All Things Avondale Feb. 14, 2025

Avondale ESD is proud to celebrate Superintendent Dr. Hargrove, who has been recognized with the Arizona School Public Relations Association's Superintendent for Contributions to Public Relations Award. She is the sole recipient in the state of Arizona, a testament to her commitment to transparent communication, community engagement, and advocacy for our schools.

Dr. Hargrove’s leadership has set a high standard for excellence in public relations, and her commitment to communication continues to strengthen the connection between our district and the families we serve. Please join us in congratulating her on this well-deserved honor!

The Governing Board has unanimously appointed Dr. Eric Dueppen as our new superintendent, following an extensive nationwide search that incorporated input from staff, families, and community members.

Dr. Dueppen impressed the Board with his strong educational leadership background and clear understanding of the district's aspirations. His emphasis on academic excellence and relationship-building aligned perfectly with the qualities stakeholders identified as important for the district's next leader.

"I am deeply honored to join Avondale Elementary School District," said Dr. Dueppen. "Working alongside our dedicated Board and the entire staff, families, and community, we will build upon Avondale's tradition of academic excellence to create limitless futures for ALL children. Our unwavering commitment to each student's success will drive everything we do."

The Board has finalized a three-year contract with Dr. Dueppen and expressed confidence that his leadership will both honor the district's traditions and guide it toward continued growth and achievement.

There are only six days left to vote ... Please help Avondale ESD earn the “2025 Best of the West” and “2025 Best of the Desert” awards! 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. Voting end February 20! Be sure to set a calendar reminder each day to vote!

Avondale Elementary School District proudly celebrated two exceptional students who represented our district at the 2025 Regional Spelling Bee on Saturday, February 8.

Isabella F. from Michael Anderson School and Olivia R. from Copper Trails School competed against the region's most talented young scholars after winning their school spelling bees. Through dedicated preparation and countless hours of study, these outstanding students earned their places among the top spellers in our region.

Isabella and Olivia represented Avondale ESD with grace, determination, and exceptional spelling skills. Their achievements inspire their fellow students and showcase the academic excellence being fostered in our schools. Congratulations to both students on this remarkable accomplishment!

Centerra Mirage STEM Academy transformed into a hub of discovery and innovation during its recent STEM Night, where students and families immersed themselves in hands-on learning experiences. The evening showcased a diverse range of activities, from dramatic volcano eruptions and crystal formation experiments to cutting-edge robotics and virtual reality demonstrations, capturing the imagination of all attendees.

Throughout the event, budding engineers tackled design challenges with remarkable creativity, constructing sophisticated structures and mechanisms. Meanwhile, mathematics enthusiasts found themselves engrossed in an array of puzzles and strategic games that put their problem-solving abilities to the test. The infectious energy and engagement demonstrated by these young minds highlighted the evening's success in bringing STEM education to life.

The Copper Trails National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) had the exciting opportunity to attend the Elevate Leadership Conference in Chicago, where ten students took part in a transformative experience. During the event, they had the chance to enhance their leadership skills and learn valuable lessons on building resilience, all while connecting with other young leaders from around the world.

With over 1,800 students in attendance, the conference was a source of inspiration and motivation. NJHS members returned feeling energized, equipped with new insights and ideas, and ready to make a positive impact within our school community. Their experiences at Elevate will undoubtedly shape their future leadership roles and contribute to their growth as individuals.

Students in Mrs. Knight's class at Desert Star, had the exciting opportunity to become young entrepreneurs! They opened their own businesses and took on various roles such as cashiers, business owners, and customers. This hands-on experience allowed them to explore the value of money in a fun and engaging way, giving them a deeper understanding of how money works.

The activity also helped them develop important skills like decision-making, teamwork, and budgeting, all while making smart spending choices. It was incredible to see their enthusiasm as they worked together to manage their businesses. We’re so proud of their growth and can’t wait to see these future business leaders shine!

First grade students in Ms. Emhardt's class at Lattie Coor School are mastering the art of storytelling through an engaging literacy project! These young readers are developing crucial comprehension skills by reading books and writing their own summary sentences to retell each story.

As students practice capturing key story elements in their own words, they're building both reading comprehension and creative writing abilities. The enthusiasm these first graders show for reading and retelling stories demonstrates their growing confidence as young authors and storytellers.

We're excited to see our students so actively engaged in their literacy journey. Excellent work, Ms. Emhardt's class – your storytelling skills continue to shine!

STAR Academy’s spirit week kicked off with an incredible success as both staff and students came together to celebrate Kindness Day! The entire campus was awash in pink, with everyone proudly wearing the color to spread kindness and positivity throughout the day. The collective effort created an uplifting atmosphere, reminding everyone of the importance of being kind to one another.

It was truly heartwarming to witness the whole school come together to make kindness the central theme. The enthusiasm and energy were contagious, and it was clear that the spirit of the day had a lasting impact on both students and staff alike. The celebration set a wonderful tone for the rest of spirit week!

Sixth grade scientists at Wildflower Accelerated Academy conducted a fascinating experiment investigating the psychology of taste! Students designed and executed their own scientific studies to answer an intriguing question: Do different colored Smarties actually taste different, or does our brain create distinct flavor experiences based on color expectations?

Through careful experimental design and data collection, students explored the relationship between visual cues and taste perception. This hands-on investigation gave them valuable experience applying the scientific method while discovering how our senses work together to create our experience of flavor.

Way to go, sixth graders – your innovative approach to scientific inquiry shows how asking simple questions can lead to fascinating discoveries about how our minds and senses work together!

Looking for a job? Join us at our Hiring Event on Thursday, February 20, 2025, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Avondale School District Office, located at 295 W. Western Avenue, in the Governing Board Room.

AESD was named the Best Place to Work and Best School District (2024, 2023, 2022)! We have a number of positions available and would love for you to join our team!

We offer up to 10 years of related experience, education credit, and eligibility for performance pay. Please check out our available positions below. Click the link below to Register for the Hiring Event, and visit our Careers webpage for salaries, benefits and more!

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.

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.