All Things Avondale Jan. 31, 2025

You're invited to meet the finalists for Avondale ESD's next superintendent. The Meet and Greet is Wednesday, February 5, 2025, from 4 - 5 p.m., at the Avondale ESD District Office Governing Board Room, 295 W. Western Avenue. All are welcome to attend!

We have exciting news to share! Three of our incredible teachers just received one of the highest honors in education - their National Board Certification. This prestigious achievement reflects countless hours of dedication to improving their teaching practice and enhancing student learning.

Please join us in congratulating:

• Ms. Galek, 7th grade English Language Arts teacher at Wildflower Accelerated Academy
• Ms. Koenigs, 5th grade Math teacher at Wildflower Accelerated Academy
• Ms. Schoettes, 7th grade English Language Arts teacher at Michael Anderson School

National Board Certification is like earning a master's degree in teaching excellence. These talented educators went above and beyond their daily classroom responsibilities to pursue this challenging certification, showing their deep commitment to providing the best possible education for your children. Avondale ESD is proud to have 13 Nationally Board Certified teachers within our district.

We're incredibly fortunate to have such dedicated teachers working with our students. Next time you see these outstanding educators, please congratulate them on this remarkable achievement!

Have you voted yet? Avondale ESD was nominated by the West Valley View for the “2024 Best of the West Valley” Awards; and WE NEED YOUR HELP! Vote for Avondale ESD, and ask your friends to vote too! Visit Best of the West Valley 2025 to vote. Remember, you can vote once a day through February 20.

Please vote Avondale ESD, or your school, in the following categories:

Ques. #37: Best Place to Work

Ques. #85: Best Preschool

• Copper Trails, Desert Thunder, Desert Star, Centerra Mirage STEM Academy, or 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

Please help us defend our “Best of the West Valley” title. Be sure to set a calendar reminder each day through February 20 and please vote for Avondale ESD!

National School Counseling Week is February 3 -7, 2025, and highlights the tremendous impact school counselors have in helping students achieve school success. Thanks to the support of our community in passing a maintenance and operations override in November 2024, we are able to employ counselors, social workers, and psychologists in all of our schools.

Please join us in honoring and thanking all of our school counselors this week!

An impressive 366 students (nearly 50% of eighth graders) recently passed the state civics test on their first attempt. Among them, three students achieved a perfect score, while 73 students scored 90% or higher showcasing exceptional understanding of our nation's government and history.

The district takes a proactive approach by offering eighth graders the opportunity to complete this graduation requirement before entering high school. By taking the test early, students can focus on other academic challenges during their high school years, setting them up for greater success.

We're incredibly proud of our students' performance. These results reflect not only their dedication to learning but also our commitment to preparing them for future academic success. Having 76 students score 90% or above is a remarkable achievement that deserves celebration.

This week, the Governing Board honored our January award recipients from our Food & Nutrition Services Department and Centerra Mirage STEM Academy! Honorees include the following:

2024-2025 Dr. Cathy Stafford Passion & Commitment Recipients

Food & Nutrition Classified Employee: Kimberly Caparoula

CMSA Classified Employee: Anna Stone

CMSA Certified Employee: Lindsay Lohnhardt

2024-2025 Student Artist and Community Partner Award

Student Artist: Sophia N., 6th Grade, Centerra Mirage School

Community Partner: Richard Mercado and Dayna Works, Mission Church

Did you know that some of our colleagues were part of a small group that helped the most students through Care Solace in 2024? Join us in celebrating these 2024 Super Care Heroes in our school community, whose dedication is making a real impact on the well-being of our students and their families.

In Copper Trails' fifth grade science class, students are exploring the fascinating world of static electricity by creating levitation devices using balloons and plastic. It’s all about making science come to life with these hands-on experiments!

The students are loving the chance to see static electricity in action as they watch objects float and move with just a few simple materials. These interactive demonstrations are sparking curiosity and giving them a deeper understanding of this cool scientific concept!

A big shoutout to our dedicated teachers at Desert Thunder who've achieved perfect attendance this term! Your unwavering commitment and consistent presence make a tremendous difference in our students' lives. Desert Thunder is proud of your exceptional dedication. Thank you for showing up every single day! Whether you're a teacher or a student, Attendance Matters every day!

Eliseo C. Felix School students recently visited their attendance store, where they used "attendance dollars" earned for excellent attendance throughout the year. The store rewards their commitment to consistent school attendance.

This incentive program has successfully engaged students and reinforced the importance of regular attendance, helping make school attendance a priority.

The school extends a huge shout-out to the incredible fathers who attended a Dads' Cafecito at Lattie Coor School! Their enthusiastic participation made the event a tremendous success. It's wonderful to see dads building connections and showing tremendous support for the school community.

The energy was electric as Panther Dads connected, laughed, and demonstrated their commitment to the students. Their involvement doesn't just mean the world to their children—it strengthens the entire school family.

A special thanks is extended to every dad who showed up, stepped up, and represented. Go Panther Dads!!!

Michael Anderson School's McDonald's fundraiser night was a delicious success. Students and families packed the restaurant, enjoying great food and supporting the school. The highlight of the evening was the staff's hilarious performance as the famous Fries Ladies, bringing laughter and community spirit to the event. It was a night of fun and school pride.

Star Academy students, staff, and families came together for an unforgettable evening filled with laughter, popcorn, and cinematic magic! The cozy atmosphere and strong sense of community made every moment feel like a celebration of togetherness.

This week was National School Choice Week. THANK YOU for choosing AESD as your District of Choice! We asked our families, students, and community to celebrate with us by sharing your photos, videos, or memory for each of our specially themed days this week. Below are some of your favorite things about AESD!

Monday: Favorite Teacher/Staff Member

• Mrs. Juraz-Garcia from Wildflower Accelerated Academy – She pushes her students to excel and treats each and every one with kindness, regardless of how their day was. She is always cheerful and bubbly, even when she isn’t feeling well and she is always pushing for her students to get the education they deserve, despite challenges. We love her!
• Miss Herren from Desert Star because she is so loving even after the kids have left her classroom.
• Mrs. Cooper from Desert Star because she was a very sweet kindergarten teacher and made for a beautiful experience.
• Ms. Katz from Copper Trails because she is patient with both students and parents, and is ALWAYS making book recommendations to help her students succeed with their reading capacity and retention.

Tuesday: Favorite Field Trip

• Farm because of the interactions with the animals and the veggie picking.
• Zoo because the kids got to interact with the animals.
• Loved the incentive field trip to the movies because it was fun!

Wednesday: Favorite Sport, Activity, Club or PE Game

• Desert Star's Project STING because it gives the girls a fun learning experience without electronics.
• The Copper Trails GLOW RUN event (fundraiser). I got to volunteer with their school PTSA, and dressing up and watching the kids have fun as they ran around in circles at the gym made me feel BLESSED to be there and be a part of the event.

Thursday: Favorite Subject

• I love math because I’m good at it.
• My daughter loves reading.
• Math because the kids love it!
• Reading because Ms. Katz is very patient with her students and is always relaying information to the parents on how we can help enrich at home what she is teaching in her classroom.

Friday: What You Love Most About Your School

• The protection the staff give under any circumstances.
• The families that the kids get to grow with.
• The balance between student activities and appreciation and the PARENTS being appreciated by the school, as well as the student/parent luncheons and the impeccable communication between the school to the parents.
• I love my friends.

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.

Looking for something fun and FREE to do? Celebrate STEM with Cox, SciTech Institute, and Arizona Science Center at the launch of the:

2025 Arizona SciTech Festival

Saturday, February 8, 2025

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Arizona Science Center

600 E. Washington Street in Phoenix

Your free registration with the Cox promo code includes a day of hands-on activities, engaging exhibits, and inspiring demonstrations for all ages. Explore STEM fields, engage your curiosity, and enjoy full access to the Arizona Science Center's world-class exhibits.

To register for your free tickets:

1. Visit Arizona Science Center Tickets and scroll to the bottom of the page
2. Change the date at the top to February 8, 2025
3. Add the promo code "STEMWITHCOX", CLICK APPLY
4. Scroll to the bottom and add the ticket/quantity titled "Group STEM Offer" to your cart/Proceed to checkout
5. Once added to your cart the price will reflect $0. Finish checking out

We hope you enjoy this free opportunity to explore the Arizona Science Center with your children, family and friends!

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!

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.