April 9, 2020

Dear Union, Elementary School District Families,

We hope that you and your family are safe and healthy!

Since we received notice on March 30, 2020, that schools were going to remain closed for the remainder of the year, your Union ESD team has been working diligently to find ways to continue learning opportunities for our students.  As we come to terms with the reality that we will not be seeing our students in person and saying our goodbyes in traditional ways, it becomes even more important for us to remain connected.

To facilitate this connection, starting next week, April 13, 2020, our teachers will be hosting some on-line sessions to check-in, build connections, teach mini-lessons, and provide some support for your child’s learning at home. We will be conducting this using Microsoft Teams. 

Please visit http://unionesd.org/community/student_resources/microsoft_teams_login_instructions for instructions on logging on to Teams.  Your child’s teacher will provide you with the username and temporary password.

The new paper packet will be available for pick-up on Monday 4/13/2020, from 8am-3pm. Please plan to pick this up on Monday 4/13/2020. The packet will contain the week’s activities, a schedule of ‘live’ opportunities, and times when the teacher is available for support.

The packet for the following week, April 20-27, will be available for pick up on Friday April 17^th between 8am-3pm. 

Weekly meal service will continue at Hurley Ranch & Dos Rios on Wednesday 4/15/2020 at 4pm. As the weather gets warmer, we may be changing hours, so please keep your contact information up to date and visit our Facebook page, and website for the most current information.

Union ESD is closed for Spring Holiday on April 10, 2020. All offices will resume taking calls during our normal business hours on April 13, 2020. However, we are practicing social distancing so if there are any other needs please call ahead of time to ensure that we are available to meet those needs: Union (623) 478-5000, Hurley Ranch (623) 478-5100,  Dos Rios (623) 474-7000, District Office 623-478-5005.  Stay in contact via our website and Facebook.

We hope to find creative ways to celebrate and close out the year and will be communicating with you about those ways in the weeks to come. In the meantime, please let us know if there are any questions you have or additional supports we can provide.  We stand ready to help.  Please stay safe and connected.

Warm regards,

Kristine Morris

9 de abril de 2020

Estimada Familias de Union Elementary School District,

¡Esperamos que usted y su familia estén sanos y salvos!

Desde que recibimos la notificación el 30 de marzo de 2020, de que las escuelas iban a permanecer cerradas por el resto del año escolar, nuestro equipo de Union ESD ha estado trabajando diligentemente para encontrar maneras de continuar el aprendizaje de nuestros estudiantes.  Mientras nos hacemos a la idea de que no veremos a nuestros estudiantes en persona y no podremos despedirnos de maneras tradicional, será muy importante permanecer en contacto.

Para mantener una comunicación con nuestros estudiantes, a partir de la próxima semana, el 13 de abril de 2020, nuestros maestros organizarán algunas sesiones en línea para ofrecer mini lecciones y proporcionar un poco de apoyo a las familias y estudiantes. Estas sesiones en línea se llevarán a cabo por medio de Microsoft Teams. Por favor, visite http://unionesd.org/community/student_resources/microsoft_teams_login_instructions

para obtener instrucciones sobre cómo iniciar sesión en Microsoft Teams. El maestro de su hijo le proporcionará el nombre de usuario y la contraseña.

El nuevo paquete de tareas para su hijo/a estará disponible el lunes 4/13/2020, de 8am-3pm. Por favor, planee recoger esto el lunes 4/13/2020. El paquete contendrá las actividades de la semana, un horario de las sesiones "en vivo" y horas en las que el maestro estará disponible.

El paquete para la semana siguiente, del 20 al 27 de abril, estará disponible el viernes 17 de abril entre las 8am-3pm. 

El servicio de comidas semanal continuará en Hurley Ranch & Dos Ríos el miércoles 4/15/2020 a las 4pm. A medida que el clima se calienta, es posible que cambiemos de horario, así que por favor mantenga su información de contacto actualizada y visite nuestra página de Facebook y el sitio web para obtener la información más actualizada.

Union ESD estará cerrado el 10 de abril de 2020 por vacaciones de primavera. Todas las oficinas reanudarán la toma de llamadas durante nuestro horario de oficina el 13 de abril de 2020. Estamos practicando el distanciamiento social por lo que si hay otras necesidades por favor llame con anticipación para asegurarse de que estamos disponibles para ayudarle con sus necesidades: Unión (623) 478-5000, Hurley Ranch (623) 478-5100, Dos Ríos (623) 474-7000, Oficina de Distrito 623-478-5005.  Manténgase en contacto a través de nuestro sitio web y Facebook.

Esperamos encontrar formas de celebrar y cerrar el año y nos comunicaremos con usted acerca de esas maneras en las próximas semanas. Mientras tanto, déjenos saber si tiene alguna pregunta o necesita apoyo adicional que podemos proporcionar.  Estamos listos para ayudar.  Por favor, manténgase a salvo y conectado.

Saludos cálidos,

Kristine Morris

Superintendente

March 30, 2020

Dear Union Elementary School District Families,

Earlier today Governor Ducey announced school closure through the remainder of the year. See message below.

While this changes where we provide education, it does not change the need for us to continue to deliver educational opportunities for our students.  We are continuing with our plan to deliver hybrid learning opportunities through paper packets and online learning using Microsoft Teams.  Additionally, unless told to stop, Each Wednesday at 4pm, we will continue to hold weekly grab-n-go meal service at Dos Rios and Hurley Ranch. 

We have posted online enrichment activities for all the different grade levels for you to choose those that are most appropriate for your child at our website https://bit.ly/2JjOAUQ.  We will have a new set of learning enrichment activities for you to pick up this week, March 30th.  All offices will be taking calls during our normal business hours. We expect to be available from 8am to 11am for families to continue to pick up instructional materials. However, we are practicing social distancing so if there are any other needs please call ahead of time to ensure that we are available to meet those needs: Union (623) 478-5000, Hurley Ranch (623) 478-5100,  Dos Rios (623) 474-7000, District Office 623-478-5005.  Stay in contact via our website and Facebook.

If you are not receiving our communication from both school messenger and Smore, you probably need to update your information.  Please call or email your school office.  Office Manger emails: Union Elementary= [email protected]; Hurley Ranch= [email protected], and Dos Rios= [email protected]

If you have not completed our survey, please do so asap at https://bit.ly/2Jk2PZW . We will be reaching out to families for information to better support at-home learning opportunities over the for the remainder of the year.

You will be receiving specific information from your school to help support your child’s learning.  Please let us know if there are any questions you have or additional supports we can provide during this closure. 

Sincerely,

Ms. Kristine Morris

Superintendent

Dear Union ESD Community,

The demand for our school meal program this evening 3/18/2020 was greater than our supply.  We know that continued meal service is important and will increase our supply for next Wednesday 3/25/2020. 

In the meantime, any child under 18 can participate in the following meal programs at our neighboring school districts.  

Tolleson Elementary School District  

8:00am – 11:00am. Monday – Friday will distribute breakfast and lunch daily. 

Pendergast Elementary School District will also welcome children under 18. 

Visit their website http://www.pesd92.org/districtnews/2019_20/announcements/Grab%20and%20Go%20Flyer.pdf

Please contact your school if you have any questions. 

Thank you.

Our teachers are amazing! This month we celebrated Union Elementary School District teachers for the academic growth their students made on the Middle of Year (MOY) Galileo assessments.  The teachers who attended were selected because their class exceeded the MOY growth expectations in either Math or ELA. Our partner, Million Dollar Teacher project, hosted a luncheon sponsored by Buffalo Wild Wings, Microsoft, and Office Depot.  Teachers had an hour away from their campus to enjoy lunch with their colleagues, play some games, win prizes, and most importantly be celebrated for their work with our students to improve academically.   Congratulations to our teachers and their students for their hard work!

The Union and Hurley Ranch 2^nd and 3^rd grade teams hosted an informative and fun “Moving Up” evening to welcome future 3^rd graders to the Hurley Ranch campus.  Over the past several months our schools have worked together to help our 2^nd graders and their families get excited and informed about the transition to Hurley and to help ease any nerves or concerns that families and/or students might have.  Parents, if you were unable to attend the Moving Up event, Principal Watkins would be happy to answer any questions and help you and your child prepare for a smooth transition.  

Parent teacher conferences are right around the corner, March 2-7.  Thank you for taking time to meet with your child's teacher.  Our goal is to have 100% of families attend.  If you haven't set up your appointment, reach out to your school today.  

Families, thank you for believing in and supporting your local public schools. We know you have choices and we thank you for choosing Union ESD #62 as your education partner. Thank you to those who have recommitted to your school by returning your letter.  This process helps us better plan for future enrollment, supplies, materials, and helps us create a welcoming space for your child's first day back next year.  Additionally, it helps us gauge how many open enrollments we can accept.  If you live out of District and interested in your child attending a Union ESD school, please contact the school, arrange for a visit, and submit an open enrollment form today.

Thank you for choosing Union Elementary School District #62.   Together we will inspire hope and empower all children to courageously pursue their goals and dreams. Have a great Spring Break March 9-13.

Sincerely,

Ms. Kristine Morris
Superintendent

School Contact Numbers

Dos Rios Elementary 623-474-7000

Union Elementary      623-478-5000

Hurley Ranch Elementary 623-478-5100

Happy Fall! It has been a great start to our year and I’m excited to share with you an update on the progress we have made together and some challenges we will overcome.

First, thank you for making school attendance a priority for your child during the first quarter. Both Union Elementary and Hurley Ranch made student attendance a priority this year.  As a result of their efforts during quarter 1 Union Elementary improved attendance by 1.04 percentage points and Hurley improved their attendance rate by .55 percentage points when compared to last year's attendance! Additionally, both schools reduced their chronic absentee rates by over 3 percentage points! Your children depend on you to get them to school on time each-and-every day, and your efforts are showing. As we head into the Thanksgiving and Winter Break, let’s keep it going. The days leading up to the break, and immediately following the break, are important for your child’s learning.  Please schedule trips and appointments during the vacation days only and help your child develop important habits that will last a lifetime.

We had the highest beginning of year enrollment in recent history, at 1800 students.  Not only is it important for your child’s learning that they attend every day; but, starting at the beginning of the school year ensures that we receive the full appropriation of resources from the state to support their learning.  The state determines how much funding to send to the district based on how many students are enrolled from the first through the 100^th day of school.  If a student starts 5 days late, the state will only provide the district with 95% of the funds that were set aside for their education.  Additionally, when a student arrives after the 100^th day, there is no state funding provided for that student.  Thank you for choosing Union, for showing up on day one, and for helping us ensure the full resources are garnered to support our students.

Thank you for attending parent teacher conferences.  During the Fall parent-teacher conferences we were able to meet with 69% of parents about their child’s progress.  These meetings give you and your child’s teacher important face-to-face time to discuss the strengths and areas for growth for your child and they are very important to us.  These meetings not only give you  the chance to meet face to face with your child’s teacher, they also show your child that you and the teacher care about their progress, and that you are on the same page about the child’s goals.  We will be having conferences in the spring and look forward to this opportunity again. We hope to reach 100% participation in the spring.  In the meantime, if you have a question or concern, call or email your child’s teacher, they are happy to have you as their partner in learning.

We are so very proud of our teachers and staff and appreciate the work they do to help our students feel safe, supported, and to make academic progress.  Unfortunately, we have faced some challenges with staff turnover. Sometimes unavoidable life circumstances cause mid-year changes to our classrooms and although we ask that employees afford us time to find quality replacements; that cannot always occur.  We are grateful to our guest teachers, parents, and support staff for their patience and consideration of this situation. Thank you for working with us as we seek caring and qualified employees who are committed to ensuring your child’s success.   

The Arizona Department of Education recently released school letter grades from the 2018-19 school year. We have a celebration and one area for growth. Dos Rios kept pace with State averages and received a C letter grade.  They also made significant progress and were 2 points away from a B letter grade. Unfortunately, Hurley Ranch’s last year’s student achievement and growth did not keep pace with State averages and resulted in Hurley Ranch receiving a D letter grade.  We are so proud of all our Union Elementary School District students, staff, and community and know that we will do even better. We are confident that through the adjustments we have put into place for this current school year, we will make greater progress and improve our State standing.

We know you have a choice in where your child attends school and we are committed to ensuring your child experiences outstanding instruction every day. Thank you for engaging in your school through events, parent-teacher conferences, literacy & math nights, PTO events, etc.  It is your firsthand engagement, relationships with staff, conversations with and modeling for your child that education is an important family matter, that will help us strengthen our services, improve our outcomes, and inspire all children with hope and empower them to courageously pursue their goals and dreams. 

Wishing you a safe and peaceful Thanksgiving break, shared in the company of those you care about. Thank you for a great start and looking forward to an even stronger middle of the 2019-2020 school year!

With warm regard,

Ms. Kristine Morris

Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year and to Union Elementary School District #62. Thank you for making Union ESD your partner in the education of your child.

This year is the first year of our 2020-2025 Strategic Plan and we couldn’t be more optimistic about the plan and the caring employees we have hired to ensure all Union’s children are inspired with hope and empowered to courageously pursue their goals and dreams.

Over the next five years, we will be working with you, our community stakeholders to ensure that we achieve the following goals.

1. Student Academic Success: All students will demonstrate academic growth and achievement.
2. Student Well-Being: All students are provided a comprehensive education and school climate that supports their learning and social-emotional growth.
3. High Quality Caring Staff: We support, develop, retain and recruit highly effective teachers, leaders, and support staff that commit to meeting the needs of all our learners.
4. Stewardship of Resources: We secure and effectively manage resources to meet the needs of 21^st century learners and employees.

We will know we have been successful when:

• Our students are achieving at or above the state on Arizona’s statewide assessment
• Our schools are highly performing in the top 5 percent in Tolleson High School District boundaries
• Our students successfully transition to high school
• Our staff and student retention rate is 90% or higher
• All students can identify a caring adult in school who can help them succeed
• We have eliminated the achievement gap between all student subgroups

We have identified strategies to help us achieve these goals and each school and department will put into place an annual plan for how they will implement those strategies. School and district-wide teams will review our progress regularly so that we can adjust to better improve results for our students. 

How can you help?

First, help your child  get to school on-time, each and every day.  Attendance matters and habits are formed as early as Kindergarten.  We only have 180 days of to help them learn their grade level standards, so each day really matters.  Please schedule vacations during break, appointments during early releases, and help your child understand the importance of attendance. Secondly, keep in touch with your child's teacher. Ask how your child is progressing and how you can help.  Third, engage in your school events, attend parent-teacher conferences, literacy & math nights. Most importantly, continue being an active partner in your child’s learning and helping your child create goals for their future self.  Talk with your child about what they want for their future. Discuss what they want for their family, hobbies, community service, and career. The conversations and habits you set now will last a lifetime and set a vision of their future that will inspire them for years to come.

I encourage you to review our plan, engage in the activities at your school, department, or at the district-wide level. Thank you for choosing Union Elementary School District as your educational partner and for helping us make Union Elementary School District, Arizona’s best district to live, learn and work.   

Warm regards,
Ms. Kristine K. Morris

Superintendent 
Union Elementary School District 
kmorris@uesd.org

The Union Elementary School District community is a great place to live, learn and work. In our most recent 2018-2019 parent satisfaction survey, 85% of our parents rated the Union ESD as above average, with a letter grade of A or B. Over 90% of parents felt their own school was an A or B and over 90% of parents agreed that Union ESD creates safe and healthy environments for their children. Thank you families for the privilege of working with your children.

We are proud of our schools and pleased to share with you this video highlighting Union Elementary School District.

If you have made Union to be your district of choice, thank you!  If you are considering Union for your child’s education, we are accepting enrollments now, please visit the enrollment section of our website, or your neighborhood school to register.

If you are talented, caring, and dedicated adult, who wants to work in a great district with amazing students, families, and ongoing support, visit our employment website.  Take a few minutes to see what Union is all about, and apply today!

Planning for next year already? The 2019-2020 calendar can be found on our website for your information.  We hope you will plan summer break/vacations to ensure that your child is ready for the first day of school, August 05, 2019.  Meet the teacher night will be on Thursday August 1, 2019.

Thank you for helping Union ESD Inspire Hope and Empower All Children to Courageously Pursue their Goals and Dreams.

Fondly, 

Kristine Morris