Winter 2016

Beginning in 2016, qualifying contributions made to a school from January to April 15, 2016 may be used as a tax credit on either your 2015 or 2016 Arizona income tax return.

Excellence Begins with Fuller Music Teacher Eric Whitehill

Gililland Student Surprised by "Carl the Cello"

ASPIRE Academy Hosts Off-Site Program for National Gifted Conference

Carminati Students Write Letters to U.S. Troops

Friends Helping Friends Gives Back

Thew Elementary School Receives Grant for New Football Field in Tempe's Escalante Park

Tempe Elementary PACE Students Learn Coding

View District and School Calendars for Upcoming Events

Kindergarten Enrollment Night for the
2016-2017 School Year

Thursday, January 14, 2016 from 5 - 6:30 p.m. at all elementary schools except Ward Traditional Academy. Registration at Ward Traditional Academy begins at 9 a.m. on January 14. For more information visit www.tempeschools.org/kindernews

Middle School Orientation Nights

Connolly Middle School - Tuesday, January 19, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
Gililland Middle School - Thursday January 21, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
Fees College Prep - Thursday, January 28, 6 - 7:30 p.m.
For more information, visit our Middle School At a Glance page.

Update on Capital Override Project: One-to-One Computing

Thanks to Tempe voters approving a Capital Override in 2014, all sixth-graders in the District received Chromebooks in the beginning of the year. Now, all sixth-graders at all of our middle schools are taking home their Chromebooks. This includes approximately 1,200 students at Connolly Middle School, Fees College Prep, Gililland Middle School, Tempe Academy of International Studies, Laird School, and Ward Traditional Academy.

We had a very successful parent night in November where students showcased some of the things they are doing in class, parents heard more information about the Chromebook Handbook and Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), families were able to learn more about digital citizenship and create family agreements together about technology use at home.

Based on parent requests, online resources for parents have been provided with links to the Chromebook Handbook, information about the AUP, and resources for Chromebook use at home. Visit the "Digital Citizenship" link for ideas on how to keep students safe online while using Chromebooks at home.

Training for seventh-grade, eighth-grade, and elective teachers will begin in Spring 2016 so they will be ready for additional Chromebooks that will be rolled out next year.

Update on Bond Project: Laird School Rebuild

Thanks to the generosity of our taxpayers, the Laird School rebuild project is well underway! Thanks to Concord General Contracting and DLR Group, the Laird STEM students have had the unique opportunity to study various construction topics, including concrete, floor plans, masonry, steel, and HVAC. They also visited the Laird School construction site and were able to relate their knowledge to the various construction phases.

AzMERIT, the new state assessment to measure the Arizona and College Career Ready Standards is very different from the previous state test called AIMS. As expected, fewer students were proficient statewide on AzMERIT than on the AIMS assessment. In Tempe Elementary District, we are committed to continual improvement and we anticipate proficiency levels to increase over time.

There are four performance levels for the AzMERIT assessment. These are Highly Proficient, which indicates an advanced understanding of the content in the course or subject area; Proficient, which indicates a strong understanding; Partially Proficient, which indicates a partial understanding and possible need for additional support; and Minimally Proficient, which indicates a minimal understanding and probable need for additional support. These levels were determined based on what students at each grade level should know to move on in the subject and be successful in the next grade or course. Based on their grade level or courses, every student who took AzMERIT received a Family Score Report for ELA and math. See Frequently Asked Questions

Will there be naps? Will there be snacks? Are these questions you ask yourself as you prepare your child to enter kindergarten?

Did you know that there are two sets of ABC's that impact success in kindergarten? We all remember the ABC's while learning academic skills, but equally important to success in kindergarten are the ABC's of school life:

A is for Active listening
B is for appropriate Behavior
C is for learning how to be a part of a Community

Read on to learn more about the many ways that children can be prepared for kindergarten and what to expect from the Tempe Elementary kindergarten experience.

The Tempe Elementary School District Nutrition Services Department works to create a menu that breaks the mold of the traditionally perceived "school lunch." We strive to provide high quality products and menu items with student appeal.

We place a lot of emphasis on "cleaner" labels, which means that we search for foods with fewer additives. Our chicken nuggets and patties, for example, are white breast whole muscle cut, not ground up and formed. Our beef patties are 100 percent beef. We purchase Jennie-O oven roasted turkey breast deli meat with an ingredient list which includes: turkey breast meat, turkey broth, two percent or less salt, sugar, rosemary, and baking soda. Read more

Do you want to make an impact in Tempe Elementary classrooms?

You can fund classroom projects in our District through www.donorschoose.org. Teachers and educators post projects and the expected cost and you can contribute! Projects that have been funded include iPads books, field trips, and more!

Carminati Elementary Partners with MASK

Carminati School has been selected to pilot a new community education partnership. The partnership, MASK (Mothers Awareness on School-Age Kids), has launched a community education partnership with Arizona State University to pilot a peer-to-peer "i.m. POWER" mentor program. Carminati is one of three schools selected in the state. Read more

The Tempe Elementary School District invites and encourages parents/guardians and community members to volunteer. The schools appreciate your support and any amount of time that you may be able to offer.  Involvement can include: working in the classroom with students; helping with PTO/PTA sponsored activities; serving as library assistants, field trip helpers, room mothers/fathers or resource speakers; participating on site-based committees or serving as the extra pair of hands that helps extend the staff's time by copying, making materials or working on any one of a variety of classroom projects.  Be ready to choose your day, time and particular area of interest when the PTO/PTA and teachers need additional help. Learn more about becoming a volunteer today!

Tempe Elementary Teachers work tirelessly to help our students continue to grow and learn. Teachers work late at night, weekends and continuously throughout each day. Teachers make each child feel special and help them achieve more! Does this sound like a teacher you know or that works with your child or grandchild?

Consider nominating a teacher today! Many businesses and organizations offer an easy process to recognize teachers. Listed below are a few links you could use to nominate a Tempe teacher. With or without the award, a big t-hank you for all you do Tempe Elementary Teachers! We appreciate you!

KNIX Country Teacher of the Week
azfamily.com Silver Apple Award
99.9 KEZ Excellence in Education Award
Breyer Law Offices Monthly Teacher Appreciation Contest