SCV35 recently held the annual district talent show which showcases student talent of all ages.

Students from schools in the district, from kindergarten to high school, gathered at the Rio Rico High School Performing Arts Center to showcase their unique talents.

The talent show is always a highly anticipated event, with families and community members eagerly filling the auditorium to support their talented students. From singing to dancing, from Rubix cubes to partner stunting, there was no shortage of creativity and enthusiasm.

The Participants - (in order of appearance)

1. Dance Club - Lily Swank

Dancing "Maria - Justin Bieber"

2. Zoey Swank

Vocal Solo "Lost Boy"

3. Frankie Martinez

Solving Rubix Cubes

4. Aubrey Baker & Cristobal Velasco

Tumbling and Partner Stunting - "Miss American"

5. Brittany Munoz & Analy Armenta

Dance - "Single Ladies"

6. Edwin Apodaca

Solo Drums - music by Mana

7. The Cute Girls - Italah Watson, Julieth Swanquist, Sophia Lopez, Mariajose Hurtado Jimenez, Jaelyn Espinoza

Group Dance - "Me Too" by Kidz Bop

8. Mr. E's Crew - Abigail Colgan, Kylie Manriquez, Victoria Malmaceda, Renata Vazquez, Jennifer Lopez, Chloe Felix, Nathalia Guevara, Camila Barraza, Karla Bobadilla, Penelope Cota, Christian De La Riva

Group Vocal & Dance - "No Se Va" by Grupo Frontera

9. Abigail Kuhm

Vocal Solo Medley of Songs - "Por el Contrario" by Becky G, Angela Aquila & Leo, "Skyfall" by Adele, and "Baila esta Cumbia" by Selena.

The Results

Coming in 3rd were high-flying and tumbling partners Aubrey Baker (MV) and Cristobal Velasco

(RRHS). They wowed the crowd with their dynamic stunts!

Bringing home 2nd place was CtMS student Edwin Apodaca who gave a very polished drum solo to the beat of the popular artist Mana.

For the second year in a row, Abigail Kuhm gave a powerful vocal performance which landed her 1st place in the competition.

The show ended with smiles and laughter, and a sense of pride for the students' accomplishments.

A huge thank you to all the students, families, teachers, and staff who worked to make the show possible including organizers John Fanning and Liana Carrasco.

No show would be worth watching without lights and production. A huge shoutout to Randy Johnson (lights/sound), and an awesome backstage crew; Isaac Sullivan Sol, Ray Navarro, Josue Salgado, and Mary Andrews. Last but certainly not least, thank you to our student judges Akayla Weathers, Red Leonard, and Mariajose Rojo.

School Officials, Principals, Teachers, Students, Parents, and Families: On Friday, April 19th, 5-7pm, attend the annual Hi-Art and Mid-Art exhibition reception and awards presentation!

School districts along AZ I-19 will be displayed.

The Exhibition will be open from April 19th-May 26th 2024

Above: The RRHS HawX Dance team were recognized after winning the state dance competition.

Governing Board meetings are typically held on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 5:00 p.m. unless it is a Study Session or Special Meeting. Meeting dates may change due to holidays and seasonal breaks.

If you would like to attend a meeting in person, doors open 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting. Meetings take place in the Santa Cruz Valley USD No. 35 Governing Boardroom in the District office, located at 570 Camino Galindo, Rio Rico, AZ 85648.

Live Board Meeting Links
If you are unable to attend in person, the district provides a live link and a recorded link of each meeting. Links can be found on the SCV35 Governing Board page or you can subscribe to the meeting distribution list by emailing communications@scv35.org.

Board Meeting Recordings

If you missed the live meeting, you can also watch a recording on the SCV35 Communications YouTube Channel.

While site visits are a part of the learning that takes place for many schools and districts moving toward personalized, competency-based learning, three districts in three different states wanted to make it easier to share what they’ve learned and scale student-centered practices within their own learning communities. They host personalized learning institutes that ensure their educators and staff aren’t the only ones who benefit: teachers, leaders and school board members from all over the country are welcome. Click below to continue reading.

Mountain View students in every grade were fascinated by April's solar eclipse. Shown above are Mr. Regala's 3rd grade as they follow the path of the sun using technology. The next full solar eclipse will be in 2044 when these students are adults.

Congratulations to the Rio Rico baseball and softball programs winning a $10,000 grant from the Arizona Diamondbacks this spring. Athletic Director Chris Laughland was notified in January that RRHS was 1 of only 15 schools in Arizona to be selected for the "Chase your Dreams" grant.

The Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation supports high school baseball and softball programs annually with grant up to $10,000 for game or field maintenance equipment. "I applied for it to fill a need for both the softball and baseball programs here. Now that there are year round expectations for both programs, proper maintenance equipment is needed to maintain the fields properly," said Laughland.

In addition to the grant, all the members of both softball and baseball were awarded free Diamondbacks tickets. The teams enjoyed the Diamondbacks vs Cardinals over the weekend.

Effective April 12, 2024, Santa Cruz County Treasurer Elizabeth “Liz” Gutfahr has resigned from her position as Treasurer.

The Board of Supervisors held a special meeting on Monday, April 15, 2024, and accepted her letter of resignation.

Santa Cruz County Arizona is asking residents to participate in the evaluation of internet serviceability. The survey began March 15, 2024 and will last for a period of 60 days. The survey is being conducted by the Arizona Commerce Authority. During the time period, residents are asked to log into the ACA site and TAKE A SPEED TEST at least 3 times during the day on multiple days of the week and weekend.

This study does not obligate you to change your current Internet Provider.

To learn more about how to conduct the test at home, please visit https://www.santacruzcountyaz.gov/957/Broadband-Challenge-Process

The test results may help bring money into Santa Cruz County for better internet service.

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