Sierra Vista Unified School District

🎉✨ SVUSD Teacher Feature of the Month: November - Mrs. Natalie Wise, Huachuca Mountain ✨🎉 We’re thrilled to spotlight Mrs. Natalie Wise, an exceptional kindergarten teacher at Huachuca Mountain Elementary School. With six years of teaching experience, Mrs. Wise brings creativity, innovation, and a deep passion for early childhood education to her classroom daily. Married to a retired military veteran, Mrs. Wise began her SVUSD journey as a kindergarten paraprofessional at PDS. Her family’s military path took her from Fort Huachuca to Texas and Alaska, where she earned her degree and spent three years teaching kindergarten. While in Alaska, she embraced place-based education, using the local environment to enrich learning—a practice she now integrates with SVUSD’s new science curriculum! 🌱🐻 Mrs. Wise’s classroom is alive with hands-on learning and joy! From fishing for letters and sight words to math lessons with “Ten Pigs in a Tub,” her students engage through play, movement, and creativity. Yoga brain breaks and midline-crossing exercises enhance coordination and build skills in reading, writing, and math. 🧘‍♀️📚 This year, Mrs. Wise introduced Huachuca Mountain’s Kindergarten Jumpstart Program, helping new students transition smoothly into school life. She also mentors new teachers, revitalized the school garden, and led the Balloons Over Broadway Parade. Inspired by the book of the same name, the event taught students about the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade as they designed their own balloons for a Huachuca Mountain celebration. 🎈🎨 Outside the classroom, Mrs. Wise enjoys hiking, gardening, spending time with her husband and daughters, and working toward her yoga instructor certification. She also revived the district-wide Kindergarten PLC, fostering collaboration among teachers to enhance teaching and learning. Currently pursuing National Board Certification, Mrs. Wise exemplifies lifelong learning and excellence in education. 🌟 We are so grateful to have Mrs. Wise as part of our Huachuca Mountain family. Her dedication to students and the community is truly inspiring. 💛 #TeacherFeature #HuachucaMountainPride #EmpoweringYou #SVUSDProudARatedDistrict

🎬✨ Buena Film Festival Highlights! ✨🎥 The Buena Film Festival challenged our talented students to create an original short film in just 9 days! Starting on Friday, November 8th, teams received the prompt, "The Last Time," and worked tirelessly to complete their films by Sunday, November 17th. 🎞️ After submission, industry professionals evaluated the entries, selecting winners for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places, as well as Best Pre-Production and Best Cinematography. Last night, Wednesday, November 20th, we celebrated at the BHS Lecture Pod with a screening of all the films and an awards ceremony. 🌟 Congratulations to our winners! 🥉 3rd Place: Asher M. & Savannah H. 🥈 2nd Place: Daniel R. & Isaiah R. 🥇 1st Place: Reyn L. & Franklin Q. A huge thank-you to all participants for your creativity and hard work in making this year's Buena Film Festival a success! 👏🎬 #BuenaFilmFestival #StudentCreativity #LightsCameraAction #EmpoweringYou #SVUSDProudARatedDistrict

🌟 Staff Spotlight: Terri Neitring, Technology Instructional Paraprofessional at Huachuca Mountain Elementary 🌟 Join us in celebrating, a dedicated member of the Sierra Vista Unified School District for 10 years! 🎉 Mrs. Neitring began her career as an ESS paraprofessional at the middle school before taking a short break to focus on family. After her youngest daughter started kindergarten, she returned to work in ESS at PDS and later became a kindergarten paraprofessional. For the past two years, Mrs. Neitring has been part of the Huachuca Mountain team as the Technology Instructional Paraprofessional—and she’s making a big impact! 💡 Mrs. Neitring’s passion for community support led her to co-found the Student Council at PDS, and now she’s proudly leading Huachuca Mountain’s council into its second year with 34 students alongside Coach Mac. Together, they’ve taken on incredible projects like: Placing flags on veterans' graves. Supporting Santa on the West End.🎅 Participating in the Stocking Stuffers Program and Shop with a Cop.🎁 Mrs. Neitring also played a key role in establishing the PBIS store at Huachuca Mountain, which has been a huge success in promoting positive behavior among students. 💖Born in Hawaii, Mrs. Neitring moved to Sierra Vista at age 9 and even attended PDS herself! Now, as a proud mom of three, she’s paying it forward by helping every student grow and thrive. Thank you, Mrs. Neitring, for your creativity, leadership, and unwavering dedication to our school and community! 💙 #SVUSD #StaffSpotlight #HuachucaMountainFamily #WeAreSVUSD #EmpoweringYou #SVUSDProudARatedDistrict

Our SVUSD app keeps getting better and better! Parents/guardians who have already created a Rooms account can now access new app features like chat and class streams via web and in the app. Download for Android https://bit.ly/3JcTPUs Download for iPhone https://apple.co/3OPpfSc

🌟 Calling All Sports Enthusiasts! 🌟 Are you passionate about sports and ready to make a difference in the lives of young athletes? 🏀⚽🥎 We’re on the lookout for community members to support our Joyce Clark Middle School Coyotes as athletic coaches for Girls Basketball, Boys Soccer, Track, Baseball, and Softball starting in January! This is a wonderful opportunity to share your knowledge, help students grow, and witness the smiles and successes of our amazing athletes. 🐾 Whether you're experienced in a specific sport or just love the game, your guidance can inspire our Coyotes to reach new heights! 🌠 Interested and ready to make an impact? Check out the opportunities by following the link or visit our website! https://www.applitrack.com/SVUSD/onlineapp/ ⬇️ Apply Here! 🌟 Calling All Sports Enthusiasts! 🌟 Are you passionate about sports and ready to make a difference in the lives of young athletes? 🏀⚽🥎 We’re on the lookout for community members to support our Joyce Clark Middle School Coyotes as athletic coaches for Girls Basketball, Boys Soccer, Track, Baseball, and Softball starting in January! This is a wonderful opportunity to share your knowledge, help students grow, and witness the smiles and successes of our amazing athletes. 🐾 Whether you're experienced in a specific sport or just love the game, your guidance can inspire our Coyotes to reach new heights! 🌠 Interested and ready to make an impact? Check out the opportunities by following the link or visit our website! ⬇️ Apply Here! Join us in shaping the future of our young Coyotes! 🙌 #CoyotePride #SupportOurCoyotes #JCMSCoachesNeeded#EmpoweringYou #SVUSDProudARatedDistrict Join us in shaping the future of our young Coyotes! 🙌 #CoyotePride #SupportOurCoyotes #JCMSCoachesNeeded #EmpoweringYou #SVUSDProudARatedDistrict

Support Your Buena Colts This Friday Night! 🏈 Come out and cheer on your Buena Colt Football Team as they take on the Casa Grande Cougars! The game kicks off at 7:00 PM, and we’d love to see the stands filled with Colt pride. Important Ticket Information: All tickets must be purchased through GoFan https://gofan.co/event/1984888 No cash option is available at the gate. Please note that no season passes will be accepted; only AIA passes are permitted. Purchasing tickets in advance will help reduce lines at the entrance, so we encourage you to buy your tickets early. Thank you for your support! Let’s make this a fantastic game night for our Colts! Go Colts!

🏊‍♂️🏊‍♀️ SVUSD Story: Congratulations to our Buena Swim Team and Mountain Bike Team on amazing State performances! 🏆 Swim Team - State D2 Meet Results Individual Results: Emmy K. - 100 Free: 29th Landon L. - 200 IM: 39th Spencer MD. - 100 Fly: 26th Oliver D. - 200 IM: 22nd & 500 Free: 14th Boys Team Relays: 200 Medley Relay: 23rd - 200 Free Relay: 25th - 400 Free Relay: 19th Girls Team Relays: 200 Medley Relay: 23rd - 200 Free Relay: 18th - 400 Free Relay: 22nd 💥 Mountain Bike Team crushed it with an incredible season finish! They took 1st Place in the Southern D1 Conference and earned 2nd Place at State, competing against 14 teams from all over Arizona! 🏅🚴 Upcoming Games 🏈 Girls Flag Football hosts their first-ever playoff game tonight at 6 PM! 🏈 Tackle Football plays on Friday at 7 PM! Let’s show our support! Go team! #ColtPride #EmpoweringYou #SVUSDProudARatedDistrict

All SVUSD offices will be closed on Monday, November 11th, in observance of Veterans Day. Thank you to all veterans for your service and sacrifice! We honor you today and every day. #VeteransDay #EmpoweringYou #SVUSDProudARatedDistrict

🍂🎉 The past couple of weeks have been an absolute blast across all SVUSD schools! Our incredible PTOs hosted festive fall carnivals at PDS and Carmichael, TC had an exciting PBIS Carnival, and HM Student Council held a fun-filled family dance. JCMS celebrated with their 2nd Annual Trunk or Treat, while character parades lit up campuses, Huachuca Mountain held a Fun Run, and Buena hosted an inspiring College Night! 🎃👟📚 We’re also so proud of the celebrations happening in our classrooms! Village Meadows, Carmichael, and Bella Vista held special events to honor student achievements across different categories. PDS 4th graders showcased their Hero Pumpkins, and T&C’s 5th graders wowed us with their Volume Zoo research projects! 🎨📏🎓 And last but not least, SVUSD is officially an A district! All six of our elementary schools received an A letter grade, and Buena received a B. Huge congratulations to our students, staff, PTOs, and volunteers who go above and beyond to make every moment special and memorable. We’re so proud of all your achievements! 💙🎉 #SVUSDProud #CommunityStrong #SVUSDFamily #AchievingExcellence #EmpoweringYou

📢 SVUSD Families – Reminder! 📢 This Friday, November 8th is a half day for all SVUSD schools! Please see the release times: Buena High School: 10:30 AM Elementary Schools: 11:15 AM Joyce Clark Middle School: 12:30 PM There will also be no school on Monday, November 11th in observance of Veterans Day. SVUSD extends our gratitude to all who have served our country!

🏆 Buena DECA Shines in Round 1 of the DECA Competition! 🏆 Over 5,000 students competed across eight categories, and Buena DECA made an impressive impact, securing top spots and an invitation to the International Career Development Conference (ICDC)! Highlights: Fashion: Robert and George took 1st and 3rd place in Arizona. Restaurant: Ethan and Jorge claimed 1st and 3rd, with Buena taking 8 of the top 10 spots. Hotel Management: Jason and Jan won 1st place; Derek took 2nd. Sports & Entertainment: Buena claimed 5 of Arizona’s top 10 spots. Accounting: Jason and Ava won 1st and 3rd. Entrepreneurship: Gabe placed 3rd, with Buena securing 7 of the top 10 spots. Special shoutout to Adam and Nathan for earning 1st and 2nd place nationally in Entrepreneurship! Adam will represent Buena in Orlando for the national finals and a $1,000 grand prize! Way to go, Buena DECA! 👏🎉

🎃 Happy Halloween, SVUSD families and community! We loved seeing all the amazing costumes today! Have a fun, safe night! 👻🧡 #SVUSD

🍁🎃 SVUSD Families, join us tonight for an exciting lineup of fall fun across town! Our incredible PTOs, CTE, and Title I teams have been busy preparing these fantastic events: 🍂 Carmichael - Fall Festival, 4 PM - 6 PM 🎠 Pueblo Del Sol - Fall Festival 4 PM - 6 PM 🚗 JCMS - Trunk or Treat 4:30 PM - 6 PM 🎓 Buena - College Fair, packed with valuable info for juniors and seniors 5 PM - 7 PM Come out, connect, and enjoy the festivities with us! SVUSD is here to empower you and celebrate the season together. See you tonight! 🍬👻 #SVUSD #FallFun #EmpoweringYou

🌟 The Huachuca Mountain PTO has been hard at work these past few weeks, gearing up for their 2nd Annual Fun Run happening Friday, November 1st! 🏃‍♂️🎉 With a fundraising goal to support students and teachers, they're partnering with MyBooster.com—and you can help too! Every contribution brings the PTO closer to their goal, and students get to earn fun prizes along the way while tracking where donations come from around the country. Let’s rally together to make this a huge success for Huachuca Mountain! 📢 Tonight’s Challenge: The Class with the Most New Donations TONIGHT will earn a PJ/Hat Day!! 💙 #HMPTO #FunRun #SupportOurSchool #EmpoweringYou

🎓 Attention Buena Families! 🎓 We’re excited to invite you to the 2024 College Fair on Wednesday, October 30th from 5 PM to 7 PM! 🕔 Explore opportunities with representatives from universities, colleges, and technical programs. Stop by the lecture pod for valuable insights on college applications and scholarships and more! 🎓✨ Don’t miss this amazing opportunity to get a head start on your future! Let's get things rolling! 💪 #CollegeFair2024 #BuenaFuture #OpportunitiesAwait #EmpoweringYou

🎉 Bella Vista Elementary Celebrates Mrs. Alma Marzan as October’s SVUSD Teacher Feature of the Month! 🎉 "Mrs. Marzan has quickly become a beloved member of the Bella Vista community," shares Principal Brenda Bland. Since joining us this year as a K-6 Exceptional Student Services Resource Teacher, Mrs. Marzan has inspired students and staff alike with her dedication, warmth, and passion. Originally from Bautista, Philippines, Mrs. Marzan has over 18 years of experience in education and a deep commitment to special education inspired by her eldest son. Now, she brings that dedication to Bella Vista, where her nurturing presence has enriched her students’ learning and lives. 🌟 Beyond teaching, Mrs. Marzan shares her culture with us—bringing traditional dishes like lumpia to school events! Her generosity, positivity, and kindness have made her a cherished figure within our community. In every way, Mrs. Marzan exemplifies SVUSD’s values: We Care, We Empower, and We Achieve Excellence Together. 💙👏 Read more about her journey and impact here: svusd68.org/article/1845624 🎉 Bella Vista Elementary Celebrates Mrs. Alma Marzan as October’s SVUSD Teacher Feature of the Month! 🎉 "Mrs. Marzan has quickly become a beloved member of the Bella Vista community," shares Principal Brenda Bland. Since joining us this year as a K-6 Exceptional Student Services Resource Teacher, Mrs. Marzan has inspired students and staff alike with her dedication, warmth, and passion. Originally from Bautista, Philippines, Mrs. Marzan has over 18 years of experience in education and a deep commitment to special education inspired by her eldest son. Now, she brings that dedication to Bella Vista, where her nurturing presence has enriched her students’ learning and lives. 🌟 Beyond teaching, Mrs. Marzan shares her culture with us—bringing traditional dishes like lumpia to school events! Her generosity, positivity, and kindness have made her a cherished figure within our community. In every way, Mrs. Marzan exemplifies SVUSD’s values: We Care, We Empower, and We Achieve Excellence Together. 💙👏 Read more about her journey and impact here: svusd68.org/article/1845624

🌟 Special Shoutout to Our Incredible ESS Staff! 🌟 Last week, we had the honor of celebrating our amazing team members who received a special shoutout for their outstanding dedication! 🙌 We are so proud to have such a caring and hardworking team that always puts our students first. 💙 Thank you for all that you do! 💪✨ #ESSAppreciation #AmazingStaff #StudentsFirst #EmpoweringYou

👻🎃 Roadrunner Families! 🎃👻 You’re invited to our Ghostly Friendly PBIS Fall Carnival on Friday, October 25th from 5 PM to 6:30 PM! 🕔 Join us for crafts, games, and loads of fun! We’ll even have some sweet treats 🍬 and can’t wait to see you there! 🎉 Let’s make it a spook-tacular night! 👻✨ #FallCarnival #RoadrunnerFun #SpookySeason #EmpoweringYou

🎉 Celebrating Our Commitment to Positive Behavior: Six SVUSD Schools Earn 2023-2024 AZPBIS Awards! 🎉 We're thrilled to announce that Bella Vista Elementary, PDS Elementary, and Buena High School have earned the prestigious 2023-2024 AZPBIS 1 Award! 🏆 But the excitement doesn't stop there—Carmichael Elementary and Huachuca Mountain Elementary have also been recognized with Level 3 awards, and Town and Country Elementary achieved an extraordinary Level 4 award 🌟 These awards shine a light on the core values we instill in our students every day through the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program. It’s not just about recognition—it’s about fostering a school culture where students are empowered to live by our values: Be Safe Be Respectful Be Responsible SVUSD PBIS Coordinator Nicole Parker shared, "These awards reflect the incredible commitment of our staff, families, and community in upholding these expectations each day. Together, we are building a positive, proactive, and supportive school environment where students can thrive both academically and socially." 💙💛 At SVUSD, we are proud to see our students embrace and embody these principles—preparing them to grow into successful leaders and compassionate citizens. Let’s continue to celebrate this success and encourage our students to live out these values every day! 🌟 #AZPBIS #SVUSD #SafeRespectfulResponsible #PositiveSchoolCulture #PrideInExcellence

It was an exciting Homecoming Week, with fun spreading across all our campuses! 🎉 Staff joined in for Buena Spirit Days, and Huachuca Mountain's STUCO came out to show their support. Huachuca Mountain also welcomed the GO TEAM Therapy Dogs 🐾 on Wednesday to read with their 2nd graders, while Village Meadows celebrated Club Day, recognizing students for being safe, respectful, and responsible. Bella Vista's Ms. Conde’s first-grade class celebrated the 50th day of school, and had help from Buena's National Honor Society members on Tuesday who assisted in the classroom. 🌟 We visited all schools to personally thank our amazing ESS staff (Exceptional Student Services) for the incredible work they’re doing! 💙 This week, we’re kicking off Red Ribbon Week at JCMS, Carmichael, and Huachuca Mountain with themed spirit days. On Friday, Carmichael will host a special Red Ribbon Tying Celebration 🎀. We’re proud to support the Red Ribbon Campaign, the largest drug-abuse prevention campaign in the U.S. On Thursday, your ESS Department is offering an Evening of Learning and Resources for Activities of Daily Living. If you’re interested, join us on Thursday from 4 PM to 6 PM at the Rothery Education Center. On Friday, Town and Country invites Roadrunner families to their PBIS Fall Carnival from 5 PM to 6:30 PM. 🎃 And Huachuca Mountain Student Council and NEHS invite Bolt families to the Monster Mash Dance from 6 PM to 8 PM. Come join the fun! 🎉 Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead—EMPOWERING YOU! 🌟