Madison Elementary School District

Kinder registration set for this month
    Registration for children entering a Madison kindergarten in August 2009 will be held from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27 at all Madison elementary schools.
    Parents should bring their child’s birth certificate, immunization records, and their utility bill or rent receipt as proof of address. There is space available for families living outside the district boundaries.
    Visit www.madisonAz.org for more information.

Mann hired as technology director

    The Madison district has hired Jay Mann as director of Technology. Mann comes to Madison from the Paradise Valley Unified School District where he has been the assistant director of Technology since 2007.
    Mann has an extensive background in technology, working as an administrator for a variety of companies including CrystalTech Web Hosting, Next Generation Education Services, city of Scottsdale, and IKON. He also served as the director of Information Management and Technology for the Cave Creek Unified School District for three years.
    Mann has a bachelor of arts in English and Honors and a master of arts in English from Arizona State University. He also has earned numerous technical certifications as well as an Arizona Community College Teaching Certificate in English Literature/ Humanities.

Harris named Rodel teacher

    Madison Camelview teacher Becky Harris has been named a Exemplary Teacher by the Rodel Charitable Foundation of Arizona.
    Harris was one of 11 teachers selected across the state for the honor based upon their achievement in a high-poverty school. She will receive $10,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds and has promised to mentor six Rodel Promising Student Teachers over the next three years. She will begin mentoring next fall.
    Two other Madison teachers, Robert Morse of Madison Camelview and Katerah Deppisch of Madison Park, were semi-finalists for the award.
    The Rodel Exemplary Teacher Initiative is aimed at addressing the shortage of effective teachers in Arizona’s neediest schools and maximize students’ educational experience.

Madison welcomes new board members

    Several changes to the Madison district’s Governing Board occurred at the board’s first meeting of the year held on Jan. 6.
    Newest member Robin Stamp was welcomed to his first term on the board. Stamp serves as Outreach Coordinator for the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and volunteers as a tutor in the Madison School District. Stamp was elected to the board in November.
    The board also made changes to its leadership, selecting Pamela Kelly as board president and Kendra Tollackson as board clerk. Kelly has served on the board since 2005 and was recently elected to her second term in November. Tollackson has served on the board since 2007.
    Other board members include Scott Holcomb and Warren Whitney. Holcomb was reelected to his second term in November. Whitney’s term runs through 2010.

Osborn Elementary  School District

Students shine in ‘Snow Queen’

    Montecito first-grade student Sarafina Russell from Alice Patterson’s classroom performed in the Phoenix Center Youth Theater’s production of “The Snow Queen.” She played the part of the Rose and of a villager. The entire fist grade level (more than 65 children) went to see her performance on Tuesday, Dece.16, and were very impressed with her acting.
    In addition, Osborn Middle School eighth grade student Eloisa Victoria Ramos danced in Frances Smith Cohen’s production of “Snow Queen,” along with Center Dance Ensemble, at the Herberger Theatre. Ramos has been studying ballet in Osborn’s Ballet Program for five years. The program is supported by Tax Credit Donation, Osborn Educational Foundation, and the 21st Century After School Grant.

Teachers are part of ‘Project Excellence’

    Fourth grade teachers Melissa Bessy and Heather Walsh are two of the 2008-09 Alliance for Teacher Excellence participants of Project Excellence, an Outreach Program of Phoenix Country Day School. The program is designed to train teachers in the area of digital storytelling.
    They received a variety of tools including digital camcorders, wireless microphones and tripods to assist them in developing innovative lessons. A two-week summer program is followed by six workshops during the year.

Help children learn Mandarin

    The Taipei Chinese Culture Summer Camp has been moved to the Osborn School District. Taipei Chinese Culture Summer Camp offers the opportunity for Asian youth to explore their culture and for students of all ethnic backgrounds to learn about a culture they are seldom exposed to.
    Osborn would like to begin language instruction in Mandarin this spring as a jumpstart. Osborn Educational Foundation is soliciting donations to aid the district in this exciting new endeavor at www.osborn net.org/OEF.
 
Vengas serves as principal for a day

    Longview School students and staff welcomed Yazmin Venegas, owner of Spanish Media & Translation Services, for the Principal for the Day program. Venegas was raised in Mexico and sends her children to a parochial school in the East Valley so seeing public schools was a new and interesting experience for her.
    Venegas was amazed at the facilities and offerings of a public school, including the Dual Language Program. She was also surprised by the number of non-academic issues public school educators face each day.
    Venegas toured the school and observed classrooms using the SIOP (Sheltered Instruction Observational Protocol) and was a natural at pinpointing strong teaching practices according to the rubric.

Phoenix Union High School District

Filliater is now board certified

    Sheryl Filliater, a math teacher at Metro Tech, is one of the newest National Board Certified Teachers in the Phoenix Union High School District.
    The certification, considered the teaching profession’s highest honor, is presented by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards to teachers who demonstrate, through a performance assessment, that they meet the high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do.
    Phoenix Union now has 16 current National Board Certified (NBC) teachers. Filliater becomes the district’s first teacher to earn the certification in math. She has been with the District for 24 of her 28 years teaching, with stints at Camelback, Carl Hayden and Cesar Chavez in addition to Metro.
    She was Metro Tech’s Teacher of the Year in 2008, reflecting the improved math scores at the school. She also was nominated by her school for a Rodel Exemplary Teacher Award in 2006-2007, at the request of that organization which cited Metro’s increased math achievement.
    “I love being a teacher,” Filliater said. “Every new school year I have always tried to become a better teacher than the previous year. This certification makes me feel proud that I accomplished my goal of becoming the best teacher I can be.”

Students selected for honor band

    Sixteen members of the North High School Band were selected to be in the Greater Phoenix Honor Band. The honor band is made up of the best of the best from the district’s 10 band programs.
    Of the 16 who were selected to be in the group, four were selected to be distinguished as first chair. First chairs were Candace Evilsizor, oboe; Jake Cohen, bassoon; Veronica Rivas, clarinet, and Dominique Pomeroy, tenor sax. Pomeroy was selected as a first chair for the second year.
    Other honor band members were Katy Burgmeier, Jocelyn Durazo, Rebecca Reyes and Samantha Faltermeier, flute; Mark Martinez and Blanca Rodriguez, clarinet; Viviana Zapata, trumpet; Kevin Powell and Kirsten Fuchs, french horn; Carlos Zapata, trombone; Jessica Martinez, percussion ensemble; and Francisco Castillo, concert percussion.
    Eighteen Central High students auditioned for the Greater Phoenix Honor Band and 11 earned a spot in the group that will perform Feb. 7 at Camelback High.
    Bobcat honor band members are Sarah Vinersar, oboe; Ravenn Bang,  Diego Ramirez and Catalina Fernandez, clarinet; Miriah Soto Torres, bass clarinet; Andrew Scott, alto saxophone; Chelsea Noble, trumpet; Alyssa Minch, french horn; Sarah Machuca, euphonium; and Ramon Chavez and Joshua Santa Cruz, percussion.

New marquee at Camelback

    Camelback High School is sporting a new electronic marquee that complements the school’s new buildings and the new main entrance to the campus on 28th Street.
    The marquee is built into a pedestal of orange and blue, and will publicize important dates, activities and accomplishments of the school.

Washington Elementary School District

Cardinals Prep kids cheer on namesake team

    Among those caught up in the excitement of the Arizona Cardinals playoff run and trip to Super Bowl XLIII were the students from the Arizona Cardinals Preparatory Academy, 2021 W. Alice Ave.
    Those students prepared a banner on Jan. 22 was given to Cardinals players and coaches prior to their departure for Tampa and Super Bowl XLIII.
    Approximately 60 students at the Academy in grades five through seven were joined by Alice Whisenhunt, wife of Cardinals Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt. Alice is a regular volunteer at the academy.
    The Arizona Cardinals Preparatory Academy was founded in partnership with the University of Phoenix, Cardinals Charities, Communities in Schools of Arizona (CISA) and the Washington Elementary School District (WESD) to assist WESD students in achieving academic success by creating a small-school community with an emphasis on accelerated instruction, leadership development, and parent involvement.
    ACPA now serves fifth through seventh grades, and in the 2009-2010 school year it will grow to an 8th grade at the new ACPA school building located near the site of the current school.

Board elects officers, welcomes new members

    Tee Lambert was elected president and Bill Adams was reelected vice president of the Washington Elementary School District Governing Board at its first meeting in 2009 on Jan. 8.
    Lambert was elected to the governing board in 2004 and is serving her second four-year term. She is employed at the Arizona Department of Education as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Monitoring coordinator in the Academic Achievement Division.
    This is Adams’ second term as vice president. He was elected to the board in 2006. He is the owner of Ryan Austin & Associates, a full-service insurance agency specializing in employee benefits and currently is employed by Valley Schools Insurance Trust.
    Additionally, the governing board welcomed new members Clorinda Graziano and Aaron Jahneke. Graziano was a music educator for 30 years, teaching band, strings and general music to students K-12 before retiring from the Cartwright School District in 2008. Jahneke is a personal financial representative for Allstate Insurance Company.
    Graziano and Jahneke join returning members Lambert, Adams and Chris Maza, a high school educator in the Paradise Valley School District and a member of the Board of Directors of the Arizona Education Association.
    The governing board meets the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Administrative Center, 4650 W. Sweetwater Ave.

Private and Charter Schools

Preach named Player of Year

    Xavier College Preparatory junior Stephanie Preach has been named by The Gatorade Company, in partnership with ESPN RISE Magazine, as its 2008-09 Gatorade Arizona Volleyball Player of the Year.  The award distinguishes Preach as Arizona’s best high school volleyball player.
    “This award is an honor because it recognizes Stephanie’s athletic excellence, but also her academic achievement and outstanding character, on and off the court,” said Sister Lynn Winsor, BVM, CMAA, vice principal for Activities and Athletics.
    In addition to her volleyball achievements, Preach has maintained a 3.48 GPA, served as a member of Xavier’s Key Club, been a devoted parishioner at her church, and has volunteered for multiple organizations through Catholic Charities including St. Vincent De Paul and the Andre House mission.
    The 5-foot-8 setter recorded 983 assists and 253 kills along with a .437 hitting percentage this season, leading the Gators (36-3) to the Class 5A-1 state title. The 2008 Arizona Republic Big Schools Player of the Year and a two-time First Team All-State selection, Preach also made 121 digs, 91 blocks, and served 58 aces for Xavier in 2008.
    “Stephanie is probably the most complete player I’ve ever coached and I’ve coached a lot,” said Xavier Prep Head Coach Tim McHale. “She’s played out of position and been dominant, and she’s dominated at her own position. She walked in the first day of her freshman year and she was the best player in the gym then, and she still is today.”  
    The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field.