In last week’s meeting of the Winslow Unified School District’s (WUSD) Governing Board, the board also received public comments from Laura Carrell and Denise Estudillo. Carrell, who works for the local branch of the American Youth Soccer Association, spoke to the board to thank them for being so supportive of Winslow High School finally getting a soccer team. She also said that she can see the excitement from many different people in the community already. She mentioned to the board that once they get the high school’s blessing, they already have plans to sponsor a booster club for the team and plan fundraisers.
Later in the meeting the board voted to approve a paid soccer coach position for both boys and girls teams and approved beginning the search for two coaches for each of the teams. The board chose to begin the team as a club team because the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) cannot fit Winslow into the regular AIA schedule until 2024.
There was also a presentation by Winslow High School Principal Sal Hernandez, and teachers Stephanie Wofford and Taura Rush who are two of the three teachers behind the freshman cohort program, which is WHS’s experimental, hands-on learning program. The three of them updated the board on the program and its pros and cons and plans for improvements for next year. To learn more about the program and their end of the year review of the program visit The Tribune’s recent coverage of the program at Tribunenewsnow.com.
The board seemed very pleased with the progress and results of the program. Clerk of the Board Todd Wilcox made comments about wanting to see more project-based learning in the classes for students in the rest of the grades. The current program is only for freshman, so he spoke about how he likes the skills these students are learning but doesn’t want them to lose them in the following years if there is nothing to reinforce them afterwards. He ended his comments with, “Whatever pathway they decide to go on [after high school], I think it’s really good they’re going to have that self-efficacy and that confidence.”
Estudillo, who is also the WUSD federal programs director, spoke to the board about the next Johnson O’Malley (JOM) conference which will be held in Chicago. The national JOM association is an advocacy group for more than 1.2 million Native American students and parents/guardians. Estudillo spoke about a workshop that she held for JOM and how much she cares about the program. There was an agenda item in the consent agenda later in the meeting that granted approval for Estudillo and three other WUSD staff to fly to Chicago to attend the meeting in September. The out-of-state travel for the trip will be paid for by JOM rather than WUSD. Board Member Josephine “Dodie” Montoya commented on the request for travel by not only urging a positive vote from the rest of the board but also to say that for next year’s conference they should consider sending students too, “because they are the future leaders.”
In other business, the board:
* Approved an Oct. 27 meeting date for superintendent evaluation training so that the board can adequately assess the job of the superintendent.
* Approved the minutes of public and regular meetings on May 10.
* Approved ratification list for $2.7 million.
* Approved a donation to Washington Elementary School from Box Tops of Education for $13.30.
* Approved certified appointments for Mackenzie Blackgoat, art teacher for WHS; Tiera Chatwin, business teacher for WHS; Michelle Simmons, English and language teacher for Winslow Junior High School; Charizthea Paula Hinay, first grade teacher for Jefferson Elementary School; Janie Sorrelhorse, kindergarten teacher for Jefferson Elementary School; Ma Joanna Vergel de Dios, special education inclusion teacher for Jefferson Elementary School; and Chase Edwards, fourth grade teacher for Bonnie Brennan Elementary School.
* Approved classified appointments for Clydene Honyouti and Justin Warwick as Jefferson Elementary School paraprofessionals; and Skylar Dalton, Bonnie Brennan Elementary School paraprofessional.
* Approved transferring Vera Ruiz from WHS paraprofessional to parent liaison and district employee Jeff McCrickard from technology support assistant to student data technician.
* Approved the resignations of Lani Leonard, WHS physical education teacher; Marjorie Coolidge, first grade teacher; Morris Nesmith, music teacher; Stephanie Westover, media technician and Annette DeValera, transportation.
* Approved extra pay for extracurricular activities for WHS boys basketball: Venton Nelson, varsity head coach; Stephanie Nelson, varsity assistant; Junior Villanueva, junior varsity head coach; and Ferlin Nez, freshman head coach. For WHS girls basketball: Janeen Barton, varsity head coach; Frank Stacey, varsity assistant; and Sheninkwa Cly, freshman head coach.
WHS baseball: Christopher Garrett, varsity head coach; Jordan Payne, varsity assistant; Brandon Guzman, junior varsity head coach; and Brady Needens, junior varsity assistant.
WHS softball: Quentin Hayes, varsity head coach; Eddie Johnson, varsity assistant; Brian Wilcox, junior varsity head coach; and Josue Barrios, junior varsity assistant coach.
*Approved out-of-state travel requests for WHS Principal Sal Hernandez and three certified staff members to Las Vegas, Nev., for Professional Learning Communities at Work Institute, funded by Impact aid; WJHS Principal Debra Lopes to Las Vegas, Nev., for Professional Learning Communities at Work Institute, funded by ESSER III; Federal Programs Director Denise Estudillo and three IEC members to Chicago for National JOM Conference, funded by JOM.
* Approved a renewal of contract of Chartwells for cafeteria catering, the money for which is federally funded.
* Approved the class size maximums for special education including 26 students for kindergarten; 26 students for grades first through third; 28 students for grades fourth through sixth; 200 for grades seventh and eighth, and 215 for grades nineth through 12th. After the meeting it was determined that there was an error in the document and the item will be on the next agenda for further review.
The next meeting of the WUSD school board will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21, in the meeting room, located at 800 N. Apache Ave.
