El Tour de Tucson at Desert View In celebration of El Tour de Tucson and the importance of health and wellness, 110 students and 6 teachers at Desert View High School participated in the Indoor El Tour de Tucson. They pedaled on stationary bikes for a combined total of hours. The event was coordinated by PE teacher Linda Reinke.

On November 12, three Sunnyside High student-athletes signed letters of intent: Kory DeBerry and Louie Murrillo will join the wrestling team at Arizona State University, and Desarai Akins will play softball at the University of Utah. Sunnyside High athletes sign letters of intent

The Sunnyside Foundation awarded a total of $21,789 for 28 Excellence in Education mini-grants. Mini-grants were awarded in a variety of areas: extracurricular activities, fine arts, math & science, and literacy. A Mini-Grant award celebration will take place on December 8 at Mission Manor Elementary School. SUSD Foundation awards mini-grants

Elvira Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Andy Townsend is one of five Teacher of the Year Ambassadors for Excellence. Andy was named a Rodel Exemplary Teacher for He was recently featured on KUAT radio for the Teachers’ Voices program presented by Tucson Values Teachers. Andy Townsend is Ambassador for Excellence

Three teachers are Rodel finalists Three Sunnyside District teachers have been named Rodel Exemplary Teacher finalists: Kim Valdez of Gallego Basic Elementary School, Susan Gamez of Esperanza, and Adriana Gallego of Esperanza.

Desert View math teacher and department chair Alison Cornell has been named one of nine finalists for the UA/Circle K Outstanding High School Faculty Awards. She will be honored in pre-game ceremonies at the January 29, 2011 University of Arizona men’s basketball game. Desert View teacher is “Outstanding” finalist

200 homeless students in the Sunnyside District will be given food supplies for the weekends, thanks to a $15,000 donation from the Qwest Foundation. The grant will fund 2,400 Snack Packs—200 a week for 12 weeks. Qwest Foundation donates $15,000 for Snack Packs

The Sunnyside District’s Parents as Teachers (PAT) program will receive a $25,000 grant from Social Venture Partners Greater Tucson. The PAT coordinator is Joan Katz. Parents as Teachers grant

A Learn and Serve grant from the Arizona Department of Education is funding an after-school birding club at Lauffer Middle School called Sunnyside-Audubon Student Urban Naturalists (SASUN). Students meet every week at Lauffer and once a month they do a public service activity at Sweetwater Wetlands. Lauffer students go birding

The Tucson Association of Realtors Green Committee has selected the winners of its Sustainability Composition Contest. First place and a $500 prize goes to Desert View senior Burgundy Houk. The winner of second place and a $250 prize is Desert View freshman Cherria Martin. Desert View students go green

Sunnyside High alum Patty Gamez will receive the University of Arizona Centennial Achievement Award. Elora D. Diaz, Sunnyside High Class of 2008, has earned an internship with the State Senate. She was selected after several interviews, and will begin her internship in January Sunnyside High alumni honors

Donate to a school—it won’t cost you a cent! Contribute to the extracurricular activities fund of a public school and claim a credit (a dollar-for-dollar reduction in the tax you owe) of up to $200 on your Arizona income taxes ($400 for married filing jointly). 100% of the money you donate goes directly to the school of your choice to help fund extracurricular activities such as field trips, after- school programs, music, chess club and athletics. For more information and to download a tax credit form, see: Tax credit donations