School might be out, but Laveen schools are serving FREE breakfast and lunch to all kids all summer! In addition, both our local high schools, Cesar Chavez and Betty Fairfax are part of a similar program in the Phoenix Union High School District.

Children 18 years and younger may join us throughout the summer for nutritious breakfast and lunch. All kids’ meals are free at specific Laveen Elementary School district schools. There are no income requirements and you do not need to register. Children do not need to be enrolled in a Laveen school to participate. The summer meal program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Join us at any of the following locations.

All sites closed May 27 and July 4.

Meals are available to all children under the age of 18. Adult meals available for $2.50 breakfast and $3.50 lunch.

Visit www.laveeneld.org/summer-meals for more details.

In addition, this is the 38th summer that the Phoenix Union High School District, along with other agencies, will provide breakfast and lunch for needy children 18 years of age and younger at 13 high schools, Monday through Thursday, May 28th – June 27th.

Funded through the U.S. Department of Education food and nutrition programs, the Summer Food Program has, for over three decades, prepared and served more than 4 million meals at as many as 60 sites throughout Phoenix. Summer lunches are an extension of the National School Lunch Program.

Meals are prepared at PUHSD’s various high school campuses, listed below, serving thousands of meals per day. New foodstuffs are purchased at the beginning of the program to support the nutritional needs of children in impoverished areas.

Meals will be made available to all children 18 years of age and under without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, age or disability. There will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.

Meals will be served at the following PUHSD-sponsored campuses:

Alhambra High School                    3839 W. Camelback Road

Bioscience High School                   512 E. Pierce Street

Betty Fairfax High School               8225 S. 59^th Avenue, Laveen  

Camelback High School                  4312 N 28th Street

Central High School                        4525 N. Central Avenue

Cesar Chavez High School               3921 W Baseline Road, Laveen    

Franklin Police and Fire HS             1645 W. McDowell Road

Carl Hayden High School                3333 W. Roosevelt Street

Metro Tech High School                  1900 W. Thomas Road

North High School                          1101 E. Thomas Road

Phoenix Coding Academy                 4445 N Central Avenue

Academies at South Mountain         5401 S. 7^th Street

Trevor G. Browne High School        7402 W. Catalina Drive

Each of these school campuses will be hosting Summer School. Food will be prepared, as it is during the regular school year, at each location in the school cafeteria or delivered to the sponsor site. Participating community members will be directed to the designated areas of each campus.

Breakfast will be served from 7:30 A.M. until 8:30 A.M., with lunch being served from 11:45 A.M. until 12:15 P.M. Adults are welcome to accompany children and can purchase breakfast for $2 and lunch for $3.

The post Free breakfasts and lunches ALL SUMMER at Laveen schools appeared first on Laveen Business Directory.

Phoenix Union High School Press Release (Aug. 11, 2017)

PHOENIX UNION— All Phoenix Union High School District students will be able to eat free breakfast and lunch through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program for the 2017-18 school year.  It is the second year that the policy has been in effect.

Phoenix Union is able to offer this Special Assistance Provision based on the success of the District receiving   completed applications for free and reduced-price meals for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program from households in the school district.

Applications are distributed to students and parents by Phoenix Union schools at the beginning of the school year and can also be obtained at the schools’ Registration Office, Community Liaisons, and on the school’s website, www.PhoenixUnion.org/freelunchapp .   Applications can be returned to the school, or submitted via the online application at the link above. For more information, contact Milena Moneva at 602-764-7903.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture National School Lunch program is based on household income levels.  But the number of participants in this program also determines federal Title monies (additional funding for academic support, such as free summer school) and e-Rate, which provides funding for improved technology at schools.  Other benefits through reimbursement funding include low-cost, nutritious meals, renovation of cafeterias, upgraded food service kitchen equipment, food service staffing and allows the PUHSD food service to be financially self-sustaining, freeing up money for other budgetary needs.

This program typically provides free lunch to family households whose income is 130 percent of the federal income poverty level.  For the   2017-18 school year, that threshold is $31,980 for a family of four.

MEDIA CONTACT: Craig Pletenik (602) 764-1530

The post All Phoenix Union students get free breakfast & lunch for 2017-18 appeared first on Laveen Business Directory.

Hunter Hazelton, a senior at Betty Fairfax High School was named 2016 Arizona Poetry Out Loud State Champion at the state finals competition held on March 11, 2016 at the downtown Phoenix studios of Arizona PBS. As State Champion, Hazelton will represent Arizona at the 11^th annual Poetry Out Loud National Finals competition in Washington, D.C., in May.

A program of the National Endowment for the Arts and The Poetry Foundation, Poetry Out Loud is delivered in all 50 states and three territories through partnerships with the State Arts Agencies. The Arizona Poetry Out Loud program is managed and supported by the Arizona Commission on the Arts, an agency of the State of Arizona.

This year, 49 schools and over 10,000 students across the state participated in the competition at the school level. 52 students advanced to compete at one of three regional competitions held in February. Ten students advanced from the regional competitions to compete in the state finals.

Hunter is the son of Fairfax’ campus technician specialist Chris Hazelton.

As the Arizona Poetry Out Loud state champion, Hazelton receives a $200 cash award and an all-expenses-paid trip for him and a chaperone to the national finals, to be held in Washington, D.C., May 2-4. Additionally, his school will receive $500 to purchase poetry books for its library.

Information provided by the Phoenix Union High School District.

The post Fairfax student name state poetry champ appeared first on Laveen Business Directory.

Distributed by the Phoenix Union High School District

News from BETTY FAIRFAX

Students earn spots in prestigious choirs
Hundreds of choir students from throughout Arizona competed Sept. 26 for a spot in the Arizona All-State Show and Jazz Choirs. When the auditions ended, two Betty Fairfax students  were among the 48 students  accepted into these very prestigious ensembles.   Christopher Joseph (tenor) and Michael Galaz (bass) will participate in a three-day festival in November. They will work with a world-renowned vocal director and choreographer, and the weekend will culminate with a performance for the community.

Betty Fairfax teacher shared Jerry Rice memorabilia
Thirty-five Betty H. Fairfax High School students attended the 2015 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Fair sponsored by the Phoenix College NAACP/Black Student Union Club on Sept. 23 at Phoenix College.   The keynote speaker was Pastor Renard D. Allen, Jr., who is a Morehouse Alumnus. Students learned about the significance and necessity of HBCUs in the U.S.   Fifteen HBCU schools were present.  Betty Fairfax teacher Sandra Jenkins represented Mississippi Valley State, her alma mater, and drew interest with a table filled with memorabilia and photos of NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice, MVSU’s most famous alum.

Barrett chosen Cardinals MVP in the Classroom
Betty Fairfax reading teacher Catherine Barrett was selected as an “Arizona Cardinals MVP in the Classroom,” based on nominations the team received.  The Arizona Cardinals MVP in the Classroom is presented by the University of Phoenix.  Barrett received four tickets, four pre-game sideline passes, a parking pass, and was recognized at the October 4 Cardinals-Rams game.  She will also receive a $500 gift card and a Cardinals jersey.

News from CESAR CHAVEZ
Marching band competition season has officially begun.   The first marching competition of the year was Sept. 26 with the Cesar Chavez and North percussion students participating in the Arizona Percussive Arts Society festival, hosted by Cesar Chavez.   The Chavez percussionists received a rating of Excellent, and received Caption awards for Front Ensemble, Tenors, and Rack Percussion. The North percussion received a rating of Good and Caption awards for Snare, Tenor, and Bass Drums.

The post News from Betty Fairfax and Cesar Chavez high schools appeared first on Laveen Business Directory.

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Union Governing Board unanimously named Dr. Chad Gestson Interim Superintendent to replace Dr. Kent P. Scribner, who is the sole finalist for the Fort Worth, TX Independent School District superintendent.  The announcement was made at a special board meeting, Tuesday evening.

Gestson’s appointment is contingent upon Scribner’s contract approval in Fort Worth, which requires a 21-day waiting period.  Currently the District’s Director of School Leadership, Gestson’s interim contract will be through June 30, 2016.

The announcement comes one week after Scribner was introduced as the sole finalist for the Fort Worth position.  Scribner is expected to begin his duties in Texas later this fall.

Gestson, 37, has been with Phoenix Union for seven years.  After serving as principal of Camelback High School for five years, he became a member of the superintendent’s Leadership team last year as the Director of School Leadership, overseeing principals and developing future principals and assistant principals in an Aspiring Leaders program.

“I am humbled and honored to have been chosen to lead and serve this great community, rich in diversity and potential,” Gestson said.  “With the support of an exceptional governing board and district leadership at all levels, we are committed to a seamless transition so that we can continue the great work already in place here in Phoenix Union.”

“We are going to be fine,” Governing Board member Ian Danley said after the announcement.  “The board is committed to moving to a permanent process, with public input so that we can listen to those we represent.”

Gestson, the 2013 District Administrator of the Year, was a 2013-14 Rodel Exemplary Principal, one of only seven in the state that year.   In that role, he mentored aspiring teachers, particularly those who will lead schools of lower income students.  Among his accomplishments at Camelback, he instituted an Advisory period where students meet daily for four years with the same advisor, started an evening credit-recovery Virtual School, opened the first Montessori High School program in the state, founded the Food and Clothing Bank that serves the entire community, reinvigorated the Camelback Alumni Association and partnered with many local business and groups, including Social Venture Partners, which has invested time, talent and funding in the school.  Camelback’s student achievement improved, college scholarships for students increased, and student participation in sports, the arts, clubs, community service and campus event attendance or other activities was mandatory.

Gestson won the 2010-2011 Lead and Inspire Award, Urban High School Division, presented by ASU’s Office of Education partnerships.  He also won the award as a middle school principal at Carl T. Smith Middle School in the Isaac School District in 2008.

Gestson spent five years as an administrator in the Isaac School District, and taught for three years at Roosevelt.  A Teach for America product, prior to his public education career, he was a commercial construction superintendent in Seattle.  He has a B.A. in English from the University of Washington, two Masters from ASU and Northern Arizona, and an Ed. D. in Educational Leadership from NAU.

Gestson is married to Megan, a principal in Roosevelt Elementary District, and they have two children: Olivia,    (11) and son, Andrew (8).  Gestson resides in Phoenix.

The post Phoenix Union board names interim superintendent from South Phoenix appeared first on Laveen Business Directory.

By Rose Tring
For the South Mountain District News

Anticipating renewed community concern about safety as school begins this week, educators and staff at Betty H. Fairfax High School are ready with multiple preparations to keep the Laveen campus safe including new security shelters at the three entrances, rewards for positive behavior, extensive support services for struggling youth and a new principal mentoring program.

“That’s a big initiative for us,” says new Principal Phillip Wooley. “We want to reward and recognize positive behavior.”

“We are hosting a Chinese foreign exchange student this year,” said Wooley, who lives with his family in Laveen. “I would not bring a child into our home or our school if I thought there was any issue of safety.”

In September of last year, three bomb threats naming the school as a target were made within four days, causing class disruptions, school evacuations and a flurry of negative media attention. In another incident last fall, the school was locked down when a suicidal teen had a gun in the classroom.

Residents of the rural Phoenix suburb took to social media to voice fears and complaints, becoming very vocal in blaming school officials and condemning youth for outrageous behavior. No one was injured in either instance, nor has anyone been arrested to date for making the threats, according to Phoenix Union High School District officials.

“When the bomb threats happened again and again last year that was pretty unique for us,” said Craig Pletenik, community relations manager for Phoenix Union, which includes Fairfax, Cesar Chavez and South Mountain high schools. “The timing was unfortunate and what happened there seemed to be amplified by social media.”

Randy Schiller, a Laveen resident with a son starting as a senior at Fairfax this year, has served on the district’s governing board since 2010. He was elected to a second term this year. Schiller and his family live within a few blocks of Fairfax High School.

“There is definitely going to be more focus on safety,” Schiller said of new school year. “But parental involvement is a big part of that. If there are more parents on campus, then there are more adult eyes.”

“We really want to build pride in what we have in Laveen,” Schiller said.

Pletenik supplied a list of the infractions districtwide from the 2014-15 school year. There are 16 schools in a 220-square-mile area in the Phoenix Union High School District, representing nearly 31,000 teenagers. Major infractions are considered assaults, fights, bullying, general harassment, weapons or dangerous items, alcohol or drugs, sexual harassment and threats to educational instructors.

At Fairfax, 4.5 percent of students faced discipline due to a major infraction. This is on the higher end when compared to other four-year comprehensive high schools. Cesar Chavez, for example, had 2.3 percent of its student population commit a serious infraction. Trevor Brown High School, the district’s largest with about 3,000 students, had 2.8 percent of its students commit serious infractions.

All in all, the numbers reflect a small minority of troubled students on district campuses, according to Pletenik. “You have to be careful of statistics. Some of the higher rates reflect that some schools are more strict, which doesn’t translate to them having more issues,” he said. “Ninety-seven percent of our students never commit a major infraction.”

For the 2014-15 school year, only four students districtwide were expelled; two of those had attended Betty Fairfax High School. Wooley and Pletenik say that expulsion and suspension are final resorts after other types of interventions have failed. Fairfax offers numerous programs from tutoring to counseling to peer advisory groups with the goal of supporting children. A notable one is Positive Behavior Intervention Systems and Support, or PBISS.

New signage reminding students of appropriate behavior specific to hallways, classrooms and the cafeteria is part of the new focus on PBISS. The idea is to reward individual students with Stampede Bucks for adhering to the rules and setting good examples. The Bucks can be used to purchase “game cards” that grant cardholders the privilege of playing on arcade-style games that are located in school’s four main campuses. Wooley said that instead of having study hall, for example, students can take some time to shoot some mini hoops if they’ve earned a game card.

Shirley Waltenberg is the president of the Fairfax High School Band Boosters and her daughter is a senior this year. She has nothing but praise for how school officials handled the challenges last year.

“They did the best they could. They did the drills like they were trained,” Waltenberg said of the evacuations after the bomb threats. “Things happen at any school where there are hormonal teenagers.”

She said her daughter is enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program (IB), and that most classes contain 12 to 15 students. “These are kids who want to be there.”

Schools have to meet stringent requirements to teach the IB program. The curriculum is recognized by top universities and college worldwide. According to Greatschools.net, IB programs set high standards for learning, emphasizing creative and critical thinking. The program also focuses on research and encourages students to learn from their peers.

“We’re really, really pleased with Betty Fairfax,” Walternberg added. “We’re happy with the level of safety and education. My daughter has never felt frightened or threatened.”

Dawn Tetesco’s daughter plays varsity volleyball and participates in numerous clubs and activities at the school, including the National Honor Society. Her daughter is a senior this year and has focused on taking classes throughout her four years that also count toward college credit.

“I think she’s getting a great education,” Tetesco said. “She’s helping with freshmen orientation and is always volunteering on campus.”

Wooley, whose younger son is a Fairfax graduate, said he takes a very personal interest in his school and its reputation. During a tour of the high school, he noted that he was the first teacher to sign a contract to teach there when it opened in 2007. In the past eight years, Wooley has worked his way up to assistant principal before being named to the top position this year.

Schiller said Wooley joins two other principals, including Schavon T. Waggoner at Cesar Chavez and Kate McDonald at South Mountain, participating in a new program to support newer principals. Phoenix Union has put in place Scott Gayman as a mentor to the three. Gayman is a longtime resident of the area, and the former principal at Cesar Chavez. His role will be to support and guide the three principals.

“He lives in the community; he knows the community,” Pletenik said of Gayman. After a shooting in January 2015 during a basketball game between Fairfax and Cesar Chavez, Gayman initiated a rule that no one other than students from the two competing schools could attend sporting events at Cesar Chavez. Four youth were arrested in that shooting – no one was injured but about 15 shots were fired – and none of them attended either of the two schools.

“It was a very restrictive measure, but very effective,” Pletenik said.

But many Laveen residents still contend safety remains an issue with several residents saying they called news outlets to alert them to the bomb threats and evacuations last year.

“I really wish the media wouldn’t report on these incidents,” Pletenik said of the bomb threats. “It can get blown up. And I know that sometimes it makes schools look like they’re being played by the culprit. But if there was just one time when we didn’t react, would that embolden the person to do worse than make threats?”

The post Fairfax High adds safety measures as school starts appeared first on Laveen Business Directory.