Paradise Valley board to approve name for new school

Name. Color. Mascot. PTO.

It's all coming together for the 32nd elementary school in the Paradise Valley Unified School District.

The governing board is expected to approve the school's name Thursday. There were more than 160 submissions.

Top name choices are Cactus Ridge Elementary, Fireside Elementary and Sunset View Elementary. For mascot, top contenders are rattlers, mustangs and falcons.

The school colors will be navy and green, red or white. A committee chose navy to be consistent with the nearby Pinnacle High School.

Green was nominated because of the eco-friendly design of the school building, according to the school's website. Red was nominated because of its prevalence in the desert, and white because it is a Pinnacle school color.

"We have narrowed down the possible names, mascots and colors for the school, and ballots were cast Friday by the students to make the final selection," said Drew Davis, who will be principal of the new school.

The district has been preparing for the August opening of the school at 3725 E. Lone Cactus Drive, near Deer Valley Road and 40th Street, in the northeast Phoenix community of Fireside.

"I am amazed at how the community is coming together, rolling up their sleeves and engaging in the process. I envisioned this to be a collaborative project and, truly, it has been," said Davis, currently principal at Liberty Elementary.

The K-6 school will offer three preschools, including one for gifted students and one for special-needs children. All preschools will be based on the core knowledge curriculum.

"One of the unique elements (of the school) is a focus on early childhood learning and diverse preschool offerings," Davis said.

Upcoming meetings will focus on the curriculum and technology at the new school.

"At a recent student forum, we learned that students prefer mobile electronic devices like iPods and tablets over more traditional computers, so investigating the possibilities of having an iPad lab would be an example of an area we may pursue," Davis said.

The school day will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 3 p.m. Playground supervision will begin at 8:30 a.m. The district's Community Education department will provide before- and after-school care. Registration information will be available this month.

While the southwestern part of the district is losing enrollment, the schools north of Loop 101 have seen a growth spurt over the last several years.

The district is opening the school in the Fireside community to prevent overcrowding at Wildfire Elementary, which has more than 900 students.

Davis said the new school is beginning to form its own identity.

"A student leadership group has been formed to advise the adults about what is important to our student body," he said.

In the first year, officials estimate about 360 students could enroll in the new school, which will be built for 750 students. The construction budget for the school is $13.5 million.

The school's Leadership Design Team has established a Parent Teacher Organization for the school.

The team will elect PTO executive board members at the organization's first meeting, at 6:30 p.m. tonight in the media center at Wildfire Elementary School, 3997 E. Lockwood Drive, Phoenix.

Board meeting

The Paradise Valley Unified School District will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the District Administrative Center, 15002 N. 32nd St., Phoenix.

For more information on the new school, go to www.pvschools.net/school32.