Welcome to the Creighton Community Newsletter. The purpose of this monthly newsletter is to keep our families, partners, and community up-to-date on important education related issues, upcoming events, and topics that impact you and your families.

Dear Creighton District Families and Community,

As we wrap up another school year, I want to take a moment to thank each of you—our students, families, staff, partners, and community members—for your partnership, dedication, and unwavering support.

Thanks to our Student Outcomes Focused Governance focus, this year we saw improvements in math and in our AZELLA (Arizona English Language Learner Assessment) test results with an increased reclassification rate for our Emerging Multilingual students. Whether it was academic success, students stepping up as leaders, or moments of connection and kindness, our schools continued to be a place where students thrive and communities come together.

To our students: We are proud of all you’ve accomplished. Your hard work and resilience have not gone unnoticed. As you head into summer break, I encourage you to rest, recharge, and stay curious. Read a good book, explore a new hobby, and enjoy time with your loved ones.

To our families: Thank you for your continued trust and partnership. Your involvement in your child’s education makes a tremendous difference, and we are grateful to walk alongside you in this journey.

Wishing everyone a safe and joyful summer. Please spread the word about the great things that are happening in our schools. Our community benefits when more families choose our schools. We look forward to welcoming you back on August 4, 2025!

Warm regards,

Mr. Jay Mann,

Creighton Superintendent

Congratulations to Iron Mountain Academy (Papago School) alum, Jimena Rascon, for achieving her degree from Brown University. We interviewed Jimena when she was accepted into Brown back in 2021. You can read her interview here.

When we asked Jimena about her time at Brown and what her plans are for the future this was her response.

"At Brown, I studied International and Public Affairs as well as Portuguese and Brazilian Studies. I served as President of the Women’s Pre-Law Association, was a staff writer for the Brown Political Review, and was the head of a research team at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, focusing on humanitarian work. I was also a teacher assistant for Brown alumni who came back to lead seminars including assisting for Suzi LeVine, former US ambassador to Switzerland and Leon Rodriguez former director of USCIS under the Obama administration.

I'll be working as a securities litigation paralegal at Mintz, a top global law firm in Boston. The position is part of a two-year program designed for recent graduates, and I plan to apply to law school afterwards. I actually interned at Harvard Law last summer, so I’m hoping to maintain the connections I built there while I’m in the city."

We are so proud of Jimena and all she has accomplished and can't wait to see her impact on the world. Also, A big shoutout to Jimena's mom, Maria Rascon, Teachers Assistant at Machan School!

Hola Creighton Community,

It’s been an amazing year filled with gratitude! Our students have taken a more active role in the decision-making processes, especially in shaping their goals. We are incredibly proud of the progress they’ve made. A huge thank you to our dedicated staff, who continue to work tirelessly with love and commitment to the students we serve, and to our community, whose support strengthens Creighton.

Looking ahead, we will hold additional budget hearings with opportunities for community input. We’re excited to highlight local businesses, share legislative updates, and keep everyone informed about how these issues affect our district.

Additionally, I’m thrilled to share a beautiful hidden gem in our community FrescaZona, our neighborhood fresh-food market. This summer, every Creighton student will receive extra “SunBucks” on their EBT card to replace school meal support, no sign-up required! You can spend these dollars at FrescaZona, and thanks to the Double Up Food Bucks program, your SNAP dollars will automatically be worth double when purchasing fruits and veggies. That means twice the fresh produce for your family, grown by local farmers and delivered right to you. Not sure if you qualify for SNAP? It only takes two minutes to check at frescasnap.com or book free enrollment help. Ready to shop? Visit shop.frescazona.com or text them at 602-888-3770 for quick support.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we work together to make Creighton a place of growth, opportunity, and care.

in May, we celebrated our award winners from across the district who have worked tirelessly in the pursuit of reaching our Student Outcomes Focused Governance goals! We also celebrated our Educational Support People and Teachers of the Year! A special congratulations to our overall district winners: 🥳👏🙌🫶

• Teacher of the Year, Mercedes King from Loma Linda School
• Educational Support Person of the Year, Veronica Saenz Hernandez from Biltmore Preparatory Academy
• Administrator of the Year, Dr. Lorisa Pombo, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment

Superintendent Jay Mann and Governing Board President Sophia Carrillo were award finalists for the School Connect Awards! Jay was recognized in the Change Maker category and Sophia in the Collaborative Leadership Award. Congratulations to both for being nominated!

This month, we celebrated our incredible educators who go above and beyond for our students every day. To all of our Creighton teachers — you are true heroes, and we appreciate you more than words can say!

We also celebrated School Lunch Hero Day by visiting our incredible nutrition staff across the district! We thanked them for their hard work, dedication, and the love they pour into every meal they serve our students. Their commitment keeps our kids nourished, energized, and ready to learn.

As a small token of appreciation, we shared a gift to let them know just how much they mean to our schools and community. Thank you, School Lunch Heroes!

We’re sending a huge THANK YOU to our incredible Speech and Language Therapists and Speech and Language Therapy Assistants across Creighton School District. Your care and commitment help our students build confidence, improve communication, and thrive in and out of the classroom.

We appreciate all you do every single day!

Kimberly M. Dodds Keran, Ed.D., brings 28 years of experience in education, including leadership roles as Director of Teaching and Learning at Scottsdale Unified School District, Coordinator for Gifted and Talented Education at Higley Unified School District, and Director of Gifted Education, AVID, Service Learning, and Alternative Education at Scottsdale Unified School District. She is also an Educational Consultant with JTaylor Education. Dr. Dodds Keran is a practitioner of teacher education, specializing in differentiated curriculum and instruction at both K-12 and university levels, serving as an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Southern California. Her educational background includes a Doctor of Education from the University of Southern California, where she also earned a Master of Science in Education and a Bachelor of Science.

Welcome Dr. Dodds Keran!

Mr. Josh Briese was approved by the Creighton Governing Board as the new Principal at Loma Linda School starting in the 25-26 school year!

Mr. Joshua Briese has over fifteen years of experience in the Creighton School District. He began his career in Creighton as a fourth grade teacher at Excelencia School in 2006. In 2013 he became a Student Achievement Teacher/Coach at Excelencia. Mr. Briese became the Assistant Principal at Loma Linda in 2018 and has served as a Lead Assistant Principal. Mr. Briese has also participated in various district committees and received awards for innovation and academic leadership. Mr. Briese holds a Master of Education in Elementary Education, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Oregon as well as a Master of Education in Leadership and Supervision from the University of Phoenix.

A big congratulations to Mr. Briese!

Congratulations to the Monte Vista Softball Team for placing fist in the championship game! A special shoutout to Coach V and Karina for all their hard work!

We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone in Papago's school history. After several years of careful consideration, exploration of names that better represent our community, and dedicated advocacy, the Creighton School District Governing Board formally approved "Iron Mountain Academy" as our new school name.

This change reflects the deep connection our school has with the local landscape. Piestewa Peak, a prominent feature visible from our campus and proudly displayed in our logo, was originally known as "Vianom Do'ag" in the O'odham language, meaning "iron mountain." This new name honors that heritage.

A special thank you to our Equity Team for their tireless work and dedication in advocating for this meaningful change.

Local artist Sarah Martiny in collaboration with Kennedy Garden Teachers Alex Layshock worked with a group of students to create Cyanotype Art. Cyanotypes use a solar sensitive solution to create negative images in white and Prussian blue. It was historically used to document plants for science. Cyanotypes are blueprints of nature, capturing the spirit of the plants and flowers that compose the prints.

Students used desert plants to create their art and went through the Cyanotype process laying out their plants and flowers, leaving it in the sun to imprint and then using a developer to create the blue color. The students loved the experience combining art with nature!

Creighton Kids Congress had their last gathering at Camelback High School. They toured the campus and then spent the rest of the time with the students in the competitive Montessori Program. Our students learned about the program, took a personality quiz gaining some insight on who they are as leaders, learned about the importance of maintaining a GPA as a pathway to a competitive college and had some fun along the way. At the end of the experience Creighton Alumni stood up showing our students what's possible.

Check out the reel below of their experience.

Your contribution helps fund educational programs, sports, after-school activities, and so much more. Plus, you can receive a state tax credit of up to $200 (individual) or $400 (married filing jointly). Choose Creighton and make an impact in our students' lives today!

Click this link to donate: https://www.schoolpay.com/parent/mip/Mcuk

With a network of over 350,000 providers and services, Care Solace will help you find the right help, at the right time, 24/7/365, at no cost to you. They will connect you with providers accepting all medical insurances, including Medicaid, Medicare, and sliding scale options for those without insurance.

You can access Care Solace in three ways:

• Call 888-515-0595 at any time. Multilingual support is available 24/7/365. A dedicated care companion will help you every step of the way to research options, secure appointments, and follow-up to make sure it is a good fit.
• Search anonymously to get matched with an extensive list of care providers at Caresolace.com/Creighton.
• Contact your school health professional, and they will submit a referral on your behalf.

No matter what you are experiencing there is hope and help. We are confident that our new partnership with Care Solace will help us build a healthier, more vibrant school community

A new school year can sometimes mean new information. At Creighton District we communicate with our families through email, text messages, phone calls, and social media updates. Please ensure our front offices have your email and phone number on file so you don't miss any important information.

The Creighton School District is hiring for positions ranging from teacher, custodians, cafeteria staff, paraprofessional, nurse, psychologist, bus driver, etc! If you are looking for a career that makes a difference in the lives of children in a family like atmosphere, Creighton is the place for you. You can see a full list of open positions and apply online by clicking here.