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.

For the month of February, Creighton District celebrated #BlackHistoryMonth! Black History is American history and this month, and every month, is a time to celebrate Black excellence. We celebrate and honor our community as we reflect on the work ahead to increase access, equity and impact.

The Creighton School District is preparing to open the fully rebuilt Larry C. Kennedy School for the 2024-2025 school year. Part of the process for opening a new school is revisiting the school name. Below you will find some history about who Larry C. Kennedy was. Please complete the survey below with your preference on keeping the Larry C. Kennedy name. Thank you for your participation.

Who was Larry C. Kennedy?

Larry C. Kennedy was a WWII veteran and prisoner of war. He was a B-24 bomber pilot and his plane was shot down over Naples, Italy, where he was one of 1200 soldiers who spent 29 months in a POW camp in Italy and then Germany. His heroics were told by his friend and fellow POW David Westheimer, who wrote a best-selling book about his life called Von Ryans Express that was later adapted into a movie with the character based on Kennedy played by Frank Sinatra. In the book, Von Ryan helps British and American soldiers escape a cattle car headed to a German camp and instead finds safety in Switzerland.

Before his time in the military, Mr. Kennedy was a private commercial pilot but after completing his military duty he decided to leave flying and dedicate his time to teaching children in the Creighton School District where he lived. He later became the principal of Lafayette School, where he served for a number of years until his sudden death in 1980. After he passed away, the State Superintendent at the time, Carolyn Warner, led the surrounding community to gain support in naming the school Larry C. Kennedy.

Mr. Kennedy was beloved by his students, staff and the community. He is survived by his two daughters, Ruth Anne and Laurette, as well as his son, Keith Kennedy. His children carried on his legacy of education and public service and are still active in the Phoenix community.

Our district is currently in the final phase of reviewing new science curriculum resources for our Science Adoption. The science committee has worked diligently over the past six months to narrow down the finalists to two vendors: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Into Science and Savvas Learning Company Elevate Science.

We've arranged physical resources at each school site. Starting February 20th, 2024, and concluding on April 30, 2024, a rotation schedule will allow you to review these materials directly during the 60 day public review. Click here for the rotation schedule. Our Creighton Family Resource Center at Papago West will also feature these resources on school days from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Both resources are also available online beginning February 12th, 2024, to begin exploring. Click here to access the resources digitally. You can leave your feedback using the survey link below. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to providing the best possible education for our students.

Student Outcomes Focused Governance (SOFG) is a framework for keeping a school board and a school district’s staff focused on the academic performance of students. The framework revolves around a set of specific goals the Board has asked the Superintendent and Creighton staff to achieve, accompanied by annual targets. These goals reflect the vision and values of our community.

You can review the Student Outcomes Focused Governance Goals and Guardrails in the below survey and provide feedback.

Last weekend, 20 students and 20 parents along with Dr. De Mar and Ms. Hutchison from Biltmore Prep travelled to Hermosillo in Sonora Mexico, where they engaged with their partner students and families from Colegio Regis La Salle. Students and families were greeted by their host families to a welcome dinner on Thursday evening. After spending the morning of Friday at school, they engaged in fun at a local event venue and were treated to an amazing lunch. Saturday was spent at the beach in Kino Bay and Sunday the students, and many of the parents were able to spend the day with their host families in a variety of activities around Hermosillo. Monday morning they visited Colegio Regis for their Monday morning assembly and flag ceremony before saying tearful goodbyes and boarding the bus to return to Phoenix. The five days went by so fast as students and parents were able to engage with their partner students, use their Spanish, learn about the culture of Hermosillo, experience school at Colegio Regis, build new friendships and make many memories.

The Creighton School District is seeking family volunteers to serve on the district level, Special Education Family Advisory Council. Parents/Guardians will provide input on solutions to challenges in special education and related services and learn from other special education families and leading experts.

Here is how to join:

Contact the Community Education and Outreach Specialists at your child’s school or contact the Special Services Department at 602-381-6034/ specialservicesdept@creightonschools.org or scan the QR code for our interest form:

The Native American Program hosted their 2nd Parent Connection. Parents learned about internet safety with our very own Director of IT, Russell Deneault, while children learned about the historical and cultural significance of dream catchers from local Indigenous Cultural Educator Ester Nystrom and even created their own to take home! It was a great night full of learning and celebration.

Monte Vista Music Teacher Ms. Jones was recognized by the Fulton Homes' School Salute Program and AZ Family for all of her hard work, including the impact she has had on her students. Watch her story with the link below!

Kennedy at Loma Linda and Biltmore Prep had an amazing time at the WM Phoenix Open Dream Day. Students received golf training by professionals, were greeted by AZ sports mascots and cheerleaders and watched a cool trick shot show. This years guest speakers were 6th ranked in the world golfer Wyndham Clark, AZ Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen and Retired Cardinals player, Larry Fitzgerald. Coach Sims and Coach Ziskovsky were very proud of their students and are honored to be invited every after year. This event is a memorable experience for the students!

Parents/Guardians within the Creighton School District boundaries with a child between the ages of 2 years 10 months to 5 years old with concerns in the following areas:

• Communication Behavior
• Social Skills
• Self Help Skills Intellectual skills

Parents/Guardians are encouraged to bring their child to a developmental preschool screening.

Interested? Contact our special education preschool office to schedule a screening: preschooloffice@creightonschools.org 602-381-4600

The Creighton Kids Congress met at Excelencia School to participate in a discussion about the Student Outcomes Focused Governance work and provide feedback on the proposed goals and guardrails. Governing Board Member Amy McSheffrey was on hand to discuss the work being done by the board and help facilitate some of the conversation. After students heard from the Creighton Curriculum and Assessment Department regarding the current Science Adoption and provided insight on what they would like to see with the science curriculum and projects and topics they find engaging.

February marked the month-long celebration of Love the Bus, a time to show gratitude towards the dedicated professionals who ensure the safety of students on their journey to and from school. This initiative is a meaningful way to recognize the diverse group of individuals who make the yellow school bus experience possible for students. Thank your bus driver today!

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.