Desert View Teacher Advances to Top Five Finalist for Arizona Teacher of the Year Award

The WESD is thrilled to announce that Jennifer Spector, fifth grade English Language Arts and Social Studies teacher at Desert View Elementary School, has been named as one of the five finalists for the 2025 Arizona Teacher of the Year Award®! The five finalists are known as Ambassadors of Excellence and are in the running for this prestigious honor, which will be announced during the 2025 Arizona Educational Foundation Arizona Teacher of the Year Awards ceremony on Oct. 19th.

A special congratulations to Jennifer. The WESD Family is so proud of her and is rooting for her.

Sunburst Receives $30,000 Donation from Peoria Subaru

Sunburst Elementary School received a surprise last week during a special assembly featuring Peoria Subaru. Sunburst Principal Jennifer Dial kicked off the event by highlighting the many ways that Peoria Subaru has supported the school over the past two years. Students representing every grade level were then split into two teams for a friendly puzzle competition.

After all of the fun, Matt Moore from Peoria Subaru shared about the importance of education and the critical role of teachers. He then surprised the school with a check for $15,000 before deciding to double it, donating a grand total of $30,000.

The donation was a part of Subaru Loves Learning®, a national program championed by Subaru of America, Inc. that helps provide funding for teachers at high-needs schools across the country to purchase the school supplies and resources needed to help their students succeed. Benefitting more than 625 students, the donation will provide Sunburst teachers with $500 worth of funding each to purchase supplies for the school year on the AdoptAClassroom.org Marketplace.

Thank you to Peoria Subaru for their generous donation and ongoing support of Sunburst and the WESD Family.

Palo Verde Teacher Celebrated for Science Award Recognition

Congratulations to Lisa Chavez, Palo Verde science teacher, who received the Outstanding Earth Science Teacher Award for the state of Arizona from the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT). Lisa was celebrated during her school’s PLC meeting last week in recognition of her achievement. The NAGT selected Lisa for her innovative and adaptable teaching style, particularly with middle school students at such a pivotal age for fostering a love of science. Her deep involvement in the community extends beyond the classroom, as she actively engages with families and embraces the local culture, showcasing her true dedication to her role. Lisa’s long-term commitment to education is evident in her continuous efforts to refine and enhance her teaching practices and student programs, setting a high standard for K-12 education.

The WESD Family is very proud of Lisa and appreciates her dedication to science education.

Be Present and Powerful this Attendance Awareness Month

September is Attendance Awareness Month, which is a time of the year to highlight the importance that daily school attendance has on children’s success. To help us celebrate, we are encouraging parents and guardians to help their children build a habit of good attendance this month and all school year long. This year’s attendance campaign theme is Be Present, Be Powerful – and our students can be both by showing up to school every day, even when it is not easy. Remember, absences add up and both excused and unexcused absences count towards chronic absenteeism – which is typically defined as missing 10% of the school year – or just two days each month – for any reason.

These tips can help parents and guardians ensure their children build a habit of good attendance:

• set a regular bedtime and morning routine for your children;
• lay out your children’s’ clothes and pack their backpacks the night before;
• keep your children healthy by ensuring they receive their required vaccines; and
• schedule appointments and family vacations after school hours, on the weekends or during school breaks.

Be sure to follow our social media pages for more attendance tips throughout September and the school year. Let’s be present and powerful each day, and make attendance a priority this school year. We are thankful for your support.

Learn About the WRIC’s September Activities

Have you heard of the Washington Resource Information Center (WRIC)? Available at three WESD schools, the WRIC offers free and extensive resources to families with children under the age of five. This month, the WRIC is offering water safety and car seat safety classes, as well as Love and Logic classes and Kith and Kin classes. Its free early literacy programs also continue with bi-weekly Laugh and Learn activities plus more in partnership with Zumbini and the Phoenix Public Library.

To learn more and view a calendar of events for September, please click here. For any questions, please contact Enriqueta Di Santo at 602-896-6022.