Washington Elementary School District

Congratulations to Alexis Manzano, kindergarten through second grade special education teacher at Shaw Butte Elementary, on being recognized as a grant recipient of the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program! Alexis will use the grant to purchase prizes for the Behavior Bucks Store and fun sensory items for the sensory room. Way to go, Alexis!

Start the new year on a positive note by supporting our students with a tax credit donation! Your contribution provides them with the opportunity to participate in field trips and succeed in extracurricular activities by funding items such as uniform replacements, equipment, and stipends for coaches and sponsors. Additionally, you may receive a tax credit of up to $400 if filing jointly or $200 if filing single. If you want to give back to a WESD school that could use extra support, please consider donating to Chaparral Elementary School, Desert Foothills Junior High, Desert View Elementary, Ironwood Elementary School, Manzanita Elementary School, Moon Mountain Elementary, Ocotillo Elementary School, Roadrunner Elementary and/or Sunnyslope School.

To make your donation online today, please visit https://bit.ly/3Ao6nZ7. Thank you for your generosity and support!

Happy New Year, ! We hope 2025 brings you joy, peace and happiness!

If you're a seasoned educator or just starting your teaching journey and looking for a new career for the new year, please join us for our Teacher Interview Fair on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at the WESD Administrative Center. We hope to see you there!

Congratulations to Kristina Hoelscher, kindergarten through eighth grade music teacher at Abraham Lincoln Traditional School, who was chosen as a grant recipient of the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program! Kristina will use the funds to make classroom improvements and provide a better educational environment for her students. Way to go, Kristina!

The countdown is on – not just for the new year but also for Kindergarten Open House! Don’t forget to join your neighborhood WESD school on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, from 5 to 7 p.m. to discover where the joy of learning begins! This will be a great opportunity for you and your child to learn about the WESD kindergarten program, meet dedicated teachers, explore engaging classrooms, receive important information about our childcare program (KidSpace), transportation services and school meals, and so much more! We can’t wait to meet our newest kindergarten students!

To learn more about the WESD Kindergarten program and to enroll your child, please visit https://www.wesdschools.org/kindergarten.

We conclude our December 2024 Employee of the Month spotlights with Becky Wright, instructional coach at Mountain Sky Junior High!

Becky is acknowledged for her diligent work in helping teachers improve their practice. In her role, Becky collaborates with her colleagues who are new to teaching and assists them in planning lessons, creating small groups sessions and routines, and providing classroom management ideas. It is evident that achieving excellence for all children is an important part of her life as she helps teachers review data to prepare classroom instruction and to gain insight into student learning. Other tasks that Becky has excelled in are managing the testing calendar and communicating information to families of students, and being in charge of the student class registration. During her school’s Future Eagle Night, Becky showed her dedication by being available to meet with parents and guardians who had questions about the registration process, assuring that they received all of the information that they needed. She has also organized and lead her school’s Jumpstart two-day event, which has been essential in helping incoming seventh grade students start the school year strong and build relationships with teachers, staff, administrators and other students. Additionally, Becky has made a positive impact at her school by supporting students outside of the classroom as the coach for the cross-country team. Her colleagues describe her as engaging, approachable and supportive.

Congratulations to Gabriel Garcia, seventh grade social studies teacher at Cholla Middle School, for being named a grant recipient of the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program! Gabriel will use the grant to purchase a collection of books for his classroom library that represent his students' interests, backgrounds and lived experiences. He also plans to use the funds to furnish and decorate his classroom, and buy additional school materials and supplies. Way to go, Gabriel!

Happy Monday, ! We are proud to share another December 2024 Employee of the Month spotlight of Jennifer Stallman, achievement interventionist at Sweetwater School!

On campus, Jennifer is recognized for her dedication in supporting every child to be the best version of themselves each day. In her role, Jennifer is a master at identifying learning gaps and math needs of students and then building rapport that is rich in respect and dignity as she provides small group instruction in an intervention setting. Thanks to her efforts, students show a sense of safety in taking academic risks as she reteaches them the math skills and standards. It is evident that Jennifer takes pride in each student that makes academic growth and progress with her interventions as she celebrates them and their accomplishments. As a leader on campus, she also wears many hats that make her a valuable asset to her school. Jennifer supports her school as a committed member of the Leadership Team and Staff Lighthouse. She is even one of three Lighthouse coordinators who create the Leader In Me Pacing Guide for the year for teachers to use to support social and emotional learning. Additionally, Jennifer is appreciated for serving all families and community members at several parent engagement events like Meet the Teacher Night, Title I Parent Night, Trunk or Treat, Leadership Day, Bingo Night and much more. Her colleagues describe her as a leader, dedicated and organized.

Congratulations to Alexa Faught, third grade English Language Arts teacher at Desert View Elementary, for being honored as a grant recipient of the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program! Alexa will use the funds to purchase new books for her classroom library, center activities and a range of text read-alongs for her EL students. Way to go, Alexa!

This week’s final December 2024 Employee of the Month spotlight goes to Giovanni Ramirez, third grade teacher at Roadrunner Elementary!

Giovanni is admired for his commitment to providing quality instruction and opportunities for all students to be engaged, and honoring their unique differences. As a first-year teacher, he has done a phenomenal job at implementing cooperative group structures for students to collaborate and have fun while learning. Giovanni meets with students throughout the day in small groups to offer personalized instruction and support their individual needs. Others can attest that when they walk into his classroom, they always see smiles, hands-on learning and brains working at max capacity. Giovanni has also greatly impacted student achievement as his students have shown tremendous growth in STAR Reading. He has even taken on implementing the new Benchmark Express curriculum with students learning English, and has supported schoolwide goals by increasing fluency with letter names and sounds. Additionally, Giovanni frequently provides excellent customer service by sharing progress and positive news with families, and by opening up his classroom to his colleagues whether it’s a learning walk or taking in another student in a different grade level that needs a break or extra support. His colleagues describe him as dedicated, professional and passionate.

Congratulations to Shannon Driver, library media specialist at John Jacobs Elementary, who was selected as a grant recipient of the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program! Shannon will use the grant to transform a corner of the library into an engaging movie section, which will include a diverse selection of books that have inspired beloved films and whimsical decorations such as vintage movie reels, eye-catching film strips, and playful popcorn buckets to ignite the imagination of all who enter. She will also use the funds to create an Arizona sports section featuring both professional and college teams, which will incorporate not only books but also highlights of local sports heroes and their remarkable journeys. Way to go, Shannon!

Are you interested in teaching for the largest elementary K-8 school district in Arizona? If so, we want you to join our team! Please attend our Teacher Interview Fair on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at the WESD Administrative Center. We’ll be offering contracts for the 2025-2026 school year!

Our District offers competitive teacher salaries of $53,000-$84,950 with performance pay, student loan forgiveness, school-age child care discounts, medical, dental and vision benefits, employer-matched contributions to Arizona State Retirement and much more! What also makes the WESD stand out is the level of support provided for teachers – instructional coaches on every campus, weekly half-day Professional Learning Communities (PLC), comprehensive professional development and social workers on each campus who provide social and emotional support to students and teachers.

Walk-ins are welcome! If you'd like to pre-schedule an interview, please call 602-347-2622. You can also apply online today at https://jobs.wesdschools.org/. We can’t wait to meet you!

Our next December 2024 Employee of the Month spotlight goes to Rick Quinones, day custodian at John Jacobs Elementary!

Rick’s colleagues nominated him for going above and beyond each day to ensure that the campus looks neat and beautiful. It is evident that he takes value in his school and cares that it is welcoming, safe and functional for all. Without Rick’s efforts, his school wouldn’t have such beautiful grass around campus, clean restrooms and perfectly laid out cafeteria tables. He makes sure that all students and staff can move around the campus safely by working hard to clear debris and clean sidewalks. When it comes to customer service, Rick is committed to being at work each day on time. Even when specific tasks are not required by him, he takes the initiative to help out in every way that he can and always asks if there is anything that he can do. Rick is always the first to respond to a classroom clean up or offer to carry items from and to a specific location. When his school didn’t have a facility manager, he stepped up without question and ensured that the campus was cleaned and prepped over the summer for the anticipated return of all students, staff and families. Additionally, everyone on campus can always rely on Rick to greet them with a ‘good morning’ and bright smile each day. His colleagues describe him as dedicated, hardworking and positive.

Today marks the first day of Kwanzaa, a week-long celebration of festivities dedicated to honoring African American culture and heritage. Family and friends gather each night to light a candle in the kinara, enjoy special foods, exchange gifts, and dance and sing. Happy Kwanzaa to all who celebrate!

Congratulations to Shawon Cave, third grade math and science teacher at Desert View Elementary, on being recognized as a grant recipient of the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program! Shawon will use the funds to purchase flexible seating options for his students. Way to go, Shawon!

This evening marks the beginning of Hanukkah, also know as Judaism’s “festival of lights.” The holiday celebrates the Maccabees' victory over the Syrian-Greek army of King Antiochus in 139 BCE and the recovery of Jerusalem. For eight consecutive nights, Jews gather with family and friends to light one additional candle on the menorah as well as exchange gifts, eat traditional foods and play games. Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate!

We hope you are enjoying your holiday, ! We continue our December 2024 Employee of the Month spotlights with Bryn Huguelet, behavior support advocate at Lookout Mountain Elementary!

Bryn is recognized for being a flagship for PBIS at her school. In her role, Bryn strives each day to make positive and specific connections to students. Her presence is widely known around campus as she works hard to make sure that students know that school is a safe place and that she is there to be a trusted adult for them. Bryn is an expert at providing excellence in customer service due to every behavior issue being brought to her attention, which strengthens her communication skills with teachers, students and parents alike. She has even made a profound impact on student achievement by setting aside time each week to contact parents for positive updates. A great example of this is when a specific fifth grader was having a challenging time with behaviors this school year, Bryn made a behavior chart to track their progress and communicated with their parents about their weekly goals. This provides parents and students with a positive experience by recognizing the areas that students are doing well in, allowing them to see their growth in maturity and behavior goals. Additionally, as a chair of the PBIS committee, Bryn has done an exceptional job at running staff meetings and spearheading assemblies, which has added to the overall spirit of the school. Her colleagues describe her as effective, compassionate and collaborative.

Merry Christmas ! We hope you have an amazing holiday filled with love, laughs and joy!