Valley schools weekly roundup

By RAK Staff | September 14, 2012

Photo courtesy of International School of Arizona.

A sampling of news we heard this week from Valley schools:

HONORING GRANDPARENTS

On Thursday, Sept. 13, International School of Arizona welcomed grandparents for the second annual Celebrating Grandparents breakfast at the elementary campus. The event was an opportunity for families to honor and recognize the important role grandparents play in the the growth and well-being of children. Grandparents who visited the campus enjoyed breakfast, visited in their grandchild’s classroom and received a “thank you” goodie bag from event sponsors.

“We want grandparents to know that we value and appreciate them,” said Michelle Borie, ISA’s head of school, who noted that many of the grandparents help bring children to and from school.

ISA is a private, non-profit preschool and elementary school offering French and Spanish full-immersion tracks. The elementary campus is located at 9128 E. San Salvador Dr. in Scottsdale. 480-874-2326 or isaz.org.

ELECTION PREP

The Peoria United Parent Council is sponsoring a School Board Candidate Forum at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2, in the Peoria Unified School District Governing Board room, 6330 W. Thunderbird Rd. The event is a chance for voters to get to know the candidates running for positions on the board.

The council also is sponsoring a Rally for District Education at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4 in the Cactus High School Auditorium, 6330 W. Greenway Rd. The event will feature Peoria Mayor Bob Barrett as well as the chairperson for Prop 204, Ann-Eve Pederson. Information will be presented by parent and teacher leaders regarding the school bond election. Prop 204 will renew and make permanent the one-cent sales tax set to expire May 31, 2013.

Find more information about education issues and the upcoming election at Expect More Arizona.

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

The Green Schoolhouse Series replaces portable classrooms with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified educational facilities in underfunded K-12 schools. The organization is preparing to open the first of 18 programs nationwide at Roadrunner Elementary School in the Washington Elementary School District.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona employees are volunteering time to get a school garden off the ground (or, really, into the ground). Volunteers will plant a “spaghetti garden” that includes the tomatoes, garlic, basil and oregano that go into a marinara sauce, along with other fruits and vegetables. The garden will serve as a hands-on learning area where students and their parents can learn about eating right and staying fit.

Two additional Green Schoolhouse sites are in the works locally: Groundbreaking for Orangewood Middle School took place over the summer and soon there will be a groundbreaking for the Green Phoenix Learning Center, on the Rio Salado Community College Adult Learning Center Campus. Both are located in Phoenix.

NEW CHARTER SCHOOL OPENS

Ridgeline Academy CFA, a charter school in the Cave Creek area, is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:15 a.m. Monday, Sept 24 to celebrate its grand opening. The two-story, 48,000-square-foot building will be home to 680 students in grades K through 8. 34406 N 27th Drive, #140, Phoenix. Team CFA in a national network of public charter schools offering a structured and rigorous academic program that emphasizes the importance of a committed partnership between the student, teacher, and parent. 623-223-1335 or teamcfa.com.