DVUSD Parent Update Feb 2025

Thank you for continuing to stay informed with the latest news and updates around DVUSD! There are many important updates as well as celebrations this month already! As a reminder, all DVUSD schools and the district office will be closed Monday, February 17 in observance of Presidents' Day.

As Deer Valley Unified School District strives to continuously improve our schools and the district, we value your feedback and input. In addition, we are committed to reviewing the results and taking action on what our parents and community members have to say.

The survey is open until Feb. 21.

Congratulations to DVUSD’s newest nationally board certified and re-certified teachers! These teachers represent 4% of teachers throughout the nation who have earned this prestigious certification!

National Board Certification was designed to develop, retain and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide. It’s the highest certification a teacher may obtain in addition to being the most respected one.

Inspiration Mountain School- Deborah Carey (maintained)

Mountain Ridge High School- Deborah Johnson (new) & Molly Britton (new)

New River Elementary School - Lisa Hancock (new)

Paseo Hills School - Justin Price (maintained)

Union Park School- Heather Walsh (maintained)

Happy CTE Month! DVUSD and ACTE AZ are excited to share the information below with you to kickoff February 2025!

Arizona’s Governor has officially proclaimed February as CTE Month in Arizona! This month, we celebrate the transformative power of CTE in shaping students’ futures and strengthening our workforce. See the governor’s proclamation HERE. We look forward to the DVUSD Governing Board proclamation of CTE Month in our district next week.

Since 1984, CTE Month has spotlighted the value of hands-on learning, career readiness, and workforce development. Today, CTE continues to equip students with the technical and academic skills necessary for high-demand careers – fueling Arizona’s economy and providing pathways to success.

In Arizona, CTE is delivering real results (see attached):

• High Graduation Rates and Career Readiness: Arizona CTE concentrators graduate high school significantly higher than the general student population (94.5% vs. 77.3%). These students leave high school better prepared for rewarding, family-sustaining careers with industry-recognized credentials.
• Strong Workforce Alignment: CTE programs align with Arizona’s economic needs, preparing students for the 36% of jobs requiring education beyond high school but less than a bachelor’s degree by 2031. Key industries include manufacturing, bioscience and health care, and digital media.
• Significant Postsecondary Achievements: During the 2022-23 school year, Arizona students earned 56,117 sub-baccalaureate credentials in CTE fields, demonstrating the critical role CTE plays in advancing technical and academic skills.

Recent DVUSD CTE Highlights:

• FBLA Region 3 Conference (SOHS - 13-Gold medals, 7 -Silver medals, 17- Bronze medals) (MRHS - 35- Gold Medals, 27-Silver Medals, 22- Bronze Medals)
• DECA District 2 Conference (MRHS - 12 Gold Medals, 8 - Silver Medals, 9 - Bronze Medals, 48 Test Medals) (DVHS - 2 Overall Medalists) (BCHS- 25 Overall Medalists including 3 first place overall event winners)
• HOSA State Qualifiers - Over 100 DVUSD Nursing and Sports Medicine students from DVHS, MRHS, and SOHS qualified for state competition through regional competition and online state testing
• Kudos to business partner Sundt Construction for partnering with the BGHS Construction Tech Program to support students in mastering Carpentry skills this month
• Avenue 27 and the CTE Ambassadors hosted the Parent Organzation President's luncheon at BGHS showcasing exceptional cuisine and the CTE experience
• Thank you to Honor Health for coming aboard as a business partner hosting Nursing clinical rotations in Spring 2025 as well as Mayo Clinic for conducting mock interviews with Nursing students and offering priority hiring to our future CNA's
• And a shout out to the Arizona Office of Economic Opportunity, TSMC, West-MEC, Elevate Ed AZ/the Greater Phoenix Chamber, and Banner Health for their continued financial and/or educational support in advancing opportunities for DVUSD students in high-wage high demand careers including Advanced Manufacturing, Healthcare, IT, and Construction Trades!

The second forced ranking survey of DVUSD's budget priorities is open! The Deer Valley Unified School District (DVUSD) FY26 Budget Committee appreciates the input from the initial survey and is now asking for your response by ranking DVUSD budget priorities for next school year (FY26). In light of the M&O Override not being renewed and an expected reduction of students, the District has to build a balanced budget with the realization of fewer dollars in FY26. From the initial survey, the top priorities included preserving salaries and ensuring staff are impacted as minimally as possible. We ask that you complete this forced-ranking of the following budget items, with a 1 indicating this should be considered as a reduction and a 9 as the one you want to preserve over the other options.

Scan the QR code to the right or click the button below to take the short, three question survey.

Last week, we celebrated Lunar New Year and welcomed the Year of the Snake with exciting festivals at Gavilan Peak and Desert Sage, the two DVUSD elementary schools that offer a Mandarin Immersion program. In this unique program, students begin learning Mandarin in kindergarten and spend 50% of their instructional day immersed in the language.

On Wednesday, January 29, Gavilan Peak hosted its festival, followed by Desert Sage on Thursday, January 30. Both events featured traditional Chinese games and impressive student performances, including songs, poetry, a Chinese sword dance, a kung fu demonstration, and traditional lion dances to bring good fortune in the new year. Throughout the week, students also engaged in cultural activities such as papercutting, calligraphy, decorating tea cups, and making lanterns.

We are incredibly proud of our students’ hard work and enthusiasm in celebrating this meaningful holiday! Moreover, we commend them on their dedication to learning a second language, knowing that becoming bilingual will open many doors for them in the future. For more information about Mandarin Immersion, please contact Dr. Ambre Martinez at Ambre.Martinez@dvusd.org .

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DVUSD's Career and Technical Education (CTE) Accounting students will once again be serving the community with free Tax Preparation Services through the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program at Sandra Day O'Connor High School.

Our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to DVUSD employees with simple to intermediate tax returns, while helping us gain real-world experience. Come to one of our VITA centers at SDOHS to have your taxes prepared and quality reviewed by our IRS VITA Certified Volunteers

Registration for the upcoming Spring Break and new Preschool Spring Break Camp opens TODAY and closes March 3 at 11:59 p.m. Space is limited! deervalley.ce.eleyo.com

Spring Break Camp will be offered at Park Meadows Elementary School for children ages 5-14 at a rate of $40/day (10% multi-child discount given for each additional child)

The newly introduced Preschool Camp will be offered at Greenbrier Elementary School for children ages 3-5 at a rate of $45/day. (10% multi-child discount given for each additional child)

Contact Beth Harvill with any questions- beth.harvill@dvusd.org or 623-376-3976

DVUSD Community Education Preschool Registration for the 2025-2026 school year is now open! We are excited to announce that we are opening a new preschool/PK program at West Wing School and Sandra Day O'Connor High School!!

Parents inquiring about locations and other information may visit our website at: dvusd.org/preschool or contact Traci Piccoli at Traci.Piccoli@dvusd.org / 623-376-3979.

Registration for DVUSD's Community Education Spring Break Camp opened today, February 3 and will remain open until March 3 at 11:59 p.m. For more information on the Spring and Summer Break Camp opportunities see the fliers below.

Kindergarten registration is now open for the 2025-26! Students need to be 5 years old by August 31, 2025.

If your child will be 5 years old between September 1 to December 31, 2025, you can have your child tested for early entry. Early Entry Testing will take place during the summer of 2025. You can sign up for Early Entry Testing beginning in February.

DVUSD Kindergarten Program Highlights

• Free Full-Day Program for those 5 years of age by August 31, 2025

• Special Classes offered every day including: Art, Physical Education and Music

• Before and After School care programs

• Last year, over 94.6% of our senior graduates earned more than $74 million dollars in scholarships

• 35 of DVUSD Schools are A or B Rated Schools

• DVUSD is one of the top districts in Arizona with the highest number of dollars invested back into students’ education

• Variety of Specialized programs including: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), Academy of Arts, Gifted Program Models, and Language Immersion Programs (Spanish and Mandarin)

• Every teacher in DVUSD is a certified and highly-qualified

Do you know someone looking for a job or even exploring a career change? Come be a part of one of the best midsize employers in the state of Arizona!

DVUSD's annual career fair will be held on Saturday, April 12 from 9 a.m. - noon at the district office on 15th Avenue.

A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the '3rd Annual DVUSD 5K/1-Mile Event'! We are thrilled to announce that we had an incredible 437 participants who signed up for the event, more than doubling the number of participants from last year! Your support and enthusiasm made this event a huge success, and we couldn’t have done it without you.

This event not only highlighted the importance of movement but also emphasized the value of wellness in our lives. It’s inspiring to see so many individuals come together to support their health and well-being.

A special thank you to all of the DVUSD staff and student volunteers, Nurses, ROTC, and Sandra Day O'Connor for hosting the event! Your contributions helped make this day a memorable and impactful one, and we look forward to continuing to build a healthy, active community together in the future!