YUHSD welcomes 78 new teachers
A total of 78 new teachers were welcomed by Yuma Union High School District last week before the start of the school year.
According to the YUHSD news release, the district welcomed the new teachers on Wednesday and Thursday last week as part of their “onboarding” orientation at Arizona Western College.
As part of their first day, new teachers at all six YUHSD schools toured Yuma County. YUHSD officials say the tour served as an opportunity for teachers to see all district campuses, including the future Somerton High School site, as well as key agriculture locations throughout the area.
“We wanted teachers, especially those new to the area, to get a feel for what is at the heart of our community,” YUHSD Director of Communications Eric Patten said in a statement. “The tour, which wouldn’t have been possible without GoAg, AWC and the University of Arizona, was meant to highlight the meaningful partnership between agriculture and education in Yuma. I think everyone learned something along the way.”
New teachers were served lunch that was provided by the Sunrise Optimist Club of Yuma and AEA Federal Credit Union welcomed the group to their conference center and passed out car sunshades.
To become better acquainted, the teachers went through a series of icebreaking activities as well as saw presentations from various partners and district departments and received advice from student leaders upon returning to AWC on Wednesday.
“New hires got an intimate idea of community,” new Gila Ridge High School math teacher Alexandria Arvizo said in a statement. “Icebreakers help us connect and express concerns and the orientation was extremely helpful to give us useful, academic tools.”
Additionally, on Thursday new teachers spent time working on instructional best practices and discussing the AVID instructional model, which the district will be utilizing during the 2018-19 school year. The group spent half a day at AWC and then got to see their classrooms for the first time on Thursday afternoon.
“The last day-and-a-half was a great opportunity for teachers from Yuma and not from Yuma,” new Kofa High School teacher Christopher Smart said in a statement. “The professional development exchange by the district was an excellent opportunity to meet new hires and give them new information.”
The YUHSD news release shows that the 78 new teachers are from 14 states and six counties including Mexico, Puerto Rico, Nigeria, India and Finland. Of the 78 teachers, twenty-six grew up in Yuma.
Following the new teacher orientation, YUHSD celebrated the start of the 201819 school year at its annual staff and faculty Kick Off on Monday at Gila Ridge High School.
The YUHSD news release states that the event included keynote speaker and workplace communications expert Justine Hale of VitalSmarts as well presentations from AWC president Daniel Corr and YUHSD Superintendent Gina Thompson. The Gila Ridge High School choir also performed the “Star Spangled Banner” and the Kofa High School JROTC chapter gave a presentation of colors.
YUHSD’s kick off began in the Gila Ridge cafeteria where more than 950 employees received Ready Now Yuma tote bags and were provided continental breakfast, which was paid for by community members from across the district to network and share a morning together before the 201819 school year gets underway.
“It is just an exciting time to be a part of our district,” said Thompson in a statement. “We have so many things to celebrate: a 90-percent graduation rate, a 68-percent college-going rate and a 2.5-percent dropout rate. And while we are entering a pivotal year, building on our successes, we are embarking on even more ambitious goals.”
Thompson is entering her 29th year in YUHSD and first full year as Superintendent. YUHSD officials say that during her presentation, she encouraged staff members to take action and ownership toward increasing student achievement and discussed some of the district’s strategic choices moving forward.
The YUHSD news release shows that Corr, who lauded AWC’s partnership with YUHSD, talked about the college’s relationship to the Yuma community at large and implored YUHSD staffers to “think of AWC students as their students as well.”
Hale, who followed Corr and Thompson, talked to the group about bridging the generational gap in the workplace and how to handle so-called “crucial conversations,” the news release shows.
“We showed a committee of teachers and classified staff members videos of three potential presenters,” said YUHSD Ready Now Yuma Director Eric Brooks in a statement. “The group selected Justin because he was very practical, downto-earth and relatable to staff members in a variety of different roles within our district.”
At noon on Monday, all YUHSD faculty and staff returned to their worksites. For YUHSD, the first day of school is Thursday, Aug. 2.
YUHSD notes that the district is still seeking to fill some positions. For more information, visit www.yumaunion.org/Page/151.