001Hello, my name is Dr. Jeffrey Smith Superintendent of the Balsz School District and these are my comments for this month Preliminary AzMERIT results have been released to schools through the AZ merit online reporting system. Preliminary results include all students which means students who enrolled the day testing began to students who were with us during a full academic year. Data representing our full academic year students these are students who have been with us during the first ten years first 10 days of school and remain through the testing window will be available in August. In regards to letter grades the State Board of Education will meet in October to set cut scores. The kindergarten through eighth grade scores are expected to remain the same. Letter grades will be released in November. Final letter grades will be issued
002in December or January of 2020. I'm pleased that preliminary results indicate that English language arts that in those grade levels in that subject four out of six grade levels demonstrated growth in the percentage of students who are proficient one grade level remained at the same proficiency and one grade level had a decreased. In mathematics out of sixth grade levels three grade levels demonstrated growth in the percentage of students who are proficient and three grade levels had a decrease. Each of our schools has areas to celebrate. It's noteworthy that each grade level at Brunson-Lee demonstrated growth in both English language arts and mathematics. The Arizona Department of Education has confirmed that preliminary although preliminary results are not embargoed release of students scores must go through a public records request process. Congratulations to all of our hard-working
003teachers and students for their dedication to teaching and learning in our Balsz schools. I'm pleased to announce that Brunson-Lee Elementary School through, the efforts of kindergarten teacher miss Tiffany Crawford, was awarded the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and Body by Jake Steinfeld Get Fit Don't Quit grant. The grant will provide $100,000 worth of fitness equipment that will be installed and incorporated into the physical education program at Bunson-Lee Elementary School. We look forward to celebrating this a wonderful accomplishment after these installation has of the equipment has occurred. I would like to recognize a wonderful philanthropist and supporter to our district Miss Denise Higgins. She's made a generous donation to three of our elementary schools. This funding will help support Arizona Science Center activities next semester. Miss Higgins, a founding member of the Balsz Community Education
004Foundation, and was also instrumental in bringing Educare to Arizona and the Balsz School District. So thank you to MissHiggins and the Ibis Goundation for their generous support. The Mennonite Central Committee informed us that they are relocating the Phoenix Restorative Justice Center. The committee thanked us for our support by providing space at the Balsz Community Education Center. They will be moving the office to collaborative space in downtown Phoenix. Thank you to the Mennonite Council and the Restorative Justice Center for supporting Balsz schools. Several years ago we met with the City of Phoenix and amp two to discuss the benefits to young students by participating in the young manufacturers Academy this is an effort to give students another window of opportunity into choosing a good career pathway in which to engage through high school and even beyond
005financial stability through higher wage earning skills to pursuing after-school careers should be a high objective we're now in our second year of presenting the young Manufacturers Academy to both students and we are experiencing many improvements based upon our first pilot year which is exciting this year's young manufacturers Academy kicked off on Tuesday May 27th for a week of fun and interesting activities for our students I was proud to attend the completion closing ceremony at Phoenix Metro Tech it was really inspiring to see the hands-on projects each of these students enrolled in the program and to visit with the industry object in representatives and parents and partners in this project a very special thank you to board member Gail Knight for helping to make this a possibility for our students we had a very nice promotion
006ceremony at Camelback high school on Wednesday May 22nd for our our promoting 8th graders from Tilghman middle school board member Janelle Poe provided in spre inspirational talk to the students and wish the students the very best and we had also like to wish our promoting 8th graders very best in their future in high school and beyond one of our refugee students will be attendance for the mayor gay goes State of the City address on June 13th the student was chosen to say the Pledge of Allegiance and is a male student from Zimbabwe thank you to miss gale Knight for bringing this special opportunity to one of our students and to the City of Phoenix and some sad news you may know or heard of John Whiteman who was a wonderful philanthropist he's uh he has
007been a key supporter of both schools we learned recently that he passed away and we are very saddened by the loss John Whiteman was a founding member of the bolts community Education Foundation and was instrumental in bringing Educare to Arizona and the Balt School District our thoughts and prayers go out to the Whiteman family and we we we hold his thoughts in his memory very dear in our hearts that concludes my comments for this month everyone have a great day