BACK TO SCHOOL
THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 25, 2021
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New Kyrene teachers hold in-person orientation ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF
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yrene School District hosted its annual Orientation for New Educators, or ONE, event in person this year at Aprende Middle School with limited attendance and plenty of space for social distancing. Events like ONE are key to Kyrene’s culture of support and mentorship for teachers, which has helped the district to remain fully staffed on teachers despite a statewide shortage. It was the �irst time since March 2020 that Kyrene hosted one of its premiere annual events in person instead of online. Each year new Kyrene teachers begin the year ahead of the veteran teachers so they can spend a week getting accli-
mated to the district and their individual schools. The kickoff event was the �irst time that many Kyrene teachers had been under one roof, in one room, for more than 18 months. The more than 50 educators included those new to teaching, those with years of experience and a few, like new Kyrene Middle School science teacher Dan Schack, who are embarking on a second career. “I was formally an environmental scientist,” said Schack, who previously consulted for the U.S. Department of Defense. “I am excited to use my prior experience to help students in my community here at home, and I know at Kyrene, I am being given the tools to make an impact in the lives of kids here.”
Speakers at the ONE kickoff event included Governing Board President Kevin Walsh, board member Michelle Fahy and Superintendent Laura Toenjes. Nearly every speaker commented on how weird and wonderful it was to be together with teachers in person. “The second I walked through the door, I felt welcomed,” Schack said. “It was inspiring to be in a room full of both new teachers and seasoned veterans who truly care both about the children and the community we are entrusted with.” Schack and other new teachers were showered with gifts to help them equip their classrooms and set students up for success. Those gifts are possible thanks to Kyrene’s many education partners, in-
cluding (but not limited to) the Kyrene Foundation, the Kyrene Education Association, the Keller-Gibbs real estate team, the Ross Murray Team at Neighborhood Loans, Back to School Bounty, the Home Smart Christie Ellis Team and Landings Credit Union. “Once again, Kyrene is starting the school year fully staffed with teachers, despite a statewide teacher shortage plaguing Arizona,” district spokeswoman Erin Helm said. “Inclusive events like ONE, that get teachers off to a strong start, are key to Kyrene’s retention strategies, along with mentorship programs, competitive wages, culture of collaboration, community support and Kyrene’s reputation for excellence in education,” she added.
age 18 and younger are eligible for free breakfasts and lunches, distributed by school districts. In Kyrene, students may receive free meals in person, at school or through curbside pickup at the Kyrene District Of�ice, two days per week. Kyrene Digital Academy students and even children who are not enrolled in Kyrene schools, such as younger sib-
lings, are eligible for free meals. Curbside pickup days are Monday and Thursday and include multiple days of meals. The USDA program comes at zero cost to Kyrene School District. However, Kyrene meals continue to be the same high quality, nutritious meals the District has provided for years. “Our curbside meals are made fresh, from scratch,” says Grant Moss, general
manager of Southwest Foodservice Excellence, which provides Kyrene meals. “Our goal is to fuel young minds and to always use fresh ingredients that taste delicious and provide the nutrients kids need in every bite.” Additional information about the free meals program can be found on the Kyrene website at kyrene.org/ foodservices.
Kyrene providing free meals for any child in Chandler ARIZONAN NEWS STAFF
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yrene School District will continue to offer free meals to all students throughout the 2021-22 school year. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has expanded its free meal program through NEX June 30. Through the program, all children
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