation through various fundraisers last month. The school’s National Junior Honor Society and Student Council sponsored Breast Cancer Awareness Week and hoped to raise at least $1,000.

District is a finalist for ‘green’ studio
    The Madison district is one of four finalists hoping to receive a Green Schoolhouse/Studio, a 5,000-square-foot, sustainable, self-contained building. It will feature an indoor/outdoor amphitheater, computer lab, library, health and wellness center, cafÈ, classroom, and gathering area. The facility will be built for LEED platinum certification, and would replace existing portables on the Madison Park campus that are more than 20 years old.
    The building would provide the school a new place for music and art classes, after-school programs, and community and cultural events.
    The Green Schoolhouse committee was scheduled to visit Park on Oct. 27. If awarded this project, construction would commence in spring 2011.

Cuellar receives nod from AAPT
    Madison’s Transportation Director Armando Cuellar is the recipient of the 2009-10 School Transportation Person of the Year. The award is presented by the Arizona Association for Pupil Transportation and was given to him at the AAPT Conference last month.
    Cuellar was recognized for his 32 years in school transportation, creation of a statewide school bus driver training program, and his department’s excellent safety record. He was nominated for the award by his staff.

Campbell honored by Office Max
    Madison No. 1 teacher Karen Campbell was honored by Office Max through its “A Day Made Better” program. Campbell was surprised by representatives from Office Max in her classroom with flowers, a certificate and $1,000 in school supplies.

Osborn Elementary School District

Water Monitoring Day is celebrated
    Nearly 350 sixth-grade students in the Osborn School District contributed to an international project called World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD).
    In the sixth-annual WWMD event at Steele Indian School Park, students did water testing at the park’s Bird Lake using kits testing for such things as oxygen level, PH level, turbidity and temperature. They also worked through other learning stations on the watershed model, bio-assessment and groundwater. The results of the water monitoring are entered in a global database.

Solano garden grows, teaches
    Solano Elementary’s community garden project is underway. Students, teachers and community members have planted the beds and await fruit trees.
    Students are able to expand their learning out of the classroom. Teachers have created lesson plans focusing on sustainable gardening. Some of the older students have been paired with younger to mentor.
    FedEx, staff, community, and parent volunteers arrive on the second Saturday each month to tend the garden. Classrooms signed up for plots and chose from a variety of seeds to plant. Classroom lessons have been created and are available to all staff in Solano’s new Science room.

Phoenix Union High School District

Campus opens Credit Union
    Students of Metro Tech’s Banking and Financial Services program have teamed up with Canyon State Credit Union to operate the first student-run, on-campus credit union in Arizona. The Metro Tech Branch held its grand opening on Sept. 29.
    The Metro Tech Branch offers financial services for students, faculty and staff members served by student volunteers under the supervision of Canyon State management and personnel. The branch is open on days when Metro Tech is in session, but limited to eight hours per week: Monday and Wednesday, 1:30 - 4 p.m.; Tuesday and Friday, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., and Thursday, 7:30-8:30 a.m.
    Students can become credit union members by opening a savings account with at least a $5 deposit. Staff members can join with a $25 deposit. Free checking and ATM debit cards are offered, however, students must have parent/guardian permission and credit approval. No loans will be processed at the campus branch, and withdrawals will be limited per day. However, members have access to five other Canyon State Credit Union branches in the Valley. The closest is the Osborn Branch, at 2440 W. Osborn Road, a few blocks from campus.
    The Metro branch also offers entertainment discounts and club savings accounts, so students can put money aside for such things as the prom, a class ring, college, computer or a car.

Honor Choir features many from Central
    Central High’s choirs will be well represented in the Greater Phoenix Performing Arts Choir Festival on Nov. 7, hosted by Central. Twenty-eight Central singers were accepted into the High School Honors Choir the Women’s Choir, the highest number of students accepted from Central in the history of the festival.
    In three of the four sections of choir, the highest-rated singer was from Central: William Ramsey, tenor; Swalynn Callahan, alto; and Levi Lopez, bass.
    Other Honor Choir qualifiers were Ana Guzman, Ania Peters; Gaby Delgadillo; Taryn Davis, Casemira Mendonca, Monqiue Guzman, Lurel Ollier, Mizraim Osuna, Nicholas Martinez, Kevin Phillips, Jessica Baker, Devonae Lewis, Joshua Tate and Cristian Cazarez.
    Women’s Choir representatives include Jenna Williams, Patricia Field, Alicai Flener, Anahis Aguilera, Carolina Setrango, Joanna Bosson, Megan Dakai, Imani Day, Mykenna Winchester, Heather Robertson and Melissa Gamez.

Washington Elementary School District

High school students read to new learners
    Desert View Elementary preschool and kindergarten students teamed up with students from Sunnyslope High School to participate in the Read for the Record program sponsored by Jumpstart.
    Sunnyslope High School students in the education professions program went to Desert View classrooms to read the popular children’s story, “The Very Hungary Caterpillar,” as part of Jumpstart’s Read for the Record Program, an international campaign to bring young children together with adults to read the same book, on the same day, in communities all over the world.

Math enthusiasm adds up for kids
    Assistant Superintendent Janet Sullivan rallied “team MAC-Ro” at a recent kick-off assembly for the Math Achievement Club by Rodel (MAC-Ro) at Sunnyslope High School. More than 1,000 second- through fifth-grade students from Desert View Elementary, Shaw Butte Elementary and Sunnyslope School gathered for the special assembly that promoted the club and student achievement.
    MAC-Ro is an initiative of the Rodel Charitable Foundation of Arizona. The program provides a fun and motivating structure in which students learn mathematics.
    Sullivan, also known as Coach Sullivan, got the students excited about math with cheers and chants, as well as fun math problems using sports jerseys worn by teachers and students.

Stotts receives gift from Office Max
    Third-grade teacher Juanita Stotts, Sunnyslope School, was honored by Office Max through its “A Day Made Better” program. She was presented with $1,000 worth of supplies ranging from pencils and crayons to a digital camera and electric pencil sharpener.
    OfficeMax worked with Adopt-A-Classroom to identify schools and teachers in need across the United States. Principals at identified schools were invited to nominate one teacher who exemplified passion, dedication, and innovation in the classroom.

WESD volunteers spruce up home
    More than a dozen Washington Elementary School District (WESD) administrators and staff members set to work repainting the home of a Phoenix area senior citizen Oct. 24, as part of the annual Rock and Roll Paint-a-thon.
    WESD Paint-a-thon volunteers scraped and taped the home of their elderly client on the 4100 block of West Berridge Lane in Phoenix on Oct. 10. They returned two weeks later with additional school district volunteers and family members, to paint and spruce up the exterior of the home.

Private and Charter Schools

Fassold performs piano recital
    John Fassold, a sixth-grade student at Villa Montessori, will present his first solo piano recital at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22, at Music Works Academy, 302 W. Bethany Home Road.
    Fassold will perform orginial creations in addition to arrangements of favorite pieces and a duet with his instructor, Carolyn Inabinet. Seating is limited; call 602-264-5188 or email carolyn@musicworksacademy.com to reserve a seat. A free-will donation for Rosie’s House is requested.

AmeriSchools receives grant
    AmeriSchools Academy, 1333 W. Camelback Road, is the recipient of an Arts in Education Grant through the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture.
    The school was awarded a $2,450 matching grant for a project title eBooks Alive! Students in the Foundations 5 class will explore various styles of theater, focusing on the relationship between the written text and visualization. They will then develop a theatrical-based performance (writing and making it visual) for a school production in December.
Glass receives
honor for photo
    Ben Glass, a sophomore at St. Paul’s Academy, received an honorable mention in the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy Photo Contest, “Focus on Conservation,” held on Sept. 17.
    The award is given to those who have demonstrated the ability to show the beauty of the Sonoran Desert through photography. Glass’s photograph of cactus flowers was taken while hiking with his family in Carefree.
    Glass was recognized for his achievement this at the Photography Exhibit Opening Reception for the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy.

Local young men are Merit Semifinalists
    Nineteen Brophy students have achieved the 2010 National Merit Semifinalist distinction.
    Among them were North Central teens Benjamin P. Anderson, Kiefer J. Forseth, Andrew C. Forsyth, Robert V. Frame, Sean M. Hanson, Daniel E. Hintze, Liam L. Martin, John T. Mints, Dominic Ryan, Zane L. Waxman, and Daniel Z. Wilson.
    The students took the test as juniors in October 2008 and the school was notified of its high scorers in April, however, the list of Semifinalists and Commended Scholars was not revealed until the beginning of September.
    Schools will be notified in early February 2010 of those who have achieved Finalist standing, at which time certificates will be mailed to schools to be presented to the Finalist Scholars (15,000 total).

Bourgade holds Open House
    Bourgade Catholic High School presents its annual Open House 12-3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15.
    Parents, grandparents, neighbors and friends are invited to come down and see the campus, meet the coaches, teachers, students, and other parents. There will be live science demonstrations, a tour of the newspaper room, live music, dance and cheer squad performances, Goldie the Eagle will make appearances, and plenty of great food.
BCHS is located at 4602 N. 31st Ave.

Larter honored as ‘Teacher of Week’
    Health educator Scott Larter was recognized on Oct. 16 as Fulton Homes’ latest “Teacher of the Week” for his dedication to his students and the local community. Larter, who teaches health at Crittenton Youth Academy in Phoenix, was spotlighted on the KNIX Ben and Matt Show.
    Larter was nominated by a former student, 18-year-old Pragathi Smith. “He believes in us and he never gives up on us,” Smith said. “He’s patient, kind and understanding. If someone needs extra help in school, he’s always willing to give 100-percent effort into helping that person.”
    Every week, students nominate their favorite teacher for the chance to win a prize package that includes $300 in cash plus prizes from Fulton Homes and the Dairy Council of Arizona. At the end of the year, the 34 winning teachers will be honored at a luncheon, where one outstanding teacher will be selected as “Teacher of the Year.”

Xavier lauds its Commended Scholars
    Seven Xavier College Preparatory students have been named Commended Students in the 2010 National Merit Scholarship Program. The students are Christine Chiu, Allison Goldstein, Ann Graham, Evelynn Kaplan, Catherine Landry, Megan McConnell and Michelle Yu.
    Although they will not continue in the 2010 competition for National Merit Scholarships, Commended Students placed among the top 5 percent of more than 1.5 million students who entered the 2010 competition by taking the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.
    In addition, Xavier had two students who received recognition as the 2010 National Achievement Program Outstanding Participants. Brianna Porter and Kayla White were recognized as Black American Outstanding Participants in this year’s program.

Xavier golfers break record
    On Oct. 21, the Xavier College Preparatory Girls’ Golf Team set a  national record for girls’ high school consecutive golf match wins. The Gator golfers defeated Highland and North Canyon High Schools’ teams to win their 145th straight match (including ties). This breaks the record held by Green Valley High School of Henderson, Nevada, who had 144 consecutive wins from 1992 to 2004.
    The Xavier Golf team includes seniors Sierra Sanchez (captain) and Katerina Ruzickova (co-captain); juniors Kaira Martin, Morgan Miller, Cassidy Sanchez, and Daffodil Sanchez; sophomores Brianne Sanford and Sarah Schmelzel; and freshmen Katie Kearney, Miranda Leon and Anne Streneva.