Congratulations to the DVUSD students, teachers, and staff recently honored at the Governing Board Meeting!

September 12, 2023

We begin by highlighting the #Extraordinary AASA  State Testing results with students who achieved the highest possible scoring results. Deer Valley has 27 students who had the highest possible scores on BOTH assessments for English Language Arts and Math. 

Canyon Springs STEM Academy: Aemilie Tang and Gemma Jones

Copper Creek Elementary School: Daniel Yeryomenko

Desert Sky Middle School: Jaclyn Nguyen

Diamond Canyon School: Hailey Fleshman, Alessandra Barnes, Zachary Man, Juliana Ratliff, and Reece Stumpf

Highland Lakes School: Elida Clarke and Taranveer Grover

Hillcrest Middle School: Natalie Nixon and Trey Larsen

Las Brisas Elementary School: Chase Huang

Legend Springs Elementary School: Kyson Corbridge

Sierra Verde STEAM Academy: Chloe Chagolla

Sonoran Foothills School: Jonathan Azurin

Stetson Hills School: Hannah Zahn and Rushan Shasane

Terramar Academy of the Arts: Rooney Wo, Joshua Stansel and Marlowe Dockter

Union Park School: Zane Pehrson

West Wing School: Kellen Harris

Award: Bezos Scholar - Brendan Salisbury, Barry Goldwater High School

Our next two awards go to a student-teacher duo who have a passion for impacting the DVUSD community in a positive way! 

DVUSD is proud to have one of only 12 U.S. students and 5 South African students recognized as a 2023 Bezos Scholar.  Barry Goldwater High School Senior, Brendan Salisbury, is also only the second student from Arizona to be selected in the scholarship program’s history! 

 

Along with each Bezos Scholar, they invite an educator from the student’s school to take part in the program. It’s an extraordinary opportunity to work one-on-one with an exceptional, engaged student for an academic year as the educator builds their mentoring skills based on the latest scientific understanding of how adolescents learn, develop, and lead. To be considered for the program they must be nominated by a student that is applying. 

This educator is, Barry Goldwater IB Spanish Teacher, Victoria Munoz.

Award: Solution Tree Model PLC School - Union Park

For more than 20 years, Solution Tree has worked with K-12 teachers and administrators to create schools where all children succeed. Since its inception, DVUSD’s Union Park School’s staff knew they wanted to be recognized as one of these campuses– and they put in the work from the very beginning as a school to do so. 

Congratulations to Lauren Ghanooni and the Union Park Staff as well as former Union Park Principal Tricia Graham and former assistant principal, Bobbi Cerro, on their accomplishment of  becoming a Solution Tree Model PLC School!

Award: ASA’s Elementary Rookie Principal of the Year - Dr. Tina Marone

The purpose of the next award is to recognize an outstanding new elementary principal who has excelled in the profession. This award is designed to recognize exemplary leadership in the school and community they lead during their first few years as a principal.

While Dr. Tina Marone has been part of the DVUSD family for more than 29 years, she has served as New River Elementary School’s principal for the past four years. Marone began her tenure at DVUSD first as a special education and kindergarten teacher, then a reading specialist before moving on to administration as an assistant principal and finally taking the reins at New River Elementary as the school’s principal. In just one year as principal, New River Elementary’s student achievement has greatly improved, elevating the school from a "C" grade to the grade of an "A" per the Arizona State Board of Education school grading guidelines.

In addition to leading New River Elementary's turnaround, Marone also plays an active leadership role in the district's Professional Learning Communities (PLC), which helps teachers learn how to effectively facilitate collaborative teams and build PLC capacity on their campuses.

Congratulations to the Arizona School Administrator’s Elementary Rookie Principal of the Year, Dr. Tina Marone.

Award: 2023 ACTEAZ Teacher Community Service - Jeff Samaniego

Our final award recognizes individuals who have used Career and Technical Education or CTE to make a significant impact on their community and demonstrated leadership in programs and activities that promote student involvement in community service.

Jeff Samaniego exemplifies just that and more as an educator. He is not only the Mountain Ridge High School Marketing Teacher, DECA Advisor, and CTE Department Lead, but a proud Mountain Ridge High School alum himself!

Congratulations to the 2023 Teacher Community Service Award Winner, from Mountain Ridge High School, Jeff Samaniego.