Peoria Unified Sch�l District
SUMMER EDITION 2016
PEORI
PULSE
A UNIF
IED
Calendar Highlights:
May 25 - July 28 | Free
meals served at select
schools, see loca�ons
and schedule inside
May 30 | Memorial Day
All district offices are
closed
June 3, 10, 17, 24 & July
1, 8, 15 & 22 | District
offices are closed due to
4-day work week
June 6 | Elementary school
offices are closed, will
reopen July 25
June 9 | Governing Board
Mee�ng, 5 p.m.
June 23 | | Governing
Board Mee�ng, 5 p.m.
’ S L AT
EST SP
OTLIGHT
Peoria Education Foundation Awards $62,600
in Scholarships and Grants
At the Scholarship and
Educator Grant Awards
Reception held at Centennial
High, the Peoria Education
Foundation awarded $28,000
in scholarships to 32 Peoria
Uni�ied high school seniors in
three categories: Community
Service, Against All Odds, and
the Joseph McCord Memorial
scholarship. Due to the
success of fundraisers
this year, the Foundation
awarded $13,000 more
in scholarships than last
year.
The Foundation also
presented more than
$34,600 to 26 educators for
grants to fund innovative
July 4 | Independence Day
All district offices are
closed
July 25 | Elementary school
offices are open to the
public
July 25-28 | Kinder Camp
Peoria Unified, one of Arizona’s largest unified school
districts, prides itself on
a 95 percent high school
graduation rate, excelling
schools, dedicated teachers,
award-winning Arts and Career & Technical Educa�on
programs, school and student safety and community
engagement.
WWW.PEORIAUD.K12.AZ.US
classroom projects in
l i t e r a c y, t e c h n o l o g y,
science and the arts during
the program.
V i s i t Yo u t u b e . c o m /
pusdof�icialchannel for
videos about the student
scholars, educators and
their grants, or watch the
program in its entirety.
The Peoria Education
Fo u n d a t i o n , fo u n d e d
in 1987, is a non-pro�it
501(c)(3) organization
with a mission to support
and enrich education in
the Peoria Uni�ied School
District.
Scholarships
By Schools
Aug 5 | Freshman
Orienta�ons, contact
school for �me
Aug 10 | First Day of School
O N E XC E L L E N C E
Gradua�ng seniors from several district high schools received scholarships from the
Peoria Educa�on Founda�on at the annual Scholarship & Educator Grant Awards
Recep�on.
Seniors Secure Record Amount
in Scholarships
Peoria Uni�ied Class of
2016 received a record $65
million in scholarships to
post-secondary institutions
this year. This amount
includes scholarships
for athletics, in-state and
out-of-state merit-based
recognition, private donor
a n d vo c a t i o n a l s c h o o l
scholarships.
The previous recordbreaking year was the
2013-14 school year when
seniors received $57.9
million in scholarships.
The top scholarship
recipients from each high
school will be recognized
at the June 9 Governing
Board Meeting.
Cactus
$7.52 Million
Centennial
$15.78 Million
Ironwood
$8.64 Million
Liberty
$12.17 Million
Peoria
$6.37 Million
Raymond S. Kellis
$6.32 Million
Sunrise Mountain
$8.17 Million
Combined total:
$65 Million
EVERY STUDENT, EVERY DAY, PREPARED TO SHAPE TOMORROW
Cactus High Photos
Selected for National
Youth Showcase
Photography students at Cactus
High had their photographic images
selected for national recognition in
the Photographic Society of America
Student Competition.
The images of students: Caryn
Gerometta, Julia Knecht, Abigail
Madsen, Easton Nickerson, Nicki
Rooney, Kaitlin Sorm, Samantha
Ware and Alisa Wolfson were juried
by local chapters, then entered in the
national competition. A select few
entries of�icially judged locally are
selected for the national honor.
Centennial High SRO
Fernandez Receives
National Award
Peoria Police Officer David Fernandez, School
Resource Officer (SRO) at Centennial High,
was recognized by the Na�onal Associa�on of
School Resource Officers (NASRO) with the Floyd
Ledbe�er Na�onal School Resource Officer of the
Year award. There are 14,000 SRO’s keeping high
schools safe across the country. Also pictured:
Peoria Mayor Cathy Carlat and Peoria Unified
Superintendent Denton Santarelli.
Addi�onally, Peoria Unified’s SRO program received
the 2016 Model Agency Award from NASRO. The
award is presented to agencies whose prac�ces ensure professional service to the school community,
with service and responsibili�es of the SRO as a
teacher, counselor and law enforcement officer.
Peoria Unified to Launch New Responsive Website
Discover our new &
improved website June 1
at peoriaunified.org
Peoria Uni�ied will introduce a
new website on June 1, 2016. Along
with improved aesthetics, the new
format has been designed with ease
of navigation in mind. The purpose
of this new design is to attract
and retain high quality employees
as well as prospective parents.
In alignment with the district’s
brand, the URL will be changed to
peoriauni�ied.org.
New website features will include
easy to navigate mega menus that
will provide information about
Peoria Uni�ied, students, staff,
families and the community. Additionally, the “I would like to…”
menu offers an easy way to retrieve
speci�ic information in a timely and
ef�icient manner. Upcoming events,
announcements, enrollment and
contact information are also included on the homepage for easy
access. The responsive web design
will ensure that the website can be
SUMMER 2016 PULSE | PG 2
easily navigated on a wide range of
devices, from desktops to mobile
phones and tablets.
In order to promote student and
community safety, a news banner
will be displayed across the homepage to provide speci�ic information
during a school or district emergency or other urgent updates when
necessary.
Select school sites will go live
with the district website launch on
June 1. The remaining school websites will be updated and included
on the new website in the Fall of
2016.
The new website is powered by
Blackboard Schoolwires, which is
a website and community management system that provides tools
and capabilities to build a website
that serve as a communication hub,
engaging all members of the Peoria
Uni�ied community via continually
updated website content.
Zuni Hills Congratulates
Graduating Grizzlies
Seniors from various district high schools preparing for
graduata�on were invited to return to Zuni Hills Elementary for the inaugural Grizzly Walk. More than 25 former
Grizzles came back for a victory walk as students and staff
cheered their success.
Peoria High MESA Team
Regains State Title
Peoria High regained the state �tle in MESA Day Championship compe��on
where nearly 1,000 students from 11 high schools and 39 junior high schools
competed. Peoria High has won twelve State MESA Day Championships in its
24 years of the program and brought home first, second and third place team
trophies 22 of the 24 years.
Students from Cheyenne, Peoria, Sky View, Santa Fe and Apache elementary schools comprise the Peoria Junior MESA team, and have won four State
MESA Day Championships and brought home first, second and third place team
trophies eight of the 11 years of the program.
Mathema�cs, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) is a university-based
outreach program opera�ng in 11 states. The University of Arizona coordinates
the MESA schools in Arizona in affilia�on with Grand Canyon University.
Sky View Kicks Off New
Campus Program at
Leadership Event
Sky View Elementary recently adopted the Leader In Me program and
invited Dr. Darwin S�ffler to a�end the inaugural Leadership Day event
to kick off the program. The Leader in Me program creates a culture of
student empowerment based on the idea that every child is a leader. The
concept for the program comes from the book wri�en by Stephen Covey,
“The 7 Habits of Highly Effec�ve People.” Dr. S�ffler currently serves as
the superintendent of Yuma Elementary School District and will be the
superintendent of Peoria Unified beginning July 1.
SUMMER 2016 PULSE | PG 3
E=MC2 Showcase
for Gi�ed Students
Gi�ed students from across the district par�cipated in
the annual E=MC2 event held at Santa Fe Elementary
and exhibited the meaning behind the phrase, “Excellence
Equals Mo�va�on and Crea�vity Squared.” Nearly 200
projects students created individually, or with a team,
throughout the school year were showcased.
Students shared their passions through projects in
one of three categories: Science & Technology, the Arts
or Community Service. The projects included crea�ve
wri�ng, fine arts, films, fashion design, websites, games
and inven�ons.
Two Ira A. Murphy Students Receive
a New Bike for Kind Behavior
Ira A. Murphy Elementary fourth-grader Anaiah Brown and fi�h-grader Xavion Lasswell received a new
bike, helmet and lock in the Cycle for Success partnership of the Be Kind People Project and Subway Kids
& Sports of Arizona. The students were selected for their kind ac�ons witnessed by their teachers. Subway
also provided lunch for both of the winners’ classes.
Congratulations to Country
Meadows Elementary
for being named a 201516 Capturing Kids’ Hearts
National Showcase School.
Country Meadows is one of
just 11 schools nationwide to
receive this prestigious award
of distinction.
The award includes training in
the character building program
for a school of their choice, and
Sun Valley Elementary was
selected as the recipient of the
honor.
Since 1995, schools have
experienced remarkable
outcomes with the Capturing
Kids’ Hearts program where
teachers see each student as
a champion who is eager to
learn.
Fi�h-grade teacher Kayce Blanche�e, Xavion
Lasswell, his sister and mother and Subway
representa�ves.
Fourth-grade teacher Melissa
O’Dell, Anaiah Brown and a Subway
representa�ve.
SUMMER 2016 PULSE | PG 4
Desert Palms Students
Exceed Reading Challenge
Desert Palms Elementary K-4 students exceeded a reading challenge and to celebrate the accomplishment Principal Richard Troy
and Assistant Principal Joe Corbe� competed in an obstacle course
wearing neck�es and wigs. According to Reading Specialist Kristy
Esposito, students logged over 300,000 minutes-spent-reading
which was triple their original goal of 100,000 minutes!
Free Meals Served at Select Sites During Summer
Alta Loma
Cactus High
Cheyenne
Cotton Boll
Country Meadows
Desert Valley
Heritage
Ira Murphy
Kachina
Peoria Elem.
Peoria High
Pioneer
Raymond S. Kellis High
Sahuaro Ranch
Santa Fe
Sun Valley
Sundance
Thanks to the USDA
Summer Food Service
Program for Children,
Peoria Uni�ied will provide
delicious, nutritious
b re a k fa s t , l u n c h a n d
dinner for free to any child
this summer, age 18 and
Breakfast
7:40-8:20
6:50-7:50
7:30-8:20
7:30-8:00
7:00-8:15
7:00-8:40
7:00-7:30
7:00-7:30
7:00-7:30
7:50-8:20
7:15-8:15
7:00-7:30
7:15-8:15
7:00-7:30
7:00-7:30
7:00-8:15
7:00-8:15
Lunch
11:30-12:30
12:00-1:00
10:45-1:00
11:45-12:30
11:15-12:15
11:00-12:30
11:00-11:45
11:00-11:45
11:00-11:45
11:15-12:00
10:20-11:30
11:00-11:45
10:20-11:20
11:00-11:45
11:00-11:45
11:00-12:00
11:15-12:15
M-F
M-Th
M-F
M-Th
M-Th
M-F
M-Th
M-Th
M-Th
M-Th
M-Th
M-Th
M-Th
M-Th
M-Th
M-Th
M-F
under.
Four schools will serve
breakfast and lunch
Monday through Friday;
13 schools will serve
meals Monday-Thursday.
Breakfast will be served
during May and June only.
May 25 -July 28
June 1-July 12
May 25 -July 28
June 6 -June 30
May 31 -July 21
May 25 -July 28
June 6- June 30
June 6- June 30
June 6- July 7
May 31-July 21
June 6-July 21
June 6- June 30
May 31-July 21
June 6- June 30
June 6- June 30
May 31-July 21
May 25- July 28
SUMMER 2016 PULSE | PG 5
Identi�ication is not
required to receive a
free meal and children
do not have to attend a
Peoria Uni�ied school.
M e n u s a re p o s te d a t
www.peoriaud.k12.az.us.
Dinner
is served
M-Th,, 4:30-5:15
Fri,, 4:00-4:45
May 25-July 28
at the Peoria
Community Center
8335 W. Jefferson
Parents and those 19 years
or older can have breakfast,
lunch and/or dinner for $3.75
Thank You for Showing Appreciation to More Than
150 Teachers & Staff with Thank-A-Teacher Cards
Through the Peoria Education Foundation’s annual
Thank-A-Teacher campaign,
Peoria Uni�ied teachers and
staff received a personalized
card of thanks on behalf of
parents and colleagues during
Staff who received a Thank-A-Teacher card this year are:
Jackie Adams
Carrie Ancona
Anne Ball
Shannon Belter
Jackie Bensley
Jennifer Betts
Tanya Birecki
Ashley Blount
Fred Bockmiller
Melissa Bordenkircher
Pam Bradley
Faith Brown
Riley Burcheci
Penny Castillo
Lance Cathcart
Melissa Cetta
Mark Cobos
Debbie Coleman
Veronica Collazo
Kyrra Condon
Joe Corbett
Marcie Cordova
Margaret Crabtree
Tammy Curtis
Steve Deal
Sheree Deardoff
Claudia Diaz
Jennifer Dinbokowitz
Sharon Doppler
Robin Doyle
Valerie Duffy
Jean Eberhardt
Joanne Enriquez
Kristy Esposito
Dave Fischer
Sheryl Fisher
Mary Fishleder
Erika Flores
Theresa Fowler
Barb Fox
Julie Fuhrmann
Stefanie Galler
Pam Gary
Kat Gilbert
Cindy Gilpatrick
Laura Glines
Melissa Gooding
Allison Griesel
Shannon Griffus
Sarah Grow
Wendy Harrington
Karla Heal
Jackie Heer
Joanna Hinderliter
Kelly Hinton
Ashley Holdsworth
Bernadette Holladay
Janet Honomichi
Katie Hubbard
Francine Jackson
Ashley Kadisak
Kristen Kaus
Cashanna Keegan
Jennifer Kiesling
Kelly Knapp
Brandee Knierm
Kris Lapinski
Chris LeDesma
Debra Lee
Daniel Lehner
Valerie Liber
Traci Loges
National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 2-6.
Since 1987, the Foundation has raised funds for
scholarships for graduating
seniors and grants for teachers. The Foundation would
like to express appreciation
to the donors who helped to
raise more than $1,700 and
recognize more than 150 district staff during its Thank-ATeacher campaign this year.
Kelly Lutz
Cyndi Manzoline
Beth Martin
Alexis Mason
Alisa Mastin
Bret McMillen
Norma Michael
Cheryl Michaels
Roxanne Moore
Shelly Muehlenbeck
Patty Murphy
Jessica Neal
Lennie Newsome
Nancy O’Brien
Pamela O’Connor
Jan Ogino
Benjamin Ordaz
Diane Owen
Anna Parra
Kim Pasley
Kerry Pennington
Beth Perrin
Kathy Peterson
Kristen Peterson
Megan Preston
Toni Rameriz
Jordan Ranger
Kristen Rebb
Rebecca Riccelli
Sarah Rienecker
Rob Miller
Sue Robinson
Jose Romero
Dee Romito
Wendy Rother
Julie Rowe
Carol Rubert
Renee Ruef
Guillermo Sanchez
Patricia Santangelo
Jon Sexton
Joshua Shafer
Marisa Silberman
Jessica Slade
Cindy Smith
Erin Snyder
David Snyder
Kerry Snyder
Kelly Southard
Verna Stegner
Dawn Sullivan
Gaylene Swenson
Coleen Taylor
Duncan Thompson
Matthew Thompson
Audra Tirella
Jacqueline Trembulak
Richard Troy
Molly Vass
Lyndsey Waddell
Lauren Walker
Debbie Welsh
Brian Williams
Patricia Williams
Raymond Wilson
Joanne Wohlegemuth
Krystal Yates
Joia Yowell
Kim Zanurdio
Mario Zavala
SUMMER 2016 PULSE | PG 6
Exemplary Staff Recognized During Annual Pride of Peoria Event
Three exemplary Peoria
Uni�ied employees were
awarded top honors in
Support Services, Teaching
and Administration during
the 31st Annual Pride of
Peoria Employee Recognition Celebration in April.
Systems Engineer Mike
Treguboff (Support Services), Cactus High English
Teacher, Julie Binnicker
(Teaching), and Santa Fe
Elementary Principal, Rob
Miller (Administration),
were awarded the 2016
Raymond S. Kellis Leadership Awards – the highest
Peoria Unified 31st Annual
Pride of Peoria Award Recipients
Eileen Abad, District Admin Center
Marjorie Andreacchi-Keagle, Desert Palms
Cameron Archer, Ironwood
Marci Bieber, Liberty
Mathew Bright, Sahuaro Ranch
Jessica Cobos, Raymond S. Kellis
Marcy Cooper, Oasis
Jane Dunn, Raymond S. Kellis
Frank Eager, Sunrise Mountain
Chuck Esquivel, Ironwood
Warren Faulkner, Sunrise Mountain
Cheryl Fiedler, Sunrise Mountain
Lloyd Fuga�, Marshall Ranch
Brian Fuller, Peoria High
Stephanie Guevara, Peoria Traditional
Elisa Hicks, Oakwood
Leslie Hunter, Sunrise Mountain
Amy Hu�er, Apache
Chris Kwant, Ironwood
Tim Lentz, Paseo Verde
Sheri Leon, Parkridge
Ginger Noel, Oasis
Elissa Novikoff, Sky View
Renee Nunez, Cholla/IMT
Chris Pierson, Peoria High
Doug Ricker, Centennial
Craig Roehrman, Liberty
Kelly Ruterman, Ironwood
Erin Sample, Foothills
Josh Shafer, Sunset Heights
Norma Spencer, Raymond S. Kellis
Brad TenBarge, Centennial
Pam Waffle, Oakwood
Meghan Willneff, Coyote Hills
Tara Willoby, Peoria High
Renee Woolery, Centennial
Mike Treguboff
IT, Systems Engineer
honor a Peoria Uni�ied
School District employee
can receive. These three
honorees were surprised
with their award during
the event.
As part of the employee recognition
event, 36 employees from throughout the
district were honored as Pride of Peoria
award recipients for their contributions
to their schools and the district. Pride of
Peoria winners come from different sites,
represent different career lengths and work
in a variety of positions, yet share one common attribute: They were selected because
letters written on their behalf revealed
countless examples of how their dedication
to the district consistently went above and
beyond.
The event can be viewed at www.youtube.com/pusdof�icialchannel.
The event was made possible with �inancial support from Hunt and Caraway
Architects, 1GPA, Grads Photography, Peoria Education Foundation and Brockhurst
& Associates.
Julie Binnicker, English
Teacher, Cactus High
Rob Miller, Principal
Santa Fe Elementary
SUMMER 2016 PULSE | PG 7
During the event, an Honorary Raymond S.
Kellis Leadership Award went to Superintendent
Dr. Denton Santarelli who is retiring in June.
Dr. Quinn Kellis, son of late Dr. Raymond S. Kellis
and superintendent of Madison Elementary School
District, presented the award to honor Santarelli for
dedica�ng 35 years to the district.