SUSD Spotlight

In today’s episode of the "SUSD Spotlight" podcast, we learn about Blue Zones life practices and policies that encourage longer, healthier lives for everyone. Featuring Executive Director of Blue Zones Project Scottsdale,  Sarah Kearney, and Patti Bilbrey, Director of Nutrition Services. We will explore the exciting partnership between SUSD and Blue Zones and discuss how Blue Zone principles will be integrated into our school meals leading to a healthier experience for our students. Listen in as we discover how the environments we create can lead to healthier lifestyle choices and learn about the transformative initiative that is the Blue Zones Project. Since recording this episode, one of our very own schools (Echo Canyon) received the historic honor of being named Arizona's first Blue Zones-certified school, we celebrate this achievement which signifies the strength of Scottsdale partnerships.

In this episode of the "SUSD Spotlight" podcast, we learn about the Early College Campus at Coronado. SUSD and Scottsdale Community College have formed a partnership at Coronado to offer valuable opportunities for Dons to establish connections with SCC professors and local industry leaders and to introduce high-interest classes not already offered as part of dual-enrollment offerings at Coronado High School. 

In this episode of the "SUSD Spotlight" podcast, we learn about the amazing academic program called SCORE which serves as a transition program to pair students, their families, and community partners to bridge high school students to future career opportunities. SCORE helps to develop skills to provide independent career exploration and transition planning with real-world mentorship and the PAES program. Learn more about the impact of the SCORE program by hearing from Stephanie Muecke and student, Nathan Clouse with us today on Spotlight!

This episode delves into Desert Canyon's thriving and unique educational environment, where students benefit from an immersive bilingual education, spending half their day learning in English and the other half in Mandarin. We sit down with Kim Mills, the Principal of Desert Canyon Elementary School, and Amie Hegeman, a dedicated PTO member and parent, to discuss the remarkable achievements and innovative educational models that have set Desert Canyon apart. With its recent A+ School of Excellence honor and the unique 50/50 dual language model, Desert Canyon Elementary is a beacon of academic success and community engagement within the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) fostering an inclusive and supportive atmosphere that encourages excellence for all students.

Across the nation, National Board reviews the practice of accomplished teachers to evaluate whether they represent the values and standards of excellence in education. In SUSD, we have nearly 70 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) across our 29 schools. On this episode of Spotlight, we sit down with NBCT Susan Leonard, an Ingleside Middle School educator and SUSD’S lead trainer for NBCT candidates. We dive into a fun conversation about education excellence and how teachers in 2024 can feel appreciated and recognized for their achievements. 

The SUSD's Student Advisory Board (SAB) is a group of high school students from each high school in SUSD that comes together to problem solve and help shape the overall student experience. Students meet monthly with SUSD District Leadership to collaborate and share current concerns and opportunities for improvement. In today’s episode of the "SUSD Spotlight" podcast, we’ll chat with student, Nikhil Sethi, to learn more about the Student Advisory Board and his own journey as an SUSD student. Hear about the work the SAB does, how it has been from a student perspective, future goals for the SAB, and how we all can play a part in making SUSD a district that serves everyone better. 

In this episode of the "SUSD Spotlight" podcast, we spotlight the amazing early learning opportunities available within the Scottsdale Unified School District. Dr. Christine Bonow, Director of Early Learning & Community Education, and an esteemed SUSD alum, joins us to discuss the array of programs aimed at the youngest learners, from two-year-olds through pre-kindergarten, including gifted programs and the exciting Dual Language Immersion starting in preschool. Let’s have a conversation about nurturing the seeds of education from the earliest stages with a real product of the SUSD system.

In this thrilling episode of the SUSD Spotlight podcast, Superintendent Menzel takes the show "on-the-road" to Laguna Elementary where 5th graders, along with teacher Brian Vogan, witnessed the historic 2024 solar eclipse. Students used problem solving and research to create their own safe viewing devices out of cereal boxes, showcasing this to Dr. Menzel. They expressed their excitement about the solar event and documented their learning. Also, in this episode, hear some information about Laguna Elementary as a STEAM-focused, award-winning school serving SUSD students as young as 2 years-old.

In this episode of the "SUSD Spotlight" podcast, we are treated to a conversation with some voices behind “Gold Dust Avenue,” an a cappella group in SUSD that shines. Led by Dr. Sammy Brauer (who has been teaching music in SUSD since 2007) and featuring student singers such as Lillian Apostolou, Gold Dust Avenue has made Chaparral High School proud by placing 2nd in the 2024 SingStrong New York School Competition with five superior ratings, plus Lillian winning for Best Arrangement. Today, we’ll learn more about some amazing musicianship in our schools, the SingStrong event, and hear the group sing an arrangement.

SUSD is full of stars and each week we will “Spotlight” the people and programs making a difference. This exciting venture is dedicated to bringing you inspiring human interest stories, celebrating the successes of our incredible students and staff, highlighting thriving community partnerships, and showcasing the lasting impact of our alumni. Tune in to "Spotlight" as we shine a light on the extraordinary stories that make the Scottsdale Unified School District a truly exceptional place