McDowell Mountain Elementary school principal Valerie Dehombreux is looking forward to another A+ school year after being named an Arizona Educational Foundation A+ School of Excellence.

MMES started the A+ application process in October of 2017, which required participation from all branches of the school – such as staff, parent and community committees – to complete the process by the January 2019 deadline.

The end result was a 40-page document totaling 15,608 words along with visual data that earned MMES a site visit from the organization and eventually earned the A+ ranking.

No event last year sticks out to Principal Dehombreux as much as receiving that ranking.

“The A+ School of Excellence award was the most significant accomplishment of the 2018-2019 school year,” Dehombreux said. “But it is based on years of our excellent staff and comprehensive programs dedicated to MMES’s mission.”

Some of those A+ programs, according to Dehombreux, include developmental and community preschool, free full-day or half-day kindergarten, multiple opportunities for student support and enrichment, the daily special area classes of art and music, P.E., STEM classes with outstanding technology, Character Counts assemblies, student leadership/service opportunities and a very active Fountain Hills Parent-Teacher Organization (FHPTO); volunteer program; and many community partnerships.

Looking forward to the 2019-20 school year MMES will be continuing the implementation of new curriculum.

“This will be our second year implementing the English Language Arts curriculum,” Dehombreux explained. “It’s a comprehensive program with both print and digital materials that focus on all areas of English Language Arts [including] reading and writing foundations including phonics; reading comprehension in literary and informational text; writing foundations including spelling; writing; and listening/speaking.”

MMES will also be in the fourth year of implementing a math program that has worked out well for the school.

“Our program’s success was evident once again in our 2018-19 third grade AZMERIT results,” Dehombreux said. “Allof our third graders met the AZMERIT assessment criteria for the state statute ‘Move On When Reading’ for promotion to fourth grade.”

Dehombreux said the school will continue to provide before-school support and enrichment through the FHPTO-funded Morning Lab and clubs like robotics, art, chess, and Spanish.

Two new clubs are being added this year; the Running Club and Rhythmic Fitness, using exercise balls and drumsticks.

While MMES has hired some new teachers, some of them won’t exactly be new faces around the school.

“Some of our returning teachers have changed grade levels and we are welcoming three new teachers: Ashley Finn in first grade and Samantha Elder and Kaitlin Good in third grade,” Dehombreux said. “Mrs. Finn is from Connecticut where she has been teaching elementary school for six years. Ms. Elder is not really new to MMES, as she has been volunteering here since she was a FHHS student, completed her student teaching here in fall 2018, and finished out the 2018-2019 school year long-term subbing in third grade.

“Mrs. Good is a Fountain Hills community member who has been teaching at an elementary school in Mesa for the past five years.”

MMES opens its doors along with the rest of FHUSD for the first day of school on Tuesday, Aug. 6.

On Friday, Aug. 2, the school will have a Meet Your Teacher event from 9 to 11 a.m.