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Education

SCHOOL NOTES: News From CCUSD

Information and Photo Courtesy of Cave Creek Unified School District

Get out your pencil and paper and take note of some of the latest news from Cave Creek Unified School District (CCUSD).

BOARD EXTENDS SUPERINTENDENT CONTRACT THROUGH 2025

At a recent meeting, CCUSD’s Governing Board approved Dr. Cort Monroe’s employment contract through 2025. Dr. Monroe was hired with a 2.5-year contract beginning January 1, 2021. This extension solidifies the Board’s commitment to Dr. Monroe’s service to CCUSD.

“It is my pleasure to announce the contract extension of Cave Creek Unified School District Superintendent, Dr. Cort Monroe,” says Governing Board President Beth Hatcher. “By majority vote, the Governing Board agreed to extend Dr. Monroe’s contract due to his desire and work to obtain longterm sustainability for the district. In these uncertain times for school districts, Dr. Monroe has restructured the organization providing for an equal emphasis on the middle and high schools, implemented Professional Learning Communities for our teachers to enhance student achievement, and continues to pursue various funding opportunities for the Cave Creek Unified School District.”

“I am excited to continue the great work we have started with teachers, staff, leaders, parents and community members to achieve our mission of providing an innovative, high quality learning experience for all CCUSD students across our schools,” Dr. Monroe says. “Side by side with the Governing Board, we can work together as one team to develop curious, resilient, criticalthinking problem solving students who make a difference and inspire excellence in the world.”

CCUSD NAMES 2022 TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Recently, CCUSD celebrated their 2022 Teacher of the Year event. Held at the Holland Center, all seven teachers nominated were there with their families and principals. Also in attendance were School Board President Beth Hatcher, Board Members Scott Brown and Janet Busbee, as well as the CCUSD Cabinet, to celebrate these outstanding teachers.

The Nominated Teachers Included:

• Tracy Clay, Cactus Shadows High

School • Jessica Cresswell, Horseshoe Trails

Elementary School • Desiree D’Ambrosi, Sonoran Trails

Middle School • Danielle Michalizysen, Desert Sun

Academy • Cindy Minor, Desert Willow

Elementary • Colleen Neiman, Lone Mountain

Elementary • Susan Spigarelli, Black Mountain

Elementary

Cindy Minor was named the 2022 CCUSD Teacher of the Year and will go on to compete in Arizona Education Foundation Teacher of the Year.

CACTUS SHADOWS HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT NEWSPAPER WINS GOLD CROWN AWARD

Cactus Shadows High School’s student newspaper, “CS Press,” has won the Gold Crown Award from Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The “CS Press” is one of only ten high school newspapers in the country to receive this award – and the only high school in Arizona to be honored. The “CS Press” is student-run, led by thirteen student editors with help from faculty adviser Lori Hart. There are 21 students in total on the staff of the newspaper, which also has an online presence at cactusshadowscspress.com.

Education Congratulations to the Class of 2022!

By Cort Monroe, Ed.D., CCUSD Superintendent

Congratulations to the Class of 2022 on their graduation! This current senior class is unique and I commend each one of them for their grit, resiliency and perseverance the last four years at Cactus Shadows High School.

With their four-year experience almost in the rearview mirror, graduates can now reflect on the challenges they experienced while in high school. Many times, challenges, when seen through a longterm lens, present valuable opportunities for good, and these challenges will hopefully help our graduates be better people going out into the world and pursuing their passions. They are doing so with the support of their parents, family members, friends, teachers, coaches, and others around them.

I would like to make note and congratulate the Class of 2022 on the following accomplishments:

• The Class of 2022 consists of approximately 460 graduating seniors at

Cactus Shadows High School. • Congratulations to Sophia Barnedo and Bryden Kaminsky on being named

Co-Valedictorians. They each had a weighted GPA of 4.850. Ryan Toughill was named Salutatorian and was also named a National Merit Finalist. • There were 13 graduates who were in the International Baccalaureate

Program, 12 that were in the Early

College Program, and 27 seniors attended EVIT. • There were 1,558 Advanced Placement courses taken and 631 Dual Enrollment classes taken over the past four years by the Class of 2022. • As of this article, we have 10 student athletes who have signed to continue playing at the collegiate level. • There were many team and individual athletic and fine arts accolades that occurred this school year with the Class of 2022. Some highlights include: • Girls Swim: Mady Bachmeier took first place in the 100 Backstroke and 200 Individual Medley. • Girls Volleyball: Placed fourth in the state, reaching the semifinals. • Girls Golf: The team took third in the state and Chloe Tarkany tied for 6th place for an individual in the state. • Boys Golf: Two players individually went to the state playoffs. • Girls Basketball: Reached the quarterfinals. • In band, Devin Pease (clarinet) and

Katie Rink (tenor saxophone) were the top two chairs in Regionals for their respective instruments. • Ethan Thorpe was the CSHS

Excellence Award recipient and led the Pledge of Allegiance at a

Governing Board meeting.

Finally, as part of the Superintendent’s Challenge, which involves students committing to serve in the community by volunteering, senior Elizabeth Hord accumulated 658 volunteer service hours over her four years at Cactus Shadows High School. Fifty seniors participated in this Superintendent’s Challenge and the Class of 2022 contributed nearly 9,000 volunteer hours in bettering the local community over their high school careers. There will be many more recognitions and accolades to come.

We are proud of you and are excited for your future, Class of 2022.

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Education

SCHOOL NOTES: News from PVSchools

Get out your pencil and paper and take note of some of the latest news items from Paradise Valley Unified School District (PVSchools).

THE HONORS ROLL IN FOR PVSCHOOLS STUDENTS

As the school year wraps up, students across PVSchools are being honored with multiple awards. Here are just a few to note: • This year, the Pinnacle High School

DECA Chapter had a very successful showing at the Arizona DECA

Conference and brought back dozens of awards. Thirty-two Pinnacle High

School students qualified for the

International Career Development

Conference, which took place in

Atlanta in late April. • Showcasing their science and engineering knowledge, PVSchools students brought home several awards from this year’s Arizona Science and

Engineering Fair (AZSEF). PVSchools had its most successful year ever with teams winning at all grade levels. • PVSchools is thrilled to announce that eight students in the district recently earned a perfect score of 36 on the

ACT.

PARADISE VALLEY HIGH CREST TEACHER RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS RECOGNITION

It is a great honor to be recognized as an educator and Bhawna Verma, a computer science teacher for the Center for Research in Engineering, Science, and Technology (CREST) program at Paradise Valley High School, has done so with distinction. Verma is the recipient of the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) 2022 Arizona Affiliate Educator Award Honorable Mention. “My goal as an educator is to encourage and inspire underrepresented students into STEM academics and professions,” she says. “Being a woman of color with firsthand experience of the gaps in the industry makes it a personal achievement when a reputed institution such as the NCWIT recognizes me. It validates my efforts and furthers my drive to improve as a teacher, a colleague, and a human being.” Verma started teaching at Paradise Valley High School in 2018, and before that, she worked in the IT industry.

PVONLINE OFFERS FREE SUMMER CLASS TO PVSCHOOLS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Are you looking for ways to keep your high schooler learning and engaged over the summer? PVSchools is excited to offer one free class (.5 credit) of asynchronous summer school for PVSchools high school students. These courses are a great way to continue your teen’s education while they’re on summer break. Plus, they’re perfect for students who want to get ahead, take a class for remediation, or for enjoyment. With a wide selection of subjects available, there’s sure to be a course that interests your teen. PVOnline summer classes begin on June 6. Learn more at pvschools.net.