March Governing Board Meeting March 23 in SaddleBrooke
The governing board of the Oracle Elementary School District will hold the March regular meeting in SaddleBrooke. The meeting will be held at SaddleBrooke TWO MountainView Clubhouse in the West Ballroom at 5 p.m. on Monday, March 23.
The governing board and superintendent will discuss regular business as well as provide the community with a detailed update on the capital bond projects approved by voters in November 2019.
All community members are welcome and encouraged to attend! @
Mountain Vista K-8 School in Oracle Had a Great February!
Crystle Nehrmeyer, Superintendent
Just north of SaddleBrooke, down Highway 77 and tucked away in the beautiful Oracle landscape, is a growing and innovative school for students in preschool through eighth grade. Mountain Vista PreK-8 School is not only home to over 400 hard-working students and over 70 devoted employees, but it is yours, too.
Mountain Vista PreK-8 School serves children living throughout Pinal County and the area surrounding SaddleBrooke. The school benefits greatly by support from SaddleBrooke including volunteers, tax credit donations, school supply donations during our annual Stuff the Bus event each August, and through incredible support from organizations including SaddleBrooke Community Outreach, SaddleBrooke Rotary, Sunshine Rotary, and SaddleBrooke CycleMasters, to name a few.
Mountain Vista PreK-8 School wants the community to know that their students are focused on doing their personal best each day. While keeping their three goal attitudes in mind, students strive to be respectful, responsible, and honest in all they do.
Teachers work hard to provide the most engaging lessons and curriculum for students. They provide students with access to educational technology that will help them think critically and develop strong cyber citizenship skills. Students are exposed to a variety of programs intentionally designed to help each of them find their individual niche and unique talents. These programs include art, music, PE, gifted and talented education, as well as special education for students in need of academic, physical, and emotional support.
Although February is a short month, students and staff maximized each moment! First grade students traveled to the University of Arizona to learn about science at the Flandreau Planetarium. Fourth grade students took their learning outside of the classroom and to the Arizona Trail as they participated in the Seeds of Stewardship Program. Eighth graders visited Canyon Del Oro High School in Tucson and registered for their freshman classes. Sixth grade kids visited the Renaissance Festival in Apache Junction to imagine what life might have looked like during the period they have been learning about in class.
Several teachers traveled to Phoenix for the Arizona Department of Education’s annual Gifted and Talented Education Conference. Every educator participated in online professional development training to help both strong and struggling students in the areas of reading and math.
The operations side of the school has been productive, too! Working diligently with architects and a project manager, the design phase is underway for the capital bond projects approved by our community in November 2019. They increased the daily rate of pay for substitute teachers from $86 per day to $100 per day and approved a calendar for the upcoming school year that will include additional opportunities for teacher professional growth and development.
Mountain Vista PreK-8 School might be small in size, but they are mighty in effort and vision. They invite the SaddleBrooke community to follow their school on Facebook for daily updates and announcements. They are proud to share their small town roots and global expectations not only with students and staff, but with the entire community. They look forward to sharing more news and progress with SaddleBrooke community members next month in the SaddleBrooke Progress!
Crystle Nehrmeyer is the Superintendent of the Oracle Elementary School District and also serves as the Principal of Mountain Vista PreK-8 School. She can be reached at [email protected].
SaddleBrooke Celebrates Scotland
Maria Menconi
On a cool and crisp Sunday afternoon in February (weather very reminiscent of the Scottish Highlands), about 30 SaddleBrooke residents and their guests gathered for a scotch tasting accompanied by Scottish nibbles. This event was a fixed price event that guests purchased at the Oracle Foundation Gala last October. The foundation supports the preschool at Mountain Vista Elementary in the Oracle School District and holds a gala each year to raise funds for this very important and inspiring cause.
Attendees said they loved the atmosphere, scotch, food, and opportunity to meet and share the fun with new neighbors. Repeatedly, guests asked that a similar event be slated for next year. Several guests stated that the Scottish belief that there is “no such thing as a bad single malt scotch” was indeed true. The tasting was held at the home of Allan Lyon and Maria Menconi, former president of the Oracle Schools Foundation. The Foundation is deeply grateful for the support of the OSF champions who attended this event and the fall galas held for the past five years.
Four magnificent scotches were tasted: Glenmorangie, Balvenie, Auchentoshan, and Peat Monster. The scotches covered the geography of Scotland from the Highlands to Speyside and the lowlands to the Isle of Islay. Scottish treats including scotch eggs, oatcakes, salmon, cream cheese and capers, Scottish beef, prosciutto and fig, and prosciutto and pear, along with delicious desserts like chocolate and toffee shortbread and flourless chocolate cake elevated the tasting to a celebration of food as well.
SaddleBrooke residents and Oracle Schools Foundation champions Larry Crum, Gary Spies, and Allan Lyon accompanied by Chris Dimit, Oro Valley Resident and Oracle Schools Foundation champion, were scotch aficionados-in-chief, as they poured and explained each scotch and the goodies that accompanied the tastings. The sampler was created by chefs extraordinaire, foundation Vice President Chris Crum and members Gayle Hosek Spies and Carol Dimit. The event adjourned with the gentlemen enjoying scotch and cigars on the patio as the ladies gathered inside to listen to Tucson harpist Lorna Govier, who played Celtic music throughout the event.
On October 25, 2020 the Oracle Schools Foundation will again hold their gala and more delightful community events such as this one will be available to purchase and enjoy. All are welcome to attend and become champions of the Oracle Schools Foundation. All funds raised at the event go towards supporting the Oracle School’s preschool. The events are donated by the residents and creators who put them together. Please plan to participate so that you have an opportunity to purchase and enjoy celebrations such as this one over the fall, winter, and spring months in our beautiful community.