Washington Elementary School District

Today, we are excited to share our first group of 2024-2025 Arizona Public Service - APS Supply My Class winners! The APS Supply My Class program awards 500 randomly-selected Title I K-12 teachers within its service territory with a $500 gift card. Through this program, APS has awarded more than 5,000 teachers in the last six years with funds to help ensure they have the resources they need to support their students’ success. Our recent winners were surprised with their gift cards in their classrooms in front of their students! Congratulations to: Esmeralda Desiderio, third grade teacher at Sahuaro Elementary School; Brittney Alexander, first grade teacher and Kelley Seale, kindergarten teacher at Sunburst Elementary School; and Marieluise Taylor, fourth grade teacher at Washington Elementary School. There's much more to come! Be sure to check back as we will be sharing additional APS Supply My Class winners across the #WESDFamily!

Congratulations to Lisa Chavez, science teacher at Palo Verde Middle School, who received the Outstanding Earth Science Teacher Award for the state of Arizona from the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT)! Lisa was celebrated during her school’s PLC meeting earlier this week in recognition of her achievement! The NAGT selected Lisa for her innovative and adaptable teaching style, particularly with middle school students at such a pivotal age for fostering a love of science. Her deep involvement in the community extends beyond the classroom, as she actively engages with families and embraces the local culture, showcasing her true dedication to her role. Lisa’s long-term commitment to education is evident in her continuous efforts to refine and enhance her teaching practices and student programs, setting a high standard for K-12 education. The #WESDFamily is very proud of Lisa and appreciates her dedication to science education!

We are thrilled to announce that Jennifer Spector, fifth grade English Language Arts and Social Studies teacher at Desert View Elementary, has been named as one of the five finalists for the 2025 Arizona Teacher of the Year Award®! The five finalists are known as Ambassadors of Excellence and are in the running for this prestigious honor, which will be announced during the 2025 Arizona Educational Foundation Arizona Teacher of the Year Awards ceremony on October 19. Congratulations, Jennifer! The #WESDFamily is so proud of you and is rooting for you!

A big shout out to Ocotillo Elementary School and Arroyo School who recently earned 2023-2024 AZPBIS Awards! Ocotillo received a Level 3 with tier 1 and tier 2 fidelity award while Arroyo received a Level 2 with tier 1 fidelity. The AZPBIS Awards recognize schools for successful implementation and outcomes with school-wide systems of Positive Behavior Interventions. In honor of their achievements, each school will receive an award poster and a digital badge to display. Congratulations to Ocotillo and Arroyo on their commitment to building school cultures that are positive, proactive, and supportive for all students! #WESDFamily

We have a couple more new administrators for the 2024-2025 school year to introduce! Congratulations to Ignacio Mercado, new assistant principal at Palo Verde Middle School, and Kamren Bowker, new assistant principal at Lookout Mountain Elementary School! They were both recognized at the Professional Learning Academy meeting yesterday. We are very proud to have these incredible leaders as part of the #WESDFamily!

The WESD is looking for bus drivers to join our incredible Transportation team and help ensure our students get to and from school safely! We offer great benefits, paid holidays and vacation time, free CDL training, state retirement options, and more. We are also hiring for bus assistants and alternative drivers. Full-time and part-time positions are available. Please share these opportunities with your family, friends and neighbors who may be interested. To apply online, please visit https://lnkd.in/gbxSkMD. #WESDFamily

More new administrators for the 2024-2025 school year were introduced during the Governing Board meeting earlier this week! Congratulations to Shannon Sixel, new principal of Palo Verde Middle School, and Darren Hiebel, new assistant principal of Washington Elementary School! We are so excited to see all that they will accomplish in their new leadership roles! #WESDFamily

The WESD is thrilled to share that Jennifer Spector, fifth grade English Language Arts and social studies teacher at Desert View Elementary School, was named a top 10 semifinalist for the 2025 Arizona Educational Foundation (AEF) Arizona Teacher of the Year Award! Jennifer was selected out of 625 nominations from across the state! The 10 semifinalists will now advance to an in-person interview round with the selection committee. Along with the other teachers, Jennifer will be honored at the AEF awards ceremony on October 19, where the winner will be revealed live onstage! Congratulations, Jennifer! The #WESDFamily is so proud of you!

It was a great first day of school in the WESD! A special thank you to all of our students, families, teachers, staff, administrators and volunteers who made today possible! Check out some of today's special moments in our Back-to-School video! Let's have another excellent school year, #WESDFamily!

Today, we complete our new 2024-2025 administrator introductions with a feature of Darren Hiebel, new assistant principal at Washington Elementary School. Darren holds a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education from Northern Arizona University and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Arizona State University. Entering his 25th year in education, Darren started as a paraprofessional and spent 15 years in the classroom as a high school social studies teacher in Mesa. He has even taught EL overseas in Uganda, Japan and China. Darren then transitioned into educational leadership, serving as a dean of students and an instructional coach. Most recently, he spent the last two years as an assistant principal in the Litchfield Elementary School District. Welcome, Darren! #WESDFamily