At last week’s Winslow Unified School District board meeting, the board was presented with several updates and recognition awards. The first presentation was from art teacher Crista Knox who announced that two students from Winslow Junior High, Julianna Jack and Mykell Torres, won the state art contest held by the Arizona Art Educator Association (AAEA).
The AAEA holds an annual contest for middle school and high school students to redesign the Arizona state flag in a way that better represents Arizona, with the winner to represent Arizona at the National Art Educators Association’s annual conference held this year in San Antonio, Texas. The two students beat both junior high and high school students around the state and were awarded a $250 gift card for art supplies, as well as having their flag permanently displayed in the Arizona Department of Education building.
Teacher Crista Knox was also awarded the Middle Division Art Educator of the Year award from the Arizona Art Educator Association. The board was impressed with the students’ and teacher’s achievements and acknowledged their hard work and dedication. Knox also had a student last year that won the contest in just the junior high division, which shows that she is able to work with these students and get them to produce award-winning work that brings positive nationwide attention to our school, community, and students.
The board also heard a presentation from the principals of three elementary schools, Larissa Richards of Bonnie Brennan Elementary, Amanda Leonard of Washington Elementary and Amber Martinez of Jefferson Elementary, about their recent Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP) test results.
MAP testing is given three times a year in fall, winter, and spring, and students have recently finished their second round of testing. According to the data provided in the presentation, over 60% of the students reached their academic goals, and the schools project that number to increase after the third round of testing as they can use the data to target student needs more specifically. To help students reach those goals, Jefferson has a reading specialist and two aides that hold reading groups daily as well as after school tutoring for other subjects as well.
The WUSD school board also recognized the Employees of the Month for January. Classified employees selected were Otis Lunsford from Winslow High School and Eleo Petet from WJHS, while certified employee Reese Chatwin from WHS was selected. The board expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the dedicated and hard-working employees who are critical to the success of the district.
The final presentation to the board was from the WHS activities coordinator about the possibility of the school getting soccer teams for both boys and girls and whether they would want to play soccer in the fall with many of the teams the school usually play sports against, or spring soccer against specific teams around the state that participate in soccer that season.
Two members of the community addressed the board to show their support for soccer. Mark Gerber, a representative from Winslow’s AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization), told the board that interest from the younger kids has skyrocketed in recent years and Sandra Knight, a parent, commented about her children’s desire to pursue soccer after they are too old for the city program.
In other business, the board:
*Approved WJHS special education paraprofessional Tracy Turley to transfer to Jefferson Elementary School.
* Approved the following student fundraiser proposals, National Honor Society’s Krispy Kreme sale, Winslow Indian Club’s pow wow, WJHS’s popcorn sale, Jefferson Elementary’s sock hop commissions, and Washington Elementary’s sucker sale.
* Adopted the Arizona School Boards Association ASBA Policy Advisories regarding admission of students in foster care.
The next meeting of the WUSD school board will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 15, in the meeting room, located at 523 West Second St.
