Kyrene Middle School

Scorpion Tales

AUGUST 2013

Hello to our KMS Families,

We are looking forward to an outstanding school year and are excited to communicate the many changes here at KMS. Our first change is in the look of KMS! Our new front façade and front office are beautiful and the inside of our campus looks brand new!

In order to maximize student personal and academic growth, we are excited to introduce a new leadership model that consists of two Principals, sharing the responsibilities of student support and student learning. Jama Nacke will provide leadership in the area of student support which includes, student prevention services, student behavior, school culture and community outreach. Sheryl Houston will provide leadership in the area of student learning by spending time in classrooms, offering support and guid-ing teachers through the use of student achievement data. She will be working with teachers to determine instructional practic-es that provide a rigorous learning opportunity for all students. In addition to the Co-Principals, teachers and students will be further assisted by an Assistant Principal, Dean of Student Learning, Student Advisor and our Prevention Services.

Recognizing that it is important for families to have a contact with a specific administrator, or the need for assistance from our Prevention Services, we have included the following basic leadership organizational chart.

Our amazing KMS PTO raises funds to also help support students and hosts many community events, and they need your help! Please don’t forget to support our KMS PTO donation drive going on now!

We look forward to working with our many families and our doors are always open for suggestions, celebrations and feedback. Respectfully, Sheryl Houston Jama Nacke Principal of Student Support Principal of Student Learning

Ms. Jama Nacke, Principal of Student Support

Mr. James Martin Ms. Sarah Sottile Prevention Services

Assistant Principal Student Advisor Mr. Khalid Jenkins, Prevention Specialist

Athletics Student Council Student Resource Officer: Detective Lisa Busse

Transportation 7th grade scheduling Family outreach support

6th grade scheduling Student behavior: Counseling

Student behavior: 7A, 7B, 7C/8C, 7D/8D Community assistance referrals

6A, 6B, 6C, 8A, 8B City of Tempe Programs

Ms. Sheryl Houston, Principal of Student Learning

Dr. Garth Cupp Ms. Jackie Karras Ms. Rorey Senger

Dean of Student Learning Academic Interventionist School Psychologist

8th grade scheduling Intervention class support Special Education testing

STEM Outreach coordinator Student academic screening Counseling

Dear Kyrene Middle School Families,

My name is Sheryl Houston and I am the Principal of Student Learning at KMS. I am thrilled to be a part of this community! This is

my 18th year in education with 10 years of teaching experience in middle school Science. Most recently, I was the principal of

Kyrene del Pueblo Middle School and prior to that I served as the Assistant Principal at Kyrene del Pueblo Middle School, Kyrene

del Milenio and Kyrene del Sureno Elementary Schools. I have served in many leadership roles throughout my career that focused

upon the development of curriculum and mentoring teachers in their professional development.

I am also a Kyrene parent. I have two daughters who currently attend Kyrene del la Mariposa Elementary School. I live in Warner

Ranch and thoroughly enjoy working and living in the Kyrene community!

Sincerely,

Sheryl Houston

Principal of Student Learning

My name is James Martin, and I am the assistant principal and athletic director at KMS. I have been working in the Kyrene School District for over 15 years. In that time I have worked as program manager in community education, taught at both the elementary and middle school levels, and most recently worked as an administrator at Centennial, KMS, and Pueblo. This is my second opportunity to work with the KMS community, and I am thrilled to be a Scorpion again!

In addition to working in Kyrene, I am also I Kyrene parent. My youngest daughter attends Kyrene de la Estrella, and my older daughters, who are now in college, both attended Kyrene schools as well.

Dear Kyrene Middle School Families,

My name is Sarah Sottile and I am the new Student Advisor at KMS. I will be working to support all of our students this year but will work more closely with all of the 7th grade teams and 8C/8D teams. I have had a warm welcome and wonderful start at KMS and am proud to be a Scorpion!

I started my career in education in Adrian, Michigan teaching elementary in a very small district. There I became interested in special education, specifically Deaf education and went on to get my Masters from Michigan State University in that field. I moved to Arizona in 2012 for an opportunity to supervise the middle school department of the Phoenix Day School for the Deaf where I continued to work until accepting my current position at KMS. What brought me to the Kyrene district was my positive experience as a Kyrene parent. When relocating to Arizona I researched and specifically chose to live within the Kyrene district for my daughter. She started her Kindergarten year at Cielo and is now still there as a 3rd grader. I am very proud and thankful to call Kyrene home in every aspect of my life.

I look forward to working with all of you and your children. Best wishes on a wonderful 2015-2016 school year!

Sincerely,

Sarah Sottile

Student Advisor, KMS

First Bell

8:25

Period 1

8:30-9:32

Advisory

8:30-8:49

iClass

8:51-9:32

Period 2

9:36-10:36

Lunch

10:36-11:06

Period 3

11:10-12:10

Period 4

12:14-1:14

Period 5

1:18-2:18

Period 6

2:22-3:22

KMS TV

3:22-3:30

First Bell

8:25

Period 1

8:30-9:32

Period 2

9:36-10:36

Period 3

10:40-11:40

Period 4

11:44-12:44

Lunch

12:44-1:14

Period 5

1:18-2:18

Period 6

2:22-3:22

Advisory

2:22-2:39

iClass

2:41-3:22

KMS TV

3:22-3:30

First Bell

8:25

Period 1

8:30-9:32

Period 2

9:36-10:36

Period 3

10:40-11:40

Lunch

11:40-12:10

Period 4

12:14-1:14

Period 5

1:18-2:18

Period 6

2:22-3:22

Advisory

2:22-2:39

iClass

2:41-3:22

KMS TV

3:22-3:30

6th Grade (M,T, Th, 7th Grade (M,T, Th, 8th Grade (M,T, Th,

First Bell 8:25

Period 1 8:30-9:20

Period 2 9:24-10:10

Period 6 1:14-2:00

Wednesday

6th Grade

Period 3 10:14-11:00 Lunch 11:00-11:30

Period 4 11:34-12:20

Period 5 12:24-1:10

7th Grade

Period 3 10:14-11:00 Period 4 11:04-11:50

Lunch 11:50-12:20

Period 5 12:24-1:10

8th Grade

Period 3 10:14-11:00 Period 4 11:04-11:50

Period 5 11:54-12:40

Lunch 12:40-1:10

Kyrene Middle School

2015-2016 School

KMS Fall Sports Tryouts start on August 10th. Tryout forms will be available in

Student Services.

Fall Sports are:

JV & Varsity (6th, 7th and 8th Grade) Girls Volleyball

JV & Varsity (6th, 7th & 8th grade) Boys Soccer

JV & Varsity (6th, 7th & 8th grade) Boys/Girls Cross Country

Prior to trying out, all students must have a physical on file in Student Ser-

vices.

A completed athletic participation card

An Academic/Behavioral rating sheet completed by each teacher

Athletic Fee Agreement

MTBI/Concussion Acknowledgement Form

Forms are available online at http://www.kyrene.org/domain/336

If you have any questions about athletics, please contact Pam Adam in Student

Services at 480-541-6604 or padam@kyrene.org.

Athletic Director: James Martin : dmartin@kyrene.org :480-541-6600

Athletic Participation fees

The KSD has established an athletic participation fee for students who

participate in school athletics. Fees must be paid after the student has

made the team. Scholarship applications will be available in the

school office and must be submitted prior to tryouts.

Cut Sports $150.00

Non Cut Sports $110.00

During the first day of school all students will

receive orientation instruction and further ex-

planation of their class schedule form their

team of teachers.

Please note that due to the complexity of the master

schedule, team/teacher changes cannot be made.

Please review your child’s schedule.

Each student is scheduled for:

Math

Social Studies

Science

Language Arts

iclass

PE or Band or Chorus or Orchestra or

Exploratory. (A days will be on Mondays and

Thursdays)

(B days will be held on Tuesday and

Fridays)

(A & B day classes will meet on

alternate Wednesdays)

If you have questions about an error on your child’s

schedule (i.e.incorrect math or

language level, a missing period), you may

Contact the office staff and they will give the

information to an administrator.

CLASS SCHEDULES

FIRST DAY PACKET

Your student will be bringing home a wealth of information

on the first day of school, Monday, August 5th.

Please plan to sit down with your student and review this

important information.

Parent Agreement

Emergency Card/Health History Form (due back

August 7th)

Student Agenda

KSD Family Handbook

Verification of Receipt (page 1 of the handbook)

Free & Reduced Lunch Application

School Lunch Information

RECOMMENDED GENERAL SCHOOL

SUPPLY LIST

Backpack/Book Bag

Pack of pencils

Pack of pens (blue or black)

Ruler

Pens

Pencils

Lined paper

4 folders

Highlighters

SCHOOL PICTURE DAY

Tuesday, September 8th

All students will have their picture taken for the KMS Yearbook even if

you are not purchasing a picture package.

If you wish to order pictures, you must bring in the completed order

envelope with your payment and turn it in on picture day. If your

student is absent on picture day, retakes will be available Thursday,

October 22nd.

KMS AGENDAS

Every KMS student will be given a special KMS Agenda. These agendas

support our strong academic focus and help students learn the life skills of

organization and planning. On a daily basis, teachers will provide assignment

information for students to record in their agendas.

KMS Agendas are considered textbooks and students are expected to use them.

If students lose their agenda , replacement agendas can be purchased for $5.00

in Student Services.

SCHOOL NEWS

Kyrene School District Bus Routes:

http://www.kyrene.org/Page/993

Have You Moved?

If you have moved over the summer, please make sure that you

contact the school office with your updated address and phone

number. The office will also need a new Proof of residency, such

as a copy of a utility bill, whenever you move. We appreciate your

assistance with this.

PAY FOR SCHOOL MEALS

myschoolmoney.com

(formerly mylunchmoney.com)

STUDENT ABSENCES

Everyday of Learning Counts!

Consistent attendance in schools is directly tied to the

school success. Please make every effort to have your

student in school and on time everyday. If your child has

to be absent a parent or guardian must call the

attendance line before 8:30am

A student who is not called in to the attendance office is

unexcused.

24 HR. ATTENDANCE LINE

541.6601

TARDIES Don’t miss a minute of Learning!

The first bell rings at 8:25am. At 8:30 a.m. all students are

expected to be in their seats and ready to begin a day of

learning. Tardiness is defined as a student not being in his

or her seat when the second bell rings.

When your child is tardy to school due to a doctor’s

appointment or other acceptable reason, he/she must

come into the school office to sign in and receive a pass

to class. In order for the tardy to be excused, the student

must be accompanied by a parent, have a note, or phone

call from the parent. Under Arizona law, missing the bus, car

trouble, oversleeping, shopping, baby-sitting, etc. are not

considered acceptable reasons for an excused absence or for

an excused tardy.

HOMEWORK REQUESTS

If your child is absent due to illness, you may request

homework through the school office, or by e mailing your

child’s teacher. If you know in advance that your child

will be out of school, please contact the teacher in

advance of the absence. A twenty-four hour notice is

required before assignments can be obtained from the

office.

CAMPUS VISITORS

You are always welcome!

All visitors at KMS, including parents, must enter through

the school office, sign the visitors log, leave a picture id and

receive a visitors badge prior to coming on to the KMS

campus. This is for the safety of all students and staff.

We appreciate your understanding and support in this

matter. Thank you for helping us keep our campus safe.

USE OF TELEPHONES, MESSAGES AND

ITEMS DROPPED OFF FOR STUDENTS

Uninterrupted instructional time is important!

School telephones are not intended for student use. In emergency

situations, students may ask a staff member for access to a

telephone.

Except in emergency situations, parents/guardians should avoid

calling the school to speak to their child. (Page 17 KSD Family

Handbook). When avoidable, a message will be taken and given to a

KMS administrator

STUDENT ITEM PICKUP

There has been an increase in the amount of items being dropped off

for students throughout the day to the front office.

To limit the amount of classroom interruptions, the office will make

an all call to classrooms twice a day for students to pick up their

drop off items. End of 2nd period and again at the end of 5th

period

The item drop off area will be by Miss Judi in the front office. The

students are required to sign for their item.

If a student knows an item will be dropped off, it is the student’s

responsibility to come to the office for it without being called.

Lunches and/or lunch money If brought before lunch, the appropriate grade level advisor will take

items to the cafeteria.

Sports equipment will not be called. It is the student’s responsi-

bility to pick up item from the office.

It is the student’s responsibility to come prepared to school every day.

SIGNING STUDENTS OUT BEFORE THE

END OF THE DAY Attending every class is important!

If you have to sign out your child early:

For the safety and protection of your child, we cannot allow him

or her to be taken from the classroom before our regular

dismissal time without the parent/guardian first coming into the

office and signing the child out. Each child who is excused early

must be signed out in the office by the child’s parent/guardian or

by the person specifically authorized by the parent/guardians.

The school office staff will not release your child to anyone unless

specifically authorized by you on the Health Services Emergency

Information Card.

It is helpful to have your student bring a note to the office first

thing in the morning and we will issue them a pass to leave at the

requested time. This will help avoid interrupting the learning

process.

Students on Campus Before & After School

Students may NOT be on campus prior to 8:00am. The

gates will be closed and there will be no supervision at that

time.

Community Education has before and after school hours for

a fee. http://www.kyrene.org/Page/1337

KMS PTO Why we exist:

To connect students and families with teachers and staff to create and support an

environment at KMS where all individuals can be successful.

To inspire and engage our diverse community to support the academic achievement and personal growth

for our students.

What we do:

Support activities that enhance the academic and character education of KMS students both with volun-

teer and monetary support.

Support recognition of excellence for both students and teachers.

Fundraising/Community Building Events: School Events/Activities PTO Host/Support

KMS Donation Drive Teacher Appreciation

Harvest Festival Scholastic Book Fair

Diamondbacks Suite Drawing Lunch with Your Student

5K Family Fun Run/Walk 8th Grade Promotion Activities/PTO Fun Day

Rita’s Italian Ice Days KMS Town/Character Education

Standard Meeting Time: First Wednesday of each Month @ 8:45 a.m. Starting in September, meetings

will be monthly. Join us for our PTO Open House on August 13th at 6:30 p.m. in the Library.

PTO Board: Amy Storment (President) Lesley McCoy (Vice President) Aubrey Jones (Treasurer)

www.kmspto.info

Email us at: pto4kms@gmail.com

Like us on Facebook at KMS PTO

To keep up with all of our “late breaking announcements”

News From The Health Office

By state law A.R.S. 15-872 your child will not be allowed to enter school any time after August 10, 2009 if they have not

received all required immunizations. The Arizona Administrative Code requires the following immunizations for school

attendance/entry:

Attention parents of incoming 6th graders:

Meningococcal Vaccine (MCV) for students who are 11 years old.

Attention parents of incoming 7th and 8th graders:

•Varicella: One dose (after 12 months old) is given before 13 years old. Two (2) doses will be given if the first dose was

at 13 years of age or later.

Hearing and Vision Screening:

Volunteers would be greatly appreciated to help screen all of the incoming 6th graders. Screening will start approximately

the third week of August. No experience is necessary and there will be a brief training session. Please contact Mrs. Warren if

you are interested at 480-541-6020 or mmaria@kyrene.org.

Want to help out the Health Office? The following donations can always be used:

Kleenex, ultra thin sanitary napkins, hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes, graham crackers, pretzels, gallon and sandwich Ziploc bags,

water bottles, orthodontic wax, contact lenses cases, saline solution, middle school size unisex shorts, and flip flops size 5 ~

8 ladies. Any and all donations greatly appreciated.

SCHOOL NEWS

DRESS CODE INFORMATION

Attention KMS Students and Parents:

The Kyrene School District has established dress code expectation for all students, and Kyrene Middle School staff mem-

bers are firm that the dress code rules will be followed and enforced. The Kyrene School District Family Handbook

for 2014-2015 can be accessed at http://sw.kyrene.org/kyrene.org.

Many of the newer fashion trends for teens do not meet the dress code, so we hope the following

descriptions will help with understanding what is acceptable and not acceptable at school. These are just a few examples of

trends that do not meet the dress code. ( There are other ways to follow the dress code and to violate the dress code.) If

a student is not wearing school appropriate clothes, the student will need to change into the shirts or shorts that we have

available in the front office. Students will NOT be allowed to go to PE to get PE clothes as that takes too much time out of

class and no teachers are available to supervise students in the locker rooms.

Here is one of the rules that is often not followed by students (see page 21 of the Kyrene School District Family Handbook

2014-2015), “Dress and Grooming At School”):

“The body shall be adequately covered. Clothing shall not expose the chest, abdomen, back or buttocks area and

shall be sufficient to conceal undergarments at all times.”

For example, racer back tops do NOT follow the school dress code because they expose a lot of the upper back and

many times bras straps, which are a part of undergarments, are exposed. Tops that are very low in the front are not

acceptable, even when layered with a camisole if it still goes too low. Wearing two or three tops with spaghetti straps do

not make a strap that is an acceptable width – one strap and it must be three fingers wide or as wide as a lasagna noodle.

(Angel hair, linguine, vermicelli, fettuccini – all not acceptable strap widths!)

Kyrene Parent Vue

The Kyrene School District Parent Vue is a secure web based system which allows parents to access and view infor-

mation about their student(s). Some of this information may include student absences, demographics, parent email

address, etc. Specific directions about Parent Vue, which will include your log-in and password, will be provided to

new families during the first couple of weeks of school. If you already have a log-in and password, it remains the same

as last school year.

Access Parent Vue: http://www.kyrene.org/ksdportal/parent-center/index.htm

Grades for students can be accessed.

Teachers may choose to contact parents via the communication tool in the portal, so it is important that families

keep their contact information up to date.

District, School and Teacher Websites

Kyrene School District: http://www.kyrene.org

Kyrene Middle School: http://www.kyrene.org/kyr

Teacher and Team websites can be found in the staff directory page of the KMS website.

Sign up to receive KMS text alerts

KMS students, to receive messages via text, text @kmsstudent to 81010. You can opt-out of messages at

any time by replying, 'unsubscribe @kmsstudent'.

Trouble using 81010? Try texting @kmsstudent to (520) 777-9142 instead.

KMS parents, to receive messages via text, text @newskms to 81010. You can opt-out of messages at any

time by replying, 'unsubscribe @newskms'.

Trouble using 81010? Try texting @newskms to (520) 777-9142 instead.

WHAT IS REMIND AND WHY IS IT SAFE? Remind is a free, safe, and simple messaging tool that helps

teachers and administrators share important updates and reminders with students & parents. Subscribe

by text, email or using the Remind app. All personal in

formation is kept private. Teachers and administrators will never see your phone number, nor will you

see theirs. Visit remind.com to learn more.

Administrative Office &

Staff

Emily Davis 480.541.6605 edavis@kyrene.org

Attendance

Judi Winiarski 480.541.6603 jwiniarski@kyrene.org

Registrar

Sylvia Warren 480.541.6620 swarren@kyrene.org

Health Office

Pam Adam 480.541.6604 padam@kyrene.org

Student Services & Athletics

Susan Drake 480.541.6602 sdrake@kyrene.org

Administrative Support Specialist

Lisa Busse 480.541.6642 lbusse@kyrene.org

School Resource Officer

Rorey Senger 480.541.6632 rsenger@kyrene.org

School Psychologist

Jama Nacke 480.541.6650 jnacke@kyrene.org

Principal of Student Support

Sheryl Houston 480.541.6652 shouston@kyrene.org

Principal of Student Learning

James Martin 480.541.6651 jmartin@kyrene.org

Assistant Principal-Athletics

Garth Cupp 480.541.6641 gcupp@kyrene.org

Dean of Student Learning

Khalid Jenkins 480.541.6672 kjenkins@kyrene.org

Prevention Specialist

Please allow one business day for the return of your phone call or

email. If you have questions, please call the KMS office @

480.541.6600

Kyrene Middle School

Kyrene Middle School

1050 E Carver Road

Tempe, AZ 85284

School Hours

8:30am-3:30pm Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri

8:30am-2:00pm Wednesday

Office Hours

7:45am-4:15pm Mon. Tues. Thurs. Fri.

7:45am-4:00pm Wednesday

Important Phone Numbers

Office Line 480.541.6600

School Fax 480.541.6610

Student Services 480.541.6604

Attendance (24 hour) 480.541.6601

Health Office 480.541.6620

Cafeteria 480.541.6636

District Transportation 480.541.1700

Grade Ext 480.541 email@kyrene.org

Team 6A Deb Rosenblum 6770 drosenblum

Melissa Campbell 6776 mcampbell

Belinda Stallings 6771 bstall

Amanda Berrelleza 6775 aberrelleza

Gina Burke 6777 gburke

Team 6B Christine Badgley 6773 cbadgley

Barry Humphrey 6774 bhump

Terri Raucci 6767 traucci

Nikki Woley 6761 nwoley

Team 6C Shelle Plummer 6762 splummer

Kristin Creek 6763 kcreek

Nancy O'Bryan-Ramirez 6766 nobryan

Team 7A Billie Lamkin 6741 blamkin

Sharon Hall 6742 shall

Jacob Fort 6747 jfort

Andrew Shapiro 6743 ashapiro

Team 7B Clay Monette 6753 cmonette

Katy Rushinsky 6755 krushinsky

Christine Adam 6756 cadam

Allison Ekren 6754 aekren

Team 7D/8D Karie Taylor 6751 ktaylor

Bridget Bambling 6757 bbambling

Mike Bramlett 6752 mbraml

Shaun Minogue 6750 sminogue

Team 7C-8C Mark Wenz 6722 mwenz

Dan Schindele 6727 dschin

Janis Barden 6726 jbarden

Chris Bloom 6725 cbloom

Team 8A Cathy Cigich 6734 ccigich

Lauren Erlick 6733 lerlick

Diane Hillyard 6735 dhillyard

Elise Urrutia 6737 eurrutia

Team 8B Ryan James 6730 rjames

Michael Jordan Wilt 6732 mwilt

Alissa Kingsley 6736 akingsley

Stephani Kelly 6731 skelly

Exploratories Physial Education

Sue Williams 6668 swilliams

Kevin Reagan 6669 kreagan

Library Debra Saling 6629 cboege

Exploratories Greg Adam 6712 gadam

Julie Hackmann 6713 jhackm

Beth Berlage 6721 eberlage

Elena Colombe 6710 kmclem

Brandy Berg 6703 jberg

Resource Victoria Ford 6778 vford

Aurora Welch 6735 awelch

Trisha Gourlay 6768 tgourl

Brian Mildener 6758 bmildener

Jim Schieffer 6748 jschieffer

Jamie (Yoshioka) Ribaudo* 6738 jyoshioka

AUGUST 2015 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

3 WELCOME BACK SCORPIONS!

4

5 Early Release-2:00PM

6

7

10

11 7PM KSD Board Meeting DO

12 Early Release-2:00PM

13

PTO Welcome Meeting

6:30pm Media Center

KMS Community

Meeting

7:00-7:45pm MPR

14

17 18

19 Early Release-2:00PM

20 6-7-8 grade Curriculum Night

21

24 25 7PM KSD Board Meeting DO

26 Early Release-2:00PM

27

28

31 1

2

Early Release-2:00PM

3

4

7

NO SCHOOL

LABOR DAY

8 9

Early Release-2:00PM

PTO Meeting 8:45am

10

KMS Parent University

6:30pm-8:00pm

11

National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs

The Kyrene Elementary School District participates in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program (available at select schools) which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Through this program eligible stu-dents may be offered free or reduced-price meals. Applications and instructions for participation in this program are availa-ble in English and Spanish in all school offices and online at www.kyrene.org/foodservices. If you qualify this program pro-vides for one breakfast and/or lunch per day per student.

An application must be completed each year to establish or re-establish eligibility for free or reduced-priced meals. Please complete one application per household. Application information will remain confidential and will be used only to determine eligibility for free or reduced-priced meals.

Completed applications may be dropped off at any Kyrene school, at the Kyrene District Office located at 8700 S. Kyrene Road, Tempe, AZ 85284 or faxed to 480-541-1814. Eligibility notification letters will be sent home within a few days of pro-cessing each application. Applications will be processed only for students currently enrolled in the Kyrene School District.

Please visit our website at www.kyrene.org/foodservices for program information, applications, menus and meal pricing. If you have questions, please contact Linda Stewart at 480-541-1350 or lstewa@kyrene.org.

Child Find for Children with Suspected Disabilities

Child Find is a component of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA ’04) that requires a school district to locate, identify, and evaluate all children with disabilities, aged birth through 21 that are located within their geographical boundaries who are in need of early intervention or special education services. Please call your child’s school or the Student Learning and Support Services office at 480-541-1150.

Gifted Child Find

The Kyrene School District, in accordance with state law to ensure the best possible education for its students, attempts to iden-tify children for special services. One form of special services is gifted education.

Gifted students are defined as those who score at or above the 97th percentile on any test for gifted identification approved by the Arizona State Board of Education. Children may qualify in one or more of three areas—verbal reasoning, quantitative (math) reasoning, and nonverbal reasoning.

Referrals for the gifted testing in kindergarten through seventh grade come from teachers, parents, and students. If you feel that your child might qualify in one or more of the three assessed areas, or if you have any questions about referring your child, you may refer your child through the on-line referral system http://www.kyrene.org/Page/29987. Children must not have been tested within the past year. Referrals will be accepted until we reach capacity for the testing session.

Please check the website for more information about testing dates and locations.