Chandler Unified School District
Weekly News Update 5-22-2023
CUSD Retiree Reception 2023
The CUSD Governing Board recognized retirees with clocks and a light reception at the May 10 board meeting. See more photos on the district Facebook page.
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Rice Elementary School Leader Named Exemplary Principal
The Exemplary Principal Award recognizes leaders who understand the connection between a thriving school culture and high levels of student achievement and teacher retention. These leaders intentionally and strategically nurture school environments where teacher and student voices set and realize the school's vision. Exemplary Principals lead schools where students achieve academically and emotionally, and teachers are inspired to remain at the school and in the profession.
Award recipients undergo a rigorous evaluation that involves a superintendent nomination, application, teacher survey, video interview, site visit and extensive data review. Congratulations, Principal Mathew!
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117 CUSD Seniors Earn Fine Arts Seal
Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) is proud to celebrate 117 seniors in the Class of 2023 who earned fine arts seals on their diplomas. Students who have demonstrated high levels of proficiency in the Arizona Arts Education Standards through personal expression and creative experiences receive the Arizona State Seal of Arts Proficiency.
Students focus on one or more artistic disciplines: visual arts, theatre, music, dance, and media arts. In addition to completing four years of fine arts courses, this year's recipients also completed at least 80 hours of arts extracurricular hours and a successful capstone project.
Capstone project examples include choreographing and teaching dances, blocking, and directing scenes for plays or musicals, directing, and producing a short film, and teaching art or dance classes to younger children in the community. Students created art displays and works of art exploring a chosen theme. Students also created original musical compositions, and prepared and performed music pieces for junior high and elementary schools.
Fine arts opportunities align with CUSD's Portrait of a Learner initiative by teaching valuable skills like communication, critical thinking, and more. Visit cusd80.com/portraitofalearner for more details on our traits.
High School Breakdown
- Arizona College Prep High School (Chandler) - 5 students
- Basha High School (Chandler) - 13
- Chandler High School (Chandler) - 19
- Casteel High School (Queen Creek) - 18
- Hamilton High School (Chandler) - 26
- Perry High School (Gilbert) - 36 students earning 38 seals
- 119 total seals for CUSD for 2023
In the last few years, the fine arts program and the number of students who earned seals at CUSD grew. In the 2021-2022 school year, 80 CUSD students received fine arts seals. In 2020-2021, 38 students earned the fine arts seal.
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Basha High Wins 6A State Softball Title
Basha High School won the 6A State Softball Title against Perry High (4-1) on Monday, May 15 at Arizona State University - Farrington Stadium.
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State Baseball Titles
CUSD has more state champs this year! Hamilton High School won the 2023 6A Baseball State Championship, and Casteel High School won the 2023 5A Baseball State Championship!
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TRACK State Titles
Congratulations to all track and field student athletes who represented Chandler Unified, especially those who won individual state championship titles on Saturday, May 13, 2023:
Basha High School
-Gabriella Garcia – Javelin
Hamilton High School
-Kori Martin – Girls 100 meter hurdles and 300 meter hurdles
-Madisyn Williams – Girls Pole Vault
Chandler High School
-Kya Kisler, Amiyanee Harris, Imani Galera-Young, and S’Niyah Cade – Girls 4x100 Meter Relay
-Geramiah Flunder, Sammie Hunter, Calil Valentine, Andereya Nsubuga – Boys 4x100 Meter Relay
-Na’Zyia Richardson, Drycaea Berry, Amiyanee Harris, Anaya Quarles – Girls 4x400 Meter Relay
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ACP Lacrosse Player Honored Nationally
ACP junior, Ayden Schuyler, received one of the highest awards in US High School lacrosse.
Ayden is a captain and goalie with the Perry Pumas varsity lacrosse team which plays in the Arizona Lacrosse League (ALL) and includes students from Perry and surrounding Chandler schools like ACP. The team just completed an outstanding season finishing second in the Arizona State Championship.
At the ALL Showcase Game last Friday, Ayden received the USA Lacrosse Academic All-American award. He was 1 of 2 players in the state of Arizona selected for this honor. An All-Academic honoree is a player who exhibits exemplary lacrosse skills, good sportsmanship on the field, and represents high standards of academic achievement in the classroom.
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AIA Athletic Awards
AIA Awards Gala Winners
- 4A School Spirit Award - Arizona College Prep High School
- 4A Sportsmanship Award - Arizona College Prep High School
- Dr. Voie Coy Student Activity of the Year- Sophia Berg - Arizona College Prep High School
- AIA Student of the Year Kevin Chor - Arizona College Prep High School
- AIA Unified Student Athlete of the Year Dylan Haugan - Perry High School
- AIA SLAC Student Leader of the Year Hayden Darst - Hamilton High School
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Hamilton Students Won the global championship for Business Innovation at Diamond Challenge for High School Entrepreneurs
The Diamond Challenge is a top-rated entrepreneurship competition for high school students from around the world. This year’s participants included more than 2,000 teens making up 800 teams from around the world. Sixty-four semifinalist teams participated in the final rounds at the Summit.
The Summit marked the culmination of the Diamond Challenge’s year-long program, where students develop solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. The competition also offers students the chance to engage and network with a global community of entrepreneurs and to compete for awards and monetary prizes.
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Basha High Early Childhood Program Recognized at State Level
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Basha AMS Students are national champions!
The United States Academic Pentathlon® is a five-event scholastic competition for middle school students, providing the benefits of Academic Decathlon® along with the challenges of rigorous team and individual competition. Academic Pentathlon is comprised of five academic events:
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Fine Arts
- Science
- Social Science
Congratulations to these national champions!
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Guest Readers Visit Schools
In recent weeks, various guest readers, including City Council members, District administration, Governing Board members, and former board members, had the opportunity to visit CUSD elementary schools. They graciously shared their love for literature by reading aloud their some their favorite books to the students.
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San Marcos News Team
Did you know that San Marcos Elementary has a News Team? Students involved in the group prepare the daily announcements for our student body. Each morning they meet at 7:40 to write the daily announcements, set up and check equipment to get ready for our broadcast. For their end of year project, the team put together this commercial to encourage students to apply to be part of KSMB News next school year. The students storyboarded, filmed, produced, and directed the entire commercial. Check it out! KSMBCommercial2023 - YouTube
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Knox Gifted Academy Hosts Maker Faire
Payne Junior High Builders Club
The Payne Junior High School Builders Club sponsored a trial sized toiletry collection. The generous students, families and staff of PJHS donated more than 1,000 items. The club members, and the Kiwanis Club liaison, Jerry Waling, are pictured with some of the toiletry kits they created. The kits will be delivered to the Phoenix Veterans Hospital, who will hand them out to homeless veterans. Thank you to our amazing Payne community for making this project a tremendous success!
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Join the CUSD Transportation Team
Ask about our $1,000 dollar bonus!
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Kindergarten Registration Ongoing
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Frye Elementary may be home to future architects!
Community Partnerships
Operation Back to School
Every summer before the beginning of the school year, For Our City - Chandler provides thousands of students throughout Chandler with backpacks, school supplies, shoes, socks, underwear and school uniforms through the one-of-a-kind Operation Back to School event.
Event Day: Saturday, July 15
Location: Compass Christian Church
Time: 8 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Students must be present at the event and live in Chandler or attend a Chandler school to receive a backpack. Parents, please have the student's name and grade ready when you arrive.
If you have any questions or are interested in sponsorship opportunities for Operation Back to School 2023, please contact backpackdrive@forourcitychandler.org
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Community Education Updates
Chandler High School Lil’ Explorers Promotion
Graduation season is here! Last week, the Chandler High School Lil’ Explorers celebrated a fun year of learning. Some students will be staying with Lil' Explorers, moving up to older classrooms, while others will be moving onto Pre-K or Kindergarten with the Chandler Unified School District in the 2023-2024 school year. We have had so much fun with this group!
Scholarships for CUSD Staff and Early Childhood College Students
The Department of Economic Security (DES) is offering 2 scholarship programs designed for those in the field of education. 💰
The Arizona Education Workforce Scholarship Program is intended for educators, childcare workers, and other ancillary support staff needing childcare. Eligible employees may apply for childcare tuition assistance. View full eligibility requirements and apply here.
The Professional Career Pathway Project Scholarship Program is intended for employees working in the field of early childhood education and attending community college. Eligible employees may apply for college tuition assistance and a textbook stipend. View full eligibility requirements and apply here.
Questions? Contact DES here.
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Semicolon Society is hosting a Community Hope Project event. The Community Hope Project consists of a series of events that provide conversations and resources on mental health while also providing experiential activities to support family and community connection; all events are free and open to everyone and all ages. There will be games and door prizes as well as large group and tabletop conversations about mental health, plus resources and presentations by multiple organizations supporting mental health. Mental health providers will also be present to guide conversations about mental health while also reducing the stigma in interacting with them.
When: June 8th, 6-8 p.m.
Where: Recreo in Downtown Chandler | 28 S. San Marcos Pl. Chandler, AZ. 85225
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Important upcoming Dates
- May 23: Chandler Online Academy Graduation, 6 p.m.
- May 24: Hamilton High Graduation, 2:30 p.m.; Perry High Graduation, 7:30 p.m.
- May 24-25: Junior High/High School early release
- May 25: Casteel High Graduation, 7 p.m.; Arizona College Prep High School Graduation, 7:30 p.m.; Basha High Graduation, 7:30 p.m.; Chandler High Graduation, 8 p.m.
- May 25: Last day of school. Half-day for all students.
- May 26: Teacher in-service workday
- July 15: Operation Back to School, 8-11 a.m. at Compass Christian Church
- July 19: First day of school for the 2023-2024 School year.
School Calendar
CUSD Governing Board Meetings
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Learn more about how to register here.
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Do you want to see your school, program or students featured?
There are a TON of great things going on in our schools -- honors, awards, community service projects, special programs we offer and accomplishments. Click below to spread the word, and to see the things we're doing. Check out our BRAGS | BRAG about our schools
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Notice of Nondiscrimination:
Chandler Unified School District
Email: ChandlerCommunicationOffice@cusd80.com
Website: https://www.cusd80.com/chandlerschools
Location: 1525 West Frye Road, Chandler, AZ, USA
Phone: 480-812-7000
Facebook: facebook.com/ChandlerUnified
Twitter: @ChandlerUnified