by Dru Bloomfield on August 31, 2009
photo credit: woodleywonderworks
From the Scottsdale Unified School District Community Connection newsletter, dated August 28, 2009:
The K-3 Override is a continuation of an existing override approved initially by voters in 2005. The K-3 Override reduces Kindergarten class size to a District-wide target of 21 students to 1 teacher. These funds also allow us to reduce class sizes in grades 1-3 below current staffing ratios. Additional funds are used for instructional assistants in Kindergarten and first grade as needed. The override raises about $3.4 million per year.
To view a complete Fact Sheet about the K-3 Override, please visit www.susd.org.
Since this is a continuation of a previously passed override, taxes will not be increased.
by Dru Bloomfield on August 4, 2009
As a result of my involvement sitting on the citizen’s committee that provided input for the school district’s technology initiatives, I now sit on the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) Bond Oversight Committee. We meet at least quarterly review the school district’s schedules, plans and spending. Over the summer, the district and governing board committed to expediting the classroom technology plan, which is outlined in the following communication:
Technology Classroom Upgrades
Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) is excited to announce that construction is starting for our classroom technology updates!
The updates to a typical classroom include a ceiling-mounted projector, a document camera, a wireless audio system and an interactive white board.
Construction begins at Supai Middle School on July 20th and then continues at each school until it is complete. We plan to have construction and implementation complete at 10 schools by the time school starts on August 10th. The amount of time each site will take to complete varies depending on construction requirements and what technology they currently have in place.
Another exciting thing about this process is that you can now follow us on Twitter, where we will be providing ongoing updates. To sign up, visit http://twitter.com/ScottsdaleUSD.
There are also two other ways to stay abreast of our progress on technology implementation. We will have updates in our regular newsletter, Community Connection, as well as a dedicated page on our District Web site that will contain lots of additional information. To sign up for the newsletter, visit http://www.susd.org/district/communications/emss.cfm.
We anticipate that the implementation will be done so that all classrooms meet the standards established by the District’s Technology Plan by the end of the fall semester.
Sincerely,
Tom Clark
Executive Director for Technology and Information Systems
Good news that Scottsdale citizens, parents, and school staff are all committed to making sure our kids (and future leaders) are getting access to and staying up with the technology that will be so much a part of their future!
by Dru Bloomfield on August 3, 2009
Hard to believe that summer vacation is almost over!
Scottsdale schools start class in one very short week. Monday, August 10th. And, high school registration starts today!
I asked my son if he was excited for the school year to begin, and he responded, "A little bit." I remember those days of excitement and dread, coupled with a healthy dose of uncertainty. Old friends, new teachers, leaving the freedom of summers, and having to buckle down to a regimented schedule, and HOMEWORK.
Along with a little help from the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD), I’ve put together a few links to get you the latest updates.
- Calendar - includes holidays and early release dates
- Our Schools - links to all the schools’ web sites and emails to the principals
- Start and Release Times - many of the elementary schools start earliest, followed by high schools, then my middle schools
- Boundary Maps- with changes this year resulting from the merging of two elementary schools
- Open Enrollment and Registration - SUSD accepts students living outside the school district boundaries, based on capacity. If you are new to the area, you can get current registration information here, too.
- Bus Schedules – Route maps for each of the schools. Parents of children in special education students need to call the transportation scheduler.
The City of Scottsdale also offers free after school programs at a number of the elementary schools. This option can be very handy for working parents.
Arizona schools are funded based on the average number of students in attendance for the first 100 days of the prior year. It’s really important for kids to start school on the first day!
by Dru Bloomfield on July 30, 2009
photo credit: Dru Bloomfield – At Home in Scottsdale
From the Scottsdale Unified School District Community Connection newsletter :
SUSD Outperforms the State on AIMS Tests
The Arizona Department of Education recently released the Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) results from the 2008-2009 school year.
Once again, Scottsdale Unified School District continues to outperform the State in the percentage of students passing AIMS across all grade levels and content areas. The average AIMS scores range from 5-18 percent higher than State averages.
Additionally, some individual schools scored exceptionally high on the test. One hundred percent of third graders at Cheyenne Traditional School and fifth graders at Cochise Elementary School met or exceeded the standard in writing. Sophomores at Chaparral High School did extremely well on the math, reading and writing portions of the test; 95 percent passed the math portion, 94 percent passed the reading portion and 90 percent passed the writing portion.
District trends include continuing to outperform the State in writing in all grades.
To view the results, please visit www.susd.org/district/assess/testresults.cfm.
A couple other facts to know about Scottsdale schools:
- Twenty-two “Excelling” schools as rated by the Arizona Department of Education.
- Twenty-seven National Merit finalists.
- SUSD students score higher than state averages on both AIMS and Terra Nova tests at all grade levels and in all content areas.
- SAT scores for our college-bound students were above the state and national averages in both English and Math.
by Dru Bloomfield on January 5, 2009
Did you know that parents outside of the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) boundaries can enroll their child in a Scottsdale school? SUSD is accepting Open Enrollment applications for the 2009-2010 school year during the initial enrollment period of December 1, 2008- January 15, 2009.
You can pick up an Open Enrollment packet at any of the 32 SUSD schools and on the district web site.
by Dru Bloomfield on January 3, 2009
Schools throughout the Scottsdale Unified School District will be hosting tours and open houses in preparation for enrolling children in Kindergarten for the 2009-10 school year. Parents can meet teachers and principals and learn about the great programs offered by schools in the Scottsdale Unified School District.
Upcoming Dates for Kindergarten Round-ups:
- Cheyenne Traditional School, 11130 E. Cholla St., Scottsdale, at 8 a.m. on January 6 in the Cafeteria
- Anasazi, 12121 N. 124th St., Scottsdale, from 8-10 a.m. on January 9 in the Cafeteria
- ANLC, 4330 N. 62nd Street, Scottsdale 85251, at 9:30 a.m. on January 13 in the Front Office
- Copper Ridge, 10101 E. Thompson Peak Parkway, Scottsdale 85255, from 5-5:45 p.m. on January 21 in the Cafeteria
- Laguna, 10475 E. Lakeview Drive, Scottsdale 85258, at 9 a.m. on January 21 in Room 203 (band room)
- Desert Canyon, 10203 E. McDowell Mountain Ranch Road, Scottsdale 85255, at 6 p.m. on January 22 in the Cafeteria
- Hopi, 5110 E. Lafayette Blvd, Phoenix 85018, at 6 p.m. on January 27 in the Cafeteria
- Kiva, 6911 E. McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley 85253, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on January 28 (adults only) in the Cafeteria
- Cochise, 9451 N. 84th St., Scottsdale 85258, from 6-7 p.m. on January 29 in the Media Center. Classroom tours and bus ride around the neighborhood at 9 a.m. on January 30. Meet in the Media Center.
