SUSD Spotlight

From Scottsdale to England - Rabbi Adam Zagoria-Moffet's Spiritual Journey

In this insightful episode of the "SUSD Spotlight" podcast, we explore the journey of Rabbi Adam Zagoria-Moffet, a proud SUSD alum, from his roots in Scottsdale, to becoming the esteemed Rabbi of St. Albans Masorti Synagogue in the United Kingdom. Rabbi Zagoria-Moffet shares his reflections on growing up in SUSD, the impact of his education on his path to spiritual leadership, and the rich experiences that led him to embrace his role in the Jewish community across the pond. Rabbi Zagoria-Moffet offers advice to current SUSD students navigating their own paths, spotlighting the diverse possibilities SUSD graduates can aspire to.

Blue Zones Project Revolutionizes SUSD Nutrition w/Sarah Kearney and Patti Bilbrey

In today’s episode of the "SUSD Spotlight" podcast, we learn about Blue Zones life practices and policies that encourage longer, healthier lives for everyone. Featuring Executive Director of Blue Zones Project Scottsdale,  Sarah Kearney, and Patti Bilbrey, Director of Nutrition Services. We will explore the exciting partnership between SUSD and Blue Zones and discuss how Blue Zone principles will be integrated into our school meals leading to a healthier experience for our students. Listen in as we discover how the environments we create can lead to healthier lifestyle choices and learn about the transformative initiative that is the Blue Zones Project. Since recording this episode, one of our very own schools (Echo Canyon) received the historic honor of being named Arizona's first Blue Zones-certified school, we celebrate this achievement which signifies the strength of Scottsdale partnerships.

Igniting Entrepreneurship with Early College Campus at Coronado High School

In this episode of the "SUSD Spotlight" podcast, we learn about the Early College Campus at Coronado. SUSD and Scottsdale Community College have formed a partnership at Coronado to offer valuable opportunities for Dons to establish connections with SCC professors and local industry leaders and to introduce high-interest classes not already offered as part of dual-enrollment offerings at Coronado High School. 

SCORE - Creating College & Career Opportunities for All

In this episode of the "SUSD Spotlight" podcast, we learn about the amazing academic program called SCORE which serves as a transition program to pair students, their families, and community partners to bridge high school students to future career opportunities. SCORE helps to develop skills to provide independent career exploration and transition planning with real-world mentorship and the PAES program. Learn more about the impact of the SCORE program by hearing from Stephanie Muecke and student, Nathan Clouse with us today on Spotlight!

Mandarin DLI Offerings and A+ Excellence w/DCES Principal and Parent

This episode delves into Desert Canyon's thriving and unique educational environment, where students benefit from an immersive bilingual education, spending half their day learning in English and the other half in Mandarin. We sit down with Kim Mills, the Principal of Desert Canyon Elementary School, and Amie Hegeman, a dedicated PTO member and parent, to discuss the remarkable achievements and innovative educational models that have set Desert Canyon apart. With its recent A+ School of Excellence honor and the unique 50/50 dual language model, Desert Canyon Elementary is a beacon of academic success and community engagement within the Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) fostering an inclusive and supportive atmosphere that encourages excellence for all students.

Appreciating Teachers & National Board Certification w/Susan Leonard

Across the nation, National Board reviews the practice of accomplished teachers to evaluate whether they represent the values and standards of excellence in education. In SUSD, we have nearly 70 National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT) across our 29 schools. On this episode of Spotlight, we sit down with NBCT Susan Leonard, an Ingleside Middle School educator and SUSD’S lead trainer for NBCT candidates. We dive into a fun conversation about education excellence and how teachers in 2024 can feel appreciated and recognized for their achievements. 

Student Advisory Board w/Saguaro Senior Nikihl Sethi

The SUSD's Student Advisory Board (SAB) is a group of high school students from each high school in SUSD that comes together to problem solve and help shape the overall student experience. Students meet monthly with SUSD District Leadership to collaborate and share current concerns and opportunities for improvement. In today’s episode of the "SUSD Spotlight" podcast, we’ll chat with student, Nikhil Sethi, to learn more about the Student Advisory Board and his own journey as an SUSD student. Hear about the work the SAB does, how it has been from a student perspective, future goals for the SAB, and how we all can play a part in making SUSD a district that serves everyone better. 

Early Learning & Community Education w/Dr. Christine Bonow

In this episode of the "SUSD Spotlight" podcast, we spotlight the amazing early learning opportunities available within the Scottsdale Unified School District. Dr. Christine Bonow, Director of Early Learning & Community Education, and an esteemed SUSD alum, joins us to discuss the array of programs aimed at the youngest learners, from two-year-olds through pre-kindergarten, including gifted programs and the exciting Dual Language Immersion starting in preschool. Let’s have a conversation about nurturing the seeds of education from the earliest stages with a real product of the SUSD system.

The Eclipse at Laguna Elementary

In this thrilling episode of the SUSD Spotlight podcast, Superintendent Menzel takes the show "on-the-road" to Laguna Elementary where 5th graders, along with teacher Brian Vogan, witnessed the historic 2024 solar eclipse. Students used problem solving and research to create their own safe viewing devices out of cereal boxes, showcasing this to Dr. Menzel. They expressed their excitement about the solar event and documented their learning. Also, in this episode, hear some information about Laguna Elementary as a STEAM-focused, award-winning school serving SUSD students as young as 2 years-old.

Gold Dust Avenue

In this episode of the "SUSD Spotlight" podcast, we are treated to a conversation with some voices behind “Gold Dust Avenue,” an a cappella group in SUSD that shines. Led by Dr. Sammy Brauer (who has been teaching music in SUSD since 2007) and featuring student singers such as Lillian Apostolou, Gold Dust Avenue has made Chaparral High School proud by placing 2nd in the 2024 SingStrong New York School Competition with five superior ratings, plus Lillian winning for Best Arrangement. Today, we’ll learn more about some amazing musicianship in our schools, the SingStrong event, and hear the group sing an arrangement.