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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.