2 staff report
TRANSCRIPT
2 STAFF REPORT
Trip Reduction October $100 Winner
Santan Junior High social studies
teacher Dan Smith won a $100 gift
card to his choice of Fleming’s,
Outback or Carrabba’s. Dan is the
Maricopa County Trip Reduction
September grand prize winner. The
next chance to participate in a contest
will be in November.
HHS Teacher Earns Presidential Award
Pictured on the Cover: After being named a finalist in
2017, Hamilton High science teacher Debbie Nipar
was named a recipient of the Presidential Awards for
Excellence in Math and Science. She traveled to
Washington D.C. last week to be recognized.
Established in 1983, this is the highest
award given by the U.S.
Government to kindergarten
through 12th grade teachers of
mathematics and science,
including computer science.
Awardees come from schools in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Department of
Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) schools, and schools in the United States territories of
Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands. Nominations and awards are facilitated by the
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Science
Foundation.
Esperanza Teacher of the Year Hails
from Santan Junior High Santan Junior High Spanish teacher
Ana Abbott was one of four
educators across Arizona to be
named by Chicanos Por La Causa
as an “Esperanza Latino Teacher of
the Year.” She will be recognized at
an awards event on Wednesday at
ASU Gammage Auditorium.
Additionally, the Santan Junior High
Jazz band will be performing that
evening.
Subscribe to the CUSD Cares Podcasts In the most recent CUSD Cares podcast episode, “Dealing
with Anxiety,” Brenda Vargas interviews Ryan Helton, a
therapist who describes the signs and symptoms of anxiety,
how to know when it's beyond the “normal,” and shares
simple strategies that anyone can incorporate. Ryan also
suggests some options for treatment. Listen in here.
Check out all our CUSD Cares podcast episodes on Spotify,
Google Podcasts or Buzzsprout! Listen and subscribe here.
Inside this Issue
Cash for Classrooms Surprises 3
CUSD Financial Aid Night 3
CARE Center Donations 3
Social Media Post of the Week 3
District Wellness Expo 4
Important Dates 4
Chalk Talk 5-7
Creative Expression
Competition 8
Valley Fever Poster Contest 8
Board Contacts 8
STAFF REPORT 3
Cash for Classrooms Surprises
Social Media Post of the Week
Basha High Principal David
Loutenheiser spotlighted our
engagement with civic
organizations by tweeting bout
the Peace Pole dedication at his
site. He also remembered to tag
the district.
Gearing up for the Holidays
The Chandler CARE Center is
preparing for our annual
Thanksgiving Family Assistance
Day (Saturday, November 23)
and needs your help to make it a
success. Donations of the
following items are still very much
in need (by November 19):
Whole, frozen turkeys
Canned fruits
2 pound bags of dry pinto
beans
Cereal
Boxed stuffing
Desserts (boxed, dry such as
pudding and Jell-O mixes,
cake mix)
Canned vegetables and soup
2 pound bags of rice
Instant mashed potatoes
Side dishes (pasta, mac &
cheese, casseroles, etc.)
Toiletries and hygiene Items
(shampoo, conditioner, soap,
deodorant, etc.)
Paper goods (paper towels,
tissue, toilet paper)
Please visit the CARE Center
website for more information.
Thank you as always for your
support!
The Chandler Education Foundation’s Cash for Classrooms campaign was once again a huge
success thanks to the generosity of CUSD staff and families. More than $80,000 in grants were
awarded. The CEF “Woo Hoo Patrol” celebration took place Friday as 125 grants were
awarded to teachers at 36 schools and 17 schools received school-wide grants. Grant
recipients received balloons, big checks, certificates and ribbons.
Counselors Plan Financial Aid Night
The CUSD Financial Aid night will be on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m.
at the Chandler Center for the Arts.
For more information, visit your site College & Career Center!
Equity Corner: CUSD Youth Equity Stewardship Cultivating Student Voices for leadership - CUSD
Youth Equity Stewardship Program
Youth Equity Stewardship students met at Hamilton
High School on Thursday to sharpen their facilitation
skills in leading for equity at their school sites.
Students received a hearty welcome from Assistant
Superintendent Dr. Craig Gilbert.
In this multi-generational learning space of students
and teachers, students explore the seven phases of
culturally responsive practices. Students were given
tools to utilize their voices for others while also
sharpening their own voices.
4 STAFF REPORT
District Wellness Expo Hit with Staff Important Dates
October 22
Parent Education Series at
Hamilton High 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Topic: (Part 4) “Beware of
Exploitation on the Worldwide
Web”
October 22
CUSD Financial Aid Night at
6 p.m. at the Chandler
Center for the Arts. Doors
open at 5:30 p.m.
October 29
Parent Presentation at Basha
High 6 – 7:30 p.m. Topic:
Vaping and Substance Abuse
October 29
World Stroke Day: Learn the
facts and help prevent stroke.
Together to End Stroke before
it happens. For more
information, visit the website
October 31 Peace poster contest
submissions due to Community
Relations office.
October 31
Veterans of foreign wars
teacher of the year
nominations due to Carlos
Lozano.
October 31 VFW Patriots Pen and Voice of
Democracy entries due. See
the district website for more
information.
November 1 Registration deadline for
families for Thanksgiving
assistance through the CARE
Center.
November 19
Parent Education Series at
Hamilton High 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Topic: (Part 1) “Suicide
Prevention”
December 3
Parent Education Series at
Hamilton High 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Topic: (Part 2) “Mindfulness
and Stress Reduction”
The district wellness expo was a hit with staff on Tuesday.
Flu Shots Available at the CARE Center
If you didn’t get a chance to get a flu shot at the expo, you can still take
advantage of opportunities the Chander CARE Center on all remaining
vaccination clinic dates: Thursdays, 2:30-5:30 pm: October 24, November 7,
November 14 and December 12.
STAFF REPORT 5
A Look at What’s Going On Around District
Haley students had a great time
learning how to make a positive
difference in their classroom, school
and their community from the Be Kind
Crew. They learned to accept others
for their differences and be supportive
of others when they may be feeling
sad.
Hancock second graders learning about
how to care for Arizona's water.
Fourth graders from Bologna Elementary recently attended the
Diamondbacks STEM field trip to Chase Field. They enjoyed the Science of
Baseball Show where they were exposed to concepts like probability,
velocity, fractions and decimals. They were able to explore the stadium
visit booths from vendors like the Arizona Science Center, the
Herpitological Institute, and Waymo. They were able to use Ozobots, pet a
crocodile, and try virtual reality glasses.
Basha High student Winter Ashley of the Basha High
Y.E.S. was interviewed by NPR recently as a part of
their “Teen Girl Activists Take On Skeptical Boys,
Annoying Buzzwords” article. Check it out here.
San Marcos fifth grade students visited Feed My
Starving Children to help pack nutritious meals for
hungry children around the world. In partnership
with student council, they were able to raise $500 to
donate to along with their hands-on experience.
Hartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary and Santan
Elementary were selected for a $2,500 grant from
the Extra Yard for Teacher program through the
Pac 12 Conference, Sun Devil Athletics and the
Sun Devil Club. This is in recognition for the hard
work teachers at the schools do and go that
“Extra Yard” for their students.
Perry High recently purchased new welcome
mats to make their office more welcoming.
Attendance clerks Eloise Cary and Tina
Thompson had fun lounging on the mats.
6 STAFF REPORT
A Look at What’s Going On Around District Continued…
Basha High symphonic orchestra, under
the direction of Jonathan Gott, won
“Superior with Distinction” at the ABODA
Fall Festival at Corona del Sol High School
prior to break.
Knox Gifted Academy hosted its eighth annual Global Cardboard Challenge on Sept. 27. Founded in 2012 by Imagination.org
the Global Cardboard Challenge is a day designed to celebrate creativity and recognize the power of community. The Knox
Gifted Academy Cardboard Challenge is a showcase of integrated and problem based learning using a design-thinking
framework. It demonstrates the capacity of children to see the possibilities and show different ways of knowing. Additionally, this
event was featured in the Santan Sun News, and the fourth grades students pieces will be on display at the Eddie Basha Art
Collection Gallery (22402 S. Basha Road • Chandler, Arizona 85248), through the end of October.
Hamilton High Assistant Principal Dick
Baniszewski spent fall break in China. He
was part of a delegation that visited
Duhiangyan High School as part of an
educational trip. He represented CUSD,
Chandler, Arizona and the country
admirably.
Arizona State Legislator Jennifer Pawlik met
with the Director of Transportaion Steve
Hewitt on a recent visit to the new
transportation yard.
Conley Elementary fifth grade students in John Flores’s class completed a
robotic challenge after extending their Project Lead the Way Robotics
and Automation Module. All students were successful and had a blast
participating while learning new skills and strategies to help them succeed
in future technology.
STAFF REPORT 7
A Look at What’s Going On Around District Continued…
Bologna Elementary honored influential Hispanic
Americans for Hispanic Heritage Month. The
students learned about Jose Feliciano and his
contribution to the music world. They were
excited to connect one of their beloved songs
“Feliz Navidad” to this artist. They also added a
“few” musical instruments for a sing-a-long.
Perry High School “Puma Diner” is up and
running. It was created and run by Perry
students to work on a variety of job skills
while feeding the Puma Nation.
A group of eight students are looking at innovative ways to get rid
of Styrofoam pollution at ACP-Erie. They are creating awareness
among students to drop their used lunch plates in special
containers and then these students are collecting it everyday. The
aim is to compress the Styrofoam, hence reducing the volume and
treat it with materials that will dissolved them. Creativity and
innovativeness comes from critical thinking and problem solving.
Navarrete sixth grade teacher Kelly Miller won a $500 grant in the SRP/
Cardinals Touchdowns for Teachers program.
Staff at Perry High celebrated the administrators last
week on Bosses Day with a “Superhero” lunch.
CTA Goodman third grader Jax Burton decided to raise money for prosthetics for
amputees, instead of getting birthday gifts this year. He as able to raise more than
$1,400 and was featured in a San Antonio newspaper.
Thirty-one CUSD students from CTA
Liberty, CTA Humphrey and Chief
Hill Academy won awards at the
Week without Violence poetry and
poster contest over break.
Hancock fourth-sixth grade
teachers enjoyed working
together and learning new
techniques in the brand new
Z-Space Lab.
Basha High School student council will be hosting its inaugural trunk or
treat haunted mansion open to all CUSD families on October 30, 6-8
p.m. There will be food trucks, face painting, costume contests, a
trunk-decorating contest, music, and a pumpkin carving station. For
more information, call 224-2229.
8 STAFF REPORT
Creative Expression Competition THEME: One World, Out of
Many We are One
This competition is open to all
students living in or attending
school in Chandler. One entry
per student will be accepted
in both the writing and visual
arts categories.
COMPETITION DEADLINE
Deadline for entries: Friday,
Nov. 29
Please send or drop-off
entries to: City of Chandler - Neighborhood Resources - 235 S Arizona Ave. Chandler, AZ 85225
COMPETITION INFORMATION
Winning entries will be displayed at the Multicultural Festival on Saturday, January 18, 2020
First place winners and schools will be recognized at a February 2020 City Council Meeting.
All other winners will have their awards sent directly to their schools.
Valley Fever Poster Contest The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) is partnering with
the Valley Fever Center for Excellence (VFCE) and Pueblo Magnet
High School to run the second annual awareness poster contest
regarding this fungal disease. The contest starts now and will end in
the middle of Valley Fever Awareness Week, which is November 9th–
17th. Winners will be announced and prizes sent out soon after the
competition ends on November 14th.
All Arizona residents 18 years and younger are eligible to participate
by creating a poster that uses some (or all) of the following messages
to increase the public’s knowledge about Valley Fever.
These include:
Know the signs and symptoms of Valley Fever
Ask your doctor to test you if you think you have Valley Fever
Stay out of blowing dust
Wet the ground before disturbing the soil
ANYONE can get Valley Fever, even healthy people, DOGS
and other pets
CUSD Dedicated to Excellence!
Community Relations
District Office
1525 West Frye Road
Chandler, AZ 85224
Phone
(480) 812-7650
Board Contacts
Barb Mozdzen, President
480-497-5703 [email protected]
David Evans, Vice President
480-782-7961 [email protected]
Lara Bruner
480-246-5343 [email protected]
Lindsay Love
480-420-8201 [email protected]
Karen M. McGee
480-812-7600 [email protected]
Superintendent
Camille Casteel, Ed.D [email protected]
HHHH
Notice of Nondiscrimination
Chandler Unified School
District does not discriminate
on the basis of race, color,
national origin, religion, sex or
gender, sexual orientation,
disability, or age in its
programs and activities. The
Title IX coordinators are Dr.
Craig Gilbert at 812-7630, and
Sandy Cooper at 812-7624,
and the Section 504
coordinator is Dr. Kym
Marshall, 224-3732. Address:
1525 W. Frye Road, Chandler,
AZ 85224
Notice of Nondiscrimination
Notificación de Non
Discriminación
Melanie S. Age 13
2018 Winner