Washington Elementary School District

Congratulations to Gabriel Rivas, fourth grade math and science teacher at Manzanita Elementary School, who was selected as a grant recipient of the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program! Gabriel will use the funds to purchase a Cricut Maker and additional materials for his classroom. Way to go, Gabriel! #WESDFamily

Congratulations to Alexis Manzano, kindergarten through second grade special education teacher at Shaw Butte Elementary School, on being recognized as a grant recipient of the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program! Alexis will use the grant to purchase prizes for the Behavior Bucks Store and fun sensory items for the sensory room. Way to go, Alexis! #WESDFamily

Happy New Year, #WESDFamily! We hope 2025 brings you joy, peace and happiness! If you're a seasoned educator or just starting your teaching journey and looking for a new career for the new year, please join us for our Teacher Interview Fair on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025, from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at the WESD Administrative Center. We hope to see you there!

Congratulations to Kristina Hoelscher, kindergarten through eighth grade music teacher at Abraham Lincoln Traditional School, who was chosen as a grant recipient of the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program! Kristina will use the funds to make classroom improvements and provide a better educational environment for her students. Way to go, Kristina! #WESDFamily

We conclude our December 2024 Employee of the Month spotlights with Becky Wright, instructional coach at Mountain Sky Junior High School! Becky is acknowledged for her diligent work in helping teachers improve their practice. In her role, Becky collaborates with her colleagues who are new to teaching and assists them in planning lessons, creating small groups sessions and routines, and providing classroom management ideas. It is evident that achieving excellence for all children is an important part of her life as she helps teachers review data to prepare classroom instruction and to gain insight into student learning. Other tasks that Becky has excelled in are managing the testing calendar and communicating information to families of students, and being in charge of the student class registration. During her school’s Future Eagle Night, Becky showed her dedication by being available to meet with parents and guardians who had questions about the registration process, assuring that they received all of the information that they needed. She has also organized and lead her school’s Jumpstart two-day event, which has been essential in helping incoming seventh grade students start the school year strong and build relationships with teachers, staff, administrators and other students. Additionally, Becky has made a positive impact at her school by supporting students outside of the classroom as the coach for the cross-country team. Her colleagues describe her as engaging, approachable and supportive. #WESDFamily

Congratulations to Gabriel Garcia, seventh grade social studies teacher at Cholla Middle School, for being named a grant recipient of the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program! Gabriel will use the grant to purchase a collection of books for his classroom library that represent his students' interests, backgrounds and lived experiences. He also plans to use the funds to furnish and decorate his classroom, and buy additional school materials and supplies. Way to go, Gabriel! #WESDFamily

Happy Monday, #WESDFamily! We are proud to share another December 2024 Employee of the Month spotlight of Jennifer Stallman, achievement interventionist at Sweetwater School! On campus, Jennifer is recognized for her dedication in supporting every child to be the best version of themselves each day. In her role, Jennifer is a master at identifying learning gaps and math needs of students and then building rapport that is rich in respect and dignity as she provides small group instruction in an intervention setting. Thanks to her efforts, students show a sense of safety in taking academic risks as she reteaches them the math skills and standards. It is evident that Jennifer takes pride in each student that makes academic growth and progress with her interventions as she celebrates them and their accomplishments. As a leader on campus, she also wears many hats that make her a valuable asset to her school. Jennifer supports her school as a committed member of the Leadership Team and Staff Lighthouse. She is even one of three Lighthouse coordinators who create the Leader In Me Pacing Guide for the year for teachers to use to support social and emotional learning. Additionally, Jennifer is appreciated for serving all families and community members at several parent engagement events like Meet the Teacher Night, Title I Parent Night, Trunk or Treat, Leadership Day, Bingo Night and much more. Her colleagues describe her as a leader, dedicated and organized.

Congratulations to Alexa Faught, third grade English Language Arts teacher at Desert View Elementary School, for being honored as a grant recipient of the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program! Alexa will use the funds to purchase new books for her classroom library, center activities and a range of text read-alongs for her EL students. Way to go, Alexa! #WESDFamily

This week’s final December 2024 Employee of the Month spotlight goes to Giovanni Ramirez, third grade teacher at Roadrunner Elementary School! Giovanni is admired for his commitment to providing quality instruction and opportunities for all students to be engaged, and honoring their unique differences. As a first-year teacher, he has done a phenomenal job at implementing cooperative group structures for students to collaborate and have fun while learning. Giovanni meets with students throughout the day in small groups to offer personalized instruction and support their individual needs. Others can attest that when they walk into his classroom, they always see smiles, hands-on learning and brains working at max capacity. Giovanni has also greatly impacted student achievement as his students have shown tremendous growth in STAR Reading. He has even taken on implementing the new Benchmark Express curriculum with students learning English, and has supported schoolwide goals by increasing fluency with letter names and sounds. Additionally, Giovanni frequently provides excellent customer service by sharing progress and positive news with families, and by opening up his classroom to his colleagues whether it’s a learning walk or taking in another student in a different grade level that needs a break or extra support. His colleagues describe him as dedicated, professional and passionate. #WESDFamily

Congratulations to Shannon Driver, library media specialist at John Jacobs Elementary School, who was selected as a grant recipient of the Palo Verde Fiesta Bowl Charities Wishes for Teachers program! Shannon will use the grant to transform a corner of the library into an engaging movie section, which will include a diverse selection of books that have inspired beloved films and whimsical decorations such as vintage movie reels, eye-catching film strips, and playful popcorn buckets to ignite the imagination of all who enter. She will also use the funds to create an Arizona sports section featuring both professional and college teams, which will incorporate not only books but also highlights of local sports heroes and their remarkable journeys. Way to go, Shannon! #WESDFamily