Washington Elementary School District

We have great news to share! Last week, the Arizona Department of Education released school letter grades for the 2023-2024 school year. Congratulations to our eight schools that received an "A" including Abraham Lincoln Traditional School, Chaparral Elementary School, Lookout Mountain Elementary School, Manzanita Elementary School (their first ever "A" designation), Orangewood School, Royal Palm Middle School, Sunburst Elementary School and Sweetwater School! We also want to give a special shout-out to Cactus Wren Elementary School for jumping up two letter grades from a "D" to a "B"! Overall, the District earned a "B" and 78% of our schools received an "A" or "B" rating! All remaining schools earned a "C", which means that there are no WESD schools that earned a "D" or "F" letter grade! Amazing job, #WESDFamily! We are so proud of your commitment to growth and educational excellence! To learn more and view a complete list of the 2023-2024 WESD letter grades, please visit https://lnkd.in/g2FPj3s4.

⭐️ PRINCIPAL SPOTLIGHT ⭐️ Meet Jennifer Dial, principal of Sunburst Elementary School! Jennifer earned her bachelor’s degree from Sonoma State University, completed her credential program at Cal State Northridge and received her master’s degree from Northern Arizona University. She has worked in education since 2007, and has worked as a principal for six years, all of them at Sunburst. Jennifer said there’s a long list of reasons on what she enjoys most about being a principal including the success of her students, the honor of spending her days with classified or certified staff, the dedication of the PTO, the volunteer efforts of the Sunburst Farms residents, the community partnerships, the laughter from the classrooms, the smiles on the playground and so much more. Fun fact – Jennifer loves all things Christmas and the holidays! She even starts wearing holiday gear in November! Thank you, Jennifer, for all that you do for Sunburst and the #WESDFamily! #NationalPrincipalsMonth

⭐️ PRINCIPAL SPOTLIGHT ⭐️ Meet Phil Garitson, principal of Shaw Butte Elementary School! Phil has worked in education for 33 years and earned his degrees from Arizona State University. He has 23 years of experience working as a principal and is currently in his third year as principal of Shaw Butte. Phil said that establishing relationships with kids and staff is what he loves most about being a principal. Outside of work, Phil enjoys gardening! Thank you, Phil, for all that you do for Shaw Butte and the #WESDFamily! #NationalPrincipalsMonth

⭐️ PRINCIPAL SPOTLIGHT ⭐️ Meet Crystal Bustamante, principal of Sahuaro Elementary School! Crystal earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix and Master of Education in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University. She is currently serving her 23rd year in education and has worked as a principal for four years, all of them at Sahuaro. When asked what she loves most about being a principal, Crystal said, “What I love most about being a principal is the opportunity I have to build strong, lasting relationships with so many different types of people. The unique, creative talents and abilities of each and every child motivate me every day, and I am inspired daily by the professionalism and expertise of my staff. I love making a positive impact in my school community.” Fun fact – Crystal is an Arizona Native and grew up in the neighborhood by the WESD Administrative Center. She is a former Sweetwater Mustang, Desert Foothills Scorpion and Moon Valley Rocket! Thank you, Crystal, for all that you do for Sahuaro and the #WESDFamily! #NationalPrincipalsMonth

The WESD has two open job positions for Accounts Payable Technicians! If you possess effective organizational skills and have knowledge of basic accounting principles, this may be the perfect opportunity for you! In this role, you will be responsible for processing expense vouchers and invoice payments by verifying approval of payment, entering data, posting entries, auditing records, researching discrepancies and more! Please share this exciting opportunity with your family and friends who may be interested. To learn more and apply online, please visit https://lnkd.in/gbxSkMD. #WESDFamily

⭐️ PRINCIPAL SPOTLIGHT ⭐️ Meet Darcy Estrada, principal of Royal Palm Middle School! With 30 years of experience in education, Darcy has served as a principal for 12 years including six at Royal Palm. She earned her undergraduate degree from Arizona State University and her graduate degree from Northern Arizona University. When asked what she loves most about being a principal, Darcy said, “I love interacting with all of our students, staff and families. Observing students maturing and growing academically is rewarding. They come in as young sixth grade students and they leave confident, mature young men and women.” In her free time, Darcy enjoys spending time with her family, kayaking, biking, cooking and baking! Thank you, Darcy, for all that you do for Royal Palm and the #WESDFamily! #NationalPrincipalsMonth

Are you or someone you know interested in teaching for an award-winning district? If so, please join us for our upcoming Teacher Interview Fair on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, from 8:30-11 a.m. in the Governing Board Room at the WESD Administrative Center, located at 4650 W. Sweetwater Ave. Whether you're a seasoned educator or just starting your teaching journey, WE WANT YOU to be a part of our amazing team! The WESD offers competitive teacher salaries of $53,000-$89,950 with performance pay, student loan forgiveness, paid holidays and personal leave, multi-layer teacher support, professional development, school-age child care discounts, a wellness program and an Employee Assistance Plan, medical, dental and vision benefits, employer-matched contributions to Arizona State Retirement and much more! Walk-ins are welcome! If you'd like to pre-schedule an interview or have any questions, please call 602-347-2622. To apply online, please visit https://lnkd.in/gbxSkMD. #WESDFamily

⭐️ PRINCIPAL SPOTLIGHT ⭐️ Meet Courtney Mallada, principal of Roadrunner Elementary School! Courtney received her education at Boston College and has worked in education for 20 years. She has served as a principal for five years with all of them at Roadrunner. Courtney said that the joy and honor of spending her day with an amazing school community, kids, staff and families, and the privilege of seeing students grow are what she loves most about being a principal. Apart from work, Courtney has two children, Maggie and Connor, who make her want to be a better principal! Thank you, Courtney, for all that you do for Roadrunner and the #WESDFamily! #NationalPrincipalsMonth

⭐️ PRINCIPAL SPOTLIGHT ⭐️ Meet Pamela Hall, principal of Richard E. Miller Elementary School! Pamela received her education at Arizona State University. She is currently in her 19th year in education and has served as a principal for five years, all of them at Richard E. Miller. When asked what she loves most about being a principal, Pamela said, “I love working as a team and celebrating student academic and social emotional growth!” Fun fact – Pamela is originally from Texas! Thank you, Pamela, for all that you do for Richard E. Miller and the #WESDFamily! #NationalPrincipalsMonth

Congratulations to the Early Childhood Education (ECE) program at Lookout Mountain Elementary School! They recently completed their Quality First Assessment and were awarded a five-star rating, which is the highest rating a program can receive and indicates that it consistently meets and exceeds quality standards! As part of their five-star rating, the Lookout Mountain ECE program received perfect scores in the areas of teacher sensitivity, behavior management, and productivity! Other highlights include that the program's teachers and children consistently demonstrated respect for one another, teachers were consistently aware of children who needed extra support, and teachers were consistently proactive and monitored the classroom effectively to prevent problems from developing. Additionally, their instructional support score was 4.08 compared to the National average of 2.68-2.98! Excellent job, Lookout Mountain ECE! The #WESDFamily is so proud of your incredible accomplishment in providing best practices for children and their families!