Pima JTED adds post to build ties of students, industries

The Pima JTED Governing Board has hired a director of research and development, a new position to build relationships with businesses, industries, schools and philanthropies.

The Joint Technical Education District works with 14 member public school districts in Pima County to provide Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs to about 22,000 sophomore, junior and senior high school students each year, its website says.

With a background in education policy and experience in network and coalition building, new hire Merrill Kemp-Wilcox aims to strengthen connections between students and industries such as mining, optics, health care, tech and the trades.

“Her appointment signifies a transformational step towards ensuring students receive industry-relevant education and hands-on learning opportunities, ultimately leading to locally relevant jobs and supporting the community and economy,” said JTED Superintendent/CEO Kathy Prather.

The position was made possible through support from Potoff Private Philanthropy.

Badgers celebrate inductions

The Annual Tucson High Badger Foundation Meeting/Hall of Fame Induction was held Oct. 14 at the Doubletree Hotel’s Grand Ballroom, with 260 guests attending.

Inductees included Jerry and Margie Navarro Strutz ’64 as Honorary Hall of Fame members, Alan Chesser ’64, Raymond Flores ’59, Janet Lesher ’73, Anastasio “Cachi” Martinez ’71; and Lourdes Leticia “Letty” Davison Rios, retired faculty.

Also honored were the recipients of the 2022 and 2023 University of Arizona and Pima Community College Badger Foundation Scholarships, which totaled $38,000. Recipients in attendance were Mario Woo ‘23, Daniel Fianyo ‘23 and Sylvia Niyokushmina ‘22.

Golden Bell award

Vail Early College has received first place in the Arizona School Boards Association 2023 Golden Bell Promise Program Award in the high school category.

The award recognizes initiatives and programs in schools across the state “that excel in nurturing the potential of each student while achieving exceptional growth and success.”

Vail Early College, open to any high school senior in Vail, is the first program of its kind in the state. It serves as a bridge for students between high school and college. Students attend their senior year at Pima Community College East campus and earn college credits. They also enroll in two courses taught by Vail teachers, including college success and U.S. Government.

The students are still able to participate in activities at their Vail high school and receive their high school diplomas while, on average, earning 27 college credits.

So far, 335 Vail students have taken part since the program began in 2018.

Learn about magnet schools

Tucson Unified School District magnet schools and programs will be showcased at a fair on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Children’s Museum Tucson.

Admission is free to the museum at 200 S. Sixth Ave.

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Applications open for TUSD’s magnet schools on Monday, Nov. 6. To apply for a student spot next year, go to tusd1.org/register.

The various magnet school programs include dual language; fine, performing and communication arts; science, technology, engineering and math; STEM plus art; traditional academics; and Montessori and gifted and talented education, TUSD’s website says.

Shakespeare competition

Since 1986, 6,000 Southern Arizona high school students have competed in the English Speaking Union (ESU) National Shakespeare Competition, but participation has recently seen a sharp decline.

At the height of participation, more than 42 Southern Arizona high schools competed. Last year, there were seven, says Alicia Fodor, ESU branch director for Tucson.

“Without school support, that encourages community support, which leads to donations that keep the program alive; this will likely be our last year,” Fodor said in a written statement. “This would be a terrible loss to Tucson students and educators.”

In the competition, high school students from across the country read, analyze, perform and recite Shakespearean monologues and sonnets.

The Tucson branch works with high school teachers to set up in-school competitions where the top two performers advance to the state competition hosted at the University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film and Television. The winner receives a round-trip ticket to New York City and $100, paid for by local donations to ESU-Tucson.

National prizes include scholarships to the Midsummer Conservatory at the British-American Drama Academy in London, the Drama Summer Camp at the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Virginia, and a $1,000 cash prize.

The Tucson branch is seeking participants, volunteers and funding. For more information, email Fodor at esushakespearetucsonaz@gmail.com.

Kindergarten Show and Tell

Catalina Foothills School District is hosting Kindergarten Show and Tell events for prospective families.

While future kindergarteners participate in classroom activities with teachers, families will learn about the district’s free half-day kindergarten program and its optional, supplemental, fee-based kindergarten plus program.

Children who will be 5 years old prior to Sept. 1, 2024, are eligible to attend kindergarten at one of the four elementary schools in CFSD. Open enrollment applicant families are also welcome to attend.

To sign up for a Kindergarten Show & Tell event, visit cfsd16.org. The sessions, each beginning at 2 p.m., are:

Sunrise Drive Elementary (Chinese immersion program available): Nov. 30 and Jan. 25.

Ventana Vista Elementary (Spanish immersion school): Nov. 28 and Jan. 23.

Canyon View Elementary: Dec. 4 and Jan. 22.

Manzanita Elementary: Dec. 6 and Jan. 24.