AUGUST 31, 2018
IN THIS EDITION Required Trainings – Important info Technology Tips & Free Workshop for Teachers & staff Good News & Gratitude A TV Star Visits Deer Valley!
Superintendent Contract Renewed through 2022 This past Tuesday, the DVUSD Governing Board voted 5-0 to approve a new contract that extends Superintendent Dr. Curtis Finch’s service to DVUSD for nearly four more years. Dr. Finch’s first contract, approved last year, is effective through June 30, 2019. The new contract adds three additional years and is effective July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2022. Dr. Finch said, “I am excited to know that I will be part of the Deer Valley family for the next several years. Last year, we had an extraordinary school year, and we are working hard to continue our upward trend.” The Superintendent has several goals he wants to accomplish in the coming years. “In our group of comparable peers, we are number two in academic performance. I want DVUSD to be number one within the next three years. We are on the cusp of achieving this goal, but the last portion of the journey is always the hardest.” DEER VALLEY VOICE – AUGUST 31, 2018
DVUSD Choir @ Dbacks! Choirs from several DVUSD schools will sing in a mass performance of the Star Spangled Banner (directed by David Duarte) on Friday, September 7 at around 6:35 p.m. at Chase Field. This is our third exciting year with several hundred students performing. If you are interested in seeing this performance and attending the Diamondbacks game, please follow this link to purchase discount tickets. (FYI: Form shows Canyon Springs School) The deadline to purchase tickets at the link above is Tuesday, September 4, 2018.
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CALENDAR CORNER
Required Trainings We know you are working like a dog, but don’t forget to watch your required video training! DVUSD requires that all employees, both new and returning, complete required compliance video trainings annually and acknowledge they are required to abide by all Governing Board Policies and DVUSD Guidelines. Continuing employees can find the video training form in the Smart Forms section of the WinOcular application housed in the DVUSD Portal. New employees, hired after August 18, 2018, will have access to the video trainings in their orientation documents. Upon completion of the required video trainings, each employee will sign an attestation page. The deadline for completing this training is August 30. If you haven’t completed this training, it’s doggone time! Click here for instructions.
ARE YOU A DVUSD COMEBACK KID? Did you attend school in DVUSD and are now back as a member of our staff? Click on the link below to tell us about your experience, and we may feature you in an upcoming Deer Valley Voice! https://dvusd.wufoo.com/forms/r1a7d3f10xhbclm/
Sept 3 – Labor Day – Schools and District Offices closed Sept 6 – National Read A Book Day Sept 10 – Fall Break Day – Schools and District Offices closed Sept 11 – Regular Governing Board Meeting, 7:00 p.m. Governing Board Room. Within 24 hours of a meeting Click here to view Agenda Sept 9 - 15 – National Arts in Education Week Sept 10 - 14 – Parent and Family Involvement in Education Week
SAVE THE DATES! The Longevity Reception will take place in the fall and is scheduled for Tuesday, November 27 from 5:30 - 6:30 pm in the Governing Board Room. Awards and a presentation will follow at 6:30 pm. The Retirement Reception will take place Thursday, May 16, 2019 from 6:00 - 7:30 pm at Barry Goldwater HS in the Auditorium and Lobby. Staff being honored will receive invitations prior to the events. Everyone is welcome to attend and celebrate our #Extraordinary colleagues!
I LOVE DVUSD! Why do I Love DVUSD? “From certified to classified, all employees seek to put students first in all decision-making. This attitude creates an environment where students are able to thrive. I appreciate this dedication to excellence from employees and their care for the success of their students.” --Nicholas Martin, Fourth-grade Teacher, Mirage Tell us why you love DVUSD at the I Love DVUSD link to receive a lanyard and pin in District mail.
Thank you for reading the Deer Valley Voice! To make a comment or ask questions, send an email to monica.allread@dvusd.org. DEER VALLEY VOICE – AUGUST 31, 2018
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Our core values are the foundation of our district, essential to our success. Today, we highlight the Core Value of Respect and Deputy Supt. for Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment Dr. Gayle Galligan who was nominated for a DV Star for showing Respect: “I can think of no other leader in the district with the heart of Dr. Gayle Galligan. The leadership that she provides for us is truly inspirational. The value of trust that she puts in all of us cannot be understated. That trust inspires. DVUSD would not be as great as it would be without her.” — DV Star Nomination
Nominate District employees for a DV Star when you see them demonstrating one or more of our Core Values: Respect, Accountability, Integrity, Student-Driven, and Excellence. Visit this page on the Portal or look for the link under QuickFind to nominate a colleague for a DV Star!
NEW SMART NOTEBOOK SOFTWARE The new SMART Notebook software is now available for teachers to download. To download the new version of SMART Notebook:
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Certified staff is invited to the free Google Applied Digital Skills Workshop on Monday, September 24th from 4:00-7:00pm at the IS&T Training Lab (18400 N. 51st Avenue, Glendale). You will learn about Google’s new digital literacy curriculum, which is part of the Grow with Google initiative. The Google certified training help teachers and school administrators get comfortable with the curriculum and help tailor it to their specific learners’ needs. Dinner will be provided! Sign up at: https://url.dvusd.org/61b3f3be
TECH TIP FROM ROXI
Roxi Thompson is a fifth-grade Highland Lakes teacher.
Try this great idea from @jmattmiller for using Google Slides to create Instagram Stories! This can be used for characters in a story, historical figures, recreating science labs, and so much more! Read more here: https://url.dvusd.org/13 c815a0
DVUSD PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR
Open up the Delivered Applications window Double click on the SMART Educational Suite v17 icon Note that the download will take approximately 20 minutes
The new SMART software includes Math Tools and a new Math Editor, as well as some new features, such as SMART blocks, SMART Lab (learning games), ink editor and paint brush tools, cropping features, YouTube add-on, and embedded Geogebra. More information here. SMART Notebooks made with the previous version will still work, though certain animations that rely on Flash (e.g., the vortex animation) will not function with the new version. Tutorials can be accessed at: https://url.dvusd.org/801b3939 . DEER VALLEY VOICE – AUGUST 31, 2018
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DVUSD SALARY & BUDGET INFO Deer Valley Unified School District is required to share the following information on our website, and we are sharing here so all employees have an opportunity to become familiar with DVUSD financial information. Teacher Salaries
Average salary of all teachers employed in FY 2019 (18-19 school year): $49,704 Average salary of all teachers employed in FY 2018 (17-18 school year): $44,403 Increase in average teacher salary in FY 2019 from prior year: $5301 Percentage change in average teacher salary in FY 2019 from prior year: 12% increase
Staffing Information
Proposed staffing summary for Teachers FY 2019: 1890 FTE (full time equivalent) Staff to Pupil ratio o General Education: 1 to 16.9 o Special Education: 1 to 12.5
We encourage you to visit the Budget 411 webpage to learn more about the finances of DVUSD.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES GOOD NEWS & GRATITUDE Sierra Verde recently had two new students transfer from Texas. These students are brothers and have significant needs. Team members Kim Krew, Stefanie Accimus, and Sierra Verde Paras have gone above and beyond preparing materials, working with, and supporting these students. They have work task bins, visual schedules, breaks, etc. prepared and ready for these students each day. They have ensured these students are set up for success. -- Gina Rosko, Sierra Verde Jill, an Occupational Therapist within Student Support Services, has worked diligently to create a sensory space within her therapy room in order to provide sensory breaks to students who may be having difficulty or need sensory breaks within their school day. -- Shelby McGrew, Esperanza I am new to the district and am learning many new procedures. Speech Pathologist Lisa Barany took extra time out of her schedule to help me with some documentation for a student. She is so patient and kind and I am very excited to be on her team! -- Kim Enriquez, Mirage A parent of a new Kinder student called me "best in the State!” -- Andrea David, Legend Springs School Psychologist Sheri Orrahood provides excellent leadership and mentorship in Student Support Services. She is currently mentoring a practicum student as well as a first year psychologist in the district. In addition, she consistently steps up and helps to lead regional teams by developing trainings and presentations. -- Barry Landeros-Thomas, Boulder Creek HS This year, Joanne George, Nadia Shatalova, Ann Olsen, and I created a Student Support Services-related service room where Speech, OT, and PT all work out of when on campus. This allows us to collaborate much more effectively and communicate about students more frequently. We are also able to co-treat when appropriate and be better resources to teachers and staff. -- Cristina Rios Cotton, Sunset Ridge As a new employee, I have been welcomed with open arms by my colleagues: Joey Blair, Kristin Smidt, Melanie Singleton, Christa Dettmer, and Tracey Odorcic. They have been beyond helpful and encouraging as I settle in. I was nervous to work in a big district, but I feel more comfortable knowing I am working with such great people! – Kirsten Kelly, Sunrise DEER VALLEY VOICE – AUGUST 31, 2018
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OUT & ABOUT WITH DR. FINCH
ICYMI: Check out these tweets with 3TV’s Lina de Florias visiting her former schools DVMS & DVHS:
DR. FINCH’S #500 CLUB Dr. Finch will again attempt to visit 500 classrooms during the school year. Last year he made it to 588 rooms! He has been busy so far this year… He has visited more than 100 class already! DEER VALLEY VOICE – AUGUST 31, 2018
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BUT WAIT… THERE’S MORE… Check out the last three pages of this publication, which feature info about:
An upcoming job fair Conversations with Curt – opportunities to interact with our Superintendent Arizona Coyotes Discount Tickets
Totally Wrong Test Answers
Follow DVUSD on Twitter & Twitter at these links:
@dvusd DEER VALLEY VOICE – AUGUST 31, 2018
/DVUSD 6
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