25 SEPTEMBER 2023 By Amy Carney Arcadia students are back in the classroom and our area parent teacher organizations are already active. Read on to see what our area schools have coming up for the 2023-24 school year! ARCADIA HIGH arcadiapto.org According to President Nicki Ess, Arcadia High’s PTO is ready for a successful school year and ensuring that families feel informed and connected. With that in mind, the PTO Board chose the theme “All In” to encourage families to be invested, informed, and involved. Families can participate in numerous ways, including opportunities to volunteer at lunch or help on one of the committees. The staff appreciation group is planning nine events to celebrate Arcadia’s teachers and staff during appreciation week. This year’s PTO plans to spend fundraising money on campus beautification projects, supplies for staff, upgrades to campus, and more. BILTMORE PREP biltmorepreppto.org Biltmore Prep’s PTO is planning its annual Biltmore Prep Carnival on November 3. According to Co-Vice President Liz Dunfee, a big draw for the fall event is the dunk tank, where teachers volunteer to get dunked. The group is also excited to expand its fall soccer league to include fourth and fifth graders. Volunteer coaches help students learn and improve their soccer and teamwork skills. Teams practice one night a week and have games on Fridays. Biltmore Prep is also seeking community sponsors to help plan school events. ECHO CANYON echocanyonpto.com Echo Canyon PTO President Jessica Scordo is excited to add several new board members to her team this year. On September 22, the PTO will host its first fundraising event, The Color Run, where students will walk, jog, or run laps while staff members spray chalk dust on them. There will be music and fun for all. The PTO is also planning a Family Dance, an annual Read-A-Thon, and monthly Dining for Dollars fundraisers at local restaurants. Money raised throughout the year will support Echo Canyon’s Teacher Classroom Supply Reimbursement fund, campus gardens, Exploration Fridays, and the artistic murals along the wall facing Camelback Road. HOPI ELEMENTARY hopipta.com The Hopi Parent Teacher Association’s theme is “Hopi – You Belong Here.” According to President Amanda Merritt, the organization’s goal is for everyone to feel they truly have a place at Hopi. The PTA will host First Friday morning meetups for students and their guardians to mingle and make new friends while enjoying complimentary breakfast before school. They also look forward to hosting traditional fall events, like the Hopi Hullabaloo on October 21 and the Veteran’s Day Assembly in November. INGLESIDE MIDDLE inglesidepto.com Ingleside has a full schedule of events ahead, including a Curriculum Night Cookout, 5K Glow Run, Fine Arts Fair, school dances, and their Fall Fundraiser: The Trojan Tee Off. The Ingleside Dad’s Club will host basketball and pickleball tournaments. PTO President Melanie Layman stated, “We are providing many opportunities for people to connect to Ingleside so we can continue supporting our incredible teachers and work on campus improvements.” ST. THERESA CATHOLIC stcs.us St. Theresa’s PTO president, Jackie Posta, and Vice President, Tish Stephens, are planning events and fundraisers to support the school. The PTO will host their annual Adult Game Night, Trunk or Treat, and school auction in the fall. The group also plans monthly teacher lunches, community parties, and traditional events such as the Father- Daughter Dance, Mother-Son event, school play, and Grandparents Day. In addition, they will also do Fun Friday monthly events for students and a Spring Carnival. “We are a very social school and love events where we can come together as a community,” Posta said. ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE staphxschool.org/pto The St. Thomas Apostle PTO is headed by Co-Presidents Catherine Western and Marissa Medley. The group looks forward to another successful community fundraising event on November 11 with the Saint Thomas the Apostle Carnival. The money raised will go toward a new school building. The STA Carnival has provided “old- fashioned family fun” for over 50 years and is open to the public. TAVAN ELEMENTARY tavanpto.com Tavan’s PTO President Cheri Pierce and her team of dedicated parents welcome the community to attend their Halloween HiJinx event on October 28, providing students and neighbors a safe place to trick or treat and enjoy spooky fun. The Tavan Twinkle fundraiser in December will give young entrepreneurs, local businesses, and families a chance to come together to sell homemade items during the holiday season. Tavan PTO has many volunteer opportunities and will team up with Ingleside and Arcadia High’s National Honor Societies to fulfill requirements for student community service hours. VERITAS PREP veritasprep.greatheartsamerica.org Co-Presidents Jessica Bushard and Catherine Mason are excited to partner with their parent board and volunteers this year. Some of the Veritas Prep PTO’s upcoming events include the annual dodgeball tournament on September 16, the middle school dance in October, and Spirit Week starts on September 26 with dress-up days, a pep rally for the Homecoming football game, and the Homecoming Social for high school students. The PTO is happy to bring back their Veritas 5K Victory Run on November 18. In addition to these events, they planned monthly dine-outs, organized spirit wear, and partnered with parent volunteers to support their school’s faculty and staff. These PTOs are planning a school year full of fun

26 SEPTEMBER 2023 By Mallory Gleich Over the summer, Tavan Elementary finished some significant updates to the campus, culminating in a ribbon-cutting event a few days before students returned to campus for the 2023-24 school year. Principal Julie Ballard explained that the most important reason for the redesign was to connect the two Tavan campuses. The building on the south side of Osborn was home to Pre-K students, and now they are part of the main campus on the north side of Osborn. A new administration building was built and the old building was repurposed to house Pre-K classes. “Tavan’s campus runs north to south, and reorganizing classrooms in clusters became a top priority for us so that teachers can move their students more efficiently during the day,” Ballard said. The construction process, overseen by Core Construction, started at the end of the school year and finished in late July. One of the more significant issues was parking – the pick-up and drop-off line that spills onto Osborn was blocking neighbors and causing frustration. To relieve this issue, a structure from Tavan’s original build (in 1954!) was demolished to make more room for parking and pick-ups/drop-offs. “This parking lot change will hopefully relieve that pressure,” Ballard said. Front office staff started the school year with a brand-new building, and more classrooms will be added for Tavan’s gifted program. The gym was also given an expansion with a new outdoor metal structure. Tavan still needs a full gym, but the staff hopes the new design will increase the use of the P.E. department. “Just being able to have an outdoor space we can use all the time is great and will help us be more diverse in our programs,” P.E. Coach Ellen Young said. “We now have the opportunity to split classes, have smaller groups and introduce new programs like hockey, pickle ball and volleyball.” The library was also redesigned. Renovations included more stalls in the teacher’s lounge, a new playground area for kindergarten students, and new classrooms for the art department. The Tavan project is one of the final major projects paid for by bonds that voters approved in November 2016. The bond program has financed the complete rebuild of six elementary schools and has helped the other 23 campuses in one way or another, according to SUSD Communications Manager Nancy Norman. “It is very exciting for our students and staff to return to a construction-free zone and revamped campus after a break. This a special moment that we have been dreaming of,” Ballard said. At the ribbon cutting, parents, staff and teachers gathered to usher in a new school year. SUSD Superintendent Dr. Scott Menzel and Principal Ballard gave speeches, and the ribbon was cut. Parents were welcome to explore the campus and meet the teachers. And as for the students, excitement was expressed for all of the improvements, but especially the new P.E. space. Third grader Charlie P. said: “I hope there’s enough room to play wiffle ball!” A new look for the new year at Tavan The kindergarten playground area includes a brand-new jungle gym. Principal Julie Ballard and Susie Figueroa in front of the new admin building. PHOTOS: CARRIE DIEKMANN