District News

The Dysart Education Foundation (DEF) recently announced 12 recipients for the 2024 Laird Mini Grants.  Funding for this year’s DEF mini grants, totaling more than $16,000 was provided by the City of Surprise Community Outreach Program, Southwest Foodservice Excellence (SFE), Subaru Superstore of Surprise, and other donors from the community.   Mini Grants were awarded based on projects that incorporate arts, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education, student need, and creativity in student learning. 

DEF is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2024 Laird Mini Grants:

Noelle Downs from Canyon Ridge School will use her funds to purchase tools, robotics, and materials for her Kindergarten through 4th grade students, giving them the opportunity to code with robotics, participate in STEAM projects, and use the Design Process.

Lucy Blanco from El Mirage Elementary School will purchase robots to use in her Kindergarten through 4th grade classes, providing the opportunity to experience problem solving skills through computational thinking with unplugged and robot coding.

Mikaella Belsan from Countryside Elementary School requested a variety of Little Spot Box Sets to help students with their social skills. 

Krystal Dickinson-Sophiea from El Mirage will purchase some new hands-on materials for math, literacy, and science centers to meet the needs of students at different learning levels. 

Madeline Kidd from Luke Elementary School will buy music materials to help foster patriotic spirit, provide essential items for students who can't afford them, and equip students with tools that promote proper technique and help maintain their instruments.  

Sarah Sartor from Shadow Ridge High School will use her funding to establish a classroom library for her 12th grade students, aimed at enhancing their literacy skills and fostering a love for reading. Books will include a selection of contemporary and classic literature.

Ramona Arizmendez from Thompson Ranch Elementary School will be buying multi-sensory and engaging materials that allow her students to work in literacy stations and centers.

Karyn Kelley from Western Peaks Elementary School will purchase interactive STEM kits and digital resources used to explore real-world concepts within the classroom for hand-ons inquiry based learning activities. 

Hilde DeNoma from West Point Elementary School will be receiving costume and set building materials and equipment for a series of student performances this Spring including a Romeo & Juliet theatre performance, a musical theatre review, dance concert, and a dance performance at the Festival of the Arts.  

Alesha Wisbey from Dysart High School plans to use her funding to help pay for transportation to take her AVID students to Northern Arizona University for a campus visit. Many students in the AVID program are going to be first-generation college students and touring a college campus will be beneficial as they are deciding on plans for the future.

Debby Cruz from Mountain View School will purchase additional music stands as well as a variety of sheet music to ensure students have the resources needed to improve their skills.  Some of the sheet music will be STEM themed to support the school’s STEM nights.

Jennifer Carleton from Dysart High School will buy materials and equipment for a coffee cart.  Students from the Structured Teaching Classroom (STC) will serve the staff members at Dysart High School and learn basic job skills to include; cleaning, prepping, taking and writing orders and social skills related to the job world.

Dysart Education Foundation is a non-profit organization whose volunteers are committed to enriching the education of students in the Dysart Unified School District by providing scholarships to students and mini grants to teachers.  For more information about the Dysart Education Foundation, visit https://dysarteducationfoundation.org.  

The Dysart Unified School District was proud to hold their inaugural All District Flag Football Team Award presentation along with their annual All District Girls Volleyball and Football Team Award presentations to recognize and celebrate the student athletes who displayed excellence in the Fall 2024-25 season. Athletes were selected by district coaches from Valley Vista, Shadow Ridge, Dysart, and Willow Canyon high schools.

All District Flag Football

Offensive Player of the Year 

Brianna Brown (Dysart High School)

Defensive Player of the Year 

Kylie Hammer (Shadow Ridge)

All District Co-Coaches of the Year

Kim Rosevear & Theron Frazer

All District Girls Volleyball

2nd Team

Kaylynn Carleton (Dysart HS)

Olivia Nelson (Shadow Ridge)

Averi Prieto (Shadow Ridge)

Brynn Golba (Valley Vista)

Shia Chancellor (Willow Canyon)

Aspen Edwards (Willow Canyon)

Briana Gonzalez (Willow Canyon)

Honorable Mention

Velissa Salazar (Dysart HS)

Noelani Springer (Dysart HS)

Zarayha Renteria (Dysart HS)

Alixandria Encinas (Shadow Ridge)

Brooklyn Morgan (Shadow Ridge)

Ralynn DeJesus (Valley Vista)

Ava Hewitt (Valley Vista)

Elise Langley (Valley Vista)

Jada Adams (Willow Canyon)

Keely Blady (Willow Canyon)

Player of the Year

Chyler Martin (Willow Canyon)

All District Tackle Football

1st Team - Special Teams

Donovan Hinchey (Dysart HS)

Zane Clemens (Shadow Ridge)

Aiden Mytinger (Shadow Ridge)

Robert Perry IV (Shadow Ridge)

Joseph Watts-Diver (Valley Vista)

2nd Team - Special Teams 

Bobby Franco (Dysart HS)

Jeramicheal Hernandez (Valley Vista)

Tyus Dragon (Willow Canyon)

Quinn Nichols (Willow Canyon)

Lennoy Taylor (Willow Canyon)

Honorable Mention

Jayson Bernard (Dysart HS)

Isaiah Haliburton (Dysart HS)

Tevon Manley (Dysart HS)

Julian Miranda (Dysart HS)

Pablo Miramontes Garduno (Dysart HS)

Oscar Trujillo (Dysart HS)

Micah Bender (Shadow Ridge)

Brendan Christ (Shadow Ridge)

Ethan Christ (Shadow Ridge)

Zaden Draper (Shadow Ridge)

Talon Edwards (Shadow Ridge)

Mar'Shawn McCullum (Shadow Ridge)

Will Forte-Robinson (Valley Vista)

Nico Hernandez (Valley Vista)

Jordan Jamison (Valley Vista)

Daniel Torrico (Valley Vista)

Jordan Villa (Valley Vista)

Caden Zlokich (Valley Vista)

Evan Friedrich (Willow Canyon)

Jace Jewell (Willow Canyon)

Tyreeq Jones (Willow Canyon)

Caden Kilpatrick (Willow Canyon)

Ryder Salo (Willow Canyon)

Offensive Player of the Year

Donovan Hinchey (Dysart HS)

Defensive Player of the Year

Grant Jordan (Shadow Ridge)

Player of the Year

Roman Thuyns (Willow Canyon)

Coach of the Year 

John Ganados (Dysart HS)

During this week of thankfulness, we’d like to highlight the students and staff at Cimarron Springs that thanked and honored their principal, Mrs. Richards with special drawings of her dogs to celebrate her last month.

Students in Ms. Downey’s art class created special drawings of her precious Greyhound pups named Mystic, Miko and Luka.

Ms. Downey and Assistant Principal Deilani Ferguson worked together earlier in the year to create the surprise and asked for photos of Mrs. Richard’s dogs because they know how much they mean to her and how they hold a special place in her heart.

Principal Richards adopted all three dogs from Arizona Adopt a Greyhound who partners with Racing2ReHome from Australia to rehome Greyhounds after they are released from the race track. Mystic raced 82 races in Florida, Miko was trained for the track but never raced and later lost a leg and Luka competed in 36 races in Victoria, Australia.

During art class, the students were given photos of each pet as a reference and completed over 30 drawings of the three dogs. The students used famous greyhound artist Richard Skipworth as inspiration when capturing the likeness of Mystic, Miko and Luka.

Mrs. Ferguson and Ms. Downey brought Mrs. Richards into the art classroom and presented her with a wall filled with artwork of her beloved pets.

“I cried! I was so surprised and so moved by the gesture and seeing all the drawings completely overwhelmed me,” said Richards. “They both (Ferguson and Downey) know that my dogs mean so much to me!  My entire phone camera roll is of my dogs.”

“Our students recently poured their hearts and efforts into a special project for our principal, Mrs. Richards,” shared Ms. Ferguson. “This wasn’t just a chance to showcase their talents but also a meaningful way to strengthen the bond with a leader who inspires us daily. Through teamwork and dedication, the students not only created something memorable for Mrs. Richards but also fostered a sense of collaboration and pride across campus.”

“Little did I know that these pictures would end up in the hands of talented students to create such an amazing gift,” shared Richards.

Dysart High School, Valley Vista High School, and Willow Canyon High School students and staff earned Statesman awards at the SkillsUSA Camp Champion held in Williams, Arizona in November 2024.

Statesman awards honor students that demonstrate leadership abilities, personal skills, and SkillsUSA knowledge.  

Dysart High School had a total of eight students who received the AZ Statesman awards including: Abdullah Abdulsalam, Mikaela Acosta, Grace Brennan, Aiden Gouer, Zion Green, Jesus Ibarra Silva, Ian Morton, and Kenneth Stephenson. 

Additionally, Ryan Dimal, the Dysart High School SkillsUSA advisor, received the SkillsUSA Arizona Advanced Statesman award for going above the Statesman Award, and showing a mastery of understanding of SkillsUSA and Career and Technical Education.

Valley Vista High School had two students honored during the camp including Katlyn Gill who earned an AZ Statesman Award and Kaylee Clark who earned an Advanced Statesman award.

Willow Canyon High School had four students receive awards including Lily Robert who earned her AZ Statesman award and Sami Edgar, Mason Albin, Scott Russomano who earned Advanced Statesman awards. Sami, Mason, and Scott previously earned National Statesman awards at the Washington Leadership Training Institute last year.

The awards were presented at the SkillsUSA Camp Champion held November 6-8 at Lost Canyon in Williams, AZ.  The camp allowed for collaboration between SkillsUSA groups across the state, provided leadership activities and a chance to grow in knowledge of SkillsUSA. 

Kenneth Stephenson, Jacky Ruiz, Angelie Huynh, Sariah Mendoza, and Maritza Garcia from Dysart High School dedicated their entire visit to Camp Champion as volunteers in the kitchen, cooking meals and serving food to all 500 guests attending the camp. Kenneth was also recognized on stage for his strong leadership and hard work in the kitchen.

SkillsUSA is a Career and Technical Education partnership of students, teachers and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA provides quality education experiences for students in leadership, teamwork, citizenship and character development by building and reinforcing self-confidence, work attitudes and communications skills.

Three students were recognized at Canyon Ridge’s Veterans Day Commemoration on November 8, 2024 for their outstanding work on various patriotic themed projects.  

President of the Arizona Society of Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) Rick Spargo presented awards to Canyon Ridge’s two national contest winners, eighth grader Payton Boyles and sixth grader Kiana Fernandez Del Valle.  Boyles won second place in the Sgt Moses Adams Memorial Middle School Brochure Contest, which is the highest honor ever received by an Arizona student in the national contest.  Fernandez Del Valle took home fourth place in the SAR Elementary School Poster Contest.

Seventh grader Kai Snider won the Sun City Elks Lodge Essay Contest with her essay, What Veterans Day Means to Me.  Barry Curseaden of The Armed Forces Support Group at The Grand presented Kai with a plaque in recognition of her accomplishment.

The Canyon Ridge School Veterans Day event featured performances by the Cougar Band and Cougar Choir, guest speakers from Veterans of Foreign Wars, an American Flag presentation by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and speeches by social studies teachers.  The celebration culminated in a veterans reception and breakfast hosted by Canyon Ridge, the PTA, and Dysart Unified District Food Services. 

Three Dysart High School seniors were recently named QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship finalists.  Camila Ayala, Camila Bassoco, and Angelie Huynh went up against over 25,500 applicants nationwide for the honor.  Ayala, Bassoco, and Huynh were selected for exhibiting outstanding academic achievement, including strong writing skills, intellectual curiosity, resilience, integrity, and motivation to succeed.

Founded in 1994, QuestBridge seeks to connect high-achieving students with top colleges and universities from around the country.  QuestBridge has over 50 college partners nationwide committed to providing high quality education at no cost to National College Match recipients. 

The scholarships cover tuition, room and board, books, and even transportation to and from their college campuses.  In addition to the financial benefits of the College Match program, all three students will have access to the QuestBridge Scholars Network for support during their collegiate years, and postgraduate support and networking opportunities through the Alumni Association.

Ayala is active both in her school and in her community via Key Club. This college-bound student also helps her peers navigate the college readiness pathway as part of her role in Dysart High School’s 'Be A Leader Club'.  Also a member of the school’s choir, Ayala loves showing off her creativity through music. Her top choice for college is the University of Pennsylvania where she hopes to study Criminology with the ultimate goal of a career with the FBI.

Bassoco is a three year member of Dysart High School’s Advancement Via Individual Determination Program (AVID), a Key Club consultant, Student Council Senior Class Secretary, and a member of the National Honor Society.  She is also involved with the Surprise Youth Council and is enrolled at West-MEC.  Bassoco has her sights set on owning a business in the future and is still deciding on her top QuestBridge partner school. 

Huynh is also a member of Key Club and the Surprise Youth Council, in addition to being involved in the Theatre Program.  Huynh is a four year AVID student, and credits the class for her success in the QuestBridge Scholarship Program, saying, “[AVID] has pushed me to take charge of my future and take advantage of opportunities such as QuestBridge. I wouldn't have been encouraged to participate in QuestBridge if my AVID teacher, Alesha Wisbey, had not motivated me to apply.” Huynh’s number one match choice is University of Southern California where she’ll seek a major in Business Administration. 

All three students have already been earning college credit through the Dual Enrollment program as well as being members of the Estrella Mountain ACE Program.  They expect to graduate high school with a year’s worth of college credits.  

QuestBridge will announce their early decision college matches on December 2, 2024.  If Ayala, Bassoco, and Huynh are not matched during the early decision rounds, they will move on to the QuestBridge Regular Decision Round, where participants apply to additional QuestBridge partner schools and have all their application fees waived.  Students matched in this process receive a generous financial aid package and access to the QuestBridge Scholars Network and the Alumni Association.

Congratulations to Valley Vista High School student, Malaiya Russell who received a National Merit Award for her Patriot’s Pen Essay, How Does America Inspire Me? She was recognized by Senior Vice Commander Gregory Akers and Quarter Master Todd Edgar of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post 285.

Conducted nationwide, the Patriot’s Pen essay competition gives students in 6th through 8th grades the opportunity to write essays expressing their views on an annual patriotic theme. This past year's prompt was, "How Are You Inspired by America?".  More than 138,000 students participate nationwide in the annual Patriot’s Pen Contest that encourages young minds to examine America’s history, along with their own experiences in modern American society.

Malaiya represented the VFW Post 12098, and was awarded the $500 Department of Pennsylvania 2015-16 “LDRSHIP” Award. 

Prior to this award, she was previously recognized as the first place winner for VFW Post 12098, District 3 and at the state level for her essay in the 2023-2024 school year.  

Below is an excerpt from her winning essay.

Our country is built off courage, perseverance, and unbeatable determination to be whoever you want. When you’re able to be free in your jobs, education, and your everyday life that’s where inspiration comes. America has been an enthusiastic lantern of opportunity and hope for newcomers globally. The importance of America can’t be overlooked– inspiring not only U.S citizens, but also foreigners. 

The VFW is dedicated to promoting patriotism and investing in our future generation and is currently accepting applications for the Voice of Democracy and Patriot’s Pen contests for this year through October 31, 2024.  Learn more at https://www.vfw.org/community/youth-and-education/youth-scholarships.

Recently, nearly 300 Valley Vista High School students took part in Financial Fitness in Action, an educational exercise where students participate in a fun, post-high school simulation of saving, spending, and budgeting based on career choices and lifestyle decisions.  The program was open to students enrolled in Valley Vista’s AP Microeconomics and Economics classes. The Arizona Council on Economic Education (ACEE) provided the educational materials and partnered with school staff and twenty community volunteers, including banking professionals,  to put on the event.

Available for grades 7-12, the purpose of the program is to teach financial literacy early in life.  Students are given the opportunity to see how their decisions will impact them financially, such as renting an apartment alone or with a roommate, purchasing or leasing a vehicle, and paying for cable and telephones.

At the start of the two-hour event, Valley Vista students were provided a worksheet with their assigned career, salary, credit score, and family data.  With that information in hand, they visited a series of decision-making booths staffed by teachers, community volunteers, and banking industry leaders.  At each booth, they discussed how to best utilize their budget for things such as housing, auto insurance, investing, groceries, entertainment, healthcare, and more.  Students then filled out that portion of their budgeting worksheet, in effect making a financial decision for that category.

In the spirit of keeping the simulation realistic, students were randomly surprised with financial speedbumps like traffic tickets, car repairs, and other unplanned expenses.  Those who had saved for such events were able to absorb the cost, while those with less of a financial cushion found themselves back at the decision-making booths looking for ways to budget more effectively. 

Once the students had made their final spending decisions, they met one-on-one with financial advisors who reviewed their worksheets to ensure solvency or to help students learn how to better live within their means.

Financial Fitness in Action is one of the qualifying events to earn the Arizona Seal of Personal Finance for grades 9-12.  Dysart Schools proudly leads the way with the most Seals in the state, touting 642 districtwide last year.  Valley Vista High School accounts for 190 Seals. 

ACEE prepares teachers to educate students on personal finance, economics, and entrepreneurship.  They distribute proven economic resources to schools free of charge.  It is their goal to empower teachers, community volunteers, and parents in order to support students to become productive and responsible participants in a global economy. 

Mountain View School Principal Debby Cruz was named the Grand Canyon University (GCU) Principal of the Month for October.  

The GCU Principal of the Month awards are given to outstanding school leaders who demonstrate creativity and vision while implementing or supporting areas of focus including STEM-related pathways and programs, character education and innovations designed to increase student success.  Below is an excerpt from the nomination letter submitted by Mountain View School staff.

Principal Cruz was honored for her dedication to inspiring children to learn, grow and succeed and for going above and beyond to promote STEM learning at Mountain View.  Principal Cruz has supported Mountain View School to continuously improve in STEM to include STEM professional development opportunities, improving the STEAM Night with the support of PTA and staff, and she also connected the school with the NAU STEM Focused School of the Future Grant. 

Throughout the past two years, Principal Cruz has created a positive environment, where teachers and staff at Mountain View have felt supported and appreciated. Principal Cruz has brought many fun aspects of celebration to the school culture including Monthly Student Award Assemblies, Staff Perfect Attendance Awards, and Staff Golden Paw Awards, where she seeks out community nominations of wonderful staff and how they have positively impacted their children. She even made a "Golden Treat Cart" that she stocks up with snacks for the class that has the best overall attendance for the month. Principal Cruz has made gains with STEM education throughout all classes, the school label improved from a B to an A this past year under her leadership, highlighting the hard work of her and all staff members.

Debby was recognized at a recent district principal meeting in front of her peers by GCU and received a gift basket, plaque and gift card celebrating her efforts.

Ten teachers from across the district were the lucky recipients of the 2024 APS Supply My Class grant. The Arizona based utility company started the program seven years ago to help local educators teaching in Title I, K-12 schools get the supplies they need to support their students’ success.  

Applications for the program were open over the summer. Qualified applicants were entered into a random drawing that was held before the start of the school year. This year, 500 teachers from the APS service area were each awarded a $500 virtual gift card with which to stock up their classrooms.

The names of the ten winners from the Dysart Unified School District were kept under wraps until APS representatives paid a surprise visit to their classrooms to present the award with the help of the schools’ administration.

Second grade teacher Tori Dymond from Kingswood Elementary School was both shocked and humbled by the award. “It means the world to me that such major companies are able to give back to their communities and help out in the classroom.” 

Kindergarten Interventionist Andrina Jimenez from Thompson Ranch Elementary School also expressed her gratitude. “I feel very lucky to have been selected for the APS Supply My Class grant. It helps me remember that what I do on a daily basis means something to others in the community.” 

All the teachers are excited to put their gift cards to good use. Their shopping lists include everything from basic school supplies and manipulatives, to flexible seating and student incentives. One thing they all have in common, however, is they all plan to use every last penny to purchase supplies that will directly benefit their students.

This year’s winners encourage their fellow educators to apply for the grant next summer.  With no essay requirement, all it takes is a five minute application that could win them $500.

2024 APS Supply My Class Winners

Allyssa Jebrail - Ashton Ranch Middle School  

Jennifer Dawn - Ashton Ranch Middle School  

Lindsey Serene - Freedom Traditional Academy 

Karin Salsberry - Dysart Middle School  

Keegan Cook - Dysart High School 

Tori Dymond - Kingswood Elementary School  

Alex Carrion - Surprise Elementary School 

Natasha Ludwig - Surprise Elementary 

Xe Yang - Thompson Ranch Elementary School 

Andrina Jimenez - Thompson Ranch Elementary School

Eleven educators completed a fellowship with the Arizona STEM Acceleration Project (ASAP) in partnership with Arizona State University. 

ASAP is an initiative that provides direct support, resources, and funding to Arizona’s K-12 educators as they deliver high-quality, hands-on STEM education to our state’s future leaders.  Fellows are given a host of high-quality professional development opportunities and a stipend for their participation in creating lesson plans, hosting STEM projects, and enriching STEM for their students.

Recipients include Janet Anderson from Valley Vista High School, Kathy Berger from Riverview School, Huda Clemens from Western Peaks Elementary School, Megan Collins from Luke Elementary School, Liana Gillespie from Canyon Ridge School, Ellen Hunt from Countryside Elementary School, Kristina Jallo from Surprise Elementary School, Lacey Merritt from Canyon Ridge School, Lisa Moberg from Sunset Hills Elementary School, Cassie Strahota from Mountain View School, and Alexis Wilson from Thompson Ranch Elementary School.

The requirements for the fellowship include 30 hours of STEM professional development, submission of four lesson plans to the STEM Lesson Plan Repository, a STEM project with students, and end of year report. 

Seven of the awardees celebrated the accomplishment at the ASAP STEM Exchange Conference this summer, which was hosted at ASU SkySong.  The conference featured breakout sessions, access to free STEM supplies for each teacher, and allowed for connections between teachers across the state.

The fellowship opens up a network of opportunities for staff and allows teachers to share successful lesson plans and projects state-wide. ASAP Fellows receive a $2,000 stipend to purchase STEM supplies for projects, a $4,500 stipend, and access to a broad range of STEM professional development opportunities throughout Arizona.

Dysart teachers represent the largest number of ASAP fellows in the entire state of Arizona.  Teacher lesson plans and projects are viewable by searching each fellow’s name in the STEM Lesson Plan Repository.  Subjects include Stoichiometry, Coding, Snowflake Geometry, 3D Shoe Design, Wind Powered Cars, Treehouse Design, Cell Membrane Study, Soil Exploration, Science of Sound, Exploring Weather Patterns with Code, and more.

“This program has allowed my campus to receive supplies and other materials and resources related to science and STEM,” said Megan Collins. “Being an ASAP fellow has challenged me and allowed me to incorporate STEAM lessons into each grade level art class including a new elective called Art and Technology.” 

Founded in 2022, ASAP is a grassroots effort to enhance and accelerate STEM activities in schools across Arizona. It provides vital funding and guidance to schools and professional development organizations, increasing their ability to foster engagement, update curricula, and acquire materials needed to improve STEM education for Arizona’s youth and young adults.  ASAP has supported, funded, and provided guidance to over 700 teacher fellows looking to accelerate STEM activities, enrich lessons, and provide materials for students.

Recent Valley Vista High School graduate Ava Stevenson placed first in the state of Arizona in the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Foundation’s Spring 2024 National InvestWrite Competition.  During her senior year Ava took part in The Stock Market Game, a SIFMA Foundation financial education program where students invest a hypothetical $100,000 in an online portfolio of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and cash.  During the competition, she and her team developed a diversified investment portfolio aimed at securing long term financial success

After successfully completing The Stock Market Game program, Ava decided to take the next step offered by SIFMA and entered the InvestWrite Competition, which is a written challenge that addresses real-world financial issues and situations.  In their essays, students had to analyze, think critically and problem solve about a long-term saving and investing scenario.  Essays were judged by financial professionals who evaluated the students’ understanding of long-term investing, diversification, the global capital markets, and factors that drive investments as well as their expression of investment ideas in essay form.

Ava’s essay rocketed her to first place, captivating the panel of expert judges with her astute insights into the dynamics of capital markets. In recognition of her accomplishment, Ava and her teacher, Mitchell Pinda, were honored by the SIFMA Foundation during a special ceremony held at Valley Vista.

Ava is currently pursuing a career as a Pharmacy Technician.  As she explains in her award winning essay, she will be using her economic and investment knowledge to create a long-term financial plan to help fund her education.

Winning Essay

Throughout the Stock Market Game, my team and I have invested in dozens of different company stocks, having to analyze fluctuating stock market trends and take the right action to earn the most profit. The most profitable stock that we have invested in thus far is DECK, which is the ticker for the corporation Deckers Brands. In just a few months, this stock has gained us a profit of over $10,500, which can likely be attributed to its improving cash flow, surging profit, and increasing earnings estimate revisions. Since Deckers is an apparel company, and the fashion industry is rapidly growing, this explains why DECK is so successful as of late. Additionally, online shopping has made these products far more accessible and convenient, which leads to an increase in sales. The company also has ownership of other popular brands such as Teva, Hoka One, and UGG. This means that these brands being successful will contribute to DECK’s overall sales and its general growth. Since these brands are continually adapting to new consumer preferences, they can reliably keep sales steady. As the company keeps growing, more investors are inclined to financially support the corporation. Since the company has shown overwhelming success, my group decided that it would be among one of the safest to invest in.

My goal for 2030 is to be able to pay off my student loans for my pharmacy technician schooling. Transportation costs, tuition, books, scrubs, and other equipment that I need for the class will likely cost around $40,000 for one year of schooling. With careful planning, my diversified $25,000 portfolio of stocks, bonds, and/or mutual funds would have about 60% of the overall investments be put into stocks. The stock portion would include about 25% of Deckers, 20% for technological companies like Adobe, and 15% for medical companies like Lilly (Eli) and Co. Adobe has earned around $5,000 in profit during the Stock Market Game, while Lilly (Eli) and Co. has earned us about $8,000 before we sold it for dividends. I would be sure to invest at least 10 shares for each company but invest about 30 shares for DECK because it’s such a profitable company. These are good sectors to invest in because of the growing necessity for these products. Technology is constantly improving to make life easier, and medicine is constantly evolving to make life more comfortable and increase life expectancies. As these advancements are made, the public will contribute more money towards their company to fund and inspire continual improvements in these areas. Therefore, these stocks will continue to find success as the companies prove that they can meet the demands of society. This portfolio is designed to capitalize on DECK Corporation’s powerful performance while also providing a variety of sectors to manage the chances of risk. All of these stocks are recommended to be invested in by websites such as bar charts, meaning that they are highly likely to earn me profit over time. 

Additionally, 30% of my money would be used for bonds, 15% for BND and another 15% for TIP. BND is formally called the Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF, which allows me to invest at a generally low cost while also having a secure way to expand my portfolio. TIP is the iShares TIPS Bond ETF, which is linked to inflation trends. This means that my investment will be better protected against the effects of inflation, making it an overall safer place to put my money into. This is done by having the interest payments increase alongside inflation increases, meaning that investors will have more profits and less drastic losses in time of high inflation. Using bonds can also be beneficial because they typically provide more liquidity for investors, making the selling and buying of bonds quicker in comparison to stocks. Finally, the last 10% of creating my portfolio would be used for a mutual fund, likely through the Fidelity Contrafund (FCNTX). I would choose this option because it is more closely monitored and managed, and also provides opportunities for investing in more diversified stocks. This management makes it far easier and stress-free, since there are skilled portfolio managers to oversee the investment, and mutual funds are most successful when done with knowledgeable managers. By constructing a diversified portfolio such as this one, I will be positioning myself for financial success and achieve my goal of being able to afford my pharmacy technician education.    

About the SIFMA Foundation

The SIFMA Foundation is committed to closing the opportunity gap by fostering greater knowledge of the financial markets for young people of all backgrounds. Drawing on the support and expertise of educators and the financial industry, the Foundation provides financial education to strengthen economic opportunity across communities and increase awareness of the benefits of the global marketplace. 

About InvestWrite

InvestWrite is a culminating activity for Stock Market Game students extending their classroom learning with a written challenge to address real-world financial issues and situations. Students must analyze, think critically and problem solve about a long-term saving and investing scenario. Essays are judged by financial professionals who volunteer their time each year to ensure young people are exposed to the essentials of personal finance early in life. Judges evaluate students’ understanding of long-term investing, diversification, the global capital markets, and factors that drive investments as well as their expression of investment ideas in essay form. 

About the Arizona Council on Economic Education

The Arizona Council on Economic Education (ACEE) is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to improving economic and personal financial literacy in Arizona.  ACEE is the author of Arizona K-12 Economic Education Academic Standards and the only organization in Arizona which: provides teacher professional development in teaching personal finance and economics; has a strong, affiliated academic base with universities and community colleges; and distributes proven independent economic education curriculum resources to schools free of charge.

Willow Canyon High School SkillsUSA Chapter has been named a SkillsUSA Model of Excellence for 2024 in the Technical Skills Category.  The annual program recognizes the exceptional integration of Personal, Workplace and Technical Skills into chapter activities. Being selected as a Model of Excellence is the highest honor bestowed on chapters by SkillsUSA.  Members of the WCHS Chapter were presented with the award at the 2024 National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta, GA.

“Our SkillsUSA top 24 Models of Excellence schools represent the best in chapter achievement and community involvement,” said Chelle Travis, executive director of SkillsUSA. “These students are America’s future skilled workforce and future leaders in their local communities. It is a tremendous honor for these schools and their recognition validates these outstanding SkillsUSA programs.”

This is the fourth time in the WCHS Chapter’s ten year history that they have received the honor.

Amy Morrison, Willow Canyon Graphic Design Teacher and SkillsUSA advisor, also took a top honor.  Morrison was presented with the Hall of Champions Award during the Opening Session of the Conference. The Hall of Champions Award is bestowed upon those who dedicate their lives to helping students develop the components of the SkillsUSA Framework. 

 “Amy has been successfully involved with SkillsUSA for many years and she has made huge contributions to career and technical education in Arizona,” said Chelle Travis.  “She is the first to say her involvement in SkillsUSA is both life changing and rewarding.”

SkillsUSA’s mission empowers students to become skilled professionals, career-ready leaders and responsible community members. That mission is accomplished through the SkillsUSA Framework of Personal Skills, Workplace Skills and Technical Skills Grounded in Academics, which is integrated into classroom curriculum.

We are thrilled to announce that Mr. Bennett, Engineering Teacher from Shadow Ridge High School, will be competing in the 2024 Paralympics in Paris this year in archery!  We'd like to encourage the entire Dysart Schools community to write letters to Mr. Bennett wishing him good luck in the competition. USA Archery will be collecting letters through July 8 to boost morale for the athletes as they compete on the world stage. Items can be mailed to USA Archery using the information below and they will hand them out to the athletes in Paris.  Join us in cheering on Mr. Bennett as he represents Team USA in his 5th Paralympics.

USA Archery

Attn: Eric Bennett

210 USA Cycling Point, Ste. 130

Colorado Springs, CO 80919 

Check out Mr. Bennett's road to the Paralympics in this Community Connect article from 2021.

Dysart Unified School District’s Growing Minds Preschool is adding a fourth satellite campus to serve children ages 3-5 this school year. The new site will be at Countryside Elementary School, located at 15034 North Parkview Place in Surprise, Arizona 85379. Enrollment applications are now available by selecting the Enroll Now button at Dysart.org/EnrollatGMP. 

Classes at Countryside Elementary will follow the district Preschool Calendar, and begin on Monday, August 5, 2024. It is a full day program, with the hours of operation being Monday through Friday, 7:30am through 4:30pm. The full-day rate for 5-days a week is $442. A 15% sibling discount is available for those with multiple children in the program.

Financial Assistance may be available to income qualified families through the Department of Economic Securities (DES) Child Care Services, or through a Quality First/First Things First scholarship. Quality First Scholarship applications are available here. Growing Minds also offers a Family Referral Program that provides a tuition credit to the currently enrolled family and newly enrolled family after 90 days of enrollment. 

Growing Minds Preschool has a Quality Plus, or 4-Star Rating, from Quality First program through First Things First, and serves children with the core value of cultivating learning by supporting the “Learn through Play” mantra. Through the application of Creative Curriculum, all children are provided with developmentally appropriate academics in reading, writing, academic vocabulary, oral language development, math, science and social studies. All Growing Minds Preschool skills are aligned with the Arizona Early Childhood Education standards.  

The Growing Minds Preschool main campus serves children ages 2-5, and is located at 17999 W. Surprise Farms Loop S., Surprise, AZ 85388. Satellite locations serve children ages 3-5, and are available at Countryside Elementary School (15034 N. Parkview Pl., Surprise 85379. Freedom Traditional Academy (16066 N. Parkview Pl., Surprise 85374), Marley Park Elementary School (15042 W. Sweetwater Ave., Surprise, AZ 85379), and Mountain View School (18302 W. Burton Ave., Waddell, AZ 85355). 

The Willow Canyon High School Best Buddies Club was selected as the 2023-2024 Top Overall School Chapter. 

The Best Buddies program is a national organization that builds one-to-one friendships between people with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities, offering social interactions while improving the quality of life. Through their participation, students form meaningful connections with their peers, gain self-confidence and self-esteem, and share interests, experiences and activities that many other individuals enjoy.

The Best Buddies Club began back in 2015 with support from sponsor Christine Cook who teaches Special Education at Willow Canyon High School.   The chapter at Willow Canyon has 30 members and was chosen as the top chapter for their participation at state-wide events, leadership involvement at chapter training days, fundraising efforts and for going above and beyond to support students at Willow Canyon.

Chapter highlights from the past year include a Holiday ornament fundraiser, Homecoming, Prom, Best Buddies Friendship Ball and the Best Buddies Walk at Kiwanis Park where the club raised $2,000 to support the efforts.  Additionally, Kaydence Kautman who serves as the Best Buddies Secretary, attended the Best Buddies Leadership conference at Indiana University where she was able to learn beneficial leadership skills and built a club toolkit to implement at Willow Canyon in order to support a successful chapter.

“The club successfully held the required monthly activities on their campus and really showed that they put in a great effort to ensure that all the one-to-one friendships that were established were always supported,” shared Nicole Paxton, Best Buddies Director of Programs.  “It is clear to us that the presence of the Willow Canyon Best Buddies club is well supported on their campus.”

Due to their dedication in Arizona, the group was nominated for the Best Buddies International Outstanding Chapter of the Year Award.  The recipient will be selected and honored at the annual conference held in Indiana in July. 

Dysart Schools had three students receive honors in Arizona's Ninth Congressional District Art Competition, sponsored by Congressman Paul Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-09).  This annual competition started in 1982 and was designed to celebrate and encourage student artists from across the nation.  Every year, students submit entries to their local representative’s office, and the winners are selected by a panel of congressional district artists.

Abigail Acosta, a junior from Valley Vista High School, won 2nd place for her piece, Realism Animal Eye Portrait, done in Prismacolor pencils.  Her work will be on exhibit in Congressman Gosar’s Washington, D.C. office for a full year.  Additionally, Abigail was awarded a total of $4,500 in scholarships from Mohave Community College and Arizona Western College for her artistic accomplishments.

Parker Fisher, a Valley Vista High School senior, won 3rd place for his drawing, Sedona Skyline, also created using Prismacolor pencils.  His artwork will be displayed in the Congressman's district office in Goodyear, AZ for a full year.  Parker was awarded a total of $2,500 in scholarships from Mohave Community College and Arizona Western College.

Honorable mention went to Rosela Limas, a junior from Dysart High School.  Her piece, In a Box, was created using gouache paints.  Congressman Gosar presented Rosela with an Honorable Mention Certificate and a commemorative coin.        

The winning artwork was unveiled during an award ceremony at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona.  Submissions included various mediums such as paintings, drawings, collages, prints, mixed media, computer generated art, and photographs.

Requests for early entrance into Dysart’s kindergarten program for the 2024-2025 school year will be accepted from May 9 through June 1, 2024. Eligible children must turn five prior to December 31 to qualify. Interested parents may register their child for the Early Entrance Into Kindergarten Screener at Dysart.org/EarlyKinder. 

Typically, children must turn five prior to August 31 in the school year for which they are applying to begin kindergarten. However, the Dysart Schools Governing Board approved a readiness screener as an option for those families that want to have their child(ren) screened for possible early kindergarten entry.  The screening, which may last up to 40 minutes, will be administered by a Dysart kindergarten teacher, and parents will be notified of the results within 7-10 business days after completion. During the screening, the child will work one-on-one with a certified teacher to take a variety of short assessments.   

The Early Entrance Into Kindergarten Screener will be offered on June 11, June 18 and July 8, and screening will take place between 8am and 3pm. There is a $60 nonrefundable fee for the screener. Screenings will take place at the Dysart district office, located at 15802 North Parkview Place, in Surprise. Details on the program are available at Dysart.org/EarlyKinder, or by calling the Academic Services Department at 623-876-7173.

The Dysart Unified School District held their annual All District Boys Volleyball, Baseball, and Softball Team Award presentations to recognize and celebrate the student athletes who displayed excellence in the Spring 2023-24 season. Athletes were selected by district coaches from Valley Vista, Shadow Ridge, Dysart, and Willow Canyon high schools.

All District Boys Volleyball

Honorable Mention

Gideon Barnes (Shadow Ridge)

Franklin Faulkner (Shadow Ridge)

Nehemiah Daguison (Valley Vista) 

Austin Henderson (Dysart HS) 

Marcos Villasana (Valley Vista)

Jackson Blair (Willow Canyon)

Ben Perkins (Willow Canyon)

Brady Stainbrook (Willow Canyon)

Player of the Year

Ryan Louis (Shadow Ridge)

All District Baseball

Honorable Mention

Ashton Trumble (Shadow Ridge)

Jackson Williams (Willow Canyon)

Owen Davidson (Willow Canyon)

Cooper Frisbie (Willow Canyon)

Kaile Hamlin (WIllow Canyon)

Juan Anaya Jr. (Dysart HS)

Ian Anderson (Dysart HS)

Eduardo Carranza (Dysart HS)

Ryan Miller (Willow Canyon)

Luis Prado Nevarez (Valley Vista)

Player of the Year

Trace Garrison (Shadow Ridge)

All District Softball

Honorable Mention

Charlyan Durazo (Valley Vista)

Savanna Gumowski (Valley Vista)

Mia Viramontes (Willow Canyon)

Izzy Ray (Willow Canyon)

Mataya Olson (Willow Canyon)

Abbigail Markus (Willow Canhyon)

Player of the Year

J'kai'a Graves (Shadow Ridge)

Teams from Valley Vista High School and Willow Canyon High School swept the top 3 spots in the 2023-2024 year-long Arizona Council on Economic Education Stock Market Game for the state of Arizona.  For the Spring 2024 semester, two Valley Vista teams placed second and third in the state.

The Stock Market Game (SMG) is an online simulation that allows students in grades 4-12 to interact in real time with the actual stock market without any actual money at stake.  Student teams are given $100,000 in virtual money to create a portfolio containing stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.  They must decide what to invest in, when to buy and sell, and which risks to assume, all in the name of making a profit.  Incorporated into Economics courses, high schools across Arizona compete in both semester and year-long games to see who can make the most virtual equity. 

This school year, Mitch Pinda from Valley Vista had teams take first and second place in the year-long competition, both with over $182,000 in total equity.  Willow Canyon High School was a close third with a team from Brandon Scholtz’s class racking up an impressive $177,064 in total equity.  For the spring semester, one of Chris Dodrill’s Valley Vista teams placed second with a total equity of $132,255.  Fellow Monsoon Aimee Jensen had a team place third - trailing by a mere $212.

Students learned not only what stocks are, but how to read a stock table, how to determine a stock’s volatility using its beta score, and the concept of “buy low, sell high.”  It was then up to them to conduct their own research using various stock-related websites, determine their risk tolerance, then consult with their teammates to decide not only where to invest their virtual cash, but also when and how much.  While there’s always an element of luck involved, the teachers all agree that the most successful SMG teams were the ones that put in the time and effort to do their research, monitor trends, consistently watch risky stocks for the right time to sell, and reinvest when appropriate.  

“We are pretty proud of the kids for what they accomplished,” said Valley Vista Social Studies teacher Aimee Jensen.  “Most adults can't actually tell you what the Stock Market actually does and why it is important. This is a life skill, and hopefully one that will help (the students) profit in their adult lives.”

SMG is a nationally available program of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Foundation, and is presented locally by the Arizona Council on Economic Education whose mission it is to teach Arizona students to be financially responsible.