Dear LHUSD Families,

Another school year has gone by quickly, and we have so much to celebrate. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your partnership in supporting our students and their education. We are so thrilled to see the progress our students have made over the course of this year. It is exciting to think of their future adventures as they move on to new a new grade level or even onto college and adulthood. We are thankful for the support of our administrators, teachers, and staff who have spent the year building relationships with your students and supporting their success. We are also grateful for the partnerships we share with our parents and community members each year to support our schools. Our mission is always to encourage scholarship, character, and humanity in every student. So, thank you for your support each day in helping us achieve this together! Have a great summer! We will see you in 2023-24!

Sincerely,

Rebecca Stone, Ed.D.

We are thankful for the commitment of our governing board members and for the progress we have made as a district with the support of our governing board and community. We want to continue to invite the public to join us at our monthly meetings to stay involved and informed. Our governing board meetings take place on the third Tuesday of every month! Please join us for our next meeting on Tuesday, May 16th, 2023. We look forward to seeing you there! Your voice matters!

There are many celebrations to come this month for your students, and they have much to be proud of this year. So, as we get ready to celebrate and honor them, just know that you are a part of their success. Every day you show up to take a picture, cheer them on, give them a word of encouragement, or simply a shoulder to cry on when things didn't go there way. In the end, ALL of it matters! The partnerships we create with our families to support our students are the basis of what we know supports success for our students. It is up to you to show up and it is up to us to cheer for them right alongside with you, teaching them along the way. The journey seems long when it begins, but it is shorter than any of us really imagine when it is over. So, let's take some time to celebrate together! They did it. They got through another subject, another year, another milestone. So, take the time to celebrate your own successes and be ready to cheer them on in their next adventure! Another year is in the books!

Our "Raising Scholars" podcast is a broadcast designed for families to hear all about the mission and vision of learning which is being carried out at LHUSD for the academic and social emotional growth of students in our district. It is also a place to share tips, tools, advice, and reflections on how our schools, families, and our community can help our students learn to make the most of their potential in their K-12 learning experience.

Are you a community partner interested in learning more about our Havasu Community Schools Coalition. Our coalition is an alliance of school and community partners built to better support our schools and served the needs of our students and families in our community. Our Lake Havasu community is exceptionally giving toward our schools. Our goal for building the coalition is to create a more aligned, efficient, and proactive way in which we communicate with our community regarding the needs of the schools in our district and in Lake Havasu City.

If you are interested in being a partner in our outreach or would like to attend one of our quarterly meetings, please scan the QR code below or click on the link to fill out our interest survey. If there is a business or organization that you know is interested in getting involved in this conversation, please be sure to share this information. We look forward to working together to support our school and community needs together! Please check out our Facebook page for updates on all the ways we are working together to serve our schools! https://forms.gle/EL5uymq9xPPijswK7

Support our Schools Week will happen this summer in July! As part of our coalition outreach, we are working with several community partners to gather much needed teacher supplies, nurses supplies, and additional supplies for our district staff and family outreach as well. Please help us get the word out to our businesses and community partners about this event. We are excited to have Mayor Cal Sheehy join us for an event to issue a proclamation for our 2nd annual Support our Schools Week to serve Lake Havasu City schools and families. We are so grateful for our community partners who help support us each year! Stay tuned for further information on this upcoming outreach event!

LHUSD #1 wants to recognize the many amazing volunteers who support our students, staff, and schools every day! We are surrounded by an amazing community of individuals, groups, and businesses who are dedicated to giving back. We are so grateful for all you do!

In the past year, your tax credit contributions have raised over $442, 389.00 for programs such as band, sports programs, academic intervention, and kindergarten enrichment as well.

Do not miss the opportunity to fill out your child's free and reduced lunch application today for the 2023-24 school year. Whether your family needs assistance or not, your application helps our schools get access to the public funding available to help support our schools social services and academic intervention programs to support our students. Please click on the link below to fill out your child's application today! https://www.lhusd.org/childnutrition

Take a look at the article below to help identify what "readiness means" and the important ways you can get your child ready for their first day of Kindergarten!

We are launching another series of our Love and Logic classes designed for families to help connect with and engage your students. The goal is to learn another approach to discipline that is focused building relationship with your students and teaching them effective communication, self-control, decision making, and personal responsibility.

Classes will take place on Wednesdays from 5:30 – 7:00 at Starline starting in May 3rd and ending the week of June 7th.
Please use the QR code on the flyer or click the link below to fill out our interest form.

https://forms.office.com/r/8ES6cGf3nU

• AHCCCS (Medicaid in AZ) was not allowed to disenroll members during the pandemic. Membership has grown by about 1/3 to 2.5 million. Continous Enrollment ended April 1, 2023.
• AHCCCS (DES) must redetermine eligibility for all 2.5 million members. The redetermination process will take about 12 months. AHCCCS estimates 650,000 members are at risk of losing coverage during 2023. Approximately 350,000 people are in households that have not responded to AHCCCS’s attempt to reach them.
• 36% of the at-risk AHCCCS members are children (not yet 19 years of age).
• Schools that invoice AHCCCS for therapeutic services may see a reduction in income.

AHCCCS members need to update their contact information as soon as possible or may be dropped for lack of response. Please be sure to watch the video for more information and use the information below for support and contact information.

Are you looking for ways you can better your parenting skills? Are there resources that you've been looking for to help your family find support for the challenges that come with raising kids today? Check out some of the resources being provided by our Arizona partnerships.

We were so excited to celebrate our site level Teachers of the Year, along with the announcement of our District Teacher of the Year, Staff of the Year, and the Rookie of the Year. Congratulations to all who were recognized for their achievements. We appreciate all you do to set the bar for our district!

If you haven't seen one of the performances from our after school clubs this year, then you are truly missing out! This quarter we want to highlight some of our educators who have been working hard this year to bring out the best in our young performers throughout our district. Enter Darren Huntting, Heidi Vesely, and Jackie Murphy. These three educators are the masterminds, directors, and coordinators of our district arts and music programs that take place after school.

Darren Huntting joined the Starline team this year as their music teacher, creating opportunities for performances both inside and outside of school. He helped the students create the Performing Arts Club at Starline and quickly began having performances under the London Bridge each quarter to help bring attention to their students program "Stars Under the Bridge". He supports the students both inside and outside of school, and quickly developed partnerships with the other club advisors to cook up some fun for students throughout the district.

Heidi Vesely is a third grade teacher at Jamaica and has served as one of the Jamaica Theatre Club advisors now for six years. After school hours, she performs throughout the year in the Grace Arts Live Musical performances, both serving as a musical technician and onstage in a variety of roles on stage. She took on the role as the advisor of the Theatre Club to support many of the students at Jamaica who were interested in music and acting, some of who were also in the Grace Arts plays throughout the year. She has since then inspired many students, including her own daughter Bailey, to get involved in theatre and shine both on and off stage.

Jackie Murphy is currently the Instructional Technology Coach for LHUSD#1, but not long ago served as a second grade teacher at Jamaica Elementary as well. Along with Mrs. Vesely, Jackie has a passion for music and theatre, and had skillsets in musical composition and performance that made her the perfect fit as an advisor to the Theatre Club at Jamaica as well. It wasn't long before their students were building performances at Jamaica that were worthy of a big stage and helping their students thrive both in and out of the club.

This semester, these three amazing educators decided to come together on a collaboration that brought both Starline and Jamaica students together to perform both lyrical skits and musical numbers as a whole group. Their students didn't just show up, they SHINED! It is clear that the passion and love that these three teachers have brought to their classroom and their clubs has built a dedication and skillset in the students they serve that will build them up and have them remembering these days fondly years from now. Thank you to each of them for their dedication, time, and for the love they have for the students they serve and for the art that they teach. They are truly making a difference in our students lives!

In March, LHUSD teacher Nicole Brown from Oro Grande was awarded the Sherry Dailey Golden Apple Award this week.

She was chosen by her colleagues for this honor. According to her colleagues, Nicole has been a teacher for many years and she is a valuable part of our school. She is the one who many people go to for help and advice; she is very willing to assist and support in any way possible. She strives to do her best for her students and is often working behind the scenes, unnoticed, to maintain and achieve the goals that are set by both co-workers and students.

We are thankful to the K-12 Foundation for helping us recognize our teachers for all they do! Congratulations Nicole on an award well deserved!

In April, LHUSD teacher Sarah Shaw was awarded the Sherry Daily Golden Apple Award for all she does as the Reading Interventionist at Smoketree Elementary School. Sarah goes above and beyond to support her students and her team every day. So, we are so proud to be able to recognize all she does for our school. Congratulations to Sarah on an honor very well deserved!

Thank you to our partners in the K-12 Foundation for working so hard each year with us to recognize the hard work of our teachers! We appreciate all you do!

We live in a unique community and district where many of us have had the opportunity to grow and learn ourselves. As part of our mission to promote scholarship, character, and humanity; we want to recognize those alumni that are still a part of our community and who have returned back to our district to serve our students as LHUSD staff. We are thankful for all LHUSD has done to support you, and for everything you do daily to commit to our students now each day!

Ms. Kidder started her teaching career in Phoenix, Arizona. She is the reading interventionist at Jamaica Elementary School and one of the few original staff members that joined the Jamaica Campus when they opened in 2021.

Ms. Kidder has a master’s degree in elementary education with a reading specialist endorsement. Her love for reading and her students are evident in all that she does. She works diligently with her students to help them grow and reach their potential.

Mrs. Kidder has worked hard over the years to be an educator that can make an impact at her school. She has definitely accomplished that, as this year she received recognition as Jamaica's 2023 Teacher of the Year. Thank you to Mrs. Kidder for all you do to make Jamaica Elementary such as special place to be!

Mrs. Caterina is an alumni of Lake Havasu High School and started her career with LHUSD#1 in 2013. She served first as a 6th grade teacher, then moved to 2nd grade to teach our lower elementary students in 2014. She earned her National Board Certification this year, and she works hard to build a classroom environment that supports every student. She also works hard to collaborate with her grade level colleagues to analyze curriculum and instruction, working to provide the best educational outcomes possible for her students. She is an excellent teacher, earning the Teacher of the Year recognition for Smoketree for 2023. Congratulations Mrs. Caterina. The recognition is well deserved!

Giulia Dickinson has been teaching at Lake Havasu Unified School District for 13 years. She is very active within her school, as well as the district and outside community. She has served as a mentor for new teachers, a team lead for her grade level teachers, and as a swim coach for our high school swim team. She supports local sports and organizations through volunteering at community events. She is also known to support her students at their sporting events as well. She supports her students through high expectations and truly works with them to achieved their goals. This year, she was honored to receive the recognition as this year's Havasupai 2023 Teacher of the Year. Congratulations Mrs. Dickinson for all you do to support our students every day!

Melissa Mizia serves in the Lake Havasu High School nurses' office. Each day, Melissa greets the students who wander into the office with care and compassion, working to help each student know just how much they are cared for at LHHS. Melissa is one of those people who never seems to have a bad day. She is always smiling and ready to welcome the next challenge. She was integral in our nurse's office during our recent nurse transition, and we are so thankful to her for all she does to support our LHHS staff and students each day!

Jamaica has a new Administrative Assistant. Welcome Mrs. Cassie Nickell!

Cassie moved to Lake Havasu from Valencia California 7 years ago with her husband Todd and two daughters Payden and Samantha. Payden is currently in 9th grade and Samantha is in 10th grade at Lake Havasu High School.

She previously worked for her parents paint and body shop in California and is also licensed cosmetologist.

In her off time, Cassie enjoys spending time with her family by the pool, on the boat or in the Razor. She also loves supporting her daughters in softball.

Stop by and say hi to Cassie the next time you are in Jamaica.

Lisa Morgan was recognized this year as the Oro Grande Classical Academy Teacher of the Year, as well as the District Teacher of the Year for 2023. Lisa is a proud Lake Havasu High School alumni, and she has served as a teacher in LHUSD#1 for the past 21 years. She is a teacher who goes above and beyond both in her classroom and beyond, helping lead Oro Grande in their pilot for their first ever Classical Kindergarten. She works hard to carry the mission and vision of Oro Grande Classical Academy forward in all she does for her school. She is so deserving of this recognition!

Mrs. Koch is the backbone of Havasu Online education. Her expertise and knowledge of the Personalized Learning Platform (PLP) not only is working to assist students with credit recovery but also building an outstanding reputation for Havasu Online being an option for students. Mrs. Koch is constantly monitoring students work, building students schedules, grading, creating classes, sharing knowledge about navigation of the program and creating forms that help students and families make a smooth transition to online from in person.

Mrs. Koch is efficient, organized, and quick to respond to help administration, teachers, parents and students in need for technology and online support. Mrs. Koch is proactive educator encouraging students to stick with the program and succeed in spite of student obstacles. Mrs. Koch has state wide reputation with use of PLP and built the program for LHHS credit recovery. Mrs. Koch is the connection and builder of PLP and Havasu Online program for this district.. She knows the platform and always keeps up to date with the advances of the program. She is well known and respected in the online community in the state.

She works with her colleagues and students by creating power points, forms, letters and videos. Mrs. Koch is a mentor to those that use PLP for summer school and Havasu Online new staff or any teachers utilizing program in the district. This includes building instructional videos to help grading, shortcuts, and techniques to help teachers assist students. With that knowledge Mrs. Koch creates a nice transition for students, parents and staff learning about the program.

Mrs. Koch leads our staff development with PLP and continues to build the program to make it even better. She provides technology, navigation, education, building of courses, to help students and families get through tough times as they are looking for alternative ways to be successful. Mrs. Koch challenges students to be successful in the program and has the integrity to push kids to meet their goals regardless of their roadblocks and challenges. Without individuals like Mrs. Koch Lake Havasu High School and Havasu Online students would not be as successful as they are. Lake Havasu Unified School District is lucky to have such an amazing employee!