Articles from December 2023

The Life Time Foundation’s Chef Kent has been visiting Laveen schools to train child nutrition staff on preparing ramen bowls with chicken and oven-fried rice. They will conduct student taste tests and get feedback to determine if these items will make it onto our menu next school year.

Laveen’s Child Nutrition Department has partnered with the Life Time Foundation to support its mission to ensure all of our students receive nutritious meals to support academic excellence in a positive environment. Chef Kent periodically provides culinary training to staff to implement more speed-scratch cooking, work to reduce the amount of highly processed foods on our menus, and phase out foods that contain “ingredients of concern.”

Governing Board Clerk Michele Anderson joined in the lesson and was charged with preparing fresh ginger for the first culinary lesson.

Learn more: https://www.laveenschools.org/programs-services/child-nutrition/life-time-foundation/

The Laveen School District is hosting a job fair for teachers interested in joining our team. The job fair will be held on February 29, 2024, from 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the Laveen Education Center, 5001 W. Dobbins. Participants will have the opportunity to meet with Laveen administrators including school principals.

Laveen Elementary School’s eSports Rocket League team recently won the Western Region Middle School eSports Championship. This Laveen team beat other middle school esports teams from Arizona, California, Colorado, and New Mexico. Rocket League is described as “soccer, but with rocket-powered cars” used to score goals and points throughout a match. It is rated E for Everyone.

The Laveen Rocket League Team is coached by Laveen STEM teacher, Luke Smith and the team members included: Alexander Diaz De Leon, Jacob Garcia, Jose Perez-Leal, Nicholas Bellus Cardenas and Kasen Robinson. This team was recently featured in the Laveen Community Parade!

We are also proud to announce that one of the founding members of the Western Region Middle School Esports Conference is our very own Laveen School District technology coach, JD Williams.

The Office of the Maricopa County Superintendent has appointed Jennifer Goetzke to Laveen’s Governing Board. She fills the seat that was vacated last year.

Ms. Goetzke has lived in Laveen for 17 years and is a Laveen School District parent. She is an active volunteer at her daughter’s school and is a coach for the Girls on the Run club.

Ms. Goetzke works in the human resources field and holds a SHRM-CP certification. She is a State of Arizona employee, currently assigned to the Department of Economic Security as the Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer.

Do you love your child’s school? Tell us why by sending us a little love note.

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Enrollment for 2024-2025 school year begins February 5 . Visit our Registration page to enroll your child using our secure online parent portal or to access printable enrollment documents.

Parents/guardians will need to present the required documents listed below in person for verification prior to the start of school.

• Child’s original birth certificate
• Child’s immunization record
• Proof of Residence, such as utility receipt or lease agreement (refer to Arizona Residency Guidelines)
• Legal papers, if applicable for custody
• Withdrawal form and report card from previous school
• Photo identification for parent/guardian.

*Please note, Vista del Sur is an accelerated school and students must take an assessment prior to enrolling. Paseo Pointe is a dual language immersion (DLI) school. Students entering kindergarten – seventh grade must enroll in the DLI program (DLI will expand a grade level each year).

Laveen’s Kids Club is now enrolling for Spring Break Camp. Camp is open to children in Grades preschool-6 and will be held March 11-15 at Desert Meadows School. Visit our Day Camp webpage for details and to register.

Congratulations to Laveen School Principal Dr. Robert Caplinger who was selected as the State Director for the Arizona Schools to Watch program.

Schools to Watch is an initiative of the National Forum, an alliance of educators, researchers, national associations, and officers of professional organizations dedicated to improving education in the middle grades. Schools to Watch recognizes outstanding middle-grades schools across the country. Through a rigorous evaluation process, schools are identified for their practices in academic excellence, developmental responsiveness, social equity, and organizational structures.

Dr. Caplinger, along with other middle grades administrators, teachers, and an esteemed group of education faculty from the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and Grand Canyon University, are in the final stages of establishing the Arizona Association for Middle Level Education (AzAMLE). This will be a state affiliate organization of the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE).

Learn more: https://www.middlegradesforum.org/post/arizona-schools-to-watch

Check out the January issue of our school newsletter, The Hawk. Past issues can be found under the “About Us” tab.