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March 4, 2010

Higley Unified School District Announces “Growing Up In Gilbert” Contest

In celebration of The Town of Gilbert’s 90th anniversary, the Gilbert Historical Society is sponsoring a contest called “Growing up in Gilbert.” They are requesting stories 200 words or less telling your fondest memories of growing up in Gilbert. It doesn’t matter if you are 5 or 105, everyone has memories! A story will be selected each week to be published in the Gilbert Republic newspaper from April through November 2010. There will be a culminating event in December for all winners. All entries will be on display throughout the year at the Gilbert Historical Museum.

Send your essays to:
Gilbert Historical Society
Attn: Contest
P.O. Box 1484
Gilbert, AZ 85299

or email to info@gilbertmuseum.com and put “Contest” in the subject line.
February 25, 2010

HUSD February Newsletter

HUSD February Newsletter
February 10, 2010

Higley Unified School District Announces Excelling High Schools Want You!

Higley Unified School District’s two AZ Learns Excelling High Schools are now accepting student enrollments for the 2010-11 school year. Come home to Higley today!

What makes our course catalog GREAT? Check out these exciting programs:

• Career & Technical Education introduces students to video, TV, and movie production; TV broadcasting; graphic design; and advanced computer applications.
• Biotechnology Academy introduces students to scientific concepts, laboratory skills, critical thinking, and communication skills used in the industry.
• Pre-Engineering introduces students to engineering and design, computer-modeling software, technology systems and manufacturing processes, electronic circuits, and digital electronics.
• Sports Medicine introduces students to athletic training; physical therapy; medicine; physiology of exercise; biomechanics; prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of advance sports injuries; and nutrition.

For more information, see the High School Course Guide and visit our Excelling campuses located at:

Higley High School
4068 East Pecos Road
Gilbert, Arizona 85295
(480) 279.7300

Williams Field High School
2076 South Higley Road
Gilbert, Arizona 85295
(480) 279.8000
February 9, 2010

Last fall, during regular maintenance checks on our facilities, come concerns were raised regarding the Power Ranch Elementary School campus. Specifically, we found what we believed to be settlement cracks. Upon further investigation, prior years’ maintenance reports revealed Power Ranch Elementary School had received numerous cosmetic repairs from sidewalk removal and replacement to frequent patching and painting of interior and exterior walls. Rather than continue with costly yearly repairs, we are seeking a more permanent solution.

Read more...
January 26, 2010

HUSD Spelling Bee

The Higley District Spelling Bee was held January 25th at the Higley Center for Performing Arts. Congratulations to all of the participants; they did a great job! Our competition went for 12 rounds and the top 2 students will represent the district. The Region 6 Spelling Bee will be held February 20, 2010 at Queen Creek High School.

Gabrielle Hester - Champion
6th Grade
Centennial Elementary

Sophia O’Malley – Second Place
7th Grade
Cortina Elementary

Jihan Reksodiputro - Alternate
5th Grade
Power Ranch
January 11, 2010

Open Enrollment for 2010-2011

Did you know that parents outside of the HUSD boundaries may apply to enroll their child in a Higley Unified School District school? Did you know that parents may apply for open enrollment in a school outside their neighborhood school attendance area? HUSD will begin to accept Open Enrollment applications for the 2010-2011 school year during the initial open enrollment period of February 1 through March 1, 2010.

Students currently open-enrolled in HUSD schools will need to reapply for the 2010-2011 school year. New students are invited to apply for 2010-2011. Although students submitting applications from February 1 through March 1, 2010, are granted first priority in the enrollment process, all other applications will be evaluated based on program and campus capacity.

Open Enrollment forms are available at any HUSD school office, at the District Office, or online:

HUSD Open Enrollment Application for Non-Resident Students
HUSD Open Enrollment / Internal Transfer Request Form
January 4, 2010

Crossroads of Historic Higley

In celebration of Higley’s Centennial, the San Tan Historical Society proudly presents the 2009-2010 community history project Crossroads of Historic Higley, an oral history project and narrated driving tour of the San Tan Mountain communities.

Crossroads of Historic Higley is a project which will collect oral histories, use audio excerpts, combine them with a narrative relating to local history/AZ history, creating a driving tour of local historic treasures in and around the “crossroads” of the San Tan mountain communities (Southeast Gilbert/Mesa, Queen Creek, Chandler Heights, Combs, San Tan Valley).

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December 2, 2009

Gifted testing

Gifted testing for grades 3-8 will take place on Saturday, January 23, 2010 from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. A referral form must be filled out by the parent and returned to the gifted specialist at any HUSD K-8 campus by January 15th. Any 3rd through 8th grader who has not been tested within the last 12 months may take the test. You may obtain the form at any of our K-8 campus offices or by requesting one from your child’s teacher. All testing will take place at Centennial Elementary School. There will be no walk-in testing. Prior registration is required. For more information on the HUSD Gifted Program, visit the Gifted web site.
December 1, 2009

PSAT Scores are Back/Now What?

PSAT scores are in!!! Parents and students who took the test, from both Higley High School and Williams Field High School, are invited to “PSAT Scores are Back, Now What?” on Tuesday, December 8th, at 6:00 p.m. at the Higley Center for Performing Arts in the small theatre. Your students’ scores will be explained and information shared regarding planning for the next few years.
November 16, 2009

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS!
December 12th: 100 Bikes for 100 Kids

We are celebrating Higley’s 100th birthday this school year through various Centennial Celebrations! Our kick off event is “100 Bikes for 100 Kids.”

We have 10 schools in our district and we are looking to give away 10 bikes per school to our kids in need. Mark your calendars…Our event is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, December 12. We are putting together a media event and enlisting the help of Gilbert officials to help us put some of the bikes together!

Our superintendent and several directors have personally purchased some bikes to donate and now we are asking our community partners and parents if you would like to participate. For your participation we can provide you with free advertising/media coverage as well as a tax credit donation letter. Would you be able to donate a bike for this cause? If so, please contact Deb Woods, Director of Capital Campaigns at (480) 279.7096 or email at debbora.woods@husd.org.

Thank you for your continued support of Higley Unified School District!
November 6, 2009

ACT Exam

The Higley Unified School District will be paying the ACT exam fee for any HUSD junior that wants to take the exam. The ACT test date for HUSD is April 10, 2010. Juniors may request the ACT registration folder from the counseling office at their high school. Students must complete the ACT Registration Folder, and return it to their counselor by January 29, 2010 to take part in this opportunity.

The ACT exam is one of the college entrance exams that is accepted by all four-year colleges and universities. The colleges and universities use the ACT to evaluate student readiness for university academics. We have applied for both Higley High School and Williams Field High School to be ACT testing centers. We believe by providing a familiar environment, and closer to home that our students would be more apt to take the exam. We are excited about this opportunity to work with ACT in providing this service to our students.

Additional information concerning the ACT exam may be found at act.org
September 28, 2009

Valley students lose (and win) on ‘Iron Chef’

Congratulations to Higley High School grad Julie Fiedler and her International Culinary School classmates at the Art Institute of Phoenix, Katelyn Remick and Tyler Burke.

Read more
September 1, 2009

Dear Parents and Guardians of 6th and 7th Grade Students:

The 2009-2010 school year brings a new requirement for student immunizations. Sixth and seventh grade students must have the following shots:
      • 1 Tdap dose when 5 years have passed since the last DTaP, DTP, DT or Td. Students starting or finishing the first three tetanus and
       diphtheria doses must receive only one Tdap as part of the 3-dose series.
      • One dose of meningococcal vaccine.

Free shots will be available at the following clinics:
      • Tuesday, September 8, at Gilbert Health Center provided by Chandler Regional Medical Center, 1501 N. Gilbert Road, 9am - 11 am
      • Wednesday, September 9, at Higley School District Office provided by Chandler Regional Medical Center, 2935 S. Recker Road, from
       3pm-5pm.
      • Tuesday, September 15, at Chandler fashion Mall, Community Room, provided by Chandler Regional Medical Center, Chandler Blvd.
       and 101 Freeway, 3pm-5pm.

Students must have proof of all immunizations, or valid exemption, in order to attend classes after September 15, 2009.

The clinic scheduled for October 14 at the Higley District Office has been cancelled as it is during the Fall Break. For the complete schedule of immunization clinics in our area, please go to the Higley Unified home webpage, then to Community Education, then to Influenza. At that site, you will also see extensive information related to prevention of nu and other seasonal illnesses.

For questions, please call your school's Health Office.

Sincerely,

A. Denise Birdwell, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Higley Unified School District
August 24, 2009

Dear Higley High School Parents, Students and Community;

It is our goal at the District to keep you informed, and I would like to notify you of a situation that has occurred with one of our students at Higley High School. On Saturday, August 22, 2009 we were informed that a student athlete at Higley High School was hospitalized and being treated for MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) infection.

The student athlete did not practice with the team once the skin irritation was identified. And, the District has taken all the necessary precautions as outlined by the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) including: The Higley High School locker rooms, weight room, restrooms, classrooms, door handles, and cafeteria areas have been cleaned by staff this weekend with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) & ADHS recommended cleaning solution.

The organizations strongly recommend thorough hand washing, covering of wounds, washing of athletic clothing every day. And, it is important to remind students not to share clothing articles, towels, razors, personal items etc.

Should you notice any sign of skin infection, please notify school personnel or coaches immediately.

For additional information regarding MRSA, please visit:
www.cdc.gov
www.maricopa.gov/public_health
www.azdhs.gov

If you have any questions, please contact my office at (480) 279.7016.

Sincerely,

A. Denise Birdwell, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Higley Unified School District
August 10, 2009
Dear Higley Parents and Community Members;
It is back-to-school time, and we are looking forward to a great new school year.

At this time of year, it is always important for us to review hygiene habits that can help eliminate the spread of influenza. This year we would especially like to emphasis this due to the caution we are receiving from the Maricopa County Department of Public Health that the H1 N1 influenza may hit us at a higher rate as we go back to school. In fact, it seems that we need to be more vigilant with preschool and school age children.

You can play an important role in how the flu affects our community. By taking the following actions, you can help us cut down the rate of flu transmission in our community:

       1.) Teach your children good hygiene (we will be doing the same at school): This means teaching them how to cover coughs/sneezes
      with the inside of the elbow, good hand washing habits and to keep their hands away from their face, nose, mouth and eyes.

      2.) Keep your children home when they are sick: When a child comes to school sick, he/she can infect classmates at an amazing rate.

      3.) Consider seasonal flu vaccine: Although there won't be a vaccine for the H1 N1 influenza until later this fall, our regular seasonal flu
      vaccine should be available in September. If your primary care doctor does not have the seasonal flu vaccine, contact Community
      Information and Referral at 602-263-8856 for vaccine locations. We are monitoring both the H1N1 influenza and seasonal flu closely
      and will be reporting abnormal absentee rates in our schools to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health. Let's work together
      to reduce the spread of both the seasonal influenza and H1 N1 influenza in our community.

Please contact your school's Health Office if you have questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
A. Denise Birdwell, Ed.D.
July 29, 2009
We have great news. Make that great news times 6!

In the December 2008 issue of our newsletter, we presented the HUSD Governing Board’s goal of achieving Excelling designations for each of our schools by 2012. We are happy to report to you, with six of our nine evaluated schools having earned the designation of Excelling for 2009, we are well on our way to achieving that goal. Congratulations to Coronado, Cortina, Power Ranch, San Tan,Higley High School and Williams Field High School for the hard work and dedication the staff, students, and parents put forth to earn those Excelling labels.

Each year, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) evaluates all of its public schools and uses a rating system to label them.
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