News

Over 400 markers were collected by Vista del Sur students for recycling.

Vista’s 7th grade students participated in the  Youth Frontiers Courage Retreat.

Through presentations, activities, and small group discussions; the retreat aimed to empower students to be themselves and take positive risks that make a healthy difference for themselves, their peers and their school. It inspired students to follow their hearts instead of the crowd.

The retreat was organized by Youth Frontiers, based out of Minnesota.  Almost 20 Cesar Chavez High School students, selected based on their leadership ability,  also volunteered to support with small group facilitation.

Students finished the day learning how to act with courage to build a positive school culture and climate.

Vista del Sur student Angel Molina is a recipient of the Gila River Indian Community’s Chief Azul Scholar Award. The Chief Azul Scholar Award is given to students who personify Chief Azul’s leadership and educational ability. The students were chosen based on grade point average, attendance, behavior, accomplishments and extracurricular activities.

Chief Azul was known for leading the tribe during a turbulent time, through Mexican jurisdiction, the Gadsden Purchase, and keeping the Gila River Indian Community from being relocated to Oklahoma.

Angel was honored at a recent banquet held at the Vee Quiva Hotel and Casino’s Event Center. Read the article from the Gila River Indian News.

Congratulations to Vista 7th graders Selene Contreras, Arissa Perucho, Itzel Paco Montano, Pichlinna San, and Zariah Parker. These five students are winners of the Symbols of Freedom Art/Essay Contest sponsored by Southwest Airlines and the Phoenix Suns.

Participants were to write an essay on the topic “What does freedom mean to me?” They then found inspiration from their words to create a poster that was symbolic of their interpretation of “freedom.” Students in Mrs. Natalie Urick’s English language arts classes submitted entries.

All five receive an all-expenses paid trip to Memphis, Tennessee where they will tour national museums and historic landmarks. They will also attend the Phoenix Suns vs. Memphis Grizzlies game. The prize is valued at $1,500 each.

Seventh graders residing in Maricopa County were eligible to participate and 10 winners were selected.

See the Vista winners’ artwork below.

Zariah Parker “Stained Glass”

Selene Contreras “Freedom is Happiness Derived from Courage”

Pichlinna San “Our Youth is Ours”

Itzel Paco Montano “Building a Home from the Wreckage”

Arissa Perucho “Dared to Dream”

Our students created a Kindness Chain measuring over 520 feet. Each link is representative of one student recognizing another student for a kind act. The goal was to stretch it from kindergarten to middle school. We did it and then some!

Vista del Sur student Lauren Salaz has been selected to serve on Governor Doug Ducey’s Chief Science Officer STEM Advisory. Created by the Governor’s Office of Education, the advisory provides students the opportunity to be heard on topics related to science, technology, math, and engineering. She is one of 14 Chief Science Officers to be selected by the Sci-Tech Council.

Vista del Sur 8^th grader Angel Molina attended the NASA Robotics and Aviation Camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

Molina participated in the five-day Robotics Academy — one of three different programs offered at the camp. Her group, Team Raytheon, was challenged with the task of designing a robot that would survive on Mars. Team members were tasked with determining what the robot would look like, what functions it would serve, how it would collect data, and how much it would cost to build. The team used applications of science, technology, engineering, arts, math (STEAM), and coding to create their robot. “We had to find the degrees of rotations, calculate distance, and read and calculate in binary code,” Molina explained, “I learned the importance of how STEAM contributes to understanding our world. Her experience also helped her develop teamwork and leadership skills.

Molina visited the many exhibits at the center where she learned about the timeline of space exploration as well as NASA’s future goals. She also had the opportunity to meet former astronaut Bob Springer (Discovery, Atlantis) who discussed his experience with the space program.

She was selected to attend Space Camp by the Gila River Indian Community’s Tribal Education Department after submitting an essay application and participating in a panel interview. “I’m honored I was picked to be part of this experience. I’ve made friends from around the country,” Molina said.

Molina prepared for her interview by practicing her speaking skills in front of the Parent Advisory Committee and the Arizona Indian Education Association (AIEA) Youth Conference at the University of Arizona last year.

Beginning in August 2017, Laveen schools will utilize Peachjar’s e-flyer system to distribute flyers, newsletters, and other student-centered information to parents.

E-mail blasts containing flyers from your child’s school, PTO, or non-profit student-centered activities will be sent to parents generally once a week. Flyers are maintained on a dedicated webpage for later reference.

Only school information such as school newsletters, event flyers, and PTO happenings as well as approved flyers from non-profit child-centered organizations such as Girl Scouts, ball leagues, and local community groups will be sent to the email addresses on file for each family. Parents should make sure their school office has their current email address.

Parents may sign up for a free Peachjar account to utilize added features, like combining schools. But, this is not necessary to receive flyers.

Visit www.laveenschools.org/e-flyers for more information.

Laveen is implementing a new bus pass system for the 2017-18 school year. Because safety is a primary concern of the Laveen School District, this bus pass system will tell our dispatchers if a student was on board and where they exited.

All school buses will be equipped with electronic card readers; new student ID badges that contain a chip will be issued to all bus riders. As students board and exit the bus, he or she will tap their badge against the reader. A green light will illuminate on the reader if the swipe is successful.

While these two measures won’t be fully implemented until August 2017, our front office staff is currently preparing for the new procedures which will take effect May 15, 2017. Transportation labels will be affixed to student badges. This label will contain the student’s route number and bus stop location. In the event a student boards the wrong bus or is unsure as to where they should exit, the bus driver can easily look at the sticker and ensure the student is where they should be.

As these two phases are implemented, it will be important that your child have their badge with them each day. We will never leave a student at the bus stop in the morning and will bring all students to school. However, a student who has forgotten their badge must report to their school office for a temporary pass for the ride home.

Bus Pass Letter

Carta de pase para autobus