April 18 - May 1, 2015 www.SanTanSun.com
Two earn A+ School of Excellence awards BY ALISON STANTON
Two Chandler schools have earned the A+ School of Excellence award for the 2014-2015 school year. Bobbie O’Boyle, executive director of the Arizona Educational Foundation, said that Chandler Traditional Academy-Humphrey Campus and Haley Elementary School were among 26 Arizona public schools to earn this honor. A second round of winning schools will be announced this spring, O’Boyle added. Schools receive $500 and a banner designating them as an A+ School of Excellence winner, O’Boyle said. The staff and faculty at the awardwinning schools are eligible for partial scholarships from Argosy University Phoenix. O’Boyle said her organization received a record number of applications this year from schools throughout the state. While it normally receives about 35 applications, this year 73 were submitted for the award, which gives recognition to outstanding public
Pam Nephew, principal of Haley Elementary School, discusses a children’s book with one of the school’s classes. Haley earned an A+ School of Excellence award for the 2014-2015 school year. STSN photo by Tim Sealy
schools. “My personal opinion is that the public is hungry for good news about schools,” O’Boyle said. “For every negative story there are thousands of
positive ones, and that is what we want to focus on.” Schools considered for the A+ School of Excellence award go through a rigorous selection process, O’Boyle
said. After the faculty, staff, students, administrators and community members collaborate on a lengthy application that includes demographic information, a description of current programs and practices, proof of parent and community participation, a profile of the school’s principal and his or her commitment to excellence and high achievement, the judges carefully review each application and decide which schools will be selected for a site visit. “Schools actively seek this award; we do not go out and wave a wand and say, ‘You’re A+. You’re A+,’ ” O’Boyle said. The site visits are also thorough, O’Boyle said. Judges spend a day and a half at each school. “While the judges are there, they go through the application with a finetooth comb, verifying what is on it. For example, if the application says the teachers post their learning objectives on the board so that all students will know what they are doing, they will check to see if this is the case.” The judges also spend time speaking with students to see what they are learning, and they meet with staff members. “They are looking for that sense of going above and beyond and that ‘wow’ factor, and for schools that are doing more than what you would expect in Arizona,” O’Boyle said. “Through the observations and interviews we are determining what it SEE A+ PAGE 4
Second grader is selected as walk’s youth honoree
Mayor: City taking ‘cautious approach’ with budget
Eight-year-old Ella Griffin is living proof that no matter what happens in life, it’s not only important to rise above it and keep going, but also possible to help others who are experiencing similar challenges. Ella, a second grader at Carlson Elementary School in Chandler, was diagnosed with polyarticular juvenile arthritis when she was 5 years old. Instead of letting the painful condition slow her down, she decided to create and sell bracelets to earn money for arthritis research. “I want to raise money and find a cure,” Ella said. The bracelets are made of glow-in-the dark rubber and include the words “Fight Like a Kid” and an image of a boxing glove. Recently, Ella was selected to be the Youth Honoree for the 2015 Walk to Cure Arthritis, which is on Saturday, May 2, at
BY KEN ABRAMCZYK
BY ALISON STANTON
the Phoenix Zoo. She will attend the event with her mom, Jill, her dad, Chris, brothers, Christopher, 12, and Jake, 10, and her sister, Maddie, 4. Laura Rolfe, executive director of the Arthritis Foundation, said Ella was chosen as Youth Honoree because of her desire to raise awareness about kids with arthritis. “Ella and her family participated in the 2014 Walk to Cure Arthritis and Ella made bracelets that she sold to raise money to support arthritis research and advocacy,” Rolfe said. Last year Ella raised more than $250 and Team Griffin was the top Juvenile Arthritis Walk Team, raising more than $10,000. Ella’s mom said she noticed that something was amiss with her daughter’s health when Ella was 2 years old. SEE SECOND GRADER PAGE 5
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The City Council is expected to receive a proposed budget for 2015-16 that is slightly higher than last year’s $783 million. A budget briefing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Friday, May 1. Council will receive a summary from the city manager, followed by explanations from department directors. The council can amend the proposal with adjustments they see fit. City officials and council members received public input on the budget through an online survey conducted in December and January. Mayor Jay Tibshraeny also hosted Budget Connect, a virtual forum, with residents in late February. Tibshraeny said he “looks forward to a good discussion” with the council.
“The May 1 budget meeting gives us a chance to dig down deep into the budget as it pertains to each of the City departments, as well as future capital projects,” Tibshraeny said. “As in years past, we will take a very cautious approach to our process understanding the many outside factors that can affect our forecasting. This is a culmination of a lot of input from our residents over the past several months, as well as hundreds of hours of work on the part of our staff.” Greg Westrum, budget manager, said he did not expect any large cuts or big increases in this year’s budget. “There’s been no change in philosophy or budget approach,” Westrum said. Capital improvement projects also
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