ISSUE #8

NOVEMBER 21, 2014

, 2014

NEWSLETTER OF VENTANA VISTA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

VVE is a GREAT Place to Be!

, 2014

Those of us who are fortunate enough to work here every day know that , 2014
Ventana Vista is a very special place. The caring, hardworking staff,
supportive parents, and incredible students collaborate to create a place that
, 2014
stimulates the development of the whole child, academically, socially,
emotionally, and physically.
According to k12.niche.com, a ranking this past week identified
Ventana Vista as #2 amongst Arizona public elementary schools, and
#1 in the Tucson metro area!! Check it out here:

, 2013

, 2013

https://k12.niche.com/rankings/public-elementary-schools/bestoverall/s/arizona/
Feel free to add your review of our school to this site, and to others
(greatschools.org) to help spread the word about school.

,
2013

The Ventana Vista Site Council will send out a Family Survey in the spring
to solicit your constructive feedback about how we can be even better.
, 2012

The CFSD Foundation hosts an annual Teacher of the Year program. The
program annually recognizes two exceptionally skilled and dedicated
teachers from a group of 5 Distinguished Educators. Nominees are those
who have gained the respect and admiration of students, parents and coMARCH 23, 2012
workers, and who inspire learning in students of all backgrounds and
abilities. They play an active and useful role in their communities as well as
in their schools, distinguishing themselves as leaders.

, 2010
I invite you to honor one or more of our Ventana Vista teachers for this
recognition. Nomination forms are due by November 30 at 5:00 PM. The
nomination form and other details about the program are available online at:

http://cfsdfoundation.org/

XZXC0000

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday season, I wish to express my

sincere gratitude for you entrusting your children to us every day. They are
a gift. I hope you enjoy a warm and wonderful time with your family and
friends.

09

Kim
Boling
APRIL
24, 2009
Principal
520-209-8000
kboling@cfsd16.org
, 2008
,

DATES OF INTEREST
Tuesday, November 25th
NO EARLY RELEASE

Catalina Foothills
School District

C615

Dr. Mary Kamerzell,

Superintendent
209-7500
mkam@cfsd16.org

Crazy Hair Day!

Wednesday, Thursday & Friday,

November 26, 27, 28th
Thanksgiving Break NO SCHOOL
Thursday, November 27th
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Tuesday, December 2nd
EARLY RELEASE
Gr. 1-5 8:00-1:30
AM Kinder 8:00-10:15
PM Kinder 11:15-1:30

Governing Board Members

Carole Siegler, President
529-1379
csiegler@cfsd16.org

Bobcat Run New Date!

The new date for the Bobcat
Run is Saturday,
December 6th @ Sabino
Canyon.

Saturday, December 6th

Bobcat Run @ Sabino Canyon
Show Choir @ La Encantada
6:30 PM

Sherri Silverberg, Vice-President

615-9224
ssilverberg@cfsd16.org
John Bergan, Member
878-6180
jbergan@cfsd16.org
Eileen Jackson, Member
299-3828
ejackson@cfsd16.org
Mary Lou Richerson, Member
299-4746
mlricherson@cfsd16.org
State of Arizona Legislative
Representatives for CFSD
(please check www.azleg.gov for
contact information)
Legislative District 9
Senator Steve Farley
Rep. Ethan Orr
Rep. Victoria Steele

Mission Statement

Office Hours for 2014-2015 are:

7:30 AM 3:30 PM
7:30 AM 2:00 PM
(Early Release Tuesdays)
Main Office
Health Office
Attendance Line
FAX
Durham (Bus)

209-8000
209-8004
209-8090
209-8070
615-7635

Spirit Day is coming!

Crazy Hair Day is on
Tuesday, November 25th.
This is your chance to
show your individuality

The mission of Catalina

Foothills School District and
Ventana Vista Elementary
School is to guarantee that
each student achieves
academic and personal
excellence, becomes a
lifelong learner and is a
responsible citizen of the
world, by engaging all
students in meaningful
programs which meet the
highest educational and
ethical standards within a
caring, collaborative learning
community.

Catalina Foothills Unified School District #16

2101 E. River Road, Tucson, AZ 85718
(520) 209-7500

(520) 209-7570 FAX

www.cfsd16.org

A 2 1 s t C e n tu r y L e a r n in g C om m u n ity

November 1, 2014

To:

Parents of CFSD Students

From:

Mary Kamerzell, Superintendent of Schools

Subject:

Open Enrollment for School Year 2015-2016

Pursuant to A.R.S. 15-816 Catalina Foothills School District will begin its open enrollment
application procedures for the 2015-2016 school year on December 1, 2014. The law requires
every Arizona school district to follow a prescribed procedure and timetable for admitting out-ofdistrict transfer students and resident transfer students (those who live in the District but are
attending a school outside the attendance area of their residence). All students who currently
attend CFSD schools and reside in other districts, and all CFSD resident students who are
attending a different school than they would based on their residence, are impacted by this law.
We require that all open enrollment students apply for admission each year.
Therefore, if your child is a resident transfer (open enrollment) student and you want him/her to
continue in that capacity, or if your child resides outside of the district and you want him/her to
continue to attend a CFSD school next year, please complete an application form between

December 1, 2014, and February 28, 2015.

Open Enrollment applications and information regarding the application
process are on the district web site, www.cfsd16.org (as of December 1, 2014), or
at the district office Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The district office is located
at:
Catalina Foothills School District
J. W. Murphey Administration Center
2101 E. River Road
Tucson, AZ 85718
(520) 209-7539
Contact: Amie Sams
Applications will be available as of December 1, 2014, and may be completed on-line
(www.cfsd16.org), or submitted in person at the district office. Electronic applications must be
submitted no later than February 28, 2015, and hard copies by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, February 27,
2015. Decisions about admission, based on capacity, will be made by April l, 2015. At that time,
all applicants will be notified whether their applications have been accepted, wait listed, or
declined.

VENTANA VISTA ELEMENTARY

YEARBOOK 2014 - 2015
Full color yearbooks
are only $25.
Price goes up to $30 if
ordered after
November 27, 2014!
You may pay by cash or
check payable to VVFFO.
Extra order forms are
available in the office.
Or you may purchase online:
https://inter-state.com/Yearbook/718044
For questions regarding whether you
have purchased a yearbook or to
submit photos for the yearbook
please email Mary Tertel:
mtertel@comcast.net

Catalina Foothills School District

2014-2015 Teacher of the Year

CFSD FOUNDATION MISSION STATEMENT:
The Catalina Foothills School District (CFSD) Foundation raises supplemental funds to attract, develop and retain
excellent teachers throughout the district.

The Teacher of the Year (TOY) program highlights the contributions of Catalina Foothills teachers and has the support
of the CFSD Foundation. The program annually recognizes two exceptionally skilled and dedicated teachers from a
group of 5 Distinguished Educators. Nominees are those who have gained the respect and admiration of students,
parents and co-workers, and who inspire learning in students of all backgrounds and abilities. They play an active and
useful role in their communities as well as in their schools, distinguishing themselves as leaders.

TIMELINE
November
3
Nomination forms available


30
Deadline for nomination forms
December
10
Applications distributed to all eligible teachers
January
20
Deadline for teacher applications
January 26
School representative selection committee blind-scoring of applications
February TBA Panel Interviews with 5 finalists


9
TOYS announced at respective school sites
TBA TOY portrait session
April
12
Teachers of the Year honored at TOY Family Event

PROCESS
Teachers may be nominated by students, parents, co-workers, and administrators, or may self nominate. A list of
nominees will be given to principals at each site to determine eligibility. Applicants must be AZ certificated teachers in
at least their 5th year of teaching, currently teaching Pre-Kindergarten through 12 in the Catalina Foothills School
District, spend the majority of their day in direct instruction to students and be in good standing with their school
principal and district administration.

Applicants submit a written application which will be blind scored on a rubric by a school representative selection
committee consisting of parents on the TOY committee. Five finalists will be named Distinguished Educators and will
be scheduled for an interview as part of the final selection. The interview team, consisting of community members,
CFSD alumni and the previous years TOYs, will make the final selection. Two Teachers of the Year will be selected.
The Teachers of the Year and the finalists will be honored at their school sites and at the CFSD Foundations TOY Family
Event.

Rewards for Teachers of the Year:
!
$1,000 cash award
!
4 tickets to TOY Family Event
!
Engraved plaque
!
Professional Portrait

Reward for Distinguished Educator Finalists:
!
2 tickets to TOY Family Event
!
$100 Gift Card
!
Engraved plaque


TOY is sponsored by the CFSD Foundation, with support from the Family Faculty Organization at each school.

2014-2015 Teacher of the Year

Nomination Form

Applicants must be Arizona certificated teachers in at least their 5th year of teaching, currently teaching Pre-K through
12 in the Catalina Foothills School District, spend the majority of the school day in direct instruction with students, and
be in good standing with their school principal and district administration.
Teachers Name:

School:

Grade/subject(s) taught:
Your name:
Please mark here if you wish to submit an anonymous nomination
Your address:
City:

State:

Zip:

Email address:


Phone:

Describe below, or on a separate page, why you feel the above named teacher is deserving of the CFSD Foundation
Teacher of the Year award.

Please email this completed form to TOY@cfsdfoundation.org, use the online nomination at cfsdfoundation.org
or mail to CFSD Foundation, Attn: TOY, P.O. Box 65150, Tucson, AZ 85728

Nomination deadline: 5:00 p.m., November 30, 2014

State of Arizona
Department of Education

Office of John Huppenthal

Superintendent of Public Instruction

November 3, 2014

Dear Parents,
Thank you for all you do to support your children in their academic development. Arizonas educators
also are working diligently to improve every students academic achievements. We want every child to
have the tools necessary to be successful in their future endeavors.
Continuing to ensure that all Arizona children have the opportunity to succeed, the Arizona State
Board of Education (Board) has announced a new assessment to replace the AIMS Reading, Writing
and Mathematics tests beginning spring 2015. The Board voted and approved that American Institutes
for Research (AIR) will provide Arizonas New Assessment, AzMERIT - Arizona's Measurement of
Educational Readiness to Inform Teaching.
Arizona public school students in Grades 3 through high school will take AzMERIT in English Language
Arts and Mathematics. Students in Grades 4, 8, and high school will still take the AIMS Science test.
Students in Grades 3 through 8 will take AzMERIT in English Language Arts and Mathematics at their
grade level. Students taking high school level English Language Arts and Mathematics will take
AzMERIT End-of-Course assessments that will test their proficiency in these subjects near the end of
the course.
High school students graduating after December 31, 2016 will no longer be required to pass the AIMS
test to graduate high school. Students will not be required to pass the End-of-Course tests for
graduation, but they must still earn the minimum number of English and Mathematics credits in order
to graduate.
Features of AzMERIT:

Uniquely Arizona exams - These exams will be aligned to Arizonas English Language Arts and
Mathematics standards. Standards are the expectations of what every child should be able to
do at each grade level. Arizona will control the decision making for all aspects of the exams

1535 West Jefferson Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85007 (602) 542-5460 www.azed.gov

including test design, test and item content, scoring, and reporting. Arizona educators will have
extensive involvement.
Commitment to student privacy - AIR has demonstrated the ability and commitment to
comply with all Arizona laws regarding student privacy, the Childrens Online Privacy Protection
Act (COPPA), the Federal Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and the Federal Information Security
Management Act (FISMA).
Better able to measure students readiness for the future - These new exams will offer
computer-based tools which will better measure students mastery of the standards including
problem solving and critical-thinking skills. Paper-based exams will be available for schools that
are not ready to take the exam via computer. Student test scores will be comparable regardless
of the testing format.
Least Disruptive - AzMERIT has similar testing times and windows as the AIMS test. That means
students will test for about 7 hours across multiple days during April.

The Board must still make decisions about how the results of AzMERIT will be used and in particular
how the Move on When Reading requirement will be affected. The Board is expected to discuss the
establishment of a safe harbor year, meaning the Board may vote not to hold back third graders
based on their reading scores on the AzMERIT for school year 2014-2015.
ADE is currently in discussions with AIR and will share more details about the test, including testing
windows and timelines in the coming days and weeks.
While your school and, most specifically, your teacher are the best sources for information, you may
find additional information on ADEs website at www.azed.gov/AzMERIT.

Jennifer Johnson, Ed.D.

Deputy Superintendent of Programs and Policy
Arizona Department of Education

1535 West Jefferson Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85007 (602) 542-5460 www.azed.gov

A Publication for

The Boarder

the CFSD Community

Staff

A Summary Report of the November 12, 2014

C F S D Governing Board Meeting
David Cai, Mark Cai, Karsten Coleman, Jacob
Drexler, Blake Harrison, Numa Karolinski, Sam
Pershing, Matt Vance, Emilio Vasquez, Shane
Vincent, Gregory Whitney and Adam Colombo,
Head Coach, Steve Carney, Asst. Coach.
Superintendent Mary Kamerzell shared the following
student achievements.
Catalina Foothills High School
Superior with Distinction
The high school marching band earned a Superior
with Distinction rating at the University of Arizona
Band Day on October 25, 2014. Congratulations to
all of our student musicians, Director of Bands
Renee Shane-Boyd, and Tina Walton and Ramon
Sepulveda, instrumental music teachers.

Swim/Dive State Championships

st
The CFHS boys swim/dive team placed 1 in the
state tournament. Congratulations to team
members Jonathan Andrade, Scott Bockisch, Jack
Burgess, Brandon Coverdale, Atharva Deshmukh,
Andy Duffield, Brooks Fail, Bendan Finn, Matt
Lujan, Matthew Paulsen, Sean Seyller, Jack
Hadley, Martin Hocheder, Sam Mullay, John P.
(JP) Greener and Ed Walters, Head Coach, Devin
Price, Asst. Coach, Paige Hunt, Asst. Coach.

Chess State Championships

st
The CFHS chess team placed 1 in the state
tournament. Congratulations to team members
Aiya Cancio, Nicholas Johnston, Rohan Mittal,
Josh Pennock, Emma Wing and Robby Adamson,
Head Coach

Golf State Tournament

The CFHS boy's golf team placed 3rd in the state
tournament. Congratulations to team members
Tyler Blohm, Gavin Cohen, Alex Justus, Ryan
Kauffman, and Reece Nilsen, and coach Julie
rd
Walters. Gavin Cohen also placed 3 as an
individual golfer.

CFSD Star Award

rd

The CFHS girls swim/dive team placed 3 in the

state tournament. Congratulations to team
members Alexandra Cox, Haley Grandpre, Alexis
Hansen, Hazel Jenkins, Hannah Orbach-Mandel,
Ashley Pittner, Samantha Reeves, Samantha Saul,
Jenna Vaaler, Heidi Bockisch, Gianna Badillo,
Sophia Bayze and Ed Walters, Head Coach, Devin
Price, Asst. Coach, Paige Hunt, Asst. Coach.

Girls Cross Country State Championships

st
The CFHS girls cross country team placed 1 in
the state tournament. Congratulations to team
members Layla Anderson, Margo Buys, Maya
Collier, Allison James, Michelle Jaquette, Sarah
Lansey, Hallie Nitido, Katie Pekarske, Richelle
Sandin, Ally Vanasco, Katie Watson, Hannah
Whetzel and Mike Smith, Head Coach, Alyssa
Hoyt, Asst. Coach.
th

The CFHS boys cross country placed 9 in the

state tournament. Congratulation to team members

The governing board honored our seven 2014-2015

College Board National Hispanic Recognized Students.
Board Member Sherri Silverberg honored the students
with a certificate and Star pin. The students are
Samantha Andrade, Eric Arellano, Michelle Jaquette,
David Lasansky, Ana Monroy, Jeremy Siwik and
Jonathan Vogal.
Approval of 2015-2016 School Calendar
Assistant Superintendent Denise Bartlett reviewed the
2015-2016 school calendar. This calendar was
preliminarily approved in January 2014. Highlights
include a start date of August 6, 2015 for the first day
of school, winter break the final two weeks of
December and May 18, 2016 as the final day of school.
The full calendar can be accessed on the districts

Page 1 of 2

website (CFSD16.org). The board gave their final

approval to the 2015-2016 school calendar.

Mary Aubrey, CARE EA Inclusion, Community

Schools

Consideration of 2016-2017 School Calendar

Dr. Bartlett presented the preliminary 2016-2017
school calendar. The draft is very similar to the 20152016 calendar. Approval of this calendar will be on the
November 25, 2014, board agenda.

Jennifer Burke, Extended Day Instruction,

Community Schools
Adam Colombo, Extended Day Instruction-Track,
Community Schools
Brad Greenwell, Extended Day Coach-Basketball,
Community Schools
Alyssa Hoyt, Extended Day Instructor-Track,
Community Schools
Mega McKee, CARE EA Inclusion, Community
Schools
Michael Smith, Extended Day Instructor-Track,
Community Schools
Anthony Birchak, Volunteer Assistant Wrestling
Coach, CFHS
Carolina Hinds, JV Asst. Girls Soccer Coach, CFHS
Emily Lai, Asst. Girls Soccer Coach, CFHS
Michel Smith, Asst. Girls Basketball Coach, CFHS
Craig Warrick, Volunteer Assistant Wrestling
Coach, CFHS
Linda Gyllenhaal, Classroom Volunteer, CFHS

Selection of ASBA Delegate(s) to State Conference

The governing board approved Ms. Eileen Jackson as
its delegate and Ms. Carole Siegler as its alternate to
th
the ASBA 57 Annual Conference Business Meeting,
December 11, 2014.
Consent Agenda Items
The governing board approved the following consent
agenda items.

October 28, 2014, Regular Governing Board

Meeting Minutes
Expense Voucher Memorandum
Field Trip Request Memorandum
Personnel Memorandum
Gift and Donations Memorandum
1Government Procurement Alliance Purchasing
Cooperative Memorandum

Upcoming Board Meeting

The next regularly scheduled governing board meeting
is Tuesday November 25, 2014, 6:30 p.m., Catalina
Foothills High School, Building 4, Room 712.
The tentative agenda is:
Approval of 2016-2017 School Calendar (second
reading)
Consideration of Revision to Policy IKEA Makeup
Opportunities (first reading)
Consideration of Revisions to Regulation IJNDB-R
and Exhibit IJNDB-EA Use of Technology
Resources in Instruction (first reading)
Consideration of Revision to Policy JIH Student
Interrogations, Searches, and Arrests (first
reading)
Fiscal Year 2016 Draft Budget Process

CFSD

Please welcome new CFSD staff members:

Katie Berghoefer, Preschool Classified Instructor,
VVELC
Page 2 of 2

This year give

your children
something they
will never outgrow.
Donate to the Catalina Foothills School District Foundation
w w w. c f s d f o u n d a t i o n . o r g

Khush Bhola, M.D.

Thank you to our CFSD Foundation Sponsors