Back to School: South 2021

WestValleyView.com

July 21, 2021

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Agua Fria UHSD: Making dreams come true

BY SUPERINTENDENT MARK YSLAS Agua Fria Union High School District

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ear readers: My name is Mark Yslas, the new superintendent of Agua Fria Union High School District.

I am originally from the small, copper-mining town of Hayden; the proud son of Lupe and Peter Yslas; and father of two adult sons, Marcos and Mateo.

I have 25 years of educational leadership experience, ranging from kindergarten to high school, as a teacher, principal and superintendent. As a servant-leader, I truly believe everyone’s voice matters and is important.

I am thrilled to become part of the Agua Fria UHSD and look forward

to building relationships with the community.

The region’s momentum provides opportunities to forge new partnerships, further develop students as leaders in innovation and create the best high school district in the nation.

As we head toward the start of the 2021-22 school year, I have begun strategizing how the district will embed itself into every corner of our community.

The work we do as a school district will not be exclusive to the families and students we serve. I welcome everyone to become part of the success of Agua Fria UHSD, including retirees, elementary districts and charter schools, faith-based or-

ganizations, small businesses, large companies and government entities.

Throughout the next year Agua Fria UHSD will create a Decade of Dreams, which will serve as our 10-year strategic plan. This endeavor will provide everyone the opportunity to help develop a plan we can all support. My goal is to have strong representation from all stakeholders as we build the Decade of Dreams.

I look forward to working with the community to achieve the best results for Agua Fria UHSD and invite you to start dreaming about how together we can #MakeItHappen.

If you’re interested in being part of the Decade of Dreams, email us at decadeofdreams@aguafria.org.

Welcome to Litchfield Elementary School District

BY JODI GUNNING

Litchfield Elementary School District Superintendent

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n behalf of the “A”-rated Litchfield Elementary School District, it is my pleasure to introduce you to our stellar organization. We are among Arizona’s highest-performing elementary school districts and have been providing educational excellence for more than a century. With schools in four growing cities — Avondale, Buckeye, Goodyear and Litchfield Park — we are widely known for academic rigor in a caring environment.

As one of the largest employers in the Southwest Valley, Litchfield Elementary School District prides itself

on A-plus schools, award-winning teachers, low administrative costs and a highly engaged community.

In the spring of this year, we successfully got students back into classrooms as soon as it was safe to do so, while offering extensive online and hybrid education options. We also provided free meals to students through our national award-winning food service program, as well as technology to those in need.

The West Valley View recently honored Litchfield Elementary School District as its 2021 Best School District, Best Place to Work and Best Preschool.

We are excited to launch our 17th

school on Aug. 2. The LESD Digital Learning Academy is an innovative outgrowth of a global pandemic that offers quality online education to kindergarten through eighth grade students throughout Arizona from the comfort of their own home. In addition to live teacher-led instruction and self-directed learning, our Trail Blazers will have opportunities for clubs, specials, middle school team sports and social connectedness.

We welcome new students, families, employees and partners. Please join us in our mission to connect, educate and empower our Litchfield family and community.

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Tolleson Union welcomes students back to campus

BY LAUREN SERRATO

West Valley View Staff Writer

T

he time has finally come, for some too soon and for others not soon enough. But ready or not, here it comes — the first day of school is right around the corner.

As students enter their classroom with a new teacher this school year, many teachers and administrators within the Tolleson Union High School District are

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

entering a new role themselves.

Let’s take a look at four educators who will be entering their first year in a new position.

Mindy Westover Assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction After working on school campuses for 24 years, Mindy Westover will be making the transition to assistant superinten-

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dent of curriculum and instruction for the Tolleson Union High School District.

Westover is coming from her role as principal at Copper Canyon High School.

Although she said she’s excited to Mindy Westover begin, she admitted that starting a new school year without being on a high school campus has created some initial first-day jitters.

“This is my first time opening a school and not being on a school site. So, there is some anxiety about not being on a school site, but I’m very excited to be supporting all schools and more students in a different role from the district level,” Westover said.

Reflecting on her time as principal, Westover said she’s proud of the college entrance rate increase from her date of hire to her departure. Copper Canyon went from 20% to 60% to 70%.

“Being a principal is an amazing job, and you get to transform the lives of young people and adults in a very unique way to create an environment and the culture that allows teachers to do the good work that they do and allows you to see opportunities and make things available to kids. It’s very exciting to watch,” she said.

Westover said she left the campus in good hands. She said the transition is like leaving a child at college.

“You obviously want to make sure that when you’re walking away, you’re handing it off to people who are going to care for the way that you did,” Westover said.

She knows Alfred Oxford will do just that. “I felt like I’m handing it over to someone who’s going to really take good care of it and help the continued growth.”

As a district employee, Westover has the opportunity to help all eight high schools.

“I’m very excited with what I was able to accomplish as a site leader and the good work that was done at Copper Canyon. (I’m) looking forward to supporting all sites and principals to continue to academic growth and helping their

students succeed, so I think that’s the exciting part,” Westover said.

Alfred ‘Bo’ Oxford Principal at Copper Canyon High School Starting his education career as an emergency-certified teacher, Oxford knew he one day wanted to become a principal.

After working at La Joya, Copper Canyon and Tolleson, Oxford returns to Glendale as the new Copper Canyon High School principal.

Oxford served as vice principal Alfred “Bo” Oxford at Tolleson High School, a community he said has been a major part of his journey.

“Leaving Tolleson, it’s obviously bittersweet to leave a place that you’ve helped to be a part of the growth, but that community is so supportive of the staff and of the students that I know that the foundation is set there and it’s going to be continued to be a great place for students to go to school,” he said.

Oxford worked as a Copper Canyon teacher, so he said he’s no stranger to life as an Aztec, but stepping on campus as the principal was “surreal.”

“Just knowing that this was a place that I had so many positive memories from as a teacher and now I know stepping in as a principal that I get to create some more positive memories in a different role,” Oxford said.

“I want to help instill a lot of those positive memories for our current teachers, for our current students, so that they look at this place as a place that they love to be just like I loved it when I was here.”

Oddly enough, Oxford and Mindy Westover, the previous principal and now assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, are not strangers.

During Oxford’s administrative educational leadership program at NAU, he completed his internship with Westover.

“I worked directly with her quite a

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bit, multiple days a week, and I learned a lot under her leadership,” Oxford said.

“I was able to really learn a lot of things from her specific to not only the administration and leadership but also specific to Copper. So, now I know heading into this role that she’s 100% supportive of me and she’ll continue to support me, just like I’ll support her, and I’m happy that we are going to continue to have this mentor-type relationship.”

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Looking forward to his first day with a campus filled with students, Oxford said he’s honored to continue being a part of Copper Canyon High School’s growth and success.

“My job is to ignite that flame, to ignite that spark, to find the potential, whatever that is, in that staff member, but also more importantly in our students,” Oxford said. “I want to ignite their spark and really have them determine what is the potential that they have, because as students, it’s limitless, and that’s what I am really excited about.”

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Rachel Sampson Special education teacher at Westview High School Rachel Sampson will come full circle this year, as she will become a special educator geometry teacher at her alma mater.

“For me, it’s fun because it’s more hands-on,” said the longtime special education teacher. “It’s not like a, ‘This is the paper. This is what you work on.’

With special ed I tried to do more Rachel Sampson hands-on things with them. I think that’s what makes me connect with those kiddos, and I take time and make sure they understand.”

Entering her 18th year in education, Sampson was previously a paraprofessional with the Tolleson Union High School District and taught in the Deer Valley Unified School District.

To keep her kids engaged, Sampson keeps her teaching methods creative and fun.

“I have different seating structures and classroom structure, so some of my kids sit on the ball, some of my kids sit at a table, some of my kids will sit at a fidget chair, some stand, whatever makes them comfortable to learn. It kind of looks like organized chaos in my room sometimes, but they learn, and that’s what I’ve kind of learned with my kiddos,” she said.

While Sampson is getting ready to start her job at a new school, she is looking forward to teaching at the school she knows so well.

“It’s surreal,” Sampson said. “It feels like I’m at home for one thing, but it also feels new and different because I’m in a different role now, going from student to teacher. It’s funny to see, because some of the teachers I’ve had are still there from when I was in high school.”

Sampson will teach with Robert McDowell and Paul Valkingburg, two teachers she had in the early 2000s as a student. She said being a teacher means wearing many hats to help each child learn and grow.

“I’ve learned that, through the years, you don’t just teach. Sometimes you’re a counselor. Sometimes you’re mom.

Sometimes you’re a nurse. It depends

on the day, and I think that’s what I love about it, because it’s never the same. Every day is different, especially in the special ed field, because I don’t know what they’re going through. I just put that different hat on, and I think that’s what I love best,” Sampson said.

Joshua Wray West Point High School assistant principal The Tolleson Union High School District welcomes Joshua Wray to his first year teaching in the West Valley.

Wray will serve as West Point’s assistant principal of athletics. He previously worked at Betty Fairfax High School in Laveen for 14 years. For eight of those years, Wray was the basketball coach and the instructional leader of the math department.

After landing the job in Avondale, Wray said the school is similar to a high school campus.

“This is the most beautiful campus I’ve ever seen,” Wray said.

“This is nicer than colleges I’ve Joshua Wray been to and attended. People told me it was going to look like a junior college, and I don’t think that does it justice,” Wray said.

West Point will celebrate its first graduating class in in 2022. Wray said he is excited to experience it.

“I actually opened up Betty Fairfax in 2007, so I was one of the first teachers who taught there, and I got to see a school grow and then have our first graduating class. So, I’m really excited as well about being a part of this young growth of a high school and seeing another first graduating class,” he said.

Wray and the district’s athletic departments are anticipating the sporting events. Additionally, this will be West Point’s first year competing at the varsity level. The Dragons were eligible last year but never got the chance.

“The facilities are amazing. These kids are going to have incredible uniforms.

They’re going to look great. They’re going to be on great fields, in a great gym, doing great things,” Wray said. “I love to see the growth of a school, and I want to

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see the growth of the athletics program obviously, because I think athletics really can help build a culture on a campus,” A Chandler native, he played basketball at Seton Catholic High School. Wray said he knows the excitement of playing sports and the benefits it can provide for students, parents and a community.

Wray said it’s an exciting time for athletics, as athletes and fans had a whole year away from the field.

“We’ve all spent over a year in our houses with not a lot of sports going on

throughout that time, and it’s something that families can come together, watch together, cheer and follow their kids having a good time and having success.

It’s amazing for the community, amazing for the kids, and I’m just really excited about it,” he said.

While his primary job is to oversee athletics, Wray said academics will always come first.

“The No. 1 priority for me, even as an athletic director here, is academics. It’s not only something that I push, but that is the No. 1 focus of the school, our community and in the district,” Wray said.

Outlets hosting teacher appreciation day

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BY WEST VALLEY VIEW STAFF

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.

Marissa Leinart’s topic is parent-led academy.

Uncorked the Band will provide the music. The title sponsor is Desert Diamond Casino West Valley, with valued

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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.

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WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

Sequoia Pathfinder adding high school to campus

BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI West Valley View Executive Editor

A

fter experiencing extremely high demand at its Sequoia Pathfinder Academy at Verrado Way and I-10 campus, the Edkey Inc. family of K-12 schools will add a high school to the campus at 20370 W. Roosevelt Street, Buckeye.

The high school will host, and is now enrolling, ninth and 10th grade students for this coming school year. In 2022 and 2023, 11th and 12th grades will be added.

Classes will begin Aug. 2 at Summit Community Church across the street from the Sequoia Pathfinder Academy.

To ensure a child’s seat in the inaugural freshmen and sophomore classes, enroll at spvw.org.

The $16 million expansion will feature a new STEAM+ high school building with 20 classrooms, including three state-of-the-art computer, maker and science labs; a synthetic turf football/soccer/lacrosse field; wood-floor basketball and volleyball gymnasium; performing arts stage; cafeteria; and office space. To facilitate the increased traffic for an additional 500 students, Edkey will extend Roosevelt Street from the campus west to Jackrabbit Trail. Groundbreaking is set for later this year, with completion expected in spring of 2022.

“This expansion will give West Valley families another choice as they consider the best program and environ-

ment to have their high school children educated,” said Mark Plitzuweit, Edkey chief executive officer and president.

As a West Valley resident and parent himself, he understands the need parents have for multiple options that fit their child’s unique needs and aspirations. The STEAM+ curriculum at Sequoia Pathfinder adds athletics, entrepreneurship and innovation to ensure those needs and aspirations are met.

Dr. Al Pajak, a pioneer in STEAM education and teacher at the high school, described the school’s approach.

“It has been said that the jobs of the future are waiting to be created. At Sequoia Pathfinder, deep learning experiences are designed on platforms of science and history, creating authentic challenges for the students to solve,” Pajak said.

“The solutions to these posed problems develop from the use of academic tools found in research, writing and the integration of the STEAM subjects, which include science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. In this environment, learning develops from the quest for a solution to a posed problem, which students construct through creativity and collaboration.”

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Pathfinder’s “growth mindset,” project-based curriculum, and hands-on learning experiences take students beyond academics and prepare them for the jobs of the future. The STEAM+ curriculum at Sequoia Pathfinder adds athletics, entrepreneurship, and innovation to ensure student needs and aspirations are met.

The newly added high school is now enrolling 9th and 10th grade students for this coming school year. Classes will begin August 2, at Summit Community Church across the street from the K-8 campus.

The new STEAM+ high school building will include state-of-the-art computers, maker space, and science labs; a synthetic turf field; wood floor gymnasium; performing arts stage; and cafeteria. The high school will move out of Summit Community Church as early as possible in the second semester once the new high school buildings are completed in Spring 2022.

W. Roosevelt St.

First Day of School August 2, 2021

623-263-5400 | www.spvw.org 20370 W. Roosevelt St., Buckeye, AZ 85326

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Manny Murillo spreads the wealth 10

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BY ALLISON BROWN

West Valley View Staff Writer

T

he Manny Murillo Scholarship for Employed Students program at Agua Fria is more than just $500. It’s a lifelong lesson about saving money and getting a head start on adulthood.

“I’ve been a substitute at Agua Fria

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

High School for 15 years. That’s a long time, so I knew all the students, especially the juniors and seniors,” said Murillo, who also graduated from Agua Fria in 1962. “For my scholarship program, I would tell students, ‘First of all, you need to have a parttime job. You need to be on track to graduate, and you need to have at least

$500 in your savings account when you graduate. If you do, I’ll match that $500.’”

Murillo is the CEO — and only member — of his nonprofit. He started the program in 2017 and has since given almost $30,000 in scholarship funds that come out of his own pocket. Typically, 10 to 15 students are selected for the scholarship each year, though this year there were only six.

He has also made substantial financial contributions to Agua Fria for upgraded computer systems, track team uniforms and the fine arts program.

How does he pay for it as a retired teacher?

“The answer to that is very simple: I’m a saver,” Murillo said. “My parents taught us to Manny Murillo’s nonprofit has given almost $30,000 in be savers. We were a migrant scholarship funds since 2017. (Photo courtesy of the Manny Murillo Scholarship Program) family and were very poor.

When I retired 15 years ago, I started working in real estate. ognizes that’s not what is important.

I’d buy old houses, fix them up and sell “I’m a single man, I’m retired, I them. So, I made a lot of money in the don’t have any children and I have a last 12 years. But I’m single, I don’t lot of money in the bank. What am I have a family or kids and I have money going to do with that? Sure, if I wantto give away.” ed to, I could go buy an expensive car, Besides giving students the $500, Mu- but will I? No, it’s not a priority,” Murillo is teaching them the importance of rillo said. “What’s important to me is saving, avoiding loans and being finan- to help the kids in the community. So, cially responsible. His teaching seems yeah, I could pack up and go anywhere to work, as one scholarship recipient in the world if I want, but I choose to this year had $4,000 saved for college. be here. I love my lifestyle.”

This topic is so important to Murillo The scholarship program is excluthat he voiced it to the state Legisla- sively for seniors at Agua Fria High ture. In 2019, a proposed bill would School. For those interested in applyrequire high school students to take a ing, students must submit a short essay financial literacy class before they can on their financial need and why they graduate. The bill passed 15-1. want to be part of the program, a work At 78 years old, Murillo could have schedule with at least 15 hours a week easily taken his small fortune and spent and proof of a savings account. retirement living lavishly, but he recContact Murillo at 623-882-0625.

For more stories & the latest news: westvalleyview.com

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LUNCH PROGRAM Buckeye Union High School District will be par�cipa�ng in a special Federal Lunch Program for the upcoming school year. As part of this program, only students enrolled in District schools are allowed to par�cipate in breakfast and lunch, and mul�ple healthy meal choices will be offered every school day. All BUHSD students will receive free meals through June 30, 2022.

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THE WORLD... EVERY O CHANGE ONE, E NDS T VER YDA Y

www.buhsd.schoollunchapp.com

BUHS REGISTRATION DATES July 20th-23rd from 8am-12pm

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check website for grade level details Addi�onal registra�on �me on June 22nd from 4-8pm

AUGUST 4, 2021

EFHS REGISTRATION DATES July 20th-23rd from 7:30am-12pm

While applica�ons are not required to par�cipate, it is encouraged. The informa�on collected on the meal applica�on could result in addi�onal benefits like P-EBT opportuni�es, increased funding opportuni�es for your school, and fee reduc�ons for student college tes�ng, athle�cs, fine arts, ac�vi�es and other eligible course fees.

The On-Line Applica�on system will open on July 23, 2021. Meal Applica�ons will be available at all schools upon request or apply online at:

REGISTRATION DAYS

check website for more details Registra�on makeup day on June 26th from 12-4pm

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Student Chronicles 12

Know a student who’s doing something remarkable? Tell us about it!

Email Christina Fuoco-Karasinski at christina@westvalleyview.com.

Gabriella Hayes of Goodyear was named a Piedmont University dean’s scholar for the spring 2021 semester.

Students named as a dean’s scholar achieve a perfect 4.0 GPA. The university is in Demorest, Georgia.

Macklin Flanigan-Nzekwesi of Good-

year was named to the Piedmont University dean’s list for the spring 2021 semester. Dean’s list honorees achieve a 3.50-3.99 GPA. The university is in Demorest, Georgia.

Jessica Marie Hensley of Litchfield Park earned a Master of Health Admin-

WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

istration from the University of Scranton in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Anisa Jones from Goodyear has been named to the spring 2021 dean’s list at Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri.

Ethan Lidgard of Avondale was named to the South Plains College spring 2021 dean’s list. The college is in Levelland, Texas.

Cassandra Contreras of Goodyear was named to the spring 2021 dean’s list at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri.

Logan McDonald of Goodyear was named to the spring 2021 dean’s list at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri.

Cortnee Brink-Baugh of Goodyear was named to the spring 2021 dean’s list at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri.

A number of local students at Southern New Hampshire University were named to the winter 2021 president’s list for the winter semester.

They are Shaquayla Estes of Avondale, Bobbie Battles of Goodyear, Catina Foster of Avondale, Christopher Walton of Buckeye, Michael Pugh of Buckeye, Sierra Baker of Buckeye, Caitlin Diaz-Gorsi of Buckeye, Eugene Carney of Goodyear, Andrea Berning of Litchfield Park, Christine Quist of Goodyear, Adam Nichols of Goodyear, Andre Silva of Avondale, Sergio Loya of Buckeye and Caitlyn Blake of Avondale.

Southern New Hampshire University named four local students to the dean’s list. They are Anna Ingram of Buck-

Visit us online at westvalleyview.com

eye, Melissa Ganucheau of Goodyear, Christina Lovell of Buckeye and Anna Wentworth of Avondale.

TJ Bowman of Buckeye earned an associate of arts degree at the University of Maryland Global Campus in Adelphi, Maryland.

Kyla J. Hayes of Buckeye earned a Bachelor of Science magna cum laude in psychology from the University of Maryland Global Campus in Adelphi, Maryland.

Conrad Gingg of Buckeye was named to the dean’s list at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls for the spring semester. He is studying dairy science.

Ashton Hooley of Goodyear was among the more than 7,000 undergraduate students at the University of Iowa named to the dean’s list for the 2021 spring semester. Hooley is a second-year undergraduate student in the UI’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and is majoring in English and creative writing.

Lauren Hess of Buckeye was named to the dean’s list for the spring semester at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. To earn dean’s list honors at Wheaton, an undergraduate student must carry 12 or more credit hours and achieve a 3.5 grade-point average or higher on the 4.0 scale.

Zoe Brinker of Goodyear was named to the dean’s list at Drake University in Des Moines, Illinois. To be eligible for the dean’s list, students must have earned a GPA of 3.5 or higher during the spring 2021 semester at Drake.

See more Student Chronicles on page 19

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WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | JULY 21, 2021

3801 North 91st Avenue | Phoenix, Arizona 85037 | Phone: 623-772 623 772623772-2200 2200 | www.pesd92.org

INNOVATION & EXCELLENCE THE PENDERGAST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL DISTRICT IS LEADING THE WAY...

With a variety of new and innovative opportunities to choose from. We are proud to serve students, families, and community in the cities of Avondale, Glendale, and Phoenix.

We are proud to offer: FREE FULL DAY KINDERGARTEN

FREE & REDUCED BREAKFAST / LUNCH

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ARTS & MATH ACADEMIES STATE OF THE ART TECHNOLOGY

PRESCHOOL EDUCATION

AND MUCH MORE!

Let’s shape the future together!

Come join the Pendergast family! REGISTER TODAY at the Pendergast Learning Center 3841 N. 91st Avenue | Phoenix, Arizona 85037 | 623-772-2302 | www.pesd92.org

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WEST VALLEY VIEW NEWS | JULY 21, 2021