Education notes

Ironwood sophomores Austin Heisterman and Gianna Joseph and juniors Sarina Calzadillas and Mckenzie Harrison were awarded scholarships to attend the Spirit of America Youth Leadership Program in Pennsylvania in April.

The program stresses the need for youth to embrace the values and practices essential to responsible citizenship, and includes a mock congress, a free-enterprise challenge and other leadership skill activities.

The trip is funded by donations to Freedoms Foundation-Tucson from individuals and the Crane Family Foundation.

Ironwood Ridge senior Tristan Odenkirk will also be heading to New York in May for the national Shakespeare competition.

Odenkirk took first place in the 31st annual Southern Arizona contest earlier this month.

The 18-year-old beat nearly two dozen other high-schoolers with the monologue “What a piece of work is a man” from Act II of “Hamlet.”

The all-expenses paid trip is sponsored by the English-Speaking Union, an organization dedicated to clear communication across all borders.

Nicolle Chavez of Rincon High School took second place, and third place went to Feliz Torralba of Tucson High Magnet School.

Up for grabs in New York is a six-week study trip in England.

County school board sessions coming up

The Pima County School Superintendent’s Office is hosting two free information sessions for governing board member hopefuls.

The School Board Elections 101 sessions will be held March 29 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and April 20 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 200 N. Stone Ave.

Each event will include a webinar hosted by the Arizona School Boards Association on school board service.

Parking will be validated at the Public Works Garage, 50 W. Alameda St.

For more information or to register, visit schools.pima.gov/news-events.

Imago Dei accepting 5th-grade applications

Imago Dei Middle School is now accepting applications for soon-to-be fifth-graders.

To be considered for the tuition-free private school, which serves grades five through eight, families must be eligible for free or reduced lunch. Space is limited to 20 students. Interested families are encouraged to contact admissions at 882-4008 or email admissions@imagodeischool.org.

CDO advances to national academic decathlon

Canyon del Oro High School won an academic decathlon last weekend.

CDO students competed against 39 teams from the state to win a spot in the national tournament.

The team will represent Arizona in the national competition in Alaska later this year.

Marana district hires

three new principals

Marana Unified School District hired three new principals for Thornydale, Butterfield and Ironwood elementary schools.

Zachary Singer, who is currently the associate principal at Desert Winds Elementary School, will be Thornydale’s new principal, starting July 1. He has seven years of experience in teaching and administration. Singer is replacing Sarah Clem, who is moving on to a district administration job.

Joshua Bayne, Marana Middle School’s associate principal and athletics director, will join Butterfield as the new principal. Prior to joining Marana Unified, he was a teacher, instructional support assistant and athletics director at the Amphitheater School District.

Bayne would replace Patricia Abbuhl, who is retiring. Aaron Johnson, who serves as the associate principal at Ironwood, will become the school’s new leader.

Before coming to Ironwood in 2014, he was an assistant principal and sixth grade teacher at Estes Elementary School.

He also taught in the Tucson Unified School District. Johnson is replacing Eric Abrams, who is retiring.