District

Dialogue

Bi-weekly news from the Laveen Elementary School District September 12, 2014

The District Dialogue is issued twice monthly.

Board approves Strategic Plan

The Laveen Governing Board approved the district’s strategic plan at their meeting on September 11.

The district’s administrative team, comprised of principals, assistant principals, and department heads,

spent several months developing the plan.

The final plan sets goals for increasing academic achievement, enhancing the positive climate and culture,

attracting and retaining quality staff, building school/community partnerships, and maintaining equitable re-

sources.

The complete plan can be found on the district website, www.laveeneld.org.

Phillips, Valenzuela are August’s Employees of the Month

Employees of the month for August are Jamie Phillips, Art Teacher at Laveen, and Liz Valen-

zuela, M.C. Cash Receptionist.

Phillips not only serves as Laveen School’s art teacher, but she coaches Girls on the Run, is a

grade level chair, member of the PTO and a volunteer for the Phoenix Children’s Museum. She was

nominated for always willing to lend a hand to integrate art into any class. She has a passion for

her profession and has positive impact on the entire Laveen Community.

Valenzuela is the face of M.C. Cash School as she is the first staff member all families and com-

munity members encounter when they walk into the office. She greets everyone in a friendly and

professional manner. Always busy, yet always maintaining a positive attitude, she exemplifies the

concept of collaboration. She was nominated for going above and beyond to ensure that students,

staff, parents, and community members are treated respectfully and their needs are met.

CrossWalk Church donates items CrossWalk Church collected over 1,000 personal hygiene products and 650 uniforms to provide to Laveen

students. The items were collected as part of the church’s annual hygiene product and uniform drive.

Separate uniform pieces as well as soap, underwear, deodorant, and socks were collected at the Cesar Chavez

High School campus during CrossWalk's church services and at several businesses throughout Laveen.

Volunteers from the church not only donated items, but sorted, trans-

ported, and packaged the items. Laveen businesses that participated in

the drive included: Cintas, which donated the time and supplies needed

to wash the items, and Edward Jones, Scooptacular, In and Out Chiro-

practic, Starbucks on 19th Ave. & Baseline Road, and Palm Dental for

hosting drop-off boxes

Volunteers from CrossWalk Church get ready to sort donated uniforms..

Phillips

Valenzuela

PAGE 2 September 12, 2014

Desert Meadows PTA recognized by Department of Defense The Desert Meadows PTA was recognized by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Employer Support of

the Guard and Reserve. A representative from the office, Krista Titus, sur-

prised the group with the Patriotic Employer Award for leading fundraising

efforts to support families of deployed soldiers.

The PTA has conducted a number of events to support soldiers. Last

September 11, they held a dine-out at Barros Pizza raising $425, this money

was used to purchase wish list items for the Veterans Hospital. School fami-

lies then delivered the items and spent the afternoon playing Bingo with the

vets. Additionally, they partnered with Laveen Farmers Market to hold a

book drive; collected books were sent to chaplains oversees. A Coins for

Cookies drive was also held where classrooms collected change to purchase

Girl Scout cookies and send to troops overseas. Over $200 was collected for

the cookies.

Laveen student inspired by Dolphin Tale movie appears in sequel

Laveen Elementary School first grader Fernanda Rubio has had prosthetic legs

since she was just three years old. After contracting bacterial meningitis, Fernanda

underwent a kidney transplant, multiple surgeries, and the amputation of both legs

below the knee. “She wouldn’t wear her prostheses or cooperate with her therapists,”

her mother Edith Rubio explained.

That was until the movie Dolphin Tale was released in 2011. The movie is based on

the true story of Winter, the dolphin who was fitted with a prosthetic tale after hers

was amputated. “Fernanda soon saw how Winter, also wearing a prosthetic, was able

to do so much with it and that inspired her to also learn how to use hers,” her mother

said.

But little did Fernanda know that she would appear in the sequel to the movie that

inspired her.

In January, she attended Camp No Limits in Florida. Camp No Limits empowers

children with limb loss to become more independent. Campers visited the Clearwater

Marine Aquarium, where Winter resides. This just happened to be the same time the

crew from Dolphin Tale 2 were on site filming. Dr. Kevin Carol, one of the two original doctors from Hanger

Prosthetics that designed Winter's prosthetic tail, invited Fernanda to meet Winter. The crew filmed her inter-

action with Winter and included the short clip in the movie due out September 12.

Titus (right) presents Maggie Jolly, on behalf of the PTA, with the Patriotic Employer Award.

Rubio meets Winter in

Florida.

Thank you for

your patience

and

support during

the recent

floods!