Cave Creek - Carefree: Back to School 2021

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS

TheFoothillsFocus.com

JULY 21, 2021

Welcome to a new school year

BY DR. CORT MONROE Superintendent, Cave Creek Unified School District

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e are looking forward to a great school year in the Cave Creek Unified School District where we are returning to a “better” normal, and our team is committed to serving students and families.

We should all be proud of the great academic and extracurricular accomplishments occurring throughout the district, especially as we navigated a challenging COVID-19 pandemic during this past school year and continue to work dili-

gently on behalf of the well-being of our students and staff moving forward.

I am proud to work with a governing board, staff and families that opened schools to in-person learning in September 2020 and kept schools open safely throughout the year meeting the educational needs of our community.

The Cave Creek Unified School District is an elite unified preschool to 12th-grade district because of the great people who work together to improve student learning. Each of us plays an important role in helping young people maximize their potential and prepare them for successful and

happy lives after high school and into their future.

This school year will bring a lot of exciting opportunities and challenges in our district. There is a bond for voters to decide in November that could improve and upgrade our technology tools, facilities, classroom furniture, security measures, transportation and athletic facilities.

This school year we will work together to reimagine our strategic goals, priorities, mission and vision to better meet the needs of the families and our community. In addition, we will engage in a project called “the Effec-

Marissa Leinart who will speak about a parent-led academy.

Uncorked the Band will provide music. The title sponsor is Desert Diamond Casino West Valley, with valued sponsors Planet Fitness, RSL Appraisal, Clamsville Productions, Phoenix Premium Outlets, Ariat, Cabi, J Crew, Watch Station, Asics, Old Navy, Volcom, Lacoste, Bella Butterfly Fashion, Lighthouse Styling and Beauty and Eminent Watches and Jewelry.

The presenting organization, Keeping Teachers Teaching, is dedicated to serving educators by offering general health programs, health services, discounts from national vendors, continuing edu-

cation and certifications.

Throughout the shutdown, Keeping Teachers Teaching held monthly Zoom workshops to provide extra support to Valley teachers.

Now that the restrictions are easing, Keeping Teachers Teaching is hosting this evening to show its appreciation for educators.

tiveness Project,” where we will strive to improve and support our employee effectiveness through a research-based evaluation system tailored to the needs of CCUSD. Finally, we will continue to nurture and build relationships of trust between individuals and groups both inside and outside of the organization as we continue to improve what we do for students each day. Our united goal is to inspire excellence in our students and help them to become independent, contributing and engaged members of our society.

Here is to a great 2020-2021 school year! One Team!

Outlets hosting teacher appreciation day

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

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uane Bluestein of the BluWay Talk Show will emcee “A Night of Teacher Appreciation” from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, July 24.

The event is poised to bring awareness to educators’ needs in Arizona.

The event is free and open to the public. There will be food trucks, giveaways, entertainment, a teachers runway show and raffle prizes.

The evening is scheduled at Phoenix Premium Outlets, 4976 Premium Outlet Way, Chandler. The featured speakers are Dr. Vernet A. Joseph, who will discuss productive business civility, and

THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | JULY 21, 2021

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THE FOOTHILLS FOCUS | THEFOOTHILLSFOCUS.COM | JULY 21, 2021

APS giving back to Title 1 teachers

BY TYLER WEGLEITNER Foothills Focus Staff Writer

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s part of its annual Supply My Class program, Arizona Public Service, or APS, is helping local teachers acquire supplies for their classrooms.

For five weeks beginning in August, APS will give $500 Visa gift cards to 500 teachers, totaling $250,000.

“APS supports teachers, and we want to help ensure that they have the re-

sources they need in the classroom,” said Anna Stewart, community affairs manager for APS. Stewart said there are certain criteria the grant applicants much meet.

“The teachers must teach at a Title 1 school in APS’ service territory,” she said.

Stewart said they also need to be a K-12 teacher at a public or charter school and that a list of all the eligible schools can be found at https://supplymyclass. com/promotion-rules/ According to the company’s website,

STUDENT CHRONICLES Know a student doing something remarkable?

Tell us about it! Email christina@timespublications.com.

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

Cheyenne Kuczi of Phoenix and Emily Knape of Cave Creek were named to the Rochester Institute of Technology’s spring 2021 dean’s list. Kuczi is in the photographic and imaging arts program. Knape is studying media arts and technology.

Undergraduate students are eligible for dean’s list if their GPA is greater than or equal to 3.40 for nine credit hours of traditionally graded coursework; they do not have any grades of “incomplete,” NE, D or F; and they have registered for, and completed, at least 12 credit hours.

Madeline Begalke was named to the Miami University spring 2020-21 president’s list. Students at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio who are ranked in the top 3% of undergraduate students within each division for the spring semester have been named to the president’s list recognizing their academic excellence. Begalke of Anthem is earning a B.S. in business degree in information systems and analytics, supply chain and operations management.

Melissa Lacross of Phoenix was awarded dean’s list honors for academic achievement during the spring 2021 semester at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the National Public Honors College. Dean’s list honors are awarded to full-time students

at St. Mary’s College who earn a semester grade-point average of 3.5 or better on 12 or more graded credits.

Alexandra Weber of Anthem was named to the spring 2021 dean’s list at John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio. Students eligible for the dean’s list must have completed a minimum of 12 semester hours within one semester and have a quality grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.

Kolten Christenson of Phoenix and John Ross, Meri Ross and Robert Ross, all of Anthem, were named to the McKendree University dean’s list for earning a grade point average of 3.60 or higher for the spring 2021 semester. The university is in Lebanon, Illinois.

Natacha Ramioulle of Cave Creek made the dean’s list for the spring 2021 semester at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. This designation is awarded to undergraduate students who have earned a 3.0 or higher academic average for the semester.

Cameron Ninneman of Anthem was named to the dean’s list at The University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Audra Glasco, Kiley Peruch and Noah Reno, all of Cave Creek, as well as Shelby Nichols-Vaughn of New River were named to the presidents list.

winners from previous years are still eligible to enter again this year.

Stewart said winners will be selected each week from Aug. 6 to Sept. 3.

“We will randomly select 100 teachers each week to win a $500 Visa gift card that they can use to purchase supplies for their classroom,” she said.

For the first week, Stewart said they will select 100 teachers who have been teaching for no more than three years.

The remaining four weeks will be open to all eligible teachers.

This is aimed at supporting newer teachers. That includes strengthening their commitment to their profession. The grant application process is open through Sept. 2, the day before the last drawing.

Teachers should only apply once, and any unselected teachers will remain in the applicant pool for the following weeks. Stewart said winning teachers can use their judgment with the funds.

“They know best what they need for their classrooms, so we want to give them that flexibility,” she said. “It would vary from teacher to teacher and school to

school. They know the greatest needs for their classrooms, so we leave it up to them to allocate the money as they see fit.”

She said APS staff values education and it aligns to their company’s values and commitments.

“We’re a long-standing supporter of education in Arizona and we believe a strong education system is important in the state,” Stewart said. “As a company that’s headquartered in Arizona, we have responsibility not only to provide safe, reliable power, but to strengthen and empower the communities we serve, and we take that responsibility very seriously.”

The application process is quick, and she encourages any and all eligible teachers to apply.

“We want as many teachers as possible to apply and have the opportunity to get $500 that they can use to help their classrooms and help their students,” Stewart said.

Anyone interested in applying for the program can do so online at supplymyclass.com.

BY FOOTHILLS FOCUS STAFF

school district.

She led steering committees, which successfully passed bonds, maintenance and operation override, and capital override elections. She is passionate about creating innovative environments where students are engaged and challenged to be independent thinkers.

She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business information systems and an MBA from Ottawa University. She serves on the board of a nonprofit educational foundation that awards more than 20 scholarships a year toward a post-secondary education.

Rodriguez tapped for CCUSD CFO position

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he Cave Creek Unified School District Governing Board recently approved the hiring of Marcie Rodriguez as the district’s chief financial officer beginning with the 2021-2022 school year.

Rodriguez has over 20 years of experience in Arizona school finance and operations. She started her career at the Arizona Department of Education as the director of school finance.

Along her professional journey she has been a collaborative leader of an elementary, a unified and a union high

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