To the FHUSD community,

On behalf of the entire Fountain Hills Unified School District, welcome to the 2018-19 school year! I am excited to welcome our returning and new families to the start of an exciting time. For those just joining the FHUSD community, I am the new superintendent of FHUSD, having been the assistant superintendent of business operations for the district for the past three years. I am looking forward to continuing to lead and support the school community with the initiatives put into place over the past few years and new directions we will pursue to ensure a high-quality education for all students.

There have been some exciting new changes to our administrative teams. James Carrick has moved from the FHHS assistant principal position to the principal position at Fountain Hills Middle School. He will be assisted by Samantha Kramer in the role of dean of students. David Graham is also a new addition as assistant principal at the Fountain Hills High School.

During the 2018-19 school year, we will be focused on several significant curricular programs aligned to the AZ College and Career Ready standards. The Beyond Textbooks curriculum planning, resources and assessment program continues at the high school and will also be introduced in the middle school this year. The middle school will also be trained in Thinking Maps to use as an instructional tool with their students.

Mrs. Valerie Dehombreux, principal of McDowell Mountain Elementary, is excited to roll out the new English Language Arts curriculum. Dr. Cain Jagodzinski, Principal of FHHS, is eager to continue the implementation of AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) and AP (Advanced Placement) Capstone. These programs complement existing instructional and curricular practices with a focus on high academic standards and critical thinking. The district’s partnership with EVIT (East Valley Institute of Technology) also continues into its second year. This association allows for FHUSD students to pursue CTE (Career and Technical Education) courses both at the high school and at the EVIT Fountain Hills campus.

I believe every member of our excellent FHUSD staff will do their utmost to contribute to the education of FHUSD students, whether they involve transporting students to and from school, interacting with them in the classroom, or providing clerical and administrative support. Each member of the FHUSD community plays an important role in the emotional, social and academic progress of each student and, as a district, we are very appreciative of the financial and community support from the town of Fountain Hills in this regard.

I am looking forward to a terrific school year as we achieve and celebrate educational excellence.