Save the Date for Future Middle Schooler Night on February 20th

Calling all parents and guardians of future middle school students. Discover all of the educational possibilities awaiting your child by attending Future Middle Schooler Night at either Cholla Middle School, Desert Foothills Junior High School, Mountain Sky Junior High School, Palo Verde Middle School or Royal Palm Middle School on Thursday, February 20th, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. This will be a great opportunity for you and your future middle school student to tour the school’s beautiful campus, meet their awesome staff and learn about their programs and school culture. We hope you can be there to prepare for the next exciting step in your child’s education.

To learn more and find out which middle school your child should attend, please click here.

Find Your Place in the WESD Family at our District-Wide Job Fair on February 8th

Another exciting opportunity to find your place in the WESD Family is nearly here. Please join us for our District-Wide Job Fair next Saturday, February 8th, from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at the WESD Administrative Center. Interviews will be held for a variety of teaching positions in elementary and middle school, special education and music, as well as support staff jobs including bus drivers and bus assistants, special education paraprofessional assistants and instructional assistants for our KidSpace before and after-school programs.

Our District offers competitive teacher salaries of $53,000-$84,950 with performance pay, student loan forgiveness, school-age child care discounts, medical, dental and vision benefits, employer-matched contributions to Arizona State Retirement and much more. The WESD also provides the most support for teachers including instructional coaches on every campus, weekly Professional Learning Communities (PLC), regular professional development and social workers on each campus.

Walk-ins are welcome. If you would like to schedule an interview, please call Lydia Garcia at 602-347-2622. To review our current job openings and apply online, please click here. We look forward to meeting you.

Attend Our Free Immunization Clinic on February 8th

In partnership with the Phoenix Fire Department Baby Shots program, the WESD will be hosting a free immunization clinic next Saturday, February 8th, from 8 a.m. to noon at Cholla Middle School. General childhood vaccines, flu and COVID-19 vaccines for kids and adults, as well as Tdap, hepatitis A and B, and pneumonia vaccines for adults, will be available. Walk-ins are welcome. If you would like to schedule an appointment, please call Kim Bradfield at 602-347-4876.

Students Excel at District Spelling Bee

Thirty-two students participated in the annual WESD Spelling Bee last week, which lasted five rounds to crown our champion. Congratulations to Elyas T., eighth grader at Sunnyslope School, on being named the first-place winner after correctly spelling the championship word "diaphragm". An incredible job to Erick R., fifth grader at Abraham Lincoln Traditional School, for coming in second place.

We also want to shout out the six additional students who will be moving on to the Regional Spelling Bee with our two finalists including:

• Nihem P., sixth grader at Alta Vista Elementary School;
• Avery B., sixth grader at Arroyo School;
• Elisa P., sixth grader at Cactus Wren Elementary School;
• Alana R., eighth grader at Desert Foothills Junior High School;
• Scarlett S., eighth grader at Mountain Sky Junior High School; and
• Xcedrian C., sixth grader at Washington Elementary School.

The Regional Spelling Bee will take place next Friday, February 7th, at 9 a.m. in the Board Room at Glendale Elementary School District. The top two spellers from the Regional Spelling Bee will then advance to the State Spelling Bee in March.

Good luck to our top eight spellers competing in the Regional Spelling Bee, and congratulations to all of our amazing students who participated in the WESD Spelling Bee. A special thank you to the Academic Services team for coordinating and hosting the event.

WESD Honors January SUPER Kids and SUPER Staff

We were proud to honor our January 2025 SUPER Kids and SUPER Staff recipients yesterday from Acacia Elementary School, Desert Foothills Junior High School, Ironwood Elementary School and Sunburst Elementary School. These deserving students and employees were recognized for their incredible achievements and contributions. SUPER Kids received a certificate and a free pizza from Peter Piper Pizza while SUPER Staff earned a certificate and a Starbucks gift card. To view the January 2025 SUPER Kids and SUPER Staff, please click here.

Sunburst Celebrates 50th Anniversary

It was a great celebration at Sunburst Elementary's 50th anniversary last week. Many former students and staff gathered to reconnect and share fond memories from their time at Sunburst. A special thank you to everyone who attended to help celebrate Sunburst's exciting milestone. To view more photos from Sunburst’s 50th anniversary, please visit the WESD Facebook page.

WESD Welcomes Future Kindergarten Students

We had an incredible time meeting our future students and their families earlier this week at our Kindergarten Open House events. A special thank you to all of the teachers, staff and administrators at our 27 locations for hosting great events and showcasing why kindergarten in the WESD is where the joy of learning begins. To view more photos from our Kindergarten Open House events, please visit the WESD Facebook page.

If you or anyone you know has a future kindergartner and missed the event, please click here for more information on kindergarten enrollment. We can’t wait to welcome the Class of 2038 later this year.