DVUSD Parent Update
April 2024
DVUSD Families,
It’s hard to believe that we are already weeks away from another school year coming to a close. This year continued to be a truly banner year for DVUSD in terms of student, staff, school and district achievements! If there was an award up for grabs, DVUSD was in contention! I believe that success and student learning starts with the fundamental skills developed in the home with all of you. I want to thank you for the effort you have put into ensuring your student’s success each and every day of this school year. Our accomplishments as a district, individual schools, and those of our students would not have been possible without your support.
Dr. Curtis Finch, PhD
DVUSD Superintendent
May 16, 2024
Mountain Ridge High School - 1:30 p.m.
Barry Goldwater High School - 4:30 p.m.
May 17, 2024
Sandra Day O'Connor High School - 9 a.m.
Deer Valley High School - 12 p.m.
Boulder Creek High School - 2:30 p.m.
Aspire - 2 p.m. **Hosted in the Barry Goldwater High School Auditorium**
** Information specific to each high school can be found on their individual websites. Click on the links above for the latest! **
DVUSD 8th grade students are about to move on to their next chapter as students ... in high school! Below is a schedule of all 8th grade promotion ceremonies for DVUSD schools. While several celebrations are on the school campus, many celebrations are off-site at nearby high school gymnasiums or football fields. If you have any questions, please consult your child's school website or contact the school office.
AZ Dept. of Ed Parent Surveys for Students with Disabilities - Parents of students on IEPs, please look for mailed letters from the DVUSD (released the week of April 29th) that contain surveys from the AZ Department of Education. In partnership with the AZ Department of Education, DVUSD would like your input regarding special education, services and supports in DVUSD. Your voice counts! Thank you for taking the time to complete this brief survey and provide us with your feedback.
The Fiscal Year 2024 Parent and Community Survey was administered in February. We had 3,766 parents and community members participate. Thank you for taking the time to give feedback on your school and the district office. While you can review the full results of this survey here are a few key findings.
- 86% of respondents agree or strongly agree their child is safe at his/her school
- 84% of respondents agree or strongly agree that they are satisfied with their child's school
- 83% of respondents would give their child's school and "A" or "B" rating
- 74% of respondents feel that the district communicates effectively with parents and the DVUSD community
The 2024 USA National Brain Bee Championship was held April 19-21 at the University of Central Florida, drawing together 54 local Brain Bee chapter winners from 32 states to vie for the national title.
Securing the second place position this year was Mountain Ridge High School Senior, Rishi Suresh, who will be awarded $1,000 for his remarkable achievement.
Founded in 1998, the USA Brain Bee is an international platform for teenage neuroscientist enthusiasts. Each year, high schoolers around the globe compete in local Brain Bee competitions. The winners of these local competitions in the US are invited to represent their local chapters at the national USA Brain Bee Championship, held annually in April.
This year’s competition comprised a series of rigorous tests including a written exam, lab practicum, patient diagnosis, and a final oral round. Beyond the competitive aspects, participants also engaged in other activities including keynote lectures by University of Central Florida faculty Dr. Kiminobu Sugaya and Dr. Stephen King, a faculty panel about neuroscience education and the path to a neuroscience career, and sheep brain dissections
Ready to register your child for Kindergarten? Register your student at any K-6 or K-8 DVUSD school by visiting dvusd.org/register and completing the online enrollment process. Students need to be five years old by August 31, 2024 to register for Kindergarten. If your child will be five years old between September 1 to December 31, 2024, you can have your child tested for early entry.
DVUSD is thrilled to announce that the 2024 Taipei Chinese Culture Camp is back and free for all incoming 1st-9th grade DVUSD students! The camp will be held from May 28 - 31 at Barry Goldwater High School. This exciting opportunity aims to immerse students in the rich culture, wellness, and beauty of Taiwan while fostering a global mindset. Participants will have the chance to develop essential life skills such as patience, teamwork, leadership, and interpersonal relationships. For more information and registration details, please review this flyer. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity for your child to learn, grow, and have fun!
After a dominant, perfect 12-0 season, the Sandra Day O’Connor High School Girl’s sand volleyball team swept a talented Queen Creek High School’s team taking the first three games and earning the 6A state championship for the third year in a row. The state’s top-ranked pairs team (16-0) defeated fellow No. 1 seed 21-19, 21-12 to kick off O’Connor’s 3-0 run.
O’Connor’s No. 3’s, Iana Loera and Kinsley Singleton, wrapped up their match with a 21-18, 21-13 victory.
The O’Connor No. 4’s, Natalie Gilbert and Kate Smith, put a bow on the season with, O’Connor’s 4’s,their 21-10, 21-19 win.
Congratulations to the Mountain Ridge High School Robotics team and Boulder Creek High School Engineering team for taking first place in the state at the recent Skills USA competition!
The Robotics competition requires students to design, document, build, and code a robot to complete a challenge that changes every year. Their robot outscored over 30 other teams from across the state of Arizona totaling 904 out 1000 points, which was more than 180 points over the 2nd place team. They will get to represent Arizona in the National SkillsUSA contest in Atlanta this summer!
Boulder Creek High School's Engineering team took first place in the state of Arizona at the Skills USA competition! The team of three students demonstrated their ability to design an innovative engineering project and present those ideas along with a display and live model. During the presentation, students are judged on their performance as a professional team, presentation of their project to a panel of judges from the engineering field, their storyboard presentation model, and the overall effect of the presentation. The team will go on to Atlanta this summer and represent BCHS at Nationals!
Pravneet Chadha, a junior at Mountain Ridge High School, was recently named to Junior Achievement of Arizona’s 18 under 18 for his mental health research.
During the pandemic, he began to wonder if social media was impacting his own mental health, and that of other teens. He noticed many of his friends were hooked on TikTok as a way to connect and escape the reality of the world. This discovery inspired him to do a research project called “Social Media: Fire or Trash,” to study the effects of social media. He looked at data from 110 participants and found a possible link between increased depression and social media use. He’s currently working with the University of Kansas to formalize his research and publish a manuscript.
This work led him to another study on color blindness using a novel technology and LED metamers at the Arizona State University SCENE Research program. The project earned a prestigious award from the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair. In addition to his research, Pravneet is very involved in various organizations and clubs. He serves as the president of the World Language Club, Secretary of the HOSA Club, and treasurer of the Medical Explorer Club. He also serves as the Youth Ambassador for “Points of Light” and “Giving Tuesday” Spark Chapter leader, engaging youth globally to find their passion in giving back to the community.
He and his brother founded a nonprofit called Project Smile AZ in 2020. They make handmade cards for hospitalized patients and Title I schools and organize donation drives to benefit children with developmental disabilities, veterans, or special projects like the Maui wildfires. He has led summer internships over the last 2 years to inspire youth to be changemakers, follow their talent, and bring smiles to the world. Through Project Smile AZ, he has shared over 90,000 smiles in the last 4 years through handmade cards, hygiene kits, upcycling gently used books, trail clean-ups, clothing drives, snack kits, art kits, inspirational webinars, and in-person events.
Twelve high school gaming teams vied for the title of Esports state champion Saturday, April 27.
It was the Eagles who would soar to victory earning a first ever DVUSD ESport championship during the League of Legends competition.
The Eagles entered their final competition against Arizona College prep with a record of 12-1 with their sites set on a title. It all came down to the final map, which was a complete opposite of the first map. This time, the Eagles blew out the Broncos with ease to won the series 2-1 and secure the state championship
DVUSD's tennis teams found success on the court once again this season!
Boulder Creek Girls tennis no.1 and no. 2 ranked players battled it out in a game of friendly competition to take home the 6A singles state champion and runner up title. Japneet Kaur and Michelle Bullock, both Freshman at BCHS, walked off the court as state champion and runner up after a successful first high school season. Japneet ultimately topped Michelle 6-1, and 6-2. The pair exchanged a hug after their match and went on to play doubles together in the team state competition.
Mountain Ridge senior, Lincoln Baldonado, looked to defend his back-to-back state championships facing a tough Rincon/University opponent with a target on his back. Baldonado played his heart out and came up just shy earning a state champion runner up after a a high intensity match
7-6, 6-1.
The Mountain Ridge Boy's tennis team went on the become D1 State Runner's up as a team on May 4.
Many DVUSD Track athletes had photo finishes at 2024 AIA State Track & Field Championships Division I, IV, V meet held May 2-4.
The Sandra Day O'Connor's (SDOHS) Boy's 4x800 team not only earned state runner-up medals in their events, but set a new school record for their time!
Two Barry Goldwater High School seniors earned titles during the meet. Josiah Anderson, earned a state title in the Division 3 Boys 400 meter dash race.
D'Vaughn Hicks brought home a 300m Hurdles State Runner Up D3 medal for the Bulldogs of Barry Goldwater following that race.
Wrapping up the track star success, two lady SDOHS Eagles were named state champions in their events at the state track meet. Jezelle Santiago, SDOHS Senior, became the D1 Girl's High Jump State Champion while Taeja Bartee, SDOHS Senior, earned her state championship competing in the D1 Long Jump.
