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May 2023 Superintendent Message:

Dear Tolleson Union High School District Community,

This month culminates the end of the journey for most of our seniors. We have been guiding them throughout their academic path here at our TUHSD schools, and we have strived to do right by them. We are filled with pride to see so many of our seniors getting ready to walk across that stage at State Farm Stadium. Just like last year, this year we have split the graduations to make it a two-day affair. Depending on your school, your graduation ceremonies will either be on Tuesday, May 23 or Wednesday, May 24. See the convenient graphic below for more information on the times for the graduations.

Graduations will be on Tuesday, May 23 and Wednesday, May 24, 2023, at State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals (1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale, Arizona, 85305).

The schedule is as follows:

Date	School	Time
May 23, 2023	Sierra Linda High School	2:00 p.m. (early release at 10:30 a.m.)
May 23, 2023	La Joya Community High School	4:30 p.m.
May 23, 2023	West Point High School	7:00 p.m.
May 24, 2023	Westview High School	2:00 p.m.
May 24, 2023	Copper Canyon High School	4:30 p.m.
May 24, 2023	Tolleson and University High School	7:00 p.m.

I am so excited to see what the future holds for our new graduates. Will they become doctors, lawyers, scientists, or accountants, or will they enter the military? Will they enter a trade program and become top-notch mechanics, chef’s, or restaurant owners? The future is bright for our students, and it has been a true pleasure to be on this journey with them over the last four years.

For me, this year’s graduations are bittersweet. That’s because last month, I announced my retirement, effective at the end of June. That means that these will be my last graduation ceremonies as superintendent of the Tolleson Union High School District. I have such great memories of my last seven years here at Tolleson. It has truly been a blessing to lead this district. We have accomplished so much together. I will miss all of you and especially the Tolleson Union High School District community at-large. You have been great to me; you accepted me right from the beginning. I know that our future students will make us all proud as well. I will keep my eye on TUHSD even after retirement. You have made so much of an impact on my life. Now, on to this month’s celebrations and good news!

Last month, West Point Principal, Brandi Haskins, attended the Avondale city council meeting as one of her students, Marcos Ruiz, honored as part of the Exceptional Students of Avondale recognition. The nomination included the following description: “As an executive officer in our leadership government, Marcos is consistent with his guidance and insight. Moreover, as a student-athlete, Marcos is diligent in maintaining his GPA and physical eligibility.” Congratulations, Marcos!

The district has three teachers selected as recipients of the “We Appreciate Teachers” contest. The recipients are La Joya Community High School English teacher, Natalie Cardenas; Westview English teacher, Clarice Miller; and Alana Wolfer, a math teacher from University High School. These district teachers were three of just 15 teachers that were selected from the state of Arizona. “We Appreciate Teachers” is a contest designed to shine a spotlight on all teachers and the incredible work they do. Congratulations!

Congratulations to Copper Canyon's FBLA Media chapter for earning a Gold Chapter Award from the Arizona Future Business Leaders of America organization at the CTSO's State Conference in Tucson on April 4. Aztec Media was the only TUHSD chapter, and one of only ten high schools statewide, to achieve gold-level status for the 2022–2023 school year. Copper Canyon FBLA Media was a bronze chapter last year at their first state conference as an FBLA chapter. The student officers made it a goal this year to go for the gold at the start of the year. Great job!

Ms. Katherine Phillips, who teaches English at Copper Canyon High School, got quite a surprise from Sun-Tec Concrete last Thursday. She was nominated by a student at Copper to receive school supplies for her classroom. Sun-Tec provided approximately $2,000 in class supplies. Needless to say, Ms. Phillips was very appreciative of the donation to her class and the recognition is well-deserved.

We are proud to announce that TUHSD has a total of 350 students that were accepted to West-MEC for the 2023–2024 school year. Copper Canyon has 68, La Joya has 60, Sierra Linda has 35, Tolleson Union has 45, University High School has 28, West Point has 70, and Lighthouse Academy has one. Congratulations to all of these students.

Important dates to note for the month of May:

• Graduations: Tuesday, May 23 and Wednesday, May 24 at State Farm Stadium

Please remember to check our district website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed for the latest TUHSD information.

Sincerely,

Nora Gutierrez

Nora Gutierrez
Superintendent

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