Wildcat Tales - PUSD Schools - Peoria Unified School District

March 2010 

Wildcat Tales 

A Frontier PTSO Publication 

Important Dates 

March 2—Spring Pictures— 

SMILE :) 

March 6—Spring Carnival, 

11:00 am—3:00 pm 

March 8—Site Council 

Meeting, 3:15 pm, Principal’s 

Office 

March 9 —PTSO Meeting, 3:15 

pm, Library 

March 15-19—Spring Break, No 

School 

March 22—School Resumes 

March 24—REPORT CARDS! 

Frontier Elementary 

21258 N. 81st Avenue 

Peoria, AZ 85382 

Davita Solter 

Principal 

Becky Berhow 

Assistant Principal 

Matt Owsley 

Assistant Principal 

Front Office: 412-4900 

Attendance: 412-4915 

Nurse’s Office: 412-4904 

Inside this issue: 

From the Desk of Ms. Solter 

March 2010 

Dear Frontier Community: 

As March approaches, I want to tell you how 

“lucky” I am to be associated with you. When St. 

Patrick’s Day rolls around on March 17, we look 

for the four leaf clover for luck but I think we’ve 

already found it. 

One “leaf” is our fantastic students. They are 

constantly learning and accepting our challenges. 

The second is our amazing staff who are always 

going one step further than others; third is our 

supportive parents. Thank you for coming to 

parent teacher conferences to show your child 

your devotion. I know the teachers appreciate 

your help at home and concern for your child. 

Finally, number four is our community in which 

we lie. Recently, the City of Peoria’s Police and 

Fire Departments were recognized by the Peoria 

Educational Enrichment Foundation as a partner 

with the school district for their work in our 

schools and community. 

But, is it really luck that has caused this? We’ll 

use all we can get but without our vision, your 

support and time commitment, this wonderful 

place called Frontier would not be possible. 

Sincerely, 

Davita Solter 

Principal 

PTSO News 2 

Student News & Activities 10 

School, Staff & District News 19 

Wildcat Tales Info 25 

Please read important information 

regarding upcoming PTSO 

ELECTION on pages 8-9.

Parent Teacher Student Organization News 

STAFF APPRECIATION 

EVENTS 

Every month the PTSO shows their thanks and appreciation to the wonderful staff of 

Frontier by treating them to a lunch or some other culinary delight. This month’s picnic 

was provided by donations from our fantastic Frontier Community. 

We would like to thank the following for making this month’s Faculty Appreciation 

Luncheon a “picnic”: 

Michelle Tallas Christina Kauspedas Jennifer Maccano Ana Czoka 

Katie Fuller Brooke Geffre Michelle Corcoran Kim Addicott 

Denella Thomas Ellie Pace Jen Sharp Mari Landreth 

Sharen Pruitt Dolores Munoz Jenna Sorensen DeAnna Dallaire 

Stacey Walsh 

Special thanks to Tamara Wray and Lori Wall for organizing this event! 

2009-2010 PTSO MEETING 

SCHEDULE 

The most effective method of staying informed is 

to attend PTSO meetings! Please look for 

reminder flyers sent home with your child before 

each meeting. 

All meetings will be held in the Frontier library 

and will be approximately 60-90 minutes long. 

We look forward to seeing you there! 

UPCOMING 

PTSO EVENTS 

SPRING CARNIVAL 

Saturday, March 6 th 

FAMILY FUN NIGHT @ RED ROBIN 

Tuesday, March 30th 

NIGHT OUT WITH PHOENIX SUNS 

Sunday, April 11th 

Tuesday, March 9, 2010@ 3:15 pm 

Wednesday, April 7, 2010@ 3:15 pm 

Tuesday, May 4, 2010 @ 3:15 pm 

Childcare provided (at no cost) by our very 

responsible NJHS students and supervised by 

their advisors, Mrs. Fleming and Mrs. Spiek. 

Check out our website at 

www.frontierptso.com 

2


ATTENTION PARENTS 

Carnival day is quickly approaching on Saturday, March 6 th ! 

We are in DESPERATE need of more volunteers to run game and ride 

booths! 

If you are able to help, please return this form to your child’s homeroom 

teacher or contact Joanne Thomson as soon as possible! It is not 

necessary for you to take the volunteer training class to volunteer for 

this event. Please help us make this another great day for our children! 

Joanne Thomson (623) 225-6351 

jojothomson@yahoo.com 

Yes, I would like to help with a game ride 

Name: 

Home phone: 

Email: 

Cell phone: 

We are also still in need of gently read books & baked goods to give away 

as prizes. If you have any age appropriate books (Preschool thru 8 th 

grade) you would like to donate and are in good condition, please deliver 

them to the front office as soon as possible. 

If you’d like to donate baked goods for one of our most popular games, 

the Cake Walk, please bring your items to the front office on Friday, 

March 5th between 8am-3pm! As a courtesy, we will also have volunteers 

at parent pick up to collect your donated items. 

Homemade baked goods are welcome!!!! 

Yes, I will be donating baked goods for the Cake Walk! 

If you have any questions regarding the Cake Walk, please contact: 

Susan Nelson at (623) 825-9714, email: swnelson@juno.com or 

Lori Wall at (623)537-1477, email: wallchaos@cox.net 

Thank you for your continued support! 

3


FRONTIER ELEMENTARY’S PTSO 

INVITES YOU TO SELL YOUR GOLD 

GOLD RUSH at HOME, LLC. 

will be at our Sell-A-Bration on Carnival Day! 

Saturday, March 6 th 

11:00 am to 3:00 pm 

Do you have tons of broken chains, single earrings, old rings & 

bracelets you never wear? 

Have you been thinking about selling these items but haven’t had 

the time or didn’t think it would be worthwhile? 

Well, we are making it easy for you! 

Bring all of your unwanted gold items with you on carnival day, 

have them weighed, tested and get paid on the spot! 

GOLD RUSH at HOME buys yellow, white and rose gold, platinum 

and will even remove stones for you! 

GOLD RUSH at HOME pays YOU top dollar and as an added bonus 

they will donate 15% of the total paid out on carnival day to 

Frontier’s PTSO! 

So join us for a fun filled day and make some money at the same 

time! 

4


Carnival Class Basket Give-a-Ways 

If you are interested in contributing towards a Class Basket for the 

carnival, please contact the parent liaison assigned to each grade 

level. 

1st & 2nd Grade: Michelle Mandat, mandats@hotmail.com 

3rd Grade: Katie Jiménez, (623) 322-2120 or nkjimenez@cox.net 

4th Grade: Misty Coulson, coulsonshome@msn.com 

5th Grade: Jenna Sorenson, outnumberedby3@cox.net 

8th Grade: Lori Wall, (623) 537-1477 or wallchaos@cox.net 

Frontier Carnival Sell-A-Bration 

Saturday, March 6th 

Come Take a Look at some of the fantastic businesses that 

will be on hand: 

Cookie Lee Jewelry Gold Canyon Candles 

Avon Products 

Silpada Designs 

Pampered Chef Gold Rush at Home, LLC 

Just to name a few! 

There is still space available for our Sell-A-Bration, so if you would 

like to promote your business at this event, please contact 

Stephanie Henzi at (623) 594-2148 or sahenzi@gmail.com! 

PHOENIX SUNS FANS 

The deadline to purchase tickets to see the 

Phoenix Suns vs. Houston Rockets 

on Sunday, April 11th has been extended to Friday, 3/5! 

Please go to 

http://www.frontierptso.com/forms/SunsFlyer-1.pdf 

to print out the flier & reserve your seats! 

5


Our 10th Annual Daddy Daughter Dinner Dance was held on two Fridays, February 5th and 

12th. Over 600 attendees had a great time dancing, eating, having photos taken, 

playing games, etc. All the girls looked absolutely beautiful and it was fun to see all the 

dads, grandpas, uncles and other “dates” dressed up and dancing with the girls. It was 

a memorable night! 

Special thanks to our committee chairs: Jen Sharp - Food, Emilee Kealer - Decorations, 

Ellie Pace - Publicity, Debbie Brooksby - Ticket Sales, and Kim Leach (along with Kristy 

Rose) - Photography. These ladies put so much work into making this event happen! A great 

big thanks also goes to all the parents who helped with the games, worked in the kitchen, 

prepared decorations and added a little extra donation to allow the great door prizes. An extra 

special thanks to Ellie Pace who generously donated 18 gift baskets to be given away! We also 

appreciate our Student Council and NJHS members who did a fantastic job helping with the 

decorations. These students are AMAZING! 

This event wouldn't be possible without the wonderful support of Ms. Solter, Ms. Berhow, Mr. 

Owsley, the PTSO leadership, our teachers, the ladies in our front office, the kitchen and 

custodial staffs who put in extra time and effort to ensure this event is always a huge success. 

The PTSO would like to extend a huge thank you to Jodi Poston for again chairing this 

wonderful annual event! Great job! 

Wildcat Day at Sardella’s 

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Sardella's Family Fun Night 

on Thursday, February 11th! Frontier families and friends spent nearly 

$1,500 at Sardella's, raising a grand total of $250 for our school. 

Congratulations to Ms. Jaeger's class for raising the most money and earning a pizza 

party! Special thanks to the Frontier staff and volunteers who helped with the details of 

this event including Mr. Jerome, Susan Nelson and Lennie Ambelang! 

And of course, a heartfelt thanks to Sardella's for their continued generosity, and 

especially to Amanda Sardella for helping coordinate this event. 

Great job, Wildcats! 

6


February 22, 2010 

Dear Frontier Parent, 

Frontier Elementary School 

Parent Teacher Student Organization 

21258 N 81 st Avenue 

Peoria AZ 85382 

www.frontierptso.com 

With only approximately 12 weeks remaining in the school year, election time for the 

2010/2011 PTSO Board officers is quickly approaching! The PTSO is currently seeking 

nominees for its 2010/2011 Board officers. The PTSO requires nominees for the 

majority of the Board positions to hold an election, and a majority of the Board 

positions filled for the PTSO to continue operating. If you are interested in becoming a 

nominee, please take a moment to review the responsibilities of each Board position 

listed on the reverse side of this letter and consider one that best suits your skills & 

interests. Please submit your letter of intent and a short biography to your child's 

homeroom teacher no later than March 22 nd . Include your name, your contact 

information, children attending Frontier and any other information that you would like 

to appear on the ballot that pertains to the position your are seeking. The PTSO 

elections process will proceed as follows: 

• 3/01/10: The current PTSO Board will actively seek nominees for 

the 2010/2011 Board election. 

• 3/22/10: Deadline to declare your intent to run for office. (Letter 

of intent and biography required.) 

• 3/29/10: All nominees will be listed on the ballot. The ballot will 

be reviewed by the existing PTSO Board members for approval. 

Ballots will be distributed once approved. 

• 4/12/10: Deadline for ballot submissions. Review and tally by the 

Elections Committee. 

• 4/19/10: The winning candidates will be contacted by this date to 

verify their acceptance of the Board position. 

• 5/04/10: The new 2010/2011 PTSO Board will be announced at 

the monthly PTSO meeting and assume office. 

The PTSO plays an important role at Frontier and being a Board member is both challenging 

and rewarding. Please consider joining the Board and experience it for yourself! 

With much appreciation for a wonderful year, 

Suzanne Bergen 

PTSO President 

7


8


FRONTIER HOODIES! 

Purchase a hoodie for your Wildcat! Our sweatshirt comes in navy blue with a white 

Frontier Logo across the front! A sample shirt is located in the front office if you would 

like to take a look. 

Name: 

Phone: 

Child’s Name: 

Grade: 

Teacher Name: 

Size Quantity Cost Total 

Child XS $22.00 $ 

Child S $22.00 $ 

Child M $22.00 $ 

Child L $22.00 $ 

Child XL $22.00 $ 

Adult S $22.00 $ 

Adult M $22.00 $ 

Adult L $22.00 $ 

Adult XL $22.00 $ 

Adult XXL $22.00 $ 

GRAND TOTAL $ 

PLEASE NOTE: Sizing runs small on these shirts, so please order accordingly as these 

are SPECIAL ORDER items and cannot be exchanged. 

Please make checks payable to Frontier PTSO. 

Thank you for your support! 

Frontier Family Fun Night at Red Robin 

Save the date! The next Wildcat Family Fun Night is scheduled for 

Tuesday, March 30th at the Arrowhead Red Robin. This is a great 

opportunity to enjoy an evening out, have a tasty burger (or other tempting 

dish) and raise money for our school! 

Be on the look out for the participation flyer that you MUST bring to Red Robin 

in order for Frontier to get credit. 

See you there! 

9

Student News & Activities 

8th Grade Promotion Activities 

Wednesday, February 17 6:30 P.M. Parent Committee Meeting ‐ Faculty Lounge 

Wednesday, April 7 8:30 A.M. Promotion Pictures 

Thursday, May 13 9:00 A.M. Promotion Rehearsal @ Frontier 

Thursday, May 13 11:30 A.M. Pizza Party at Peter Piper Pizza 

Friday, May 14 

Last Day of Classes 

Friday, May 14 6:00‐9:00 P.M. Promotion Dance @ SMHS 

Monday, May 17 9:00 A.M.‐5:00 P.M. Wet‐N‐Wild Recreation Day 

Tuesday, May 18 8:30 A.M. Promotion Practice @ Frontier 

Tuesday, May 18 1:30 P.M. Celebration Assembly 

Wednesday, May 19 & Thursday, May 20 No Classes for the 8 th grade 

Wednesday, May 19 4:30 P.M. Promotion Exercises @ SMHS 

Science Fun Day 

Frontier’s 6th Grade facilitated a science learning day for 

all the students in the K-3 grade levels. The event 

coincided with the Winter Olympic Games and we even 

had our own opening ceremony on Friday, February 12th. 

About 575 students visited our five 6th grade homerooms. 

Each classroom had 10 stations for the students to 

visit. Our sixth-graders focused on the Earth – recycling, 

pollution, static electricity, temperature, earthquakes 

(because of recent events in Haiti), water treatment and 

erosion. The younger students participated in predicting, 

observing, classifying and problem solving. Not only did 

the younger students learn about many interesting topics, 

but our sixth graders gained valuable experience in 

communicating ideas effectively and also helped the 

younger students make connections to real life. 

The interaction between the younger and older students 

was AMAZING to watch, and it was a day of memories 

and learning to last a long time! 

10


LUNCH WITH THE 

PRINCIPALS 

During each monthly 

assembly, there is a 

drawing consisting of 

students who were 

nominated by their 

classmates and teachers 

for exhibiting great citizenship 

in their classrooms. Winners of 

that drawing are invited 

to an “all-you-can-eat” 

pizza lunch with our 

principals! 

Tea at The White House 

Our 1st Grade hosted their Annual 

Tea at the White House. Our 1st 

Graders were asked to portray 

historical figures and share their 

accomplishments with guests. 

Frontier was visited by many 

influential guests. Clara Barton & 

Sandra Day O’Connor stopped by— 

just to name a few! 

Remember to visit 

THE FRONTIER WEBSITE 

The direct link to our website homepage is: 

https://www.peoriaud.k12.az.us/schoolsites/ 

frontieres/Pages/Default.aspx 

“If you don’t GO, you won’t KNOW!” 

AMAZING WILDCAT 

READING CLUB 

This month’s reading selection: 

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” 

by Lewis Carroll 

If you were unable to attend the last meeting, 

please stop by the library to borrow a copy from 

Ms. Arougheti! 

Meeting Schedule 

Monday, 3/22/10 

Monday, 4/19/10 

Monday, 5/10/10 

All meetings take place in the library from 

3:15-4:15pm! 

Frontier’s Jazz Band, directed 

by Ms. Jill Mahoney, 

performed at the American 

Association of School 

Administrators Conference at the Phoenix 

Convention Center on Friday, February 12! 

Congratulations on a Great 

Performance! 

11


“I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE 

TO THE FLAG . . . . . “ 

CALLING ALL STUDENTS! 

Enter NOW for Your chance to WIN 

A $5,000 Scholarship! 

ATTENTION 

ADMINISTRATORS ! 

Joe Foss Institute sponsors 

American Flags, Constitution 

Posters and Bill of Rights 

Posters for classrooms that 

participate in the 

Veterans Inspiring Patriotism 

program. 

Contact the 

Joe Foss Institute at 

480-348-0316. 

Plus 

$250 for your class and 

$500 for your school 

Enter 

The JOE FOSS Institute 

Hays C. Kirby Memorial 2010 

ESSAY CONTEST 

“I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO 

THE FLAG . . .” 

Scottsdale, Arizona 

www.JoeFoss.com 

CONTEST RULES (Highlights Only) 

Original essays must be a minimum of 1,500 

words on the subject of “I PLEDGE ALLE- 

GIANCE TO THE FLAG . . .” All entries must be 

received electronically by March 14, 2010. 

For complete Conte st Entry Guidelines 

please visit The JOE FOSS Institute website 

www.JoeFoss.com. Winner will receive a $5,000 

scholarship plus $250 for the classroom and 

$500 for the school. 

For Complete Contest Rules and Guidelines, See Next Page! 

12


Scholarship Contest 

Hays C. Kirby Memorial 2010 

2010 Scholarship Guidelines 

Please join the JOE FOSS Institute for our annual Hays C. Kirby Memorial Scholarship contest 

“I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG . . .” 

This contest is open to all students of all national backgrounds that are currently studying in the United States or in an American 

military school out of the country. Eligible contestants must be middle or high school (7th—12th) students in a public, private, alternative, 

paroch ial school, or a ho me study prog ram. Previous scho larship recipien ts are no t elig ible. R ecen t high-school graduates 

are elig ible to participate as long as the “deadline” of the current contest f alls with in 12 months after graduation. 

OBJECTIVE Section 1 

Write an essay and focus on the theme (as indicated above), which includes the history and purpose of observance; as well as, how 

you intend to honor our flag. Essays will be evaluated based on the following criteria: 

Knowledge of the Origin of the Pledge of Allegiance, Theme Development, Clarity of Ideas, and Mechanics 

(Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation, Sentence Structure, etc.) Please review the Essay Rules in section 3. 

HOW TO ENTER Section 2 

All entries must be submitted electronically by Sunday, March 14, 2010, 11:59 p.m. MST No exceptions will be made for late entries. 

Please email entries to: scholarship@JoeFoss.com 

By submitting an entry, you are acknow ledg ing that you have read and understand co mpletely th e guidelines of th is co mpetition. 

You are also stating that the essay is of your own work/creation. Before you write the “understanding” statement on the cover of 

your essay, please reread the guidelines. Be certain that you are in compliance. “Almost” is not good enough. 

ESSAY RULES Section 3 

Before you begin, please read the follow ing rules: 

1. The essay MUST be th e contestant’s orig inal work. (Finalists’ essays w ill be scanned for plag iarism) 

2. Contestants may enter one time only. (Per contest) 

3. Essays must be a 1500 word minimum. (Cover page, title and footnotes do not contribute to the overall word count - 

1499 word count is not acceptable - all rules are firm) 

4. Quotations may be used sparingly and sources must be plainly identified. 

5. All en tries must be double spaced, and in Eng lish. 

6. Contestants may not identify themselves, their schools, cities, o r state w ithin the essay. 

7. Contestants must demonstrate knowledge of the origin and the impact of the Pledge of Allegiance. 

8. Entry must be received by the stated deadline as indicated above. Electronic entries must be sent in MS Word file as 

an attachment. Do not copy either the text of the essay or the cover sheet into the body of the email. 

9. The cover sheet is to be part of the attached essay, not a separate attachment. 

The follow ing items are required on the co ver sheet to be eligible, and do not count toward overall word coun t: 

1. Full Name 

2. Address, City, State, and Z ip-Code 

3. Phone Number and E-Mail Address 

4. Date of Birth 

5. Grade Currently Enrolled In School 

6. Full Name of School Attending 

7. Total Word Count (Do Not Include Cover) 

8. Statement: “I have read and understand the guidelines. The 

essay submitted is orig inal and of my own creation.” 

OTHER INFORMATION Section 4 

Contestants found in violation of the contest rules will be eliminated from the competition. If plagiarism is identified, the contestant 

will be inelig ible to co mpete in future co mpetitions administered by th e Institute. If recipient is found in vio lation of the rules after 

receiving scho larship funds, all prize money w ill be fo rfeited. We reserve th e right to publish the w inning participant’s n ame and/or 

essay (whether in excerpts or in its entirety). The essay w ill be verified by a teacher familiar w ith the recipient’s original work. We 

also reserve the right to void the contest for any reason. 

BEFORE SUBMITTING, PLEASE REREAD ALL REQUIREMENTS 

Phone 480-348-0316 · Fax 480-348-8980 

info@JoeFoss.co m · www.JoeFoss.com 

13


FRONTIER HONOR ROLL 

2nd Semester 2010 

5 TH GRADE 6 TH GRADE 

LARA AGUIAR CONNOR MADEYA DEREK ALLEN GREY JONES BRANDON SANDOVAL 

TREY ANDERSON GARRETT MADEYA JACOB ARMENTA BROOKE KILGORE ALLIE SCHMID 

CHAD BAUMAN MACKENZI MCCOY CASSANDRA BADE FRANK KIM GIANA SCHNEIDER 

BLAKE BOER EMILY MCMENEMY CODI BAUER JUSTIN LANDERS CATHERINE SCHRAGE 

DYLAN BONZO MATHEU MENDENHALL KYLE BECKMAN TABITHA MAGEE VINCENT SEVERIETTI 

JACOB BROWN BRANDYN MILLER MADELYN BENAVIDEZ JERRON McDONALD AMANDA SHACKELFORD 

JULIE BROWN ISAIAH MOEHRING KESSELI BLACKSON TANNA MCNAMARA MICHAELA SHACKELFORD 

CAROLYN CAMP BRYCE MOORE ALEJANDRO CAMACHO MATTHEW MINDER TREVOR SHACKELFORD 

HARRISON CHAVEZ NOAH MUN CHRISTINA CARRILLO SAMUEL MOEHRING ANNA SHARP 

TATUM COZZA ESTEVAN MUNOZ STEVEN CORLEY AUTUMN MOORE ALYSSA SMACK 

ALYSSA DE LA VARA ISABELLA NAPUTI KAYLA CRAUMER JAKE NELSON MATTHEW SONGSTAD 

TIMOTHY DEPPE JASON NASH ZACHARY DAMRON TRISTON NIELSEN KALLI TUTRONE 

GARRETT DREILING DAVID NELSON DEREK DEHERRERA ELIZABETH NOOYEN JEALYNN UONG 

KEVIN ETHERIDGE ELENA NICOLIA ALEXANDER DIXON KRISTIN OLSEN BENJAMIN VALDES 

ABBY FELLOWS LAURYN OLSEN TAYLOR DONATO TYSON PACE CATHERINE VAN WEST 

JAY FULLER KAITLYN OSTWINKLE JUSTIN DRAGO RACHEL PADELFORD ANTHONY WALKER 

KENNA GARDNER MCKENNA OSTWINKLE MATTHEW EASTERWOOD MAKENZIE PANKOW LUCAS WALL 

JORDAN GEYER PRATISHTHA PANIGRAHI MAE EDELMAN LAUREN PENSINGER ASHLEY WILEY 

HALEY GILMOUR ISAAC PLUHAR WYATT EICHELBERGER DONNA PHAN 

DILEN GOVIN RYAN PRUITT BAKER ELIASON ALISSA PHETTEPLACE 

ASHLEE GREWELL BRENNA RYAN ALEXANDER FAIR CAYCEE PHILLIPS 

JACOB HAMRICK HANNAH SCHLIEF MOLLY FALK ROBERT PLUEGER 

BRANDON HAWKINSON TIERZA SCHMID BAILEY FROYSLAND LINDSAY PRUITT 

TRACE HAY SYDNEY SEWELL ALEXI GAMBINO DYLAN RALEIGH 

JAKOB HENZI NATHANIAL SIMS JOSLYNN GARCIA ISABELLA RAMI 

GUADALUPE IBARRA NATALIE SKEHAN PASCALE GEHA KENTON RILEY 

PHILLIPPE INOCENCIO COLE SORENSEN EMILY GIBSON KYLER RIORDAN 

KAILEE JODARSKI CARTER STOCKING CARTER GOLDSWORTHY HALEY ROBBINS 

KEVIN JULIUS JAKE SURBER JASON GREGORY DELANEY ROBISON 

JEFFREY KELLING GARRET VELDHUIZEN PAIGE HILDEBRANDT KALEE RODRIGUEZ 

BRADLEY KEMP LAUREN VIALVA LEXI HOOKER CASSANDRA ROESCH 

ALYSSA LESSARD BRADLEY VILLEGAS TRISTIN HOPE M C KENZIE ROLLINS 

BROOKE LEWALLEN JACLYN VIZCARRA LUCAS JANSON AVERY ROMO 

TAYLOR LUDWIGSEN JACKSON WRAY HAILEY JOHNSON KARISA ROWLAND 

14


FRONTIER HONOR ROLL 

2nd Semester 2010 

7 TH GRADE 

8 TH GRADE 

SYDNEY ADAMONIS MACAELA LAYTON CHRYSTA ANDRADE JACOB JELINEK 

LEWIS ARENDALL MATTHEW LERNER TYLER BADE PARIS JENNINGS 

TAYLOR AYERS BRENDEN LIGHTFOOT CARLI BAUER AUSTIN KEE 

CAMERON BATTLE ADRIANA MACDONALD KATHIE BECKMAN BRODY KILGORE 

MIRANDA BATTLE BRITTNEY MARTIN STEVEN BERTRAM DANAE KING 

RYAN BONNET EMILIE MASELLA BRADLEIGH BOER HAYLIE KONAKIS 

LAUREN BOULAY NATALYNN MASTERS BRITTANY BROGAN DORIAN KUHN 

MADISON BREWSTER ROBERT MAURER JOVEAL BUNGAY AMANDA MARTIN 

JANNELL BRODERICK KAITIE MILLER ANALICIA CARRILLO AMANDA MCMENEMY 

CAMERON BROWN KYLE MORRIS ROMAN CASTAGNA LOGAN MIGLIORINO 

KATIE BROWN EMILY MUN LEVI DURAN HAILEE MORGAN 

NATHANIAL CARLSON BAILEY NELSON ELIZABETH FAIR SARAH MURE 

WHITNEY CHAMBERLAIN PAUL NGUYEN HANNAH FINCH DAVID OLTEAN 

TANNER CHASE KYLE OLSON ELIJAH FISCHER HAILEY OSBORNE 

SARA COSENZA DANIEL PADILLA HALEY FISCHER HAYDEN PATE 

RYLEE DALLAIRE LANDON PAGE CAIRO GEHA SHANNON PREBIL 

JOSHUA DE LA VARA LANNA PEACOCK RYDER HAHOLY HOLLY ROCCAFORTE 

DAVID DE MOSS MARY MADISON PHILLIPS ZOE HARRISON STEPHANIE ROMAN 

TRISTIN DECKER NATHAN POSTON KAYLA HARTSON CARLIE SCHIMMEL 

ANDREW DEPPE ANGELA POWEZIAK BRYLEE HAWKINS JOSHUA MICHAEL SCHMID 

ZACHARY FELLOWS MICHAEL PREBIL CODY HILL ABIGAIL JOY SMITH 

SARAH GILMOUR AUSTEN RAJ ETHAN HUTCHISON JILLIAN TYRRELL 

ADAM GRAY ADRIANA ROGERS KEVIN INMAN ELGIN LAINE VELDE 

SETH HANNAR TIA ROSE THOMAS INT-HOUT ASHLYN ZIEBA 

JENNIFER HANSEN RYAN SAMPEY JARED JANSON 

DEREK HILDEBRANDT DANNA-JEANINE SIMS 

NATALIE HOLE 

ASHLEY SMACK 

TRISTAN HORN 

CONNOR SMALL 

BRIAN JARMAN 

LIYBA TAUHEED 

NICOLE JARMAN 

ARIANNE TAVILLA 

CASSANDRA JONES 

CHELSEA TIPPETTS 

MYOUNG JUNG 

ALIVIA TONGATE 

ADAM KEMP 

MASON WANDERSEE 

DOBRY KOLACZ 

SAVANNA WRAY 

NICOLETTE KVAALE 

15


Frontier Elementary has a chance to win a free IC Bus TM hybrid school bus and a $20,000 “green 

makeover”! How? By entering 2010 America’s Greenest School SM Contest. Show your classmates, 

teachers, parents and future generations you really care about the sustainability of the world we live in by 

entering the 2010 America’s Greenest School Contest. Students can submit an entry explaining what you’d do if 

you were in charge of making your school a greener, more eco-friendly place. This contest is a great opportunity 

for students to enter for a chance to win a $3,000 scholarship. Plus, the sponsoring teacher will win a $500 grant 

for "green" supplies for his or her classroom. 

Your entry can be in the form of a photo collection, music, a video, an essay, or photos of a diorama, collage or 

piece of artwork. But no matter what form it takes, it must tell the world how you’d make your school experience 

the greenest in the country. 

We will choose the top 10 finalists, then all of America will be invited to vote online for the ultimate champion. 

Students of any age can enter (although a parent or teacher will need to sponsor students under 13 years of age). 

Group or class entries are also encouraged. 

School Prizes –The amazing, clean, green IC Bus Hybrid Bus (valued at $150,000); an LEED Certified Audit 

and Green Makeover (valued at $20,000) for your school; and a free concert by The Maine, the official band of 

America’s Greenest School. 

Student Prizes—$3,000 scholarship for the winning student and/or classroom 

Teacher Prizes—$500 in class supplies for the winning sponsor/teacher 

Voter Prizes—$100 Visa gift card to a lucky voter every day during the voting period 

So visit the website at http://www.americasgreenestschool.com/ for more contest details. 

Don’t be tardy—the deadline to enter is March 8! 

Approximately 650 students from the 5 th ‐8 th grades participated in our Science Fair . Five 

students in each of the four grade levels were selected as having outstanding 

projects . Winners received a $10 gift certificate to the Challenger Space Center. 

Challenger also donated many items to be used as door prizes. Visitors to the fair had an 

opportunity to win star gazing and weekend mission passes. The grade level winners were as 

follows: 

5th Grade: Reese Adamonis, Chase Barrett, Sydney Sewell, Cole 

Sorensen 

6th Grade: Ian Rose, Lexi Hooker, Pascale Geha, Lucas Janson, Justin 

Drago 

7th Grade: Sydney Adamonis, Katie Miller, Adam Gray, Tia Rose, 

Nathan Kulinec 

8th Grade: Elgin Velde, Sydney Swenson, Amanda Martin, Carli Bauer, 

Chrysta Andrade 

Congratulations to all the Participants and Winners! 

16


17


Frontier’s Finest 

January 2010 

Kindergarten 1st Grade 2nd Grade 

Caleb Blong Ethan Brasseur Hannah Crane 

Jessica Cavalari Landon Budoff Ashtyn Fleming 

Michelle Cusick Cole Dilley Elijah Mun 

Logan Finke Sydney Fischer Peyton Prebil 

Anna Gutierrez Amayah Grijalva Alexis Reigle 

Austin Hall Maryah Grijalva Chase Rudders 

Austin Jilbert Sage Haholy Korri Tanner 

Kami Kuhn Kara Judd Corrina Veldhuizen 

Jenah Peterson John Lepore Nolan Villegas 

Destiny Rojas Marcel Mamou Justin Walters 

Tyler Spiek Mason Murphy Samantha Williams 

Hailee Strong 

3rd Grade 

Evan Brown 

Amber Hart 

Sara Lessard 

Raiena Shin 

Kiera Tanner 

Libby Wiese 

Davis Wray 

Brendon Wyllie 

4th Grade 

Nicolas Andersen 

Seyna Anderson 

Mariah Belcher 

Brittany Hicks 

Quenten Masters 

Mollie Minder 

Cassandra Noble 

Josh Strong 

5th Grade 

Michael Dam 

Timothy Deppe 

C.J. Dresser 

Abby Fellows 

Jay Fuller 

Kenna Gardner 

Ashlee Grewell 

Jonathon Marshall 

Matheu Mendenhall 

Heather Scott 

Sydney Sewell 

6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade 

Cody Bauer Rylee Dallaire Nicole Bacon 

Jake Bergen Katie Dastrup Tyler Bade 

Alex Camacho David DeMoss Eileen Ball 

Sloan Decker Nicolette Kvaale Taylor Clapperton 

Baker Eliason Brenden Lightfoot Michelle Cleveland 

Dean Furmick Shane Padilla Brylee Hawkins 

Brooke Kilgore Lanna Peacock Lauren Hoover 

Kalee Rodriguez Brooklyn Pelland Ethan Hutchison 

Christopher Shaefer Caitlin Rodriguez Nyk Scott 

Kallie Tutrone 

Trey Townsend 

Way to go, wildcats! 

18

School, Staff & District News 

our Name in 

Lights! 

Our sister school sending 

us special thanks! 

PATRON TOUR OF SCHOOLS RESCHEDULED 

Are you interested in seeing why Peoria Unified School District (PUSD) schools continue to 

succeed? Then join the Patron Tour to observe students achieving right before 

your eyes. 

Due to the inclement weather in February, the PUSD rescheduled the tour to 

Friday, March 26th from 8:00 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. of Sunrise Mountain High 

School, 21200 N. 83rd Avenue and Frontier Elementary, 21258 N. 81st 

Avenue. Any business leader, neighbor, parent, retiree, government employee, 

or interested person is invited to attend. 

The tour will begin at Sunrise Mountain High School. A continental breakfast 

will be served and a District overview will be presented by PUSD 

Superintendent Dr. Denton Santarelli. Governing board members will be on 

hand to greet the guests. 

Sunrise Mountain Principal Jerry Nunez will share an overview and tour of the 

high school campus. After the tour of the high school, patrons will board a 

yellow school bus for a short trip to Frontier Elementary to tour the elementary 

campus. Principal Davita Solter will share information about the school, and 

young students will accompany the guests on campus. 

Patrons will board the bus to return to Sunrise Mountain High around 11:30 

a.m. and will have the opportunity to ask questions at the conclusion of the tour. 

If you are interested in reserving a space for this Patron Tour, contact the 

PUSD Public Relations Department at 623-486-6046. 

19


SMHS Student Council Shines 

Sunrise Mountain’s Student Council brought home two 

awards from the 2010 Arizona Association of Student Councils 

State Convention. In a repeat of last year, the council won 

“Outstanding Council of Distinction Award,” recognizing 

student councils which fulfill a number of community service, 

fundraising, school spirit, and other student-government 

requirements. 

The council also won an award for creating the best poster 

representing the convention’s theme, “Go Big, Go Bold, Go 

Beyond.” 

We are especially proud of the SMHS Student Council since 

many of their members are former Frontier students and 

council members. 

Congratulations, Mustangs! 

Moral Courage Essay Contest 

The Arizona Regional Office of The Anti-Defamation League is pleased to 

announce that submissions are now being accepted for The 2010 Echoes 

and Reflections Moral Courage Essay Contest. This is wonderful extension to 

continue conversations that may be happening as we reflect upon the 

legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and invites students to explore and 

articulate the meaning of moral courage and to apply the knowledge to 

his/her life. 

The contest is open to all Arizona 7 th -12 th graders. Awards will be presented 

to the 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd place winners in each division as follows: 

Division 1: Grades 7 & 8 

Division 2 : Grades 9 & 10 

Division 3: Grades 11 & 12. 

For complete details and the application, please visit the following website: 

http://regions.adl.org/arizona/events/2010-echoes-and-reflections.html 

Deadline for submissions is March 12th. 

20


21


PEORIA SCHOOLS AT A CROSSROADS 

Please MARK YOUR CALENDARS and plan to attend this 

important meeting for all parents and community members 

How funding cuts will affect the future of 

Peoria schools and our neighborhoods! 

Speakers: PUSD Superintendent, Dr. Denton Santarelli 

Peoria Mayor Bob Barrett 

When: 

Where: 

Who: 

Thursday, March 4th at 6:30 p.m. 

Peoria Schools District Office 

6330 W. Thunderbird Road, Training room 

Enter from back of building (for directions call 623-486- 

6000) 

All concerned citizens who live in the Peoria School 

District boundaries are invited to attend—parents, 

teachers, grandparents, and homeowners. 

“The most important thing community members can do for 

our educational system is to vote, in both primary and 

general elections, for candidates who support public 

education. All children deserve the chance for a good 

education. Not voting is a vote against education.” 

- Pete Hershberger, Former State Rep & 

Exec. Dir. of the AZ Center for the Study of 

Children and Families 

Click here for an Arizona voter registration form. 

Click here to request an early voting ballot. 

Attention Parents: 

Teacher request forms for 2010-2011 are 

now being taken. Forms are available in the 

Frontier front office and must be returned to 

the office by Friday, March 12th. 

22


Attention: Cactus High School Alumni— 

Class of 1985 Reunion 

Kinora (Quintana West) Hernandez is seeking contact information from 

graduates of the Cactus High Class of ‘85. Plans for a 25th Reunion are 

underway. If you are a Cactus High Class of ’85 graduate and have not 

heard from Kinora or would like more information about the upcoming 

reunion, please email her at kinoraqh85@yahoo.com. 

Additionally, if you are in touch with other members of the Class of ’85, 

please pass her email address along to them as well! 

Former Frontier Student Shows Volunteer Spirit 

Former Frontier student and current Sunrise Mountain student Taylor Landreth 

applied for the “Spirit of Prudential Community Service Scholarship” in November. 

Her application was selected to represent Sunrise Mountain at the state level. 

Over 21,000 applications were received and Taylor was chosen as a 

“Distinguished Finalist” and will receive a Prudential Spirit of Community Award. 

The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program will distribute President’s 

Volunteer Service Awards to more than 2,800 of its Local Honorees this year on 

behalf of President Obama. The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes 

Americans of all ages who have volunteered significant amounts of their time to 

serve their communities and their country. If you’d like to read more about this 

award, please click http://spirit.prudential.com/view/page/soc/16159. 

Congratulations, Taylor! 

Ira A. Murphy Principal Wins 

2010 Rodel Exemplary Principal Award 

Congratulations to Robin Dahlman, principal at our sister school, 

Ira A. Murphy Elementary! Robin received the Rodel Exemplary 

Principal Award, which recognizes inspiring leaders in high-needs 

schools. She will receive a $5,000 savings bond and will mentor three aspiring 

school leaders. 

Congratulations Robin on your amazing achievement! 

23


Q&A with new Peoria Unified School District Board President 

The PUSD governing board has elected Kathy Knecht (pictured at right), a four-year board 

member, as president for 2010. Knecht, a former educator and parent of two daughters 

attending schools in the district, served as board clerk before she replaced Diane Douglas as 

board president. 

Jeffrey Javier of The Arizona Republic recently spoke with Knecht about her goals and what she 

hopes to accomplish this year. This is a reprint of that article. 

Question: What are your goals for 2010? 

Answer: I would really like to see an override pass. But other than that, I want the board to continue working 

together in a congenial, cooperative fashion. 

I also want the vision of the board to be student-centered and focused on learning and achievement. I know 

we're going to face some huge budget decisions, but I hope we can do that in a way that protects our students 

and our teachers so we can maintain the high quality programming that we've always enjoyed in PUSD. 

Q: What challenges do you foresee? 

A: The lack of funding from the state is a huge challenge for our school district and public schools across the 

state. We need to be able to maintain what makes us such an amazing organization that's able to offer students 

so much in areas of academics, athletics, arts, and extracurricular activities. If the state makes a decision to cut 

funding, we may lose that edge. 

Q: What can taxpayers expect from you as the new board president? 

A: What they can expect from me is that we're going to do a very good job of highlighting what we do so well in 

the Peoria school district and how our students and community benefits from the hard work that we do every 

day. 

Q: How do you balance the needs of the taxpayers and the needs of students? 

A: The money that we as a school district put into the education of our kids isn't necessarily an expense. I feel 

that it's an investment instead of an expense. 

I think you get out of education what you put into it. So, absolutely, we as board members are charged with 

making sure that the expenditures are valid, useful and efficient. 

But to say that we shouldn't be spending money on the future of our kids is not right and something that we 

wouldn't say as parents to our kids. I believe their education is worth the investment. 

Q: What do you want the district to do more of? 

A: I want the district to do more to help the community understand us better. We need to toot our horn more 

frequently and louder. We need to help the community understand some of the district complexities so that 

when we do ask them to support us in an override, it's very clear to them what we're asking and what it's for. 

Q: How would you describe your last four years on the board? 

A: It's been an evolution. There's so much to learn, because education in Arizona, especially funding, is 

extremely and unnecessarily complex. 

But it's been a pleasure to represent the school district, because the people work so hard that it's just been a 

pleasure to see that level of commitment. I'm very proud of the work we do with so few resources. It is amazing 

and a credit to our teachers. 

Q: What message do you want to send to the Peoria community? 

A: Support your community public school district, because the impact of doing so is incredible. The future of our 

kids is Number One, but our neighborhoods rely on it, our property values rely on it, and almost every aspect of 

the quality of our community depends on our neighborhood public schools. 

24

Wildcat Tales 

A Frontier PTSO Publication 

Frontier Elementary School 

21258 N. 81st Avenue 

Peoria, AZ 85382 

2009-10 PTSO Officers 

Suzanne Bergen—Chairperson 

(623)853-7272 

suzbergen.frontierptso@yahoo.com 

Katie Fuller—Treasurer 

(623)572-2943 

jkfullerfamily@msn.com 

Thank You 

Community Partners 

The entire Frontier community would like to 

extend an enormous Wildcat Thank You to: 

Sardella’s Pizza & Wings 

Phoenix Suns 

Challenger Space Center 

Dena Jilbert—Volunteer Coordinator 

(623)692-4493 

drjilbert@msn.com 

Tamara Wray—Meeting Coordinator 

(623)572-2831 

ktwray@msn.com 

Lori Wall—School Liaison 

(623)537-1477 

wallchaos@cox.net 

The deadline for the April 2010 

Issue of the Wildcat Tales will be 

Friday, March 19th. 

Submit at any time to 

pdonatowct@yahoo.com. 

Susan Nelson—Communications Coordinator 

(623)825-9714 

swnelson@juno.com 

Webmaster: Garie Chavez 

Wildcat Tales Editor: Patricia Donato 

Our progress as a nation can be no 

swifter than our progress in education. 

- John Fitzgerald Kennedy 

25

Wildcat Tales - PUSD Schools - Peoria Unified School District

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