All Things Avondale Feb. 7, 2025

The Governing Board has unanimously voted to enter into contract negotiations with Dr. Eric Dueppen as our next Superintendent beginning July 1, 2025.

The selection follows an extensive search process that actively engaged staff, families, and community members. Dr. Dueppen's proven track record in educational leadership and collaborative approach align strongly with the district's commitment to excellence and innovation in student learning.

We look forward to introducing our next leader once the Governing Board finalizes the contract negotiations and approves his hiring. Dr. Deuppen is replacing current Superintendent Dr. Betsy Hargrove, who is retiring in June.

Avondale ESD was nominated for both the “2025 Best of the West” and “2025 Best of the Desert” awards; and WE NEED YOUR HELP! Vote for Avondale ESD, and ask your friends to vote too! You can vote once a day through February 20. Below are the specifics for each of the awards along with the voting links:

Best of the West Awards – Please vote in the following categories:

Ques. #37: Best Place to Work

Ques. #85: Best Preschool

• Copper Trails, Desert Thunder, Desert Star, Centerra Mirage STEM Academy, and Wildflower Accelerated Academy

Ques. #86: Best School District

Ques. #87: Best Public School (select your school)

Ques. #90: Best Elementary School (select your school)

Ques. #94: Best Elementary Teacher

• Sandra Becker, Copper Trails School

• Breanna Madison, Wildflower Accelerated Academy

• Amanda Houser, Centerra Mirage STEM Academy

• Michelle Sanchez, Eliseo C. Felix School

**Click this link to vote for the Best of the West Valley 2025.

Best of the Desert Awards

Kids & Education Category

• Best Preschool: AESD Ace Program-Avondale ESD, Desert Star, Lattie Coor, or Wildflower Accelerated Academy

• Best School–Public: Avondale ESD, Desert Star, Lattie Coor, Michael Anderson, or Wildflower Accelerated Academy

Top Employers Category:

• Best Place to Work: Avondale ESD

**Click this link to vote for Best of the Desert.

Please help us defend our “Best of the West Valley” and “Best of the Desert” titles. You may vote for Avondale ESD once every day through February 20! Be sure to set a calendar reminder each day to vote!

Sixth grade students at Avondale Middle are demonstrating remarkable creativity and teamwork during recess with an innovative take on volleyball. The enthusiastic players have adapted the traditional game, showcasing their problem-solving skills and athletic spirit as they enjoy this engaging sport together.

It’s truly wonderful to watch them have fun while developing important social and physical skills. Seeing them work together and stay active brings so much energy and positivity to the school community!

Centerra Mirage STEM Academy sixth through eighth graders are diving into exciting electives this semester that allow them to explore their passions and broaden their horizons. Students express their creativity through art and yearbook classes, develop leadership skills in Student Leadership Team and Student Council, and learn to make meaningful differences both in and out of the classroom.

The learning opportunities span from coding classes that prepare students for a tech-forward future to hands-on gardening experiences and fitness activities. The Youth for the Planet group actively promotes sustainability initiatives, while the Board Games Crew helps students develop strategic thinking and teamwork skills.

Copper Trails kicked off its first annual Camp Read Alot and it was a huge success! It was wonderful to see so many families come together to participate in a variety of fun activities and reading stations. The event created a lively atmosphere filled with excitement and creativity.

Students and their families enjoyed a range of activities, from listening to captivating stories and making their own puppets to playing Mad Libs and going on exciting adventures. Of course, books were at the heart of it all, and everyone had an amazing time exploring the world of reading in such a fun and interactive way!

A BIG congratulations to the winners of our School Choice Week Challenge! These outstanding students earned a Kids at Hope t-shirt just for having a parent submit an entry to our online challenge. Our winners included the following:

• Kahlani, first grade, and Ariella, second grade, from Desert Star
• Desti'Nee, fourth grade, from Copper Trails
• Leonardo, kindergarten, from Wildflower Accelerated Academy

These winners displayed their new shirts with big smiles, proudly celebrating the belief that all children are capable of success—NO EXCEPTIONS!

Eliseo C. Felix School was thrilled to have the Goodyear Fire Pals visit their campus once again. The Fire Pals continue to be an important part of their fire safety education, engaging students with hands-on learning and helpful tips for staying safe in emergency situations.

During their visit, the Fire Pals worked with the students to reinforce vital fire safety practices. We are so grateful for their ongoing partnership in teaching our students how to stay safe, prepared, and confident in the event of a fire.

Ready, set, run! Our Rockets had an outstanding performance at the latest cross-country meet! Sixth grader Ethan A. raced to a fantastic 1st place finish, representing Michael Anderson with pride, while seventh grader Jeremiah H. followed closely behind, securing a strong position.

Great job, Rockets! Keep up the momentum, keep running hard, and continue reaching new heights!

Wildflower Accelerated Academy's kindergartners spent time during math lessons practicing their collaboration skills while playing partner games. By working together, they learned the importance of communication and teamwork in problem-solving.

In addition to collaborating, the students had the chance to showcase their math vocabulary. It was great to see them confidently use terms they’ve been learning, making math time both fun and educational!

Kudos to the Copper Trails girls' basketball team for their thrilling 49-47 victory over Desert Star at Desert Edge High School! It was a hard-fought battle from start to finish, with the Coyotes emerging victorious to defend their title as District Champions. A huge thank you to Desert Edge High School for hosting the event, and to all the fans and staff who came out to cheer on our athletes!

Avondale's gifted education teachers recently participated in the Arizona Annual Gifted and Talented Conference, joining educators from across the state to explore innovative teaching strategies. The two-day conference, which coincided with Arizona Gifted and Talented Education Week, focused on the theme "Bright Minds, Bold Ideas."

Our teachers engaged in professional development sessions exploring the intersection of curiosity and creativity in gifted education. They look forward to implementing these new strategies to further enrich learning experiences for our gifted students.

Our counselors and Governing Board member Robert Vernier attended the 2025 Arizona School Counselor Conference alongside fellow education professionals. This annual event brought together school counselors from across the state to share best practices and explore innovative approaches to supporting student success.

Mr. Vernier, who serves as both a high school counselor and district board member, collaborated with our district counseling team during the conference. The event provided valuable opportunities for professional development and networking, helping our counselors stay current with the latest strategies to support students' academic, social, and emotional well-being.

Join us at our hiring event on Saturday, February 8, 2025, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. at the Avondale School District Office, located at 295 W. Western Avenue, in the Governing Board Room. This event is specifically for teaching opportunities.

Coming Soon! Spring sports tryouts for boys basketball, cheerleading, and softball (grades 5-8) are the week of February 24, 2025, after school. *Reminder ... all athletes must have a sports physical and be cleared by the school nurse prior to tryouts. We're looking forward to an exciting sports season!

Do you have a child turning five years old by August 31? Now is the time to enroll for kindergarten for fall 2025! We hope to see you at one of our schools' kindergarten registration events! Please contact any AESD school for more information on registration or call 623-772-5000 and ask to speak with an enrollment specialist.

AESD is proud of our amazing teachers. Parents and guardians can nominate your outstanding teacher for Arizona's Family 3TV Silver Apple Award. Nominations are accepted through March 16, 2025. Winning teachers will receive a $1,000 prize and will be featured on 3TV! Simply download the Silver Apple Nomination Form, in 100 words or less share "Why This Teacher Is Special," get the principal's signature, and email it to apple@azfamily.com. For more information, visit azfamily.com/silverapple.