Sweetwater School

We have had a busy 2nd week at Sweetwater with lots of learning. Here are a few pictures from our wonderful week!
We have new artwork already getting posted and shared on campus.
Our leadership class in middle school is making visits to buddy classrooms both lower-grade and self-contained classes.

Yesterday we held our annual Leader In Me Kick-Off assemblies. Sweetwater Middle School Choir started our assemblies with the National Anthem.
Then we all participated with Mr. Kester in the 7 Habits dance. Ms. McMacken and Ms. Gonzales shared students' favorite Habits and how they use them. We look forward to seeing all our leaders demonstrate their Habits this year!

Students have the opportunity each day to participate in a Special Area class. Here are a few images of student leaders in their specials classes from today. We are so thankful for such a great team of Special Area teachers! They do a wonderful job of showcasing student leader talents in many different areas.

As we start a great school year, one of the first actions we have as educators is to understand what our students know about their grade-level standards. Today, we started assessing math and reading student knowledge. We do this to gather information in order to make decisions about instruction. Some standards will be a focus for whole group instruction and others will be for small group instruction. The assessments are completed one on one and in whole group. We use this data to help select monthly goals for our leaders to focus on for their WIGs (Wildly Important Goals).

Mr. Bridwell's Leadership Class spent time working on an activity to discover the impact of Proactive vs. Reactive language.

Many classrooms will be learning about Habit 1: Be Proactive® in the coming days. Here is a little overview.

Habit 1: Be Proactive® teaches us that we can usually tell the difference between proactive and reactive people by the language they use.

Reactive language sounds like: “That’s just the way I am,” “You ruined my day,” or “There’s nothing I can do.”

Proactive language sounds like: “I can do better than that,” “I’m in charge of how I feel,” or “I’m going to think about other options.”

Sweetwater: Leadership Starts Here!

It was a wonderful first day of school! We are so happy to see all our Sweetwater Leaders back on campus for a great year!

Today we welcomed back all our wonderful Sweetwater staff! Thank you to Principal Smith and Social Worker Mrs. Martinez for presenting the beginning of the year important WESD information. Special thanks to all of our community partners that helped to make Sweetwater staff feel loved and supported with a week filled with treats. Megan and Dan Valentine from Valentine Health donated a bounty of snacks and water for pre-week. CalvaryPHX Church generously donated a meal for Meet the Teacher night. Parent Lighthouse sponsored breakfast for staff this week. Pure Heart Church donated a delicious breakfast of Brushfire Burritos on our first day back on campus. We are so excited about the upcoming year and looking forward to seeing all our leaders on Monday!

Sweetwater Meet the Teacher was a great success! It was wonderful to see all our leaders back on campus again! Many of our leaders were a few inches taller than the last time we saw them. We are looking forward to seeing you grow in many ways this year. Thank you teachers for all your hard work getting your rooms ready for a great year of learning.

Want to access you child's class schedule, grades or state assessment data?

Make sure you sign up for ParentVUE!

With the new school year right around the corner, now is a great time to sign up for ParentVUE! All WESD parents and guardians can use ParentVUE for free to access their child's assignments, grades, attendance and more!

If you are logging in for the first time and don't have an email, you can obtain an activation key by visiting your child's school office or picking it up at the school’s upcoming Meet-the-Teacher event. If you have an email, you can request account activation online. Please visit https://www.wesdschools.org/ParentVUE to get started today!

Sweetwater was fortunate to host a variety of WESD trainings today. Math teachers attended a training about our new math program iReady. Sweetwater teaching assistants participated in special education professional development. Behavior Support Advocates and Library Techs met to kick off the new year. Thank you all for a successful day of staff development!

Welcome Back, Wonderful Sweetwater Teachers!
We are looking forward to a Fabulous 2023-2024 School Year. Teachers were welcomed back to campus today with breakfast donated from Sweetwater Parent Lighthouse and Pure Heart Church. We are looking forward to seeing all our Sweetwater Student Leaders for Meet the Teacher on Thursday 8/3/23 from 5 pm to 7 pm.

Come join our great team! Hope to see you tonight!

Don't forget to join us tomorrow, July 25, at the WESD Teacher and Support Staff Job Fair! Interviews will be available from 3:30 to 6:15 p.m. at Arroyo School. Whether it’s serving as a teacher, bus driver, custodian, nutrition services clerk, paraprofessional or instructional assistant, the WESD has an exciting position for you!

We offer paid holidays and personal leave, vacation time, competitive salaries, employer-matched contributions to Arizona State Retirement, insurance benefits for employees working 30 hours a week, discounts on WESD-sponsored childcare, extensive training, opportunities for advancement, and a new starting salary for first year teachers of $51,610, including performance pay and a mentorship program*.

Walk-ins are welcome! To view open positions at our 33 schools and apply online, please visit https://jobs.wesdschools.org/.

*Denotes completion of the BEGIN program and earning performance pay.

Sweetwater Families:
Welcome Back! We are looking forward to a wonderful new school year!

Please check your email for an update about back-to-school information from Principal Smith.

You can also use the links below to access the documents Principal Smith sent today.

Welcome Back Letter
https://bit.ly/SWWelcomeLetter

School Supplies Information
https://bit.ly/SWSupplies2023

School starts soon! Be sure to enroll your kindergarten students in our free, full-day program today! WESD also offers free breakfast and lunch to all students!

Do you or someone you know have a child turning five before September 1, 2023? If so, they are eligible to enroll their child in our kindergarten program! Available at 27 locations, our free, full-day kindergarten program offers a developmentally appropriate, research-based curriculum that addresses reading, writing, math, science, social studies, physical education and music, with time for fun and interaction! Our highly qualified and enthusiastic teachers encourage peer-to-peer relationships and collaboration while supporting each student’s unique needs and helping them to discover who they are as learners. With multiple A+ Schools of Excellence, a National Blue Ribbon and a National Title I Distinguished School, the WESD is also proud to be a Top 20 school district in the country in student growth.

The WESD is now enrolling kindergartners for the 2023-2024 school year! To learn more and enroll today, please call 602-896-6950 or visit https://www.wesdschools.org/kindergarten.

Congratulations 🎉 Mrs. Phelps! Thank you for all you do for the staff and students at Sweetwater. You help us all be the best leaders we can be!

Today, we are proud to share our final employees of the month of the 2022-2023 school year! Demonstrating exceptional customer service and a commitment to student achievement, these employees exemplify the vision, mission, and values of the WESD. All employees of the month are awarded with a commemorative plaque in honor of their contributions to the District.

Congratulations to our May 2023 Employees of the Month:
Addison Fimbrez, instructional coach, Alta Vista Elementary;
Vicki Link, special area teacher, Abraham Lincoln Traditional School;
Jenn Pfister, academic intervention specialist, Orangewood School;
Cathy Phelps, seventh and eighth grade science teacher, Sweetwater School;
Lesley Pletnick, physical education district instructional coach, Academic Services;
Julia Radliff, social worker, Cholla Middle School;
Brandie Watson, resource teacher, Roadrunner Elementary; and
Victoria Williams, After-School Academy (ASA) coordinator, Academic Support Programs.

Be sure to check back tomorrow as we will start to highlight each of these incredible employees!

Calling all our eighth grade students who just promoted! Check out these exciting summer opportunities with the Glendale Union High School District!

How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.
---A. A> Milne
Congratulations to our 8th-grade Leaders that promoted yesterday! Some of our Leaders have been with us for a short time and others have been with us for 9 years. This celebration is bittersweet, we are so thankful for our time together, learning and growing. We also will miss you being a part of our daily Sweetwater family. We wish you all the best and are excited for your next adventure in high school. Make sure to always remember to BE A LEADER TODAY THE SWEETWATER WAY!

Congratulations!!! We celebrated the promotion of our kindergarten classes this week. We are so proud of all the growth you have made this year! We are looking forward to seeing you as big 1st graders in the fall.

Today Sweetwater celebrated leaders of academics, leadership, and attendance. We held four assemblies celebrating our 4th Quarter Leaders. We are so proud of all our leaders and the growth you had this year! We can’t wait to see all the wonderful accomplishments in your future!

The end of the year is coming quickly but we have great learning activities and celebrations happening all over campus this week. Ms. Gerard's 5th graders built and played math games. Ms. Christian's 5th graders presented their country reports. Ms. Williams’s science buddies worked on a collaborative science experiment. 8th graders took an end-of-the-year field trip and had their promotion dance. Ms. Makowski, Ms. Kanchan, Ms. Juarez, Ms. Sandell, and Ms. Kuitunen’s classes participated in water sensory days. Ms. Sandell also organized and sponsored a school talent show. Mr. Kester got his whole group of color guard club members together for a picture. Ms. Morgan's class had an end-of-year glow celebration. 7th graders in Ms. Young's class participated in a potato Olympics. Middle school students had a special guest meet and greet in science with Ms. Phelps. What a great week at Sweetwater!

Last week 8th-grade students hosted a carnival for other students on campus. 8th graders created carnival games as a cumulation activity for their work with theoretical probability, experimental probability and profit/loss. Everyone enjoyed getting to test out the games, and the math involved!! Thank you, Mr. Bridwell, for supporting students in their real world application of math standards!

Teacher Appreciation Week 2023
We LOVE our Sweetwater Staff!
What an amazing week of treats and appreciation for our awesome Sweetwater Staff!
We are so grateful for our community partners who showered staff with love and appreciation.
Calvary Church provided bagels and a juice and coffee bar on Monday and salads from Salad ‘n Go for lunch on Tuesday. Cookies were abundant from Parent Lighthouse and a Popcorn and Candy Bar was a sweeeet treat with candy extravaganza on Wednesday by SW Admin. Team. Teachers enjoyed a Potato Bar and specialty shortbread cookies from The Valentine Group and Parent Lighthouse. Pure Heart Church treated staff to Brushfire Breakfast Burritos and a Coffee Bar. Sugar and Lace Bakery provided delicious cupcakes for all and AZ Sky Volleyball and Discovery Pointe Church provided a wonderful lunch on Friday of Sub. Sandwiches, chips and drinks.
We are so grateful for our community partnerships at Sweetwater!

A very special thank you to Principal Smith who organized a week full of treats for our teachers! Thank you to Ms. Soboloski for helping to organize, find donors and decorate festively.

This week Student Lighthouse sponsored end-of-the-year dance parties for grades K-7th. Thank you, Mr. Kester, for being the best DJ and dance leader! Thank you to Mrs. O'Hair for organizing such a fun event!

Thank you to North Phoenix Kiwanis! Today Mr. Wes and Mr. Joe stopped by to hand out dictionaries to our 3rd-grade students. This is the 13th year of Kiwanis donating dictionaries in the valley.
Our Sweetwater Leaders were invited to a summer challenge. The students that memorize the meaning of the most words, will win lunch and a gift card.
We are looking forward to seeing how many word meanings you can learn this summer!!

8th graders in Ms. Makowski's classroom took a special field trip last week. Students went to Build A Bear Workshop to build a special promotion bear. What a special treat for them as they get ready to head to high school next year!

Thank you Mr. Kester and Mrs. Farmer for a wonderful Spring Concert yesterday evening. Our 5th - 8th Grade Band and Strings groups performed as well as our Middle School Choir. Congratulations!

We had a great three days of field days last week. Students in general education classes grades K-8 participated in a morning of fun and physical fitness last week. The weather was beautiful for these events. Thank you, Mr. Jones and homeroom teachers for helping to make these days successful!

Sweetwater Leaders want to thank our wonderful cafeteria staff! Happy School Lunch Hero Day!

Come by tonight 6 pm to see the Drama Club's spring performance; The Mystery of the Missing Lion! Staff and students got to see a sneak peek this afternoon. Great job Drama Club Leaders!!

Our wonderful reading intervention staff from the literacy lab has worked with students on a Readers Theater experience. Small groups of 2nd and 3rd Grade students performed a Readers Theater, reading similar to a play, for other classes. Students practiced for about a week before they performed. It was wonderful to see students showcase all the skills they have learned in the literacy lab reading intervention this year.

Thank you Principal Smith for all you do every day! We appreciate you!

Happy National School Principals Day! We are so grateful for our incredible school leaders and their support and commitment in leading students to bright futures!

Special thank you to:
Rhonda Warren, Abraham Lincoln Traditional School;
Christine Hollingsworth, Acacia Elementary School;
Cody Riding, Alta Vista Elementary;
Becca Burd, Arroyo School;
Michelle Hall, Cactus Wren Elementary;
Kara McDivitt, Chaparral Elementary School;
Mindy Pallagi, Cholla Middle School;
Anna Kohl, Desert Foothills Junior High;
John Mospan, Desert View Elementary;
Stacey Sallee, Ironwood Elementary School;
Steve Whynott, John Jacobs Elementary;
Tim Woodward, Lakeview Elementary School;
Tricia Heller-Johnson, Lookout Mountain Elementary;
Ashanti Givens, Manzanita Elementary School;
Nick Gupton, Maryland School;
Dawna Dohogne, Moon Mountain Elementary;
Julia Herman, Mountain Sky Junior High;
Philip Liles, Mountain View School;
Ignacio Mercado, New Beginnings Academy;
Mandy Taylor, Ocotillo Elementary School;
Heather Vasquez, Orangewood School;
Jay Richardson, Palo Verde Middle School;
Pamela Hall, Richard E. Miller Elementary School;
Courtney Mallada, Roadrunner Elementary;
Darcy Estrada, Royal Palm Middle School;
Crystal Bustamante, Sahuaro Elementary School;
Phil Garitson, Shaw Butte Elementary;
Jennifer Dial, Sunburst Elementary;
Chance Whiteman, Sunnyslope School;
Mandi Jones, Sunset Elementary;
Susie Smith, Sweetwater School;
Kimberly Gessner, Tumbleweed Elementary;
Jennifer Griggs, Washington Elementary; and
Katelynn Wheeler, WESD Online Learning Academy.

Join us in thanking your school principal today for all they do!

Butterfly season is upon us! Many classrooms have been studying the life cycle of butterflies this last month. Here are some pictures from a classroom release from last week. The kiddos enjoy getting to see the butterflies develop from a larva to a pupa, and then an adult. Once the butterflies are ready the students get to watch them be released.

Watch a time-lapse of a monarch caterpillar transforming into a chrysalis and emerging as an adult to take its first flight from Florida Museum of Natural History:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-5es2gjfvU.

We want to thank all our families that came out to participate in our Family Habits Night last night. We greatly appreciate your attendance and participation in learning about and applying the 7 Habits. Sweetwater Parent Lighthouse did a wonderful job of hosting this event. We would like to extend a special thank you to Mr. Kester, Ms. McMacken, and Ms. Johnson for facilitating our evening. We are excited to be partners with families as we work to get Sweetwater Leaders, to be Leaders of Today and Tomorrow.

"Family is the most important organization in the world"
- Dr. Stephen Covey

Yesterday 4th-grade students in Ms. O'Hair and Ms. McGlynn's homerooms participated in a special presentation. Special guests from Liberty Wildlife Education program stopped for an onsite educational field trip. This year, 4th Grade students have followed a nest of eaglets. During this presentation, students were able to learn about and see an eagle in person as well as other birds of prey. Sonora, the eagle, was a rescue that had been abandoned as a baby in Fountain Hills. She was the only surviving chick from the nest. Sonora can not be released because of the damage she received in the fall from her nest. Thank you Ms. McGlynn for arranging such a wonderful learning experience for our learners.

Happy Administrative Assistant's Day, Ms. Marie!
We appreciate all you do for Sweetwater!

Happy School Bus Driver Day!!
Today we took time to honor our School Bus Drivers and Bus Assistants that transport our Sweetwater kiddos to and from school each day.
Thank you for all you do to keep our students safe!

Benny K. a 5th grader recently started a club at Sweetwater. Benny had the idea to start a club where students learn about flag etiquette and then work daily to appropriately take down the US and AZ flags in front of the school. Benny was able to recruit a spectacular sponsor for this club, Mr. Kester. Mr. Kester has worked to fine-tune the mechanics of the current flag pole as well as identify potential club members. We currently have over 60 members that rotate each day. If you are ever in line at dismissal wave at our Sweetwater Color Guard.

Are you interested in seeing more funding for things like the Gated Alley Program, a Community Court Program, or park land development?

If so, please join the City of Phoenix District 1’s in-person Budget Hearing this Thursday, April 6, at the Cholla Library, located at 10050 N. Metro Pkwy E, at 8:30 a.m. By attending the meeting, you can make your voice heard on what you would like included in the City’s 2023-2024 Budget!

If you are unable to attend the hearing, please visit the following link for additional ways you can provide your feedback in the creation of the City’s 2023-2024 Budget: https://www.phoenix.gov/budget/hearings.