Chandler Unified School District

Chandler Unified School District was proud to recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month during the Governing Board meeting on Wednesday, September 13, 2023. During a special presentation, staff members, Board Member Patti Serrano, and several CUSD seniors identified through Hispanic culture clubs from all CUSD high schools were celebrated. Students then presented a proclamation and Folklorico dancers performed. #WeAreChandlerUnified

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Please take a moment to fill out this short survey as we look at the future for the district and school websites.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Fall break is just 2 weeks away! The CUSD Community Education department has many options for a safe, fun fall break for your students.

• Kids Express Fall Break Camp is an all-day camp for kids K-6th. Your child will spend time doing STEAM, art, active play, sports, games, field trips and more at Kids Express Camp. Many dates are sold out and no longer accepting registrations. Register for Kids Express Fall Break Camp before it’s too late!
  
  
• Lil’ Explorers Fall Break Camp is an all-day camp for 0-5-year-olds. Lil’ Explorers has play-based learning curriculum. Certain ages and dates are already full! Register for Lil’ Explorers Fall Break Camp here
  
  
• Club CUSD is offering FREE enrichment courses this fall break for current CUSD students. These enrichment camps run 3-4 hours per day Monday through Friday. Check out our free enrichment options here!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

A huge congratulations to Hamilton senior, Jessica Burke! The College Board surprised her with a $40,000 scholarship during half-time at Friday's football game.

College Board's BigFuture simplifies the path to life after high school by recommending small steps that all students—no matter their high school—can take at just the right time to explore career interests, identify potential majors, find colleges and scholarships, and access financial aid. It rewards the effort students take by providing chances at scholarships.

Through this program, two $40,000 and hundreds of $500 scholarships—which totaled more than $3 million in 2022—are awarded each month.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Three CUSD staff members received recognition at the Arizona Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (AIAAA) conference. Alex Randel, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director of Andersen Junior High, was honored with the title of AIAAA Middle School Athletic Director of the Year. Jennifer Burks, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director of Perry High School (second from the left), and Shawn Rustad, the District Athletic Director (far left), were both celebrated for their 20 years of dedicated service.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

On Saturday, at the City of Chandler's Contigo kick-off event, students from all high schools in CUSD came together to showcase different countries and educate visitors.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Auxier Elementary kindness club was recently feature by the news. Check out the story here or by clicking on the image below. #WeAreChandlerUnified

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Karis Wales, an eighth grader at Basha Accelerated Middle School, was honored with azfamily 3TV CBS 5’s Pay It Forward award!

Wales with her friends at Basha AMS started a club called Knots for NICU to make hats, blankets, and more items for premature babies in the valley. She was nominated by March of Dimes' Mitzie Warner, and Wales received $500 with her recognition. The money will go toward buying supplies for Knots for NICU's cause. Congratulations! Discover the full story online by clicking here or on the image below.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee recently visited with students at San Marcos Elementary School!

The purpose of the visit was to inspire financial literacy. To do this, teams competed in a fun STEM activity designed in a way that would get students thinking about their dream jobs and what it would take to achieve their goal. The Treasurer’s visit ties into the launch of her statewide essay contest where students in fifth and sixth grade could win $529 towards their future education and career goals! Find more info on the essay rules here. #WeAreChandlerUnified

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Chandler High football Coach Rick Garretson was selected as the Arizona Cardinals High School Coach of the Week for his outstanding coaching performance. Congratulations, Coach Garretson!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you, Congressman Greg Stanton for visiting with the CHS Baseball team. The students greatly appreciated you stopping by to share your experience wearing the CHS jersey in the congressional baseball game. We also appreciate you sharing valuable advice with students on the importance of giving back to the community. #WeAreCUSD

__________________________________________________________________________________________

CTA Humphrey raised over $20,000 for new sound equipment and afterschool clubs like choir and drama. It was a week full of fun- jerseys, paint and pajamas 🎨🏈😴 The students ended a fun week with painting Dean of Students Mr. Jermaine Guthrie and Principal Bianca Todd. What a huge success for this school community!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

For the third consecutive year Arizona College Prep High School students guided by Rachna Nath have secured a $5,000 grant from SRP. Seniors Ayden Papaccio and Rohin Janarthanam won the grant with their innovative project designing a household hydroelectric power generator capable of harnessing electricity from the waterline. Congratulations! #WeAreChandlerUnified

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Patterson Elementary's third-graders recently exhibited their Arizona salt dough maps, generously supported by Sal's Pizza, who donated the pizza boxes. The children expressed their gratitude on a poster, featuring this image on the reverse side.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

CTA Liberty technology teacher Allison Engstrom was selected as the recipient for a back to school giveaway sponsored by Katie's AZ Kitchen. She was nominated by the mother of fourth grade student, Xavi Espericueta Valencia.

Nomination write-up: "Mrs. Allison Engstrom has impacted Xavi's, my oldest son's life in such a positive way. She's kind and caring, and treats him with love and respect. She's empowered him to believe in himself and provides quality education. In turn, he has made very visible gains that will follow him for a lifetime. So much that he basically tripled his reading count! From a gentle smile, all the way to private tutoring, she makes an effort to make sure her students succeed. Being a teacher is not easy, but Mrs. Engstrom does it so wonderfully and with a happy heart. We couldn't be more thankful for her and would love to see her win this giveaway."

Allison was surprised by a visit from Xavi, his mom and Katie from Katie's AZ Kitchen. She received a teacher gift package which included teacher goodies and a gift cards from Starbucks and Target. She also received flowers and balloons from Xavi.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

First-grade classrooms at Basha Elementary came together to build their own class community, complete with roads, buildings, a pond, and parks. Their collaborative effort brought forth an exciting community project.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you want to see your school, program or students featured?

There are a TON of great things going on in our schools -- honors, awards, community service projects, special programs we offer and accomplishments. Click below to spread the word, and to see the things we're doing. Check out our BRAGS | BRAG about our schools

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you have plans for Fall break? Chandler SCHEELS is excited to invite you to our Grand Opening party on September 30th from 7 am -9:30 am filled with fun activities.

Fun activities you can expect:
• Food Vendors: Pit Boss and Von Hanson's Meats, Gozney Pizza, and more
• Score NN' Event Inflatables, Mini Golf On The Go, and more
• Giveaway drawings throughout the morning and in-store
• Mascot appearances: Baxter from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Sparky from Arizona State University and Big Red from the Arizona Cardinals
• Special appearances from: the ASU Spirit Squad, Arizona Cardinals Cheerleaders, and Arizona Cardinals Alumni players
• Learn more here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1411232109456633

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Chandler City Council and Chandler Unified School District School Board had a very productive summit focused on the community. Big strides are made when we collaborate and create vision for brighter future for our kids and families. Superintendent Frank Narducci and City of Chandler Manager Joshua Wright deserve a big round of applause for leading the way. #WeAreChandlerUnified #FutureFocused

__________________________________________________________________________________________

We are excited to recruit community members to join Chandler Unified School District on Purposity. Purposity is one of the easiest ways to help our students and families in need.

As we begin the new school year, we are working hard to ensure all of our students have the resources they need. And you can help! We have identified the most urgent student needs and uploaded them to Purposity - an app that allows our community to meet these needs with just a few clicks. Items include everything from new shoes to school supplies.

What do you need to do? Simply sign up at purposity.com/@ChandlerUnified, follow our page, and meet a need with just a few clicks today.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Basha High School's junior and senior students in the Medical Professions program (HOSA) are hosting a Cardiac Screening Day in collaboration with The Anthony Bates Foundation. The event will take place at Basha High School on Saturday, September 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

During this event, these dedicated Medical Professions students will actively contribute to their community and fellow students by conducting blood pressure measurements, administering EKGs, and supporting cardiac ultrasound technicians. The main goal is to identify risk factors, regardless of age, that can lead to cardiac abnormalities causing Sudden Cardiac Arrest – the leading cause of death in the United States.

If 150 or more individuals participate in the screening, The Anthony Bates Foundation has committed to donating at least one Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) to Basha High School. The presence of more AEDs on campus significantly enhances the chances of survival in case of cardiac emergencies.

This initiative not only offers an invaluable hands-on learning opportunity for students as they care for actual individuals, but it also underscores the commitment to supporting the community, their fellow peers at Basha High and striving to safeguard the lives of future students.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Has a librarian made a difference in your life at CUSD? Have they gone above and beyond to help your community? Celebrate their impact by nominating them for this year’s "I Love My Librarian Award!"

Up to 10 outstanding public, school, and college/university librarians will receive $5,000 in recognition of their exceptional service. They’ll be honored during an award ceremony at the American Library Association’s LibLearnX event in January 2024.

Nominate by September 30

__________________________________________________________________________________________

The school year is in full swing, but we want to take a moment to recap summer learning. In this video, you will see how primary summer programs empowered CUSD students to grow and develop, preparing them for a successful academic year.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Looking to start Preschool or Pre-K now? The Chandler Unified School District has a few open spots at select schools! See below for availability:

Preschool (3-years-old by August 31, 2023):

• Conley Elementary School
  
  

Pre-K (4-years-old by August 31, 2023):

• Conley Elementary School
• CTA Liberty
• Hancock Elementary School
• Knox Gifted Academy
• Sanborn Elementary School
• Tarwater Elementary School
• Weinberg Gifted Academy

Register online here. Questions about Preschool or Pre-K? Contact our early childhood team at earlychildhood@cusd80.com or our Preschool/Pre-K registrar at smith.janice@cusd80.com.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Chandler Unified School District uses a notification system called School Messenger to best serve you with timely information about school or district updates. In the event of an emergency, you will receive a phone call, email and/or text.

To receive text messages from CUSD, you must opt in by texting YES to 67587. There is no charge from School Messenger for this service. Standard messaging rates from your carrier may apply. Once you have sent YES to 67587, you should immediately receive a reply text from School Messenger confirming that you have opted in to receive text alerts.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Don't forget: the You Matter Conference takes place on Saturday, September 23! Join parents/guardians & educators to learn how to address & promote the emotional & social well-being of #AZ youth. Learn more & register for the half-day event: http://bit.ly/YouMatterConference

__________________________________________________________________________________________

• August 28 - September 29: Chandler CARE Center holiday assistance registration. Register in-person at the CARE Center 777 E. Galveston Road, Chandler, AZ 85225
  
  
• Districtwide College Fair: 6-8 pm at Hamilton High School

• September 23: REGISTER by clicking on this link: Chandler Community You Matter Conference 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at Basha High School, 5990 S. Val Vista Dr., Chandler, AZ 85249
  
  
• September 23: Basha High Cardiac Screening Day, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., 5990 S. Val Vista Dr., Chandler, AZ 85249
  
  
• September 29: Grading period ends, last day of school
  
  
• October 2-16: Fall break intersession, NO SCHOOL for students
  
  
• October 16: Teacher In-service Workday (schools open); NO SCHOOL for students
  
  
• October 17: First day back to school for students

The CUSD calendar can be found on the website here.

The CUSD Governing Board meeting dates can be found on the website here.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

We invite all families and the community to keep up to date about Chandler Unified by liking, following and subscribing below!

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Subscribe to us on YouTube

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Chandler Unified School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex or gender, sexual orientation, disability, or age in its programs and activities. The Title IX coordinators are Dr. Craig Gilbert, and Dr. Jeff Filloon, and the Section 504 coordinator is Dr. Kym Marshall. Address: 1525 W. Frye Road, Chandler, AZ 85224

Email: ChandlerCommunicationOffice@cusd80.com
Website: https://www.cusd80.com/chandlerschools
Location: 1525 West Frye Road, Chandler, AZ, USA
Phone: 480-812-7000
Facebook: facebook.com/ChandlerUnified
Twitter: @ChandlerUnified