Local school happenings

ASHTON RANCH ELEMENTARY
Students in Mr. Pyle’s class recently participated in the West Valley Bocce Ball tournament at Rio Vista Park, Thunderbird Road and the Loop 101.
A large number of West Valley school districts were represented. All three teams from Mr. Pyle’s class won medals.
Team No. 1: Nicklaus C. and Dominique S. 1st Place.
Team No. 2: Gage V. and Tommy T. 2nd Place.
Team No. 3: Taylor G. and Anthony C. 2nd Place.

CANYON RIDGE SCHOOL
On Oct. 6, the staff and students of Canyon Ridge School said “Thank You” to Mr. Chieffe for coordinating the building of the walls of the tortoise habitat and raised garden walls in the Cougar Community Exploratorium.
Students who participated last year took pictures of their participation and then presented Mr. Chieffe with a scrapbook picture frame. Special recognition goes out to owner Sean Sessa, superintendent Victor Chavez, project foreman Mariano Mendoza and project coordinator April Osorio of Canyon State Masonry who donated materials and labor, Superlite Block Company for their generous contribution of the retaining wall block, Cemex and Pape Rents for their contributions of materials and equipment. A special thanks goes to D.L. Withers and Co., and most notably, Brad Walker for his behind-the-scenes support of this project and his commitment to service of the district’s educational and construction needs.
CIMARRON SPRINGS ELEMENTARY
Cimarron Springs celebrated Red Ribbon Week recently. Students participated in spirit-building activities. Each classroom was able to create a door poster that sent a message against drugs. Mrs. Rocha’s class was the winner for the second-grade team.
 The book fair also took place recently. Children were able to visit the book fair before and after their parent-teacher conferences.
COUNTRYSIDE ELEMENTARY
• Congratulations to the girls who made the soccer team. They are Vondi Pointer, Cayla Schoen, Melissa Avendano, Sedona Dahl, Lauren Savalle, Joscelin Bailey, Justice Garcia, Bianca Saenz, Jesika Gardner, Kailen Kelley, Brittany Sandoval, Angelina Lopez-Bryan, Ani Minasian, Venissa Telles, Chandler Paul, Angela Moreno, Kayla Shaffer, Sydney Kaylor. Alternates are Oneta Esho and Jacqueline Montijo. Coach is Sarah Steele.
• Congratulations to the boys who made the soccer team. They are Gustavo Delgado, Isaac Glover, Tommy Vargas, Javier Chang, Austin Phillipi, Miguel Estrada, Joshua Sanchez, Kyle Humphries, Darius Evans, Nicholas Melvin, Mason Whitman, Mychal Hickey, Alexander Haupt, Jonathan Zurcher, Brock Walkenbach, Christian Rojas and Tyler Baumann. Coach is Kerri Sorensen.

DYSART ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Congratulations to the following students who will represent the Dysart Eagles for the 2009-10 soccer season:
Girls – J. Avila, J. Carroll, M. Gonzales, N. Loto, B. Mehler, W. Munoz, I. Nathania, A. Nez, K. Ohlsson, R. Rocha, C. Rodriguez, J. Solis-Murillo, T. Wallace, L. Winefsky, M. Kraus, A. Legg, M. Lopez
Boys – S. Barrera, E. Barrios, A. Bazan, J. Chacon, A. Garcia, A. Garduno, B. Greves, C. Guevara, I. Gutierrez, T. Lisonbee, A. Nava, D. Walker, T. Wheeler, S. Alger, C. Cole, H. Gonzalez, M. Rollins, J. Sandoval
Ms. Hutchinson and Ms. Seay’s classes were selected to attended the Phoenix Zoo Pilot Program on Oct. 19. Students were able to experience hands-on science activities. This included touching, smelling, and feeling all appropriate items that were presented. Activities included learning the needs of animals (food, shelter, water), learning vocabulary associated with zoo animals, internalizing concepts and recognizing physical similarities and differences of animals and how they relate to their survival and daily needs. Animal families the students became familiar with were birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals and insects.
EL MIRAGE ELEMENTARY
Kindergarten is focused on No Excuses University. Two children from Mrs. Ehret’s class, Isis and Isaiah, are wearing the Cornell University T-shirt and giving the classroom cheer of, ”I Believe, I Can Do It!!” The cry from all over kindergarten is “I can!” Not “I can’t.”
KINGSWOOD ELEMENTARY
A new partnership has emerged at Kingwsood. The partnership is with the Church of the Advent Episcopal. It is a church in our community working to support the community and our school by volunteering.
A group of adults will be coming to the school three days a week in the morning to read to students as well as listen to students read to them.
Students can bring their own book to read to a volunteer or they may choose one from our Rise and Read bookshelf in the library.
Those books will be identified by reading level. Students will read to an adult for about 15 minutes and have an opportunity to tell the adult about what they just read.
When students are finished they will receive a ticket to put in a basket. Tickets will be drawn weekly, and winners willreceive a new book. Students also will be given a ticket that says they attended Rise and Read to take back to their teacher so they can be acknowledged in their class for participation in the program. Rise and Read will be each week until Winter Break.
MARLEY PARK ELEMENTARY
• Congratulations to the 2009 Boys and Girls Soccer Teams:
Boys:
Fabian Franco, Levi Ervin, Tyler Cvetkovich, Jared Ramirez, Tyler Tallant, Carlos Centeno, Chris Arban, Zach Dawn, Jonathon Brown, Adrian Espinoza, Jimmy Abeytia, Michael Howard, Michael Maya, Austin Brown.
Girls:
Adrianna Wagner, Adlih Santiago, Courtney Brace, Emma Rakestraw, Isabella Carrillo, Jade Ramirez, Jalecia Smith, Jasmin Novoa, Mariela Vasquez, Mileesha Evans, Nancy Delgadillo, Sidia Wilson, Stephanie Guzman, Yesica Ortega.
Alternates:
Hannah Baum, Amber Nguyen, Sienna McCulley.
MOUNTAIN VIEW SCHOOL
Second-grade students at Mountain View were fascinated by the visitors that Ranger Josh brought to show them. As part of their Insect Study Unit, the classes invited the World Wild Life Zoo Ranger to bring in a tarantula, a millipede and a hissing cockroach.
The students saw first-hand the interesting behaviors of these insects.
PARKVIEW ELEMENTARY
Red Ribbon winners in sixth- through eighth-grades are:
Lujano: Darius Marian.
Walker: Angelina Rico.
Bailey Butler.
Turner: Elizabeth Chavez.
Mr. G : Jason Guest.
Sixth-grade Winner: Elizabeth Chavez.
Brady: Gavin Merrigan.
Horine: Tapanga Maxwell.
April-Len Cabase.
Benker: Kiley Ruble.
Seventh-grade Winner: Tapanga Maxwell.
Rupp: Renay Guliciuc.
Schaudt: Dawn McWorther.
Quarles: Jessica Roberts and Riley Manchego.
Eighth-grade Winners: Jessica Roberts and Riley Manchego.
Fifty-five of the sixth- and eighth-grade students participated in the Red Ribbon Poster Contest 2009.

RIVERVIEW SCHOOL
The Reading Leadership Team at Riverview School sponsored a family night of “Reading Under the Stars.” The event brought families to the school wearing pajamas and toting blankets, books, flashlights and snacks.
Parents and children enjoyed the opportunity to read together under the stars using flashlights.
Families could also listen to teachers, and “The Cat in the Hat,” read from big books.
Students were able to buy fun bookmarks, glow necklaces and bracelets, and popcorn.
The Reading Leadership Team gave away free books to the first 125 children through the gates.
SONORAN HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
• Alyssa Cappiello, a fourth-grader at Sonoran Heights, represented the city of Surprise at the NFL Punt, Pass & Kick competition, winning first place in the 8- and 9-year-old girls division.
• Students in kindergarten, first and second grades enjoyed a visit and some story time with Red Robin. Red’s assistant read a selection of stories and then Red listened while students shared some of their own stories.
Red left some incentives with teachers to reward students who keep track of all the books they read.

SUNSET HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
The Character Counts Community Connection Committee at Sunset Hills Elementary School honored the August and September students of the month Oct. 20. In a cafeteria filled with members of their families as well as friends and neighbors, the honorees’ names were read and they took to the stage. When all recipients were standing before their supporters, cheers could be heard and pictures were taken. A short reception followed which included light refreshments. Mrs. Lowell, one of our parents, held a no-bake bake sale in order to raise some funds to provide the refreshments.
SURPRISE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
• The Surprise kindergarten team hosted its annual Kindergarten Rodeo Oct. 28. Kindergarten students and their families were invited to come to the kindergarten playground for a rootin’, tootin’ good time. Activities included barrel racing, horse roping, panning for gold and more.
• The Surprise PTSA would like to thank everyone who participated in the Pennies for Pasta Penny Drive. The PTSA raised $622.52 for the Susan G. Komen foundation. Congratulations to the following classes for being the top collectors:
3rd Place - Ms. Porretta’s sixth-grade class collected $56.25 and earned a cookie party.
2nd Place — Mrs. Swedenhjelm’s sixth-grade class collected $61.98 and earned a root beer float party.
1st Place — and the winners of Pennies for Pasta is Ms. Nieto’s fourth-grade class which collected $92.50 and will receive a spaghetti lunch.