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Signature Programs

In addition to providing curriculum aligned to the Arizona College and Career Ready Standards, each Laveen school provides specialized programs to further develop our students.

M.C. Cash Elementary School — Kids at Hope

Kids at Hope is a framework designed to engage entire communities to support success for all children, no exceptions. It is a belief system based on the following three universal truths: Children succeed when they are surrounded by adults who believe they can succeed, no exceptions; Children succeed when they have meaningful and sustainable relationships with caring adults; Children succeed when they can articulate their future in four domains: Home and Family, Education and Career, Community and Service, and Hobbies and Recreation.

Because Kids at Hope is built on the premise that all students have anchor adults in their lives, Cash students know that when they come to school there is a caring adult that will always be there for them. Everyone on campus; maintenance staff, teachers, office staff, and administrators; believes that all children are capable of success and so the entire campus works together to create an incredible environment to ensure students are successful.

Since implementing Kids at Hope, M.C. Cash has seen an increase in student confidence and students arrive to school happier.

Cheatham Elementary School — Community Collaboration

Cheatham aims to work collaboratively with the community to provide a safe space to learn and grow for students, staff, and their families.   The goal is to build community partnerships in order to offer a range of support and opportunities that will give students and parents tools to improve learning, strengthen families, and promote the overall health of the community.

Partnering with families and local businesses not only give students access to the vast resources offered right here in the Laveen community, but will also give the students opportunities to be a resource for the community.  These resources will help Cheatham prepare students for entering school, maintain consistent attendance, encourage family participation, promote active involvement in the community, and ensure students are safe and healthy – physically, socially, and emotionally.  Our hope is that students will be socially aware and active members of the Laveen community and ultimately any community they choose to be a part.

Desert Meadows School — Computer Coding

Desert Meadows’ vision is to have all students reach their academic and social potentials, with technology serving as a catalyst to learning. Meadows has created a computer science-focused learning environment where technology is used along with traditional learning strategies to keep students fully engaged. Teachers use Google Classroom to build assignments, ask questions, and create discussions for their students to access online. This also allows them to create a “flipped classroom” where students review the lesson online at home and complete projects and exercises in class with their peers. Desert Meadows students take notes digitally with Chromebooks and have access to safe email accounts. Middle school students use digital portfolios to set goals and show academic growth to their families. Technology is not only found in the core academic areas, but has been integrated in elective classes as well. Students are offered a technology class focused on using technology in the classroom and at home, iPads are used in music and art, and there are coding and media clubs that further promote the use of technology.

 Estrella Foothills Global Academy- Global Studies

Estrella Foothills Global Academy features global studies as its signature program. This program creates opportunities for students to think and engage in learning activities that broaden their global perspective. A Mandarin Chinese foreign language component will also be offered.

The program is built around the following four domains of global competence:

  • Investigate the World: Students investigate the world beyond their immediate environment
  • Recognize Perspectives: Students recognize their own and others’ perspectives
  • Communicate Ideas: Students communicate their ideas effectively with diverse audiences
  • Take Action: Students translate their ideas into appropriate action to improve conditions

Estrella Foothills Global Academy is an International Baccalaureate Candidate School. The Laveen District is collaborating with IB as we aim to provide a world class education that focuses on attributes that can help individuals and groups become responsible members of local, national, and global communities and help students to become lifelong learners.

Laveen Elementary School — Mindfulness

Laveen Elementary School is a “mindful school;” named a 2020 Exemplary Title 1 School by the Arizona Department of Education and awarded the 2018 Arizona School Board’s Golden Bell Award for the most promising school program of the year.

Mindfulness is about developing mental and emotional strength in children. As our students become more mindful, they develop the knowledge and attitudes needed to thrive in a world of increasing complexity, uncertainty, and exponential change. Laveen Elementary School strives to educate and empower all of its students to do their personal best by making responsible choices that positively affect their mind, body and spirit.

Components of the Laveen mindfulness program include: weekly yoga sessions before school for students and families, teachers trained in mindful breathing techniques, a mindful “reset room” for students, and school counselors trained by mindfulschools.org. In addition, “Second Step,” a social-emotional learning program equipped to help children thrive, is offered at all grade levels each week.

At Laveen Elementary School we inspire growth and maturity from the “inside out” by cultivating awareness, resilience and compassionate action.

 Paseo Pointe School — Spanish Dual Language Immersion

Paseo Pointe School offers a dual language immersion program in Spanish where students will receive instruction in two languages. Paseo follows a 50/50 model in which participating students spend half of their day in a classroom where teaching and learning are done in English, while the other half of the day is done in Spanish. Research shows students who develop two or more languages have certain cognitive advantages. They do as well or better than their peers in English-only programs.

The program was originally offered to students in kindergarten and first grade beginning in the 2016-2017 school year. The program will add a grade each year, so it will eventually be available K-8. In 2020-21, DLI will be provided to all students in Grades Preschool – 3rd. In addition, third and fourth graders may also enroll in the DLI program based on available space. Students in other grade levels will not receive DLI instruction.

Research shows students who develop two or more languages have certain cognitive advantages. They do as well or better than their peers in English-only programs.

The program prepares students for success in the global community by promoting:
• Bilingualism – proficiency in speaking two languages
• Biliteracy – proficiency in reading and writing in two languages
• Biculturalism – understanding of and appreciation for diverse cultural values and customs
• Cognitive flexibility – enhanced attention control, memory, and problem solving skills
• Students develop oral, reading, and writing proficiency in two languages.
• Students typically meet or exceed the academic performance of students in monolingual English classrooms.
• Students are better prepared to engage in a global society that values cultural and linguistic diversity.

Rogers Ranch School – STEM

STEM education focuses on academic programs that combine science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in meaningful, hands-on, inquiry-based learning environments. Rogers Ranch students are immersed in learning activities that incorporate these concepts as they foster 21st Century skills, such as critical thinking, information literacy, and collaboration and investigate solutions to real-world problems.

STEM topics are integrated into all subject areas including social studies, art, music, and physical education. While Rogers Ranch is STEM– focused, students will continue to develop literacy skills, frequently writing and utilizing informational text related to STEM topics.

Rogers Ranch School’s facilities feature a 1:1 student to computing device ratio and a fully equipped Paxton-Patterson Action Lab. Here, students rotate through different modules of STEM activities such as aerodynamics, clean energy mechanisms, and forensics. Lessons are computer-based, hands-on, open-ended, and focus on problem solving.

Trailside Point School – Performing Arts

Studies show that students who are involved in the performing arts tend to be better students and achieve better academically. For this reason, Trailside Point has created a number of performing arts classes from which students may choose. Students interested in music have orchestra, guitar, band, and chorus to choose from. There is also drama, set design, production, Readers Theatre, broadcasting, and speech and debate.

Since implementing the performing arts classes, the school has seen students shine. Students who are otherwise quiet or withdrawn have opened up and gained confidence from being on stage.

Vista del Sur — Accelerated Pace

Vista del Sur is an accelerated school where students work a grade level ahead in math and language arts. Students who demonstrate academic aptitude in mathematics are able to take high school level algebra and geometry. Middle school students also take high school level Spanish. Students taking high school level courses have an opportunity to take Phoenix Union High School District’s qualifying test which determines their placement for the following year. Science and social studies are on level, but accelerated at a faster pace as well. Vista offers specials of art, PE, and music.

Parent involvement at Vista is high as parents are expected to volunteer a minimum of seven hours each year.

Vista is a school of choice, and so, it does not have attendance boundaries.