Superintendent's Message:
Dear Staff,
As we move into the routine of
the school year, it is so important to hold tightly to Erin Gruwell’s
inspirational message from our opening day program and the sincere
belief that each one of us can have a profound and positive impact
on every child in our classrooms. That is why this profession is so
rewarding and so important!
Whether we like it or not,
competition for enrollment is the name of the game.
Arizona has some of the most liberal laws for educational choice of any
state in the country. Since school districts are funded based upon per
pupil enrollment figures, the combination of Open Enrollment Laws and
the large number of charter and private schools in the East Valley that
compete with the established school districts, has created a great deal
of pressure to maintain and/or increase enrollment.
Kyrene’s strong marketing
efforts over the past several years have resulted in (approximately) 20%
of total district enrollment coming from outside district boundaries.
This is equivalent to over 3,300 students, enough to fill 3 to 4 schools
and bring in almost 17 million dollars in additional state funding. It
is not hard to see the significant impact this has on the district. It
is well understood that some students new to Kyrene may have a different
level of preparation and that increased support may be needed to ensure
their continuous academic achievement and personal growth. We will
continue to do whatever it takes to make sure all students in
this district are successful no matter where they reside.
It is important to know that
open enrollment does not impact the total number of students in a
classroom. Class size guidelines have not changed for many years. The
usual challenges of specialized classes, electives and grade level class
sizes just over the established ranges exist with or without open
enrollment. A staffing committee meets on a regular basis to review
enrollment data and to determine how to best use budgeted contingency
positions to address class size issues. We continue to do our very best
to abide by the class size ranges and ask for your understanding and
patience as the enrollment figures stabilize for the upcoming school
year.
I sincerely hope the beginning
of the year has been a good one for you and look forward to seeing many
of you as I continue school visits throughout the district.
District News:
Student Wellness
Children with adequate
nutrition are better able to focus on learning, and they have improved
behaviors and fewer absences. To support the health of our students,
and to meet requirements outlined in the Arizona Revised Statues, all
foods and beverages made available to students at school during the
school day and as part of Kyrene’s before and after school programs are
to be consistent with the Arizona Nutrition Standards. The Arizona
Nutrition Standards limit the percentage of sugar and fat to be consumed
by children in their diet and the overall number of calories to be
consumed by children daily. These standards were developed to meet
the requirements of ARS 12-242.
In order to meet the
Arizona Nutrition Standards, staff members are to refrain from providing
students with foods that do not support the nutritional standards.
Foods high in sugar and/or fat do not meet these nutritional
guidelines. The one exception to the nutrition standards permitted
in the statute will be for the four designated classroom
parties/celebrations per year (prior to winter break, the end of the
school year, and two other days to be determined by each school).
When planning for
snacks for the four classroom parties/celebrations, state law also requires
that no home-cooked food be distributed to students during school
hours. This practice is intended to protect students from the spread of
communicable disease.
It is important that
students develop the knowledge and skills to participate in physical
activities and to maintain their physical fitness. Grades kindergarten
through five will have recess and/or physical education classes daily.
PE should not be considered as a replacement for recess; on days that PE
is offered, recess should not be eliminated.
Because physical
activity is important to students’ overall health, teachers are
discouraged from removing a student from PE in order to complete
assignments for another class or keeping a student from more than one
recess per day in order to complete assignments.
New Money from the Legislature
The
Arizona State Legislature acted at the end of the summer to allocate an
additional amount of money for the purpose of certificated and support
staff salary increases. This means that any employee who is not on an
administrative contract would be eligible for these funds. The .98%
increase to the funding formula results in approximately $828,000. It
is expected that the Governing Board will determine how these funds will
be applied to certified and support staff salaries and take action on
this at the next Governing Board meeting on August 28. KEA and KESPA
worked together to provide input and advice regarding the distribution
of funds and plan to draft a joint communication with the administration
and Governing Board regarding the specific details about this following
the board meeting.
Additional
Hours for Instructional Assistants
Kyrene Kids Club is currently searching for qualified Instructional
Assistants to help lead homework and academic-enrichment clubs in our
after school programs! Instructional Assistants will help children with
their homework and/or present lessons and special activities that
reinforce concepts that children learn during their school day.
Positions are available at 17 Kyrene schools. Let us know what works for
your schedule; daily hours are available from the school release time
(early on Wednesdays) until 3:30 p.m. and you can provide the club as
many days per week as you like (although our favorite day to offer them
is on Wednesday!) Time worked with Kyrene Kids Club may increase your
benefits coverage! Contact our Pre-Employment Specialist today about the
application and placement process! 480-783-4085.
TRP News
Find Your Route with Automated Trip Planner
Now
you can find a bus route with a phone call 24/7 even if our Transit
Information Call Center is closed. Just use Valley Metro’s new
Automated Trip Planner.
Any time of the day or night call 602-253-5000 and follow the prompts to
find a bus route, bus stop locations and pick up times. If you
need to speak to someone, customer service hours are: Mon-Fri: 5am-9pm,
Saturday: 6am-8pm and Sunday: 8am-5pm.
New Routes, Extended Service
Monday July 23 marked the largest-ever increase in Valley Metro transit
service at one time. Several new Valley Metro express and local bus
routes were added and extended service and frequency was added on many
other routes.
For
an overview of all the service improvements that started July 23,
contact Valley Metro at (602) 253-5000.
Monthly TRP Winners
Congratulations to our summer monthly winners! Our winners are:
Susan Heintz, Mary Ann Rousch, Steve Smith, Jane Wilson, Grace Cota and
Dave Reuter. Each winner received a $20.00 gift card
If
anyone has any questions about becoming a TRP participant please call
Paula Kolb on x4202.
Highly Qualified News
The State of Arizona requires that
teachers indicate their Highly Qualified status within the first four
weeks of school. To meet the requirements, teachers
complete a form for every content area for which they were
previously Highly Qualified, and for any new content areas they are
requesting. If you are requesting a new area, please make sure to
attach the appropriate AEPA test results or approved documentation as
shown on the attestation forms. For all new teachers, we ask that you
attach a copy of the passing score for the AEPA or approved
documentation as shown on the attestation forms. Please note the
rubric is no longer available, except for Special Education teachers
new to the profession. If you are
previously qualified using the rubric and not changing content
areas you are "grandfathered"
in and no additional documentation is required other than the
attestation form.
Letters
of notification must be sent to
parents of students in the classes of non-highly teachers within the
first four weeks of school. If you have any questions,
please call Christie Flanagan at Ext. 4123 or Vickie Middleton at Ext.
4114.
On-Site Opportunities Available at Lomas and at Sierra!
Kyrene has a unique
program known as On-Site Security. Most schools have an on-site
person living on campus in either an apartment or a trailer. The
onsite person checks to make sure the buildings are secure in the
evening ensures that the alarms are set. Employees receive four
hours a week to do rounds. Rent is $775 a month including
utilities. Kyrene employees who are interested in the position
can apply online or obtain an application at the Furlong Center
School News:
Centennial Has Fun With Science
During the first
week of instruction, at Centennial middle school, the 8th
grade Science classrooms focused on higher order thinking skills by
using hands on activities. Students were given problem solving
activities which at first glance seemed impossible. Emphasis was put on
their abilities to see things differently in order to solve problems,
and allowing them to understand that if they don’t solve the problem it
is okay, but giving up is not acceptable. Intertwined in these
activities are the beginnings of the Scientific Method, as well as
getting the students practice and guidance on how to do a Science lab
write up properly.
___________________________________________________________________
