Artículos de December 2023

Congratulations to Vista del Sur students Leiya Thompson and Kirsten Smith who were recognized by the Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA) for their outstanding artwork.

Thomson took 1st Place in the K-2 division. Smith was a finalist in the 7-8 division.

First Place winners will receive a $100 Visa Gift card and a $100 donation to their school’s art department and/or art program. Finalists receive a $25 gift card.

Both students will have their artwork will be displayed at the ASBA-ASA Annual Conference from Dec. 6 – 8, 2023 at the J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort, on the walls of the ASBA office in Phoenix, and showcased in the ASBA Journal Magazine, ASBA Connect e-newsletter and on ASBA social media.

Read this month’s issue of the Tiger Pride Post.

Laveen’s Vista del Sur Accelerated Academy has once again been included in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best” elementary and middle school rankings.

Vista del Sur received a “Best” ranking in both the elementary and middle school categories for 2024.

This recognition is based on the schools’ success in educating students from all socioeconomic backgrounds with the goal of preparing them for success in high school.

“Vista’s impressive rankings speak to the commitment of the schools’ leadership, teachers, and staff to provide each and every student a quality education,” said Dr. Jeff Sprout, Laveen Superintendent. “Our families must also be commended for the level of support they provide to their children as well as their support of the schools’ educational programs.”

The rankings are based on students’ performance on the 2021-2022 mathematics and reading/language arts state assessments and their results in the context of socioeconomic demographics, such as free or reduced-price lunch and underserved ethnicity groups.

U.S. News & World Report predicted math and reading achievement levels based on this data. The greater the actual results compared to the predicted results determined a school’s ranking.

Over 68,000 schools nationwide were evaluated by U.S. News. Vista del Sur was one of 1,100 K-8 schools across the nation to be included in both the best elementary and best middle school rankings.

In addition to being named a Best Elementary and Middle School, Vista was named one of the top ten middle schools in Arizona, being ranked as #8 among Arizona middle schools. The school was ranked #22 in Arizona Elementary Schools.

Vista del Sur is an accelerated school where all students work a grade level ahead in mathematics and English language arts. The school is a U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence and an Arizona Educational Foundation A+ School of Excellence. It also received the U.S. News Best Ranking in 2022. It has historically received an “A” label from the Arizona Department of Education each year.

Learn more

Laveen’s Kids Club is now enrolling for Winter Break Camp. Camp is open to children in Grades preschool-6 and will be held December 27- January 5 at Desert Meadows School. Visit our Day Camp page for details and to register.

Laveen Superintendent Dr. Jeff Sprout will be hosting a series of district discussions with Laveen families. This is a great opportunity for families to participate in open dialogue on current initiatives and Laveen’s strategies for meeting district goals.

The next District Discussion will be held on Tuesday, December 5, 2023. Dr. Sprout will discuss jobs of the future. There will be two one-hour sessions to choose from at 8:30 a.m. or 5:00 p.m. Both will be held at the Laveen Education Center, 5001 W. Dobbins.

Visit our District Discussions webpage to learn more and submit questions you may have.

Read this month’s issue of the Tiger Pride Post.

On October 28, 2023, the Arizona Department of Education released new letter grades for each school based on the latest state assessment data from the 2022-23 school year. All schools in the Laveen School District have received top marks with three schools earning an “A” rating and six schools earning a “B” rating from the Arizona Department of Education for 2023. Laveen District schools are the highest-performing schools in the community.

Paseo Pointe Dual Language Academy, Rogers Ranch STEM Academy, and Vista del Sur Accelerated Academy all received “A” Labels. Cheatham, Desert Meadows, Estrella Foothills, Laveen, M.C. Cash, and Trailside Point received “B” Labels, also considered to be “Highly Performing.” 

Background: The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) issues annual achievement profiles for every public school in the state of Arizona, based on an A through F scale. The system measures year-to-year student academic growth; proficiency in English language arts, math, and science; the proficiency and academic growth of English language learners; and acceleration/readiness indicators.

Each year, the Laveen Elementary School District hosts a Winter Festival for the community. The 10th annual Laveen Winter Festival is scheduled for Friday, December 1, 2023. The event runs from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the David Glasser Athletic Complex, 5001 W. Dobbins.

This year’s Winter Festival will feature obstacle courses (for both big and little kids), games, activities, student performances, photo opportunities, holiday gift vendors, food, and much more!

Admission is free. Tickets will be available for purchase for select activities. Credit cards accepted.

All proceeds benefit the Laveen Education Foundation.

Visit our Winter Festival page for more info.

See the schedule of student performances.

This year’s festival is sponsored by

Premier Sponsor Chasse Building Team
Silver Sponsor Ghaster Painting & Coatings
Bronze Sponsor Laveen Dance

District superintendent Dr. Sprout held an assembly at each school to introduce all third and fourth-grade students to the Superintendent’s Math-All Stars Club, challenging students to spend 15 minutes a day practicing math skills.

Students who join the club will be given a Chromebook to use at home for the duration of the school year. Students will participate in the ALEKS online math program, a companion product to the district’s math curriculum. ALEKS uses adaptive tools to tailor students’ math practice to their identified needs. Dr. Sprout will appear in Google Classroom videos monthly to congratulate students and introduce the month’s challenges and monthly prizes.