Cottonwood-Oak Creek Schools

📚🤖 Literacy is at the forefront of learning at Camp Innovation! 🤖📚

Mrs. SanGiovanni's class has dived into The Wild Robot by Peter Brown, and these campers are fully immersed in the adventure! The story has captured their imaginations, sparked great discussions, and inspired a love of reading. In fact, they never want to put the book down!

We are so grateful for our amazing teachers who bring stories to life and help children discover the joy, wonder, and excitement that can be found within the pages of a book.

💙 Thank you to all of our Camp Innovation educators for helping young readers grow, dream, and fall in love with literacy! 💙

🦕📚 A Huge Camp Innovation Thank You! 📚🦕

Thank you to Jodi and Jim Iacovacci of JRI 3D Innovations for their incredible donation of our Dino Reading Buddies!

Every camper at Camp Innovation received their very own reading dino to enjoy throughout all six weeks of camp. These special reading companions have already brought so many smiles, and at the end of camp, each camper will get to take theirs home.

What makes this gift even more special is how it supports our focus on literacy. Campers are spending time reading each day, building confidence as readers, and creating positive connections with books. Combined with our wonderful partnership with the Cottonwood Public Library, these reading dinos serve as a reminder that literacy is an adventure that can happen anywhere. Watching our community come together to support reading and learning is truly beautiful.

We are so grateful for the generosity, kindness, and community support that help make Camp Innovation such a special place for kids to learn, grow, and create lasting memories.

💙 Thank you, JRI 3D Innovations, for investing in our campers and inspiring a love of reading! 💙

MVP School Supply List for the Upcoming School Year!

It's time to start preparing for a successful school year! Our school supply list is now available. Please review the attached list and begin gathering the necessary items to ensure your student is ready for the first day of school.

🍎 Join the Lobo Family! 🐺

Cottonwood Community School is looking for passionate individuals who want to make a difference in the lives of students!

We are currently hiring:
⭐ First Grade Teacher
⭐ Paraprofessionals

If you're dedicated, caring, and ready to be part of an amazing school community, we'd love to hear from you!

Come grow with us and help inspire the next generation of Lobos. Apply today and become part of something special!

21st CCLC at Cottonwood Community School is having a blast at Camp Innovation! 🎉

Mr. Sandoval's Leadership Group took on a fun engineering challenge by building sculptures out of toothpicks and then testing their strength by balancing books on top. 📚🦷

Campers worked together, solved problems, and showed great perseverance as they designed and improved their creations. It was amazing to see their creativity, teamwork, and leadership skills in action!

📣 MINGUS WRESTLING SUMMER YOUTH CAMPS ARE HERE! 🤼‍♂️🔥

Looking for a fun way to keep your wrestler active and improving this summer? Join the Mingus Wrestling Summer Youth Camps for athletes of all skill levels!

📅 Camp Dates: July 1, 8, 15, & 22 (Wednesdays)
📍 Location: Mingus High School Wrestling Room
💲 Cost: $40
🎓 Grades: K–12

🏆 Beginner Camp

🕟 4:30–5:30 PM
👦 Boys K–5 | 👧 Girls K–8
✅ Learn the fundamentals
✅ Perfect for first-time wrestlers
✅ Build confidence, coordination, and wrestling skills

💪 Advanced Camp

🕕 6:00–7:30 PM
🎓 Grades 4–12
✅ For wrestlers with 2+ years of experience
✅ Focus on Greco-Roman & Freestyle wrestling
✅ Limited to 30 wrestlers

👨‍🏫 Coached by Luke Goettl
• 4-Time State Champion
• Greco & Freestyle All-American
• Greco Fargo National Champion
• 4-Year Division I Iowa State Starter

⚠️ Spots are limited, especially in the Advanced Camp! Register today by scanning the QR code on the flyer.

🏅🤼‍♀️🔥

🌟 Partnership Appreciation Picnic 🌟

We celebrated something truly special last week—our incredible community partners who help make our 21st Century programs possible!

A heartfelt THANK YOU to every organization, business, club leader, volunteer, and community member who shares their time, talents, resources, and expertise with our students. Because of your support, our students have access to enriching experiences that inspire learning, creativity, leadership, wellness, and career exploration.

We are especially grateful for the support of:
💚 Bent River Farm
💚 Wheel Fun Rentals
💚 Gardens for Humanity
💚 The Den
💚 Cottonwood Public Library
💚 Community Volunteers
💚 Parks & Recreation
💚 VACTE
💚 Yavapai County
💚 Rim Country Bow Hunters
💚 Yavapai College
💚 Science Vortex
💚 928 Signs
💚 Mingus Theater ATORT
💚 Verde Valley Fair
💚 Archery Clubs
💚 Lisa Organization

Your partnerships help create meaningful opportunities that extend learning beyond the classroom and make a lasting impact on the lives of our students.

Thank you for believing in our youth and investing in their future. We couldn't do it without you!

Several COCSD teachers recently attended the 6th Annual ATA Beginning Teacher Institute, where they gained valuable strategies to increase rigor in their classroom instruction.

Educators learned from Dr. Michael McDowell, who emphasized that "Rigor is not an event. It's a routine," and explored practical ways to embed rigor into everyday learning. Teachers also collaborated with colleagues, learned about the State 48 Graduate Profile, and heard from educational leaders and National Board Certified Teachers.

We look forward to seeing these new ideas come to life in COCSD classrooms this fall!

🌟🏕️ CAMP INNOVATION IS BETTER WITH ALUMNI LEADERS! 🏕️🌟

There's something special happening at Camp Innovation this summer! 💡🚀
We're thrilled to welcome back COCSD alumni Mica Altringer, Mia Vocca, Cambry Goff, Lane Armstrong, and Javan Sutter as camp assistants! 🎉👏

As former COCSD students, they know firsthand what it means to be part of our school family ❤️🏫. Their ability to connect with our younger campers, build positive relationships, and serve as role models makes a tremendous impact every day. 🌟🤝

From helping with hands-on activities 🔬🎨💻 to encouraging creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving 🧩💡, these alumni are demonstrating outstanding leadership while inspiring the next generation of COCSD learners! 🚀📚

We are incredibly proud to see these former students giving back to the district that helped shape them. Their dedication, enthusiasm, and mentorship are helping make Camp Innovation an unforgettable experience for our campers! ☀️🙌

💙 Thank you, Mica, Mia, Cambry, Lane, and Javan, for investing your time, talents, and energy into our students. You are making a difference! 💛

💙💛 🚀 🌟 🙌 🤝 🏫❤️ 🎓

📚✨ Learning, Growing, and Building Momentum! 🚀

Our COCSD administrators and teachers recently had the incredible opportunity to participate in Dr. Dan Mulligan's Flexible Creativity training! 🎉🧠

This engaging professional learning experience aligns perfectly with our Project Momentum initiative and our commitment to ensuring every student succeeds through high-quality instruction. 💙💛

Participants explored how to:
✅ Unpack the Arizona State Standards 📖
✅ Use evidence-based instructional practices 🔍
✅ Strengthen Structured Literacy instruction 📚✏️
✅ Enhance mathematics teaching and learning ➕➗
✅ Foster creativity while maintaining rigorous academic expectations 🌟

By focusing on standards-driven instruction and proven teaching strategies, our educators are continuing to build the skills and knowledge needed to help all students thrive! 🌱🎓

👏 A HUGE thank you to Yavapai County Superintendent Steve King, YCESA, and the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors for bringing this outstanding training to Yavapai County and inviting our administrators and teachers to participate. Your support of educators makes a lasting impact on classrooms across our county! 🙌🏽🍎

Together, we're creating momentum, strengthening instruction, and empowering student success! 🚀❤️
🚀 💡 📚 🔍 📖 🍎 🌟 🤝 💙💛