jw j j ©@©jd@
TRANSCRIPT
cgffi\ lJW CGJ lJ ©@ ©lJD@
'ii'!JI]§ @@!i!j][i!J](!!J 1J'U'\'7 @[? ®nrn:i' §@[J{]@@[1, @)[]§'ijffi(]@'ij'
The Cartwright School District prides
itself on providing our children with
a world-class education. But did you
know that we also pride ourselves on
advocating for our students outside of
the classroom? In the last few months
we have partnered with some of the
members in our community to offer you
and our students some incredible ex
periences and learning opportunities.
Last spring Maricopa County Supervi
sor Steve Gallardo invited our students
to attend a Diamondbacks game dur
ing the liD-backs Jam" event. Stu
dents were required to participate in
a volunteer service project in order
to be eligible to attend and we had
great attendance!
Continued on Pg. 2
CARTWRIGHT WINS ELL TEACHER AND STUDENT OF THE YEAR
For the third time in four years a Cartwright teacher has won the coveted Arizona ELL Teacher of
the Year Award. On Friday, October 28th, 2016, 1st grade teacher Victoria Gonzales was awarded
the distinction at Starlight Park Elementary School, where she teaches. Gonzales had no idea she
had won until she saw Arizona's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Diane Douglas, announce her
name during a student assembly. lilt's a great honor and I'm humbled," said Gonzales. III get to keep
working with all my students and teachers. I definitely didn't get here on my own and I'm thankful
not only to my students but to their parents."
Victoria Gonzales
2016 ELL Teacher of the Year
We are also proud of Kevin Camacho Ortiz, a 1st grade student at Frank Borman School. He was
selected as an Arizona ELL Student Success Story for the 2016 OELAS (Office of English Language
Acquisition Services) Conference. Out of the dozens of applications that were submitted, only four
were selected as winners. The selection committee was impressed with Kevin's dedication to English
language acquisition, academics and personal growth.
Kevin Camacho Ortiz
2016 ELL Success Story of the Year
2
So many of our students, your children,
were excited to provide service to the
community and in turn attend a base
ball game with all of their friends.
We provide YOU: Your Child's First
Teacher program and training for our
parents. Our parents can attend quar
terly classes at our Training Center or
ganized by the Family Welcome Center.
These classes focus on physical health,
academic achievement, social well
being and emotional well-being. You
may call the Family Welcome Center at
(623) 691-1994 if you'd like more infor
mation about this program.
Before school started this year, we
partnered with Los Altos Ranch Mar
ket so our students could receive free
backpacks, school supplies and other
valuable services. We like to provide
every opportunity for our students to
be prepared to start school when the
time comes.
Most recently we joined with Cox
Communications and Valley Metro
to provide computers and discount
ed internet service to families in our
community. We know the importance
of technology in education and want
our students and their families to have
access to these tools. We were able
to provide more than 150 refurbished
computers to Cartwright families and
even more were able to sign up for the
internet!
We also partnered with community
leader Chicanos Por La Causa by par
ticipating in their Health Fair this Octo
ber.
We will continue to seek out partner
ships and opportunities that will ben
efit our students and their families
through community engagement ini
tiatives. It is important for our students
to succeed now and in the future.
Dr. Jacob A. Chavez,
Superintendent
ASU WRESTLER INSPIRES STUDENTS AT
8th GRADE KICK-OFF
The goal of our annual 8th Grade Kickoff event is
to get our 8th graders excited about college and
career opportunities. ASU wrestler Anthony Ro
bles delivered that inspiration during his speech
at Grand Canyon University Arena on August
30th, 2016. Robles talked about being born with
out a leg but not allowing that to stop him from
pursuing his dreams of becoming a champion.
He told Cartwright students to persevere
despite challenges and shared his incred
ible story. Robles won the 2010-2011 NCAA
individual wrestling championship in the
12S-pound weight class. He is also the author
of Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion. After his
speech, students flanked him for an autograph.
DR. LEEANN LAWLOR RECEIVES ADMINISTRATOR OF
THE YEAR AWARD
Congratulations to Dr. LeeAnn Lawlor, Asst. Superintendent of Educational Services. She
was honored as Outstanding Administrator of the Year by the Arizona Association of
Latino Administrators and Superintendents (AZALAS).
"I was pretty humbled because it was directors from my team at Cartwright that nomi
nated me for this award. If we've had successes, it's because of the people I work with,"
said Dr. Lawlor. " This is an award for all of us. The leadership at Cartwright is incredible
and it motivates me to continue to empower all of us to serve the students and parents
of our entire district."
In an effort to leverage technology and enhance learning, all 5th-8th
graders at Frank Borman and C.W. Harris schools received iPads they
can use for homework at school and at home. It's all thanks to a major
technology grant secured by the Cartwright School District through
Verizon and Digital Promise. Student storytelling teams captured the
video and interviewed parents, teachers and fellow students at the
iPad rollouts at each of the schools. They will also film students le
veraging technology in classrooms during the duration of the grant
-which lasts for the next two years. The initiative goes to underserved
districts and communities where parents often don't have access to
the internet easily.
Many Cartwright families rely on the public library or their smart
phones for internet access. This grant eliminates that inconvenience
by allowing iPads in the home, where families can put them to use and
connect with others. "Anytime access to anyone" is critical in getting
our children ready for the future. Students from Borman and Harris handed out the iPads during the
rollouts and walked their peers and parents through the sign up pro
cess. The children were able to use their iPads on-site to create digi
tal posters about what their futures will look like when it comes to
education, community and career. Ultimately, the goal is to get all
Cartwright schools involved in leveraging technology with iPads and
telling their stories through video.
CARTWRIGHT FAMILIES GET FREE COMPUTERS
Bridging the technology gap is a big priority at the Cartwright School District and that is why the school district gave out refurbished computers
to low-income families that qualified. Maricopa County Supervisor Steve Gallardo, through partnerships with Cox Communications and Valley
Metro, donated refurbished computers to students and families in the Cartwright School District that signed up for discounted Cox Internet
service at $9.95 a month through the Cox2Connect program. The computer packages included a PC, monitor, keyboard, mouse, power cords
and network cables. " Many of these kids aren't able to do their homework on a computer. They're not able to write a report or able to do
research. These are the tools that the kids need in order to be successful in the classroom," said District 5 Supervisor Gallardo. A total of 150
refurbished computers were distributed to families Aug. 30th at Cartwright School and on Sept. 1st, at Raul H. Castro Middle School.
4
BYRON A. BARRY SCHOOL REOPENING CEREMONY
On September 22nd, the Cartwright School District celebrated the grand reopening of Byron A. Barry School. The school that once
was the home for thousands of students and loved by many more was closed in 2009. Through the grand vision of Dr. Jacob A. Chavez
and his team, they were able to see a need in the community for a preschool and Head Start program to be housed at Barry. After a
summer of renovations and updates, the school opened on Tuesday, August 16th with approximately 250 students enrolled in classes.
Rosalinda Duron, Assistant Director of Early Childhood Development at Byron A. Barry School said, "It
has been a need for (our students) as a whole. Research has shown that students between the ages
of 3-5 need those foundational skills to make sure they are ready for life in the educational system."
STUDENTS SCORE 100% ON AZMERIT More than 60 students were honored with the Superintendent's Award of Excellence during the October and November Governing Board
Meetings for receiving 100% on the AzMERIT state assessment, which was given last spring. Last year was the first year the tests were ad
ministered digitally, either through iPads, laptops or other technical devices.
The students honored scored perfectly in the subject of math and represented each of the schools in our district. Congratulations to all of
the students, their teachers, parents and administrators for helping them reach this amazing goal.
CARTWRIGHT SCHOOL DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARD
Board Vice Pres
ident Mr. John
Gomez was ap
pointed/elected
to the Govern
ing Board in No
vember of 2014.
His term of of
fice expires in
Board President
Mr. Pedro Lopez
was elected to
the Governing
Board in Novem
ber of 2012. His
current term of
office expires
in December of
2016. December 2018.
Mrs. Lydia Hernandez was appointed to
the Governing Board in July of 2004. She
was elected to a two-year term in No
vember of 2004, which ended in 2006.
Mrs. Hernandez was re-appointed to
the Governing Board in March of 2007
and served until November of 2008. In
March of 2009, she was re-appointed to
the Governing Board. She was elected to
a four-year term in November of 2010 and appointed/re-elect
ed in November of 2014. Her current term of office expires in
December of 2018.
ALUMNUS
Mrs. Rosa
Cantu was
elected to
fill a two
year term
e f f e c t i v e
N o v e m b e r
of 2002.
She was
re-elected to a four-year term in No
vember of 2004, November of 2008,
and November of 2012. Her current
term of office expires in December
of 2016.
Mrs. Marissa Hernandez
was elected to serve a
year and a half term ef
fective July 2015. Her
term will expire Decem
ber 2016.
Phoenix Fire Chief Kara Kalkbrenner, who is the first woman to serve as Fire Chief in Phoenix, attended
Sunset Elementary School and Desert Sands Middle School in her youth. Here is what that experience
meant to her and how it molded her success, in her own words:
" Those years were absolutely formative. My most cherished memories involve the staff. Academics
and sports were the two most influential aspects of my youth. These were made meaningful because
of the teachers employed in the Cartwright School District.
I have so much respect for educators. The expectations are incredibly high. I give great credit to our
school system. Educator's influence on youth is immeasurable and I have found that those who follow
a calling in education truly care about their students. They seek to make a difference. I am living proof
that they do.
The world was changing in the late seventies and early eighties when I was enrolled in elementary and
middle school. Women's liberation and civil rights had long cleared the way for individuals such as
myself to dream big. More importantly, we were given the support to achieve our goals. The teachers
and staff at Sunset and Desert Sands helped me believe I could do anything.
When the opportunity arose to consider becoming a Phoenix Firefighter, I jumped at the chance. I never questioned whether I was capable.
Instead I threw myself into the task, starting as a Volunteer Fire Cadet in high school. After that, hard work, self-discipline and goal setting
resulted in me eventually being hired as a Phoenix Firefighter. Those same traits absolutely pushed me to the top of the organization. I really
believe it was the educational atmosphere I was exposed to early on that boosted my confidence and abilities
My love of education, learning, competition, and sportsmanship has been an asset to my career. The habits instilled in me at an early age by
my teachers and role models in the Cartwright School District set me up for a lifetime of constant improvement. I continue to seek opportuni
ties to educate myself and encourage all of my employees to do the same.
This is a great chance to say thank you to all Cartwright District employees. Keep up the great dedication and work. You are making a positive
difference in our community."
5
www.facebook.com.�Im.\ ··
CARTWRIGHT SCHOOL DISTRICT #83
2016-2017 CALENDAR
First Semester
August 9 First Day of School
September 5 Labor Day
October 10-14 Fall Break
November 11 Veteran's Day
November 23-25 Thanksgiving Recess
December 19 - 30 Winter Break
Second Semester
January 2 Winter Break
January 16 MLK Day
February 20 President's Day
March 13-17 Spring Break
April 14 Mid-Quarter Break
May 26 Last Day of School
The " Cartwright Connection" is published to inform you of the pro
grams, philosophies, and plans of the District. Your questions and
comments are welcome and should be addressed to Veronica San
chez, Director of Communications & Community Engagement, 5220
W. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85031. Phone: (623) 691-4000.
Veronica Sanchez, Editor
Director of Communications & Community Engagement
Katie Francis, Editor
Communications Coordinator
Alma Sotelo, Editor/Translator
Language Services Coordinator
Susan Glass, Editor
Alma Sotelo, Graphic Designer
SCHOOL BASED HEALTHCARE FOR ALL
The Cartwright School District is excited to announce it will continue to have
a school based healthcare clinic to serve our students and the entire com
munity. The clinic is housed at Atkinson Middle School, 4315 N. Maryvale
Parkway. Visitors may enter the clinic at the door next to the Family Welcome
Center. The clinic will be open five (5) days a week during the 2016-17 school
year. You can visit or call (602)243-7277.
6
Remember when you were in school and you had to learn
about the heart? All you had was a textbook and what
ever extra information the teacher could offer. Unfortu
nately, for many, that was a boring way to learn. This fall,
students at Bret R. Tarver, Tomahawk, Sunset Elementary
Schools and Academy for Success received some actual
hands-on experience with a heart - sort of. It was a virtu
al heart. It's all part of the zSpace Bus Virtual 3-D tour. It's
a bus filled with interactive monitors that get students en
gaged in science. Students put on 3-D glasses and interact
ed with a heart that pops out of the screen. Kids giggled
as they moved the heart around with a pen-like wand.
They also learned about dinosaurs, animals and took tours
through space, learning about the cores of each planet and
how the solar system works. ZSpace plans to continue its
stops throughout Cartwright Schools in the near future.
Social Media Connections
Did you know Cartwright Sch
District has a Facebook page,
handle and a District website
Like us at
us @ CartwrightSD and check ut our
website at www.csd83.org.