SCV35 News

Thank you parents and students for participating in the latest school spirit poll! Calabasas won the title with 57% of the votes! COUGAR PRIDE!

The work undertaken by the Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District No. 35 to provide all students with multiple advanced and career pathways appears to be helping stabilize our schools after the academic volatility caused by COVID. The Arizona Department of Education has released its annual school ratings for our District, as follows:

School Letter Grade

San Cayetano Elementary School B

Mountain View Elementary School B

Calabasas PreK-8 School B

Coatimundi Middle School B

Rio Rico High School C

Last year, schools received significant points in the formula for Growth with two of five schools receiving the maximum 50 points possible. While growth is always good news, these numbers may have been inflated due to the lower-than-normal scores received during the COVID-19 years. This year, Growth, Acceleration, and Readiness scores all remained stable (three of four sites achieved a perfect 10/10.)

Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning and Assessing Stephen Schadler explained, “Similar to last year, these scores confirm that the work we have engaged in for the past four years to involve our students more in their own learning experience is paying off. Our standards-based reporting system gives students far more specific feedback about academic strengths and weaknesses and our personalized approach of providing students with flexible time and opportunity engages students in their own learning. While we clearly work to receive the highest scores possible, our primary objective as educators is to graduate agentic students who know how to advocate for their own learning.”

Thank you! The Rotary would like to express their gratitude to all of the families who participated in the Coin Wars. Every year, the Rotary organizes this fundraiser to help families in our community at Thanksgiving. This year, families brought in $4,100 and Garrett's Supermarket added an extra $10 for every certificate purchases

Together, because of your amazing efforts, 82 families will receive help with their holiday meals.

Pictured above, clockwise beginning at the top left: Uriel Rivas, Andres Flores, Stefen Kemp, Axel Oros, and Abigail Rocio Burgos.

Students at Rio Rico High School earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs. These programs celebrate students' hard work in high school and showcase their strong academic performance. The academic honors for rural area, Black, Indigenous, and/or Latino students are an opportunity for students to share their strong academic achievements with colleges and scholarship programs that are seeking to recruit diverse talent.

At Rio Rico High School, 5 students received the academic honor. Students received the following honors:

• Andres Flores: National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA)

• Axel Oros: National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA)

• Rocio Burgos: National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA)

• Stefen Kemp: National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA), and the National Rural and Small Town Award (NRSTA)

• Uriel Rivas: National Hispanic Recognition Award (NHRA)

Continue reading

During the 2023 Holiday Season, families will have two opportunities to “Stuff the Bus” with Toys, Games, Arts / Crafts, Coats & Gift Cards for the students of Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District #35!

The Official “Stuff the Bus” event will be taking place in front of the Nogales Walmart on Saturday,

December 2, from 9:00am – 12:00pm. During this event, Walmart patrons will have the opportunity to purchase items (toys, games, coats, gift cards, arts & crafts) for those in need of some holiday cheer.

In addition, the 1st Annual Rotary Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place on Saturday, November 25, from 2:00pm – 7:00pm, and will also be collecting items for families in the district.

This video was produced in collaboration with Pima JTED showcasing Rio Rico High School's Career and Technical Education programs.

JROTC students are testing out their new obstacle course! The RRHS program, powered by PIMA JTED, just added a Tarzan, Over/Under, Swinging Bridge, Log Balance, Incline Wall, and a Rope Climb. The new obstacle course is another example of your bond dollars at work! Thank you SCV35 Community!

1SG Larry Brown, and Former RRHS JROTC Instructor commented, "God Bless America! It was put to the test last weekend as 12 teams of JROTC Cadets competed at the 13th annual Armando Padilla Memorial Meet. LTC St. Clair and 1SG Moore put on an outstanding competition!"

Rio Rico High and Calabasas Schools participated in the Santa Cruz County Red Ribbon ceremony at the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Cruz County on October 26, 2023. The band dazzled lunchgoers and the RRHS Law and Public Safety students provided logistical support. The ceremony opened with Sheriff Hathaway's welcome to attendees and the Calabasas Student Council led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance.

The program began in 1985 after the death of DEA agent Enrique Camarena. After his death, his hometown high school donned red ribbons to represent the ongoing fight against illegal drugs. Every year, schools across the country with the help of their local law enforcement agencies hold activities to educate students about the dangers of illegal drugs.

On October 23rd, five Mountain View Elementary School students received awards for their exciting entries in the school’s annual Science Fair. Each student had the option of entering a project of their own or a project they worked on with a classmate. All of the entrees included a hypothesis, research and/or experimentation, a conclusion, and presentation of findings.

“The kids did a great job,” said Mountain View Science teacher, Mrs. Cari Kinz, “I was very impressed with their projects.”

After the votes were tallied, fifth-grader, Cataleah Briones won First Place for her project titled, “The 5-Second Rule.” In her project, Cataleah challenged the traditional idea that if food falls and remains on the floor for five seconds, it is still germ-free and therefore safe to eat. Continue reading.

The National Football Foundation of Southern Arizona Chapter (NFFSAC) chose the Hawks Vs. Cholla varsity football game as their game of the week. Tim Kish, NFFSAC president, presented Hiram Lopez as the player of the game. The Arizona Bowl raffled several tickets to the December 30 game.

"It was a great team win. After a long year, this game proved to be a perfect way to end the season. Both teams had similar records and skill. Our offense came out hot and scored on our first drive which set the tone for the rest of the game. Big plays from Hiram and others kept the momentum going strong. Defense showed resilience against adversity and made crucial stops late in the game, allowing our offense to stay on the field. All in all, in spite of controversial calls by the officials, we remained stoic and determined which was reflected in the final score." Coach Davis

DONATION ACCEPTED!

Big shoutout to Rio Rico High School alum, Carlos Villarreal (‘15), who donated 19 pairs of On shoes, shirts and shorts to our XC program before its departure for the state championship taking place tomorrow afternoon!

We are extremely grateful and love that you are giving back to your high school after the impressive running career of your own!

Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District No. 35 is proud to announce that Kiana Garcilazo and Elian Olmos were recruited to play ball at the next level.

Garcilazo will play softball for the Central Arizona College Vaqueros where she will focus on general studies until she decides on a major. Continue reading

Our food service partners at Sodexo would like families to fill out a short survey regarding the food at their child's school. They would love to hear about the quality and service of food and any suggestions you may have. Please click here for the survey. The survey has been extended and will close December 1, 2023.

Tubac Community Library Hours Extended

The Tubac Community Library is pleased to announce extended weekday and weekend hours.

Effective Immediately, the new hours are as follows:

Monday - 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Tuesday - 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Wednesday - 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Thursday - 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Friday - 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Saturday - 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Sunday - Closed

In addition to the new hours, the library will host a reading hour with a craft. The reading hour will take place every Wednesday at 11:00 am.

The library has two computers with free internet access and copies can be made for a small fee. The Tubac Community Library is located at 50 Bridge Road, Tubac, AZ 85648. For more information please call (520) 398-9814. The Tubac Community Library is located at 50 Bridge Road, in Tubac, AZ 85648. For more information please call (520) 398-9814.

Santa Cruz County, Arizona is resoliciting public comment through Friday, December 8 on three draft plans: the Rio Rico Vitality District Master Plan, a countywide housing strategy, and a Santa Cruz County Five-Year Tourism Sector Prosperity Plan.

Santa Cruz County initiated these plans beginning in 2021. The county opened the plans to comment through September 2023, but many members of the public who commented on those plans mistook those proposed by a private developer.

To enhance public understanding of their intent, the county has also produced fact sheets for each of the plans with highlights, key findings and next steps. These county-directed plans rely on data-driven processes that prioritize public input and participation. All are available on the county website at the government/plans and reports tab (https://santacruzcountyaz.gov/833/Plans-and-Reports).

Santa Cruz County, Arizona is seeking community input to develop a county Cuisine Tourism Initiative, funded by a $300,000 grant from the US Economic Development Administration.

The initiative is intended to grow economic opportunities by connecting the fast-growing winery sector with restaurants, food entrepreneurs and businesses countywide, while at the same time providing land use tools to help manage growth-related impacts. The initiative will build economic opportunities for the county’s nature-based restorative economy, as called for in a 2021 study commissioned by local leaders through the University of Arizona, The Nature-Based Restorative Economy in Santa Cruz County, Arizona.

Learn more and access the survey.

Below you will find answers to questions we're frequently asked about the Arizona state tax credit. If you have additional questions, please call (520) 281-8282, ext. 8270.

What is the Arizona state tax credit for public schools?

Arizona law provides a tax credit for contributions to public schools to support extracurricular activities. A tax credit is different from a deduction, because you may subtract the whole contribution from your Arizona state tax bill. For specific tax questions, you will want to consult with your tax advisor.

How do you define extracurricular activities?

Extracurricular means any optional, non-credit educational or recreational activity that supplements the education program of our schools. Some examples are sports, band, and clubs.

Who can participate in the tax credit program?

This program is available to all Arizona individual taxpayers, regardless of whether or not they have children in school. An individual can contribute up to $200, or a couple filing jointly can contribute up to $400.

How can I make a contribution?

At the side of this page, you'll find a Tax Credit Contribution form. Print the form, fill it out, and mail it to the address listed on the form. Our school offices also have hard copies of the tax credit form available for you to pick up.

When is the deadline?

You will need to submit your application, available in both English and Spanish, by April 15, 2024, to qualify for the 2023 tax credit.

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