#ThisIsWhoWeAre
PXU Newsletter December 3, 2021
Donate Today to United Way!
Phoenix Union is excited to announce the launch of our 2021 Valley of the Sun United Way Campaign. The needs in our community are high and local support for our families and the broader community is more important than ever. This year, our campaign will run through Thursday, December 16.
Your generous gift to the United Way helps fund community health, workforce development, student scholarships, and basic needs like food and shelter for Phoenix families. In addition, you can direct your donation to the Phoenix Union Foundation for Education. These funds play a critical role in removing the financial barriers PXU students face by providing scholarships.
To donate to the Phoenix Union Foundation for Education, click Add under Give to a specific non-profit at the bottom of the donation sign-up page. We have also sent paper packets to your campus soon if you prefer that method.
To donate today, please visit www.PXU.org/UnitedWay, create an account, enter your employee ID number, and follow the attached instructions to register. Please make plans to complete your pledge by Thursday, December 16. We thank you in advance for your generous donation, as it only takes a moment to donate while your impact can last a lifetime.
See above for a video from our Superintendent Dr. Chad Gestson regarding donating to United Way.
Vaccinations and Testing continue at PXU
Thank you to all who have volunteered their time to keeping our community healthy. If you would like to volunteer at our large vaccination event taking place at multiple schools this Saturday, December 4th, click the link below.
Click here to volunteer at our Saturday, December 4th vaccination event.
Please see the graphics below for the full schedule of events and info. You can also download a PDF version of the vaccination schedule below.
For more information on our vaccination and testing efforts, please visit https://PXU.org/BeHealthy
Vax to the Max
Please remind students on your campuses so they can transition into Winter Break with some extra funds for being proactive about their health and the health of our community.
For more information, visit PXU.org/VaxToTheMax.
PXU Showcases Electric Buses at Press Conference
See the video above from Councilwoman Ansari regarding this press conference.
Franklin Opens New Obstacle Course
Mia Vesely: QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship Recipient
We are so proud to have Mia representing Phoenix Union as she moves towards her future.
PXU Visual and Performing Arts YouTube Channel
Click here to visit the PXU Visual and Performing Arts YouTube channel.
Chandler Hovik Nominated for Arizona Republic Football Coach of the Year
"So much heartache of losing those close to the program. So many obstacles. And, in the end, the joy of celebrating a winning season at 5-4."
Congratulations, Coach Hovik!
Metro Tech and Bioscience: Top 10 AZ Leaders in FAFSA Completion
We are so proud of Metro Tech and Bioscience for being proactive and securing funding for their futures.
National Association of Secondary School Principals Visit Betty Fairfax High School
Ronn Nozoe, the CEO of NASSP, wrote a blog post about his visit and was able to see in the short time he was visiting how amazing Betty Fairfax and our district is. Click the button below to see Mr. Nozoe's blog post.
Flinn Scholarship Semifinalists at PXU
Here are the semifinalists from PXU:
Karasi Colter, Betty Fairfax High School
Jordan Davis Wiley, North High School
Samantha Munoz, Bioscience High School
Lauren Salaz, Betty Fairfax High School
Harrison Thomma, Bioscience High School
Congratulations to all of our semifinalists!
For a full list of semifinalists, click this link: Click here to see all of the Flinn Scholarship Semifinalists.
Phoenix Coding Academy Alumni Speak in Washington D.C.
We are so amazed at what our current and former students are able to accomplish. Congrats to Noemi, Parker, and to Coding!
Betty Fairfax Art Program
In addition to this workshop they had, earlier this semester, thirteen of our Fairfax art students submitted work to the Arizona State Fair Art Contest, with all of them placing even though there are hundreds of entries per category and thousands of entries overall. Examples of some of the art submitted is pictured below. Here are the students and what they won:
Cencere Evens (12th grade), 8th Place in Mixed Media
Jasmine Laroche (12th grade), 3rd place in Pencil
Rachel Flippo (12th grade), 4th Place in Pencil
Rachel Flippo (12th grade), 3rd Place in Pen and Ink
Rosie Garcia (11th grade), 4th Place in Mixed Media
Parisa Green (11th grade), 6th Place in Colored Pencil
Aileen Capilla (11th grade), 5th Place in Mixed Media
Ann Lisonbee (11th grade), 6th Place in Mixed Media
Adel Nicole Roa (11th grade), 4th Place in Mixed Media
Ayanna Cruz Martinez (10th grade), 2nd Place in Watercolor
Raheek Aljnabi (10th grade), 7th Place in Mixed Media
Torie Douse (10th grade), 3rd Place in Colored Pencil
Rene Roos (9th grade), 6th Place in Colored Pencil
Elizabeth Marron (9th grade), 4th Place in Colored Pencil
Congratulations to our winners! Keep up the great work, Betty Fairfax Art students!
Central High School Culinary Program
Culinary is so much more than just cooking food. There are many sides to culinary such as: front of the house and service, menu conception and design, cost analysis, catering and plating, and of course cooking. Central's Culinary teacher, Erin Sullivan, had the honor of taking a total of 23 students to help cater 2 events in mid-November. Central's Culinary students helped out with the Beat Buddies Gala at Westworld and a private wedding in Arcadia.
Central's Culinary students learned the behind the scenes of what it takes to set up for a 400 person plated event. They learned that success is in the details. Whether they were separating doilies for plate presentation, or unwrapping salad plates and counting, double counting and triple counting; all these details lead to a successful event.
From the moment they were told to go, Central's Culinary students put their heads down, worked their stations and kept everything tight and within the "picture frame". The 3 course meal was plated, sent out and served within a matter of minutes. The students learned what "go time" really meant. They also learned a very valuable lesson about how every step in service is vital.
As an added bonus, MCulinary sent them a hummer limo to ride in for both nights. A small token of gratitude for having the students work so hard and with such precision.
Central Culinary has represented Phoenix Union in an amazing way, and we are so proud! See below for pictures of Central Culinary's incredible weekend.
College Depot Scholarship Highlights Video
From the entire College Depot family: Happy Holidays!
ElevateEdAZ
We encourage you to share with your networks and encourage students to seek out the resources that ElevateEdAZ provides!
Employee Wellness Support
Do you or a PXU Employee you know need any support? PXU has Health and Wellness Clinicians on staff to support our staff with difficult times. If you or a colleague are in need of emotional or mental health support, please click the link below to be directed to a form for support. A Staff Health and Wellness Specialist will respond to you within 24 hours (Monday thru Friday).
Click here to be redirected to the Employee Support Form
Want to help our Employee Wellness team?
Help our Employee Wellness team narrow down their goals for this year by completing this survey:
Click here to access the Employee Wellness Survey
Let's support the team who is here to support us. Complete the survey today, and do not hesitate to reach out to them for support if you or someone you know is in need of it.
Stay in touch with us!
Website: pxu.org
Location: 4502 North Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ, USA
Phone: 602-764-1528
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phoenixunion
Twitter: @phoenixunion