Education Echoes

 It is during these challenging times that we realize more than ever just how much our County educators do for our children. These exceptional teachers are there for our communities in so many ways. Residents of our county have come to realize

how these educators convert into members of our family unit and are so significant in the lives of our children and homes. This year we had twenty-one 2020 Santa Cruz County Teacher of the Year nominees selected by their educational peers from

their schools. Left to the task of electing amongst these incredible nominees, were five judges from across our County.

In early June the Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office held a virtual Zoom interview process with each of the twenty-one nominees. Also present at this interview were two representatives from the SCC School Superintendents Office

and our five judges. After a long day of inspirational and heartening interviews with the twenty-one nominees, our judges chose Mrs. Michelle Sebert from Elgin

School as 2020 Santa Cruz County Teacher of the Year and Mr. Nate Porter from Patagonia Union High School as Runner-up.

The virtual Teacher of the Year Awards Ceremony was held on Friday, October 30, 2020. All Nominees, Principals, Superintendent, Judges, and some members of the community were present during the event. Once the announcement of the

winner and runner-up was made, all nominees were invited to drive up to the Santa Cruz County Complex parking lot (which was set up in a festive Super Hero motif) and pick up their prize platters. These platters consisted of trophies, cash, Chrome

Book, BBQ Grill and certificates of over $3800.00 for the winner and cash, Chrome Book, BBQ, and certificates of over $1800.00 for the runner-up. The nominees all received platters as well with trophies, cash, prizes, and certificates of over

475.00 each. The SCC School Superintendent’s Office and the Nogales Rotary Club would like to congratulate each of the twenty-one nominees and the two winners. We would also like to thank our judges, Home Depot, and Walmart for their dedication to our community. We leave you with this quote from an unknown author: A teacher is like a candle…it consumes itself to light the way for others. 

Dear County Residents,

It is an honor for the Santa Cruz County School Superintendent Mr. Alfredo I. Velasquez and the Nogales Rotary Club President Mr. Gene Waken, to introduce the 2020 Santa Cruz County Teacher of the Year nominees.

Now more than ever, we are grateful for the dedicated educators we have here within our community. It has been said, that Education is the passport to our future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who plan for it today. The tireless nominees for this years’ Teacher of the Year Award here in Santa Cruz County exemplify the meaning of a true hero. 

Their peers at their respective schools have selected the nominees. All nominees will be interviewed by a panel of five judges, which come from different areas of the county. These judges will have the responsibility of selecting the 2020 Santa Cruz County Teacher of the Year. 

Congratulations to all the nominees and thank you for your commitment and dedication to educating 

the children of Santa Cruz County.

Sincerely,

Alfredo I. Velásquez

Santa Cruz County School Superintendent 

 Isabella “Isa” Martinez graduated this May from Rio Rico High School, located in Santa Cruz County, just 14 miles from Nogales and the US/Mexico Border. Martinez has spent the last 12 years progressing, both academically and personally, as a member of the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona.

Girl Scouts is a one-of-a-kind, leadership development non-profit organization with services and programs open to all girls in kindergarten through 12th grade.  

Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona is one of 112 councils across the nation and is a member of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA). Internationally, The World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts has World Centers located in Mexico, Switzerland, India, Africa, and the United Kingdom. The Girl Scouts organization in Mexico, Guías de México (Guides of Mexico), is familiar to Martinez’s mother.

“I was a Girl Scout when I was growing up in Mexico,” said Mrs. Isabel Martinez. “I understood the advantages of being a Girl Scout, so I welcomed and encouraged Isa’s interest in joining the Girl Scouts when she was very young,” said Mrs. Martinez. 

According to Mrs. Martinez, she felt that her own personal experiences in Girl Scouts helped her grow as a person and not be self-centered. “Girl Scouts helped me learn to think about others, not just about myself,” said Mrs. Martinez. “They taught me about being socially responsible and making a difference by becoming involved in my community.” 

The younger Martinez, Isa, feels the same way as her mother about the benefits of being a Girl Scout. “My mom signed me up as a Daisy when I was six-years-old,” said Martinez. “I remember being so excited because my cousin was a Girl Scout, and I saw how much fun she had, so I wanted to be one, too. As Daisies, we had fun doing lots of art projects, activities, movie nights, and community service projects, but the best thing I remember was making new friends.” 

Everything a Girl Scout does centers around four areas that form the foundation of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), the Outdoors, development of Life Skills, and Entrepreneurship. Each area is designed to meet the girl where she is now and to grow along with her as she progresses in the six levels of Girl Scouting, from kindergarten through her senior year of high school. 

As a Brownie (2nd-3rd grade), Isa Martinez has great memories about selling Girl Scout Cookies. “Some of my best memories are from when I sold Girl Scout cookies,” said Martinez. “It was cool because people were so nice to us and some people even donated money to help Girl Scouts. I learned a lot and met so many people during those times. It all helped build my confidence, too. I was so shy back then. The best thing is that the friends that I met are still friends with me today.” 

As a Junior-level Girl Scout (4th- 5th grade), Isa Martinez said they became involved with self-care and learning more about themselves and the needs of their community. 

“We did a lot to help people, like hosting food drives, and giving blankets and things, to the homeless when it was cold,” said Isa. “We also helped people who could not afford to buy the things they needed for their families. It seems like each year that I got more involved in Girl Scouting and my community, my confidence grew.”  

Isa said that going to camp each year on Mount Lemmon (Camp Whispering Pines) with other Cadette (6th, 7th, and 8th grade) troops was also a great adventure. “We learned how to use a compass, tie ropes, and make a campfire,” said Martinez. “The best part about the camping trips was that we were isolated—away from the world, so we had to focus on each other. We talked to different people we met there, made more new friends, and just had a great time.”

During the 12 years of being a Girl Scout, Martinez said she worked hard toward earning her badges and fun patches. They all represent new adventures and experiences.  

“I feel a real sense of accomplishment when I look at my vests with all those patches,” she said. “I have so many memories and look back on all that I learned and experienced by trying new things. I got into STEM. I learned how to make comic books. I even went to science fairs and traveled to places like the Ice Capdes in Phoenix. These are all things that I may not have had the opportunity to do had it not been for being a Girl Scout,” said Martinez. 

According to Martinez, some of the Girl Scout activities included experiences with the family, too. “I remember the ‘Daddy and Me’ program, where we had a dinner and my father danced with me,” said Martinez. “At the ‘Mommy and Me’ program we were able to have makeovers with our moms and had a tea party. They even had ‘Grandma and Me’ and ‘Grandpa and Me’ programs.”

Girl Scouts takes the potential in girls, combines it with robust skill-building programming, and adds caring adult mentors and strong female role models. Mrs. Martinez became one of those role models when she saw an opportunity to volunteer with Girl Scouts, first as an involved parent, then as a co-leader, and finally as a leader, starting with her daughter’s Cadette troop.

“It’s really great to get involved as a volunteer because it helps your daughters, and helps people in need at the same time,” said Mrs. Martinez. Her daughter added that her mom being her troop leader helped her and her sister, Regina—now a senior level Girl Scout—grow closer, enabling them all to do things together while having fun. “It made the bond between my mom and I grow closer and even stronger,” said Martinez.

According to Jeaneth Sanchez, Community Development Specialist with Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona, she has worked with both Mrs. Martinez and her daughter, Isa, and she says they are both great examples for the other troop members. “Mrs. Martinez has always been a great Troop Leader and does the best for her own daughters and their Girl Scout sisters. Other troop mothers and Girl Scouts look up to both of them as role models for what they can do, too,” said Sanchez.

The Girl Scouts’ mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. 

“Girl Scouts helped me find out who I was and to be more confident as a person,” said Martinez.     

“My best experience happened last year when we went to the G.I.R.L Conference in Tucson.”

G.I.R.L. stands for Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, and Leader.™ The Girl Scout Leadership Experience encourages girls to discover and unleash their G.I.R.L. power. The annual G.I.R.L. Conference for middle and high school girls delivers a day of skill building, self-reflection, leadership development and inspiration. Workshops include such topics as learning how to prep to backpack in desert conditions, practicing self-defense techniques, as well as honest conversations around mental health, self-esteem, and body image. Each workshop encourages girls to leave their comfort zones behind and develop new skills across a broad range of topics, including entrepreneurship, STEM, life skills, the outdoors, and healthy living.

“They had different sessions for us to pick and choose from, such as art and debate sessions, but the one I really loved the most was about self-image,” said Martinez. “I’ve struggled with loving my body and loving myself, and that session really helped me to love myself just the way I am.” 

What’s next for the graduating high school senior? 

“I’ve always been interested in medicine, and I followed a sports medicine track in high school. I’ll start my undergraduate studies at Pima Community College in the fall,” said Martinez. “Then after getting my two-year degree, I’ll be transferring to Northern Arizona University (NAU) to work toward a nursing degree.” 

Martinez says she also plans to work part-time as a caregiver to get more practice while being a student. Long-term, she said she sees herself working at a hospital, specializing in labor and delivery.

As far as Girl Scouts goes, Martinez says as an Ambassador-level Girl Scout, she will be bridging into an adult lifetime membership. Bridging is a beloved Girl Scout tradition that honors girls’ achievements throughout the year and celebrates their “crossing the bridge” to the next Girl Scout level. It is a defining moment when a girl becomes aware of her achievements and is ready for new adventures and responsibilities. 

“When I bridged in the past and got my pin for that level of Girl Scouts, I moved onto the next level of fun and adventure. Every time I received that pin, I felt I really accomplished something.” 

Martinez says she has one final message to younger girls who are considering Girl Scouting. 

“I highly recommend and encourage you to participate in Girl Scouts because you learn so much more about yourself, said Martinez. “You meet new people whom later become like your family—sisters really—and you learn to love yourself, and care for other people, too.

“I’m also planning to become a troop leader when I’m older. It’s just a wonderful experience.”

Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout.

By Beverly Gomez Arriag

On Monday, March 2nd, Santa Cruz County celebrated the second Technolochicas Lift South 32 Santa Cruz County Conference at the Santa Cruz Center in Nogales.  Approximately 200 students, teachers, school governing board members and dignitaries interacted with a panel of Technolochicas moderated by Sonia Sanchez from the Circles of Peace.  The Technolochicas, six Latinas from different areas of the world and prominent in STEM related fields: (Adrea Chaves Acelia Castaneda, Claudia Varela, and Eliana Calderon) shared their experiences studying and achieving a career in STEM related fields as Latina Women.  Along with the hour-long panel discussion, the Technolochicas facilitated two, one-hour long workshops to the middle school girls.   

During the conference, Pat Risner, President for the Hermosa Project at South32, spoke about the employment opportunities for young women in the mining industry.  South 32 is a global metals and mining company that spans the globe including the Hermosa Project in Patagonia.  Alfredo I. Velásquez, Santa Cruz County School Superintendent, also spoke and thanked everyone for their hard work and encouraged the young women to follow their dreams.    

In collaboration with the Televisa Foundation and the Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office, South 32 is sponsoring the TECHNOLOchicas LiFT program in seven of Santa Cruz County middle schools: Desert Shadows Middle School, Wade Carpenter Middle School, Calabasas School, Coatimundi Middle School, Lourdes Catholic School, Patagonia Elementary, and Santa Cruz Elementary.   

TECHNOLOchicas LiFT was developed by the Televisa Foundation to increase the number of girls in Hispanic communities pursuing technology-related studies by the time they reach high school. A curriculum designed to empower, excite, encourage, and engage girls in computer programming, coding, and robotics is being implemented by site facilitators and assistants on each campus for 2-3 hours a week.   The program was facilitated by Chris Young from the Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office.   

The Santa Cruz County Superintendent’s Office hosted the 2020 Spelling Bee. The event was held on Friday, February 7, 2020. The event coordinators were Marisol Chiquete-Bolaina, and Adrian Chamberlain. It was held at the Santa Cruz County Complex. The entrance of the courtroom had a large decorative bouquet of yellow and black balloons with styrofoam bees. The inside of the courtroom was beautifully decorated with big colorful paper flowers and paper bees. The Spelling Bee began with a pledge of allegiance followed with a warm welcome by the Santa Cruz County Superintendent  Alfredo I. Velasquez. The event was well attended by students, parents, teachers, and judges who enjoyed a fun filled day of suspense, and surprises. Larry Frederick from Lincoln Elementary School was the pronouncer of the Spelling Bee. This year the Spelling Bee judges included State Representative Rosanna Gabaldon, Santa Cruz County Attorney George Silva, Treasurer Elizabeth Gutfahr, and Jovanna Lopez a State Farm Insurance Agent. Special thanks to the Rio Rico Rotary Club for their support on registering the contestants the day of the event. The Spelling Bee had approximately 26 students participate in the Spelling Bee.  This year’s 2020 Santa Cruz County Spelling Bee Champion was, 6th grader Daniel Woodburn from Fco. Vasquez de Coronado Elementary School.  The runner-up was 8th grader Liam Morgan from Elgin Middle School.

Thank you Santa Cruz County, for celebrating National Gear Up Week!
Mr. Alfredo I. Velásquez and the Santa Cruz County School Superintendent’s Office would like to thank all who participated in the festivities during National Gear Up Week~ September 23-27, 2019. 8th grade Gear Up students engaged in college and career readiness activities, and pledged to “Believe in the Power of YET” and incorporate a Growth Mindset into their post-secondary plan. 

Gear Up, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Under-graduate Programs, is a federally funded grant program in place since 1999. The Superintendent’s Office was awarded the grant in October of 2018, and will continue supporting students until 2025. 

The Santa Cruz County C-CREO Gear Up Program provides services centered around career exploration, academic preparation, building perseverance, and developing a post-secondary plan on all middle school campuses through the work of success coaches. A college and career Liaison at the C-CREO Hub and Arts Coordinator at the Imagination Center, both located in the Santa Cruz Center, are available to work with the community in conjunction with Gear Up and the Santa Cruz County Arts for Learning Initiative in partnership with Young Audiences. 

For more information about the C-CREO Gear Up Program, please contact Program Director Maya Donnelly at mdonelly@santacruzcountyaz.gov

Thank you to our Partners

Educational Communities

NUSD #1: Wade Carpenter Middle School, 

Desert Shadows Middle School

SCVUSD #35: Calabasas School, Coatimundi Middle School

Patagonia Elementary School

Elgin School

Little Red School

Mexicayotl Charter School

Lourdes Catholic School

Sacred Heart of Jesus School

Partners

Santa Cruz Center       Dandy’s Creative Graphics                 Lead Local

Bordergráfico               Vib’n Certified                                      Borderlands Film Festival